A Day In The Life of Suzy Rice

2011

2010-11-19T13:01:00.003-07:00

I bought a calendar today for 2011. It's fun to look through the blank pages and wonder what I'll be doing that day. So many new days to fill with whatever I want - it's exciting. It made me think back to where I was this time last year. I was sick and in pain and was making plans for an MRI and a spinal tap. And look at me now! I survived another year. It's been a good year, a learning year and proof that we keep going in this life one step at a time. How did I get from there to here? I didn't really have a choice in the matter of time but I did have some lessons on how to spend that time. Hope is better than despair. Faith is better than self-pity. I am excited for this year and the blessings it will bring. Life is good.

hair shmair

2010-11-09T11:31:00.004-07:00

I got a haircut. And there is nothing too special about getting your hair cut except that I just had my haircut 2 months ago. How totally decadent of me! I decided (and by that I mean that my hairdresser, who I love, talked me into it) that if I have to take all kinds of pills and shots and whatever I should at least have great hair. Looking good on the outside helps you feel good on the inside, right? She brushed my hair about a thousand times. It felt amazing. I am now ready to do my chores...unless I get a better idea which requires good hair like shopping or going to lunch. Ooh, this a decadent slippery slope.

Top 1o Things About Fall

2010-11-02T11:45:00.008-06:00

Hello World! or at least my family and friends...I'm back. Back to blogging and bearing my soul and telling my most appalling secrets. I took this picture today so you could all see me and know that I'm doing well. I am bearing the burdens of life like all of you but I am well and happy.

I think a top 10 list is in order. How about "The Top 10 Things That Are Great About Fall"

10. The garden harvest. Dave has harvested the garden and we are eating garlic (if you can believe it!), red potatoes, onions, squash, zucchini, strawberries, beans, peas and tomatoes. It has been fun to eat all the "fruits of his labors".

9. The leaves on our big tree are falling. David spent a good part of Saturday raking and blowing the leaves into the garden to be tilled in. It was beautiful! Not a leaf in sight. Then before he could show me a huge gusty wind started to blow and the lawn was completely covered in leaves. Too funny! The girls helped rake the leaves and loved jumping and rolling in them. (Click on the picture to make it bigger.)

8. We did a good job avoiding Halloween. The ward had a trunk or treat and I convinced the girls that would be our trick or treating and then on Halloween we'd go to the movies. They went for it and we were so glad because it poured rain the night of Halloween. We saw Toy Story in 3D.

7. Fall is always about school for me. I love school and learning and having 3 kids at school all day has been...nice. I'm very glad for the teachers they have. Schoolwork really helps me see the individuals that they are. They are all different from each other with different strengths and weaknesses and they continue to help me see my own strengths and weaknesses. I love learning in general but especially when it comes to learning how to help my kids.

6. Fall is always the Primary Program. The kids did great this year singing and reading their parts. Annie gave a talk on miracles and we could name many miracles in our family easily. She was especially touched when she talked about when she was born - not getting enough air and needing an emergency C-section. The Lord blesses our family with miracles.

5. Fall is when I have my birthday! My kids made me a cake and Dave gave me new ski socks and I had an all day out in Salt Lake with my best friend. We had a pedicure together and ate fabulous food and found treasures and bargains. It was too much fun!

4. Going to the Red Barn. We have an apple orchard in Santaquin 10 minutes away that has a barn and they sell fresh apple cider, pumpkins, ice cream AND....apple cider doughnuts. If you've never had one, which I doubt you have, I will just tell you that they are THE BEST doughnuts ever and I feel very, very sorry for you. :)

3. Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is in 3 weeks and my mouth is already watering. We are having a cousins dinner with all Dave's cousins that live around here. It should be a grand ol' time!

2. Fall is when I start thinking about what to do for Christmas presents since all the good sales are right now. The ideas of giving and gratitude just fill the fall season. I love it! I have to buy some presents at the last minute because I'm such a horrible secret keeper!

1. The number 1 thing I love about fall is that is can wear sweaters again. I have a cute little collection that I love but I have a new goal for the rest of my life I will never buy another sweater. I will only wear sweaters that I have made myself. I love knitting and crochet more than most anything and when I see sweaters in the store I think "I could do that!" So that's my new goal and I will get to it after I knit 3 little sweaters for Christmas...somehow it's become a tradition for me to make them sweaters but the bigger they get the harder it is getting to finish on time. I could be knitting 'til Santa Claus comes this year!

Start Spreading the News

2010-05-24T15:54:00.004-06:00

Something To Pray For

2010-03-16T21:13:00.002-06:00

Now here's a change - I woke up this morning and thought, "I should tidy up a little today." Whoa - not only that but I made dinner and paid the bills. I think I'm officially feeling better. I even put my knitting away (the only thing I've done for 2 weeks). My pain on a scale of 0-10 is 0.5, if that. Here's me putting my arms up in the air and imitating an angel choir. DISCLAIMER: For all my supporters who believe I overdo it - I DIDN'T - I just took care of a few important things.
Thank you for helping me weather the storm of that hideous Saturday and the previous week of pain. I love your comments. I may be bringing you a video of me and Hubby doing the Dance of Joy very soon. Now there's something to pray for!

Ch - Ch - Ch - Changes

2010-03-14T20:47:00.002-06:00

So today I was released from Primary and put in Young Womens (2nd counselor). I'm excited for the change. I felt a little better today (despite bawling through Sacrament meeting - I hate it when I do that!) The YW president said she's been waiting for me to be called to have the quarterly planning meeting so I've got to get my brain in gear and start thinking activities for teenagers instead of singing games for little kids. Yikes! I'm sure it will be fun and I will get to sit by my dear hubby in Sunday School. That hasn't happened in 5 years!

Spoke Too Soon

2010-03-13T21:24:00.003-07:00

I may have spoke too soon. I am still holding on to the Balki dance dream however all I've done today is watch the clock and count how many more hours until I can take more pain killers. I've decided that my constant dull eye-ache is a lot like Chinese water torture. The past 12 days of annoying pokes of pain in the head have worn me down. Today I was closer to crazy than I would like to be. I was dressed by 11am mostly because every time my dear Hubby saw me in bed he would unknowingly let out a deep sigh that broke my heart. He coaxed me out of my room with the gift of a fire in the fireplace all day long. It rained and snowed all day today and the fire was divine.

My dearest readers, post me a happy thought please.

I'm grateful for my eyes even though one of them hurts - at least they still see.

The Dance of Joy

2010-03-11T21:22:00.002-07:00

I am very glad today because I think my eye is getting better. I have had 2 good days in a row with hardly any pain. I havn't lost any vision - the light is more dim in my right eye, like a few light bulbs in the chandelier are burned out - that's all. I am very happy and am continuing to take it easy. If I can get over this without steroids I will do the Dance of Joy. (Anyone remember Balki on Perfect Strangers and his Dance of Joy? That will be me.)

Pictures of the Sweeties

2010-03-10T21:19:00.006-07:00

This is Sweetie #1 at her birthday party at Color Me Mine. It's a place where you paint ceramic things and they glaze and fire them for you. She made a turtle piggy bank. She is wearing a birthday cake hat with candles and strawberries on it. We made her wear it all day. She loved it. I found it at Ikea.

Sweetie #2 made a real piggy bank. She loved the paint pens to make dots all over it and write her name.

This is Sweetie #3's costume for Dr. Seuss day. She is a Zink Who Drinks Pink Ink (obviously).

Top 10 Things I've Missed Telling You

2010-03-09T19:30:00.004-07:00

Technical difficulties have kept me from my blog for too long now but I'm back. I feel like so much has happened in the past 6 weeks. Life moves so fast. The only thing you can count on is change. So in honor of all things I've missed telling you I will write about the Top 10 Things I've Missed Telling You.

1. At the end of January I decided to try a nutritional experiment. First I removed milk from my diet and it was a revelation of "I didn't know I could feel this good!" Now I have gone completely vegan (no milk, meat, eggs, refined sugars/flour) and I am loving it! It hasn't really been that hard to do. The only hard part is eating out and eating at other people's houses but I'm discovering new things to try and places to go everyday.

2. I read a fabulous book. "The Robe" by Lloyd C. Douglas is excellent and I recommend reading it before Easter. It is historical fiction about the Roman soldier who gambled for Jesus' robe. I was thoroughly inspired and actually pictured myself in the story many times. It's 500 pages of small print but SO WORTH IT!

3. My oldest Sweetie turned 10. 10! And she's really tall too. She's absolutely darling and I'm so proud of her but seriously it makes me feel like I'm at the top of the roller coaster ride with no idea what I'm in for.

4. I got a new calling but I can't tell you what it is yet. I've been in Primary for literally EVER and have really enjoyed it. Just last week I taught verses 1-8 of Follow the Prophet in 20 minutes with actions and the spinner from the Twister game. I'm pretty sure that beats whatever they're doing in Sunday School. I will be sad to leave Primary.

5. I had my house totally clean for 4 days. It was heavenly and gone in the blink of an eye. Actually I'm not quite sure it wasn't just a dream. Hmmmm....

6. All the snow melted on my front lawn. We've been skiing a few times last month but the snow is getting hard and crunchy. Winter is almost over here in Utah. We've had a fun time skiing this year. It's been a great distraction from my health issues. I will have a video when I get the Webbie working with the newly "fixed" computer.

7. My dear hubby went to Florida on business for a week in February. He had fun, worked hard and ate delicious food. It always amazes me how utterly depressed I am without him and how quickly I forget that. I think I'm all independent and fearless - you should have seen me not leave the couch for the first 3 days he was gone.

8. As soon as he got back from Florida we went to his grandpa's funeral. It was a nice funeral and we were glad grandpa was finally free from his body and senile mind but it felt like a hero had fallen. My dear Hubby recollected that, "He taught me how to be a man." A stirring tribute.

9. Allow me a moment now of total celebration and utter vanity. I just bought my first pair of size 12 jeans from Old Navy in probably 10 years. Good bye size 14 - I will not miss you - I know you're only 12 pounds away but I'm not looking back.

10. And last but not least, at the end of these wonderful 6 weeks, I am experiencing eye pain again. I am not kidding. It's been only 4 months since my last episode of optic neuritis. This time has been a little different so I am not on steroids right now. I am waiting and watching. The pain has not been as bad and it seems to be taking longer to affect my vision. The light in my right eye is dim but I can see out of it. I feel a dull ache that gets very tiresome by the end of the day. Moving on ... all is well... all is well.

Loads and Loads and Loads

2010-01-24T20:36:00.003-07:00

My washer and dryer are thankful it is Sunday and I am thankful for my washer and dryer. They have literally run non-stop since the day I smoked my entire house with burnt beans. EVERYTHING has to be washed. I have to admit, despite it being Sunday, my dear Hubby had to wash his Sunday shirt this morning before his meeting and we've unwillingly but necessarily done 3 loads since that one. He's even putting a load in as I am typing this. Still though only 4 loads today compared to yesterdays 15 loads and the day befores 10 loads but that was mostly big blankets and sheets. Today has been a welcomed day of rest from the laundry.

My dear Hubby declared this morning that if no one got a comment like a few we've had this week ("Hey, Sweetie, when did your mom start smoking?") we would have a celebration. I can report that we were able to go to church and not stink. It was a miracle! We feasted on Swedish fish, chocolate cream cheese fudge from Christmas and the satisfaction of not being the "stinky kid" anymore. Oh, you know the "stinky kid". It's a hard life being the "stinky kid", just ask us.

This week I'm making my dreams come true and cleaning my carpets and couches. There is not a worse torture than cleaning in your sleep and having to wake up and do it all over again. At least I've been able to stop getting up in the night to walk around sniffing every room only to confirm that yes, everything still smells and the children are not dying of carbon monoxide poisoning in their sleep. There's always a plus side.

How To Make Your House Smell Like A Burned Burrito

2010-01-21T21:49:00.003-07:00

Today I did the dumbest thing I have done in a long time. I decided to cook some dry beans. The recipe said they would simmer for 4 hours. I put them on the stove to cook and was reading the recipe. I realized I was missing an ingredient and decided since I still had 3 more hours on the beans I would run to the store. Well, I grabbed a few things, I admit more than I planned, and when I got home the fire alarm was on and smoke was floor to ceiling in every room. We've been washing walls and floors and carpets and couches and tomorrow will be the hugest laundry day in the history of my life. That was so dumb of me!

To make myself feel better I will make a list of the top 10 things worse than a smokey house.

1. spinal tap with blood patch
2. brain surgery
3. brain surgery
4. brain surgery
5. being allergic to morphine
6. emergency C-section
7. debt
8. husband in an accident
9. being stranded in the Denver Airport for 8 hours over night with a 1 year old.
10.driving home from Calgary in the winter on black ice and getting a flat tire at 8pm in Dubois Idaho. SO COLD...(shiver)

See? It could be worse. I'm grateful that not a single one of those 10 things happened today.

Sunday Best

2010-01-17T19:27:00.002-07:00

Hello all,

It was a good Sunday. My favorite part of church today was a quote from a lady's talk. She said, "In the end, we don't have to worry if the good guys will win. They will. The only thing we need to worry about is whether or not we're one of the good guys." I liked the way she said it.

I'm grateful for being able to hear the experiences of others at church. Another lady told a story about herself. When she was newly married with a one month old baby her husband died in a car accident. She explained how General Conference was a few days later and she was given counsel in Conference that was directly and specifically for her. She said that as remarkable as it seems she's had that happen many times in her life. I like that we can all receive the same hope from the gospel to our many different challenges.

We Got Trouble, With A Capital T, That Rhymes With SKI

2010-01-16T19:19:00.004-07:00

We went skiing today and the Sweeties are improving every time. With that said, Sweetie #3 got totally busted after running into her dad, her sister, flying past her mother with a terrified look on her face but swore she liked it and uttering the words, "Hey Dad, I triple-dog-dare you to ski straight all the way down the mountain." No lie. Those were the exact words. So after lunch she was put on probation and served her sentence at Mom's Ski School making 35 turns per run for the rest of the afternoon.

It was a great day!

With that said, since my dear Hubby required us to leave at 8:00am by 2:30pm we were so exhausted that the Sweeties were barely speaking to each other. They had to be put on probation with no talking allowed and a mandatory nap taken on the car ride home and my dear Hubby was on probation for complaining about having to leave the slopes while it was still daylight. What can I say? We're loving it.

Something Good

2010-01-15T19:29:00.002-07:00

My favorite thing today!

The Write Stuff

2010-01-14T20:57:00.003-07:00

I have officially begun working on my new project. After thinking about it for a long time I have decided to build a website. It's exciting and fun and HARD! As I've tried to make things work today I am amazed at how time-consuming it all is. Now I'm fighting my obsessive tendencies to not work on it night, day and in between only to inevitably burn out and get sick. And yes, I have literally worked on it in my sleep.

I'm doing well at balancing my life so far but the learning curve is huge. But we all know that I love learning. It's so hard not to obsess. I'm staying strong. In fact, after I write this blog post I will turn off the computer and walk away. As my BFF says, "Moving on....moving on."

It's so humbling to see some of the best parts of me turn into my worst as my drive to build and create takes me over a cliff. I'm determined to not let that happen.

I'm not ready to reveal the website just yet but you'll be the first to know when it's up and running. (Hint: it's for teachers) It could take a while since I have a lot of writing to do.

I'm so grateful for opportunities to learn and grow and overcome.

Piano Players

2010-01-12T20:31:00.003-07:00

I had a busy day today but my favorite part of the day was at the end. After dinner I had a piano lesson with Sweetie #3 and afterwards the other Sweeties practiced for their lessons later this week. It was so fun to have all my girls playing the piano. I've tried many times to teach them - all ending in frustrated failure - so this time I wasn't really excited to start up again. They begged me! Really begged me and have practiced without a fuss. I am thrilled that they are enjoying it as well. Our lessons are about 15 minutes and we go over 2 or 3 songs. It's fun.

Eyes To See and Ears To Hear

2010-01-10T20:07:00.003-07:00

I've struggled to write this week... I've sat here for 20 minutes trying to think of something to write. Of course I'm grateful for things...things...what things... When life is crazy and things are bad it seems easy to be grateful for some blessing that I used to have but when life is good and things are normal it's easy to forget the miracles all around. This is where I am today. I know I have bountiful blessings but my eyes don't seem to be open to them. I see the work, the everyday issues and the peeves.

It reminds me of this quote by Elder Melvin J. Ballard.

"I recognize … with my brethren that the sorest trials that have ever come to the church in any age of the world are the trials of peace and prosperity. But we are going to do a new thing. A thing that has never been done before. We are going to take the church of Christ not only through the age of persecution and mob violence, we are going to take the church through peace and prosperity. … It was not the design and intention of the Lord to have his people always in suffering, bondage and distress. They will come to peace and prosperity, but it will be the sorest trial that will ever come to them."

I think this is so interesting. I just had 2 bad months and saw blessings everywhere. This last week has been my first normal "back in the saddle again" kind of week and I'm very happy but I'm not recognizing my blessings as easily.

So today I will be grateful for peace and prosperity and blessings I cannot see.

Happy Days

2010-01-09T22:00:00.003-07:00

Today I am grateful for grateful kids. It is so cute to listen to how grateful the Sweeties are for learning how to ski this winter. We skied all day and even tried the blue runs. They were loving it so much that one run they sang all the way down the mountain some made up happy song. It took us 1 month to get to this point and it was worth it for a day like today. I am so proud of the Sweeties. Now I have a week to recover and be ready for next Saturday. I hope I can walk at church tomorrow.

Life Is Good

2010-01-07T22:03:00.003-07:00

It has been a wonderful week with kids back to school and the Hubby back to work. I have been busy putting away the Christmas stuff (you know, one day to take down the tree, one day to look at the boxes all over the floor, one more day to get it in storage) and finally getting to some chores that have been waiting for me since my Nov/Dec episodes. It's been an all-round week of feeling that life is good. We're all enjoying a little space during the day and happy to be together again at night.

Here's a link to a funny clip I saw today of a comedian on Conan O'Brien called "Everything is amazing and nobody is happy." He has a funny spin on the need for gratitude.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8m5d0_everything-is-amazing-and-nobody-is_fun

Top Ten Moments From Sweetie #3 Over the Past 3 Days

2010-01-05T22:56:00.003-07:00

1. Today her tooth finally fell out after a month of just hanging there and the new tooth already grown in behind it. We were forbidden from touching it.

2. Last night she said the prayer which included blessing the cats and the mice that they won't eat all the cheese.

3. After playing ABBA Singstar (karaoke) everyday since Christmas she was found playing in her room and singing, "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme A Man After Midnight." -whoops

4. On Sunday she was asked which new Primary class she was attending and her response was "CTR 15". (Which seems an oddly logically step for her.)

5. Today she agreed to try to obey her mother before she gets to 1,2,3. It's her New Years Resolution.

6. She nicknamed herself Geeboo and the rest of the family Deeboo, Seeboo, Skiboo, and Zeeboo.

7. She was home all day with me and missed her sisters so much that the minute they got home she started pestering them to no end and sent Sweetie #1 off the deep end by sitting right beside her on the couch while she was reading and ate an orange as loudly as possible. "What? I'm just eating an orange!"

8. Her aunt gave her an old cellphone that has ringtones called the "Alarm Clock Cellphone" and she plays her favorite song, "Super Freak" over and over and dances her heart out, especially in front of the mirror.

9. On Sunday she asked me to curl her hair. I had the spiral curling iron hot so I tried to spiral her hair but her hair is a little short so it ended up very poofy but very cute. She took one look at it and "That's too poofy" and left. 5 minutes later I saw her look in the mirror and make faces while saying, "I hate it. I hate it. I hate it." It was really cute. I remembered being 6 for a minute.

10. We went to Wal-Mart first thing this morning and her grandma gave her a $5 gift card and she couldn't hardly wait to spend it. At the check-out she decided to buy a King size 3 Musketeers. She agreed to wait until lunch to eat it and had the entire thing polished off before we got home. She had quite a stomach ache but agreed that next time she would listen to me.

Think - Do - Become

2010-01-03T20:06:00.003-07:00

It's time for another Sunday Sermon. I was reading in a little book called "Saying It Like It Is", by Sheri Dew at my aunt's house. Her book has page after page of fantastic pieces of wisdom said in a very direct way. The quote that made my really feel the Spirt was about all of us living now - in the last dispensation. She said that Mary and Esther were amazing and wonderful examples of righteousness but they were not fore-ordained to live during the last days - we were. As I've thought about this I've really felt a sense of responsibility, like I need to learn to be strong and walk by faith so I can be happy but also so I can help others to do the same. It doesn't seem like such a mind-blowing concept but making it a reality in everyday life can be sometimes.

As the Primary song leader, I've decided to bear my testimony every Sunday to the kids. We sing about so many wonderful things that can be hard to understand. I want them to know - like I know - that what we teach and sing about Jesus in Primary is true.

I'm grateful that my faith has grown to the point where I feel the responsibility to act upon it.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T22:11:00.004-07:00

We had a fabulous New Years Eve sleepover with my aunt and uncle in Utah. They put on an awesome party and we ate and ate and ate and played games until we could barely keep our eyes open. It was so fun and a great start to the new year! The Sweeties even got to make our stylin' glasses. So much fun!

Bring On 2010!

2009-12-30T22:00:00.002-07:00

For the record, I still am unable to walk properly since skiing on Monday. My leg muscles are angry!

Today we hung out around the house and started feeling cooped up for the first time this holiday season. I love the Sweeties and I love it when they go to school... :)

I've had many thoughts about my new New Years Resolution. This is my third year actually making resolutions and I seem to do better when I have a theme for the year rather than a list of too many things to do or remember. I started 2008 with "Forgiveness" as my theme and really worked hard at generally just getting over it. I had a few people I needed to free myself from and I felt a sort of inner healing take place. This past year, 2009, my theme was "Food Storage" and I did ok. Mom saved me at the end by giving us food storage for Christmas. But I did work at preparing a place to put some of it even though I didn't buy very much. So this year my theme is "Finding Balance" and we know that only heaven can help me with this so I am adding a scripture to the theme. It is the one that says when you put God first in your life everything else will fall into place. I have a lot of ideas of things I want to do this year but I am going to try to only do the best ones for me and my family and walk by faith more than I have been.

I am grateful for fresh starts.

Glory Part 3

2009-12-28T21:54:00.003-07:00

More Glory

2009-12-28T21:47:00.002-07:00

The Glory

2009-12-28T21:37:00.002-07:00

A Friend in the Kitchen

2009-12-27T20:28:00.003-07:00

I have a funny story to tell about my efforts to think positively.

The other day when everyone was skiing I was doing a little cleaning and I started wiping down the kitchen counters. I got to the stove and gasped. My dear Hubby had left a spaghetti sauce mess that, let me put it like this, if we took it to the Museum of Modern Art he would be declared the next Jackson Pollack. Argh! And baked on too! So I started in with the "...of course he would leave this for me..." and the "...what was he thinking!" I stopped and thought "wait a minute...don't go there." Here's what came next:

"Thank you stove. You have been so good to us for the past 10 years. You have made many delicious meals for us and I am grateful. We are very hard on you. I will bless you now with a clean stove top. The dear Hubby means well. He cooked dinner last night when I couldn't and I am grateful for him too."

After three more scrape, scrape, scrapes I was done and I felt so much better. If I have to clean his messes for the rest of my life (which I will) it will be the least I can do. I'm so lucky. I will however try not to make a habit of talking to my kitchen appliances.

Zhu Zhu Pets

2009-12-26T08:40:00.002-07:00

Playstation Surprise

2009-12-26T08:16:00.003-07:00

Christmas09

2009-12-25T16:05:00.003-07:00

I'll Be Home For Christmas...If Only In My Dreams

2009-12-24T21:45:00.003-07:00

It's Christmas Eve and my happy thought for today is my family. Near and far, wherever you are, know we love you and have missed you today. We had our own Christmas Eve family night with songs and scriptures and opening new pjs. We had a very nice time together.

The Sweeties made cookies for Santa this afternoon. They had a blast rolling out the dough, using cookie cutters, icing them and mixing the colors to make new colors. Sweetie #2 made purple ( her favorite color) from red and blue icing and was quite proud. The Suzy Claus will be most grateful for them after a long night of wrapping. :)

Love you all!

Balancing Act

2009-12-23T22:02:00.003-07:00

I first have to say thank you to everyone who has celebrated my good news with me! I feel so loved.

Today Dr. Ice took the Sweeties skiing all day. He even packed their lunch! The Sweeties are getting really good. They took the chair lift 7 times! No one seems to be able to keep up to Sweetie #3 - she's a natural. We told her that she needed to turn more and her answer was, "But then I'll slow down..."

So while I was alone all day I thought I would practice my New Years resolution - find balance. This is something I have struggled with in the past and am going to work on it all year. I decided to practice not finishing things. I know that sounds weird but let me explain... take the laundry, for example, I will let it go for a week or two and then find myself doing the laundry for an entire day or two and nothing else gets done so then I have to get the kitchen caught up since I've done nothing but laundry for days. I seem to think that cleaning my room involves a complete over haul including rearranging the furniture and a re-style of the pictures on the wall. I'm kind of all or nothing when it comes to my life and I need to change.

So back to today, on purpose, I half finished all my chores. I only did 2 loads of laundry, I made my bed and left the clothes, I did my hair but not my makeup, I swept the floor in the living room but did not organize all the CDs and DVDs or dust. I was only online for a little while and only made 1 phone call. I was putting something away in the kitchen cupboard and had to fight the old me to not take everything out of the cupboards and reorganize it all. If I had done that I would not have been able to fold the laundry and put it away and get the mess out of the hallway. So it was for the best. I am learning.

Sound The All Clear

2009-12-22T19:38:00.002-07:00

Today the nurse called from Western Neurological. She said that all of my tests were normal and to come back in a year! Hooray and Merry Christmas! I am very glad. We talked about how 50% of the people who get Optic Neuritis never develop MS and I could be in that group. I am relieved and feeling ready for some New Years Resolutions. Do you think I could blog AND exercise everyday? How about eat more vegetables AND take vitamins? I'm not sure how far I need to go but clearly I have to do all I can to be healthy now.

But this Christmas, I will be sure to get equal time with the Zhu Zhu pets so we can all be slowly poisoned together. How festive...

Suzy Claus

2009-12-21T21:05:00.003-07:00

Today is my 11th wedding anniversary. At 5:00pm we got dressed up spiffy and went out to dinner. It was fun. The previous 5 hours were spent Christmas shopping WITH the Sweeties so we definitely needed the baby-sitter take over as soon as we got home.

I had a Santa moment this morning. The Sweeties have been wanting these Zhu Zhu pet things. They are stuffed animal hamsters that make noises when you press their nose. They are made in China and have been on the news for having poisonous chemicals on them or something weird. They are $8 and people have been lining up for hours to get one. And I mean only one because they are limited to one Zhu Zhu pet per customer. I have been totally against them since I heard people are buying them and selling them on ebay for $60. The stores have been out for a long time and I knew I would never get one even if I wanted to. I've been telling the girls to just forget about it.

So, today at Walmart I'm getting stocking stuffer stuff and low and behold, I am standing in front of a shelf of about 12 Zhu Zhu pets. There is a sign below saying one per customer blah. blah, blah...and they really were so cute... and it melted my cold-heart to think of the Sweeties on Christmas morning... and I royally got sucked in....and threw 3 in my cart and headed to the checkout.

The checkout guy says, "Oh, I thought they were limiting these..." I'm like, "They were on the shelf..." He says, "Hmmm..." and scans them and throws them in the bag. Hooray for Suzy Claus!

Came Out Smelling Like A Rose

2009-12-20T20:08:00.004-07:00

Today has been a good day. The best I've felt all week, in fact. I look forward to a great week of Christmas. I plan on doing a little Christmas shopping tomorrow and going out to dinner for my anniversary.

I've been thinking about how this past week's experience has been different for me than in the past. I really accepted and surrendered to the whole thing. I had a lot of help from the Relief Society. In the past having help from people, real help like driving kids to school and making dinners, has stressed me out and made me feel like a failure. It makes no sense but I held it against myself for not being able to do my job the way I wanted to. It's just my pride and this time I was able to accept the help for the blessing it is. I was uncomfortable and in pain but I did not stress-out. I knew my family was fine and I would be fine and get the help I needed. It was hard but peaceful. I've had a break through even though I don't entirely understand it.

Acknowledging the everyday miracles has made my mind open to the idea that I am being protected and taken care of daily as the events in my life unfold. I don't have to franticly pray and beg for things to change. I can trust the process.

In one of my favorite books, "Kitchen Table Wisdom" by Rachel Naomi Remen she talks about how life is a process and compares it to a rose bush. She says, "I can learn to prune, to nurture and cooperate with it in ways that allow it best to "happen," to maximize the life force in it."

I feel as though I've had a little pruning done. The best part of this comparison is knowing that the pruning has been done by the Master Gardener, who knows me and knows how to help me reach my full potential. And I'm greatful.

Funnies

2009-12-19T18:22:00.005-07:00

Weak Week

2009-12-18T19:35:00.003-07:00

Is Monday over yet? Seriously, I feel like these past 5 days have just been one looonnnggg day. When you don't ever get out of bed the nighttime feels like just another nap interrupted by pills and little drinks of water. Needless to say, my day of tests in Salt Lake morphed into something else entirely. I'll fill you in.

Monday, Dave and I arrived bright and early to the doctor's office jittery and anxious. I had the worst MRI I've ever endured. Despite my best efforts to play the song game I could only come up with one song, Bon Jovi's "Bad Medicine, and for an hour repeated 3 sentences of a positive affirmation about a thousand times trying to control my breathing and hold still.

I was already light-headed from my hour of panic and then had 11 viles of blood taken. The spinal tap was the easiest procedure that day. Everything went perfect and it hardly hurt at all. I followed all the instructions to the letter and laid flat for 24 hours to the minute. I had to have a pillow under my hips and nothing under my head and I was very grateful for the pillow I was missing and had taken for granted my entire life. An excellent example of "you don't know what you've got til its gone".

Tuesday, I got up to take a shower and it hit me hard...the post spinal headache. This is a terrible name for what happened since it was more like being hit between the eyes with an ice pick than a headache. Every time I tried to sit or stand the ice pick dug in and when I laid down flat it was gone. To quickly explain, the procedure to collect spinal fluid required poking through the membrane that separated the fluid from everything else. That hole is supposed to close in 24 hours. In my case the hole did not close and continued to leak fluid into the spinal cavity so the spinal fluid could not equalize upon standing and caused great pain. The only way I could feel relatively pain-free was the head lower that the hips position. So Tuesday I was grateful for being able to get up in any way shape or form. Another excellent example of "you don't know what you've got til its gone".

Because the doctor will not recommend anything to help with the post spinal headache until exactly 48 hours after the procedure, I waited for phone calls to be returned for most of the day and a suggestion to get as much caffeine in me as fast as I could. My guardian angel brought Excedrin and a 2 litre of Coke and I started to feel ok. Anything was an improvement from ice pick between the eyes and I continued to hope for the hole to close on its own while still laying on my head. PS- Drinking an entire 2 litre of Coke in one day is the grossest thing ever. Just thinking of it is turning my stomach...and I like Coke...not anymore... So Wednesday I was thankful for The Sing-Off. It's this bubbly, fun show about a Capella singers on NBC that ran for 2 hours that night giving me a little happiness and enjoyment. The finale is Monday - I recommend it.

Thursday, I got the go ahead to meet an anesthesiologist at the hospital for a blood patch. This is an interesting little phenomena that continues to weird me out. I have had weird things done to me while under anesthesia but they did this while I was awake and it's weird. I laid on my side in the fetal position and put out my arm. The nurse took blood from my arm and handed it over me to the doctor who then pushed that same blood into my spinal cavity. It was a lot of blood and my spinal column felt like a thick, hard marshmallow. Oh and they poked into both of the holes the other doctor's used on Monday so that felt good. The idea is that the blood finds the hole in the membrane that hasn't closed and clots there closing it up. It worked instantly however I now had to lay flat for another 24 hours. Apparently, if I coughed or sneezed I could blow the clot and be back to square one...nice. So Thursday, I was thankful for heating pads because I traded my ice-pick-between-the-eyes for a backache. Heating pads are really good. I can't believe I didn't own one before. I have all kinds of plans for my new heating pad this winter.

So today is Friday and I feel like I just woke up from a comma. I can stand and sit for little whiles and my head doesn't hurt at all and my back feels sore but I'm not complaining. So here's what I'm super grateful for today: the hot pink fleece suit that I have worn everyday this week. That was so worth it. When you feel like crud it's important to have a great outfit...seriously. As my dear hubby put it, "When you've lost all dignity, at least you have your vanity." So true, so true. He offered to wash it last night and have it ready for today but I couldn't take it off for that long.

So, I'm back and you're all caught up. See ya tomorrow. :)

Top Ten Best Things About Having 3 Medical Procedures In One Day

2009-12-13T19:13:00.002-07:00

Tomorrow I will be in Salt Lake for an MRI, blood work and a spinal tap. To put my Pollyanna project to the test I will come up with 10 great things about having 3 medical procedures done in one day. Here it goes:

1. Having them all done in 1 day is way better than say, 3 weeks apart. It's like taking a deep breath and ripping the band aid off. Just get 'er done! (Ok, that example is feeling a little too close to home right now...I am regretting thinking of it...how durst I!)

2. With all my nervous energy I cleaned the laundry room. This needs to be put it its proper perspective. The laundry room is NEVER clean. It is the one room that hides all the stuff I don't want to see. It is the room where everything goes that we don't know where it goes. It is the guilty thought that plagues me every time I sit down and watch Bonnie Hunt's talk show at 2pm. "You know you could clean the laundry room instead of being lazy and watching TV..." the voice in my head says but I never listen. Instead I have been waiting for a 3-medical-procedures-in-one-day day to get it all done...been planning it for years.

3. Along with the cleaning theme, a Sweetie asked me this afternoon if we were having company since she said, "You never clean unless somebody's coming to visit." Thanks sweetie, no company, just 3-medical-procedures-in-one-day.

4. I had 1 day this week where I was ordered to do nothing by 2 different loved ones. I thought it would be hard and annoying but about 1/2 hour into my movie I was hooked and even extended it to the next day. When I say movie, I mean the Lord of the Rings extended version trilogy, to be clear. A sure fire cure for any week-long headache.

5. My dear Hubby has taken 2 days off of work to go with me and help me. He's the best!

6. I'm looking forward to having another MRI because I have missed playing my MRI game. Yes, I have an MRI game. It is, of course, a music game. The MRI machine makes loud taps and beeps in different patterns and I try to figure out a song that goes with the rhythm and sing the song until they change the pattern. Last time I had a Rolling Stones song in my head for days afterward.

7. I get to have more practice at my "Mental Vacation Technique". I use this anytime I am poked with a needle. I start with the deep breathing and then close my eyes and mentally lay back on the sand and watch the waves roll in. 80% of the time I do not faint.

8. I have never had a spinal tap before but I am told that I will have to lay totally flat for 24 hours. Since it is an hour drive home I have to bring pillows and lay flat on the backseat of the van with my legs in the air the whole way home. I have never driven in a car that way, have you?

9. I feel so much support from all my loved ones. It is truly great to feel cared about and watched over. I love your comments and sharing this blog with you.

10. The best thing about having 3-medical-procedures-in-one-day is that you get a new outfit. I made this rule and I think it's a great one. I have a brand new Old Navy hot pink polar fleece sweatpant and jacket set waiting for me to put on first thing tomorrow morning. I can't wait.

Work Hard, Play Hard

2009-12-12T19:37:00.002-07:00

For 2 days we have been skiing at Sundance ski resort, 30 minutes away from our house. It is hard work to have so much fun! And I am thoroughly exhausted. The Sweeties have pretty much covered the entire emotional gamut and tonight have concluded that skiing is awesome.

The first lesson they've learned is how to get up when they have fallen. This is a critical lesson and even after doing it a hundred times in a couple of hours it doesn't really get easier. They have the knowledge of how to do it after lots of practice but the actual getting up part is always work. Isn't that a life lesson?

I love that they are being challenged and are choosing to get up each and every time. They are finding their power.

Ski Lessons

2009-12-10T22:04:00.004-07:00

At 3:00pm this afternoon the sun was shining bright and I decided to take the girls to a hill down the street and have a little ski lesson. Well, it was I who learned a thing or two. First of all, getting 3 kids ready to ski for the first time is a full hour of work and we never could get Sweetie #2's boots on. Her feet have grown since we bought them...(sigh)

I was really enjoying the whole process though. Getting all bundled up is fun especially getting to wear the snow pants I got for my birthday and my hot pink Sorels from high school. I was reaching down deep and pulling out my inner Canadian which, I'm sorry to say, was very deep down there.

Today I was the Suzy of 1992 tobogganing down in Fish Creek Park for hours. Running up and down the hill with glee, only this time I had little girls attached to me saying things like, "I didn't know skiing was going to be like this," and "I think I better sit down before I break my ankle."

I knew there had to be a first time and it wasn't going to be great and a non-great-first-time we had. Which means that it can only get better, right? Well, I had fun and the Sweeties had their eyes opened to a whole new world. A world that I loved as a kid and today made me feel like a kid again. Did I mention that I had fun?

Sweet Is The Peace

2009-12-09T19:46:00.003-07:00

I was under strict orders today to do absolutely nothing. After the terrible headache that started Monday night and escalated all Tuesday I woke up today and it was gone. I stayed home and watched movies and knitted and ate the kids lunch snacks - that's it - for the whole day except for a small encounter with my neighbor.

My neighbor across the street is a man about 60 years old and lives alone and never leaves his house except to let the dog out. I don't know anything about him except that his elderly mother comes to visit him regularly and his son comes to mow his lawn and shovel his snow.

I made key lime pie tarts to give to my neighbors for Christmas gifts and have a bunch in the fridge, so when I got home from picking up the Sweeties from school and he was letting the dog out I ran into the house and put 2 on a plate for him and ran over.

He saw me coming and waited while I waited for the Sweeties who followed me to cross the street. (I don't know if they were following me or the tarts...) I said Hello and Merry Christmas and he said Thank you. I had this feeling of overwhelming sadness. I can't explain it. I felt so sad near him. I was so glad to have those 2 tarts to give him because in that moment I would have given him anything to make him happy again. And it's weird because he didn't have a sad face. He was very kind and mentioned having a white Christmas and shoveling snow and yet for 5 full minutes all I wanted to do was shelter myself from his despair.

I'm so glad that my home feels peaceful. I am so glad that I feel peace in my soul. Despite my ups and downs I feel the peace that comes from righteous living and I am grateful for that today.

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

2009-12-08T20:16:00.003-07:00

Payson has had at least a foot of snow in the last 2 days! This is the first snow of the year for us. Last week we were going for walks and now I'm getting some seriously good use out of my new snow tires. Driving around on my snow tires has been the highlight of the day. Busting through snow banks and little fishtails around the corners is so fun!

My head has been pounding for at least 2 hours tonight and has hurt all day so I'm not going to write anymore. Talk to you later.

Music To My Ears

2009-12-07T13:51:00.005-07:00

Today my goal has been to find the floor. Since we've had company and then brought out all the Christmas stuff I'm finding the piles in the corners getting bigger and dustier.

So I've been playing CD's to get me moving. My dear Hubby has probably the largest CD collection of any person I know not working in the music industry. As I've searched for my favorite songs to play and clean too, I've been surprised how much searching I really have to do to.

Anyone need to borrow The Enchanted Forest Melodies of Japan? How about Prefab Sprout? As I look for a any album of say Sarah McLaughlan I find, Memories of Old Vienna, Clannad and every album ever made by Erasure or Alphaville.

I got in trouble last week for buying the Adele album for my car. Apparently he already had it - at work...hmmm... I have to say...not feeling too bad about that. I bet you didn't know that my dear Hubby has an entire huge drawer in his desk at work entirely devoted to CD's.

Needless to say we're covered for Christmas music. I don't think we really have a choice when it comes to being fans of Chip Davis and Manheim Streamroller, since we own every CD they've ever put out since 1976, including Fresh Aire I through VI. If you don't have a clue what I'm talking about, don't worry, neither do I.

So, somewhere along the line in our marriage I tried to stake a claim in this 1000+ CD collection and ended up having to give over certain unalienable rights to the refrigerator. I say "unalienable" rights because they were thought up on an alien planet and were somehow adopted in my home. My mother as my witness, my fridge is now a laboratory for every kind of experiment and concoction. Anyone need to borrow Kefir grains? We can hook you up. My fridge also has an Asian section filled with things I will never know because I can't read Chinese, Japanese or Korean. Have you ever had homemade Kimchi hiding in a back corner. That is not a pleasant encounter. It's like having a flasher come out and scare you while you're looking for the strawberry jam. During a fridge cleaning this year I had to wonder if he wasn't really an Asian man.

Where most of you put butter, in the little compartment with the sliding door, we have film. Yes, film, like for taking pictures. It has to be kept very cold and not beside any butter. Butter's kicked out. Oh and we don't take pictures with film anymore but if we ever need to we will be ready.

Now don't think that I'm complaining because as I write this I'm laughing and loving this eccentric man. He made my day today. And I just found the Sarah McLaughlan CD, right next to Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Annifrid singing their ABBA tunes in Swedish. Who has or needs ABBA singing in English AND Swedish? I do.

We're All In This Together

2009-12-06T19:17:00.004-07:00

I've worked my way out of the funk that threatened to consume me yesterday largely because of the wonderful people I saw and talked to today at church. It's been 3 weeks since I've been to Primary to sing with the kids and that mixed with my feelings about leaving my job at the school made it a little bit hard to go back. But I went and I'm very glad.

I admit I had tears streaming by the second verse of the opening song and didn't quit for the entire Sacrament meeting. My feelings are deep lately and when I feel the Spirit on top of them I turn into a complete mess. The tears are for my gratitude and love for my Savior as well as for the bolster of strength I feel from the Spirit in fighting my internal battle between fear and faith.

In Primary I sat and talked to my friend who plays the piano (I lead the music) for the last 2 hours. You know how Primary goes, the kids sing a little, then listen a lot, sing a little, listen a lot. So while they listened to the lesson we whispered and bonded.

We talked about the testimonies that were shared and how we felt about them. She said to me, "You know, I haven't been through your challenges and you don't know mine but we hurt the same. Everybody gets to go through pain and trials because that is what this life is about."

It's nice to know that I chose to come here to live this life. I love my life and I'm grateful today for friends that teach me and help me remember what I already know.

The Reason For The Season

2009-12-05T19:53:00.003-07:00

Today it snowed for the first time this winter, with snow that actually stayed on the ground, and my dear Hubby hauled out all the Christmas stuff. It's officially the Christmas season at our house! The Sweeties are always thrilled to put up their "kid's" tree that has all the ornaments they've made at school over the years.

This is my favorite Christmas decoration. My uncle made this wreath and gave it to me almost 10 years ago. It is made of vintage Christmas balls that he found in antique stores. I am looking at this wreath and thoroughly enjoying the vibrant colors and cool patterns. It is my happy thought today.

I've felt kind of apathetic all day. In the past when I've felt like this I usually buy something I think I need and later totally regret whatever it was I bought. I just can't shop when I'm like this. So, of course, I went shopping today but was very careful to not buy anything that I will regret later but only time will tell.

I'm actually not apathetic at all. And once I finally realize that I can start recovering. It's only taken 12 hours for me to figure it out this time. I'm super overly-freaked out about my upcoming MRI, spinal tap and blood work. When I get overly freaked out I tend to get paralyzed in my life. I can't think about what's for dinner, or who needs what. I sit very still and move very slow and feel ultimately powerless.

So now I can start listening to the lectures I give myself. Like, "Think of President Hinckley's dad telling him on his mission to Forget himself and go to work!" I have a family that needs me and I can't lay around for 9 days all catatonic. Forget about it and go to work!

I hate not being in control of my life and that is probably why I am blessed with these struggles. I want to know what those results are going to be. Today. Right now.

I'm going to take some even better advice tonight, "Doubt not, fear not."

Mug Cake Magic

2009-12-04T17:07:00.013-07:00

If this isn't happy then I don't know what is. Single servings of cake in a mug cooked in the microwave in 4 minutes. I saw it on Rachael Ray today. She had a lady on that wrote a book called, 101 Recipes for Microwave Mug Cakes. Total Genius!
My mug cake is chocolate with white choclate chips and super delicious!

Here's are the links:

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/101-mug-cakes-recipe/
http://www.microwavemugcakes.com/

I highly recommend you make one soon! Perfect for activity days or YW! I put mine in for 4 minutes and it was a bit hard in the very middle. I will cook it for 3 1/2 minutes next time. ENJOY!

The Top Ten Best Questions I've Ever Been Asked While Playing "Questions"

2009-12-03T15:30:00.003-07:00

I have been asked to expound on the Questions game mentioned in the top ten things about Suzy list and to add more top ten lists SO this post will be the Top Ten Best Questions I've Ever Been Asked During "Questions" David Letterman-style from 10 to 1.

10. What would you pick? a, b, or c
Just think of 3 things and ask what their favorite is or why they would pick it. For example, If you could be a tree would you be? An evergreen, aspen or maple tree?

9. If you could invite 3 people to dinner, living or dead, who would you pick and why? This is always a long discussion. More interesting than hearing who they picked are the reasons why they were picked.

8. What is your favorite memory about _____________? This could be anything from Christmas to vacations to people. Just take your mind back to happy thoughts.

7. What is your favorite _______________ and why? You can fill-in the blank with food, movies, books, clothes, song, the sky's the limit.

6. If you had a million dollars what would you do? If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have 3 things what would they be? These kinds of questions take you away on a mental vacation.

5. Questions about future plans, realistic or not, are fun because you can hear about peoples dreams and what influenced them to think that was cool.

4. Relationship questions are great but you have to be a little careful. Girlfriends and sisters are ready and waiting for the answer to what you loved and hated about your ex-boyfriend/mother-in-law however, do yourself a favor and don't go there with husbands or current boyfriends around.

3. What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you, or you said or did? These answers are classic and usually juicy. An obvious favorite and definitely good for a laugh.

2. How could you improve your life right now? I like this question because you can reflect on things that need to be changed in a positive way and feel your power to make it happen.

1. What is the color of your favorite smell?
My daughter asked me this on our vacation this summer and blew me away. It was a great discussion and helped me get to know her a little better.

Now that you have a great list of ideas I should tell you that this also is fun to play when you are waiting in line or driving somewhere far. Remember that the person who asks the question is always the last one to answer. So don't ask anything you wouldn't want to answer. I should also warn you that the best way to kill this game is to judge or grudge someone for what they say. It is absolutely not allowed. Keep it positive and have a great time getting to know yourself and your loved ones!

You Say Potato, I Say.....Potato

2009-12-02T18:35:00.007-07:00

Today was thoroughly boring and uneventful....until.....Dinner. I should have known that I could count on the dinnertime experience for a great story to tell. My Sweetie #2 has decided to hate onions and mushrooms to an extremely annoying level. I cannot even tell you how many dinnertime "discussions" involved the words "just eat it" and "if you're not going to eat it then please be quiet about it." (Yes, I always say please before I say be quiet to my children...)

So today they were loving this stew with chicken and potatoes and vegetables, including onions that I had quartered. The onions were in pretty big chunks - about the size of the potato chunks.

Sweetie #2 pulls up a chunk of onion on her fork and says to me, "Mom, what is this?" At this point in my mothering career I will not admit to an onion for anything and I say, "What does it look like?" She says, "Ummm, a sort of potato thing." To which I respond, "Yep, it's a sort of potato thing. Try it." She says, "Mmmm, it's good." And I say, "Great, you should eat them all." And she does.

Picture me at this moment with an expression of total non-chalant / VINDICATION / consider it pay-back sweetie / VINDICATION / oh my gosh I just lied to my child horror / I wonder if my mother ever lied to me / what am I thinking of course she did / remember the whole never eating "white" sauce as a kid / oh who cares she ate the whole thing / I can't believe she ate the whole thing! / What? I'm just doing my job / non-chalant can you pass the salt.

So, I guess after remembering my childhood "white"sauce abhorrence, which I have only slightly recovered from (cream cheese yes, mayo no, sour cream yes, ranch dressing no) I have realized that I annoyed my mother hugely and my children have done and will continue to annoy me. And a mother will say just about anything to get their kids to do what they want them to do. So who's kidding who. It's a multi-generational cycle of manipulation that ends with kids eating their dinner despite what they think it is and what it is called and mothers thanking their mothers for lying to them to ease the guilt. Thanks Mom.

A 1000 Prickly Pokes

2009-12-01T20:57:00.004-07:00

So the saying goes, No Pain, No Gain. Well, I have a feeling the pain has just begun. Today I met with the doctors at Western Neurological Associates and had a fabulous meeting with them. They astounded me with their experience and knowledge and kindness. What a blessing! Now I will try to keep that thought as I describe what happened next.

An important part of the neurological exam is checking for nerve damage with an ordinary sewing pin. The doctor pokes you everywhere to see if you can feel the sharpness of the pin prick. I bet I was pricked 1000 times today and when I say everywhere I mean that yes, my "everywheres" were included. No joke.

"What a blessing!", remember.

So all night I've been sitting here going, "What happened to me today?" as well as contemplating a few things they discovered during this test. My fingers and feet are not as sensitive to the pricking . I can feel it but it doesn't feel sharp until a little higher up on my hands and legs. That's not great news. I also have a large area on my back where I don't feel the pin prick at all. Who knew?

There is more pricking and poking in my future but for today I'm glad it was only done with a sewing pin. But I tell ya, I will never look at a sewing pin the same way again. It's officially the newest torture technique. Grrreeaaatt.

Mixed Feelings

2009-11-30T20:24:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow I have another doctor's appointment. It will be my first time at Western Neurological Associates in Salt Lake City. I've had mixed feelings all day. I'm going because I've been advised to "seriously pursue" the reasons I've had Optic Neuritis four times. I keep re-living the experiences I had over the whole year it took for me to get help with my Chiari Malformation. The doctors that didn't listen, the radiologists that botched 3 MRI's, the results of blood tests that I was never told, the money I spent on prescriptions that didn't work....blah, blah, blah... the list goes on. Am I starting this all over again?

I feel like a rat that has been placed at the beginning of a maze. Will I ever find my way out? Do I even want to start? I guess I could stay home and do nothing.

Ok, I'm finding that when I write my thoughts and then read them I have to laugh. I hope you're laughing too.

So, with that option out of the way, what's left? Well, I am going to the appointment and will do whatever they say to do and take whatever tests they say to take hoping that they will have answers for me. But, if they don't I can't be upset or annoyed because I have faith that if I've done everything that I can to help myself, the Lord will help me in all the right ways. The truth is, He already does.

Wish me luck! I'll let you know how it goes. The silver lining to this is something that I've perfected over the years - I shop my way home. I hit all my favorite stores between Salt Lake and Payson. Second Hand Chic on 9th South, Thrift on 33rd, Ulta on 106th South, Paradise Bakery in Lehi, Target in Orem, Wandering Wardrobe in Sprinville, Edyn in Spanish Fork and usually I've thought of something I need at Walmart by the time I get home. How's that for retail therapy!? I'm feeling better already. :)

Baby Steps

2009-11-29T16:32:00.000-07:00

As I sit here asking myself what the heck I'm going to write about for the very first post, I remember Bill Murray in What About Bob? He says, "Baby steps across the room, baby steps out the door..." So I guess this is my first baby step across the world wide web.

I have wanted some server space of my very own to write what's going on in my life for my friends and family and anyone else who could benefit from knowing about whatever I'm going through. So, A Day In The Life of Suzy Rice, is born and taking her first baby steps. Thanks for coming to see me. I'm glad you could be here.