Since We've Been Home

The night after we got home from Arizona, Grandpa & Grandma Melin had us over for dinner and opening our gifts from them and Uncle Mike (who had our family for this year's Melin Gift exchange). It was so nice not to have to make dinner while we were unloading from our trip, and the gifts were amazing!Grandma Rosalie and James, with Grandpa in the background
Heidi and Addie with their cool new puzzles

James & Addie opening gifts

Richie with his cozy new hot and slippers from Mike...perfect for when we keep the house at 62 degrees.

James got a cool magnetic Thomas book--like I always say, Uncle Mike is the best gift buyer--for someone with no kids, he's really got his finger on the pulse of the wee ones!

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On New Years Day, unlce Mike invited everyone out to his cabin to sled (with the cool new sleds, hats, gloves, and cocoa he bought us for Christmas). I was sick, so I sent the kids off with Daddy and I went to bed. Rich recorded the fun for me in great detail on the camera (there are fun videos I need to upload, too).

In the back of Mike's Truck: Uncle Mike, Rosalie, Heidi, James, Addie, and Danny.
Grandma with our little cousin (& neighbor), Hannah Beth.

My sweet Family: Heidi, Rich, James, and Addie.

James riding Uncle Davy's snowmobile.

James sledding.

Look at my MIL! Grandma Rosalie looks like she's 20, running around out in the snow with her grandkids!

Rich & James on Davy's snowmobile (snowmobiles make sledding parties so much more fun!)

Cocoa break!: James, Rosalie, and Heidi warm up by the fire.

Sweet Baby James

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Here's a typical weekday shot: Addie's at school, Daddy's at work, Heidi is playing Barbies waiting for preschool, James is playing trains, and mommy is folding laundry.

Heidi & James in the basement family room.

It's a Miracle!

I guess I really didn't know how "inflamed" I was because I am feeling so much better today in ways I never expected. The infusion went so well yesterday--it takes about an hour and a half and I just chill there in my little recliner, listening to podcasts with a needle in my hand. I loathe IVs and have been known to pass out while they try to find my rolling veins, but the infusion lady is a total pro and she got me on the first stick with absolutely no burning or bruising (yet).T here have been a few side effects (like my face feels sunburned today), but Rich could see my eyes less swollen this morning already, and I can feel my body moving around less painfully--YAY!

Of course I am working in the nutritional, herbal, and exercising parts, too, and I am feeling a lot more optimistic. This experience so far has given me a little more faith in medicine--the relief is great. Now I just have to come down off the meds, which can be the hard part, I am told. I'll get infused every Wednesday afternoon until February 11th. On Feb 16th I see my endcrinologist in Billings and on Feb 26th I see the opthamologist to measure my eyes and see if we're out of the active phase yet. FOR FUN!

With my new-found energy, I cleaned the kitchen, finished the laundry, and got Christmas all neatly packed into Rubbermaid bins for Rich to pack up to the attic (aside: Rich left the ladder to the attic down in the garage the other day and while I wasn't looking, James totally climbed up there and was dinkin' around in the rafters--scared me to death!). To reward myself, I am going to join Rich in Bozeman tonight. While he leads the Stake Preparedness Meeting I am going to Costco and Target and Michaels to replenish food storage, meal plan, and get some fun things for Primary.

Later I hope to upload some fun pictures of our recent doin's...Happy Thursday!

Knee Deep

Hi, loves!

I am writing entries and posting (awesome) photos in my mind, but in real life I am still caring for flu-ridden babies and preparing to be infused today (I don't even have to travel! They have a tiny little infusion center right here in our local hospital, which is smaller than my elementary school). I will get around to blogging when things are back on schedule around here.

Meanwhile, here is something wonderful I wish I had written. My offering today will be a mountain of clean laundry and a million stories read to sick children. :)

Smiling's My Favorite

Anybody got The Winter Blah's? If you've got 15 minutes, I've got the atidote.

One of my young-womanhood heroes, Camilla Kimball, gave me one of my mottos:

NEVER SUPRESS A GENEROUS THOUGHT.

THIS VIDEO (link from Amy Buchert) reminded me of it. Watch it. You won't be sorry.

Hellllooooooo? Anybody out there???

New Eyes for the New Year

I wrote this note to a friend this morning:

"I am so excited to tell you about the books that we have been reading this month! Because Richard is the Stake Preparedness Leader, he has felt compelled to study the Last Days, the prophets' cousel, etc. His dad lent us a series of books that we have read over the holidays (now that's festive! NOT!). The author, Roger K. Young, has a website here and THIS is the first book in the series (the longest). Seriously--if I had the cash I would buy these books and send them to all my loved ones. I read the first one while Rich was driving to AZ, so now at night he reads the first one and I just finished the second one over Wednesday and Thursday nights, so I am on to #3, and then we are going to read "Approaching Zion" by Hugh Nibley and "New Lies for Old" by Anatoly Golitsyn . I am going to blog about this, but I thought of you because of our recent conversation. I am starting to really see things with new eyes--see a bigger picture and put things in perspective. I can already feel my priorities re-organizing, and I am seeing how totally lame and "worldly" some of my priorities have been. As we've read about what will be required, I can see that there is so much more we need to do spiritually and physically to be ready. I don't feel alarmed or scared, I just feel motivated to move our family in another direction; I feel peace and urgency at the same time."

So, yeah...I can't help but see things a lot differently since studying the things that are to come over the next few years. For example, a lot of our Christmas celebrations seem a little lame or excessive, and I am feeling so compelled to follow the word of wisdom better (I know I am one of the last of my friends to jump on this bandwagon, but I have some poor habits to shake...I look forward to putting fruits of the tree and field to work in my life and finding some great treasures). Wanna help? Wanna join me? I have a lot of work to do to change our lifestyle.

PS: While We're On a Scottish Kick...

dance with my favorite Scots...

"Live and breathe and see the sun in wintertime..."
Happy New Year!

The Auld Lang Syne...

We just came home from a quick trip to Bozeman and on the way home I tried to remember as many New Years' Eves as I could...

1984: Stayed home at our house on David Drive an watched the ball drop on TV
1985: Regional Dance at the U of A Ballroom where we thought "the spike was punched."
1986: Regional Dance at one of the stake centers in Tucson--was it North? Cuz all I remember is lovin' A1 with all my might.
1987: Regional Dance in Glendale, AZ with Brent G. and I stayed over with his family all weekend...This was shortly after seeing U2 twice at SunDevil Stadium and we were still hopped up on the Joshua Tree, even a year after it came out.
1988: House Party in NW Tucson with HS friends; last night KFOX was on the air; I remember counting down the new year to the sounds of Pink Floyd's "Learning to Fly," and feeling much like an earth-bound misfit. I think I was with Robert because I know we went to Marie Callendar's for breakfast in the morning.
1989: At home in SV with my sibs, I think....
1990: At the misison home in Oklahoma with the G'rents
1991: At the Bergeson's home in SLC with Kevin (I think we were breaking up)
1992: On my mission--transferred to Rockingham from Tarboro, my first night in Rockingham was NY Eve, and I stayed there until September transfers.
1993: On my mission--first week in Southern Pines, NC
1994: Party hopped with old HS friends, ended up at home counting down with Matt Basham (Hi, Matt!) --oh, no, wait...I think that was 1991. Did I go to Ohio? I don't remember, but I was living at Ruper Five with Heidi and Erin that year.
1995: In Pinehurst NC with all the young adults there (Adam, BJay, etc.)
1996: In Tucson, at the Bingham's big party with A2, dreamy midnight kisses and Square Pegs on TV
1997: Same thing as '96, I think, pretty much. Oh wait! I was with A2, but I think that's the year that Liz Kersey made a gourmet dinner for all us friends. That was so fun!
1998: Party at the Palmers in Alpine, UT with A3
1999: Day at Disneyland, night at regional dance across the street from Disneyland with Steve Mackay and friends; took off early to celebrate Y2K at my mom's in Ramona, CA.
2000: Hung out with Rich doing wedding announcements
2001: Surprised the Melins by coming up to Livingston with Baby Addie; watched Lord of the Rings in the theatre and watched Dick Clark on TV.
2002: Can't remember--were we here or on the road home from Texas Christmas? My fabulous scrapbook tells me we were on our way home, staying with Jill and Drew in SLC playing board games.
2003: I was prego and we were super sick and we stopped and spent New Years Eve in Tempe/ Higley with the Halls/Arnetts. Celeste and Ryan let us sleep over at their (then) new house. Celeste was pregnant with Max and I was pregnant with Heidi.
2004: At my in-laws'--Read about it HERE
2005: In Sierra Vista--read about it HERE
2006: In Tucson, in a bit of turmoil--read about it HERE
2007: In Livingston, partially with the Bates Family, then all by myself at home while everyone slept for the countdown--see pix HERE

...and tonight we are all in our jammies at 7pm, ready to play wii and eat treats with our Gray cousins (across the street) and ring in 2009. I will be exorcising my tummy demon (made of holiday junk food, I am sure; I told Rich today that I am having "an intestinal infarction" --I made that up, but I am seriously cleansing!), starting with this berry smoothie and no meat, dairy, or white stuff for a couple of weeks. Gotta love myself a little for the new year, ya know!

Have a great one, y'all...start the new year off right and celebrate havign the ESSENTIALS: food, shelter, and LOVE.

Brotherhood of the Traveling Facial Hair

Seriously, how cute are you guys?

(my bro/cousins in 1997 & 2008)

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Here's a get-well-shout-out to my poor sister, Jill, who has taken a tumble and sprained her ankle. At press time, she was inthe ER getting X-rays. Pobrecita...I hope you're 100% soon! That is so lame! (no pun intended...)

Blasphemous or Adorable?

While I was unloading/unpacking the trip stuff this morning, Addie and Heidi decided to build this nativity scene with their stuffed animals...Baby Jesus was a FurReal Chimp and his manger was a new sled from Uncle Mike.Zoo animals came to adore the baby chimp instead of farm animals...



James was supposed to be a wiseman, but he was too excited about trains and hats to play along.

Can I Get a Hallelujah?...

...the Christmas photos are posted! Below you will find three slideshows of our Arizona trip, which you can double click to see larger. Enjoy them!

One of my faves from the AZ pix...James and Peeps being so sweet!