Update

It's about time I write.  I'm sad because I look back and I used to be so good at keeping my blog up to date.  Sometimes when I'm bored at work I get on my blog and read old posts and am soo soo glad I wrote things down and put pictures out there to be remembered.  Part of my problem is that I hardly ever get on the computer at home anymore.  When I'm at work I can't download pictures...I guess I should put our pictures in piccasa then I can retrieve them at work.  :)

So much is going on.  Where to start....How 'bout my surgery.  On Dec 27th I had a hysterectomy, a bladder sling "installed" and a rectocele fixed.  I was in the hospital for two nights and went through more pain than I care to remember....I'm 4 weeks post op and feeling a ton better...but still more tired than usual.  Everything went well and the problems I was having are gone now...so that's so very very nice!!  AND....NO MORE PERIODS!!!  WOO HOO!!!  Sorry for the TMI but that's just me.  In two more weeks I can start working out and picking up more than 10 lbs and vacuum!!  I love to vacuum and having two shedding dogs brings me many opportunities to vacuum and the kids just don't do it the way I like it done.  I must give many kuddos to Aaron who has done all of the cooking and tried to supervise the cleaning and has not complained a bit.  Even this week (my first full week back to work) he has not complained that I have been sleeping like 10 hours a day.  I feel so guilty but he just said he's glad I've gotten so much sleep.  Thank you honey!

Speaking of Aaron, we had our 21 year anniversary on Jan 10th.  We went to see the movie The Impossible...which was so good!  Go see it!! But bring kleenex!   We also got out before that to see Les Miserable and he was so sweet as I cried through most of it and just thought it was cute and wasn't embarrassed as I let out three huge sobs at the end..... Although we've had many a rocky time in our 21 years I'm glad he's mine and I love him so much. 

My Zack is doing well...he's still in Utah and I miss him so very much.  He sent me flowers after my surgery and I was so happy to get them!  He's working full time at Americas Best Eyeglasses and Contacts in Midvale...so if you need glasses go see him...he works full time during the day.  He is taking this year off school but he hopes to get back  in the fall.  I am planning a trip out there in March and will bring him back here to Nebraska for a week or so....CAN'T WAIT!!!

Josh has been having a bit of a hard time figuring out what he wants at this point in his life.  He was going to school but decided to stop...was working but decided to quit and he has his girlfriend of two years broke up.  He's decided not to go on a mission for our church which is really hard for me....still haven't worked out all my feelings about that...I love him dearly and know things will work out for him.  He went to visit UNK (University of Nebraska Kearney) which is about 2 hours from here and he really liked it.  The thing he really didn't like about UNL (University of Nebraska Lincoln) was how big it is and how big the classes are.  He really would like to attend a smaller college, and UNK seemed like a good fit to him...so we shall see.  He also has gone from wanting to teach high school to wanting to teach elementary school and now he would like to pursue acting and theater tech.  He is auditioning for a couple plays at Lincoln Community Theatre (Harvey and Les Mis) and is still looking for a job.  Everyone keeps telling me this is the hardest time for some folks...I know it was for me....so I have faith that he will figure it out and make the best choices for him....in the meantime I am having a tremendously hard time letting go.

Megan is a junior this year.  She does well in school and each parent teacher conference I get to hear over and over how she's a model student.  She really wanted to go on a school trip to France.  So, she filled out all the paperwork and applied for the scholarship and was awarded it.  She only ended up having to pay 250.00 for a 3000.00 trip!  She will go in March and stay 5 nights with a host family and then 3 nights in Paris.  I'm so very excited for her!  What  a chance of a lifetime!!  She's already "met" her host family over the internet....they have one daughter...so I'm sure it will be a vacation and a half for Megan to be one of two kids AND be in France!!  She will get to go to school with her "host sister".  I almost feel like it's happening to me...that's how excited I feel for her!!  Meg's also doing Speech and is very involved in Drama.  North Star is performing the musical Grease this spring and Megan is playing the part of the principal.

Matthew is a freshman!  Time sure does fly!  He is loving high school and I couldn't be happier about that.  He's pretty happy most of the time and the only issue at home is the fact that he and Joe fight so much (that seriously drives me crazy!!!).  He is involved in Tech for theatre and really loves it!  He is not a studious student and getting a C is just fine for him...but I have a hard time with it.  He is seriously loving being a "ginger" lately,  I think he loves the attention it gets him.  He has many friends and is a really good boy.  During my recovery he was seriously so helpful.  He brought laundry up for me and did just about anything I asked...thanks Chewey!

Joe is doing great!  He's had a couple issues at school mostly due to med changes...always med issues.  He really such a sweet and expressive boy.  Big groups are so hard for him, so school is a trial.  He is so very lucky and blessed to have a teacher who really works with him and is (in my book) very Saint like.  He loves to draw and has a quite a talent for it.  He's super excited that Josh signed him up to audition for Les Mis, as they are looking for children ages 8-11.  He and Hannah have been playing so well together...I'm so glad they have each other in our crazy family.

Hannah is just as flighty as ever....I love her but that girl lives in her own little world.  During the holidays we watched the movie ELF and we all agree that "Buddy" and Hannah are related.  She cracks me up though...always saying the funniest things.  She is going through a "scared" period in her life.  She is scared of everything....she sleeps with the blanket up over her head, which makes for lovely "rats nest" hair each day.  She is very smart and an excellent reader and speller.  She loves school and loves her teacher (she has the same teacher Joe had in 1st grade).  She still loves to snuggle with me...and she is quite spoiled being the baby.  She loves loves loves stuffed animals and littlest pet shops.  She is a dog lover and likes to watch every dog movie they have on Netflix...and there are alot of them!!

I'm still very involved in helping with theater for the high school, I'm a drama mama.  I help plan meals when the kids have late night rehearsals and that's coming up very soon.  So my life will be filled with drama....ha ha.... I also have North Stars Speech meet coming up, lots of food planning and being there all day in concessions....I love it though, makes me feel useful.  I also teach Relief Society (womens class) at my church, it's my favorite calling of all time...I'm sure I'll be released soon since I said that.  :/  I'd really like to keep up on my blog more this year....that's pretty much my only resolution.  Losing weight never seems to happen and our financial situation stays pretty much the same every year...we are poor.  But we are here and we are living our lives...that's something. 

Well, this ended up being much longer than I thought it would be.  We've had three patients all night....so lots of down time!  It's ended up being a good night which is nice since this is my 6th night working in a row (I got called in tonight).  I'm sure I'll be sorry I said that since I still have 2 and a half hours to go.