Improvement

Swelling dramatically decreased, particularly in trouble spot. Probably won't scar as much. Not red and watering down my face. Painful and slightly light-sensitive today; always irritated, itchy, time-consuming and otherwise completely annoying, but still appears on the upswing.

Weed and Wildflowers

This is a fun little kit called "Going West" from Weeds and Wildflowers Design

Update Update...

If you don't want to read about my eye, skip this entry. Sorry for the endless updates on my cornea, but this is how many of my family members keep up with what's going on. It's so much easier to type it once than to verbalize it 20 times. So, if you continue reading after this paragraph, it's your own fault. :)

Here we are 48 hours later and I'm in a better place. Tuesday night was r-o-u-g-h. Once the paralyzing/numbing drops wore off completely around 9:30 pm, I was pretty much hysterical and delirious with pain. My sincerest apologies to my mother AND my mother-in-law, both of whom received frantic phone calls from me, for different reasons, involving much screaming, sobbing, and hyperventilation. The warm compress did help some, as did the Bradley birthing breathing, so thanks for the suggestions!

I hear there are more nerve endings on your eyeball than on any other place in your body. I can believe that! The first 6 hours were horrendous, and I truly had forgotten how bad they were going to be. The next 6 hours were really bad, but survivable, the NEXT 12 hours were mostly just a fog because I was able to sleep on and off for the entire day, completely medicated with the maximum dosage. The only thing you really can do is take enough narcotics to knock yourself completely out because no pain medication really helps the area of concern. The kids were gone, so I could get away with it. Today I was off the couch at last and functioning again, albeit cranky at times.

Justin has been amazing and wonderfully supportive. He missed out on all the fun when he was in tax season, and he's been making up for it this time. He's been very sweet and patient and helpful. Kinley was a living doll that first night, before things got really bad. She sat on the couch next to me, "reading" me some of her favorite stories, "so that your eye will feel better". Even Tanner behaved himself. Today, once Mommy got her fanny off the couch, they returned to their normal mischievous little selves!

I threw up all over the kitchen this afternoon. I had been nauseas, presumably from the medications, combined with trying to focus my eyes on a few too many things without resting. My eye still looks incredibly swollen and grotesque, and I could definitely pass for Quasimodo's ugly sister, but it doesn't hurt quite as much, and I'm able to stretch out the medications to more reasonable doses.

Well, Tanner is trying to get me off the computer, which is fine with me because it's making me completely sick to sit here and type anyway. Hope to be back to "normal" soon!

Utter Failure

Well, about 20 minutes after I posted my wah-wah session, My cornea tore up once again. I called the doctor; by the time I saw him, it hadn't improved like the two previous episodes; it continued to get worse for several hours. Lancing pain, swelling, watering, bloodshot, the works.

There was nothing to be done. The contact lens proved it wouldn't/couldn't hold it in place any longer, encouraging it to heal; it was beyond hope, completely unsalvagable. I just returned from Dr. Lewis' office; he did the surgery and took the whole top layer off again. We have stepped back in time 12 weeks or so, starting from scratch. On a good note, he didn't dilate the eyes this time, so at least I'm not completely blind right now. Just the bum eye is closed and watering right now while I write this.

Tomorrow is Hell-Day at the Bradshaws. The numbing drops are starting to wear off, but the Lortab is starting to kick in. I'd better finish this quickly. I'll be attempting to sleep all day tomorrow as much as I can. I called in to work already, but the kids will still go to Bethany's. If this goes like last time, I'll be pretty miserable until Thursday, and then dramatically, surprisingly improved from that point on, with the risk of relapse, of course. But pain-wise, I should be much much improved in about 48 hours. The Lortab should help with radiating pain around my face and head, and the contact lens should help with the exposed nerve endings on the surface of my eye; so between the two, I should be relatively ok while the cornea quickly regrows, which it should do by Friday morning. They are amazingly regenerative. My cornea (like all corneas) regrows quickly, just not strong!

Having Justin home and available this time is such a relief. I don't feel so utterly despondent. The truth is that I am feeling so blessed in every other area of my life at the moment, that this feels totally survivable. Maybe it's the Lortab talking. :) Honestly, though it was disappointing, I have been preparing for this possibility for several weeks, so it didn't bowl me over with surprise and complete despair when it happened today. I haven't even cried about it so far, which is a mighty big change from the last several episodes! Totally embarassing melt-downs on the shoulders of neighbors and friends! I feel surprisingly upbeat and at peace about the whole thing. Strange, and unexpected, but I'll take it!

Support Group

Ok, so after my cornea unexpectedly bubbled up again this morning twice--once at 8:3o and once at 11:30, I've decided to join that online support group after all!

I haven't had a rupture this serious in 3 weeks, and I had finally started leaning toward the hope that the major relapses were behind me and only slow (but steady) healing was ahead.

I'm wearing the contact lens, which seems to have helped with these two surprise mini-episodes, but I'm reluctant to take it out today now after the trouble I've had. The eruption spot has packed back down (however loosely and/or temporarily) and I was able to make it through teaching Joy School. I wore my sunglasses for most of class, which was a big hit! Even in the 20 minutes that the moms were here after class the swelling and redness went down dramatically, and I am already feeling better from the 2nd episode.

Sometimes I can look back on the circumstances surrounding an eruption and take a few guesses about what the trigger might have been. I'm completely flabbergasted by this morning's episodes, which makes it all the more discouraging! I'm trying so hard to avoid these episodes so that I can get on with healing and get on with my life! I care for this naughty eye like it's a third, needier, naughtier, more time-consuming child. Honestly, I truly truly don't know what more I can do for it.

Please pardon me for my venting on the subject YET again. There is just no rhyme or reason to these eruptions. I can't predict what will set it off. I can't predict how serious it will become, how long it will take to heal until it's functional again (2 hours? Several days of no improvement and then surgery? Miraculous regeneration, defying known and expected science? Gradual build-up over several weeks to major destruction? Blink gently once and tear the whole thing off while brushing my teeth? You name it, it's happened!) Not a single relapse/eruption/episode has EVER behaved like a previous one. Not ONE. There is nothing at all predictable about this situation and I'm fired up about it! My eye absolutely has a mind and a language all it's own, and I apparently DON'T SPEAK IT.

This maybe isn't the forum for such negative whining, but I needed to get it off my chest! Sorry!

Eyeballs R Us

I went back to the doctor this morning. The scratches and hashed areas are cleaned up, with one remaining raised spot right up at the top. That spot is about the same size that it was on my last visit a week and a half ago. I sensed that there was still some healing to go, with the way it has been feeling. My doctor said it's the worst, most stubborn case he has ever personally dealt with.

I actually found a support group online for people who suffer endlessly with this condition. It was somewhat horrifying to find 27 pages of people whose lives seemingly revolve around full-time eye maintenance, white-knuckling to keep the next relapse at bay.

How fun! I can make new friends! :(

Daddy's Home!

Well, Daddy has been home this week and it has been so nice to see that face around these parts. I went to work on Wednesday while Justin slept for much of the day, recuperating and relishing his liberation. Unfortunately, his weakened immune system finally caught up with him and he spent his first two days of freedom SICK.

While we had intended to go to the zoo on Thursday, the weather was nasty and Justin still wasn't feeling well, so that has been delayed until further notice. We enjoyed a celebratory dinner date at the Brick Oven on Thursday night, but were both so beat and unimaginative that we made it home in time to catch the last half of Survivor. Danny and Mardie took us to Red Lobster on Friday night and I tasted the my first Ultimate Fondue, which was very delicious. "Shrimp and sweet crabmeat in a creamy lobster cheese sauce served in a warm and crispy sourdough bread bowl." I highly recommend it.

It's just so nice to have him home. Even during those moments when he's busy and relatively unavailable, it just feels comforting to have him somewhere within shouting distance. We're both patting each other on the back for a job well done in surviving this most recent tax season. I feel so happy because tax season is over and my eye is feeling much better. Joy School is ending soon too, which will usher in summer. I finally feel like I can breathe! I can get back on top of my calling, sanity, friendships, and concentrate more on being a better mom, instead of focusing on survival. Sometimes you can't appreciate how insane your life has been until you have the opportunity to step back and look at it more objectively from outside the pressure cooker. It feels like a fresh start and my house is even clean!

I love this man! I'm so happy to have him home!

Transition:
Of course, there is always a transition period. I have to get used to sharing things again, like the remote, the computer...and hot water. :)

Ugh...

The office is closed today, but I'm here by myself answering phones and catching up on some things. What a long day...I think I'll DIE of loneliness... Good thing it's a miserable day outside; I can even see the nasty little snowflakes falling. I'm glad I changed out of my capris when I did! So at least I'm not missing out on a sunny spring day. Only 78 more minutes...

Tax Season Is OVER!!

Well, tax season is officially over and we are all officially delighted!

Justin came home at 5:30 last night and we had a relaxing evening watching American Idol and going to sleep very early! I made some yummy delicious Alice Springs Chicken (faker recipe from Outback Steakhouse); I'll post the recipe below. I recommend a better quality bacon than we used...and I would remember to cook the bacon first. :)

I cleaned like a wild woman yesterday (and for the last few weeks, when possible) and our house looks amazing. Even underneath the kitchen sink has been de-cluttered, sanitized, and organized. And I dare anyone to find so much as a water spot in our bathtub! While I was putting away laundry last night, just before Justin came home, Tanner of course pulled the cushions off the couch and spread every toy he could lay his hands on throughout the livingroom. It was a nice, homey touch, I suppose! Tanner also didn't appreciate the deliciousness of his chicken and threw his dinner on my nice, freshly cinderella-ed kitchen tile. We really need to find a solution to that behavior. It's making me batty!

Outback's Alice Springs Chicken
Honey Mustard Marinade:
1/2 cup Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Chicken:
4-6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups sliced mushrooms (10-12 mushrooms)
2 tablespoons butter
salt, pepper, paprika to taste
8 slices bacon, COOKED
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp parsley

Directions:
Combine mustard, honey, oil and lemon juice in small bowl. Whip mixture for about 30 seconds. Pour about 2/3 of marinade over the chicken breasts and marinate them in the refrigerator, for about 2 hours. Chill remaining marinade until later.

After the chicken has marinated, preheat oven to 375 F and heat up frying pan with 1 teaspoon of oil over medium heat. Sear chicken in pan for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove the pan from heat, and transfer chicken into a baking dish.

As the chicken is cooking, sauté the sliced mushrooms in butter in a small frying pan. Brush each seared chicken breast with a little of the reserved honey mustard marinade (not the portion the chicken marinated in), being sure to save a little extra to serve as a side. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and a dash of paprika.

Stack two pieces of cooked bacon, crosswise, on each chicken breast. Spoon the sautéed mushrooms on the bacon, being sure to coat each breast evenly. Spread 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese onto each breast, followed by 1/4 cup of Cheddar. Bake the pan of chicken for 7-10 minutes or until the cheese is thoroughly melted and starting to bubble. Sprinkle each chicken breast with 1/2 teaspoon parsley before serving. Place extra marinade in small bowl to serve on the side.

Change Of Life

I have entered a new phase of life...

BOTH of my children are in Primary/Nursery! Tanner went to nursery for the first time this past Sunday. I was very nervous and had prepared myself to stay in there with him for 2-3 months helping him get acclimatized. (Kinley freaked out every week for about 14 months! It turned into an attention-getter with her, and it certainly worked.) He walked right in and sat down with a big car and started playing with all the toys within reach. After 15 minutes without making eye contact with me, I slipped out the door!

Every time I peeked in on him through the little windows, some wonderful teacher was playing with him, talking to him, or helping him get into the rhythm of things. When they sat down for snack, they put a napkin in front of him, which he promptly threw on the floor, just like every other day. He appeared quite relaxed and happy. When I went to pick him up at the end of meetings, he was happy to see me and happy to go home, but seemed very pleased with his first adventure in nursery. I was absolutely delighted!

I hope this wasn't a fluke! It was so unexpected! And so delightful! Now, a wee break until we have another sweet little meeting-disrupter in our brood...

24 More Hours...

24 hours from now, I hope to be sitting down to a celebratory dinner with my beloved and tax season will BE OVER!! I'M SO EXCITED!!!! What to make, what to make...

T-minus 24 hours until the Cleaning Contract is up...I think I can, I think I can... I slayed The Beast this weekend (the main hallway closet--fiercest and most frightening of all known closets).

Mother of Invention

We're meat eaters around here and we're pretty well out of meat. We don't know much what to eat without protein. Alas, today is Sunday and all of our easily accessible protein options were frozen, except for eggs, which we weren't in the mood for. We ate all of the chicken earlier in the week, and we couldn't even have grilled cheese sandwiches (or egg sandwiches) because we were out of bread. I meant to get to the store, but it's been crazy.

I should mention on a side note that every time I go over budget, Justin threatens to put us on a Ramen diet for two weeks, saying he'd just love it and was willing to do anything to stay on budget. Yum yum, Ramen, he said. I've never made Ramen, but I decided it sounded really good tonight. So I dug into the back of the cupboard and started making Ramen. What I didn't realize at that moment was that I was actually calling his bluff. Apparently he HATES Ramen. With a PASSION.

ANYWAY, so Justin came up with this really great idea (which I initially dry-heaved over, but whatever). Tuna melts...kind of. Yes, I said we were out of bread. But, thanks to the Grovers, we are still working on our lifetime supply of TORTILLAS!! (But getting low, hint hint!! :)

Anyway, so I made up some tuna, put some pickles on top with some cheese and created some surprisingly delicious tuna quesadillas. Who knew? Has anyone else ever had one? I've had them on bread before and they were good, but I'd never thought to put them on tortillas. It initially freaked me out, but it will now be added to our quick-meals list!

Corneal Update

For those keeping score, of course. If you careth not, go ahead and skip this entry; I won't cry.

I spent two and a half hours at the doctor's this morning. Almost half of that time was spent learning the intricate skill of putting in and taking out a contact lens. I must say, it's not one of my special gifts.

The situation is this:
The healing process has stalled out. I have been wearing a contact lens around the clock for two weeks, one that the doctor swaps out for me weekly. Near the top of my cornea (12:00 on the clockface), where the big trouble erupted two weeks ago, there are still signs of weakness and vulnerability; while it is still hanging on (albeit for dear life, and even I can tell that in my daily activities) it is not continuing to improve.

We're now going to try to let my eye breathe during the day and wear the contact lens at night for protection (dryness, rubbing, gunk, etc). This will cause one of two things. Our hope is that the increased breathability will assist in the continued healing process, that it will decide to finally adhere more firmly and more permanently. The risk is that without the pressured "bandage" properties of the contact lens in place 24/7, the epithelial layer will get on with it's own self-destruction and THEN we can finally feel justified in ripping the whole thing off again and starting from scratch (what are we, 10 weeks in now?) We've been dinking around with this most recent critical relapse for two weeks.

It's sink or swim time, and if it's inevitable I'd rather just get on with it. Since it's no longer making any progress, even baby steps, we're daring it to heal or fail with our tactical modification.

It's all a risk, but one that must be taken. I did manage to get the lens in tonight (kudos to me!) I'm much better at that than taking it out. I managed to give myself a few extra corneal scratches this morning in my first few attempts. Luckily they are just surface abrasions and are already healed by now. CRAZY!!

Redoing Pages!!

Ok, YIKES. Now that I'm not delirious with the flu and I'm not totally blinded because of my cornea, I realize I HATED one of the pages I made recently.

I completely re-did it. The nice thing is that it only took me 7 minutes to choose AND squish new papers on top of the old set! Woo hoo!! I LOVE digital scrapping!

Old Versus NEW!

Happy Wednesday!

Today is a decent eye day. I'm at work right now, at the tail end of my lunch break. Unlike Monday, I haven't been sitting in my office with the lights off and my sunglasses on all morning, so that's a mighty big improvement!

I'm so excited to report that I have successfully tracked down an old friend from my stake in New York (though technically she lived in Vermont) and we've been having a delightful time catching up. Sherri and I haven't seen each other in 15 years, when she came and stayed with me in the dorms at BYU for a few days! There is a lot to catch up on, but it's been so fun! If there is someone you've been thinking about, I highly recommend making the attempt to track them down!

American Idol is so LAME this season!

Book Recommendation: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. I loaned it out to a friend and she's reminding me of all the reasons I liked it in the first place.

This time next week Justin will probably be taking a nap, enjoying his first day off! I can almost taste the end of tax season! Ce-le-BRATE!

A few Accountant Jokes for This Year:

1. To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty. To the accountant, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

2. Like mothers, taxes are often misunderstood, but seldom forgotten.

3. A tax loophole is something that benefits the other guy. If it benefits you, it is tax reform.

4. The government deficit is the difference between the amounts of money the government spends and the amount it has the nerve to collect.

Egg Hunting

Just Another Pretty Face

I'm so pleased. Both Kayla and Courtney recently purchased the Bare Escentuals make-up that I was raving about a few weeks ago. Both of them are completely smitten with the product and utterly delighted with their lovely, glowing faces. Court was the one to call me today with her official "I can't believe my face looks so amazing" report, while Kayla's was delivered via rapid-fire email last week. I'm so pleased :)

A big THANK YOU to those who recommended it to me first!

Honk if you love Bare Minerals!

P.S. -- The best deals that we found were on Ebay!

9 More Days!

Only 9 more days until the end of Tax Season! We are all very excited. I'm hopeful that my eye will be in a better place by then (don't ask), and Kinley is jumping out of her skin to go to the zoo.

We didn't make it to church yesterday. I was having a sour moment, not in the mood to go to church in my sunglasses, only to step out into the hall to put drops in my eyes every 10 minutes. What a spectacle. Sadly, it didn't feel much like a spiritual Easter celebration. There were, however, stuffed bunnies and copious amounts of candy.

The Bradshaw Babe Sweet Retreat suffered a major set-back when all 4 of the contestants leaped unceremoniously off the wagon sometime within the last week. We're ready to start again, ready to make it through June 9th, the Teton Dam Marathon. Originally I was planning to run the 10k, then when the eye drama started, I decided to drop down and run the 5k. Now I'm pretty much thinking I'll be WALKING the 5k!

I did manage to clean out one closet this weekend. I cleaned out the towel/medicine/toiletries closet in the master bathroom. Boy, was that a dreadful undertaking. I didn't take a "before" picture because it really was far too embarassing (and I forgot). But it looks fan-tabulous now! Too bad the Queen can't make it for tea this week!

Milestone and Weirdstone

Milestone:
While making dinner preparations at the counter this evening, I looked up, and found two big brown eyes staring at me directly across the counter. Tanner has figured out how to climb up on kitchen chairs to gain greater access to life's little pleasures! He was so pleased with himself! He's been pushing them around the kitchen for weeks in preparation for the grand unveiling of his new talent. Today was the day.

Weirdstone:
We've had a strange week, and apparently it has worn Kinley out. She took a FIVE HOUR NAP this afternoon. I'm jealous :)

Modesty Maven

Which brings me to Kinley's recent issues. Remember my trip to Target when I made out like a bandit with new shirts and shorts for the summer? Kinley, as I previously described, has been pretty agreeable to my choice of attire for her. Recently though, she has been resisting getting dressed in shorts. I thought maybe she didn't feel it was warm enough yet, so I'd just tell her to wear pants instead.

Finally, one morning I knew it was going to be really warm at the park, so I insisted a little more firmly that she put on the shorts. She sadly took them from me, sat on her bed, and said with all the defeat in her voice that she could muster, "Ok, I will wear the shorts. But I'm going to be showing 'way too much leg'."

Man, I hope we're still having this conversation when she's 13!!

Tanner Tanner, You're Killin' Me...

Kinley is 4 years old. She has rarely voiced an opinion on her clothing choices. I pretty much always pick out her clothes for the day and she puts them on without complaint (recent shorts controversy excluded, but that's another story).

Tanner, on the other hand, expresses a much louder opinion regarding what he is willing to wear. Jeans. Only jeans. Jeans or jean shorts. Kinley's jeans, his own jeans, new jean shorts, Kinley's old jean shorts, it doesn't matter, they are all fine. But green shorts? Khaki shorts? Sweat pant material shorts? Rompers?? He cries and screams and flails his little body in agony. He will go find something made of jean material and bring it to me with a sweet little smile on his face, lay down in front of me and stick his legs in the air. Forgive me, but sometimes the production is so adorable that I change his pants. Other times I insist he get over it, which he eventually does.

ALL IS WELL

Eye has turned the corner again; changed up drops and slightly modified procedures per the good doc. This is apparently just going to be the healing process in my case. 3 steps forward, 1-2 steps back. I'm relying on faith still that we're going to be able to beat this thing and avoid the repeat surgery. It's been stabilized again since last night.

I was so pleased to be able to take the kids to the Easter Egg Hunt yesterday! I'll post cute pictures!! We also had a successful babysitting club at our house last night, so Kinley and Tanner partied pretty much all day long. One visit to a friend's house while Mommy and Daddy went to the doctor, two trips to the park, a bucket of candy, and friends over for the evening. What more could two little social butterflies ask for??

I Don't Know What To Title This

Well, I woke up feeling better this morning. I woke up nice and early, feeling better! So much so, that I was determined to turn the tide on the misery of the last few weeks. I got up, showered, put on my awesome make-up, bathed and fed the children, and took them to the park in lieu of watching Dora the Explorer. They sat in front of the television all day yesterday while I rested, recuperated, sulked, and escaped into digital scrapping.

We enjoyed a nice little adventure, just the three of us, seeing how the sane members of the neighborhood were still inside at 8:30 in the morning. I was pushing them on the swings, all of us having a gay ol' time! Alas, no one told me that the sprinklers turn on at 9:00 and drench the entire park, swings included. I was scrambling to get both of them out of the swings as they screamed their heads off, getting soaked. They didn't think it was nearly as funny as I did. So, we drove home, read from Kinley's new Winnie the Pooh book, then went out for walk number two at 9:30. We decided to pick up a fellow Joy School friend and all walk to class together.

Sounds like a grand morning so far, no??

Would you believe??? Would you?? My eye started relapsing late this morning. I've been frantically trying to pack it back down, drenching it with drops, anti-inflammatory drops, and ointment, bought some sunglasses, and tried resting it this afternoon. I'm afraid my mood has darkened dramatically since this morning. I'm trying not to panic (too much) and exercise a little faith. It no longer really hurts like it did this morning and early this afternoon, but if it's still giving me any trouble at all tomorrow, twitches, pain, foreign object sensation, I need to have it looked at before the weekend.

It a good thing I got to Walmart today so that we have food in the house! Justin looked in the fridge last night and said, "Wow, thanks for cleaning out the fridge!!" I hadn't cleaned it out...I just haven't been able to get to the store in two weeks...

Wee Baby Tanner

Kit by Sande Krieger (Oscraps), "It's Time"; Black brads by Jenny's Scrap Place, "All About Love"; White label by Fee Jardine (Digichick), "Keepin' It Real";

Kit by Jenny's Scrap Place, "Colour"; Metal brad by Scraphouse, "Simply Love";
Kit by Kris Myers, "Your Spa Treatment"; Black bow by Shabby Princess, "Tea Party";
Kit by Jenny's Scrap Place, "Eighteen";

Human Again

I feel human again! Throat is still sore and I feel a little weak, but dramatically improved from just yesterday.

I'm home with the kids today. Tanner is now at my feet building with the packing materials, threatening to turn off the surge protector if I'm not paying attention.

I'm almost giddy to think that exactly two weeks from today Justin will be HOME!! Tax season will be OVER and he'll take a little time off! We'll go to the ZOO, we'll stare at each other over the dinner table! We'll go to sleep at the same time! And hopefully, we'll be enjoying it all with healthy bodies, a clean house and a healed cornea.

Would You Believe???

I have the FLU! It would almost be comical if I didn't feel so utterly miserable. I have the fever, sore throat, aches and pains under control at last with 1600 mgs of ibuprofen -- that's 8 pills. My liver may fail, but HEY, at least I'm not tempted to roll myself out in front of a truck anymore!

Last night I wallowed in a lavender bath, took 800 mgs of ibuprofen, sucked down half a bag of throat lozenges, and even broke down and took one of my leftover percocet pills. And I STILL couldn't get the fever down, my throat to stop burning, or the raging aches to subside. So, today I feel fabulous in comparison.

I got permission from "the boss" to order pizza for dinner. I thought I was on the mend until my ibuprofen started to wear off again and I realized I'm still quite sick, so I called in to work a few hours ago for tomorrow. I don't want to share this loveliness.

Kinley is circling me in her panties, building castles out of packing materials at my feet. Tanner is napping, after being a CRAB this afternoon. To make myself feel better...I scrapped a few pages while Kiks was at Joy School. I'm getting so much faster all the time!!

Kit by Jenny's Scrap Place; "Beautiful Moments";

Kit by Jenny's Scrap Place, "Flower Balance";

Kit by Jenny's Scrap Place, "Girly Dreams";

Facing Another Week

Only two and a half more weeks of tax season! I have spent the last three evenings late into the night, releasing stress through the calming physiotherapy of digiscrapping. Mentally and emotionally, it's undeniably restorative. Then again, I now need something to help me through the withdrawals of digi-scrapping addiction as I head into another freakishly busy week! Hmmm... maybe it's NOT so helpful!

Justin let me escape up here late this afternoon to decompress while he played with Tanner during Kiki's nap. I think it was win-win all around!

But for now, I must tell myself no more for tonight. No more downloading, no more sorting, no more creating, no more printing, no more posting...Must...sleep...

Saving Time...

Man, I love the convenience of digital scrapping... I just created this page once and then swapped out the pictures! Voila! One page for each scrapbook!

Kit by Jenny's Scrap Place, "Amazing", font is LD Happy Daddy

General Conference and Small Children...and Bacon

Do you remember that I wrote about our wonderfully successful Saturday morning session of General Conference? Do you remember the sweet, spunky little spiritual prodigy I so humbly described? How well she paid attention? How astute her observations and how profound her comments?

Let's just say it all went down from there. Tanner was awake for Saturday afternoon's session. Kinley and Tanner weren't interested in listening for one minute. They decided to play "wild animals" or maybe it was "crazy circus freaks" for the entire two hours...

Today was even worse, but I should have expected it. Kinley finally fell asleep 28 minutes before the end of the second session (hence the pictures below). Sundays around here are great because Daddy's home. Sundays around here are hard because Daddy's home. Kinley in particular goes off the deep end every Sunday. I think it's tension relief from having him around after he's been away all week; she becomes a sassy, footstomping little wildcat. She's been up and down all week anyway because I've not been on top of discipline; I've been absorbed and wallowing in my eye drama.

It's always an adjustment when tax season ends. Daddy needs to get up to speed on the changes on the home front, and the rest of us get accustomed to the unfamiliar dynamic of having a Daddy around again. It's worth it though. We miss that silly guy around here and the single parent thing is no fun at all.

Oh, in the "dodging bullets" or "divine intervention" bulletin, whatever your pleasure, I had a very close call this morning while making breakfast. I made a big Conference Breakfast with french toast and bacon. One splash of grease jumped up and hit me...guess where? Yep, on the right eye. It hit me right on the bottom of my eyelid, mingling with my eyelashes. It missed my healing, finicky, pesky, naughty eyeball by maybe a millimeter! And in related fortunate news? I managed to not have a heart attack when it happened. Isn't that great??

Well, I'd better get working on the potatoes if they are going to be done in time for dinner!

Snoozer

Kinley stood at the bottom of the stairs and rather loudly sobbed in pitiful dispondency, "I'm NOT TIRED!" This picture was taken 5 minutes later.
This one? Another five minutes later...

Kinley at Wheeler Farm

Kit from Jenny's Scrap Place, "Angel Flowers"

Kit from Jenny's Scrap Place, "Angel Flowers";

Kit from Jenny's Scrap Place, Chiara II