Happiness

Declan & his cousin Kate We have family in town and are taking them to all the hot spots around here- Joe's BBQ and grill, Winco. the Temple and Bahama Bucks!  These icy sensations single handedly saved me when I had migraines. I would never get a brain freeze- no matter how fast I ate (isn't that weird? I knew I was returning to normalcy when I started getting them. A brain freeze never felt so good). They cut my pain level down from 8 to 5 and I loved them for it! Mango and Peach all the way! The kids loved it and the birthday cake flavor was a hit as usual! There are locations in Draper, Utah and Texas besides Arizona if you want to hit one! -The Bahama Mama Rama is a large shave ice with ice cream on the bottom.

Here's my headache update. My headache has been so much better! I hardly notice it anymore but when I think about whether it's there or not, it still is just a little. It's been amazing to see the growth and progress as it's gotten better. It started out with long stretches of being better and then has gotten to this point of me barely noticing it. I went to a neurologist at the U and he just gave me a list of triggers to watch out for since I'm doing so much better. Yay!! Here are a few pictures lately: It's been quite the snowy winter with a storm at least weekly dumping 4-8 inches each time. Declan loves to go out and eat the snow- even if it's dyed a little green! Ethan made this green snow tree covered in snowballs- pretty neat! The morning after another storm came and left everything covered in white. The kids love it! I wrote this post about two weeks ago, but it still snowed this morning so I can still say it snowed! It's been warmer and rainy an...

T wo events colliding- my headache feeling worse again and dealing with my recent miscarriage- has got me thinking. I think the Lord is trying to teach my Patience. He is also trying to teach me several other lessons, but this is one of them. I have always felt like I had a hard time being patient: I wasn't sure if I could commit to a year and a half mission. That felt like a long time to me and if I wanted to be done, there wasn't that option. I felt like I waited a long time to get married, when in reality I wasn't very old when I actually did get married. We waited a long time to have Declan, but patience is something that will take a lifetime to learn. It can't be learned in just one trial, or two, or three. And so, I will wait and actively try my best to do my part, and to learn the lessons He would have me learn.

The Saturday before October began, Elizabeth and I had the chance to go to the General Women's Meeting of General Conference. It was great to have her by my side and the talks were lovely! She is such a lovely girl! Declan and I went to the Naturopath on last Friday. My toxins are resolved but I still have my headache. My case frustrates them- as well as me! They think it may be my estrogen levels and and it came back high. Still unresolved though. Poor doctors, I give them such a rough case! 😉 Asher had his first pine wood derby in scouts. We moved right before the one last year. We loved his idea of a couch. It wasn't the fastest, but Asher had a super great attitude about it! Good job, Asher! Jonah created this piece of art for Utah's reflections contest. I'm impressed! I had to encourage him to enter it, but he did it! Don't you love the hats on these pumpkins? I love October! 

I wanted to give a more comple update on Josh's work situation. A few months ago, he felt torn. He was spending part of his time job hunting and part of his time working on "Palace" his business idea. He found all the lawyer positions open to be not interesting at all to say the least and the few job interviews he got, he came away feeling tense and stressed out- just from being in the environment of a private law firm! We consulted together and I encouraged him to give his full time and energy to making his business work. It was a risk to take and it still is, but as he did so he felt confident, excited, energized and hopeful. He has found so many things to work on and to keep occupied with. First, preparing a presentation and slide show. Now, he is taking a business e-course he was offered for free from one of his contacts at the presentation. It seems like everything is pointing toward this being the right path for us. When we got married, Josh would say often "I ...

Lately. My posts entitled lately get the fewest views, but I'm posting one anyways! Lately: I've come to terms with the fact that there will be no baby coming May. I'm okay with it and my heart feels at peace. It was stormy and rainy last week and sunny and 85 this week. Elizabeth said the other day- "that's it! Utah weather is crazy! I'm wearing shorts!" I'm okay with the but I did pack away all of their flip flops. Declan has turned into a screamer and will scream for whatever he wants. I sat him down yesterday, looked him in the eye and told him that was not okay. He's been better ever since. I take some natural supplements for my headache and my xenotoxicity- did I mention that here already? I went to a naturopath who did a body scan and said I was super healthy except my body takes in toxins instead of estrogen. This can lead to infertility, headaches, acne, etc. I was pregnant at the time so I couldn't take very much and now I am taking t...

It takes 4-14 days for the Botox to kick in. On Monday I was sitting in a theater, watching a play with my family when all of a sudden my forehead fell asleep. Completely numb. My headache was/is still there. Actually it's been worse. Not sure if I'm going back for the second treatment. I'm trying meditation and yoga. I don't think that will cure it but it gives me patience. And patience is always good!

Some Summer fun- Making Marshmallow Shooters   Declan with his new ride!   Elizabeth and cousin E The kids running a 1K in Provo For awhile there, my headache was barely there. I was taking medicine and it was managing it all very well. I was hopeful that we had finally found a solution!  And then I began having nightmares. Every other day. Then almost every day. It was the medicine (Nortriptyline) that was causing it. I tried to decide between almost daily nightmares and a daily headache. The nightmares lost.  I talked to my headache specialist and he agreed that we should stop the med right away. I hoped there was one more med that he would recommend, but nope- I had gone through the gamut. The next thing on the list was botox injections. I won't tell you if I have a fear of needles or not (I do!). He said they did it in office, they did it all the time and when I found out my insurance would cover it, I agreed. Hesitantly. "So, wha...

Well, the snow has all melted and it's been so warm here lately, but I promised some pictures of our new house- the outside at least- and I would like to document the snow so here they are! Now when you come visit you will know what to expect! Except, without the snow- even though it is so lovely for the first day or so!  Moving Day! (so cold and snowy)  Our View from the second floor- there is a park nearby with hills to sled on.  Icicles- the kids loved them!  Sadie settling in. And an Elizabeth in a snuggie in the background!  Our back yard. There are rock climbing things next to the slide- pretty fun!  The View from our Front Door  The Kids at Hale Center Theatre to see Uncle Ben's Hilarious Play "Is He Dead?"  I found this picture of Grandma Patty and my Mom while unpacking. It was sealed shut in a baby book but I have since gotten it out. So precious! Baby D in the snow! He loved it! H...

 Blogging. We finally have wifi and I am on our old computer, browsing blogs like the good old days in Maryland when my babies were small and they would play or watch t.v. and I would read blogs and write and cry and laugh and thank God for the internets. One of my favorite bloggers has written a book and in celebration of such wonderfulness (bloggess turned official book writer), I am going to write and enjoy writing. As you know, I have a killer headache. Killer. It's not killer all the time. Just whenever I think "I have a killer headache!" Which is about 60% of the time. Lately.  I've gone through lots of stages with this headache- denial- this isn't here, anger- are you serious?, extreme anger- wanting to throw things anger (on a few occasions), submission- ok, what can I learn? and finally, today, humbleness . Humbleness.  I jumped in the car tonight to grab a walking toy for Declan from a facebook yardsale group ( the boy is nine months and so ...

***Disclaimer- I am typing this from a computer at the Library- we still have yet to get internet in our new home (quite a long story) and so all of my pictures of Declan at 9 months are still on my phone or other computer. Imagine, if you will, a round headed, bald, toothy baby. That should help! Declan at 9 Months: -ABSOLUTELY LOVES Sadie the Dog. So glad we got to keep her! (We're renting and weren't sure if the home we were to live in accepted pets. This one kindly does. A friend was watching her for us and happened to be in Utah for Christmas and dropped her off). Every morning when he wakes, he sees her and squeals and tries to get out of my arms to pet her/pull her whiskers/pull her hair. When we first got her back, Sadie would see Declan crawling toward her and run away. Now she kindly tolerates him and looks at me with big puppy dog eyes that say "Please be gentle!" -Crawls very well- all over, pulls himself up, and even cruised across the coffee tab...