What's Happening...

So, real fast, since we don't have internet and I'm using Chase's phone that he got some cheap internet for. We moved to Seguin, TX, just outside of San Antonio and about an hour away from Austin. We drove here Christmas day and the day after. I have been cleaning every day since then with a few days off for my sanity's sake. I have faith that the house will be a good house for us once everything is cleaned up. The house is a rental on 3 acres just on the edge of town, enough not to get a lot of city services, hence the constant battle to get internet services out here, hopefully it will be resolved sooner than later. We have to hire out our garbage pick up, but really we are not that far out there, it's ridiculous really. We live across from some cows and next to a small pecan orchard, but there are houses down the road and a restaurant kitty corner to us and the freeway is just behind us.

The house had been vacant long enough to acquire some unwanted house guests. I have been cleaning up mounds of mice poop, cockroach poop and eggs, and recently found a snake skin, and skeletal remains of some animal, probably a mouse, or snake. Many of my days consist of putting on a face mask, rubber gloves, and grabbing my trusty spray bottle of bleach. I am slowly getting it done, even though it feels like it will never be done. I am trying to remember that we are together again, and that is something to be happy about. I am trying to remember my favorite motto which is written on a tile placed above my kitchen sink..."Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, but about learning to dance in the rain." It's hard to be happy when you're cleaning up mouse poop and crying hysterically after finding evidence inside your house of something you fear so very much.

I want to tell Chase that I love him and that I know it's not his fault the house turned out the way it did, although I secretly wonder sometimes if this is how he's getting back at me for picking the Lehi house. I know he is working very hard and is doing the best for us. I want to apologize for my breakdowns (I've had a few). I am glad to be here despite the house conditions and nearly stepping on said feared creature mentioned above (see Chase's blog for details). I am freaked out no doubt, and will soon be making my visit to the closest hardware store to purchase a shovel. A family that invited us for dinner from church mentioned that we should familiarize ourselves with the local poisonous snakes and always carry a shovel..."Happy thoughts, think HAPPY thoughts!"

In all seriousness though I believe this will be a good place for our family. I am thankful for a wonderful, loving, hard working, husband, and I am thankful for fantastic, sweet, helping, brave children. I am thankful my husband has a job. I am thankful for my own house again, and will be even more so if I survive the clean up process. I am thankful for my Heavenly Father who is always mindful of me in spite of myself. I am thankful for the wonderful weather we have here and that Joelle getting off of her 3rd antibiotic and 3rd ear infection in 3 months and sick with bronchiolitis finally seems to be healthy and well. I am thankful that the bus picks my kids up right outside our house (Because the school they were supposed to attend was capped for 1st graders, they sent us to a school further away and ended up having to bus my kids.)

I am thankful for the beautiful creatures that exist here too, the deer outside my kitchen window, (even though they scared the crap out of me at 1:30 in the morning when I got up with Joelle), the squirrels, and pretty red birds that I think are cardinals. I am thankful that my car runs, and that I have a husband who could fix it. I am thankful for music and silly kids and a husband that dance to it. I am thankful to all the awesome thrift and second hand stores they have here since we couldn't bring all of our stuff (most of our things are still in storage in UT). I am thankful for a husband who after getting home from working all day comes home and realizes the crap I've had to do and cooks dinner for everyone. I am thankful for a nice tax return hopefully coming soon. I'm thankful for a library that provides cool books and free movies for my kids.

I am thankful to the friendly people who have invited us for dinners and make us feel at home here. People here are very friendly, I've had people help bag items for me at the store, and help me try to fit purchases into my trunk. I am even thankful to the crazy ladies who wanted to buy my hair at the Goodwill, it gave me a good laugh, still a little nervous, but a good laugh none the less. I am thankful to all of Chase's friends from the academy who showed up at a moment's notice to help unload the moving van. I am thankful for kids and a husband who put up with my grumpiness and craziness, and still love me, I hope. I am thankful that we can be together forever as a family. I love my husband and kids and hope to try to learn to dance when it "rains" and be a happier and better person for it. Well, better get to bed, finally got the baby to sleep and have another long day ahead tomorrow. Oh, and if I don't moderate your comments right away, I'm sorry, it will probably be a while before I can get back on here, but I will try to keep updating.

Colds, Croup, Ear Infections, Sinus Infections... Oh My

So, I'm blogging real fast. I should be packing right now, need to be loading a trailer in 3 days and have absolutely nothing done. Since about middle of Nov. at least one member in our family has been ill in one way or another. We keep cycling through who is sick. It's like my kids have made a game out of it and say "tag you're it" to one of their siblings, or me. Emery had the croup, Joelle had a double ear infection, Cam threw up, all of the kids have had colds on again off again(I've lost count of how many each has had), I have been battling a horrible sinus infection for over a week now on one side of my head, and now Joelle has a "horrendous" (doctor's words) ear infection in her right ear again.

So, I have been on guard for Joelle's ear to burst at any moment, the doctor said it is bulging so bad to be prepared for such and that it will ooze and help heal faster. The doctor was shocked at how well behaved Joelle was for having such a bad ear infection. I haven't been sleeping at all for like a week because of my own illness and sitting in the rocking chair all night with the baby, poor thing can't sleep. Right now, Cam and Emery are the only ones not sick.

I went to the doctor for myself and they are treating it as a virus unless it isn't better in another week and a half, I will be in TX by then, hopefully. So, I am nasal irrigating (so much fun), steroid nasal spraying, taking mucinex, and ibuprofen for the pain. I've missed an entire week of exercise, but managed to lose about 1-2 pounds(I fluctuate) probably because I haven't felt like eating anything.

I need to take Joelle in and treat her ear infection with shots if this antibiotic isn't working by Tues. or Wed. They put her on a stronger antibiotic, but because she had diahrea for a week following her last round of antibiotics, he tried to put her on the one that was slightly less diahrea inducing, which I was told not to be alarmed will also turn her poop red (the doctor said it is festive). So, everyone cross your fingers that this antibiotic works and that the rest of us can please stay healthy, throw a few prayers our way please. Pray that I don't have a nervous break down and that Chase doesn't have to have me committed. So, sorry this isn't a happy, fluffy, Christmas letter for you all. Our Christmas letter will have to be delayed, hopefully, there will be some happier things to report. Merry Christmas everyone, and may the seasonal bugs pass you by!

Half Way There, Almost

I've lost 3 more pounds making a total of 25 1/2 down and 26 1/2 more to go. I'm not quite halfway to my goal. Anyway, hopefully I'll find some time to actually blog about something else other than my weightloss update soon.

After Thanksgiving Weight Loss Update

So, I gained a little less than half a pound according to the scale when I got back from Thanksgiving. I was happy, it could have been much worse. After this week I lost that extra little bit plus a little more for a total of 1 1/2 more pounds gone. The grand total of pounds lost since Sept. are 22 1/2 pounds lost with 29 1/2 more to go. Slowly, but surely! Christmas time will probably be my most challenging yet. With my dad as Bishop everyone and their dog brings treats by the house. My trick is to not deny myself completely, so I don't end up binging, but to decide what I really want to eat and then treat myself to a moderate portion of that. Nothing makes me more angry than indulging in something that didn't taste very good, was dissapointing, or that I could have eaten something much better. So, I'm trying to be more picky and careful about what I eat, especially when it comes to the plethora of treat options I will have before me.

2 1/2 more pounds lost!

Here's this week's update. I guess I will keep posting them unless I had a really bad week. I'm a half pound away from my goal for this month. If I don't ruin it over Thanksgiving, I think I will have it made. So, that makes a total of 21 1/2 pounds lost since Sept. with 30 1/2 pounds to go!

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!!!

I just got a phone call from Chase letting me know that we got the house we had applied to rent. We were unsure because they told our agent that we probably didn't meet the income requirements, even though Chase will be making his full pay after 2 months and we have no debt. Chase will be moving in Dec. 1st and we get to finally join him again at Christmas. We are so excited! While I was on the phone I told the kids and they literally screamed with excitement and tackled me with hugs until I almost fell over. It's been crazy and unbelievable how no one wanted to lend to us because of Chase's work history and income, then it looked like it would be difficult for us to rent as well. We did eventually find someone willing to lend to us when Chase graduated, but even then it was a low amount not high enough to find us a big enough home for our big family long term. We decided it has been hard enough being apart for this long, so we thought the best thing would be to rent and get out there sooner.

I would like to send a shout out to everyone who has helped us these last 2 years... my parents, Chase's parents, Chase's grandparents, anyone who has given to us of their time, services, monetary help, etc. We are especially eternally grateful to my parents for putting up with us for so very long and allowing us to live with them. Also, without my parents so kindly subsidizing some of our rent for 2 months and a letter stating they would do so, we wouldn't be able to get into this house. So, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU everybody!!! We are so thrilled to finally be able to be together again!

Emery Misses Her Dad

Emery has been struggling lately with some emotional and behavior issues, which I believe have stemmed from our last 2 turbulant yrs, but most recently from the absence of her dad. It got noticeably worse when I left to visit with Chase for a week back in Oct. as well as for some other children.

Emery has been really sick the last couple of days with croup and a possible ear infection. She's been more clingy than normal, but has appeared to be happier the last 2 days and a little bit more well behaved. Today while I was trying to eat lunch and read my scriptures while the baby was napping, Emery decided that she needed to climb all over me and sit in my lap. So, I finally gave in and let her sit on my lap while I tried to read. After a few minutes of me trying to read and asking her if she wanted me to read out loud, I decided it wasn't working. I figured that maybe this was one of those moments where family obligations need to come before church/spiritual obligations. So, I closed my scriptures and decided to talk with Emery.

The following conversation occurred...

Emery: "Mom, a long time ago, you left, and I was sad." (This was the first time she had talked to me about how she felt.)

Me: "I'm sorry, but I came back."

Emery: "It was a long time. I was happy when you came back." (Then she proceeded to make up some stories about her siblings while I was gone, at least I'm pretty sure they're made up. Something about Cam saying he was going to be bad and then he gave Addie and Bailey presents but not her.)

Emery: "I want my dad!"

Me: "I know sweet heart. We get to see him real soon."

Emery: "I want my dad now! I miss my dad, I want my dad, I want my dad, I want my dad!" (I lost count of how many times she said that. She couldn't be consoled or distracted. It started to break my heart.)

Me: "Emery, next week we get to take a trip to see Daddy. It's only 5 more days!"

Emery: "I want to go on a trip! I'm getting my shoes."

Me: "Emery, we're not going today it's not for 5 more days."

Emery: "I'm getting my shoes. Mom, go get your shoes!"

Well, a couple of more times trying to explain to a 3 yr old why she can't go see her father and then we eventually were able to distract her by playing a game of Uno Stacko Jenga, well I tried to play the real way, but we ended up building different things instead.

But before we played the game Emery told me the following story...

"There was a woof (wolf) and there was a baby woof. The mommy woof left and made the baby woof sad. The mommy woof came back and the baby woof was happy. The daddy woof was gone and the baby woof was sad. Then the daddy woof came back and the baby woof was happy."

I've been trying to give Emery the positive attention that she's been needing and trying to cope with her behavior issues in the right way, which can be difficult. I've been trying to reinforce her positive behavior while trying to deter her negative behavior and channel it in different direction. Today, I saw a glimpse of the old, happy, silly, and sweet, but still slightly sassy Emery that I have missed. It has been hard having Chase gone, but I think it will make us stronger and bring us closer together as we have learned to truly appreciate eachother as individuals and as a family. I have deffinately seen how not having one parent or the other in the home can have a very real and devastating effect on children. I am so thankful for a loving and righteous husband and father who is only going to be temporarily absent. We are very blessed to have Chase and we are not the same without him. Hopefully, we will be together soon. We are so very excited to see him for Thanksgiving, hopefully with everyone healthy and well again. We're counting down the days!