What a Year Can Bring

            It's been a year since we left our 1700 sq ft rental home on 1/2 acre lot with 2.5 bedrooms and 2 bath.  It was a very spacious home for this family of four.  I had a thriving garden in the back, nearly endless supply of pecans from our tree, which also provided amazing shade during those hot summer days. The temple was 5 minutes away, from our front door to it's front door.

If you google the address (1189 n stadium ave, thatcher, az 85552) you can see my red suv in the driveway and the great playground in the back with the awesome playhouse we made for Lisette's 2nd birthday. (The garden you'll see is the one from previous tenants before I dug out that LONG row of chili's, of which I'm very allergic to.  If you go to street view you'll see proof of the previous tenants and not us.)

Don't think I'm getting sentimental.  It's just a comparison from where we were then to where we are now.  True, our home is smaller, there is no yard, the nearest family is 8 hours away in a car and before we moved our stuff up here we sold most of it.  However I have never been so happy.  In the 9 years we've been married we have never had more growth in our testimonies, in our marriage, ourselves and belief in one another than during that move.  

This blog is only a small bit of thoughts I've been having over this. There is much to say but most of it is still too personal sohere is the run down about how I've been feeling...  It has been so easy to belong.  It has been even easier to be happy.  The most amazing thing I discovered was how easy it has been to love my children; something that can be taken for granted.  So now that a year has gone by since we left Stadium Ave I can look back at this last year and see nothing but happy memories with all the growth our family has gone through.  Most of all I am finally happy to be me.  

Now I'm going to have to follow up with a blog about the kids and some pictures, because that's what most people want, right?

December slideshow

I promised pictures and I never got around to it.  Also some of my friends can no longer post pictures to their blogs due to space, so I made a movie of pictures.  There are dozens of pictures so it could take a little bit to get through them all.

Downtown Main Street here has been the center of every holiday so far. The holiday parade here in Parker is a Christmas Carriage Parade and I didn't even picture half of what was there.  Stephen had to work that day so I tried to document it for him.  Of course horses are my favorite animal so I didn't mind taking pictures of them.  There were booths set up by the park during the festivities to enjoy at any point.  I wish I knew ahead to I could have brought cash because Lisette wanted to ride the ponies more than I can describe; her look was enough for me to know.  Glad to know she loves horse as much as I do. At least there was a free petting zoo and she didn't want to leave the one pony that was in there.

December has been a roller coaster month.  Luckily Franklin is aware the Santa checks his list twice, otherwise he may have been on the naughty list to stay several times this month.  I called Santa on Thursday, the 20th to report on Franklin and he has promised to be a better boy.  I know what some of you are thinking; Franklin is just too sweet to be in that much trouble; you are right and dead wrong.  Follow me on FaceBook to get caught up on his doings. 

Stephen's work party was fun, lots of socializing and the kids were the main attraction.  If I hadn't been hiding my phone from Franklin I would have recorded his floor show for the whole restaurant that had the privilege of seeing him; yes he was that good, but then had a huge melt down when his new friends' phone died.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Watch me bloom; my personal story of growth

Now this is a long one and now you can't say I didn't warn you.  If you want the gist of this blog without having to read every paragraph then skip down to the last 3 or 4.  This is also a very compressed version of this story; I left out many small, but important details about my spiritual growth, but it all comes to the same end.

For those of you who don't know, or may not remember, I grew up as an "Army Brat" and my family moved several times until I was 10.  The last move to Sierra Vista, AZ wasn't the first time I lived in a desert, but that last and final move made something manifest in me; depression.  (Depression and desert seem to go hand in hand with me from that point on, however) I did not know until college that the depression I was experiencing in my second semester of my freshman year was not the first time I was plagued by it.  It certainly wasn't going to be my last either, unfortunately.

It would come and go through the next year and a half till I met Stephen Quinn, the returned missionary.  (I state it that way because it wasn't the first time we had met; that is another story.)  We married less than a year after that meeting and it wasn't till another year had passed till my depression threatened everything.  I'm a Mormon and being raised in the church and going through 6 years in the Young Women's program makes one dream of getting married in the Temple (sometimes as young as 18) and having children immediately.

Though I managed to outgrow the "married at 18" phase, thank goodness (no offense meant to those who have), I did not outgrow the "need", or "desire", if you will, to have children immediately.  One of my sisters was married at 19 and had her first at 20.  I was married at 21, so why not have my first by 22?  To make matters worse I got sick.  At that point my depression not only took a new low, it kept spiraling downward.  It was a road I wish upon no one.  Unfortunately I was pulling Stephen down with me, though his spiral wasn't depression for him, it was watching me fall apart more each day.

At age 23 things only got worse.  I couldn't conceive; that much was clear, but no answers as to why.  The real kicker was how many others who were giving us their glad tidings of expecting.  Many friends were pregnant, and even 2 of Stephen's brother's were expecting.  All of my siblings were expecting; my brother with his first, one sister with her third, as well as my other two sisters with their first; both of them married within that year.  My sister that was the last to make her announcement had to tell Stephen so that somehow it wouldn't make things worse for me.  I hit rock bottom.  A few of the months that followed I actually don't remember and knowing where I was at that time I know now that I don't need to remember.

I did however find a doctor so amazing, so caring and concerned that he was bound and determined to make sure I wouldn't go another year without Stephen and I expecting our own.  He happened to be an old friend of my family; he and my dad attended medical school together and his children and my siblings are approximately the same ages.  I know I wasn't convinced that this would be the answer because I had completely given up; I only kept going because of Stephen.  Of course I needed far more convincing when one last pregnancy test was taken as I was given my prescription to help with my infertility came back positive.  Even when I was uncontrollably puking daily at 7 weeks through 15 weeks I still was skeptical.

My emotions were all over the place at that point.  Though Sierra Vista has been the only place in all of Arizona I actually liked living in, I wanted away from the desert.  Stephen had to drop out of school (again) because of my health (again) and I had to stop working because I was so sick and weak.  Stephen had to find a way to be the sole provider and change his career mindset; being a music teacher just wasn't an option at this time.  He did however find a new career that would move us to Utah.  I was excited.

That excitement was short lived.  We lived in Utah for 2 1/2 years and it was spent in depression.  When Franklin was a year old we feared it would take another 2 years before we could hope for another.  Of course Lisette came the following May (a month early) after months of excruciating pain.  My second pregnacy was traumatizing for myself as well as Stephen.  To make matters worse her pregnancy ended in postpartum depression.  When Lisette was 10 months old we moved back to Thatcher, AZ; the most difficult decision I ever made.

My postpartum persisted.  Being back in the desert was definitely taking it's toll.  There was an upside; I was able to make friends again and renew some old friends from my college days and family was close by.  It wasn't till sometime after Lisette's second birthday did my postpartum finally fade away.  I tried really hard to make myself happy there.  As this year, 2012, kept moving on I found it more difficult to put behind my depression.

After losing Rizzo it became even more difficult for me.  It was more difficult for me to allow myself to be truly happy.  Then an opportunity came out of no where.  Stephen was presented with a job opportunity in Denver.  We prayed more than we ever have before.  Stephen had such a great feeling about one job interview in particular.  Our choice was simple, but the move not so simple.  We didn't have the ability to make the move immediately but we knew it was time and it was the right thing to do. 

It took 3 months to make our move complete which was just this past Sunday, the 25th.  However the kids and I moved up to live with Stephen, without our things or cats, after nearly 2 months of being apart.  I instantly fell in love with the area, more so than I did the first time I saw it with Stephen.  No matter how hard things were (being without our things, cats, not having any family or friends near by) I still had this feeling of being home, feeling whole.  Of course now that we have our things it finally feels complete.

Our trip to retrieve our things was a combination of events.  My cousin was getting married and if you know about the Reed family/relatives you know we all grew up so close that it was as if we were extended brothers and sisters and not mere cousins.  The following week was Thanksgiving and it also happened to be my 30th birthday; the 4th time in my whole life my birthday is actually on Thanksgiving.  All I wanted for my birthday was to be with family, especially since Stephen and I had never spent Thanksgiving with my parents since we were married.  As a side note, no, I have not been depressed about turning 30; I personally find it to be a bit sexy (yes, you read that right).

It was a great week.  It went by so very quickly and I got to see so much family.  During my last two days I felt this impending doom; the doom/depression that would always hit after visiting family and returning home.  It was starting to make me anxious so I asked Stephen for a blessing.  I did feel a little better but I was still afraid of what would hit when we got back home. 

It was a long drive.  You have to remember we were hauling our things up there.  We had decided to sell half of our belongings so we could rent a large trailer and have to pay the gas for only one vehicle driving home.  Because we were hauling such a heavy load with my car and going uphill most of the way, the first half of our journey was 9 hours (compared to the normal 6 hours and 15 mins, give or take).  We didn't want to push ourselves nor get too upset.  The cats eventually calmed down, their fur all over the place and the kids were better than expected.  We got in to Albuquerque between 9 and 10 that night and were so happy to crash into comfy beds.

We got back in the car the next morning, no rushing, and headed on our way home, only 8 hours by some miracle.  The cats took a little time getting settled back down again and the kids needed more entertainment than the day before.  Needless to say I was feeling overwhelmed and I wasn't even the one driving.  Once we crossed the Colorado border I felt a thrill, the same thrill I felt the first time we crossed that same way before but this time with familiarity.  That thrill didn't stop the whole way home. 

We took our exit in Castle Rock to the highway that leads into Parker from the south.  I was so happy to be back.  Yes, I miss my parents and all my siblings, but I had realized something as we were driving through town; I missed home and I was happy to be back.  This is the first time I have felt this way.  Sure it always feels good to drive through Sierra Vista to get to my parents and see them again (more so now that I live far more than 2 hours away) but this was something different.

True, we had to downsize our home from a VERY spacious 3-ish bed 2 bath home with a huge yard to a 2 bed, 2 bath apartment with a porch.  I had feared that it would bother me, bring me down.  Granted not everything is unpacked yet, nor does everything have a place to go either (in need of shelves and haven't put up pictures yet either) but I feel good, looking around this cozy apartment and knowing I am right where I am meant to be.  We don't plan on making this small apartment our permanent residence but it got us here; it gave us home.

During the stressful time of deciding to move and waiting to move I was writing a very dear friend who told me "Remember to bloom where you're planted."  I'm definitely starting to bloom and I think this is going to be the best I have ever seen myself yet.

Thinking about the Oboe

This will be very random so it's okay if it doesn't interest you.  More than ever have I been missing the oboe and wish I had one (and the time to practice) for something coming up.  Some day I WILL have an oboe of my own.  However, if my kids want to learn how to play it I will get them a cheap plastic one that is easier to play and more durable.  My kids will have to earn the right to play the one I will have for myself someday. 

My mom tried to get me to play oboe in 5th grade and after 2 weeks of struggling to play it I gave it up for the easiest instrument ever (but don't regret playing it because I have some of the best memories) the tenor sax.  In college the most amazing person Stephen and I have ever known gave me the chance to try the oboe again and had so much faith in me.  That man taught me (both of us for that matter) so much more than the average band student while under his direction.

I have yet to reach my full potential and hope someday to start that journey again.  I've even thought it would be a great way to teach my kids the importance of practice and the discipline required since I failed at that so long ago.  Oboe will forever remain my favorite instrument but closely followed by the cello.  (Yo-Yo Ma plays Ennio Morricone is the best album ever and if you don't know it you MUST look it up and listen.  It is the absolute best combination of the two.)  Stephen said he'd like to learn Cello someday. 

Though we've both come a long way away from our musical careers that we both had dreams of back at Eastern Arizona College, we both have held on to those dreams knowing that someday we will be able to reach for them again.  I was in the car with a dear friend the other day and she apologized for not having children's music for the kids.  I told her that we mostly listen to Jazz and Instrumental music at home.  The kids have never complained and it even creates a wonderful atmosphere at home, especially for me. 

Every once in a while I have thoughts come to me that I want/wish to express but fail to do so.  I know I don't have to use blogging as a way to share eventful things and since I feel it's like an online journal why not express myself here.   So thank you for letting me share.  Soon after Thanksgiving I hope to make a more eventful post with pictures and stories.

July to October pictures

Monsoon in Phoenix before we decided to move.  The umbrella was a little bit big for him to handle

At Franklin's birthday we made sure everyone had a balloon; just the kids, not adults.

Brownie Cake for his birthday.  They liked it so much I think I'll have to do it again.

I was so sad  to leave my very first pumpkin patch behind.  This baby was going to be entered in the fair that started today, 10/11/12.  This picture was taken 8/14/12 and I can only imagine how big she got.

Lisette's great idea; get the scissors after mommy already trimmed her hair and do damage.

Car full and this is how Fiyero rode to SV for the first part of the journey

Osgood wanted to sit on Stephen's lap the whole way to SV but he's just too fat

My first visit to Cherry Creek.  So beautiful there.

Daddy's visit to us in AZ after a month apart.  Lisette could hardly leave his side.

Saying goodbye at the airport; I surprised myself at how well I did.

Notice how Franklin sleeps, like he knows he's cool.

The musical slide and she was getting shoved down.  Still my favorite PlayPlace.

Franklin wanted to do everything with Miles and Miles was so awesome to put up with him.

Lisette played and played with Chloe till it was time to sit and read scriptures, then she wanted to be with Aunt Greta the whole time.

Brought the kids to Cherry Creek and all Franklin wanted to do was eat.

Cherry Creek had a playground too; perfect for Lisette.

October 1st and we made Halloween cookies.  She kept layering the frosting and I didn't notice how much until after I took this photo.

The first snow of the season and I think we were the only ones loving it up here.

Frankenstein cookie and his favorite color.

 

She's been wanting to pick out her own clothes and on some days I given in and let her.

Lisette was so tired but didn't want to take a nap.  At least she was willing to lay down.

Goodbye Arizona; Hello Colorado

Most everyone knows by now that Stephen and I have moved. It all started with a few phone calls back in July just out of curiosity, which lead to 3 interviews on the schedule and after the 2nd one it was hook, line and sinker. For those of you that didn't know, this whole thing was faith and prayer driven.

Before Franklin's 5th birthday we knew we were going to move to Parker, Colorado but we weren't sure when, how nor did we have a place to move in to. We tried to give Franklin a fun birthday while in the middle of packing.

We had a small party at Peter Piper Pizza with the Rutherfords and it was so much fun and Franklin had a blast. Of course we had to get busy packing and cleaning right after but he talked about his birthday party for a while after.

It was a frenzy, packing and cleaning; I had no idea how we accumulated so much, I blame it on the kids. Of course we still didn't have a place to move into but we had a date for Stephen to begin work. So with it all packed and not using a moving truck to do it in one load, we moved everything we own to my parents home in Sierra Vista.

The kids were so excited to go to Grandma Aprils. So they stayed behind and attended a preschool while Stephen and I finished the last bit of cleaning at our place in Thatcher. We hooked up our trailer and drove off.

It was a beautiful drive and the whole time we felt exhilarated. As we crossed into Colorado I couldn't stop smiling and bouncing in my seat. Time seemed to pass quickly at that point and it wasn't long till we came around a hill and there was the Denver area.

Because we did not find our next home at that point, after 5 days I flew back to Arizona while Stephen worked and lived in temporary housing. We lived apart for over 5 weeks. It had its ups and downs and Franklin made things more difficult. For those of you that don't know Franklin is... different.

We are back together again and though it is stressful being in a temporary housing situation I feel very reassured we are where we are meant to be. There are things to do and it's not a that far to go anywhere.

We don't have our household of things, nor do we have our cats, but we hope that we have indeed found something. We had a cold burst this last weekend which made work crazy busy for Stephen.

Though we do want to be together more often, work has been great for him. His boss is awesome and the few people I have met that he works with are great too; Lisette likes Christy, a lot, while Franklin feels a bond with Rick, the boss. It's really is a great company Stephen works for and not just because the kids like daddy's boss.

That is us for now. I hope to be better at blogging once we are in a more permanent setting and have Internet again. For now know that we really are happy and have felt very close to the Lord through all of this. Every time I loll at the window, whether at home or while driving, I can't help but be in love with where we are. Its obvious why America, The Beautiful was written here.

A very hard good bye

This long, stressful week (and remember, it's only Wednesday) seems like it really couldn't get any worse.  So I go to sleep so very exhausted and trying to stay positive for Thursday.  Wake up, groggy, not wanting to get out of bed.  Stephen is getting ready for work and the kids are watching tv/fighting/playing in the living room.  I can hear some kind of chattering from Rizzo; I know his voice so well.  Stephen calls out to me, "You better get out of bed.  Something is wrong with Rizzo." 

Rizzo can't use his back legs at all; he can't move his tail.  He's dragging himself around by his front paws and is very tired, you can tell by his nervous purring.  But it's not purring.  I brake out in tears and lay over him, "I don't want to lose you!" looking at Stephen, "I can't lose him!!", bawling all the while.  Stephen tells me to get a grip, "He's not dead!"  He goes to look up the name of the veterinary clinic in Thatcher because he remembers seeing one off the beaten path and we both don't want to take him to the one in Safford. They don't open for another hour, so Stephen goes to work to let them know he'll be leaving and why, at 8.  I stop bawling, try to keep the kids away from him. 

Rizzo's panic worsens.  I try to hold him but he won't let me.  I can hear how much pain he's in.  It wasn't long after that that he started to lose control over some bodily functions.  Even Osgood is trying to console him.  Osgood wants to help, you can tell how worried he is.  Finally it's time to load everyone in the car and drop off the kids at grandmas.  Before I drove away from her house, I had a very precious moment with Rizzo.  It was as if he was telling me, "Thank you for everything" and "Good bye, I love you".  He was quiet, the rest of the ride to the clinic. 

Of course I knew what the end result would be while the nurse gave us on possible diagnosis; a blood clot lodged into his spine causing spinal cord death.  I couldn't help but start bawling again.  They promised to give him some pain meds and would call when the final diagnosis was given...  I never saw him again.

For those of you who think "He's just a cat" you couldn't be more wrong.  When we moved to Springville, UT in 2007, Osgood was so lonely.  We never got another cat after losing General because we lived at my mom's and there were 4 cats already living there.  So we searched for 3 weeks for the right cat.  We had stipulations: it had to be a kitten, female and couldn't be black (we didn't want it to seem like we were replacing General).  There was one I saw at a pet store but when Stephen could see it the next day, that pretty little all white female kitten was already at a new home. 

We stopped at Petsmart, again, not thinking we'd see anything different than before.  There were 3 kittens in one cage together with the label stating 1 male, peach/white, 2 female black/white.  The two females, though looked identical couldn't have been more different.  One laying, seemingly bored and the other all over the cage, playing, pouncing on the other two.  I wanted to hold that one so much and Stephen had been telling me for a long time that I get to chose alone (because when we got Osgood he was supposed to be for me, but he is obviously Stephens'), that we both new this cat was coming home with us.

So Daphne came home with us.  She explored everything and wanted to play with Osgood to the point he was so extremely annoyed with her.  Of course we found out that Daphne wasn't a fitting name for a boy and quickly renamed him Rizzo. 

Rizzo was this tiny, adorable, 4 lbs. kitten who suddenly stopped eating.  We tried everything but the only thing that seemed to work at all was force feeding him kitten formula with a dropper for 2 weeks.  Rizzo dropped down to 2 lbs and with Franklin only 3 months old, this was becoming very difficult. I called the animal shelter that he originally came from and expressed to them that I didn't want to see him die because he wasn't eating and it was too much for me with an infant.  Since it was late at night they said to bring him in the next morning.  That night Rizzo decided to start eating again.  It was a miracle. 

Obviously we kept him, so we got fixed and declawed.  He hated being at the vets and caused so much trouble for himself that they had to keep him an extra night and when he came home, his paws were so swollen, they were like a lion cubs paws, but black.

Now Rizzo became very attached to me and I to him.  Everyone who met him instantly loved him.  He was social, loving and playful; he loved to play fetch as long as you had the right toy.  He'd never bore or get tired of playing it.  We also used that game to make him do awesome tricks.

He was a great companion to us all.  He was awesome with Franklin and when Lisette came along, Rizzo couldn't have been more awesome. 

 He has wanted to be a part of everything, everyday, all the time.  And he put up with all kinds of crap from Lisette especially.

 He was so obedient.  He came when called, no matter where he was, as long as he could hear me.  He followed me everywhere.  He was always very quite, never annoying (unlike Osgood) but would sometimes "talk" to me.  Ever since we moved back to Arizona he would even meet me at the front door, or the back door of our current home.  He was always such a good sport, letting us mess with him, tease him. 

So my so typical stress filled week became meaningless and insignificant.  I had my world turned upside down in one hour.  I lost one of my children.  I also had to try to explain to kids where Rizzo was and why he can't come back home.  I was in the middle of telling Franklin that Heavenly Father made Rizzo's owie on his back go away but because He did that from him, Rizzo must live with Heavenly Father now.  Just as I finished my sentence, my mom sent me a text that made a noise on my phone.  Franklin responds, "Is that Jesus?  Can I talk to Rizzo?"

Even though I knew he was gone my mind would automatically start looking for him, or I would prepare myself to not trip over him as I subconsciously expected him to be right behind me as he always was.  I would even look for him on the counter in the laundry room where he would usually greet me when I would come home.  Though Stephen and I had talked about not getting another cat for a while, it was becoming evident that we needed something.  I was constantly breaking into hysterics; he was just like one of my own children to me, after all I raised him personally. 

I was far too hopeful, thinking that kittens would be easy to come by.  Osgood was moping, depressed; he lost another brother, and I was hysterical.  So I posted on facebook if anyone knew of any kittens.  A friend from my old ward stopped by my home that very morning to tell us of a kitten they took in a few months ago (with a very funny story all on its own) and with their full house offered him to us.  He was older than we were looking for because we didn't want Osgood to be challenged, but after another hysterical episode I went to see him and instantly loved him.  He was social, let me hold him for 15 minutes straight, all the while purring.  Gina and I talked for a long time, she telling me the rather funny story of how they ended up with Mel Palmer's kitten.

He has been perfect.  He follows me, he talks to me, he purrs constantly, he's learning his name so he's beginning to come when called.  When he talks he even sometimes sounds just like him.  Lisette even called for Rizzo and then fought with Franklin that it was Rizzo who talked, not Fiyero.  The kids have actually been much less stressful to me since Rizzo passed away.  It may have been because of how many times they have seen/heard me cry.  Fiyero has been a great help, though he's not loved by everyone in our home.

Osgood is twice his size, literally, but Fiyero has the hypodermic needles for claws.  That will get fixed, as well as himself soon enough. 

Rizzo has been loved so much that I have no regrets.  I miss him terribly and its still hard not to always think of him, nor have I been able to stop myself from looking for him sometimes. 

Until we meet again...

Stress, it's a killer

Last week was a stressful week.  It started as all weeks do; the kids constantly crying, fighting, or whining about various things.  There's usually at least one of Franklin irrational, emotional episodes every Sunday.  Then Stephen asks on Sunday night, "What are you going to do from Tuesday to Wednesday while I'm out of town?"  That's right.  I forgot he had a seminar for work.  So I say, "Going to my moms." 

As much as I love to get out of town, especially to go to Sierra Vista and see my family, it wasn't exactly helpful for my stress.  We left town hours later than I had wanted to, the kids fought way more than usual in the car and I didn't sleep well the night before so I'm fighting my eye lids.  I tell the kids that we're going to stop for potty and ice cream.  Lisette has been crying a lot at the words potty, pee pee and so forth lately, but I keep reminding her about the ice cream.  Of course Franklin is upset that he can't go in the boys potty because he's a boy and can't go in the girls. 

We get past that fit, but then while in line to buy our ice cream Lisette decides, like she does multiple times everyday, to hit Franklin in the head.  A very nice man immediately had something to say to them that was reprimanding, but very kind and said in a somewhat humorous way to me.  If nothing else, what he said stopped Franklin from going into one of his emotional fits.  To make a long (and not very fun) story short, after receiving less sleep than the night before due to Lisette, who also woke up Franklin a few times, I decided it really wasn't such a great idea to leave home.  I did have an enjoyable lunch with my sister Heidi, her two kids with my kids all at Grandma April's classroom before starting my trek back home.  I beat Stephen home by a few hours but it wasn't all that horrible of a wait.

Of course this story is leading up to my next blog.  I don't like long blogs.  They are sometimes hard to sit through and sometimes information gets lost.  I normally don't like to talk about my stress and though I don't want to fool anyone into thinking my life is perfect, or horrify them with the bad things that go on, this is leading somewhere...

October Slideshow

Enjoy the pictures! (photos of our home to come as soon as we have gotten rid of all boxes; you can see some in the background of some of these pictures)

We heart October

Fall is my absolute favorite season and I know I've said it before many times.  This has probably been the craziest one yet for us.

In September we found out we were moving; a mile away, but into a different ward.  2 weeks after that we went on the annual work retreat and had a much needed mini family vacation.  The kids really wore themselves out at the water park.  2 weeks later was the Graham County Fair (Stephen and I actually went on a date there, without kids!) and we got the keys to the new house.  We packed and cleaned all of the following week. Crazy, stressful and lots of insanity.  Moving day was that Wednesday and we are so grateful to everyone that came to help.  It went so smoothly, the easiest moving day we've ever had. 
 
We made the mistake of letting the kids hang out a lot in the house because before the move. Every night that week we took another load over so moving day wouldn't be so crazy.  The mistake was Franklin became very obsessed with his green room and every night that we didn't stay there he cried.  Still, the kids got to go visit friends, have play dates, go to grandmas and have lots of time away from home. Surprisingly I didn't get ahead with packing during that time due to LOTS of orders and loads of work from my dad.  I can't get mad at either one because we are thrilled at the success of PaciFashion and I had been challenging my dad all the previous week to give me a work load.  So I got what I asked for, a double whammy.

The following Saturday (I still don't know why I thought I could do it) I had signed up to be a vender at a local school craft/boutique fair.  My mother-in-law did it with me and it really was exciting to see her have so much success!  One woman quickly came to me and asked for a business card because she didn't want her daughter to know she was going to get a Princess Jammie for Christmas while telling her daughter, "No, you can't have one."  There were multiple moms and grandmas buying Sheila's Princess Jammies for Christmas, each purchased followed with; Now forget you saw it.
There are still boxes of various things in the house; mostly pictures waiting to be hung.  Every wall inside the house is nearly a foot wide; an older built home with plaster walls inside drywall.  This house is VERY well insulated.  My point is, I have all these Hercules Hooks and not a single one is useful, so pictures are waiting till we are sure of their placement before we put nails in the walls.

The kids really love it here and so do we.  We all had become sick during the move and for me, I only got worse after the move was complete.  Last weekend we spent a lot of time detail cleaning, mostly the floors (which seemed to almost never have been mopped; please don't quote me) and since then my health has drastically improved. 

We have a large garden, but because of my allergies I cannot pick most of it without long sleeves overlapping garden gloves.  I have yet to do that because Stephen has been so sweet taking care of that for me.  We have LOTS of chili's and peppers, which I will not allow inside due to the extreme nature of my allergy to them.  So if anyone in the area would like to come visit me and wants bags of chili's and/or peppers, feel free to stop by. 

Franklin has been loving every minute of school.  Everyday he makes a deal with me; he will do something I want and then he gets to school after.  So I'm having to create a calender with a picture or drawing of a school on the days he actually goes and have a magnet representing him so he can see if it's a day he gets to go or not.

Franklin strikes a deal for just about everything.  We've have to reason with him so often because of his obsessive nature that I think he's using it back on us.  He's also become extremely bossy to Lisette. He gets in trouble very often for this.  He thinks he won't be in trouble if he repeats anything I've said to her; i.e. Get that out of your mouth; Go to bed; Put that down; Get off the cat; etc. He's also picked up on a few phrases; Oh my gosh; What the heck; You make me sad; Gee whiz; Dagnabit (it doesn't quite sound that way); etc.  Needless to say I'm really trying hard to watch what I say.

I don't know if it's anger, fun, wanting to be bad, or a bad thing she learned in nursery, but Lisette has bitten Franklin a few times lately.  I can count on one hand how many times in the last month, but it's still really bad.  It's not just a bite because she had drawn blood and made bruises.  Now I don't think I've even been that violent, but it's freaky how much Lisette is just like me.  An example is she body slams the cat.  Poor Rizzo and he just won't run away either, so she does it several times in a row.  Honestly I think he's only bitten her once her whole life; I wish he would do it more to protect himself.  Although he has done it to Franklin when he has gone too far.

PaciFashion has been doing very well.  I hit over 1000 sales last month.  October marked my 2nd anniversary.  Keep in mind a sale is usually 3 or more straps together and is rarely 1 by its self.  Stephen and I have been enjoying it and have been staying caught up in just the past week since the move.  Luckily no one made a complaint and I've given away a few extras in some orders that took me way too long to put together as an apology. I've always hated excuses so they received a gift instead of an excuse.

Halloween was so great for the kids.  I made both their costumes.  Lisette, who was supposed to be a pink poodle, wouldn't wait till we were done trick or treating to eat candy.  She even had 2 suckers in one hand, licking them simultaneously or together.  Then when she got cotton candy those uncovered suckers went into the treat bag for later.  Franklin, for the first time in his life, was silent; not a word, no recognition to anyone.  Franklin was a Sheriff, but I think he was acting like a zombie. 6 people asked him to draw and nothing happened; one track mind, must have more candy.  The 7th person didn't even ask about his guns, but out they came anyway.  He finally reacted to someone and lit up.  All the people we went to were familiar, our last ward held Trunk or Treat.

We finished up at home with decorating cookies and when the kids had their sugar crash, it came hard and with a vengeance.  So once they were in bed, sugar washed out of hair, hands and face, they were out.  We had a few trick or treaters at that point and that was enjoyable for me.  We have never had anyone come to us for trick or treating before. We never lived in a location that kids came to, or that we were comfortable with (Tucson).

A slideshow is soon to come.  We took so many pictures last month, way too many things went on, but we had a great October this year.  Don't forget to come and get some chilies!

Summer is over?

Though summer is ending, it does and doesn't feel like it here.  It doesn't because the temperatures still threaten to go into the 3 digits and sometimes succeeds.  It does because Franklin is now in Preschool and he LOVES it.  Lisette is always sad to see him go.  She calls him "Wahwah" and though I'm not sure why because she can say words (not all of them understandable) it is very endearing.  I've had to talk to Franklin about her name for him and that he needs to respond because she gets desperate for his attention.

Franklin absolutely loves school.  He's learning so much and every time I pick him up he always says, "I'm having fun today!"  He makes friends so easily and he's just such a happy kid.  He wishes he had school everyday, but alas, he only has school on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon - 2:00.  I also wish he had school more often.  It's amazing the transformation Lisette goes through when Franklin isn't around.  Don't get me wrong; she absolutely adores him, but she becomes a very calm and happy girl when she's without him.

Stephen's work has been up and down, over and over for the last few weeks.  We had a few, very late, monsoon rains and it got very cool.  But then some people noticed they had leaks and so he'd have more work.  Then the rains were gone and the temperatures were still pleasant for a few days and no one called.  Low and behold, the temperatures have risen again and the few that thought they could just wait it out realized that summer just won't end.

I've been very busy staying ahead with my church calling to have music ready, keeping up with my shop, trying to stay on top of gardening and the lawn, trying even harder to keep up with the messes the kids make and trying to find time to unwind when I can.  Lisette is still prone to her fits and we've been working very hard with her to control her dramatic tendencies.  Franklin has definitely been showing a more emotional side to him; but it could be that he's napping less because of the time he has school.

We did get to have a very fun camping trip the weekend after Labor Day with the Lewis family (my sister Heidi, her hubby Sam and their 2 kids that are the same ages as mine).  We had pouring rain that Friday night and we had not been prepared for how cold it would get.  It didn't help that I forgot anything long-sleeved for the kids.  Franklin was happy to wear daddy's flannel shirt that had to be rolled, tied and finagled to fit him, but Lisette refused to wear my sweater.  She only agreed to wear a spare coat her cousin Tanyth had because she had been wearing one too.  The next morning was clear, beautiful and warm.  We all had fun hanging out, watching the kids play and just being together.

Now for the big announcement!  We are moving... a mile away.  Last September up until this last February we had been keeping our eyes open for another place to live; an upgrade from the home (trailer) we are currently living in but still within our budget and we were very picky about where to look since we wanted to stay in Thatcher 4th ward.  Nothing came up, so we signed another lease and convinced ourselves that we wouldn't look again for another year or more.

However, a woman from 2nd ward visited my mother-in-law and told her that she wanted Stephen and our family to live in her home.  For a few weeks she had asked her what we thought of it, but we hadn't heard.  Life got busy for everyone and just last Monday, while we were picking up the kids from grandma's, this woman calls Sheila to ask a few details about our current rental.  We went to see their home and though it is very beautiful we decided no; it wasn't in our budget and it wasn't in 4th ward, so saying no was easy.  All the while, the homeowner was telling us that she's known for weeks now that we are supposed to be the ones to live in her home.

Stephen had forgotten to call them to let them know and on Wednesday, while we got to have a very special lunch out with daddy (which hardly ever happens) we get a call that they will come down in rent to an amount we could accept.  I still said no; it wasn't in 4th ward.  So we agreed to pray about it and because I had been feeling sick I had asked for a plain and simple answer that I wouldn't confuse with how I had been feeling at the time.  Of course the answer was yes and I cannot refuse for fear I might get struck by lightening because I did get a clear answer.

We will begin moving to the new home on Stadium Avenue in the second week of October.  We have begun packing up things that don't need to be out for a while so we can start cleaning the home we are in now.  We want this place to be able to have someone move in the day after we move out.  The home is literally 1 house away from still being in 4th ward, so naturally I'm pleading that they'll let us stay; I've already begun working on the Christmas program and I will finish it for 4th ward even if they kick us out.

I have loved my calling as ward choir director and this year I have made so many friends and don't like the thought of not seeing most of them anymore just because I live one house away.  I have no animosity towards 2nd ward, I just don't want to start as the new family again and it doesn't help me be convinced to switch when I know that part of the street had once been in 4th ward years ago.  There is another plus though: plants can actually grow with a little less effort at the other home so I am letting my gardens die and hopefully the bugs that have been destroying my flowers will not follow us.

We are also trying to sell my wonderful car.  There is nothing wrong with it and I'm a little sad to be giving it up, but we've been talking about being a one car family and should get something that's between my SUV and the truck.  We are also very excited to go on the work retreat that Stephen's boss has arranged for everyone in the company this weekend.  Last years was so fun and sure helped us feel like we did have somewhat of a summer vacation since it's the busiest season and it's hard to get time off.

Sorry, I know this was long so thank you for staying tuned.  I cannot promise that I will update more regularly but I will try so long entries can be avoided.

Half a year sum up.

It’s nearly July!  That means Stephen and Lisette are both a year older and Stephen and I celebrated our 7^th wedding anniversary.  That also means a lot occurred this month.  But I’ll give a summary of everything leading to this point…

January = a haze.  Honestly I don’t remember much about that month.  February: I (Lisl) began having a lot of pain in my hand (remember the story of spraining my finger back in August?) and it was causing pain in my left arm.  We battled with Lisette getting sick on and off again; her canines were cutting through all at once and it took over 2 months for them all to FINALLY poke through.  Franklin got an ear infection in March and he still talks about Daddy taking him to the doctor.

I had to finally address the issue with my arm and hand very seriously in March.  My visit to the Orthopedics office reunited me with a familiar face.  My very first roommates’ husband; Cole Bryce, who is now Dr. Cole Bryce!  

Dr. Bryce gave me a very painful, but happily accepted shot in the arm that helped with the pain while waiting 2 weeks for surgery on her sprained finger.  Surgery was quick and the anesthesia was just right.  Grandma April came for a few days to help and after she had to return to work our amazing ward jumped in to help me through the next month.  April felt long and slow and the constant wind didn’t/hasn’t helped.  Isn’t it March that’s supposed to be windy? 

Easter was very enjoyable and fun for the kids.  Our ward had a major egg hunt at the ball fields next to the Temple.  Then we had a huge (and very rewarding for the kids) hunt in our own backyard.  Earlier this Spring we decided to expand the fence for our back yard; so we more than doubled our yard from last year and had many places to put lots of candy-filled eggs.

May began with birthdays.  We tried our best to celebrate Stephen’s birthday as work had gotten busier for him.  We also took on a project for Lisette’s birthday which included building a back porch.  Stephen did just about all the work and the Elder’s came to help put the deck together.  I was very grateful since I’m not allowed to use my left hand as much.  

June has been crazy busy.  The heat came, and the wind still insisted on battling our mood.  The second weekend we went to Gilbert for a family gathering with the Randy Quinn clan.  Their youngest son, Trevor, was baptized.  Back in Christmas they had given us tickets to see Les Miserables that very same weekend.  So we left the kids still swimming in the pool (they were being watched, don’t worry) and went to see the most amazing show!  We’ve had Les Mis stuck (very happily) in our heads for weeks.

The next weekend was supposed to be Lisl’s 10 year high school reunion and the celebration of 7 years of marriage.  Alas, Stephen was on-call and because of many different factors coming to play, we decided not to go.  I was planning on seeing some old friends still, but a fire had been threatening the area.  

My parents’ neighborhood went on Pre-evacuation and just as we decided it was time to get out of the pool to pack, another fire began just west of us.  We were surrounded by smoke on 3 sides of us, with the helicopters and airplanes practically on top of us.  Officials were so busy with battling both fires that not a lot of communication was going on and we all felt the urge to evacuate immediately.  

So I never saw my friends, and as quickly as we could manage, we all got out of there; I took two of my mom’s cats to stay with us for a week.  My parents did go on mandatory evacuation 2 days later and a few days after that they were allowed to go back home.  

The following weekend (last weekend) my high school Show Band was having a reunion.  Coach (our director, we always called him Coach) had reached 40 years of directing Show Band.  So as many who could make it got together for reminiscing and putting together a concert.  I had no intention of playing, just singing.  I actually started crying when I found out I would get to sing I was so excited.  However, at the dinner on Friday night I was told that I should play and represent my years (I was a part of Show Band from fall of ’98 to spring of ’01) and ended up playing for both decades; the 90’s band and the 00’s band. 

It was so much fun and such a blast that I never wanted it to end.  Sorry to all my fellow Buena ’01 classmates that I ditched out on.  I hope you can forgive me and I hope to see you at our 20 year reunion and I truly hope it’ll be during something like Homecoming and nowhere near my anniversary.

p.s. Stephen and I didn’t get to celebrate much, so we are hoping to get a short vacation with just the two of us in the fall when Stephen isn’t so insanely busy.  And I’ll have to get back to you about how work is all going when it’s behind us and not at our throats.