Day 257

AND...Sunday is done!  What a fun weekend this has been.  I know that this coming week is going to be a difficult one, but I feel like I absorbed all the fun and happy moments I could to gear up for the coming storms of the week.  First off, I am going this week in a sling.  The next four weeks I am going to BABY my arm like there is no tomorrow!

We started off our morning by waking up a bit late.  It was fine though because it was Fast Sunday, so we skipped two meals of the day....more like I fasted for almost 24 hours today, but that was OK too.  So we packed the kid's breakfast in the diaper bag and got ready at an amazing pace this morning.

We had a wonderfully spiritual first meeting.  For the second meeting, I was so excited to get to go to Sunday School...well...it only lasted about 5 minutes because the Primary leader came to get me and told me that there was no teacher for my kiddos.  My team teacher moved and this is how I found out about it lol.  The lesson was on healing the sick and how Jesus was able to do that and still is today through Priesthood power.  Pretty sure SOMEBODY up there wanted me to teach the kiddos that lesson as well as give me a reminder that I need to keep faithful in all that I do, and hopefully this time, my arm will heal.

After church we came home and did the usual lunch and naps.  We got some cupcakes for my mom for her birthday and met them at Outback Steakhouse for dinner.  It was a nice time (other than Connor being his usual 2 year old self....someday it WILL get easier!) We then headed back to my parent's house for cupcakes and toy time.  It is really nice to sit and chat with my mom about our week, other family members, and life.  I really enjoy those moments of catching up on Sundays.

We got home, put the kids to bed, and I got to watch Once Upon a Time.  That is all for tonight.  Hopefully someone reading this needs a bit of a cheering up and can see that even through the darkest of times, if you keep moving forward, keep looking for the happy moments, they will come.  I am so thankful for my happy moments today.  I am happy that I got to teach the 4 year olds and WHILE I was teaching them, I taught myself a lesson as well.  Have a good night all!

Day 256

Good evening all!  Hope everyone had a good Saturday and great Cinco de Mayo.  It was a good day today!  Lots of fun times to keep me distracted and my crazy kids kept me busy as ever!

We started out our morning by doing a Strawberry Picking tour at a local farm.  They take you around the farm on a tractor pulled wagon.  The boys had THE best time riding around.  We stopped at various sites and had some of the veggies they grow on the farm.  Joel loved the carrots and spinach, and Connor liked the green onion and celery.  David had a good time coming along with us, and when we were done, we had three baskets full of strawberries picked!  We also had full tummies of strawberries!

After the farm tour, we headed to a Mexican restaurant for lunch...it was only AFTER lunch that we figured out it was Cinco de Mayo!  Too funny!  We had a great lunch and headed home for naps.  Connor took a really long nap today!

I took a nap, read a book, and did some laundry.  Over all it was a pretty productive Saturday! 

One more happy/funny moment of the day.  When Joel takes a bath, he currently loves to wear swim goggles.  He loves to "take dives" and holds his breath and looks under the water while we throw something in the water (a bath toy) for him to see.  He then pops his head up, gives us a thumbs up, and tells us he saw the item.  Too cute!  I love children's imaginations!

Well, I hope everyone is having a good weekend.  They are never long enough, but I think I got what I needed to done today, so that is a thumbs up right there!  Have a good night!

Day 255

Happy Friday all!

Lots of happy moments today!  Lots of tears too, but, the point IS to find the joy and make the happy moments count so I have something to blog about!

MOPS morning this morning.  It is the last one until the Fall time, but there are lots of MOPS mom activities going on this summer to keep me busy.  I SO SO enjoy hanging out with those ladies and I am so grateful for their love and text messages that have kept me going.

After MOPS it was time to visit with my doctor and get the X-ray.  Well....the news was not good, but it wasn't horrific either, and that is the happy part I am going to hang on to.  There is a chance the bone can still heal.  PART of the bone graft is gone, but there is a CHANCE that this bone can still heal...so it wasn't ALL bad news.

After the doctor I raced home to get Joel from school and then it was nap time for Connor.  I decided after my crazy morning, it would be best for me to take a nap as well.

After nap time, we went out to the grocery store to buy some items for our Friday night dinner with friends.  As I was getting back out to the car and trying to figure out how to get Connor out of the cart and the drinks into the trunk, one of the caregivers from the MOPPET program just happened to be walking by and asked if I needed help....GOD bless the angels of this world!  She helped me get everything in the car and we had a lovely chat.  There are beautiful people everywhere.

We had an AMAZING time with our friends at the park eating pizza, playing, eating cookies, salad, chips, and more playing and laughing.  I FINALLY got to hold my neighbor's baby...she was on my lap in my good arm...OH how sweet she is!  It was so great to see the boys having the BEST time with our other neighbor's little boy.  We are hoping that they can ALL go on the Father/Son campout in the next week.

Happy moments throughout this day made today worth moving through.  I am not going to lie and say it was a great day.  There were a lot of tears and reflecting today.  I pray with all of my heart that I figure out what I need to do to get this arm healed.  I pray that I find the people to help me get whatever that is done.  I can't do this on my own.  I pray for strength and continued days of finding the joy.  I can't stop finding the happy moments.  I NEED to find the joy, think of others, and pray for help through it all.  Hopefully the next 4 weeks until my next X-ray will bring all of that and the next X-ray will show progress!

Day 254

Well, got the kids to bed at 8 tonight and then at 9:40 I hear a little "MOMMY where AAAAARE YOU?!" lol little stinker was out of bed, in his rocking chair, with a book again!  He had THE saddest face as I told him he had to get back in bed.  We are talking full blown lower lip pout!  Hopefully this means he will sleep in in the morning...my crazy 2 yr old!

It was REALLY heavy misty again today.  We couldn't go out and play, and poor Joel woke up SO excited to be the team captain for recess Soccer today.  He didn't get to do that because the school was on "rainy day schedule"  even though it hasn't been raining, it is really really heavy mist!  It makes everything soaking wet, but when the sun did come out today for about an hour, it all dried up pretty quickly.

I went visiting teaching this morning to a new lady in our congregation.  We had a great time chatting and she was so nice to have her daughter play with Connor in their play room.

Connor and I grabbed our Thursday waffle with strawberries.  I eat the berries and he eats most of the waffles...it works out well!

Tonight I was feeling MISERABLE.  Mostly due to the weather, but also due to other physical ailments.  Cooking was NOT in the cards.  I had David pick up some Italian food on the way home.  It was a nice meal and then I headed back up to bed with a heating pad and PJs. 

The boys were SO crazy today.  I am really happy that I kept my cool the entire time.  I took them to Panera Bread for lunch today, and even when Connor was being unkind to Joel, not eating, splashing yogurt all over the table...I kept my cool, wiped everything up, and calmly walked us out the door.  I told David I felt like a Saint, but I am so tired of feeling like the psycho crazy lady who yells at her kids.  We came home after lunch and everyone took nice naps.  If Connor had let me, he would have kept sleeping all the way past dinner...hence the reason he was probably awake at 9:40 tonight.

Looking forward to my last MOPS meeting and my doctor appointment tomorrow!  Lots of happy moments to be had from sun up till sun down tomorrow!  Have a great night and catch the next blog tomorrow!

Day 253

So sleepy today!  Hoping there is some sunshine around the corner for us...it has been grey outside for DAYS now!  I heard the boys got to play at the park because the heavy mist cleared up, so that is a plus!

Went to work this morning.  Two out of my three kiddos did a great job.  One two year old cried for 15 minutes straight with his little fist shoved down his mouth...poor kid has some major molars coming in!  I finally took him out to mom.  Bless his little heart!

After work I got some lunch and went to the mall.  I got a really cute Fresh Picked soap and other things from Bath and Body Works and put together a present for Joel's teacher for Teacher Appreciation Day.  I found an adorable print out that says I couldn't have PICKED a better Teacher! and put it on the wrapped soaps.  SO cute!

After I came home, I book us a trip over to Catalina Island for Joel's birthday.  We got tickets to go over there off of Groupon and we are so excited to get to spend the day as a family!  I am really looking forward to having a day of fun and hopefully SUN while we are over there!

I also booked our reservation for Mother's Day dinner.  I was a busy booking agent today!  I am happy that it all got done and I felt very productive!

We did dinner out tonight.  My poor body is not able to get up and cook right now.  If it gets a bit warmer, I think I can manage to make a little something, so I am holding on to the hope that warmer days are coming so my flare calms down :-)

We did bath, story, and bed tonight.  Connor fell asleep and didn't get out of bed!  They are both so precious when they are asleep.  I also got to snuggle down in bed and watch some Wednesday TV after the kids were asleep.  So nice!  And now I am off to bed to begin my Thursday day.  The week is going by quickly, but I am excited that May is here once more.  Last year, May was the month that began our year of terror.  I am hoping the tides have changed for my little family and this is the May that brings our year of joy and service!  Have a good night all!

Day 252

Tuesday is done!  I bring you happy moments via bullets tonight.  I am SO sleepy and my fingers have been flaring like crazy all day lol.  I have sausages for fingers right now!  Happy moment in the future...80 degree DRY weather!  Maybe I could hop on a plane to Arizona for a weekend for a DE-flare time :-)

• I had a good morning with Connor. Disciplining him is always interesting, but I have started to go the route of mostly ignoring and speaking in soft tones to him when I WANT him to do something.  Threatening, yelling, spanking, and other typical desperate Mom methods have not worked AT ALL.  Well, his speech therapist said he was an angel today, and he was a really good boy while I did paperwork at my Dad's work today....so the soft spoken and ignoring methods are either working, or he was having an OFF day today LOL

• Working at my Dad's work is always fun.  I get to sit and chat with my mom and her best friend for HOURS at a time while we go over paperwork for the government.  Mostly we ask questions about how the paperwork is being done, try to keep Connor entertained, and talk about our families.  My dad went and picked up Joel today and that made both of them so happy!  
•  I was really tired (one more lovely symptom of my RA) but I was able to throw a pizza in the oven and serve up some carrots for dinner.  I am so glad we didn't go out!  We sat at the table and Joel is getting what this family dinner time is all about!  He asked ME tonight, "So how was your day today Mommy?"  and, "What was your favorite part of the day?"  It was so cute!
• I got to watch a few shows tonight, after the kids were in bed.  I came upstairs and found Connor, in his rocking chair, reading a book!  It is 9:15!  I put the little stinker back in bed.  That would explain WHY he didn't wake up until 8:30 this morning!  I am not complaining TOO much...he went right back to bed and hopefully will sleep in in the morning again for me.
• I am thankful for all of the moments that put a smile on my face today.  There were many and I am so thankful for my little children and the fun they bring into my life.  Being a mom of two little ones is SO tiring sometimes, but it is also a lot of fun.  I am also grateful for my sweet cats who love me so much.  They follow me wherever I go and whether I am on the couch, or my bed, they are always snuggling with me while I am resting.  I am surrounded with family love and I am thankful for that :-)

Day 251

We have been having some pretty gloomy days here lately!  What happened to Spring?!  Busy morning rushing everyone around, but I got to be at home, for a couple of hours ALONE today!  I ate lunch by myself, watched TV with the volume at a reasonable level, and had a nice time doing some chores UN-interrupted....I love my children but sometimes it can be very nice to have some time away :-)

With everyone back home after school and playgroup, we got ready for Daddy to come home and made some dinner.  We had a nice family dinner and did a Family Home Evening on "potty language"  I LOVE that we can use our tablet for FHE lessons that include a song, lesson, and even sometimes we do the recipe for the treat idea they provide.  It is the easiest thing in the WORLD to do a 15 minute, or longer if the kids are really listening, FHE lesson, and I think they are getting some great messages!

It was nice to get the kids to bed before 8PM again tonight!  I got the chance to take a really hot Lavendar and Epsom Salt bath.  It is pretty much the only method for me flaring right now.  Hopefully there are warmer, sunnier, days ahead this week.  I can't keep the flares from happening if I can't take anti-inflammatory drugs, and warmer weather sure makes a big difference in how yucky I feel!

Hope everyone had a great Monday!  Here is to a week filled with happy moments!