Wyatt!

Wyatt turned two this week! He is my little angel, my sweet heart. I'm absolutely in love with this precious boy. Here's to you Wyatt!

See the one where he emptied Bryan's wallet? He was so cute, we couldn't even get mad!

Michael Jackson

I was in the car driving home from my sister's house yesterday when I heard the news on the radio. I couldn't believe it. Michael Jackson was dead. I was dumbstruck.

Naturally, all the crazy, weird things he's done in the last decade came to mind but I would like to bypass that for a moment and jump back to 1982. I was twelve years old. I'd gotten to school early as usual because if I wanted a ride I had to leave when my dad did. So, there I was, sitting on the top steps in the hall of Millcreek Jr. High in front of the girls locker room, eating Nibs and listening to "Thriller" on the radio. It was the first time I'd ever heard it all the way through. My parents didn't listen to those stations at home, so I'd never heard it before.

I loved it! I began to crave everything Michael Jackson, included the poster of him in the luscious yellow suit which I cannot now find! He brought so much to music, was such a great entertainer, was so cute before his surgeries. I am saddened at his mental decline. It's too bad we all can't be more content with who we are and how we look. Who knows, if I had the money, I might get a nose job too.

Anyway, I'm sad he's gone. At least he gets to be in a pretty awesome place with people who love him. Good bye, Michael and God speed.

Swimming upstream

I know, I know. I have been neglecting this blog. I am just so busy I don't take the time as much as I used to.

So, the kids have started swimming lessons this week which gives me the chance to sit up in the steamy balcony of the Brigham Natatorium, reading a good book and/or watching my kids. Very enjoyable for the most part.

I miss swimming. I used to swim laps every morning, but didn't continue for one reason or another. I watch Jake doing laps; those difficult strokes that you only see in the Olympics, and feel jealous. Oh, to be young again. I yearn for that twenty year old body. I wish I could go back with the brain I have now. Would I choose differently?

Hmm. So, here I sit, on a hot afternoon in Utah, the kids are playing outside and I am blogging, facebooking, and writing. What a perfect day.

Update

I know it has been a while since I've written here. I've just been letting things go a little. I do keep up on Facebook which is easily addictive!

Jake and Seth started tumbling today and both feel a little self conscious. I guess they thought they'd be in a class of all beginners. No such luck! They'll just have to practice at home more! Neither can do cart wheels. I tried to teach them today without much luck.

Gabe, on the other hand is a natural at gymnastics. In fact, I have a feeling that he could go all the way to the Olympics some day. He's built like a tank and really loves his class.

I've been writing and fixing and changing and writing some more. I've changed one of my stories from 3rd person to 1st. I was stuck and now I like it better but I'd already written about 100 pages! Yikes, but that's okay. It will be better this way.

I'm planning on going to the LUW conference in September. I hope to see you all there. If anyone is looking for a roommate, let me know! I'd love to share a room. Cut costs, ya know?

So, I hope you're all doing well and we'll talk later!

Summer vacation

Well, it's the first day of summer vacation and we are starting it off right! I have all the kids helping me to clean the house! I'm going to do it different this summer. First thing, everyone cleans every room together every morning. It' shouldn't take too long if everyone helps. That way, it gets done fast. Tomorrow we'll tackle the basement.

Then we'll have a rest time. Wyatt will sleep and the other kids can read or do school work etc... That way, they'll stay caught up and have a time to relax. This is also good for me. lol

I have the boys signed up for tumbling this summer and Heidi is doing dance which she loves. They all will start swimming lessons on the 22nd.

We don't have any big trips planned which is why I wanted something for them to look forward to each week. They are super excited.

For me, I have decided to do things a bit differently too. Normally, I love to soak in a hot bath in the morning to relax tight muscles. No more. I think it makes me too lethargic and while I'm already battling fatigue, I'll only take baths at night. Also, someone told me to drink milk at night and that helps you sleep. Hot or cold, it doens't matter. I tried it last night and I didn't sleep too bad. That is until Seth came upstairs at 2 in the morning to use the bathroom and knocked a glass onto the floor. I was awake for about an hour, but was able to go back to sleep, kind of. Not bad though for not taking any sleep aid.

I'm going to try to work out at least three times a week as soon as my broken toe feels better. I think if I get my endurance up, I'll handle it all better. I'd thought about getting an antidepressant because this chronic fatigue is really bringing me down, but I sat down this morning to research in depth about it all and have decided against it. In severe cases, medication helps a lot, but they have found that in mild cases, it didn't, no matter what kind you used. Having someone to talk to usually did the trick for mild to moderate cases of depression. So, I will take really good vitamins, work out as much as I can, relax as much as I can and go from there. The side affects are just too much. I already can't sleep, I don't want it to be worse. I don't want headaches and in the past, I always got terrible migraines on antidepressants, the possible sexual side affects aren't too alluring either.

I hope it's a good plan. I think it is, so I'll you know how it all works out. I'm getting my hair done tomorrow so I'm sure everything will look rosier just because of that!

Published

It's official! I'm a paid, published author! Check out my article here!

I'd like to thank the acadamy and to all my friends and family . . . thank you! And I love you so much!

Poor me/ Yea me!

So, for the first time, I've been really depressed about this chronic fatigue stuff. I even cried today. I couldn't help it. I don't want to spend the rest of my life feeling this way. Before there was a verdict, I had hope that it was just hormones or something, that it would go away. Now, I'm beginning to wonder.

There have been a lot of days where I have to force myself to even write in my books etc . . . Frequently, I get out of the bathtub and just lay on my bed for a while because I'm too tired to get dressed. Today, I decided to force myself to work out, knowing I'd feel like crap the rest of the day, but knowing it would be good for my body. But then I remembered my broken toe, which still hurts quite a bit, so I didn't.

Bry came home at lunch and felt bad with me. He feels the same way about his situation with the asthma. He still hasn't completely recovered and feels like crap most of the time. We are a couple of basket cases.

Anyway, enough of feeling sorry for myself. On the flip side of the coin. Neighborhood News is publishing an article of mine on Wednesday! I will be a paid, published author. OFFICIALLY! Ya hoo! It's only fifty bucks, but hey, beggers can't be choosy!

So, life isn't all bad. I have a great little family, friends who care and my Dad has been so sweet as I've shared my woes with him. He is one of my greatest supports. Then there is Bryan who doesn't feel good himself, but always builds me up. He doesn't complain and we just lay together on our bed trying to put our legs on top of each other. Two invalids trying to wrestle. We laugh a lot and that is what gets us through. Man, I love him!