New Paint

One room that we have wanted to paint is our music/guest room in the basement. Scott chose the new colors for it, as it will be his beachy themed music room. It was a dance room for the previous owners and the pink just wasn't working for us!

So we hired our favorite painter to paint over the pink. Here's the before photo...



Here's the after photo...it'll make more sense once we finish decorating, but the idea is that it's SAND and WATER!! Hence the wavy line across the wall. I'll show you more photos once we finish the decorating, but I'm excited to have the pink gone and more calming colors replacing it!

The Hair Truth!

Ok I have been keeping my hopes up these past few weeks, but I think reality is really sinking in! I'm losing my hair, lots and lots of it! I have been losing my hair for the past 3 weeks pretty intensely. It's been wild! I think I've already lived through this haven't I??? I really can't believe its happening again! No one told me this would happen....of course I am a rarity...but really, this is ridiculous!!

We thought at first my hair was coming out due to the steroids I had been on, as that has caused my hair to thin in the past. However, with how much is coming out the past 2 weeks, Scott now thinks it is a result of the chemo in my brain. That chemo was not suppposed to cross the blood/ brain barrier but it appears to us that is has! Why else would I be losing my hair?

So I can't wear my hair down anymore because it is so thin and shows bald spots like crazy. I wore it down Sunday and it was really embarrassing since there were so many bald spots! And remember my hair is curly now. I LOVED it when it was thick and curly....well that is a thing of the past!

So the past 2 days my hair has been coming out from the roots, in handfuls...it is scary beyond scary now. I'm really praying that I get to keep some...even just a little bit. It was such a journey for me before, I REALLY don't want to go through that trial again.

Keep your fingers crossed for me..I can hardly put my hair in a clip now...there isn't enough hair to put up! =(

Our Oven Project

So all those weeks I laid in bed watching home design shows I just wished I had the energy and ability to DO something about the ideas. Of course I had to wait until our life calmed down a bit!! =) Well this past weekend Scott and I decided to tackle the Oven project. The oven project has been a year in the planning so I am excited we are finally THERE!

Here are our ovens before...We had two small ovens in this space. We wanted to open the kitchen up more and so we are taking out the ovens and putting counter top where they were previously. The double ovens will be replaced with a single oven sized unit that has two ovens in one spot! It's a new oven from GE! We are replacing the white appliances with stainless ones.

Here is the progress on Friday Night. Scott and Tyler successfully removed our double oven unit!!

This was Saturday afternoon...Scott was able to cut the unit apart...what a sawdust mess..it was pretty crazy in our kitchen!

Saturday night....5 pm, this is what we have! The new unit in screwed in so it won't fall, but its several inches too low and Scott still has to build the supports for the top so that the counter top folks can work their magic. It will probably take us a few months to get this project finished but I'm excited we are started. Scott has to modify the two side cabinets before the cabinet maker can come back and measure for the new doors he is making for our lower cupboards. Meanwhile I need to find room for the dishes that were displaced removing the lower cabinet. But I am so excited to have more counter top and to have a microwave ABOVE the oven instead of on the counter top! Hooray!! I'll post photos as we progress. =)

Conference Weekend

This weekend was General Conference and it was so great to hear all the speakers and to be uplifted and inspired by them. As has been tradition the past few years, the children construct reverence tents where they listen to the talks. They take notes and do quiet activities while they listen. It's a great activity and it keeps them listening and engaged in what is going on Here are Kaylie and Cam in their tents...

Kyler had a tent but he didn't spend much time in it. One of my traditions, since before Kaylie was born, is that I scrapbook during conference sessions. It's the perfect activity because I can focus on the talks and preserve our family memories at the same time.

Well Kyler likes to be involved my crafting as well. I can't believe the mess he made punching papers and cutting papers....but I try to remember these are fleeting moments since in a few years he won't have any interest in my punches. My stamping studio will be much cleaner but also much quieter. =( So here's a picture for posterity!

Wii Fit

Well, about a month ago I started exercising a little bit 5 days a week. I put on 15 pounds due to steroids and being in bed for 6 weeks. For someone as small as me the 15 pounds makes a big difference and currently I can not wear any of my clothing except sweat pants! That doesn't really work when its in the 90's outside. I was fed up with this 'rubber ring' that I had put on (this is the third time I've had this in the past 2 years due to steroids) and wanted to do something to lose the weight.

So I decided to turn to the Wii Fit that I got for Christmas almost 2 years ago. I have determined that it is a great tool for someone recovering from surgery! It really has worked well for me to help me gradually get my strength back. If you are a really athletic person then you would laugh at what I call 'exercises' but for me, someone who could hardly walk up stairs a month ago, this is working really well for me.

I've worked up to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise and I'm so happy to see the improvement in my stamina when I exercise. The weight is slow coming off, but at least I'm trying so I try not to get discouraged. One time it took me 6 months to lose the steroid weight, all those drugs just do crazy things to my body. Anyhow I just wanted to share that I am enjoying the Wii Fit for now as my exercise tool and I am grateful that I feel well enough to actually exercise even if it is just very mild. The Wii is amazing..you should all try it out!

Grateful Reflections..

So this past week I've been reflecting on little things that I couldn't do a month ago that I am grateful to be able to do now!!

*I can drive a car! Last week I started driving again...weird but I'm glad to be self sufficient again!
*I don't have to take Ibuprofen every waking minute just to survive!
*I can open the shutters and blinds in my house and let in the light!
*I can finally sleep through the night again!! No more drugs causing me to wake up all the time.
*I can play Candy Land with Kyler!! Spending time with my kids again has been great!
*I can make my BED!! This is a huge one for me...making it means I'm not going to be getting IN it until that night. Oh I am so tired of that bed and am grateful to be out of it!
*I can kneel again! Hooray..I've had so many joint issues due to steroids..I'm not 100% back to normal but I'm doing a lot better now.

Those are just a few of the little things that I am grateful for this week in my reflections. I'm SO happy to be 100% Drug Free. That is an amazing thing for a patient with all my issues. I know I only have pockets of time where I get to be drug free but let me tell you how GRATEFUL I am for those pockets of time. I really hate how drugs affect me so much. I'm grateful to just me ME and to be semi-normal again.

Be sure to be grateful for the little things.....

Our First Pinata!

Ok so I am one of those not-so-fun Moms that does not like pinatas! I have never let my children have one before. Something about children madly swinging a bat around in desperation to whack candy all over the ground doesn't appeal to me. However I am learning that it isn't about what I like as the mom..I have three boys and for some reason boys (and their dad) seem to think that pinatas and all the madness surrounding them is cool. So, I succumbed and purchased a soccer ball pinata for the party....Here is some of the excitement...I still can't believe I did this!