My Caboose is on the Loose

Urim and Thummim translation would be: My youngest got her drivers license!!! She insists she is a good driver though so you have nothing to worry about! NOT!!! She is your typical 16 year old 'I know how to drive mom' child, emphasis on the 'child'. So we will see. This is, of course, right before our 18 hour road trip to Utah this weekend. It will be helpful to have a second driver...not that I'll be able to sleep or even shut my eyes, but at least I won't have to do all the driving. And we will have her insured - both car insurance and life insurance. I better remind Del to increase my life ins. policy before we leave. He might as well be rich if the trip doesn't go well.

It's Only One Hour

It really shouldn't make that big of a difference, right??? Then why am I soooo tired???!!! It's only one hour....but I guess if you think that way before you go to bed Saturday night, and then again first thing Sunday morning..but then, once again Sunday night....by Monday morning, you've lost more than the one hour!!! You've lost like THREE!!! And they are never to be found because sure enough, come Monday morning, it's life as usual....nothings different - no shorter days, no longer lunch and no earlier getting off. It's 8: - 5:00 p.m. same old same old.
Yesterday, our Bishop's wife made the comment that in today's world, we use the phrase of 'it's hard' a lot...harder than what? As compared to who?? (was that supposed to be 'whom'?) The pioneers? Our past heroes? Fallen or martyred prophets? And what's harder? Life in general? Having a home, car, clothing and the gospel?? And what's the definition of HARD???
Last night, Kylie and Mike came over after church to play games and just hang out. We played Tricks, Make a Million and Pig (with the dice). Laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh...fun fun to be had!! And then we all took Lacey for a nice evening walk down and back up the street. I couldn't even make up a definition of HARD at that moment. Life is what it is....hard or challenging in some moments and then relaxed and rewarding in others. But it is what it is. That's why we hear both the joy and the groaning in the same breath from our teenagers. We feel the joy and the anguish in the same moment of feeling and we continue to live each day as it comes and goes, with or without an extra hour of sleep. It's only one hour.

And a Fat Lip Too

I had biopsies taken this morning. My forehead was obvious - he saw that as cancer right off the bat. The spot on my lip though, I had forgotten about. It showed up when we moved to Utah from Idaho. Literally, the same day...and then I had it for years - coming and going - but it's been gone for a year or so...So, 'out of sight, out of mind'. The doctor found it though while checking my face and asked me about it. I had forgotten, but confirmed it's history, so it was biopsied also. He said it was cancer also, but we still need to know if it's anything more. The injections to numb the sights were painful! OUCH!!! I do not see how women get BOTOX on their upper lips. It hurt!!! So now, I have a frozen forehead and a fat lip to boot. Not real attractive for the next few days. I should have results next week.
Seems a young boy in our ward, Meredith Smith's son , Jacob, also has MONO!!!! I think Kathryn 'has sum esplainin to do'. She can tell me all about it as I sit home with her today. Oh, except we ARE going to get her license today. Oh happy day!

It's all IN/ON my Head

I've had this on my forehead for almost two years now. The first year, I just thought I had burned my forehead curling my hair or something. This second year, it still hasn't healed and has become slightly larger. I forget everytime I'm at the doctor's office to ask about it because I'm always there for more important reasons...usually Kathryn. Well, I was there today, about Kathryn, who happens to have MONO again...ugh...and I remembered to ask.

The doctor was NOT thrilled; for several reasons...1 - He couldn't believe I had had it for over a year and not asked about it. 2- He couldn't believe I didn't know it was basil cell cancer - skin cancer - and 3- he couldn't believe I was fairly calm about everything. He had me schedule an appointment for first thing tomorrow morning with the specialist to have it removed and then biopsied for melanoma. I should have results by next week.

I know my mother has had several skin lesions/cancer removed and she has been just fine. We are your typical redheads that have to be very careful in the sun. I, of course, have had my several years of tanning in my youth that may have finally caught up with me. But we will see what the dermatologist says tomorrow. Hope he's a little more calm and encouraging than our family doctor. He was mean!!

So Many Questions: What are the Answers?

From Del:
How much did it cost?
Will you marry me?
Did you pick up the dry cleaning?
Did you pay our tithing?
Do we have anything Friday night?
Can you see the Big Dipper?
Can we afford that?
Did you feed Lacey the leftovers?
What do you want for Christmas?
What's for dinner?
Do I have to go?
Did you get your haircut?
Is that new?
What did your mother say? (to the kids)
Where is my...?


From Jordan:
Did Adam have a belly button?
Can I go to the dirt trails?
Do I have to get a shot?
Can I take the car?
Can I hang with Mark?
Do you want to go riding with me? (to Del) on the horse
Can we make cookies?
Do I have to?
Can I ride with Josh?
What's for dinner?
Can I get a horse?
Did you take my boots?
Did you wash my hat mom?
Where is my....?


From Kylie:
Do these shoes match my dress?
Does my hair look good this way?
When are we going to get there?
What's for dinner?
Did Chris call?
Can I take the car?
Have I had that before? about dinner ..Yes, and you liked it.
Can I get a dog?
Dad, will you tuck me in?
Mom, will you teach me how to play the piano?
Did Chris call? (or the current boyfriend)
Can we go to grandpa's house?
Is dad at a meeting?
Can I go with Lauren....?
What's in Texas?
Is he looking at me?
Can we go over to Hicken's?
Where is my ......?


From Kathryn:
What's for dinner?
Where's Kylie?
Dad, can you tell me another story?
Can we have potatoes for dinner?
Can I play with...?
Can I get a cell phone?
Mom, will you teach me how to play the piano?
Does my throat look sore to you?
Where did dad go?
Who are those for?
Can I make something? Cookies?
Do I have to go?
Can you tuck me in dad?
When can I go?
Can I move back to Utah?
Can I live with the Hicken's?
Where is my.....?


And from Me:
What's for dinner?
Can I have an epidural yet???
Did you do your homework?
Do you love me?
Have you cleaned your room?
What time is the game?
Did he kiss you?
Did you tell Kylie she could go to....?
What will happen if I double my Prozac??
Have you walked Lacey yet?
Did you take your medicine?
Why doesn't he get it??
Did you practice the piano?
What time do you need to be there?
You have got to be kidding me?
Where are my keys?
Who's on the phone?
CAN I GO LIVE WITH THE HICKEN's???

There have been so many more questions than I can even remember....and so many more that will happen over the years.
Will I ever have the answers to them all???

Men are from Mars

Why did the Lord make men and women sooooo different from each other??? Did he really think that at some point we would come to a meeting of the minds??? Of the heart? Of the sense of humor? Of the finances? Of the physical nature of mankind? Of the spirit? OF ANYTHING???!!!
They say that opposites attract.....attract WHAT??? Flies? Fungus? Mold?
The cup is half full, the cup is half empty. We've paid $20,000 towards debt, we still have $20,000 to go. We are employed, but we hate our jobs. We have a car, but it's on it's last leg. We have a roof over our heads, but we're renting it. We have food to eat, but we're on a diet.
DOES IT EVER END , our differences?????
I am, by nature and design, a very positive, happy person. I CHOOSE to see the joy in life. Maybe that is naive, or non realistic or the thing that has gotten me in to trouble. But I'm happy...UNTIL, I'm being forced to see things the other way...and I don't like it. It has made for a very miserable past two months and either I'm going to change some things around here, or I'm sending everything negative, realistic and pessamistic BACK TO MARS!!! This space on earth doesn't have room for aliens from Mars.

Wrapping up Loose Ends - February Gone

This is our dinner tonight...Wild Mushroom Stuffed Beef Tenderloin. I think Del 'sipped' into one of the bottles while cooking. It really is much better than the picture portrays. We had it in a sumptuous marinade for 10 hours, then seared the roast in the dutch oven and then finished by stuffing it with this yummy mushroom, red onion, pine nut stuffing mixture - and now it cooks in the dutch oven for just over an hour. Our new recipe for the week and I'm really looking forward to it.
This past week ended the month of February, so along with 'wrapping up' our tenderloin, I'll wrap up the week/month.
The diet....I weighed on Friday and joyfully I report that I have lost 14 pounds. It doesn't show a lot, although the ladies at work and Kylie both mentioned that they can tell, mostly in my stomach area. My pants are very loose on me and my bust line is diminishing quickly. If I had known THAT would happen, I wouldn't have had a reduction 9 years ago. I've gone from a 'D' cup to a 'B' cup in the past few years. This morning when I weighed, I happened to be down even another 2 pounds from Friday, but I only go with Friday's weight numbers. I continue to walk with Lacey but missed a few days this past week when it was really cold.
Work...still wish I could quit but continue to endure hoping that I might actually take some time off in April along with Spring Break. We had a good month of February and I will make a small bonus - probably enough to pay to add Kathryn to our car insurance.
Kylie - if you follow her blog, you have read where she is having a few medical procedures done due to an abnormal pap smear. Mike has been out of town this week and so I have gone with her to the dr. for some of these procedures. I happen to have a 'slight' different take on what she is needing to have done and why...but not to share at this time. Her results from Friday's testing should be in next week and we will hope that nothing further has to be done. She is in our prayers though...Mike comes home tonight, for which we are grateful, as Kylie became our house guest in the middle of the night last night as she was SURE there was someone breaking in to her home...it was her printer resetting its self...but Lacey was THRILLED to have Kylie home the several times she was over during the week. I had to smile as I heard the two girls getting ready for church this morning and their bantering back and forth as to the mirror and bathroom usage. Good old times.
Stake Conference was wonderful this weekend with today's session being broadcast from Salt Lake with Pres. Uchtdorf and Elder Cook presiding. Their messages were poignant and precise - from D&C 30 to David Whitmer -
1 - Listen and give heed to the Lord's spirit - set aside pride and stubborness.
2- Focus on spiritual instead of worldly things.
3- Listen to and follow our leaders.
Also, last nights message from our stake president said one thing that gave me much thought. It was this question..
'Are you learning more than what has been said?'
I've pondered much since last night about the multiple meanings of that statement and how he then concluded with the message of being able to receive revelation and the 'proper use' of agency. It has given me much to think about and organize in my mind and heart, of which I am sure will take me more than just a few days to wrap my thoughts around. I want to understand what he said more than just on the surface of the message. I want to study it out in my own mind the inspiration behind the statement/question and what that can mean in my own life. I came away from the conference feeling that there is much more for me to do in understanding the promptings of the spirit and then implementing those promtings into action.

Well, the aroma in the kitchen is telling me that we have another 'keeper recipe' to add to the file. The meal should be ready in a little over 30 minutes so I will close this entry.
BYU mens basketball team beat Utah last night in a great game!!! They won in volleyball this past week also - not the basketball men, the volleyball men...you know what I mean!!! But I'm getting ready for the MWC basketball playoffs and then going right in to March Madness, hopefully with weeks full of watching the BYU team. I think, of course, of Stephen and Wanda Dunn during this time and remember our great trips and memories of NCAA basketball games. Some good times to remember!!!! GO BYU!!!!