Pobre Trisha

I have so much to say yet so little time. That's how life seems to get this time of year I guess. I'll be updating my blog later about all of our Christmas season fun. For now, I have to take a moment to talk about sad little me.

Yesterday I had to go to the lab to have some blood drawn for a couple tests. This is never a pleasant experience for me. Not only do I have tiny veins, but they roll as well. This results in the phlebotomist digging around in my arm with a needle trying to catch my veins. Of course yesterday was no exception. After 3 tries my arms were hurting and I was feeling very sick. I am very familiar with the phases of passing out and knew I was getting close. First I get sweaty, start to go pale, get sick to my stomach (at which point my color turns from pale to greenish), have trouble breathing, tingle, see spots, and then the lights go out. When they finally did catch a vein the blood was drawing so slowly that at times it would stop, then start up again. I was DYING! I would much rather pass out sooner than go through the agonizing phases that lead up to passing out. However, I didn't quite make it to seeing spots when it was all over. After my recovery I was free to go with a few bruises on my arms.

Lucky for me, I had a similar experience around noon today. I was in the kitchen wearing slippers when I decided to run over to prevent Macie from spilling her yogurt. When I rounded the corner my feet shot out from under me and down I went on the tile, hard. Oddly enough I landed mostly on the knuckle of my right hand. I had a surge of pain and then nothing. I totally panicked and refused to look at my hand because it felt like my knuckles had smashed into my hand. I instantly had flashbacks to freshman year of college when I had a nasty thumb dislocation. The pain felt the same and I knew what an unpleasant experience that was. I picked myself up called for my brother-in-law who was upstairs, telling him the my hand was broken. He and my sister both came down at which point I started to enter the stages of passing out. This time it was prolonged by a bout of hyperventilation. It was miserable and I wished I had been knocked out because for me it is far worse going through the pain and misery. The whole not being able to breathe thing didn't help either.

So, hours later I am ok (obviously if I'm typing!) with a bruised right hand, knee and hip. Am I getting old or what? I wonder what will happen tomorrow...

Jaw-Dropping News!

Now that I have your attention I'll just come right out and say it...my 20-month old toddler pees in the toilet! It is completely Macie's own doing. Let me bring you up to speed on how this eventful day has come about.

Macie's cousin Bella is potty training right now. The other day she was at our house and had to go to the bathroom. Macie watched in awe as her mom helped her sit on a "big people toilet" and go. The next day this video came about.



She is such a funny girl! The last couple of nights Macie started running to my bathroom toilet so she can "go" before she gets in the bathtub. I just hold her there for a few seconds and that's pretty much it. However, I told Josh that maybe we should consider getting her a potty for Christmas since she's showing a little interest. Well, tonight we were out shopping and we went to Babies R Us to get Macie's own potty. She was with us so we let her pick one out. As soon as we got home and brought things inside she was over to the box saying "rip it Mommy," so she could get it out. We took it out, set it up in the bathroom, and she just went. I was shocked! We made a huge deal about it and gave her a special sticker and her very first dum-dum sucker (I know).

A couple hours later we took her upstairs to get in the bathtub and she insisted on sitting on her toilet and...drumroll...she did it again! She's now in bed and I am sitting here wondering what to do next. Should I buy her some panties? Is this just a fluke incident? Will the potty excitement wear off? I really haven't looked into potty training at all yet because I had no plans on even attempting anything until after she turns 2. What a girl!

Speaking of Special Occasions...

This may come as a shock to those of you who know my family well, so please brace yourselves. My little sister Lisa is officially engaged!!! The lucky guy is Paris Bayardo, a friend that goes way back to her highschool days (which is hardly back at all), and they got together after his mission. Lisa is only 19 folks, but we won't go there. Paris just turned 22 so there must be some common sense in all of this, right? Juuuust kidding. We do like you Paris, eventhough you are totally robbing the cradle here. The date right now is for June 28th, one week after Lisa turns 20. Phew!

Happy Anniversary (and Thanksgiving too)

So this year our anniversary fell on Thanksgiving, Nov. 22nd. Yesssssss. Four years already; I can hardly believe it. It definitely seems substantially longer after watching our wedding video. Yes, I like to pull out the video on our anniversary eventhough it's cheesy. Halfway through I looked at Josh and asked him how much of that day he actually remembers. He said not much. It really is such a blur when it happens that it's funny to go back and watch it.

We decided to celebrate the day before Thanksgiving and went out to the rebel basketball game and then the Melting Pot. The game was great until the end when Louisville took a substantial lead and our rebels lost. We always go to the Melting Pot for dinner on our anniversary and, as usual, it was really good. Cheese fondue definitely holds a special place in my heart. I recommend it for anyone that hasn't been there already.

All in all, it has been a great 4 years filled with so much more than I would've imagined. I am really happy with where we are in our lives now, and most especially for our daughter Macie. There isn't a day that goes by where my little girl doesn't make us laugh. And Josh is the best husband and father I ever imagined. He really puts his 2 girls ahead of everything else and doesn't hesitate to do what it takes to take care of us. His willing attitude and desire to serve others is a great example to me. I truly am so lucky!

Poor Baby

We already have our Christmas decorations out (I know, I KNOW!) so I thought Macie could use a little introduction and instruction about them. To cut to the chase, the item of interest for this post is our nativity set. Notice anything missing from the picture??? If you look closely you may notice an empty manger. That's right, there's no baby Jesus. I told Macie about the nativity and gave her specific instructions that we are not to touch any parts of the display, including baby Jesus. She complied at first, until her cousin Bella came over. After an evening of playing, I put away Macie's toys and found some pots and baby Jesus in one of her purses. The next morning after another talk about not touching the nativity, I saw her standing next to it with the baby laying on the floor, minus one arm. She dropped the baby and broke his arm off! I couldn't believe it! I sat Macie on the stairs and this is how our conversation went:

Me: Macie, you broke baby Jesus' arm. I don't like it.
Macie: I like it.
Me: No Macie, I don't like it.
Macie: I like it.
Me: Macie, I DON'T like it.
Macie: I like it!

At this point I knew she didn't understand and I was trying to be serious, but having a very hard time. She is such a crack up!

A Tribute to Comet

As I cleaned the house yesterday I was reminded once again, how lucky I am to have Comet cleanser. It really and truly is my favorite cleaning product. It is a very deep cleaner that gets out so much more than normal spray products. The reason I love it so much is because I get to scrub and scrub and scrub so many surfaces until things are spotless. It leaves no residue or filmy build-up, and contains bleach to disinfect. How much greater can it be? There's nothing like a sparkling clean bathtub after a good Comet clean. And yes, I am being totally serious.

How Did This Happen?

I know many people are already familiar with the picture above. I had seen it more times than I can count from people raving about it for a long, long time. I'm not sure the reason why I steered clear of this series. The whole vampire love story motif just wasn't that appealing to me. Hello, I'm more cultured than that! Well, I finally picked up Twilight after the billionth recommendation and I have to say, I didn't want to like it.

The book started out fine, but I still didn't understand what all the fuss was about. By the time I was halfway through I couldn't stop and, just like that, it was done. By the end of the day I couldn't stop thinking about it. I HAD to keep going. I read the series in less than a week and have to say, this past week my thoughts were completely consumed with Edward and Bella. The series was extremely well written, captivating, and full of surprises. I think what really sucked me in was the way the author brings the characters to life. They were so real, and I wanted to be a part of every bit of the action.

Now that I'm done I am sad that I have to wait so long for Breaking Dawn, the final book of the series, to be released. Not to mention Midnight Sun, a re-write of Twilight from Edward's perspective. In the meantime I have to satisfy myself with book discussions and author Stephenie Meyer's website. I don't want to do any blog posts about the series to refrain from spoiling it for anyone else, but call me if you want to talk about it! Oh, and if you haven't read it yet just break down and DO IT!

Money Matters

I was sitting on the couch reading a book when Macie came up to me and said, "Mom, I dollar." (Macie uses the word I for I want or my). Her uncle Kip was laughing behind her, and she just kept repeating herself very intently. "Mom, I dollar." Apparently Kip told her to ask her mom and dad for a dollar because he thought it would be funny. The funny part was, Macie had no idea what a dollar was, but she knew it was something that Josh and I had and she wanted to have it! Dang uncles. I told her that I didn't have a dollar, and since Josh didn't either, Kip finally gave her one himself. He held it up and said, "Look Macie, here's a dollar!" She took it from him, put it on the ground and colored on it. I guess money doesn't mean much to a toddler.

Happy Birthday Josh!

...last Thursday (Nov. 1st) that is. I'm just now getting to post the pictures because I had to do Halloween first and there's no time and excuses, excuses. I'm finally getting used to the idea of his birthday being the day after Halloween. I get busy with Halloween things and have to make sure all the birthday presents, parties, food, etc. are also ready before Halloween. But after all that, we always have a great time.

Since Macie was sick Halloween night, we decided to take it easy on Josh's birthday. She was definitely doing better when she helped Dad unwrap his new 80gb ipod in the morning.


To celebrate Josh hitting the big 26 we decided to go out to dinner with family, and then have a party the next day on Friday night. We went to Claim Jumper for some delicious food with my brother Ben and his family, my sister Mel and her family, Josh's brother Chad and his wife, and Josh's parents and 2 siblings. We had a huge table! Friday night we partied at our house with appetizers, birthday cake, and a few games. It was fun to get together with so many friends and have a house big enough to do it! The girls won the games (pictionary and catch phrase), as usual, while the guys insisted we were cheating, as usual. Sore losers is all I have to say about that. Macie was up for the beginning of the party and was very excited about all the people. It meant a lot of cell phones to talk on and shoes to wear. She was so cute! At one point she walked into the kitchen with a pair of high heels and a cell phone in hand...that's my girl!

Every year I make Josh's favorite, a lemon-glazed cake. And every year I get better at making it. I'm not a big fan of cake, but this one tasted pretty good! Macie was THRILLED to see the cake all lit up (literally) and everyone singing happy birthday. It is one of her favorite songs.

All in all we had a wonderful week of Halloween and birthdays and look forward to things slowing down again before Thanksgiving creeps up on us. So happy late birthday to my favorite guy who is the best husband in the world and cutest dad around. We love our Joshy!

Not So Happy Halloween

I'm not sure what it is about holidays and getting sick, but I'm starting to see a pattern. Macie woke up Halloween morning and I thought she felt really warm. Josh thought it was because the house was warm, and later she felt fine. After her nap she woke up hot again and seemed cranky. She even told me her tummy was hurting. Later in the day she seemed happy and was outside playing with the neighbors, so I assumed she was doing alright. That evening we went to my uncle's house in Eagle Hills, as is our De La Paz tradition, for lots of good food and cousins to play with. While there I noticed she was on the downhill again because she wouldn't eat dinner and just cried for about 15 minutes until she threw up. Poor Macie! Luckily she was outside and luckily Josh was holding her...ha! I felt so bad because we (more like I) was so excited to get pictures with all of her cousins in her cute costume. Also, the neighborhood goes all-out with crazy decorations, haunted houses, and awesome candy. You'd have to see it! Sadly we packed up and went home so Macie could rest and not get anyone else sick. On the 4th of July all 3 of us had an awful stomach flu that lasted for days, luckily this time it was very mild and only Macie had it.

I snapped this picture before we got in the car to go to Beto's house. My Macie is too cute! And yes, notice the un-fallish outfit. The weather here is warm and oh so nice!

This is right after the sickness incident while Josh was packing up the car. Luckily we were in the backyard where clean-up was minimal! My poor girl even had her duck feet on. What a trooper.


I needed a family picture from this year's festivities (I'm really bad at getting picts with all 3 of us). Yes, Josh had a clean shirt on for this.

See below for actual shots of our duck in action!

My Little Quacker

I'm finally posting some pictures of the cutest little duck around. Last week we went to 2 trunk-or-treats, our ward and Josh's parents' ward. Macie enjoyed following the kids around and being part of all the commotion. When we walked around to get candy I showed her how to hold up her pumpkin and say "treat." She decided that was easier than trying to say trick or treat. Anyway, after the candy was put in her pumpkin she would stare at it while I moved her along to the next car. It didn't take long for her to get the hang of it and she enjoyed the process of her pumpkin getting filled with stuff. Oddly enough, she didn't know it was candy until one lady said, "Here's some candy for the cute little ducky." At that point Macie perked right up and screamed "CANDY!" I had to calm her down and convince her to continue to put it in the pumpkin so we could continue. When we got home I went through it all and only kept 1 bag of animal crackers and chips ahoy cookies for her. She never asked for the candy again. I'm not trying to be mean, but I know kids love candy and I'm trying to keep Macie away from it for as long as possible. She does know that "candy" means something good, but I'm not sure who taught it to her or where she had some!


One of the parties had an actual "train" (barrels on wheels pulled behind a 4-wheeler) that Macie couldn't get enough of. She cried when she had to get off! I wasn't quite sure about the safety when I saw it, but I was eventually convinced and Macie wouldn't have taken no for an answer anyway. That's my girl!

This last picture is quite hilarious. Josh felt left out and was determined to get his 6'3.5" body into the barrel for a train ride. He is, after all, one really big kid. Macie spends the ride holding on as demonstrated below, and laughing while yelling "weeeeee!" the entire time.

Family Pictures

Click here to see how good we look.

Toddler Turned Terrible!

I think Macie is onto the fact that she's now closer to age 2 than 1. The terrible 2's that is. Today we had family pictures taken and I was not prepared for my sweet little Macie's mood. We took them in a gorgeous area behind the JW with grass, waterfalls, flowers, etc. At first Macie was a normal, busy, curious little girl. Very cute and cooperative. It wasn't long before the tables were turned and she was whining, crying, clingy, and refusing to smile. I was pretty surprised because that is not typical Macie behavior. I guess it's rough when you're used to doing your own thing all day and your mean parents make you do something different. Poor, poor Macie.

We should see the pictures in a week so I'll post a link then. By the way, my good friend Anna is an excellent photographer and I'm sure the pictures will be great, even if our faces might not be! She was very patient with Macie and deserves a special shout out for her hard work.

This picture was taken back in the day when my toddler was more cooperative (about 2 weeks ago.) Don't be fooled.

Something Fishy

A bit more from our trip to Genoa...

At Lake Tahoe there is a place you can go (I forgot the name of the creek) to see the salmon. It's pretty neat to see so many fish. There is an underground observer area so you can see the salmon up close and personal. Macie enjoyed trying to grab them though the glass.

Anytime new people came walked down to see the salmon they would always wave at Macie. Since she thrives on attention, she would run to the glass pointing and say "FISH!!!" Then she would laugh at herself.

What a cute family! We took this after seeing the salmon.

Afterwards we went to a restaurant called Fire & Ice at the bottom of the Heavenly resort ski lift. It was so cool! You grab a bowl, fill it with different kinds of meat or seafood, vegetables, and other good stuff. Then you choose your sauce and take it over to a giant round grill where you watch them cook your food. It's fun entertainment and great food. I couldn't resist snapping a picture of Macie on the phone while we waited for our table. She is now starting to have real conversations on the phone. Here's an example: "Helloooo Macie. Doing?" That girl is so funny!

Come Fly With Me

The past 3 weekends have been very busy for us but so much fun! I'm going to try to catch up on our recent activities. Last weekend when we were in Genoa we went on an impromptu plane ride. After conference on Sunday we were outside playing volleyball when a young family from the ward drove up. They are building a house on my parents' street and were driving by to check the progress. The husband, Rob, used to be a flight instructor and now has a private plane. Josh was very glad to meet him because he really wants to get his pilots license. Anyway, after talking a bit my dad asked how the flight over Lake Tahoe looks, and Rob offered to take us up to see. We drove the entire 10 minutes to the Minden airport (so much closer than the hour to Reno!), parked in front of the hangar and jumped on the plane. Rob took up Josh and I and my mom and dad on his 6-seater plane. Josh jumped in front and as soon as we took off Rob had him take the controls. He had the time of his life! I, on the other hand, was scared to death with Josh at the controls. He did great and it was actually pretty neat. The flight over Lake Tahoe is absolutely gorgeous! I have to admit that having your own plane is pretty handy.

Josh the co-pilot in action before take-off.

My dad and I before take-off. My smile quickly faded once I felt the first bump in the air as we took off. That is the downfall to small planes. Really, it wasn't that bad and by the end of the flight I enjoyed it.

Laundry Helper

I was folding laundry last night when Macie came and sat down by me. As I held up a shirt to fold it she pointed and said "Daddy's." She continued naming the owner of every article of clothing I folded. I was pretty impressed that she got them all right. I think she was just making sure that I knew who's was who's. She's kind of bossy like that.

Just a Peek

Here is a sneak peek of Macie's Halloween costume. I chose not to divulge the entire outfit so it still remains somewhat of a surprise, yet you can get an idea of how irresistibly cute it is.

Surprise!

Thursday morning Josh and I were getting some things done around the house when I mentioned how this weekend would be a nice time to go out of town. Since it's General Conference weekend we didn't have too many things planned, so that afternoon we packed up the car (and Macie) and headed to my parents' house. We told my dad we were coming, but not my mom. We arrived around 11:00 pm and my dad was waiting outside. Macie had been sleeping for hours, and waking up to see Papi standing there was very exciting for her. My dad took her in the house and said, "Diane, look who I found outside!" Josh and I came walking in just after that and my mom was still frozen. She looked like a deer in the headlights, it was so funny!

We have been having a great time so far and probably won't be home until Tuesday. I've got some great pictures to post then. In the meantime, we're enjoying the colder change in weather, the gorgeous mountainside, and the wildlife. Macie missed the quail, squirrels, deer, and hawks that pass by the house. I was just here several weeks ago, and since then there were 2 black bears caught in town and a mountain lion sighting. We haven't seen any so far. Needless to say, we don't let Macie wander off by herself.

Piggies

Today was a monumental day for Macie because I finally thought I saw enough hair to try a new style. The outcome: "piggies." I had to have her hair wet so I could slick as much as I could into the ponytails. You can hardly even tell they're in from the front! They turned out quite cute, but didn't last more than 20 minutes before one was out. She won't leave them alone! When I do the ponytail on top she doesn't really bother it, but this must have felt different to her I guess. The hassle of constantly trying to put them back in and getting a smaller amount of hair each time made me realize we'll have to wait until she grows a bit more hair until we try the piggies again.

We also took Macie in for her 18 month well check today, but unfortunately the doctor doesn't prescribe anything to make hair grow faster. We did find out that Macie weighs 24 pounds (barely over the 50th percentile) and is 33 inches tall (barely above the 80th percentile). She was talking and talking the whole time, in true Macie fashion, and the doctor said he could tell she was smart (duh!) and didn't have to ask how many words she could say. I really have no idea anymore anyway. She was a great trooper when she got her shot and only cried for a second. We took her shopping afterwards to get her stocked up on a fall wardrobe. I also ran into the cutest Halloween costume at The Children's Place and had to buy it. I've been contemplating what she should be this year, and when I saw it I knew I had to get it. I'm debating whether or not I should show a picture this early and ruin the surprise. It's so cute I can hardly stand it!

Caught Red Handed

Name: Macie Lee

Age: personally believes she's at least 4 years old

Occupation: Busy body

Crime: The suspect was found sitting on the floor surrounded by an open make-up bag. She was attempting to apply eyeshadow on her right cheek when caught. Approximately 1 minute earlier it is suspected that eyeliner was applied to the opposite cheek. Suspect is now in custody. It is anticipated that the suspect may get off easy with this one, seeing as how it is only a first offense. However, we'll have our eyes on her.

It's kind of hard to see the makeup because of the bright flash and the eyeshadow was a light olive color. I was glad the make-up was only only her face, none on her clothes or the floor.

Celebrity Crap

WARNING: I am getting on my soap box now.

I think television was a great invention and serves some good purposes. But oh how I despise it! I spend most days without watching any tv, except for breakfast time when Macie and I watch The Backyardigans together. I actually really like that show. The characters use their imaginations while playing in the backyard to go on different adventures and learn all sorts of things. Macie loves all the music and has picked up on their great dance moves. I really like this show.

Now let's talk about why I despise the television. I HATE turning it on only to see scantily clad women, profanity, extreme violence, and celebrity crap among other things. How did all this bad stuff end up on even the basic television channels??? My friends LeMira and Elisa both recently brought up Laura Ingrahm's interview on the Today Show regarding the prevalence of pornography in the media. I totally agree with her regarding this issue.

Not to re-post what has already been said about this issue, but instead I do want to go further and add my thoughts. I can't stand how much time is spent on celebrity "issues." WHO THE HECK CARES?!? I sure don't. I don't want to know who is dating who, cheating on whoever, in or out of rehab, pregnant, getting too fat or too skinny, blah blah blah. And the worst part is that these issues are actually discussed on news channels. It makes me very angry. I think time is precious and I don't want to waste it watching garbage that doesn't matter. When I sit down to catch a top news story or flip through the channels (which is rare as it is!) I most definitely do not want to see anything about celebrities. Living in Vegas makes it really hard to avoid. I turn on the radio in the car only to hear dj's talking about who was at what party at what casino and what happened and blah blah blah. Get over it!!! What makes their lives so fascinating that it cripples our society? I do mean that by the way. Whatever a celebrity is doing, wearing, going, buying, etc. becomes popular for everyone else. How can that be? I really, really, REALLY don't want to see Macie (or any other young child) 10 years down the road watching these things and thinking that they are even remotely acceptable. Can you tell I have strong feelings about this? I think I just might.

Strut Your Stuff!

My toddler is better at walking in heels than I am.

Nursery Woes

Macie is a very good eater. She isn't one of those kids that will eat anything, but she is willing to give most things a try. I try to feed her good foods with natural ingredients and low sugar. I am actually pickier about what goes into her body than mine. I guess I know I'm not as good as I should be, but I'm trying to teach Macie how to eat healthy. She very rarely eats any treats, and when she does it's because someone else gave it to her. I can't recall her having had any candy yet, and I hope it stays that way!

Macie will be 18 months on the 20th of this month, allowing her to go to nursery on Sundays. I know most people are excited about this, but I am a little apprehensive. While visiting my parents' ward I took Macie into nursery during the last half hour of church when she was starting to get pretty restless. She was thrilled to watch other kids her size running around playing with toys. The last Sunday we were there it was snack time. Macie sat up to the table just like all the other "big kids" with a smile on her face. I gasped when I saw the leaders pull out the snacks. Each child was given a cup of kool-aid, creme-filled sandwich cookies, and cheetos puffs. WHAT?!? I didn't think it would be too polite, or Macie would be too happy, if I decided to leave right then so I observed instead. Macie stared at the food for a few seconds, because she didn't recognize it I'm sure, watched the other kids eating, then daintily took a small bite of her cookie. Her face said it all and that cookie was gone as fast as she could chew. And the leaders kept giving the kids more! Macie was the last child to leave the table because I'm sure she wasn't used to eating so much of anything so sweet and thought it was wonderful. I just could not believe the leaders were serving junk food that was so obviously bad for the kids. Why not a healthy snack or AT LEAST something with half the sugar? When I was nursery leader the kids had pretzels, cheerios, goldfish, and water. What happened to that???

A True Hero

My family has some excellent news...my mom is in complete remission!!! I can't tell you how excited I am. My parents met with the doctors in SLC yesterday to find out the results from her bone marrow test. My stomach was in knots all day while I waited for a phone call. Of course we hoped and expected the results to be good, but there is always a chance for a problem. Luckily the doctors think she is doing remarkably well and there is absolutely no sign of leukemic cells or Myelodysplastic Syndrome.

My mom's journey to recovery still continues. She is still at risk for developing chronic graft vs. host disease and has a supressed immune system. She still must avoid crowds and contact with other people who may be sick. Once she makes it to 3 years from the transplant date wothout a relapse she will be considered cured. We strongly believe that she will survive this experience and live a long, long life.

Thank you to everyone that has expressed concern and kept us in your thoughts and prayers. My mom is a true hero to me for all that she has been through. Fighting for your life takes a strong will and determination. My mom endured it all without complaint and has been a wonderful example to everyone. 22 months ago she was initially diagnosed with acute leukemia and struck with disappointing odds. To be where she is today is truely a miracle.

This was taken when my mom came through Vegas on her way home about 3 weeks ago with Macie and Gus, my nephew.

Say What?

I'm still staying with my parents and am really getting a kick out of my 15 year old sister. This is a true conversation we had:

Miranda: Guess what! Josh took me driving around the neighborhood and I almost hit a deer and a bat. It was crazy!

Me: What kind of bat was it?

Miranda: What are you talking about? I don't know.

Me: You know, maybe it was a ding bat or something.

Miranda: Oh yeah, I think it looked like a ding bat to me.

Hilarious! This one happened yesterday:

Miranda: (in reference to her friend she wasn't allowed to go out with) Well, she's gonna be in Carson City.

Me: So what, you'll be in Genoa.

Miranda: No, I'll just be in Rome! (She was being an angry teenager at this point.)

Me: Well have you ever been incognito?

Miranda: What? No...wait where is that? Mom, where is Cognito?

I really crack myself up. Oh the life and times of a clueless teenager!

On the Road Again

In order to help my mom have an easier transition back into everyday life, Macie and I have staying with my parents since last Sunday. It's actually been a lot of fun to get out of the sweltering heat and be able to play outside. Macie has enjoyed all the wildlife in Genoa and is starting to learn what the different animals are called (at first all the deer were "doggies"). I'll post some pictures soon.

Lake Mead

One of the best places to go in Vegas to have fun in the summer heat is Lake Mead. Josh comes from a family that is very into boating. I have really grown to love it myself and look forward to every chance we get to go out on the water. Macie LOVES the lake as well. She likes to honk the horn, drive the wave runner, and ride on the tube. I can't believe how brave she is; I think she gets that from me! :)

Taking Dad out for a spin.

Swimming with Grandpa, Brent and Sierra.

Riding the tube with Mom and Sierra.

Surprise x 2

This past week has been a whirlwind of great surprises. First of all, my mom's doctors in Salt Lake released her to go home last Saturday. They worked everything out with her doctor in Reno and home health care to make sure she receives the medications and ivs that she needs. My dad flew to Salt Lake on Friday and drove her down to Vegas on Saturday. It was my mom's first time leaving Utah after 3 long months. What an exciting day for her! She looks great and it was so fun to have her in town to play with her grandkids.


Another wonderful surprise stemmed from a miserable situation for my sister. She was overdue with her baby and dying to have her out. But since she was late, my mom was here for the birth. Beautiful Sadie Roses Facer was born Monday afternoon. She weighed 7 lbs. 15 oz. and was 18.5 in long. I was also able to be there for the birth and it was so amazing.

My parents left on Tuesday with my younger siblings, Alex and Miranda, who lived with us for the entire summer break. They were so anxious to go home to Genoa and get back to their lives. It has been quite the rollercoaster this summer and they were excellent troopers. Mel and Kip also came home from the hospital on Tuesday and it's fun having a new baby in the house. Macie LOVES Sadie to death. She wants to hold and hug (more like squeeze) her all the time.

Now that everyone is gone it feels strange because we were used to having a house full with family and friends coming in and out all summer long. Macie misses all the people but it's nice to tone things down a bit. My rope was starting to get pretty short! Actually, I am thankful I've had the opportunity to visit my mom, have my siblings and other visitors with us, run the house, and welcome a new baby to the family. What else are families for but to take care of one another!

My Favorite Things Continued

How can I forget the day I've been waiting for all month long?!? Tonight High School Musical 2 debuts on the Disney Channel! I know, it's just a cheesy teenny bopper movie, but I LOVE IT! I thought the first one was good and I've really been looking forward to this one. I know I'm not alone here because I saw Cristin's post about the movie today too. And come on, Zack Efron is such a cutie!

My Favorite Things

The other night Josh and I were driving around and found a new place called Caffe Gelato. It just opened and is absolutely delicious. I had never tasted gelato before and was really impressed. All the flavors are so rich and the combinations are incredible. The sorbettos taste like fresh fruit. It is amazing! It's located in Boca Park; I highly recommend trying it out. It is a little pricey, but definitely worth it every once and a while. Last night we went back and they had even more new flavors. I can't wait to go again!

Another great thing about last night was the show So You Think You Can Dance. It is the only show I really watch now and it is SO GOOD! Last night was the finale and they brought back some of the best dances from the season. All of the top 4 contestants were incredible dancers so I really couldn't even guess as to who would win. Talk about some quality entertainment!

Driving Miss Macie

For family night this past week we went out riding 4-wheelers at Josh's parents' house. They live in S. Vegas, on Blue Diamond, where there are lots of tracks and room to ride around. This was Macie's second time riding a 4-wheeler and she loves it! As you can see, she likes to ride up front with her hands on the handle bars. She makes "vrooom, vrooom" and "weeee" sounds while she goes. I love her serious riding face; she's too cool to look at mom.

This larger thing is called a rhino. It's like an off-roading golf cart. Macie and I went on a really long ride through the desert on it with Grandpa behind the wheel. What I loved about it most is the great suspension because when we landed the big jumps it wasn't so jarring for Macie. Ok, I'm obviously joking about that part. All in all, it was a fun evening riding around with everyone and of course, getting dirty. Don't worry, Macie went straight to the tub.

Grandpa took Macie for a quick ride in the cul-de-sac while the other toys were getting out and warmed up. When they drive by me she's still too cool to give me a glance. I guess she has to concentrate on where she's going since she's driving.

Something To Talk About

Macie likes to talk and talk and talk. Sometimes she'll talk in her crib non-stop until I get her up in the morning. Other times she'll pick up her books and read them to herself. She does like to tell me stories when we're riding in the car too. Regardless, this little girl has a lot to say about something! I took this video when we were last visiting my mom. I know it's kind of long, but there are some really cute parts if you make it all the way through. Every once and a while she throws in a real word, but for the most part it's her own language. By the way, Macie's latest new word is "jammies". It's really cute but not in the video.

Breakthrough!

Today I did something that was very brave for me...let me just say that upfront. You will probably be shocked at what I am about to say, and I am ok with that. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera to back up my story.

This evening me, Josh, Macie, and my sister Miranda went on a walk to the park. We often walk to parks because they are at the end of the green belt by our house, but we NEVER stay and play. Yes, it's true. I steer clear of child play areas. I think they are disgusting and coated in who knows what. Even the sand/dirt grosses me out. I have a definite fear of germs and don't want Macie touching things and then putting her hands in her mouth. And it's not just about her; I refuse to touch anything as well.

When we got to the park Macie was really into watching what all the kids were doing. She started to venture and I stayed back letting Josh take her into the sandbox to ride the little animals on springs that bounce back and forth. Like I would voluntarily walk into the sand...yeah right! I cringed as she held on to the plastic animal that has been touched by who knows how many others kids with who knows what kinds of germs. However, I let her play and just watched. She went from animal to animal, then over to the slide area. She climed up the stairs, went across the bridges, and went down the slides. It was painful to watch. There was even a train to walk through and when I looked inside I told my sister that she could only go in if she made sure Macie didn't touch anything.

Macie had a great time and I realized while she played that I can count the times on 1 hand that Macie has been to the park to actually play. I do have to say that she was enrolled in Gymboree classes for a while that we went to several days a week. They have lots of toys, slides, climbing equipment, etc., BUT they clean everything daily. I've seen them wipe the toys down and spray everything with disenfectant. The whole park thing I am still getting used to. I did have a lady in my ward tell me that she saw Josh and Macie at the park one day playing around, eating the sand, and all that yucky stuff. I know she can do it and still survive, it's just my germ-o-phobia that I can't handle myself. I am getting better. We came home, washed our hands (I forgot to take hand sanitizer with us, so this was a priority), Macie got in the bath, and then went to bed. If Macie develops any sick symptoms I will blame it on the park and will have a hard time going back. I know I'm crazy, but that's the truth!

Baby Care 101

Macie shared some tips with me about how to take care of her baby. First of all, babies need a blanket so they stay warm. (Macie demonstrates putting on the blankey.)


Then you carry the baby around on one side with your hand behind its back for proper support, like so.


Finally, when your baby goes to bed on the floor in the middle of the room, it's important to lay down with baby. And there you have it.

Food Craze

With a couple new popular food places opening up in town I find myself drawn into the "food craze." What is it about these places that attracts so many people who want to keep coming back non-stop? I believe it to be some sort of addictive compound added to the food. There's no other explanation. The 2 places I'm referencing here are Golden Spoon and Cafe Rio.

Let's start with Golden Spoon. The non-fat frozen yogurt is pretty good. I like the variety of flavors and the toppings are all your standard crushed candies, nuts, etc. When I am in the mood for Golden Spoon I have to go because nothing else will satisfy the craving. (And no, I'm not pregnant.) However, when I'm eating my frozen yogurt I always seem a little disappointed, like I remember it tasting better before or something. Not that it tastes bad; it just tastes like any other frozen yogurt to me. So this is why it doesn't make sense to me. I always have to go back! A week later I decide I need it again. Why is that???

Ok, now on to Cafe Rio. I know there are many devout Cafe Rio fans out there. I have always liked Cafe Rio, but find several other places to be pretty similar. Bajios, Durango Grill...what's the difference? But now that there is a Cafe Rio in town I want to go there every so often. My food tastes good, but once again nothing so special that I just can't believe it. What's the deal??? Why am I drawn to things that I find "not bad" again and again?

Utah Trip Recap

Macie and I had a great time on our trip to Utah. It was so nice to be with my mom when she isn't in the hospital. My stress level is a lot lower when life is more normal. We stayed in an apartment my dad is renting in downtown Salt Lake, just a couple minutes from LDS Hospital. She has to be close in case of an emergency and goes to the hospital weekly to see her doctors. My mom is doing excellent in her recovery so far. She has about 15 pills to take every day and also has to have an IV put in every afternoon to keep extra fluids in her body. We have all thesupplies and do it ourselves. She has a small backpack to carry the IV around in so it's pretty convenient. Because her immune system is adjusting and coming back, she can't be in crowded places and has a mask to wear when she goes out. She does get tired pretty easily too. We mostly spent time hanging around the apartment having a good time. Macie loved the attention, of course.

Every time we left the apartment we had to take Macie's "pack-pack", as she calls it, with her favorite toys.

We stopped by Liberty Park one afternoon to feed the geese. It was Macie's first time! She was pretty excited to see them upclose, but wanted me right with her. At first she wanted to eat the bread herself, but after she finally threw a piece and saw how quickly one of the geese snatched it up she got excited and yelled "BITE!"

Mami Annie bought Macie a fun toy that involved matching animals. Macie loved it and played all the time.

It is so great and such a relief to all of us that my mom is having a great recovery. This whole process has been so draining and it's finally feeling like we're coming up. My mom just can't wait to get back to real life and feel "normal" again, as can I. I know I'm a grown woman now, but I still want my mom back!

Baby Shower

Before I went out of town we had a baby shower for my sister Melanie. Her baby girl is due on August 16th and we are so excited! The shower was a lot of fun; we stuffed ourselves with food and she opened a ton of presents. I took pictures of some of the food that I made. (I'm trying to be creative folks, bear with me.)

This cake looks really cool close up and is delicious. It is layered with brownie pieces, cheesecake mousse, cool whip, and crushed heath candy bars.


These turkey wrap rolls were made with a cream cheese spread and tasted excellent!


Here is Mel with her cute baby bump. We were playing a game where people had 30 secs. to draw a baby on a paper plate on their head without looking. I really like this game because it's easy to do, quick, and hilarious to see how all the drawings turn out!