Quite the Valentines Day - Not What I Expected!

We had quite the Valentines Day this year. It wasn't at all what we had expected. But we survived!
We woke up to a deep beautiful blanket of snow. I felt bad that Leif had to take Jakob out in it to get to school. But I was sure grateful I had not plans to go out.... So I thought.

I got a phone call around 10:30 in the morning. Luckily I had finished showering and getting myself and the kids somewhat ready for the day. Because the phone call was Jakob's school nurse. She said that Jakob had gotten dizzy during class and collapsed to the floor. Of course I was shocked and somewhat panicked. My first question to the nurse was whether Jakob had gotten hurt somehow. He has a low pain tolerance and it's not uncommon for him to get lightheaded and sick if he gets hurt. She said that wasn't the case this time. There was no explanation. At that point I remembered the bump/swollen lymph node on Jakob's neck that had come up on Sunday. With that thought I worried that we might be dealing with something bad. Either way I was trying desperately to get to Jakob and take him to the ER. But "quickly" wasn't on the agenda I guess.

First, my phone wouldn't work. It's had a mind of it's own lately and has a drastic delay sometimes when I push buttons. I was trying to get hold of a friend to watch JJ and Caleb for me. Instead, after what seemed like an eternity of trying, my phone decided to call my Dad. Unfortunately he got my frustration when he answered and I was cussing my phone and told him I had an emergency and would call him later. Finally, after I hung up with my dad my phone decided to listen to MY commands. I tried a friend and she was on her way out to go sledding. No worries, luckily I have more then one friend.:) I was able to got a hold another friend and she graciously agreed to take my boys even though she had a full house.

I was finally able to get the boys out the door only to realize that I had a long flight of stairs to carry my little boys down with several inches of snow piled high. And I didn't really wear the right shoes. Duh! But I wasn't about to go back and change. So I headed down with a prayer. The roads were slick and deep with snow. Of All Days! 


Gratefully we made it to the school and I ran in to get Jakob. I was going to call in the car and ask the nurse to carry him out for me so I didn't have to leave the boys in the car. Of course I forgot the paper with her phone number. So I ran in with another prayer that my Little ones would be safe. Poor Jakob looked weak and pale when I walked in to the nurses office. This was all so strange... Jakob was especially upset when I told him that we would be going to the hospital. It took me a minute to figure out why he was so upset. But I put two and two together that he was afraid he would miss his Valentines Party. Of Course! That's definitely our biggest concern, NOT! That's what I thought anyway. But I lovingly assured him that we would most likely make it back in time.

In between all of this Leif was working on rescheduling appointments so he could meet me at the hospital. I put Jakob in the car and headed toward my friend's house to drop the boys off. I was afraid I would get stuck while driving around her little neighborhood that's made with dirt roads. But luckily they had taken care of them. Again, an answered prayer.

FINALLY, we were on the road to the hospital to find out why in the world Jakob had a really swollen lymph node and had nearly fainted.  We live in a small town. So our ER is just an extension of our regular Doctor's clinic. So when we got there our Dr. came in to see what was wrong. After talking with Jakob and getting the full story: he was walking to his teacher's desk at her request and he started to feel dizzy. He told his teacher and she told him to go the garbage can. While on his way he started to feel weak and went to lay down but his legs gave out before he got to the floor. The doctor asked for a few blood tests. We knew this would be the hard part for Jakob. Leif helped Jakob play a game on his phone and the nurses did a great job getting what they needed and quick. Jakob handled it well. Even if we almost had to use the barf bag.

The test results came back quickly and were not what any of us expected. From his symptoms we suspected that he would have low blood sugar and high white blood cell (hypoglycemia and an infection.) He actually had high glucose (130) and low white blood cells overall. Strange!


So with no real clear answers and an appointment to recheck his blood in a week, we left the hospital. I was frustrated and felt like more needed to be done. But it was out of my hands at the moment. And besides, Jakob had a Valentines Party to get to;) So, I went to pick up the boys, went home and made corn dogs for everyone and took them back to the car for them to eat (I had left them in the car), and took Jakob back to school. This time I took the little boys into the school with me. As I walked in I remembered that we had a Speech Therapy appointment for Caleb scheduled for 1:00. It was 12:00. Seriously!? I was not coming back! Luckily the teacher just met with us then, bless her heart! At 1:00 we were finally on our way home for good. My dear friend agreed to pick up Jakob from school so I wouldn't have to go out again that day.

As we climbed the stairs to the front door we were all exhausted, my pants were soaked up to my knees, my shoes were sopping wet, and I was starving! I opened the front door and set JJ down to walk. He took a step and promptly tripped! I picked him up to find blood running out of his mouth. LOVELY! I couldn't believe it!  I couldn't see the cut but eventually the bleeding stopped. JJ's lip was starting to swell. But like I said, we were exhausted. So we all laid down for a nap. I was so glad JJ slept. However, he woke up really mad! He insisted on being held. Well, I set him on the couch so I could turn on a movie. He threw himself off of the couch, I reached to catch him, and smacked his mouth instead. Unbelievable! The blood came harder this time and JJ was not happy. I was at my whits end! Yes folks, Leif and I met once again for a Valentines date at the ER. They had the proper lighting and the bleeding had stopped. So it didn't take long to see that they couldn't do anything for him. But WOW! What a day!!

We got home in time to eat and get ready for bed. Sweet Grandma Baron dropped in just before bed to deliver her traditional Valentines cards. We were so worn out and somewhat traumatized by the surprise and stress of the days events her visit was a nice distraction.

Jakob went to bed with a low grade fever. He woke up feeling fine and his lymph node gradually decreased in size and is no longer noticeable. JJ healed quickly and is fine.

So this ends the very long version of an even longer Valentines Day. Thank you to everyone who helped us get through it!

Happy Valentines Day!

Leif and I get to run away together this weekend. I gave him Jazz tickets for this weekend's game for Christmas (yes I thought of Valentines day when I planned it.;) I can't wait! To make it even better, he bought me Anita Stansfield's new book Passage on the Titanic and has agreed to read it with/to me over the weekend. I so Love this man! The book is going to be a great read for sure!! It's about the titanic and includes the LDS woman who was on the titanic the day it sunk. Action - Love - and History! Can't get much better then that! Here's the YouTube trailor for the book:

Hubby Post- Amazing Jakob Quote

We've been meaning to write some fun quotes of our children.  We just forget to, then we forget what they are.  I'll write some as I remember them.

We asked Jakob how a surprise school bus ride was..."It was violent and they didn't have seat belts."  ... Parents standing with mouth wide open!

Moving Forward Behind the Scenes

I haven't written much lately about life behind the scenes. You've probably gathered that Leif and I kinda like each other from the last two posts;)  But other then that, I'll take a minute and ramble about life and it's vicissitudes.

LEIF
We're anxiously awaiting a letter from NAU letting us know our future (Nursing program this year or not.) We should know by mid March at the latest and next week at the earliest. Until then we're sitting on our tax return until we know whether it will go to a mini van or tuition.  Ahhh, the joys!

The Day Spa has been slow during the winter which is a major bummer! It makes us even more grateful that Leif is an EMT and is able to earn some money by helping those in need.

LENA
I've struggled for the last while with more fatigue then I've had in a long time. That's another reason I haven't written. I've basically kept things afloat and read. I finally went in to the doctor and overwhelmed him once again with all of my health frustrations. Along with taking a bunch of blood tests (as usual)  he gave me a medicine to help my energy level and food cravings. If you know me at all you know that I've tried the lifestyle of "All Natural" with no medications and I've tried medications when needed. Well, I'm convinced once again that some medications were invented just for me, and I am eternally grateful for them!  Last week I switched from Paxil to Lexapro and I think I like the difference. I take Ambien to help me sleep during the week that "aunt flow" visits (dang insomnia!) and now I take Phentermine once or twice a day depending on the need. Phentermine has brought me back to life and I only had a tiny square of a surprise Amberlyn chocolate bar tonight from Leif and I was content to leave the rest for another time (a MIRACLE!)  I pray that it continues to help me as time goes on!!

I know that most of you don't care at all what meds I take. But I never know who's reading my blog and if what's going on in my life just might be the answer to someone's prayers. So bear with me.

JAKOB
Jakob is doing really well at school! I'm so glad. He's progressed leaps and bounds with his reading and I am sooo pleased! There have been so many good reasons for putting him into school. I'm really glad we did. He has a few issues going on during recess with a few kids. But hopefully we can all work it out, or even better, he will work it out. I'm trying really hard to stand back and let him grow and take care of himself without interfering or ignoring too much. It's a delicate balance.

Jakob asked to bear his testimony during Fast and Testimony meeting this past week. He didn't want to say anything. He just wanted to read his favorite scripture. It was a Priceless moment. His favorite scripture fits him so well it's one of those "meant to be" things. The scripture is 1 Nephi 17:15 "Wherefore, I, Nephi did strive to keep the commandments of the Lord, and I did exhort my brethren to faithfulness and diligence."  Simple, but so like my Jakob.

CALEB
Oh my sweet precious Caleb! If you know Caleb at all right now you know that he loves to give hugs and he wears his emotions on his sleeve (just like his Mama.) It is a common thing to hear Caleb tell you that he loves you. It is also common to hear him say that he doesn't like JJ or his kitty. He will tell you if he's afraid. And you will know if he is Mad! We are working on helping him with his temper. He can clear a table with his arm before you know what's happening. Then he will run somewhere to be alone. We're trying to help him skip the destruction/aggression part and move right to the moment alone part. So fun... Not!

Caleb's doing really well with potty training. I am so so grateful that it has never been a fight, so grateful! Caleb has also progressed drastically with his speech! We are thrilled. It was determined that he does need speech therapy but he was only on the lower end of the average range. So that was comforting. We went through hours of testing with him. Luckily it was more like hours of games with him. So he handled it well. It was most beneficial for Leif and I because it helped us see all of his many strengths and how they outweigh his weaknesses. We're really grateful for the help that we were given with him.

When Jakob was three+ years old he insisted on being rocked before bed (by Mama.) Caleb suddenly started doing the same thing. I admit that it's a sweet moment together right before bed. Even if I am Exhausted! Tonight he wanted to sing the ABC's as I held him. So Sweet!

J.J. 
Ahh My JJ. He's growing up SO FAST! Faster then any of my other kids. Having two older brothers to keep up with will do that. Luckily for me this past month JJ's hit a snuggling stage. He'll often come to me when I'm reading, or at the computer, or anywhere really, and lay his head up against my knee and snuggle me. Of course then I will pick him up and give him loves. Who could resist!?

JJ Loves to sing!! He loves to sing with Leif. He has since he was very young. This Sunday we had people looking back at us during Sacrament meeting because JJ was babbling right along to the Hymns in full voice. It's amazing!

So far JJ says with understanding: Papa, bye-bye, please (peas), thank you (tank you), ba ba (drink), and MMM (food). He shakes his head no and yes and he is a GIANT tease, to a fault! If I say no, he will race to finish doing what he's not supposed to. If I say come, he will run away. He loves to tease his brothers as well. Lovely!  But oh his laugh is like music to my ears! And he loves to laugh!!

My precious family! All I need to do is write an update like this every once in a while to reflect and remember all that I have been blessed with. So very blessed!

Hubby Post - Role Reversals - To All You Mothers Out There

Hello Everyone!

Today Lena took Jakob to school while I stayed home with the 2 younger ones.  As she was leaving I joked saying "have a good day at the Spa (my work) I'll blog for you!"

First off, I KNOW Lena's day is much more than blogging.  I was just teasing.  But it did get me thinking...

This is for Lena and all the mothers like her.

This is for those...

• whose morning may begin several times between 10pm and 7am.
• who may be expected to clean up throw-up and worse several times a night.
• who when morning comes is expected to dress, cleanup, feed multiple others before even taking a chance to use the restroom or brush her own teeth.
• who after a long night, gather her multiple children around her and say goodbye to a husband for 8 or more hours.
• who days consist of "clean up, change diaper, feed, clean up, entertain, clean up, feed, clean up, comfort, pray for patience, clean up, entertain, change diaper, clean up, feed, clean up, pray for patience..."
• whose rare nap is broken up by "the child struggling to fall asleep, the child calling for snack, the phone ringing, the child who wakes up early, and the child that gets woke up early."
• who yearns for there husbands to get home from work, only to remember he has "scouts, elders quorum, fire meeting, or EMT meeting" that he has to go to almost immediately after getting home.
• who works hard to prepare healthy meals only to have children or even husbands want something else for dinner.
• who seems to do laundry all day and then your children can't find any cloths in the morning for school.
• whose most beautiful home decorations are stored indefinitely  for safety and whose most beautiful cloths are either from years bygone, or simply don't fit after that 3rd child.
• whose most relaxing time during the day is when they are listening to "diego, bob the builder,..." in the background.
• whose priority list is sometimes decided by their nose. (what stinks the worse...the diaper, the dirty dishes, dirty cloths, or garbage.)
• who have to think hard about the last time they have done some of their favorite hobbies.
• who look at a finished day and say..."well, I survived another one...too bad about the house though."
• who have to put on a nice compassionate smile as her hubby tells her about the hard day at work and he wants to lay down for a few minutes.
• who has a husband that occasionally surprises her with a date night, but includes a movie HE wants to see and food HE really enjoys.
• who has a husband that complains there is no money, but then goes and buys _____ ...
• who has a husband that is working hard to build a good income for the family so they will eventually have more time together, but is gone seemingly ALL the time now.
• who wait with great anticipation for quiet time with your husband after the kids go to bed only to find out their favorite team has a game that night.
• that have created the most beautiful children.
• who put up with husbands like us...

To Lena and all those wonderful Mothers and Wives.

Love you Honey!

True Enduring Love

I had never been loved by a man before Leif walked into my life and quite literally rescued me from a whirlwind of confusion and unmet love.

Looking back I am in awe at how Father in Heaven knows our life's plan so intricately. He was easing Leif into my life long before I even took notice. Helping me gain just enough trust and attraction to him to give me the courage to call him. Looking back I remember sitting next to him in Sacrament meeting and feeling so safe, so at home. That feeling only grew as we fell in love. Eventually it was a tangible warmth that filled my soul. Just to be with him. Leif was the life breath to my heart. So long my heart  had been still that I learned to live without it. When he walked into my life the wall around my very being crumbled allowing him entrance. As if it knew he was finally home and there was no need to protect. I will never be able to express the miracle his love worked upon my soul. As I write, the tears fall down my cheeks with a deep understanding of the gift he is to me.

When we were dating Leif loaned me a book. I don't remember the door that it unlocked within my heart but I remember sobbing as I read. Leif walked in while I was crying and he scooped me up into his strong and healing arms. I will never forget the feeling of peace that surrounded me during that moment. Warmth, love, healing, Christ like peace. I knew he was who Father had saved for me. He was the man I dared not dream about. One with perfect acceptance. To feel such peace was intoxicating for me. I had never in my entire life felt the healing that Leif brought. Just by being him. He still renews my soul when he enters the home. There is just something about him that completes me.

I am grateful that Leif has never felt so desolate as I have felt. I think my need for him has been somewhat baffling for him throughout the years.  As our life has progressed and the good the bad and the ugly have entered onto the stage, there are dark nights when I cry to him in frustration because I feel that he could go on with his life without me. He assures me in his faith-filled way that we shouldn't worry about the possible days ahead of separation. He tells me that he will miss me very much. But the struggle comes when I can't feel his words any more then he can feel the ache within my soul. There is something there. Something personal within us that is ours alone to work through. Love can only heal so much before it is Christ's love that is required to make up the rest.

Yesterday Leif came home from work with dinner, dessert, and flowers. Need I ask for any more proof of his love? Why then, do I? The night before last, Leif worked with the boys and unloaded the dishwasher and loaded it. And that was only one of the many many things he had done that day. Need I ask for any more proof of his love? Why then, do I?  This morning Leif made pancakes for us after he had taken Jakob to school. Need I ask for any more proof of his love? Why then, do I?  I am not left cold and alone within our cozy bedroom at night... Need I ask for any more proof of his love? Why then, do I? 


Why do I expect Leif to read my mind? Why do I compare our life to that of a fictional novel? Why am I  tempted to always want more. Why?

The answer is simple. Someone hates this gift that we have been given. Someone wants to destroy this eternal love that I have been given. The Adversary hates our love! It is I who needs to take on this fight. And fight I will!  True enduring love is ever changing.  Sometimes it is a tangible warmth within the soul. Sometimes it is a giving of your all for the other. Sometimes it is a belief that it will get better and a fight to win it back. Just as the seasons change with the warmth of the sun and the chill of the winds so it is with a true enduring love. Always look for the sun within the season. For it is the Son who endureth in all things.

Jakob's Special Trip With Mama and Papa: Aviation Nation Air Show

We try to take the boys on a little trip alone with us every few months or so. In November 2011 we surprised Jakob with a trip to his first Air Show and WOW was it Great!  We used the money from our family Disney Land jar to make the trip. That made it extra special because Jakob helped earn the money by gathering and selling the eggs.

Jakob knew we were going somewhere together for a day but we wouldn't tell him where we were going. We left really early in the morning and drove to Las Vegas (Nellis Air Force Base.) We listened to music and ate treats along the way. Jakob REALLY wanted to know where we were going. But I'm glad we kept it a secret. Because when he saw the Air Force uniforms he went crazy with excitement and knew just what was happening. It was The Best!

We spent the whole day going through the booths and watching the show. It was the first Air Show any of us had been to and it was AWESOME! The Thunderbirds were AmAzInG!  We loved it!! We look forward to going again some day!

Who Am I?

I decided to update my profile description. This is what I've had written for the last year or so.

I am a husband loving, children focusing, time scheduling, 1000 square foot living, home schooling, ever praying, too much chocolate eating, friend listening, exercise trying, wellness seeking, wife of one full time working - ever schooling, mother of three who are very much living and two who are heaven living.
I most often answer to, Mama!

Now That Jakob's in School

Jakob's been going to the big school for a couple of weeks now... or is it three weeks? Either way, he isn't home all day long. You know what the very best part is? Jakob and I only have about 4 hours in the day where we might end up arguing. That might sound strange. But WOW, he and I can really push each other's buttons. Now there are even days where there is very little contention to speak of. Seriously, So Nice!!

You know what the next best thing about not home schooling full time is? My precious JJ has started to hug and snuggle me more. It's like we finally have a chance to get to know each other without interruption. Precious Times!

And you know what else? My sweet Caleb is officially potty trained. It happened in one day. It was like he recognized that it was his turn to grow up. His turn to shine. Amazing!

And finally, one more thing I love, I get to take naps again! So Wonderful!!

Do I Regret Home Schooling?
I've made it sound like I regret the last three months and past years of home schooling. But I Don't! I just appreciate the moment I'm in right now. Jakob's teacher commented to me the other day that she can see a unique difference between Jakob and his classmates. I won't try to pinpoint what it is. But it's good. He just has a different perspective on life and the world around him because we've been able to focus on things differently then they do at school. A;so, I would never have the respect and appreciation for his teachers that I have now if I hadn't home schooled. It is incredibly hard work and I can't thank Jakob's teacher enough for her dedication and love. I feel very blessed!

First Grade Home School Martin Luther King Jr. Lesson Ideas

Jakob (7) is a sponge when it comes to history. He LOVES it! His preferred way of learning history is through media. With that said, this is what we did this morning to celebrate the amazing Martin Luther King Jr.

I began our day by reading from the scriptures Matthew 22:39 "Love thy neighbor as thyself." We talked about the fact that Heavenly Father has commanded us to treat all of His children with love and respect and that He considers all if His children to be our "neighbor."

From there I asked Jakob to name a few people in our country's history who was heroic enough to have a holiday named after them. I started the list with George Washington. He then named Columbus. I then introduced the name of Martin Luther King Jr. I pulled up google images and googled Martin Luther King Jr. of course it pulled up several photos. I asked Jakob to tell me what made MLK's face different from mine. He told me that he was African American. I was impressed that he knew that. He followed up his statement with asking "what makes him African and American?"

Because Jakob loves history and war history in particular, to answer his question we went back in time a while and talked about slavery, the civil war, and president Lincoln. We have a world time line on our wall so I was able to talk to him and have a visual to show how even though slavery was stopped, the hate lasted for generations all the way into Jakob's grandparent's generation.

This led us to talk about what life was like for African American's (and all people of color) in the 1950's -60's. This is where we brought in the media:

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. MEDIA: 
National Geographic.com shows a short informative video about Martin Luther King Jr. and life for the African American people during his lifetime. Click HERE for the video.

Biography.com also shows a good video about MLK: HERE

Jakob picked up on the fact that MLK was assassinated. He really wanted to know about that. So I pulled up YouTube. We watched CBS' Walter Cronkite's report of MLK's assassination.

From there I introduced Jakob to Martin Luther King's famous speech "I Have a Dream." We watched the whole speech. It was actually too long for Jakob and the most famous part was toward the end of the speech. So I would recommend the shortened version for younger children.

The final activity in our day was to memorize a line from MLK's speech. We memorized the following:
"I have a dream that one day my four little children will live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."  Jakob will recite it to his Big School class on Tuesday.


To help inspire Jakob and recognize that he is old enough to take this message to heart and even memorize it, we watched this clip of a school class reciting the speech on the steps of the Washington Memorial.

Overall, I would say this was a day to remember and ponder for days to come. I think Jakob plans to ask his grandparents what they remember about the days of Martin Luther King Jr's mission of freedom and peace. I would be interested to hear their thoughts as well.

ART PROJECT:
We didn't get to this art project. But I liked the idea: Friendship Ring.

A Lovely Birthday!

I had such a wonderful birthday this weekend! My birthday (33rd) was Saturday but Leif and I ran away Friday afternoon for a fabulous evening together, no little ones! Thank you grandma and grandpa for watching our wild little bunch! We went to the Breaking Dawn movie, then to dinner, and then to the Sherlock Holmes movie. It was late by the time we drove all the way home. But it was so nice to be together without anything to do but be together.

Saturday was great because we were able to take care of a few bigger house projects (like take the Christmas tree down.) Then we were able to visit with a dear friend in the afternoon. That evening Leif came home after work with his arms loaded with the fixings for French Bread Pizza and Salad, Ultimate fudge brownies, and Peanut Butter Panic ice cream. HEAVENLY! After we put the kids to bed we enjoyed a special evening reading together. Leif surprised me earlier in the week by following through with an idea I gave him a long time ago of how we could explore each other's interests even more. I suggested that we each choose a book that we really enjoy that we think our spouse could tolerate and exchange these books with each other. Leif made me feel extra loved by following through with this idea first without any prodding on my end. I gave him Towers of Brierly by Anita Stansfield. Bless his heart, it's a Romantic LDS Fiction. I tried to find one with enough suspense and mystery to keep him from getting too bored. We sat together and read our books late into the night. So late in fact that we pulled out the cold pizza and had another round of dinner. I felt like we were in hotel together just us. It was that fun!;)

We did wake up in the morning though, and we were not in a hotel! We still had our precious boys to take care of and get off to church. But oh how nice it was to have so much special time with Leif. It was truly a Lovely birthday! Thank you my Love and thank you everyone else who called, wrote, or texted to wish me a happy birthday. It was Wonderful!!

A Great Big Hug! - Caleb's Potty Trained

Two mornings ago I was changing Caleb's diaper first thing in the morning and I had the thought come to me to send him in to go potty on the toilet. So I did.

Well, he went right in and used the potty. I decided because of his enthusiasm I would pull out his new Thomas the Tank Engine undies. He was thrilled to put them on and he's used the potty ever since. AMAZING!!!! He even took his diaper off this morning all by himself and pooped in his potty seat we have in his bedroom for that exact purpose.

WOW!! I feel so blessed not to have this big step as a battle! Truly Blessed!

Things that may have helped make things easier:

• We purchased a potty seat that has steps and handles that sits over the big toilet seat. The potty seat has a big enough hole so he doesn't feel like he's going to go on the seat. I really like that! Great help!
• We purchased a cool potty chair to go in his bedroom so he could use it and not have to run to the bathroom a million times during nap and bedtime. VERY Helpful!! 
• I gave Caleb a cup of juice to keep in the bathroom and he took a drink of juice every time he went to sit on the potty the first day of training. This helped him need to go several times that day so he could get the logic down. I also slipped in a couple of chewy fiber bites as a potty treat once to help that process along too.
• I gave him a Jelly Belly for a Pee Pee treat, Raisins for a Great Try treat, and a square of Chocolate for a Poo Poo treat. Good motivators for the first day.

Caleb is Three years and nine months. I don't recommend fighting kids about potty training. Especially boys. 

From Foto Friday January