R&R

Just what the Doctor ordered. I was getting a little too stressed out and I needed a "breather" so Jess and I left the kids with Grammie and Bubba Gramps and got away for a few days. We went to Port Angeles/ Sequim, Washington. We saw a lot of things and did a lot of sight seeing from the car. We did some walking but kept it mild since I'm a fragile (high risk) pregnant woman :)!! We went to Bainbridge Island, Forks, La Push (where the beaches are), Victoria B.C., Port Townsend and Seattle.

While we were away my swelling went down but now that we are back it's rip roaring again. I did get a lot of rest, but after being home for two days I'm almost as tired as when we left. The thing I am learning to do is be a little more "lazy"! I am always on the go and always have a project going or something that needs to be done. I'm also a perfectionist so things have to be done right. A clean house to everyone else is not the same to me. I'm learning that it's okay to have dusty shelves, toys on the floor, books out of place, laundry in baskets and beds not perfectly smoothed. I have always loved "meditation" and have learned that instead of once a day I get to do this two or three or four times a day. Naps are essential and as long as the kids sit quietly on the recliner in our room and read books or watch a little show while I take a 30 minute snoozer, it's okay. Once our sweet Ashleigh is born I think I'll go back to having the tons of energy I've always had but I think I will still keep mommy nap time and maybe leave books out of place :).

--J

Allergies...

...or so I thought! At the beginning of this last week we had some awesome wind which kicked up a bunch of junk in the air. By Tuesday night I was suffering from allergies but because I am pregnant and very high risk I can't take my allergy meds :( !! That's okay. I thought it would go away and my Doctor told me I could take a decongestant to help. Friday evening I called my doctor since I couldn't breathe through my nose and asked if I couldn't take something else, yep I could take a stronger OTC degcongestant. Saturday I went to work and nothing was helping by the time I got home I was really suffering. So I layed down, felt a little better and then we went to dinner. I couldn't eat a thing. I drank some water and Strawberry Lemonade and was just miserable. So I broke down and went to Instacare...which I hate going there, so you know I desperate. It was the shortest visit I have ever had there. Ofcourse there wasn't anyone in the waiting room but we could hear a kid screaming in the back. We checked in and sat down for just a few minutes, then we were called back. The nurse took all of my vitals, asked a few questions one of which is "Are you allergic to any medications?" Yep sure am...Pennicillin. "What's your reaction?" Closes off my air way instantly and should only be used in life or death situations. She says "oh it's already on your chart." Great. The doc came in just a minute later asks all the Q's about my symptoms and when they started. Looks in my ear..."Oh that ear drum is bulging" as I am pulling away from him cause my ear feels like it's going to explode. (it really hurt) Then he's tapping all over my forehead and along my cheek bones, which was killing me again. He says you have sinusitius. Great I knew it and...... So then he gives me a perscription for a maximum strength decongestant and says take this for 10 days if you don't get better here's a perscription for an antibiotic then take that. Um, okay. I'm 17 weeks pregnant and I'm very high risk so I'm thinking I'll give my own Doctor a call when I get to the car. We were seriously in there only 15 or 20 mintues. So crazy.

I call my Mom and tell her what the doctor said and she asked what perscriptions he gave me. By this point we are on our way to the only open pharmacy at 8:30 pm on a Saturday. I read her the first one and then I look at the antibiotic. Ammoxicillin. Um... ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? I'm sure it was just an oversight... but one that would cost me and my unborn baby our lives. So now I'm overly concerned and call my Doctor (who happens to be AMAZING) and he's working on call at the hospital. I leave a message and he calls me right back. He said the decongestant is just fine to take and then calls in a different antibiotic but he told me I need to start taking it right away, especially if my ear drum is bulging. Then he asked where I went and what doctor I saw and he took care of that :)!!

Storm

Ok, time for a break from my homework. Lately I have been a wreck. I just haven't been myself and it was hard to face each and every day. My friend Staci introduced me to a song that I absolutely love. It is Storm by Lifehouse. Here are the lyrics:

How long have I been in this storm?
So overwhelmed by the ocean's shapeless form
Water's getting harder to tread
With these waves crashing over my head

If I could just see you
Everything would be all right
If I'd see you
This darkness would turn to light

And I will walk on water
And you will catch me if I fall
And I will get lost into your eyes
I know everything will be alright
I know everything is alright

I know you didn't bring me out here to drown
So why am I ten feet under and upside down
Barely surviving has become my purpose
Cause I'm so used to living underneath the surface

If I could just see you
Everything would be all right
If i'd see you
This darkness would turn to light

And I will walk on water
And you will catch me if I fall
And I will get lost into your eyes
And everything will be alright

And I will walk on water
You will catch me if I fall
And I will get lost into your eyes
I know everything will be alright
I know everthing is alright

Everything is alright
Everything is alright

I seriously cried the first time I heard it. I look at it as if God is the one who will catch me when I fall.  I love this song so much. It is as if it was written from my life.  The first verse of the song is sang acapella and the rest of the music is so wonderful. It is just simply amazing. 

I cannot wait for Joleen to have her baby. First because I'll have another neice, and second, we can sing again!! I'm not in choir this year, so I really miss singing everyday. I have written a bunch of new lyrics, and can't wait for Joleen to help me with the harmony. Well so long for now!!

~Sarah

p.s. If you can, listen to Storm. It is just so amazing!! :(|)

What a Week

Wow. It has really been forever since I've gotten on. There has been so much going on in my life lately that I just haven't found the time. Second semester started, and then about a week later while walking to church, I slipped down some concrete stairs and hurt my head, neck, and back. (The fact that I already have a broken back and kyphosis, didn't help any) But, I'm doing better and everything is okay. Last week was torture for me. I had three major tests for my CE (college) classes. I passed the first two, one with 90%!! and am still waiting to hear on my chemistry test. It was so stressful studying for them and I am so entirely grateful to Staci and Cherie for helping me, and especially Jacob, who came over to my house unannounced the night before the test to help me study. He left his mutual early and even sacrificed his homework for me. I will be forever in debt to him. I have a big project in my CE Interior Design class to do, so I will get going for now, but I will be back later. Sorry for not posting in the longest, longest time! 

Furniture

Jess and I just bought new living room furniture. I love it. It's nice and comfy to sit on and looks good in our front room. The kids love it too. Now we just have to finish painting the last wall and the living room will be pretty close to done. Jess is going to hang pictures too. I love how it is all coming together. I promise I'll post some pictures as soon as I can get some that the kids aren't in :)!!! We also bought a new mattress for one of the kids bed and it is a little on the tall side so we are having to make a few adjustments there and then that childs room will be close to being finished too :)!! I love having a house. It's so much fun to paint and decorate.

Vacation

I am so excited about going on vacation. It has been 2 years since I have had a real vacation so I am jumping on the chance to celebrate my anniversary on vacation and without the kids. Jess found the most beautiful and romantic bed and breakfast on the Straight of Juan de Fuca. Check it out at Colettes dot com. The place has absolutely beautiful gardens (which probably won't be in full bloom while we are there but hey it's still beautiful) and we are right on the ocean. Our room has a huge window that looks out onto the ocean too. I'm super excited. For those who don't know I am DEATHLY afraid of water, having almost drowned twice (acutally three times so far in my life). By the way we are not going to San Antonio, we are going to Washington State. We fly into Seattle and then drive to Port Angela's. The problem isn't staying at the B&B it's that we have to cross two bridges to get there. I'm already hyperventilating and I have two weeks until we leave. The first bridge I'm sure will be easier than the second bridge (which is a floating bridge and Jess made the mistake of showing it to me.) the bridge basically sits right at the water level :( and when it's windy the water can blow over the bridge, am I nervous about this? Sure Am. Plus it's not just once I have to cross it, it's twice AAAHHHHHH!!! But what I am concentrating on is all the beautiful sites we will see and how much fun we will have. We are planning on taking TONZ of pics and we are eating our Anniversary dinner at "Bella Italia's" !! For all you non-Twilight fans that's the resturaunte Bella and Edward eat at in the first book. There are a bunch of wildlife refuges and marine life centers that I think we will visit and a few light houses we may make a trip down to Forks (if I am feeling up to it) and we'll probably spend most of our time on the beaches, I love the calming sounds of the ocean (as long as I am not over top of it) I am a land lover!! There is a reserve called Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island that we may go to, if I can get up the nerve to cross another bridge or go on the ferry. Like I have said before, Jess really knows how to plan a vacation and finds the best B&B's and hotels to stay at. I have never (in 8 years) been disappointed. I couldn't figure out how to post pics from the B&B but I'll be able to once we get home. You'll have to stay tuned!!

JEEPERS...

Jess and I love Jeep Wranglers. They are so much fun and a great second car to have. In the summer we sold our Jeep because there were only two seats in the back and we have 3 kids (going on 4). Lucky for us the new Jeep Wranglers come with 4 doors and 3 seat belts in the back and a "trunk" space. This means that we'll have enough space to put in a jump seat and still have room for all the camping gear and what not. Jess and I are very picky about features and colors and tires. Since it will be a "second" car and we DO plan on having it longer than a year or two we are taking our time and waiting for the one WE really want. We don't want some junker of a Jeep that was owned by some teenager (or dumb guy who thought he was all that) who trashed it either. So, in the near future the newest member of our family will be a new Jeep Wrangler. Our baby girl may beat it here since we are very paticular, but really unless she comes early we should have our new "BEEP BEEP" soon after our vacation. Am I spoiled, yeah! What can I say, but Jess is spoiled too. Ask him about his Saturday "honey do" lists and he'll tell you 9 times out of 10 they consist of taking a nap, 4 wheelin' with the kids and playing at the park. Such a hard list. But I have to say he is very on top of most things that need to be done around the house. Only that one time out of 10 do I need to have him do something more than just have fun with the kiddo's!! That's another reason we are so excited to buy another Jeep. We really miss 4 wheelin' in one. It's like our family pet :)!!