Haloween

This year our ward did not do a party so we deiced that we would go around the neighborhood. The kids had a blast. We walked half of the ward and the kids got lots of candy. Becca was getting tired and part of the time Issac or I had to carie her and her candy she was getting tired and wanted to go home and have some candy. Alex was super man and had fun being in the parade in school. A member in our ward works at his school at the library and saw him in the parade and he waived to her. That made my day! He is really coming out of his shell. Lizzy was a unicorn and Becca was a bunny. They went to the bishops store house with Issac and then I called to see if they could come to my work and see me and they came and I gave them a bread stick and a mint. Becca had been doing really good and going potty. She has even been going poop. We are so happy and think that she is potty trained except at night. It will be so nice to not buy dypers any more. Issac is still looking for a job, but he has a phone interview today and he has a regular interview with fed ex on Friday. Lets hope that he will get something. I am training 4 new hosts today. It is going to be fun. The best part is that I get to have free food hellow free stake for me how great for me!

Life

Alex has been doing great in school. He has been able to start learing how to read. I have been reading out of a book that my mom gave me and he is loving that he can read it. He has also been getting paper out a looking though that book and seeing what words he can write and he is doing a great job. We are so proud of the progress that he has been able to do. He is still wipering to his teacher. The other day he wispered to her that he needed to go to the bathroom and she let him go. He has the best teacher Mrs. Pruze. She takes the time to really teach the kids. He is loving going all day.
Issac is still looking for a job and has had many interviews, but no job yet. I know he will get the job that he is supost to get, but who knows how long we will have to wait. In the mean time I have decied to work full time to help bring in some more money until he gets a job. I work Monday from 10:15-5:00 and then I work Tues-Friday from 4:00-10:00 OR until 11:00. I was able to go back to hosting and get a rais so that was nice. They were short some hosts and they needed someone who could be a leader. I was not able to serve anymore becuase it hurt my body to much. I am just so greatfull that I have a job at this time so at least we have some money comming in.
The girls are still being girls. Becca is going to school for an hour two times a month. She likes going to school. Her and Lizzy play really well together and have so much fun being together. They like to play baby a lot and Lizzy like to be the baby. It is so cute to watch them play. We are trying to get Lizzy into headstart so she will be able to learn.
I have been trying to sweeten my food with Coconut crystals. I have read that it is better than sugars and some sweetners espically for those who are dibatic. I have only tried it once in making cookie bars, but I do put it in my cream of wheat everyday and it is good. It is super pricey so I am not sure that I am going to keep in useing it.

What will be next!

Issac is still with out a job, but we are trudging along. I am working 4 nights a week and that is going ok. I think that my stress level is going up even though I am trying not to be stressed, but who would not be stressed when there husband does not have a job! I have been in some pain so I have not been able to work as long when I do work so there for I have not been bringing home as much money and that has been hard on me. I know that I can only do what I can do and I should be grateful that I can work what I can. We found out that we could get chip for the kids so they now have insurance. YEAH!!!!
Yesterday we celebrated Alex's 6th birthday he wanted a school bus cake so I did my best to make one (look on face book to see photo). He got some wonderful gifts: hooded towel (made by his Grandma Christensen), plastic bowling game, 3 card games, 3 books (1 from his Grandma Gray and each of his sisters gave him one), little remote control car (also given by Grandma Gray), Fox and the Hound movie, zip tie, a coloring book, and puzzles (from Uncle Dustins family). He is such a wonderful boy we love him so much. He has been doing good at school and has been whispering to his teachers which is good because last year it took him half of the year to even talk to his teachers. He is so willing to clan and do the dishes for me. If I am going to clean the bathroom he wants to be right there with me asking how he can help. On our kids birthdays we do not make them do work we give them the day off so today after breakfast he went to the sink and washed up the few dishes and then he put them in the dishwasher and I didn't even ask him. What a thoughtful little boy. I have been blessed with a wonderful boy. He also doesn't want Becca to be left behind so he will wait for her and help her so she will not be left behind. I know that is what our savior would do if he were here.
On August 30th we celebrated Becca's birthday. We celebrated it a day early because I had to work on her birthday. She got lots of fun things: tangled movie, Tangled dress up dress with purse and shoes(from Grandma Christensen), Build a Bear, Bear (from Grandma Gray), Mini pink basketball, princess toilet seat (hoping that will help her to want to go potty), potty hook, princess Tenn shoes, coloring books and crayons (from Uncle Dustins Family), BIG pink ball and princess fruit snacks (from Uncle Bryces family), and books (her brother and sister and us). She is such a sweet girl and is happy most of the time. She likes to make all kinds of faces and sometimes when we are walking Alex to school she will hear a dog barking in someones back yard and she will say "No, No Goggie" and they will stop. She will be going to a speech class 1 hour twice a month starting next week. She will have fun going and it will help her to get out of her shell even more. She loves nursery and is looking forward to going to primary next year to be with her Brother and Sister. She loves to play with her kitties. When I ask her to make her bed she tells me that she can't and I tell her that she can and I make her because I want her to be able to clean and do things too. I do not want her to think that she can get out of things just because she is the baby of our family. We love you Becca!
I decide that I was going to eat some of Alex's cake yesterday and boy was that a mistake. I was in so much pain last night at work. My bone in my left leg just ached. Today my hips are hurting so I decide that I would look on the cake mix and see what was in the chocolate cake and low and behold I read that there was instant milk in it. Man was I mad that I didn't read the ingredients sooner. I guess I will just have to take it easy today.

Life

Life has thrown us a curve ball. Issac was let go from his job. We are sad and just trying to deal with it still. I joked with my family and said "Happy Birthday to me" because that was the day that Issac was let go. I am still stressing that we will not have insurance and I need to have my medication and it will be a little over $400.00 for one month's supply. I am feeling that if I do not get the medication then I will not be able to work and then we will not have the money that we need to pay bills. I guess we have to learn something from this, but I guess we will just have to see what happens. PLEASE keep us in your prayers. We hope that he will find a new job soon.

The 90/10 Principle by Stephen R Covey

I read this on a friends blog and thought I would share it on mine. It is a really good message and I really belive it. Imagin how different our lives would be if we reacted to differently to the situations that come into our every day lives. Would we treat others differenly and how would we feel? I know that if we apply this 90/10 principle in our lives we will be much happier. God wants us to be happy and handle our situations in a Christ like way and I truly belive that this is it.

Alex's Graduation

This is the day that Alex Graduated. He had fun, but he would not sing the songs, but he would do his famous rocking back and forth. He would use some of the props like he was supost to. His teacher Miss Nancy was just so wonderfull. She would think about how she could help him learn and would be awaken in the night with the answer to how she could best hilp him. What a wonderfull teacher. His speach teacher Miss Becky was also very great she would know him so well that she would be able to help him say all that he could. After he had his surgery last summer and then went back to school this year she heard him say sounds that he had not been able to say before and she was crying and saying what a great mom that I was able to get the dr. to do his surgery so he could speak. That made me feel so good. I will miss them they are truly God sent. He will be able to go to all day kindergarten next year and I am so happy for him. We are taking him in today to get fitted for an hearing aid. I sure hope that will help him to be able to hear better. I am also hoping that this will help him to be able to make friuends. He will also be seeing an allergy dr next week because his alergies are getting worse. The medication that he is on has stopped working for now. Alex we love you! You are such a great son and we are so glad that you are a part of our family.

Sunday I took the kids to stake conference. It was good for most of it. I knew that the kids would not be able to be good the whole time so I packed some treats for them to eat about half way though. I had packed extra books and even let them bring a car which I never do. We got there about 30 minuets early so we could get a bench. As luck would have it I had to be in the front on the left hand side. I decide about 30 minuets in that I would let them have there cars. That was not a good idea because the kids decide that they would drive them up the stairs and Alex was pushing the car to see how far it would go. It was about 1 hour and 15 minuets when I decide that I needed to give them there treats which consisted of raisins, crasions, and peanuts. That was good because the first counselor was going to be speaking. His wife is a good friend of mine and he is the personal sectary to President Packer so I knew that he was going to have something really great to say. He told us that he was going to talk about 7 things that we can do to help our families. I had no pen so with crayon in hand I began to list the things he said. I have deiced that I would share them with you. 1. Prayer (fasting). Personal relation is real and will help us guide our families. 2. Reading Scriptures if we do so then we will be able to answer questions that our kids may have. 3. Receiving scared covenants. 4. Service it removes selfishness from our lives. Forgive others and do what the Lord would have us do. 5. Keeping the commandments he talked about how you should always pay tithing and give a generous fast. 6. Always follow the prophet. We will never be lead astray if we follow the brethren. 7. Follow the Holy Ghost. What a great talk! The kids we good until the closing song Lizzy deiced that she was going to go up on the stand where the sacrament table is and jump up and down and Becca was going to follow her lead until I got her Alex then went up to get her(Lizzy), but she would not listen. The president and second counsler looked and me and smiled. I was holding Becca so I could not go and get them. This nice lady come up and got her and Alex. Needless to say they didn't go up again.
Today I was watching the Movie about Emma Smith that was produced by Candlite Media Group. It was so very sad to hear about her life and all that she went though. It made me cry. To think that she was an elect lady of God. That she kept having kids and then she would have to bury them. I do not know if I could spend all that time away from Issac. She was very strong in the Gospel and I wonder what kind of person I would have been if I had been her. Would I have not been ok with him being gone all the time and having to bury many of my children. It made me sad and cry to think that I was only able to have 3 children. I guess that I thought that I was over that. I am begging to think that I will not be over that for a long time. It also made me think was I right to ask to be relived of my calling do the girls need me to much that I should not go. I did feel the spirit when I was talking to the bishop and felt like I was doing the right thing. "I just want to do all that I said that I would in the pre excidnets" as Emma said in her blessing from Joseph. I hope that I will be a righous daughter of our Heavenly Father.

Grandma Turning 90

Last Friday we went to Idaho to celebrate my Grandmother turning 90. We were having an open house for her so her friends and family could wish her a happy birthday. Fun was had by all. Here are a few phtos taken. Sorry who ever took the photo made them blurry. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cups

When we went to ID last weekend and while we were gone our nice neighbors decide that they would feed our cats and fish. The other neighbor deiced that they would mow our lawn. I deiced that I would make a treat for them to say thank you so I made Peanut butter cups. Here is the recipe:
1 cup butter
1 Cup Peanut Butter
1 cup White Sugar
1 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 cups Flour
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix butters and sugars add eggs mix add vanilla, salt, soda, and 1 cup of flour mix add remaining flour mix. Fill two muffin tins with muffin cups. Add cookie dough filling the cups all the way full leaving about an inch empty. Bake for 22-24 minuets. When you pull them out add some chocolate chips spread covering bottom and sides when they are melted. Put them in the freezer for about 30 minuets so the chocolate chips will melt. Take some heavy whipping cream and whip it adding sugar to taste I added about 1/3 of a cup. when mixed add 1 tsp. of vanilla. mix well. Add whipping cream to a bag and pipe into cups using the star tips. Crumble some butterfingers on top to garnish. Must store uneaten parts in fridge. Enjoy!

Easter

I had read in the "Friend" how to make some "Bunny" roles so I read how to do it and the kids had fun watching me make them. They were so excited to eat them too. We had a family dinner at Tony and Sara's (my in laws) house it was fun. After dinner we played ticket to ride with them and Issac's mom and step dad. We ended up winning so that was cool. Concidering that it was only the second time that we had played the game. It was a good Easter. The week before we had taken the kids to another church to have them see a play about Jesus. We only when because Becca's OT had envited us to come she said that her hubbie was going to be in it. The play went on for a while, but the kids did really good. In fact Alex was singing one of the songs with he was working at the table. Issac and I had to laugh that he was singing it.

Ok it has been a long time since I wrote anything sorry to all of you for that. I have just not been feeling like writting anything. I have just been able to get though one day at times. I went and saw my rumologist again and he gave me some new pain meds and now I am feeling some what better. I have also thought that I was going to start walking it make me feel better, but it only made it worse for me. I walked with the kids and Issac on Monday for family night and on Tuesday I walked a little with the kids and then went to mitual with the youth and then when I was done with work on Thursday I came home and was in a lot of pain my left legg bone was hurting and felt like it was on fire. I decied to go and tak a bath that seems to make me feel better. It helped and I was glad it feel better. (Sorry that I keep talking about this, but it is my journal after all). The week beofre I worked 25 hours I think that it part of the reason that I was in some pain.

Issac, Alex, and Lizzy went to Calfonia last weekend for Friday to Monday because Issac was going to be blessing his nephew Andrew. His sisters husband has not yet joined the church, but we hold out hope that one day he will. The kids had fun playing with there cousions that they do not really get to see that much. Issac and his Brother Tony took there kids and rode together so they could split the cost of gas. Becca and I decied that we would be staying home. We had a fun time until Sunday when Becca got sick and thew up a lot. I was feeling so bad for her. She thankfully only was sick for Sunday and then on Monday her and I went and got our hair cut. This lady in our ward cut our hair in her house. She was super fast we both were done in about 35 minunets. We then waited for Issac and the kids to come home. Lizzy decided that she was going to pee her pants on the ride home I was not to happy with her. I wish that she would just go pee when she needs too.

My older kids have been so great latley to help out so much. They like doing the dishes washing them. They will ask is it my turn to wash them. How blessed am I to have such good kids that they will help me do this. In fact Alex knew that it was his turn to wash them last night so when I came home from work they had been washed and the dishwasher had been ran and they were ready to be put away the next morning. I was so happy becuase I knew that I didn't have to do it. The joys of having older kids. I have been able to vaccume and mop this week and not feel any worse by doing it. That makes me feel good that I am able to do that now. I am so excited to go to the dr. next Wens. and see what he has to day.

Vacuming!!!!

I was going to vacuum today so I had the kids pick up all the things off there floor and then we went visiting teaching. My visiting teaching partner came over to my house to talk about young women's when I heard Alex get out the vacuum. He started to vacuum his room and he then said to me that he had vacuumned up his new blanket and I had to rip the blanket out and it got a little melted and a hole in it. I was so upset because the vacuum would not work good after that. I thought that he had broken the belt, but when I took it apart it was fine. I guess that I will have to take to Issac and have him fix it. I really wanted to know if I could vacuum and not be in pain. I guess I will just have to try later.

Progress is a wonderfull thing!

Last month we had Becc's speech and her other therapist do her 6 month evaluation for early intervention and she did a wonderful job. The scores are done in months so here goes gross Motor 24 Fine motor 24 cognition 27 Language 30 self help (getting dress and things like that) 22 social emotional 36. She is only delayed in a few areas. I do not believe that she got 36 on social emotional because she is super shy. I am hoping that she will keep having a few bad scores because I would like to have her go to pre school like Alex so she will not be so shy. starting in March she will be able to go to a pre pre school once a week for an hour and a half. I am sure at first I will have to go there and then I would like to be able to leave. Only time will tell. She is getting smarter and smarter as the days progress. When I tell her that she needs to take her shirt off she tells me that she can't. I really wonder where she got that from. I tell her that "I Can't" is not in her vocabulary you can do anything thing you want to. I know that it will take some time to let her know that she can do it for her self.

As for Alex we (Issac and I) went to an IEP meeting last week and found out that Alex is super smart and should not be in pre school any more, but they know that he needs it for the socal part so they were able to word the IEP in a way that he would be able to stay. I just LOVE his teacher because she told me that she was thinking of something that she could do for him and got an idea at 2:00 A.M. WHAT! she was thinking about my son at 2:00 in the moring. Do I have the best teacher in the world or what? We have deiced to move him to the afternoon class because there are some boys who do talk and they will be able to play and games with Alex and help him to understand how he should be playing with other kids. He has been bumped to the top of the list for head start. They know that he will need it for the social aspect. Lets hope that someone moves so he can get in.

I am so luck that all 3 of my kids have a cold. Becca started it and got a runny nose and then she would not want to eat and Sunday she was sounding terrible she was loosing her voice and so I took her in the next day to the dr and he told me that she has puss on the back of her toncles. I was almost wishing that she has strep and not a virus so she could be put on some medication to make her better. She then passed it on to the other two. Needless to say Alex has had to miss most of school this week so much for him getting to know his new class. All will be good in time that I know.

As for me I feel better some days and some days I do not. I am going to have an IUD put in on the 17th and see in about 4 months if I am feeling better and if I am not then I will got and see another family dr. and see if he will test me for aruthrius or if he knows of something else that could be wrong with me. I worked last night and now I feel like I got run over by a semi truck. I do see the cleaning that needs to be done in my house and I just can't do it. My WONDERFUL neighbor came over yesterday and vacuumed, swept, and mopped for me thank you Tanielle you are my life savior. Issac's mom will be coming on Saturday to watch the kids so we can go out. we are going to try and make it to the temple and then go to lunch. I am sure that fun will be had by all. Thanks for all your well wishes and prayers. I hope you all are doing good. God Bless!

A word about me

ANSWER EACH QUESTION USING ONLY ONE WORD:

1. Where is your cell phone? back pocket
2. Your most significant other? work
3. Your hair? curled
4. Your mother? awesome
5. Your Father? home
6. Your favorite? pasta
7. Your dream last night? none
8. Your favorite drink? Barks
9. Your dream/goal? painless
10. What room you are in? living
11. Your hobby? Cooking
12. Your fear? hights
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? rich
14. Where were you last night? home
15. Something that you aren't? procrastinator
16. Muffins? banana
17. Wish list item? braces
18. Where you grew up? Idaho! WOOHOOOO
19. Last thing you did? dr
20. What are you wearing? jeans
21. Your TV? off
22. Your pets? fish
23. Friends? fun
24. Your life? normal
25. Your mood? moodey
26. Missing someone? sometimes
27. One place that I go to over and over? Wal-mart(sad but true)
28. Something you want? dianogus
29. Your favorite store? Target
30. Your favorite color? Yellow

I went to see my OB today and I am trying to figure out what I am doing. He could not really give me a clear cut answer. I guess that I am back to the drawing board. We had a family dinner last night with Issac's mom and brother. Kathy brought Lizzy a fish for her birthday and she is so happy. It is a blue bata and is a boy, but Lizzy thinks that it is purple and she named it princess. I had to laugh. Hope everyone has a good day. I know that I am going to. This had been the 3rd day that I have not taken any pain medication. YAH!!!! for the small miricles in my life.

Lizzy 4th check up and christams photos!

Today I took Lizzy to the Dr. to have her 4 year check up. She was 44 LBS and 43 3/4 " tall. I Dr. joked with me and told me that she could be square. He told me that she is off the charts for her hight. He said that she is as 5 1/2 year olds, but we all know that she is tall. She is waring the out fit that her grandmother and grandfather Christensen gave her for her birthday. She is super cute. We Love you Lizzy.


Issac took the kids to temple square to see the lights. The kids got to ride tracks and they were super happy. They keep telling us that they want to ride a train so they got there wish. Alex and Lizzy rode with Grandma Kathy. As you can see they are having the time of there lives. I was going to go, but I was in to much pain. I was sad that I could not go, but I enjoyed the peice and quite.

Updates

Today I went to my family doctor to see if he could give me some answers on what could be wrong with me. I told him that my sister has Celiac Disease so he decied that he would test me for that too. It will take about 2 days to find out if I have it. If I do not then I think that he is going to be looking at arthris. I am just taking it one day at a time. I did ask him if he thought that all of my pain would have anything with me needed to have my femal parts taken out and he said that he didn't know. I have decied to see while I am having my period if the pain is more, less, or stays the same then that will let me know that the pain that I am feeling is not related to my femal parts. He, my dr, said that it was too bad that I saw the other dr and he could not find anything wrong with me. I was sad too. I told him that I didn't want to have to take a pill every day to manage the pain that I wanted to know what was wrong with me and then "IF" I had to take a pill then I would be ok with that. I hope to have some news on what is wrong with me soon.
I went to work tonight I was hosting and it was nice to get out of the house and I missed not working. I love being able to interact with other people and help them to get a smile on there face just because you said "hi" Or "thanks for comming in". I would like to think that I could make a postive impression on someone so they will want to return.

Lizzy's Birthday

Today was Lizzys 4th birthday. We let her open her gifts in the morning before Issac left for work. She was so excited to get her gifts. When Grandpa Christensen was here he asked her what she would like to get for her birthday and she said that she would like to get a princess castle and grandpa told her that she could not have one that they would cost to much money that would be a gift that you would get for Christmas not your birthday. I think that she was a little sad, but as luck would have Issac took Becca and Alex to the store and found one that was only $14.00. It has a BIG bed in it that folds out so now she can put her princess dolls in it to go to sleep. She was also happy to get a tea set, dress up gloves, tinker bell dress up dress, tinker bell movie, and some pretties for her hair. We took the kids to Chilies for lunch because I was going to be working that night and wanted to do something nice for her on her birthday. She got a free cholate shake she was super happy. Before her grandpa left he wanted to go to the store and buy her another princess doll and boy was she sooo happy.
I had made a deal with her 4 months ago that if she would go to primary for 4 weeks she could have a cinderella doll and she finally did it at the end of December so when I felt better I took her to the store to get it for her. Grandpa saw just how happy it made her so he had to get her another one which is good because I can't keep Alex away from it. LOL!
We love you Lizzy so much. You are so good at helping me with Becca when I need you to get her pj's or dypers. You are always a big help with doing the dishes and helping me bake or cook. I hope that you had a great day!
I will be making her favorie dinner tomorrow night it will be home made corn dogs and homemade mac n cheese. I hope that she will contiune to want to lurn how to cook so she can cook for others when she is older it is a good service that you can do for others. I will post a video later so you can see her opening her gifts.

No new news!

I went to the Dr. today to have him do some shock therapy and he told me that he saw that everything that he was doing looked good. Can I just say that it was soooo painful and would not want anyone to have to do this. He told me when he was done shocking me that he needed to stick a needle in my mussels. Issac told me that my eyes looked so big. I could only let him do a few things until it hurt to bad and I was crying. I just kept praying and asking for strength to endure this shocking and I know that I would have cried before I did had I not gotten the added strength. He told me that he will be ordering another MRI on the rest of my back and on my brain so see if he can find out what is wrong with me. He said that he saw something on my back on the other MRI that was something that he wanted to further investigate further. He told me that I need to get out and exercises so I am going to be working 2 days a week starting next week. I will be hosting so I will not hurt my back caring the big trays. I have been having some numbness in my arms and was unable to sleep last night so he gave me a mussel relaxer so that I can sleep and it is wonderful! It makes me tired so that is a good thing. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.