5 am

i am being tortured by LOST. last night i did my workout, watching an episode of LOST on cjs ipod. that was at about 9 pm. at around 5 am this morning, when my head was pounding and i COULDN'T POSSIBLY watch ANOTHER episode is when i threw the towel in. that show is SO addicting. you can not stop at one, it is impossible, and when i catch up, i am going to freak because i have to wait ANOTHER week to see what is going on. they have something there, the island is calling me, i am in that bunker pushing that excute button every 108 minutes, and there is some crazy black guy walking around our house not talking.... does anybody know who that is?

on another note, poll of the day: Should CJ cut his hair? he was having hair trauma on sunday morning, acting like a 17 year old girl telling me he can't do anything with it...

$$$$

hey, i heard that today is the day that the "prosperity checks" are being delivered. cj's mail carrier gave him the inside scoop. chuck, you guys are going to cash in!

cross-eyed

ok, have you ever had to pee so bad that you have gone cross-eyed and can't concentrate on anything except your over-filled bladder telling you that in 6 seconds flat you are going to lose it? well that was me this morning driving to my ultrasound. by the time i got to C.O.P., i said screw this, so i pulled over at mcdonalds and let'er rip. i felt bad, because i was just following the instructions they gave me at the time i made the appointment, so when i got to the clinic i drank two huge cups of water to somehow compensate for my stop at mcdonalds.
when the nurse called my name and brought me back, she said, "i hope your bladder isn't full..." HUH? did i just hear that correctly? i don't need a full bladder? you mean i almost had a head-on accident driving here because of my full bladder, AND I DON'T NEED ONE????

nice.

c & e

i found this great photo of eli and cj that was taken when we were in california in the summer. i think that cj actually took the picture while eli was on his lap. i just love it, so i blew it up last night and threw it in a frame for the wall.

election day, etc.

ok, start watching the news, i voted today and the conservatives are coming out on top. like they said in their campaign "Stand up for Canada, Stand up for change." i had to laugh as i was given my ballot, as it looked pretty much like the snap shot above, kind of like a junior high note passed from some guy that had "if you like me check the box". quite simple, almost too simple is seemed. well who cares, i did it and feel good.

we went today to the drug store to let eli hand pick some new kids shampoo, soap and bubble bath. this is my way of hoping that he will actually get in the tub and wash his hair. for some reason bath hysteria has occured at our home and there is no way eli is washing his hair. it is quite uncharacteristic which is why we are scratching our heads about it, but i think we have made a breakthrough with him actually wanting to pick his own shampoo AND actually talking about it without completely breaking down. we will see. will let you know.

today was so stinking nice out, i got the hose out and washed the floor of the garage, getting rid of all the mud and gravel that was brought in from the cars. it is so nice to see a clean garage...

i was also able to get a hold of old friends from our south pasadena days, nate and bethany callister. so good to talk to bethany and catch up, it was like we didn't miss a beat, and we haven't spoken in almost 4 years. now there is a good friend.

one more thing...

i was cruising through some old photos and found this gem. sorry dave...

megan

the little cutey pie you are looking at is my friend megan morris (now leishman's) new little boy named jack. i gave her a call the other day, i hadn't spoken to her since she had him in october and the outfit i bought for him then, was still sitting on my den floor in a bag. what lame-o i am. however, i did find out that he would still fit into it and it has been shipped off as of yesterday! hurray!

i am so glad megan and i have kept in touch since those fun college days in st. george, utah. we had so much fun. just a good wholesome friend to act like an idiot with and it was a hoot. as you can see from the other photos posted.
the color photo is us heading out to a institute dance dressed like disco divas. oh, the humanity.
and the black and white photo was us at the OLD getty museum in l.a. it was such a neat place and we took many a sassy photo there.

those were some good times, cheers to that meg!

guys with drills

ok, so i was browsing through my pictures from last year, and came across this funny pic of dad, dave and chuck. they were building dave and lisas deck and took a second out to pose for the peanut gallery that was there to watch them build it. (who was me). what fun! after the deck was built, everyone had deck envy, well i did anyway. sure hope everyone is really to build ours this summer, ha ha!

no seriously, i love this picture and i love dad and my brothers. they are good guys that know how to use a drill. keep on drilling.

disco ball

tonight, we decided to hang a disco ball in our kitchen.

eli was so excited, he passed out in the living room...

no actually, tonight i constructed a light fixture i bought in the summer (thankyou wicked sale at caban), hung it up in the kitchen to see how it looked finished and we decided to keep it up because it is SO dramatic and elle-e-gaunt (spoken with a french accent).

it is great, it actually does create cool reflections on the walls and ceiling, a perfect atmosphere for "dj e" to mix it up on his "price is right" electric keyboard. you should hear his beats.

temple trip, babysitter needed, cj's going to be on t.v.

hey, anyone want to go to the temple this weekend? we are having a ward temple trip and if i can recruit another couple, we can actually go (and so can they!) there is a session booked for friday evening and saturday morning (10:30), so if anyone is interested, please let me know ASAP!

also, it looks like cj is going to be on the Big Breakfast Morning Show on february 2. they want him to come down and shoot on set in his style with 6 models, and showcase his work.... hello! doesn't that sound like fun!!! now, what to shoot.... and how to finish it in an hour....

drapes

really quick, tonight we hung some drapes in our main floor living room, i like them, they are kind of organic looking and subtle. they make the room a little softer. what do you think?

reverence, etc.

sunday. our ward starts at 9:00am this year. i have to be there early to set up all the classrooms and primary room, so we aren't scrambling during sacrament meeeting, which means i need to be up by 7:00 to get ready and to be there by 8:30. this probably sounds dumb, but i haven't been up early in a long time, i usually wake around 8:00-8:30, so that extra hour was a shocker. it shouldn't be, but it was today.

don miller spoke in sacrament mtg today. it was a great talk, all about reverence. it wasn't your typical "let's be quiet in the hallways, keep the kids quiet in sacrament meeting" talk, it focused more on having a reverent attidude not only at church but also through your daily walk. it was a really great perspective, talking about if we can have that reverent attitude, we can be more likely to feel the promptings of the holy ghost. isn't that true. there is ALOT of NOISE out there throughout the week (music, schedules, obligations, fashion, etc...) that can keep us buzzing so loud you can't hear the promptings of the holy ghost and keep things in perspective. but if we have an attitude of reverence we can feel grounded and have a home of order and control.
it was really a great talk, i was telling cj about it and we'll make the prediction now, but we think he will be the next stake president. time will tell....

i really like sunday nights. it is so quiet and peaceful, everyone is kind of tired and mellow and it is ready to start a new week. i am listening to a really great album right now, it is by "The Innocence Mission" called "Now the Day is Over". Such pretty and tender music, all old lullabys and classic songs that are sure to put you in a relaxed state. how nice. (if you want a copy, let me know, would love to pass it on).

eli and cj have been playing games ALL DAY. as i have been writing this entry they have been building with LEGO. every few minutes, eli cruises in with an elephant, or a person, or his name that they have built. so i am including a picture of them having fun. good times with dad.

make a list - you'll feel better

so, i have these really nifty "TO DO" pads that i bought when i was in las vegas. (make a list - you'll feel better).

you will never know how this "TO DO" pad has revolutionized my life. for some reason, i get completely overwhelmed in the mornings, thinking, i need to do this, i need to call so-and-so, i need to finish that.... and by the time the day is over. nothing, nada, nothing and there i am sitting on the couch like a slobbering fool. accomplishing nothing. then i wake up the next day and go through the same routine, except there is a whole other day i have to add on to the crap i had to do the day previous. (i am sure you get my point).

SO, today, i made a list. (make a list - you'll feel better). lets see, hmm, mail package to emily, get new drivers licence, go to bank, call visiting teacher ladies-make appointments, return lynksis system to staples and buy proper equipment, get new pass at tuscany club, do laundry......
guess what, IT GOT DONE! (make a list - you'll feel better) how do you like that, it all was accomplished AND i got the satisfaction of crossing all those pesky little tasks off my list.

now, i know that many of you are shaking your heads, because perhaps you ALWAYS get things done and who needs a list when your brain is working for you. well, we are all not 100% all of the time, so give it a try! like it says at the bottom of my nifty "TO DO" pad, make a list - you'll feel better.

infectious flu?

ok, yesterday was not fun. i was sick as a dog. feeling terrible, i was able to go to the doctor. he figured i probably had an infection due to the HSG, so he wrote up a couple of prescriptions for antibiotics and drew some blood. mum came and helped all day, driving me to the doctors and taking me back to her place to stay the night (cj was working late). this morning, feeling a few degrees better, i came upstairs only to find mum feeling like I DID YESTERDAY!?! do i have an infection or the flu??? i will feel so bad if mum caught something from me. the doctors office is supposed to call today to let me know if my white blood count is high (indicating an infection). if it is normal, i am going to conclude i have the flu. poor mum.

last night eli fell out of bed. we were in one of the bedrooms downstairs (the beds are pretty high off the ground, a good 3-4 feet, am i right???) and he fell, i am assuming face first, his body and legs flying against the wall. mum came running down, since they heard it all the way upstairs. he was probably more surprised than hurt, but he did keep saying, "my head hurts". mum said that he will probably be ok because kids are so limp when they sleep... ha ha

i am supposed to get my new DELL pc today. hurray! i have been doing cjs books on a old laptop from dads office. it has been good, but is getting a little sketchy. so this will definately save my bacon. where IS that puralotor truck???

lastly, cj got a call today to do the cover of TIME again. i see they are starting the year off right (he did the cover around the same time last year). it is always a little nerve racking, you never really know if they are going to go with the image until you see it on their website.. so cross your fingers and wish him good luck!

appointment

today at 11:40 we have our doctors visit with dr. greene regarding IVF. i have not felt well since my HSG on thursday, so hopefully he will be able to help figure out why i feel so crappy...

still smoking

monday. today started us back into a regular schedule. there is something nice about getting into a schedule and having some predictability. eli gets to bed earlier, there is more looking at the calendar, preparing for the days ahead.

our poor 4runner has been in the shop all weekend, so we have been getting around in one car for the past few days. it is frustrating and difficult when it seems like cj and i are going in different directions. so today we dropped cj off at work, then headed out to kodaly. after class, we made the trip back to the studio and cj drove us back home to drop us off. a few hours later, we picked up the 4runner only to have it (still) smoking by the time cj got it home.... hmmmm, what to do.....
needless to say, cj was not happy.
ohhh, cars. too bad we all don't have wheels for feet and can seat 7 with airconditioning.

sister price

this was the day sister price, elder burton and elder dinsmore were leaving the field, so happy for them and so hard to see them leave.


we were companions over christmas, so we built a fireplace out of a cardboard box to make it a little more homey at our apartment.


us at the morristown chapel


at a baptism of one of the little girls we were able to teach

about 12 years ago i was in jefferson city, tennessee with a gal named sister price. she was my second companion on my 18 month mission. she was so nice, such a hard worker and was so kind and soft spoken. she was a really good missionary. we were a really good team. the day she was leaving the mission field, i was a travelling sister, so i was at the mission home and got to see her leave along with cj and another good elder. it was hard to see them all leave 6 months ahead of me. when i got home, i went and stayed with her while i was arranging schooling in utah, and since then we have loosely kept in contact through brief letters, baby announcements and the odd phone call. i haven't heard from her for about a year until today when we got our mail and there was a christmas card.

the first thing i did was pull out the photo card, wow, 3 kids, she looks great, good for her, the last i heard she had had her second little guy, wow, #3 a little girl.

then i began her letter and was so shocked to hear what had been going on this last year. in november 2004 she had had her little girl and 6 days later became very ill. thinking it was the flu, they went to the hospital where she was then airlifted to the LDS hospital. she was in a coma for just over 2 weeks. she had an emergency hysterectomy because her uterus was infected and was diagnosed with toxic shock from the strep B virus. on december 31, 2004, they blessed their little girl and then she was wheeled down to surgery where both legs where amputated below the knee along with 6 of her fingers. she was in the hospital for 12 weeks and finally came home valentines day. the doctors had given her a 5% chance of survival and she made it.

at the end of her christmas letter was a hand written note saying she had gotten my christmas card from last year while she was in the hospital. 2005 had been filled with several other surgeries and doctors visits, but she was just grateful to be able to celebrate life and happy to be alive.

i was just amazed at her letter, and even though it has been a dozen years since i have seen her, it brought tears to my eyes thinking of the incredible trial she has gone through. it taught me that if you don't actively keep in touch, you never know what someone is going through and what kind of help you can offer. even if i could have been praying for her, i wish i had of known.

after her mission she used to work at her dads business selling doors. i used to call her and pretend i was looking for some wacky door until she would catch on and figure out it was me. i need to call her tomorrow and catch up.

HSG

there is alot of pre-testing that we are going through for IVF. one of the tests is an HSG (hysterosalpingogram). basically dye is injected into the uterus and fallopian tubes via a narrow tube inserted through the cervix. ugh. this morning i got to experience that (for the 3rd time i might add). they do this test to detect any abnormalities in the uterus or fallopian tubes. all seemed to go well, so i will check that off my list. ya-hoo. cj and i have already done all of our blood work so that is cleared out of the way and all i have left is a ultrasound booked for the 20th of january. once all our testing is done, the clinic will call monthly and see if we want to go ahead with the IVF process that month. it is all quite technical and scientific, very interesting.

it has arrived

here she is, the long awaited sectional. this actually went pretty smooth, no new dings...
it is super comfy, come on over and sit in it.

the sofa experience

gee whiz, finally, today is the day, our new sectional is supposed to be delivered. it has been a good 6 months since we ordered it. in october when we moved in, it had not yet arrived, so they gave us "loaner furniture" which was the same style, different color, and unfortunately not as comfortable as i remember them in the showroom. i have had a pit in my stomache since then, so when they called just before christmas and said the furniture was in and they were going to deliver it, i decided to run down to the showroom to check them out. when i got there, right in the front of the store was the sectional that we ORIGINALLY wanted, same color, etc. so i asked them if we could have THAT instead (it was so much more comfortable). they agreed! ya-hoo!
the only problem now is getting the old out and the new in. when they delivered it last time, they left me with a humungous gouge in my wall and a snag in my berber carpet. turkeys.

a new year

happy new year!
here we are! wow, we all look a little chubby in this picture (note to self, lose weight this year....)
we had a great time new years eve, we went out to my mum and dads for ribs, games and dancing. it was really fun, the kids were great and they loved wearing party hats and blowing the horns.
so here we are it is january 1st and as far as my personal resolutions go, i am on track. i made it through 1 day, fhew.
here's to 364 more days.