Our Gram!

Dave's Grandma (we call her Gram) passed away early this morning. We are sure going to miss her. She is wonderful and was always good to us. Every time we would visit she would pull out the creamies, or some kind of cookie for the kids. We enjoyed visiting with her every chance we got.

She also shared the best recipes with me. I feel like she is my grandma too, even though it is only through marriage.

Last night, I am not sure how or why, maybe she heard Dave and I talking about her earlier in the week, but Ali said to me, "Mom, I think that Grandpa is calling Gram" "I think he is going to come and get her" "I think he really misses her" Ali must be in tune with the spirit, because we got the phone call this morning.

When I woke Ali and told her that Grandpa came and got Gram, she smiled and said, I just knew it. She had a happy feeling about it, even though she will miss her. We are so happy that she is back with him, I am sure it was a grand reunion. Gram missed him so much!

What a blessing to have the gospel of Jesus Christ and know that we will see each other after this life and be together if we live righteously.

On my mission I met many people that would lose loved ones and they would wail and cry for days because they were sure that they were gone forever. I know that our Heavenly Father loves us and he has a plan for us to all be together after we leave this earth.

I can just see Gram fussing over Grandpa, or visiting with her parents and other siblings that have gone on before. What a joyous and wonderful thought to have.

We love you Gram! So grateful for your example, love and service to all of us. We miss you already! Until we meet again. ;)

Always Something!

So it was the day of my girls night out party and just as the party is starting and friends are coming over, I hear Zach screaming from the back yard. I went to the back door to see what happened and he was running towards me holding our toy butterfly net. He couldn't even catch his breath. I knelt down beside him, trying to calm him down when blood started ooozing out his mouth between his teeth. OH MAN!

I swept him up and carried him to the sink. I got a cup of water and told him not to swallow it but put some water in his mouth and then spit in the sink. That was the only way I was going to be able to see what was wrong. After a few minutes of that I looked in his mouth and there was a giant hole at the back of his mouth almost the size of a quarter. I asked him what he was doing? The only thing he was able to tell me was that he had the butterfly net in his mouth and something with a ball.

After he calmed down he fell right asleep on the couch. My sister arrived and we called her pediatrician's office, because mine had already closed for the day. I spoke with the nurse there and she took most of my panicking feelings away. She said they can't really do much for a mouth injury. Not only because of where they are located but because there is really good circulation in the mouth, there is always air, and it generally heals pretty good. She said that Zach would be in a lot of pain for about 10 days and to just watch him for infection, fever or bleeding. So I felt better having talked to someone that knew what they were talking about.

Dave went to his mom's house to fix her sprinkler's and some other yard work during my party since he is so very social. ha ha ha! When he got home, Alicyn ran right outside and put the panic in him. Told him that we needed to take Zach to the emergency room, had a big hole in his mouth etc. As the party went on, friends and family looked at it and tried to tell me that it wasn't so bad. Well after everyone left I looked at it again. I am certain I could see his jaw bone. So Dave and I talked about it and we decided to take him to our doctor the next morning for them to look at it.

Our doctor wasn't in the office so we saw one of her partners. Her partner came in and we told her about it. I told her that I knew that we can't do much for mouth injury's but we wanted to have him looked at just to be sure. She looked at me and very snidely said no, if it is bigger than a cheerio, it has to be fixed. She looked in there and then looked at me again..."this is a big deal", "this is bad". Made me shrink to the size of an ant. She said I need to go and call the emergency room at Primary Children's hospital. I will be right back. Dave and I waited, when she came back she told us that we had waited to long and they couldn't do anything, but she would put him on antibiotics and pain medicine. Which I was very grateful for the pain medicine because he wouldn't even sip water without crying that it burned. She also told me to bring him back on Monday so we could see our regular doctor.

The weekend went alright, thank heaven for codeine! Sunday Zach told me what he was doing when it happened. Our butterfly net was hollow plastic. He was blowing things out of it with his mouth and tripped over a ball. The force of his fall was of course in his mouth.

We saw our doctor on Monday. I told her the story and how I had called my sister's doc, they said just watch him...then decided to have him looked at and that doc said we did the wrong thing and he should have gone to the ER etc. Our doctor looked in his mouth and she told us that we did everything right. If we could have seen her on Friday night when it happened she wouldn't have done anything to the wound itself. She said that we just need to watch him and keep giving him the antibiotic. WHEW! How is that for story? Both Dave and I felt like better parents after seeing her and having her look at Zach.

By the way, Zach still has a hole in his mouth, but it is healing very nicely. A few things still bother him when he eats but for the most part...all better! Our butterfly net...in the trash!

No More Junk Food

Zachary has been saying the funniest things lately. I just need to write them down so I don't forget what he has been saying.

My mom was with me in the car and we were on our way to the Walk for Autism for our cute friend Riley. Zach said to my mom... "Grandma, I can't eat anymore junk food" "No more for me". My mom replied, okay Zach, I will make sure I only give you healthy food. He thought for a 1/2 a second and said, "Well Grandma, I think I can have ONE TREAT". Not entirely ready to give up all junk. Then when we did get to the walk for autism...he wanted 2 of everything they had. Ice Cream, Chocolate Milk, Candy you name it...he wanted it. Cracks me up, I reminded him of no more junk food that he just talked about. He just smiled.

He has been so worried about who is going to marry him the last few weeks. Almost in tears because of it. I told him that he has a long time to find a nice girl and he seemed to be okay after that. A few days later he said that he just wanted to marry Ali. I explained to him that he can't because she is his sister. He said but I love her, and started to cry. I hope that the friendship and love that Ali and Zach have for each other will always be there like it is now.

Yesterday he had a follow up doctor's appointment to check how is mouth is healing after his pretty bad mouth injury that happened right when my girls night out party was starting last Friday. On the way home we needed to stop at Target for one thing. I told him to look for my wedding ring on the ground as we walked in the store. On our way out he squatted down behind each car we passed to look under it for my ring. He said, nope mom not under that one each time. Then told me, I am sad we can't find your ring, and gave me a big hug.

He had to buy Miss Lisa these metal bracelets while we were at Kohl's. I am sure she will be just thrilled to wear them as they are so beautiful (think of a four year old's thoughts of what is beautiful). He wouldn't take no for an answer. Who knows maybe one day she will wear them to church! HA!

Today he said that Carlin is a tale taddler instead of a Tattle teller.

There is one more funny thing, I can't think of it right this minute, so I will have to correct this post when I think of it.

Sentimental Value is Worth More Than Any Amount of Money

Well I have had a very sad weekend and have cried far too much. Well maybe according to Dave as he has tried to console me. I lost my wedding ring this weekend, today is the first day I have been able to talk about it without crying. Ali had a horseshow on Saturday and in the early morning I had to wash her horse. Well my ring was bothering me as it would get caught in the horses mane, so I stuffed it in my levi's pocket and forgot about it for most of the day. Changed my clothes in the bedroom of my sister's horse trailer, folded my pants and put them on the bed. I took a change of clothes because I usually get all muddy and dirty in getting ready. When the horse show was over, I just grabbed all the clothes and stuffed them in the trunk of my car.

West Jordan has an awesome park and I had told the kids they could play there after the horseshow. While my kids played at the park I had the panic attack of looking down and not seeing my ring on my finger. Feeling around in my pockets realized that I had changed my clothes. Proceeded to get in the trunk to get my other pants and I felt a ring - pulled out my CTR ring. No wedding ring to be found. My heart just sank!

I asked my sister if she would watch my kids so I could run back over to the arena and look for it. She said, no I need to come with you to look. So my brother in law watched my kids while my sister and I went back and crawled around on our hands and knees in the gravel and dirt. What a great sister I have. We looked for at least 40 minutes.

Why couldn't it have been the $20 CTR ring that my husband didn't give me, hasn't been part of my life for 10 years...can be replaced so easily and has no sentimental value? I hope that there is some lesson that is to be learned from this that I can't see right now.

Dave went with his two friends at work this morning to the horse arena with metal detectors. He called me and told me that he doesnt' think it is there. They had three metal detectors and looked everywhere we were parked and in the path of where I would have carried my clothes.

Ali just knows we will find it. I am happy to have her to help cheer me up. She is such a little blessing!

For now I am just going to be sad, and pray that it turns up somewhere that I don't expect.

Isn't It Great to Be a Mom?!?!

I have said before that my greatest joy is being a mom. I am so blessed to be able to have two wonderful, fun healthy children to enrich my life and make my world a better place. I also must say that I have the greatest mom there is, who is so selfless and loving. Always makes sure everyone of my sisters and I have a date with our husbands regularly by babysitting and helping us out 150%. My mom has a wonderful example to follow also in my Grandma! My grandma is the same way and very tender and loving. I have to say that my mother in law is absolutely the best mom too. I truly don't know what I would do without her. I am surrounded by the best of the best.

I know so many wonderful mom's, and everyone single one of you reading right now, has a quality as a mom that I love and hope to emulate.

There are so many mom's that touch my life daily.
I HAVE HAD QUITE A RIDE SO FAR! A FEW MEMORIES I HAVE OF GREAT TIMES AS A MOM...in a slide show.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO YOU!

Thank you for your influence and example to me by being such great mom's!!

Before I was a Mom,

I never tripped over toys
or forgot words to a lullaby.

I didn't worry whether or not
my plants were poisonous.

I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.

Pooped on.Chewed on.Peed on.

I had complete control of my mind
and my thoughts.I slept all night.
Before I was a Mom,

I never held down a screaming child
so doctors could do tests. Or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

I never sat up late hours at night
watching a baby sleep.
Before I was a Mom,

I never held a sleeping baby just because
I didn't want to put her/him down.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
when I couldn't stop the hurt.

I never knew that something so small
could affect my life so much.

I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom,

I didn't know the feeling of
having my heart outside my body.

I didn't know how special it could feel
to feed a hungry baby.

I didn't know that bond
between a mother and her child.

I didn't know that something so small
could make me feel so important and happy.
Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.

I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love,
the heartache, the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,
before I was a Mom.

Girls Night Out!

Since I haven't been home to get my invitations out I decided I had better post it. Hopefully you will get a paper invitation soon. They are sitting on my table. (ho hum)
FRIDAY, MAY 16TH FROM 5:00PM TO 8:00PM - MY HOUSE
Come and see all the newest products from, Scentsy, Lia Sophia, and Creative Memories. Consultants from all three will be available for questions.
(My sister is now a scentsy consultant)

No pressure to buy, just come and have a fun night out. Children are welcome,

Zach and Ali are always looking for friends to play with.

Grandma Has 80th Birthday Party

My grandma is the sweetest ever. I love her so much. We had a fun filled night at the Golden Corral in Midvale. Lots of Family and Friends were able to come.

My grandma has always done everything with us. Vacations, Movies, Parties, Holidays, Dance Recitals, Music Recitals, School Plays, No matter the occasion Grandma is on the front row with a smile and you can always count on her for support. My kids call her Kalawaia (which is her last name). Alicyn and Zachary know just what I mean, because she is at everything they do also to support them and cheer them on just like she was for me. She also has this secret handshake and will slip money in your hand on special occasions. I could write 10 pages about her. Grandma thanks for all you do and for the great example you are to everyone. We would be lost without you!

I LOVE YOU GRANDMA! Your birthday celebration was great!

Thanksgiving Point Field Trip to the Farm

Miss Lisa has fun field trips for the kids in her class.
Zach and I had another great day together.

Eh? Sonny

I feel it's time to publish my hearing issues. Especially when my boss on Thursday told me that he has really noticed a difference when he walks by my office, says something and I don't even respond to him. He just thought I was ignoring him, didn't want to chat and started to take it personal. This really made me wonder how many other people I was offending without even knowing!

When I was 16 I went to the Ear Nose Throat Specialist (ENT) to have my hearing tested. I noticed in school that I couldn't hear the teacher. My hearing tests showed that my right ear was severely below normal and the doctor thought he could fix it with surgery. He told me that I would need to wait until I was 18 for surgery. So I returned to see him when I was 18 for surgery, and there was too much bleeding in my ear for success. He sent me to the University of Utah Hospital to a specialist, the otologist there. Dr. Parkin was able to do the surgery, however, I still couldn't hear at normal levels, so I had to be fitted for a hearing aid. I wore it regularly until I was on my mission. Wearing a hearing aid outside is just awful, when the wind blows, because it is like a microphone in your ear.

In January of this year I noticed that there was something wrong with my left ear, currently my hearing in that ear feels like it is blocked by something. Not an actual object, but it feels like I am trying to hear through a cotton ball. So I went to the doctor again to have him look, and clean my ears out. He did a hearing test and both of my ears are severely under normal hearing levels. My left ear is now worse than my right ear. Not something I wanted him to tell me. I was hoping there was just a lot of wax built up and that would be the end of it. However, when he bypassed the bones in my ear and tested the nerve, my hearing was normal. So there is hope.

I have been officially diagnosed with Otosclerosis.

What is otosclerosis?
Otosclerosis is the abnormal growth of bone of the middle ear. This bone prevents structures within the ear from working properly and causes hearing loss. For some people with otosclerosis, the hearing loss may become severe.

How is otosclerosis treated?
In many cases surgery is an option for treatment of otosclerosis. In an operation called a stapedectomy, a surgeon (otolaryngologist or otologist) bypasses the diseased bone with a prosthetic device that allows sound waves to be passed to the inner ear. It is important to discuss the risks and possible complications of this procedure, as well as the benefits, with the surgeon. In rare cases, surgery can worsen the hearing loss.

One good thing that I must say out of all this, I can sleep through Dave snoring. LOL! I asked the doctor if he would write a note to my husband and tell him that my hearing really is poor...I am not ignoring him. He did write a note to Dave, and we both laughed. The doctor thinks he can improve my hearing with surgery again. He did tell me that there is a possibility of the surgery making me totally deaf so we need to do one ear at a time. First we will have to do a CAT Scan on each ear because the nerves for your face are connected very closely. If he feels it is possible to do surgery without issues then we will proceed from there. I would hate to lose my smile or something similar. So hopefully with surgery, a stapedectomy done to both ears I will be able to hear again.

So far I don't have plans on when I will have surgery, so until then please don't think I am ignoring you if you talk to me. I REALLY CAN'T HEAR, especially if there is background noise.

How does otosclerosis cause hearing impairment?
Otosclerosis can cause different types of hearing loss, depending on which structure within the ear is affected. Otosclerosis usually affects the last bone in the chain, the stapes, which rests in the entrance to the inner ear (the oval window). The abnormal bone fixates the stapes in the oval window and interferes with sound passing waves to the inner ear.
Otosclerosis usually causes a conductive hearing loss, a hearing loss caused by a problem in the outer or middle ear. Less frequently, otosclerosis may cause a sensorineural hearing loss (damaged sensory cells and/or nerve fibers of the inner ear), as well as a conductive hearing loss.

How do we hear?
Hearing is a series of events in which the ear converts sound waves into electrical signals and causes nerve impulses to be sent to the brain where they are interpreted as sound. The ear has three main parts: the outer, middle, and inner ear. Sound waves enter through the outer ear and reach the middle ear, where they cause the ear drum to vibrate. The vibrations are transmitted through three tiny bones in the middle ear called the ossicles. These three bones are named the malleus, incus, and stapes (and are also known as the hammer, anvil, and stirrup). The ear drum and ossicles carry the vibrations to the inner ear. The stirrup transmits the vibrations through the oval window and into the fluid that fills the inner ear. The vibrations move through fluid in the snail-shaped hearing part of the inner ear (cochlea) that contains the hair cells. The fluid in the cochlea moves the top of the hair cells, which initiates the changes that lead to the production of the nerve impulses. These nerve impulses are carried to the brain, where they are interpreted as sound. Different sounds stimulate different parts of the inner ear, allowing the brain to distinguish among various sounds, for example, different vowel and consonant sounds.