Behold The Cuteness, Christmas edition

Here are the Melin kids before church today...so sweet.

We had a nice Thanksgiving dinner with my SIL's family across the street (we're so happy to have the Grays back as neighbors--how fun to have cousins across the street!). Rich & Mike put Christmas lights up on the house, the kids ran wild with their cousins, and I got some Christmas and Primary stuff in order. We have enjoyed Christmas music and movies and decorating every night of the Thanksgiving break. Know what I am really feeling thankful for? Snuggling up with my girls for a long winter's nap two days in a row (Saturday and Sunday, while Rich took a turn enjoying the quiet and finishing his own projects--he is so awesomly productive). I swear there's nothing better! They make a "mommy sandwich" under our big flannel camping quilt and we watch a Christmas movie until we all fall asleep, and then we wake up as the sun is setting after 4pm. Then we get back to work on "Christma-fying" the house, staying up late doing more decorating, gift-making or wrapping, or house-organizing for the coming festivities. I wish we could do that everyday! I am so in love with my family.

Utah 11.21-11.23

After I went to the doctor, Addie celebrated her 7th birthday with her cousins James, Addie, Ally, and the Tinkerbell cake
Addie's new Barbie movie

Addie's new Barbie

Addie's new sweater (and she got cute bracelets from Ally and from Melanie)

Cousins! Liam, Ben, Belle, Heidi, Ally;

James, Spencer, Melanie, Maeby; Addie

Before the doctor on Friday, we went to lunch at Chadders in AF. Here's Ben eating his burger.

Heidi and Jack has so much fun together!

Daddy & James (Addie is behind James holding up her shake).

***

On Saturday after the girls' brinch and the boys' trip to Cabella's (and a nap), we headed down to Provo for the wedding reception of Christian Buchert & Amy Holt.

James & Addie love to boogie

Ya gotta love my face in this pic--I am enjoying the company of the lovely Becca Buchert.
I am sad to report that this is the only photo we took of the bride and groom (but you can see them in their beauty here and here). This is "Big Heidi" and "Little Heidi" checking out the wedding cake.

Here's Auntie Georgia and wee Anna Buchert (Becca & Martin's sweet baby)

James hugging Auntie Heidi (she came to the wedding from New York and had never met James)

Heidis Hugging

Again, not sure what face I am making there, but Addie and I are sure happy to see Heidi!

[when I get a minute, I will write in more detail about our little mommy slumber party after the reception...my joy at hanging with the Buchert girls was monumental--I love them so much, tho we really missed Becca and Georgia and Joh!]
On the way home on Sunday, we stopped to eat at IKEA, and Heidi found this giant elephant (which we have been looking for for 2 years). Who could resist? Santa came early, and Heidi snuggled him all the way home.

November in Retrospect

I just realized while uploading last week's pictures that I haven't unloaded my camera ALL MONTH. So here's what we did at the beginning of November: Daddy & James hung out
James played dress ups with his sisters on Parent-Teacher
conference day (11/7) when everyone was home from school.

Poor guy...that's a skirt on his head.

On PTC day, Heidi and Addie were very busy being fairies and crafting all manner of stuff down at the craft table.

On the first Thursday of each month, Daddy has to go to Bozeman to lead the Emergency Preparedness Committee, so I let the kids choose dinner. Usually it's ramen or stir fry, but for some reason they've been asking for Kid Cuisine since Rich let them choose fromzen dinners a few months ago. Well, being the sly mom that I am, I saved the trays and I made chicken nuggets, chocolate pudding, corn, oranges and cottage cheese an served them up Kid Cuisine style. Nobody knew the difference.
I took a picture of these canisters because I finally threw them away. We bought them at Williams-Sonoma when we got married, used the mixes, then refilled them with Bisquick and used them for decoration above our cabinets in every home. I love the graphics, but I am going for less clutter, so it's a fond farewell to our little WS friends.

Addie had a fun cookie-decorating play date with her friend Kendall on 11/12

Addie hates it when Heidi tags along

Kendall, Addie, and Heidi making cookies.
James hiding from his sisters under my desk

My doctor gave these glasses to James when he came with me to my last appointment. Heidi looks awesome in them!

And so does Addie!

Oh, To Grace How Great a Debtor Daily I'm Constrained to Be!

My heart feels full of thanks today as I prepare for Thanksgiving. If I find a moment, I will pour it out, but in case I don't, let Mr. Nielson show you what gratitude looks like...wow (CLICK HERE).

Georgia's Meme

Way back last month Geo posted a meme that I wanted to do but couldn't find time. Well, now I am making time, and I may have to write in segments, but I'm gonna do it.

What Were You Doing 10 Years Ago?
In November 1998, I had just moved back to AZ after a very brief stint in Utah post-graduation. I was hanging out at the condo again, with University Ward friends, the Wright Brothers, Tom, Lyz, Nic, Adriane, etc...working at alphagraphics and in a reading lab at U of A, registering for some graduate classes. On November 25, 1998, I see that I went to see Life is Beautiful with Aaron and Andrew Wright, at my suggestion, and we all agreed it was the best movie we had ever seen. Here is a journal excerpt from around that time:

My thoughts seem to be around my ankles today
Over the weekend they
passed before me like a tired
parade...
There he stood
And he smiled
and he gave me just a taste of it
And he pulled me out of my head
And he
reached into me
And he took me far from here...
-Sun 60
Man, the Leonid meteor shower sure did work its mojo in the Old Pueblo last night! Lyzzie met a nice molecular bio student sitting onthe hood of his car in Reddington Pass...ahhh! Jamie (that' s me) stepped out of her convent and had a night of cinematic love...Dig, if you will: Midnight on the trampoline under clear, starry skies. The air is crisp, 45 degrees, and I am snuggled up with all the boys listening to "Dark Side of the Moon" and suddenly I am drawn to X like a magnet, so we snuggle like crazy...X says we're friends and he doesn't want anyone to get hurt or anything, and I say, "Rock on, dude, kiss me anyway," so he does and I can live on that for weeks.

21 NOV 98/10am:...I am waiting for Adriane. She and Celeste and I are going
to see the wedding dress she chose. It should be super fun cuz I love those
girls. 2pm: Home from the girly date with joyous news! (a) Adriane found a
dreamy dress and (b) Celeste is pregnant and due in July!

It really was a weird time in my life, but also very fun, with a steep learning curve. In retrospect, of course, I can totally see the scene being set for me to meet Rich almsot two years later, but it all seemed like a twisting, crazy road while I was on it!

What Were You Doing 20 Years Ago?

November 1988 was about the middle of the worst year of my life so far. Even 20 years later I feel sick just thinking about it. I had just turned 17, my parents were divorcing, and suffice it to say that my prayers usually consisted of about 10 minutes of crying and then asking Heavenly Father to please take me back, to let me die.

However, even with all the sadness, there was the beginning of my knowledge that God is always looking out for me. At the end of that month, my grandparents unexpectedly came home from their mission in Africa because my grandmother had contracted a nearly-fatal case of malaria. To my great relief and joy, they arrived home in time for Thanksgiving, and boy did I give thanks. While comparing notes with my grandmother, we found that within a matter of hours of each other, both of us had admitted defeat in life's trials: I was kneeling with an unbearably heavy heart at my bedside in Arizona, and she was lying--deathly ill and helpless--in a hospital bed in England. As we both begged for relief, Heavenly Father told her, "You have to go home and save the children."

So she did.

What Were You Doing on 9/11?

We were living in Draper, just married 7 months, 7 months pregnant. We were awakened around 7am by a call from my little brother Michael, who was home in California while my mom & stepdad were in Ohio. He was watchign teh news and was scared about the attacks, and about our brother Matt, who was serving a mission in New York City. We switched on the Today show and watched just after the second plane hit. The first words out of my mouth were, "Osama bin Laden"--seriously! Just a minute or two after we turned on the TV, President Bush came on and said it was an apparent terrorist attack.

I was horrified and worried about my brother. My parents were supposed to fly home to Cali from Ohio that day. I didn't want to go to work. I was supposed to write all these motivational, inspiring emails touting our company's big upcoming reward weekend at the Grand Wailea, and I didn't think it was going to happen with all the air traffic stopped. I called my work and they made me come in anyway.

Driving from Draper to Lindon was spooky. The highway was almost empty and the sky was, too. I spent the morning on the phone with my brother, the missionary in NYC (he was at the laundromat in Harlem watching the smoke and ash fill Manhattan), and I sent out those stupid emails. My whole afternoon was spent writing a NEW email postponing the reward weekend (duh). "Sunday Bloody Sunday" by U2 ran through my head all day long..."I can't close my eyes and make it go away..."

The most difficut thing was attending my first childbbirthing class at Alta View hospital that night. Everyone in the class was visibly shaken about bringing babies into an obviously different world. And I think we had good reason: although my daughter has enjoyed a happy home and family, her country has been at war her entire life. She knows about terrorists and jihad and supporting the troops and threat levels, all things I never knew as a Cold War kid.

What Were You Doing 5 Years Ago? That's easy--you can read about it HERE.

What Were Doing 1 Year Ago?-Click HERE.

Yesterday:

Today:

Tomorrow:

Coming Soon...

Weekend Update! We had so much fun in Utah, and my Addie is now SEVEN YEARS OLD! There's lots to say and some more photos, but for now...

Two Heidis Collide!

Heidi Melin and Heidi Egan finally met one another this weekend...Heidi Melin is totally in love with "Big Heidi"...I LOVE IT!

Popeye Update

My eye apointment went well. It was so cool to see my CT scan. My eye muscles, which should like little stripes on the scan, look like jelly beans behind my orbits (eyeballs). My right eyelid is retracted and the eyeball is protruding about 2+mm. My vision doubles when I look up and to the far right. I didn't really notice until the doc pointed it out. He says I am in the active phase of Grave's Disease (the degenerative part). They're not sure how far into it I am, but it usually lasts a year or so, and then it levels off, and then they do surgery to repair the damage. Sometimes the muscles swell and squeeze off the optic nerve--but that's rare--and then they don't wait for the inactive phase--they do emergency surgery to relieve the pressure.

Anyway, to manage the pressure right now, I am going on a six-week program of IV steroid treatment (with our friend, prednisone--UGH!) a the closest chemo center, and they will communicate my status to the eye center here. I'll come to Utah every three months or so for check ups until the active phase is over and then we'll go from there.

I am going to see a nutritionist to manage the ravenous hunger and bloating that comes from prednisone because I am at maximum density right now--I just can't gain anymore weight or I'll die! I look forward to less inflamation in my body and working out with the PT and the Curves girls!

Yay for getting better!

We're off to Addie's birthday brunch with cousins at Mimi's Cafe...we are having a ball with them. Shout out to Cousin Brent for stopping by last night and celebrating with us...he even tolerated a Barbie movie and lots of hugs/ wrestling. It meant a lot to the kids to see you, Brentito! And same for you, Papa Post and Jeanna--it was so fun to see you!

The daddies just got home from a scout campout and they need hugs. Have a fun Saturday!

Heidisms: Trip to Utah Edition

While watching Polar Express on DVD in the car near Ennis, Montana
Addie: Is there really a North Pole?
Mom: Yep
Addie: Can we go there?
Mom: Well, there aren't any roads so you would have to hike through the ice to get there.
Dad: Or ride a dog sled or a helicopter.
Heidi: You have to ride a unicorn!...[long pause, mom & dad giggle]...or if you're a tiny mouse, you can ride a flying squirrel.

***
Just now, when Jack, Drew, and Rich arrived home from their scout campout
Jack: Hey Heidi, I came home!
Heidi: I'm glad you came home. I felt like a sad little girl when you were gone.

***
(I am sure there will be more--I'll update more later)

Off to See the Wizard

The kids are on a "Wizard of Oz" jag right now. We have watched it everyday since last Saturday when we tivoed it off TBS. They were delighted when I rummaged thru their closet this morning and produced the Madame Alexander mini-dolls of Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow, and the Witch of the East (we're missing the Lion, so if anybody gets one in their Happy Meal, we'd love it!).

So we are heading to Utah in about an hour...we're off to see the eye doctor (tomorrow afternoon in Sandy)! And the cousins! And the Bucherts! And Brent? YAY! We'll celebrate Addie's 7th birthday tomorrow and we'll be home Sunday night to get ready for my favorite holiday, THANKSGIVING! I'm crossing my fingers that my bug eye is treatable with a quick and one-time steroid shot, and also hoping that all goes well in Primary this Sunday while I am gone.

News from Dad

I went to Dr. Lassere yesterday for my follow-up visit and he claims he has the answer for the sudden loss of muscle strength and coordination, West Nile virus. It is very prevalent in this area. Less than 1 percent of people who test positive for anti-bodies to this disease have any kind of neurological symptoms, however they occur most often in folks over 50. The name for the syndrome is pretty scary, and I had a rather benevolent form of it, is West Nile poliomyelitis. I am part of that lucky 1 percent. The real lucky part is that almost all of the symptoms have gone! The first symptom was tingling and numbness in the hands, and it looks like that is the last symptom. That is slowly going away, and my hands are fully functional, but the mild numbness is still irritating. The fly fishing arm will be in prime condition by Spring.

I apparently had type B influenza, a bacterial inner ear infection, and west nile virus within a week or so. If your gonna’ get sick, try to do it all at once and get it over with! (we call that "consolidate the misery"--be glad when bad stuff happens all at once!--jm)

I appreciate all of you folks and your concern with Becky losing her mother this last week.

-Dad
***
Poor Dad! I am so glad it was a VIRUS! But I am still sorry you got sick. EWWW! Seiously, this is such a weight off my mind. We were getting all geared up for "Operation Papa Care" this winter! I hope things went smoothly for Becky and her family this past week. Please giver her our love and give yourself a pat on the back for being such a tough guy!

Love, Jamie

On This Date...

...in 2005, my niece Rosalie Lynn Gray was born!

(and this was the SECOND time my sister Jill and Rich's sister Angie had babies within 24 hours of each other!

This is a picture of Rosalie with her family last year--Rosalie, Daddy Davy, Danny, Mommy Angie, and Baby Hannah).

Happy Birthday, Rosalie!

We're so glad you came back to be our neighbor!

Love, Your Melin Neighbor-Cousins

ON THIS DATE...

...in 2005, my cute nephew Benny-J (Ben Petersen) was born! Happy Birthday, Ben!

Love, Your Melin Cousins

Just Call Me Popeye

So I felt like death the entire month of October, culminating in the Strep attack last week. I had tried to see my doc a couple of times, but she is a busy woman, so we just barely met up yesterday. Well...she freaked out about the leathery/bumpy rash on my shins and my bulging right eye. I didn't think it was so bad, but she was all super-urgent about getting it fixed. Today she called me and said she has set up an appointment for me with an eye specialist is SALT LAKE CITY (WTFreak?) in December, so I can go see him on my way to AZ. I have to get another CT scan of my freaky head. She had originally set up an appointment with an endocrinologist in Billings to just get my thyroid ablated, but she and he had a conference today and he told her that the eye thing had little to do with my thyroid, and since the hormone levels look good, we should just leave the thyroid alone. He said what's really happening is that the Graves Disease is now attacking my tissues like skin (the rash) and opthalmic muscles (the eye thing), and is doing other bad things to make me feel chronic pain and general malaise (wanna read the medical explanation? it's a fun one---click here).

No one has been clear on how you treat the actual disease (do you?), so I will just take care of the symptoms and try to do some of the natural remedies and dietary treatments for the disease. This auto-immune stuff bites.

But it sounds a lot worse than it is, because mostly I am fine. Maybe a little freaky looking, but fine.

PS: Did you know that Barbara Bush got Grave's Disease and that's why her eyes started bugging out? Seriously! Look at pix of her in the early 80's and compare them to now. EEK.

J-Diddy is 64 Today

(I hope James has a school picture this cute--

this is my dad Jim Layton circa 1961 in Thatcher public school)

PS: Need another yummy golden morning nugget? Chew on THIS, courtesy of my dear Gee-Bee. Seriously--read it, think about it, then go about your day trying to see others with new eyes. It'll be fun.

Yummy Golden Morning Nuggets

Good Morning!

Need something to feast on? Try THIS! (excerpt:)

"The patterns used by God in creating the earth are instructive in helping us understand how to make prayer meaningful. In the third chapter of the book of Moses we learn that all things were created spiritually before they were naturally upon the earth.

'And now, behold, I say unto you, that these are the generations of the heaven and of the earth, when they were created, in the day that I, the Lord God, made the heaven and the earth,
'And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew. For I, the Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth”'(Moses 3:4–5).

"We learn from these verses that the spiritual creation preceded the temporal creation. In a similar way, meaningful morning prayer is an important element in the spiritual creation of each day—and precedes the temporal creation or the actual execution of the day. Just as the temporal creation was linked to and a continuation of the spiritual creation, so meaningful morning and evening prayers are linked to and are a continuation of each other."

It's all about return and report. I LOVE the way Elder Bednar teaches.

Be a creator.

Seriously Adorable School Pictures

Sweet Adeline (6.91 yrs)
Mighty Heidi (4.5 yrs)
James Ole (2.1 yrs)

***

PS: Just now (9:30am) I saw Feist on Sesame Street singing, "One, Two, Three, Four Chickens just back from the shore, I love counting, counting to the number four, oh-oh-ho, we're counting to four, oh-oh-ho, let's count some more..." HILARIOUS! I love Sesame Street AND Feist.

Somber

Happy Veterans' Day!When I start counting my loved ones who are also veterans, I run out of fingers! Who knew my family was so brave, and I would marry into another brave family? Thanks to all of you for your service and for your example to me and my children.
***

More news from J-Diddy (Dad Layton)...

"Becky called me about 4:15 this morning. Her mother passed away a little after 4. She said last week that Rodney (Becky’s dad) would be here Thursday to get her. Guess he needed to come a little early. Becky is having a hard time dealing with it, so keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

Love y’all"

E-me if you need Dad's address to send a card. Also, Dad's 64th birthday is Thursday. He says he's ok and the doctors believe he is just recovering from a bad virus.
***

Check out James...

(sorry the video is RED... it looks like my house is on fire! Who knew there was an "underwater" video setting on my camera? Not me! Check out this and all our videos at Vimeo)

James' Vocabulary from MelinFamily on Vimeo.

From Daddy...

On Friday, my stepmom called in tears to let me know that after a severe cold (which she believes was pneumonia), my dad is showing symptoms of ALS, especially having trouble swallowing and dropping things in his lab. Poor stepmom has a lot on her plate, too, and we are trying to find ways to ease the sorrow happening down there in Poky. Here's the latest between me and dad...


11/7/08
Daddy...
What are you doing at work!? I think you need some REST! Please keep us updated on your health! We love and miss you so much!!! Love, Jamie

***
11/10/08

Junior,
Something inside me tells me to keep moving, don’t get stoved-up. Also, daytime TV has proven to be a stimulus to go to work, since I have been unable to work on my home projects. I think I am doing quite a bit better now, but it is agonizingly slow. Also, I can’t feel sorry for myself when Becky’s mother is dying of congestive heart failure. She is suffering and is such a great lady. Becky stayed with her all last night, I’ll get an update sometime this a.m.

Hope stuff is more positive where you live. There can be no joy without opposition and a taste of sorrow.

Love Dad
***
11/10/08

Aw, Dad...I am so sorry! I talked to Becky on Friday and she was so distraught. I hope her mom doesn't have to suffer too much more. You're right--she is a wonderful lady; every encounter I have had with her has been so sweet.

And I think you're right about daytime TV, too. It's pretty obvious that the demographic is "uneducated, unemployed idiot." When I became a "stay-at-home-mom," I insisted we get the satellite. At least I could watch History channel or news while I fed and rocked my babies! ;)

In all seriousness, Dad, please let me know what your doctors are saying and how I can help you. My sisters feel the same way--we all have lots of experience after nursing mom this summer, and I speak for all three of us when I ask that we not be denied the opportunity to come and help and spend time with you if you need us.

Hang in there and listen to that "something inside"--get some rest and know we love you!

Love, junior

I think I sipped some KoolAid...

...because I liked THIS so much, I watched it three times. Way catchy!

Back in the Saddle

I'm up. I am better, save some residual aches and coughs. Yay.

Also, I don't have a choice, since everyone is home from school today (for conferences). Right now they are playing dress ups and listening to the Wiggles, so I am going to go take pix and join in the fun.

Thanks for all your loving care :)


PS: I don't know why, but I was thinking of Amelia Hapgood all day yesterday on her special 8th birthday. Sorry I didn't say it yesterday, but Happy Birthday, Amelia!

Confessional

Are you there, Reagan? It's me, Jamie. I have a confession...I'm glad that McCain lost. Forgive me.

Remember when I said I had a revelation at the DNC? Here it is…I think when you have different ideas, and then get politics and power involved, things get way more competitive than they have to be. I have some fierce friends on both sides of politics who cannot begin to grasp how the other half thinks, which is a very sad, very extreme and blinded place to be. Understanding both sides doesn’t make you weak, doesn’t make you a flip-flopper—it just makes you better informed and may even help you to be a better person. It doesn’t mean you agreee—it just means you can see where your brother is coming from and can therefore treat him with respect.

I admit to being flabbergasted by the lefties once in a while, but as I watched Obama’s speech accepting his nomination, I mostly watched the crowd. I understood that they really, honestly, with all their hearts believed that he can do what he says he’s going to do. And he says he is going to do mostly good things. These are things that everyone wants—life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness (those are inalienable); equality, health, education, opportunity; I understand. There are very few people in the world who do not agree on the ENDS of our government. I think the disagreements come about the MEANS—about the government’s role in accomplishing the ENDS.

My idea is that the large federal government is unweildy and unable to address the needs of Americans on an individual and community level. I believe that I can do so much more for my community as a neighbor, friend, and servant than the President, or even my senator. I would rather work closely with my state and local government to solve problems than sit and wait for someone acroos the contintent (who has made a career of politics—don’t get me started on THAT) to come to our aid. I also believe in personal responsibility, and that most Americans will be more responsible with their own tax dollars (I am, thanks to THIS) than the federal government is (and the evidence of this truth is practically insurrmoutable—hello, Katrina?). However, I can clearly see where the idea of having a huge governent and welfare system can be attractive, too. It’s quite ideal, but unworkable due to the ever-present non-contributing sector of society. Fairness, sadly, is way out of our hands.

Anyway, as I watched the convention, and again as I watched Obama at Grants Park, I had the feeling that it’s worth a try. I think that the fierce idealism will be tempered by reality, and what’s wrong with a little fierce idealism when the country’s in the crapper? It's like letting a 9th grader run for Student Body President with the promise of A's and college admissions for all! Go for it, Sparky! The energy I saw and felt can certainly lift us out of the hole we’re in, and in two years we can elect people to ensure that we don’t dig ourselves another, deeper pit. Ya gotta love checks and balances.

I find the Obama story fascinating, riveting. His poor Grandma dying just adds to the drama. My heart really went out to him as I watched him speak Tuesday night—he was definitely sober, and seemed oddly alone (it’s a heavy mantle). I kind of look forward to watching the next few years unfold. But that may be because I face them like a spectator, from the log porch of my mountain home where I am mostly insulated from the craziness of Washington and Wall Street, with a basement full of food and guns. I have the luxury, if you will, of watching an experiment knowing my life won’t totally explode if the experiment fails. So count me in, peeps. I can’t deny there is magic in the air, so let’s roll with it. And git yer Welcome Jesus shirts on.

Another confession: there is something about Michelle Obama that I really like—as in, I bet if we knew eachother, we’d be friends. She is strong, accomplished, funny and still feminine, and regardless of politics, those are qualities I like in a friend. My hubby can’t stand her, so I like to annoy him by watching her speak, and then remind him, “Better Michelle than Hilary,” which is something upon which we all agree.

Friday Fright Night

On Halloween, James and I went to Addie's class party while Heidi had a date with Aunt Debbie. After school, all three kids got their costumes on and we went around to the bank and grocery store (where the really awesome treats are). Then we met daddy at home and had pizza for dinner (CPK Margherita, anyone? YUM), then we went to the party at church. It was a cool carnival with trick-or-treating in the halls and a spook alley put on by the teenagers (Heidi was so funny in the Spook Alley--she was totally in character as Super Girl, karate chopping the mummies and finger-shooting the ghosts--so funny).

Addie the bride
Super Heidi
Dancing Girls

Sir James

Ready to slay some dragons

***

Super Heidi, Sir James the Knight, and Addie the Princess Bride
Don't they look KOOKY in this pic?

Awesome poses, and so in-character

Sillies!

***

I started feeling super exhausted Halloween night, but I thought it was just all the activity. Sadly, I got super sick by Saturday night--my throat is swollen almost closed, and I had a terrible migraine. I got the chills and I shivered so hard that my fingers went numb--what the heck?! I took two baths last night because I couldn't get warm, and now this afternoon I am sweating BUCKETS. James also has a bad cough, so we are having a little date at Park Clinic tomorrow. I keep trying to think of the "silver lining"--at least I was able to get all my Sunday stuff prepared before I felt super bad, and at least it was time to "fall back" so Rich had some extra time to get the girls ready for church. And at least my fabulous first couselor, Debbie, who was on call at the Bozeman Hospital, did not get called in and was able to handle things in Primary. I am so grateful for her!

Oh, yeah, lots of people have asked me how Primary is going, and the answer is so far, so good. I felt I should keep the Presidency that had just been installed in June, so my dear sister-friend Debbie Holm is my first counselor (she has been President and chorister before, so she is so experienced and inspirational!). My second counselor is Bambi Prosser--she is a gorgeous woman who is also a construction worker and rancher. You gotta love that combo. And she is so sweet with the kids. I am looking forward to getting to know her better. We have great teachers and scout leaders who have been commited and reliable, which is the ultimate blessing, I think. I've just gotta keep it going, right?

I forgot how lame this time change is...it's 4:40 and dark already. SIGH...