Snow, snow, snow!

We woke up to this yesterday.

I am so ready for Spring!

Me and the girls went to pick up Brianna, and Deacon to bring them home with us. When we got there, they were both sitting outside, waiting for us.

This is the cute house that they bought in October.

Deacon's lashes are so long. I love them!

All of our grand kids have super long lashes.

They get that gene from their Grandpa. Dick's lashes were so long before he started taking so much medication. His lashes use to touch his eye brows.

A new hairdo for me, and I'm loving it!

Today I cut my hair pretty short, and I got some highlights. I've decided that black hair is a thing of the past. I have too much gray, and my hair grows too fast. About 2 weeks after I colored my hair black, I had like 1/2 inch of gray hair. Yuck! I figured since I don't want to look like a skunk, I just won't color it black any more.

We have had a lot of snow since yesterday. Today we even had a little blizzard. You could barely see the house across the street in this picture. 

It's a winter wonderland!

Brianna and Travis went to the movies, so I got to babysit Deacon. Giselle was showing Deacon how to flex his muscles.

Every time he'd flex his muscles, he would let out this huge grunt.

When Brianna and Travis came to take Deacon home, they found us sleeping on the couch. I love to cuddle when he is sleeping since he doesn't let me when he's awake. He is just too busy all the time.

Dick went to see the doctor today. He is still feeling pretty yucky. The doctor put him on a different antibiotic because his lungs didn't sound that great. I sure hope he gets better soon.

Be optismistic. Don't you be a grumpy. When the road gets bumpy, just smile, smile, smile, and be happy!

I can't believe my last post was a week ago. I am usually really good about posting every day, or least every other day.

On my last post I wrote about that awful blizzard that we experienced. The first one I've ever had to drive in! I really think that my body was under so much stress, that the next day when I woke up, something just wasn't right. I've discovered that I don't get sick very often, but after very stressful situations, my body just falls apart. It's been a whole week today, and I'm finally feeling better.

I've had a head cold, but mostly so much weakness. Dad started getting sick the day after me, but because of all of his other health issues, he has gotten so much worse than me. He is also coughing, and I'm not. On Monday, he went to the ER because he was having difficulty breathing. With the diaphragm/lung issues that he already has, he was worried that it would turn into pneumonia. I called Giselle at her work and asked if she could go to the ER to be with Dad because I wasn't feeling that great. She left work to go join him. When Giselle called me to tell me that she was with Dad, I told her to tell him that I was worried because I had heard that the swine flu was going around again. She told me that he said, "Tell her not to worry, I haven't been eating pork." It amazes me how Dad always has a fun sense of humor, even at his worst. His chest x-rays were clear, so they sent him home with some cough medicine and an antibiotic to prevent it from turning into bronchitis.

Dad called in sick yesterday and slept basically all day. Today he went to his 6 am rehearsal, but was still feeling terrible. After rehearsal, he arranged for a substitute and came home. He has slept all day.

This is how I have been feeling since the day of the blizzard.

So much sickness in this house! Give me one of those masks grandma!

I am so grateful for Giselle and Brianna. They just take over without me asking them to. Before I knew it, either Giselle or Brianna took care of dinner, went to the groceries to fill up the cupboards and refrigerator, offered to take Aubrey to school or pick her up, and just took charge. 

I honestly don't think I would be missed at all if something were to happen to me, or if I went missing. My two girls do a better job than their mom when it comes to taking care of my little family.

Thank you Aubrey for taking care of me and keeping me company while I've been under the weather. I've enjoyed watching all those "Life time" movies with you. Fun times!

Holy unexpected blizzard!

It has been like Spring in B-town this past week. This morning seemed to be a beautiful day. I could hear the birds chirping. I've grown to love that sound because you go so long in the winter without hearing that.

Brianna, Deacon, and I left to SLC at 7 am. Bree had an appointment with an endocrinologist at 11 am. She also had an appointment for an EEG at 2 pm. After her endocrinologist saw her, he said, "Right after your 2:00 appointment you better head back to Idaho because a storm is coming!" We had heard on the radio earlier that it would start raining at 5:00, then the rain would be turning into snow. I never imagined we would be experiencing the worst blizzard ever!

Deacon has been to so many appointments with his mom, that he has learned to be very patient while he waits. He does call  for his mom every 5 minutes though.

I was feeling very proud of myself, thinking how I can drive in SLC now. I never could drive in big cities before. I've always had my sweet husband drive me around, or my children. I had to learn by force when we started going constantly to SLC for Dick's radiation treatments. Not only driving in a big city, but driving during the winter months! By the way, I LOVE this Express Lane!

I was feeling like an old pro!

We stopped in Tremonton on our way back home, and ate in the car to beat the storm. Deacon was having a very relaxing dinner in his car seat.

Only a few minutes after we left Tremonton, sure enough, the rain turned into snow. All of the sudden we were in the middle of a blizzard.

The visibility was not very good at all! I really think it looks better in these pictures than it actually was.

We saw a lot of cars go off the road. This truck pulling a trailer on the other side of the expressway was headed East bound and ended up facing West.

I know we should follow a semi and not a trailer, because trailers are the ones that flip over with the wind, but this trailer was only driving 20 mph, so I decided to follow it. I followed this trailer for over an hour. It made it so much easier to see. When semis would pass, all the slush from the other lane would cover my wind shield, and it really was like driving blind for a whole minute. I kept applying my breaks when this would happen, just out of instinct. Brianna kept reminding me how dangerous that was. She kept telling me to just take my foot off the gas and focus on the break lights of the trailer. At one point, I told Brianna, "Bree I don't want to do this anymore." Brianna was ready to jump to the driver's seat and trade with me, but I told her she couldn't. Because of her diabetes, her vision has been very blurry lately.

Deacon was so quiet and concerned during the blizzard. I asked Brianna while I was driving if Deacon was asleep and she said, "No Mom, I think he's just really worried." I truly think he could sense how tense we were feeling. A couple of times I had to wipe my tears because I had never been so scared in my life. Right before Brianna took this picture, Deacon had his arms and legs wrapped around her arm really tight.

Valentine's Day... 2011

Last night, Aubrey was busy working on her Valentine cards.
She was feeling like she was getting a little too old
for the cute "little kiddie" Pooh, Barbie, Mickey Mouse, or even Zach Efron-valentine-cards.
I thought of making some special ones for our special girl.
I mean, after getting a 4.0 GPA last semester,
that's the least I could do.

As soon as I told Brianna of the candy wrapper idea, 
she put Deacon down for the night,
and headed to our house to design them.
My sweet children will do anything for each other,
or for their Dad and I.  

This is what she created! I love them and Aubrey loved them too! We will have to think of something cute for next year that's adorable, but that's not too expensive.

Giselle was busy upstairs making her wonderful
Red Velvet Cupcakes for Valentine's Day.
She has a wonderful recipe that one of my best friends gave me.
In 1986, I started working at a little private hospital in Twin Falls, and that is where I met her.
She was a nurse there. Her name is Leanna,
and she is one of my closest friends.
Leanna has been around since the kids were very little.
She is also the one who gave Anson his first haircut.
She is Aunt Leanna to us.
I love that Giselle lives close to us!
She is always baking and cooking new things.
I'm still trying to convince her to open a cup cake bakery.

The cupcakes turned out beautiful and tasted wonderful. 

So moist!

This morning Anson wore his "pink" polo shirt.
I loaned him my little Valentine pin that I've had forever.
I made him promise me that he wouldn't loose it.
Another best friend of mine, gave it to me.
Her name is Gay, and she lives in Twin Falls.
Gay would give me a pin for every holiday.
I also met Gay in 1986.
She was a nurse at the private hospital too.

My 16 year old cupid is so, so handsome and ready for 

Valentine's Day!

Our Family Home Evening lesson was on
Charity and doing good to others.
After dinner and our lesson, Aubrey and Giselle
made some oatmeal cookies for Vos.
Vos is Dick's brother and lives in Minnesota all by himself.
He is very lonely and has been missing his
mother's oatmeal cookies,
so the girls made him some using her recipe.
Tomorrow I will mail him a package.

After I took Aubrey to school this morning, I logged into face book. I loved what my sweet husband put as his status.

 "Sayda (Kiddo) My heart is yours, my life is because of you. Would you be my Valentine?"

That man still makes my heart skip a beat. I love you old man, and yes, I will be your Valentine.

Waffle & Green Juice Saturday

Once a month, we are having "Waffle and Green Juice Saturday" at Giselle's house. Giselle drinks this healthy green juice for breakfast everyday.(Kale, broccoli, celery, ginger root, spinach, romaine lettuce, and pears.) The juice is pretty GREEN! She wants us to try it at least once a month, hoping we'll convert. I don't know about that...

After breakfast Dick and Anson went to rehearsal for their next play. 

For lunch, the girls, Deacon, and I had lunch at Charlie's Cafe.
I love my family, and the fact that I always have someone to do things with, even when Dad is super busy.

Happy 16th Birthday Anson!

 Last night before Anson went to bed, he kissed his dad and I goodnight. He said, "When I wake up in the morning, I'll be 16 years old... Wow!"

He always wakes me up when he goes running. When he woke me up, he said, "Today is my birthday Mom." He has been really cute about his special day.

Anson woke up at 6 am and went for his morning run. When he got back, he showered and got ready for school. We let him open some presents and had some birthday cheese cake. Makena brought him a little fish tank with a Beta fish. Before he left to school, Giselle and Richie called him to wish him a happy birthday.

After school, the girls, Deacon, the birthday boy, and Dad and I all went to Twin Falls for dinner. While Dad and I went to the groceries, the kids all went to the mall. Anson went shopping for another birthday present.

When we got home, Anson asked if he could go for a drive with his buddy, just because he can drive at night now. Dad and I told him he could go for 1 hour, but they returned in 30 minutes. He thought it was so cool to be able to drive at night. Aubrey said, "Anson, now, if we ever want to hang out at Walmart, you can drive if Mom doesn't want to take us." 

I can't believe my baby boy is 16 years old.
He's been such a joy this past 16 years.
"Him, AND his beautiful smile."
I love you Anson!

Nerve Damage

We went to SLC today to go see the pulmonary specialist. Dick is still having issues with his diaphragm. At first the doctors told us that his diaphragm would start working 3 months after his surgery. Then they said 6 months to a year. In April it will be 2 years. With all the tests that they have done, the doctors have determined that it is not a neurological disorder. They feel that the 8 hour surgery that he had to remove the tumor on the back of his leg did cause it. He was on his stomach for surgery, causing his phrenic nerve to get pinched for too long. The phrenic nerves help the diaphragm contract, which is very important in the breathing process.

Normally it would start functioning again. Because of his diabetes, and the nerve damage that diabetes causes, they feel that the nerve has been damaged permanently.

They will call us later on this week to schedule more tests.

I love this picture of Dad.

The roads weren't bad at all.

It snowed very little. The scenery was beautiful!

Everything looked so cold, but SO beautiful!

National qualifying speech meet.

THURSDAY, FRIDAY, AND SATURDAY

Last weekend Brianna and Deacon didn't go with us to the Speech meet in Rexburg because Brianna was feeling bad about

leaving Travis again.

She has been going every weekend to all of the Speech meets with us.

When Brianna and Deacon dropped us off at the high school, Deacon was very disappointed that he wasn't riding in the big, yellow bus.

He was very confused!

This time he got to go with us.

He loves the long bus rides, he loves the students, he loves the hotel, he loves the school, and all of the craziness that goes on at the school! He loves all the food and treats that he gets to eat when he's away from home!

He loves to cuddle with his mommy when he gets tired. He thinks it's pretty amazing that he doesn't have to go in the car seat when he rides in the big, yellow bus.

Aubrey, Brianna, and Deacon had a great time in the pool.

Deacon was playing with my phone, pretending that he was talking to his dad.

Deacon at the high school where the students were competing.

Deacon dancing with one of the students.

Dick motivating his students before their first round.

These two quotes are what he always tells his students before they go into their first round.

All ready for Valentine's Day!

I love to get my nails done.

Today I got sparkly, red polish with white, airbrushed hearts for Valentine's Day.