GOING out of my MIND. TRYING to figure out HOW a 2 year allergy free streak suddenly flares up again.{{after 6 years of looking like this except my eyes were constantly bloodshot.}}
WHAT I did different. I {didn't}.could mean one company changing one ingredient in the one product.
I HATE it.
I feel like a freak.
I HURT
its burning/ itchy/ puffy/ BURNING!!! and gets so swollen there is a crease line the pricks like its on fire..
I know there are so many worse things but I'm just completely frustrated.
I'm going on vacation in a bit and have to get this taken care of.I can't FIGURE IT OUT!!!!!!
SO if you see me thats why I look like this the last couple of weeks just in case you were wondering the folds in my eyelid are the swollen ouchness.me sans makeup.i am brave see...
I know you just jumped back from the screen didn't you.....lol
But I am thankful for this little dude look how big he is getting and he said "mom yesterday in front of about 20 little kids at our roots of empathy session in a gr four classroom
HE
made. my ♥
melt.
I just love this boy!!!!
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Since I missed thankful Thursday.....
Lots to be thankful for that's for sure
it could always be worse just looking around right!!!
thankful a girls night out grocery shopping with my spunky little five year old last night...
while the boys had pizza and watched the hockey game....{loving the Olympics!}
thankful for life lots to be learned isn't there.
even when you don't feel good.
even when trials come.
even when the earth is shaking beneath you.
no matter how trivial or big they are. To each person its different.
tolerance is a good thing.
keeping your judgments to yourself is a good thing.
{{{{{{because I needed a good laugh and so do you lol}}}}.
......AND most of all because you never know till you're walking in another 's shoes.
{and Christine D. thanks for making my day. seriously its been a rough week.} ------------------------
Have a good weekend....
going here soon.... can't wait!!!I need it! just to sit by a pool and read a book and feel the sun will be awesome! I just need these eyes to get better!!!
D and K worked on the cub car together over the weekend.... the best part of the car making.... a great father and son project it was fun to see them work it all out together from a block of wood to the end project {I may have persuaded them to do a little "garage podgeing on it too it looked awesome and he was happy with it cause he did all the work with a bit of help from dad for the hard parts ha ha!} He did awesome and won both the first races till everyone starting putting weights on their's!
I missed the races unfortunately cause K2 got sick ON ME!!! How disgusting!! Do you like my splattered look.... I've been slimed came to mind it dripped all the way down my pants and froze to my neck when I
went outside!! poor little k2!!
so today we stayed home cuddled,read stories and baked cookies
and later he was feeling a little better.... enough to STAND ahhh!!My baby is getting so big! he is starting to pull up on stuff he only last a couple of seconds so the falls are coming!
and lots of this going on around here love it all!! We are addicted!
and that's life around here this week!!
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare? W. H. Davies
Alright you asked the questions so here are my answers: {For some reason when I copy and pasted it here from works it doesn't show the delete things along the way to edit them out so sorry about the weird things in the post not sure how to get rid of them.}
Did you have a boyfriend in high school? I had a few boyfriends in high school, but really my brother was one of my best friends {sometimes people thought we were boyfriend and girlfriend if they didn’t really know us because we were always together and he is only a year younger then me,} and though I had a lot of girl/ friends too I hung out with mostly my brothers friends. Doing everything from basketball at their houses to football on the grass,
What did you guys do for dates? Our biggest dates were just things like Sadie/prom/grad all those types then we just kind of always hung out together. We had a lot of clean fun!
"And do you tell your kids yet what life was like for you when you went to school?"
…Of course the up hill both ways….freezing cold… early mornings to seminary in my head cursing my parents the whole walk to school ha ha… cause they were sitting in front of the warm fire and I frost bite my ears true story numerous times. All true but the kids ask us to tell them stories most nights about when we grew up or when they were babies so its kind of fun to find topics and remember with them.
..... I have only read a bit about your allergies. I have some new ones (MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, basically I am allergic to perfumes, colognes, scents, stuff like that. Yeah, church sucks each week) Wondering if scents bug you too and how best you deal with it.
-I am so sorry you’re allergic to things beyond your control!! I do have flare ups to strong {stinky }perfumes and smoke can’t stand em! I got a scentsy candle about three weeks ago and reacted to it so I had to put it away and now have to determine the scents I can handle its frustrating so I totally know how you feel!! Right now I have a flare up I’ve been good for over 2 years! And over the past 3 weeks something changed I didn’t use anything new but all it takes is for a product to have one ingredient changed and it effects everything for my eyes they are itchy, swallow and red and I feel itchy puffy and gross!! SO I have to call companies, email them and I find they are not very cooperative they think I’m the competition and am going to make my own or something. I hope you find your answer mine didn’t really help since I am more allergic to ingredient type things. –Good question though!!
Do your kids know they are adopted?
Yes our kids know from birth pretty much that they are adopted it’s kind of like you have 10 fingers it’s just apart of them, of course it’s a big deal and will become more so as they get older. But it’s just something they always know they have pictures of them and a letter {from most of their birthparents} that when they are older will be able to read and understand more when that time comes.
what age did you tell them? and to what extent do you explain? We explain what they can understand at whatever age they are.
Do you keep in contact with any of the birth parents? Our agreements have been with pictures and a letter through our lds family services office and they are at 2 weeks 3 6 9 12 18 24 months and once a year till 8. We don’t really have contact other than that we have run into a few on occasion but from the beginning we decided to take the awkward out of it not that it makes it that much easier but it works. I know that a lot especially in the states do things and spend time with the birth parents but we have always felt that for our situations and the council we had and have been given that it just works best for us.
The backcombing comb that you have, what makes it so different from a regular tail pick comb? Does it back comb differently or just more effectively? Does this make sense?
To me it works better because the bristles are staggered so it gives a more evenly backcombed piece and more to work with {so funny that I’m talking about hair} when I backcomb mine I have like five different sections standing straight up from my head then I can use the brush to piece it and smooth it over too !!
"What was the most stressful thing you did, or had to do {when preparing your home} for when you received your final home study by your case worker?"
I think it was just stressing over the fact that I hoped my house was up to specs that they thought it was okay and clean ---- then on the other hand the feelings of being kind of sad/mad that I even had to have my house inspected when other people just have babies and bring them home!
But besides that I always had something warm and inviting like banana bread cooking and then I always felt better and homemakerish! It’s just stressful but after the first time it got a whole lot better , but the first time was the worst making sure all the things you don’t even think of are put away like all medicines and all cleaners out of reach. WE did get a lot of unfinished jobs done each time like a deck finished and all the safety things you never think of done! {I only hope t hat by asking this question you are taking the road and if you are I am so excited for you!!} {If you ever have any questions or anything email me call me anything!!}
And my sil Kristyn made it just before I went to do this so here are her’s!
where was your favorite place you lived growing up?
I think Armstrong BC it was the age of first crushes my grade seven teacher was one of them ha ha!! He looked like alan Jackson and back then I thought he was so awesome! I can only imagine how pathetic I probably looked ha ha! Anyway we lived in an awesome old house built in the 1800’s and I loved it I love old houses with life and character just old! I have a lot of memories of my little brothers and sisters. I have memories of family friends that came to visit one of my best friends who pasted away when he was 20 a lot of memories there. I remember walking home from school and stopping for cheese samples at the Armstrong Cheese Factory , I even acted in a few community theater products there. I lived their from grade 4-8. Lots of memories!
if money was no object what would be your dream vacation?
That one is easy I would love to tour Europe go to D’s mission Ireland and all over Europe someday I will!! I love to travel!
what do you like to do when you have "me" time?
Me time I love to read take a hot bath, me time is a weekly yoga class that I love! Me time is just feeling like I am a person again whether I am wondering the mall by myself or getting my hair done its needed and makes me a better mom to feel like I have control of the areas I need to to be able to be a better mom!
what is your all time favorite quote?
I have so many I don’t think I can pick just one cause they are all applicable for different times of how I am feeling or thinking!
how do you deal with trials that come your way?
How do I deal with trials I pray a lot and read my scriptures I’ve gotten a lot better at handling them as they come. But most of the time I just have to look around and see that mine could be much worse I also do what I can to make things better and move on because this to shall pass and we can only take what we learn from it and get better at handling what is next because there is always something!
do you have any type of cleaning, organizing schedule?
Yes we do Mondays I mop and deeper clean after the weekend aftermath, I do laundry everyday because I hate piles and can handle it much easier in small quantities, Saturdays we have chores we have a basket with a list the kids know they have to get chores done before other things. SO they each have jobs like K’s is vacuuming the basement. L does the windows she can reach and M gets dusting duties and the toy room gets an overhaul every week. Every night though I can’t go to bed without everything picked up it feels so much better to wake up with no dishes in the sink and clean floors and areas.
what is something in your kitchen you could not live without?
My dishwasher I spent 10 year without one so I really really am grateful for a dishwasher!{and my boshe love it} I really want a red kitchen aid though someday!
what is your most favorite picture in your home (or otherwise if you don't have it yet)?
My favorite picture so far in my house is of the temple a friend of ours took it and we got it blown up onto canvas I love it and look at it everyday it brings me peace and reminds me constantly of the very most important occasions in my life my husband and being sealed to all our children all in the same place and room!{and of course the other would be the one I’m waiting for lol!!}
What date do you remember the most that you and D had while dating?
I think one of the funnest dates I remember the most was our weekly one before we got married we took a country dance class on friday nights at the collage and every week I was so nervous, scared I was going to sweat to death too ha ha, but every time I hear the country songs from those classes it brings back lots of memories. I loved it and still love dancing with him in the living room!
____________________________
So I wasn't going to add this poem I found but I love it cause it reminds me that
we need to be happy for who we are. We can't do it if we spend our time trying to be something we aren't, we are wasting a lot of valuable time that could be spend trying to a better us..a better YOU.
Envy
by Edgar A. Guest
I wonder if the poppy shows The slightest envy of the rose?
Or if the pansy wastes its time Regretting that it cannot climb?
Do blossoms of a yellow hue Complain because they are not blue?
Do birds which God designed to sing Envy the wild ducks' fleeter wing?
And does the sparrow sadly mourn Because he was not goldfinch born?
I cannot say, but fancy not. Each seems contented with his lot.
'Tis only man who thinks that he Some other man would rather be. ---------------------------
"The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings." — Eric Hoffer
So true.{can't remember where I stole this pic from but I love it.}
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I'm actually kind of bored of thankful Thursday. SO I'm doing something different this week . I had a hard time sitting down and thinking of things, I mean you all know I'm thankful for a whole lot of everything in my life I feel really blessed and all that... and I'm really glad I feel better and don't have the flu anymore like wed and Thursday yuck! it was nasty..I'm thankful for a husband who stayed home and took care of everything all day then I was sad he got so violently ill that night and the whole next day 2.
-------------------------
SO I don't want to or intend to give off the perception that my life is perfect in any way each week so just so you don't think it is ..... here is your opportunity to ASK me something?? you want to know are curious about?? whatever just for fun..... do it anonymously if you want and I'll answer in my next post if its not to to personal make sense aren't there times when you want to comment on something or ask but your to chicken. I do that sometimes anything from adoption to.... i don't know?? ...... - SO Here's A little LOOK inside.... my imperfect normal world...
-I love to read! to my kids... on my treadmill.... down time
-I get my nails done about once a month because then its a least one thing that lasts awhile and an hour of me time is a nice break and really because I used to do my own but don't have time to redo them every three days after making messes by picking it off everywhere I went, and I like it. some people don't care. i just do. that's me.
- my house may look clean if you were to just stop by but I have lots of junk drawers that drive D nuts lol
-I'm impatient a lot but I'm working on it... maybe I expect to much from my children like clean rooms and not to tip the couch over in the basement {probably why we haven't bought a new one yet for there} -I hate disorganization and misunderstandings and bad communication especially in my extended family
-I get annoyed when people are so late and said they would stop by and I put things on hold waiting and they never show up... that bugs...
-I hesitate sometimes before I commit to something only because I first have to think things through and people sometimes take that for something else not intended
-I still get my hopes up each month that this might be the month even after being married for almost 13 years...don't think those feelings will ever change. I hate it.
-I have a constant fear that something bad will happen to my kids or husband everyday. I think that might just be normal??
-I think about my kids birth parents everyday and hope they are doing good and are happy. I pray for them everyday and thank my Heavenly Father for them in my life, each day I see a piece of each of them when I look into my children's eyes and hope someday my children will understand how important they are and still love us like they do now.
-I sometimes let my kids stay in there pj's all day if they want {if were not going anywhere and I know no one is coming ha ha and its snowing or something and they've already had a bath and I've done there hair ha ha}
-I have a three year old who prefers to sleep on the floor and have given up putting him in his bed each night.
-my baby only likes his bottles room temp or on the cold side of things cause thats how the icu nurses told me to do it cause that way they don't need it a certain temp they get used to it! {I told them you mean for 8 years I could have had freedom from finding a warmer or restaurant for warm water or warming it between my thighs on trips lol!!! ahhh thank you icu nurses and for the most content little angel ever!}
-I hate it when people compare doesn't matter what it is we are all different...I wish I was skinny like her and she wishes she weighed what I do.... see its a never ending dead end circle... waste of time...we still all do it though.
- If I didn't have to eat , I wouldn't. I like the way I feel when I eat healthy food and when I eat something junky I honestly feel ill. I feel like I have to get on the treadmill right away to get rid of it.. weird I know.
-I feel like a good mom WHEN -my kids ask if the food I'm making{ if its not something I usually make} if its for them or to give away means I've taught them something about service -when they ask a story about when they were babies or there adoption stories when I tuck them in each night -when I make a favorite meal or treat and they tell me I'm the best mom ever -they behave in public ha ha -when my 8 year old gets up to bear his testimony in church and I cry because he is so brave and getting so big -I hear my kids talking to someone or each other and repeating the things we've taught them but you never know if they understand or hear you know what I mean... I watch my kids helping others ...
okay I'll stop....your turn try it...just a little peek inside... any questions ask away ? Have an awesome weekend!
This weekend we headed to Boise to my sisters for her baby, Malia's baby blessing it was a quick trip but it was fun too. The kids did awesome traveling and we enjoyed some family time, lots of craziness and laughing. But it was a little of everything..... Like I Don't think K thought he was going down for a little surgery {we didn't either but he's had this very deep rooted tooth that wouldn't come out. My sister is a dental hygenist and her father in law is a dentist and she decided that that tooth wasn't coming out without help so she called her FIL and an hour later K was in a dentist chair being froze and having some needles, and two teeth extracted and his little muscle between the front teeth lasered and cauterized. He did aweosme!!
the nice snaggle teeth with the adult ones coming in already behind it poor kid!!
getting started he had a tv to watch while they did it so it was a little better!!
a little teeth pulling
and after .. but he didn't have any pain after wards and he felt good so I'm glad it got done and saved us hundreds of dollars so thankful to my sister and her father in law ! A little less enthused eh!!
we headed to our hotel where the kids jumped on the bed seriously do they have to do that {ha ha} K took some pics notice M flying onto the bed in the corner, we then took them swimming and they loved it!
Little group shot M won't go in the big pool but he actually spent time jumping in the hot tub! Its a step..
L is seriously going to be a swimmer she is already a fish and can swim better than me! She is going to be a lifeguard and swim team girl I'm sure of it she loves it and is so good at it!
This is a bad pic of me but my sisters look cute so I'm using this one.... all the adults went to dinner and my sister Holli got a babysitter for the 7 little kids she was great and we had a blast! Its so nice to get out with just the adults sometimes and be able to laugh talk and think!!
Sunday morning we got ready early and went to the boise temple the kids were on a roll then tired and grouchy already so this is what I got... a grumpy {cute} little L...
Silly kids!!!......
and finally a semi nice pic with L... I just love her spunkyness {most of the time!}
then we headed for the blessing of sweet beautiful Malia seriously she is so stinkin cute check her out!!
{Holli 2 ;}}...
then of course the pics afterwards we are missing my bro and his wife and there four kids we sure missed them ....
my three sweet boys watching hotel cartoons how I love their sweet faces!! L woke up and started throwing up and puked 10 times before noon so our trip home was a little interesting but she did great for being sick...
----------
Me thinks...
Alzheimer's Stinks...
D's grandma is in a home in Boise she is close to 90 and she suffers from Alzheimer Disease it is so so sad but we had a beautiful visit with her....one I'll remember and cherish forever.
She asked us our names quite a few times it was funny she said
sharon instead of Darren a couple times made us laugh,
but she had a window of rememberance
when she touched D's face and said "you look great, I think of you and wonder how you are..... then I forget...
talk about tears pouring down my face and his, we talked about grandpa Dayley and D told her he had the same picture that was hanging on her wall, like ours at home and she said "good than you won't forget" .. and smiled like she remembered everything...
Aunt Ruth who took us there told us it was her best day in a long time.....
she said she wished she could jump up and hug us, she kept asking if all these kids where ours.. and with tears streaming down my face it was all so close to something spiritual that it was hard not to cry.. I said they are.... forever.... she told me. Then she told me to never forget the babies {this time in life she was saying}... and being young.... I kept crying...
I NEVER want to get old and forget.......
I never want to be trapped in a body thats spirit is screaming to get out.... to remember...to move on.
But I know, someday I will. Just like all of us
But I don't want to lose my memories or those around me that I've loved all my life,
it makes me cry just thinking of it..in this picture she wanted D to read the card from his mom.... {her daughter} she said.... "she will come visit when the snow melts in the spring".... and grandma put her hands together and said "won't that be wonderful"...
she wanted us to stay all day.. we told her we wished we could. she hugged us and thanked us..and I cried because in the 14 years of knowing her my memories of times spent with her came flooding back and I couldn't imagine a lifetime of memories like D and his grandma had and not having her remember them.
not remember your own daughters
your own sons
your grandchildren...
Life stinks sometimes
but having Alzheimer's stinks more.
Our family 2010 with grandma, my kids with great grandma
{my pose is strickly sqating I was afraid of flipping the chair if I sat on the arm so I look kind of awkward.}
There wasn't much room for all of us and I wish the picture was better but it will do.}
So give your grandparents an extra hug. write down memories. record them talk to them. love them....most of all cherish them and all the memories you make together!
A great lesson in life..... a different perspective and thankfulness for what we have....
One day , the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live.They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.
On their return from their trip , the father asked his son , "How was the trip?"
"It was great , Dad."
"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.
"Oh yeah , " said the son.
"So , tell me , what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.
The son answered:
"I saw that we have one dog and they had four.
We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.
We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.
Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.
We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.
We have servants who serve us , but they serve others.
We buy our food , but they grow theirs.
We have walls around our property to protect us , they have friends to protect them."
The boy's father was speechless.
Then his son added , "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are."
-------------------------
"Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have."-Tracy Bassett
SO
-------------------------------
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as you ever can!
(John Wesley)
-----------------------------------------
"Living a good life is like shaving - no matter how good you do it today, you still have to do it again tomorrow."
oh and
♥HAPPY VALENTINES DAY♥
♥I'm Thankful most of all this week for the man I married♥
I am a lucky, blessed girl and I am thankful everyday for that.
AND
{..... let the games begin I love the Olympics I love how it pulls the world together, gives us a stronger since of pride for our country and those competing.
I especially love the theme song {turn your volume up if you haven't heard it yet}... my word for this year is Believe little did I know it was also the Olympic theme this year too!}
...have a fun weekend.... we will but I'll tell you about it on Tuesday!
....first haircuts are priceless and make our babies look to grown up...
.. clean cut is so much better!
...new babies are so exciting we have a new niece, Emmelyn born yesterday D's sister had a baby yesterday
their third little girl so happy for them!! congrats guys
-----
.... that trying new things are good...
going to try some yoga tonight ...never done that before but this is the year to get out of my comfort zone I kind of a closet recluse exerciser I don't like working out with others because i feel self conscious and clumsy. I have a treadmill and lots of exercise dvd's, and when I run outside I go really early or really late... so I'm stepping out of my comfort zone and giving it a try {thanks whit!}
....beauty is a big one we can always find it if we are looking...
my little sister got engaged on this lake in a row boat in the middle of England romantic?i think so! i may be a little jealous?? {Seriously though eh...}!! I'm SO thankful and HAPPY for my sister and her husband, that after almost a year apart since they got married, they will finally be together as a married couple in less than a month in the same country!!!
......then there are the next three products people always ask me what I do my hair with, so for the curious and those who couldn't care less.... here they are...Kenra 25 hairspray and plaible polish from chi, and the best ever awesome backcombing brush from chi too...a straightener and a blowdryer and 10 minutes there ya go...
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
and this little man is getting big way to fast !
So a few things about right now at seven months...
-he loves food hasn't refused anything yet
he has had bananas, sweet potatoes, avocados, peaches, pears, corn, potatoes, beans, and pretty much all the cereals and is doing great!
-he sleeps 12 hours a night and takes 2 naps a day!
- he sits up
-he army crawls since fhe monday night it was so cute!!
-he loves his excersaucer and jolly jumper and his OWN bed!
- he loves to dance and loves music
- he started playing a little strange within the last couple of weeks
-he loves to eat paper anywhere he can find it
-he helps turn off the lights when I say shut the light off he reaches his hand to the light switch and trys really hard to turn it off!
- you say kisses and he leans in for a big wet open mouthed drooly kiss!
-he half waves bye bye its getting there
-he loves his dad!
-he has the best smile ever his whole face changes!
-he takes about three big bottles a day and has solids morn and night!
-he loves his soother
-and really the only time he cries is if he has to many kids around him or he wants his bed/sleep
he is happy 99% of the time and that is not stretching!! HE is such a JOY!!!
"When you were placed in my arms, you softly slipped into my heart"
{Live.Laugh.Love}
"Life is not a competition with others. In its truest sense it is a rivalry with ourselves. We should each day seek to break the record of our yesterday. We should seek each day to live stronger, better, truer lives; each day to master some weakness of yesterday; each day to repair past follies; each day to surpass...ourselves. And this is but progress." -William George Jordan
“Life is like the river, sometimes it sweeps you gently along and sometimes the rapids come out of nowhere.” ― Emma Smith
I am a Mom, wife, cook, cleaner, room mom, taxi, referee, PTA sports dealing mom, reader of many books but most importantly mother to four beautiful busy, wonderful kids ages 17, 15, 13 and 10 years old. I have an incredible, hard working husband and we've been married 23 years ~ which have been full of joy, trials,infertility, adoption, growth and learning. But that's what life is and we live, laugh and love and enjoy each other and each day!
But I am thankful for this little dude look how big he is getting and he said "mom yesterday in front of about 20 little kids at our roots of empathy session in a gr four classroom
going here soon.... can't wait!!!I need it! just to sit by a pool and read a book and feel the sun will be awesome! I just need these eyes to get better!!! 
for me.and whoever else needs a reminder.
