Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Just le me die, you know?

First off, before I tell my sad tale of woe, I want to tell you that I have TWO giveaways going on at my other blog: http://simplyscrapstampsing.blogspot.com. I also have a link there to a bloggy carnival where there are literally THOUSANDS of giveaways for just this week! It is so much fun but also very time consuming.

Anyway, this is a story I will only tell on my personal blog that friends and family read because it is kind of embarrassing. For the past....well....month, really, I've been feeling a bit under the weather. Just had this cold that wouldn't really come to a head. I thought maybe allergies or something. Anyway, my kids have been getting fevers and coughs and runny noses off and on as well so all together it's been a hard month. And the fact that I teach preschool and lessons out of my home has made it harder in the way that I have to keep canceling or rescheduling because of sick kids. I absolutely cannot stand letting people down but at the same time don't want to get their kids sick or my kids more sick so it's kind of a lose lose situation for everyone. I pretty much can't sleep because of feeling guilty about this. I feel guilty if I have school when my kids are sick or if I don't and then let those kids and parents down. I sure wish I could come up with a solution to this and if anyone thinks of one let me know. But I'm getting off topic here.

Saturday I wasn't feeling great and just generally run down but I was okay and then Sunday morning I woke up with everything in my head swollen and my throat hurting. I felt like I couldn't even fit a piece of cooked spaghetti down my throat. But it was the primary program and not only is that the one Sunday I look forward to all year they had also asked our little family to sing one song as part of it. I honestly still don't know how I got through it. Later when people said how good it sounded I really had to try not to laugh. Oh well, hopefully the spirit helped give the message and I know the boys sounded good. And the primary program was wonderful.

I went home during the second hour because I realized I was getting a fever and starting to ache and shiver all over. I went to bed and didn't wake up until Eldon and the boys finally came home around 3. (Church gets out at 2) I guess Eldon had an interesting time trying to do his stake calling and go to choir while keeping track of all four boys. He lost Andrew for a while until someone found him on the street about halfway home and brought him back to the church. Thank goodness we live in a small trustworthy town. (although I think we need to work on teaching him about the dangers of this) You know I wasn't feeling good to leave all that with Eldon! I was so out of it it didn't even really occur to me.

After they came home I went back to sleep. A little later I guess Eldon came in and told me he was going to stake choir practice but later I really couldn't recall this. I came to at about 4:30-ish (if you can even call it coming to because everything was blurry and spinning), and tried to get out of bed. I honestly cannot recollect a time when I was as sick as I was on Sunday. Even delivering a baby I was at least semi-coherent and either had control over my body or knew why I didn't have control over my body. I heard Ethan, Andrew and at least one baby down in the family room making noise about something so I needed to get to them and I needed to get to the bathroom. But I could not get up.

My body would not do what I told it to. So I basically fell to the floor and crawled out into the hallway. In the hallway I tried to stand up so I could get in to the bathroom but then next thing I knew I was hanging half off the top of the stairs. I could still hear Ethan so I half called half sobbed his name a few times, trying to be as loud as I could and he came and brought me a bowl which I proceeded to use in a none too lovely fashion. Ethan then helped me move away from the stairs into the hallway. During this Isaac had come up and he was crying for me and crawling all over me trying to be held but I honestly could not even hold him. The most I could do was just sort of rub his head. But that was not enough for him. I finally told Ethan to take Isaac over to our neighbors house because I knew that I couldn't help him in the state I was in, which he did. Thank goodness for good neighbors!!

I lay there shaking uncontrollably and crying for who knows how long until Eldon came home. I was shaking because I was cold but at the same time I was sweaty and clammy. And every single part of my body hurt, from the tips of my hair to my toenails. I really don't even know how to describe it. To only be kind of half aware of what's going on around you and to have no control whatsoever over your body. I honestly can say that when I lay there in that hallway I just wanted to die so the pain would stop. I remember as I lay there I was thinking about people who are tortured or severely hurt with a bullet or a knife or burnt all over their body and knowing that there was no way I could ever tolerate pain like that. I was trying to tell myself this isn't so bad, think of how much worse it could be, it can't last forever, just get through this moment, then this moment...... but honestly at the time I felt like it would never end.

When Eldon came I expected him to realize how sick I was but he was more like, are you okay? what are you doing in the hallway? I couldn't even talk! He did figure it out and I was able to kind of half nod while shaking and sobbing when he asked me if I wanted a blessing. He helped me get downstairs and on the recliner. (which for anyone who knows my Grandma M,. we moved even slower than she does. I don't mean that in a mean way, just trying to describe how slow I was) He brought Isaac back over along with our neighbor and they gave me a blessing. I can't say that it all went away at that moment but it did ease up enough that I didn't want to die anymore. And then I was able to keep down medicine and take my temperature. And...."I've got a fever of a hundred and three!" (doo doo) Okay, not really but almost. It was something like 102.6. But remember, that wasn't even the peak.

I started feeling a tiny bit better and could at least move but my sore throat got worse and my cold got worse so Eldon stayed home and took me to the doctor on Monday. She verified that I had strep throat and a fever (although by then a measly 99 point something), gave me a shot you know where, and then told me to stay away from people as much as I could for 2-3 days. Which once again meant cancelling preschool. :(

Okay, so now that I've written a novel here of my sad tale that probably nobody wants to hear about, I want to tell you about the ray of light on my dark dark night. And that is my sweet, darling little Ethan. In Sunday School that day Ethan had learned about service. Not just any service but secret, selfless service. (which he informed me means when you do nice things without being asked). So when he came home from church that day he emptied the dishwasher, put a load of laundry from the washer into the dryer(and started it!), took out the trash and set the table, all without being asked! (And here I was completely out of it during this modern day miracle!) And then being asked he willingly got me a barf bowl (as he calls it), helped me move around, took Isaac over to the neighbors and then came back and fawned over me, bringing me a blanket, feeling my forehead for a fever and just generally being stinkin adorable. I'm going to cry again just thinking about it, seriously.

So the moral of my story is this. I hate being sick but I would do that again, a million times, over and over again, just to keep my sweet family safe, healthy and happy. I am so incredibly, undeniably, insanely blessed. And I love you! Yes, YOU! If you are reading this (and especially if you made it this far) I love you!

Of course, I love everyone else too, and lots of people that don't even read blogs, and some animals that can't read at all, oh, and lots of children that can't read yet, and the stars in the sky, and the leaves on the trees, and the fish in the sea, and my friends both near and far, and ............

you get the idea. Good night.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Now introducing.......

The Seuss Family!!
Last night was the Halloween carnival at the elementary school. We dressed up as the Seuss family. This is the first time I've dressed up in years and as you can see, it wasn't a complicated costume. Eldon and Ethan were both Dr. Seuss (although Ethan took off his hat and gloves and never put them back on after the picture.) Andrew was Horton the Elephant, Isaac was Thing 1, Owen was Thing 2, and I was Whoville. (Which if you've read the book is the entire town of Whoville that cannot be seen with the naked eye on a little flower) After having issues with the iron-ons for the thing costumes I finally just copied them on paper and stuck them to their shirts with some scrapbook adhesive. It worked pretty well for one night but will definitely not hold up for another wearing. (not to mention a washing) The kids played games, we ate sloppy joes and chips, won cotton candy and soda, didn't win anything at the cake walk (big surprise, we haven't won in 3 years) and of course had people complimenting the costumes on the babies all night. It was fun....for once a year. ;)


I had to take a picture of this. Andrew has two suckers in one hand and cotton candy in the other. Can we say cavities? The smile was worth it though.

We tried to find a game that the babies could do. In this game all you have to do is grab a duck and you get a prize. I still had to help them grab it. I wish they were this wary about getting into stuff at home. This is Isaac.

And here is Owen.
They both got a sucker they enjoyed for the rest of the time in the comfort of their stroller.
Here are Ethan and Andrew is a sack race. Ethan had to do this three times, he loved it so much. (By the way, Ethan was letting Andrew win here. Such a sweetheart.)

Until next year.....now does this mean we're done with Halloween? After all that junk last night we don't need any more.......wouldn't you agree?

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Life is Swell

This last weekend was UEA weekend (also the beginning of the deer hunt I guess) and Eldon's parents Eugene and Cheryl and his sister Janene and her husband Mike and their kids came to visit. On Thursday they went out to the Dinosaur museum in Price where Eldon and the boys met them and then came here and had enchiladas. On Friday the guys went golfing in the morning and then we all drove out to the San Rafael Swell to see the dinosaur footprint, the petroglyphs and pictographs and the swinging bridge. It was a nice relaxing day and fun to get to show them around our neck of the woods. (Honestly though, Eldon's parents have been to these places more often than us and also know a lot more.....shh don't tell ;) That night we came home and had a late dinner of my version of chinese food. (Don't ask about the pizza mix up) Saturday we mostly hung out here. Eldon and his dad made enchilada sauce while I helped Cheryl set up her blog, we went for a walk and then had a barbecue. Eldon's parents had to leave Saturday but Janene and her family stayed for church today. Overall, it was a nice relaxing weekend!

That's most of the Musgrave family WAAAY over there!

Andrew's foot is almost as big as that dinosaur footprint.
A special treat!!
(My kids never get to ride in the back of the truck. I even got back there and rode too!)

They didn't want to stop climbing!

Everyone but Mike and I in front of the Pictographs and Petroglyphs.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Girls Game Night

Okay, so I'm just going to vent a little here. A while ago my friend and I were talking and decided that we needed a girls night out without kids. A lot of ladies here play Bunco but neither of us are into that so we decided we'd just start a girls game night where anyone who needs a night out can come and play games and get away. So we compiled a list of women that we knew didn't get out much and that weren't already in a card exchange or in Stampin club or that did Bunco. We invited them and told them to invite anyone they think might want to come and tried to make sure they knew that it wasn't exclusive, anyone could come. It's for any woman that needs a night out. Since then we've taken turns having it at our houses and the group changes from month to month of who can come and it's been a really fun experience and something to look forward to. We've had nights where we talk about our problems we're facing and try to help each other and nights where all we really do is laugh all night.
So here's the problem. At our last game night I asked if everyone had heard about the sister in our ward that had reunited with her daughter after many years. (I know now that even though I was excited for her and wanted to share the news I shouldn't have brought it up, so right there, my fault) Some had and some hadn't and not much was said except that we were happy for her and wanted to find out more from her. (She had been invited but couldn't make it) Then somebody said that they were looking for a mattress for this daughter and then at that point a comment was made that was probably not the nicest thing that could have been said. I just took it as a joke in bad taste and we proceeded to change the subject very quickly and that was the end of it. Or so I thought.
A while later I start hearing things. It turns out that somebody at the party went and told this person what was said. So then this person (who all of us really like) now feels like we were all gossiping about her which just isn't true. The lady who made the comment went to her and apologized and you would think that would be the end of it. But now all these rumors are going around about who told and what was said and I feel like the spirit that we had in starting this game night has been sullied. And I feel like I'm back in High School. ugh
So now what do I do? Do we just quit doing this game night so that nothing like this will happen again? Do we just remind everyone that we don't talk about others at all even if it's positive things? I'm just sad. It was never our intention to hurt anyone's feelings or leave anyone out. Why does this stuff have to happen? As women we should be united!

Friday, October 10, 2008

A fun tag!


This is Easter 2007 right before I had the twins. These are my adorable nieces and are still currently the only granddaughters out of 10 grandkids on the Merryweather side. They are so cute and of course I'm totally jealous. Ellaina on the left just got a new brother Lucas in August(she has two older brothers already) and Brenna on the right just got a new brother, Conner, on Tuesday!

So here are the rules of the game. Go to your pictures folder and take the fourth picture from the fourth file and post it. That's it. Then tag four friends. Whew, I was lucky that it wasn't a picure of me :)

I TAG...
Emily
Megan
Liz
Shelly
and
Anyone who reads this post! Lets see how many of you actually do it.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

My Studly Man

Last night I decided that I couldn't stand my kitchen floor any longer but didn't want to get out the whole mop and bucket so I got out my Clorox wet mop. Well, it turns out I bought the wrong refill pads for it and they didn't fit. So my studly husband decided he would jump in and help. He put a refill mop pad under each foot and proceeded to dance around the kitchen mopping with his feet. I would go ahead and spray and then he would come along and skate from side to side mopping behind me. We actually had a lot of fun. I wanted to take a picture but he wouldn't let me. Do I have the studliest man in the world or what??????!!!!!!!

Sunday, October 5, 2008

It's all about the poop at my house

Saturday. Me, coming in to the room: "I'm pooped! I don't think I can clean another thing!"

A few seconds later when I've already forgotten what I just said.

Andrew(my four year old): "Mom, you need to go change."

"Why?"

"Because you pooped!"

I seriously still don't know if he was serious or joking because he had this sly little smile on his face. We all died laughing....maybe you had to be there. Kids!