Spinning My Wheels

The last weekend was one heckuv an adventure.

The End!

Okay, just kidding.
From the title and the picture you can see that I am not speaking metaphorically here. This past Saturday, my wife headed to Springville with a dear friend for a meeting dealing with our Bountiful Baskets site here in town.

That left me, six children, and two good friends to hold down the fort. After a chill afternoon, we decided to head out to the new little geyser that my family had visited Easter weekend.

We made it out with PLENTY of sunlight left to burn. Because my trooper wouldn't even come close to making it that far, we went in Mr. Z's car. The trip out was fun. The kids were very entertaining, to say the least. When we arrived, the kids scattered like dandelion seeds in all directions.  (I would upload some pictures of the many adventures we had, but unfortunately my camera ended up going home with Mr. Z. Rather I am uploading a "stolen" image from Mr. Z. Hope he doesn't mind. I guess it IS my kids. :) ). When the time came to head out, I was totally expecting to get in the car and drive home. The kids were hungry and getting tired.

I was pleasantly surprised when Mr. Z put the car in gear and headed out towards the river area. I had wanted to go this direction, but wasn't about the suggest it since we weren't in my vehicle. We explored many little side roads and areas. At one point, we started to get into some really sandy areas. I warned my friend that I had previously been stuck in just such a road. He assured me that we would be fine and that the road we were on was "more exciting".  I just smiled and let him drive. We found a neat little road that headed down a pretty steep hill.  On the way down we knew we wouldn't be coming back up that one. It was VERY sandy. We kept driving because we were confident this road would circle around and lead back to the main road, which in turn would let us drive on home.

Copyright BackRoads Photography

Sadly, that is NOT how it happened. The further we went the sandier the road became, until, we stopped altogether. I was laughing. Mr. Z was freaking out. He kept apologizing for getting us stuck. I kept telling him that life happens. Now, if you know me at all, you would think that I would be at Def Con 5 about now. I felt strangely peaceful (my wife told me it was because it wasn't my car that was stuck, and this may be partly true, but I wasn't worried in the least- a different feeling for me.) and the kids were easily entertained with the snacks and water I had decided to throw in the back.

We tried for well over an hour to get the car unstuck. It was no use. Mr. Z and Ms. D finally agreed that the time had come to call for help. "Do we call a tow truck or 911?".
"We call my dad!"
They took my phone and headed out in hopes of finding a bar or two of service in the beautiful area that was holding us prisoner. I was told to stay with the herd. While they were out seeking help, I took my 6 herdlings on a walk around the area. We made a horrifying discovery. The road ended about 50 yards in front of the car. So even if we COULD/DID get the car out, we would have to either cross-country it, OR revisit the sandy road. Good thing we were calling for backup!

Mr. Z and Ms. D were able to reach my parents who high-tailed it out to the area and found us without much problem. I think it was because of the prayer we said as a family (and friends). My daughter was getting pretty freaked out thinking we would have the spend the night in the car. I told her we should pray when we get scared. So we did. I think it helped.

Within the hour after my parents arrived, we were ALL headed back to good old GR. I rode with my parents as all my children, minus my oldest, were in grandma and grandpa's truck. I was okay with that. It was nice to visit with my parents. I hadn't had a chance to do that in a while. My oldest rode with Mr. Z and Ms. D.

When we arrived my mother gave Mr. Z a hard time for NOT driving a Chevy. After we got home and dumped the half sand dune of dirt out of our shoes and clothes, we had cold cereal and toast and visited until 2am. My wife made it home sometime around 10:30pm and we filled her in on the details. She laughed at us. I wish she would have been there to enjoy the humor, the beauty of the area, and experience of a lifetime this was.

Who would have thought that getting stuck in the sand could be so enjoyable.

Thanks for a good adventure Mr. Z. Please come and visit us again soon!

Later...

P.S. To read the two other accounts of this adventure. Click HERE to read Mr. Z's Account, or HERE to read Ms. D's account.

To The Doctor We Go.... Again...

Oh what fun making trips to Provo is...

Well, I guess we DO get to see lots of our friends and that really IS fun. But driving up every other week for some doctor appointment isn't what I would call "fun". After all, my two youngest sons spend the whole trip trying not to barf and the oldest three is back are fighting and bickering and hitting each other. Ah, the joys of six children. What were we thinking???? (and I agree with you sitting there at your computer saying, "And he wouldn't have it any other way!" I wouldn't. But this stage in the game is a bit much for me).

We decided to make the trip up and back in one day. We were tired of packing for multiple days, and despite what everyone says, our family wears quickly on people and we still wanted to have friends when this experience is all over with.

We were up and going yesterday morning by 6:30am and we STILL didn't get out the door until after 8:15. I was highly annoyed because we had a lot to do before we ever made it to the doctor. With traffic and having to stop in Price for an unexpected potty stop (dang kids), we made it to my cousins house in Pleasant Grove about 15 minutes before we had to be leaving to go to the dr. appointment. I thought that was a bit embarrassing- "Hey we are here, now here is our kids and we will be back sometime this afternoon..." They were super good sports about it and very mellow. I was grateful that they were willing to keep the boys. (Thanks Phil and Melissa- you two were lifesavers).

This dr. appointment was in Orem in the Physicians Plaza next to Timpanogos Regional Medical Center. It was pretty easy to find. The purpose of this particular visit was to learn more about how my wife's hysterectomy would affect her and to ensure that she was healing properly. I won't share much of what was discussed as it is personal in nature, but we did learn that she will be on estrogen for the rest of her life. We asked why she needed it if she wasn't showing any menopausal symptoms. He gave lots of really good reasons. So... she has a sample to try which is a gel she just rubs on her arm every day. Pretty low key and easy. We will see how well it works and then go from there. It was a good visit and I think my wife left feeling much better about things.

After the appointment, we headed back to my cousin's house. We had called to see if the boys had killed off my cousin yet and offered to take him and his family to lunch. He just laughed and I said that I would talk to him about it when we got back to his house. Just as we were getting their house he called and said that everyone had eaten and that we were to turn around and go and eat. We argued, but he was certain they would be okay.

Our apartment we had when we lived in Pleasant Grove was just down the street from there so we did a drive by. it still looks the same. It is where we lived with my oldest son when he was just 2 years old. Crazy stuff. We took a picture of it, but I don't feel like uploading it. Takes forever to upload pictures to Blogger anymore, hence the reason I don't do many of them... lol.

Because we were in PG and would be driving by their house, my wife and I decided to do a quick visit to the Perry household (Kelly Perry is the one who came to the hospital to do my wife's nails and visit). They hopped in the van and we went to a fairly quick lunch considering we had my two-year old who took FOREVER to eat. We dropped the Perry's off and raced back to my cousin's house. Unfortunately, just as we arrived back, my cousin's wife had to leave to take some kids swimming. Well, unfortunate for us because we wanted to visit and fortunate for her because she got to escape my children. They were truly on one. Fighting, hitting, jumping off the furniture. It was mortifying. My cousin was totally cool about it, but I was ready to head out ASAP simply because I felt like we were unpleasant to be around.

After we left my cousin's house we headed to Sam's Club to pick up my new glasses. I was excited that they had come in. I mean, I ordered them on Monday after all. Here is a side view. The side bars are way chunky compared to what I would normally wear. Below is a front view (excuse the ugly mug wearing them... lol. Just look at the glasses). I like them, which is good, because I will be wearing these for about 2 year or more before I replace them if I stay on my current plan. However, my wife and I have discussed looking into vision insurance with all the kids we have. Probably a good idea. We will have to see what our money situation will be once everything has settled. I need to ask the district what options I have (if any) through them as well.

After we picked up my glasses and gassed up at the Sam's gas station (talk about cheap fuel- wow!) we headed to Springville to pay a visit to the Mannings. Shockingly they opened their door when we knocked. We wondered if they would close all the blinds and pretend to be gone... lol. we went in and visited for about an hour before deciding to head to Denny's for dinner. I won't even go into detail over that. The kids were decent and it was nice to simply visit with our friends. We headed out from Denny's. My oldest daughter had decided to stay in town so she could hang out with a friend and go swimming. She had spent the night before we left at her friends house and then ALL day. Stacy assured me it was okay but we still wanted to get home.

We made it home around 10:30pm and picked up my daughter and headed to our house (just around the corner). We found all was well and it didn't take long to get everyone in the house, in their PJ's, and sleeping- including me...

Today (Friday) has found me busy, busy, busy. I wasn't up and going very early, but once up I have cleaned both bathroom, swept and mopped the kitchen, watered the garden, took the kids to lunch at the school, got the baby fed, changed and down for a nap, and vacuumed. I still need to mow and water the front lawn, but I will have to wait until my wife returns from her trip to Grand Junction with her friends. They went for a "girl's day". I am glad she went. She needed to escape this jungle. Well, I best go and check on the garden- I am sure that by now I have created the next great flood. Noah might come sailing by any minute.

Oh, one last thought. We got a second bill from Dr. Brady in Price. I tried to call, but his billing assistant is out of the office until Monday. I am waiting to inform them that because of the surgery HE HELPED WITH my wife spent 24 days in the ICU and 3 more days in the regular ward. We have made several trips back to Provo for various appointments, including another ER visit. That I am currently in the midst of paying off major medical bills and deciding on legal action against those involved. So, when I get everything else paid off and have made final decision about legal action I will get around to paying their bill. I can't wait to hear what he/ his billing lady says to that. I will let you know.

Later...

P.S. The whole medical saga will end on Monday with the benefit dinner that is being held for our family Thanks to everyone who has donated, contributed, or helped in any way. We are truly grateful and humbled). After that, I will no longer be tagging these posts in the series. We are ready to move on. It will be months before my wife is back to full strength and ability, but the time has come to focus my posting on other things- so yeah for us all. No more depressing posts about medical stuff, just about teaching...lol.

The Dr. Said...

Day we left the hospital.
THIS is Dr. Lichti- Her Life Saver!

Well, Monday we had a appointment with Dr. Lichti. He is the surgeon who saved my wife's life. You know, the one that did 5 operations on her abdomen.

However, before I share what he told us, I need to give the details of how we ended up in his posh office.

Let's see... we left on Sunday right after sacrament meeting to head to Springville.Thanks to our good friends the Mannings, we had a place to stay so we didn't have to leave really early (plus we would get to visit). Mr. Z had left earlier Sunday morning. We sure enjoyed him staying at our house for a few days. He had many places he could visit to choose from and he chose to stay with us. Must be that my kids are very entertaining. lol. Ayways, we left by 12:30pm and arrived at the Mannings around 3pm. It was so nice to let the kids play while we visited and ate and visited and ate. I must say, Becky makes a mean mint brownie! YUMMY! :) We visited for quite a while after the kids went to bed before we all decided to hit the hay.

The whole house was up and going by 7:30am. Mannings had swimming lessons (and Becky had tutoring at the school) and we needed to get to my wife's doctors appointment. We loaded up the herd and headed out. Having never visited his office we wanted to leave ourselves enough time to find it. It wasn't too hard to find, but it wasn't a piece of cake either. It was one building among MANY in a ritzy business park in Northern Provo.

We got registered and paperwork filled out. It wasn't long before they called my wife back. We took the baby and my youngest son even though the sign by the door says that the patient only is allowed in the back. I wasn't going to let my wife go in there alone. We had lots of questions and she wanted me to be there with her.

Dr. Lichti's assistant came in after 20 minutes of waiting. He asked a few questions and looked on the computer. We told him that we had been to the ER and that a CT Scan had been done. He didn't have it in his file so he requested it and then went to go and examine it. When he returned (another 20 minutes later) he had Dr. Lichti with him. Both of them examined the incisions. Dr. Licti was very pleased with how well they were healing. He checked her abdomen and asked lots of questions. Then it was our turn.

-We asked about lifting. The answer was NOTHING heavier than the baby until he approves it.
-We asked about her UTI- he prescribed two more weeks of antibiotics and set up an appointment with an urologist.
-We asked what the next steps were- We are going back in three more weeks for another follow-up appointment.
-We asked about the drain holes still hurting- he said they might hurt for a long time.
-We asked about the numbness- he said that she may stay numb around the incision from 6 months to a year and the main incision may never have feeling in it.
-We asked about a timeline for returning to "normal"- he said to take it slow and know that it could be several months before she begins to feel at full speed and then several more before she is fully healed.

After the Q & A session, we knew it was time to head out. We made the appointments for three weeks and headed out.

Since it was also my son's birthday (he turned FOUR) we had planned to eat at Pizza Pie Cafe. However, we weren't really hungry since we had had a later breakfast. We went to Sam's and did a little shopping. While we were there, I decided to have my eyes examined and purchase new glasses. I am excited to have new glasses. The frames are going to look pretty cool. They are thicker than I would normally buy. I will have to share a picture when they finally arrive. (Update: Sam's just called and said my glasses are ready to pick-up- WAHOO!!!!!!).

Pizza Pie Cafe in Provo

After shopping, we headed back to the Mannings  for bit. We actually ended up waiting until Becky made it home from her school meetings to go. The kids were "starving" which was good because I didn't want to pay a bunch of money for the kids to eat one slice of pizza and be full. lol. The Pizza Pie Cafe is a pretty good place to eat. Reasonable price and decent tasting pizza, pasta, and salad. The kids loved it and actually ate really well. After dinner we headed home.

The Yummy Buffet

We stopped in Price to pick up my oldest son who had been staying with my sister in Orangeville. He was ready to come home (though he REALLY enjoyed staying for the week). We were ready to have him home. We had missed him terribly. With our complete little family in the van, we journeyed homeward. It was SO nice to be home after the drive with kids whining and complaining. We stopped at my parent's house to say hello and pick up some DVD's my kids had left with them. We wanted to say hello as well because they were leaving early the next morning for a few days for a reunion.

We got everything unloaded and in the house. It was about 9:30pm before everyone and everything was cleaned up and settled in. Phew. That ended Monday.

Tuesday was spent working in my classroom. I was able to finish almost all of the cleaning. It has been so liberating to de-junk my classroom. My donate table is growing forever larger and I so THANKFUL that the items will be finding a new home. When everything is done and my room is "themed up" and decorated I will post some pictures like I did last year. What I need is some good famous Star Wars lines that fit a learning theme. Like last year was "Let the Adventure Begin...". I need something good like that. Any suggestions? Post a comment and let me know.

Anyways, Tuesday evening ended in a huge rain shower. It was so nice to have the moisture. After it stopped, we loaded up the car and delivered the last of the dishes from the wonderful people who continued to feed us. (We are now back to "normal" in the sense that we are taking care of our own food- Yea- progress in the journey back to "normal"). We ended the night by watching Perry Mason and I Love Lucy. Those are great shows.

Wednesday (Today) has been very productive. Other than the fact that I didn't get up until 8am, I have been able to get a lot of the "To Do's" on my list done. I even finished cleaning out every cupboard, drawer, and filing cabinet. I feel "cleansed"- lol. We headed home midst a rain shower, again- LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT! I would have finished this earlier, but apparently I needed a nap- lol.

Tonight is filled with absolutely nothing. What a blessed thought.

Tomorrow morning we have to be up at the crack of dawn and gone. We are planning on stopping by my cousin's house in Pleasant Grove before heading to our appointment. Then we will stop back by after the appointment and visit for a while before heading back over to the Mannings' house for a visit. We are NOT spending the night again as we don't want to impose on anyone and our kids seem to do better in their own "beds" (which is currently the couches and mats in the living room).

Well, my middle son thinks he needs ice from the Chat and Chew (aka Chow Hound) so I best sign off and take him. Plus I need to run to the store and get some moo juice.

So, I will let you know about our next Dr. saga on Friday. :)

Later...

Days #42 & 43- Work and Guilt

 Saturday, Day 42.
Talk about a productive day!

I was up at 7:30am and and watering the yard and garden. I told my wife that it was nice to have the watering done before the time I had been getting up the past few days. I am not sure what is wrong with me. I don't go to bed super late (at least not later than I have in the past) and I still can't get up before 9am with out it being a major event. I hope that I can keep it up.

After I got the yard all watered, I headed over to the school. I felt good about it since my wife was feeling a bit better and my daughter was going to be staying to help her with anything she might need. It was nice to clean up things and go through all my "stuff" that I had in boxes and tubs. I found things I thought I had lost (which I promptly put in the donate pile since I hadn't been using them) and I found things I couldn't believe that I had kept (which I also either threw away or put on the donate pile).

I feel like I really made some headway in the battle of  "Clean the Room". My wife walked over to have lunch and then she was able to just relax and visit with Ms. D for a few minutes while I finished with the small stuff I still needed to go through.

We headed out and went to ACE to get some of the sale items we had marked out on the ad. (Funny side story. We went in on Wednesday to get the items and had out cart loaded. We got to the front and was informed the sale didn't start until Friday. So, we felt a bit embarrassed and said we would be back). After ACE we went to the church to copy programs and then we went to the store to get some food items that were on sale.

The rest of the evening was spent enjoying our children and watching random TV shows. My oldest son and my next youngest son arrived back from the races with grandma and grandpa Hughes just before midnight. They had a great time and I appreciate my parents for being willing to take them.

So, that was Saturday.



Sunday, Day 43.

I was awake at 6:20am because of my early morning church meetings. I felt pretty good, but my wife was not feeling good at all. I really thing she has a UTI. We have her on cranberry pills and juice and are waiting for news from the hospital on the results of her culture.

Church was okay. I noticed a dear friend was sad and I was worried for him/her. I was also worried that it was because of myself or my family. I have felt a huge load of guilt lately about all that has happened with my wife and all the help we are receiving. I know I have covered this many times, but it bears discussing again.

I look around me and I know, though no one would ever say it, that people are getting sick and tired of hearing about the Hughes family, of bringing us meals (which will end this week- and we STILL can't say thank you enough for everyone's thoughtfulness) of the money, time, effort, and service that has been extended. It is overwhelming and causes serious guilt. I know, I know, I know. Be thankful for what we are given. Are we taking too much? Are we asking for more help than we should? Are we ruining friendships because we are stretching a willingness to help too far?

We hope not, and we have never meant to hurt anyone. It is a strange position we are in. We need help in some areas, yet we feel like we are starting to get back in the swing of parenting and the overwhelming needs of six children. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all everyone has done.

Friday was a strange day for us. We had intended to get up and head home. When our friend offered lunch we agreed knowing that we needed to eat. I guess we should have headed home after that. After all, we had asked friends to watch our children at a HUGE inconvenience to them and their families. But we didn't, and while we enjoyed visiting with friends, we should have been driving home to resume our responsibility as parents.

With so few true friends out there, we hope that we haven't ruined any friendships beyond repair. We love you all and are grateful for all that you have done.

As for the rest of the evening:

We just enjoyed a wonderful meal that was thoughtfully provided by members in the ward and I am working to revive my poor heat beaten garden with some soothing, cool water. We are hoping to go for a walk this evening and possibly drive around and return dishes to those who have brought meals.

Tomorrow should be a great day- Fourth of July.

Have a great evening...

Later...

Day #25- Medical Tower, Floor 6

DAY 25

HELLOOOOOOO Day 25!

We embrace you with joy because it means we are now only 1 or 2 days away from leaving! Saturday will be the latest that we will have to stay and we are excited to escape this routine and return to the "normal" chaos of our own little home.

Dr. Lichti came before I was able to get here this morning. He told my wife that there is really nothing else he can do for her at this point. He said that if her incision was to become infected that it would do it on the outside and not the inside, but we don't want to even think about the word 'infected' right now. He also said they will start the process to get her discharged. I am sure that it will be a mountain of paperwork. They need to set up home health and whatever else. However, if it means the front door of this establishment and then my house...BRING IT!

Well, we are off for one of her four doctor ordered walks, so we will be back when she comes in for a landing!

All the Comforts of home...NOT!

That was a fantastic walk. We got to explore the hospital and I was able to show my wife all the places she had heard us talking about, like the parking garage, the grassy area in front of the hospital where the kids played when they were here, the gift shop, Cafe West, and such. She was able to go for quite a while, and I enjoyed being able to show off my wife to the hospital public. :)

After we returned we settled down with our book, The Bishop's Bride and we read almost the entire book. We were doing good until the part at the end about an emergency C-section and then we both lost it. We had to stop reading for a while. Seriously...what is going on with us! It was time for lunch anyways, so I ran up and grabbed something to eat and ate with her in the room while she at her yummy tray of food.

After she ate, we went for the second of the assigned four walks. This time we went to yet another part of the hospital. I even walked her outside and around to the Cafe West entrance. We wandered a bit and returned her to her room. She is getting so good at walking, I almost forget that she has an abdominal wound. Her progress is definitely due to divine intervention. There is no other way that we would be in the wonderful position we are currently in. Believe me. The doctors are still in awe at her rapid recovery.

Flowers from our garden!

When we returned, we were able to finish off the book. We made it to the end without crying- that was a victory! It was a great read. Not too sappy, just a fun, quick read. We were pleasantly surprised (and we shouldn't have been surprised...I forgot I knew) with a visit from Stan and Teri Parsons. Teri came in the room with a big vase of fresh flowers and a quick explanation. These flowers are from our rose bushes and day lilly plants  from home. They were a VERY welcomed sight. We are very appreciative of the time and effort they put into bringing these (and thanks Morgan for helping her get them picked from the yard).

The Parsons stayed and visited for quite a while. It was nice to hear of home, share updates of lives, and laugh. All too soon they needed to get on the road to their next destination. We said goodbye and they headed out.

This took us to dinner time. Again, they forgot my wife's tray. It was almost an hour after dinner time when the door opened and the aide asked if my wife had not wanted her dinner. I told her she was never OFFERED her dinner. Grrrrrrrrr. After I got her settled in with her dinner,  I went down and grabbed some food (you will be proud of me- I have been taking the stairs each time I am alone. Let me tell you...six flights of stairs is A LOT of stairs!) and returned to eat with my wife. She was talking with her sister in PA, and we both had a great visit with her while we dined.

After dinner we went for one last walk for the night. That was our third of four. We didn't make the goal, but three good walks was awesome. This walk found us in the OR and Emergency area of the hospital. We were wandering down a random hall when we both stopped and looked ahead. It was the hallway from some horror movie where it is really long, white, doors all along the wall and no one in sight. We both decided to turn around and find a more inhabited area of the hospital.

After our walk, we settled in for a quiet last evening of reading and updating blogs and journals. We were again surprised to have my cousin Phil, his wife Melissa, and youngest daughter stop by. We were so excited to see them. We truly appreciate the time and effort it took to come and see us. They aren't far away, but when you have a young family, doing anything turns into an "event". So thanks for coming and visiting!

A Pedi from a friend

 Just as they were leaving, Kelly Perry arrived. She had called and told us that she wanted to visit. Since we hope to be leaving tomorrow, we are glad she was able to swing in! She gave my wife a pedicure (well, mostly a pedicure). They talked and talked and and laughed and visited. I chimed in here and there but spent most of the time writing in my daily journal.

I will be glad to have this over. I feel almost like I am now locked into writing everything down each day. I think what started as a way to remember everything has turned into a seemingly mundane task. I don't want to finish and I am getting weary of doing it. Anyways, it won't matter much longer and we will be glad to have such a descriptive record of this event.

I guess I should wrap this up and head back to the guest house. It is 12:36am and I am exhausted. My last night in the guest house. What a blessing that place has been over the past 25 days. Thank you to everyone who provided us with the financial assistance that allowed me to stay so close to my wonderful and now healthy wife.

My challenge to everyone who reads this post is to find the one(s) you love and tell them how much they mean to you and that you love them. Tell them now while you can! It is important to express those feelings frequently because you don't know when that chance will be taken away. Again, thank you for your calls, e-mails, texts, FB posts, and other help. We love you all...

Later...

Day #18- Adult ICU (Houston... We Have Liquids)

Today started....late.

I went home feeling ill last night and just chilled out. I was so worried (imagine that) that I was getting the flu or something because I felt nauseous and really warm. I knew that I needed to get out of the hospital so that if I did have a problem, it wouldn't be a mess for them to clean up.

I stopped on the way home and got some fruit juice and an apple to eat. Those seemed to settle my stomach (along with some bread and crackers). I was trying so hard to stay awake and finish my blog posting and other things that I have been trying to get done for days now...and then I woke up at 5:30am with my laptop still on my lap, my neck crying for a new position, and all the lights and TV on (that could explain my random bizarre dreams...hmmmm). I closed my dead laptop (battery died) set it to the side (still can't believe that I didn't knock it on the floor) and laid my head down on the motel style pillow that seemed softer than the softest bed I had ever experienced or dreamed of...sigh. That was wonderful.

At 7:30am my iPod alarm went off and I about had a heart attack. Hit snooze...soft pillows...hit snooze...soft pillows...text from wife...WIDE AWAKE! I did a marathon shower, got ready, and headed over. I arrived and gave my girl a kiss. Can I just say that it is nice to be able to do that without a tube in the way! :)

Her physical therapy this morning was AWESOME!!!! Mr. Z showed up to visit just as my wife was making a break for it so he and I just tagged along and visited together and with her. I am sure we were quite entertaining.

After we returned, we visited for a while he took off and I headed up to lunch in the cafeteria. Yum...it looked like chicken...

My wife, on the other hand, was offered CLEAR liquids. The nurse said that if she could see through it, she could eat it. I guess ice cream is out of the question then... dang it all. She did eat a blue popsicle and drank some apple juice. They have the last lemon freeze in the fridge for her with her name on it. So, Houston...Operation Liquids is under way. WAHOO!

After I returned from lunch, we started receiving a plethora of visitors. THAT ROCKED!
Thanks to:

Bryan Meadows Family
Pat and Kathy Brady
Dale Roundy Family
Aunt Roberta and Uncle Keith

We loved having you stop by and visit for a while. Thank you, thank you, thank you. (And thanks to all the lots of other people that have stopped by over the past 18 days as well!).

After everyone left, I headed out for a couple hours with Mr. Z. He was doing Guys Night Movie Night at his house. Talk about a HOME theatre. Holy Crap! Full wall screen. Makes watching a movie pretty cool. I was able to meet go and have fun. We watched Napoleon Dynamite. I think it is just as pointless 7 years later...lol. But It was fun.

Now I am back here with my wife. We are going to play UNO or Go Fish! I am sure that she will kick my butt. But that is okay. It is just nice to be able to sit next to her and enjoy her amazingness.

Later...

Why Would He Do That?

Considering it had been a long day in the classroom, I knew that my masters class would be a challenge. Not just because I had a 3-4 page paper due, not only because I was co-directing the discussion on an article what I was supposed to have access to a week before class and got it the day before class, and not only because I was exhausted from staying up past midnight several nights in a row  to work on said paper, but mostly because I simply can not understand a word that is said by the professor.

Class went okay. I did enjoy visiting with some friends on Google Wave- that made the evening go much more smoothly. The discussion went okay. We were supposed to be in charge, but really only got to say about three words each before the prof. would take over the discussion.

But here is the clincher, as we were leaving (almost an hours early- the one bright spot of the evening) he informed us that he decided to change the deadline for the paper (which was kind-of okay, however I was frustrated that he did not tell us sooner as I had been staying up late and was exhausted). The part that really got my knickers in a twist was that he then decided to tell us what he wanted in the paper...5 days after he gave us the case study to write about- HE TOLD US WHAT HE WAS EXPECTING! I am furious! I had spent HOURS working on this paper. I had it DONE, just needed to tweak some parts. I went from furious to depressed. I spent another 2-3 hours trying to tweak what I had done to match his new expectations. I finally decided that what I had would have to do because I was losing my ability to clearly think about adding any new material to my paper.

Thankfully a good friend offered to edit it again for me. I gratefully accepted the offer knowing that this was a life-line being tossed in my direction. I can only hope that it will work out in the end. I will keep you posted on how I do. I have a second 1 page paper due Tuesday as well. I need to working on that one as well.

I guess these are things that will help me be a better and stronger person. I know I will survive this class and that I will graduate May 6th and be done! Now THAT is a great thought!

Later...

It Really Is A Small World

This past weekend flew by and with it all the plans I had to blog and catch up (not to mention school work, etc.) but that didn't happen either. Friday after school (which I need to blog about as well- 6th grade did Fancy Day with 1st grade. It was really fun to be all dressed up and have a fancy lunch together with our reading buddies). Anyways, Friday after school our little family went to Price for our babies 18 month check up. It was an okay trip and everything is great with our little one.

Today was an okay day at school. The kids were better than usual. My focus for today was RESPECT. I defined it more my class as "Kind, Helpful, and Participating". I reemphasized it through out the day as well. I think that it is starting to get through to many of the students. I do have a couple that seem resistant to everything that I do and try. I want somedays to look at them and tell them what little snots they are being. But, come on, they are just 11-12 year-olds. My goal this week is to really focus on not giving negative attention and to those seeking it.

Tonight was wonderful. I had the chance to actually talk to a new friend found from blogging. What a small world we live in. What a great 60 minutes of conversation we had as well. I really enjoyed hearing about new ideas and suggestions that have worked for this educator that I hadn't thought of or tried before. I hope to work to incorporate many of those ideas- or take them and make them my own soon. How awesome it is though that I can have a "team" to collaborate with that is outside of my school. Thanks my new friend, for your time, concern, and support. I hope that I can return that to you as well when you need it!

I have more to share, but not the time to do it. Hopefully soon-

Later...

P.S. Only three more weeks until I get my results back. Keep your fingers, toes, and everything else that crosses- CROSSED!

Phew...Almost There

So after spending almost all week at the school all day I can honestly say that I have almost completed my Masters Program Portfolio. being the slacker that I am, and having put it off since last September, I decided that it was by far time to get my butt in gear on those. I was able to complete all 5 assignments over the past 4 days. I must say, it would have been much nicer to complete those when I had completed the project, NOT all at once. Oh well, that is in the past, and BOY am I glad about that!

It has also been nice to visit with all the teachers again. I enjoy just sitting and chatting. It is nice to have a group that you can do that with! :)

Tomorrow is go in and complete all the last minute details (like hope you will FINALLY have the FINAL list, but know that you won't- GRRRRR!) to ensure that everything will be as smooth as possible on Tuesday (First day of school). Right now I have 20 students. That is three more than I had planned for, but I am excited to have them all! We are going to have a year of adventure! YEA!

Well, I am heading over to a friend house for the evening with the kids. Our wives are at Ladies Night (aka BUNKO). I am looking forward to visiting with my friend. I don't see him much any more!

Later...

Thankful for the Pioneers

As I have reflected back over my day, July 24th and Pioneer Day in Utah, I realize that I had a pretty tough day. My wife left this morning and was gone a good portion of the day. I (with the help of my daughter and for a little while my niece) cleaned a 14 rooms at our friends motel while they are on vacation. (Did that yesterday as well-blah). Other than the fact that it was very hot and humid, it wasn't too bad. Great exercise (except for my bad back- not so much for that). The heat has been horrible. As I thought about this, while drinking the city water which recently has tasted like algae, I realized that I still have it pretty good. Oh to be a pioneer would have killed me. I know the Lord choose to put me on earth AFTER they had done all the hard work. How thankful I am that they were willing to sacrifice so much, suffer unimaginable trials, and still have the will and faith to carry on. I love that I have pioneer heritage, and I am proud to say I have ancestors who were willing to suffer and endure that I might be here today, in a beautiful state, enjoying the freedoms that I do.

Also, this evening, we spent time at some new friend's house. They invited us over for dinner (which was SO AWESOME- we had shish-kabobs) and it was nice to share good food and visit. After dinner and visiting, we headed out to my brother in-laws to spend time with them. Our friends, the Pettit's came with us as well.

After an hour and most of our kids falling asleep we headed home and now here I am. I am exhausted, mostly from the heat, but also from cleaning motel rooms. Not to mention that fact that it is still so warm at night that it is nearly impossible to sleep. But, I will say that it is better than negative 20 like it was this winter. So, I will accept the heat and be thankful that my plumbing isn't in danger of freezing. :)

Well, it is late and I have early meetings in the morning.

Later...

4th of July 2010-Family, Friends, BBQ, and Parade

Dear Reader,

Saturday was such a wonderful day! It started with the scrumptious breakfast my wife surprised us with and only got better and better. Below is a long string of photos to help tell about the fun and fulfilling day! I hope you enjoy reading and looking at the pictures as much as I enjoyed the day with my little family!

This is our annual family photo! Of the many that we had taken, this was the best. I have such a cute little family and they are growing up so fast.

The kids decided to decorate the back patio for the BBQ we were planning for that evening with my parents and a good friend, Ms. D! Here is my oldest son handing out gold stars with "Happy 4th of July" written on them with a hand-drawn firework exploding in air! Too cute!

My mom and dad brought the kids the little poppers that you throw down to make a bang. My word, you would have thought it had snowed in our backyard with the amount of "white" that hit the ground. It was all good. The kids had a blast with them and my oldest even swept the patio off after they were finished.

Here they are! The wonderful grandparents. Where would we be without you two! Thanks for all your help, love, and support. It is nice to have you so close. :)

Here is the 4th of July spread. Talk about Y-U-M-M-Y! From the homemade potato salad, to the fresh grapes, deviled eggs, fresh made fruit salad, and green salad with radishes from our own garden WE WERE SET! Thanks babe for making such a wonderful array to choose from- Oh ya! Forget to list the TASTY corn on the cob!

Thanks to grandma and grandpa, the grill had more than just "tube steaks" (a.k.a hot dogs). With chicken, steak, hot dogs, and brats we had plenty-o-meat! Nothing like a great piece of meat to round out a good old fashioned meal! (Great job on the grilling grandpa! You are truly a pro when it comes to the old Bar-b")

With little "E" on the move constantly now, it was nice to have grandma here to help keep him out of trouble (like not falling off the back deck, or wandering into the garden, or burning his feet on the hot sand...) Thanks grandma! (P.S. You can tell he LOVED being corralled!

BUSTED! My oldest was trying to sneak some chips or grapes- something. But he got, in the words of Candice Flynn- Busted, B-U-S-T-E-D!

Once the dinner bell rang, it was time to CHOW! Everyone settled into a happy eating rhythm. "M" was funny. He is a food "collector". He wants everything on the table on his plate before he will eat. So, needless to say he had quite the collection. He sure does love that whipped-fruit salad. I think he had 3-4 helping of that tasty blackberriness goodness!

One of the few photos of my wife (in grey) and our good friend (in teal). She will probably kill me for posting this photo, but I have to post what I have... (at least that is what I am going with...)

Little "E" sure enjoyed his meal! He refused to keep his "Chick Magnet" bib on. He must not of been feeling the groove... What a sweet boy he is!

"M" didn't really want to eat his corn on the cob, but was willing to pose for a picture. At least we got him to eat a few bites (of course we had to "retake" pictures a few times in the process...glad he never figured out our evil scheme! Bwahaha!)

Missy Moo sure enjoyed that steak. My kids will ALL choose steak over any other meat every time. They TOTALLY get that from me. I will gladly take all the credit for that one!

Missy saw her cousins hair on my sister-in-laws blog and wanted her hair to be patriotic too! So my amazing wife hooked her up! It was poofy, ribboned, and stinkin' cute!

The kids wanted to do a parade just for our BBQ. They have wanted to decorate their bikes for several years. Since we were not planning on attending the city shindig, but doing our own thing this year, we let them spruce up their bikes. The spent almost two hours cutting, coloring, wrapping, and taping red, white, and blue items to their bikes! We had them hide their bikes until the BBQ. It was hard for the little one not to give away the surprise, and he almost did a couple of times! I think everyone was surprised and the kids LOVED riding their bikes around the backyard several times while we all clapped and cheered! What a bunch of cuties! Below are the pictures of us decorating the bikes AND the actual "parade".

Talk about one very long and wonderful day. I got sunburned pretty bad on my face and neck. But it was worth it. You can see that my littlest one had a good day too.

The perfect end to the perfect day. Sleep well, little one, sleep well!

What a blessing being a citizen of this Great Nation is for me and my family. I truly am lucky to have the freedoms that I do. May God continue to bless our country- now and forever.

Later...

Just What I Needed...

I was out cruising blog-land and decided to visit a site of a friend I hadn't been to in a while. What I found was a fantastic reminder of why I do what I do each day. Why it IS okay to be discouraged- just not down and out, and that it is the same in all jobs. Go HERE and read these wonderful words of wisdom.

On a separate note, the wind has blown SO HARD today that I feel like I'm not in Kansas anymore (ok, so I wasn't to begin with, big deal!). It has been a good day so far. I have updated several pages on my bce456.wikispaces.com site, help my son build his derby car (see pictures), watered the lawn, avoided writing a paper for my math endorsement class (I have until next Saturday-and I just really don't wanna do it!), I put togeter a bookcase for my church, and helped my wife shrink wrap her finished wood products (I am trying to get her to do a site so everyone can see how amazing she is- but to no avail), and I have fixed my web browser so it will save my bookmarked pages. Still on the agenda is: To write a college paper that is due next Saturday (I really DO need to get it done), help my in-laws unload thier trailer in to the shed that they brought and are storing on our back lot, have a BBQ, make movie files for all the new announcements for the new school sign, update all my wiki's so they are current, and not go crazy! Oh wait, too late on that last agenda item.

Later...