life of leisure...stinks

It was just last week that I was dusting the stairway with my fluffy extendable duster and thinking to myself "my life is pretty sweet".  The house was coming together.  I had even cleaned out some of the air ducts and organized the mud room, things were getting crossed off my list.  I was walking the dogs a couple of times a day and enjoying the sunshine, fresh air, quiet and exercise.  I was visiting with the neighbors, I was working on my calling, reading the scriptures, keeping up with the laundry, getting along great with R and feeling happy and energetic in the afternoons taking the kids from place to place and making dinners that they didn't want to eat but that were tasty.  I was visiting teaching and thinking about having a hobby.  Honestly it is so much better not to work. I was telling Becky that when I worked it consumed my day and then the rest of the time was burdened with chores and it was exhausting, I really feel like I am a better mother when I don't work.  I should have known better...

Grace walking Z this morning, she thinks fall is here and Z hates her snowsuit.

The last 4 days I have been stuck in bed with horrible back pain.  I have been to the chiropractor twice, gotten xrays and have an MRI scheduled later in the week.  We are hoping that I have a bulging disk and nothing worse.  Will know more at the end of the week. I miss my burdens and want them back.  I am getting better, I think, it's been slow, much slower than I want.  Now when I am laying down and drugged up I am mostly without terrible pain, which is a sad improvement from the first days.  I am sure it will get better soon.  Thankfully Nana flew down to help.  Rob and the children tried but really were not keeping up.  I noticed a real difference as soon as she came in the house, having a mom up and running things is a blessing and joy in a home.  There is cheerful chatter, meals cooked and things being looked after.  It is a huge weight off Rob's shoulders and mind as he was so worried and also off of mine.  Grandparents are such a blessing to families.  I really wish (here we go again I know) that we lived closer to family.  I miss my children getting to have regurlar contact with their grandparents and I miss being a good influence, helping presense in Penny and Tate's life.  Well, it is what it is and it's our job to cheerfully make the best of it.  So we are grateful when we are together.

Penny and Tate at a birthday party for their cousin last night.  So cute!

I've been thinking lately of the blessings I enjoy.  Laying in bed gives you lots of thinking time.  So a list:

• the stars, I love looking up and seeing them bright and shiny on a clear night.  First thing in the morning too when I take the dogs out I sit on the bottom step and let them do their business and I always look up and find my favorite ones.  It's so beautiful.
• cell phones, I am so happy to be in touch with my sisters and girls and Rob through out the day.  Val and I talk every day, which is so great. I love getting updates for Si, J and D about their lives and what's going on.  Jenna and Clayton are super busy with a packed schedule, they are happy. Dani is all unpacked in her new home.  She's a hard worker! She made a friend already with three little kids named:...ready for this?  Bear, Phoenix and Lion.  How do you not feel silly yelling out in the back yard Bear! Lion! stop fighting!! ?
• Fishing, Rob and Grace love to fish together.  I am so happy that they have a great activity to do. Sometimes it's annoying when it feel like he's fished a super a lot, but mostly I am glad for it and the fish he brings home is yummy!
• glasses, I can read so much easier with them on :)
• the Lord's gentle tutoring.  The last few blessings I have gotten have been interesting.  When we were set apart as a young women's presidency the Stake President had us all come and talked with us for quite awhile before hand.  He counseled us not to murmur, counseled at great length.  I thought that was interesting as I didn't consider myself a murmurer, or the other sisters.  However there have been times when I have had to bite my tongue and times when I should have and did not.  So don't murmur.  Important.  Then last week when I got a blessing for my back I was told, as I knew, that the experiences of our life are to teach us lessons and that I would learn about humility.  Again a surprise because I didn't think I was particularly not humble.  I have been studying humility and trying to learn it better.  I am glad for corrections and opportunities to grow and be more like the Savior.
• a comfy mattress.  We've been spending lots of time together my mattress and I and even though it's pretty ghetto and has duck tape on the sides it's still comfortable and big with room for lots of peeps.  

sabbath day of rest

This Sunday I am actually getting a lot of rest.  I am still laid up with a bad back.  Ridiculously frustrating.  Yesterday Jared came over to help Rob give me a blessing.  He got to come all the way upstairs into the bedroom where I looked so lovely.  Vanity aside it is amazing to have the power of the priesthood in your life and I am very grateful for those good men.  I had a nice blessing and am confident I will be up and at em soon. Actually today it has been a little bit better.

Jenna got some pictures from her photographer. They look amazing.  How fun to look back on that special day.  I can't wait to get some nice prints.  In the meantime here's a sneak peak!

Had a fun chat with Sierra.  She was on her way to her third sacrament meeting of the day.  She went to her new ward, then she went with her room mate to her Polynesian ward and then she was going to her old ward since some of her friends were doing  a special musical number.

Funny story to illustrate how things fall apart when mom is out of commission.  Lu went to her first, and maybe only, sleepover of her young life.  They slept for one hour, she came home in a good mood and spent the day sitting on my bed with me.  Around 4 things were hectic.  Hannah was leaving for a temple trip and R was running around being Mr Mom and she slipped off.  A short time later R was leaving for the grocery store and was checking on the kids and couldn't find Lu.  He checked "everywhere"and called her name. He noticed that her bike was gone and we panicked.  Did she leave.  She wasn't anywhere.  I quickly called her friends and sent Ethan to knock on doors of neighbors and R drove through the neighborhood.  I hobbled out of bed and walked to her room and found her sleeping in her bed.  So I hobbled back, called off the search and shook my head.  FYI she slept from 4pm until 6am the next morning.  Tired girl.

Scout fun

Hmm

Rob got back from his week long training.  We missed him.  He said it went well and he enjoyed several, but not all, of the presenters, the food was good and the hotel was nice.  He got back earlier than we thought he would so was able to spend most of the afternoon at home and also go to Bub's baseball game.  Unfortunately the game got rained out in the first inning.

Today I woke up and my leg and buttock were on fire.  Crazy pain.  For about a week my back has been tender and yesterday the pain moved to my leg but it was bearable. Today not so much, it really hurt no matter what, if I was standing, sitting, laying down, everything hurt.  I went to the doc and he said I have a bulging disk.  I don't know what caused it and am hoping it will go away soon.  We did electro shock treatment, and ice treatment and heat and an adjustment.  After all that it pretty much is not hurting when I am laying down and if I am current on the 800mg ibuprofen.  Of course no day is a good day for debilitating pain but this day was particularly not.  Ethan and Rob have E's first scout camp out.  I was planning on helping them get everything ready this morning.  Didn't happen.  Instead they had a stressful getting themselves ready, which may or may not have included a bit of swearing and a lot of whining and that is why instead of a nice picture of father and son in their handsome scout uniforms we have a cartoon graphic.
Grace is going to Maggie's birthday party.  I was planning on buying a cute gift.  Didn't happen (instead we had to give the always welcome but not so cute gift of cash).
Hannah and I had planned a date night :(  That is the saddest part.  Instead it's pizza, popcorn and net-flicks on the couch.  I was really looking forward to going out with her.

Tomorrow we have dinner plans with some friends.  I am hoping to wake up tomorrow with pain that is manageable so we can be back to "normal"
Also have an important calendaring meeting on Sunday..really want to put that to bed.

In other news Dani and Greg closed on their house! They are home owners!!!

And.....said with a squeal of joyful anticipation!...Alec & Kelly, Ryan & Val and Rob and I are going
on a cruise in April!!  Can not wait.  We are stopping in Haiti, Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel.

It's going to be Ah-maze-ING!!! Val and I have been looking at the excursions. I know I want to swim with the dolphins again, I'd love to horse back ride on the beach, Ry wants to go to Tulum and Rob wants to fish, so many fabulous things to look forward to.

TTR

This about covers it. luckily another monday is around the corner. What is wrong with me (face palm)?

Cello

Little Grace has been waiting to get old enough to play a string instrument. You can start in third grade. You can start younger if your mother is nice enough, but if your mother has already lived through a couple beginning violinist she might not be nice enough.

Yesterday Grace had her first lesson. We thought we had rented a cello from the school, but it turned out that she was only allowed to use it at school. So today right after school we went to the music store. It took us three stops at three different music stores to get everything that was on "the list". 

We got home, and of course she had to try it out right away. It was just as I had remembered.

End of story.

Monday

R left for a work conference so I am a single mother this week.  We had a busy day.  This morning my alarm didn't go off, or it did and I turned it off, I'm not sure.  In any case I woke up to John ringing the door bell a little after 6, quick got Ethan up and drove him to school.  Luckily R was packing to leave and Lu didn't have to go with.

Not a good way to start the day since it takes about an hour and 15 min to do the round trip drive.

After school Hannah had theater try outs.  We had a mix up in the days and times so I wasn't sure where she was and she didn't answer her cell phone, of course.  It turned out fine.  I went to pick her up and she was there...disaster averted.  We need to work on our communication though.

Then we went to the barn for Lu's first riding lesson.  Today she rode Ginger, a cute little pony.  She probably won't ride her again but she was a sweet old thing and Lu was happy.  The farm is very nice and I think she will learn a lot.

After that we went to Ethan's first baseball game.  His team won 9-4 and he got a run.  He had a fun time.  It's not really a fast paced thing, watching baseball but he had fun. and that's the main thing.

After the game we went to Red Robin and the food was tasty and we laughed a lot, which is a fun night.  We got home and homework done and showers taken, prayers said and kids tucked into bed before 9:30.  Not bad.