Happiness

  In December I started having stomach problems. I couldn't travel far from the bathroom. For a month. I went to the Dr who ran some tests. Then I went to a GI Dr who scheduled a colonoscopy. Boy was I excited! Not really. All went smoothly except finding a small polyp and that means I need to come back every three years. The colonoscopy wasn't that bad. The prep was harder. Here are my top three tips to making it through (for anyone who would like to know and my future self). 1. Add a lemonade drink packet to the mixture they give you- definitely a must! Then, drink something really tangy inbetween sips like pickle juice. This helps the concoction go down smoothly. 2. Have some good clear foods at hand. Jello, gingerale, jello made from gingerale, bone broth and sucking on gummy bears all work great.  3. Don't worry if it seems like it hasn't worked. Mine took a long time to kick in, but it finally did and all was good to go the morning of! Good luck and hope all goes ...

                      Hello, All! About 6 weeks ago which was one week before Christmas,  I came down with a crazy stomach bug. I was making a mad dash to the bathroom 10-12 times a day- everything I ate went straight out of me. Within a few days, I was weak and gaunt and wondered how in the world I would make a 6 and then 4 hour road trip to California to see our family after Christmas. I couldn't eat the Christmas ham or rolls or beans that I normally cherish. No pies were baked or made by my hands (a sweet friend brought over a frozen cheesecake from the cheesecake factory). The chocolate in my stocking that I normally love, sat uneaten. My diet consisted of water, unsalted saltines, chicken and broth and veggies and rice and tuna (I needed some protein to make it through the day).  And so, we postponed our vacation for a day. I gave myself a hard line that if I ran to the bathroom even once the day before, we wouldn't ...

It has been twelve days since my surgery/hysterectomy. Its been harder than I thought during those first few days. During the first few days I rested a lot and felt well emotionally and physically. After those few days, I had a hard time staying in bed. I wanted to spend time with my children and my Mom who was taking care of them.  These past two days have been especially hard as my Mom left and I have needed to spend a lot if time helping Rosie and Declan (who is on Fall break). Today we are going to the thrift store and see if we can find a bike for Declan to learn to ride. I’ve been pretty sore but it’s getting better slowly. Elizabeth has helped a ton which is great! I’m grateful to my Mom and to Elizabeth and to friends who have brought over dinner, watched Rosie and brought over bread. Life is sweet!

This past Monday I had a laparoscopic hysterectomy. I had several fibroids- one a large one- that had been giving me trouble for a year and a half. Finally, after going over all the options and trying- unsuccessfully- for another baby, I did it. I was nervous and scared but got a blessing from Josh and that helped. It said that I was making the right decision for me and for my family. Queen Elizabeth passed away the week before and we were able to see some of the funeral procession as we waited in the waiting room to be called back . Dr Layon did a great job! My sister in law sent me flowers and chocolate. How sweet is that? It has been a lot less painful than I thought and now I’m just resting and recovering. My Mom came to help and it’s always wonderful to have your Mom here to help and love on you and your children. Recovery should take about 1 to 2 weeks. With a full recovery in 6 weeks. I feel lighter and healthier am glad I no longer have to deal with this issue anymore! I’m so g...

Lately I've been having kind of a rough time lately and so I've turned to other things to help me stay sane. Healthy things- not unhealthy things!!! One of those things has been meditation. I've always heard how good it is and my Dad really likes it a lot. I never felt strongly about it before.  A few weeks ago I started going to a Meditation group with some women from my ward (aka Church). For the first 30 minutes, we learn about certain health aspects/ benefits of meditating and the last 30 minutes we meditate. I learned a lot in those first 30 minutes and for the second 30 minutes, I thought there was no way I would be able to meditate for 30 minutes.  But I was! For the first class we watch a youtube video on " the inner smile" meditation and that gave us a guideline of what to think when you are meditating (you smile at your mouth, your head, your tummy, your feet, your neighbor, your world- working out). Try it out! (Dad, I think you would love it!)...

Yesterday I was in a funk. I was over-tired, over-whelmed and just plain exhausted. The busy Easter weekend, combined with a birthday, had worn me out. I sent a few kids out to ride bikes and a few upstairs to watch a show (Asher's bike has a flat tire) and I laid down to rest. I picked up Martha Stewart's latest Living that had just arrived in the mail and read/skimmed through the whole thing. At the very end was an article on toxins and healthy eating. I learned that some toxins- like those that are in the paper of microwave popcorn- can effect your reproductive system. That was it. Me feeling lousy- probably from eating too much junk the day before- and some kind of stomach bug and this article combined to get me to change. I am going to start eating healthier. I am going to eat more fruits and veggies, more organic, natural, home grown food. I am going to do less sugar, less dyes, toxins and more food as God intended. This will not only bless me, but my family as well. Espe...

Since the move, I've been mildly manic. I've lost sleep while packing and at hotels- getting the kids to bed and then when we got here- unpacking and shopping to get the house set up and organized. It's been a little hectic. There are 5 things that I need to do to manage the symptoms of bipolar disorder. 1. G et enough sleep . That is hard to do when you move across the country! 2. Get regular exercise. That is also hard to do when you are packing, then traveling and then setting up house. I got a 3 week free pass to a gym 4 minutes away from here and just today I signed up for the year. It always feels fantastic after I run (or walk if my back is injured). Someone once said that 30 minutes of exercise is like one prozac. I don't know who said it, but I'm pretty sure it's true! 3. Eat healthy. The weeks we were packing and then traveling across the country I didn't do so well. I got really tired of the fast food on the road and couldn't take it anymore....

"Ni How" That means hello in Chinese. "Ni How ma"That means how are you in Chinese. "Seven jo!" That ten minutes of massage. I'm addicted. To what you may say-chocolate? Yes, but the blog is not about the 3 pound bag of ghiradhelli dark chocolate baking chips I have in my cupboard right now. It about a massage parlor. Located in my near by mall. They charge a crazy amount- ten dollars for ten minutes, considering that in China they charge ten dollars an hour. I first got a massage after I worked out with a free trainer at golds gym. I was so sore after that that not even motrin could touch my pain. So intsead of working out more- which hurt a lot- I went to the mall and got a ten minute massage and fell in love. With the friendly people there, although no one speaks any English, including my favorite masseuse- I can't even remember his name, but I know that when I go there I don't want a whimpy girl doing my massage for me, I want this massuese...