Top 5 reasons why...

...You do not want an ear-infection

Sadly, I am writing this post from experience.
About a week ago I began to have a sore throat and a little fever.
After about a day though, my fever went away and I thought I was on the road to recovery.
This was just the beginning, I'm now realizing...

Friday night my ear began to feel a little strange, like there was some pressure,
Then it would become "plugged"- or whatever you want to call that feeling, ya know, the one you get on airplanes? So I began to get that "airplane" feeling and it wouldn't go away
Then it began to hurt.

I went to bed Friday night thinking it would be gone by morning.

I woke up at 4am crying from the pain.
I woke Brett and told him something needed to be done.
After I popped some asprin I was able to fall back asleep...
Saturday my pain was so un-bearable I went to the ER for a prescription of amoxicillin and ear drops.

Saturday after a painful nap and drugging myself with my newly found treasures, the pain began to leave. The pain left, but the "airplane" feeling did not.

So, what could be so wrong with having the "airplane" feeling you ask?? Well, Here begin my top 5 reasons why you don't want an each infection...

1. No sleep: When you have an ear-infection, you simply cannot sleep. No matter what side you sleep on you feel your ear drum pulsing in pain and it kills.
2. Fluids: Fluids leak out. That's all I'll say about that.
   
3. Underwater: My ear is now on the road to recovery, although now I would describe my left ear as being "underwater". I hear everything that is going on inside my body, it's weird. When I drink, I hear it go all the way through my body. Chewing is so loud inside my head. And when I shower it sounds like rain hitting a tin roof to me.
   
4. Deafness: If you are on the left side of me, and ask me something I will not hear you. This has been a problem lately. I think that I'm taking in half of what professors are saying and forget even trying to hear comments or questions that are made from the class. It's kind of a silent world for me right now.
5. You appear crazy: I cannot count the number of fake responses I've had to give these past few days. Someone will ask me something, and if it's the second or third time I've asked them to repeat already- I fake an answer. Then, depending on either the confused or satisfied look I see on their face, I know if what I said was relevant in any way to our conversation. Also, you hear weird things. Sometimes I will hear a noise that may just be a cell phone ringing, but because with my deafness I cannot tell what, where, or the real volume of it- it can sounds like an air-raid coming to attack. I've been on edge, to say the least.
   

I can't wait to get my hearing back!

I keep telling Brett that now I know what Helen Keller felt like. (ok, ok, maybe I don't know what she felt like, but can't I at least say I know a little of what she felt?)

Weekend at Party Pier

We enjoyed a wonderful weekend of partying it up with Chulie! (Chad & Julie) and their boys. ("Chulie" name courtesy of Kaley) :)
We had a blast showing them around campus and playing with their boys...

After our tour we decided to bowl a game! It was a lot of fun and the boys were so cute. And they are pretty good! (I think Clayton beat me in one of the games) I have no shame in sharing this.
He's just an unusually talented bowler :)

Then there was some serious bowling going on. Especially on Brett & Chad's end.
I think Chad was the champion in the end.

(serious bowling from these two-smiles don't happen when it's serious)

Kaley, Me and Clayton; which foot is whose?? Can you tell??
I'll give you a hint; mine's in the middle... :)

The not-so-serious bowlers
Although out of us 3, Julie creamed Kaley & I...

It wouldn't be a trip up here without a trip to Craigo's
We love this place, and although we get sick every-time we go, from porking out-
it's so worth it.

And plus, I feel like since I paid for the buffet, I wouldn't get my monies worth if I wasn't sickly full... (After reading that sentence and realizing it's truthfulness, I may be at risk for obesity if I eat at a lot of buffet restaurants in the future...)

Mommy & Clayton

I think we all have pizza in our mouths

The Crew.

Kaley enjoyed a night out with the "Bwuddas" (is that write spelling Lando?) :)
They went and saw Robin Hood.


While they were out watching their gory film, Julie and I opted to watch 'Bride Wars' at home. A less violent, less bow&arrowy, lower stress movie. My kind of movie.

We put the boys to bed, but little Bennett was so hyper, he was keeping the older boys awake. Chulie decided to leave Bennett's pack 'n play at home, so we thought maybe he needed to be in a tightly confined space to fall asleep. So where can you find a tightly confined space in our tiny apartment??
The Bath tub!!
He fell right asleep.

We went to "duck pond" today- the boys loved it.

Clayton had been wanting to see a snake our whole excursion.
We were walking along the path and I noticed the tall grass to my left swaying oddly.
I looked and all I saw was HUGE back with two yellow stripes on it coming to eat me.

I yelled sooo incredibly loud, (or so they tell me) "It's a snake, It's a snake!!" And ran the fastest I have ever run as far away from that grass as I could. I was terrified.
Where as I was ready to shrivel up and die out of fear, Clayton & Kaley found pure excitement and fun. They both jumped in the grass, toward the snake and began searching for it.

Then, I ran and stood up on a huge boulder as far off the ground as I could.
Then, to my dismay, and to Kaley's joy, she found the snake,
picked it's up by it's tail and handed it to Clayton!!!

What if it had huge fangs and bit her and she died??
As you can tell, I'm not a snake person.

So, Clayton continued to carry it for the next 15 min, to show Chad and Brett and Conner. All of whom were equally as excited and happy about the discovery. (I don't think that's normal, but apparently in this family- I'm the odd one out...) :)

It's eyes were staring at me-I knew he was just waiting to bite a chunk out of my flesh.
At least that's how I interpreted it...

Despite the near death experience with the snake, it was a fun weekend and we are already planning their next trip in the fall... right guys?! :)

Thanks Chulie and boys for coming!!

p.s. "weekend at party pier"- for those of you unfortunate souls who have not been blessed to see it, is from this wonderful movie! I highly recommend it.

x0,

The New Smell

Part of Brett's birthday gift were these; a new love seat and a new couch.
we got a pretty good deal- and although spending a lot of money at once was difficult for me I'm really glad we got them.
It's fun having new things like couches, they still have the "new" smell and we love that.

Have a fantastic weekend!

A Beautiful Bride

My sister Kate was the most beautiful bride
She looked gorgeous and we had such a fun party!
Congrats Kate & Clark!!

I especially loved the back of her dress...

Our wonderful photographer...
(aka: Brett's sister!)
pre-wedding girls brunch!
the best cream cheese & fruit stuffed french toast I've ever had!

Alex & Brett = Best Buds

Travis dancing to the famous "Grapevine"

Me, Brett and dad. Why didn't Brett put his arm around dad?? Dad loves hugs! :)

grammy & me

Devon, Cameron and I had a day of baseball in the park.
It was so fun! I love these guys!

It wouldn't be a complete tribute to the trip without a picture of my most favorite canine.
My beloved Duncan.

Sorry Kate, I know you said you'd be embarrassed if it went on the blog but... it's trav dancing- priceless!

The "Sons of Georgia" aka: the Brother-in-laws singing at the pre-wedding family dinner, they sounded so good!!

The next video is Brett and his mama doing the cha-cha at Kate's wedding.
It's kinda their thing; and they are really good at it!

Happy Birthday Brett!!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband!!

we celebrated Brett's birthday a day early at home with kaley
with cupcakes and a movie...

Then Brett got breakfast in bed on his real b-day (may 13th) at 6:30 am!
(He's still asleep as you can see)

Then, after a loooong day of travel we made it home to california and enjoyed celebrating his birthday with his fam.

The family singing to Brett...

Happy Birthday my love,

A Day at the Park

Sometimes when we have just the heels left from a loaf of bread we surprise each other with a trip to duck pond to feed these little greedy fowls.

This particular time we weren't doing much on a saturday, I opened the cupboards and saw just the heels left from a loaf and decided it was time to feed the ducks!

Just for fun I made Brett go down in the car and blind fold himself and then I came down with the break hidden in my jacket. Then we drove to duck pond with Brett blind-folded.

As the trip began Brett started to narrate our drive, as in "Ok, we are turning right on this road..maybe we are going to the golf course?"
This got old fast- so I quickly turned onto a street and did a few rounds around the block until I was sure he had no idea where we were, or where we were going.

By the time we were 1 minute away from duck pond Brett was complaining that he was so car sick from driving blind-folded that he was going to puke.

Brett decided he wanted to get up close and personal with the ducks

At one point he put pieces of bread in his shoe and tried to coax the ducks further and further into the car. I was thankful the ducks stopped at eating bread off his shoe.
Who knows how far it would have gone.

Near the end it got a little crazy.
These big honkers came out and I got a little uncomfortable.
And I was ready to go,

And that was our duck feeding day.
Oh, how I love the simple pleasures of life...

Happy Cinco de Mayo

To celebrate cinco de Mayo we had chicken fajitas.
I love holidays that are just an excuse to eat good food.

And hooray for Mexico!
For kicking the french out on this day, or something like that?!

guess I should take a history class and learn more about my southern neighbors...

Mr. Mom

Are you just dying wondering what Brett is doing these days??

Well- since Brett has a little break before his internship he has become the BEST

Mr. MOM!!
really, Brett is the perfect husband/mr. mom

He will make little notes like this and he gets all these things done,
he'll add anything to the list I ask him to do-
yesterday I asked him to add vacuuming and ironing a couple of my shirts to his list
I come home and...
WA-LAA! It's done!

I could get used to this!
Besides being Mr. Mom- he does have a few of his favorite things to do, These are some things he does when he's not cleaning:

He has gotten into reading, currently he is reading, "Extreme Measures" by vince flynn. I think it's kind of a '24' type story, so of course he really likes it!

This is one hobby that I don't think will ever change
Brett loooooooves the show, 'COPS'
I don't care for it as much, but when it gets really trashy or sad, he'll turn it off.

Besides these two things Brett has had fun

• golfing
• napping
• b-balling it up
• doing yard work for a guy in our ward
  

Oh, look! Back to MR. MOM duties again! :)

Mr. Mom does the dishes every night, so that I can do homework.

Mr. Mom cooks the most delectable breakfast burrito I have ever had!

Brett doesn't care for grocery shopping.
Knowing this, I was hesitant to ask him to go, but when I asked he seemed excited...

(photos courtesy of Kaley)

Then I realized why he was so excited...

These heart-attack inducing foods were not on the list,
you know Mr. Mom did the shopping when he comes home with 2 Pks of bacon, a huge bag of chips and 2 things of ice cream
I guess he deserves it, for being such a great Mr. Mom
I love my Mr. Mom