Is there anything better than Fall!!???

I forgot how much I enjoy Fall! Today, I sat on the back porch, watched Sophie chase bugs and bark at cows, and enjoyed a cup of apple cider! Alabama isn't known for its fall foliage, but from our little hill, i can see trees off in the distance changing colors. From green to red, orange, gold and brown! (and I smile knowing we dont have trees in our yard I have to rake!)
Something about fall is cozy to me. I think my mind knows once fall arrives, the holidays are near. That means lots of family, fun and good food! It means the kids have time away from school, and lots of togetherness here at home (which is sometimes not a good thing).
I think this year I am able to relax and enjoy it for the first time in two years. It was this time 2 years ago that Blake was in Kabul and the kids and I were adjusting to our new life without him. Those were times filled with fear, pride, joy, anxiety, and fall was an expression of sadness. This time last year, we were yet again anxious, wondering what was to be. Embarking on this new journey, quietly wondering..... Fall was an expression of change, and change that wasnt seeming so great. I felt much like the withering leaves about to fall, but I was desperately trying to hold on. Luckily, hold on we did! And this year, the colors of fall are very vibrant, the cool crisp air is welcomed, and change is greated with enthusiasm. My focus has changed, as have my worries. (Having a job will help you not worry so much about looking for a job!!!) I am so grateful that we have a beautiful (though at the moment messy) home, that right out our backdoor is a big backyard that my kids love to wrestle in (just watch our for dog poo!), beyond that is a fantastic view of God's landscape. I am grateful that my husband has a great job that enables me to be home with my little ones, to see them off to school, and greet them when they come home. This week, I am grateful for fantastic medical insurance! (6 out of 7 tested positive for strep throat.....the 7th is being tested this afternoon!)
Not sure why today it hit me. Perhaps because yesterday, wondering who would be our next president and what effect it would have on my family and this country led me to realize today that no matter what, I have everything that matters already. The past two years have really taught me that!

UPDATE on Bryce!

We got the CT scan back, and thankfully, Bryce does not have the abscess they feared he had! I have to admit i was very anxious and a bit freaked out. The drs. office was great, and the nurse explained to me why they thought he had it, and thus the reason we were able to get a CT scan done so quickly!
What the CT scan showed was Bryce has fluid in the soft tissues of his neck, and some largely swollen lymph nodes. They think it is due to the strep throat. He is to continue the antibiotics he is on, and if at the end of the course, his neck is still stiff, he will undergo more testing.

Thanks for the thoughts and prayers. The past 2 days have been hectic, and at times, quite worrisome. We did find out about 11 am or so that he was in the clear for the abscess, but this is the first chance I have had to sit down again.

The kids are all tucked in bed, trick or treating is over, and I am cleaning up a messy house! We are all still recovering from three crazy busy weeks! Tomorrow my kids get to deep clean their rooms! Their will more than likely be wailing and gnashing of teeth.....

Again, thanks for the prayers and well wishes, they were certainly felt, and we know our prayers were answered today! Who knew a stiff neck could potentially be so serious!!!

Never a dull moment....

We could use some prayers for Bryce. He woke up yesterday morning unable to move his neck. After a full day at the drs office, we learned he and I both have strep throat. However, that is not the cause of his stiff neck.
We were sent for a CT scan of his neck, and will get the results this morning. They have initially ruled out meningitis as he has no fever, is not photo-phobic, and has had no headache. He has had a cold recently, but had seemed to feel better! (In fact, he doesnt even have a sore throat!)

They are trying to rule out what is called a retropharyngeal abscess. Here is a little linkie loo for you to find out what it is: http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic506.htm

As you can see, we are a bit worried. If it is a retropharyngeal abscess, we have caught it early. If the CT scan comes back negative, the next tests will be spinal tap, to difinitively rule out meningitis.

The dr. is hopeful the stiff neck is just a manifestation of this atypical strep we seem to have. However, b/c of some other symptoms Bryce is showing, he is concerned about the above.

We will keep you posted, and would appreciate the prayers! He has been such a great patient, and did fantastic with the CT scan yesterday. They did it with contrast, so he had to have an IV. His poor little body was shivering and shaking, but he still had the entire staff and other in the waiting room laughing the whole time! They said he was the best patient they had seen all day! He told them that his mom got stabbed in the butt by the doctor today! (I got 2 shots!) He said "Mom had to pull down her pants, and got stabbed in the butt twice! Luckily I missed it, cuz that is gross"
He told the nurse when he got his shot, that he had on clean under wear, but maybe got a little pee on them.

Anyway, we are supposed to get the read from the radiologist this morning. I will post an update as soon as I can.

She's Baaaaaaacckkk!!!!!!

Wow, almost 20 days since I last posted. It isnt because I havent had anything to say (those who know me know that isnt possible). I have literally just not had the time to post!
We finally had our ward super saturday. I like to think it went well. People seemed pleased with their projects, and I was very relieved to have it over and done with!
The next week was spent with field trips to the zoo. It rained! We got SOAKED! SOAKED! Thankfully, my friend Polly had Sam, so he wasnt being dragged through the weather. It was still a fun day. Then the Pumpkin patch. No rain, just a beautiful day. Next came the missionary zone luncheon our Relief Society Presidency had to put on. That is always a fun day. I always think of when my sons are on their missions!Finally, yesterday was my first show. We did really well, and people seem to love our stuff! I came home and had to finish preparing my talk to today. I got home at 615, and put the kids to bed at 730. I literally fell asleep at Blake's desk at 8pm. I got up went potty, and laid on the bed to finish my talk, but fell asleep again around 830. I woke up at 715am! OOps! The talk came together just fine though.
So, hopefully the next few weeks will be slower. I have a good bit of custom orders from the show this past weekend that I have to get done this week. I am excited! So glad I am doing something I enjoy!
I know this is a rather boring post, but I am still exhausted!
One little funny......
Blake brought the kids and the dog to the park to see the booth. A friend of his from work came and helped me for a while. She is the one who talked me into doing the booth! Anyway, Blake was standing with the kids across the traffic path with the kids. He was talking to Kayleigh. I was talking to Jeanine (his friend from work) when I see Sams pants fall from his waist to his feet. Sam didnt notice, Blake didnt notice, but I sure did, as did jeanine and about 10 other people around. Thankfully, he is only 2, and when he realized it thought it was funny. Blake said it happened again on the way to the car. He said Sam was walking slow, and this lady said, "Sir, did you know his pants are at his ankles!?" He obviously is not blessed yet with is mother's gargantuan rear end.

Field Trip to the Fair!

Monday, Jonathon and Kayleigh's gifted program took a trip to the fair. The educational reasoning was "physics in motion". The teacher wanted to go experience it first hand. Blake and I say it was just an excuse to take them to play all day.
The day was a lot of fun! My only complaints (and you know I was going to have some) was the cost! HOLY HECK is it expensive to go to the fair! Second, I forgot sunscreen. We were there from 830 to 2pm. NO sunscreen, hair pulled back. My ears, neck, scalp and face are pretty much fried. And it hurts!

When we got there we had to wait an hour for the rides to open. So, we toured the animal and other agriculture displays. That was interesting, yet stinky. The pigs they were showing in the arena were rather amorous. We didn't stay very long there. They kept having to separate them. Kayleigh asked me, Mom, why is that one pig trying to climb on the others back.......

Moving on!

The rides finally opened, and my kids were fearless. In fact, the scarier looking, the better. I had five kids in my group. Two were more cautious and did not want to ride very much. One kid came with out lunch money. To the parents that send their kids to the fair with no lunch or lunch money, newsflash....I dont want to pay 4 bucks for your kids hotdog, another 2 for his water. I already had to take a home equity line of credit out just to step in the fair, and sold my wedding jewelry to buy my kids the "you can ride everything" wristbands. Then there was the funnel cake that had to be bought.....I pawned the car. And seriously you fair people.....4 bucks for a shaved ice. REALLY. and I kid you not Slush Puppies were 9, yes NINE dollars. We did not get slush puppies.

It was so much fun, so I guess I just wont think about the money. But I am cheap, so I really will, I'll just pretend like I wont. (Sidenote: babysitter at home with Sam for 6 hours, not cheap either. Had to sell Sam to pay for it.)

All kidding aside, it was a great day. We had a lot of fun, saw A LOT of very interesting people, more tattoos than i have ever seen and in places that SHOULD NOT be seen in public, ate all kinds of yummy fair food, watched a "Cool" teenager step off the Gravitron and loose his lunch in front of about 100 people, who instantly laughed. I love getting to see my kids in their social setting. It makes me feel good about how we are raising them, and am proud to see their choices (so far!) in who they choose to associate with. I just hope they continue to be such great kids!

Does anyone know how to get in touch with John Tesh?

I hate John Tesh. In that David Hasselhoff kind of way. You know what I mean. He has that smarmy look to his face that says..... I think I am great. He looks like a hairy dude too (much like the Hoff). He has always annoyed me. Not sure why? When he was on Entertainment Tonight, hated him. When he tried to be a piano playing superstar, hated him. He just has that "I'm talented enough to be famous, but not talented enough for you to like me, so I'll just be annoying and cling to every opportunity to be in the spotlight" kind of way. (Disclaimer: Dude has more talent than me for sure, but I am not annoyingly famous....just annoying)

So, am I blogging just to share my feelings on Tesh and the Hoff? No.

Recently, John Tesh has become the second man in my life. I guess I have now developed a love-hate relationship with him. The Teshmiester has become the little whisper in my hubby's ear that finally gets him to do the things I am nagging him about for YEARS. And this has given me yet ANOTHER reason to hate on the Tesh.

Blake commutes 25 miles each way, and in the car listens to the radio. Evidently, he is inflicting the John Tesh show on my poor helpless radio. However, like a kid finding a sucker on the ground, he just can't help but pick up the goodies. He'll walk in the door nearly everyday with some random John Tesh fact.

"John Tesh says....." is a frequent comment in our home. Often, it is stuff I have been saying for years. (you know the stuff you tell your husband "they say you should/shouldn't....which is followed from the husband with, "well who told you that?", and "Who is THEY?????" Then the information is promptly discounted and discarded)But hey, give a man an annoying voice and a radio show and the husband will listen. Guess the boobs (mine not Tesh's) don't have as much power as they once did. Seriously, you'd think Tesh was Oprah or something. (Oh, and i dislike her MORE than the Teshter)

So, my question to you all, if I have to listen to the "John Tesh Says...." constantly, can't I at least reap some of the benefits. I'd like for John Tesh to list the following on his radio show:

1. Husbands should always offer to do housework. It makes for a happier home and wife.

2. Don't rag on your wife at how dirty the car is. They're your five heathens too. She wasn't the only one there when they were made, and shouldn't be the only one having to pry dried on tootsie pops from the leather in the van. And NO, she does not know what the mysterious liquid is in the cup-holder. But, John Tesh says you should offer to clean it.

3.Don't ask if you have clean underwear. Look at the GIANT pile in your bathroom. None of your clothes have magically sprouted little underwear-legs. Chances are, unless clothes have started magically replicating, those are the same dirty underwear you didn't take to the dirty clothes yesterday. John Tesh says, if you aren't going to wash them, AT LEAST take them to the dirty clothes.

4. If you love your wife, don't make her watch old Night Rider reruns on the RTN. (See comments above on her feelings about the Hoff.) John Tesh says torturing her with one 80's has-been is enough, and he is taking on that role.

5. ALWAYS let your wife sleep in on the weekends. John Tesh would.

6. When in the car together, she can hear the radio, so you really don't have to repeat what John Tesh JUST SAID. She may just be choosing to ignore it.

7. Since said wife gave up chocolate, she may be(ok IS) rather grumpy. (Yes, this is in addition to her normal state of pleasant grumpiness) You should do something special for her. A giant chocolate candy bar would be nice, but cruel. VERY cruel. John Tesh says skip the chocolate and go for cash. She likes that too.

8. She really likes good Mexican food. She really hates cooking. Mix those two together, and what do you get? Pick up take out at the Jose's at the interstate exit. (She can probably give you the call-in number) John Tesh says this will score major points and might lead to a good night. (unless, of course, you count the byproducts of ingesting re-fried beans and jalapenos') Though I am sure john tesh has a cure all tip to get rib of gas (mine and yours).

9. When said gas attacks at bedtime....it is not polite to fan it to your wife's face. Nor is it polite to hold her head under covers (in some states that is probably spouse abuse....so says the Tesh). The polite thing to do, as per Tesh ...if you were to ask him....is to go to the bathroom and rip 'em.

and finally

10. Tesh says that sometimes it is better to pretend you don't know where you heard something. Anytime you say to the wife, "john tesh says....." She stops listening. While the Tesh-man has offered TONS of helpful bits of information over the past months, he is really annoying. The man can't seriously think we think he knows all that. Hello, can you say staff researchers? Pretend the dog told you. It'll get you further.

So, unless John can get my husband to stop leaving his socks and shoes everywhere, convince him to clean the kitchen from top to bottom, wash and fold all the laundry, and scrub the boys bathroom (seriously....3 boys, one toilet, GROSS), cook dinner, clean the van, and rub my feet; I really have no use for him. The show is called : Music and Intelligence for YOUR life.....not for Your Wife. Let's keep it that way!

We have a second dog!

This morning we got another dog. This one is a puppy, not quite fully grown. It just did the cutest things this morning, enjoy a few pictures. I am not quite sure what kind of breed this dog it, and unfortunately, it certainly isn't house-trained.

I was on the phone with my mom when I noticed our new puppy chewing on Sophie's ball. I hope she doesn't mind sharing. The new puppy certainly didn't seem to mind chewing on a used ball. BLAhhhhh.....that is NASTEE.

After enjoying the ball for a while, he played and jumped. He grabbed Sophie's stuffed bear and bit and shook it, just like Sophie does. Sophie was just watching all this in amazement. I think she was trying to decide how she felt about another dog invading her space.

Up next he found Sophie's squeaky toy. I think this one is the new puppies favorite. He picked it up and carried it around in his mouth. JUST LIKE SOPHIE DOES! WOW! They are SO alike.After he finished playing with that, he moved on to the purple squeaky bone. He could not get that thing to squeak no matter how hard he bit and pushed on it. Sophie is better at this. I guess it will come in time.

So far, the new puppy seems to be fitting in just fine. I do wish we could do something about the house training. He also barks a little too much. I am not sure how long Sophie will tolerate him playing with her toys. Personally, I think it is kind of gross that they are sharing toys.

But isn't he just the cutest puppy ever!

Disclaimer: Yes, I am a horrible mother, I did not intervene and let my kid chew on the dogs toys. Believe me, much worse had already been in the kids mouth. Besides, they share popsicles, potatoe chips, and sometimes sippy cups; so what is a little tennis ball and teddy bear between friends!