Phoenix Children's Hospital

Claire and now Ivan attend the Phoenix Children's hospital in Mesa for their psychiatry appointments. It is such a great place. The wait is never bad because there is a ton of stuff to do. We went there yesterday where they did a follow up with Claire. Ivan's appointment isn't until the 17th but the psychiatrist observed his behavior and said that he wanted him on some medication before then. So working with our pediatrician they got him on respirdone and we can hope it calms his aggression.

Urgent Care

On Thursday Claire woke up with severe abdominal pain and side pain. It had been off and on for a couple of days and so we weren't going to fool around with it anymore. I took her to the urgent care where they did several tests, one of which was an x-ray of her stomach. It turns out she is totally backed up. She was running a fever because there are toxins in her body. We have to give her tons of apple juice and some miralax. We thought the pain had stopped but today she is complaining again. They said if it did not go away we had to go to the ER. Hope we aren't headed there today. Here are the pictures of our urgent care visit.

Seeing Double!

(The most advanced piece of technology I've ever peed on!)

well, it's official, I took a test today and it had 2 lines which means I am pregnant! We are very excited to be adding a 4th child to our family!!!

Swimming in February!

It is 84 degrees at our house today and can I just say that I am terrified for summer to come! We decided that it was high time we got out the above ground pool. The neighbors came over and the kids all had a swim. If I hadn't had to walk up stairs to get my suit, I would have been in there too. I am just too tired and too lazy these days. They had a blast though and we decided that we need to get a better above ground pool with a safety cover because Nora is going out the doggie door to get to the pool. We are going to visit Tooele in a few weeks and it will be weird to have to wear coats. I guess we'll get a little bit of the best of both places. Here are the pictures from our swimming adventure today.

A Most Awesome Experience

Today was a very special day for one of my good friends. She went to the temple to take out her endowments and she asked me to be her escort. This means I was able to help her and be by her side the entire time. It was so awesome to be there for her and help her. It was so nice to be in such a peaceful place. The spirit was so comforting. I was thinking about the opportunity I will have to help Claire through when she is older and it made me happy. I was so honored that Annmarie would ask me to do that for her. Matt and I haven't been to the temple in a long time so it was neat to be there together. The Mesa temple is very beautiful. Here are some pictures from the happy day!

Surgery Update

Carter, the little boy that I used to babysit and fell totally in love with had his surgery today. He had a colostomy bag put in. I just talked to his mom Tami and he was out of surgery and doing well. He will be in the hospital for a few days. I wish so much I could be there to see him. I am so glad that he is doing so well, he is one tough little man. WE LOVE YOU WARNER FAMILY!

Surgery

Today one of our favorite little boys in the world is having surgery. We wish so badly that we could be there. Good Luck Carter! We love you!

Fighting

I have a problem. Since we have lived here we have played and become very close with the neighbors. Well, it has turned on us. The mother and I are very close friends but our kids have started fighting like crazy. We aren't just talking words either, it's getting physical. What do we do? I don't want to end a friendship over it but we are both concerned. Does anyone have any advice???

Catching up on Play Pictures

We've been playing around a ton both inside and outside with friends and neighbors. Here are some of the pictures that we have taken.

Just So Tired!

I don't know what my problem is but I am just so tired the past few days. I really haven't been doing more than normal but by 6pm I could go to sleep and stay asleep all night. I don't have anything that needs to be done today besides housework and so I am going to take it easy and get done only what I have to. First on the agenda is a nap. I feel like I am just short with my kids from the time I wake up! It's easier to be patient with them on the days that the daycare kids come because they play together without all the whining. It's going to be a long weekend without friends for the kids to play with.

Sort of a Hard Day!

Today was a good and bad day. I was just so tired. The up side was that we spent a lot of the day at the park. With it being so close we can go back and forth as much as we want. The bad part was that my kids were being so hard! Ivan is just so emotional. I found out from Matt the other day that he used to be like that as a kid. That would have been helpful information about 6 months ago! Claire talks back so much and it's so frustrating. By the end of the day I just can't wait to put them to bed! The good thing is though that we take care of two very cute and well behaved kids and they keep my kids entertained. I just wish mine were as well behaved. I am going to send them to Amelia's house for some re-education (you up for that Mil?). Tonight I was able to go get a new laptop which I am using right now. It's a mini and it's so cool! Matt is working late and so it's just me and the kids and the first season of Scoobie Doo. YAY!!!

Home Improvements Gone Horribly Wrong

Yesterday we tried to install a Doggie Door for BUG. It's going to start getting very hot here soon and so we can't leave her outside when we are gone. We bought the easy kind that you install in your sliding glass door. All went well until we started to install the safety lock. As Matt was drilling a hole in the frame to install it he dropped the drill and it hit the stationary door. Luckily it only shattered one pane and it's a two paned window but now we know where the rest of our tax return is going. We were so frustrated but I am proud of us because neither of us got mad at each other, we just said "it happens and oh well." and moved on. That is very different from what I would have seen growing up and I am proud that we handled it so well. I love my husband even if he isn't a handy man.

We Did It!

It was so hard and so stressful but we pulled off one heck of a Valentines dance last night at the ward! I was in charge of cooking Spaghetti for 120 people and believe me as easy as spaghetti is, that was a hard task. Matt and I were finally able to display our "gun and handcuff" pictures that were supposed to be at our wedding but mysteriously "disappeared" and then reappeared after the honeymoon. Well, here they were a hit. People kept coming to the kitchen to find us and tell us how awesome and creative they were. At least some people can take a joke! It meant a lot to be able to do that because Matt was so upset when they went missing at our wedding. I guess there is always a time to make up for things. Anyway, I had so much fun meeting new people and dancing with my husband. We were able to sit with some of our most awesome friends that we have made out here and laughed and had a great time. Today we went with them to the park and had KFC for lunch. Matt and Johnny have a lot in common and get along so well, and Amelia and I laugh like crazy, she already feels like one of my greatest friends. I am so thankful for Visiting Teaching, that is what put them in our path, we would still be lonely without them! For our Valentines evening we bought the second season of "Big Love" and got the kids "Space Buddies." We are going to sit down and just enjoy one another. It has been a good couple of days.

Valentine's Dance...ARGG!

So I was called to the activities committee and I am really excited but I came in on the middle of a huge activity and I am ready to pull my hair out. Today I have to make spaghetti for 120 people. It's sounds easy yes, but that's a lot of pressure! Today is going to be a very hectic and stressful day for me but I am excited to be a part of it. I am babysitting the neighbor kids for the afternoon but I can still get some things done. My husband and I are just not big into valentine's day so this is a little weird for me.

Nice Sunny Day!

The weather here has been so crazy! One week it's sunny and warm, just like spring and the next week it rains like crazy and our park floods. Well today it is finally warm again and thank goodness because I have 7 kids at my house this afternoon! We were able to play outside for quite a while so that my house would not get completely destroyed. Here are the pictures of the kids enjoying the Spring weather.

Pink Eye???

Holy crap I cannot believe our luck lately. This morning Ivan woke up with what looks like Pink Eye. We cannot get him into the doctor until later today and so now all of my kids, the daycare kids and now the neighbor kids have been exposed. I was hoping that it was just a cold in his eye but when I look it up on WebMD it says that with his symptoms he needs to be seen by a health professional. I swear we are jinxed! It has been exhausting taking care of my children this last week because they have all been sick! I can't wait until everyone is better and we can go back to playing at the park everyday and having fun outside. This whole staying inside because we are sick thing sucks!

Just Like Home Kids Care Arizona Style

Well, I have started watching some children in my home here in Arizona. When we first came here I swore I would not do daycare because Ivan is so difficult. Well, money has been tight and I met my visiting teacher and she needed a daycare provider and her kids are adorable! It has been working out well but Ivan is still a holy terror. He has an appointment with a psychiatrist on March 17th but in the meantime we are going to go nuts! I found out from Claire's new psychiatrist that ADHD can be hereditary. We are in for a ride. I just hope we can survive until March!

"Big Love"

My husband and I started watching the first season of this show today and it was hilarious! I think the reason it is so funny to me is that the guy gets exactly what he deserves! Matt's biological Grandfather became polygamist and thank goodness Matt's Grandmother had the brains to leave him! She actually thinks this show is hilarious as well. I just kept thinking that Matt's bio grandpa went through similar things. One of he wives that left the compound wrote a book and described such similar situations! The problem is, we only have season one! I hope that we will be able to rent season two somewhere. I don't like the way they portray the Mormon missionaries but I know the truth and the show just makes me laugh!

Great Times, Good Friends

So tonight we were originally supposed to go to a movie with a friend and her roommate but for lack of babysitter we made other plans. We went to a friends house from our ward and had such a great time. She is actually my visiting teacher but we have become instant friends. It's weird, it's really comfortable, like we've known each other for a while. Her husband is so much like Matt it's scary but it's great because we can all hang out and have a great time. She also told me tonight that she has been looking for a new babysitter and I told her I had been looking for some kids to watch! So naturally we came to the agreement that I would be her new babysitter. This will work out very well because the first week that we were at church Claire fell in love with her daughter Abigail. Claire kept asking if Abby could come to the hotel to play. It wasn't even until I met Amelia (her mother) that I realized she was the mother that we were looking for! I am so grateful for the church and for visiting teaching so that I can have good friends wherever we live.

Another Friggin' Car Accident

Can I just say that somewhere, somehow I have wronged the powers that be. I was headed to Mesa today to the DI. I was following my neighbor and what do you know, the car in front of her slammed on it's breaks. She tried to get out of my way but it was impossible so I hit her and she hit the other guy. Of course it was my fault because I was in the very back. I was so pissed! Luckily there was no damage to our car or hers. The guy in the front had very minimal damage to his rear bumper. He was such a tool though. He was fine until the cop got there and then he said he had a little lower back pain. The cop laughed. That's right, he laughed and said that there was no way that the guys back pain could be caused by this accident. We were going all of 10 miles per hour. I will tell you what. I have been in two accidents since coming here and while I will admit that I am a crappy driver, AZ drivers are crazy!!!!
Good news was that I still got to the DI and they had a Hoover Floor Mate for $25! I have wanted one for about 2 years now and there it was. It works awesome! It is going to save my back. I have tons of tile in my house and it about kills me to mop it all! Tomorrow I am working another Scentsy party and I am so excited! This seems to be really picking up for me.
Another good thing that happened was, when I was talking to my visiting teacher she told me that she is so glad that we hung out the other day and that she already feels like we are good friends! It made me feel so good because I felt the same way. She is really awesome and our kids get along great. It is finally starting to feel a little bit like home here.

Please Read or Watch this, it's incredible!

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=6804291&page=1

You will have to copy and paste the URL because I cannot figure out how to add a link.

Salma was actually able to breast feed a baby that was sick with tetnus while she was in Africa. Believe it or not I admire that. I know a lot of people think that is gross but what a gift to be able to give. This was such a moving story. It made me want to be right in the middle of it all. This is something I would love to do when my children are older. I watched as a 7 day old child as she took her last breath and died from tetanus. As they said on the special, these are "stupid deaths" they are deaths that can be prevented with $.17! I am going to try to support the cause by buying Pampers, if our budget will allow.

What a great time!

Tonight was just what I needed. I had two friends over to watch Grey's and we had an awesome time together. Today I was able to finish up my backyard weeding, get the canopy over the patio and sit outside in the shade with a book. It felt like home for the first time. It was a good day. All the windows were open and it just felt like summer. We were going to get the pool out tomorrow but it is supposed to rain. We are working on rigging our canopy with a mister so that in the summer when we sit outside we won't die of heat. We are planning on spending a lot of time inside but I know we will need to get out a little. We have 2 big box fans too that are going to be added to the patio to keep us cool. Isn't it crazy that it is February and we are making these kinds of plans? I am excited today and that is an emotion I haven't felt in a while. Saturday night Matt and I are going to go see a movie with some friends and I am excited about that too. It has taken longer than I would have liked to build a network of friends out here and while it's small, it's awesome!

I Found One!

I knew they were out here somewhere, I just had to find them. I knew with enough determination it would be possible. I looked and looked but it wasn't something that everyone approves of so I had to be careful in my hunt. It was last Saturday when the miracle happened...I found a GREY'S ANATOMY PARTNER! wahoo! At last life can begin in AZ. Tonight is our first "Grey's" party and I can't wait!

Today is a Beautiful Day!

wow, what a day here in AZ. I have to enjoy these days now before they get too hot. I had a bone density scan today and in all honesty it seemed kind of pointless. Matt is home from work and that always makes my mood lighter. He is doing the whole doctor dentist thing today too! I have been working every morning with my Scentsy business and I love it! Today I was able to pass out 5 catalogs at the doctors office! Even if I don't get any orders from them it just feels good to have done it. I am off to deliver more catalogs this afternoon. I just feel good today and I am grateful for that!

Wet Cat...

Somehow we ended up with a diabolical genius as a son. Today Ivan was playing in the backyard and he thought it would be a great idea to throw the cat into the pool. He thought it was hilarious. The cat was pissed... I can't imagine what is going on in his head when he does this kind of thing! He is one out of control kid. It's been very warm here. We are having our summer now and I figure we better enjoy it before we are stuck inside from the heat. We are going to buy a large above ground pool so that we can spend our days in the water or the house. I am scared for summer but I've heard that once you live through the first one you will be alright. Well, I'm off to find and dry the cat.

Mixed up!

Wow, what a day. So I made it to church today! In fact the whole family made it without anyone being sick and we even got there early so that we could get a comfy bench! I am telling you, it is a whole new world there in the cushioned section of the chapel. Even the kids behave better. I helped in the nursery because Nora won't let me leave her and she runs a muck in relief society. After church we were invited to my visiting teachers house for a super bowl party. It was such a fun time! It was so nice to be invited to something and really enjoy the company of the people there! The guys watched the game, the kids destroyed the playroom and all of the girls, well we played a wicked game of cards and laughed so hard. I had an awesome time! It is just what I needed! I am looking forward to getting together with these people again because we had an awesome time and we have so much in common! When we got home we watched "Mama Mia" I enjoyed it but the whole time I was trying to get my stupid laptop to work. I knew I wasn't going to get it but for some reason I could not stop. I finally threw the dang thing. Then I couldn't stop obsessing about the amended tax return that we had to file. So it is 11:18 and we just finished it. I am a little worried about this because it is happening a lot lately. I will start something and I am absolutely obsessive about it until it gets done. I don't just mean worrying about it, I mean can't stop thinking about it, get furious and then cry about it. It happens with the stupidest little things! I feel like I am loosing my mind. I need to talk to my psychiatrist about it because it is happening so often that it is really having a negative impact on my life. I am just going to take a deep breathe tonight now that the taxes are done and focus on the good that happened today.