Sunday, November 22, 2009

Baptism Weekend: FRIDAY

I got all my peeps off to school and work on Friday morning, then had to stop to get birthday snacks and deliver them to Addie's class. When I pulled into the parking lot of Town & Country market at 9:30 am, my sis Laura pulled up next to me, having just arrived from Helena. She headed to my house to start baking treats for Thanksgiving dinner and I joined her after visiting Ad's class. We basically cooked all day long. Then Dad and Becky Layton arrived from Pocatello. They checked in at the Comfort Inn and came over to share a lasagna dinner with us. After dinner we visited for a while and my bro Matthew and his family arrived from Helena. Matt is about to graduate from the police academy so he wore his uniform to surprise James.... Addue, Uncle Matthew, James, and Dad Layton as Matt arrives
Officer Post and his admiring nephew James
Addie tried on Matt's handcuffs and went to bunk bed jail
These four cousins are best pals! Jake + Heidi and Sam + James=SO MUCH LOVE!
***
Dad and Becky returned to the hotel and the kids played as we waited for Nana & Papa Drews and the Petersens to arrive from Utah. I didn't look at the clock, but it seems like my mom got here around 9 and Petersens arrived around 10. All the girls slept in the basement living room and stayed up til 12:30am or so, singing Happy Birthday to Addie at midnight and giggling themselves to sleep. I was pretty dang tired, but I knew I had one more day in me and I was so excited to spend Saturday celebrating Addie's birth and baptism with the whole fam damily!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Mommy's Wishlist

My emerging crafty self needs THIS.
Necklaces found here.
Rings found here.
I want mine to say MAMA
I found a rug I LOVE for the downstairs family room (2 years of looking=lots of carpet stains). The photos won't upload, but here's the link. And I need a nice chrome-ish one of THESE.
Also, health for me & my family and peace at home will do just fine :)

Saturday Sledding

We had a lovely weekend here at home. It was sunny, so it was slushy outside, but cozy and spicy-smelling inside. We did chores Saturday morning, then James and I took a nap and Rich took the girls out back to sled and practice cross-country skiing. Ad did great on skis; Heidi will take more practice. But they both sled like pros!


Saturday, November 14, 2009

Only a Day Away

I watched "Annie" the movie with my girls last night and sang every song. I told Addie that Annie was about my same age (she couldn't believe it) so we looked her up and this is what we found:


oh, the memories.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Sunny with Snow

I've been a busy bee the past 24-hours(I only slept from 2-7am) and I plan to keep goin' as long as my ol' body can keep up! I came up from the basement to post a greeting for my dad and a picture of my projects, so...
Here's a picture of what got wrapped today--made "from scratch" by yours truly:
I plan to keep sewing, but for now it's time to do reading with the kindergartners, so smell ya later...

Thursday, November 12, 2009

O The Weather Outside is Frightful...

...but from my front porch it's delightful!
And since I've no place to go,
let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Ok, but I DID have somewhere to go (helping with reading and composition time in Addie's class) and when I got home, I had my first "Snow Incident" with my car (I know! I have been here 7 years and this is the first time I have been stuck! That's my van stuck out on the sidewalk in the pictures). Luckily, I got stuck at the bottom of my own driveway, so I just parked there and came in the house. Rich just dug me out on his lunch hour and put my car back safe and dry in the garage. Because he's a superhero like that. And I have that awful snow allergy.
James took this picture of me [makeup-less] while he was dancing on the table.
This one is for all those sillies who say I haven't aged, cuz...holy cow!
James and cousin Rosalie played remote control cars over the weekend.

I thought James looked like quite the metrosexual fashion plate on his way to preschool last Wednesday, so I snapped this picture.
BEST NEWS EVER: My mom (pictured above with Addie at our lagoon in 2004) is feeling better and came home from the hospital with her fancy new red blood yesterday. YAY, NANA!

While I was making a photo collage for Addie's baptism, I found this cutie of Addie, Ally, and Isabelle from September 2003 at Peteresen's house. Aren't they so cute? So cute I almost cried!
***
Well, I'm off to play Santa's workshop downstairs and watch 30Rock on DVD. That's what I have been doing all week and I am totally enjoying myself. You are welcome to come, too! Wear something cozy and don't do your hair! ;)

Monday, November 09, 2009

mom update

Hey, I haven't had a chance to call mom, but Jill and Lisa have called me with news. Mom's doctor says there is no way she has leukemia. THAT is good news. They are still figuring stuff out, but she is doing better. Give her a call! 801-855-2156...HUGS!

Saturday, November 07, 2009

Hangin' Around, Bein' a Nerd

Update, 11pm: Sorry I had to turn word verification back on cuz I been gettin' crazy comment spam again. Also I just watched The Unsinkable Molly Brown at the Firehouse 5 Playhouse and there is a ton-o-talent around here...very fun! Happy Birthday, Angie!

While I am simultaneously trying to prepare to teach RS and hand off Primary choristering tomorrow, getting ready to go on a date while I feel like poo, and waiting to hear news about my mom, I am doing some research on her condition. If there are any doctors out there who want to translate any of this for me, feel free.

Here's the sitch: Mom has a sucky immune system. She was diagnosed with Spru in 1987, fibromyalgia then RA around 2000, then diffuse large B cell (?) lymphoma in 2008 for which she underwent chemo and radiation. In September she was treated with transfusions for hemolytic anemia from which she never recovered and has been admitted again for another transfusion, 8 weeks later. She has new doctors because she moved from Vancouver WA to Utah, so they are figuring out what's wrong and today's guess is leukemia. Here is what I read about today [my comments are in brackets]:

[This type of Leukemia seems most likely to me—totally untrained in medicine—only because her lymphoma was a B-cell lymphoma…]

B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL), also known as chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL), is the most common type of leukemia. Leukemias are abnormal and malignant neoplastic proliferations ("cancers") of the white blood cells (leukocytes). CLL involves a particular subtype of white blood cells, which is a lymphocyte called a B cell. B cells originate in the bone marrow, develop in the lymph nodes, and normally fight infection. In CLL, the DNA of a B cell is damaged, so that it can't fight infection by producing antibodies. Additionally, they grow out of control and accumulate in the bone marrow and blood, where they crowd out healthy blood cells…
…Although not originally appreciated, CLL is now felt to be identical to a disease called small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), a type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma which presents primarily in the lymph nodes. The World Health Organization considers CLL and SLL to be "one disease at different stages, not two separate entities.”…
…CLL treatment focuses on controlling the disease and its symptoms rather than on an outright cure. CLL is treated by chemotherapy, radiation therapy, biological therapy, or bone marrow transplantation. Symptoms are sometimes treated surgically (splenectomy removal of enlarged spleen) or by radiation therapy ("de-bulking" swollen lymph nodes).
Initial CLL treatments vary depending on the exact diagnosis and the progression of the disease, and even with the preference and experience of the health care practitioner. There are dozens of agents used for CLL therapy, and there is considerable research activity studying them individually or in combination with each other.[16]
Decision to treat
While generally considered incurable, CLL progresses slowly in most cases. Many people with CLL lead normal and active lives for many years - in some cases for decades. Because of its slow onset, early-stage CLL is generally not treated since it is believed that early CLL intervention does not improve survival time or quality of life. Instead, the condition is monitored over time to detect any change in the disease pattern. [CLICK TO READ MORE]


[But there is also this kind of Leukemia, which I found most often in my “hemolytic anemia” searches]
Accute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)
In ALL, very immature leukemia cells accumulate in the bone marrow, destroying and replacing cells that produce normal blood cells. The leukemia cells are also carried in the bloodstream to the liver, spleen, lymph nodes, brain, and testes, where they may continue to grow and divide. They can irritate the layers of tissue covering the brain and spinal cord, causing inflammation (meningitis), and can cause anemia, liver and kidney failure, and other organ damage.
Prognosis
Before treatment was available, most people who had ALL died within 4 months of the diagnosis. Now, nearly 80% of children and 30 to 40% of adults with ALL are cured. For most people, the first course of chemotherapy brings the disease under control (complete remission). Children between the ages of 3 and 7 have the best prognosis. Children younger than 2 and older adults fare least well. The white blood cell count and particular chromosome abnormalities in the leukemia cells also influence outcome. [CLICK HERE TO READ MORE]


[…this goes on to say that chemo (at least 2 rounds) and stem cell transplants are the treatment…]


[Here is the conclusion of a study of the anemia associated with the leukemia…]
…This study indicates that in CLL (chrionic lymphocytic leukemia) AHA (accute hemolytic anemia) is a rare event with no independent effect on survival for which steroids, associated with CB (medication) if required, and a careful management of infections may successfully control the 2 conditions. Cooperative studies are needed to better define the optimal steroid schedule and the therapeutic role of other immunosuppressive agents and splenectomy. [CLICK HERE TO READ MORE]

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

I'm feeling a little haggard today. I had a hard time falling asleep last night because my body is doing that whole inflammation thing where, when I catch a new bug, my joints and muscles cease to work. After dropping a bunch of stuff and twisting my knees a couple of times on the stairs, I retired to the tub for a hot bath. I got engrossed in what I was reading and I kept reading it until midnight when I heard Heidi having a coughing fit. I slept by her until 2am then went to my own bed. A few minutes later Addie came to our bed with a fever, stuffy nose, and tummy ache. We gave her some medicine and got her to sleep, then James came in and Rich went up to Addie's bed.

James & Addie are still asleep, I am just up to take my own meds, help Rich shave his head, and see Heidi off to school. Hopefully I'll get back to bed! Dang this cold & flu season!

(I would feel a lot better if "Glee" had been on. Hope you baseball people are happy with yourselves.)

In my inbox this morning I got a fare alert from kayak.com to tell me that I can fly Billings to London for $798...mmm. Also, the house next to ours is for sale...anybody wanna be our neighbors? Click here to check it out! Gotta run...

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

hello

I've got little Heidi home with a fever she's had since Halloween night, so needless to say, I am not updating the blog much. Plus there are apples to can and Halloween to put away. So this is a quick hello to direct your attention to THIS talk, which is highlighted in this month's Friend magazine. In my humble opinion, it is one of the best talks ever written (as stated here). Have a great day and enjoy!

***

OH, WAIT! I'm a day late and a dollar short as usual (at least in Australia time), but we want to wish our cousin/niece, Miss Maeby a A HAPPY THIRD BIRTHDAY!


Maeby last Father's Day

Maeby on a bushwalk with her daddy last month.

Sunday, November 01, 2009

Weekend Retrospect

We had a wild good Halloween this year. This is the first year that all of my kids are old enough to get into the festivities & trick-or-treat independently, so it was fun for me, too! We try to stay away from 'scary' costumes, but I'm all for a cute witch or mummy. I try to think of FUN costumes (like Strawberry Shortcake and Apple Dumplin'--remember that?), and this summer while reading a Dr. Seuss book, we realized that these costumes would be perfect...Here's our gang heading out Friday night to the ward carnival/ trunk-or-treat
(which has morphed into a door-to-door inside the church, which we don't like as much, even though the weather outside is usually horrible).
Cutest Cat in the Hat ever.

Thing One & Thing Two
(trying to do the pose from the post below)

Owning this partay...

Hugging our beloved Aunt Debbie

Our darling niece, Hannah the monkey

Our other darling niece, Rosalie Robot
(her mommy made this costume last week--cute, huh?)
The kids had a blast at the carnival and we came home, watched The Great Pumpkin again (while munching on Cholula pumpkin seeds), and were all in bed before 9pm.
***
On Saturday, we did our chores in the morning, then got dressed up for Aunt Angie's awesome Halloween Party in the afternoon (across the street). Angie and Davy made their garage into a fabulous party place, full of fun activities, delicious food, and spooky decorations. The kids had a blast!
Cake ball EYE BALLS!
Hermione helps herself to some veggies and eye balls.

The kids made Gak and iced sugar cookies (above)

They also got their hands tied for the donut-on-a-string game
(this is Cousin Danny, 'the army guy' on the right, with his army friend)

Uncle Davy does the taping...
and Heidi/Thing Two wins the donut game!

Cat/ James played the mummy game

So did Thing One and Hermione

Even Grandma Rosalie joined in the fun, making Robot Rosalie into a mummy!
At 4pm, Heidi went to another fun party. Her "Kindergarten BFF," Chloe, hosted a fun party at her house. Heidi says she had a great time with her school friends. I picked her up at 6pm for...

TRICK OR TREATING!

We went to see Aunt Debbie, Ad's teacher, Mrs. Meador, and then down Grandma's street.
Here is Mr. Phillips (looking kinda spooky himself)--he and Mrs. Phillips were happy to see our kids (his wife was Addie's teacher last year) and said they are coming to Addie's baptism!


Our last stop was Grandma's house! She's the best!

We were home by 7:30pm and had to wash the girls' hair several times to get the blue out for church on Sunday! Poor Heidi got very sick (103-degree fever with a little cough) that night, but everyone else slept pretty well. I took the 2 kids to church today and Rich stayed home to nurse Heidi. I wasn't feeling very great, but had promised to sub in Addie's class and lead the Primary music, so I went. It was a fun day. Normally I am bitter about daylight saving time (read HERE) but this year, "fall back" couldn't have come on a better day!

We wish you all a wonderful, grateful November!

FAMILY LETTER 07.28.19

Dear Loved Ones,                                                                                                        We have just ...