Life and Everything In It

Saturday...Day 13

2012-02-11T16:38:00.002-05:00

Not a whole lot of news to report today. Emma had a rough night and didn't sleep much. She has now been given a higher dose of morphine and is getting it regularly however it has not taken the pain away. Her pain is still quite severe. The nurse just came in and is going to have Emma reassessed for pain and hopefully they can find a dose that works to give her the relief she needs and still limits her side effects. The doctors who came in today and have said that they want her in the hospital until at least Wednesday on IV antibiotics and then have another ultrasound done to ensure the treatment is working to shrink the cyst. If it is not working then the doctors will look at surgical options to either remove it or drain it. We are hopeful that the medication will do it's job and she can return home middle of next week. She will still have to have a Visiting Nurse come to the house once a day for IV meds and will have to miss more school until she is completely better. Luckily the school is compiling her homework and she will be able to work on it and not miss too much!

Today we are expecting some visitors and that is awesome! Emma loves the company! :)

I am amazed at the technology these days and grateful that we are able to have this blog to keep our family and friends updated on Emma and her recovery! :) It also will make a great memory book of this time in her life for when she is older!

We will update with pics of her day later!

Finally some answers!

2012-02-10T19:56:00.000-05:00

Julie and I came to be with Emma today. She had another blood test and ultrasound on her kidney. We didn't see the doctors until later on today. Her IV needed to be replaced as the port was not going into her vein and it was no good anymore. So she is now IV'd on the other hand. :( Yuck! More pokes!

Today we had surprise visitors~ My sister Heidi and her husband Tom came to visit for the afternoon. It was good to see family from Michigan! <3 They brought goodies from Tina's bakery (of course!) YUM!! and Lots of Hugs and Loves! Emma now has Valentines window stickers on her windows which brighten up her room! It almost feels like a bedroom if she didn't have so much medical equipment in here! Julie had a great day showing Uncle Tom and Aunt Heidi around the floor of this wing. She had them in the playroom and made everyone "fake" Food to eat! So cute!

This afternoon, 2 of the doctors came in and said that the "area of infection" they were noting on her kidney yesterday is now walled off and a cyst. They did not give a size. They said treatment will be IV antibiotics for the full 14 days and managing pain here in the hospital. They will do a follow up ultrasound at the end of next week. Once they release her,which is sometime next week, they said we need to come daily for her antibiotics. They are also checking if they need to do a dye test to see if she has reflux in her Urinary Tract that would make her more susceptible to this again, as I asked if they could recur now that she has had an infection in her kidney. She will also need to do a follow up ultrasound to check for scar tissue down the road a few months after her cyst is gone. She is still having pain and with the morphine it is still a 6 or 7. They are hoping that the treatment with antibiotics will shrink the cyst and she will start to get some pain relief. She will continue to have pain until the cyst shrinks. I will be emailing a friend of ours who is a radiologist again to let him know she had a new scan and get his opinion on it. It is always good to get a second opinion.

We had Paula and Todd come tonight and bring a LARGE variety of movies to go with the ones they brought yesterday along with the DVD player. Daysen helped pick some out too! She will have no worries with boredom as there are some great titles here!

So that is the news from here. Tonight, I am going to have a movie night here with Emma tonight and a snuggle then head home and come back again in the morning!

We are so overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and concern for Emma and our family! We have amazing friends all around us! Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!

Thursday Update

2012-02-09T13:20:00.000-05:00

Today was the first day Justin could come and visit due to his cold. I was so happy to have him here to ask the hard questions and get some answers. He was pleased with the responses they gave, with their knowledge of her case and with their plan to go ahead for right now. Today we met again with Emma's Doctors and have more information. The report back from the Ultrasound combined with the MRI plus having a kidney specialist look her scans over they still are unsure. They have said the "spot of interest" is more of an inflammation they think but it is still not clear what is there. They want to do another ultrasound tomorrow as it will hopefully give a more clear picture of what this is. They want there to be a day between tests to see if they will see a marked change with her medication and condition. If they still see something but not clearly they will then do a CT scan of the kidney to see if they can see a more outlined spot. They are also going to do another blood test in the morning to compare her numbers to yesterday's blood test numbers. Depending on their final findings we would have many options for us but for now we are on wait and see.

Emma is in good spirits, very tired and having some bladder issues. The Morphine they have her on seems to be helping her pain and it is now given to her on a regimented basis. Her pain is still at a 6 with the medication but she is able to get in some naps during the day.

Emma had a busy and tiring night yesterday. She had many visitors and has been glad to see other people besides her Mom, the doctors and nurses. Emma had Jake, Mackenzie, Gabby and her Mom all come visit and cheer her up. She got caught up on all the high school happenings with everyone. Then she had the girls from church come to visit and they brought her goodies and cuddlies and a pillowcase that they had all signed. After the party calmed down and they left, our Bishop came for a visit and also gave her a blessing of comfort. She settled down soon after and did sleep a little last night. She has a few symptoms returning but they are not concerned about it as they expect some symptoms with the inflammation.

Emma and I are just going to make today a cuddle day and have been snuggling in her bed. I am hoping for her to get some sleep today during the day. But for now we are in here to stay until this is figured out.

I will update you more tomorrow!

Wednesday Update...We have News!

2012-02-08T13:36:00.000-05:00

Aunt Tina, Uncle Kevin and Sophia sent Emma a beautiful flower arrangement and a BIG basket of snacks and treats! It definitely cheered Emma up! :)

Emma had another rough night, made a bit worse by having a baby for a roommate. The parents were loud and fighting and the poor baby was crying so it was hard for Emma to stay asleep. Her pain also jumped in intensity so they finally have given her morphine for pain and it has cut her pain in half! HALLELUJAH!!!! Freak...10 days of constant pain just sucks! I am so glad she feels a bit better today. When I came in today she was napping which was great to see!

Julie, my littlest (4) came with me today and they have had her painting canvases and doing activities. She also has access to Emma's TV screen and can be on the computer and watching TV. The sisters are glad to be with each other again! Julie even has a bed set up next to Emma.

The hospital is great! If this goes for more time they also offer a tutor for math and other subjects to come and assist Emma with school.

****Just got the results of her MRI that was taken yesterday. Not a full report yet but the call came from the radiologist to her Dr and they said she has "some spot" in the area of her kidney that they need to see more clearly and her opposite hip has a dark shadow on it and they are also looking into that. They will do an ultrasound today hopefully now that they have an exact location and can see if it is fluid filled or more tumor like. From there they will either treat a cyst/abscess or biopsy a tumor.

As her Mom, this has been super hard for me to watch my daughter be in constant pain and not have something help to relieve it or be able to relieve it myself!

So now we wait again but at least they know there really is an issue and are working on taking care of it. I will update when we know more.

Our Favorite Sister Pat came today with lunch and had a nice visit with Emma. It is wonderful the support we have received from the Relief Society Sisters at church and the meals that have been provided to our family at home while I am here with Emma.

Much Love!!

Tuesday Afternoon

2012-02-07T14:00:00.000-05:00

The team of Doctors have come in and talked to us about the ultrasound findings. There is nothing significant that they can see. They have called a OB-GYN to consult on her case just in case they missed something and also will be ordering an MRI shortly. We have talked to the consulting Dr and she just assessed her, asked a ton of questions and left. The MRI may take some time to get as we have to wait for the machine to be free and urgent cases take precedence over Emma's case. The MRI will show the most information and hopefully from there they will be able to tell what the cause of her pain is. In the meantime, Emma has a new roommate. She is a little girl about 10 months old. Hopefully she is a good sleeper so Emma can get some sleep. Shen(Emma) is getting ready for her afternoon nap now. More updates later tonight.

Tuesday Morning

2012-02-07T11:46:00.000-05:00

This is one of the 2 things Emma does while she is here...the other one is sleep! Today Emma woke with some more pain. She had another hard night with little sleep. They finally gave her Tylenol for pain but won't give anything else that might mess with their testing. The Tylenol just takes the edge off the pain but doesn't take it away. :( She did get up and had a shower today which was good for her to get out of bed and move a little. Maybe that will help her sleep this afternoon. On a bonus note: the view is not too shabby and covers the whole city core. Sunset and night are nice. I am now just waiting to have the doctors come as they are doing rounds this morning but it seems particularly busy today so not too sure when they will be here. I will update after they come. Thanks again for all the love! <3

Monday Night

2012-02-06T20:06:00.001-05:00

Well, not a whole lot more news. The only update is that Emma is now in more pain. A 9 out of 10 now. We are waiting to see what they can give her for it. She also has been getting warmer, not what they would call a fever but her temperature has gone up another degree. She is sleeping now and hopefully will be able to get some comfort tonight.

Emma's First and Hopefully Only Hospital Stay!

2012-02-06T12:15:00.005-05:00

We have now been a week into Emma being sick. It started as a UTI and kidney infection. The infection seems to have almost cleared up but she continues to have lower left back pain. They have done ultrasounds, X-rays, blood and urine tests and still no clear reason for her discomfort. As her Mom, I just want them to find whatever is causing her pain and have them fix it and we go home. Today it looks like she may be here for at least a few days. Emma has had an ultrasound today and they are looking it over right now. She has a team of 3 doctors, 3 medical students, a senior resident and lovely nurses working on her case. They are determined to figure this out. They have been so wonderful here at Children's Hospital in London. They have been accommodating and so kind to Emma. Emma spent her first night here and of course she didn't sleep that much. A product of the nurses checking her every few hours. :) We should hopefully have some sort of plan as to where we go from here all depending on what they find. She is in more pain today than the past few days. The doctors said they want to figure out the source of her pain but it may take until the end of the week to do that. In the meantime, Emma is in good spirits and has had a few visitors...Bishop Hill cam with Jamie and brought flowers, Tori, Victoria, Braeden, Jenna and Jared ~They all came last night. Our dear friends the Puddicombes came this morning and brought a boredom basket filled with treats, games, journals, books and fun extras. What a nice surprise! :) So all in all we are doing well just patiently waiting. I will update later! We appreciate all the love, kind words and support we have received this week!

One Vice...

2012-01-26T10:02:00.003-05:00

So those of you who know me, I have replaced the majority of the blood in my body with Diet Coke...Yes, I said Diet Coke...It is the ONE vice that I have remaining in my life. I don't drink alcohol or smoke or do drugs, I just drink Diet Coke...So, I saw something similar to this on Pinterest and thought I would make one to go with my "Favorite Habit"

Challenge #2 ~ De-Clutter!

2012-01-23T19:39:00.003-05:00

Thought I would share what I have been doing this month. Feel free to join me in a challenge from another blogger...check her site out...SO COOL! I signed up today! Along with the changes I am making personally, I am de-cluttering my house...yes...again...I have felt like I have WAY TOO MUCH! Too many toys, too many books, too many clothes{My drawers are bursting again}, too many unnecessary things taking up space and room in my life and mind! GET IT OUT! As my sisters and I like to joke, when we de-clutter anything we are being "WITHOUT RUTH". Now this may seem like a strange saying but we want to be "RUTH-LESS" in our actions and just let things go...So hence, without Ruth! Hope this inspires some of you to do the same. And what better time to do that...It's cold, maybe snowy, dark early, kids still in school. Plenty of time to do it. And if you are a working Mom, like I was, then start small. One little closet, one drawer, whatever you can tackle in, say, 15 minutes. Baby steps = Great Progress! Good Luck and I will check in to let you know how many things I have given away, sold, and thrown out!

Challenge #1 ~ BE George Washington

2012-01-18T22:29:00.000-05:00

Hmmmm...I have been doing a ton of thinking...since I seem to have ample time to do that lately...and came across the website www.beinggeorgewashington.com . At first it was a bit strange to think that I may want to "BE" George Washington, a man that lived long, long ago. However, after my initial thoughts of oddity left my mind, I dove deeper into the website and realized that it was a challenge to adapt certain character traits that George Washington had that made him the great man that is revered by many today. As one of the founding fathers of the United States of America, he practiced, rather diligently what some people today may call old-fashioned principles. This website, coming from Glenn Beck's book Being George Washington, presents a challenge for 2012. Each Month we are encouraged to practice a character trait of George Washington and apply it to our lives. The following is the monthly set up of the points to ponder...

January - DILIGENCE
February - FAITH
March -VIRTUE
April - KNOWLEDGE
May - TEMPERANCE, MODERATION, SELF-CONTROL
June -PATIENCE
July - GODLINESS
August - KINDNESS
September - CHARITY
October - 2ND INAUGURATION
November - THANKSGIVING
December - HUMILITY

I am looking forward to reading about each of these characteristics and then putting them into action. Not only am I doing this personally but I felt that it would be beneficial for my children to learn and practice these as well! I will be blogging about our journey toward becoming more like George Washington! Join me in the journey...

A New Year, A New Dawn 2012

2012-01-01T17:24:00.003-05:00

Many things have happened over the past 10 months since I last wrote. My favorite person in the world left my life, my Mom passed away September 9, 2011 of Brain Cancer. She fought a long 18 month courageous battle and in the end her voice was taken from her. She left a long legacy of service and love. We miss you EVERYDAY Mom! I also went through some painful moments, after I lost my Mom, almost losing my marriage. The death of my mother just accentuated the deep issues Justin and I were having and it was a very rocky last few months of the year. Maybe one day I will write about it but for now it is too private and painful to talk about. The year ended with me being laid-off at work and having no job to go to from there. It made for a difficult Christmas but together as a family we got through. This new year of 2012 is a New Dawn for myself personally. I have so much to learn, so much to do, so much to say! I am hoping you can follow me through the journey I will be undertaking...for now I will say it is Back to the Basics for me...ALL THE WAY BACK...Starting with a NEW BLOG TEMPLATE...cleaner, easier to follow...More to come soon!!!

Quotes I find Interesting....

2011-03-27T23:13:00.010-04:00

Today I have been listening to some speeches and looking at some quotes. I thought this was particular poignant to my situation with my Mom and Dad. I love a good quote that makes me think!

"There is nothing that can replace the absence of someone dear to us, and one should not even attempt to do so. One must simply hold out and endure it. At first that sounds very hard, but at the same time it is also a great comfort. For to the extent the emptiness truly remains unfilled one remains connected to the other person through it. It is wrong to say that God fills the emptiness. God in no way fills it but much more leaves it precisely unfilled and thus helps us preserve -- even in pain -- the authentic relationship. Further more, the more beautiful and full the remembrances, the more difficult the separation. But gratitude transforms the torment of memory into silent joy. One bears what was lovely in the past not as a thorn but as a precious gift deep within, a hidden treasure of which one can always be certain."
~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"In a word, live together in the forgiveness of your sins, for without it no human fellowship, least of all a marriage, can survive. Don’t insist on your rights, don’t blame each other, don’t judge or condemn each other, don’t find fault with each other, but accept each other as you are, and forgive each other every day from the bottom of your hearts…"
~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

And also a last one that is more political~

Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless.
Not to speak is to speak.
Not to act is to act.
~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Ethan's 6th Birthday

2011-02-19T14:59:00.000-05:00

Ethan turned 6 this year! He was looking forward to this for the last few months. He invited a few friends from School. Owen H, Owen V, Lucas, Cole and Jason. This year's theme was : BATMAN!!!
He and his friends had fun playing Hot Potato and Freeze Dance! I think the boys all had fun!

June...Half a Year Gone Already!

2010-06-30T20:59:00.003-04:00

June was full of FUN, FISHING and last minute FRENZY right before school was out!

At the beginning of the month Justin took Ethan fishing to the cabins on the Kipawa River! (Our FAVORITE Place in the world!) The Salt boys decided to start a wonderful tradition of a boys fishing trip with as many of the "SALT" boy cousins, uncles, Dads, sons, etc as they could get to go! What an exciting adventure for them. Ethan truly enjoyed the fishing, though due to the low water not the best fishing, but as long as my boy has a rod in the water he is in heaven! Uncle Adam and Luke came this year and they all stayed in the Big Cabin on the river. It was a fun 4 days of "boy" time!

School came to a close at the end of the month and we had a whirlwind of ending Kindergarten, Grade 8 Graduation and girls camp while Justin prepared for his annual "BIG BOYS" trip backcountry camping!

Ethan has enjoyed this past year in Kindergarten and made many new friends! He had 2 wonderful teachers, Mrs Rhodes and Mrs Pellarin. Mrs Rhodes had a baby at the beginning of the year and in June cam to visit Mrs Pellarin's class to share her new baby boy with her class!

Emma had many exciting adventures getting ready to leave Public School. She traveled to Toronto and did all the sightseeing tours involved with that. She also had a weekend excursion to Camp Bimini where the Grade 8's had a last hurrah! And at the end of School we had Graduation! Whew! We managed to get a beautiful dress, had hair and make-up done, and had a wonderful graduation ceremony with lots of laughs! Emma won the Music Award for outstanding Musical abilities! WOO-HOO Emma!!! Great job!

Girls Camp preparation for me came in the form of trying to track down everyone and get information and forms from them and trying to arrange rides there. Camp was close to Leamington so quite a trek! Thanks to ALL the leaders there who volunteered their time to these girls to give them a great experience! Unfortunately, while there most of the girls contracted the FLU and shared it with each other! YUCK!! Emma thought she had missed it but the day after we came home she came down with it!

Justin made it out to the back country and had a great time with Richard and Benson and Connor. They had a nice time fishing for their food and keeping the bears out of their tents! I was a bit jealous, I must admit, as some of my favorite times with Justin have been out there. We had a few adventures before the last 2 kids came along, but none since.

June came in ROARING and went out the same way! Hopefully the Summer slows down but something makes me think it is just getting geared up!

Emma is 14!!!

2010-06-01T23:12:00.002-04:00

Wow, time really flies by! My girl is growing up so fast! Emma is going to be graduating from 8th Grade soon and entering High School in September! How can she be that old when I still feel like a teenager! She has turned into a beautiful young woman...wow! Have to watch the boys with this one! YIKES!

Back and forth, Back and forth...

2010-05-15T22:59:00.000-04:00

I have been going back and forth to Michigan now for a month. Mom can't be left alone right now. It has been hard on Justin and the kids. I just worry about Mom and her health. I would love for her to kick these tumors butts! One day at a time! I am so grateful for Justin and how he picks up and gets things taken care of while I am gone! He is amazing!

Our wonderful Neighbors are MOVING!

2010-04-14T21:13:00.003-04:00

Since the day we first looked at our house, I knew it was the place for us. Then I met the neighbors and KNEW we had friends for life! Alex, Mandy, Tate and Max met us on the sidewalk and made us feel right at home! The kids have been great playmates and Alex and Amanda great friends! I have enjoyed our backyard play dates, walks to the park and the chats over the fence while we BBQ'd! They moved this month to Calgary and left a huge hole in our hearts! Though we still keep in touch, I really wish they were still right next door!

My Mom

2010-04-14T21:00:00.002-04:00

Recently I have been called as the Young Women's President and have felt a bit overwhelmed! We went on a temple trip to the Toronto Temple and it was a wonderful experience! Afterwards we went to get a bite to eat with the whole gang and I got a Blackberry message from my sister, Tina, to call her ASAP! It was urgent and about our Mom. When I called her she told me that Mom went to see her doctor that day and he said they found a brain tumor and would need to go to the hospital right away for surgery. My heart sank and I felt so helpless being 4 hours away from her! Immediately I found rides for the youth I was driving and my wonderful girlfriend Cheryl told me she was going to drive me home as I was in no condition to drive. The whole way home I was frantic and scared and just wanted to be with my Mom, hoping I wouldn't be too late.

On the way I called my Boss, who told me to just go and be with her and they would figure out work for me until I could get back. My scheduling coordinator said pretty much the same thing. How nice it was to just be able to drop everything and just go! I am truly blessed to have the job I do!

When I returned home I talked to Justin and my family and made the decision to just go to Michigan and be with my family. Justin was very worried about me and gave me a beautiful blessing of peace and comfort through all of this and that I would be able to understand everything that was happening and be able to help my family through this ordeal. I immediately felt comfort and peace!

It was still hard to watch while my Mom went through tests, and surgery and shaving of her head but through it all I have felt comfort. Maybe it is my Dad gently hugging me or maybe My Heavenly Father showing me peace.

My Mom was diagnosed with Gioblastoma Multiforme stage 4. This is a rarer form of Brain Cancer that is very aggressive and fast growing. It will keep coming back and each time she will need to have surgery and chemo and radiation. She had a successful operation that removed the whole tumor and has just had a 7 week round of chemo and radiation. She asked me to help her pull out her falling hair and then Tina and I shaved it. It has been a bonding experience for our family...somehow we always come together in a crisis. Some of my siblings are doing better with this than others. Tina and Kevin have been taking the brunt of the work since they still are living with her and Heidi and Julie are helping out. I come every other week for a few days at a time.

I sure do Love my Mom and want her to recover fully from this...however this is something that she will live with and have for the rest of her mortal life. Sucky that she has to endure the sickness, torture of chemo and radiation. She has given everything for others and I just wish she can have some relief and a cure. Nevertheless she says she is ready if it is her time. She says that she wants to stay for she has so much she still wants to do. We will all do our best to get her "Bucket List" done before her time to go!

Ethan's 5th Birthday!

2010-02-14T21:13:00.001-05:00

It is hard to believe that our son Ethan is turning 5 already! Time sure has flown by! Ethan wanted a Transformers Birthday party and we had one with the Bumblebee cake and the Optimus Prime pinata!

Ethan invited a few friends over for some fun party games, food and play. It's nice to see our son socializing and making nice friends!
He received some fun presents and for the first time in our house...play guns!

His Dad bought him his own fishing rod and reel and his first Compound Bow wieghted just for him. He should be able to grow with it over the next 5 years and then pass it to his sister.

He had a ball and I think the boys who came did too! What an exciting day!

YEA! Tina is moving back!!

2010-01-08T21:11:00.000-05:00

I just found out that Tina is moving back to Michigan with Kevin and their baby daughter, Sophia! What a wonderful thing! To have my best friend only 2 hours away is so amazing! I will get to see Sophia grow up and our kids will be friends and play together! Tina and Kevin have bought a Great Harvest Bakery in Birmingham, Michigan. I hope things go smoothly! I love my sister!

A New Year a New Resolution

2010-01-08T17:01:00.003-05:00

Wow...2010! Hard to believe so much happening and so much that will come this year for us, and it's only January! This year we have a few trips planned, Ethan turns 5, Emma 14 and Julie 3! Time sure is flying. Trying to be a good Wife, Mom and Friend...

March is rollin in!

2009-03-09T00:11:00.003-04:00

My thoughts today are turning to all of the things that I have been blessed with in my life. Though times lately have been a little rough, I have been able to experience how amazing my friends are, how strong I really can be, what a wonderful support my family has been and how important it has been for me to make myself a priority. I have a job that can be enjoyable at times, good kids that love me, a comfortable home to live in, a husband who loves me, friends who stand by me and are there when I need them!

Welcome to Fall! Where was the summer???

2008-10-02T23:22:00.003-04:00

The Summer has flown by! With it has gone my carefree timetable and fun girfriend time! I have been back to work now almost 3 months and am so ready to be done for good! I hardly have time to blog like this anymore without sacrificing something else, ie. sleep, kid time, hubby time, ME time! Hopefully I am starting to come out of the fog of the past 3 months and reemerge more balanced. My kids, husband, and friends are missing me. I will be blogging a bit more this weekend and hopefully adding pictures and earlier blogs of the summer and fun things we did! Please know...if you are my friend...I do still love you!!!

A VERY Long Summer!

2008-09-02T20:43:00.003-04:00

I just had a few minutes to catch you up on how we have been this summer. I hope to go back and blog for each fun event we had, atleast I took pictures! We are doing well, I am back to work and hence not much time to blog. The kids are great and Justin is finally relaxing after we just finished a reno on one of our condos and put renters into it! YEA!!! Now a short month to relax and get ready for hunting season again! Is it that time already! It is still 30 Degrees Celcius here during the day...HOT HOT HOT! Hope to blog more later!

Emma Birthday Party and Father's Day!

2008-06-16T09:53:00.007-04:00

This week has been very busy! We have been getting ready to be invaded by numerous numbers of preteen girls and maybe a few boys too! Emma recently turned 12 and she wanted a "Retro Party Games - come dressed like your favorite celebrity" party! She invited 13 people and Justin was working that day! AAHHH! The party day came and 9 girls showed up plus Emma, Ethan and Julie~ No Boys though, which was ok by me! It was a total hoot! I felt like a kid again! The girls were great! Even Ethan and Julie got in on the fun! All of Emma's friends are great girls and they all get along so well with each other! We played Pass the orange game, Bingo, Blind Portrait Drawing, Toilet Paper Mummy Race game, Pin the Nose on Julie game(I couldn't draw a donkey!) and the Chocolate Game but with a Pop Tart since it was so warm. We had a chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream cake and tons of food. Food included: Doritos, tortilla chips, a veggie tray, grapes, apple slices, rolled up taquitos and mini pizzas! All the food was eaten! Growing girls~Who knew they can eat so much! We also played guess what animal I am. They sang to the music and did funky dances...lots of silly fun! I am so glad that Emma has good friends in the neighborhood. I was picturing them in Grade 8 together and in high school together! Hopefully they will all stay good friends! Then I got ready for another big day...Father's Day!

Father's Day was very nice. Justin came home off duty that morning. I made a breakfast of French Toast with cinnamon and Bacon with Orange Juice and fruit. We went to church then came home and I fed the restless natives. Justin and Julie went for a snooze and Ethan and Emma played quietly. I took over the kitchen and made Pork Tenderloin Skewers on the BBQ in a marinade of olive oil, lemon juice, fresh rosemary(From my garden pot) and pepper. Also Wild Rice, Asparagus with lemon, Vadalia Onions with sweet onion baste and Key Lime Pie. Dinner was a success! My In-laws came over too and afterwards we chatted, played with kids and Justin, Pauline and the kids went for a walk while Brian slept on teh trampoline and I chatted with my family in Michigan. Then after everyone left I just sat down to watch a bit of American News when my sweet neighbor and friend Elisa came to the door to see if I could "play". We sometimes go for walks at night while she walks the dog. We get the chance to leave the house, have adult conversation and chat about kids and life. We went out and no sooner had turned the corner when it rained on us...No Notice! We turned around to go back but kept walking since we were already wet and the rain had abruptly stopped! We had a great walk n talk. What a blessing to have neighbors and friend so close!

A Day at the Park

2008-06-12T23:02:00.002-04:00

We went to the main park in London this week, Springbank Park and went to the "major attraction" there called StoryBook Gardens. It has been around forever and within the past few years they have renovated it while keeping the Nursery Rhyme Theme. The kids had a blast and we had a good time too! We were wishing though that Emma was with us...We had gone on a school day.
Ethan was ready for action, chasing peacocks and hollering at me to "Take a picture of that, Mom" "Oooh, Take a picture of that". Most of the time it was a peacock or a bug on the ground! We saw all the animals there and then went on the climbers and slides. Julie liked the geese and kept pointing and saying "Dat" "Dat" (Translation = That, that) with every cool thing she saw! After getting hot and sweaty on the climbers we cooled off at the splash pad that they have there. Ethan ran and splashed and squealed in delight!
Even Dad got in on the action and went up a climber or two. I went down the tube slide with Ethan at first but then was informed (By Ethan Himself) that he was a big boy and would do it himself! We were in time for a puppet show and feeding of the Otters! The seals were fun to watch too! The "baby" seal was bigger than Ethan! What a fun day!

An Amazing Weekend ~ JOY!

2008-06-03T15:21:00.002-04:00

This past weekend I had the opportunity to go to a "Time Out for Women" in Mississauga. It was a weekend filled with inspiration and I learned so much. Some things were reminders and the reminders were uplifting. It renewed my spirit and strengthened my soul. Even though I am sooo tired afterwards, It was well worth it. I have had a few great days since! I remembered that we as women have great influence in this world! I want to be a great influence! I can be! I also need to renew my efforts to be better at the daily things and use my time for the "BEST" things in life!

Holiday Weekend in Michigan!

2008-05-27T15:05:00.004-04:00

Wow what a whirl wind of a few weeks! I have experienced such joy and exhaustion all at the same time! I spent the weekend and Monday with my Family in Michigan. Mostly with my Mom. She is an amazing woman! I spent Friday night with Heidi, sister time. That was so nice to reconnect with her. I feel so distant from my sisters lately...I then went back to Mom's and on Saturday did a massive clean and reorganize of her back yard patio. I wanted to leave her with something nice to enjoy. I think Heidi will be helping her with planting flowers. Amanda and Audrey and later on Stephanie came over to help me. It was nice to spend some time with my niece's. I wish I was around for them more. I can still remember being their ages! They were a great help! It was fun for Julie and Ethan to spend time with them and Oma too! I also burned a bunch of old business papers of my Dad's.

I thought of him frequently this weekend. Man, I still wish he was alive. I know there is a Plan for our family, but sometimes I wish he could be around. It will be 9 years in a few days that he will have been gone. Time goes quickly but it still aches the same!

Sunday was a nice family day. I went to church with Mom and then afterwards a picnic at the park with Heidi, Tom, the kids, Mom and my brother Richard. It was a great time together! We were just missing a few! Julie has really blossomed with so much family around, she enjoys the attention! We then went to my sister, Julie's house to pick up Emma who had been there with Julie's kids for the weekend. We visited there for the evening. Ethan slept most of the time. All the playing wore him right out! Julie was worn out too!
Monday I was going to go back over to Julie's but I saw that Mom still needed a bit of help so we tackled the "Garage". I went through my Dad's tools and bits and bobs. I think it is starting to look more organized now. We worked until dark and didn't end up going home until Tuesday morning. What a long weekend but a great one! At the end My kids didn't want to leave. I wish we lived closer!

Catch up time again!

2008-05-23T08:49:00.003-04:00

Well I thought I would take a few minutes to catch up while I can. We have been super busy with landscaping our yard. Justin has moved the shed and rebuilt it on a new foundation. This required tons of work! He disassembled it and moved the composters. As he lifted the one up a HUGE RAT ran out of it! YUCK!!! He said it had been living under the shed and in the composter. I am glad we redid everything! Hopefully he finds a different home far, far, far away! The joys of living in the country! Yesterday I helped Justin rebuild the shed...in the wind! Don't try this at home! I used two hands and one foot balancing to keep it steady in the wind as he put parts together! It is finally up and everything back in it with a new pad laid for the garbages and compost and 2 more cedars planted!

Justin also took down part of our deck where the hot tub had been. He laid sod and moved the patio set around. Then he attacked the front yard with a new raised flower bed in the front. I was able to plant our 4 new urn planters. Hopefully they will fill in nicely. I also planted 2 tomato plants in pots with lettuce around and an herb pot. I just love fresh tomatoes in the summer. It remind me of growing up, picking fresh produce straight from the garden!

Emma has been "hanging out" with friends. She is also running track again.. She does the long jump, high jump, 400 m and 1500 m. She placed well in most of those. She needs more practice than they give for high jump! She is looking forward to turning 12 and going into Young Womens in church! She has grown like a weed!

Ethan is as active and energetic as ever! He has been Dad's great helper in the yard, finding worms, pulling weeds, moving dirt, etc. He also has been continuing the quest to be potty trained. One Day at a time! He loves to "read" books and play with his sisters!

Julie is also growing fast! Hard to believe she will be a year soon! She finally has reached the 18 lb mark! YEA! She has had 2 bottom teeth come in and is starting to eat more real food. She loves when I feed her from my plate! She is also saying Mom and Dad more. Has a sound for Ethan "brother", Says Em for Emma, ba for bottle, eeh for pacifier and loves to screech for fun! We all are enjoying her comedy acts!

I am super busy as usual with household thing and trying to get into the gym and preparing the house and family for my return to work in July. This weekend I am taking the kids to Michigan for Memorial Day weekend. We will be back late on Monday and are looking forward to spending time with my family!

Our Julie!

2008-05-01T10:08:00.008-04:00

Julie Ann Salt was born July 6, 2007. She was my only labor that came off on it's own!
I was in labor most of the day off and on. My mom was here to help with the kids. Justin had taken the day off work but was thinking of going in for the evening because my contractions were steady but nothing really big! So my mother said I should go jumping on the trampoline, which I had avoided before but thought "Well if it is labor then it will kick in and if not it will stop!" Well needless to say I ended up calling my midwife who came and said..."You are ready to have this baby now...we should go to the hospital NOW!" Five hours later I was holding our sweet Julie in my arms! I was able to have an epidural (which never worked with the other 2) and really participate in her birth! I watched her being born in the mirror. What an amazing experience! She was this purple bundle of chub! Although when she stretched out she wasn't so chubby! She weighed 8 lbs 15 oz...My heaviest! The midwife said if she hadn't pooped right after birth she would have been over 9 lbs! She was 21 1/2 inches long.

Julie looked so similar to Emma as a baby! She was and still is very good! She slept tons! Although she had a problem gaining weight a few weeks after she was born. She still is a peanut! I nursed her for 6 months at which time her doctor told me that we needed to put her on formula. She was not putting on weight! A little sad but after a few days she got the hang of the bottle thing!

She took her first trip on an airplane when she was 2 months old! I took her to Las Vegas to see my sister Tina for her 30th Birthday! It was so much fun to suprise her! She knew Mom and My sister Julie were coming but not Little Julie and I. We hid in the bathroom of her bakery and Kevin, Tina's husband, sent her in there to "clean up the mess" and she found us instead!!! Very Fun!

Julie HATED her carseat for the first 6 months! Going anywhere required listening to her cry and scream for minutes or hours depending on how long the trip was! I would break the trip up into segments so I could take her out and feed her, comfort her and it wasn't until she took a pacifier at 6 months that she started to settle down in the car. Now I get worried if she is crying. She seems to enjoy the car trips much more!

When she was I accidentally shut her foot in the van door at the Doctors office and broke a small bone in her foot! Yikes! I felt so bad, but luckily Julie barely noticed and now is standing and crawling on it just fine! One of those monemts!!!

Julie is now 10 months old. She is very stubborn! No teeth, barely any hair and the biggest brown eyes! She still reminds me of a smaller version of Emma! It is so fun that my girls look like Anderson girls! For those of you who don't know my side of the family...We Anderson girls have dark brown hair, dark brown eyes (well besides Heidi - but her 3 girls looked like Anderson girls too!) and a distinctive look!

Julie is crawling everywhere and walking holding on to furniture! She is talking up a storm ~ mama, dada, baba, hum hum (FOOD), we think she says "kitty" and "hi". She waves hi and bye at the right times, even when it is bedtime we read "Goodnight Moon" and she waves "night-night" to all her things!

Julie loves her big sister! They are two peas in a pod! When Julie has the option to go to me or Emma she chooses Emma every time!!! Emma was thrilled to have a baby sister! Julie also loves Ethan, someone more her size! If I put her on the floor with him they hug, pat each other, play toys, laugh together...it is so fun to watch!

Julie is our last baby in our family. I am still coming to terms with that but trying to recognize the wonderful kids I do have and appreciate the time I have with them! They will grow up soon enough!

Our Ethan!

2008-04-28T14:35:00.011-04:00

Ethan Christopher Salt was my baby who wasn't sure when he wanted to enter the world. I was in so often for "False Labor" ha ha...and maybe a C-section and then an induction. I tell ya the boy didn't want to move. I should have realized then that he would be my stubborn one!
I went in for an induction on the 12th February 11 am. I had him at 4:18 am!(I think...Kinda fuzzy on that detail)on February 13th! It was a scary birth for both myself, Justin and Ethan. My placenta abrupted and they monitored to make sure he would be ok to deliver. Luckily he came out safe and sound...A very long 23 1/2 inches and 8 lbs 11 oz. When they got him on the warming table he gave Justin such a kick! I kept telling Justin he was a hard kicker! His BIG sister picked his name. It was either Ethan or Fischer. Ethan it was! He was a bit of a cranky baby in the beginning...Maybe it was that he needed to eat more! He was also gassy!

Our Ethan was always active from the start! Never liked to be wrapped up, always feet out of the blanket! He was a super tall baby, nothing with feet fit him unless we went a size larger than he was! Once he got the hang of nursing he Grew and Grew! We introduced food at about 5 months...couldn't wait 6 months because he was already grabbing at my food!

We worried a bit about his head when he was younger. One side of his cheek and ear seemed to be forward a bit more that the other side. We had him into a specialist and had a CAT scan done...scary to have your little one put under...But the Doctor said he would be fine and it was not a skull deformation and it wouldn't affect him as his brain grew! We were so grateful!

He also has major allergies. His tear ducts never opened. His eyes were always swollen and red! They were worse when he was at the farm in the hay! I think he has inherited allergies from me and Justin! Poor Guy! They have settled down a bit and don't seem to bother him much...though he still gets itchy and runny nose during the season!

Ethan is clever, smart, curious, thoughtful, full of life, loving and so much more! He is always asking questions!..."Mommy, Can I tell you a question?" I say yes and then he usually says..."I have anything I need". Ethan also has a great sense of humor! Always doing or saying something to make us all laugh!

He is a stubborn boy as well. This will come in handy later when he is trying to make good choices, hopefully he will be a great leader! Always trying to convince us why his way of thinking is the right way! A great Debater.

Ethan loves being outdoors! He loves playing outside on the trampoline, in the sandbox or even exploring his world! He loves to go for walks and find "TREASURES"!

Ethan is a boy who really LOVES his Dad and tries anything his Dad does! He loves shooting his box and arrows. I bought him a little plastic one when we moved in September and he was shooting my fridge and doors and windows with suction cups! Then he moved on to shooting outside at Dad's practice deer affectionately named by Ethan as "Bobby the Deer". He was shooting real field points from Emma's little bow set. Just recently he recieved a new bow...a real bow from Dad with real arrows. They practice shooting Bobby the Deer in the backyard often. Justin has thought of taking him out this season or next to just sit in a blind to watch the deer. Good Father/Son bonding! Ethan also Loves fishing and asks to go all the time! Justin took him ice fishing once this winter and he is "HOOKED" on it! He caught bigger fish than his Dad! I sense some competition when he is older!

Ethan likes to be the handyman around the house! Whenever Justin is fixing something Ethan gets out his tools that Uncle Luke and Aunt Michelle gave to him and goes about screwing things in or hammering things along side his Dad! It is so fun to watch his face light up whenever he sees Dad!

Ethan has a deep love for his Family! When you ask him to spell his name he says "E-T-H-A-N, Ethan loves his family! He is the first one to run to Julie when he hears her cry, to greet Emma at the door when she gets home from school, to give Mom loves (hugs) when she looks sad, and the first to run into Dad's arms when he gets home from the Fire Hall! He is a peacemaker in our home. He can't stand the least bit of contention. Even when a regular discussion is taking place between Justin and I, he runs in and says "Dad (Mom)(Emma) be nice to Mom (Dad)(Emma). We need to love each other and talk nicely and then we can not talk mad and can be happy!" All in one breath! What an amazing spirit!

We do so LOVE our Ethan and look forward to seeing him grow up to be a Great Young Man, Missionary, Man and Leader!

Our Emma!

2008-04-25T11:55:00.011-04:00

Emma Mae Anderson Salt was born on May 31, 1996, on my Oma's birthday. She was 2 weeks late. I was surrounded by most of my family who was close by at the time! My parents were crouched in the bathroom, my sister Heidi at my side (my Coach), My other sister Tina, my friend Jen, My friend Carrie, my midwife Marla, her nurse, and countless numbers of Doctors and nurses all around me helping me bring this special spirit into this world! It seems like yesterday but hard to believe it was 12 years ago this May!

My Emma is a mild mannered, easy going, gentle, sensitive, extremely smart and beautiful girl. She makes friends so easily and fits in where ever she goes! She is helpful, especially when it comes to being with her little brother and sister. She is quiet, likes her "alone" time. Private in her thoughts...a little like her mother! From the time she was a baby she was so content. I could drag her anywhere and she would just sit and play quietly or nap. A very independent girl from a young age.

Emma has been through more in the first 5 years of life than any child should go through, mostly due to me. I had Emma when I was very young, living with my parents, got married when she was one, moved 4 times by the time she was 3. I was divorced when she was 3. My Dad who she was so close to died in a car accident 3 days before she would turn 3. Needless to say, not much of a 3rd birthday for her. I married again right before she turned 5, Justin Salt. So she has been bounced, bumped around and finally soft landed in the Salt Family with me in Canada. She left her cousins and friends in Michigan and couldn't even go to Kindergarden here. I homeschooled her that year. Through it all she rolled with the punches and kept on keepin' on!

She has amazing resiliancy! She is so smart in school! She LOVES science and wants to be a scientist who studies space! My dad would be so proud!!!(He was a science guy too...Biology and Chemistry) Emma is an ACE in spelling...something inherited from me! YEA!

Emma is a beautiful girl!...Young Lady! Light Brown hair, brown eyes, an infectious smile! Tall like her Mom and such an amazing spirit about her! So wanting to make good choices in life and tries to do the right things especially when it is hard to do!

Justin's Adventure to the Doctor...Snip...Snip!

2008-04-20T23:43:00.000-04:00

Justin went to the doctor to get a vasectomy this week. Very Uncomfortable for him! He took 2 days off work and I played Nursemaid, ring...ring...So Now we have entered into a new phase of life. I feel kind of sad and wierd. I do LOVE all my babies but knowing that I won't have that amazing experience again of being pregnant and birthing them is something I am working on coping with! I just need to appreciate the WONDERFUL treasure I have in my kids and not discard that by wanting MORE treasure! I am working at it still! I will post a blog for each of my kids, maybe that will help! Anyway, we have now gotten through the initial days of rest for him and he is on his feet again. For a week though it was ME and "4 KIDS" :) Single Mom's have all my empathy!

Justin is now mostly recovered and is bouncing back...he he he...Yes, Pun intended!

Catch-up Time!

2008-04-15T12:44:00.005-04:00

Wow, Hard to believe it has been over 2 weeks since my last blog. I must have fallen off the Earth for a while...well just super busy with life and decided that I have needed a few more hours of sleep instead of staying up to those wee hours filling in my entries. I have even been bad at my Journal. Most of my need for more sleep is coming from 2 sources. One is my change of "lifestyle" and the other is lack of "good" sleep!

So for the past 2 weeks I have been on a new change of "lifestyle" when it comes to eating food. Not a DIET but a lifestyle change! I have done some research on Glycemic Indexes of foods and have found that the best way for me to lose the extra "baby" weight is to limit the kinds of foods I am eating and choose carefully the foods with the lower Glycemic Indexes, which will keep me fuller for longer and allow me to kick out the fat! I also am going to the gym regularly to help. I have found this to relatively easy because I can eat an assortment of foods, I eat every 2hours or so, don't feel that afternoon CRASH in energy and have lost 7 pounds already! Now please realize this is not an infomercial...I just read up on this and find this to be the easiest way for me to still feel like I am eating tons and loose the weight. I am a total snacker and this helps me to feel less hungry and less like snacking! You can Google Glycemic Indexes to read more. I have been eating chicken, sweet potatoes, green beans, egg whites, any green vegetable, a few different fruits, basically anything that has a GI of 50 or less. On top of this I am not eating breads of any kind or rice or pasta...SO hard to do! This part is only temporary until I lose what I need and then I can add a few things back in in moderation to balance out my blood sugar levels. The trick I have found is that if I keep my blood sugar at an even keel then I have tons of energy and don't feel sluggish! The other thing I learned is that when our bodies make sugar out of carbohydrates (breads, pasta, rice, etc)it releases insulin into our body and then our cells accept what they need. Once the cells have what they need the rest goes to the liver for storage. HERE'S the KEY...Once the liver storage is at compacity, OUR BODIES START TO STORE THE EXCESS INSULIN AS FAT AND PUT IT IN VARIOUS PLACES IN OUR BODY!!!YUCK! Once I realized the way my body handles foods it made it easier to pass up on "BAD" foods for me! Now when I get back to adding new foods again, I can add foods with High GI's but balance them out with protein(low in fat) and lower GI foods and my body takes the high GI's much better...No Crash! Anyway, you can ask me if you are interested in this. It is just so exciting to me to begin to understand just how my body is working!!! Hey and if I lose weight doing it...SUPER!

The other reason for my needed extra sleep has been the quality of sleep I am getting! I can fall asleep usually pretty fast but then an hour later I am up and awake and can't go back to sleep for hours and then it starts over again. Weird! Anyway, I figure if I try to give myself some extra hours I can function better. I hope to get in to the doctor this week about this part! For now it is what it is!

We have been super busy with getting the yard in shape now that the weather has broken and is warming up! Justin has gotten the landscaping bug and bought cedar trees for our yard (18 of them). He dug a ditch with Ethan across the back yard and yesterday spent the entire day planting them and redoing the garden out front. We will be designing the gardens soon and he has major plans for the back yard but not for a few years...something about a stone patio, cascading gardens...(Too much sun?) I told him to draw it out and we can go from there. I was skeptical about the cedars but now that they are in they look great! He really has an artistic eye!

He also put the sandbox in for Ethan and Julie. Ethan has been living in it for the last 2 days! Very fun for the kids!
Now it is up to me to clean up all the leftover sand, dirt and clay from the adventure of a new yard! It is all over the house and I vacuumed already once this week!

Julie is doing well. Eating a bit more than usual and talking up a storm. She said Mama for the first time on Sunday...very cool however she only has said it once more since then. Justin said he heard her say it earlier last week but wanted me to have my moment! Thanks honey!
Ethan is full of fun these days. Also full of attitude. His personality is really coming out. He is very sweet and living to his sisters, most of the time, a cheery guy but has a whiny and pouty phase he is going through! Drives me up the wall and back down again! Every little thing! And the tears that come with the word NO lately! I pick and choose my NO's carefully right now. I also have been trying to keep consistant about any discipline that comes out of the whining. Hopefully he will clue in that when I do say NO it means NO! Soon enough!
Emma is doing great at school. Recently she has been doing her responsibilities (jobs) without much fuss. We explained to her that at a real job she earns money and how and how well she does it reflects her wage. She has potential to earn money for whatever she wants if she does her jobs! They are all done each week now at 100%. She also helps out as part of her family for free! That is important too! She is doing something with friends every weekend and enjoys being with us...I think...more too!
I am just trying to keep up with life and kids and house and husband, but all is well! We keep striving to be better, kinder, happier and to love each other more! I will post soon about Justin's new adventure to the doctor later. Snip...Snip...Yikes!

Book Club Night!

2008-03-27T23:38:00.001-04:00

What an amazing evening we had! It was book club night and we discussed our book "21 days closer to Christ" It was a great read and full of helps to be better, do better and have a closer relationship to Christ. I enjoyed the discussion. What a great thing to be able to get together to learn, grow together and share ideas. Tasha cam up with a great paper on thing to think and study to have a better church "Sunday" experience. I would like to start that with my family. It would be nice not to have to struggle with one little one or both at the same time and try to focus on meanings of going to church.
Adrienne talked about having a King Benjamin Moment with families pitching tents to listen to conference together like they did back then. What a fun idea. I like to change things up a bit to make the experience more fulfilling!

I am so glad that I moved here to be included in such a great group of friends and families we can get to know! What an inspired decision to come to Ilderton! Horray!

PURGE AND BREATHE AGAIN!!!

2008-03-25T01:01:00.002-04:00

Today was an especially busy day. I thought at first it would be calm and relaxing as it is Easter Monday but no. Justin had other ideas unknown to me that had been brewing for some time. It was Purge time!!! We went through the last few...ok many...boxes left from the move including a large barrel I had used to store maternity clothes and mementos in.

Well we cleaned the house from top to bottom, bathrooms, kitchen, bedrooms...the works! Then on to sorting!

First I have to say that I HATE sorting through things that are mine. I have this weird sense that I throw away memories if I give away my things...One of my many "nets" to give up! I seem to be so attached to that certain thing I got from someone however many years ago! Silly I know but nonetheless real to me! So I struggled through Julie's room first...baby things may be easier...not really. Then Ethan's room was done last week so I was good there. Emma's I leave up to her now since she is almost 12, I think she can decide on her own unless it gets too cluttered! I went through the kids toys, boxes in the storage room and by 9 pm was ready to be finished for the night...

Justin, knowing my weaknesses, brought in one box at a time to go through. I sorted through picture frames and pictures...a little easier...then boxes of books...I LOVE BOOKS...I just don't have the time to read every one so off they go to someone who will read them. Boxes with extra toiletries...Hey I found my hair straightener, some curling irons, old lotion...frozen...yuck! Then to the massive barrel of clothes. Not too bad. I transferred my Maternity clothes to a few Rubbermaid totes to go to a resale shop and kept a small box with special things. I found my wedding bouquet and veil, my Japanese Kimono's from my dad and a little t-shirt Bruce made for me that said A.A. Kid on the back (a story for another time!). Fun to see that the shirt would fit Ethan now! Wow time flies!

So at the end of a very long day~ 1 am~ I had a purged house, a van full of Goodwill and some things for Kijiji(a free classified website). Whew! Off to bed now and hopefully I can relax tomorrow!

I am Thankful for:

Justin for helping me do this!
Emma for being a helper too and then off to Nana's for a little attention!
Ethan for being good when it was chaos around him
Julie for being Julie...such a great baby...go with the flow!

And for me being Without RUTH! (Ruthless)...it is a joke in our family!

A GREAT DAY!

Easter is HERE!

2008-03-23T23:19:00.000-04:00

Well Easter is here...a time to reflect on the Savior and his role in how I live my life. I taught a lesson today on recognizing God's hand in our life and I hope it went well. I really just wanted the women to know that God does love each of us and constantly blesses us, even during the times in life that it seems like he isn't there! My life is evidence of that! I have been truly blessed and well taken care of. I have a good life with a wonderful man and great kids, a roof over my head and a vehicle to drive, material things that help to make my life easier, Good friends...the list could go on and on. I was pondering all of this and realized I am so truly happy in life now...knock on wood!...Years ago I couldn't have pictured my life to be like this. I am not saying that life is perfect...hahaha...far from it! But I am starting to recognize and count the blessings I do have. What an amazing thing!

The kids had a good day. The easter bunny didn't visit this year...my fault and miscommunication between Dad and Mom...Luckily Ethan still is not sure what a holiday is except that Grama Salt has more treats on those days! Thanks Grama! A good but long day!

I also received three gifts today...I won't say from who...they know who they are...I got flowers, a candy sucker bouquet of flowers (yum) and chocolate easter treats for the kids. THANK YOU for making me feel loved!

We also stopped by the Bunnages today. Richard had some BIG animal tracks in his back yard and wanted a second opinion on them from Hunter Justin. I think the guys had a nice stroll in the woods. The kids and I came into the house and visited with Kelly, Cheryl, Bob and Liz. It was nice to catch up on life and chat! Ethan was welcomed in and made himself right at home with the kids...playing whereever they were. Julie has an admirer, Lucas Condron, who just htinks she is so cute! Every time we see him he says to me "I think your baby is cute" What a sweet boy! OK...Bob likes Julie too...They have made fast friends! Thank you to the girls for making me feel welcome in their home. Especially in the middle of Easter Dinner Prep!

We did eventually end up at Grama and Grandpa Salt's for Easter Dinner...Thank you Pauline for being patient and holding dinner for us...sorry we were so late! We enjoyed a wonderful dinner with turkey and all the fixings! Even Pumpkin pie!!! Julie loved the sweet potatoes! Lively discussion as always...A good evening overall!

Now it is late and I am off to get a few hours of sleep! Hopefully the kids will all sleep through the night! I am so glad that tomorrow is another holiday ~ NO SCHOOL!

Where did the time go????

2008-03-16T14:19:00.006-04:00

Wow! A week has just flown by. I have been in Michigan helping out my Mom and spending time with family. I spend last Sunday with Julie and Paul and kids. They are all doing well and keeping busy. They have gone away now until Tuesday, Mom and I are with their kids. I went to Ikea for the first time with Julie, Paul and My sister-in-law Janette. It is a massive place! I went to get toy storage for the kids toys. You could end up with a whole house if you are not careful. We were supposed to go out for lunch but the time got away from us. Thank you to Janette and Julie for their help and opinions on colors for the kids bins and for the opinions on their bedding! (By the way-- Both look great in our house! Now we just needs you two to come and visit us to see your handywork!!!)

I have spent a lot of time with Mom. I am worried about her. She has been having Diaphragm problems. They have taken X-rays, CT scans, Stress tests and a Breath test to find out why she is having trouble breathing and what parts of her body it is affecting. I hope they can tell her soon! She has an appointment to see her doctor on April 1st. The X-ray showed that her diaphragm is larger on one end and her lungs are pushing on it. The doctors think that it might be paralysed either by disease, injury or by nerves being pinched. Hopefully it will work itself out or they can fix it! She is so tired and never stopps going! Our very own family Energizer Bunny. I have done a bit of shopping while here, helped Mom out and decided to stay instead of going back only to turn around in a few days to get Emma back.

Today we are going to Heidi's for Dinner. We are running a bit behind because I thought the van was leaking oil. We needed to get the oil changed but didn't yet and I had parked it in the driveway (not knowing Heidi had parked her car there last night). When I got home from Church I parked it in a different place and noticed a puddle of oil on the driveway! I called Adam who told me what to look for and be careful of, it is so nice to have someone in the family who knows cars and engines! THANK YOU SO MUCH ADAM!!! I then drove around O-ville looking for the oil that is the right one for the van. When we reached Heidi to tell her we were going to be late she said "that was from MY car". OH. So off we go now to her house, she made turkey! YUM!! Then to Mom's to pack up the cars and go spend the last 2 days at Julie's.

Seeing Old Friends...Oh the memories!

2008-03-09T16:05:00.000-04:00

Today at church with Mom I ran into an old friend who I haven't seen in years, Ron Kaski. The memories came flooding back! It has been atleast 12 years or more. We grew up together, hung out at Super Saturday's, went on dates together and spent countless numbers of hours in college watching Monty Python and Beavis and Butthead! It was good to catch up. He is married with a son and a daughter on the way any day now! He is a lawyer and looks like one...no really it's a good thing! Seeing him just reminded me that life is so short and flies by so fast. We need to grab up every moment we can and not waste time! I also saw an old friend who has a son Emma's age. They used to play together and talk about when the two of them would get married. She has 3 kids now and is newly divorced...sad...but is carrying on with life as a single mom. I was on Facebook today seeing what old friends I could find...The internet is such a great networking tool if used properly! I found another old friend, Dave Hall, from MSU and got back in touch with him too! He is married with a boy and a girl. He is still living in East Lansing Area and looks great! Also found a few old friends from high school...Amazing the paths that we have taken since then! Good Stuff!

Emma is Leaving on a Jet Plane...

2008-03-07T23:37:00.001-05:00

Emma flew to Las Vegas today. We got to Michigan on Thursday night and spent the day making sure she was ready for her trip. Heidi and the girls came over to say hi and see the kids. It was good to see them. It really hits home how much Emma has grown up when she just gets on a plane and takes off for far away adventures...without her mom! I hope she has a great time! Her plane was delayed by an hour and it was a full plane but we passed the time talking about life and her life goals. I have been trying to spend QUALITY time with Emma, not just face time. I hope it instills in her how very much I love her and want her to be happy! Long Night...but Good!

Choppy...Work in Progress

2008-03-03T01:11:00.001-05:00

Sorry this looks so choppy right now. Still moving things around! Thanks for being patient!

Aimee

So Glad He's Home! Our Dear Julie!

2008-02-28T12:42:00.002-05:00

Well yesterday was a crazy day! It started out normally...Ethan helped me clean the house and do laundry. I had an appointment to take Julie to and then go to Brunch Bunch in the afternoon followed by taking Emma to Young Women's and then picking Justin and his parents up from the airport. Sounds pretty simple eh? Oh NO! Not this day!

I was in the parking lot of the Dr office and took Julie in her car seat out of the van. She was covered by a blanket and I closed the van door. Her legs did a stretch and her foot got caught in the van door, it closed shut! She screamed and I quickly opened it. My heart and stomach both did flips! What just happened??!!Luckily we were at the Dr's office and I took her right in. She sent us to the Emerg for an X-ray. I was 4 hours there with Ethan too, he was a real trooper! The doctor said that one of the little bones in the foot is fractured but since she isn't walking she doesn't need a cast. Her little tiny toes are purple and blue. However, she isn't acting like it is hurting her much! She has been moving it and crawling with it. Good thing she is so little and won't remember much of it at all! I, on the other hand, will not forget this! Uugh!

Last night went off the rest of the way just fine. Ethan went to Reagan's house and the two of them played and had a blast together! When we got home at 10:30 pm they were still up giggling and not wanting to go to bed! Julie had a pretty restless night but we are greatful it wasn't worse and for good medicine! I will post pictures later. Justin is home now and I am glad to have him home! The wedding was great and he said Luke and Michelle looked very in LOVE!!! Horray for them...I wish we could have been there~! The mountains looked beautiful! Maybe it is a good thing that we stayed here, I might fall in love with Alberta and want to move there!!!

February Fun!

2008-02-26T11:40:00.000-05:00

WHEW!! What a Weekend!

2008-02-25T10:59:00.000-05:00

I thought that with Justin gone I might get a few things done on my famous "To Do~But Haven't Done" List! No such luck, I have however been super busy! On Saturday I took food over to the Bunnage's. New friends who were in a horrific accident, Kelly and 3 of her kids. The two boys were injured the worst but will make a full recovery after some surgeries and TONS of rehab! We are praying for them and wish them speedy recovery! After that I drove more carefully to do the other running around we had to do. Emma needed new jeans and shorts for her trip to Vegas and so we did a bit of shopping and oh yes a few groceries too! After that it was 5 pm before we got home. So much for the house cleaning that needed to get done! Threw dinner in the oven, picked up the house a bit, bathed and put Ethan in Bed and then Jules was next. When I finally had peace in the house it was time to turn my attention to the lesson I needed to prepare for Relief Society! It was on Repentance. Or so I thought...I ended up teaching the wrong lesson...oh well! I think it still went off OK. Before I knew it, it was 1:30 am! Yikes! To bed so I could get a few hours before starting over again!

Sunday was a bit hectic. I realized that I had no brownie mix and had to bring brownies to the Ward Conference Luncheon after church. I did have baking cocoa so the brownies were done. Emma tried to help where she could. Ethan as usual was his energetic self and had no interest in letting Emma help him with his clothes on! Somehow we managed to get everyone ready, in the car and to church on time, with a few seconds to spare! The talks by Richard Bunnage and David Sandor were superb and went well with my lesson!
Cheryl was my lifesaver and offered to take Julie while I taught the lesson! Justin is still out of town and I really do miss him! Cheryl though was able to get Julie to nap and I finished the lesson! She's MY CHAMP! After Church, Elisa invited us over for dinner. How amazing! I am truly blessed to have such great friends who know when I need a little help!
Ethan was so excited to go to Reagan's house! He just loves that little girl! They had their usual fun and games and Emma got to watch Ratatouille???hopefully I spelled that right! Elisa and Russell are great neighbors and friends! It was nice to have a break, let the kids play and get some adult chat time in too! We came home, the little ones went to bed, I thought I would stay up for a little bit but by 8:45 pm I was asleep on the couch! Good thing Emma was up with me and woke me up or I might have slept there all night! Justin called at 12:30 am. Still not used to the time change! We chatted for a few minutes and then I went back to sleep! It seems like he is having the time of his life!
He went Snowmobiling and snowboarding at the top of the mountain in BC with Adam and Ryan! What an adventure! I hope he took some pictures! He has too much fun and usually forgets! They were extra careful because of the avalanche risk being all the way at the top of the mountain! He said they had to really go fast up the mountain or you would chance the snowmobile sliding backwards and then flipping over! The only way off the mountain at the top was by helicopter. I am glad he was safe! He also said the wedding turned out well. I will get more details when they all get back.

Well, today is a new week and I still have a few days to get things back to normal before Justin comes home. Wish me luck!

Alberta Bound!

2008-02-22T00:59:00.000-05:00

Well tonight I put Justin on a plane with his parents. He is going to Alberta for his brother Luke's Wedding to Michelle. I am glad that he can go and be with all of his siblings! I wish I was with him but someone has to hold down the fort with the little ones! It was a hectic day trying to get all of the last minute things done and trying to find the right luggage...I think we need new suitcases! I am now trying to keep up everything on my own. We shall see how it goes...I might need a break when he gets back! This will be the longest we have been apart since we've been married! Trying to sleep last night was frustrating...he was going to call when he got in but didn't and I tried to pretend he was at work. I just have a really hard time sleeping when he is away.

Justin is going to be snowboarding with the BOYS tomorrow and then on to Michelle's baptism and then saturday wedding. Wedding and reception are in Banff and on Sunday they are in Kicking Horse to do more boarding and snowmobiling until Wednesday! Should be fun...Boarding during the day and hot tubbing at night...They have a hot tub right outside their condo! I will post pictures when he gets back...IF he gets back! Now on to the kids and preparing the house for the next week and I am teaching this Sunday too! Whew! I will be glad for the week to start!

Computer Craziness!

2008-02-20T02:45:00.000-05:00

Well Justin's computer crashed today! What a mess! We had to figure a way to get his files to my computer without burning it onto a disk because his disk drive wasn't working. Luckily we are networked and could transfer most of it! The computer guys are not sure when he will get it back so until then he is using my computer. It just means I have to do my stuff when he is out or after he is done doing business! I love Computers and I hate them too! Well hopefully I can find a few minutes to update this blog here and there!

Ethan's Birthday Week!

2008-02-14T01:19:00.000-05:00

Wow! It is hard to believe that Ethan is 3! This week has flown by so fast. We were busy with business the first part of the week. On Wednesday I had some of the girls over for Brunch Bunch and then got ready for Family Party! He has been looking forward to his birthday for weeks now. Every day he was asking how many more sleeps! Finally it was 1 more sleep and then the day came and he was sooo excited! He wants to have a "playdate" with his friends soon! He has grown up so much! He now can write his name, recognizes the alphabet letters, can write a few of them , counts to 20+ in English and to 10 in Spanish and German. He loves to paint, color, draw on his "Doodle-doodle" (magnadoodle) and is trying to use the potty! Not much success yet but trying sometimes! He usually says "but I don't have to go". He loves to play in the snow, though it has been too cold to be out for long lately. We are counting down to spring! He is so helpful to Mom and loves his baby sister "Baby Julie" and likes to go in her room while she naps and say "time to get up Baby Julie"!By that time Julie is awake and then he says "look Mom Baby Julie is Awake, Good Morning Baby Julie"! He is loving games lately...his favorite being Dominoes, matching game, barnyard Bingo, ladybug game, fishing game and Beginners Boggle. He loves Playdoh and we are using that as incentive to use the potty and to stay in his chair at meals. If he does each of those he gets a sticker and 3 stickers gets the Playdoh out! It has been working so far. He is so disappointed when he misses out on getting a sticker!

Getting Organized!

2008-02-09T13:49:00.001-05:00

Well, I am using a snowy and cold Saturday to organize my computer. I have been moving over my old blog entries to something that all my friends and family can see. Please bear with me as I am trying to play with the order and settings! Hopefully you are able to see and enjoy our family with us!

Christmas 2007

2007-12-30T01:10:00.000-05:00

Finally a Deer!

2007-11-20T02:59:00.000-05:00

Justin finally got the opportunity to shoot his first doe of the season this past weekend. It was hanging in our garage for a day, luckily it was below 0 at night. Now with one under his belt he can get the rest without as many nerves! I think Ethan has his Dad's love for hunting and the outdoors. He loves to shoot his bow like Dad and is outside at every opportunity. I took Ethan and Julie for a walk this past week through the woods and the whole time Ethan was wispering "Shh Mom, listen for the deer" and the occasional "Look Mom, do you see it...is it a deer?, No it's just a squirrel(bird)(fill in your own animal)" He loved being out there. I thought he might go wild and talk loudly but he was so quiet, he even told Julie to "Shhh...be very quiet Baby Julie" She made the most noise sucking on her fist and crying! I don't think the deer wanted to stick around to see what we were!

A Quiet Night

2007-11-20T02:51:00.000-05:00

Have you ever noticed how quiet night can be after everyone goes to bed? It's the calm before the storm of morning. This new house of ours is soooo quiet here in the country. No cars screeching through the intersection, no rowdy drunk kids coming home from the bar! Some nights when Justin is at work I think ghosts are in the house because of all the little sounds like the fridge water filling up, the furnace turning on, the dishwasher running, the creaking walls, the wind blowing the backyard gates ( that one always makes me think someone is in the back yard). All the noises, that in a year I will have drowned out and they will seem normal, now keep me awake at night listening to every little sound! Oh the joys and blessings of a new home!

Winter is Here!

2007-11-06T19:40:00.000-05:00

What a cold, wintery day here in Ilderton. It has been hovering around the freezing mark and rain/sleeting and a while ago it was ice pellets coming down. Check out the new pics too. I put one in there os the handful that came down after just a few minutes of it. We have been recovering from Halloween...too much sugar, too little sleep even with the time change and we are going through the teething stage now with Julie who is keeping odd hours( up until 1-2 am) and chewing on everything she can get her hands on! Emma is well. She had a sleepover this past weekend here and we had friends over for dinner last night. Emma is doing well with school and likes to spend time with Ethan after school. Ethan loved Halloween...he says..."go to door, trick or treat, and open my bag, get candy, next one!" He had a lot of fun. There were lots of little kids out in our neighbourhood. I had made bags for 120 kids and half way through opened bags and rationed it out and we only had a few pieces left over. Justin has been home this week...it's gun hunting week. He had high hopes for fishing but the weather is not cooperating! I have been busy with the kids, cooking, and went and had my hair newly done Monday. I will post pics of that too. Still me just a bit different. Well, I have to put dinner in so have a great week!

October 2007

2007-10-31T12:28:00.000-04:00

A Long Day!

2007-10-21T05:19:00.000-04:00

Well, I am retiring for the night...Tired from a long day. Emma had a sleep over last night with 3 friends and it was fun remembering what it was like being 11 again! Ethan had quite the morning trying to poop all by himself on the toilet but didn't tell me he needed to until he had made quite a mess and then came to tell me he needed to go. When I looked at him I didn't notice anything except he was naked from the waist down and then he turned around to go back into the bathroom and SUPRISE! I love being a Mom even when it's gross and messy! Emma is at a friends tonight and Ethan, Julie and I had a good evening. Julie's thrush, which we have been trying to get rid of since she was born, is finally gone...fingers crossed! Well I better get myself to bed! Tomorrow starts too soon! Oh wait it is tomorrow!