It's all Relative

Existing. That about sums up what I've been doing for 6 days. You see, last Friday I joined a club. That's what the nurses at the hospital kept telling me. It is a good club to be in, they say. The hyster-sisters club. This site will tell you all you need to know if you are thinking you want to join, or if your doctor has suggested you join. The kicker about the club is that you're not really glad you joined it for at least 4 weeks. Some say longer. I'm ignoring them.


I am actually better than I expected. The pain is all I had heard it would be, but surprisingly, not much worse than I was experiencing every 28 days or so. I'm sure the women I teach in Relief Society every 4th Sunday never suspected I was on narcotic pain pills many of the times I was teaching. What timing. Or maybe it was obvious, how would I know? I was on drugs. All the more reason to have the surgery!

I am so grateful for a friend who calls daily to assure me that it will get better. I hang on her every word. I try to erase from my memory the first week after her surgery when she had me convinced to NEVER do it. And for another who quelled my fears about doing this at all. She said "Go for it!" and that I'd feel so much better! She said it was no big deal and that shouldn't worry at all. I am now questioning her sanity, but she helped me find the courage I needed!

Who knew I had so many friends that could make amazing homemade rolls. My family has been fed way better than normally!

It's crazy how we think the rules don't apply to us. I was told to do nothing, absolutely nothing, for the first week or I would pay for it. But I felt so much better yesterday, certainly putting the laundry in, or unloading just a few dishes couldn't hurt. Tell that to my bed, from which I could hardly drag myself for the next 8 hours. I believe! I believe!

In the days before the surgery I was doing dozens of lunges, sprints in the pool (beating Jill, which is very rare) and loving a new mtn. bike. Today, sitting at the computer for 20 min. is a great accomplishment. It's all relative, I guess.

As You Wish

This was the one and only day we had available to go cut down our Christmas tree. Paige didn't want to go because there wasn't going to be any snow, and it just didn't seem right. In past years we have had to snowshoe in to where we get our tree, and have gotten the truck stuck a few times. We discovered our own Christmas tree garden a few years back and have been returning ever since to pick our tree. But, as you can see, Paige was granted her wish, and we hit snow!

Where would we be without boat straps? Nowhere, I tell you. As we pulled up to "our" Christmas tree place Justin warned us to not hike downhill to get a tree, pulling one down hill to the car would be more ideal. Always thinking, that kid. If there's an easier way to do something he will think of it.

My Brady blued eyed boy.

Kissable cheeked Paige.

If The Shoe Fits...

I'm married to a lunatic. It's true. I even have proof (as if I need it). At this site you read that most people ride the 103 mile White Rim trail (Canyonlands, UT) in 3 to 4 days, with a support vehicle. If you ride it in 2 days you are a monster, 1 day a lunatic.

Darren and his biking buddy, Lance Armstrong (OK, not THE Lance Armstrong, but if we had to pick a Lance Armstrong of Twin Falls, this guy would be him) headed for Moab Wednesday morning, camped, and took off on the trail at 7:00 am Thursday morning. 9 hours later, they finished. Finished! Not without pain, not without a little bonking around mile 50, and certainly not without huge bragging rights! Darren said it was like riding LOTOJA (Logan to Jackson) then turning around a riding right back to Logan! If only this were the end of it - they then drove home to Idaho arriving at 1:30 a.m! If the biking shoe fits.....

A Day Off From School

The kids were out of school today. Justin went swimming with friends, so Brady and Darren were trying to decide whether to go duck hunting or mountain biking. When they drove away they had bikes and guns in the truck. I'm not sure how that goes together, regardless, they rode some singletrack, worked on clearing and bettering trail, and drove canals on the way home looking for ducks.

We are so lucky to have so much awesome stuff close to us. The South Hills have so much to offer - you just have to get out and explore! Adventure is only minutes away!

The Whites of their Eyes

I searched for my camera as three boys sat on the back deck spotlighting six sets of eyes out at the base of the cliffs. Justin had turned on his "dying rabbit" tape (it sounds disturbingly like a distraught newborn). The sound had brought in six coyotes. Oh the excitement! I made them swear not to tell Paige, as this is the exact spot where she bee bops up to her friend's house on a regular basis! Darren took off like a bat out of you-know-where-on the four wheeler in their direction on his way to retrieve Paige from the neighbor's. The boys hooped and hollered and gone were the eyes, but large have been the plans for tomorrow night!

The similarities between Halloween and politicians? Things aren't always what they appear to be... at least we can always hope.

Halloween

Justin was "Everyone" for Halloween. I have to add that he came up with the name tag idea Thursday night before we saw "The Office"! Brady was a recycled "duct tape man" from last year. Aren't we green!