Happy 9th Birthday Elijah!

I can't believe how fast time goes. I know I say that every year another child has a birthday but looking back over the pictures of my kids this last year...they change so much. Elijah is no exception. He is so loving and remarkable. Elijah is always doing what he can to help others and make them feel loved and special. He is the "tenderheart" of our family. He never fails to tell me how beautiful I am every day and how much he loves me and how I'm the best mommy ever. Elijah is always creating and loves to have fun. He loves football, baseball, soccer, pretty much any sport that he plays he loves. Elijah does awesome in school and has lots of friends. His best friend is Gavyn H. and recently went with him to see the Tacoma Rainiers semi pro baseball game. He had so much fun and kept telling me how neat it was because they had room service in their box suite. Elijah loves to eat and make chocolate milk. He loves to have his back scratched before bed and loves to play with Brandon. Drawing, creating, cuddling, dancing, singing, playing, and sweetness all make up Elijah. I hope he knows how special he is. I love my Elijah Adam. Happy birthday!!!

Danger!

This is just a personal revelation I wanted to share with anyone who may ever across this sort of thistle. STAY FAR AWAY-keep especially far from your hair. The boys and I had been cutting down scotts broom and other things in the back yard when I happened to cut down a long dead thistle. It fell against me and 7 of these little guys barely touched my head. Cody helped me get one out (plus a lot of hair) and I was able to get one out. As for these "others"...I needed some extra assistance. It took a lot of patience and a solid hour to carefully get these out. Thanks to an awesome sister in law for helping me out with this. *Only minimal hair loss was incurred with the five remaining in my hair.

Soccer Banquet

Brandon finished his soccer season with a party at RoundTable pizza. He improved greatly and really has a knack for it. He loved playing defense and worked well with the other kids on his team. I don't know if he will play again next year but he sure did great this year!

Nighthawks vs. Bulldogs

Dad took us to a semi pro football game on Saturday night. Dallas was at the fair with a friend so he missed out. It was a very long game with the refs throwing flags after every play it seemed like. We left during the 4th quarter as it was already about 9:30 p.m. and Brandon wasn't feeling very good. It was a good thing we did leave because Brandon puked after getting to Mike's house and had a rough night. Cody decided to take over the morning shift with stuff coming out both ends. Dallas was back at my house with the same junk. He was throwing up but luckily felt much better today. Dallas also had his follow up appointment for his broken collarbone. It has formed some new bone over break which is good but is noticeable. The doctor said it will go down after a while and won't be noticeable.

Dallas getting his new xrays:

A Walk About

Sunday after dinner, the boys and I needed to get out of the house so we went to the river and went for a little walk. The boys and I haven't been there in quite a while and enjoyed being out in nature. We ventured down to the sand and rock beds after awhile and had fun trying to skip the rocks and see how far we could throw the rocks and hit things. It was a nice end to the day.

Soccer/Daffodil Parade

Chilly. That's a good way to put it. Pretty much every time we went outside today, it was COLD and windy. Luckily it never rained on us while we were out but I did hear plenty of stories from others and while we were inside we saw it come down pretty hard. The day started off by dropping Dallas off at the middle school so he could catch the bus with his band for the Daffodil parade in Puyallup, Sumner and Orting. We were running behind and had to hurry to make it to Brandons last soccer game in Spanaway. We were only 3 minutes late thank goodness and his team was playing on the field close to the parking lot so we lucked out there. Brandon played really good and aggressive the first half of the game. While he was playing forward he was able to block at least 3 potential goals. Right as half time started I looked over and saw Grandpa and Grandma Stone walking across the field. They had got lost earlier and was lucky to find us when they did:) We were glad they made it, even if it meant Grandma Stone was freezing the whole time! We love you Grandma-you're a trooper:) The sun would periodically come out from behind the clouds and when it did, it was so nice and warm on the backside. We had a few hour break after the game and went home to do some housework. We headed to Orting around 4:30 and parked down about 5 blocks from Calistoga so we could make a clean, and hopefully, non congested getaway after the parade. We had some bits of sunshine there as well but for the most part it was pretty windy and chilly. Brandon thought his nose was bleeding but I had to keep reminding him that is was snot due to it being so cold out:) Uncle Rex, Aunt Lisa and the cousins just happened to go to the same spot we were at so we watched the parade together. Juliet and her kids were able to find us as well a little later. Dallas was helping hold the school banner since he couldn't play due to his broken collarbone. He is growing up so fast. His voice is getting so deep and I can really see my little man turning into a man. I couldn't be more proud of my boogaboy. Mercedes was on the Lions Club float not to far behind Dallas. She looked so beautiful. It's amazing how fast kids grow up. I remember the first time I met Mercedes when Mike and I were first dating. She was so adorable! Now she's getting ready to go off to college soon. Just Crazy!!! The boys were able to collect lots of daffodils that were thrown during the parade and they gave them to me. I love all my little men. We finished off the day with some dinner and a movie from redbox, Alexander and the No good, horrible, very bad Day. Super cute and funny if you haven't seen it. We watched it once and was going to watch it again but it was getting late. I'm sure we will watch it again tomorrow before we return it. I love movie nights with the boys.

Spring Break/Easter 2015

The boys had their spring break last week. We didn't go on any trips or anything but that's okay. We did go to the park a few times, and I was able to take the boys to the Woodland Zoo in Seattle one day which turned out to be a gorgeous day (weather wise). The boys also spent one afternoon at Grandpa/Grandma and Aunt Tammy's house where they rode the quads and played with the new tether ball so they had lots of fun. Dallas stayed busy feeding the Tolsens' dog while they were away in California for the break,even with his broken collar bone. On Saturday, we had an Easter Egg at the Stones' and Dallas was even lucky enough to find the "Golden Egg" for the teenagers hunt. We watched conference on Sunday and my parents and Desi and her family came over to watch the afternoon session with us and then we had a nice Easter dinner followed by an egg hunt that Elijah made for Brandon and Kahrece (yes, he even had a special golden egg with his own coins in it for the finder). It was a nice, relaxing day. I'm grateful for the time spent with family and for the Atonement and Resurrection. It was nice to see the boys sitting in front of the television watching the apostles and prophet speak. Brandon was even singing one of the choir songs b/c they have learned it in primary and his sweet voice made my heart warm. The talks on family were inspired. I love my eternal family. I'm grateful for my Savior. I know HE LIVES and loves me and is always there for me, even through difficult times.

Just a vent

Have you ever had one of those days when life just totally lets you down? Sometimes it's the hope that something better will happen or come along, or that "this is just one stepping stone in life", but when you keep getting knocked down it really starts to wear you down. Besides the fact that I have lost the most important thing in life besides my kids recently, I had always held on to the hope that I would one day be able to complete my dream of going to BYU. I had wanted to go there ever since I can remember. Getting accepted to attend the Provo campus was a dream come true to me. It may not seem like a big deal to some, especially those who don't like that school or have other favorites-but to me, coming from a small town and not having those friendships with people who had the same values of me, it was everything. I loved going there! My biggest regret was not finishing school when I had the chance, before kids and life took over. A few years ago BYU started the independant study program which allowed for people who had taken a break from school but had actually attended to go back and get their degree. I was so excited and applied and after completing a special course, you could get readmitted. I worked hard to do that course and was accepted into the program. Despite helping my husband run a business, running a household with 4 small kids and being relief society president at the time, I did it. I got in, again. But as usual, life took over again-we bought a house and moved, Mike decided to quit his job and finally get the degree to further his education to support our family. I knew it was for the best for him to get his degree because he was the bread winner. He was the rock of our family. I wanted to do everything I could to help him. I took different jobs that would allow me to help out financially as must as possible. I didn't want him to have to worry while he was studying and working to get his degree. I know how hard it is to work and try to do school at the same time, so I did what I could do to help support the family and still maintain a household where my family knew I loved them and took care of them. I cleaned hotel rooms, and for the better half of the time worked taking incoming calls from home, which was a huge blessing even though for most of the time there, I was stressed to the max. I would have days where the calls were okay and I knew the answers. Some days were harder then others, when I would have men call and ask me things that were filthy and would have me in tears or I would have people yelling at me because I didn't deliver their package or their credit card was declined. Or the best ones were when I didn't send them all the parts that they needed. (Yeah it was me personally ruining their lives) It was so ridiculous at times. But I did it. I sometimes got up at before 4 in the morning to work, so I could get in my hours so I could make it to volunteer at my kids classroom that day, or attend a field trip. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this for pity, I'm just venting. I applied for financial aid so that I could go back to school myself finally since all the kids are in school full time. That was the plan. Mike would finish school and then it would be my turn. But recently circumstances have changed and I have to be the breadwinner in my own house. I wanted to go back to my school and get that degree from BYU that I had always dreamed of. I know it's an expensive school, but I didn't have a lot of dreams left. Today after waiting for a few weeks now to hear back from financial aid, I called them. I was told that under the umbrella act, BYU doesn't afford financial aid unless you are taking at least 1 class on campus now. That includes Stafford loans, pell grants, etc. I can't afford it now. I'm heartbroken. I feel defeated and kicked down everyday. I know I can apply somewhere else, and I know that's what I'll have to end up doing. It's hard thinking of all the credits that won't transfer and how much longer it's going to take now. I can do it though. I have to do it. I have to do it for my kids and myself to better our lives. Things that I thought would always be in my life no longer exist and I can't count on life to be fair. Life isn't fair.

Elijah

We had the follow up at the doctor office for the medication that Elijah is taking for his migraines. While there I was mentioning the noises he has been taking and also the eye blinking. The doctor asked a few more questions and came to the conclusion that Elijah has a mild case of Tourettes. I was reading about it and found this article to be a good way to explain it to my other boys. What should you know? Tourette syndrome (TS) is a condition of the central nervous system. It causes people to have “tics”. Tics are sudden twitches, movements, or sounds that people do repeatedly. People who have tics cannot stop their body from doing these things. For example, a kid might keep blinking over and over again. Or, a kid might make a grunting sound unwillingly. Having tics is a little bit like having hiccups. Even though you might not want to hiccup, your body does it anyway. Sometimes people can stop themselves from doing a certain tic for awhile, but it’s hard. Eventually the person has to do the tic. The symptoms of TS generally become less severe during the late teen years. Among 20% to 30% of those with TS, the tic symptoms disappear entirely as the person with TS reaches his or her 20s. During sleep, tics are fewer and less intense. Most people with TS are able to hold jobs and lead full lives. Symptoms of Tourette syndrome usually emerge in childhood or the teen years. TS isn't common — only about 7 in every 1,000 people have it, and boys are more likely to be affected. The condition is not contagious. At certain times, like when someone is under stress, the tics can become more severe, more frequent, or longer, or the type of tic may change altogether. (This is also true of people who have tics that are not part of Tourette syndrome.) Some kids can suppress their tics for a short time. But tension builds, and it eventually has to be released as a tic. And if a person is concentrating on controlling the tic, it may be hard to focus on anything else. This can make it hard for kids with TS to have a conversation or pay attention in class. Tics are classified as either simple or complex. Simple motor tics usually involve just one group of muscles. Some examples are eye blinking and grimacing. In contrast, complex motor tics usually involve more muscle groups and might look like a series of movements. For example, someone might touch a body part or another person repeatedly. In rare cases, people with TS might have a tic that makes them harm themselves, such as head banging. Simple vocal tics can be throat clearing, sniffing, or humming, whereas complex vocal tics can involve repeating other people's words (a condition called echolalia) or involuntary swearing (called coprolalia). To be diagnosed with Tourette syndrome, a child must have several different types of tics — specifically, multiple motor tics and at least one vocal tic. The medication that Elijah is taking for his migraines is also one of the same medications they perscribe for Tourettes.

Another One Bites the Dust....

Well we officially have another broken bone in our midst. I was called to the school on Friday morning b/c Dallas was in the nurses office. Apparently he had been tackled during PE-playing football, and was pushed somehow and fell and heard a crack. I took him to the doctor and was assured that the left clavical was fractured. We are still pending the Ortho appointment on Monday to see what his treatment plan is. On a good note, I took all 4 boys to the dentist last Monday, and not 1 cavity! Super excited for that one! I'll take the small victories where I can get them. Had parent/teacher conferences last week as well and the boys are all doing great. My boys are always doing their homework and working so hard. Elijah is getting excited for the Pirates play the 3rd graders will be putting on in another month. (Waiting to see the doctor at the Multi Care Urgent Clinic in Spanaway)

*Waiting to see Mrs. Fossand during conferences: Brandon had a game that night and wasn't able to come with us