Catching up to do!

Geeze, I don't even remember when my last post was! Things are good here though, my in-laws are still living with us, but they did manage to sell their home in tennessee, which is good for them. But, we have convinced them to stay with us through the winter at least so they can save money for a down payment (and they think we are really going to let them move out of here!) Jason, Mike's brother, and his family have finally settled in about a mile away!!! We are so lucky! they had the cutest baby girl ever. You can see her on their new website, http://www.hynessite.com/ I have been tainted by looking for homes with them, so the majority of my time has been taken up in reorganizing, redecorating, and refurnishing my home in hopes of it feeling like a new home without actaully having to BUY a new one! It is a lot funner than it sounds, I promise you! Here are some pics to satisfy your cute-kid-cravings! Lucy had her fifth bday last month, and thus, her first party! Call me crazy and you might be right...we invited 20 kids, and only 1 parent stayed! But, it was fun. It was fairy tale themed so the kids could dress up, and I face painted, and we slew the dragon, it was lots of fun. We have also had our first snow...the earliest on record! Fun times, enjoy!

September fun

Here are some pictures from our last few weeks. Mikey's brother, Jason, and his wife Kristine, and their boy Rowan just moved here from Seattle!! Hooray! Their house has sold and they are looking for places in Meridian now! We are so excited. There are some pictures on here from our fun on Rowan's little dirt bike! What fun! Lucy had her first day of pre-school this year, and boy was she excited! Elliott got into some stamps, and he had lots of fun there! Overall, a good few weeks, Elliott is pooped from all the fun! The next few weeks should be great becuse Mikey had a two week vacation!! Hooray! Hopefully Jason's family will move in and we will all have fun times ahead!

here we are having our summer fun! We are playing at a water park, going to the state fair, eating ice cream, and fishing!!! (Note--because of the unholy hour of fishing initialization, I do not participate in said summer activity) As you can see, Lucy is a champion hula-hooper; her record is 120ish...Elliott loves squirting his sister with water, or doing anything with water really, and we all love a rollercoaster ride! Yay summer fun!

Summertime fun

We have had a lot going on lately! These are some pics from when Juliet was here, our trip to pocatello to visit the Ruth's family and her baby, and Charice and her family, and our midnight vampire prom party and the bookstore! The fabulous, glamorous girls you see are the three of us waiting in line to get the new vampire book! The picture of me and the vampire on the couch is the scariest of all becuase . . . are you ready for this . . . that is Heather's little girl, JOY!! She is so old now! I loved it! There are also pictures from our National Night out party for our neighborhood. I somehow got designated as the resident face-painter, and then there was a raffle, jump house, and then the firetruck showed up and they let the children hold the hose, play in the water, and sit in the driver's seat! That was by far the best neighborhood party I have ever been to! Mikey bought me a new camera, so there are lots of pictures for you to enjoy!

Sumer Fun

Our camera broke on the fourth of July, Elliott dropped it from an incredible height! But, luckily, Mikey's brother Jason, and his son Rowan came last weekend, and they got a new SUPER-CAMERA!!, so he shared some of his pictures with us to share with you! Things are good, I am feeling healthy as can be thanks to physical therapy!! YAY!! If they asked me to I would stand on the street in a bone and joint costume cheering for physical therapy...I love it!! The kids are growing in size and catastrophe! They play together better than ever, and fight together worse than ever! Oh well, what can you do! I am also including a picture of Ruth's little baby Karver. This is Lucy's grumpy face, and her smile....we see both many times a day! This is elliott with his cousin Rowan, Elliott wouldn't leave his side! Fun times.

spring time fun

The semester at the little gym is over. Lucy had a karate recital and Elliott finished up his mommy and me class. Here are some pictures from those.






Oh yeah, Mikey got his motorcycle finally! He can't drive it yet because he hasn't taken the class, and his gear (helmet, pants, boots, etc.) haven't come in yet. But, that doesn't stop him from starting it up in the garage about 12 times a day! We love it, and the kids think it is the coolest too, as you can see from the pictures.

Diagnosis: Go greener!

Ok, I have been struggling for a diagnosis for my autoimmune disease for the last two years, and this last visit to the rheumatologist gave me my first glimpse of one! It isn't conclusive, but he suspects that I may have rheumatoid arthritis. That is enough for me, I am kicking into action! I have begun eliminating all the chemicals I can from my home: shampoos, makeups, foods, cleaners, etc. This isn't just about the environment any more, it is about my health, and the health of my children. I have been reading up on autoimmune diseases, and they are becoming a silent epidemic. 9 million people in america have cancer, 22.5 million are slowly dying while living painful lives and suffering from autoimmune diseases. It is the hidden triggers: chemicals in our water, food, clothing, homes, air...it is just crazy. Ok, the preaching is over, but it is all I can think about now. Every day, I look for new ways to eliminate chemicals and keep myself from having incapacitating "flare-ups". Think about how many people you know with type 1 diabetes, arthritis, lupus, vidilygo, crohn's disease..all authoimmune...all triggered by pollutants forcing our bodies' immune systems to go haywire. Scary. Anyway, SAVE YOURSELVES WHILE YOU CAN! Or, just try to save me, live greener...it's a wonderful challenge, and a great feeling to know you are taking control of your health, and the health of those you love!
PS, this picture is a result of heavy-duty medication prescribed for my disease--actually a chemotherapy drug! I'm not on it anymore, trying and anti-inflammation diet now! Anyway, I was always sleepy, and Lucy took the opportunity to take my picture! What a doll.