A Break

Ric was laying on the floor and Hazel was walking on his back and fell off. Not a far fall obviously. And on to carpet. But she landed wrong and broke her ankle right on the growth plate. So another trip to the ER. They put a splint on and sent her to a specialist to get a cast.

Honestly it was good to get to spend a little alone time with her. We read Mickey Mouse a few too many times.



She runs all over the place with her bright pink cast and then at night it hurts and she is cranky. She could hurt someone with that thing.

It makes me sad to look at it or to see her crawling when she gets tired. I hate it when my kids get hurt it breaks my heart. My little Hazelnut.

Baths are very irritating and she screams the whole time. It's going to be a long month.

I must say I am glad she is still small and doesn't weigh very much. I don't know how that skinny leg can pick that thing up.

Friday Letters

Dear Husband, we now know that you are not a safe jungle gym for the kids. Dear Kade, sorry one of your parents didn't put a helmet on you before you crashed on your scooter. (not me)You now have a road rash on one side of your face, but I'm still trying to figure out how you scraped off the back of your ear in the crash.eeewww. Dear New Garage Door, I was excited to finally see you until I realized the garage is full of boxes and there is no remote to open you. Dear Mom & Dad, 43yrs you have stood by each others side, thank you for loving each other and loving me. Dear Emergency Room, I have gotten way too familiar with you when I haven't even lived here a month. Dear Elem. School, your drop off and pick up situation is ridiculous. Could we have some kind of order here? Dear Two Eldest Children, uumm...sorry I was late picking you up from school, but who gets out early one day in the middle of the week? Oh, you do? Don't they know parents have no memory space for things like that. Dear Hazel, my poor little baby. I am so sad you broke your ankle, but at least your pink cast is pretty. Dear Life, please slow down and let me catch my breath. Dear Rico, you almost stayed awake through a whole movie with me. That's something.

Kadenator

see how the right side of his face hangs a little, this happens when he doesn't feel well.

My Little Man has been so miserable since we moved.
It started with a super intense headache then he threw up for a couple of days, then he lived on the couch for 3 or 4 days. When he got thirsty or needed to go to the bathroom he would say "what am I going to do my legs won't work" He was exhausted just walking around the house.

His face on the right side is weaker when he is sick. He said his insides feel like they are stuffed along with a small part of his brain?

Then he started itching. Then he had a weird rash that looked like a splotchy sunburn that moved around his body. Then he said he had parts of his feet that were numb. He woke up the next morning and his feet and hands were so swollen he couldn't make a fist and he was going crazy itching.

I had been trying to find a Dr. that would see us but couldn't find one. After seeing his Hulk hands I squeezed some flip flops on his feet and went to Urgent care. With all of the kids by the way. Not so much fun.

They were worried because it looked worrisome. We had to drive all over town trying to get blood drawn, he was poked 4 times. He was swollen so they couldn't see a vein, but the lady was bad at it too. So I took him somewhere else. He flipped out a little the last time.

The next day he had a different rash that was blotchy welts that were everywhere but would move around and he was still swollen. The blood tests came out fine for the things they checked, kidneys, thyroid ect. And what's weird is he never had a fever.

At this point he hadn't been feeling well for 2 weeks and just getting worse. They said I just needed to take him to the hospital.

He said "alright I guess I need a blessing". He got a blessing and woke up looking ok. I kept him home from school, but after lunch he was chasing Hazel around the house using his banshee scream.

Then the rash came back. So to the ER we went. Spent our whole Saturday there, Kade was very mad about that. More tests and cartoon network, which I hate, only for every test to be normal. Not even a virus. They are convinced it is an autoimmune disorder and are sending us to a specialist. What do you think?

Tell me, when you put your 7 yr old in a hot bath does he lay down in the water and say Hallelujah? Mine does.

Last Weekend

It warmed up a bit so we took a drive to Tahoe.

The kids LOVED it.


We skipped rocks and played on the shoreline for a long time. I think the kids could have done that all day.


It looks like Avary is conjuring up a storm from the deep.


We found this cute little ice cream/toy shop/hair salon so we could eat ice cream in the freezing cold like all the normal people do.



We were all really tired by the end of the day. I wasn't quite tired enough to fall asleep with a spoon in my mouth, but....apparently Babycakes was.

Friday Letters

this is what 33 looks like

Dear Husband, you turned 33 this week. Do you feel older and wiser yet? Dear Holiday, you were packed full but enjoyable. Although I didn't get even one thing on my list done. Dear Tahoe, you are so beautiful and I love how the kids could spend forever skipping rocks into your crystal waters. Dear Little Man, I feel so bad you are not feeling well. If we could just figure out what is wrong then maybe I could make you feel better. Here's to having hulk hands. Dear 9:00am School, I wasn't sure I would like you, but it is very nice to not have to be in a hurry in the morning and not have to get up so early. Dear Reno, I have now driven quite far out of my bubble thanks to appt's and lab tests. Not necessarily the parts I wanted to go to. Dear GPS, on my Phone, I would still be lost somewhere in Nevada without you. Love. Dear New Friends, I had planned on hiding out, but I am glad I am getting to know you. Thanks for being so nice. Dear Church Calling, to be honest I'm not too exited about you, but I will fake it till I make it. Dear Visitors, your prank was funny because it was not on me. The kids were happy to see family again and I think you all had fun on the slopes. Dear Jo, I wish I could be there for your birthday. Celebrate because you are looking HOT! Dear Rico, I hope you had fun this week snowboarding with your Bros. I think you will be sore later. Ha. Bet your feeling older now.

Another Day

Today was the kids first day at their new school. I was so worried for them. I want them to make good friends, have good teachers, learn with spalding, have orchestra, have a great speech program, have outstanding test scores, bring my kids to my car after school, blah blah.

Yeah that's not how it went. Spalding? Orchestra? Walk your kid where?
I wanted to cry to have to send them somewhere all day without knowing enough about it all. Like the first day of school every year.

When I got home from dropping them off Ric had been home to change his clothes for work (because he had been to the temple before work. WHAT? yes...it's true). He decided to start the dishwasher while I was gone. Again, WHAT? yes...true. No good deed goes unpunished.

The drain was not hooked up so water had been spraying everywhere. It soaked through all of the counters, filled the drawers with water and poured down into the bottom cupboards filling all of the dishes with water. It had also flooded the kitchen floor and of course under the sink.

I had just spent the last two days measuring, cutting and sticking paper inside all of the drawers and cupboards. Then stayed up late putting all of the dishes away and unpacking all of the food, which was covering every inch of the counters. For the very next morning to have it all ruined.

The water had soaked through most of the food-garbage. All of the paper was floating-garbage. All of the dishes wet and smelly. All of my most absorbent towels soaked. Water damage? Yeah. And a kitchen that smells like that stinky moldy under the sink smell. Gross.

I called Ric who happened to be near by. He came and fixed the dishwasher, supposedly. And went back to work. I was irritated but ok until I opened the drawers and then I just wanted to sit down and cry. I called my sister instead.

What I really needed was to go to Barros for lunch with my family on a day like today. Instead I took the little girls to BK because we couldn't eat with the gross smell. Avary asked "where are we again?" Reno. Nevada. "oh, right" And Hazel says "Mom can we go back home now? Where aNell and Gwama are? I don't like Reno" Then Avary says "well...I do like our stairs, but we don't have our swimming pool we will have to swim in the lake" Hazel "swim in the lake! where's our swimming pool!" Then a group of teenage boys come in and Hazel starts laughing and pointing and says "look those boys look funny."

You get the picture of how it went. All the while they are wearing BK crowns as they eat their chicken.

We went by the store to get Hailey's looong list of school supplies. And to let the kitchen air. And to try to forget about the kitchen.

We had to go wait for the kids to get out of school 30 min. early so I could park even remotely close to the school. Seeing how they don't care about what happens to them after the bell rings to release them. It's like releasing wild unpredictable animals.

I waited forever, but I got to look at this. While I read The Great Gatsby and listened to the girls giggle and/or scream in the backseat.


Only to find out the kids walked the wrong way down the street and they were some of the last ones left.
This is what they looked like after their first day.


And this poor fella came all hunched and dragging his feet. If he had been holding a sign I would have given him my change.


After Kaden banging his head on the table during homework Ric got home and we headed for IHOP to, once again, get away from the kitchen. We all ate too much except Hazel who ate one bite of her banana eye on her silly face pancake and said "it's gross because I'm sick, I'm going to throw up" And I'm thinking PLEASE NO! I did however make a mental note of everything she ate during the day so I will be prepared. Heaven Forbid!



Avary sat quietly and ate while Hailey told us that during recess her (insert finger quote here)"classmate" told her this school has really cute boys and she should really find a boy to like. Me and Ric just stared at her I'm not sure what either one of us were thinking. "really" was all I got out. Kade kept slipping down under the table like a floppy fish as if we were trying to force feed him. He has only had toast and 7up all week. And then Ric picked up his greasy sausage with his fingers, took a bit then picked up his fork. Gag! He had grease on his hand, fingers, fork and face. GAG! He's says "what, I've been fasting all day". I handed out wipees to all of the children.

Ric went to a meeting and then you know I took care of, bath, scriptures, prayers, books, bed, repeat bed and bed again. And then the Elders Quorum shows up at my door. Ha!

I never did open the dishwasher to see if the dishes even got clean. I don't even want to know. See what happens when I'm left by myself you get to know too much about my day..

Friday Letters

Dear Husband, you were given a calling after being in church for one hour this week. Dear Public Speaking, you make me nervous and now everyone knows who I am. Darn. Dear Flu, you made this week so miserable. I. hate. vomit. Dear Ward Members, you have been so welcoming and kind and helpful. Showing up with soup, calling around for Dr's and checking on us everyday. I can see that you are not going to let me hide away like I had planned. Dear Dishwasher, I was a little confused at the disaster you created and how quickly water can ruin things. You brought me to the brink of tears. Dear New School, I take my peeps education very seriously. I am unsure about you, please be a pleasant surprise. Dear Secret Santa, I am still amazed at how thoughtful and giving you were. Watching the kids faces while they play with all of the amazing gifts warms my heart. Things they would never ever get otherwise. Dear IHOP, you were good and your hot chocolate was warming and tasty. But you aren't Barros Pizza. Dear Snow, you were so pretty, but you melted revealing our backyard to consist of concrete and mud. Just what every mother with white carpet dreams of. Dear Ric, I am glad you are willing to drive me around after work so I don't have to pay attention to where I am going.

On the Road.

Ha! Our trip to Nevada!

My Parents and My Sis Ranell escorted me there. I joke that they knew I wouldn't go and they were afraid I might want to move in with them. Well, maybe it wasn't a joke.

The days leading up to the 1st were killer, no sleep, packing, overflowing emotions, being a zombie, too much to do. A lot of it is a blur now.

I get motion sickness so I loaded up on the Dramamine after an awful nights sleep. I now know that Dramamine and riding in a car with my kids for long periods of time don't mix. I get very grumpy and irritable. And my patience are thrown out the window. Add a high level of stress to that. Nice combination. I slept in the car in a weird position for like 4 hours. I never am able to sleep in the car. Then I am awakened to being jabbed in the ribs repeatedly, my pillow pulled out from under my head and when I turned around a blanket thrown in my face. That's when we realized what a bad combination is.

My sweet family was so kind and patient with me and I am so grateful because I needed them there to help me. Oh how I miss them!

Did you know kids can have the original Dramamine? They can.
This is what happens.

But it wears off and Hazel threw up a couple of times. Poor thing.

You want to hear something strange? When the movers were loading the truck it started snowing IN MESA! The doors were left open all day and I was freezing. Does that mean that hell froze over. Hhahaha Sounds like that's what it would take to get me to Reno.

Funny story...out in the middle of Nevada, middle of nowhere, there is a "Brothel Museum". My Dad says "What do they have there, a whole bunch of old ladies" Hahahaha Love my Dad!

We didn't stop to find out by the way.



This was before I started crying. As soon as we left the airport I got a migraine. And I've had a headache everyday since.

My sweet Dad called me yesterday to see how I am doing. It made me happy.

My First Week

It wasn't even one week when the bishop called and asked us to speak in church. They didn't even have our records yet. I tried to get out of it, but he had a come back for everything I said and I felt bad saying no.

I woke up feeling really sick but made it through my talk. It was our first Sunday. Nice.

Our ward was so friendly and nice. Two different families invited us to dinner.
The jr. primary only had 7 kids! One boy in Sunbeams and Kade and Avary's class is combined. 5 and 7yr olds? Sr. Primary was almost all girls so, Hailey was overly happy. Some girls came and introduced them selves in Sacrament to her. I think she is going to like it.

They pulled us out of class and gave Ric a calling. 2nd counselor in the Elders Quarm. That must be a record or something we had only been in church for an hour.

The last 30 min. I got a killer headache. Came home and me and Kade started throwing up and were so sick all night. Then Kade threw up all over the carpet this morning.

Rental. Nice. Nothing like scrubbing barf out of carpet when you are trying not to lose it yourself. Oh yeah, our carpet is white.

Poor Kade had such a bad headache he was laying on the kitchen floor. He was scared because he thought he needed brain surgery. He even said a prayer and told Heavenly Father he didn't want to die. It made me so sad. I know how bad that hurts. Especially since I got one the next day. Like someone smashed in your scull and is ripping your brains out kind. The kind where you panic a little because it hurts too much. The kind of sick when you sleep in the bathtub full of super hot water because you are too sick to get out. We are still sick.

The kids still aren't in school because Hailey needs a second varicella shot. How the last 3 schools missed that? I'm not sure. I've been calling around trying to find somewhere to get it. Not one Paediatrics will see us until Feb. and they were all rude too. The only option is to pay out of pocket $120. Well what if I don't have $120? It's been ticking me off.
The Elders quarm pres, stopped by my house this morning (he probably didn't recognize me i'd been sick all night) he said he saw Az licence plates and knew it must be our house. I told him about our school problem. An hour later he called, he had stopped by a few places and got a bunch of numbers for me to call on his way to work. Umm, that was so super nice of him.

I can't say I have enjoyed my first week in Reno. And this week is starting to be pretty bad too. It can only get better right. Right?

On a happier note. Kind of.



Look at poor Kade he was trying so hard to play, but couldn't.



Hazel was happy with the snowman she made.


They made his hat out of snow. Cute.

Some Christmas Fun.

I wasn't there for Ric's family stuff but it looks like they had fun.


Face Painting at their cousins 1st B-day on Ric's side.


I love these costumes for the nativity. Especially those crowns.



Crafts and a talent show.

We made marshmallow snowmen with my family.


Temple lights. Kaden looks crazy as always.


Most of the cousins on the Horne side.

Friday Letters

Dear Husband, we are now living together again. Yikes. Dear Arizona, I miss your warm sun on my face. Dear New Years Eve, you are a blur, but I remember fireworks and my family. The best. Dear Road Trip, you were long. And now we know that me on Dramamine and my kids don't mix. Dear Reno, you are cold and lonely. Dear Heating Blanket, I panicked when you went missing, but once again you came to the rescue and saved my icy toes. Dear Family, I miss you so. Dear Stairs, who knew you could entertain children for sooo many hours. Dear 2011, I will get to you, but right now I am in a fog. Freezing Fog? Maybe if I knew what that was. Dear Briana, I love you and I don't want you to leave this life. The only comfort is I know exactly where you will be going and you will be eternally happy. Dear Ric, I haven't seen you very much yet, but I am glad that you are happy.

Reno...

Well I am now a resident of Reno Nevada!

And I am officially COLD!

I hate wearing so many layers, it makes me feel fat.

It has been a hard week for me. It hasn't actually been a whole week.

Today I finally drove to check out the kids new school, the first time I have gone anywhere alone.

I have a house full of boxes and I am already tired of unpacking.

Does anyone know what freezing fog is?