Time To Start Blogging Again

Life has dealt some crazy turns lately. Some huge changes have come about and there is one that I am super excited about. Starting next Fall, I will be teaching all of the preschool classes at Jenni's Wilde4Learning Preschool. I have missed teaching the last 2 years and feel like I am ready to take on this wonderful opportunity. Jenni is going to take a few years to really focus on her family and kids. She has 6 wonderful kids to focus on and she feels like she is missing out with Kate and Kinnadi being so little still.

More news, Dalene will be coming back to Nephi to try and rehabilitate after her last stroke on March 3. This story actually began on Christmas Eve when she did a little jump/fall out of Elisa's van and broke both of her legs just below her knee caps. She moved down here to Nephi to rehabilitate at Red Cliffs Assisted Living. She was there for about a month and a half. As soon as she was able to transfer and bear weight, she came to live with us because money is an issue and I was concerned for her mental well-being. I provided all of her care and took her to physical therapy at the hospital twice a week. It was just at the end of her therapy appointment as she was trying to get settled on a big bench so she could put some ice on her knees that she became hysterical saying that she was having a stroke. An aide ran across the hallway to get my dad. He took a quick look at her and off we went to the ER. Dr. Marc Jones was on call. He ordered a few labs and had a CT scan done. He then video conferenced with a doctor at the University of Utah. About 15 minutes later we were on our way to University Hospital. I was able to ride in the ambulance with her. I hope that is my one and only ambulance ride ever. It was then confirmed that she had a stroke and that it had done some serious damage to her body. She is unable to move much of her left side. Since the stroke she can move her thumb and fingers a bit but there is nothing in her leg. I can't imagine how frustrated she is, but I am frustrated for her, because she was nearly back to walking without even a walker. She is to be transferred to Heritage Hills Care Center tomorrow to begin treatment. I hope she gets more out of her left side.

Basketball is nearly at an end. Season play has finished up and now Maddee and Kaelee are participating in a month long camp that is 3 days a week. They are both good little players. Softball season has begun. Jalynn made the high school team and this is their first week of play. She is playing JV and has done quite well. I am proud of her, she works super hard. The other girls will start ball in about a month as will Dylan. I love Spring sports and spending the time outside.

Ending the Drought

Okay, so I am sitting here staring at the computer, thinking that whatever I finally decide to post has to be FABULOUS since I have not posted anything for years.  I just came to the conclusion that whatever finally does get posted will not live up to the "big picture" that is floating around in my head.  I realize that I cannot catch up what has happened in the last few years here, but that I can start where we are in our lives and move forward.  (Thank goodness, I am a HUGE journal writer so we have all of those memories recorded!)

With school starting and my work picking up, we are being forced into getting organized.  I have a HUGE list of things to do, plans to make, and schedules to keep.  I have had to force myself to step back and tackle little bits in hopes of accomplishing the big task eventually otherwise I am just too overwhelmed and I turn into a psycho. 

My first task is to accomplish a meal plan.  A few months back I sat down with the calendar and jotted down a dinner idea on every day.  Of course this made Kaelee one super happy camper, because as we all know, if Kaelee does not have a full belly, EVERYONE pays.  Her whole being revolves around food.  So this time I have decided to take it one step further.  I am going to add in cooking extra meals and storing them in the freezer to make life easier on some of those crazy days that happen all too frequently.  I have been searching for some new recipes to go along with our family favorites that I know freeze well to add to the menu.  I think I have finally collected a few good ones.  The next step?  Create a grocery list and pick a day to do the cooking.  This upcoming week looks to be way too crazy with birthdays and possibly 3 shifts to squeeze it in, aiming for the first part of the following week.  I am really excited about this and can't wait to have some quick, easy dinners ready to go.  I am so hoping that this will eliminate fast food, I HATE it!

***Phew!!! The drought of blogging has ended.***

All Is Well!

It has been awhile since I last posted. I always tell myself I should post this or post that but before I know days, weeks, and even months have passed. This week is hopefully the final week of being laid up with a yucky sprained ankle. My "Gracefulness" strikes again as I took a tumble down a couple of stairs last week. It has been a couple of years since my last really big "Grace" moment so I guess it was about time. Today at preschool we "Monkeyed Around"! Here is a pic of my favorite monkey!

Taekwondo

We had a fun evening on Wednesday. Both Kaelee and Maddee were promoted a belt level. They love taekwondo and are fierce competitors! Even Dylan, though he is not officially in taekwondo, had to wear the girls' small karate pants and one of their old belts. He got right in there warming up and kicking and working out just like everyone else. I guess we will have to get him going as a student soon. I am so proud of my kids. Jalynn has her black belt and is working towards her second don. Taekwondo has been a fantastic activity for our family.

March!!!

I am so glad it is March and February is over. I really do like February, at least a couple of days of it, because after all my last name is love. However, it is really just a dark and dreay month. Snow, mud, cloudy days aagggghhhhh! With three dogs mud is a huge bummer! Maybe now there can be hope for James a job with Spring almost here. This unemployment is deffinately not fun!
Just found an old friend and I am so excited to renew that incredible friendship. Friends are such a rare gem that truly do get better with time! They are what keep us going and encourage us to be better. I haven't talked to her too much and already she wants me to be better at keeping up with blogging. I read a great article a few months back in Family Fun, one of my fave magazines, about how a family used a blog as a family history and to keep other family members updated. At the end of the year, the family would complie the blog and have it printed in hardbound for their family records. How cool is that? I am going to try that. We will see how it goes.

James's Remodel

So James decided to remodel the hallway at the bottom of the stairs. Instead of using a typical means of demolition he tripped down the stairs over his tools he left laying around and punched his knee through the wall. Next time you decide to demo sweetheart, try using a sledge hammer and make sure that we want a hole in the wall.

Loving Lake Powell

Dylan's First Trip to the Lake! He took to it instantly and kept looking at Grandpa wanting to be his co-captain . . . maybe next trip Dyl!

We just came home last night from Lake Powell. The weather was fantastic though the water was cool still. Water levels are rising fast and it makes us even more excited to go back in July! The girls had a blast riding tubes, kneeboarding, and fishing. We had lots of fun and spent a lot of great quality time with Grandpa and Grandma and all the aunts and cousins. We love Powell!