Endless Summer Days . . . and Nights!

One of the great things about living in Utah is that you get to set off fireworks twice in July - once for the 4th, and if you didn't get it quite right or didn't get all the festive activities you wanted crammed into the day, you can do it all again on the 24th! With J.D. home this week, we are focusing on the positive and doing some stuff that we haven't had the chance to do this year. And considering our track record this summer, we've not been able to do much, so we are cramming as much summer into this week as possible - swimming in the kiddie pool everyday, playing at the park, having BBQ's on the grill, having picnics on the grass, working in the yard, roasting marshmallows for smores on the grill, having water gun & water balloon fights and watching the neighbors set off some pretty fantastic illegal fireworks. The kids have been up so late every night this week - I'm afraid of what will happen next week when Master S has to get up for school on Tuesday morning at 7:30am -- oh, who am I kidding, what will I do when I have to get up that early?! And be functional?! So, these are some pics of Miss Lilly and Master S enjoying the sweetness of an endless summer night - eating smores!

And here is me on my birthday, eating a fat free fare . . . having no gall bladder has its interesting issues! Low fat is good - so I guess that weight loss I've been putting off, is happening sooner rather than later! Hopefully eating will get back to normal soon - it is supposed to, although I've heard rumors from others that some things will never be the same as far as digestion is concerned! Big D loved the fire and the cake - he loves to be at the table with the family, just wish I could convince him that eating from a spoon is a good thing too. Any suggestions on getting him to eat rice cereal? - he is just fighting it!!!

Good to Great . . .

So, I had surgery to remove my gall bladder last week -- recovery is going well, just a little sore and kind of feels like someone kicked me in the stomach a few times. I can't eat things like ice cream, chocolate and anything with a significant amount of fat without paying for it later . . . I guess it is a great new diet plan! Mom came to help for the week, which was wonderful. I asked her if she ever felt like she was overwhelmed with the continuing onslaught of huge life stressors? She said, "Yeah, like if a bird popped on your head it wouldn't matter?" That made me laugh! Well, I thought we'd reached our max for at least the year, maybe even for the next ten - and then got some news that J.D. is looking for another job. Very unexpected and unplanned and we are in a tail spin so to speak, but optimistic and we are looking again. I'll spare the details, but it has been a 'series of unfortunate events' and I am anxiously looking forward to the end of this book!!! I'm pretty confident that things are going to be okay - I may be working a little bit more over the next little while, but my gut is telling me to be calm and to ride it out. Amazing how much can change in 24 hours and yet how much can stay the same, like we still went to church the next day, J.D. still taught his Primary class, Master S still gave his missionary talk in Primary, we are still together as a family and still enjoying the wonderful blessings of a home, a happy marriage and three beautiful children. I laid awake in bed last night thinking about the things that really matter and how my R.S. president said to me last night, that the reason why good people go through hard things is to make them great. Oh, help me to embrace the opportunity and not crumble in the midst of crazy, overwhleming character changing life events! Oh yeah -- happy 31st birthday to me! Seems kind of a side note today . . .

Another Ambulance ride?!?!?

Yeah, another one . . . almost! I think the last two months will go down in the Flora Family History books as "The Summer of Hospitals"! Thursday morning I woke up and was doing the normal stuff, feeding the kids, helping them do their chores, cleaning up the dishes, making a million phone calls for Primary etc. When I very suddenly started having some very intense abdominal pain. I thought it was just something I ate, but within a matter of miuntes it had developed into the most incredible pain I have ever experienced, including childbirth and any pain I had with c/sections. I could hardly breathe, was having a hard time walking up the stairs and could barely dial Josh's number at work. He immeadiately said he'd come home, but he was at least 20 minutes away. I called my friend who was planning on coming over to play in the water that afternoon with her kids in our backyard to tell her not to come. She is a nurse and immeadiately knew that something was wrong. So, she came over, Spencer let her in and she found me lying on the bathroom floor still in an incredible amount of pain, cool, clamy and with a thready pulse -- so, she called 911. Josh did too, as he was frantically driving home from work. So, in a few minutes I had two fire engines at my house, and about 6 paramedics in my bedroom, trying to figure out what was arong with me. Needless to say, I ended up avoiding an ambulance ride - I was feeling a little better by the time they got me to the gurney outside and I chose to ride with Josh to the hospital. In the ER I had an ultrasound and discovered that I have gall stones and will be having surgery to remove my gall bladder next week! So, I'm doing better - on some great pain meds and taking it easy at home, just wishing life were a little different these days. Hoepfully I won't be down too long - Spencer starts school in a few weeks and there is lots to do with Primary and Work, but I keep praying that things will work out the way they need to and that I will have the time and energy to do what is most important. Life has an interesting way of making us re-focus and discover the most important things. Funny how they usually aren't on my list of things to do!

4th of July

Well, I'm home -- not that thrilled about it! Back to work so to speak - lots of laundry, and house to clean, and Primary to do. But, I thought it would be fun to post some pictures and forget about all of that for a few minutes. We celebrated the 4th with my parents adn had a wonderful time getting away from it ALL! Here are the kids on the front porch . . .

So I attemped a grand adventure - driving to Grandma's (and Grandpa's) house without J.D. He needed the time to work, so I bravely got in the car with the kids and made the trek - it took 7 hours, but we survived and I think the kids even had some fun, despite Miss Lilly getting car sick in the middle of no-where and throwing up EVERYWHERE! Thank heavens I'd packed some extra water bottles and wipes. I pulled off the freeway, drenched her car seat in water in the weeds, put down a blanket from Big D on it, took her clothes off and we continued on our way. A few episodes of Nick Jr. later we arrived - what a blessing she didn't get sick again - I didn't have any more wipes! But, I proved I could do it and maybe we'll attempt again, but maybe not for a few more months :) We got to spend some time with by brother's kids and his wife. So, we went to the zoo. The penguins were great - they don't have them at the zoo by our house. We even got to see the zoo keeper feed them, which was fun.

We went to my Grandparent's for the 4th, for a great BBQ and backyard fireworks. The kids were so excited until we actually started and then Big D was so scared of the noise, and Miss Lilly wasn't so sure she liked it either. This is a picture of my Grandpa showing off his sling-shot skills. He has a few squirels around his house that like to get his walnuts -- so he gets lots of practice. Master S was fascinated and enjoyed trying to find the marble in the grass after.The real reason we went home was to see my brother - he just returned from a mission in El Salvador. We weren't able to go when he actually got home, because Master S was still in the hopsital. It was great to see him, and he showed the kids all his stuff - soccer shirts, scripture covers, machetes etc. Miss Lilly loved the scarves that my mom brought back. Master S had a great time showing him the Wii and going swimming - amaizng how much can change in two years - especially in neices and nephews!

We also went to a really fun park with a water feature - they had fountains that came up out of the cement and buckets that filled with water and then dumped on the kids. Master S and Miss Lilly had a great time.

ABC Tag

I've been tagged before, but I thought this was a fun way to TAG, from my sister-in-law. We just got back from a trip to my parents for the 4th. We had a great time and I'll post some pictures when I get a chance. My brother just got back from a mission in El Salvador and it was wonderful to see him and spend some time with him. Master S loved having an uncle around to 'play with' - he's still talking about swimming with him. Also, you'll notice I've changed to nicknames for the family, another effort to keep things safe on the blog. So here's my repsonse to the ABC tag:

A- Attached or single: attached

B- Best Friend(s): Josh

C-Cake or Pie: cake, especially with ice cream!

D- Day of Choice: Friday, if I get lucky enough to have a date with J.D. this is the day is usually happens on!

E- Essential Item: my new joovy caboose stroller - it is great, Miss Lilly can stand or sit on the back and Big D's carrier fits in it until he's old enough to sit on the front - plus it folds up smaller than the single stroller I had before!

F- Favorite Color: purple & blue

G- Gummy Bears or Worms: neither - only chocolate!

H- Hometown: Boise, Idaho

I- Indulgence(s): ice cream

J- January or July: both! I love snow and I love sun and everything in-between, just not too much of one thing, which makes our location a great place to live. The weather never stays the same too long.

K - Kids: Master S (6), Miss Lilly (3), Big D (5 months)

L-Life is incomplete without: Primary - I seem to eat, drink, and live Primary these days; don't know how I'll ever go back to Relief Society and sit still?!?!

M- Marriage Date: 6/25/98

N- Number of Siblings: 5 - I'm the oldest

O-Oranges or Apples: apples (at least one a day - really, I do eat an apple everyday!)

P-Phobias or Fears: Spiders, wasps . . . just ask my kids, I freak out about them and so they do too.

Q-Quote(s): This was hung in my parent's home growing up and I didn't really realize what it said until I was a lot older -- but I love what it says and it really defines how my parents tried to raise us kids. "To live content with small means, to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion, to be worthy not respectable, and wealthy not rich, to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly, to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart, to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never - in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconsious, grow up through the common, this is to be my symphony." William Henry Channing


R- Reason To Smile: FLOWERS! The perennials in my back yard are finally filling in! The Delphinum are blooming with the hollyhocks and the cone flowers are really close too. The lillys in front are about ready to burst into color, the zinnias are bright pom, poms and the daisies will be full by the end of the week -- I love this time of year, when I can really enjoy my flowers - amazing to watch little miracles happen in my yard!

S-Something new: A great new way to cook corn on the cob -- throw in half a lemon in the boiling water, makes it taste delicious. I love new and delicious recipes - thanks for the tip Kels!

T-Tag: Anybody who likes to read this blog - for whatever crazy reason!

U-Unknown Fact About Me: I have this secret desire to teach someday, maybe that's why I love Primary so much. Maybe older elementary, or junior high, maybe even high school or college. I would love to be in a classroom with kids and have that experience - teach them about their body and how it works or science and discovery. Maybe when I get my masters it will be in education . . .

V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: Opressor of Animals --but I like to think I try for moderation and eat more fruit and vegetables

W- Worst Habit: nagging J.D. - I'm really trying to be better!

X- X-Rays or Ultrasounds: ultrasounds

Y- Your Favorite Food: potatoes - fried, mashed, boiled, baked, shredded . . . you get the idea!

Z-Zodiac: Cancer