Did You Miss Me?

I AM BACK!!!! Did you miss me??

Well I could list a bunch of excuses why I haven't blogged in a while...but I won't bore you.

But I am back...hopefully!

January to March we were busy in ski lessons and heading up to the mountain every weekend. Not a peep of complaints come from the kids, you would think we were going to Disneyland.

However, I have a handful of them every year that float freely in my mind.

To Name A Few...

"I am very cold and I haven't even left the bed."

"Boy it sure takes a long time to gather everything, there can't be another sport out there that takes more "stuff" than skiing...nope."

"Do all the kids have all 20 plus items each in order to ski today?"

"Hmm...which kid will be the one needing help getting through three layers in order to go pee at the top of the mountain?"

"Am I going to make it up the 40 year old chairlift alive today, or will THIS be the trip that it breaks and we all fall to our deaths?" (I know that is grim but I am very afraid of heights)

"Will my toes freeze before or after lunch?"

"By some miracle will Matt decide to NOT want to hike anywhere to ski today?"

"Wow...all that time to get to the top, and we are already here at the chairlift again? "

"So what year will the kids surpass my skiing skill and I can assume the position of official "hot chocolate greeter" at the end of the day. At home. Inside. Where it is warm."

Never knew I was such a downer eh? I hide it well with skiing...oh and I can go on and on! I am always secretly jumping for joy when the kids are ready to go home early, never happens though. But really, it becomes ALL worth it because seeing how much they love it and how much I love being all together makes it all worth it and keeps my complaints to myself. I clearly do not share their same passion for cold..I am mean, skiing. BUT....

My favorite part of the day is driving home together, (cuddled up against the car heater I might add) and hearing the kids and Matt (he is like a little kid after skiing) all buzz about all the cool jumps and runs they had is all worth it. I LOVE that part and not just because I am warm again...and I guess you have to endure all the other stuff in order to get to the good stuff.

But I knew I was getting into this when I married Mr. Extreme Skier Matt....so I guess I will continue to bite my tongue and complaints...it is bad I am a little giddy inside that ski season is over?

Happy Valentines Dinner

Okay so I was all ambitious this year....

You know how on Christmas Eve the stores all ready have the Valentines stuff, well I kept grabbing things here and there... I wasn't quite sure what for?

So since we are going to the Olympics over Valentines, tonight we had a Valentines dinner...so I could use all the cute stuff.



The kids loved the heart plastic champagne glasses best because they could drink it all in one shot, and clink them with each other.

Matt surprised me with two of my favorite plants...I LOVE orchids. Almost every year he gets me one, and we don't have any in the house that are currently alive. So...I told him I would take care of these two if he didn't mind.

Good Ideas?

Another year of writing the kids names x 26...

Jessica had big plans again.....let's not be ordinary...heck no.

Let's bring cupcakes mom instead of plain ol' Valentines...

Sure, sounded like a good idea 3 weeks ago. 

Horrible idea the night before.

Derby Race and President Play

Double night for us tonight. Hunter, Daddy and Logan went to the Derby race. Jessica and I headed off to her music program for her big night. She was one of the narrators. I was so proud of her because she had about 8 lines to memorize, and she didn't miss a word! Hunter did wonderful again this year. He placed first in his pack...AGAIN! Three years in a row now!

All week Jessica kept hinting she would sure think it would be neat if she received flowers after her big night. (she is funny like that, gotta love it) I tried to pretend I wasn't listening. Then she again brought it up in the car on the way there. I again acted dumb. Then I heard he quietly say, "I guess there is no flowers?". ...hee hee. I actually got her a big daffodail bouquet with a giant pink ladybug chocolate. She was overjoyed! Hee hee. Kids are so fun to mess with.

I had gotten the boys chocolate bugs too, Jess helped me put a sticker on one side that said "Congratulations!" and the other said "Better luck next time, we love you!" Because we didn't know how he did on his derby race.

Happy Third Birthday To Us!!!

Our business has made it three years! Woo hoo!

 Three years ago on Superbowl weekend our business was created and born. Lots and lots of hard work we are overjoyed at where we have gotten to. Each time we make specific goals to try to reach for that year. This year we hit our goal out of the park! AND we were able to do a couple things that we hadn't even imagined.  

In 2009 We...

Hired 4 people!!

Moved into an official building with a lease! (scary!)

Signed our first extremely LARGE reseller!

Was interviewed for the first time frome the Business Journal!
Was featured in another magazine!
Got a bookkeeper! whew, smart move.
More than exceeded our Sales Goal made last year!


This year we dreamt REALLY big, just for fun and we will see what this next year will bring. We wrote it all down, put it away to unveil next year.

Money For Haiti

Jessica came down the stairs with this today.

It says "Haydy Mony" (Haiti Money) and then an arrow pointing to the top "here".

She had transferred her previous jar of money that she was saving for the humain society to help those in Haiti. The kids are always teaching me more than I probably teach them anything.

Comfort First

 

Hunter has walked around all day today wearing this around his neck. (a vibrating travel pillow) If I picked up the camera, he would run. I was able to snap a picture when we were all playing cards. He cracks me up.

Early Morning

Usually when I wake up I will find this little one on the wii. Who knows for how long, they have to get off as soon as I awake. (the power I hold) I got a kick out of his attire to keep warm.

Life With Our Puppy Bodie

Bodie is pretty cute eh?

But he is a very busy boy these days...

A little "animal kingdom" playtime with Powder.

(yes that is Powder sitting on his face.)

 

then time for a nap...

 lots and love and kisses...

then time for another nap...

Curiosity gets Bodie in trouble...like eating my plants.

what goes in, must come out...

 Lots of IT!!! Hence, Jessica's sporting her new back yard shoes...(plastic bag pumps)

a little get to know you time...

Yes, time for another nap...

We love our little puppy Bodie...he is apart of our family now.

Don't hit a Tree!

We have an on going joke in our family. Whenever we go skiing and I always say to the kids,

"I love you and don't hit a tree!"

Well today Logan hit a tree.

After ski lessons the kids always take us down a run called castle. They love this run because is full of little jumps all along the trees.

The kids were all going down the tree line on the side of the run however Logan was going a little too fast and went smack straight into a tree full speed. Matt and I witnessed the whole thing. My heart dropped to my toes and I raced over to him bracing to see his face torn up or something worse. I couldn't get there fast enough.

His face didn't have even a scratch, so I assumed he must of taking the impact on his legs and broke something.
 Nope...all good there too.

The ski patrol came and checked him out head to toe. They asked him his name, what day of the week it was, and who the President was. He got 2 out of three.

He then got to take a fun ride down on the
tabbogan with the ski patrol to the first aid office.

All checked out great, he keeps us on our toes!

Later that day, Logan asked me who WAS the President...

Day One- Part Two

So after my

big bad test.

We had an consultation that afternoon
with Dr. Arata about the procedure.

In a nutshell.
(I will try to explain this the best I can.)
As I mentioned before, they find in almost ALL cases of people with MS, they have CCSVI
(a narrowing in your jugular or azygo veins)
But unlike other doctors performing this brand new procedure. Where they focus on angioplasty of the vein. They are focusing on the valves.



He compared it to a toilet flapper.
Ever seen on of those? When you flush it goes up and down.
This valve is what opens and closes allowing your blood to flow freely from your brain.
Well Dr. Arata is one of the few doctors who is focusing on the malfunction of this valve not working properly.

How you ask?

Well by destroying it.

Um... Don't I need that valve?
so... I don't know, my head doesn't fill with blood?


He continues to explain that by doing this, the valve is stretched open until it snaps open. And stays open. Like a rubber band. Doctors now, and how he previously preformed the surgery, they only stretched it to normal size through angioplasty.

However they were finding in 50% of the cases it made it's way back to original size because of it's rubber elastic qualities. Therefore by snapping it open it restore flow permanently.
Allowing my poor brain to BREATHE!

I need all the IQ points I can get.

So am I blocked. Will this help me??

He said that I showed a blockage in both jugulars
but would be able to see even better during the venogram.

(inside happy dance)

Since they started to use this method
in July their restenosis rate (the elastic shrinking again) has been only 1%.

So still unsure how my head won't fill up with blood??

As unlike a gall bladder or tonsils,
you kind of need this flap.
But he explained that my need to get my like back
from the grip of Multiple Sclerosis, that trumped needing the flap.

Well put I say.

Okay so I don't need it, but does my body know that?

We discussed how standing on my head is a big no no.

No prob. I can do that.

But actually you put your head upside down a lot more than you think.
-bending down to do
yoga
(well ...when I get that spurt to get back into it)
-bending down to
throwing your head under the tub faucet to wash your hair.
-bending down to
look for your kiddo's lost shoe in the big mess in the closet.
-bending down to
hair blow your hair upside down to get that voluminous look.

So I can't be a yoga master, wash my hair in a flash,
be the house shoe finder and have cool knockout hair.

That is okay. I will manage.

So after our questions were answered.

We were ready.

New Year's Eve MURDER!!

Karly- Butch Chasity ....................Kevin- The Outlaw

.........Villy- An Indian Chief ..........Tara- A Mexican Widow...

Jenn- Elvira, Brothell Owner................Matt- The Sheriff

Heather- The Rancher........Alex- The Gay Cowboy

This year we went to the Judd's for New Year's Eve. We thought it would be a perfect opportunity to do the Murder Mystery I have been dying to do. It was SOOO fun, if you are thinking of ever doing one, I highly recommend it. This group was a blast and really got into character which made it that much more funny!

I being the town slut had fun trying to come up with a modest/harlet outfit to wear.
Matt was the town Sheriff, oh it was so funny....

I ended up being the Murderer... and I didn't even know it....so watch out!

The food was amazing, Kevin caught tons and tons of fresh Crab. YUM!

What a great way to bring in the New Year.

All the kids giggled and played the whole night without a peep of complaint or whining, I couldn't believe it...we didn't even leave until 1:30am!
Hunter chatted non-stop the whole way home excited as can be, he kept saying,
"I'm not tired, I'm not tired."
Then as soon as his head hit the pillow, he was fast asleep.
Matt and I thought it was hilarious because Hunter seems to have only on and off buttons.

Emmy, Jessica and Maisy
These girls are so cute together.