Sara started doing what I can only call "puking" nasty mucous all over the place this morning. We each went through three separate outfits before 9am! UGH!!! She's had 4 breathing treatments today, and is asking for another...
it's after 2pm, and she just finally started asking for food... her meal of choice? Goldfish. I love Pepperridge Farm.
The castle is going by the wayside today... all I've been able to manage to do without her in my arms constantly is to fold a few blankets, which she lovingly helped me unfold again.
Sick kids... it's for the birds.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Hot Water...
Finally, we have it, again.
Cold water is nice for some things. Washing dark clothing that you want to stay dark colored, for example. A nice cool drink on a warm day (or any day if you are me, I LOVE cold water for that!!!) Soaking blood from the knees of kids' jeans after they've fallen and scraped their knees. Spraying on your teenager when he doesn't get up and out the door on time. Yes, cold water definitely has a happy place in my heart... just not my shower. ;)
We have a tankless water heater. We are on our second one. The first one lasted just over 2 years. LOVED it!!! And, we were very, very sad when it up and died one day last month. It was quite a headache to deal with 11 kids and no water heater IN FEBRUARY.. (yes, it is cold in February in Las Vegas!) -- (and, yes, even if it's cool outside, teenage boys SMELL FUNNY!)... Eventually, after replacing all the major parts in our Paloma water heater, and it still didn't work, they authorized us to get a new one for "free" (*) [free does not include the new $400 vent kit that is required to install the lovely new water heater that is thankfully twice the size of the old one].....
The new one worked for just about 2 weeks. Then, it quit. Yup.... that's right... just up and quit. We called customer service... they tell us, "oh, you have to replace all your gas line, it's not big enough".... okaaaaaaaaaay... so last weekend, we did that. $300+ later... it worked.... for two days. UGH!
So, all week, we have been without hot water again... Please, for a moment, try to imagine, if you can, the amount of laundry and dishes that can get backed up in just ONE DAY when you have eleven children. I know... totally scary thought. Yes, some laundry can be washed in cold... but when your kids play hard like ours, you just can't get some things clean unless you can use that all important "SANITIZE" cycle on your front loader washing machine. Besides, did I mention... teenage boys smell funny? LOL
So, another call to customer service... the senior techs have gone home for the day, but I am promised a call the very next day for sure... yeah, right. Nobody called. I called my plumber friend Rob, who came to check things out. He couldn't find any reason why it wouldn't work. (That's cuz my husband ROCKS! and can install anything, anytime, anywhere... he's awesome! :) ) We called the manufacturer again... this time, I let Rob talk to them. They go through a total troubleshooting thing with him, and decide that one of the ignition rods is shorting out, and they say they are going to send me a new control panel. I tell them I expect it overnight, with Fed Ex, by 10 am... of course, they say... no problem!
So, Friday morning comes, and so does the FedEx man... with not only a control panel, but also a full new burner assembly, and a programming chip..... and a few pages of instructions, one of which is in KOREAN, and the others, totally useless!
We tried using what we had, only to find that it just wasn't what we needed in the way of instructions... and by this point, I'm thinking that my warranty is SUPPOSED to cover parts AND Labor, and I'm getting pretty upset. I called the manufacturer again this morning, and they were nice enough, but just not too helpful. Finally, someone agreed to at least email me the instructions on how to change out the burner assembly... and would you believe they were COMPLETE instructions??? I almost fell off my chair!
Aaron disassembled the burner assembly, and then set out for guacamole fixins for tonight's Elder's Quorum social. I got to put it all back together, and did so just in time for him to put the unit back on the wall. We got it all hooked back up, and ...................
drum roll, please....
Miracle of all miracles!!! It WORKS!!! Man, I haven't been so happy to have a nice hot shower in at least a couple of weeks. LOL Now, I just really REALLY hope that it keeps on working, and that we don't have any more problems with it. All the kids had showers / baths tonight, and they are all squeaky clean, now! (Sara really needs one EVERY day, being that she's still a widdle baby. ;) She LOVES the water!)
Now, maybe we can get caught up on the dishes & laundry this week.... The dishwasher is running right now, as a matter of fact.... We actually aren't too backed up thanks to Dixie brand paper plates & the plastic forks from Costco. ;)
So, next time somebody says you're in hot water... take a moment to consider... is that really a bad thing? ;)
Cold water is nice for some things. Washing dark clothing that you want to stay dark colored, for example. A nice cool drink on a warm day (or any day if you are me, I LOVE cold water for that!!!) Soaking blood from the knees of kids' jeans after they've fallen and scraped their knees. Spraying on your teenager when he doesn't get up and out the door on time. Yes, cold water definitely has a happy place in my heart... just not my shower. ;)
We have a tankless water heater. We are on our second one. The first one lasted just over 2 years. LOVED it!!! And, we were very, very sad when it up and died one day last month. It was quite a headache to deal with 11 kids and no water heater IN FEBRUARY.. (yes, it is cold in February in Las Vegas!) -- (and, yes, even if it's cool outside, teenage boys SMELL FUNNY!)... Eventually, after replacing all the major parts in our Paloma water heater, and it still didn't work, they authorized us to get a new one for "free" (*) [free does not include the new $400 vent kit that is required to install the lovely new water heater that is thankfully twice the size of the old one].....
The new one worked for just about 2 weeks. Then, it quit. Yup.... that's right... just up and quit. We called customer service... they tell us, "oh, you have to replace all your gas line, it's not big enough".... okaaaaaaaaaay... so last weekend, we did that. $300+ later... it worked.... for two days. UGH!
So, all week, we have been without hot water again... Please, for a moment, try to imagine, if you can, the amount of laundry and dishes that can get backed up in just ONE DAY when you have eleven children. I know... totally scary thought. Yes, some laundry can be washed in cold... but when your kids play hard like ours, you just can't get some things clean unless you can use that all important "SANITIZE" cycle on your front loader washing machine. Besides, did I mention... teenage boys smell funny? LOL
So, another call to customer service... the senior techs have gone home for the day, but I am promised a call the very next day for sure... yeah, right. Nobody called. I called my plumber friend Rob, who came to check things out. He couldn't find any reason why it wouldn't work. (That's cuz my husband ROCKS! and can install anything, anytime, anywhere... he's awesome! :) ) We called the manufacturer again... this time, I let Rob talk to them. They go through a total troubleshooting thing with him, and decide that one of the ignition rods is shorting out, and they say they are going to send me a new control panel. I tell them I expect it overnight, with Fed Ex, by 10 am... of course, they say... no problem!
So, Friday morning comes, and so does the FedEx man... with not only a control panel, but also a full new burner assembly, and a programming chip..... and a few pages of instructions, one of which is in KOREAN, and the others, totally useless!
We tried using what we had, only to find that it just wasn't what we needed in the way of instructions... and by this point, I'm thinking that my warranty is SUPPOSED to cover parts AND Labor, and I'm getting pretty upset. I called the manufacturer again this morning, and they were nice enough, but just not too helpful. Finally, someone agreed to at least email me the instructions on how to change out the burner assembly... and would you believe they were COMPLETE instructions??? I almost fell off my chair!
Aaron disassembled the burner assembly, and then set out for guacamole fixins for tonight's Elder's Quorum social. I got to put it all back together, and did so just in time for him to put the unit back on the wall. We got it all hooked back up, and ...................
drum roll, please....
Miracle of all miracles!!! It WORKS!!! Man, I haven't been so happy to have a nice hot shower in at least a couple of weeks. LOL Now, I just really REALLY hope that it keeps on working, and that we don't have any more problems with it. All the kids had showers / baths tonight, and they are all squeaky clean, now! (Sara really needs one EVERY day, being that she's still a widdle baby. ;) She LOVES the water!)
Now, maybe we can get caught up on the dishes & laundry this week.... The dishwasher is running right now, as a matter of fact.... We actually aren't too backed up thanks to Dixie brand paper plates & the plastic forks from Costco. ;)
So, next time somebody says you're in hot water... take a moment to consider... is that really a bad thing? ;)
Monday, March 2, 2009
Lunch!
Got to have lunch with my dear friend Myn on Saturday... She was visiting from Utah! We ate at Pho Kim Long, my favorite vietnamese restaurant... oh it was good! :) Great seein' ya, Myn! :)
Also, we got dressed up in authentic Hawaiian garb, and went to a Johnny Lingo Night put on by our ward... it was SO much fun!!! We even got my dad to go with us... he had a good time, too. Of course, now the leaders want to get my dads records here, and assign him a home teacher... LOL Should be interesting.... ;)
Time to get kids out the door to school.... and I'm washing towels today! Go me!
The girls room is coming back together nicely.... today, to attack one of the boys' rooms! :)
Also, we got dressed up in authentic Hawaiian garb, and went to a Johnny Lingo Night put on by our ward... it was SO much fun!!! We even got my dad to go with us... he had a good time, too. Of course, now the leaders want to get my dads records here, and assign him a home teacher... LOL Should be interesting.... ;)
Time to get kids out the door to school.... and I'm washing towels today! Go me!
The girls room is coming back together nicely.... today, to attack one of the boys' rooms! :)
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
A Contest...
I seriously need to win this... and hopefully, along with it, will come time to actually read the books & listen to the CD I could win. ;) They are from Sarah Hinze, and are about babies coming from Heaven... If you've read my blog at all lately, you know that I really could use some good literature to help me through this really rough time I'm having with the loss of our baby in December. So, here is the CONTEST LINK .... Anne, PICK ME! ;)
I'm doin' alright today... but it's been a particularly hard week. So many of the people I know are going through such hard things right now. My friend Kari's boy is in the hospital with serious liver problems, my friend MarLee had emergency gall bladder surgery, my friend Misty fell & broke her wrist last week. Friends Brandon & Laura and their family are having major trials... the list goes on and on and on! We have had major issues around her with everything from the water heater to bedbugs (yes, we STILL are fighting them!) to bills, to uncertainty about Aaron's job, to who knows what else. My dad & brother are visiting, (exactly how long does a visit last, you ask... Um... I'll let you know)... it's just one thing after another after another after another... the kids are all going insane -- it must be springtime? -- and I really hardly ever have even a minute to think. Much less, to sit and write. But I did start a new journal this week, specifically about my miscarriage and the feelings I have regarding that... and I actually have slept TWO NIGHTS without taking melatonin.
Now, I would love to sit and elaborate some more, but I have ripped the girls' room apart and need to dispose of some mattresses and get a load of bedding started in the wash... I spent $32 on a professional sprayer today to spray for the bedbugs again (Cedarcide is the BOMB! == seems to be working, you just have to find them all) .... and I am in attack mode. So, thanks for stoppin' by...
The ZooKeeper
I'm doin' alright today... but it's been a particularly hard week. So many of the people I know are going through such hard things right now. My friend Kari's boy is in the hospital with serious liver problems, my friend MarLee had emergency gall bladder surgery, my friend Misty fell & broke her wrist last week. Friends Brandon & Laura and their family are having major trials... the list goes on and on and on! We have had major issues around her with everything from the water heater to bedbugs (yes, we STILL are fighting them!) to bills, to uncertainty about Aaron's job, to who knows what else. My dad & brother are visiting, (exactly how long does a visit last, you ask... Um... I'll let you know)... it's just one thing after another after another after another... the kids are all going insane -- it must be springtime? -- and I really hardly ever have even a minute to think. Much less, to sit and write. But I did start a new journal this week, specifically about my miscarriage and the feelings I have regarding that... and I actually have slept TWO NIGHTS without taking melatonin.
Now, I would love to sit and elaborate some more, but I have ripped the girls' room apart and need to dispose of some mattresses and get a load of bedding started in the wash... I spent $32 on a professional sprayer today to spray for the bedbugs again (Cedarcide is the BOMB! == seems to be working, you just have to find them all) .... and I am in attack mode. So, thanks for stoppin' by...
The ZooKeeper
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Well, well, well.... so this blog is much like my journals...
I have this awful habit of starting to write in a journal, and then life bombards me, and I get totally sidetracked and distracted by all the crazy stuff that goes on on a daily basis... and suddenly, my journal is put aside and seemingly forgotten about. Note that I said seemingly... you see, I often think to myself oh, man... i should write this down... And, I even have gone so far as to put a note to myself in the task list on my cell phone, in an effort to remind myself that I have intentions of writing this amazing story of my adventures down either in my journal or here on my blog, and well....... you know... the cycle just continues, and nothing ever gets written. SIGH!!!
I even saw something on the Sistas board the other day asking me to update my blog... which made me smile, because that means that somebody somewhere actually READS this!!! And, they have checked it a number of times, and can tell that I haven't written a thing on here in many months! That means that they must care about my life, and that makes me smile. :)
So, an interesting side note... a few months ago, Aaron picked up a new microwave oven for our family... one of those REALLY NICE ones that goes above the stove. Life happened, and the microwave sat in the corner next to the deep freezer up until this past weekend. Aaron asked me what would make me happy for him to do this past weekend, and I perked right up and said, "INSTALL MY MICROWAVE!" ;) And, wouldn't ya know, he did just that! He & my dad got it all installed, only to find out that it didn't work... UGH! We got a SCREAMIN' deal on it at Home Depot, and now I guess we know why. Anyway, we called and had the warranty company come out and fix it... it now works. YAY! What I think I like most about this new microwave, aside of the fact that it isn't sitting on my countertop, is the fact that it beeps REALLY LOUDLY if you forget that you put something in it to heat up... That happened to me tonight... as I was sitting here writing... put my leftover red beans & rice in to heat them up for my "dinner" after such a crazy day.... and you guessed it! Completely FORGOT about it! I've got my ipod on, the littles are all asleep (Ben & Eli are at church ball games, some of them are at their other mom's house)... my dishes are DONE! My floor is SWEPT! Aaron is at an Elders Quorum presidency meeting... and my dad is snoring on the couch. LOL So, now I can eat. And, yup... forgot it was even there. But, thankfully, the microwave beeps loud enough (and keeps doing so every couple of minutes in case you missed it) that I totally heard it! YAY!
So, let me go back (just like in my journal but this is faster because I am typing, and as my friend Shaunna will attest, I type like the wind. ;)
AUGUST -- we moved back to our little house. 13 people, 1402 square feet. We had wanted to buy a new house, and keep renters in here, but no matter how we tried, we just couldn't find THE HOUSE and have the right amount of money at the same time. So, we decided to move back in here and save money (yeah, right), and build an addition. The economy tanked, and there went our dreams of adding on anytime soon. Tim turned 12 and was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood at church. GO Tim! :)
SEPTEMBER -- Kept the kids in their same school, cuz we love the principal & teachers just that much! (Ok, and we really DON"T like the principal at their zoned school just that much, too. LOL) At any rate, we kept them where they had been, and school got off to a great start. Millie turned 3, Sara turned 1, Vivianne turned 7, and Aaron turned 36. One more turn down from the bank as far as funds for our addition. Ah well... maybe someday?
OCTOBER -- Fall arrived, along with some cooler weather. Kids pretty healthy... Ben is of course 4.0, Eli -- not so much. Hoping with all hope that Eli will figure out that we must DO work at school in order to get good grades. Continuing to downsize all the stuff we have, as we've downsized our house... got rid of lots of stuff -- thanks so much to Safe Nest for taking it off our hands! :) My birthday... 36 years... officially old! Got pregnant this month.... and discovered that I really AM allergic to lilies by using laundry soap with lily essence in it... broke out into hives from head to toe...of course, Aaron was away on a scout camping trip... ended up in the ER after Aaron came home...
NOVEMBER -- Was approached by a sweet friend at church who moves mobile homes... wanted to know if we were interested in adding on to our house. Um... yeah... but how? No worries! He had a single wide trailer that was a bit older, but in pretty good condition, and we could have it if we wanted it... Ummmm.... ok. Went and looked at it... decided to go for it! Cost... $0. That's right... he delivered it, and had it set by his crew, and charged us NOTHING. Went to Salt Lake for Thanksgiving for a Cheney Family reunion... much fun was had by all! We are so glad we got to go.... pregnancy going well... not sick much -- just when I would get too hot or too tired... Came home from Thanksgiving to a broken into house. STOLEN ITEMS: computer, flat screen tv/monitor, dvd player, Ben's basketball shoes, $5 in change, and 2 brand new pairs of Aaron's socks (they opened the package and just took 2 pairs... nice, huh?)... we knew who did it... the cops came, but basically did nothing.
DECEMBER -- the month flew by SO quickly! We got a giant dumpster for the debris from the addition... the missionaries came over and helped Aaron gut the addition (very much a diamond in the rough, btw, but LOTS of potential!)... they had SO much fun! Going in and out of our house through the laundry room, not my favorite, but I was happy to endure it. We had SNOW! REAL SNOW!!! Right before Christmas break... the kids got a snow day, but it ended up not being much fun. I had been feeling great, no problems... just going on about my business, and woke up Dec. 18th and had pink on my potty tissue. Decided that perhaps I'd done a little too much the day before, and should take it easy... Good thing the kids didn't have school. The boys went to Ian's house (my exhusband) for the day, so I could rest... came home from dropping them at the bus stop to meet him, and was bleeding some more. Aaron came home and our home teacher come over to give me a blessing. Shelley (the other mom) took the remaining kids (including our girls) to her house for the night. About 20 minutes after the blessings, I started to bleed really badly. Scared me pretty bad... really bad bleeding turned into massive hemmoraging, and Aaron took me to the hospital. We chose Summerlin because I had been there so many times, and they had my records. We drove past probably 3 other hospitals on our way, but I don't think our tires ever officially touched the ground. Just as we pulled into the ambulance bay, and the nurse came to help Aaron get me out of the truck, everything broke loose, and the I was in REAL trouble. Long story short (because I still haven't dealt with the gory details, and frankly they're awful and I don't feel like writing about them just now, and I'm sure you don't want to read them anyway), I lost the baby... and a whole BUNCH of blood. When I say a bunch... I really don't know just how much... but I can tell you that my blood pressure was something like 60/30, and I was clinging to life by a thread. I honestly felt that I was dying. The OB/GYN Dr. Dalley came in to see me, and the first thing she said was "you need blood... " and also a D & C. We signed all the consent forms, and I was taken to the OR. Aaron gave me a beautiful blessing just before they took me back, and I remember feeling an overwhelming feeling of love and peace, but was also very worried about the potential outcome. Thankfully, the D & C went well, and I was admitted for observation & transfusions. We started out with 2, but I was so so so weak, that the next day when she came to check on me, she immediately ordered 2 more transfusions. I couldn't even get up to the bathroom by myself, and at one point, just eating was more than I had strength to do. My dear friend Stephanie came to sit at the hospital with me the first day. She read scriptures to me, and we discussed many spiritual things. It was a day I will cherish for the rest of my life.
I spent 3 nights & 2 days in the hospital, and then came home to find that some dear soul had bought a Christmas tree and left on our doorstep while I was gone. Aaron's brother Darrell had taken Amelia & Sara to his house to play with his girls for the remainder of my hospital stay (Friday & Saturday). Vivianne spent time with my friend Stephanie and also my friend Marylin while I was in the hosptial. I am so thankful to these sweet friends & family who helped keep the children calm & comforted during my hospital stay. Thank you so much...
The following week, Aaron & I were both extended some pretty time-consuming callings at Church. Aaron was called to the Elders Quorum Presidency, and I was called to TWO big callings... 1) teaching Sunday School to the 14-15 yr olds, and 2) Enrichment Leader -- a calling that has, honestly, scared the begeebees out of me for many years. We figure the Lord wanted to make sure I didn't have time to get depressed about our loss... or something.
We are very thankful that Aaron found out that he had some vacation time at work that we didn't know about. He took off 12 days (including weekends) between Christmas & New Years, and I so loved having him home!!! It was such a blessing to have him here with us so much...
Also, our Christmas was simple and beautiful. We are very thankful to some very loving friends and ward family members who helped make it a very memorable holiday, especially in spite of the difficult time we had been experiencing. We didn't open presents until the evening, which was nice. We just took the day and tried to get the children to focus on the REAL reason we have Christmas, and what it truly means to us. We watched The Forgotten Carols, and that meant so much to me. We got a new Willow Tree figurine to help us remember that our sweet baby is in the arms of angels...
JANUARY -- Yes, these callings are VERY time consuming... Thankfully, the Sunday School position is a team teaching deal, so I only teach every other week, but I prepare every week just in case my partner can't make it. I spent many many hours putting together the first Enrichment meeting, which we held on the 21st. It was completely AWESOME! I asked my dear friend Kathleen Waite from my old ward to come and speak to us about our Divine Nature. We had the Young Women involved, and many of the sisters brought pictures and items from their Young Women's days growing up. It was SO great!!! Kathleen totally was inspired with the lesson she taught... the Spirit was so incredibly strong, and I was just in awe at how well the whole night came together. I now see how all the callings I have held up to this point have totally prepared me to be able to do this. I received many comments from sisters in the ward about the evening, and that just made my day! :) It truly was miraculous that a mom of 11 kids who just nearly lost her life a month prior could pull off something so amazing... but honestly it wasn't me. It was the Lord, and I thank Him for His tender mercies!
Oh, lest I forget... the day before the enrichment night spoken of above, our oldest son Eli broke his finger at school, playing catch with a football at lunch. Nice... His injury is called "Mallet finger"... the ball hit at just the right angle, at just the right force to snap his tendon, and break the first bone in his left hand middle finger. We ended up in the ER, and then in surgery with a wonderful hand surgeon... he got a cast, and as of yesterday, surpassed the hospital ER record for number of names & phone numbers of girls on a hand / wrist cast! LOL 26 names & numbers... gotta love it. We had a followup with Dr. Hijazi yesterday, and Eli's finger is looking pretty good. He has 2 pins sticking through the joint, and out the end of his finger... it looks pretty cool. I will have to see about getting the pictures up here so you guys can see it... it was gnarly to begin with, but is healing nicely. We go back in a couple of weeks, and then he will be referred out for physical therapy.
I got the hospital bill for my miscarriage last Thursday... $22,000. The OB's bill will be around $1000, the anesthesiologist will be about another $900, the lab, about $500... and I am sure that the bills will just keep pouring in. This all sent me reeling... but not as much as when I went to a followup appt with the OB, and having them tell me that my insurance says they won't pay. Just a little stress... They WILL pay... it's just going to be a fight. Something about that little "opposition in all things" thing... wishing it would pass me by on occasion... wouldn't that be nice?
Saturday night, Amelia came down with a fever again (she had just been sick about a month ago, right after my miscarriage). She has been spiking fevers up to 103 - 104 and beyond. That went through Monday, but finally no more fever... however, Sara is now also sick, and just really NOT feeling good. This morning, when I woke up, I heard Sara hacking and choking with the scary, and yet, very familiar cough of RSV. Dangit! So, we went to the doctor. After a whole lot of rigamaroll and runaround, both of the girls were finally seen. (More insurance problems... look for my upcoming blog entry about how awful our forced socialized medicine is going to be ... my kids have medicaid, and trust me, I don't care who tells you differently, it's no walk in the park to actually get the kids stuff covered!!!) Dr. was great, and when he heard the cough of both girls, he immediately said, "sounds like RSV.... " Yup. Nice. Flu swab & RSV Nasal wash done on Sara... Thankfully Amelia seems to be coming out of hers, and just has risidual cough. However, Sara... still VERY sick, and NOT doing well. Dr. says he will call me as soon as the results come back from the lab (should be tomorrow). In the meantime, it's breathing treatments every 4 hours, and some nasty tasting steroid (anti-inflammatory) liquid for both girls. Hopefully, Sara's insurance will get "fixed" so we can get her her own bottle of the medicine... in the meantime, we are just sharing. We also have both girls on healthy doses of Colloidal Silver ala Grandpa (my dad). The humidifier is going in their room, and they are propped up on pillows so they aren't lying flat.
We continue to work on the addition, and enjoy a visit with my dad & brother. Little by little, things are getting done. I have to tell you about our door... what a blessing! Originally, there was a bay window on the front, but we pulled that out, so we could have a front door actually be on the FRONT of our house... LOL Aaron went to Lowe's to find a door, and our funds are next to nothing for this project. But, we have figured that the Lord got us this addition (an extra almost 1,000 square feet!), so surely He will provide a way for it to be finished. So, anyway, he went to get a regular old 6 panel metal front door... $140 at Lowe's. He had the thought to check the clearance area, and lo and behold... a way cool door! It had been a custom order, but was returned, and they were selling it at a deep discount. Normal price, $778.14. Our price.. $10.99 That's right! ELEVEN DOLLARS! Aaron brought it home, and it's perfect! it's been such a testimony that Heavenly Father's hand really is visible in our lives... There are story after story after story like this... and it makes my friend Misty just shake her head. ;)
Let me go back a bit.. we took Josh to a new psychiatrist back in November. She is absolutely FABULOUS!!! We had a short interview with her med student assistant, and then she sat down with us, and basically told me everything about Josh that anyone ever wanted to know -- like she KNEW him! She'd never met him, but she totally pegged him!!! We totally love her, and have taken a few of the other children to her as well. His medications seem to working better than they ever have before, although we are still having issues with him doing his homework. We will just continue to tweak things here and there until we get it right. ALso, she had a brochure this last time we were there, for an after school program that would be TOTALLY Beneficial for Josh. She filled out the appropriate paperwork to get his Medicaid switched from HMO to full medicaid... so we are waiting on the decision from that. It may come down to us applying for Social Security disability for him, due to his severe mental health issues, in order for him to qualify for this program, but I am excited at the prospect of finding another place that can help us.
Tomorrow is Friday, and Fridays have become quite ominous around here with regards to Aaron's employment. The last several Fridays have been not so great... They took away his 401K contribution matching a few weeks back. Two weeks ago, they took away all paid time off -- no holidays, no sick days, no vacation days. If you don't work it, you don't get paid for it. Nice. There will likely be layoffs tomorrow, and hopefully, he won't be affected. Prayers on our behalf would be truly appreciated. We really hope that the economy will pick back up soon... we really need this job.
So, there you have it. my update. Probably alot more than I had originally planned on writing... but at least now it's somewhat caught up. Oh, we never did get our stuff back, that was stolen back in November... but the detective did tell me that he would press charges against the young man. The young man admitted to it... I don't know where we go from here. Guess I should call & follow up... I saw that young man tonight as I was dropping Eli off for his basketball game (don't worry -- he's just keeping score!)... made me sad all over again to have our trust broken like that. :(
Crying baby....... must jet. Breathing treatment time...
I even saw something on the Sistas board the other day asking me to update my blog... which made me smile, because that means that somebody somewhere actually READS this!!! And, they have checked it a number of times, and can tell that I haven't written a thing on here in many months! That means that they must care about my life, and that makes me smile. :)
So, an interesting side note... a few months ago, Aaron picked up a new microwave oven for our family... one of those REALLY NICE ones that goes above the stove. Life happened, and the microwave sat in the corner next to the deep freezer up until this past weekend. Aaron asked me what would make me happy for him to do this past weekend, and I perked right up and said, "INSTALL MY MICROWAVE!" ;) And, wouldn't ya know, he did just that! He & my dad got it all installed, only to find out that it didn't work... UGH! We got a SCREAMIN' deal on it at Home Depot, and now I guess we know why. Anyway, we called and had the warranty company come out and fix it... it now works. YAY! What I think I like most about this new microwave, aside of the fact that it isn't sitting on my countertop, is the fact that it beeps REALLY LOUDLY if you forget that you put something in it to heat up... That happened to me tonight... as I was sitting here writing... put my leftover red beans & rice in to heat them up for my "dinner" after such a crazy day.... and you guessed it! Completely FORGOT about it! I've got my ipod on, the littles are all asleep (Ben & Eli are at church ball games, some of them are at their other mom's house)... my dishes are DONE! My floor is SWEPT! Aaron is at an Elders Quorum presidency meeting... and my dad is snoring on the couch. LOL So, now I can eat. And, yup... forgot it was even there. But, thankfully, the microwave beeps loud enough (and keeps doing so every couple of minutes in case you missed it) that I totally heard it! YAY!
So, let me go back (just like in my journal but this is faster because I am typing, and as my friend Shaunna will attest, I type like the wind. ;)
AUGUST -- we moved back to our little house. 13 people, 1402 square feet. We had wanted to buy a new house, and keep renters in here, but no matter how we tried, we just couldn't find THE HOUSE and have the right amount of money at the same time. So, we decided to move back in here and save money (yeah, right), and build an addition. The economy tanked, and there went our dreams of adding on anytime soon. Tim turned 12 and was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood at church. GO Tim! :)
SEPTEMBER -- Kept the kids in their same school, cuz we love the principal & teachers just that much! (Ok, and we really DON"T like the principal at their zoned school just that much, too. LOL) At any rate, we kept them where they had been, and school got off to a great start. Millie turned 3, Sara turned 1, Vivianne turned 7, and Aaron turned 36. One more turn down from the bank as far as funds for our addition. Ah well... maybe someday?
OCTOBER -- Fall arrived, along with some cooler weather. Kids pretty healthy... Ben is of course 4.0, Eli -- not so much. Hoping with all hope that Eli will figure out that we must DO work at school in order to get good grades. Continuing to downsize all the stuff we have, as we've downsized our house... got rid of lots of stuff -- thanks so much to Safe Nest for taking it off our hands! :) My birthday... 36 years... officially old! Got pregnant this month.... and discovered that I really AM allergic to lilies by using laundry soap with lily essence in it... broke out into hives from head to toe...of course, Aaron was away on a scout camping trip... ended up in the ER after Aaron came home...
NOVEMBER -- Was approached by a sweet friend at church who moves mobile homes... wanted to know if we were interested in adding on to our house. Um... yeah... but how? No worries! He had a single wide trailer that was a bit older, but in pretty good condition, and we could have it if we wanted it... Ummmm.... ok. Went and looked at it... decided to go for it! Cost... $0. That's right... he delivered it, and had it set by his crew, and charged us NOTHING. Went to Salt Lake for Thanksgiving for a Cheney Family reunion... much fun was had by all! We are so glad we got to go.... pregnancy going well... not sick much -- just when I would get too hot or too tired... Came home from Thanksgiving to a broken into house. STOLEN ITEMS: computer, flat screen tv/monitor, dvd player, Ben's basketball shoes, $5 in change, and 2 brand new pairs of Aaron's socks (they opened the package and just took 2 pairs... nice, huh?)... we knew who did it... the cops came, but basically did nothing.
DECEMBER -- the month flew by SO quickly! We got a giant dumpster for the debris from the addition... the missionaries came over and helped Aaron gut the addition (very much a diamond in the rough, btw, but LOTS of potential!)... they had SO much fun! Going in and out of our house through the laundry room, not my favorite, but I was happy to endure it. We had SNOW! REAL SNOW!!! Right before Christmas break... the kids got a snow day, but it ended up not being much fun. I had been feeling great, no problems... just going on about my business, and woke up Dec. 18th and had pink on my potty tissue. Decided that perhaps I'd done a little too much the day before, and should take it easy... Good thing the kids didn't have school. The boys went to Ian's house (my exhusband) for the day, so I could rest... came home from dropping them at the bus stop to meet him, and was bleeding some more. Aaron came home and our home teacher come over to give me a blessing. Shelley (the other mom) took the remaining kids (including our girls) to her house for the night. About 20 minutes after the blessings, I started to bleed really badly. Scared me pretty bad... really bad bleeding turned into massive hemmoraging, and Aaron took me to the hospital. We chose Summerlin because I had been there so many times, and they had my records. We drove past probably 3 other hospitals on our way, but I don't think our tires ever officially touched the ground. Just as we pulled into the ambulance bay, and the nurse came to help Aaron get me out of the truck, everything broke loose, and the I was in REAL trouble. Long story short (because I still haven't dealt with the gory details, and frankly they're awful and I don't feel like writing about them just now, and I'm sure you don't want to read them anyway), I lost the baby... and a whole BUNCH of blood. When I say a bunch... I really don't know just how much... but I can tell you that my blood pressure was something like 60/30, and I was clinging to life by a thread. I honestly felt that I was dying. The OB/GYN Dr. Dalley came in to see me, and the first thing she said was "you need blood... " and also a D & C. We signed all the consent forms, and I was taken to the OR. Aaron gave me a beautiful blessing just before they took me back, and I remember feeling an overwhelming feeling of love and peace, but was also very worried about the potential outcome. Thankfully, the D & C went well, and I was admitted for observation & transfusions. We started out with 2, but I was so so so weak, that the next day when she came to check on me, she immediately ordered 2 more transfusions. I couldn't even get up to the bathroom by myself, and at one point, just eating was more than I had strength to do. My dear friend Stephanie came to sit at the hospital with me the first day. She read scriptures to me, and we discussed many spiritual things. It was a day I will cherish for the rest of my life.
I spent 3 nights & 2 days in the hospital, and then came home to find that some dear soul had bought a Christmas tree and left on our doorstep while I was gone. Aaron's brother Darrell had taken Amelia & Sara to his house to play with his girls for the remainder of my hospital stay (Friday & Saturday). Vivianne spent time with my friend Stephanie and also my friend Marylin while I was in the hosptial. I am so thankful to these sweet friends & family who helped keep the children calm & comforted during my hospital stay. Thank you so much...
The following week, Aaron & I were both extended some pretty time-consuming callings at Church. Aaron was called to the Elders Quorum Presidency, and I was called to TWO big callings... 1) teaching Sunday School to the 14-15 yr olds, and 2) Enrichment Leader -- a calling that has, honestly, scared the begeebees out of me for many years. We figure the Lord wanted to make sure I didn't have time to get depressed about our loss... or something.
We are very thankful that Aaron found out that he had some vacation time at work that we didn't know about. He took off 12 days (including weekends) between Christmas & New Years, and I so loved having him home!!! It was such a blessing to have him here with us so much...
Also, our Christmas was simple and beautiful. We are very thankful to some very loving friends and ward family members who helped make it a very memorable holiday, especially in spite of the difficult time we had been experiencing. We didn't open presents until the evening, which was nice. We just took the day and tried to get the children to focus on the REAL reason we have Christmas, and what it truly means to us. We watched The Forgotten Carols, and that meant so much to me. We got a new Willow Tree figurine to help us remember that our sweet baby is in the arms of angels...
JANUARY -- Yes, these callings are VERY time consuming... Thankfully, the Sunday School position is a team teaching deal, so I only teach every other week, but I prepare every week just in case my partner can't make it. I spent many many hours putting together the first Enrichment meeting, which we held on the 21st. It was completely AWESOME! I asked my dear friend Kathleen Waite from my old ward to come and speak to us about our Divine Nature. We had the Young Women involved, and many of the sisters brought pictures and items from their Young Women's days growing up. It was SO great!!! Kathleen totally was inspired with the lesson she taught... the Spirit was so incredibly strong, and I was just in awe at how well the whole night came together. I now see how all the callings I have held up to this point have totally prepared me to be able to do this. I received many comments from sisters in the ward about the evening, and that just made my day! :) It truly was miraculous that a mom of 11 kids who just nearly lost her life a month prior could pull off something so amazing... but honestly it wasn't me. It was the Lord, and I thank Him for His tender mercies!
Oh, lest I forget... the day before the enrichment night spoken of above, our oldest son Eli broke his finger at school, playing catch with a football at lunch. Nice... His injury is called "Mallet finger"... the ball hit at just the right angle, at just the right force to snap his tendon, and break the first bone in his left hand middle finger. We ended up in the ER, and then in surgery with a wonderful hand surgeon... he got a cast, and as of yesterday, surpassed the hospital ER record for number of names & phone numbers of girls on a hand / wrist cast! LOL 26 names & numbers... gotta love it. We had a followup with Dr. Hijazi yesterday, and Eli's finger is looking pretty good. He has 2 pins sticking through the joint, and out the end of his finger... it looks pretty cool. I will have to see about getting the pictures up here so you guys can see it... it was gnarly to begin with, but is healing nicely. We go back in a couple of weeks, and then he will be referred out for physical therapy.
I got the hospital bill for my miscarriage last Thursday... $22,000. The OB's bill will be around $1000, the anesthesiologist will be about another $900, the lab, about $500... and I am sure that the bills will just keep pouring in. This all sent me reeling... but not as much as when I went to a followup appt with the OB, and having them tell me that my insurance says they won't pay. Just a little stress... They WILL pay... it's just going to be a fight. Something about that little "opposition in all things" thing... wishing it would pass me by on occasion... wouldn't that be nice?
Saturday night, Amelia came down with a fever again (she had just been sick about a month ago, right after my miscarriage). She has been spiking fevers up to 103 - 104 and beyond. That went through Monday, but finally no more fever... however, Sara is now also sick, and just really NOT feeling good. This morning, when I woke up, I heard Sara hacking and choking with the scary, and yet, very familiar cough of RSV. Dangit! So, we went to the doctor. After a whole lot of rigamaroll and runaround, both of the girls were finally seen. (More insurance problems... look for my upcoming blog entry about how awful our forced socialized medicine is going to be ... my kids have medicaid, and trust me, I don't care who tells you differently, it's no walk in the park to actually get the kids stuff covered!!!) Dr. was great, and when he heard the cough of both girls, he immediately said, "sounds like RSV.... " Yup. Nice. Flu swab & RSV Nasal wash done on Sara... Thankfully Amelia seems to be coming out of hers, and just has risidual cough. However, Sara... still VERY sick, and NOT doing well. Dr. says he will call me as soon as the results come back from the lab (should be tomorrow). In the meantime, it's breathing treatments every 4 hours, and some nasty tasting steroid (anti-inflammatory) liquid for both girls. Hopefully, Sara's insurance will get "fixed" so we can get her her own bottle of the medicine... in the meantime, we are just sharing. We also have both girls on healthy doses of Colloidal Silver ala Grandpa (my dad). The humidifier is going in their room, and they are propped up on pillows so they aren't lying flat.
We continue to work on the addition, and enjoy a visit with my dad & brother. Little by little, things are getting done. I have to tell you about our door... what a blessing! Originally, there was a bay window on the front, but we pulled that out, so we could have a front door actually be on the
Let me go back a bit.. we took Josh to a new psychiatrist back in November. She is absolutely FABULOUS!!! We had a short interview with her med student assistant, and then she sat down with us, and basically told me everything about Josh that anyone ever wanted to know -- like she KNEW him! She'd never met him, but she totally pegged him!!! We totally love her, and have taken a few of the other children to her as well. His medications seem to working better than they ever have before, although we are still having issues with him doing his homework. We will just continue to tweak things here and there until we get it right. ALso, she had a brochure this last time we were there, for an after school program that would be TOTALLY Beneficial for Josh. She filled out the appropriate paperwork to get his Medicaid switched from HMO to full medicaid... so we are waiting on the decision from that. It may come down to us applying for Social Security disability for him, due to his severe mental health issues, in order for him to qualify for this program, but I am excited at the prospect of finding another place that can help us.
Tomorrow is Friday, and Fridays have become quite ominous around here with regards to Aaron's employment. The last several Fridays have been not so great... They took away his 401K contribution matching a few weeks back. Two weeks ago, they took away all paid time off -- no holidays, no sick days, no vacation days. If you don't work it, you don't get paid for it. Nice. There will likely be layoffs tomorrow, and hopefully, he won't be affected. Prayers on our behalf would be truly appreciated. We really hope that the economy will pick back up soon... we really need this job.
So, there you have it. my update. Probably alot more than I had originally planned on writing... but at least now it's somewhat caught up. Oh, we never did get our stuff back, that was stolen back in November... but the detective did tell me that he would press charges against the young man. The young man admitted to it... I don't know where we go from here. Guess I should call & follow up... I saw that young man tonight as I was dropping Eli off for his basketball game (don't worry -- he's just keeping score!)... made me sad all over again to have our trust broken like that. :(
Crying baby....... must jet. Breathing treatment time...
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
For my cousin Vic...
I don't even know if you'll ever see this.......
but i have to tell you THANK YOU. I so wish I could come home and hug your neck and express my deep love and appreciation to you. Vic, you may not know it, and that's my fault for being so far away and so busy with my family, but you have made such a difference in my life. You, and Alisa and Victor and Bonnie, too. You're the only COUSIN in our family on either side who ever really showed that they cared about me. All those years, growing up, nobody else ever really even gave me the time of day. But, you spent time with me. You helped me when things were really tough at home. I always knew that your house was a safe place. Remember, I even came there a time or two on my own...
Since Dad called me last night to tell me what happened with you, I have been experiencing those "soap opera moments"... you know, the ones where on the soap operas and someone gets sick or dies, they go back and show all the highlights of that person's life and what they have meant to each person... memories. Well, that's what I've been experiencing the last 12 hours or so. It means so much to me to have some of those doors unlocked by the memories we share, Vic. I couldn't remember a lot of those things until now, but it seems like a movie that just replays in my mind. You were always SO sweet to me... and I don't think I have a single childhood memory that doesn't have you in it. Remember that tiny little black furry puppy that was at Grandma's house when I was........ maybe 4 years old? He was so teeny tiny, and I wanted to hold him... and you helped me. Thank you. I treasure that, and so many more memories of you. I remember when you had brought Adam to our house and I didn't know what to think of him... but you encouraged us to play outside, and I remember that we went and had a contest of who could find the most "locust" shells........ that was your idea. Do you know, that even today, I play that game with my kids? Yes, there are cicadas here in Las Vegas......... but we don't have any tree frogs that I've been able to find. Perhaps that's the lack of trees......... or maybe it's the lack of tropical atmosphere. ;)
Fishing. Detailing your and Dad's cars. Going to the grocery store with Mom and Alisa and you... Any time at Grandma's house. My how you loved her... and she loved YOU! And, how the both of you loved me. You know, Alisa was your perfect match. She still is. Thank you for always treating her and the children with love and kindess. And, for loving them unconditionally. I remember when you came to Denver to see us. I wasn't around much, considering that I had moved out, and things between me and my parents were terrible... but you made sure I knew you were in town, and that you wanted to see ME. I can't tell you how that made me feel. Then, the design jobs you helped me get... you'll never know how much that meant to me. My success was important to you, enough that you put yourself on the line to make it happen. Thank you thank you thank you!
I don't know how you're doing this morning. Dad said that the doctors had to revive you three times during your surgeries yesterday. The veil is very thin. I want so much to be able to do more for you, for Alisa, and for Victor and Bonnie. I wish I could come home. I can't. But, I hope that you know that I am there in my heart. Grandma "visited" me yesterday morning... I was getting something out of my jewelry box, and she entered my mind. I was thinking that it's been 8 years since I saw her on this Earth, and how I love her and miss her. I even spoke out loud to her, and thanked her for dropping by, and asked if she could put in a good word with the Guy Upstairs to help us get into this amazing house we are trying to buy. She's always made it a point to help me in situations like that... it's because of her that I have my girls. She told me she'd see to my getting a girl, personally... and she did. Did she ever??? 5 girls later.... wow! So, I asked for help with the house. I told her I loved her, and then rushed into my day. I got to the social security office, and while I was standing in line, I was sort of visited again. There was a little older woman in front of me. She had the same wavy black hair that Grandma had. She was about the same size, build. She wore a polyester dress that had little black clovers all over it -- something Grandma would've had in her closet. She even had the comfy shoes Grandma loved so much. As I stood behind her I remember thinking to myself... wow, she REALLY reminds me of Grandma. And then... the lady turned around, and I saw her face. She looked about as much like Grandma as she possibly could....... only she was Oriental. LOL That part made me smile..... nice, Grandma. I felt her near several more times throughout the day. We got a call that our financing had been approved by the lender, and I knew she had a hand in that. There are more hurdles to cross -- such as getting the offer accepted -- minor things, you know. LOL -- but knowing that her hand, and the hand of the Lord are in it...... I have faith. Grandma has surely given me that gift. She taught us faith and perseverance. She taught me about endurance. She taught me to truly love the Lord. And, I want you to know, Vic. I do. I do love Him with all my heart. And, I pray (and know!) that He is taking care of you. And, that His will will be done. I am conflicted because I want so much for you to live, and to stay here with us, but then at the same time, I want you to go... Know Him as I know Him. Let Him take you in His arms, and Love you with His Perfect Love.
I know we haven't talked much about religion over the years, Vic. But, I do thank you so much for always loving me, and never turning your back on our family. When we joined the Church, you still loved us, even when a lot of members of our family really backed off and seemed to think we were weird. I never have borne my testimony to you, outright, before. But, I want you to know that I KNOW God lives. And, I know He loves you. He loves ALL of His children! And, he wants us to be happy.... part of that is that He wants us to be part of His Eternal Family. Do you know that your family can be FOREVER? It makes so much more sense, doesn't it? I'm sure that you're being taught this, and that maybe you've even seen Grandma and Vivian and Rhonda and Roger, among others. Listen to them. Give them my love...... and know that I promise to do more to make our family eternal.
The children are waking, and my crazy day begins... but it begins with a beautiful sunrise, and a prayer for you. I'll keep that prayer going continuously in my heart. I love you. And I thank you for everything...... I've placed your name on the prayer roll at the temple. God Bless You.
Your CUZZIN... ;)
Jeana
but i have to tell you THANK YOU. I so wish I could come home and hug your neck and express my deep love and appreciation to you. Vic, you may not know it, and that's my fault for being so far away and so busy with my family, but you have made such a difference in my life. You, and Alisa and Victor and Bonnie, too. You're the only COUSIN in our family on either side who ever really showed that they cared about me. All those years, growing up, nobody else ever really even gave me the time of day. But, you spent time with me. You helped me when things were really tough at home. I always knew that your house was a safe place. Remember, I even came there a time or two on my own...
Since Dad called me last night to tell me what happened with you, I have been experiencing those "soap opera moments"... you know, the ones where on the soap operas and someone gets sick or dies, they go back and show all the highlights of that person's life and what they have meant to each person... memories. Well, that's what I've been experiencing the last 12 hours or so. It means so much to me to have some of those doors unlocked by the memories we share, Vic. I couldn't remember a lot of those things until now, but it seems like a movie that just replays in my mind. You were always SO sweet to me... and I don't think I have a single childhood memory that doesn't have you in it. Remember that tiny little black furry puppy that was at Grandma's house when I was........ maybe 4 years old? He was so teeny tiny, and I wanted to hold him... and you helped me. Thank you. I treasure that, and so many more memories of you. I remember when you had brought Adam to our house and I didn't know what to think of him... but you encouraged us to play outside, and I remember that we went and had a contest of who could find the most "locust" shells........ that was your idea. Do you know, that even today, I play that game with my kids? Yes, there are cicadas here in Las Vegas......... but we don't have any tree frogs that I've been able to find. Perhaps that's the lack of trees......... or maybe it's the lack of tropical atmosphere. ;)
Fishing. Detailing your and Dad's cars. Going to the grocery store with Mom and Alisa and you... Any time at Grandma's house. My how you loved her... and she loved YOU! And, how the both of you loved me. You know, Alisa was your perfect match. She still is. Thank you for always treating her and the children with love and kindess. And, for loving them unconditionally. I remember when you came to Denver to see us. I wasn't around much, considering that I had moved out, and things between me and my parents were terrible... but you made sure I knew you were in town, and that you wanted to see ME. I can't tell you how that made me feel. Then, the design jobs you helped me get... you'll never know how much that meant to me. My success was important to you, enough that you put yourself on the line to make it happen. Thank you thank you thank you!
I don't know how you're doing this morning. Dad said that the doctors had to revive you three times during your surgeries yesterday. The veil is very thin. I want so much to be able to do more for you, for Alisa, and for Victor and Bonnie. I wish I could come home. I can't. But, I hope that you know that I am there in my heart. Grandma "visited" me yesterday morning... I was getting something out of my jewelry box, and she entered my mind. I was thinking that it's been 8 years since I saw her on this Earth, and how I love her and miss her. I even spoke out loud to her, and thanked her for dropping by, and asked if she could put in a good word with the Guy Upstairs to help us get into this amazing house we are trying to buy. She's always made it a point to help me in situations like that... it's because of her that I have my girls. She told me she'd see to my getting a girl, personally... and she did. Did she ever??? 5 girls later.... wow! So, I asked for help with the house. I told her I loved her, and then rushed into my day. I got to the social security office, and while I was standing in line, I was sort of visited again. There was a little older woman in front of me. She had the same wavy black hair that Grandma had. She was about the same size, build. She wore a polyester dress that had little black clovers all over it -- something Grandma would've had in her closet. She even had the comfy shoes Grandma loved so much. As I stood behind her I remember thinking to myself... wow, she REALLY reminds me of Grandma. And then... the lady turned around, and I saw her face. She looked about as much like Grandma as she possibly could....... only she was Oriental. LOL That part made me smile..... nice, Grandma. I felt her near several more times throughout the day. We got a call that our financing had been approved by the lender, and I knew she had a hand in that. There are more hurdles to cross -- such as getting the offer accepted -- minor things, you know. LOL -- but knowing that her hand, and the hand of the Lord are in it...... I have faith. Grandma has surely given me that gift. She taught us faith and perseverance. She taught me about endurance. She taught me to truly love the Lord. And, I want you to know, Vic. I do. I do love Him with all my heart. And, I pray (and know!) that He is taking care of you. And, that His will will be done. I am conflicted because I want so much for you to live, and to stay here with us, but then at the same time, I want you to go... Know Him as I know Him. Let Him take you in His arms, and Love you with His Perfect Love.
I know we haven't talked much about religion over the years, Vic. But, I do thank you so much for always loving me, and never turning your back on our family. When we joined the Church, you still loved us, even when a lot of members of our family really backed off and seemed to think we were weird. I never have borne my testimony to you, outright, before. But, I want you to know that I KNOW God lives. And, I know He loves you. He loves ALL of His children! And, he wants us to be happy.... part of that is that He wants us to be part of His Eternal Family. Do you know that your family can be FOREVER? It makes so much more sense, doesn't it? I'm sure that you're being taught this, and that maybe you've even seen Grandma and Vivian and Rhonda and Roger, among others. Listen to them. Give them my love...... and know that I promise to do more to make our family eternal.
The children are waking, and my crazy day begins... but it begins with a beautiful sunrise, and a prayer for you. I'll keep that prayer going continuously in my heart. I love you. And I thank you for everything...... I've placed your name on the prayer roll at the temple. God Bless You.
Your CUZZIN... ;)
Jeana
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