My Grandma...

So my Dad called me today to tell me what my 86 year old Grandma was up to. Let me preface this by saying not long after Thanksgiving she slipped and fell outside on the ice. The doctors told her if she ever fell she would break her hip so when she fell she thought...I must have broken my hip...so she went to the hospital...nothing broken just bruised. Ok, on to the story. My Grandma lives in Massachusetts and they have had a lot of snow so she asked the newspaper people to deliver her paper to the neighbors and the other day she saw it sitting on the icy driveway. She told herself she was not going to walk out and get it so instead decided she would get in the car and drive down the driveway and get it. So off she went but the newspaper was on the wrong side of her car so she turned the car around and backed up the driveway...overshot the newspaper and tried again. This time the newspaper was in reach or so she thought. As she leaned out the car to get it she reached a little to far and fell right out of the car and then watched as the car drove away, across the street and into a snow bank. She laughed and decided she had better crawled to the car instead of trying to walk to it. She did and got in and backed back up the driveway and into the garage. Sucess!!! I can just imagine her laying on the driveway laughing, she has such a positive attitude. She always tells me that if you think positive then good things will happen. If only I could be as positive!

Alexism

Alex has been bugging me for the last few weeks to get him into see the dentist...I had an appointment and then had to reschedule twice and his patience was waning. I took him on Tuesday and this morning (Thursday) he asked when was his next dentist appointment. I said in about 6 months and he replied...maybe I could go on my birthday, that would be so fun! OK...whatever floats your boat? He is such a funny kid!

Graphic...Rated PG13 material, so if you have a queasy stomach don't look!

So the past few weeks have been difficult for our family, especially Justin. The Sunday after Thanksgiving he walked out of my sister's house and slipped on the icy stairs and went up in the air and landed on his back. The small of his back and right between the shoulder blades. We went to the doctor a few days later and this is what he looked like...

Then a few days after that we went to get an x-ray and he looked like this...and actually it got worse than this. It wrapped around his belly around front. It was very disturbing to look at, like someone took a baseball bat to his back.

So after the x-ray the doctor suggested that he see a spinal specialist but that she didn't really see anything wrong. Breathe...then after another week of not getting better he went to see the specialist. He said he thought there was something broken and ordered another set of x-rays and an MRI. So while driving home from the MRI place yesterday this happened...

ARRGGHHHH! He feels like screaming and so do I. Could things get any worse? Well, yes. They put him on temporary disability at work until he can return at 100% workablility. We aren't sure when that will be. After 4 weeks he goes down to 60% salary...yikes! We are hoping and praying for the best! What else could possibly go wrong? Well, I ran out of gas today and I thought I was going to have a coronary until I realized it was just an empty tank. Exhale!

The Guest Room is now open!

Our guest room in the basement is finished and ready for visitors. There is no door knob, no baseboards and no closet doors but it is still visitable. There is a place to hang your clothes.

I am a bargain hunter and I got some great deals for this room. I think it is the best shopping I have done in a long time. Bed, mattress and box spring, dresser, mirror and nightstand for a whopping $107. I had the bedding and things to look pretty on the dresser. The only thing I am missing is a lamp and for now one will just get borrowed from another room. Part of me wished I could buy furniture and refinish and make money...but the other part of me says too much work and mess so I just do it for myself. I repainted the bed, dresser and nightstand to be a little shabby but with a modern twist. The mirror was just plan wood and I used a stencil and some spackle to make a raised design then did some distressing and I think it is so cute. You can't really appreciate it in this picture.

The bed was pine and I took off the wood scroll and painted it brown.
Vinyl! I love doing vinyl and making cool things. I had a friend want these chandeliers and after making them for her this week I decided that they would look cute in the guest room. It is an easy solution for hanging something or buying something. I love it!
So, if anyone is ever in Utah and needs a place to stay...come over to our house!

I wonder...

I wonder what my kids think when they finally leave for school in the morning? How many times have I asked them to get their shoes on? Or to put their homework in their backpacks...Come on, let's get going! Hurry Up! Did you brush your teeth? No? why not? Go back upstairs and brush your teeth. You don't have any clean pants???? Did you check the laundry room??? See you do have clean clothes. What? You forgot to do a page of your homework? I asked you yesterday if you had homework and you said no. Get it out and try to do it before you have to leave. Yes, you have to ride your bike today, I have the baby (I watch) and it is a nice morning...soon it will be snow covered and I will drive you then. No, I am not afraid for people to see me in my PJ's when I drop you off at school. There are things for breakfast just not your favorite...I will get more this week. You need lunch money? AHHHHH! Ok, I will put some in your account.....and it goes on.

I swear I talk more in that hour in the morning than I do all week. I am sure when they leave they are as relieved as I am to have them out of the house. I really don't understand why this ritual every morning is so stressful. I need to take a nap now!

Dylanism...

I had to write this down before I forgot it...

So with two active boys in the house we often find ourselves smelling terribly stinky feet or stinky hair after an afternoon outside. Our mudroom smells horrible and I need to get an air freshener for it. So this morning in the car on the way to school I told the boys they are going to have to bathe more...this is not an option anymore! And I asked Dylan if he would like me to get him some deodorant and he quickly said "YES!" and Alex said he wanted some too...OK, couldn't hurt. Under Dylan's breath I heard him say, "I am a grown man now!"

HAHAHA, he's 10. It was so funny.

Young Women in Excellence

Tonight at church the Young Women's group had their Young Women in Excellence Program. This is the first year for Emma to be in Young Womens and we are so proud of her. She has made great friends and her leaders are great too. They did a spoof on the Oscar's...they called it the Torch Awards and each girl was videoed doing something they love such as jump roping, playing the piano, playing soccer and so on. Emma and her friend Sam played a duet on the violin and viola. They did great. We are so proud of Emma and the choices she makes daily. Some of the girls got together after school to crimp their hair. Then she came home and got dressed in a semi formal dress we picked up at a Thrift store (they really didn't want us to go spend money on a fancy dress). I even let her wear mascara...which in my house you have to be 14 for. She looked beautiful! I think I am rambling...but I just want her to know we love her and are very proud.