This will only hurt a little...

 

This past weekend Clarence and I had to opportunity to have a hot date and go scouting for javelina.  We have tags for these little critters, and I'm itching to use my bow again. What is a javelina you might ask?

  

That is a javelina.  Just look at em, isn't he cute?  His closest relative is actually a hippo.  We call them desert pigs around here.  Either way, they can be a real nuisance when they overpopulate.

Friday night Clarence had a CPR class to attend in Snowflake, we we packed up, ate a wonderful meat at Evas and I went to the temple while he went to his class.  It was a good session, and I left feeling pretty good.  I picked up Clarence and we drove for several hours to Roosevelt Lake area.  About 11:30 we set up our tent and sacked out for the night.
The Next morning we got up early and hiked a large hill to glass from. We could see a long ways on this hillside. Although we didn't see any javelina, we did manage to see several of these beauties.

Coues Deer.  They are often called the Grey Ghost.  I can see why too!  We would spot them with the binos and then they would just seem to disapear!  Coues deer are little deer that are only found in a couple of states in the US and parts of Mexico I believe.  They weigh around 90 lbs and are tiny!  But they are sure pretty to watch.

After a couple of hours of glassing, Clarence invited me to go on a hike with him.  I had surgery a couple of weeks prior, but I was feeling pretty good and I wanted to see what I could do.  Just a small hike he said.  About 3 hours if we hustle.  He gave me the option of going with him or reading a new book that I brought along.  I really thought about it for a long time, and in the end I decided to go hike.  Hind sight is always 20/20.

We left around 10:40.  After hiking across the hill we had to go into a ravine to get down to the bottom of the canyon.  I watched Clarence go down and thought, no problem!  I can do this!  I started down the ravine and ended up slipping and sliding to the bottom.  Somewhere near the bottom I hit a rock and kindly lifted my pack and shirt before exposing my bare back into a cholla cactus.  OUCH!

If you've never encountered cactus then good for you!  If you have, then you'll know what these can do to you.  I just remember falling and then looking over and realizing that I am pinned to this cactus and I can't move.  I called Clarence back to help me and he was like, oh no.  How in the heck am I going to do this?  Luckily for me, I had dodged the worst of it and the cactus didn't penetrate the skin too thick.  he VERY carefully pulled the cactus straight off my back as I about passed out.  It was painful!  He then carefully removed the dozens of needles that were stuck in my skin, my pants, my shirt, and my pack.  I had the option of turning back then, but I didn't.  After putting water on my back and making sure all the needles were out we continued our little hike.

We had to pass a stream by jumping rocks and I found out that I can't jump as far as Clarence can.  The last rock was a little too far and it left me in the river with wet feet.  Juuuust great.

We went through some CRAZY rough country, encountered a cool frog, and ended up getting all scratched up by stickery trees and shin daggers, and had to make our way through LOTS of manzenita. We found 2 springs and some beautiful country.    I figured out about half way through the hike that I should have stayed back and read my book.  My left side was killing me, and my feet just couldn't seem to stay away from the cactus!  But complaining wouldn't have hlped me get back to the truck, so I sucked it up and made the best of it.  We both finally made it back to the truck (after falling in the stream AGAIN) tired and old.  What I thought was going to be a 3 hour hike turned into almost a 6 hour hike!  BUT I made it.  I survived.  And I will never go back there again.  Clarence could hunt that land all he wants, but I have no desire to tromp through the cactus and thorny bushes to sit on a spring that may or may not be used by the deer.  No thanks, it's ALL yours honey!

But we will be heading back kinda close to that area this weekend for our javelina hunt.  I hope it's gonna be fun!  Ethan will hopefully get to go with us if he can get his grades up.  And this time I will try to stay out of the cactus.

A "simple" procedure

For some time now I've been experiencing pain on my left side.  I know I've had womenly issues in the past, so I fugured this is what it was. It got worse and worse, so I finally decided to go in and get it checked out.  After being "violated" by the GYN doc I was told I probably have endometreosis.  Wonderful.  The best way to find out would be an ultra sound.  So I agreed to it and had that done the beginning of the year.  After the results were in the doc called me back in and told me he still wasn't sure what it was, but a SIMPLE small procedure called a laproscopy would help them for sure figure it out.  Silly me, I agreed.  Just like that.  The doc said it would probably be a couple of weeks out before it was to be done, so I out it on the back burner and didn't think much of it.  Friday they called to do some pre op.  Wait, what?  They told me to come in Monday for blood work and then Tues. would be the "small" procedure.  I felt good about it and so I did it.  I think I should have thought about it longer!!!
  Tues. morning I went in and had the procedure.  I had my mom come with me since I would be put out for the procedure.  I woke up a couple of hours later and was told that my ovary was connected to my bowels (ew, gross picture!) and that is why I was having so much pain.  I had an incision in my belly button, my hair line, and 1 more on my rt. side.  I was told in a couple of days I should be feeling back to normal. Only it wasn't quite that simple.
  I came out of surgery shaking like a leaf.  I guess I do this a lot whenever something tramatic happens (the docs have joked that I shook all 4 babies out!), but this time was WAY worse!  I couldn't form sentences and my body hurt from all the shaking.  They wanted to keep me in the hospital until the shaking subsided, but I told them I would be better going home because it could be hours before I stopped.  And it was.....
The next thing that happened is my body lost all ability to (ahem) relieve ones self.  After drinking 4 or 5 water bottles and 8 hours later I was dying!  Back to the doc for me to get help.... ugh.  By this time I was still shaking and stuttering like crazy.  I finally just stareted typing messages on my phone because I couldn't talk.  It was quite entertaining to my family and friends, but not so much for me.
  The next morning I made my way to the doc to get my "situation" under control.  Thank goodness I finally could do something by myself!  I was so glad to be free of the ol' pee bag. :)
  I spent the rest of the day healing, but still feeling yucky.  By Thurs. night I was in agony.  I still hadn't been able to.. how do I say this politely..... ok I'll just say it.  I still couldn't poop!  As I told one of the nurses, "my bowels are not filled with mercy nor compassion right now!"  After trying several different concoctions and starring at my VERY bloated stomach I did the unthinkable.  I started running a fever.... and was super naseous.  The doc became concerned and had Clarence bring me to the ER.  Thankfully they had a room already waiting for me when I got there.  They hooked me up to an IV and pumped me full of pain killers.  I had to drink 4 cups of barium so they could do an mri to make sure my bowells weren't cut when the "simple" procedure was done.  Thankfully my problem was fixed when I miracoulsy lost 6 lbs, in the ER.  NOT a recommended thing to do, but thankfully it solved the problem.  The MRI came back normal and I was able to go home.  And heal.  From a "simple" procedure.
When I was finally feeling a little better I did a little more reading on the subject of laproscopy.  I should have done that in the first place, but whatever.  I've decided that if a doc. says it's a "simple" procedure they have either 1) never had it or 2) be a guy.  My doc would be both.  Don't get me wrong, he was a GREAT doc and was very understanding and kind, but I do wish he would have told me to expect to be out for a couple of weeks.
So here I am almost 3 weeks later.  Did he fix the problem?  Well, yes, I no longer have my ovary attached to my bowels, and the tests came back negative for endometrosis.  Do I feel better?  No.  So was it worth it?  The jury is still out on that one.  I still have crazy pain on my left side that is just getting worse and worse, but at least I KNOW it's not any "womenly" stuff.   I think I may have torn my iliac muscle.  I guess I will be making a visit to the Orthopedic doc to see what's going on.  But if I didn't get the surgery I would still be thinking it was all womenly stuff... so at least I know! 
I'm so thankful for friends and family who brought my family meals and took Karly while I couldn't function.  I am so very lucky to be surrounded by so many awesome people!  I had my 1sr counselor take over for me in YW and she did a fantastic job.  I love that I have such great women to serve in the YW with.  I hope to return the favor some day to these loving and amazing examples in my life.

Nothing says Happy Valentines Day like dirt and worms!

Ethan is my only boy in our family, and boy oh boy is he EVER all boy!  He loves to be outdoors and dig in the dirt and just get dirty!  This year he is in the 5th grade.  This is also the first year in a LONG time I've only had 1 kid in elementary.  1 party.  I liked the sound of that.  I was thinking of doing something very simple as usual, but he convinced me that I needed to do something special since I only had 1 kid to make stuff for!  Ok, you got me there.  So thanks to my handy dandy cricut and pinterest, I came up with this for valentines. 

 

 

If you know Ethan you'll probably agree this is very fitting for this boy.  For those who don't know Ethan, you'll just have to take my word for it.  Here is the recipe I used if anyone is inerested:

1 pkg cream cheese softened
1 cup of powdered sugar
1/4 c of butter
2 cool whip containers thawed
1 1/2 pkgs of oreos
4 boxes of instant chocolate pudding
7 c of milk
a couple of pkgs of gummy worms
20 6-8 oz cups
20 spoons

mix pudding with milk.  put in fridge for about 5 minutes. 
mix cream cheese, sugar, butter, and cool whip.  Add to pudding mixture.
Put oreo cookies in a blender and mix till they are crumbs.

In a cup put cookie crumbs in the bottom.... about 1/2 tbsp. or so  Add 1/2 c. of pudding mix.  repeat process again.  Top the cup with cookie crumbs and add worms.

Stick in the fridge until you are ready to serve.   Easy and yummy!

For the little I dig you template I went here:   momsshoppingengine.com
I shrunk it down an little bit and copy and pasted until I had 24 on a page.  I changed the  color to blue and printed them out on blue paper.

I used the essentials cartridge for the scalloped edges and the circles.  Super easy, and super cute!

The Hobbit and Abraham Lincoln

The Hobbit came to Holbrook opening week.  Why to Holbrook?  That is a good question, and I don't have the answer!  But here's what I DO know!  Our local High School promotes healthy reading habits, and when the kids do well and excell they are rewarded.  There is a such thing as the million word club, and Clarissa became a member of this club JUST IN TIME to watch the opening of the Hobbit.  Aparently there was a contest and her english teacher won!  The prize was to take the kids who earned it to the screeening of the Hobbit, with popcorn and soda and the best seating in the theatre.  It's a little known fact that Clarissa is a HUGE fan of the Hobbit.  So of course she had to dress up to see it.  That is her story, and this is her interpretation of one of the characters in the movie.  Woo Hoo Clarissa!  I think she looks pretty good for a last minute costume of a Hobbit... or whatever the creatures are called.

 

 Ethan had history rocks this past week.  He chose Abraham Lincoln. 

This is how it went at our house.

Ethan:  Mom, I have history rocks coming up soon and I need a costume.

Me:  Sure son, when is it?

Ethan:  Um, in the morning.

So this is what we were able to put together last minute of our 16th president of the United States.

Not too shabby if I say so myself!  He was so thrilled for me to take his picture, can't you tell?  Ethan worked really hard and did a GREAT job on his speech, and I'm pretty proud of him! 

Now I wonder when the kids are gonna remember they have a science fair project due here pretty quick.......  I guess a mom's work is never done!

 

Snow Delay Day!

 We don't get snow here very often, so when we wake up with 5-6 inches, it's a pretty big deal around here!  We were hoping for a snow day, but instead we got a snow delay.... at least it was something!  Here are a few pictures I snapped of my kids enjoying their precious few hours of snow before school started. 

Ugh, I can't believe that TOMORROW Clarissa will be old enough to get her permit!   Where did the time go?

 Here's Kaitlyn right after getting hit with some snow.  She was lovin' it, and I hope she doesn't get sick!

Of course this is Ethan.... I don't know why he loves to pose like this so much, but I guess it's a boy thing!  He's so funny.  I can't believe how fast he is growing up as well!

 And now for this little one.... Karly LOVES the snow!  She keeps trying to bring it in to keep forever, but every time it melts she gets so sad and cries.  She'll go back outside and say "This time it will last, ok?"  I wish that SHE would last just like this forever!

After a couple of hours of going back and forth it was time to come in and get ready for school.... but I had to get one more shot.  MMMM, I love these kidos!

 And that's how you say Happy Birthday to Clarence!!!!!

Valentines Banners and other Cricut projects

Today I finally decided to make these banners with my cricut.  I've been putting it off for a while, but today I decided to buckle down and make them. 

The first one I used Down on the Farm cartridge for the banner.  I cut them out at 10 and then used some buttons and ribbon.       

This one took a little bit longer!  I cut out 6x6 squares and embossed them with small dots.  Then I used the Spring cartridge at 4.75 for the black, and 4 for the pink.  I embossed the black with a swirly folder.  The letters I used the alphabet cartridge and cut the shadow an the shiny red at 3.  I love this one!

And now the card!  Clarence's birthday is today so I made him this card.  My hubby is a big outdoorsman, so I thought this would be appropriate.  I used the camping critters for the deer, Camp out for the frame, and a shape cartridge for the label.  I embossed with ink the background and the frame using the wood folder.  I love it!   I glued on googly eyes and there you have it!