tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22407919538002696752024-03-13T05:51:41.883-07:00My Kids, My Husband and IGreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.comBlogger252125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2240791953800269675.post-34628496207591293692017-10-19T22:26:00.000-07:002017-10-21T17:41:16.225-07:00#MeToo<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="50me4" data-offset-key="s7om-0-0">
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<span data-offset-key="s7om-0-0"><span data-text="true">ME TOO...</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="s7om-0-0"><span data-text="true">The craziest thing is those are two of the hardest words to even type, knowing what it is associated with. It brings raw emotion. The night before I started my junior year of high school I was date raped by a man that I barely knew, but was excited to get to know prior to the events of that night. I actually met him at the end of another date, with a guy that I could have seen myself marrying and had known since he moved into my neighborhood several years before. My car wasn't working that day so we had walked quite a distance and he had to walk the rest of the way home, and I had to walk the few miles back to my house. Anyway, the man I met at the end of that date offered me a ride home, and I said he'd first have to give the other guy a ride home first, so we went and got him and drove him home. </span></span><span data-offset-key="s7om-0-0"><span data-text="true">In the following
days, the guy I was on the date with had met someone else and left for college (I'm not sure which
order), and I didn't know what would come of us, since college was a big
deal, and not within walking distance. So, one of my friends decided to give the guy a call that gave me a ride home to see if he would want to go out with me sometime... yes, back in the day when you had a friend ask a guy out for you. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="s7om-0-0"><span data-text="true">I had seen the guy a couple of times, with friends. This night, he wanted to see me alone, that we would go grab some ice cream... </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="8p2lv-0-0"><span data-text="true">The night of the incident, a few weeks after meeting him, September 4, 1990, the man drove me up a road that lead to the middle of nowhere, I was physically shaking because I knew there was no ice cream stand up that road, and he said "What do you think I'm going to do, rape you, kill you, and throw you in the river?" The road was the Riverside Road. I didn't fight once it had started, as I had said no beforehand, my mind transported me to a field with beautiful purple flowers and I was running through them. I literally felt like I had left my body and didn't come back to it until it was over. The place my mind had transported me to, I had never seen the place before, but for the time, it made my life bearable. I figured if he was following through with the first half of his statement, I didn't feel like dying and being tossed in the river, where it might be a while before I was found. (It was called Riverside Road for a reason). I also really wanted to live, and I knew he had at least a golf club in his trunk (since I had given it to him), and he was bigger and stronger than me. Death was not something that I was ready to face. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="4iuoi-0-0"><span data-text="true">I spent the next several hours, from about 10 pm to 5 am (three hours before school started, my first day as a junior) in between the hospital and the police department. I made it to my first day of school, then missed the next several. Life was hard for the next couple of years. I am sure I missed more days than I made it to school, or at least it was close. I was even runner up for the "Most days of school missed," or something like that my senior year. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="5pdoa-0-0"><span data-text="true">Very few people knew what happened to me. I was already pretty quiet and it was my own thing to deal with. My family knew, although my younger brothers probably didn't understand nor would I expect them to, and a select few other people. There were many court dates. I hated men for a year, unless they were related to me. I didn't want to go out with them or spend time with them. I pretty much hung out with my friends and my family. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="5pdoa-0-0"><span data-text="true">In that first year, I organized a presentation to be put on with the New York State Police and the Cattaraugus County Community Action counselors, to discuss how to prevent this from happening, and how to protect yourself if it does happen. I grew up in a small town, and this wasn't supposed to ever happen in my town, and <b><i>it</i></b> <b><i>certainly wasn't supposed to happen to me</i></b>. I had no clue how to defend myself, or things to do to make the person rethink what he was about to do. We had a relatively good turnout from Saint Bonaventure University students, a few people from my high school and members from my church. It was the best way I knew to help others, educate others, so maybe they would not go through what I had. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="98qu9-0-0"><span data-text="true">A year later, I made a lot of decisions, several bad ones and some good ones, too. This kind of thing can really mess with your brain, and probably more so with the brain of someone that was my age. I went on to leave the area for college, and come out west to Idaho and Utah. I studied Psychology at Ricks College and Brigham Young University, so I could help others who have been in my shoes, but I never went on to get my Masters or Doctorate, so I can't do that. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="8tock-0-0"><span data-text="true">In the end, the person was indicted of sexual misconduct. The Assistant District Attorney, police officers and my counselor figured that I wasn't the first person he had done this to, and he knew how to "cover his tracks." Being a child, having turned 17 during this time, and since he apologized after the verdict had been handed down, I asked that the fine be waived (yes, he was given a fine and no jail time). Once again, the mind of a child, why should the courts get money when I was the one that would live with it for the rest of my life.... And my "he did say sorry, so he must mean it" mentality. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="10mde-0-0"><span data-text="true">The sorry was just a courtesy, I decided later, but not much later. I didn't know the game back then. I was young and stupid, stupid enough to go out with the guy, by myself, although I didn't really know him. Young enough to think that the fine should have gone to me and not the courts, so why make him pay it anyway?! I'm not sure if the courts listened to my request; I hope they didn't. I hope he paid for his crime, even if it was just monetarily. I hope he never did this to another girl or woman. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="10mde-0-0"><span data-text="true">I have always said that I hope I was the one in four, so my mother, sisters, daughters and nieces, friends, in-laws never have to tell this story. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="10mde-0-0"><span data-text="true">I have left out names, because perhaps the guy I was seeing when I met this one doesn't want to be named... and I can only hope and pray that the guy that raped me has corrected his life and has made something of himself. He was 21 at the time, so he would be 48 now. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="10mde-0-0"><span data-text="true">I don't tell my story for sympathy. I tell it so, maybe, somehow, it will help someone else. If you are raped, report it! It could help prevent that from happening to someone else. I once heard a statistic that a man could rape ten people before one will report it. I don't know what the statistic is now, but if everyone reports it, then, if it still one in ten, then possibly nine women will not have to be raped by the same person. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="10mde-0-0"><span data-text="true">I am glad I didn't end up dead in a river; I'm not sure I would have, but the prospect was certainly made clear. I have an amazing husband and four awesome children. I have lived a good life. I have an amazing family and I wouldn't have wanted to miss a moment of the last 27 years, good, bad or ugly. I still have many of the same friends, I have made new friends and I have become a person that I don't mind living with. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="10mde-0-0"><span data-text="true">If you are reading this, it was just a small time in my life. It was a bad, hard time in my life, but just a small time, looking at the 16 years before and the 27 after, it does not define who I am. I look at myself as a survivor; I survived and I have tried to help others and let people know how important they are. And man, those pictures of my kids are from quite a while ago. I haven't blogged in a really long time, but I thought this was worth starting again, so I could tell my story, but not write a novel on Facebook. This way, if people want to read it, they can, but if they don't, it isn't in their face. </span></span></div>
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GreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2240791953800269675.post-60779579119337774282015-11-02T10:42:00.001-08:002015-11-02T10:42:24.039-08:00My Four Year-OldI am way behind on this blog... my daughter turned four on October 5. She is such an amazing soul. I took the day off work so I could hangout with her. My husband took the day off too. Hers is the first birthday that has been celebrated in our family since I started working full time. Thus, the lateness of this blog.<br />
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For her birthday, she wanted Minnie Mouse cupcakes. I went to the store, and brought her with me. She decided she needed a birthday outfit. After much persuasion, and it being her birthday, she got the birthday day outfit. It was a Dora outfit. <br />
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My 11 year-old was in charge of making the cupcakes. She wanted polka dot cupcake liners, white frosting and regular sized Oreo's and mini Oreo's. The minis were going to be used for the ears. The regulars were crushed up and put on the white frosting. <br />
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When I finally found the cupcake liners, they were right next to Minnie Mouse cupcake decorations. I was once again persuaded to buy those. Some were the sugar decorations that you can eat... It ended up being that you didn't want to eat those. I guess they were really hard. My daughter did make some of the Minnie Mouse cupcakes she was planning to with the Oreo's.<br />
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Her gifts were a "Frozen" bean bag chair, a toothbrush and toothpaste (which she really wanted), and a bicycle. The look on her face when she got the bicycle was priceless... The YouTube video is below:<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIjaFqfGxzs">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIjaFqfGxzs</a><br />
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She goes to daycare now since my husband and I both work. That night, she helped me get her cupcakes ready to bring to daycare. She helped me get the decorations on them and then put Oreo ears on them. She was so proud of the creation :)<br />
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She enjoys being with her siblings. She loves to get to play with them. She loves bath time. She loves noodles. She loves peanut butter. She loves ice cream. She enjoys getting to do crafts with her big sister. She would prefer to be a nudist. Given any chance, she takes on that role. <br />
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Nap time seems to be a thing of the past now, unless she is sick, or I get really lucky. Then there are the days when she wants to go to sleep at 7 PM and I have to convince her that it isn't a good idea. Mostly because I don't want to wake up at 4 or 5 AM. Those hours and I are not friends.<br />
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She has a gorgeous smile. She decided that she likes short hair. She never liked having it brushed, and the short hair makes her happy. I had decided that I could handle an A-line cut. When I walked in and the instructor (we go to a cosmetology school) suggested a Pixie cut, I had lost the war. She had been asking for a Pixie for weeks beforehand. It looks good on her, but I have to admit that it seriously took time getting used to. <br />
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Her eyes change color. Some days they are a really dark blue, some days they are a lighter blue and some days they even look brown. My eyes are the same way, but they go from brown, to hazel, to green. I have a brother whose eyes go from blue to gray. I think it is pretty cool.<br />
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She loves watching YouTube. She likes Masha and the Bear, or Lalaloopsy toys. <br />
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I am certainly blessed to have this little four year-old. She keeps me young, along with her siblings. <br />
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She had a wonderful birthday! GreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2240791953800269675.post-79263802678740236072015-05-04T10:29:00.003-07:002015-05-04T10:29:26.278-07:00Eleven Years Ago - April 30April 30 is a wonderful day in our family. It is the day we welcomed our first daughter, shortly after noon. She has been such a blessing to our family.<br />
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She has always been an extrovert. We would go to softball games, a couple of hours away, and she would have friends within minutes that she would play with all day long (or until the tourney ended for our team). <br />
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She has always had a strong will. She knows what she wants and she goes after it. She sets goals to complete and she completes them. She may get frustrated but there have not been many times that the goal wasn't completed in the time frame she had set. <br />
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This year, for her birthday, she chose to go to the Asian Buffet in our area. She is big fan of sushi. I can't eat much they have to offer, so I just sat and watched. but I couldn't miss being at her birthday dinner with her! <br />
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For her birthday gift, she wanted a mani-pedi. She got one on Saturday, when there would be enough time to fit it in to the day. She ended up with pink and black (every other toe) toenails and her fingernails have plants on them, with a black background. They look really cute.<br />
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I bought cupcakes and popcorn. We rented the third Night at the Museum. We popped popcorn and watched some of the movie. We didn't start it until pretty late, because we had to go to JoAnn Fabrics to get stuff to decorate teachers' doors for Teacher Appreciation week. She spent a couple of weeks figuring out how she wanted to do each one. We had three doors to do.<br />
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I am so incredibly thankful for that little girl! She makes me smile. She is so good at crafts. She is a great singer. She enjoys doing theater. She loves learning. She is a great daughter and sister.GreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2240791953800269675.post-82874883050808874412015-04-17T15:45:00.000-07:002015-04-17T15:45:17.748-07:00Bump, Stitches, Headaches, Sinuses and Cerebral Spinal FluidThis has been an interesting couple of weeks. About 7 weeks ago, I brought my three youngest children to the doctor. It turned out that my youngest had strep throat. My next youngest had symptoms of strep, but ended up not having it. At the appointment though, the doctor was concerned about a bump on his neck that had been growing. She referred me to get an appointment with a dermatologist. My daughter had been having horrible headaches, so she wanted us to get her in for a brain MRI in six weeks. <br />
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Last Monday (the 6th), my 7 year-old son had athe bump on his neck removed. I am the mommy. I stood there and held his hands, as I stood by his feet, the whole time staring directly at the ground. My three year-old was in the room too. She came up and got between my chin and my feet and watched the whole surgery. She was completely intrigued. I am not sure exactly what she saw, because if I would have looked, I would have passed out immediately. I know myself well enough to be able to say that. He got two stitches in his neck. She watched that too. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bump on his neck</td></tr>
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My toddler wanted a photo of her neck taken also. So, I took a picture of her neck, to appease her.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NLNOooeH0wk/VTGJdtQJ2YI/AAAAAAAABkE/rKeUioNmAEo/s1600/0406151245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NLNOooeH0wk/VTGJdtQJ2YI/AAAAAAAABkE/rKeUioNmAEo/s1600/0406151245.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her neck</td></tr>
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I got the report back a few days later that it was a benign cyst. That is always good news to hear the word "benign" or "negative" when coming from a doctor and discussing something that had been removed from the body. I was never a fan though, when I was hoping to be pregnant, and I would hear the words "negative." That seems like the only time when "negative" coming from the doctor, was actually negative news for me. He does seem to be allergic to bandages though.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stitches and allergic reaction to bandage</td></tr>
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My 10 year-old has been suffering from headaches for several months now. Recently, they started getting so bad that the light and noise affected her to the point of tears. It was then that I decided to have her looked at by the doctor. We were told to do a food journal, make sure she is hydrated and get her an MRI in six weeks. Well, six weeks was this Monday (Apr 13). She had her MRI. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going into the MRI</td></tr>
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I have had an MRI before. I had to take Valium before going in the tube. I am not a fan of them, but I know they are necessary at times. She was perfectly fine with it. They gave her goggles that played a movie for her. She chose "The Hunger Games." I think the MRI wasn't long enough for her. She would have preferred to watch the whole movie.<br />
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I was told that we should have the results by Wednesday. The doctor was only in her office half a day on Wednesday, so we got the results on Thursday. She has fluid in her sinuses which is usually a sign of a viral or bacterial infection. The doctor gave her a prescription for zithromax to see if that helps.<br />
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She also has a spot where the cerebral spinal fluid in her brain is dilated more than average for someone her age. The doctor doesn't seem too concerned about it because there is not a mass that is causing this. She said it is an incidental finding, as this shouldn't be what is causing the headaches. The MRI is going to be repeated in nine months to see if there has been any change. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7wfzVltmJlU/VTGJcou8ZzI/AAAAAAAABj8/5LVmXK7WRz0/s1600/0413151241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7wfzVltmJlU/VTGJcou8ZzI/AAAAAAAABj8/5LVmXK7WRz0/s1600/0413151241.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting the movie goggles on</td></tr>
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I have told myself that I am not going to "WEBMD" what this could be. It seems that only comes up with horrible things. I don't want to see horrible things, especially when it very likely nothing. <br />
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My 7 year-old got his stitches out yesterday. It seems that the removal was more painful than having them put in. He was brave about it though. <br />
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I am hoping that my visits to the doctor are about over for my children. If the medication doesn't help her headaches, she will be referred to a neurologist. I am guessing she just suffers from migraines. They seem to run in my family. :( <br />
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I am hoping and praying that the headaches subside and she doesn't need to go to a neurologist. We shall see! <br />
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<br />GreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2240791953800269675.post-5373631685771598152015-03-17T20:10:00.003-07:002015-03-17T20:10:35.176-07:00Happy 12th Birthday!I don't know where I was 12 years ago on Saturday, or 12 years ago next Saturday. I do know that 12 years ago last night, I went to the hospital to have my pregnancy induced because I had too much amniotic fluid. Who knew there was such a thing?! <br />
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Anyway, I gave birth to my little guy 12 years ago today, well, tonight actually. He ended up being an emergency c-section. I was so blessed to have given birth where I did, because there was a NICU right next to the operating room. I think this saved my little guy's life. I knew something was wrong immediately, because all the shows I watched, the mother always got to see the baby after birth. This was very different. I had never seen them grab the baby and run out of the room. This is what happened though, in real life, for me. <br />
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I had just had major surgery. All I kept saying was "Keith, you need to find out what is going on. You need to find out what is wrong with the baby!" It seemed like a lifetime and no one told me what was going on. Perhaps, because they weren't quite sure what was happening or what the outcome would be. My baby wasn't breathing. They had some work to do to change that, but they did change that. <br />
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They came out, after that lifetime, and asked Keith if he wanted to go see his baby. He looked at me, knowing I had just had major surgery, and I said "Yes!" Off he went! After they finished getting me stapled up and stabilized, they started wheeling me out of the operating room. As they were wheeling me out, Keith came out with this little bundle, completely wrapped up from head to toe, except for his face. <br />
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The tears started streaming, and I uttered, "Hi, I am your mommy! I love you!" He was so white and so tiny. I was not permitted to hold him. I couldn't count his little fingers or toes. I just remember how white he was. I blamed it on the fact that Keith and I are both quite pale. I didn't realize that it was because he hadn't been breathing. I didn't learn this fact until later. <br />
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He stayed in the NICU for four days. Thankfully, I was in the hospital the same amount of time. I was finally allowed to hold him at about 3 AM when I could make the trip to the NICU. Before that, I had my husband go and take pictures and count his little fingers and toes. That was how I saw my baby for the first several hours of his life. <br />
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I have been blessed everyday since then to have such a wonderful young man for a son! There hasn't been a day in the past 12 years where he hasn't made me smile. He is an amazing big brother. He always has been. He became a big brother at 13 months and 13 days. He can not remember his life without being a big brother.<br />
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He will get the Aaronic Priesthood in our church on Sunday. He will be able to start going to the temple to do baptisms after that. He is very excited about both things. He is a good helper around the house. He is sensitive and loving. He never wants to cause anyone sadness. I was truly blessed by this fellow choosing me to be his mommy! <br />
<br />GreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2240791953800269675.post-50695916864116732512015-01-25T14:12:00.004-08:002015-01-25T14:12:55.459-08:00New Year's ResolutionsThis year I made a few New Year's Resolutions, but I neglected to blog about them. I decided that I was not going to make any "lose such and such amount of weight" resolutions. I want to get in better shape, I don't care about my weight. I guess that isn't completely true, I do care, but I figure if I am getting into shape, the rest will fall into place itself. <br />
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First of all, I decided a few months ago that by the end of this year, I would do a chin up...unassisted. My upper body has always been weaker than my lower body, well, at least since adulthood. I remember when I was younger I could beat boys at arm wrestling...<br />
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Friday, Jan 17, we got a membership to your local fitness center in the area. They have a couple swimming pools, an indoor track, cardio machines and weight training area. This past week, on Thursday, my husband and I went and did some weight training. I managed to bench press 65 pounds. I thought my husband was going a little loco when he suggested that, I thought the bar would be enough since I hadn't done any real weight training in almost four years. I did three sets of eight with 65 pounds. I have to say I was proud of myself :) Then I did bicep curls. The first set was 8 pounds, 12 times. Then 12 pounds, 12 times. Then my husband thought I should go to the assisted pull up machine. I took 112.5 pounds off of my weight, and I did three sets of six chin ups. Then I did, two sets of eight dips at that weight and then one set of five at 93.5 lbs. I have been sore for a few days now, but I feel great (if that makes any sense). <br />
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Another resolution was to exercise 3 to 5 times per week for 20 minutes or more each time. We have been swimming a few times since we got the membership. It is a nice place to bring the kids to swim. I need to sign my three year-old up for swimming lessons. She is doing better being in the water, but she still has some fears I need to figure out how to help her overcome. My daughter, and another person and her two daughters have been training for a 5K with me. We started on Wednesday. Before that, I was still making sure to get in my 20 minutes or more. This structure is helping. My children love going to the fitness center, so it makes it a lot easier.<br />
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The next thing I did was give up ice cream. I had my last bowl on New Year's morning. It was the rest of the Turkey Hill Peanut Butter Chocolate ice cream in the house. I even took a picture of it before I ate it. My addiction to ice cream has probably contributed to <strike>a</strike> <strike>few</strike> several of the unwanted pounds I am hauling around. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My last bowl of ice cream for 2015...taken 1/1/2015</td></tr>
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I have not had another bowl of ice cream since then. I haven't even really been tempted. It might be due to the fact that after I ate it, I prayed that I would have help not eating ice cream for the rest of the year. Heavenly Father does answer prayers, and sometimes you know He has a sense of humor in the way that He answers. By the end of the night, I was puking out of both ends (as one of my friends phrased it). Sorry, about all the information, but what better way for me <b><i>not</i></b> to want to eat ice cream, for quite a while! <div>
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I resolved to plan meals ahead of time. I have not done too well at that. Although, I do know what we will be eating a couple of times this week, although I don't know what days. I need to do better about that one!</div>
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I resolved to learn to cross-stitch. I haven't started that yet, although I bought all the materials for the item I wanted to cross-stitch. Then my daughter taught me how to crochet. I am working on a blanket that might take me the whole year to do. It is BYU-Provo's colors. My daughter (she is 10) thought a good size would be 400 links. I think this will be a California king size blanket. Oh well...our bed is a queen, but it wouldn't hurt to have something that the whole family can sit on the couch and cover up under while watching a movie!<br />
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I also like to make spiritual resolutions. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we get callings. We don't get paid for doing the service we provide. Currently, I am one of the librarians. I have been a primary teacher, scout leader and Relief Society teacher in the past. I want to be there to fulfill my calling as one of the Ward Librarians. This entails making copies as requested, giving out pictures, chalk and erasers, etc. <br />
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Another resolution is to go to the temples more often. Before I became a mother, I would go much more frequently than I do now. I want to change that. There is a peace that is felt at the temple, where I know that I am doing things to help others. I feel like it is a time when all my stress is left outside and I can concentrate on serving others.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ogden Utah Temple</td></tr>
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I am already thinking about New Year's Resolutions for next year. I didn't think of them in time for this year. I think that the ones I have this year will help with next year's resolutions a lot though. <br />
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GreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2240791953800269675.post-16930177697273129002015-01-06T14:01:00.003-08:002015-01-06T14:01:24.899-08:00Christmas Eve Came and Went AgainThis year for Christmas Eve, we drove to Rock Springs, Wyoming, to have lunch with my sister and her son. It was a nice trip and I am thankful that there was somewhere we could meet and have lunch. We ended up at Golden Corral. They do have pizza on their buffet, so it wasn't like we went against the pizza on Christmas Eve tradition. I just couldn't eat it, since it wasn't gluten free.<br />
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The three of us girls were together again. I enjoy getting to have these times with my sisters. Even if it is for just an hour or so, it is definitely worth the time. One of my sisters lives with me, her husband had to work, so she rode with us. She sat in the back with the children and got to play referee.<br />
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After we had lunch, we headed to a music store. My daughter has wanted a guitar for a while now, and they were having good deals there. She didn't have enough money for one, or any money for one, so she borrowed it from her brothers. She agreed to pay them back. So far, the only hitch is, she isn't allowed to play it until it is paid for. She is really happy with it though. It is purple, which isn't a surprise!<br />
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After going to the music store in Rock Springs, it was time to say goodbye to my sister and my nephew. I always hate the goodbyes, but it is definitely worth it to see them. <br />
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My husband took the kids to see Big Hero 6 when we got home. I stayed home with my toddler, because she isn't a big fan of sitting in movie theaters. I also had some things to do around the house before Santa came. Santa comes on Christmas Eve in our house. My sister and her husband also stayed home.<br />
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My husband called when they were on their way back from the theater, so my toddler, sister, bro-in-law and I could go walk around the neighborhood and look at Christmas lights so Santa could come. My daughter loves looking at Christmas lights. It was a beautiful night. While we were out, we saw a TV by the curb saying that it was free, and that it works, so I remembered where it was so we could go claim it if it was still there, after opening gifts.<br />
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This was taken a few days before Santa came. There were a lot of gifts under there. My seven year-old exclaimed it was the best Christmas ever. I was happy that he felt that way. Opening gifts on Christmas Eve, gives us the time to remember why we celebrate Christmas on Christmas Day. <br />
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My sister made all the children blankets. Our puppy always loved laying on the blankets, so it wasn't too shocking to see this under the tree later that evening.<br />
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I am so blessed to have my children. We enjoyed Christmas Day with my sister and her husband, and my sister-in-law, brother-in-law and nephew. It was a nice day with them. GreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2240791953800269675.post-54990347591643572102015-01-04T15:28:00.003-08:002015-01-05T14:50:51.923-08:00My Youngest Son Turned Seven - Dec 20 and Lost His First Tooth - Dec 30Where has the time gone?! He was my only child that was born in NY. We are once again in Utah. He is my little blonde hair, blue-eyed fellow. He reminds me a lot of one of my brothers, both personality and looks.<br />
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He had planned what he wanted to do for his birthday for months. He wanted to go to Wingers, which is a restaurant in the area, that gives you all the popcorn you can eat. I think that is what drew him in! <br />
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He started to ask to open his gifts the day before his birthday, because it was "just one more day." I kept telling him he had to wait until his birthday. I got woken up very early by him so he could open his presents. I told him he would open them later, after his cupcakes and cookies had been made. He wasn't horribly amused with that idea. I remember being a kid though!<br />
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That morning, the kids went over to one of our family friends so Keith and I could get some things done around the house, before the party time started. Keith then picked them up and we met my sister and her husband at Wingers for lunch. Their gluten-free fryer was down, so they let me have all the salad I wanted for $2. I had two plates of it. Thankfully, I love salad! The birthday had chicken, and all the popcorn he could eat. They also brought him a huge slice of mint chocolate chip ice cream pie. He shared it with everyone!<br />
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His uncle and his dad then had to run down to Salt Lake to take care of some business. When they got home, we sang happy birthday and he opened gifts. I had bought birthday wrapping paper, because I didn't want to wrap his stuff in Christmas wrapping paper, just because we had some. I got a couple of pictures with my phone, but the rest are on a camera and I don't have access to it to get them off right now. <br />
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His big gift was a remote control car and a game called Tenzi, which is dice. He got a few other smaller things. He was elated!<br />
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In the past year, he started first grade. He has learned how to read a lot better. He knows how to cook scrambled eggs, and enjoys doing it. He loves Monopoly. He enjoys playing with our dog, Hazel. Him and his brother share a room and have bunk beds. They still haven't quite come to terms with which bunk is whose. They will switch whenever they feel like it. <br />
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He loves doing yardwork a lot more than housework. He will be the first one out there to pull weeds or shovel snow. He helped to turn the soil in the garden with the shovel.<br />
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He loves playing with his siblings. He has an amazing smile and a good sense of humor. He hates to get his haircut! His request for his birthday meal was turkey roast. We had that the next day, since he didn't give me the request til about 6 pm, and we wouldn't have been eating til after 9 since I would have had to go buy it.<br />
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He lost his first tooth on Dec 30. My sons hold on to their baby teeth, in their mouth, for as long as possible. He was so excited to finally lose a tooth, so the tooth fairy could come! He is like me when it comes to getting adult teeth, his adult tooth was growing in behind the baby tooth. <br />
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I am so blessed to have this little fellow for a son!<br />
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<br />GreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2240791953800269675.post-72641376314837133622015-01-04T15:09:00.002-08:002015-01-04T15:09:35.242-08:00My Toddler Turned Three - October 5First of all, my toddler turned three on Sunday, October 5. She wanted to go feed ducks, so we did that. She is quite easy to please! <br />
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She got a lot of clothes for her birthday, as she had been growing like a little weed. She also got a little box with an owl on it, because she loves owls, and Jenga blocks to play with. <br />
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That morning we started off by watching General Conference, which is a semi-annual broadcast from our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We then had her open her gifts, for which she was very excited. She loves the surprise entailed with presents, but I think she would be just as happy if she was opening empty boxes.<br />
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We then had lunch and toward evening, when it had cooled off a little, we went to the park where we feed ducks. After we fed the ducks, we went on a walk around the park. She got to walk, instead of ride in her stroller, because she wanted to :)<br />
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Her request for dinner was chicken and broccoli casserole. I didn't realize that we didn't have everything for that, so we had that later in the week.<br />
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It is so hard to believe that this little one is now three years-old. By the time she turned three, she started to urinate in the potty. She has pooped a few times in it, but I still can't convince her to make that a regular practice. She will bring me a diaper so she can poop. If I don't put it on her, she will not go, even when her stomach starts hurting really bad.<br />
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Her health has seemed to improve, but she still has times when she gets sick out of blue. She doesn't want to eat during these times which cause me great stress. We learned that she is allergic to mosquitoes. Where she gets bit, it swells right up. At one point, her whole hand was swollen because she was bitten between her pinky and ring finger of her right hand. <br />
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She was weaned, cold turkey on August 4. I think this was harder for me than it was for her. She took it pretty well. I was a nervous wreck, because the times she wouldn't eat, at least she would nurse, and I knew she was getting nourishment she needed.<br />
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Her hair grew a lot this year. It is actually long! She loves owls, as I mentioned before. Her great-grandma, who she is named after, loved owls too. It is amazing to me that there is that kind of connection, because I never have had owls around. When we were visiting my parents in NY, she had owls around, and my toddler immediately started playing with them. <br />
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She loved her summer in New York with her grandparents while my foot was broken. She would spend hours playing outside in their backyard or sitting on the swing. I am so blessed to have this little girl as one of my children.GreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2240791953800269675.post-42907238050735522102014-10-26T20:11:00.001-07:002014-10-26T20:11:50.756-07:00A Nightmare, a Five Mile Race and Black Island Farms Corn Maze and SlidesI went to sleep at a decent time last night. I had been exhausted. I was out cold by 10:35, then woke up for a moment to see that David Letterman was on, so changed it to Jimmy Fallon. I do have a preference. Then quickly fell back to sleep. At 3:30, approximately, I was roused from my sleep by a very loud scream and crying. My toddler had a nightmare, or night terror, I am not sure how to tell the difference. I was awake for the next 2.5 hours, so was she. That was not what I was expecting as part of preparing for my race that I believed started at 8 am. I know my alarm went off at 7:16 am. I know I turned the alarm off. I was thankful that I woke up at 7:46 am. I have never gotten ready so quickly for a race in my life! Thankfully, I knew where everything was that I needed!<br />
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I got to the race at 8:01 am. I was sure that this was one of my race nightmares come true. I quickly grabbed my MP3 player and exited my van. I went scurrying around, looking for where the starting line was. I tried to figure out where everyone was congregating, but when I couldn't figure that out, I figured I would use a port-a-pot....thanks to race day nerves.<br />
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I finally found someone and asked them where the starting line was. She didn't know where that was either, since it was her first year. I then stated, "I thought the race started at 8."<br />
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She replied, "It starts at 8:30."<br />
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I then told her the story of my morning (like she cared), and how thankful I was that it was a later start than I thought. That gave me time to go and change the battery in my MP3 players, since I only had one bar left. I wouldn't want it to die midrun, although it wouldn't have been the first time that happened to me.<br />
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Finally, the call to the starting line was made for the half-marathoners. I chatted with a couple of women while race directions for the half-marathoners were made. One of them explained the course, since she was familiar with it. Then it was time for use five milers to line up. I always line up toward the back, that way I don't get passed by a lot of people. We were told that there would be another race on some of the same course we were on. We had to follow the green arrow, the other race had orange ones. I made a mental note. Then the countdown began, backward from 10. <br />
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When I crossed the starting line, I started my watch. Then I just ran, for 1 hour and five minutes. Unofficially, I ran for 1:08:59.1. But the half marathoners started a couple of minutes or so ahead of us, and that is when the race clock started that gave the unofficial time. I still have those moments reminding myself that I ran a 10K in 1:00:15. I then remind myself that I was 5 years younger, 30 lbs lighter, and hadn't broken my foot a few months before. The 5 miler was a little more than 5 miles too. I remember I crossed the five mile mark, and still had a ways to go. The distance passed the 5 miles, I don't know, but it was a distance, somewhere between .25 mile and .50 mile. <br />
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I also saw a woman at an aid station fall down. She was there by herself. I couldn't run passed and not find out if she was okay. When I got to the aid station, I asked her if she was okay. She stated that she had stepped wrong on her bad ankle and it had rolled causing her to fall. She was limping around. I didn't want to continue until I knew she was okay and she assured me that she was. I was thanked her for her service at the run and continued on. The conversation didn't last more than one or two minutes I imagine. <br />
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Upon finishing the race, I ate a third of a banana and had a glass of chocolate milk. Then I headed home to pick up my husband and children. As part of the race registration, I got a free ticket for myself and two guests into the Black Island Farms Corn Maze (where the race started and ended). I picked them up and we headed back. <br />
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They had an area with goats, turkeys, rams, llamas, peacocks and geese. The photo below is a picture of the children with a kid (baby goat) between them and to the back. It is brown. It is hard to see. The children wanted a picture with it though. <br />
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After looking at all of the animals, we continued on to several slides. There is a really long one that looks like it was made out of a plastic pipe. </div>
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This is a picture of my husband going down the slide with my toddler. She turned three on October 5. It is so hard for me to believe that my baby is three now! She is enjoying seeing a photo of her and her daddy on here, with the slide!</div>
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This is a picture of my oldest son, he is 11. They had to ride a burlap sack down, probably to help with going down quicker. I had to time the photo so that it would get them before they went passed the view of the lens. So, I had to take it when they were still in the tube. </div>
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This is my oldest daughter, at age 10. She enjoyed her trip down the tube also. That was one of the favorite things of the day. <br />
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This is a picture of my youngest son, he is six. Another big fan of the slide! He went down the slide several times!</div>
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Here is my toddler climbing up a rope ladder. She wasn't a fan of that. This led to a smaller slide. Immediately after taking this photo, she exclaimed that she was scared. I got her off of that. She and her dad went down the slide together. He helped her get to the top of that pile of hay.<br />
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After the kids got tired of sliding, they announced that it was time to enter the corn maze. This was the first corn maze any of us had done, except for my husband. It was an exciting moment, and a little nerve wrecking. My biggest fear was one of the kids taking off into the corn and getting lost for minutes, hours, or days. Nothing that I enjoy thinking about... I took a picture of my husband with the children and took one of me with the children, then we continued into the maze. </div>
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I tried to show off my race number, but it just didn't all show up! I was number 1009. Those are some really beautiful children, in my own opinion! I am blessed to have each one of them.<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">As we traversed the corn maze, the children took turns picking each turn, from oldest to youngest. They enjoyed being in control of our destiny. We went in a few circles. Phase 1 of the corn maze took us about 10 minutes to go through. </span></div>
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Then we entered Phase 2, which took considerably longer. Phase 2 turned into Phase 3 at a tower. I turned on my stopwatch when we entered Phase 2. We let the children decide our fate, until they got tired of being in the corn maze. Then we found the tower again, took a look, my husband figured out how to get us out, and we followed him. We got out of the maze after 39 minutes. Oh, I didn't mention... I have a horrible sense of direction! My toddler did make it out of the maze, but she really was tired of it! She didn't want to be in the above photo, but after I took it, she wanted to be in one, so we have the photo below too! <br />
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It was a really fun morning/afternoon with my husband and children. I was thankful that I got to run the race, and that I was able to run the whole time. I was thankful that we then got to have this family time together. It was fun to see the children working together to get us through the mazes. They worked really well to try to figure out the turns. Sometimes, my toddler would lead us a way the children didn't think we should go, but we all went anyway. In the end, we made it out and we had a good, memorable time.</div>
GreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2240791953800269675.post-4558070440063314722014-10-18T16:08:00.000-07:002014-10-18T16:08:07.545-07:00Veggie PickingLast month, we loaded all the kids into the car. We decided we would go and get a bunch of veggies from a local "you pick" farm. We filled up a box, which is an estimated bushel, with eggplant, tomatoes, peppers and green beans. It was a lot of fun to go out there and get some fresh veggies. The veggies were enjoyable. The kids were proud of what we got...<br />
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I am not sure we will ever do that again. I have no clue what to do with that many peppers, green beans, and eggplants. We added some things to our neighbor's compost pile. I did have some fresh veggies before they met that fate though. Keith ate a bunch of the green peppers. We discovered there really isn't anything to do with eggplant, except to make eggplant lasagna. My daughter cooked a lot of the green beans, and those were really good to eat.<br />
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Things I learned, apparently you don't have to have tomato cages. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of tomato plants, and there wasn't a single one of them with a tomato cage. They were all just sprawled across the ground. Not anything I had ever thought of doing, but it seems to work. <br />
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I learned that it is easy to fill a bushel basket with eggplants, although there really isn't a use for eggplants. Have you tasted one? I don't appreciate the taste of a raw eggplant... I imagine I would feel the same way about a boiled one. <br />
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I guess I am posting the picture because I really enjoy seeing the children :) I thought I would give a little background to it. I will continue to wish that we lived back east, where we could have filled that box with blueberries, and freeze them. <br />
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<br />GreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2240791953800269675.post-30681141460531088222014-09-03T17:16:00.000-07:002014-09-03T17:20:44.803-07:00Every Step CountsIt was May 30, 2014, I was minding my own business, the best I could. My toddler had been diagnosed with strep throat the day before. We were invited to a beginning of summer S'mores party at a friend's house. I sent my husband and three older children with all the necessary fixins.<br />
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I stayed home with the little one, because, to be honest, who wants to have a sick kid around?! If it isn't my sick kid, I prefer to not have them around. As a mom, I have always tried to be responsible; not bring my kids to church sick, and not send them to school sick. So, as much as I LOVE burnt marshmallows (more than you can understand reading this), I stayed home.<br />
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I figured while I was home, I should exercise. I did 12 minutes of running in place, in 20 second increments. Run 20 seconds, rest 20 seconds, and so on, for 12 minutes total. I ran for six minutes and rested for six minutes, but when you do the running as fast as you possibly can, it can really poop you out! Then I thought, well, why don't I do some push-ups, on the stairs. I proceeded to do that. I can't even begin to tell you how many I did, because what happened next led to the worst pain in my entire life. Yes, I am including childbirth. Possibly because I got to see, or hold, or know I would see soon, the most amazing little person in the world. I had four of those most amazing little people...<br />
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I stood up, started coming down the stairs, and didn't realize how far up I was. I took, what I imagined was, the last step. Well, it was one of the last steps I took for six weeks. I was at least two stairs up higher than I thought. I took that step, and I knew, mid-air, that I had done something drastically wrong. I landed directly on my ankle. Everything that could pop in my left foot, did pop. <br />
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I was still at home, with my toddler. My husband and three older children were still gone. My husband doesn't use a cell phone. Thankfully, one of my friends, went to the party too. I sent her a message to send my husband home, telling her that I was pretty sure I broke my ankle. I sent this message, via my Facebook on the computer, since I didn't have a cell either. My toddler wasn't amused that her sobbing Mom was taking the computer from her. Like I said, the most painful thing in my life...<br />
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My husband arrived home, probably 20 minutes later. I was still sobbing. But, I had known, that I was going to deal with the pain through the night. With the aid of Mobu Herbals PM Pain Lotion, acetaminophen, ice, and elevation, I made it through the night. My husband and I don't have health insurance. The Urgent Care location that we have a membership to had closed at 8 pm. It was 8:15 pm when it happened. There was no way I was going to an ER to pay them $1000's when I could go to the Urgent Care for $10.<br />
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I found out that I broke the third metatarsal in my foot and sprained my ankle. As to how I didn't break my ankle, that is still well beyond my grasp. Anyway, I was put in a splint for 4-6 weeks. My parents came out the following week to help me out, since this happened the day the children got out of school for the summer.<br />
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I would spend the next six weeks in this. Non-weight bearing, on crutches. That is when I realized that it was a very bad idea to ever buy a house without a bathroom on the main level. If you take nothing else from reading this, only buy a house that has a bathroom on the main level! My parents stayed out here for four weeks. Then we headed back east. I brought my four children with me. We stayed there for six weeks. At the six week mark, I got to switch to a boot and start putting minimal weight on my foot. <br />
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That was a happy day in my life, being able to walk on two feet again, even if it was with crutches. I was excited to be done with the splint. I was excited to have two feet on the ground again. I was minimum weight bearing for two weeks. Then I got rid of the crutches, at eight weeks. That was also a great day in my life! Crutch free! I used my boot for about 2 1/2 more weeks, mostly because I forgot to bring my other shoe back to New York with me when I left.<br />
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I noticed, at about five or six weeks, that the muscle in my leg was starting to disappear. It wasn't a nice day to notice that, especially since there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. It was hard to basically see a lot of loose skin, where muscle used to be. I didn't pay a lot of attention to it, mostly because I couldn't change it. <br />
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I didn't realize, until today, how much that muscle really mattered. Although there was nothing I could do about losing it, because I don't know that you can strengthen it, when you can't even put your weight on it, let alone any other weight. I started "running" again on Saturday. The time it takes to run two miles is not anything I would ever brag about. I timed it on Monday, and it is basically a 14:20 mile, over two miles. I wasn't amused at all about that time, since it is more than four minutes slower than my fastest time. Heck, I had run 2 miles in less than four minutes slower than that mile. <br />
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As I walked today, the same distance that I ran on Monday, in the same spot, I realized something. Maybe it isn't right, but it is the conclusion I came to. This left leg of mine does not have the necessary muscle for the foot turnover rate that it used to have. On top of that, my foot, ankle and heel still bother me. I am sure that there are several tendons and ligaments torn up in there. I can't afford to get it fixed, and even I could, I don't think I would. I have heard too many stories of feet/ankles being worse after surgery than they were before. <br />
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From this point on, I will remember that it isn't about the time right now, it is about rebuilding the muscle that was lost in six weeks of not bearing weight, two additional weeks of bearing minimal weight, and a total of 14 weeks without running. I also have to remember that I gained weight, so I am also hauling around additional weight. Right now, I am doing Weight Watchers to help correct that issue.<br />
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I will get back to running how I used to, but I guess I have to build back up to that. EVERY STEP COUNTS!! <br />
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GreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2240791953800269675.post-75081458529727700182014-08-24T19:08:00.001-07:002014-08-24T19:08:32.362-07:0012 Weeks and 2 Days LaterWith the last update, it was my children's last day of school and I broke my foot. That happened 12 weeks and two days ago. A lot has happened since then. My parents spent about four weeks here with me to help out with the children while I couldn't walk on my foot. We then headed back east for six weeks. <br />
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I had a wonderful summer in New York. My children and I rode back with my parents. My mom drove my van with myself and my two youngest children and our dog. My dad drove back with my two older children and their dog. It took us about 3 days of driving, stopping at night to sleep. <br />
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While I was home, I got to see some of my friends. I saw some longer than others, but I was thankful for any time I got to spend with them. Life is busy, and not being able to walk for most of the summer had its limitations. <br />
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I got to go to the Hill Cumorah Pageant with my mom, my chldren and one of our friends, who is also the creator and President of MOBU Herbals. It was her first time to go, and it was just coincidental that her visit to NY coincided with the Pageant. We got to have a meeting with her and it helped to introduce the product to some of my friends in the area.<br />
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I got to watch a lot of softball games. My brother has played with some of his fellow ballplayers for as long as I can remember. They are like brothers. I enjoy getting to cheer them on. My sister-in-law has played on the same team for years, and I enjoyed getting to see her play and some of the teammates I remembered from before. <br />
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My children got to catch up with some of their friends also. They also have children that we consider cousins. They are my sister-in-law's niece and nephews. They spent a lot of time with them. I guess it is hard to explain our family dynamics, but we love my sister-in-law's family as if they are our own. Some of the cousins from Washington also came out for a few weeks so my children got to see them also. We love being together with everyone.<br />
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I started to put weight on my foot, without crutches, a couple of weeks before leaving New York. I hate crutches. It is something I never want to deal with again! <br />
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We went blueberry picking, which is a very pastime for us. We have been doing that since I was in high school. We spent a lot of time in the backyard. I love my parents' backyard. They have a couple swings that we just sit in and swing. Dad bought a badminton set for the kids to play. They spent hours playing and laughing.<br />
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My dad turned 70 while we were there. It is amazing/crazy to me, that my dad is 70. If you know him, I am sure you agree that it seems impossible. <br />
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While I was home, two of my sisters and one of my brothers came home. All at different times, but it was wonderful to see them all. The worst thing about living where I do is that it is so far away from family. My sister and her husband will be moving back here in a few weeks, so I am really excited about that.<br />
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I honestly would have never come back here if I hadn't left my husband here. So those in this area that are glad, or sad, I am back, you can thank my husband. Those in New York who are sad, or glad, I am not there, can also thank my husband.<br />
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I think I have written before about how running helps me deal with life and curb depression. Having not been able to run for the last 12 weeks and 2 days hasn't been good for the psyche. The funny thing is that I was fine in New York, probably because I was surrounded by people that love me. It isn't so much here. I have a really hard time and miss being able to pound the pavement to get over that.<br />
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In other news, I weaned my youngest, who is also my last, child while I was back east. She went cold turkey on August 4th. I knew that I would need a lot of support in my decision, so I knew that I should do it while I had that kind of support. It made it a lot easier on me, and possibly on her too. <br />
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My kids head back to school tomorrow, so we know that summer is 12 weeks and 2 days long. Although my summer didn't go as planned, starting the evening they got out of school, I can't complain. I am blessed that I was able to spend the summer with family and friends. GreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2240791953800269675.post-50286923974800037902014-06-12T19:22:00.003-07:002014-06-12T19:53:59.864-07:00How Can the School Year be Over?My little 6 year-old graduated from Kindergarten two weeks ago today. As my toddler and I stood there and watched him get his certificate, I was so proud of him. I felt that feeling in my heart that I feel when I am overwhelmed with how my children have grown.<br />
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Him, and his classmates, sang a song "I am a VIP in my Family." It is so true. He is a very important person in our family. As he sang that song (photo below) he kept looking at me and smiling. He brings so much joy. He has a smile that is contagious. He says things that are wise beyond his years. He is very caring, but he is mischievous too.<br />
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Here he is with his Kindergarten teacher. I am so thankful for her patience. I am thankful for how well she treated him. When she started the graduation ceremony, she read a poem and started crying. It talked about how she got them at the beginning of the year, and watched them grow into what they were that day. I could tell she loved the children.<br />
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I said to him on the way back to our vehicle, "You know your teacher loves you?"<br />
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He said, "I know, she told us everyday."<br />
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Who doesn't want their children to have a teacher that will let them know that she loves them. To the best of my memory, I never had a teacher tell us, as a class, that she/he loved us. I think it would help kids treat each other and the teacher with more respect, knowing that the teacher cared about them.<br />
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He received his graduation cap and he wore it the whole day. We went grocery shopping and he wore it. He was so very proud that he was able to graduate from Kindergarten. His little sister was able to enjoy the day with us also.<br />
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We didn't find out about graduation until that morning. One of my friends on Facebook had posted that she couldn't believe her child was graduating the next morning, so I called and asked. Thankfully I did, or I would have missed it. I just didn't see the announcement when it came home.<br />
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My children officially finished school the next day. They learned so much this school year, and I am always thankful for good teachers that treat my children well. <br />
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I broke a bone in my foot that evening. I am not allowed to put any weight on it for 4-6 weeks and then re-introduce a little weight at a time. This summer will be interesting! <br />
<br />GreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2240791953800269675.post-70638259356575273682014-06-04T13:54:00.001-07:002014-06-04T17:00:35.207-07:00My New Work-at-Home Job - MOBU Herbals UtahWhen I was first married, my husband and I rented a room from a wonderful woman. We were blessed to have this woman welcome us into her home, and love us and treat us as she would a family member. During this time, we got to know a couple of her children. One of her children is Janell Cole. She is a Naturopathic Doctor and Master Herbalist. She is the creator/founder of MOBU Herbals. My husband and I were blessed to get to know her during this time.<br />
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She has been selling MOBU Herbals for eight years via her website and it has been sold in select health food stores. It is now available to be sold at home parties via consultants. We are looking for determined people, that believe in the product, to go out and starting making a great income while teaching people about MOBU Herbals. <br />
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The products are wonderful! They are organic and herbal based. There are balms, lotions, body butters and lip balms. The products sell themselves. Samples are made available for people to try out. There is no doubt that they work. I have seen how they help with ear infections, coughs, colds, congestion, sore throats, migraines, back pain, tooth aches, bug bites and skin tags. There are lotions and balms to help with energy, to activate a sluggish immune system, and energize adrenal and thyroid glands. There is a product to naturally ease constipation. All of the products are transdermal. In other words, they are absorbed through the skin. By doing so, they bypass the liver and digestive system, which depletes the potency of oral medications, sometimes up to 90%. Furthermore, they will not injure the organs, as some medications that are taken orally have been found to do.<br />
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The body butters are great! Like most body butters they provide relief from dry, cracked skin. These also can minimize scarring and stretch marks. They provide relief from eczema. They soothe sunburned or peeling skin. They smell amazing! My favorite scents are Love Potion #9 and Chocolate Cherry. There are nine scents to choose from and unscented.<br />
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I am excited to be starting with this company and be able to help out a good friend. I believe in her and I believe in her product. I have used it and I know that when others get the chance to try it, they will love it also. That is why I have free samples and I will ship them out for others to try. The only thing that I ask is that you post a review of the product(s) that you tried on my Facebook page.<br />
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Please check out my facebook page <a href="http://www.facebook.com/mobu.herbals.utah" target="_blank">MOBU Herbals Utah</a> to find out about all the products. I look forward to helping as many people as possible learn about these natural products. <br />
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When you share this and place your first order, you will get a free lip balm of your choice... please message me, or send me an email at mobu.herbals.utah@gmail com, so I can add the lip balm to your order. Place your order at www.stratusmall.com/store/6266 then click "health" on the left side, then "mobu herbals." When signing up as a customer, please pick "customer" (the bottom option).<br />
<br />GreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2240791953800269675.post-26704343878725448762014-05-09T17:34:00.002-07:002014-05-09T17:39:22.203-07:00My Sister's Big Day - April 26, 2014We arrived in Minnesota on April 25, 2014. Everyone in my vehicle was excited to finally get there and be with family. My parents, brother, his wife, and each of their dog arrived about 1 1/2 hours later. It was so wonderful to be together.<br />
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We picked up my brother the next day from the airport, and traded in the rental vehicle we had. It started showing that it needed an oil change early the day before. Since we were at the airport, it was the perfect time for the trade.<br />
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From the airport, we went to Costco. We had to get food to eat and things for my sister's reception. It was then that I discovered that Costco no longer has the ice cream bar at the food court. It was a very sad moment in my life.<br />
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After Costco, we headed to the Mall of America. It was somewhere my sister-in-law had always wanted to go to. They were having Robot Wars in the main hallway. We watched a couple of them. I don't really understand the concept, but my brothers and my children enjoyed it. We walked around and went into the Nickelodeon themed amusement park. My toddler wasn't amused in the slightest when I didn't get her a stuffed Patrick or Spongebob toy.<br />
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It was getting late by this point. We had to hurry back to the hotel and get ready for the wedding. We then had to run to the reception hall and help get it ready. We were really fast getting changed and getting out of the hotel. I was impressed with the speed we got ready.<br />
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We headed to the reception hall where we had to get tables put in the correct places. We made sure that chairs were around the tables and the tables were appropriately decorated. My sister and I then went and helped our other sister get into her wedding gown. She is absolutely beautiful. We had to lace up the back of it. We were busy lacing up her dress in the photo below.<br />
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We got her all laced up and got her headpiece attached. She put on her jacket and it was time to head out. She was taking a boat to the island she was getting married on. We would be driving over. My older daughter rode over on the boat because she was in charge of keeping the train off the ground. She enjoyed that a lot!</div>
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We arrived on the island and the wedding got started. It was a quick wedding, sweet and to the point. There was a photographer there. The photos have not arrived yet. None of us remembered our cameras, so all the photos are with phones. I think they turned out well. I look forward to seeing the professional photos too!</div>
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After the photos were complete, we went to the reception hall. When the bride decided it was time to eat, we all agreed. I had lettuce wrap sandwiches. They made them for me because of my gluten problem. I chased my toddler around most of the night. </div>
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One of my dear friends, who was a roommate of ours in college, was there with her family. It was so nice to get to see her and visit with her during that evening. She has a wonderful family. She helped me chase my kiddos around.</div>
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The lighting in the reception hall was not very good. Some pictures were taken in there, I found the best one of my sister. </div>
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I am blessed to have been able to spend that day with them. I was thankful that I was able to go. It was an amazing evening. I wish my sister and her husband an eternity of happiness! <br />
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<br />GreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2240791953800269675.post-40404966165311776382014-05-02T14:02:00.002-07:002014-05-02T14:04:16.441-07:00The First Leg of the Trip to MinnesotaLast Wednesday, Apr 23, I picked up my little brother from the airport. I rented a minivan, got my children and luggage, and hit the road. Our ultimate destination was Minnesota. We made a few stops in between.<br />
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We first stopped in Wyoming. We stayed overnight at my sister's house. She had some Domino's Pizza waiting for us. She was kind enough to get me a gluten pizza. The next morning, April 24, my children, my brother, my sister and my nephew got in the van and started heading further east.<br />
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It seemed like we drove for hours and hours without making much progress. When we reached the area that we had to really start deciding if we wanted to make the turn toward Mount Rushmore or keep heading toward our final destination, we decided to take the side trip up the mountain to Mount Rushmore. My brother was the only person in the vehicle that had ever been there. This was my first trip into South Dakota. As I drove the windy, mountain road up to the National Monument, I felt excitement that I was finally going to see it. <br />
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Upon entering Mount Rushmore, we are supposed to pay $11 to park. We waited for an attendant at the security gate, but no one came and the gate had been propped open. We figured that meant that we could just go in. The car that entered before us had come to the same conclusion. No one said anything to us so I am not sure if that is common but we did park.<br />
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When we entered the walkway at Mount Rushmore, we were greeted by wild mountain goats. My toddler announced, "It's bunnies." On the way out of the park, my six year-old suggested that we "take the llamas." In the photo below, the white things in the grass behind my daughter are the mountain goats, aka bunnies and llamas.<br />
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We proceeded into the National Monument area. It was absolutely majestic. I don't really know the history or how long it took to create Mount Rushmore, but it is something to behold. My sister took some pictures of my children and I in front of the Monument. I was thankful that she had a phone with a camera because I forgot my camera at home.<br />
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I am pretty sure that my toddler will not remember that trip. I am not sure if my six year-old will remember or not. I am quite sure that my two older children will remember going to Mount Rushmore. They added South Dakota to the states they have been to at the same time I did.<br />
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We continued on that evening and made it to Oacoma, South Dakota, where we found a hotel room. Although there were eight of us, I let the desk clerk know that we would share a room as long as there were two beds. The children could sleep on the floor, in an effort to save money. I was the only driver, because it was a rental vehicle and it would have cost $100 to add another driver for the time we were renting the vehicle. I didn't want to add that to the cost of our trip.<br />
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The next morning, we woke up and had breakfast. They offered a nice continental breakfast, which everyone enjoyed. I was able to eat the omelets. The hardest thing about being gluten free is trying to find things to eat when I am not the one cooking it. After eating, we all got in the vehicle to continue our journey to Minnesota. It was now Friday, April 25. My sister that lives in Minnesota would be getting married the next day. <br />
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I had bought lunch meat, cheese, crackers, carrots, peanut butter, rice cakes, and some treats for the trip. We stopped at a rest area and had some peanut butter sandwiches or peanut butter on rice cakes. At the rest area, there were some Thirteen Striped Ground Squirrels. My sister saw it first and was pointing it out to me, asking what it was. I told her it was some kind of lizard, it looked like the bearded dragon my brother once owned. From the angle I was at, it looked like it had scaly skin instead of fur. As it ran into its hole, the sun hit it at an angle where I could see that it was fur. My sister thought I was nuts to think it was a lizard of some sort, because she was at an angle where she could tell it was fur. We got a good laugh out of it, and she said she now knew why my kids thought the mountain goats were bunnies or llamas. <br />
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We arrived in Woodbury, Minnesota, at about 5 pm. My sister and her fiance were waiting at our hotel for us to get there. My parents, my brother and sister-in-law arrived about 1 1/2 hours later. We then went over to the Old Country Buffet. It was so wonderful to be together again! We were only missing my older brother (as far as siblings go), who arrived on Saturday. We missed many nieces and nephews and in-laws that were not able to make the trip. <br />
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Saturday would be the big day for my sister. It was a very busy day. I will end this post here and write about Saturday in the next one :)GreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2240791953800269675.post-84606244688353572662014-04-30T19:54:00.001-07:002014-04-30T20:11:37.439-07:00Happy Birthday to my Ten Year-Old DaughterIt is hard to believe that I have had a daughter for ten years. She arrived earlier than her scheduled c-section. She was planned to arrive on May 5, 2004. She wasn't about ready to wait. I went into labor on April 29 while at work. I got to leave work early. I went home and relaxed, as much as someone in labor could relax, and waited until morning to go see my midwife.<br />
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Upon arrival at my midwife's office, I was examined and told to be at the hospital by 10 am. It was about 9:45 am and I had to go get my husband from work and then return to the hospital. It was after 10 when I got back to the hospital, but that was okay.<br />
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Then the frantic search for someone to come and watch my 13 month 13 day-old son began. I called everyone I could think of. That day was a meeting where almost all the people I knew from church was attending. Thankfully I got a hold of one person that was willing to come and watch my son so my husband could join me in the operating room.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My birthday girl today</td></tr>
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At the birth of my daughter, I heard something I didn't hear before... crying! Her crying set off my crying and my husband was crying too. The sounds of a newborn's cry is an amazing sound, especially having not been blessed with that sound at the previous birth. I saw something I hadn't seen before too... my newborn was shown to me over the drape and my husband was allowed to hold her so I could see her a little better after she had been cleaned up.<br />
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When my son first saw his little sister, although he was just barely over one year-old, there was an immediate recognition. He had a big smile on his face. He knew who she was and he knew one of his best friends had joined him on earth.<br />
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My children all have had amazing temperaments. They only would cry when they wanted or needed something. She was a mellow little girl.<br />
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Upon her birth, one of the nurses expressed concern that she might have club feet. Her feet were turned sideways, with the bottom of the feet facing each other. I guess that is the best way to express that. I had noticed that when I was checking her over, so it wasn't too much of a surprise to me. I asked the pediatrician about that when she came in. She looked at her feet and moved them a little. She assured me that it wasn't club feet and said it was likely how the feet were placed in the womb. She told me to spend as much time as I could holding her feet stationary in the correct position. Whenever I would nurse her, or just be holding her, I would hold her feet in the correct position. I don't remember how long it took to correct the problem. I believe it was a few months, but it did correct itself. My next two children were born the same way and I knew what to do, although their feet weren't turned quite as much.<br />
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One of my memories with her as an infant is when I was talking on the phone with my mom. She was still a newborn and I was nursing her. I wasn't paying attention to her eating because I was paying attention to my phone conversation. She just started to cry and cry. I looked down and realized that my milk supply was emptying all over her face and head. She was getting it in the ear, in the eyes (thankfully she knew how to blink and keep her eyes closed) and her face was just covered in milk. I would have been crying too! I have always laughed about it.<br />
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Another memory was while I was still in the hospital. My brother-in-law brought one of his girlfriends to my room to meet me and see the baby. Him and my husband left for a little while, and the woman stayed. I had never met her, and I admit, I am not too talkative when meeting a person for the first time, generally. Neither will I generally tell the new person that he/she is wrong about something. This woman asked me if I was excited to know what color my daughter's eyes were. I told her that I had seen her eyes and they are blue. She then informed me that there was no way that I had seen her eyes, because babies don't open their eyes until they are at least three days old.<br />
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I could not believe what I was hearing. My brother-in-law wasn't dating a pre-teen or a teenager... this was a woman. She had to be, at least, in her twenties. I was again assured her that I had seen her eyes. She didn't believe me and restated her position. I, then, explained that human babies open their eyes at birth. I told her that kittens and puppies don't open their eyes for a few days after birth. I had known for many, many years... since I was old enough to know anything, I imagine, that babies opened their eyes at birth. I am so glad that woman didn't become a sister-in-law, I don't know that I could have handled it.<br />
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She has given me some scares in my life. The most recent was last Friday when she almost ran out in a parking lot in front of a speeding car. Thankfully, she saw the headlights. Thankfully, the vehicle had its headlights on. I didn't see her until it was almost too late. The only thing I could have done was honk my horn and hope the vehicle would slam on its brakes.<br />
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She went through a period of time when she was two that she was sick for a long period of time, with high fevers. It was frightening. No one knew for sure what was wrong with her. I would pray frequently that she would get better. I would not get much sleep at all. My prayers were answered a little after Thanksgiving and she recovered from whatever was ailing her. We were never sure what it was.<br />
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I have been so blessed over the last ten years with my daughter in my life. I am so thankful that I was blessed to raise her. She brings so much joy to my life. She is an amazing singer. She loves to read. She enjoys helping others. She loves to scrapbook. She is a good friend to others. She has always been outgoing. We would go to softball tournaments ever since she was a newborn. When she was old enough to start talking, she would make friends at the tournaments. She has made me smile everyday for ten years.<br />
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<br />GreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2240791953800269675.post-4124405501723744572014-03-31T22:35:00.001-07:002014-03-31T22:35:27.450-07:00Arrow of LightMy oldest child recently turned eleven years-old. With that, he completed the Webelos in Cub Scouts. Upon completion, he had his Arrow of Light ceremony. Growing up, scouting wasn't a big thing in my area. My brothers didn't participate much in Scouts, I think they might have done a year or so once we moved to New York. I didn't really have a clue about the Arrow of Light, what it was, or what was necessary to achieve the accomplishment. <br />
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I am a Cub Scout leader in my area, so it might be strange to admit that I didn't have a clue. The things I do know include that scouting teaches young boys and young men many necessary things. They learn how to set goals to accomplish certain things. They learn how to use tools to build things. They learn how to cook, maybe not extravagant meals, but they should know how to read (and follow) a recipe. They learn the importance of God and Country. Although the "Pledge of Allegiance" might not be said in some schools anymore and praying isn't allowed in schools anymore, it is done at Scout meetings. I don't know if it is done at all Scout meetings, but it is done at all of the ones I have been to. <br />
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My eleven year-old worked hard to achieve his Arrow of Light. Many hours were put into accomplishing the necessary goals to pass off requirements. He is diligent. He is intelligent. He is brave. He loves God and he loves his country. <br />
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He received his Arrow of Light on March 25, 2014. Below, the Scoutmaster is reading about the Arrow of Light. My son is standing beside him. On this day, he also got to lead the audience in the "Pledge of Allegiance." <br />
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I didn't get a copy of what was read at the ceremony, but I should have. He was listening intently as the ceremony went on.<br />
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As the Scoutmaster read the seven virtues, my son lit a light for each one. The seven virtues in Scouting are wisdom, courage, self-control, justice, faith, hope and love. There was a light lit for each one of these. After the lighting of all the virtue lights, he was given his Arrow of Light.<br />
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He was then able to cross the bridge. As I understand it, it is the bridge from Cub Scouts into Boy Scouts. Since it was a quick walk across the bridge, I didn't get a photo of him actually doing the initial walk. I had him go stand on it afterward so I could get a picture of him. He will no longer be in Cub Scouts. He will now be a Boy Scout!<br />
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It is hard to believe that I have a Boy Scout now. I guess I need to get him a new shirt :) I should also figure out how to get the badges and things on his shirt. I do not sew worth anything. I am grateful to all the people that showed up to make this a special evening for him. I hope to someday be able to share his Eagle Scout photos :) GreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2240791953800269675.post-38551266250216052312014-03-17T20:30:00.003-07:002014-03-17T20:30:44.589-07:00Happy Eleventh Birthday!I was blessed eleven years-ago tonight with my first child. He ended up being an emergency c-section since he was in distress. He had been stuck in my pelvic area for well over an hour. I tried everything I could to push him out. The doctors tried to pull him out. They even used forceps. That little guy wasn't going to budge a millimeter further. <br />
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He has made me smile daily for eleven years. He has had so many great accomplishments. His first big accomplishment was starting to breathe. He wasn't breathing at birth. I have always been thankful that he was born in a room that was connected to the NICU. I knew when they took the baby and ran out of the room that there was something wrong. I hadn't heard him cry or anything. They took him and ran. My heart broke. I had watched enough "A Baby Story" shows on TLC (I believe), that I knew they would always show you your baby before taking the baby to weigh it and stuff. I kept telling my husband that something was wrong, to find out what was wrong. It seemed like an eternity, but it was a matter of maybe five- to ten-minutes, before a nurse came out and asked Keith, "Do you want to see your baby?" <br />
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Keith looked at me. I said "Yes!" <br />
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The first time I saw my son was after I had been stapled up (yes, stapled instead of stitched, whole different story...). They were rolling me out of the room and my husband came out holding this little fellow. He was completely wrapped up from head to toe, except for his little face. He was as white as a ghost, but I figured that was because Keith and I are his parents. We are not dark by any stretch of the imagination. I was told that it was because he hadn't been breathing, he hadn't gotten his color back yet. <br />
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When I first saw my little one, I instantly had tears well up in my eyes. I told him, "I am your Mommy and I love you! Happy Birthday!" I didn't realize that would be the last time I would see him for the next 6-7 hours. He spent the next four days in NICU. I made many, many trips down the hall to see him. <br />
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Before I saw him again, my husband was allowed to go down to see him. I had to stay connected to a lot of monitors. My blood pressure dips tremendously at giving birth. I didn't realize this until my third child when the nurse that was watching me told me that my blood pressure was close to the level where I could die. She also had to keep reminding me to breathe. Yes, should be something someone would remember, but apparently not. It isn't something I usually think about, but it keeps happening.<br />
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When my husband went down, I had him count his fingers and toes. I wanted a full report on the baby. Since all I had seen was his perfect little face, I had no clue how the rest of him was. I would love him regardless of any flaws, but I guess it is just something a mom wants to know. I had him bring the camera and take pictures so I could see him again.<br />
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He was perfect. Except his poor little head, the head was perfect, but it was horribly bruised. Between being stuck in my pelvis and having forceps used, his head was bruised. It hurt him to be held because of the bruises. It was very sad! He was a little trooper though. When he had a feeding tube through his nose, he hated it. He somehow, to the nurse's surprise, managed to get his finger up between the nose and the tube and pull it out. He didn't like that thing at all.<br />
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The day I was released from the hospital, he was released also. I was so thankful that he was allowed to come home with me. The NICU nurses were wonderful, and so understanding. I felt like such a novice (let's face it, I was) at everything. They could change a diaper in like 5-10 seconds. I spent a good few minutes trying to get the thing on him. <br />
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He became a big brother at 13 mos and 13 days. He has been a wonderful big brother. I wasn't allowed to hold him until my daughter was 6-8 weeks old. After a c-section, you aren't supposed to carry anything heavier than the baby. He was heavier than her! <br />
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My sister sent me some pictures of him today. It has brought back memories over the years. I am so proud of the boy he has become! Happy Eleventh Birthday to my little guy!<br />
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To the left, he had just enjoyed a good dinner of spaghetti. He was famous for falling asleep in his spaghetti. He was two years-old.<br />
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He wasn't supposed to climb trees. He was 4 years-old. I never wanted to deal with broken bones. He wasn't very far off the ground. I think he is flexing his muscles! <br />
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He was two years-old. I would pile pillows around him so he wouldn't fall off the couch. I think it worked well! <br />
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I really wish I knew what they are looking at! This was taken Aug 16, 2007. They are at the Buffalo Zoo. <br />
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This was taken May 30, 2009. I think he is entertaining his little sister and his cousin! <br />
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This was taken March 13, 2007, so just a few days before he turned 4. His little sister looks like she wanted a kiss :) He has an amazing smile! <br />
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Another photo from the zoo! He allowed a close up. I often wish I knew what he was thinking!<br />
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This was taken 8/1/2009. Looks like we were just having a good time hanging out at our apartment. One of us don't look as happy as the other two :) <br />
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I can still see this day in my head. My mom had put this area next to the dishwasher for things that the kids could play with. He rode over and flipped the dump truck over and started going through it. His baby sister is just looking around trying to figure out what was going on. I believe he was close to 21 months old. <br />
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This was August 13, 2011. We were at a softball tournament back east in
Hinsdale. The children loved walking their furry cousin, Millie.<br />
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This was Mar 14, 2014. He got to open one of his birthday gifts. It was the one gift he wanted the most, Super Paper Mario! He was so excited to finally have it!<br />
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This is today! His little sister made him turquoise cupcakes with green frosting and M&M's. This is me and my boys! Happy 11th Birthday!GreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2240791953800269675.post-66576568646321394122014-03-12T15:08:00.002-07:002014-03-12T15:08:57.161-07:00Work From HomeMy last day of work in Salt Lake was Mar 7. I do not miss the drive, that is for sure! I do not miss being at work when my children get home from school either. I do not miss not being here to say goodnight and give them hugs and kisses. <br />
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I turned in my badge and my time card at approximately 5:30 pm. I was let out the side door, the same door that I walked in the day I started work. I was blessed to have that job. It helped out when we needed some extra money. We still need some extra money, but I am hopeful that we can get by on the amount I should earn while being at home, with my children. <br />
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If I am offered the other job I applied for, which is much closer to home, and I will get furloughed for a while at a time, I would take that job. I would know that I wouldn't miss my children five nights a week, until I retired, or they moved out. I would miss them while I had to be at work, but I would know that, being furloughed, it wouldn't be five nights a week for the rest of my life. Just five nights a week while they needed me, then I would have time off again. <br />
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I have enjoyed being home. I haven't so much enjoyed being sick and being at home, but I have enjoyed being home. I look forward to good health finding me again soon :) I am excited that I will get to go running with my children again this spring and summer. I look forward to being able to go on a trip or more this summer without needing to ask permission for time off. <br />
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I am going to copy and paste today's Facebook status, because it pretty much sums up my morning rather well...<br />
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">"Today,
I was in the process of trying to scan some stuff to my SD card and my
printer wasn't cooperating, so I took the SD card out, and restarted the
printer. My toddler started crying, painfully, "Biter bite me."
Translated "Spider bit me." So, I ran over to her, moved her, located
the spider, ran and grabbed a container and a Yu-gi-oh card, got the
spider into the container, found the phone, <span class="text_exposed_show">called
the doctor, finished getting her dressed, brought her to the dr...
spider not one of the ones I should worry about, apparently. Lost the
SD card in all the commotion, can't find it anywhere. Glad my toddler
will be okay. Hope to find the SD card because it is the one that goes
in my camera and has my photos on it
Printer will scan to the SD card now, I used a different one I found,
but it isn't the one that I want, that has all my pictures on it."</span></span><br />
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">I did end up finding the SD card about 4 hours after losing it. It was in another slot in the printer. I have to love not being sure if I am losing my mind or not. The doctor said that the toddler might get an itchy bump on her leg. I am happy that she is verbal now, so I knew what happened. It is helpful when they can tell you why they start crying out of the blue. </span></span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span></span>
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">My kids got their haircut at school today. Every 6-8 weeks they have students from the technical college come in and give free haircuts. I wait until that time rolls around so I can save money and still have them get decent haircuts. When my husband or I try to do their hair it never turns out quite as well as when they get it done there. </span></span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span></span>
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">I love being a mom. I love getting to spend time with my children. I have truly been blessed. </span></span><br />
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<br />GreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2240791953800269675.post-91412871411294718702014-03-06T21:02:00.001-08:002014-03-06T21:07:41.187-08:00Money vs. TreasureThis is something I've been thinking about for a while. I think it is common knowledge that I am not rich, monetarily. I do have many treasures though. <br />
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My younger brothers would sometimes be asked, "Don't you wish your parents didn't have so many kids, then you would have more stuff?" To this, my brothers, being the two youngest, would just laugh and say they wouldn't be here if my parents didn't have so many kids.<br />
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I am one of six children. I am the second, so perhaps, under the above theory, I would have been able to be born and I would have had more stuff. Would I want that? Not for all the money in the world. I would not exchange a single one of my siblings for any amount of money. They are my best friends in the whole world. I couldn't imagine one minute without John, Brenda, Susan, Jim or Bob. I couldn't imagine a minute without my parents. My siblings have brought wonderful people into my life, through their spouses and their children. <br />
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My last day of work, outside the home, is tomorrow. I will be taking a pay cut, but I will be able to be at home with my children and my husband. I will get to see them grow up. I will get to watch ball games, go to school events, help with homework, just hangout.<br />
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Money is something that comes and goes. It is something I have to work hard for and it doesn't stick around as long as I would like it to. I work 40 hours a week and I get bills. Some money gets saved, a lot goes to household expenses. I don't need money. I need my family, my treasures.<br />
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Treasures are things that I care about, that I can't imagine losing. My family are my treasures. Photos are treasures. Time spent together is a treasure. True friends are treasures.<br />
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My life has not felt complete since I started work. On school days, I used to drop my kids off at school and tell them, "I will see you tomorrow." I would get to see them for about 30 minutes a day. That was not something I wanted. It broke my heart, actually.<br />
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I am not sure if this is the reason I have not been healthy for the better part of three months, or if it is just coincidence. I look so forward to turning in my badge and my time card at the end of work tomorrow. I look forward to the moments we will get to spend together. 40 extra hours a week (at least). When I drop the kids off, they won't be asleep the next time I see them. I will get to see my siblings and my parents more. I don't need to ask for time off and hope it is approved.<br />
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I am so thankful for the people in my life, for the blessings I get from having some wonderful people that care about me. No, I am not rich, monetarily, but I have treasures beyond number!GreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2240791953800269675.post-69948110580131425762014-03-02T12:22:00.002-08:002014-03-02T12:22:39.169-08:00The Last Few WeeksI haven't written in a little while. I have suffered some pretty serious back pain, and I am trying to get that straightened out. The pain led me to contact my previous employer, where I get to work from home. I will be returning to that job. My current job has chairs that are not cushioned very well, I have to bend over to adjust my desk, if there isn't a foot stand, I get to go looking for that and then bend over and stick it under my desk, after retrieving it from an empty desk. I am blessed that I will be able to work from home again. The only time I feel decent is in a hot bath tub or when I am moving. Sitting in a reclined position is good as well. I can't do any of those things at work!<br />
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I miss my kids A LOT and ALL OF THE TIME, when I am not home. I worry about them. I know my husband is fully capable of taking care of them, but I like to be here. I feel like I have missed so much in their lives in the passed few months. My toddler says a lot more than she did when I started working. She speaks in complete sentences. Sometimes she says really funny things, even if I can't remember them right now. <br />
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One that I do remember is that she passed gas, loudly! She looked at me and said, "Daddy did that!" <br />
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I said, "Daddy did that?"<br />
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She looked around the room, and saw Hazel, our puppy. She then said, "No, puppy did that!" <br />
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I laughed and laughed. My husband and she laughed about it too.<br />
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My six year-old is reading more. I am so proud of him. He started extended day Kindergarten at the beginning of February and he seems to be picking things up quickly. <br />
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My nine year-old daughter recently discovered that she loves to run. Due to my long work hours and commute time, I never see them after school, they are asleep by the time I get home. I plan to start running again, and bringing her along.<br />
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My ten year-old son seems to have matured a ton. He is more patient with his younger siblings. He has grown taller. He is just a wonderful big brother.<br />
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My life will be back to normal in a few days. I can't wait until I am back at home, full-time! I will be back where I belong :)<br />
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<br />GreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2240791953800269675.post-41853077778210745482014-02-05T12:59:00.002-08:002014-02-05T12:59:31.651-08:00StubHub - Utah Jazz vs Minnesota Timberwolves - Jan 21, 2014 I love StubHub! It makes it affordable for a family of six to go see a Jazz game. We hadn't been to a game in over a year. I looked on <a href="http://www.stubhub.com/" target="_blank">www.stubhub.com</a> for tickets to a Tuesday night game, since that is my night off. I bought the tickets a couple of weeks before the game, the total cost for 6 tickets was under $25. You can't beat that! We were all excited to go.<br />
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After getting the tickets, I thought that we should figure out how we would get there. We could drive, but if we could get a group pass on the Frontrunner (commuter train), that would be more fun for the children. A group pass is $15 and it allows 4 adults to travel. I just didn't know about the age of children that get to ride free. It turns out that it is 5 and under, so we would have to buy an extra ticket. It would cost nearly $21 dollars round trip. <br />
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I decided that we would drive to Salt Lake and stay in the Free Fare Zone. We got to park for free at the train station in Salt Lake, then ride the Trax (cable car) to EnergySolutions Arena. This was much more reasonable! My kids got to enjoy riding on the Trax, which is a lot of fun for a child, and we got to park for free, which was nice for us (the parents). I apparently cut the top of my husband's head off in the photo below, in order to make sure I got the smallest one in our family... I will never be a photographer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Husband and kids on the Trax</td></tr>
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<br />We got to the game in plenty of time to find our seats and get to them. We walked all the way around the arena just to find out if we had started by going right, we would have been immediately in our section. It was a nice walk though :) <br />
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We were in section 135, row 21, seats 12-17... I knew we were in the nosebleed section. That is part of those cheap tickets which were mentioned previously. What I didn't know? We were one row from the very top of the arena. That was fine though. Since my toddler can walk now, I wasn't consumed w/ fear that I would drop her. <br />
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The photo above shows us after we got to our seats That little yellow rectangle far below us... that is the court. There are people on that court, they are the things that look like little dots.... <br />
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The man that was sitting a row in front of us at the game bought his wife, three children, and himself, bowls of ice cream. At half-time, my daughter went out to see how much the ice cream would cost. It was $6/bowl. That was too much for me to spend. <br />
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We had a fun night together! We left the game before the end of the third quarter. Our team, the Jazz, were down by 25 points. I came to the conclusion that the game wasn't going to get much better. Since the children had school the next day, and we were getting whooped by the Timberwolves, I thought we would just head home and let the kids go to bed. <br />
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We stopped on the way home, and I bought a half gallon of ice cream for... wait for it... for $2.50. I also bought some cones. I spent less on the ice cream and cones than one bowl of ice cream cost at the game. We were all happy! After the ice cream, the kids went to bed.<br />
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My biggest fear about leaving the game... that it would be the greatest comeback in history. Well, maybe not of all time, but it would have been a great comeback. I checked the score when I got home. We lost by 10 and my children got to bed at least an hour earlier than they would have if we had stayed. GreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2240791953800269675.post-57090733996501267322014-01-21T12:42:00.001-08:002014-01-21T12:42:55.077-08:00My Little HelpersLast week, I HAD to clean the house. It is nice to have a clean house. Working full-time, I don't have a lot of time to do the things I need to do anymore. I NEED a clean house. I have offered my children money and other rewards if they would do their chores. They are not a big fan of doing chores. I wasn't a big fan of doing chores at that age either.<br />
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I decided to do the work myself. I wanted to have a clean house at some point during the week. That was the day. I cleaned the family room to begin with. When everything was picked up, it was time to vacuum. I pulled the vacuum out and started vacuuming like crazy! LIKE CRAZY being the keywords. VACUUM FORWARD, VACUUM BACK... the thing just wouldn't suck anything up. VACUUM more. Still nothing... yes, it was on and it was running. It just wouldn't SUCK! Most often, you want things that don't suck. Not the case with the vacuum, when you are trying to vacuum, you want the thing to suck.<br />
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I went and found my husband's toolbox. People get a kick out of the toolbox. It is absolutely not the average toolbox. It works though, for the things my husband knows how to do. It is a little igloo cooler, I think it would hold, maybe a six-pack of soda pop. Well, in our case, it holds my husband's tools. <br />
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I got out the Philip's head screwdriver. I unscrewed the bottom of the vacuum. I unscrewed it so I could get to the part of the hose where it sucks things up. I needed to unclog the thing. With a guinea pig, dog, four children, and myself who have hair, the thing can get clogged sometimes. Then it just won't suck. My toddler stood beside me, squatted beside me, and knelt beside me the whole time. She was my supervisor. When it came time to start getting the hair, and other things, out of the hose, she helped. I had her hold the bag that I was putting the stuff in.<br />
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My 6 year-old came down around the time I had to start screwing everything back together. He wanted to help. Then my toddler also wanted to help. I figured that I would let them do what they could. I would just stand back and take some pictures of my little helpers hard at work! <br />
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My 6 year-old was getting ready to take the reigns from me. He is getting the vacuum all set to get some more screws put back in. My toddler is standing by, being the supervisor. She has a few tools, in case she needs to help out!<br />
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He is hard at work in the following photo. He has the screw where it belongs and is screwing it in really tight so the bottom thing (for lack of knowing what it is called) will not fall off. My toddler seems to be getting tired of watching him, I think she is ready to use some of her tools!<br />
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My toddler couldn't stand just watching anymore. She had to put her tools to use. She had watched long enough and thought she could help out. She knelt right down and went to work. I think her face is her putting all her effort into turning a screw with needle nose pliers. <br />
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In no time flat, the vacuum was up and working. It was able to suck again. I am thankful for my little helpers that came along, in the neck of time, to help me get the vacuum put together so I could continue my work. It was wonderful to leave for work that day and know the house was clean. If the house would only stay clean, it would be great!<br />
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GreenEternalEyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00779265717050806068noreply@blogger.com0