January

January slunk in with much after Christmas cleaning, getting back into our "school" routine and COLD!

January always comes with cold temperatures (close to half the month was below freezing and in the teens for daytime highs), inversion, fog, and snow.  This is the first year that I remember having to experience freezing rain.  

On with our life and how this month has been a blur (or maybe I have just been blocking it each day) for the month of January.  I started the year off with my mom in the hospital with pneumonia.  On January 1st, while parking at the hospital, I hit a truck.  Oh, happy day & Happy Freaking New Year!  Mom got out of the hospital and has been doing wonderful. 

About the time we were starting to lose all viability from the smog, I decided to take down our Christmas Tree.  It was the middle of the month and the longest time I had ever left a tree up...ever!  While twisting myself and the tree up with my sad attempt to take the lights off the tree, I got myself stuck between the tree, wall and love seat. I was so tired that I couldn't move the love seat any more and in my ever so stubborn way, started to push myself up from the floor while wedged in my little triangle.  Just when I thought I had myself going in the right direction, I realized that I was falling and shooting across the living room.

As soon as the realization struck me that I was not going up but across the room I mumbled a quick "Oh Shit" as the truth of what was going on hit me.  I was heading straight at Taylor (he was laying on the couch) and quickly (didn't know that was still a speed I could hit) twisted so that I would land on the tote with our decorations that had just been neatly tucked away.

Taylor's first response was total shock and then he said, "mom, you broke the tote!"  After a few seconds he looked at me and asked if I was okay, followed with a "how did you not break a rib?"  He may forever regret asking me this question because I answered him honestly...my boob broke the fall!  I hurt so bad, I had landed on my right side smashing my arm, boob, and face.  I had to lay there to catch my breath and take assessment of the situation, since nothing was broken it was time to laugh (gently, I still hurt).

On the day of our infamous Ice Storm, Kenny had to drive to work (just shy of 40 miles on I-80 and I-15). We had several horrible accidents on the roads all over Salt Lake County that morning and Kenny was luck enough to be in the middle of one of the worst accidents that morning.  He was just driving through the interchange that takes you from I-80 onto part of I-15 before you can head East on I-80 again to get off on State Street.  Before he could get to far into that whole transition of his drive the accident began.  He said there were trucks and cars sliding all over the place and then all he could think of was NASCAR...when there is a wreck you want to drive low to try to make through without hitting any of the wrecked cars or have them hit you.  All he could think while watching what was occurring around him was "drive low, drive low."  

He has been watched over by many angels this month and has been very blessed.  With the ice storm, the horrible fog (mixed with the inversion) and now snow, he has not been involved in any accidents.  I am truly thankful for his safety!

Looking back over this month we have had so many adventures that would be difficult to mention here without turning one blog post into a novel.  I should have blogging as one of my new years resolutions :)

We have had many trips and falls, one accident, much sliding (mostly on feet) on the ice, attended a car show (no we are not buying a new car, at least for now) and fell in love with the Mini Coopers, went to the movies, I started college again, lots of homework for me and the boys, new semester for the boys, celebrated my moms birthday, watched lots of football, and spent lots of time together at home curled up in blankets watching movies and just spending time together.

Now that January is over I can say that we survived!! 

My 2 stories and little list of things above might not sound like a lot but I'm pretty sure there was more, I just can't remember.  I did find out 2 big accomplishments for my boys:

Kelton finished his make up credits in 2 weeks for 2 of his classes that he struggled with and is now in a theater class in school. He is going to be in a play!!

Taylor was moved into Honors Science with the new semester.  He didn't tell me until yesterday!

I am so proud of them and all their hard work.

May we all stay on our feet (haa haa) as we head into February.

May it also warm up a little as well :)

Note to Self

Rachelle, please pay attention:

I am not the same person I was before being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. I am not the same person I was before having surgery almost 2 years ago.  I am also not the same person I was before being diagnosed with R/A.  I need to keep that in mind and STOP COMPARING MYSELF WITH MY OLD SELF!  It is okay that I am not the same.  I am still beautiful, smart, and able to do many things.  They may be different things than before but I can still love life and live it to it's fullest.

I started today in pain, feeling tired and feeling down.  I started today with 2 pieces of chocolate cake. That may have tasted wonderful, however, it did nothing for how I felt.  As the morning went on, I felt even more down, more tired, and more pain.  I made the decision to go to the gym.  I actually got myself up, got dressed and drove to the gym.  That means that I left the house.  That is huge!  Not even my old self would have done that.

The after effects of making that decision has been good.  I noticed a difference just by getting dressed.  I am still tired and sore but now I have earned the right to feel that way.  I worked hard to feel sore.  I may be tired but it's not the run down, can't focus tired that I normally have. It doesn't make sense but I feel refreshed.  I don't have those down feelings now.  So far I am loving the effects of going to the gym and focusing on just making my body move.

My old self could move and work full time and keep the house perfect and most days could take on the world.  As fun as that was, I am okay with focusing on just a couple things at a time and learning my new limits.  Well, not always okay, but learning to change my thinking so that it is okay.

I need to remember this day...Remember that I "ran" 1.5 miles on the elliptical and it felt great!  Now that I know I can do that, I need to say, "SUCK IT OLD SELF!!!!

New Year

Now that we are a few days into 2013 I have to take a moment to stop and reflect on all that I have been blessed with.  I need to take a moment to say thank you for having a wonderful and supportive husband.  He is so loving, patient and overall the best person for me.  I need to say how very honored I am to have Kelton and Taylor as my sons.  They both are so strong in their beliefs and opinions, I am very proud of them for that strength, they add that strength to me every day.  Both boys are so smart. Like any mother of teenagers, I wish they could see how smart they are.  I want them both to know how much I love them and how proud of them I am. (someone, please tell them I wrote this. They are teenage boys, they won't read their moms silly blog)

I am thankful that Kenny is such a hard working man.  He takes care of our family and provides for us so well.  When I think of this I think of all the families out there that are struggling and or don't have what they need, I am reminded of how blessed we are that we have our needs met and even get to enjoy some of our wants.  We have a roof over our heads, food to eat, clothes to wear, dependable cars to drive, and even got to go to the movies this weekend (which was entertaining in more than one way if you saw Facebook). Having someone attend the movie with you is, as one person said it, " shit ass drunk" always brings extra entertainment.  Now if you hear one of ask if you were S.A.D. you will understand (I hope).

This is also the perfect time to reflect on all things that I hold dear to my heart.  Along with family I am taking this time to ponder on all the things which the Lord has blessed me with.  I keep these things close to my heart and often struggle with them but I know that these precious truths are, well, true.  I am thankful that I threw myself together and went to church yesterday.  I don't always like to attend fast and testimony meeting, but it helped to remind me why I make the choices I do and to remind me how important God is in my life.  And, yes, I know I swore in the previous paragraph and am now talking about my faith.  I'm having a hard time being too serious this morning.

I am also trying to learn how to use my new laptop and I keep hitting something on the mouse pad that is moving my curser all over the screen.  It has made typing this a little frustrating and slightly comical.  This is why I can't get to serious, not with my curer bouncing all over what I'm writing.

With this new year has come some hard parenting moments, lots of comical moments, reconnecting with loved ones, me becoming a student again and lots of hope. I hope that all of you can look at this new year that can bring whatever it wants, with hope.  I hope we can all find some humor in the things that come to us this year. 

I think my theme for this year will be HOPE, HUMOR, & LOVE!