this week

-tuesday Tessa and I went to a staff party after work ended at 6.  right away, we were suddenly sanding things as soon as we walked in the door.  it was funny.  we kept laughing because we were getting dust all over ourselves!  but Donna always has crafts at her parties, so it was expected to some degree.  we played games, ate, opened gifts, and ate again.  it was good.  i really like all the people i work with right now. 

-wednesday Reed and Madison were travelling up to Brooks and got in an accident.  Reed broke his sternum and Madison was fine, but shaken up.  we felt so badly for them! 

-thursday Pete drove back from Edmonton on scary scary road conditions.  fog and ice.  it took him 8 hours to get home from Edmonton...usually 5 hours. 

-friday it started to snow, and snow, and snow.  i went to chiropractor because my neck was murdering me. 

-saturday we dug out and stayed home all day.

-sunday.  i will miss my primary class from this year.  two boys and two girls, and they are so good.  and funny.  one kid is always entertaining us with his stories. 

-Ayden wants me to write something about him.  he has been doing family history work the last few days.  wow is all i can say!!!  he recently had his patriarchal blessing as well, which was amazing. 

-Tessa is anxious for Christmas break so she can stop worrying about school.  but then we have finals for the semester.  she is always studying. 

-Ben- who knows!  we hear from him in the morning, so we will see.....

Ayden's version of the SNOWMAN

snowstorm

 crazy the amount of snow we just got- but this picnic table is the best picture.

 see the height on the roof here?

back to halloween for a sec/ christmas

guess i forgot about these ones

 well, Ben sent Ayden a birthday gift.  he sent it on the 26th (A's Bday) and said it would probably be late.  yup, we laughed away. 

some surprise pics!

 here are some pics i just discovered on dropbox the other day!  they are obviously from crystal palace, and i'm not sure how i missed them...

a record?

so- i'm seeing yet another new Chiropractor.  he has been good for Ayden and Tessa, so I thought i would try.  well- the other day he told me he was dumbfounded by me.  yet again!  by the end of the convo i was sure he was thinking it was all in my head.  he told me it was just stress- i told him that if i wasn't so sore all the time, i wouldn't be stressed!  he asked me what i thought was wrong with me, then rebutted everything i told him i though.  hmmmmm...  the last guy said it was my neck.  this guy said it was my feet.  the guy two guys-ago said my pelvis.  physio said psoas and SI joint.  specialist said bulge and SI joints.  i am staring to think it IS just stress from all of this!  next up on my list of things to try?  black magic!
now add to that my dental issues put upon me, and the lovely new anxiety i've had this year- and i feel like a mess sometimes. 
i know, i am not supposed to complain.  nobody wants to hear about it- AND everyone has issues, that is what i know for SURE!!!

i do know i have all the symptoms of fibromyalgia...right down to itchy skin, heart palpitations, heartburn, restless leg syndrome, insomnia etc.  i don't really want to diagnose myself though- because what if i use that as an excuse for everything!?  i guess maybe i already do- but i think some things are excusable.  like skiing for example.  if i went to a doctor tomorrow, he would likely say -yes, you have fibro.  but i am avoiding that for now. 

i remember when someone told me that my back would be fine if i lost 30 pounds!  well- i lost 30 pounds, and it didn't change!  (PS that is not why i lost 30  hahaha) 

i know this is a test.  i don't think i'm passing.  i think i have to be HAPPY and help OTHERS and then i will have passed the test.  i do really truly believe that there is something that i am missing- and so for that reason, i won't give up.  but in the meantime i have to accept things and be happy at the same time.  those two ideas work against each other...that is for sure. 

i am glad i have my job.  i would go nutty staying home all day feeling sorry for myself!  i am thankful for the things i DO have and the options i DO currently have.  i am lucky in so many ways.  i think maybe i just need some positive energy or something like that.  but sometimes i think about my siblings and wonder why i inherited all the issues, and they got none!??  of course, some things were not inherited...but still.

i am not feeling sorry for myself.  people i know personally have it so much worse!!  i just like to keep track of my thoughts as i go through the process. 

catch-up

 Big Hero 6 was awesome!!!  We went opening day...ooops!  we ended up with the loser seats at the front.  but the popcorn was great, and the movie was better!!  SO GOOD

 some stills of Ben singing the blues in a video he sent.  i am not sure if this is his guitar or what-  but he could have quite a few items to fly home with.

 how is this for a great puzzle?  Tessa is the main puzzler around here...

 and yes, i know it's sad.  but true. 

boooooo

i hate computers.  every time i update something, 10 other things don't work.  well, that is what happened with this laptop.  i "had" to update the software- but now the old software, which includes iphoto, won't work...so frustrating!!!!  i have to use picasa, which stinks for photos.  plus, everything goes so slow on this laptop. 
THUS, why i have not done the blog lately.  boooo!!

november.  well?  WOW, it has flown by!!  Christmas in one month?  yeesh!

my primary class is hilarious.  12 year olds.  one kid starts reading slides, or scriptures the INSTANT he sees them.  sometimes even after someone else has already started!!  i don't have to ask anyone!  he just does it.  another kid is super-entertaining telling long-drawn-out stories.  and the girls sit and roll their eyes at the boys.  the girls are sweet and smart- and the boys are pretty silly.  quite a different between genders at this age. 

not a lot of excitement around here lately- the weeks fly by.  it seems like we hear from Ben quite regularly.  he is doing great- BUT i sense a restlessness for a change.  plus he is starting to think about school, which is a bit stressful for him. 

speaking of which, Tessa will be applying to U of L soon.  pretty crazy!  in a year things will be very different around here, once again. 

Tessa and I went shopping all day saturday.  it was painful, but fun.  we got SOME stuff done for Christmas...but i am thinking about braving black friday in lethbridge next week.  i can power shop!  but back to saturday- i knew costco was going to be ugly- i can always feel a huge amount of stress and anxiety before i enter the doors.  every time!  but this time i plastered a smile on my face.  i smiled as i tried to park for 10 minutes.  i smiled at people who cut me off.  i smiled as i waited for carts to move.  i smiled as people ran into me.  i smiled as i got stuck behind the floor cleaner.  and i smiled in the LONG reciept- checker- line.    yup, it was OKAY.  and i didn't drive tessa crazy by being grouchy! 

took Ayden for a drive today.  or- he took me, i should say.  he hasn't been out a lot lately.  he is doing well though...just needs a bit more practice. 

hmmm...upcoming- we have staff parties, ward parties...Christmas prep.  most seem to be having parties the end of NOV though, so maybe DEC won't be as busy. 

nov 1 2014

-Halloween night was the best i can remember.  as far as weather.  but we didn't get tons of kids...maybe about 110 is what Ayden counted.  that is not many, maybe half as many as usual.  it's strange- why not go out on a nice evening!!?  oh well...

-today Tessa and I had a first-aid course at the library.  i started at 7:30 and we got home at 4:30.  my brain and body are fried!  i feel like i rolled around on the floor all day too...

-i hate computers

-my kids are eating way too much leftover halloween candy.  we all are.  sigh.

-it is snowing.  in fact , we have a snowfall warning right now. 

-dr. Who night.