Our Dog Rosie

It is amazing how an animal warms your heart, and they become part of the family.  Rosie came into our family when she was about 6 months old.  She was full of energy, and would chase anything that was running.  Anything from remote control cars to  laser lights.  She jumped out of a moving car when Ron took her for a ride in the car, and because she saw a cat she jumped out took a tumble was a bit scraped up, but recovered.  She also was poisoned twice and recovered.  We always said that she was like a cat with 9 lives.  

This last week she got very ill, and today I took her to the vet.  There wasn't any hope so we had to have her put down.  Garrett and I sobbed because she had become so much a part of the family.  I don't think my heart will heal enough to get another one for a long time.  

I think she is in heaven playing with our other dog Poky.  She was a great dog!  She was a great companion, and we will miss her terribly!

Scriptures and Thanksgiving

It is amazing what a person can learn from a child.  My kids went to EFY a couple of weekends ago in Coeur "D" Alene.  It was only for a day, but they learned some valuable lessons.  One lesson in particular that I think would help me.  One of the instructors taught the kids that if they read their scriptures before they study, the Lord would open their minds and help them achieve good grades.  So when they get home from school they read their scriptures 10 min before they do their homework.  Paige has been struggling, and has found that her grades are coming up after this habit that she has formed. 

For quite some time I have been complaining to the kids that I just don't seem to be getting this math.  Gavin said Mom read your scriptures.  In the last couple of days, I have put this challenge to the test.  Last night I was working, and my client had gone to bed.  I sat on her couch, and read the scriptures for 15 min. before picking up the dreaded math.  I prayed that the Lord would bless me and help me understand those things necessary for this math class.  Low and behold things started to click, FINALLY!  I work and work for great grades, and then when I do a simple thing as read the scriptures the Lord blesses my life!  What a testimony!   His promises are sure, that if we do as he says he has no other choice than to bless us.

At this Thanksgiving time, I'm so thankful for the gospel.  I'm thankful that I have such good kids that are relying on the Lord in these hard times.  I'm thankful for Joseph Smith for translating the Book of Mormon so that we can learn more of the Savior.  I'm also very grateful to the Savior for the sacrifices that he made in my behalf.  How blessed we are to live in this day and age.  It is scary, but if we are prepared we shall not fear, and if we do all that he has asked us to do he will bless us our lives!

Kidney Stones! YIKES!

Have you ever had the deer in the head like looks when someone has told you that your kidneys are covered in stones!  (No wonder I have been in so much pain for months!)

I had a CT scan last Wednesday, and the Doctor told me that the stones were caught in my ureters, and too big to pass.  PAIN!  I have been in incredibly amounts of pain for months!  I have just been taking lots of narcotics and Ibuprofen to get me through going to school, and homework.  No I'm not a druggie! 

Friday I had surgery, and things went really well.  I can never figure out though how one minute you are in the operating room breathing through their mask, and the next minute you are in the recovery room wondering if you are going to throw up or not. It is such a weird feeling!

In the time that I have gone through this procedure it has allowed me to be able to talk to all kinds of medical people.  I have worried about nursing school because as I was trained as a CNA I discovered that nurses generally sit and chart, turn off alarms fix IVs, but they in general don't interact with the patient.  Sure they get the big bucks, but I love patient care, and I love people and spending time with them.  I have considered Radiology Tech but when I talked to the Rad Tech that took my x-ray he told me that they have to have Radiology Physics !  I think I will stick with College Algebra even though math is not my fort-ay! Physics scares the hell out of me!  Nursing sounds better and better!  I also took note of the recovery room nurses.  There weren't any CNAs or LPNs just RNs.  They did all the patient care and the charting.  That sounds better to me. 

At any rate I'm on the mend, filling a cup up with sand and thinking I'll be able to get up and go for a walk soon without pain.  Now the Dr. just needs to find out why I'm making the stones that I am.  I'm sure I will have to change my diet, but after this ordeal I'm very willing! 

Five things about me

You can all thank Cari for this.  I got poked, and now I have poked some other lucky people.  :)  It is fun for once!

5 things I was doing 10 years ago...
1. Living in Salt Lake City Utah

2. Raising 3 kids

3. Homeschooling

4. Wondering if I will survive homeschooling

5 things on my to-do list today...
1. Study for a Biology Test

2. Do my Math

3. Eat dinner

4. Get the kids off to Mutual

5. Study for a Big Biology Test

5 snacks I enjoy...
1. Anything sweet

2. Trail Mix

3. Crackers and Cheese

4. Vegetables from a veg. tray. (I hate cutting all those vegies!)

5 things I'd do if I were a Millionaire...
1. Buy a house

2. Pay for my kids' education

3. Do things that will make memories with my kids

4. Buy a couple of new cars

5. Travel

5 places I've lived...
1. Salt Lake City Utah

2. Meridian Idaho

3. Boise Idaho

4. Middleton Idaho

5. Post Falls Idaho

5 jobs I've had...

1. Computer Corp. (Where I met Ron)

2. Salon 

3. Primary Children's Hospital

4. Alzheimer's Facility

5. In home Care

I will now tag - 1. Deb, Laura, Emily, Katie, Mike

Rules: Each player answers the question themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment letting them know that they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person that tagged you know when you’ve answered the questions on your blog.

Piano Man

Melissa took this picture while she was here.  It is a great picture Melissa!

Garrett has an amazing talent, one that most of you have heard.  Heavenly Father has blessed this child 2 fold.  We had an audience with Marvin Goldstein a couple of years ago, and Marvin said that Garrett is amazing!  Marvin couldn't even play some of the music that Garrett wrote!  He wrote a song and dedicated it to his Grandma Grover entitled Memories.  This song is going to be sung at the graduation ceremonies at the end of the school year.  

My Mom would be so proud of Garrett, and I know she is watching him from above.  She loved to hear him play, and sat with him every morning until the day she died, and helped him to improve his talent.  I know it was her inspiration that helped Garrett to achieve this marvelous talent.  I miss her terribly, but in listening to Garrett play the piano softens my missing her because she was so much a part of his life.  So grateful for the gospel in knowing that I will be able to see her again someday.   I'm also grateful for my kids and to be able to see them achieve greatness!  

ELK!

I don't have a picture, but this is an amazing story.  Remember yesterday when I said that the Elk were bugling?  Well this morning I said boy Ron the Elk sound really close!  I looked out our back window, and there they were in our pond!  There was one big buck, and about 9 females, and 1 baby.  We watched them for about 5 mins, and then they were off.  My camera isn't such that it takes pictures that are a ways off, and Elk are so skittish that they would have run off at the slightest sound.  It was such a treat to have those big animals right in our backyard.  Started my day off great!

Fall

I came home today a bit early from school, and was just enjoying the quiet.  I got on the computer, and looked out the window at this pretty tree.  The picture doesn't do the tree any justice.  It is gorgeous!  I stepped out to take a picture to the sound of Elk bugling up the hill.  (Rick don't get excited, you already have your Elk.)  :)  Even though today doesn't feel like fall, it is all around us.  All the signs are here.  This is my favorite time of year.  It makes me think of kids in school, yellow, red, green apples, canning, and hot chocolate season!

We are all so busy with our lives, that we don't stop and check out the beauty of the earth.  I'm guilty of just that, but today I stopped to look and listen, and was grateful of the things we have been blessed with.