Temple Progress

They have been working so fast on the Cedar City temple!  It's looking so great.  I know once the outside is done we won't see the progress quite as fast.   

Wrap up

The summer is ending. The kids start school in two days.  We have been traveling all over the place and having a fun and exciting summer.  But the younger kids are starting to fight (all the time) and it's hard to keep kids occupied without electronic devices.  A couple of weeks ago I was not ready for school start.  Over the last couple of weeks though as the fighting got worse and the house got messier I quickly became ready. 

The sewing classes this summer were a huge hit and a lot of fun. I learned that some kids are naturally better at sewing than others- just like anything.  I guess the ones who seem to be good at it are the ones who actually take their time and try to do it right instead of just trying to get the project finished.  The kids who rush through and don't take the time end up with projects that look bad.  I'm really glad I decided to do the classes this summer. It also gave me the opportunity/motivation to sew more with my kids.  I actually got all my kids to sew SOMETHING this summer.  Ian and Adele love sewing.  Emilia and Elise don't love sewing but they did make something for their girl's camp secret sisters.  We also got to have Erica come to our house for a couple of days and we sewed with her too.  When I look back and remember this summer I will remember this as the sewing summer.

 

Trying to get the darn thing threaded.

  

And last of all, here I am doing my last (hopefully!) sewing project of the summer:  Sewing the SUU nursing patch onto my uniform.  I have been working all summer getting all my immunizations, documentation and school stuff in order.  Not to mention getting my bacterial issues under control.  Now that I seem to be free from my resistant bacteria (and after this darn cold I have) clears up I will be ready to begin the crazy new adventure that is starting in a week.  (GULP.)  I'd be lying if I didn't say that I'm a bit nervous for it all to start.  It's not so much that I'm worried about the actual school thing, I'm just worried about how I will be able to juggle it all.  My kids are in more activities this fall than last fall and I will have more credits.  I'm just trying to take it one semester at a time.  

Swimmin and Divin

These kids love swimming and they both have gotten pretty good at diving this summer.

Kartchner Caverns

So Kent and  his friend Kent (Evensen) decided to ditch their conference classes one day and go on a field trip.  We went to the Kartchner Caverns, a huge cave that was discovered in the 70's.  These cave people were SERIOUS about making sure that the cave formations didn't ever get damaged and were preserved perfectly. They were so uptight that we even had to walk through a huge, humid tunnel so we could absorb moisture from the tunnel and not absorb the moisture from inside the cave.  They FREAKED out if you so much as set a toe off the paved trail (literally, they said that they spray the walkway every night with water to clean off the dirt and anything off the path doesn't get cleaned and could damage the cave.)   They also did not allow cameras in the cave. It was pretty crazy.  But the cave was cool.

Kent Evensen

They would never let people get this close to real cave formations so they had some fake ones in the lobby you could take pictures with.

Tucson Trip - SUG

It was Kent's turn to go to the Sunquest User Group (SUG) conference this year so he decided to take me with him again.  This time the conference was in Tucson. We got to stay at a 5 star Marriott resort.  When we checked in all the rooms with a King sized bed were taken-- so the desk agent did some checking on things and ended up putting us in a special room.  It is part of a 2 room suite where the first room is a regular room and it adjoins with the suite part (which we had).  The room was literally the size of 3 rooms.  The only drawback was that it had a Murphy bed which had to be pulled down from the wall every night.  It was worth it though to have such a HUGE room!  We also had our own private balcony.

Our own private balcony (which we didn't use much since it was over 100 degrees every day)

Our huge room.  This doesn't show the kitchen, the office/desk area and bathroom.

The view from our private balcony.  Nice.

Some interesting desert plants and wildlife.  Note the enormous bug in the top left photo.  We were out walking one night and a huge bug like that flew right into my forehead and then landed on Kent.

More Yellowstone

One thing I have to note about Yellowstone was that even though everything looked really cool, it SMELLED!  Rotten eggs.  Adele actually said she like the smell.  I think she's the only one who enjoyed it.  The rest of us kind of just tolerated it because the pools and geysers were really cool.

Yellowstone with Gma and Gpa

Last summer we tried to go to Yellowstone but it was too early in the year and when we went up to Idaho for the trip it was snowing in Yellowstone. This time we planned to go in July because we figured we had a better chance of warm weather.  The unfortunate thing about going in July was that there were a bunch of tour busses full of tourists, and there were tons of people everywhere.  That seems to be the trend with just about all the national parks.  Which is unfortunate.  We were pretty lucky to be able to go on this trip with Gma and Gpa.  They are experienced with the park, and Grandpa is starting to slow down.  In a couple years he might not have the stamina for a trip like this.  Even the longer walks were a bit too much for him, so he spent some of the time resting in the car.

Floatin Down the River

 

Sewing Class!

I mentioned a few months ago that I was setting up a sewing camp for the summer.  I have already had a couple of sessions of class and it has been so much fun!  It has also been really great because it has helped me to teach my own kids to sew, and they LOVE it!  We have made so much stuff!  I have a mini-session next week and then I am going to take a break for some vacationing.  After that I have one last session and it is PACKED!  It's going to be a lot of fun. (And maybe a little crazy.)

My little sweatshop!

These girls are dangerous!

Empathy Training

So, after I posted my "True Story" post I thought (and hoped) that the story would end and I could say "happily ever after" etc.  Unfortunately I got another UTI and they identified the bacteria this time:  Klebsiella Pneumonae.   So apparently this is a bacteria that isn't super common to get, and usually it's found in older individuals who have been in the hospital.  They get pneumonia from it and die.  It's pretty antibiotic resistant, and hard to kill (thanks to its capsule, aka slime layer.  I actually know that this means now.)  They tested the one I had and the tests indicated that it should die if I took Augmentin.  So I took it.  And it didn't die.  My dr. had told me that if it didn't die I would probably have to have IV antibiotics and a PICC line (which I spent too many hours fretting about). I have decided that even though I am not in school right now, I am getting some important education for nursing school.  It's called "empathy training".  I hope the semester will end soon.  Aaaanyway, my dr. thought something could be going on with my renal system, since this bacteria shouldn't have even really been there in the first place.   And I keep having RBCs in my urine.  So I had to get an x-ray that was supposed to show whether I have kidney stones.  No stones.  Next, I was referred to a urologist (because, who can complete a course in empathy training without a visit or two to the urologist?  I mean, I've already experienced the OBGYN..)  The Uro ordered a ct scan, which was supposed to look for cysts or obstructions.  Scan came back, no cysts (although I do have some strange scarring in my left lung.  Who knew?) The next thing could be the final exam of the empathy training:  The cystoscope.  I'm not even gonna talk about that.  Suffice it to say that they are going to look inside my bladder to see if there is something that is causing me to have hematuria (blood in the urine).  Of course, I am no longer fretting about the PICC line (the Uro said that we have a couple more oral antibiotics we can still try). Now I am just fretting about what they might find in my bladder.  Trying not to worry about the "C" word.  It's probably not that.  I just hope they can find it and get it taken care of. I'm so over it.  It's all about the empathy people.

Days for Girls

Holy cow we have been doing SO much sewing! All through the months of April, May and June I have been helping a lady in my ward with a project called Days for Girls.  It's an organization that provides re-usable menstrual supplies to girls in developing countries.  It helps them to be able to stay in school and get educated.  My friend made a goal of providing 1000 kits and planned to take them with her on her humanitarian trip to Bolivia.  It's a really great organization and I have had a good time helping with it.  I feel like it's service that I can do, and can hopefully make a difference in the lives of these girls!

We have a BIRTHday! 14 big ones.

Look who is 14.  

She's SO old!  These kiddos grow up so fast!  Elise is smart, beautiful, zany, witty and has a very caring heart.  We love her so much.

I'm pretty sure these kids are crazy.  Erica and Ashlyn Davis came over to eat pie with us.

So Much Singing!

While I have been sewing a lot, Kent has been SINGING!  He is involved in two different music groups:  Red Rock Singers, which is a community choir and Half Step, which is a a capella group that some guys (and one brave woman) created.  They have done several concerts, sang at the Iron County fair last year and have a "Christmas in July" concert coming up next month. 

Taylor Creek

One of our favorite places to hike is Taylor Creek in Kolob Canyon.  There are several forks of the creek. The trail we went on this time was the double arch alcove trail. 

Catching tadpoles

We made it!

Look at that cool alcove!

Gnomeo

Look what I got for Mother's Day!  I have been wanting a garden gnome for a long time.  Meet Gnomeo. I love him.

Digging in the garden

True Story

True story:

Once upon a time there was a girl- well, she wasn't really a girl- more like a youngish middle-aged woman-girl. As her 40th birthday approached there was a council deep inside her yards and yards of dark and anaerobic intestinal catacombs. The bacterial colonies each wanted to present a gift to the woman-girl.

"What should we give our host for her birthday?" they contemplated. "We each want to give her gift, something that she will remember forever, something that she will recognize as the proverbial descent to the other side of the hill."

They appointed Helicobactor Pylori to be the first to offer its gift, but instead of the gift of beauty- an ulcer:

One gift, ulceration rare

Burning nasuea, sure to scare

Inflammation that shames the red red rose

She'll stoop in pain and discomfort

Wherever she goes

Next Escherichia Coli stepped forward to offer its gift, but instead of song - a UTI:

One gift of inflammed bladder

Sure to bring discomfort to her

Intestinal bacteria in the wrong location

Bringing forth this fateful abberation.

And last of all (we hope) Clostridium Difficle- waited patiently for it's opportunity - until both the good and bad members of the Society of Microbiota had been systematically destroyed to bequeath its gift on the woman-girl:

One gift of many symptoms unpleasant

That are too scandalous to mention at present

Sufficient to say, it brings forth queasiness

And an overall feeling of intestinal uneasiness.

And so it was, the gifts were bestowed, and the woman-girl met her insurance deductible easily, and before the year had been half spent. And after the Clostridium and the other 3 remaining bacteria (as in 3 single bacteria, not 3 types) in the woman's gut had been had been destroyed, there was plenty of space for a new generation of friendly microbiota to colonize. And there was much rejoicing in the digestive land.

Let's Play Music Recital

This was Adele's second year of Let's Play Music, taught by her very talented Aunt Kathy!  She has learned so much about music theory and has really loved this class.  She got to play "the hardest song in the book" at the recital, and was really excited about that.  Kathy is an awesome teacher.

I made her a special mermaid tail for the recital.  She was so excited about it!

Cedar City Temple

It's fun to see the Cedar City Temple taking shape!  Here is a recent picture of the progress, with a fiery sunset in the background.  All the primary kids in our stake got to write their names on rocks that were going to be mixed with cement and poured into the foundation of the temple.  That was kind of fun. When they grow up they can tell their kids that their name is written on a rock in the temple.

Summer Sewing Camp

I was trying to think of something I could do this summer to keep busy, and make some money too. Thankfully, I don't have to take any classes this summer, and I don't have to go to a daily job.  But I did feel like I wanted a little job or something so I could save some money and put it toward all the nursing junk that I have to buy in the fall.  (Hello expensive textbooks, not to mention tuition.  Still hoping for some scholarships to come in).

I have been teaching my one main sewing student (and occasionally her sister as well) all year.  They have told their friends how much they like their sewing class and the word has spread a little bit. I have been asked if I was taking more students. I told them that I couldn't do it during the school  year but that I might do it during the summer.  So I finally decided to commit to it and I have organized a little sewing camp for kids that I am going to be running through most of the summer. I am still working out the details but I have over a dozen students signed up for different sessions this summer, and I expect to have several more before it starts at the end of May.  I think it will be really fun.  I'm glad I get to do this instead of study or work at a regular job.

End of the Semester

I have (almost) survived the semester.   It has been much busier than I thought it would be. I had the same amount of credits this semester as last semester and two fewer labs.  I thought it would be less crazy.  Turns out I was wrong.  It ended up being super crazy because of my chemistry class.  My teacher is 1 super unorganized and gives homework and quizzes and tests at random times and does not stick to any type of schedule.  2.  Is confusing when he lectures and doesn't make much sense. Because of this I have had to study the book a lot. It has actually been kind of like an independent study class- only worse-  one that meets EVERY SINGLE day, and has annoying quizzes.  I can't even explain how excited that I only have to endure this class 4 more times.  Unfortunately I still have 3 more homework assignments that are due.  Two of them are due during the week of finals. Who does that?

My other classes haven't been so bad.  Nutrition has been super easy, but has had quite a bit of busy work and homework assignments.  My other class is pathophysiology. I have learned a lot and enjoyed it.  I'd rather do physiology related stuff than chemistry any day.  If I have to learn the Kreb's cycle one more time....

As soon as the semester is over there will be some real partying.  I have an entire month off before my kids get out of school.  WOO HOO! I have been making a mental list of all the things I want to accomplish (or at least work on) while I have this time off.  And some of it might continue into the summer.  I need to work on my art wall in the family room downstairs.  I have several sewing projects and I need to get some stuff ready for the kids sewing camp I am doing this summer to try to keep busy and make some money.  I need to re-do my cookbook binder and I need to get going on the landscaping in the backyard by getting the dirt people there to help with moving the dirt and rocks. and to hopefully get someone to come do the sprinklers and curbing. After that we will probably do the rest ourselves. I am hoping to make some progress on this in the next couple of weeks.