The last 10 months

2010-2011

June - Big Fast Move to UT

- New Job MyEZDeal

August - Major Car Wreck 4Runner

- Small Move to Lehi

September - New Business Track Daily Deals

October - 2^nd Baby Katie Born

November - Medicaid and Wic qualified

January - Death of Sister Anjelica

February - Death of Mother Lenna

March - Broken Leg Gracie

Lets just continue with the pattern and make it a whole year...

April - ? :)

May - ? :)

I am so grateful that we have each other (spouse, kids, family, friends), our testimonies, and our Heavenly Father's love and guidance.

She got her cast today!

After 2 days of saying she was going to pick PINK, she got ORANGE!

And a little black walking shoe to help her hobble around if she learns to. She can't yet. Her leg is cast at a really awkward angle from middle thigh clear to the toes.

Wish us luck!
We just have to be "ARM" strong and patient for 1 month. Get it? Ha ha, lame attempt.

*Now it would actually be easier if she wasn't potty trained (something she finally accomplished last month). She has already wet the bed because she couldn't get up and go (I didn't hear her) and also wet her pants because we didn't get her pants down far enough. Even so I am really proud of her for finally going pee pee and poo poo regularly. She is really good at going on her own toilet, wiping, dumping it in the big toilet, and even washing it out and I don't even have to be there. I will have to write about our experience sometime - that and my delivery story of Katie and Lenna's strength and job stuff. Wow lots of stuff to write. C ya!

Cheerio in the nose and a Broken Leg!

We recently managed to stay away from the Dr.'s office when Gracie
stuck a cheerio up her nose...

I don't have pictures of this because I was busy trying to get it out. It was so far up I couldn't press on it with my finger on the outside and I needed a flashlight to see it.

1st- I tried to teach Gracie to blow her nose. "Farmer Blowing" and everything.
2nd- Tried a bulb syringe that just pushed the cheerio in farther.
3rd- Tweezers were not helpful.
4th- I just hoped it would soften up and dissolve like it does in milk. (Dumb, snot is not saliva Hollie!)
5th- My best friend Google helped us out. I found a post that said to use a vacuum to suck it out. Luke walked in just in time to help me. They used a shop vac like this with a pen tube taped on the end. We just used our normal Hoover and stuck the vacuum tube right outside her nostril. The cheerio came out on the second try. It felt so good to hear it go up the tube and see an empty nose again. And that we didn't have to go to the doctor!

Here's other ways I found just in case you need them or I do again:
- Put your mouth on their nose and suck it out.
- Plug the other nostril and blow in their mouth.
- Get the child to sneeze by plucking a nose hair out or having them smell pepper.

But we are glad we went to the doctor last Sunday because Gracie broke her leg!!
Believe it or not, all she did was slip on the last two stairs in our house when she was coming down after nap time on Saturday. We didn't see it happen but she cried for a while after. Just thinking that she sprained her foot or ankle, we let her ice it and watch TV the rest of the night. When she woke up on Sunday, she wouldn't stand or walk on it cause it hurt too bad. Nothing felt tender to her except when we pushed up on her foot. We took her to the Instacare, followed by X-rays at the hospital. Then we went back to the Instacare for a splint and got an appointment for Wednesday to get the cast.

She tries to scoot on her bum around the house, but she can only go so far for so long. SO that means we CARRY HER everywhere. That makes a car seat, a 4 month old, and a wiggly squirming 2 year old to carry around. We are all going to be really grateful when she can walk and run and play again.

For now Gracie and I did puzzles for 2 straight hours. I am afraid there will be a lot of TV watching going on for a while, I hate that. Silver lining... maybe I can get some more books written and designed for HSH while she watches.

Hoping life will give me time to write about Lenna.

So I haven't really written anything in the past about my dear and wonderful mother-in-law, Lenna, who was dealing with ALS (amylotrophic lateral sclerosis) aka Lou Gherig's Disease since her official diagnosis in Aug 2009.

There are 2 reasons for this:
1- Terminal illness is never fun to talk about, deal with, or accept.
2- Lenna did not like how the internet allows us to air all of our private news and sometimes come off insensitively.

Now that some time has passed and we've healed a little bit, we are trying to find a new rhythm of life along with all those who loved her and were closely involved.

I hope to write my thoughts and feelings more completely along with more details *soon*. I think it will be valuable to remember and read *later,* after our hearts have lumped it all into one big trial in order forget the pain. But I think there is some value in recording details I remember, good and bad. Maybe... at least it might be cathartic for me.

We miss her badly. And still have to each get our own answer and have faith as to the purpose of Heavenly Father taking her (and my sister) back home so soon!

Luke's Mom

It has been 1 week since the passing of Lenna.

All the formal things are finally over which leaves us time to work through our own thoughts and grief of our mom, sister, friend, and angel. Many other things still need to be taken care of in the future, but we don't try to think about it and plan right now. Things are all unclear. All we know is we miss our Angel Mother.

Heavenly Father and many other angels that live here and loved Lenna like we did are taking care of us.

Sledding at Walmart!

So we woke up this morning and got dressed in our matching outfits to go grocery shopping at SPRAWL-MART.





At the back of the store, Gracie found a sled and asked for a ride... (She hasn't got to go except last year when she was 1, so I obliged to show her how it worked.)

Then she had to go potty - at the front of the store. So I just pulled her in the sled right to the bathrooms. Tons of people smiled. Then she didn't want to get out...

So we did our grocery shopping in the sled!

We kept waiting for someone to tell us we couldn't do that, but no one did. Everyone we passed would SMILE, LAUGH, and TELL the person they were with to "Look at that" with exception of only a few dirty looks.

Every little kid we passed told his parents he wanted to do it too. It was tons of fun.
Here we are at check-out!

I wish I could always use a sled because Gracie was SOOOOO good. Even in the check-out line, she pulled nothing off the shelf.

Yes we did buy the sled for $4.50 on clearance and my hands were raw from pulling the rope with one hand and pushing Katie in the cart with the other.

But now I want it to snow one more time so I can show her what REAL sledding is.

Gracie, you have a crazy mom! You don't really go sledding at Walmart!
(Hey that would make a fun children's book.)

Make that 5 e-Books as of yesterday!

We are excited. Here is a link to check them out. And we have decided to offer hard copies of the books to see if that will boost sales.

Hence why I spent an hour and a half at Office Depot trying to get them printed and finding out what price we could get. Gracie danced, sat on the counter, and drew picture after picture for the employee who would then hang them on the bulletin board proudly. When that got old, Gracie went to trying on reading glasses, then dumped out some crackers and crumbs all over their counter. Then we did Ring Around the Rosies while I held Katie who was waiting patiently to eat. I got dizzy. Gracie was bored. I whipped out some Nibs to keep her from going through all the shelves. The employee was nice but taking so long cause she couldn't get her computer to figure everything out. We left without getting our books printed because we need to set up a business account with a certain guy who is going to call me to get a good discount on printing.

Gracie already hates Office Depot I know it. It is right next to Target and when we were going in their doors and not Target's, she said, "No, I want that one." Too bad Gracie, we need to make some money in here, not spend it in there!