Still No Stuff

Our stuff was supposed to have arrived by today but it is sitting in Pocatello because their is no moving crew available to unload it. Can I say how annoyed I am! I am going bonkers living at my MIL's house. I just want to get moved in!

I'm sick of transitions. I'm sick of living out of a suitcase. I'm sick of waiting for my stuff. I'm disappointed with the moving company. I have had to call and find out what is happening. No one bothered to even call me to let me know it would arrive late. I had to do all the calling. We aren't even sure when Brad's car will be arriving. So frustrating.

A bright side to all of this is my sister and her husband, Vicki and James, are coming tonight to help with everything. So now at least someone will be around to keep the kids out of the way so I can deal with the movers and tell them where to go (oops-I mean where to put things). My mom and dad are coming Saturday afternoon to help as well and Mom will be staying until Wednesday. So maybe I'll be feeling better soon. Take a deep breath Jenni - in, out, in, out.

Quick Update

We are in Idaho! Today is Brad's first day of work (he jumped right in didn't he). I spent the morning running errands and looking for new bikes for the kids. Emily is already wondering when she is going to make new friends (we aren't in our house yet because our stuff has not arrived). We are staying with Brad's mom until the moving truck arrives. I hope it comes soon. I'm anxious to get unpacked and settle in.

Saying Goodbye Is So Hard

There are so many people that I did not say goodbye to before I left Minnesota. I did it on purpose. I just couldn't face the fact that I was moving. I stubbornly didn't take as many pictures as I should have and didn't make those phone calls and/or visits because I have been in denial about the move. Even with all the preparations for the move, I still felt as if I was just taking my annual long summer trip to Utah and that I would be back.

So, my dear Minnesota friends, know that I will miss you. And thank heaven for blogs!

Grateful Sunday

As I prepare to leave the wonderful state of Minnesota this week, I'm grateful for many things:

• A full-service move. I'm so lucky that I'm not up to my neck in boxes. Mayflower will do that Wednesday and Thursday.
• Brad has Wednesday and Thursday off. I'm glad he'll be around.
• Wonderful fathers who have blessed my life.
• Nice weather. We were able to have some family time outside this weekend.
• Brad's patience and kindness. I had a migraine this afternoon (not good timing). Brad was nice enough to keep the kids quiet while I recovered in my dark bedroom. I'm so grateful I don't get them often.
• Emily. After her accident on Monday, I realize how precious and fragile my kids are. She recovered quickly and her scrapes are healing faster than I imagined. We are so grateful she is okay.

TAGGED

Kate tagged me (and Emma had the challenge on her blog as well) so I thought I would do this:

1. What was I doing 10 years ago? I had just finished my first year of teaching 5th and 6th grade Special Ed (Resource Reading, Language Arts and Math). It was the worst year of my life! As soon as I took the ExCET test (teacher certification exam), I was anticipating a summer filled with fun with my family in Utah and Yellowstone and then a 5 year anniversary trip with Brad to New Orleans. (FYI-I transferred to the elementary level for the following year. I was not going to go through that situation again!)

2. What was I doing 5 years ago? Emily was 13 ½ months old. Brad had just finished his 3rd year of medical school and we were planning on getting pregnant again so we could have the 2nd baby before medical school ended and residency started. We were paying a fortune for health insurance and we wanted to make the most of it. Even though the babies were close in age, it was the best decision for us.

3. What was I doing 5 months ago? Just finishing up my teaching time for Sam’s preschool. Getting the house ready to sell-decluttering, packing things away, scheduling painters and carpet installers, etc. Ben was 9 ½ months old and quite a handful and still not sleeping through the night.

4. 5 Things on My To Do List:
Clean the car
Go through every room and get ready for the packers who come on Wed.
Clean the downstairs fridge/freezer
Start packing for our trip to Idaho
Laundry

5. 5 Snacks I Enjoy.. But I don’t always indulge
Doritos (Nacho Cheese)
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pistachios
Crackers and cheese
Potato chips with dip (again I don’t always indulge)

6. 5 things I would do if I became a Billionaire...
Secure my financial future by investing wisely
Arrange to never clean or cook again
Travel the world (with a nanny, of course, because my kids would come along)
Build our dream home
Help my family

7. 5 Bad Habits...
Not being able to put down a good book and let my house go to the dogs in the process
Not wanting to be interrupted when I am busy
Not exercising regularly (despite my earnest desire)
Loosing my patience
Postponing making appointments

8. 5 Places I have lived...
Utah
Idaho
Arizona
Texas
Minnesota

9. 5 Jobs I've Had...
Gift wrapper at ZCMI (I was probably the worst they ever had)
Ticket taker at the ZCMI parking garage in SLC (same summer as the gift wrap job-I worked both part time)
Telemarketing/survey taker (This was the worst job ever!)
Waitress (I met Brad! We were “waitri” together)
Plant Secretary/Administrative Assistant at a manufacturing plant (My first “real” job)

Following in Emma's footsteps, I'm not going to tag anyone (I can't remember who has and hasn't done this before but it has been fun so give it a try).

David and Goliath

While we were in Utah visiting family, we had an extended family FHE with my brothers and sisters and their families. Tiffany was in charge of the lesson. She told the kids the story of David and Goliath. After the story was told, she asked the kids if they wanted to go outside and fight Goliath. They were all eager to throw paper stones (wadded up paper) at Goliath.

Little did we know that my dad was hiding in his workshop, dress as the mighty Goliath awaiting the little Davids. As soon as all the kids were outside, he swung the workshop door open and roared a mighty roar. The kids screamed in frightened delight as Tiffany led them in battle. Soon everyone joined in and the mighty Goliath was under heavy attack.

Since I was not aware of the surprise what awaited us, I did not get my camera until his costume was a bit ragged after an intense battle with at least 8 children and a few adults throwing "stones" at him.

Somewhere along the way he lost his shield and the towels covering his drywall stilts.

Sam loved throwing stones but when "Goliath" chased him he took off like the wind. It was such an exciting FHE. I'm sure my kids and their cousins will always remember it.

Dad has even had an encore performance at a Primary activity in Tiffany's ward.

It Has Been A Blogging Day

I feel so much better than I have in awhile. I think blogging is therapeutic. I have missed it so much! Enjoy all the posts! Don't miss Emily's ER Visit and her Last Day of Kindergarten. It doesn't show up unless you click on older posts at the end of the page.

Now I really need to clean up dinner.

Single Digits

We have finally reached the single digits in our countdown of the end of Brad's Residency. The packers will be here a week from today and we leave in 9 days. I have such mixed feelings about this.

I'm excited for the following reasons:

• It is the end of residency!!!! No more call. No more horrible hours. No more missed holidays. No more being at the beck and call of the almighty Clinic.
• We get to move on to new adventures. New location. New house. New friends (hopefully!).
• We get to be nearer to family. This is one of the reasons we moved to Idaho. My family had better come and visit. Hint, Hint

I'm sad for the following reasons:

• We will be leaving behind so many fabulous people. I have learned so much from my friends and ward members in Minnesota.
• I really like the location of my house and my neighbors. I love living in a cul-de-sac.
• I'll miss the best book club ever!

I'm nervous for the following reasons:

• I have never had anyone pack me when I move. I usually do it all by myself. I'm always very nervous whenever I have to do anything for the first time.
• I'm really nervous about the packing/moving days. What am I going to do those days? What do I need to do with the kids? Should I keep them home or have them go somewhere? What should I do to get ready? So many whats?
• Moving across country is scary. What if something happens to everything I own. I can't take everything that is sentimental with me. All of my scrapbooks will be on that moving truck. Oh, I hope it all goes well.
• What if I don't make any friends (do I sound like a child or what?)?
• What if I don't like my new ward? (again, childish)
• I hope Brad's practice goes well. I always thought that at the end of residency a lot of worries (especially financial ones) would be lightened but starting your own practice is quite scary. Things are not for certain.

I think for many reasons I'm in denial about this whole moving situation. Brad and I will celebrate 15 years of marriage in August. During all those years we looked forward to a future when all his schooling would be complete. It always seemed so far into the future but now it is here. I still think the world is going to end soon and all this work will be for nothing. I know that sounds horrible-sorry.

Despite all these feelings it is an interesting time. It is time to say goodbye but also a time to say hello. I wonder what new adventures await.

Emily's Trick

We can't leave out Emily.

Sam's Trick

I posted Ben's trick so I better post one of Sam.
He is using a fly swatter to hit the car. He figured this out all on his own. At the end he says, "I speeded it." (In case you couldn't hear.)

Ben's New Trick

Here is Ben's latest trick.

Saying Farewell to Friends

This past week we started the sad process of saying goodbye to wonderful friends.

Our wonderful friends of the past three years (gee, it seems like we have known them much longer), Todd, Julie, Sarah, Mason and baby Emma (that is what we call her) moved to Utah. Emily and Sarah, Sam and Mason have been buddies since they moved to Minnesota three years ago. So many play dates, preschool days, park visits, holidays, and babysitting swaps have been spent with them. We have so many wonderful memories.

Julie has always been willing to babysit whenever I needed her and my kids always feel so welcomed and happy at her house. I'm going to miss our chats so much!
Here's Brad and Todd saying goodbye.


Sam waves to his best buddy.Farewell great friends! We already miss you!

Our New House

I have been meaning to post some pictures of our new house for quite awhile but I have been neglecting my blog for other activities. So her is the scoop on the new abode. The house was built in 2004 and has 3450 square feet, 3 car garage and 7 bedrooms. Before you think that is way too many bedrooms I must say the downstairs bedrooms are on the small side (but each one has a nice closet!). The main floor has 3 bedrooms, a formal living room, family room/dining area/kitchen, 2.5 bathrooms, and a laundry room. Here's a picture of the kitchen. There is not a lot of cabinet space but the pantry is quite large.Emily is really excited to have her own room. We thought we had the bedroom situation already decided but we are considering having the kids bedrooms in the basement because they wake up too early with the sun. We are still working on that one...any advice? The windows do not have room darkening blinds and since we are leasing I don't really want to install anything.

Downstairs there is this cute play area under the stairs. The kids adored this, especially Ben who loved to look out the window. I foresee many happy times in the playroom.

The backyard is not fenced but it is nice and flat (a big relief after our hilly backyard). There is a little garden spot which I plan to use next summer (if we decide to buy the house). This picture is taken from the back door. The swing set and trampoline are the backyard neighbors'. The previous owners said they always meant to buy one of their own but their kids always played on the neighbors equipment (let hope we make friends with them soon).

Well, there you have it. If you want to see more, come and visit!!

Emergency Room Visit

The title of this post alone brings fear and trembling to any mother's heart. No one wants to see their precious child injured in any way. I have never had to visit the ER before and maybe it was the fear of the unknown or of what could be that makes it all the more terrifying.

Let me explain:

I usually go walking with Ben and Sam in the morning while Emily is at school but now that school is out I was wondering how I was going to get my morning exercise without waking up at the crack of dawn (Angela, you are a stronger woman than I). So I decided to try having Emily ride her bike while I push Ben and Sam in my double jogger stroller.

Well, after much prodding and pushing to get everyone ready (sippy cups filled, pretzels in bags, and everyone pottied-is that a word?-and dressed) we were off like a herd of turtles. We weren't but a house away that I was already yelling at Emily to slow down. We live at the top of a cul-de-sac that is on a hill. I always worry about it and bike and scooter riding. Today was no exception.

Emily continues on at a speedy pace. I'm running behind her about 15 feet shouting to slow down when suddenly she loses control and falls FACE FIRST onto the sidewalk. I scream and run (I have to stop the stroller and set the brakes so the boys don't go speeding down the hill unmanned). Blood is covering Emily's face; her nose is bleeding like mad. I grab the blanket from the stroller to try and stop the bleeding. I'm not sure what to do first. I'm not sure if the blood is just from her nose. I fear all her teeth have been smashed out. She is hysterical; she is crying in pain. Just then my next-door-neighbor pulls up and offers to help. I'm not sure what to do. I have a bleeding child, a bike, and a double stroller. I figure out Emily can walk-no broken bones we hope. I ask the neighbor to bring the bike home. He puts it in the car, still unsure if there is more he can do. I walk Emily and the boys home. My neighbor comes back and helps push the boys up the hill. At least we are home. Somehow that make everything seem so much better.

Emily is still crying and bleeding. Ben is now crying. I hand Sam a bag of pretzels (newly opened from a few minutes ago-do you see where this is going?) and tell him to feed some to Ben while I take care of Emily. I wipe blood from Emily's face. We have the bleeding under control. I check her teeth. Everything just as we left it but there are lines of blood above her three top teeth. Nothing seems to be looser than usual.

I have Emily sit on the couch (still screaming) as I make an ice pack to help with the swelling. Her nose, lower left eye, and lip are already growing. I try to get Emily to keep the ice pack wrapped in a washrag on her face. She won't. I page Brad. He calls and I give him the story. In the meantime. Emily is still screaming (this is very abnormal) and Ben and Sam are causing trouble. Brad isn't sure what to do because he can't see the damage. I'm frustrated and scared then look over at Ben dumping the entire 16 oz bag of pretzels all over the floor. Perfect! I hang up on Brad (not to be mean but this was not the time for courtesies) and I hand Sam the broom and dustpan and put Ben in his bed. I check Emily out again. She is confused and doesn't know what happened.

She doesn't know what happened! She can't remember how she got hurt. She doesn't remember riding her bike. She doesn't remember that we were going on a walk. That scares me. She is still crying and complaining that her face hurts. I have done all the first aid I think is necessary. Bleeding controlled, ice packs applied (as much as she would let me), Band-Aids on knees. I need her to stop crying. I decide to read to her to get her to calm down. I ask her where the Lucy book is (Lucy, the Diamond Fairy). She has no idea what I'm talking about. She has no idea who Lucy is. I go down to her room and get the book. She has gotten up to go to the bathroom. She comes back out and has stopped crying. She opens her mouth and has a surprised look on her face. "Mom look!" she asks with her mouth wide open. I'm sure her teeth are falling out. I look but nothing is wrong. "What is it Emily?" I ask. "My tooth. It is missing", she replies. Oh my, what did I miss, wondering how I could overlook a missing tooth. I look again and she points to the space of the tooth she lost last night. Oh dear!

Me: "Emily, you lost that tooth last night."
Emily: "I did?!"
Me: "Yes, it came out last night."
Emily: "Do you have it?"
Me: "Yes, it is in your tooth box."
Emily: "Where is it?" (she has absolutely no idea what I'm talking about)
Me: "Here it is." She looks at the tooth she has been packing around in the little wooden tooth case I gave her last night. She is in awe and looks at it like she has never seen it before in her life. I am freaked!

I immediately called the Ask A Nurse line. I give them the lowdown of her condition emphasizing the fact that she is confused and forgetful. She doesn't remember the most exciting thing in her life (according to her). The nurse is concerned and wants me to take her to the pediatrician. She transfers me to our clinic. I talk to a nurse there and they can't get me in to see the pediatrician until 3:00. They don't want me to wait that long and tell me to take her to the ER now. She says they might need to do a CAT scan.

At this point I'm scared. I page Brad again. He calls right back. I tell him that the clinic wants me to bring her to the ER and then tell him that she doesn't remember loosing her tooth. Brad firmly tells me YES! Take her to the ER now! Okay, my neurologist husband is telling me to take her immediately. I'm in my exercise clothes, Ben is asleep, and I need to go to the ER. Breathe deeply, breathe deeply.

I pull out my phone list. I call Hillary-no answer. I call Ann, my neighbor. I should have called her first-duh. Oops no answer. I call Sarah-no answer. I scan my list and was about to try someone else then I feel I should call Lorie L. She lives close by. I call Lorie. I'm in tears and can hardly talk. Lorie is so calm and tells she will come right over and take the boys. She offers to take me to the ER. I decide it is best to take Emily myself.

Before I know it, Lorie is here and takes Emily to the car as I grab diapers, wipes and Ben’s shoes. She loads the boys in her car and we both drive off. Brad is trying to call me/I’m trying to call him but for some reason we run into each other’s voice mail.

Eventually we connect and tells me he will meet me at the ER. I’m so relieved. I hate hospitals and I didn’t want to deal with this on my own. As I drive up to the ER, Brad is waiting for us. He takes Emily to the ER while I park.

We get in quickly. They weren’t busy and it does help that everyone knows Brad (he was just on ER service two weeks ago). The nurse and Brad evaluate her. Another doctor comes in and does another evaluation. Emily is starting to be more coherent and is recalling details that she did not know thirty minutes earlier. Brad continues to quiz her and she is able to answer most questions. After another evaluation (no one wants to take chances with the daughter of a neurologist) we decide she is okay and a CAT scan is unnecessary but a Popsicle is. I’m so relieved!

Her diagnosis was a concussion. We were concerned that her nose might be broken but since it was so swollen we couldn't tell. They said that there isn't much to do with that until the swelling goes down. She was told to rest and eat lots of Popsicles (no problem with that).

For the rest of the day I was a hopeless mess. I think I had a slight case of post traumatic stress. I kept seeing her fall face first onto the sidewalk and know that I couldn't do anything to stop it. I kept thinking how lucky we are that she didn't loose teeth, break her nose, or have a traumatic brain injury (she was wearing a helmet). I was sick to my stomach for the rest of the day and couldn't sleep that night. I was so worried about her. Every time I saw her sweet injured face my heart leaped for thankfulness that she is okay and sorrow that she is hurting.

Here is a picture of her soon after the accident eating a treat. It is difficult to see the swelling but her nose, upper lip and under her eye were quite puffy. The swelling went down the next day and I think she looks pretty good now considering what happened. We don't think her nose is broken. Thank heavens!

This experience has taught me so much. I'm thankful for my kids. Sometimes they drive me crazy but they are healthy and alive. I'm so thankful for friends who drop everything to help when needed (Lorie-you were a lifesaver!). I'm grateful for bike helmets. I know she would have been seriously injured if she hadn't been wearing one. I'm grateful for the Lord who watches over us. We have been truly blessed.

Emily's Last Day of Kindergarten

Oh my, has the school year already come and gone? Emily experienced her last day of Kindergarten last week. Here is a look at Emily on the FIRST day of Kindergarten.

And here she is on the LAST day of Kindergarten.

What a difference a year makes. She accomplished so much this year. My favorite thing about this year was she finally decided to become a fluent reader! She says she loved the arts and crafts she did at school. She had a fabulous teacher and overall good experience. I'm happy with the year and I know she is. When she came home from school, she started to cry because she didn't want it to end.

Here she is waiting for the bus for the last time with her bus stop buddies (Brittany, Emily, Jacob and Amanda). They will miss her next year. Brittany sat by Emily every day and Amanda always made sure she was okay. I'm grateful that these kids were so helpful and kind.

At least this time when the bus left, I didn't cry.

Grateful Sunday

This week I'm grateful for:

• Weekends. We all need them.
• "Summer". It has been nice not having to drag Emily out of bed to go to school (but the weather here has been windy and rainy-we are waiting for real summer)
• Happy children. There have been many moments this week when they were not happy children. I'll take it whenever it comes.
• Friends. I have been fortunate to meet many wonderful people in Minnesota.
• Cheesecake. We had some cream cheese that we had to use before we moved so we made a cheesecake. Sarah, Scott, Tessa, and Abel were gracious enough to help us enjoy it. Thanks for coming over!
• Blogs. I still am in denial that I will be leaving all my wonderful friends in Minnesota. I know that I will always be able to stay in touch through their blogs. Thank heavens!
• Vicki's (my youngest sister) good news. We are so excited!

Lemonade Stand

While I was getting ready for the garage sale, I realized that it would be nice to have something for the kids (Emily especially) to do while I’m manning the sale. Rosemary’s kids sold cookies at their garage sale and I thought it would be fun for the kids to do something similar. I talked to Ann about it and we both decided we didn’t want to make cookies (or anything else for that matter). She suggested we use my lemonade stand and sell lemonade. I also decided the kids could sell freezer pops (or Otter pops depends on what part of the country you live). Emily was THRILLED with this idea. One thing you might not know about Emily is she is an entrepreneur and highly motivated by money.

My mom gave me the above lemonade stand last summer. She purchased it at Target when it was 75% off. She bought all they had and gave one to me and my sisters. My kids have a ball with it and beg to sell lemonade. We live on a cul-de-sac so I rarely let them do it for numerous reasons.

But the garage sale was a perfect chance to use it. As soon as Emily came home from school on Friday she immediately set it up. They had fun with it for awhile but eventually lost interest because we didn’t have a lot of people coming through later in the afternoon and it was a bit on the cool side. I think they also ate most of the freezer pops. At the end of Friday they had $2.60 which they immediately spent at Target on nail polish ($1) and a foam sword ($1).

Saturday was another story. Despite being 9:00 in the morning, many kind people were willing buy a small cup of lemonade for 5 cents or a freezer pop for 10 cents from a few eager kids. As the morning went by they were selling many cups of lemonade and lots of freezer pops. Most of the people were very generous and gave a quarter and didn’t expect change. Emily, Sam, Alyssa, and Anders greeted everyone who stopped by with a friendly, “Would you like to buy a cup of lemonade?” As they left Alyssa even told them to, “Come again!”

I was amazed that they stayed interested and profitable until about 1:00 pm when things started slowing down and they sold (or ate) all of the freezer pops and we ran out of lemonade.

In the end they made over $22.00. I was surprised by the amount of money they earned. It was kind of people to support the kids’ enthusiasm and buy a cup of lemonade. I think it was a good lesson for them as well. Emily even gave a few kids a free freezer pop just because she either knew them or she wanted to be nice.

Emily and Sam chose to use the money they earned to buy their bikes (that was our theme of the garage sale). One of the first things we will do after we move is bike shopping!

I wonder what our next entrepreneurial project will be.

$261.85

I held my first garage sale this weekend (Friday and Saturday) and now I think I'm addicted. We had a bunch of larger items that I did not want to move with us but yet are bulky and would be difficult to haul to Goodwill so I thought I would attempt a garage sale. I mentioned it to my neighbor, Ann, across the street and she was planning to do one the same weekend I was. So we joined forces and held it together.

I lucked out on that one because she knew what she was doing. We held it in her garage. She gathered all the tables and her handy husband, Eric, hooked up a ladder horizontally and hanging from the ceiling to hang up all the clothes. He also made the signs and posted them the first day. I put the ad in the paper and brought over 3 small tables (I told you I lucked out).

We had great traffic both days and I sold the majority of my stuff. I made things amazingly cheap and took just about whatever anyone offered me. It was surprising what sold quickly and what didn't. Most of my household and garage items sold within the couple of hours. My children's items and toys didn't sell well.

I sold anything we either couldn't take with us (i.e. paint and other garage items), stuff I was tired of having, and anything I knew I didn't want in my new house. It was nice to see it go and I have no seller's remorse whatsoever (I was a little concerned about that).

The best part is I made $261.85. Yippee!!! I was pretty excited. We told the kids we would use that money to buy new bikes for everyone when we move (it helped soften the blow when I sold some of their toys).

So it looks like we will be riding bikes this summer! And I already made plans with my MIL to have another garage sale after we move to Idaho (who knows what I will decide to sell once I unpack). I'm so excited!

Finally Another Grateful Sunday Post

I have missed quite a few weeks of my Grateful Sunday blog. It is good to be back.

• I'm grateful for blogs. I have missed it a lot lately.
• I'm grateful Brad is done with working in the ER!!! The past 2 weeks were not as bad as previous ER shifts because he was working 6a - 6p (instead of 7-7-what a difference an hour makes). But it still wasn't fun.
• I'm grateful I have had a busy week. It is good to have things to do.
• I'm grateful that my neighbor, Ann, did the garage sale with me and Brad was home on Saturday to help.
• I'm grateful I was able to attend Relief Society yesterday without Ben. I was able to really listen and be uplifted.
• I'm grateful for all the wonderful people I have meet in Minnesota. There are truly some amazing people here. Thank heavens for blogs so I can stay in touch with most of them.
• I'm grateful that Ben is starting to walk more. He is just too heavy to pack around. He is still unsteady on his feet but he can only get better.
• I'm grateful the Call's were able to come over for dinner last night. They have been such great friends and we will miss them so much when they move on Friday.
• I'm grateful I do not have to pack when we move (the moving company will do it). Otherwise, I think I would be a wreck.
• I'm grateful Emily only has 4 more days of school. I'm ready to have a more relaxing morning.