Driving!

One thing I do that I don't like at all is driving! I would much rather fly anywhere than drive. When I chose to move down to AZ, I had to make an agreement that the girls would still have a relationship with their dad and I would allow that to happen by getting the girls to their dad when they were supposed to be. Every school break, several holidays a year, and half the summer-which thank goodness here in AZ is a whole month shorter than Utah. Anyhow, since we moved her Feb '08 we have made the trip either half-way or all the way to Utah 13 times-That is alot for someone who hates to drive. There has only been once that I drove up to Utah in a rental car and drove home, so needless to say I am VERY excited to FLY with Steve up to Utah tomorrow for the 4th of July weekend. An hour and a half beats 11 hours ANYDAY!

Anyhow, Father's Day weekend we drove to meet the girls dad half-way in Page, AZ. We were lucky enough not to have to drive all the way. Anyhow, Friday we got off work a little early and started our drive to Page. We stopped in Flagstaff for our ritual dinner at Sizzler. It's too bad they don't have those here in Mesa. I love sizzler. Anyhow, we got to our hotel in Page and the girls wanted to head strait to the pool. So, we all headed down. Who knew that the pool was going to be colder than ice water?? CRAZY. The girls still wanted to swim. I was happy chillin' in the hot tub. Halle-being a little fish-had no problem with the cold water. Both the girls came back and forth to the hot tub. We met another couple with 4 kids from Buckeye that was heading up to Utah as well. Steve got in the pool and then quickly got back in the hot tub. After about an hour and a half in the hot tub, I was baked, so I jumped in the ice water pool. I didn't last longer than 2 seconds in the pool.

The next morning we had the complimentary breakfast and then the girls wanted to head back to the pool. We weren't meeting their dad until noon, so we had plenty of time. Steve opted out of that one. Even though it was overcast and pretty cool, I sat in the hot tub again while Lizzie jumped in and out of the pool and Halle swam laps-YES I said Halle was swimming laps. I can't believe what a good swimmer she is! She swam 3 lengths of the pool! Amazing.

We had time to drive around and enjoy the sights. The girls were a little scared to go right down to the lake, so we just pulled off to the side to get some pictures before we met the girls' dad at the Glen Canyon Dam. The girls like going in the visitors center. We ran into some friends from the ward while we were there. Saying goodbye to the girls wasn't as hard this summer as last summer because I knew I would be seeing them over the 4th of July.

I love the scenery of Lake Powell! Halle kept saying "This is just so beautiful". She knows how beautiful it is. I have taught her well. Anyhow, I wanted to share pictures from our trip. I would much rather meet in Page, AZ to pick up the kids than Las Vegas. I like the drive to Page. Other's say it's boring-but I really like it! Did I just say I liked the drive???

Change

It seems as though since I moved to Arizona alot of things have changed.

My body being one of them. It started out last summer when my eyes started to get bad and I was getting really bad headaches. I just thought I needed more sleep. The headaches weren't going away as I got more sleep, my eyes seemed to be getting worse, and weight gain started to be more noticeable as well. I went to my Dr. and he told me to test my blood sugars often and keep track of them. The eye Dr. said basically he couldn't do anything for me until I figured out what was going on with the rest of me.

A year later, I find myself sitting in the Dr.'s office again listening to him tell me that my blood sugars were too high and that he wanted to start treating me for Diabetes. Something that my mom and grandma have. I was doomed to get it. Although I knew it was coming, I found myself crying hysterically after leaving the Dr. I was devastated because I had let my body get to this point. I know I can't control everything, but I could have done some things different. Anyhow, time to head to a specialist and go to a diabetic training course to learn more about it all. I have been around diabetes for a long time whether it was around mom or residents at Country Care. I never thought the day would come when I had to give myself shots.

Went to the eye Dr. and got glasses a week or so ago. My headaches worsened for about a week after I got the glasses as my eyes were adjusting, but now it's going ok.

Another change in my body was my face. My acne got really bad! It just runs in my family. It had been getting so bad and finally I decided to go in to the Dermatologist. They started me on Acutane-which is a very strong medication that you take for 6 months that pretty much changes the DNA in your body to where you won't have acne again. All of my brothers had taken it before and had success with it, so I figured I would give it a shot. Being on Acutane means 6 months of not getting pregnant-serious birth defects if I did. I started on the Acutane on June 1st. I'm not so sure it's worth it. I hope so! My face has never hurt so bad in my entire life! It literally burns. I have to put ice packs on just about every day. My whole body is SO dry that I am literally pulling skin off my body all day long. NOT the most fun of things. I can tell a difference in my face for the better, but it definitely got worse before it has gotten better. I go in every month to get blood testing done and make sure I am not pregnant. I went in yesterday and had to get poked 3 times to get enough blood for them to test-she wasn't very good at it. Well, results are back and my triglycerides and liver enzymes are elevated-not good. So off the Acutane until they figure out what's going on. Oh the things we do for beauty.

Is change really good? I think so. Not just my body has changed since I moved to AZ, but I feel like I have changed SO much. I have learned how important my family is. Oh how I miss you all. I have another new family here in Arizona that I am still trying to fit in with. I love Steve's family and I am grateful for them as they learn what the girls and I are all about.


I just miss hanging out with all my siblings. I miss the nights we would all just chill at mom and dad's out on the back lawn while all the cousins played. I look forward to next week spending time with all of you again-It just won't be the same without my Texas brothers and sister in law. We will miss you!!!!! Becky-sorry I will miss you by 2 days. We will be alotcloser soon though. I can't wait for you to move! Jesse and Heather-I hope you have a new nephew for me bfore I leave to come back to AZ!! Get pusing Heather. Our flight on July 1st can't come soon enough! Sorry such a long post. I just start to ramble not knowing it.

Happy Fathers Day!

I just wanted to take a few minutes and express my love and appreciation for the fathers in my life.

First is my husband. Sweetheart-I know it's not easy taking on 2 little girls instantly and a wife that was used to doing everything on her own. I appreciate all you do for the girls and me. You are a great daddy to the girls. They love playing with you and they love spending time with you. Thank you for taking on the challenge! I know you didn't have ANY idea of what you were getting yourself into, but you are doing a pretty dang good job at it. THANK YOU! We love you.

Second-my dad. Dad-Thank you for raising me the way you and mom did. I am so grateful to have a dad like you. You taught me the love of the piano-that is such an important part of my life. I love music because of you dad. You taught me how to work hard. Even though I hated those trips to get rock in the middle of the desert-I did learn the importance of hard work. You taught me to be kind to others and to serve others. You taught me the love of mother nature. I love the outdoors. I have fond memories of all of our family vacations from The Bear Trap, to Jackson Hole, to Yellowstone, to Canada, to Paradise Pond in Orem. Those memories are the best! I look forward to making memories with my own family. Thank you for everything.

Third-although I am a little hesitant to post this, but I am grateful for the girls dad Trent. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have Halle and Lizzie. Without the girls-life would be alot different. I'm grateful I have the girls. They bring alot of happiness in our life and I wouldn't trade my past with their dad for anything because I got the best thing out of it-my precious girls.

Last-but not least-I am grateful for my Father in Heaven. I know that God lives and that he loves me for who I am. I believe that before I came down here to Earth, I walked next to my Father in Heaven with my little hand in his. I am sure we had many conversations about family because I couldn't have been sent down to a better family.

It's been about a year since we set up our original blog, but now that we have family and friends all over the place, we decided to actually create our blog and keep up on it.

Just a little update in our lives:
Steve is still with Sherwin Williams and is going on his 7th year there. I am at East Mesa Healthcare in the Business Office in finance. We are so blessed to have our jobs and the income that we have during these hard times.
Halle is 6 years old and just finished her Kindergarten year being Student of the Year! We are so proud of her.
Lizzie is 5 and loves all her friends at pre-school. She is looking forward to going into Kindergarten and learning to read.

We live down here in sunny Mesa, and it is HOT!! We moved to a two story home back in February and we are starting to understand why it's better to have a single story in the summertime! I like the house COOL. 72 degrees is perfect for me. Steve freezes-but our bedroom is right over the garage and I can't sleep when it's so hot-so the air goes down way low at night.

Anyhow, it's late, but Steve & I both plan on keeping our blog updated. It's such a fun new adventure learning all about the blogging world.