ESCaMiLLa FaMiLY NeWS

My Lastest Obsession...

2011-12-30T19:08:00.007-07:00

I finally succumbed to the craze that is Pinterest.

I've had friends telling me about this great new website...a place where you can "pin" ideas you find on the internet to a "board" so you can refer to them later. It seemed like too much trouble to get involved with...why not just bookmark the webpage?

In October I went ahead and set up my own Pinterest account and decided to give it a try, and of course...now I'm hooked!

I love Pinterest. I have been able to find some great organizing and craft ideas, decorating tips, and yummy recipes.

Here are the few of the pins I've actually used:

Using some old bells we had, I created a door hanger for Christmas,

Since I collect nativities, I liked the idea of adding this to my collection,

I liked this pin, but I recreated it using better grammer. Mine says, "There are these boys who stole my heart...they call me mom." I need to get a picture of it.

I've also tried some yummy recipes:

My favorite ice cream is Rocky Road, so how could I resist trying these no bake Rocky Road Bars...they weren't quite as good as the ice cream, but they disappeared pretty quickly.
This Chunky Avocado Salsa also turned out pretty good. I made a big batch of it, thinking I would take some to work to share...we found so many uses for it over the weekend, there wasn't any left to share.

My latest pin to try is one for frozen smoothie packs to make and freeze for later, rather then going to Jamba Juice. I bought a frozen fruit package that contained strawberries, mangos, peaches, and pineapples then added frozen bananas and the yogurt...

...we'll see how they taste in the morning.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T10:15:00.005-07:00

Even though the only decorations that made it out of the box this year were the Christmas lights, a set of snowman salt and pepper shakers, and one nativity...I think this has been one of my favorite Christmases!

As a family we decided that this year we would each get one gift each, and then we would be "Secret Santas" to another family. It was so much fun seeing the boys get excited as they figured out what the perfect gifts would be for this family.

Connor was lucky and found the gift he wanted to give while he was out shopping with friends on "Black Friday," but poor Tanner had to wait for Eli or I to be available to take him shopping. I had a report due to the American Bar Association by December 20th. It ended up being a LOT bigger then I anticipated, so I worked several late nights, which meant no shopping for Tanner. He and I did manage to get to the store one Saturday, but suddenly realized I'd left my wallet at home, so this was going to be a "planning" trip. Tanner was able to show me a few things he would like for himself and also figure out what would be the perfect gift for his friend. Finally on Monday, he made it back to the store with Eli and was able to make his purchase. Of course the first thing he did when he got home was wrap the gifts!

Yesterday it was so fun listening to the boys plot how to go about delivering the gifts without getting caught. Where should we park, what if their curtains were open, and which get away route would be best. Watching their excitement as we loaded the gifts into the car and all climbed in, because no one wanted to be left home, was contagious...it was good to see my two favorite boys caught up in the true spirit of Christmas!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

2011-12-09T03:31:00.005-07:00

I love this time of year! I love the hustle and bustle of trying to find the perfect gift for everyone on my list, I love the spirit of the season and the way it seems to bring out the best in people, I love listening to Christmas music at work, at home and in the car, I love decorating the Christmas tree, I love to seeing the bright Christmas lights on houses after dark as I drive through town, I love the yummy treats that my friends and neighbors share with me, I love watching snow fall and gently place a beautiful white blanket on everything it touches, I love walking through the toy asiles and seeing the kids get excited about all the toys as their parents tell them "Maybe Santa will bring it", I love decorating the house with all the festive decorations of the season, but what I love most is getting out my nativity collection and being reminded of the reason for it all. I love that Heavenly Father loved me enough to send his Son to be an example for me, to teach me, and to give his life that I may live again. Yep, it really is the most wonderful time of the year!!

I'm the door and Eli's the window...or is it the other way around?

2011-12-04T00:32:00.003-07:00

I have a friend at work. His name is Amir and he his a professor in the Finance and Economics department. Amir always greets me with a smile and a hug or pat on the back. When I first started at working at UVU one of my assignments was to help Amir with the Journal of Business Inquiry, which is an academic journal that is published by the Woodbury School of Business. As people heard I was helping Amir, they all warned me that he could be bossy and mean, and that he would monopolize my time. At the time I was helping Amir, I was also working on a report for the Legal Studies department's ABA approval, which was also very time consuming. One day as Amir was asking me to do something that I knew I wouldn't have time to do, I told him that I had another project I was working on and that I was only supposed to be helping him part time. He looked at me shocked, then apologized profusely for monopolizing all my time...just the opposite of what I expected after what everyone had told me. A few days later, Amir came into my office and told me I wouldn't need to be helping him anymore because he had made other arrangements through the Dean's office. I was sure that after that I would not see much of Amir anymore, but I was wrong. He always goes out of his way to say hi and ask me how I'm doing.

Tonight was the Woodbury School of Business Winter Party. We usually have a Fall Social as a school and then the individual departments have their own individual Christmas parties. This year we got rained out of our Fall Social, so it got rescheduled as a "Winter" party. The party was up at Sundance and it was all very nice. It was kind of fun to be celebrating with a big group instead of just our department.

As Eli and I walked up to the food line, Amir was at the end so I said "Hi" and introduced Eli. Eli and Amir chatted all the way through the line. At the end of the food table as we were getting ready to go to our separate tables, Amir grabbed Eli's arm and said, "Your wife is a very special lady." To which Eli joked, "My father always told me to marry someone better then me" and we went off to our table to eat with the group from my department.

Halfway through dinner I decided to refill my drink. As I walked over to the table where the drinks were, Amir was there getting a cup of coffee. When he saw me walk up, he grabbed my arm and said, "You have the nicest husband!" He then went on to say, "You see God really is a carpenter...well God's not the carpenter, but he's like the carpenter that makes the window and the door fit together perfectly." What a nice compliment!

Weekends...

2011-11-13T17:33:00.002-07:00

Today I am thankful for weekends! Saturdays give me a chance to get caught up on housework and projects that I don't have time to get done during the week. Sundays are my chance to rest and rejuvenate, to attend church and be spiritually fed.

Saturday, November 12, 2011:

2011-11-13T17:28:00.002-07:00

Today I am thankful for the view out out my kitchen window, and the warmth of my home on this cold, blustery day!

Thank You!

2011-11-11T15:19:00.001-07:00

Because of you, I am here
Because of you, I am able to live freely

Yet I do not know you
And I have not done anything for you

But there you stand, ready to fight
And there you are prepared to die
For me

You've fought before
And you'll fight again
For someone you don't know

So thank you Unknown Soldier
Fighting for me

I'm here because of you
And I owe my future to you

Today I am thankful for my father and all the men and women who have bravely fought to protect my freedom. Thank You!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

2011-11-11T00:30:00.003-07:00

Today I am grateful for the wonderful diagnostic technology that is available to the medical profession.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

2011-11-11T00:26:00.002-07:00

Today I am thankful for the beautiful mountains that surround me!

I Am Truly Blessed!

2011-11-08T16:21:00.004-07:00

I have been so busy this week that although I have been updating my facebook status with my gratitude posts, I have forgot to update my blog daily.

Sunday, November 6, 2011:

Today I am thankful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and for the knowledge that I am a child of God. The knowledge that my Heavenly Father lives and loves me gives me great comfort. I know He knows me and that he is their to guide me always.

Monday, November 7, 2011:

Today I am thankful for the technology that makes my job SO much easier and efficient! Last week I was in Baltimore for a work conference and thanks to the internet, a laptop computer, and a wireless internet connection, I was able to check emails and follow-up with some issues that arose while I was away. If I had not been so connected, today would have been a really CRaZY day!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011:

Today I am thankful for family! It is so fun having so much extended family nearby and we always have a good time when we get together. We are lucky to have lots of our nieces and nephews (from both sides of our family) around, either because they are attending UVU or BYU or because they live in the area and lately we have had several opportunities to get together as a family for celebrations, which are always a TON of fun!

Love My Boys!

2011-11-05T11:43:00.002-06:00

Today I am thankful for my two wonderful boys! Connor and Tanner make me proud to be their mother every day! They are both working hard to make right choices and be doing things they know are right and will make me and their Heavenly Father proud.

Lucky Me!

2011-11-04T21:02:00.003-06:00

Today I am thankful for my awesome husband. He is our handyman, mechanic, plumber, chauffeur, a great dad, caregiver to my father, and he truly is my best friend!

I Am So Lucky!

2011-11-03T19:08:00.003-06:00

Today I am thankful for the beautiful weather in Baltimore and for my job that allows me to travel. I am so lucky to have a job I love!

Most of the other Administrative Assistants in the School of Business do not get to travel. The American Bar Association provides trainings for many of the reports I have to write, so i am lucky enough to be able to attend the various trainings. Since starting at UVU, I have been lucky enough to travel to Dallas, Chicago (twice!), Portland, Minneapolis, Denver, and now Baltimore.

The travel is not the only reason I love my job. The School of Business had a reputation on campus for being the best school to work for. Everyone is very friendly and easy to work and get along with. I am lucky to work in a department that is really good about showing their appreciation for the things I do. It's so nice not just to love my job, but to love the people I work with too!

Giving Thanks!

2011-11-02T15:57:00.005-06:00

Today I am thankful for the opportunity to care for my dear father. He was such a good example and provider for our family as I was growing up. I am truly blessed to now be able to care for him.

Attitude of Gratitude...

2011-11-01T13:30:00.002-06:00

Maybe it's because November is the month of Thanksgiving, or maybe it's because the year is drawing to a close, but right about this time each year I begin realizing all the blessings I have. I decided this year to show my gratitude with a daily post of "thanks giving."

Today I am thankful to have had such a wonderful mother! She was an awesome example, always happy, friendly to all, loved her family, and knew her Heavenly Father!

I’ll Love You Forever

2011-10-18T13:08:00.005-06:00

Dad has been living in Utah for 2 1/2 years now, and the last year and half have been with us. Having dad in our home has really not changed our daily routines to much...besides the fact that Eli now stays home with dad. When we go out now, if dad is not coming with us, we just have to make sure someone is home with dad. And if dad is coming with us it takes longer to get ready and get going, plus dad's walking has slowed down considerably...I didn't really think that was possible...so getting dad even from the house to the car and then the car to the appointment takes at least an extra 10 to 15 minutes. I feel bad, because there are times when we are hurrying out for a quick trip to the bank or store & we sneak so dad doesn't ask to come along. I know he loves getting out, so I try to take him for rides or to walk around WalMart pretty regularly, but sometimes he doesn't get to come.

For the longest time the effects of the dementia have been slow, but lately dad's memory seems to be becoming worse at a faster pace. It's gotten to be that I can almost set my watch by the level of dad's confusion. It starts at about 7:20 p.m. every evening. He starts with, "So what's our status?" or "What time is someone going to take me home?" We explain that we are home, and he lives here with us. The next question is usually something to the effect of "Does my family know I'm here?" to which we explain that we are his family and that all the other family members also know where dad is and have even been here to visit him. That usually helps him for a bit, but typically less than 5 minutes later the routine starts over. It breaks my heart to see dad so confused, and about the third or fourth time he asks, he’ll say “I know you’ve told me this, but I just can’t remember…” I have to admit, it gets really tiring! But as frustrated as I get on the inside, I try not to let it show because I am sure dad is just as, if not more, frustrated.

Lately, at about 9:30 p.m., to help reduce the confusion, I will take him to his room and help him start getting ready for bed. I’ll get his dentures ready to soak, while he starts to change, then I’ll just sit in his recliner and we “visit” while he is getting his jammies on. In his room, with all his pictures and plaques, dad is not so lost. And I have to admit, growing up dad and I did not “visit” too often. Not that we had a bad relationship or anything…I was just closer to mom. Now, I take advantage of our chances to “visit,” which is usually looking through his pictures and having him tell me who all these people are, or me asking questions about when he was younger.

So last night as we were going through the routine, I thought of the cycle of life and the children’s book I’ll Love You Forever and how we are living that story…then this morning when I checked in on facebook, my friend had posted the following video that sums it up perfectly.

Pain In The Neck...

2011-06-02T16:55:00.006-06:00

Two years ago I had carpel tunnel surgery on my right wrist. At the time I was also having pain in my left wrist & knew that I would eventually need the same surgery on it too. The pain in my left wrist went away, so I waited on the second surgery. A few months ago the pain started up again, so I called to make a doctor's appointment. My doctor is really busy and hard to get in to see, so a lot of times they try to get you to see the PA, but I knew Eli and I were going on our cruise, so I took an appointment that was six weeks away.

We got back to town on May 14th and my appointment was on the 16th. I explained to the doctor that I thought I now had carpal tunnel in my left wrist, but that the pain was different this time. When I explained which fingers were numb, Dr. Curzon questioned the fact that my pinkie finger was numb because the carpal tunnel nerve does not affect the pinkie. He then asked if I'd been having any pain in my neck. I told him that back in September when I went to visit my sister I had slept wrong the first night and woke up with a kink in my neck, but the pain has never really gone away. He then explained that when there is a pinched nerve in the neck it affects the nerves in the pinkie. I went away from the appointment with two more appointments...one for an x-ray of my neck and one for a nerve conductivity test. YAY...not! Those nerve conductivity tests hurt!

Radiology at Central Utah Medical Center takes walk in appointments, so I went right from the doctor's office to CUMC for the x-ray. The nerve conductivity test was scheduled for Thursday, the 19th. On Wednesday, Dr. Curzon's nurse called to say they had the results of the x-ray back and it did show signs of deterioration probably caused by arthritis, so they wanted me to get an MRI also. I scheduled it for Thursday after the nerve test...Then I waited...

Dr. C had said to call his office if I did not hear from him within three days after the tests. I waited until Wednesday of the next week and didn't get any calls, so Thursday morning I called the doctor. He had taken a few extra days off since the following Monday was Memorial Day...I hate waiting!

Tuesday as I was walking in the door from work the phone started ringing, so I answered it. It was Dr. Curzon on the phone. He said the MRI showed deterioration in my C3, C4, C5, and C6 vertebrae with slight damage to the C7 also. He used a bunch of medical terminology, but basically said that arthritis was encroaching on the nerves and leaving them less room, but the nerve was not actually pinched...No wonder I've had a pain in my neck! He gave me some options. Physical Therapy was least invasive, but with the amount of deterioration I have it would not be enough. An x-ray guided epidural injection of cortisone was the next option, then two different types of surgery. The first not being as aggressive as the second, but with the number of vertebrae involved I may not be a good candidate for the "simple" surgery. I don't really want any surgery! Dr. C suggested I go for the injection and also have a consultation with the clinic that does the first type of surgery. If the injection works I can either cancel the consult or go and see if it is an option for down the road when the pain returns.

Today I went for the injection. The radiologist that performed the injection told me it would hurt at first and I may not feel any relief for a few days. OUCH! It felt like there was some huge person sitting on my back! Now my whole body aches like I have the flu...let's hope I feel better tomorrow!

Do You See What I See?

2011-05-26T12:51:00.014-06:00

Eli and I put a new TV on layaway a while back and when we went to pick it up we brought Connor along in case Eli needed help lifting it. When we got to the counter to make our final payment we were informed that our TV had been sold! While Eli and I were waiting to talk to a manager about a solution, I told Connor to go look at recliners and see if they had any that matched our couches. I don't remember exactly what I said, but I referred to the couches as red, wine, or burgundy colored. To which Connor replied, "You mean our couches aren't brown?"

Duh! I forgot that Connor was colorblind for reds and greens!

Actually both Connor and Tanner are colorblind. I guess it's just easy to forget, because it doesn't keep them from living a "normal" life. Since that incident though, I have been more aware of reds and greens when I see them and start to wonder how what I am seeing would be viewed by my boys. Thanks to this website I can get an idea of how the world looks through the eyes of my two boys.

When I see this:

Connor & Tanner see this:

WOW! What a contrast to what I see! It gives me a whole new appreciation for being able see all the colors of the rainbow!

Happy Anniversary Baby...

2011-05-22T14:08:00.029-06:00

I am lucky to be able to do a bit of traveling in my job & usually get the opportunity to attend one, maybe two conferences a year and in October I had the chance to go to Indianapolis, IN. On the second day of the conference, as a colleague and I were getting on the elevator to go to our next meeting, my cell phone rang. It was Eli and he had just one question for me, "Have you used up all your vacation time visiting Suzy?" I let him know that I still had about three weeks worth of vacation time because I was able to use sick leave when I visited Suzy and didn't think any more of the conversation. You see, Eli was trying to surprise me by booking a Hawaiian cruise for our 20th anniversary which was coming in May. When he hung up the phone after talking to me he explained to the boys what he was up too, and Tanner told him he would never be able to keep the secret.

Well...Tanner was right! After booking the cruise, Eli was having so much fun looking at the different excursions and things there were to do on the different islands that he had to share his excitement with me.

In November while we were down at Norm & Toni's for Thanksgiving, we made arrangements to have dad spend the two weeks during the cruise with them. Then we started booking our excursions and dreaming about fun it was going to be.

The cruise was booked with Princess Cruise Line and the ship that was home for two weeks was the Golden Princess. We boarded at about 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 27th and headed for Hawaii at about 5:30. It takes the ship 4 1/2 days to get to Hawaii, but we had plenty to do during that time. There were workshops, movies, games and street entertainment during the day and wonderful meals and shows in the evenings.

For our dinner option we chose "Open Dining", which meant we could go to dinner any time after 5:30 and would be seated with other couples at the same table. What a wonderful opportunity to meet some great people! It was kind of fun to then run into them at other functions later. There were two of the couples we ended up running into pretty regularly...Dick & Lee from Gulf Shores, Alabama and Rusty & Cheryl from Mesa, Arizona. Not only was it fun getting to know them, but both couples were great examples to us as good Christians. They are all very active volunteering...it actually made Eli and I excited to put a few more years behind us and be able to devote more time in service to the Lord and others.

The first port we visited was in Hilo on the big island. While we were there it was cloudy and cool, but we didn't mind because the excursion we had planned was a hike through the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden near Onomea Bay. Some of the climbs were kinda steep and I don't think we would have enjoyed it as much if the weather had been hot and sunny. The gardens are a museum of living plants on 40-acres. It was wonderful to hike the nature trails meandering through a true tropical rainforest, crossing bubbling streams, passing several beautiful waterfalls and winding down to the beautiful ocean vistas along the rugged Pacific coast.

That evening while we dined and slept, the ship sailed for Honolulu on the island of Oahu. We knew we would be there the whole day, so Eli & I had gone online a reserved tickets & a shuttle to the Polynesian Cultural Center on the other side of the island in Laie. One of the shuttle stops we could choose was at Aloha Tower, which is right by the pier where we were to dock, so we chose it. We got off the ship at 8:30 and didn't need to be at our shuttle stop until 10:00, so we decided we would find the hotel where the shuttle was scheduled to stop then get some breakfast. As we were walking toward Aloha Tower we came upon some cabbies and stopped to ask how far the hotel was...turns out it is nowhere near Aloha Tower, but was 2 1/2 miles away. We figured we could walk it, but the cabbie then told us that it's a $12 ride to the hotel or a $100 ride to the PCC if we miss the shuttle. We opted for the cab ride over, then found breakfast near the hotel. The shuttle was about 10 minutes early and as we were waiting for other passengers we told the bus driver about how messed up the online directions had been, then asked if he thought we would be able to get back to Pier 2 by 10:30 that night. Right then he got on the phone & called dispatch to get permission to make a stop at the pier before going to his first stop. YAY! Now we could go and have fun and not worry about being late for the ship!

The PCC was so much fun. I had been there in 1979 the summer after I graduated, but Eli had never been before. Learning the traditions and beliefs of all the Polynesian cultures was fun...seeing the pride that the people in the shows had for their culture was heartwarming. The shows in the villages were all very entertaining. Then we attended a luau with lots of tasty food and entertainment.

We were invited up to the stage with everyone else that was celebrating an anniversary because they said they had a gift...the gift was an anniversary dance!

After dinner we got to have a backstage tour before the big show began. How interesting to see all that goes in to putting on their production "Ha: Breath of Life" It was like a roadshow on steroids!

The evening sky after the show was absolutely gorgeous!

We had a few late passengers on the bus going back & were a little worried when the bus that was chartered by Princess for cruise members (we saved $200 by booking separately) left 10 minutes before us, but our wonderful bus driver Moe was able to make up the time & we arrived at the pier at the same time...Good thing! Princess will leave you if you are late getting back from an excursion that was not booked through them.

After such a busy day we went right to bed and woke up in Nawiliwili on Kaua'i.

We did a little shopping in the morning and then went snorkeling at noon. WOW! It was all so BEAUTIFUL! The colors of the fish were so vibrant, and there were so many different kinds in the little cove where we were. We also saw some sea turtles that had come in to the rocks to feed.

Our tour guide also caught an octopus, which I opted not to hold!

We had so much fun snorkeling that we have decided to get our own gear and make it a new hobby.

That night while we slept the ship sailed for Lahaina on Maui.

We signed up to go on a submarine tour while in Lahaina. A boat took us out to where the submarine was submerged. When it surfaced we traded places with the people from the previous tour. The seating on the sub was arranged in a way that each person had their own port hole to look out. We went down to 194 ft. below sea level. It was fun to do, but the fish weren't nearly as beautiful as the ones we saw snorkeling. The fish are so far from sunlight that all their beautiful colors look grey. The only color we could see that deep was yellow. We did get to see a shark though...it was too fast to get a picture.

My picture of the yellow fish didn't turn out, so this is from the Atlantis website.

Four islands in four days! It was so much fun though. The islands are all so different from each other that visting each one brought new scenery, vegetation and weather.

The four days from Hawaii to Encinada were very relaxing! The ship docked in Encinada for 1/2 a day before returning to Las Angeles...it needed to dock in a foreign port in order to run the casino. After being so busy with all our excursions, it was nice to relax. One of the perks that Princess offers is having breakfast brought to your stateroom every morning, but on the way back we chose to sleep in instead. We spent lazy days visiting with the friends we made and there was still plenty of entertainment in the evenings.

There were a few more formal evenings on the ship. It was a lot of fun to get dressed up and have our pictures taken.

Rusty & Cheryl Foster

It just so happened that one of the formal nights was on our new friend Rusty's 65th birthday and another was on he and his wife Cheryl's 45th wedding anniversary and we were lucky enough to celebrate with them. The last night of the cruise was our 20th anniversary, so even though it wasn't a formal night they got dressed up with us to celebrate. What a fun evening enjoying the company of our new friends!

Michelle & Eli, Robert & Janet, Rusty & Cheryl

Lee & Dick

What a wonderful way to celebrate 20 years together!

It's funny...at our wedding reception someone told me, "Congratulations! We just hope it lasts!" I wasn't sure whether to say thanks or what. Anyway, it hasn't always been easy. We have started down several roads and found we needed to go back to the beginning and start again, but we are truly best friends and there is no one else I would rather be going through this life with as my eternal partner!

Listening to the Universe...

2011-01-25T11:05:00.009-07:00

This was taken after they removed the IV's...Eli was trying to straighten out the wires so he could sleep without getting tangled up and ended up making a bigger mess! It was so funny I had to get a picture.

Eli ended up in the hospital from January 17th through the 21st. His blood sugar was so high that they wanted to bring it down slowly, so that his body wouldn't be shocked again. They stopped the IV insulin on the 19th and began trying to figure out just how much insulin he was going to need to inject daily. We also received a bunch of Diabetic training to help us understand what is going on with Eli's body and to learn how to control the diabetes.

They thought that it would take a few days to figure out the insulin dosage Eli would need, but they had it figured out the first day off the IV's. We had hoped that would mean he could come home Thursday, but you can't be released right from the ICU. They needed to transfer him to another room on another floor first and watch him for another day.

After getting his blood sugar down to a normal level, it stayed there pretty consistently and Eli wasn't needing to inject much insulin. They gave him a target range for his blood sugar and after he tested he was to inject the amount of insulin needed to get him to the target level. Then at meal time he needed to count the carbs in the meal he was going to eat, check his sugar levels, and inject the needed amount of insulin to compensate for the carbs turning to sugar once they were digested. The thing was...he was pretty consistently right where he needed to be.

Just before Eli was released a Diabetes Nurse came by to make sure we had all the supplies we needed and to answer any questions we might have. When Eli explained where his levels were and how things were going, she mentioned he should keep track and follow-up with his doctor. She suggested that the doctor may decide not to treat him with insulin if it looked like his body was actually still manufacturing it.

You see...I think that Eli's blood sugar had started going up back in December when we were so busy with the remodel. Eli is one of those guys that when he is working on a project, he just wants to get it done. He will get up and start working without even eating breakfast and then keep working until the project is done. The problem was that we were all so involved that by the time we were ready to quit we were SO hungry and worn out, that instead of taking the time to prepare something here at home, we would go out to eat.

Then in January, when we thought Eli had a cold or the flu, that was his body telling him to slow down...but did he listen? Nope, he had things to get done, so he just kept pushing.

There were even other hints that we totally missed! Eli's eyeglasses were not quite doing the trick anymore and things were looking blurry even with them on, so about a week before he was admitted to the hospital Eli got new glasses...duh, poor vision is a side effect of uncontrolled Diabetes. Now that his blood sugar is under control the new prescription in his lenses is all wrong. Luckily the eyeglasses place is going to let him wait a month until things get to normal and then they will redo his glasses free.

Eli had also been needing to go to the bathroom a LOT more then usual. We just figured that it was due to the fact that he had been drinking more lately because while he was "sick" he just didn't feel like eating...frequent urination is another sign of uncontrolled Diabetes.

Yep, our bodies are a marvelous creation! The way all the parts communicate with each other and work together in unison is just amazing to me. The biggest lesson we have learned form all this is to slow down, take care of ourselves & listen.

Life...

2011-01-18T13:11:00.009-07:00

Sometimes you can just be going along, living your life, doing the things you always do, and life sends you a curve ball telling you to slow down! Lately, we have had so much going on and have been trying to do so much, that we really haven't been taking the time to be taking care of ourselves. Well, yesterday it all caught up with Eli.

Eli was diagnosed with diabetes about six months ago. At the time the doctor told him he wouldn't need insulin, but would need to take medicine, watch his diet, and get lots of exercise. He was doing really well too and was beginning to lose weight and feel healthy...that is until we got off track during Christmas break.

Our poor boys hate when there is a break in school, because it usually means time to start a new project at the house to Eli & I. We like to take advantage of having the extra hands for a full days work...we do try to find time for fun too, but it's usually the hard work that is the lasting memory.

When we first bought "this old house" the floor plan was just wacky! When you came in the front door you were standing in my kitchen & the refrigerator was behind the open door. There were lots of things we wanted to change. But knowing it was all going to take time, I had Eli build a wall about three or four feet in front of the door to create a small entry.

After we moved the kitchen, we turned the old kitchen into an office area. We were also still looking at how we could open up that area to make the living room bigger, so our furniture didn't seem so crowded. Having the baby grand piano, it gets pretty tight, especially when we add a Christmas tree to the mix! Eli was looking at how much space would be added if we opened the entryway into the office area from the living room when I suggested we just take out the wall we had built. So that was the planned project for Christmas break...No big deal!?

What was so easily said, was not easily done. Back when we laid our hardwood floor I'd had this great idea that we should have the planks in the entryway going the opposite direction of the living room. Plus, the floor was put in after the wall had been built! This meant we needed to pull up and relay part of the floor, so it would match the rest of the room...thank Heaven's we still have lots of flooring.

Our days during the remodel were kept pretty busy. We had to knock down the old walls, rewire electric connections that had been in the now gone walls, pull up and relay portions of the flooring, add a support beam to the ceiling, put sheet-rock over the cinder-block wall that was in the old office area & other areas that had been exposed by taking out walls & rewiring, mud & tape, paint, and add molding. Simple, right?! We had figured out a schedule that would have it all completed a couple of days before the break was over, so that we could also do something fun as a family...yeah right!

Anyone that has ever started a home remodel project knows that there are always little things that turn into big things adding time to the project timeline. As the break was coming to an end we could see that we were not going to finish as scheduled. Since we wanted the boys to be able to celebrate New Year's and not spend their entire break working, we decided not to press it because we could finish up over the next few weekends.

Shortly after New Year's Eve Eli started feeling sick. It started out like a cold, but then seemed to turn to the flu. His whole body ached and he was just tired all the time. He spent a few days in bed and was taking some over-the-counter medicines...which is very rare for Eli. He never really started feeling better, but was just pushing himself to get up and finish the project. I would tell him he needed to go see his doctor and he kept telling me he had an appointment scheduled for later in the month.

We were getting SO close to being done, that Eli just kept pushing himself. Monday was Martin Luther King Day & the boys had school off, so the plan was to try and take advantage of the long weekend and finish the project. Friday evening Eli ran out of steam pretty quickly, so mostly he just told the boys how to do stuff. On Saturday, he was able to come down to the couch, but just didn't have any energy and by Sunday he could barely make it down the stairs from our bedroom. He had stayed home from church, but tried to come down for something to eat when the boys I got home. He was so weak that it seemed like he could barely hold his head up, and he was very unsteady on his feet. I tried several times to get him to go to the ER with me, but he kept refusing because he already had a doctors appointment coming soon.

Monday morning I told Eli that I wasn't going to wait for this "doctor's appointment" to come any longer and called his doctor's office. Turns out his doctor was on maternity leave and his appointment was scheduled in three more weeks when she returned! I asked the girl on the phone if there was another doctor or Physician's Assistant that he could see today and we made an appointment for an hour later.

When it was Eli's turn, the nurse brought him back and proceeded to take his vitals. After trying to get his blood pressure and pulse a few times without any luck she asked if she could try the other arm, when that didn't work she went and got the PA. He came in and tried the first arm a few times with no luck and switched arms just like the nurse had done...still no luck. He then sent the nurse to get the EKG machine. When they hooked Eli up they found that his resting heart rate was 156! The PA said he could give Eli medicine to bring the heart rate down and send him home, but because they hadn't been able to find a pulse either he was sending him to the ER (which was across the parking lot) instead. He gave us a printout from the EKG and sent us on our way. When we got to the ER and showed them the test results they hurried us back to a bed and started taking blood and running more tests. While sitting there waiting for the next set of test results, Eli turned to me and said, "Good call."

A short time late, the test results came in and we realized how it was actually a "close call." Eli's blood sugar was off the charts! 1387! That is about 10 times above the normal level! They don't know if the high blood pressure aggravated the sugar or the other way around, but explained that when his heart was beating so fast his blood couldn't circulate like it should so his sugar kicked in to compensate. Then the elevated sugar made the heart rate increase, which then made the sugar increase...and on and on. I really think that if I hadn't made him go to the doctor's he would be in a diabetic coma today.

They have moved him to the Intensive Care Unit and have hooked him up to all kinds of IV's. Until they get his blood sugar down they want to control everything that goes into his body. Hopefully they will be able to get it into control in the next few days and he will be released.

Counting Our Blessings...

2010-12-31T01:57:00.007-07:00

As I sit here at 2 o'clock in the morning contemplating the fact that another year has gone by, I realize that 2010 was a very good year for the Escamilla family!

Last year at tithing settlement our Bishop challenged us to read the Book of Mormon before the April General Conference, and promised us that if we did we would have miracles happen in our family. This year when we met with him again he asked if we had taken his challenge. Eli confessed that while we did begin to read the Book of Mormon as a family, we did not finish it prior to the goal of General Conference. He was then happy to report that although we were not able to complete the challenge, we did have miracles happen in our family.

In April of 2009 we moved dad up to Utah to live at Courtyard at Jamestown, an assisted living facility with an "enhanced care" unit that catered to people with memory loss. The move and transition to Jamestown went really well and dad thrived while he was living there. They had daily activities and went on weekly field-trips, plus the staff there really loved dad! It was the perfect place, except that dad was always lonely...When I would go pick him up in the evenings he would tell me how lonely it is to live alone. I would remind him of all the people he had around him and all the activities he was participating in, but at the end of the day when he would go to his room he would forget all about anything but the fact that there was no one there with him at the end of the day.

In February as we were finishing remodeling what would have been our master bedroom, we realized that it would be a good bedroom for dad. It had it's own bathroom, a walk-in closet, and a TV hook up and room for his recliner. It would be the perfect "guest" room. So, at the end of March, dad moved in with us.

Eli quit teaching at Provo Canyon School, which is a private school for troubled teens with three campuses in Utah County, in order to stay home with dad. This was the perfect plan. I would continue working, since I had better benefits at UVU and Eli would be the one to stay home with dad. This would also give Eli more time to finish up the projects we had around the house. That was the plan...

Plans change though. Tanner was a freshman at Provo High and was having some problems with bullying. Eli had gone to talk to the principal several times, but the issue was never really resolved. It's been so sad to see Tanner loose all interest in going to school and his grades began falling...even in the classes he used to love. We toughed it out with hopes that Tanner would be picked in the lottery at UCAS and would not need to go back to Provo High for 10th grade. But darn it! He wasn't picked until #89 on the waiting list. We really didn't want to send Tanner back to Provo High, so we started looking at other options.

When Tanner didn't get in to UCAS Eli went to meet with the Academic Adviser, that would have been over him, to find out what Tanner needed to be doing in school this year in order to be ready to enter UCAS as a Junior. Although they have a high rate of interest, after the first year at UCAS there are usually several students that opt to return to their neighborhood high school, so if Tanner is ready he may be able to attend UCAS next year. This was good news, but it didn't really help us with what to do for 10th grade.

To start getting up to the level he needed to be at in math, Tanner took an Algebra class at UVU during the summer and did very well...he aced the class! It was good to see him enjoying school again! He was going into the Math Lab at UVU and studying with other students and was able to build some healthy relationships with some of them. It was refreshing to have him in a learning environment where everyone was just there to learn and no one needed to feed their ego by picking on the "little guy." This too was a good opportunity, but it still didn't help with what to do for 10th grade.

During our quest to find the right place for Tanner, Eli remembered a program called eSchool that was used at one of the high schools where he had subbed. It was the high school that is connected to the youth detention center here in Provo, and when Eli checked into it he found out that it is usually used as an option for kids that have been expelled from several traditional high schools. We also found out that in order to participate you have to be referred by your regular high school.

Our plan changed and we decided to transfer Tanner to Independence High, where he would be enrolled in some on campus classes and some eSchool classes, but have him continue with math at UVU through concurrent enrollment. Independence High School is Provo School District’s alternative school for secondary students. Students who attend Independence do so by referral from either middle school or their regular high school, usually because of behavior, attendance or credit issues. Even though most people think the students at Independence are typically the "bad kids" we felt good about sending Tanner there, because the class size is purposely kept low in order to keep up the standard of educational services for struggling students. They also assured us that students that are deemed "unsafe" at their regular high school would also be deemed unsafe at Independence, and bullying was never tolerated. When we discussed this option with Tanner and he was okay with it. At first he really wanted to be able to continue with his Jr ROTC that he was taking at Provo High, but he also liked the idea of taking more classes at UVU.

When Eli went to meet with the principal at Provo High to get the referral, of course he was surprised and wanted to know what they could do chance our minds and keep Tanner there...I'm sure he was truly concerned for Tanner and not considering the tax money he would be losing. Eli reminded him that he had been in to visit with him several times during the year with concerns about Tanner being bullied, so they already knew what could be done. It was just that they hadn't done anything! The principal even invited Tanner's counselor into the meeting, and when Eli mentioned that we also wanted Tanner to take his math classes at UVU she said that Tanner's math score did not support a recommendation for that. It was so nice for Eli to be able to tell her that actually Tanner had already completed an Algebra class there and earned an A!...it is amazing how well a student can do when the teacher they have teaching math actually loves the subject. The principal asked us to give him a week in order to meet with "his team" and come up with a plan.

The plan "the team" came up with was keeping Tanner at Provo High for three electives and Seminary, having him take three eSchool classes, and continuing his math through UVU. Tanner really liked this option, because now he would be able to continue with his Jr ROTC class, so we decide to go with this plan.

It has worked out well, for the most part. Tanner is enjoying Jr ROTC, and was made Flight Commander of his flight. Jr ROTC has been good for him too, he is learning discipline and the added leadership role has helped him learn to deal with other students that may not want to be doing what is on the agenda for the day. The administration at the school are also now very aware of who Tanner is and are regularly checking in with him to make sure he fells safe and is not being bullied.

eSchool however, has not turned out quite like we expected. During the summer they switched the program they use, so this class gets to be the guinea pigs and work out all the kinks. The lessons are very broad-based and poorly written, making it hard to tell what it is they are trying to get across. The tests and quizzes are also poorly written. They also seem designed to "trick" the student. After reading the question instead of giving several good options for answers, they have answers that are almost verbatim from the text, but with one small word change that might go unnoticed. Due to how bad eSchool is put together, Eli has been going through and reading the lessons, then taking the quizzes (and not always getting above a 70, because the questions are SO bad!), and then teaching the lessons to Tanner once he has figured out what the concept is they are trying to teach and figures out the logic of the questions. Then Tanner takes the tests. It's been way more time-consuming then we had anticipated. Needless to say, we probably won't do eSchool again; but through it all, Tanner has been getting much better grades, learning some good study habits, and regaining his self-esteem.

It's funny how now looking back at some of the trials and hardships we have gone through in the past few years, I can see how the things we were going through brought us to this point to be able to help our son. If dad hadn't been so lonely at Jametown and moved in with us, Eli would not have been home during the day and taking classes through eSchool and UVU would not have been viable options. And looking back at the financial struggles we went through when Eli decided to go back to school to become a teacher, I see that in the grander scheme of things those struggles were SO worth it so that Eli had the skills to be able to help Tanner.

So yes, we have had miracles in our life this year!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

2010-12-25T16:24:00.004-07:00

2010 has been a very good year at the Escamilla house. We have been truly blessed. It's amazing how you can be going through a trial...or what you think is a trial...only to look back at the end and see all the blessings you have been accumulating!

In March we finished remodeling our master bedroom. We added a bathroom and walk-in closet. Just as we were about done we realized that we could make the room dad's bedroom, so he moved in with us at the end of March. Having him with us has definitely been a change, but it's been a good move for all of us.

Eli resigned from his job teaching to stay home with dad. He is still very busy though...probably busier then when he was working. He is also home-schooling Tanner in three of his classes and of course is always in the middle of "the next phase" of remodeling our house.

Michelle is still working at UVU and loving it. Her job has changed a little and she has been working more with the Dean's office as an assistant to the Associate Dean. She also gets the chance to do a bit of traveling in her position with the Legal Studies Department for training and was just in Indianapolis in October and is now planning a trip to Denver in March.

Connor is continuing to take classes at UVU. He is hoping to be close to finishing his Bachelor's degree before his mission. He will turn 18 in March and the way time has been flying by will be filling out his mission papers before we know it!

Tanner has been very busy with school! He is definitely not your average student. He is taking three classes at Provo High, one of which is Jr. ROTC where is the Flight Commander of his group and loving it. He also has three online classes that Eli is home-schooling him on and is taking an Algebra class at UVU.

As this year comes to an end and we look back at all we have experienced and accomplished we realize how truly blessed we are.

Our wish at this time is that you may be enjoying the spirit of this season and find yourself surrounded by the love of family and friends.

Love,

Eli, Michelle, Connor, Tanner & Scotty

I'm not a pepper any more...

2010-08-04T00:01:00.005-06:00

Anyone that knows me well knows that I love my Dr Pepper. I started drinking Dr. Pepper way back in 1979, before it was even popular.

I was working at the distribution center of Marci's, a clothing store for women, in El Cajon, CA. Stopping at 7/11 or Maverick for a fountain drink on the way to work wasn't an option, because they didn't have them. There was an old pop bottle machine that only had three choices, Fresca, Dr Pepper or Coke.

At first I chose not to get drinks at work because I didn't like Fresca, and since I didn't drink caffeinated drinks the other two were not options for me. I'm not exactly sure why, but one day at work I needed a drink. I had tasted Coke before and didn't like it, and I knew I didn't like Fresca...so my only option was Dr Pepper.

I remember that first bottle to this day...believe it or not, I didn't like it. Dr Pepper definitely is an aquired taste. A few days later I wanted a drink again, so I got another Dr Pepper. Soon I was getting one every day. There have even been times in my life where I was waking up in the middle of the night to get a sip of Dr Pepper from a bottle in the fridge...Sad, I know!

Over the years I have tried to quit several times. Twice I even quit for six or seven months. Both times after quitting, I ended up somewhere...a restaurant or hotel...where the only drink I liked on their list of choices was Dr Pepper. Each time I "just had one" then another one a few weeks later, which lead to my daily Dr Pepper.

One of the times I quit was just over a year ago. I had had surgery for a prolapsed bladder and the urologist suggested I quit drinking caffeinated drinks. Now I kick myself for starting up again, because it was very easy to quit that time. No cravings or headaches!

Now that I am almost 50 one of my doctors told me I should have a bone density scan to start monitoring any bone loss. The scan showed that I have Osteopenia. Osteopenia refers to bone mineral density (BMD) that is lower than normal peak BMD but not low enough to be classified as Osteoporosis. My doctor informed me that it is reversible with vitamin D therapy. He also asked if I drank any caffeinated beverages. Then he explained that coffee could help to improve it, but caffeinated sodas would make it worse because of the carbonation, and suggested I quit all carbonated beverages.

So...it's been three days since I've had a Dr Pepper. Keep your fingers crossed that this time it's for good!

I've Got a New Hat

2010-07-02T21:03:00.003-06:00

I am a woman of many hats... nurse, taxi driver, head chef, housekeeper, gardener, teacher, confidant, personal shopper, finance manager...the list goes on. I now have another hat to wear...that of student. I have gone back to college to finish my degree. I was SO close when Eli & I got married, that I kick myself for not finishing then.

Dad's One-liners...

2010-04-13T08:46:00.002-06:00

Eli took Dad & Tanner to see Avatar at the dollar movies Saturday, but arrived a bit late so the only seats left were in the front row.

After sitting down, Dad turned to Eli & announced, " I wanted to watch the movie, not be in it!"

Don't Forget to Pray...

2010-04-06T09:39:00.003-06:00

One of the memories I have from my teens is waking up early to get ready for Seminary and school. In California there is no "release time" to attend Seminary during the school day as an elective...we attended Early Morning Seminary! Depending on the time of year that meant getting up before the sun (and sometime wearing pj's under my coat because it was just too cold to get undressed that early in the morning!)

I can very vividly recall coming out of my bedroom to go to bathroom to shower and primp for the day and being able to hear dad's voice coming from the living room in low whisper. Then tip-toeing quietly to the end of the hall to get a peek at who dad was talking with at that early hour. There was no one else in the room...Dad was on his knees, with his scriptures open on the table in front of him, praying. This was a daily occurrence...unless I was late getting up. In that case he was in his chair already reading his scriptures.

Dad was always a great example at remembering to pray...before every meal, at the end of the day or at the beginning of any trip a family prayer was always said. Now as Dad's memories are fading and he sometimes forgets that we are living in my house and not at a hotel or that Connor is only 17 and not on a mission...he continues to remember to pray. At the dinner table it is not uncommon for him to forget that we just blessed the food and he will pause to say an individual blessing, and in the evening as he is in his room getting ready for bed I can hear him in his room praying before he reads his scriptures.

What a comfort it is as I watch my father's memory deteriorate to know that even though he sometimes forgets that I am his daughter, he is still a great example to me and prayer continues to be important to him.

Where Did February Go!?!

2010-03-01T15:38:00.003-07:00

February always seems to disappear for me. I once heard that the older you get the faster time flies & I am beginning to believe it! Normally as one month runs into another it doesn't bother me, but I have a problem when February disappears...Connor's birthday is March 4th! Now, his birthday is only a few days away & I still haven't figured out the perfect birthday present for him! What do you get a 17 year old that doesn't really ask for much? Hmmm, you'd think it would be easy, but the fact that he doesn't really want anything makes it even harder.

Hello 2010!

2010-01-01T20:47:00.002-07:00

We welcome 2010 with open arms! 2009 was a tough year, but as we look back we see lots of opportunities for growth as a family.

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Traditions...Old & New

2010-01-01T12:25:00.011-07:00

Three of my favorite Christmas traditions began sort of by accident...

Shortly after we were married, Eli’s sister Naomi needed surgery, so her four kids came to stay with us for about five or six weeks during the summer. We were having so much fun with them that I suggested to my sister-in-law Toni that my niece Guinevere (who was 9 at the time) come and spend part of her summer break with us too. Toni thought 5 kids might be too much for a newlywed couple living in a two bedroom condo to handle & suggested maybe Guinevere come visit during her Christmas break…so began the tradition of my "California" nieces & nephews coming up to Utah at Christmastime when they were nine years old. It was tradition that I think we all looked forward to birthdays for, however it ended as soon as there were no more nine year olds.

Guinevere & Mickey at a Escamilla family Christmas party.

Guinevere's mini snowman...there wasn't much snow

As a Christmas present in 1991 my mother gave Eli & I a beautiful glass ornament shaped like a heart. The outer edge of the ornament is framed with poinsettias with two love birds perched at the bottom of the heart and the center has Our First Christmas Together 1991 embossed with gold lettering. The beautifully delicate ornament looked a little out of place on our tree among the brightly painted Santa Clauses, toy soldiers, stars and other little wooden ornaments we had bought to decorate the tree, but we placed it prominently at the front.

Our first Christmas tree...you can't really see the ornament

On Thanksgiving Day 1992, we moved into our first house & the next day promptly began decorating for Christmas. We had so much fun shopping for the perfect tree…looking back at pictures now, it looks more like Charlie Brown’s famous Christmas tree. Shortly after we decorated the tree a Christmas card from my mother arrived. Inside the card was another ornament. This one is also in the shape of a heart, but it is gold & has a house intricately cut out of the center. Around the edges it reads, First Christmas in a New House ~ 1992…so began another new tradition. The next Christmas was Connor’s first one, so we found an ornament of Santa at a baby’s cradle & every year since we find an ornament that represents something that happened with our family during the year. Some of my favorites are Santa riding a whale in his swimsuit from 1999 when we spent Christmas in California, Santa at a desk on the phone with a ton of paperwork from the year we started Print Media Consultants, a fire truck from the year we had a fire in our house & a beautiful bell that looks like a quilt from the year my mother passed away. I like the bell because it reminds me of a saying my mom had embroidered & framed, “Families are like quilts: pieced together and stitched with love.”

Our very own Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

Christmas 1993 was spent in California with my family. We stayed with in Oceanside with Suzy, Brent & the boys and had a very enjoyable stay, but Christmas morning we felt a little bit like we were invading on their Christmas. After that we decided to go to San Diego for Thanksgiving & stay home for Christmas. So the next year, on Christmas Eve as we were wrapping gifts for Connor and putting them under the tree another tradition emerged. One of the gifts was a really cool train/car track set that was called Flip Track. The train tracks were on one side of the track pieces & the road for the cars was on the opposite side. It had these awesome mountains with tunnels that the tracks could go through, along with a filling station, airport & a dock. Not only did it have trains and cars, but there was an airplane and boat also. It was just too much for Eli to resist…instead of wrapping it he ended up setting it up. We decided to leave it set up by tree, so we could see Connors excitement upon seeing it. Every year since then, Santa has always left an unwrapped gift out for each of the boys. It was kind of a nice tradition when they got a little older…they would go out & find the unwrapped gift to play with and let us sleep in a bit.

This year we stumbled across two new traditions… Eli has wanted to deep-fry our turkey for I don’t know how long and even bought the fryer about six years ago, but for one reason or another it hasn’t been used. This year we planned ahead enough to figure out how much oil was needed & purchased it. Christmas morning I was a little nervous as he started setting things up…especially after I saw an Allstate commercial quoting facts about how many homes get burned down each year from people trying to deep-fry their turkeys. OH MY! The turkey was SO good! It was the moistest turkey I have ever had…this is definitely a new tradition!

The second new tradition came about when Connor was visiting his girlfriend Alyssa & they decided to make homemade eggnog. I guess they messed up following the recipe & it didn’t taste so good. Needless to say, when he got home Connor wanted to go buy the ingredients to try again. Now I am not a big fan of eggnog, but he had whipped it so well that it was nice and airy instead of thick & heavy. It turned out REALLY tasty! Another new tradition to look forward to next year!

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

2009-12-04T13:21:00.002-07:00

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End of an era...

2009-11-11T01:29:00.003-07:00

It was time for Eli & I to renew our temple recommends, so we went tonight for our Bishopric interview. When I first sat down with Brother Stoutsenberger, the counselor, he said "We'll be able to accomplish two things tonight." He then went on to tell me they were going to extend a release to me for my calling as Cub Master in the Cub Scouts.

When I first heard those words I wanted to cry...I have (or should I say had) the best calling in the ward! I was the official party planner for the Cub Scouts! Who else gets to plan a meeting where you get to dress up & act silly to recognize the accomplishments of the youth you've been working with...no one! I have been working with the Cub Scouts since March of 2000 & have been a Cub Master for almost 9 years. I am really going to miss working with the boys. It is so now fun to watch the 12-14 year old boys as they are passing Sacrament on Sunday and remember when they were just 8 and starting out in Cubs and see how much they have matured...I am truly going to miss this calling!

Then when Dennis (Brother Stoutsenberger) told me what my new calling was going to be I couldn't control my laughter! I'm not sure what the official title of the calling is, but I get to be in charge of calling & reminding the people who signed up to come clean the church house on either Monday evening or Saturday mornings. Then I get to go & make sure they show up.

I felt so bad for laughing. I have had a feeling that it was about time to be released, but I in no way saw this coming! I guess I should be thankful that it's not teaching Sunday School!

Funny Man!

2009-10-12T08:57:00.002-06:00

Tanner has really been developing a sense of humor lately. Saturday we had Lucky outside with us while we were working in the yard. At one point while Tanner & Grandpa were working together to pick up the piles of leaves we had raked, Tanner turned to Lucky & said, "Come on Lucky make your self useful...pick up a rake!"

Our Crazy Life...

2009-10-10T19:40:00.003-06:00

We had lots of plans for getting projects around the house done this summer. Eli had kept pretty busy subbing last year, but with school being out Eli was only working Tuesday & Thursday evenings from 4-10, and Saturday & Sunday days from 6-3 at WalMart, so we figured he'd have lots of time during the week to get some of our projects around the house finished. Boy were we wrong...Eli has been working 7 days a week since the beginning of summer!

Provo Canyon School (a residential treatment center for troubled teens) has year-round school for the kids there & they really like Eli as a sub. In fact, Dave, the Director there told Eli he is more reliable than some of his full-time faculty. At the beginning of summer they called to see if Eli could cover a two-week vacation for one of the teachers there, so he did. Then he covered the next vacation, & the next one & the next one...you get the picture. Needless to say, most of the projects are still not complete. But that's okay, because the time was well spent.

At the end of summer during a discussion with the director, Eli mentioned that as a substitute he is in danger of losing his teaching license. To maintain his teaching license he needs to be employed by a school & continuing his schooling to earn his teaching degree. Eli explained that even though he is able to work full time as a substitute it doesn't count because he's employed by the temp agency that provides subs to the schools. So...the director created a position for Eli at Provo Canyon School. The school has not had a computer technology class in the past, but it does now! The class is only taught one period a day, but at least it helps Eli to be able to maintain his license.

They scheduled Eli's class period to be from 2:30 to 3:30, so that he can be done in time to get to WalMart by 4:00 on Tuesdays & Thursdays. Dave creating this position & scheduling the class to fit Eli's schedule has been a real blessing for us, we only had one concern. With Eli needing to be at Provo Canyon School by 2:30 he will now only be able to accept subbing positions at high schools, because the elementary & middle schools get out too late and that would mean less income. We decided not to worry & trust that things would work out for us.

A few weeks ago one of the managers at WalMart approached Eli to see if he'd be interested in interviewing for the CSM position managing the night cashiers. Eli knew they were doing interviews for the position, but really hadn't thought about applying. Part of why he hadn't really considered it was because it would mean working from 10pm to 7am...ouch! After discussing it, Eli sat down to figure a schedule to see if it might work, then decided to go ahead & apply. Yep, you guessed it...Eli got the job, and a nice raise too!

So now Eli is going to work about the time I am getting ready for bed & he gets home either after the boys & I have left in the morning, or just as we are pulling out of the driveway on the days we are running late, then when I get home from work Eli is usually in bed.

With such a crazy schedule, we find ourselves spending the little bit of time when we are actually all together doing more "family" activities & find that this schedule actually work for us!

Dad's One-Liners

2009-10-09T21:05:00.004-06:00

It was a gorgeous day here in Provo today! The sun was out, the skies were blue & there was a crisp fall breeze. On the way home from work, I stopped by Jamestown to pick up dad for a visit & to run to the store with me to get some cough medicine for the boys, because you know how dad loves shopping!

Jamestown is located just up the street from BYU's intramural fields & dad usually comments on whatever sport is being played at the time...today was a little different. A cute young co-ed was jogging along the street dressed in both a black sports bra & incredibly tight short shorts & as we passed Dad said, "It looks like she forgot to get dressed before coming out!" I was glad we were in the car & she couldn't hear.

Dad's Got a Friend

2009-10-04T18:37:00.002-06:00

One of the hardest parts of having dad at Jamestown is the fact that in the Enhanced Care unit he does not get much social stimulation. There are lots of fun activities that keep him active and engaged, but unfortunately most of the other residents can not carry on a coherent conversation. The staff is very good about spending time with dad taking him along when they run errands and he has also been able to attend some of the activities at the activity center on the Assisted Living side, but unfortunately he doesn't usually remember.

When I went to pick him up for a visit last Saturday I noticed a man I'd never seen before and noticed he was having a conversation with one of the staff members. I asked dad if he had met him yet & he could not remember, but today as we walked through the lobby on our way out Mike (the new resident) stopped dad to shake his hand. While they were talking I asked the nurse (Summer) as she was opening the door for us if Mike was on the same level as dad & she said with a big grin, "Yes!" I guess that just after Mike moved in Summer had taken dad over to Mike's apartment to introduce them and now they spend a lot of time talking with one another.

Dad has never been a social butterfly by any means, but I know he has missed the opportunity to have a real conversation with the other residents. Yay for new neighbors & the chance for dad to have some more social stimulation!

What People Are Saying...

2009-08-28T22:08:00.002-06:00

It's the beginning of a new semester at UVU, so we had a department faculty meeting Wednesday evening. After the meeting was over, one of the new adjunct instructors stopped me because he had a few "quick" questions. As I was answering his questions most of the other faculty members headed home, but there were a few stragglers that stayed to chat a bit and I couldn't help but catch bits and pieces of their conversations. Then as I was finished answering the questions, I overheard two of the other adjuncts discussing a "high maintenance" student and had to say, "I know who you're talking about!"

We all had a good laugh because I was right! Then as I was driving home & got to thinking about it...what do people say about me when I'm not around? How would it be to be such a negative influence on those around you, that people don't even need to use your name for others to know who is being talked about!

And not that I think that I'm all that & people are talking about me, but I've decided to try harder to be less critical & negative and instead be more friendly & positive. That way the next time I walk in a room & people quit talking, I won't need to worry that they were complaining about me!

I Love the Fourth of July!

2009-07-05T00:12:00.010-06:00

Independence Day has always been one of my favorite holidays! The excitement of a nation coming together to celebrate...no matter what race or religion people belong to, they come together to honor this great country & the freedoms we enjoy. And no matter what city in the United States you find yourself in on July 4th you will most certainly find a parade, a county fair or carnival (maybe both) & fireworks.

Here in Provo it tends to start very early in the morning with Balloon Fest...it's always fun to watch the piles of nylon fabric fill up and turn into a beautiful magic giants then take off and dot the sky with a beautiful rainbow of colors.

The parade is another longstanding tradition that starts the evening before...people with blankets, sleeping bags, chairs, and umbrellas begin camping out all along the parade route. They even have it down to a science of where the best spot is along the route & which side of the street to be on. (On a side-note, one of my fondest memories from when Suzy & I were roommates here in Provo is of us driving down University Ave at 2:00 am with our car windows rolled down & yelling "wake up!" ...silly girls!)

And you have to stop by the Freedom Days County Fair to check out all the vendors, side shows & mini concerts...and then catch a few of the overpriced carnival rides.

But the best part of the day comes after dark...the fireworks! What an exciting way to end such an eventful day. I love it all...the loud pop of the cracker being lit, the beautiful colors painting the dark sky & the smell of sulfur in the air afterward. The perfect exclamation mark at the end of the celebration.

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty." John F. Kennedy

Grandpa's One-liners...

2009-06-21T21:43:00.002-06:00

I've got several friends with young children that are always posting the funny things their little ones say on their blogs, and I have often wished the boys were younger and giving me material for my blog. Now I have my father saying funny things almost daily, so I'm going to begin posting the things he says & calling them Grandpa's One-liners.

Here are a few samples:

About a week after he moved into Jamestown, he had been over for a visit & I was taking him back to his apartment. As we walked into the common area where a lot of the residents come to watch TV he said, "I don't like it here, I don't belong here." My response was "Dad, you're always telling me how much you like it here." He then waved his arm around the room & said "But look, they're all old."

Suzy & her family were flying into town Friday morning & were going to drive up to Idaho to visit a favorite uncle, dad's brother Skip. They decided it would be nice to take dad with them, so Friday morning I picked him up at 8:00 & took him to meet them. As we were walking toward the door I was a few steps ahead of dad, when a lady that lives there passed between us & dad kind of bumped into her a little. After bumping into her dad said, "Excuse me darling" to her, then to me he said, "She's one of my girlfriends. I like her best...she doesn't talk too much."

Then, tonight as I was taking him back over to Jamestown the radio was on a country station. Kenny Chesney was singing his song Down the Road, about a boy that wants to marry the girl "down the road." One of the lines is about how the girls father wants to know if the boys makes enough to take his daughter down the road. After that line dad said, "heck, how much money do you need to go down the road...that's dumb"

Keeping Promises...

2009-06-18T23:41:00.004-06:00

In September of 2005 my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer & a month later got pneumonia, which sped the dying process, but was a much gentler death. As mom’s body was shutting down on her, we could tell she was fighting to hang on & felt that it was because she was worried about our father, who has dementia. Independently & unknown to each other, my sister Suzy & I each went in to let our mom know that she did not need to worry about our dad, because we would take care of him.

Suzy does not work outside of her home & had an extra bedroom, so the plan was for dad to live with Suzy & her family. Suzy & her family were wonderful! They welcomed dad into their home with open arms. Then about a year ago, Suzy began having health problems due to the stress of caring for dad, so he moved into my brother Norman’s home. When dad moved in with Norman & Toni we all knew it was going to be temporary, because as dad’s dementia progressed he would need more skilled care. We began gathering information on some facilities in California that were centrally located between Suzy & Norman, but none of them quite met dad’s needs.

Then one Sunday as Tanner was speaking in the Sacrament meeting of a retirement home in our ward boundaries it dawned on me…“dad should move to Utah.” It hit me that if dad were living here in Utah, he would be able to attend Sacrament meeting & the staff at the facility would be respectful of his religious beliefs & customs. I began checking into assisted living care facilities & found Courtyard at Jamestown. They have an Enhanced Care unit, which is a secure section for patients with memory loss. When Eli & I toured the facility, we knew it was perfect! It met all dad’s needs…they even have an outside courtyard where dad can pull weeds!

In April I flew down to San Diego on a Thursday & the next morning Suzy & I drove dad up to Utah with all his belongings. On Saturday we went to Jamestown to set up dad’s room with all his furniture & photos, so that Monday when he arrived it would all be familiar. As we were putting his stuff away I have to admit, there were moments of guilt…I had promised my mother that I would help to take care of dad! But now that dad has been at Jamestown for almost two full months, I no longer have guilt. Dad has thrived at Jamestown! They have daily activities such as cooking classes, music appreciation and exercises, as well as scenic bus rides three times a week. He even went to a petting zoo last week. He is also eating regularly & has even gained some weight back.

From the moment the idea came to me, I have felt it was the right move & as plans have just fallen into place for dad to be able come to Jamestown it has been reaffirmed to me that this is the right decision for dad. So I guess that sometimes keeping the promises we’ve made means doing things differently than we had planned.

Round-abouts...Wanna Love 'em, Gotta Hate 'em!

2009-06-08T17:34:00.003-06:00

I have actually been formulating this post in my mind for quite a while now...and was re-inspired to finally get it written when my niece-in-law Hannah acknowledged her frustrations with them today on her Facebook status.

The city planners in Provo & Orem love their roundabouts! In the past five years most of the really busy 4-way stops in these two cities have been converted to round-abouts. The whole concept behind them is actually really good & they are very convenient...when used properly. That's the "gotta hate 'em" part of the equation...most drivers don't use them properly. On my daily commute, I have to drive through at least two round-abouts and depending on the route I take may need to use up to five...just to get to 8 miles from my house to UVU!

The whole concept of the round-about is to keep traffic moving, so there is nothing more frustrating then to be driving along, enjoying my morning ride & come up to an idiot driver stopped at a round-about waiting for all the cars to pass! It's not a four-way stop any more...the idea is to safely merge into the flow of traffic. The other side of the frustration is that there are those other idiot-drivers that insist on speeding up when they see someone approaching the round-about so that they won't have to let them in! UG! And I'm not so sure it's a "Utah driver" thing either...I've noticed that the round-abouts with the most problems are located in areas highly populated by BYU & UVU students driving cars from out of state & I've also been the passenger in a car driven by someone visiting from another state & had them ask me "what do I do?" when they get to the round-about.

I'm not quite sure what the solution is...it's kind of like the "carpool" lane, which is a whole other frustration! Some people get it & some people don't, & those of us that do will just have to continue to tolerate the idiot-drivers that will never get it!

Are You Twins...

2009-04-04T10:37:00.013-06:00

My sister Suzy & I have always been very close...best friends in fact. Whenever we get together there is lots of laughter, joking & teasing. I think the fact that I am only 18 months older than her helped, but another big contributor to our close friendship was our mother making us play together when we were younger...because, "friends come & go, but you will always be sisters!"

As kids, then young adults & later as roommates when we would go places together it wasn't uncommon for strangers to ask us if we were twins...usually the reply was one of saying "yes" and the other saying "no" at the same time! I don't know how many people told me "Welcome home" when Suzy returned from her mission. Even now when either one of run into people that new us when we were younger, they will ask "Aren't you one of the Thomas girls?" because they don't know which one we are.

It's funny though, because when we were younger I didn't really see it...maybe because my hair was blond & hers was brunette. But I was noticing the other day as I was looking at photos, that we really do look quite a bit alike.

Blood, Sweat & Tears...

2009-03-23T23:14:00.010-06:00

When Eli & I bought this old house it was not because we loved it! It was because we loved the property & the beautiful view of the valley, and knew that the house could be remodeled. Currently our house is not very pretty to look at...it is a hodgepodge of cinder block, river rock, lava rock & siding. Not to mention the "garage room"...an addition that was intended to be a garage with an extra bedroom on the second story. The only problem it that the owner at the time forgot to factor in the staircase to get upstairs to the bedroom when he figured the length of the room, so it ended up being too short to park a car inside!

We had great plans for turning this ole puzzle into something beautiful...something to be proud of. Due to economic situations & a fire our plans have not come to pass quite as quickly as we had planned, but during my Spring Break from work we finally got started on our remodel!

One of the things that bugs me most about the house is that my kitchen is practically a part of my living room. In fact when we first bought the house, as you came in the front door, you were standing in my kitchen. Eli built a wall and created an entryway, but we knew one of the first things we wanted to do was move the kitchen.

The area we wanted to move the kitchen to is the perfect spot for a kitchen, except for the wall of windows! The windows are too long...we wouldn't be able to place cabinets on that wall. Well, not unless we change the windows! So that was our project for Spring Break.

Friday morning Eli & I started removing the molding around the windows & that went really fast...so then we took out the windows, & that went really fast too! We kept looking at the clock & saying, "Wow! That only took 10 minutes." Things just kept moving along so quickly, we were thinking we might actually have the new windows back in by that evening!

The wall that we were needing to change is a cinder-block wall, so while I made a quick trip to Lowe's to buy mortar, Eli was going to get the cinder-blocks we already had moved to where we needed them. That was when he noticed that the cinder-blocks on this wall are actually not as thick as the ones we had! Which was really odd, because the left over blocks were from when we filled in a window on another wall...who would have thought that a builder would have used two different size cinder-blocks when building a house! (This is the point in the story where Eli tells people that having level floors & square walls is seriously over-rated!) Luckily when we got back to Lowe's they had the exact size of cinder-block we needed sitting right by the back door, so I just backed the truck up to the stack & Eli loaded them on.

Once we had the right size bricks work started moving quickly again. Connor got home in the afternoon & was able to help Eli placing the bricks, which really helped out! Once all the brinks were in place, we decided to let the mortar dry & save the framing & putting the windows in until Saturday. Thankfully the weather cooperated, because we left it all open & just closed the door on that room, so the rest of the house wouldn't get too cold.

Saturday morning Eli's back was feeling a little tender from lifting & hauling the cinder-blocks the day before, so he took some Aleve & we got started building the frame for the opening. Once again things were moving along really well...we had the frame up & were trimming the molding that was going to hold the windows in place when Eli cut his finger with his circular saw...OUCH! Wow! What a lot of blood! We quickly got him into the bathroom to try a get it cleaned & bandaged. The problem was that the first aid kit with the gauze & surgical tape was out in the tool shed, and all we had was band-aids...which weren't sticking because he was bleeding so badly. So being a quick thinker, Eli grabbed some blue painters tape to wrap around the finger & keep the band-aids in place! It was amazing...within 1/2 an hour Eli was back working! He was back trimming the molding & nailing it in place. In fact it was his back that was bothering him! I guess it was a good thing he took that Aleve in the morning.

Eli's injury slowed us down a little but, by the end of the day we had the new windows in place! We still needed to make another trip to Lowe's for the the finish molding & it was late before we got home, so the project is not quite complete...but we are so close!

Outside...before we started!

Outside view: After the windows are out.

Inside view: without the windows!

Eli pulling wires for electricity...

The first row of blocks...so far so good!

Framing: After the 2nd row of blocks...before the accident!

The new windows!

Now we just need to get the finish molding up & paint. These new windows are wonderful! The old ones were not double paned...we never realized how much noise from outside came in until we got these new windows up!

I guess this is just the beginning...

Simple Machines...

2009-03-19T20:24:00.004-06:00

Tanner had an assignment in his Science class to build a machine, that can perform a task, by putting together three simple machines...and he could not spend more then $10. He came up with an idea & the three simple machines that he used were a screw, a wedge, and a lever. Adding in some of the scrap wood that we have from past projects he was able to build a lathe....& it actually works!

Silence Is Golden...

2009-03-17T23:31:00.003-06:00

It all started a few days ago...Tanner & I had been running errands & decided to get something to eat on the way home rather than cook. As I was getting ready to order, I turned off my radio to speak to the person that was taking my order. After getting our food, I forgot to turn the radio back on. We had been driving in silence for a while before I noticed how peaceful it felt. Then the most amazing thing happened...Tanner & I actually had a conversation about his day at school, rather then sing to the radio together!

The next morning as Connor & I got in the car to go to seminary & work, Connor asked, "Why is the radio off?" Then, after I explained why the radio was off, he & I preceded to have another very nice conversation!

After work, as I was driving home alone...still with the radio off, I realized that there is almost always some sort of noise going on in the background during my day...the radio playing in the car as I'm driving or in my office while I'm working, or the TV at home...even when no one is watching it. Then I realized, I really enjoyed the quiet! So...I have been leaving the radio off in the car & turning off the TV at home more often.

Wow! What a difference it has made! Not only am I getting to know my boys a little better & have them know I am interested in what they're doing...I find that I can actually hear that still small voice sometimes...now that it doesn't have to compete with the noise!

CoNnOr TuRnS 16 tOdAy...

2009-03-04T15:15:00.015-07:00

The night before last...actually I guess it was morning...I woke up at 2 am & could not get back to sleep for about an hour, then I woke up again at 4 am! Since going off of caffeine I have been sleeping really well, so I was pretty frustrated that I kept waking up. As I was laying there wishing I was asleep, I realized that 16 years ago I'd had a pretty restless night too! I was very uncomfortable & couldn't fall asleep...at 2 am when I woke up because I was wet, without realizing why, I changed & went back to bed. When I woke up an hour later because I was wet again a light-bulb went off! My water had broke! I remember thinking, "but if this baby is as tired as I am, he wants more sleep" then going back to bed. I slept for a few more hours before going to the hospital. After a lecture about not coming right in, a long day & night of labor began! At 2 am Connor Thomas Escamilla was born!

(Our first family picture - Connor's 2 days old)

So, to celebrate Connor's 16th birthday, I've created a list of my 16 favorite things about Connor.

1) Connor is a hugger...I love Connor's hugs!
2) I love that Connor has such a quick wit & good sense of humor.
3) I'm proud that he honors his Priesthood.
4) Connor is a very good cook.
5) He writes really good poetry & short stories, and has even had a couple published.
6) Connor has always been very artistic.
7) I love that he enjoys reading SO much!
8) As much as I hate to admit he's taller than me, I love that he can reach the high stuff for me.
9) Learning is easy for Connor, especially when it's a subject he enjoys.
10) I love that Connor can help me with my math!
11) Connor is one of my favorite people!
12) He is a good big brother.
13) Connor is a hard worker & very helpful around the house with some of our big projects.
14) He is a good leader & follows through with his responsibilities.
15) Connor is full of little known facts & has one for about any situation.
16) He loves the gospel & is proud to be a Mormon.

Happy Birthday Connor!

Just call me the homework nazi!

2009-02-20T19:40:00.003-07:00

I don't get it! Is not doing homework a guy thing! I don't ever remember my mother being on my case to get my homework done. Nor do I remember doing the homework, but not turning it in...what's up with that?!

Making Lemonade!

2009-01-29T00:56:00.001-07:00

So...on November 13th as I was getting out of the car after getting home from work, Eli came dashing out to greet me! In my mind I was thinking, "oh cute, he's excited I'm home" but alas, I was wrong. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure he was glad I was home, but the reason he was meeting me at the car was he had bad news he didn't want to discuss in front of the boys...He had been laid off from the school where he was teaching.

Luckily, about a week before this, he had taken a part-time job at WalMart, working evenings in the Dairy section. At the time that he was inspired to apply it was going to be extra money for Christmas & paying off some debt we incurred while he was in school...thank heavens for that still small voice that we sometimes think is our own good ideas! We actually didn't tell many people at first, because we aren't the only ones affected by this economy & although things have been a bit tight for us, we've been okay.

So why am I writing about it now? Well, earlier tonight I was counting my blessings and realize that some of them are because Eli was laid off!

I am thankful for a messy house...because it means Tanner has had friends over. After Eli was laid off, we transfered Tanner to our neighborhood school. It has been a wonderful move for him, for the first time in a long time Tanner has made some really good friends!

I am thankful for a tight budget...because it means we aren't spending our money foolishly & we are more appreciative of the things we have.

I am thankful to be tired at the end of the day...because it means I had to get up early enough to take Connor to early-morning seminary. There have been many mornings, when after snoozing my alarm too many times, Connor comes to remind me that he can not miss Seminary. I am SO glad that he enjoys studying the gospel!

I am thankful for sore feet...because it means I was able to go walking with my friend before work.

I am thankful for a pile of work on my desk...because it means I will be busy! I love my job and feel so good at the end of the day to be able to see what I have accomplished.

I am thankful for static on the radio...because it makes me turn it off & gives me the peace necessary to hear the promptings of the Holy Ghost to call a friend, not knowing that she had just had a lousy day and needed cheering up!

I am thankful to have a sink full of dishes...because it means my growing boys are getting plenty to eat...not to mention the fact that they are the ones that get to wash them!

And believe it or not, I am thankful for traffic & stop lights...because they teach me patience. Some times it's just not worth stressing about getting stuck at every red light or getting mad at another driver...because in the end you always get where you were going, but if you let those things bother you, you just end up in a bad mood & can't enjoy the things going on around you!

Yes, right now there are many lemons in my life...but I choose to make lemonade!

May 10, 1991...More strolling down Memory Lane!

2009-01-20T23:29:00.024-07:00

Life has been pretty boring lately, & I've been wishing I had something for my blog. The last time my Life Story group got together the topic was our wedding day, so I've decided to post what I wrote.

Where’s Sem…

It’s a good thing Eli & I both have a sense of humor, considering the comedy of errors that we call our wedding day!

It all started at 2 am, when we rang the doorbell of the temple apartment that my mom had reserved for Eli’s parents, so they could spend the week prior to our wedding doing temple work. Imagine our surprise when a stranger opened the door…I guess he was pretty surprised too! Not knowing where to find Eli’s parents, we both went to the room my parents had reserved for our family. When we arrived at the room there was already a crowd, due to the fact that not only had my parents decided to invite Guinevere & Evan to spend the night with us, but Suzy & Brent decided to spend the night also! The apartment had only two hide-a-bed couches, but somehow we found a place for everyone to sleep. Poor Eli spent the night before his wedding sleeping on the floor! Come to find out, earlier in the week there was construction going on next-door to the apartment his parents should have been in, so they had been given another room.

So much for not letting the groom to see the bride before the wedding!

We found Eli’s parents the next morning & all walked over to the temple together. As we entered, some very friendly temple workers greeted us & I was rushed off to the Bride’s room, along with my mother & mother-in-law. I assumed Eli had been rushed off to the “groom’s” room with the two dads…Imagine my surprise as Eli & I were brought into the Sealing room & Eli’s father was not present!

Eli’s father, who does not understand English very well, had been lost in the hustle at the front door & had been lead in to a regular temple session. This was before the temples were computerized, so a very helpful temple worker had to go check all the sessions in progress looking Sem, my soon to be father-in-law.

While we were waiting for Sem to be located & brought to the Sealing room, we learned that the Sealer performing our ceremony had been the mission president of a Spanish-speaking mission and was able to translate the ceremony for my father-in-law.

What a wonderful blessing for my father-in-law who had been lost & confused to be able to understand the sacred ceremony being preformed that day.

Sem, Maria, Eli, Me, Mom & Dad

Pictured L-R: Dad's side, Eli sleeping, Brent & Suzy in the corner on the floor, Evan, Me & Guinevere.

A Few more fun photos from the day...

What a beautiful bride? ...poor Claire was SO sick!

Eli being silly...

Monkeying around... Suzy, Me & Lori Harper

Getting ready for the kissing pic...

...we couldn't keep a straight face & ended up laughing instead of kissing!

And the car...does anyone know who these kids belong too!

Joseph, what's that behind your back...

Done...just done!

...we had grass clipping coming out of the air conditioner for months!

Memory Lane

2008-12-30T11:54:00.003-07:00

This year we had Christmas dinner with Eli's sister Maria, her family, Grandma Escamilla & Uncle Dennis. It's been a while since we've seen some of Maria kids and their families, so it was a lot of fun...the boys even got to spend the night & "hang out" playing games with their cousins.

When I went to pick them up in the morning after their "sleepover" Maria and some of the kids started remembering when the boys were younger & we started reminiscing about days gone by...so when the boys and I arrived back home, I got out some old photos & sort of took a walk down Memory Lane. What fun to look back and "remember when..."

As I was looking through the old photos I got the "bright" idea to create a slideshow of the boys through the years.

It was a lot of fun putting together, but I noticed there are gaps in the photos, so I decided one of my New Year's resolutions will be to be better about taking pictures & getting the film developed that I have sitting in a drawer...no more gaps!

My first attempt at digital scrapbooking...

2008-12-23T23:11:00.006-07:00

Tis the Season

2008-12-18T10:27:00.004-07:00

I received a Christmas Edition of one of those "getting to know you" emails from my cousin Kerry the other day, but figured that instead of sending the answers out in an email I post them to my blog.
It was kind of fun filling in the answers.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both

2. Real tree or Artificial? Real

3. When do you put up the tree? The day after Thanksgiving

4. When do you take the tree down? The day after Christmas...a few times after everyone leaves on Christmas day!

5. Do you like eggnog? Nope

6. Favorite gift received as a child? A Chrissy doll...you could push a button to make her hair long or short

7. Hardest person to buy for? Dad

8. Easiest person to buy for? Eli & the boys

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes...I collect them

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I always buy them with good intentions, but don't always get them mailed...hopefully this year they go out tomorrow!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? An UGLY necklace from a guy I was dating at the time!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? It's a Wonderful Life

13. When do you start shopping? It doesn't matter...I'm still shopping on Christmas eve...even when I start early!

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Well.......a lot of the creams & candles I got from students when I worked at Challenger made good last minute gifts!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? All the goodies...especially Fudge!

16. Lights on the tree? Definitely...as many as possible!

17. Favorite Christmas song? Christmas Island

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? We always talk about going somewhere "next" year...but something usually happens to change our plans!

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? yes...Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzn & Rudolph

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel...but not one of those ugly plastic ones with the lights under the skirt!

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Only one on Christmas eve...funny how it always turns out to be new jammies!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Icy roads & stupid drivers...I love the shopping & the crowds!!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? My mother gave Eli & I a beautiful "Our First Christmas" ornament for our first Christmas which started our tradition of adding a special ornament each year that represents the year for us...my favorites are the Surfing Santa from our California Christmas & the firetruck from the year of the fire!

24. Favorite at Christmas dinner? Mashed potatoes & homemade rolls

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A new digital camera would be nice

So now for those of you with the time & inclination lets see your answers on your blogs...

I keep learning...

2008-12-17T16:29:00.003-07:00

So, another birthday came & went...Mother Nature delivered a wonderful snowstorm to my door (and don't you like how I added it to my blog!), but birthdays as an adult aren't nearly as exciting as they were when I was younger. Now that I'm "almost" 50 I decided to take a little inventory & figure out what life has taught me...

1) Follow the 3 R’s:
Respect for self...Respect for others...Responsibility for ALL your actions

2) When you lose...don’t lose the lesson.

3) Not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

4) Give the benefit of the doubt.

5) When you realize you’ve made a mistake...take immediate steps to correct it.

6) In disagreements, deal only with the current situation... don’t bring up the past.

7) Live a good honorable life...that way when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

8) Be open to change...but never give up your values.

9) Forgive quickly...you may be asking for mercy one day.

10) Think before you speak...words can never be undone.

Living in Utah...

2008-12-15T09:21:00.003-07:00

Having lived in Utah for over 25 years now, I have worked really hard now to "pick up" Utah's accent...What's funny is people from Utah think they don't have an accent, but they do! The Utah accent is really hard to reproduce in print but it's kind of like a choppier version of a Valley Girl accent...Mountain = Mau-en, Clinton = Cli-en...and pillow, milk, crayon, and mirror = pellow, melk, cren, and meer. Every once in a while I catch myself saying something like "Oh my heck" and think "Oh no! It's happening" so I was quiet pleased when I took this survey & found that I don't have an accent!

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
The West
Boston
North Central
The South
Philadelphia
The Northeast
The Inland North
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

I've got a question...

2008-12-11T08:29:00.004-07:00

Why do people ask a question & then interrupt during the answer? If you already knew the answer...why did you ask the question?

I love this time of year!

2008-11-30T18:34:00.002-07:00

Yesterday as I was running my Saturday errands I kept finding myself smiling…

Smiling at the kids getting out of the car next to me as they told their father that they knew exactly what the perfect gift for mom is… I love the excitement and energy that is in the air as people rush about buying gifts and goodies for friends and family.

Smiling as I past three different Christmas tree lots & wonder how Santa can be at all three lots!...I love what Santa symbolizes & the spirit of giving that abounds at this time of year.

Smiling as I was singing along with the radio… I love Christmas music…both the silly songs about dancing snowmen, flying reindeer and a jolly old man in a red suit, as well as the sacred hymns that tell the story of a baby born in manger on that sacred silent night in a little town called Bethlehem.

Smiling at the Christmas decorations appearing on the lawns and houses of friends and neighbors… I love seeing the colorful Christmas lights glowing as I drive around town at night.

Smiling at the smell of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven…I love baking goodies on a cold winter day.

Smiling as I watch Connor (who got his pyromania from me!) build a very large fire in the fireplace… I love to relax in front of a nice warm crackling fire with a hot cup of cocoa and floating marshmallows.

Yep! This is truly a special time of year! Now…tell me…what makes you smile?

Ok...I'm ready for Christmas now!

2008-11-25T14:10:00.004-07:00

Earlier in the month I was kinda bothered by all the stores skipping right over Thanksgiving & getting their Christmas stuff out, but the more I think about it we don't really need a special day to be Thankful...we are so blessed all year long!

We've experienced so many small miracles in our family recently , that I know Heavenly Father is aware of who we are and our individual needs! Why wait for Thanksgiving to say thanx!

Have you got your turkey yet?

2008-11-18T13:36:00.005-07:00

My cousin sent this link to me in an email...test your skills at shooting your Thanksgiving turkey.

http://www.southbank-design.co.uk/turkeyshoot/index.htm

Happy Thanksgiving!

Christmas already?!

2008-11-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

Friday we had a Baked Potato & Chili Pot Luck at work for Halloween, so on my way to work I needed to stop & pick up a few things...when I walked in to WalMart I was greeted by a Christmas tree! What's up with that?!

They've been getting the Christmas stuff out for a few weeks already, but at least it wasn't at the front door yet...not only could they not wait until after Halloween but they skipped right over Thanksgiving! In fact, they were even already discounting "Fall" decorations...I guess maybe they figure people don't have much to be thankful for right now.

I personally have SO much to be thankful for!

A great husband that not only works hard at his job, but then comes home & works on projects to improve our home.

Two awesome boys! Connor & Tanner are such examples to me, Connor can bring humor to any situation & Tanner is always so thoughtful of others feelings.

Good health! I have my problems, but I can't complain.

A very caring sister. Suzy is a superstar in my book!

A Heavenly Father that knows & loves me!

Fantastic Friends.

A warm home & comfortable bed.

Two reliable cars.

A job I love!

The list goes on & on.

Let's not forget to be thankful this year!

Thank You Officer...

2008-10-24T19:12:00.000-06:00

Today Eli & Tanner had the day off from school, so I decided that I'd go home for lunch & spend some time with them. Living as close to work as we do, I can drive home for lunch every day & still not need to fill up my gas tank for two weeks...It's great!

So...I'm driving along, singing to the radio & thinking about what I'll make for lunch, when suddenly notice some flashing red & blue lights in my rear view mirror. I think to myself, "He's so far back, he can't possibly be pulling me over" but then I look at my speedometer & think "Yep! He's coming for me!" I was so busy thinking about other things that I hadn't noticed I was doing 47 in a 25...oops! I tried to be clever & polite in the hopes that he would let me go with a warning, but he still gave me a ticket. He did tell me that because I was wearing my seat belt he cut the amount I was over in 1/2 & only cited me for going 36. He then politely informed me that if I go to their traffic school the ticket won't go on my record.

Darn! It's been four years since I've gotten a ticket...I was pretty proud of myself for never getting pulled over in the two years I was driving to Draper every day.

I can't believe it...but after he had me sign his copy of the ticket, returned my driver's license & was walking away, I actually thanked him!

I love Fall...

2008-10-06T17:40:00.000-06:00

When I first moved to Utah to go to school I fell in love with the Fall season...probably because in California the colors of the seasons are green or brown. I love to look up at the mountains and see the patchwork quilt of colors as the bright green fades from the trees and we begin to see bright yellows, oranges & reds.

"A fallen leaf is nothing more
than a summers wave good bye"

Well...except for having to rake leaves, I love Fall!

Are You My Mother...

2008-10-04T14:46:00.001-06:00

As the boys get older I see personality traits of both Eli & I, but as far as who they look most like it kinda depends...sometimes I see me & other times I see Eli...sometimes I even see other family members like grandpa, grandma or cousins. When I saw this meter on a friends blog I decided to give it a try. No wonder I can't decide who they look most like...the look-alike-meter can't tell either!

Too busy to do the right thing...

2008-09-19T22:55:00.000-06:00

It was “Ethics Awareness Week” at UVU this week, and on Wednesday the Excellence in Ethics Award was presented to Utah Supreme Court Justice Christine Durham. One of the Legal Studies faculty members was on the selection committee & invited the rest of us in the department to attend…so I “invited” Eli to come too.

Prior to receiving her award Justice Durham spoke on the topic of “Situational Ethics.” In her presentation she addressed the fact that even though you can teach someone the difference between right & wrong, sometimes because of the situation & circumstance a person is in wrong can begin to look a little right. She then told us about an experiment that had been inspired by the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Two psychologists reasoned that the priest and the Levite were probably preoccupied with religious thoughts as they traveled down the road, and further speculated that the Samaritan was probably thinking about more mundane matters at the moment of ethical decision and might not have had so demanding a schedule as those of the priest and the Levite.

In December of 1970, the two psychologists gathered a sample of 40 students from the Princeton Theological Seminary. Half of the students were given a copy of the Good Samaritan and were told they would be giving a sermon on the subject in a few minutes & the other half were told they would be speaking about employment opportunities for seminary students. All the students were told to report to another building to deliver their talk. Some were told to hurry because people were waiting for them, while others were lead to believe they had a little more time to get to the other building.

On their way to deliver their talks, each student passed by a poorly dressed person, slumped in a doorway, possibly in need of help. As each subject passed by, the man coughed twice & groaned.

Sixty percent of the seminary students walked past without offering assistance. The students thinking about the parable were no more likely to stop than the others. In fact several stepped right over the distressed man.

It seemed the deciding factor of whether to stop or not was time. The majority of the students that stopped to offer aid were the ones that had been lead to believe they had a little extra time.

The psychologists were drawn to conclude that as the speed of daily life increases, ethics becomes a luxury.

Her topic prompted me to think about how often I hurry past others without thought. I get so wrapped up in my own “to do” list that I forget to slow down & give thought to those around me. So for the past few days, as I rushed about my business, I’ve tried to be more aware of others. A friendly “hello” to strangers I pass in the hall, holding the door for someone loaded down with books, or not speeding up to beat the load of students that just got off the bus to the crosswalk, so I won’t have to wait forever!

I’m not sure that any of my actions actually equate to those of the Good Samaritan, but I had way less stress & felt much happier myself.

Something to Think About...

2008-09-11T07:48:00.000-06:00

I heard this quoted at a meeting...
Life is 10% what happens & 90% how we react.

Life Is Good!

2008-09-08T20:15:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since I've posted anything, so as I was trying to decide what to say in my post I realized nothing too eventful has been happening.

Eli is really enjoying teaching...I guess the fact that he has a passion for the subject really helps! I never realized how exciting the subject of printing & graphic art could be until one of our home teachers asked Eli a question about the history of the printing press...you could hear the love & passion in Eli's voice as he answered the question...who knew that printing & graphic art was something to get excited about. I guess he is passing that love on to his students...he gets little notes from them daily telling him it's their favorite class & he's their favorite teacher.

Tanner is also enjoying being a Monticello...and yes, Eli is his favorite teacher too! He has made several new friends & has some great teachers. He is even taking piano lessons from his music teacher after school once a week...very convenient!

Connor is doing well as a Junior. All A's so far...even in Biology! Hopefully the good study habits that he has started the year off with will continue.

And I still love my job! It's kinda crazy right now...we are finishing up the paperwork for our program to remain accredited by the American Bar Association & there's a lot to do, but I'd rather be busy than just sitting around!

Yep...Life is good for the Escamilla's right now. Except for a little cold that Eli is just getting over things are going very well at the moment...we are blessed!

Gratitude...

2008-09-01T16:04:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to be more aware of the blessings around me lately & today as I was driving down the street & saw all the flags, that had been placed in yards by the Boy Scouts, waving in the wind I had an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. How lucky I am to live in a country where I can fly my flag whenever I want!

2008-08-30T20:48:00.000-06:00

You Are Snow White!

Pure and trusting. You are a gentle soul who can get along with just about anyone. Everyone you meet instantly falls in love with you. How can they resist? You have a pure, lovable nature that's irresistable. Just don't trust everyone who comes across your path.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

New beginnings...

2008-08-27T19:30:00.000-06:00

Since Tanner was going to a new school where no one already knew him & he didn't have a reputation, Eli & I explained to him that this was a new beginning for him...people weren't already expecting him to act a certain way and he could control what people thought of him, by the way he presented himself . The teachers & kids at Monticello wouldn't know if Tanner had been the smartest, the wise-cracker, the class clown or the bully.

Eli told him that he could be whoever he wanted to be. When first presented with this idea, Tanner's response was "how can I be whoever I want to be...I'm Tanner" & Eli explaind that he could even go by a different name if he wanted to...he considered Riley (his middle name) or Tre (his initials) but decided he really liked being Tanner.

That's what I like about new beginnings...it's a chance to keep the parts you like & improve the things you'd like to change.

Go Forth & Serve...

2008-08-27T18:14:00.000-06:00

So, my nephew Spencer went into the MTC today & I was lucky enough to go with my sister Suzy to "drop him off"...for lack of a better way to say it. What a wonderful spirit there is a the MTC...My mother-in-law has been a volunteer there for years & now I know why she loves it so much! To see all these young men & women so excited to serve our Heavenly Father and feel their spirit as they sang "Called to Serve" not only brought a tear to my eyes, but gave me goose-bumps! Spencer has such a great spirit & enthusiasm about the gospel I'm sure he will be a TANFASTIC missionary!

Where did summer go?

2008-08-24T18:12:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it's already time for school to start...where did the summer go!

Connor started all but his math class last Tuesday...math starts Wednesday when UVU's Fall semester begins. Tanner & Eli start at their new school tomorrow.

As we were finishing up our back-to-school shopping this weekend, I realized summer is pretty much over. For going by as fast as it did, we actually got quite a bit accomplished...

How we spent our Summer Vacation:
Trips:
- 2 trips to California
- 1 trip to Lagoon
- Week-long rafting trip
- One week long camping trip & several overnighters
Movies:
- Ironman (more than once for Connor)
- Dark Knight
- Hell Boy II
- Prince Capsian
Projects:
- Built new balcony banister
- Painted the house
- Lots of yard work
- Connor helped Evan who is remodeling Norm's multiplex.
Visitors:
- Grandpa Thomas...stayed with us for 2 weeks

- Suzy...picked up Spencer @ BYU...coming back Wednesday to take him to the MTC
- David & Lisa...annual summer visit from Louisana

Maybe...

2008-08-21T21:52:00.000-06:00

Last night was "Back-to-school Night" for Eli & Tanner...Their school starts Monday. Eli is going to be teaching 8th & 9th grade Graphic Arts at a Middle School up in West Valley & Tanner is going to be attending there also. Back-to-school was from 6-9, but Eli just stayed at the school, since he was required to be there from 8-3.

On the way there, as Tanner & I were driving in car, he asked if on the way home we could stop at Blockbuster to rent a video. My response was "Maybe" & Tanner said, "I know what maybe means"..."No."

His comment got me to thinking that actually for me "Maybe" means "probably not"...this time it actually meant "Yes" though!

You're Never Too Big for a Hug!

2008-08-18T22:37:00.000-06:00

Connor has been down in Oceanside visiting his cousins since Friday & got home today while I was at work. When I walked in the front door, he came bouncing out of the kitchen saying "Hug!" Connor has always been a hugger...it's kind of his way of saying "I love you." It's funny...at that moment in my minds eye he was four years old again, greeting me with his ever popular "Hug!" It's good to know that even though he's a teenager and about 4 inches taller than me he hasn't outgrown his famous "Hugs!"

(Connor wouldn't let me take a pic, so I found one from his rafting trip last month)

There's hope...

2008-08-16T22:36:00.000-06:00

We have had a lot of “projects” to do around the house and yard this summer, and the boys have really worked hard. Eli & I tried to make sure we also had opportunities for fun & adventure to make sure that summer wasn’t all work & no play. But when it’s time to work, the boys seem to forget about the goods times…with all the complaining & arguing it’s almost easier to do it without their help!

Eli & I have wondered many times if we are getting the points of being reliable & having a good work ethic across to Connor & Tanner…but we must be doing something right. On several different occasions this week I’ve had people mention how reliable & hardworking my boys are. It’s nice to know that even though they whine and complain about helping at home, when it comes to serving others they are willing to pitch in and work hard.

Can I complain...

2008-08-07T15:59:00.000-06:00

In May I started working at Utah Valley University in the Legal Studies office, and I am SO tired of people calling because they have a legal problem & need a lawyer. When I politely tell them that although most of the professors are practicing attorneys they do not give legal advice, the person invariably will begin telling me what their problem is! UG! Did they not hear me...we don't give legal advice! And telling me your problems is not going to change the policy...it's just going to waste both of our time!

Okay...I'm done complaining!

Other than that, I LOVE my new job! I really enjoyed my job at Utah State Prison, but now not only do I enjoy my job...but it only takes 10 minutes to get there & I only have to fill my gas tank every other week! The tuition benefit is pretty nice too!

There's no place like home!

2008-07-30T20:44:00.000-06:00

I've lived in Utah now for about 27 years & even though it's grown on me, it's still not home! We made a quick trip to California last weekend (sorry Kerry, I should have called you!) & it was so hard to come back! My nephew Spencer was going through the temple for the first time & his brother Brandon was being ordained a Priest, so Thursday the boys & I packed the car while Eli was at work & at 7:30 when he got home we hit the road.

Even though going "home" doesn't mean going to stay at the house I grew up in, in Santee...in fact I haven't been to Santee since Connor was two...just returning to the San Diego area is good enough for me!

Friday afternoon we went to the beach...oh how I miss the beach! Not so much the sand though. I miss the days when I used to go to the beach at least twice a week...now I'm lucky to make it twice a year! At Seven Peaks, a local water park, they have a wave pool that's fun...but it's no match for the beach on a boogie board!

Saturday we were going to go back to the beach, but received a surprise call from our old friend John Porter. He and his wife, Kathy (Stanger), another old friend, were in town & on their way over. What fun it was looking at old prom pictures and remembering the good ol' days!

Sunday & the ride back to Utah came way to fast! It's funny...as kids we used to joke on our way up to Utah for family reunions that we needed to set our watches back two years...now it's probably my nephews & nieces making the joke as they come to visit me!

I don't think I would have been a very good pioneer!

2008-07-23T18:45:00.000-06:00

I've been thinking about this for a few days now. It all started Sunday when I was making mashed potatoes for dinner...my mixer was broke & I had to mash them by hand! I've been having some numbness in my right hand lately & was really missing my mixer. This got me to thinking about how easy we have it...at least I didn't have to grow the potatoes!

Then yesterday at work I needed to email an electronic copy of a signed document to a lawyer in Salt Lake...so I signed the document, scanned it into my computer, then attached it to an email & he had in in minutes!

And earlier this evening as I was paying some bills online & IM'ing Eli who is working 'til midnight tonight, I realized I haven't bought stamps in forever thanks to modern technology! Yep, I'm very grateful to be a modern woman...I'm sure as a pioneer I would have been a whiner!

Water's here...

2008-07-22T22:41:00.000-06:00

I have a waterfall in my yard right now! Every seven days & eight hours we get irrigation water...technically, our neighbors get irrigation water...we are just lucky enough to be at the end of the canal & it has to go through our back yard to get to our neighbors lower yard. I love when the water comes...it can be a bit time consuming...actually it's REALLY time consuming! But it is good for my lawn, plants & flowers, and it's so cool to hear the water running down the waterfall! I love to sit here & listen to it...it's so calming!

Happy Birthday?

2008-07-13T16:44:00.000-06:00

I realized yesterday that "Happy Birthday" means different things to different people. Yesterday was Eli's birthday...and the thing he wanted to do for his birthday was paint our house!

When we took our lunch break Tanner thought we were done & asked, "What are we gonna do now to celebrate dad's birthday?" I explained that we were already doing it...that's when I realized that having a "Happy Birthday" changes meaning as we grow up. As adults we don't need a big party with lots of friends & gifts in order to be happy...we just want to doing something we enjoy with those we love. Maybe it's because we don't want to be reminded of our age...or maybe because as we get older we realize people & relationships are more important than things.

Bloom where your planted...

2008-07-10T22:34:00.000-06:00

As I was outside watering my flowers this evening I noticed it's about time to weed again...it seems like I just did! So now, not only do my flowers have to deal with the rocky hillside where they are trying to plant their roots, but now they have to fight the weeds too! Then I noticed the start of a walnut tree fighting to grow inside the birdhouse in my garden. Isn't gardening so much like life! There are always rocks, weeds & obstacles in our paths, but as we work to overcome them we become stronger! It's not easy to have a beautiful garden...it takes a lot of time, patience & hard work. Life too takes time patience & hard work...so often we spend our time worrying about what we don't have that we forget to enjoy what we do have & bloom where we're planted!

Have you ever noticed you have to spend money to save money...

2008-07-06T21:05:00.000-06:00

Don't get me wrong...I love a bargain, but have you ever thought about the fact that to save money you have to spend money. Take the new counter top that we bought for our kitchen remodel...the one we haven't started yet!

When we bought this old house it bugged me that when you came in the front door you were standing in the kitchen...no hiding the dirty dishes! We temporarily fixed the problem by building a wall and creating a little entry way...very little. Creating the entry also shrunk the kitchen, and the kitchen was still connected to the living room, but that was okay because we plan to move the entire kitchen eventually. There are just a few other projects we had planned first.

The other day while surfing the internet Eli found a solid surface counter top with a built-in sink and an island, that perfectly fit our plans, for only $400. It was being sold by some people that just built a house & decided they wanted a lighter color. Eli im'd me at work with the link to "check it out" & he was right it was perfect...except we don't really need it right now! To further convince me it was the perfect deal & we should buy it, he picked me up for a lunch date & took me to Home Depot. We had the counter top sales lady give us a quote...she was actually having a sale & it was only going to cost us $2400!

Needless to say...we bought the counter top! But just think...we saved $2000!

Don't tell me I can't...

2008-07-02T23:42:00.000-06:00

When we bought this old house of ours we had lots of changes planned...that was before we met our 88 year old neighbor, Paul, that helped to do a lot of the work. He is the best neighbor & we hated the thought of destroying something he created...but the wagon wheel banister on the balcony had seen better days & needed to be replaced.

Eli & I found some new ballisters we really liked at Home Depot, but they were going to cost more then we had budgeted. So being the resourceful handyman that he is, Eli suggested we go to Metal Mart to price out how much it would cost to purchase the materials & create it ourselves. When we got there Metal Mart also had the ballisters we liked, but they were even more then Home Depot. Eli asked the guy at the counter if they carried 10 feet lengths of 2" wide metal. The man asked Eli what he was going to use them for, and when Eli explained he was going to cut them to size then bend them to the shape we wanted, the salesman told Eli he didn't think he'd be able to bend the metal himself...but then he doesn't know Eli!

On the first trip we just bought one length & had Metal Mart cut it for us. Eli got started making a jig the shape we wanted to bend the metal to, then started shaping the metal lengths. Through trail and error Eli was able to create the ballisters we wanted...and after working with the metal, he also figured we could save $80 if he cut the lengths himself.

First he cut the old wagon wheels out of the existing banister...then he cut out the old ballisters...it was kinda fun seeing our neighbors drive by really slow as they were trying to see what we were up to. After cutting off the old handrail, Eli created a new one out of 2x6's & used 2x4's the bottom rail...they looked really good after he stained them.

Now it was time to cut & bend the metal we had purchased to create the ballisters. Eli & Connor took the 3 foot lengths & bent them to have what Eli was calling a belly. Then they would check them against the jig Eli made to be sure they were all the same. After they were bent & had holes drilled in them, I spray-painted them black...see I contributed too! Eli finished screwing the last few of them on tonight. The new banister is beautiful!

Everyone has a story...

2008-07-01T08:31:00.000-06:00

One of our ward Enrichment groups is called Everyone Has A Story & it's to help those that attend write their life story. I have always wanted to write my life story, but I always thought writing your life story meant starting at the beginning & telling the story chronologically....Too big a challenge! Then this group started & I was going to attend, but always remembered the day after they met. So as one of my New Year's goals I began attending this group. Wow! Who new writing your life story could be easy & fun! We pick a topic each month for what to write about for the next meeting...topics like: my favorite childhood memory, my siblings, how my parents met or how I met my spouse and then organize the writings in a binder...It's been a lot of fun! This way it's not so overwhelming...just one page at a time...I can do this!

Then I got to thinking...I've had several friends, co-workers & family members invite me to view their blogs lately...what better way to have a record of our family history...as it's happening! No going back & trying to remember all the details of an event later...I've got it written now!