Katelyn

So grown up looking.

My oldest is 12!!!

Katelyn celebrated her 12th birthday with some friends. I can't believe it's been 12 years already. Where has my baby gone? Enjoy the photos.

Are you there? Because I'm here now!!!

Whew...it's been a busy month and a half. Let's see where did I leave off....

Oh yeah! Derek, the kids, and I went to Wildhorse Canyon, a Younglife camp in the middle of nowhere, in Eastern Oregon. Derek volunteered as part of the medical staff and the rest of us got to play. He had fun too, but he was mainly there to work.
The location of the camp was where the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his followers built a cult compound in the mid-80's and lived there until he was captured and deported. The Washington Family bought the land from the government and then donated it to Younglife. Younglife turned it into a camp for middle and high schoolers.
We all had a great time. The kids had fun going down the zipline and jumping on the big blob in the water. There were lots of activities for all of us to do. Before we left, we signed up to volunteer next year.

When we returned, we jumped right into football. This is Nick's second year playing tackle football for Pop Warner. He really enjoys it and has been playing very well lately. This year he is playing quarterback on offense and outside linebacker on defense. He made his first two touchdowns last Wednesday. One touchdown he ran for 53 yards. I can't tell you how proud I was of him. Nick is now in 4th grade and the other day I found myself looking at baby pictures of him wondering where my "little" boy went. He's getting so grown up.

Katelyn will be playing volleyball for the first time this year. She is very excited. She is a middle schooler this year (6th grade) and loves the whole social aspect of it. She also likes having a locker to decorate. I can't believe all of the accessories that they sell for lockers these days! We didn't have anything for our lockers when we were growing up. We also had to walk uphill both ways in the snow--oh sorry I forgot that was the story my mom told me. She is also learning how to play the clarinet in band. Katelyn just celebrated her 12th birthday and had friends over for a slumber party. There was no slumbering though--I never understood why they call it that anyway. We surprised her with her very own cell phone. We wrapped it up and had the boy, that she likes, call her. I think she liked the boy calling her more than the cell phone itself. We captured it all on video and have material to blackmail her with if the occassion ever arises.

Natalie is attending Montessori school this year. she attends five days a week from 8:30 to 11:00 am. She loves it so much--everytime I pick her up she's begging to stay longer. So far she has learned 6 states and their capitols and a ton of other things. It's been well worth the money we are spending. Natalie continues to keep us on our toes. She loves to go out and hang with the alpacas. If I can't find her, I just walk out to the pasture and there she is playing with the little babies. Speaking of babies (alpacas that is), we just had a new one born on Sept. 20 and are expecting another one any day. They are so cute!!!!

Derek has been staying busy with work and his college courses. He's getting classes out of the way so he can enter into a degree completion program at the Christian college here in town. He never can stand still for very long--always doing something!

As for myself--I've just been on the mend with the bulged disk in my back. About a week and a half ago I was in the shower shaving my legs and my back went out again. I hit the floor and stayed there until the pain meds kicked in and then Derek took me to the chiropractor. I felt much better the next day, but the recovery time has been a lot longer this time. I'm supposed to be taking it easy, but Ha that's a big joke with three kids, a husband, and 16 alpacas to take care of. Not to mention the other animals that we have. I'm trying hard, but sometimes it's just not feasible.

OK--so I think I've covered most of what we've been doing lately. I know it doesn't sound like much, but it sure feels like it.

OUCH!!!

Greetings friends and family,

Sorry I haven't updated our blog in a while, we've had a lot going on and I hurt my back and was in extreme pain for three days. Did you know that there is a high percentage of stay at home mom's that injure their backs? Yep, apparently we (stay at home moms) abuse our backs in the worst ways. We carry our little ones on our hips, we pick our children up from a bending position, we bend and twist while taking laundry out of the washer and we bend over (with bad technique) over a hundred times a day.

I woke up one morning feeling sore in my low back and when I got out of bed was in extreme pain. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what I had done to hurt my back. I tried taking a warm bath--with no relief so I took some advil. After a few days of this pain, I called my chiropractor. He was on vacation and wasn't returning to the office until Aug 13th. I then called my massage therapist and went in for an hour and a half massage. She told me she thought something was wrong with my L5 vertebra and recommended a chiropractor that she knew. When I called he didn't have any open appointments for that day. So then I called my regular doctor, because the weekend was approaching and I didn't want to be without pain meds if my back got worse (if that was possible). My doctor couldn't see me, but another one could. Basically all she did was ask where it hurt and then prescribed Vicodin and Flexeril--I still didn't know what happened to my back. I called my chiropractor's office again and asked the receptionist if she could recommend another chiropractor. BINGO-- I was able to get an appointment that day. After an x-ray the chiropractor diagnosed me with a bulged disk in my L5 vertebra (massage therapist was right) and Facet Syndrome. Facet Syndrome occurs when the back of the spine which interconnects to one another (the facets) compresses and irritates the soft tissue in between. This inflames the nerves exiting the spine and causes symptoms of numbness, tingling, burning and achy soreness along the nerve path. Not very comfortable at all.

So now I am going to chiropractor appts. every other day getting flexion treatments, getting treatments with electrodes (?) and ice packs and have to wear a brace all day long. This seems to be helping a lot, but I'm still not able to perform certain tasks and I was instructed not to do much at all for a while. How does a stay at home mom do nothing when she has three kids, is the team mom for football, and her husband is gone 24 hours every third day? I didn't know my job was so hazardous. Maybe Derek will give me Worker's Comp!! I should at least get some kind of compensation for my pain and suffering. :) --Don't ya think?

On to another subject--we are preparing to leave for a week long adverture at Young Life's Wildhorse Canyon camp in Eastern Oregon. Derek is volunteering on the medical staff and our whole family gets to tag along. We are really looking forward to it. We've heard that it's extremely fun. I, of course, won't be able to do most of the activities, but I will take lots of pictures and will post them when we return.

Is There a Heaven for Alpacas?

Do you think that God has a special place in heaven for all of the animals and pets that leave us here on earth? I personally think so and pray that alpacas have their own special place where the pastures are green and lush and there's no threat of preditors. Early this morning we had our first alpaca death on our ranch. She wasn't one of my animals, but I loved her all the same.

Since we have lived out in the country, my children have seen the miracle of birth and have experienced the saddness of death. As hard as it is for them, I think they are learning some very valuable life lessons and it's opened many doors for communication about our beliefs. There is a purpose for everything, even though we don't always know what that purpose is--God has a plan. Even though we will miss our pets, they are in a better place and one day we will get to see them again.

This particular alpaca was pregnant and due in September. Unfortunately her baby didn't survive either. So Hayley, I hope you are free of pain and illness and you are watching your little cria frolicking in the fields of heaven. Rest in Peace.

Home Alone

OK--I know this is every mother's dream... a whole week at home without the kids.

Going on vacation without the kids is great, but just not the same. You are away from home, enjoying yourself immensely, but the things at home that need to be done aren't getting done. They'll still be there when you get back and so will the kids.

Now that my kids are gone and I'm at home by myself--it's the perfect time to get things done, right? Ooohhhh--I only wish it were that easy.

I have a ton of things to do around here...believe me! Things that need my complete attention without distractions, weeding out the toy room without little fingers taking them back out of the donation box, cleaning the whole house so it will be clean for at least a week anyway--just to name a few. But I can't seem to get motivated to do these things---WHY?

I think I've finally figured it out--my house is too darned quiet. I know, I know who wouldn't completely relish a quiet house? I was really looking forward to the peace and quiet, but I must say that the laughter and noise of my children is what makes me happy and keeps me motivated--not a quiet house. Notice how I didn't say the fighting, just the laughter and noise. :) I'll never miss the fighting!!

So my goal for the week is to blast some great Christian music so I can get some things done around here. When I'm finished with my projects, I am going to relish my quiet house and read some books, catch up on some chick flicks when Derek is at work, take really long baths, sleep in, go shopping, workout, meet some friends for coffee, get a massage, pedicure, facial, go out to dinner with my husband, go see a rated R movie.....................

Maybe I can convince my mom to keep the kids for just one more week. ;)

Don't feel too sorry for me being home alone--I think I'll be just fine.

The Optimist's Creed

I came across this passage while surfing a website. If only we could all promise ourselves these things and strive to keep these promises to ourselves everyday. What a world it would be!!

I PROMISE MYSELF

To be strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person I meet.
To make all my friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make my optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature I meet.
To give so much time to improving myself that I have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
To think well of myself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words, but in great deeds.
To live in the faith that the whole world is on my side, so long as I am true to the best that is in me.

Christian D. Larson