Weight Watchers Update

16.6 pounds down :)

I know I have been neglecting the blog, life is insane. But I HAD to tell you that!

My Name

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The insanity of it all

So I don't really a free weekend until after the New Year. The days are getting packed too. I am longing for a day that I can stay in my jammies all day. Maybe a half day on Monday sounds good.

This week we have had company on the weekend. A mission companions of DH's, his wife and 5 children. We had seven extra people in our home this past weekend. It makes an interesting conversation on where to put everyone, but all was well and it was good.

Sunday was also Aleksei's 1 year birthday party! ONE YEAR! YEAH! He is huge and adorable! I can not believe that he is one. We were late because we had to speak in church, I was so bummed. We did get to spend alone time with him and take his Mom and Dad out to dinner. That was nice.

Monday always bring grocery shopping. I love that part, really. I love the amount of money that save. I also went to go see a friend that has a 2 month ago, I love to hold and feed him. That gives mom a chance to important things like, eat, shower and clean. Swimming is how we round off the day.

Tuesday, Weight Watchers. Weigh in day, I have lost 14 and a half pounds. I am very determined to surpass 15 pounds by next week. I am seeing clothes fit looser and changes in my body. It was also my 14th wedding anniversary. We escaped for lunch and then had a busy day and went out to dinner. Well I went 8 points over. But I think I might have managed to work some of it off. It was a wonderful and also we continued the tradition of the roses. I love getting roses.

Wednesday, off to work and then off to a friends to scrapbook. I am working non-stop on Aleksei's scrapbook. I really want to have his first year complete by Christmas. It was also swimming and trying to get a decent dinner on the table.

I know that tomorrow will bring working in Princess Girly Girls school, waiting for the garage door guy and swimming.

Friday will be Disneyland as we are joining our friend that were here this weekend.

I am sure that there will be more added in before the week is out.

14 years

Today is my 14th wedding anniversy. I love my sweet DH. He means everything to me. We have has our ups and our down but we have come through. I think I will give him 14 more.

Also honey, I did get you a card you just have not found it lol.

Enduring trials

Neal A. Maxwell, “Enduring Well,” Ensign, Apr. 1997, 7 said“Trying to comprehend the trials and meaning of this life without understanding Heavenly Father’s marvelously encompassing plan of salvation is like trying to understand a three-act play while seeing only the second act. Fortunately, our knowledge of the Savior, Jesus Christ, and His Atonement helps us to endure our trials and to see purpose in suffering and to trust God for what we cannot comprehend.”

On October 26th of last year we began a trial that we thought we would never have to endure. Before you all panic and think we are once again talking about the house fire we had, nope that is not it. October 26th began the long process of watching dear friends deliver there long awaited and much loved and wanted child. This sounds like a wonderful story until you discover that she was only 24 weeks along in her pregnancy. Aleksei was born that afternoon weighing 1 pound 8 oz. A tiny way to enter this life. The first 11 days were the longest 11 days in there life and as we sat feeling helpless watching them endure this trial all we could possible so was to pray. I do not think I have ever prayed so hard in my entire life. Prayed for Aleksei and prayed for his parents. Prayed for the doctors and all that would be assisting with his care.
I believe at one point Rick and I turned to each other and stated that we never in the 11 years (because Princess Seriously was only 11 at the time) we had been parents has suffered as much as they had in those first 11 days.

I wrote in my journal.. Aleksei has had some setbacks. While he has not had PDA (a heart thing) he has, had this week the intestine set back. He had a hole in his intestines and the had to put the bag thing in it for what could be about 3 to 6 months. He has 8 days of rest before this happened. Eight days to gather his strength. He did really well that night. It was very optimistic. His mom and dad have been very hopefully and trying so hard to focus on the positive.
Today they did his brain scan. When he was born there was some brain bleeding. They rate it from 1 to 5, 1 being the best. And there is a number for each side. Today that number was up to 3 on each side. Today is when the CRUSHING reality came crashing in. Today has been the down side to all of this. Everything was outlined, including please start making arrangements for Aleksei because the possibly is there that he may not make it through the week. And at the same time he was brought up from 50% of living to 60%. Also the chances went up of him having mental problems if he does pull through. Everyone at this point will take whatever we can get. Normal or not. We just want to love him so much, we want to hold him, touch him and we want him to be well, in whatever form that is.To make this all harder, the baby next door went back to Heavenly Father. That was the most awful thing I have EVER witnessed. This poor dear family. There was SOOOOO much sadness. This was happening when I went up. I picked up on all this sadness and death and PANICKED! I stayed with Aleksei as long as I could. He was so agitated. He felt it too. They had to sedate him more. I went to DH and just sobbed and told him that he had to go be with Aleksei's dad.

I remember thinking that day, WHY? Why does this have to happen? Why are trials given to good people and WHY do they have to be so hard. When you are caught up in the moment, I have to say I did not have clarity. It was not until months later that I finally felt some inspiration to even think to be able to answer this question.

The Lord has said: “For verily I say unto you, blessed is he that keepeth my commandments, whether in life or in death; and he that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven.
“Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall … follow after much tribulation.
“For after much tribulation come the blessings” (D&C 58:2–4).
Elder Adney Y. Komatsu Of the First Quorum of the Seventy said “As we pass through this mortal probation, we accrue many experiences. It is in these experiences that we are often beset with problems, challenges, adversities, afflictions, trials, and tribulations. The Lord said to the Prophet Joseph Smith, after a period of great afflictions, “Know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good” (D&C 122:7).”

The early members of the church and leaders of the church suffered many afflictions, challenges, and trials. Many gave their very lives for their belief and testimony of the gospel. In the long journey over the pioneer trails, many children and adults were buried in graves along the way.
I am not sure about you, but getting in a wagon and crossing the plains would have been a huge trail. A trial of my faith.

Modern day trials come in all shapes and sizes, As parents we watch out children and never stop worrying about them. We love them, teach them and the stand back and watch them go through their own trials. As a teenage, you sit back and watch your peers self destruct and come to you and show you their drugs, tell you of their immorality, their trials as they watch their parents self destruct around them. Yet you stand strong and maintain you values and let your light shine. As a young child you sit in you class and speak of being grateful for a family that prays and eats dinner together while other talk of visiting Daddy in jail and seeing guns in the home is an every day occurrence.

Trials are for a reason and a reason which we may not understand now, at the time of the trial or not in this life time. Trials make us strong, Heavenly Father will not forsake us. I know that he is buoy us up and guide us to where we need to be. He will carry us, we must rely upon Him.

I can tell you this today because Aleksei turns one this week. All the suffering his parents had to do was not for nothing because their faith is stronger. They are stronger as a couple for being able to withstand the trials of having a preemie. Aleksei is perfect, there is virtually no way of knowing what he went through. He is a 20 pound perfect one year old.

Prayers were answered. We were not given more then what we could handle, though at times it seemed so hopeless. Stay strong because prayer works.

Attention Mackenzie fans

Mackenzie found a boy. She is officially adopted out and one happy puppy. She was a little subdued, but wagging her tail away. She has an adorable little boy as an owner and he is happy as pie. (Yes the boy has a mom too).

Talk about a perfect fit. She went to a single mom, that has been looking for a dog but nothing has worked out or it was too much for their budget to adopt her. So, I screened away and really like her. They have rescued dogs growing up and she was ready to deal with issues that will arise. She went with a clean collar, leash, bag of food, bowls, her favorite toy, chews and her crate.

Princess Girly Girl is not taking this well and we keep talking about how we never were going to keep her but always the goal was to find her a good home. PGG, has an appointment to see her later this week, as she cried as they were getting ready to leave. So we will do a check up and we will keep in contact.

So Mackenzie is even keeping her name :) Bonus :) So you all keep her in your thoughts that she adjusts well and everyone is happy.

Last Weekends Fun Part 1

So, I hopped a plane and flew off to Massachusetts to go scrapbooking. Why you ask, because it was a retreat and a good friend was going so I went too. There were 4 friends meeting. Vivian, Donnann, Shirley and I. Vivian, Donnann and I flew in from out of state. We met Shirley who lives in New Jersey, but we met her in Philadelphia.

I should have known it was going to be an exciting weekend when I met them, I was the last to fly in, and they had spent 45 minutes looking for the car because they forgot where they parked it. I crammed my luggage into the car, which was pretty full and off we went.

Now it was supposed to take 5 hours to drive to Western MA. It only took us two and a half. That is because Shirley does not believe in stop signs. She also likes to drive fast. But hey she got us there early right? Wait let me back up. After picking us up we went off to get some dinner at a yummy place with soup and sandwiches. It was sooo good! Then of course a Target run for snacks. Then I had to run into a store to buy a hat, scarf and gloves because I was freezing! Then we spotted a JoAnn's and went to get last minute scrapbooking things in there. Of course we HAD to go in.

Missing

Yes I have been missing. I went on a trip to Massachusetts and came back sick. So It is going to take me some time to catch up.

I will update you all later.

And yes, we still have MacKenzie....

Mackenie Update

A couple of people have asked, so what is up with MacKenzie.

I put signs up all over the neighborhood. Took her to the vet to see if she was microchipped. Nothing.

I contacted a local rescue agency. We are offically her foster parents until a good home can be found. She is going to go get checked out by their vet on Saturday and do the paperwork. Then we will travel the local Petsmarts until we pick parents for her. LOL

She is adorable but I am not ready for three dogs. She loves her crate, which will go with her and her dog dish. She has gained some weight and does well with the girls and the other dog 'girls'. I think it will be an easy adoption.

So you want a dog?

Something I have not done in 10 months

Before the fire we would watch ABC's Extreme Home Makeover as a family. Once the fire happened, we had to stop watching it. Princess Girly Girl would ask why won't they come a fix our house? I would bawl and it would just not work for us. We tried for a couple of weeks and even got to the point where we would be grateful that all that happened was a house fire and nothing else. I think I even posted that I was grateful for the show, but it just got too hard.

Tonight the girls and I sat down and watched it. Yeah we cried but it was so different. This time it was tears of joy that another family got to experience the feeling of coming home. We know all too well how that feels. Yes there are still boxes and not everything is done, but we are home. We are making it ours again. The house is alive with joy, voices and people (and animals) again. There is nothing in the world that can beat that feeling.

I am so grateful that we are home.