Thursday, November 24, 2011

Thanksgiving

November 24, 2011


Today is Thanksgiving.....thank goodness!  Now all the holiday traditions can begin for yet another year.


The rolls are made, the pies are made, the cheesecake too.  Cranberry sauce is in the refrigerator....turkey is defrosted and awaiting his turn in the oven.


The Christmas spode dishes are standing at the ready on the kitchen counter....now I just have to get the regular dishes out of the cupboards and put them in the china cabinet and then put the Christmas dishes in the cupboard....who started this tradition?  And why aren't they here helping put the dishes away?  We still have to break out the crystal glasses from Belgium.  You know those ones that have about 2 swallows of water in them.....why do we like them for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner?  I still have to get the big turkey platter out, and find the dish for making stuffing....


I have even managed to find the Christmas crackers like we had in England....you know, those silly hats, and the cheap toys and the joke packed inside a tube that you pull apart.  The only problem is....there will be no broadcast from the Queen today.  We have to wait for Christmas to wear the silly hats and listen to the Queen.


We all survived the teenager party here last night....they had a great time and ended up playing games and doing a lot of screaming....always a fun time.  At least the walls upstairs seem to be in stable condition this morning.


The age old debate was once again upon us last night.....Is dance a sport?  Well, all you football players that consider it a fine art.....the definition of a sport is.....something that requires physical exertion, practice, and is performed in a competitive arena. That's what an online dictionary says.   Sounds like dance to me.  All you boys who think you are so great should attend dance classes for a week and let's just see who has more stamina.  Your little two minute bursts of activity followed by a few minutes rest and walking around won't hold up to an hour of constant dance.  And when was the last time that football practice took up 20 hours of your week?  Face it boys....these girls have you hands down! All five of them!   You guys lost the debate last night.  Ballet class anyone????


It's time to start writing the family Christmas newsletter....that's always a challenge for mom....maybe we will try a different editor this year....what's that noise I hear....murmuring among the ranks????  Ya'll better be making your lists of accomplishment for the year....


Grandma's sewing room is piled high with little Christmas projects for the grandbabies....well, there are some for the parents too....but they aren't as fun as the ones for the babies.  AND, it's almost cookie baking time.  I'm just saying that I need the grandbabies to come and eat all the cookies....I really think so.  Think of the fun we could have....spoiling dinners, teasing Grandpa, eating cookie dough, eating cookies.


We managed to get good reports at most of the doctor appointments this week.  Cooper's tooth still needs to come in more before they can pull it....Cymbre's headache tests all came back normal....interesting for a Beast...Cooper's bug bite is healing, and Mom has to go for an MRI on my back.  That big magnet better not mess up my toe!  They claim it won't....guess we'll see.


The doctor is changing Cymbre's medicine for her headache.  Now we have this packet of powder that we have to mix with water at the onset of her headache....sounds very "Harry Potterish" to me.....or maybe "Little House on the Prairieish."  I'm not sure I want to get caught carrying that powder stuff in my purse!


Well, enough of this rambling for now....must get going on organizing the stuff still to be cooked so everything can be hot and ready to eat at the same time.


Get out there and serve someone you don't know....we dropped lunch to the homeless man on the street corner again the otherday.  You might say...it made his day!

Love you bunches and bunches....Mom


Sunday, November 13, 2011

Just Stuff!

November 13, 2011


This past two weeks has been very busy and very trying around here.  A couple of weeks ago Cymbre was just suffering constantly with terrible headaches.....almost at my wits end I said one more prayer and sat down to the computer to see what I could find regarding headaches in children and to see what information I could find out about the medicine her neurologist has perscribed.  This poor child has just endured and endured thru pain to be in school.  She's has priesthood blessings, her name is in several temples.  Constant prayer has been my companion for many weeks as we have tried different things, and looked for doctors who could help her.  When you have a migraine diagnosed in your eye and then have them in your head too....most doctors just assume that the one in the eye is the usual aura most people get before a regular migraine.  It has taken me FOREVER to finally find a doctor who says he isn't concerned about the eye....she has a team of specialists dealing with that.  He is just going to deal with the things going on in her head!!!!   FINALLY!!!   I have told them all along that what happens in her eye has only made the headaches she has had since she was 9 years old worse....they are not caused because her eye freaks out and goes black.  This doctor finally was willing to listen to me when I told him I wasn't going for the usual explanation.....I live with this child...I dry the tears....I deal with the frustration.  We briefly explained her eye injury....he then said he was going to leave that to the eye specialists and just deal with the headaches.  I also explained to him that the previous neurologist just decided she had seizures without even examining her, wanted to drug her daily, and lots of other things that I wasn't willing to do.  She doesn't have seizures....she has a rare eye injury which aggreviates a headache and makes the kid miserable.   SO, we had to go for tests.....MRI (structures of her brain, MRA-blood flow in her brain, EEG-brainwave tests to rule out seizures and epilepsy.....OK.  He didn't want all the extensive seizure ones the first doctor wanted.  Good thing, because we weren't going to do them.


SO, this photo from her MRI shows that she does have a brain, and it doesn't have anything there that isn't supposed to be there....no tumors, no white spots...totally normal!  HURRAH!!!



Thank goodness.....however, the medicine dosage he gave her doesn't do anything....he told us he would have to adjust it but we needed to do this testing before he could decide the best plan of action.  SO,

In total frustration, and hoping that Heavenly Father would guide me, I sat down at the computer.  I decided to google the medication he had perscribed....so I put the Zomig in the google slot.....well, up came Magnesium.....OK...I think the computer messed up....so I do it all again....AGAIN the magnesium article pops up.....AND then I get the warm tingly feeling that ALWAYS accompanies the Holy Ghost talking to me.  There was no denying what was happening....Heavenly Father must have know I was literally at the end of my rope! He gave me an answer.  Tears were running down my face as I read that people who have a shortage of magnesium in their bodies tend to suffer greatly from migraine headaches.  OK, so after I read the article, I tried to whole process again....this time the zomig information came up....NOTHING about magnesium.   Interesting....guess I only got one chance to read the thing.  Since then I have tried to find that article in other ways....I cannot find it.  Another testament to me that it comes from Heavenly Father.  It makes perfect sense to me that He finally answered our prayers as we have been praying and praying and praying about this issue for months.

I went to the store, got some magnesium and she's been taking it daily.  She has not been suffering with her headaches so much, and when she does get one....it isn't nearly as severe!

I have thought about this whole story repeatedly the last two weeks, and never do I think about it that the Spirit doesn't manifest itself with that warm tingly feeling.....

We are still going to the doctors because she will still need some type of medications to see if we can prevent the headaches altogether....but can you imagine....a simple vitamin has helped her so much.

I have known for a very long time that Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers.  I've had them answered immediately when my safety was concerned.  This time, however, it took much longer to get some sort of answer.....maybe we needed to find this doctor....maybe I just needed to worry to the point of desperation.....maybe I was finally willing to read what popped up on the computer...Maybe He just finally got tired of all the asking and decided to help....I don't know.  I just know that it happened.....there is no denying it.


I have also finished altering two bridemaid dresses for our dance studio directors wedding next weekend.  I did them as a gift to her, and the dance teachers that wear them.  The wedding will be beautiful.

Cooper will be substititing in some baby classes for Ms. Traci while she gets married and goes on her honeymoon.  A good solution for everyone as Cooper LOVES to teach the babies.

Guy is going on another business trip....something he seems to be doing more of lately....cross your fingers....who knows what will break while he's gone.

We had to replace the dishwasher this week.  It was 6 years old and was dying a miserable death....so for our almost 33rd anniversary, we bought a new dishwasher.  Isn't it the year for appliances?  Guy spent all day yesterday trying to get the thing installed before he left town, but there is still some leakage issues with the drain hose, but he thinks he fixed them on a temporary basis until he can get home and the longer hose arrives.  However, I do have a guy who can help me while Guy is gone if I need it.

This week will hopefully allow some time for dance costumes to be worked on.....I think I have all the parts, now I just need to do the remodeling, shortening, taking in, rhinestoning stuff to have them done.  Cymbre's needs a cumberbun made out of tulle.....I just SO excited to have to deal with all that tulle again......NOT!!

We are not going to Disneyworld for Christmas because we had to replace two water heaters, so I now have Christmas shopping to attend too....left most of what was needed in Utah already, but there were still some things for the parents over there that I needed to get.  Since I didn't finish it while I was over there because I was too busy playing with the babies.....my own fault, but I don't care.  Playing was too much fun!

The Texas medical board is investigating that neurologist that I reported for all kinds of legal violations.....guess that will take some time, but at least maybe she will not be able to just drug someone else's kid.....she isn't getting her hands on my kid ever again.

The girls have had some issues with a girl bullying them at the dance studio because they are better than she is....the teachers think the remarks like...showoff, of course she's perfect, she doesn't need to practice said in a not so friendly way are because of jealousy....so we think since the tap teacher talked to her that we might have situation sorted out.....what a mess....why can't they just get along....I told the girls they just have to keep being friendly no matter what she says.   It seems like there is always some kind of DRAMA at a studio.....I don't understand why it has to be that way.  At any rate, the teachers say our girls haven't done anything wrong, and they are now watching the other girl....she may loose her spot if she keeps it up.

Well, I think that about catches things up for this week.....I need some quiet time to just be me instead of doctors, headaches, tests.....this week.

Please keep Cymbre in your prayers and her doctors too....it can't possibly hurt.

Get out there and do something fun for someone...get a candy cane and hand it to the road workers....remember, they are likely someone's daddy!

Love you bunches.

Mom

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Crocheted Baby Blankets

November 5, 2011

Here's some baby blankets I have crocheted since I had both the surgeries on my hands.  No more numbness!  I LOVE to sit by Dad at night while we watch TV and just crochet.   And yes, my Grandma box is currently restocked and ready for some more Grandbabies whenever they may decide to show up!














TADA....I'm done for tonight!

Other Misc. Stuff From Recently....

November 5, 2011


Here are just some misc. photos from recent months....I am lazy so they have been in the camera until Dad got around to taking them out....


Dad in the hospital waiting to find out what they were going to do about his kidney stone.  We will reserve judgement on his fashion statement....just to preserve family unity!


 
The new washer....bought after the other one died a very messy death all over the laundry room floor....can't trust a washing machine!


The pile of strawberry jam Cymbre and I made...Cooper came home right at the last a helped a bit.


For some reason my rolls raised like little halloween ghosties....they just need wiggly eye don't you think?


So, I think this pretty much catches up things on this blog.


Next post will be photos of some of the baby blankets I have crocheted since my surgery on my hands.....can you believe it...no numbness!

Gwamma's or Gamma's Utah Trip

November 5, 2011

I went to Utah in October to visit the gandbabies.....had a ball....we LOVED playing, but we didn't get enough time to go for Happy Meals or ice cream....so we MUST do that next time.


Gamma's Eden....she would go around saying" Gamma come back" when I left the room,
" Gamma get me" when she was buckled in the carseat, and she liked sitting at the table by Gamma.

This is her "cheese" smile for the camera, and yes, this Gamma is totally biased  SO CUTE!!


Gamma's Britain....she liked me most days, but the day I babysat so her mom could go to an appointment...the kid didn't want ANYTHING to do with me!  We are pals though because Gamma will play peek-a-boo, and she thinks it's so funny!



Gwamma's Lucy!

This is the first time I had met her, but she warmed right up.  I LOVED taking her away from her dad late at night to feed her a bottle and then just holding her a little while to snuggle....Gwamma's are good for night duty....just saying!


Gwamma's Jack

We have a common LOVE for monster trucks, and did you know that he has some friendly spiders on a halloween web hanging on the cabinet in his house.  He says they don't eat Gwammas!  We are walking buddies...we went on a walk just us two to look at halloween decorations in Aunt Shyla's neighborhood.  We had such a grand time walking together!


And yes, I am TOTALLY loving being the Grandma....I love skyping, talking on the phone to the babies, sending presents to the babies, getting pictures they color for my frig, hugging the babies, and visiting the babies.  I love the parents too, but the grandbabies are so much fun!

I told Grandpa the other day....I think I need another trip already!   He didn't fall for it yet....but I will keep trying!


Homecoming #2

Homecoming #2


Cooper and Kooper Smith....they met each other at EFY in San Antonio this past year.



The lovely flowers Kooper bought Cooper.


Posing in Ms. Christine's backyard by the pool.



Ms. Christine trying on Cooper's heels for the dance.




Cooper's Homecoming or Cooper Times Three For Homecoming!


November 5, 2011

First just let me say....Happy Guy Fawkes Day!   Since we don't live in England anymore, no one threatens to burn Dad on the bonfire anymore!

NOW

On to Homecoming:

Our Cooper had a date named Kooper and they drove around in her little red mini cooper car.   It was a night of confusion around here as we tried to keep everybody and everything straight, but in the end they had a great time at the dance.

The confusion lied in the fact that both "Coopers" answer to the same nicknames....we tried Coopie....two answers...we tried Cooper...two answers....we tried coopdeville...two answers.  Finally, we just started calling for "The Coopers"!  Cooper told us it was her Cooper Cubed night!


Cooper's homecoming group....photos taken at the seminary teacher's house.

Cooper Cubed!

 

The homecoming mum....no one has a clue why we do these hugh ridiculous things....the girls wear these big mums all day, and the boys wear a garter with all the ribbons too.  Sort of crazy, but no one knows what the reason this tradition started is.


in the Mini Cooper....leaving for the dance.


More photos in the next post.