The Dr's statement to Rick..."You are high functioning" in spite of the shape your knees are in!
Rick had this treatment done to his right knee last March. It feels 100% better he says. So this year, when his left knee began to really hurt and lock up, he thought he would try this again. This knee is in worse shape. The bone is actually concave where it has worn next to each other. The Dr states this is so new, he has no idea if this will work or not, but we're up for the try. Next step, knee replacement. Not an option that Rick is excited about by any means!
Euflexxa is used to relieve knee pain due to bone to bone pain. It's a gel like, natural and highly purified form of HA which is a natural substance found in the fluid that cushions, lubricates, and protects the knee. The first treatment, they pull out the old and bad fluid...kind of sticky gooey substance. Then they inject this. Pretty cool actually and really pain free, so Rick says. I'd probably be bawling like a baby! Keep your fingers crossed! He says it's already feeling better!

New project for sweet friend. Oh how I could stay at home and play with this kind of stuff all the time!

Tiffany is my sweet Louisiana friend from work. She's so cute and so fun to have around. She left our department, dang her, but we still see her a little bit. She gave birth to this sweet little angel a couple of weeks ago. I made these head bands for her at her request and took them to her place today after work. This little princess is so so cute. She was only 5 lbs, but healthy and beautiful. The headbands will drown her for now...maybe I'll have to make her a new band to use while she's so tiny....I thought I was going small...but they would hang around her as scarfs I think today! She won't stay small for long though!

Pinterest is my new addicion...it is a pin board that is unreal! You name it, it has what your looking for! DIY stuff...stuff to purchase...all categories...I can get lost in it!
I was sick this past fall as I added up the amount of $$'s we have been spending at the grocery store...I'm looking for any way to avoid it! I HATE grocery shopping and have been heard to say...I'd rather take a beating than go grocery shopping! One of the girls laughed at that at work...she said I would not! No really...I think I would. It's a mental beating as I see those $'s add up and then we have to do it again...URR! We could save so much money if we didn't have to eat! Soooo, anywhoos, found a recipe to make my own laundry detergent. I bought a front load washer about a year ago or so. I hate trying to find the best deal on the soap it requires...found this recipe. So excited about it...Have enough to make probably 2 more batches! So far, the clothes are clean and just as white...trying to keep the whities white has been a chore, and this seems to be helping! We'll see as time goes on. ANNND, because I'm putting the soap in the wash tub itself, the ever so popular stink has gone!

I subbed for our Relief Society class for lesson one from the Prophet George Albert Smith hand book for this year. I put up the 11 creeds that he wrote as a young apostle to live by, and then asked the ladies to help me write our own. We're a new ward I said. What can we do as a whole to help us all become unified and one. It was a great lesson....one that I felt a privileged to facilitate. One that the Lord inspired, not me! That's what I love about this gospel! Feeling the blessings of doing our Father in Heaven's work! It's such an honor and is so humbling! I had asked several of my good friends of ideas of how to make this creed into something special. I asked Paula about stitching it, but as soon as it came out of my mouth I felt guilty. That would be so much! I sent cute Katie Henderson a text and asked her if she had an awesome idea of how to print this creed. She's one talented woman! And so so sweet to put it together for me!




It was pretty cool to listen and direct the discussion of how we can accomplish this! I love the ladies in our ward. So many to learn from!

So Rick said "this lady that writes about Capt Bly...kind of a slacker"....He should write don't you think!

So I thought I would do a little catch up...Chris says too much writing, not enough pics...man the men in the house are full of ideas...why don't they do a blog!

Rick's Mom has had a rough 6 months or so...She fell in August and shattered her shoulder. She had a replacement put in, spent some time in the rehab center, went home, and fell again. That's all wrapped into one short story...so much more to it! So many emotions. It's no secret that Rick's family is not close. They have such a different outlook on life, and quite frankly, it's one of the saddest things I have ever witnessed throughout our marriage! How do people in the same family, from the same parents, not have a clue who each other is? Joan, his Mom has always had tunnel vision and only sees what's in her little world, whether it's good or bad...that's what exists to her. Mike sees to her needs, both financial and physical and Tommy & his family see her often and so that's who she recognizes and talks about. Very rarely does she ask about our kids, rarely can she call them by name. Chris hadn't seen her until this picture on Christmas eve since before his mission. How sad is that! Joan's care is demanding more now...she had no business living by herself over the past year. She's been over medicated! (what kind of Dr. gives an elderly woman a prescription of over 120 oxie-codeine pills?) REALLY! Anyway...when we moved her home from Rehab the first time, Mike asked me to help. I followed him while he drove her home. I helped get her settled in the apartment and I felt sick at the thought of her being there alone. She's so much like my Mom was when Mom & Dad moved into the assisted living center. So many things for her to trip over, the risk of the oven and stove, her inability to remember the every day things...I felt so uneasy. I cried all the way home. Not for her, but for me...selfish me, that I could not do this again. I cried because I hated how that made me feel! The emotional roller coaster that she has always caused Rick to ride..it's been so easy to just not be a part of it all these years. Just stay away, it's less hurtful. Now we were being held to what we know is the right thing to do...help. UGH...I just did this! I emotionally could not handle this and I had my pity party! It didn't take long, I believe a month...she fell again.. and now she was in more trouble. Her new shoulder is shattered and they cannot do anything for her. Her health is failing in so many ways. I'm seeing my Mom all over again and I don't believe Mike, who has taken over the medical care for her wants to admit that. Slowly he has come to the realization she can't live alone. She will now be in a care center. It's safer. It's more practical for everyone! It sucks...it sucks big! But what other choice do any of us have. None of us are in any position to have her in our home, besides, after what I have experienced, I don't believe that's the right thing to do in this case. Some cases yes, but not this one. Yesterday she was admitted to the hospital with internal bleeding. Today, they still don't know from where. They will do a colonoscopy tonight to see if they can see anything...she'll probably go back to the care center tomorrow. She's in Bennion Care Center. It's in the middle of reconstruction. I hope I like it better when it's done. Right now, I hate it worse than where Mom was!

T-ray is 6 years old

Talan turned 6 on 1-16-2012. Seems like yesterday I had just come home from the gym to find Mick in the kitchen doing the dishes and asking me if I thought her water had broke. She was so sure they were going to send her home, so she was not about to rush and head to the hospital. The wetness down her sweats was a pure sign that this WAS the day! We were excited to meet this new little guy and felt so lucky to have them living with us during this time!

There's never a dull moment when Talan is around. He's witty and quick with a comment or action. And he's not afraid to tell you exactly how he feels. He's a real Daddy's boy...love's it when his Dad is around and showing him attention. He's a minny Brandyn through and through...looks and attitude! (Not always a bad thing Brandyn...we love ya!)

Presents for Grandkids is hard....They need another toy like a hole in the head...and well....we've already done that route with our kids. It's the parent's turn. Don't get me wrong. We LOVE buying and doing for our grandkids...it's just different. It's more stuff and I want it to be more than STUFF! So....we're trying a something different. Birthday's are about building memories with us. Making them feel special without the competition of any of the other kids.

Talan loves to dance and sing. If you catch him in the right mood, or catch him when he's not looking, he's quite the little performer. He showed us some of his moves on Christmas...did quite the little hip hop dance routine for about 5 minutes. Mick had mentioned that she wanted to put him in a Hip Hop class, but this is the middle of the year for dance studios. I was looking on line and found that the community ed was offering this class for 5-8 year olds, starting this month. So that was his gift from us. A weekly night with Grandma and Grandpa going to dinner, or a treat and then the class. So far, we have had one class. It was a rush to get there, due to hair cuts and such, and Talan said he didn't like it....the teacher is dumb, she's fat and he doesn't like the hand wave thing! (told ya he's his own person!) He told me he'd give it another chance, so last week, I tried to make it special, not rushing through dinner and stuff...then the teacher was a no show...URRR! So much for making it a better night~ He told me, "I really don't care, I just was going cause you wanted me to." SIGH...hopefully next week is better and he's won over with the dance routine! Talan has to feel comfortable with his surroundings...he'll warm up to you, if you let him do it on his own time...hopefully the teacher will show and have a good read on that, and this class can be a fun experience for him. Otherwise, the Utah Sweatshirt will have to do for the birthday gift!

Spending lots of time with these sweet ladies since we were put in the Relief Society Pres in August....This is us in St George with the Visiting Teaching spread out all over the floor to re do it. MAN...what a project! What a feat we tackled but only with our Heavenly Father's help. Now bless me with patience as the sister's in our ward embrace what we .....no, the Lord has assigned them to do!

A sister asked me if I was use to my calling yet....not sure you EVER get use to this calling, but it has changed me and has humbled me in ways that are hard to describe.

Tina Rothe as Pres...or boss lady as I call her....me as the first counselor, and Jill Egbert as the 2nd, and Polly Deming as the secretary. THANK YOU for secretaries! Wow, their job is HUGE! I already have such a LOVE for each one of them...more than even before!

Blogging.....SIGH!

New goal.....blog once a month...

I blog for me...kind of a history or journal of what goes on in our lives or how we're feeling at the particular time. I've always enjoyed journaling, but find it takes SOOOO much time. Frustrating!

But I have found that we enjoy looking over what the year has brought, good or bad...and we find most joy in reading other's. So PLEasE....keep up your blogging, so we can have a good read! :)

As for us....January of this year. .....

We started our New Year's with our good friends at Dan & Brenda's. Seems to be the tradition now, that they host the get together. They most certainly have the large and beautiful home to do so and they are so gracious to host it! Kelley & Paula, Bryan & Carla, Stix & Katie, Terry & Corrine, Chris & Cami, Tony & Marsha and lots and lots of good food! This has been a tradition for many years....when the kids were younger, the adults would gather at one house and the kids would destroy...I mean gather at another. Now, most the kids are spread out, doing their own thing, but occassionally they'll drop by and join us for a few. It was so fun to visit with Stix & Katie some, and get to know Chris's wife Cami. They are doing well and so happy! We are so grateful for this group of friends. You just don't find anyone better! Words just don't express the love and grateful feelings we have for being so blessed to have them in our lives! Such a special caliber of people! LuCKy us!

Tony & Marsha brought these fun, floating lanterns, just like the ones in the Disney movie Tangeled. I believe they had about 6 of them. They had used them in their ward for a Relief Society thing, and she had these left over. Olivia was there with Kelley & Paula and Stix & Katie brought their little one's. Amalia and Olivia thought they were pretty cool...actually we all did! The one that Stix lit, first headed directly towards the neighbors roof....he was running after, ready and willing to do what it takes to protect that home from fire! He said, I can see the headlines now....firefighter starts home in Draper on fire with floating lantern....we all had a great laugh at that! They were so fun to watch float up in the sky, so high, they looked like stars. I think it would be fun to have at the beach and let sail over the ocean! I hope we can join everyone at Newport soon! I miss those days! And of course....we didn't bring the camera.....AGAIN!

2012

January always leaves you reflective doesn't it. This year it has me. Looking over the past

year, or few years for that matter. I have become most grateful for the family that I was raised with. Things that I was taught, things that I want to do, things I want to do different. So thankful for parents who provided me a good happy home, where I not only felt love, but safety and happiness. My siblings are all we have now. My Mom's old boss left me a message after Mom died that said..."well your an orphan now, just like me"... wasn't words of comfort like he intended. An orphan is one that is abandoned for one reason or another, I'm not abandoned. They have just gone on to a different place and I feel their presence in many ways. I found great comfort in the book called "The Message". A book describing how those who have passed on have influence in the lives of their loved ones. I sure hope so! Some days, it seems like their just on an extended trip and they'll be back soon! Wish that were true! I miss them. I miss who they were! So grateful for the plan of salvation that I KNOW they are together again and that in itself makes me happy. Dad's heart broke when Mom didn't recognize him anymore, but now, well....what ever they are doing...I'm sure they are by each other's side and holding hands! As for the 4 of us...well we have a challenge to continue those lessons taught about family. About keeping in touch and honoring that which we were given.