Dear Jake

Dear Jake, The kids are alive and somewhat healthy. I am surviving. Please come home soon. Love, Your Wife

THIRD PLACE!I

I am so thrilled to say that Kimball took 3rd place in his first ever Pine Wood Derby Race in Cub Scouts! I could not be more proud! He was such a team player and cheered everyone one. All the boys were amazing. We had everyone of our Cub Scouts turn out. What a great night. I have to say I am worn out so I will post more photos later. Congratulations Kimball, I love you!

How about some photos!

So I am a little hopped up on drugs right now so what better thing to do then post some photos!!! As promised. Kimball and Phoebe both had class projects due the same day. Kimball got to do a report on the Baobab Tree. It is the tree that Raffki lives in, in the movie Lion King and it is the tree that the animals in Madagascar use a launch pad to fly the plane in the second movie. It is a very famous tree. The night before the presentation he informed me that he need a costume to wear. Oh the surprises of motherhood. I was able to whip this puppy up pretty fast. (It is held together with staples) He loved it and that is all that matters. He did an excellent job presenting all of his facts and look so darling with his make shift tree outfit. I am so proud of him! I love how the school that the children are going to have them do oral presentations regularly. I think it is a great skill to learn at a young age and my kids are blossoming because of it!

Phoebes project was on the Rain forest. She got to work on her diarama over Christmas break. Lucky for this little girl she has an amazing Aunt that is amazing with fimo clay. They set off to work and made a fantastic bio dome.

Here is an up close shot

You put those two Phoebes together and you get amazingness! My little Phoebe did a great job at presenting her Rain Forest project.

She also surprised me with the fact that she has to have a poster board with the bio dome, the night before it was due! So another one of those treasuered motherhood moments, staying up late to get it done. I let her know that the next time she forgets when she has had three weeks to get it done, I will not stress out and help her but let her get a poor grade. I think that really set in. When she got her next project assignment she brought me everything that night and we started planning it out. Wise girl! Not to leave Warren out, he too got to do an oral presentation a month ago. First graders do not do as many oral presentations as the older kids, but he loved doing his. He had to do his on a leader of another country. He happily picked Coasta Rica, because that is were his daddy served his mission .

My kids are so amazing! Love being there mother, even though some day I was to pull my hair out. I couldn't have asked for better ones!

AWOL

I am suppose to be updating this regularly right? You'd think it wouldn't be that hard to sit down and post some photos so my honey can know we are surviving without him right? Well, no. It is not. I really would like to find were it is written that when the husband is away anything and everything can and will go wrong. Because it never fails in this house. Jake tries very hard hard to do as much as he can before he has to leave to get things done to make life easier on me. It never fails, something always goes wrong. In the past ten days from my last blog I have had a major battle with the insurance company, twice no less, the TV has had issues, the internet has crapped out on me, kids have been completely batty, kids have gotten sick, bullied at school and tons of doctors appointment. I have cried too many times to count. I have yelled, stomped my foot and just sat catatonic on the couch. These past ten days have been very much a I-don't-get-paid-enough kind of days. Heck I have even sawed a bullet in half to make my sons pinewood derby car the right weight! Never thought I would have that one my list. Tonight has been the biggest kicker, the washer broke. It was acting weird for the past couple of days but tonight it gave and error message and then it wouldn't drain. I had to manually do it which was wet and messy. I know that I sound like a brat and before anyone says to me, "well, you did sign up for this" just know I am tired and sore. I just need a good night sleep. My granddaddy always said, "Everything's wonderful and it's gonna get better!" I am trying to remember that. Everything truly is wonderful. I have a fantastic husband who is doing all he can to support and strengthen me while he is so far away. I have three wonderful children that fill my life with love and I even have a mother here helping through all this crap. I see blessing all around me and I am so thankful. I just need to see the light at the end of the tunnel. So I am going to try to sleep through the night without having to wake up to take more pain meds and enjoy my Sabbath Day. If I actually get to attend church that will be fantastic. IF not I am not going to let it get me down. I will make the best of it. I will put a smile on my face and get ready for the next round of What-the-else-will-break game. Pictures to come!

I made it through a birthday with out the love of my life. It wasn't the best birthday but it wasn't the worst. I would have to say it didn't make the top five birthdays in my life. I got to wake up to my kids fighting, then heading out the door I got blasted with freezing weather and more fighting kids. When I got home I got to plunge a toilet that the fight children left me. I then got to spend a hour on the phone making diffident doctor appointments. After that I had had enough I took a long deserved nap. I felt a lot better till the kids came home. Then I was told about the last minute projects that the kids had plenty of time to tell me but think that waiting till the night before is okay. Kimball needed a Boba Tree costume to wear for his presentation tomorrow. This is a no sew thrown together costume. He is happy and that is the best and most important part! Phoebe had to make a poster board about the Amazon Rain Forest. Also we had to do a family tree. Arhhhhhg! I got firm with the kids and told them that the next time they will get a bad grade. I am not putting myself through this again! Anyways, back to me. Because it is my birthday I am posting some random or unknown facts about me. 1. I was born in my mother’s bed, in a collage dorm/apartment. I also made the front page of the newspaper! This was no accident. My mother planned on having a home birth. My father was going to school at the time and I was the first baby ever born on the MTSU campus. I would think that they would name a building after me, but no, just an article. 2. I have lived in 17 different houses. Yep, crazy I know but if you add in the fact that I grew up a child of the military and now I have married the military it doesn’t seem that far off. 3. I am terrified of walking next to storm drains. I will walk out of my way to avoid them. If I absolutely have to I get goose bumps. I guess this is what I get for sneaking to watch IT when I was a kid. Beep, beep Richie! 4. I have walked to school in -50 below weather. Fairbanks, Alaska is one cold place to live and they don’t just cancel school for silly things like that. I have also seen a boiling cup of water thrown in the air and see it crackle and disappear. 5. My first memory I have is of me crawling. My mom says that it is when I was less then a year old. I have had a therapist tell me that having a memory that young is very rare. The memory is of me crawling towards my two older siblings who where playing with paper dolls. I remember them yelling for my mom to come stop me from messing it all up. I then remember my mom picking me up and putting me in a play pen. 6. I have had many different pets, including: a ring neck dove, fish, lobster, dogs, cats, chickens, goats, and hamsters. By far my current dog, Flower, a mini Dachshund is my favorite. 7. I have had a bear on the school playground at the same time I was on the play ground. Would you be shocked if I tell you that some kids chased it up a tree? Oh the joys of a childhood in Alaska! 8. I had three children in less then three years. Yep that is right. My oldest child was two months shy of being three when my baby was born. That also ment for a few months I had three kids in diapers. Not fun at all! 9. I have sewn my finger with my sewing machine. This is one of those great collage stories. I was teach a roommate how to sew. She asked me if it was possible to sew your finger, which I replied, yes, but it is so not likely. Right at that moment I sewed my finger. I had to go to the ER to have it removed. 10. I have broken 15 different bones in my body. Don’t freak out too much, ten of those have been all of my toes. My wrist twice, a thumb and a pinkie, also I broke part of my back too. I think I am going to go take a calcium pill right now, while I am thinking of it. 11. I was on the Good Morning American Show when I was in sixth grade. I was playing the Choir Chimes and my music teacher sent in a video of our group playing “Oh What A Beautiful Morning”. They actually aired it! 12. I use to play the drums. Nothing like a rock start, just in an Elementary school band. I chose that instrument because I didn’t have to learn to read music. 13. I still get scared at thunder and lighting storms. 14. I have never been to either Disney land or Disney World. This is one of the biggest injusticetess of my life. My childhood is not complete. I am determined to go, and when I do, I am going to buy some Mickey ears, ride the Dumbo ride, and hunt down Princess Belle to get my picture taken. 15. I have been chased by a drunk down the main street in Salt Lake City. I will always be thankful for that family in the suburban that pulled over and let me jump in. Who knows what would have happened. 16. I have been an extra in a movie. Oh the joys of things you can do in college. I have to admit. It was really quite boring. 17. The first time I played Risk I beat Jake! Anyone who knows my husband will know what a triumph this is. I also think he let me win because he was dating me at the time. 18. I still sometimes run and jump into bed so no monster will grab me. This all goes back to the fact that I have three brothers. 19. They highest my blood pressure has very been in 210/190, and right after that I was immediately induce to give birth. 20. If I could get any plastic surgery I wanted I would get my feet to shrink to a size 6. I don’t know why but I have always thought that size six feet are the best size in the world. 21. I have had a man stand outside my window with a black hoodie, and holding and ax. Luckily it was my sister’s friend just playing a prank on me. To this day I have a hard time looking out a window at night. One day I will get her back, if it is the last thing I do! 22. I love to have my toe nails painted but can’t stand to have my finger nails painted. I also can’t stand to have long finger nails. I have no clue as to were this craziness comes from. 23. I won a pie eating contest in high school. I then threw up afterwards. But my team won!!! 24. I have never been tardy to a class in my life. I know I am such a nerd. 25. I love American girl dolls more then most young girls. I own a few of them myself. I always wanted one as a child but never got one. Now I am an adult and can do what ever I like. I am also building a doll house to go with my dolls. It is going to be epic! 26. I have a dream of owning a self sustaining farm. I have no clue as to how to run a farm but it sure is a nice dream. 27. I have had five surgeries in my life. I sure hope I don’t have to have any more. 28. I didn’t have to start wearing glasses until after my third pregnancy. Darn you pregnancy changes! 29. I hate flossing my teething. The feeling of it drives me nuts! This Christmas Santa gave me a water flosser. I love it! Now my dentist will be happy with me. 30. I hate roller coasters. I get motion sick so very easy and to me going in a roller coaster is just an opportunity for me to the person in the picture vomiting on someone. Not going to happen! 31. Finally, my left leg is completely numb as I have sat here writing this. Guess it is time for me to get some pain meds and lay down! Happy Birthday to me!

Is this thing on?

I really can't believe how long it has been sense I blogged.  So much has happened and I am not going to go back and try to catch up.  That would be ridiculous   Why am I back blogging?  A big reason is to keep in touch better with the ones I love and the second because, even though I keep a person journal blogger is like another journal, but with really cute photo!  I also like to show off things I have learned and made.
We recently bought our first house.  It is very exciting   I feel like it is a blank canvas that I get to be the artist.  I have to say that I am frustrated that I can get all my dreams done right away, but I do think it is quite romantic adding something new ever paycheck to our love nest.  I also hope that I can keep up with the blogging so while my husband is way at training he can see that all is well on the home front and that we have not forgotten him!

To show Jake that I have not forgotten about him I have to say that this, my cocoa motion was the first thing that made me cry about him being gone.  There is a story about this.  Not long after we were married and I truly realized what an amazing man Jake is, and that he would rope the moon if I asked him too.  I told him that I wanted a coffee machine that made hot chocolate.  Lovingly he told me that one day he would make that wish come true.  Sometimes I think he told me that so I would kiss him, but he never forgot it.  A few years later, come Christmas time he so proudly wrapped up a mystery box.  On Christmas morning when I opened it I was thrilled to find a Cocoa Motion!  He had remembered and made my wish come true.  Silly I know, but it is the little things that make you know how much your spouse loves you.  What even makes the story better is that a couple of months earlier and good friend of ours got married and received this very cocoa motion as a present.  Jake happened to be at there house and was told that they thought it was silly and didn't want it.  Jake piped right up and told his friend that, that little machine would save him a whole lot of trouble of having to invent one for me!  He is the best husband ever!
Sunday night I was too exhausted to make much of a dinner, and it was nearing the end of the children's Christmas break we had hot cocoa and popcorn for dinner.  Healthy I know, right?  As I pulled this machine out from the cabinet the whole story of how it came to be mine came flooding back and my heat ached for Jake.  I cried.  How many people can you say has cried over a silly little machine?  Well I have!  

 After pulling it together I thought of having to stay strong for the kids.  I don't think that they knew I was upset but it made me remember that I need to keep life on schedule as much as possible but with a dash of crazy.  To keep with the schedule  Monday nights in our house or family nights.  We try to teach a lesson, sing a song and do an activity.  Family bonding, family togetherness.   The lesson ended up being "YOU DO NOT BACK TALK YOU MOTHER ABOUT DOING CHORES"  I was pretty worn out, but we did do an activity.  We dipped pretzel sticks in chocolate.  It was simple and some what not that messy.  If you look closely at Phoebe you will see that she does have a cast on her right arm.  Christmas afternoon she fell outside while playing and broke her wrist and growth plate.  Let me tell you, it is never a dull moment in the English house!
Speaking of injuries back in November I thought I was wonder woman and lifted a sixty pound bucket of honey.  Right after I did it I knew I had hurt my back.  I tired to tough it out for a week or two but it didn't get better.  In fact it got worse.  Much worse.  I tired to deny what I knew I had done but I didn't want to face it.  When I was sixteen I helped pitch a room over our flat garage.  It was so much fun.  I loved working with tools!  Then came the shingling part.  I quickly learned that I am not a good shingle-er.  Hey we all have our own strengths!  One rule that was pounded into my head was that you NEVER leave loose shingles on an area that was already shingled.  I took that to heart.  I knew that it could be  very dangerous.  Well the person that pounded that into my head didn't listen to his own advice.  While finishing up with some work I slipped in the shingles he had thrown on a finished area.  I feel off the roof and landed on a BBQ pit.  That was the first time I really injured my back.  It took months of physical therapy and an end to a lot of activities that I loved.  In college I again re-injured it.  This time they told me that I had herniated a disc.  Again, more activities that I loved had to come to an end.  Those were every depressing times.  I learned to take care of my back after that.  Especially when pregnancies and babies came around,  I would get an occasional flare up but with Motrin  back strenghthing exercise and rest it would bet better.  Well this time it is different.  Maybe because I am older or maybe because the third time is the charm. This time the herniation is effecting a lot of nerves that run down my legs.  I am in a lot of pain and limp.  I have even fallen in a store due to the numbness that runs from my lower back to my foot.  Today the doctor told me that I need to see a neurosurgeon   He thinks that I may need more invasive help.  I was not the results and I wanted to hear, but life doesn't always hand you what you want.  So I will make my appointment with the doctor and we will see what the future holds for my back.
Below is a photo of where my injury is and what it looks like.  Just for you viewing pleasure.

My injury is in my lower back, involving the disc between the L5 and S1.  I say it is time to start doing some research into this, wouldn't you think?