Couldn't resist...LOL

Maxine sums up the health care bill

Let me get this straight. We're going to be gifted with a health care plan written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn't read it but exempts themselves from it, to be signed by a president who also hasn't read it and who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that's broke. What the hell could possibly go wrong?

PartyLite Cultures and Values Award

Last night I attended a PL Conference that is held monthly and got the shock of my life when they awarded me, little ol' Sandi, with this award. I was shocked, amazed, dumbfounded and deeply touched by this. Here is the Cultures and Values statement and the nomination letter that was sent in.

PartyLite Cultures and Values
We are committed to each other's success.
We believe in fairness, diversity and equal opportunities for all,
And we strive to share those opportunities with all.
We respect and trust each other, wanting for and not from each other.
We honor where we come from, we enjoy what we do,
We know who we are and we value the differences we make.
We believe in and strive for the best in and for each other and ourselves,
All we can be and dream to be, as individuals and
As a team for the betterment of our homes, our lives, our spirit and our world.

(Sandi Nelson)
This consultant joined our team less than a year ago. When she joined, she jumped in with both feet. She is always eager to help out in anyway needed. Despite the challenge of medical concerns with her toddler and raising 3 other active children, she continues to run a successful business and shows up at trainings regularly. She is eager to share ideas and quick to edify others in our team. Even though her family was faced with a surprise uprooting and relocating of their home and family, she saw beyond herself and sent out a call for help for a family whose house burned down during the Christmas holiday. She and her husband went out of their way to drive for hours to deliver all the generous donations to the family in need. She doesn't complain about her circumstances, rather finds sunshine where she gets it and works to share that sunshine with all whom she comes in contact. Her heart is turned outward and she seems always on the lookout to make a difference in someone's life whether there is benefit for her or not. I am truly honored to consider her not only a consultant on my team, but also a very good friend!

Jeanne McGhee (she is my supervisor and is the one that nominated me for this award)

Like I said before, truly touch and honored by this. While I was listening to the letter being read, I kept thinking, oh, she sounds like she's got a lot in common with me, I should go talk to her and get pointers on how to deal with crazy kids AND a toddler with health issues. By the time I realized it was me (since they don't tell you who it is until after they read the nomination letter), I was in tears, I was shocked and I could name SO many others in that room that deserved it more than myself. This doesn't mean that I'm not grateful for it, because I am. This gave me the push that I needed, I think, to get me through the end of the month (not sure why, but March has been a month that I've just been trying to survive in...not really thriving in much this month...I mean, it's not like we just moved and are still trying to get our bearings or anything!).

So, I'd just like to say.....THANK YOU PARTYLITE!!! YOU AND YOUR CONSULTANTS/LEADERS TOTALLY ROCK!!!!!

Ever Had One of Those Days...

...when nothing goes right? I know, never, right?! It wasn't the worst day I've had so I can't really say that, but it wasn't the best day either.

I'm very sore from the two (count them, TWO) workouts I did yesterday, and then running up and down stairs after children hasn't helped the soreness either - note to self...don't do more than ONE workout in a day.

The kids were having a very hard time getting along today for some reason, and it was really wearing on my nerves. I had a jam-packed full schedule today and their arguing was starting to interfere with it a bit (they'd stop in the middle of a parking lot and yell at each other, so we were falling behind "the schedule")!!! I told them they couldn't play any games today - that did it. The world ended right there! Oops...

After I got them calmed down, I had to hurry home and feed them lunch - but this is after getting them up and dressed and then out the door to a Relief Society function (that I couldn't stay for) and then back in the car and home again - all within the space of an hour and a half!

I tried not to feed Tyler much lunch because he eats at school, but he kept getting his own food (he's discovered how to climb, drat!). I got him a small snack and tried to appease him until it was time to go. We then dropped Terra off, and then drove up to Tyler's school and waited for the "short bus" to get there so he could go in with all of them (they don't want me to drag all the kids in to the school building or leave them in the car, so they've offered to meet me out by the buses drop-off spot to take him in. After the bus pulled up, I got Tyler out of the car, the lady ran across the parking lot, took his hand and walked him into the building...I didn't get much of a good-bye, but he seemed ok with it, I think. I drove home and realized that his weighted vest was still in the car, so I drove back up there, had two sleeping children in the car, so just ran in (yes, I'm a bad parent) - they have an outside door, so I just ran up and knocked on that door and handed it to them and ran back to my car.

I drove home, James woke up (just a power nap for him) so I decided to do something special with him so we went to A&W drive in and ordered a treat and watched a movie in the car, in our driveway until Celeste woke up. It was kind of fun!

We only had a half hour until school got out for Terra (early release day) so we played for a minute and then went and picked her up and then came home and played until it was time to go pick up Tyler from school.

We went there and sat until they released school - they were late, so it made me very glad that I have Terra going home with someone else after school on Mondays so she doesn't have to wait for forever and day for me to come get her!

OH! And while I was fixing the kids lunch, I had Terra read me the knobs on the back of the stove (she wanted to help). She read "rear" and "front" I asked her to turn on the "front" knob, so she turns something on and then leaves because "mom, this is boring". I started to smell something funny and turned to look at what was burning, and she had turned on the REAR burner...which my purse was sitting on! My purse is melted and I get to scrub my stove top this week! Lucky me! Another note to self...make sure ALL items are off the stove when kids are helping with the prep work to meal time!

I've been on the emotional side today...I'm not sure if its because Tyler is at school now or what...grrr! Stupid girlie emotions anyway!

Battle Scars

It's amazing how much better his eye looks after a week!

Here's the before pic:
And here's the after pic:


The glue is pealing off, so it looks kind funny, but it still looks a far cry better than it did before!

Mommy, Mommy, Don't Go!

Having my mom here has been WONDERFUL!! I hardly get to see her, so this visit has been just what I needed. I really could have unpacked by myself - granted it would have taken me about 2 months to do so - but just having her company here has been great for me. I keep trying to convince her that she can just stay here forever, but she doesn't seem to go for that. I think I worked her too hard this week, she's got sore muscles!

We attended our new Ward and the people here are so very friendly, I have no doubt in my mind that we'll make friends fast.

Terra's first week at school went very well, the teacher was surprised at how well she adapted. She made the comment today that it "was like she had never NOT been there with the class, she fits right in!" That was good to hear, since I was slightly worried about that.

James has been bored out of his mind and wants to do nothing but play video games, which is not flying by me! We decided to buy him his own notebook so that he could keep up on writing his ABC's and numbers, plus Ms. M. sent home a packet of things that he could work on as well.

Tyler starts school on Wednesday (the 10th). He'll be going Monday and Wednesday in the afternoons. He even gets to eat lunch with the class...how fun for him! We'll be meeting his teacher this Monday so that we can all get better acquainted.

Celeste has been running around here like a crazy person and is now the MASTER at navigating stairs. She's become Grandma's little buddy and loves teasing her (Grandma thinks its funny and cute)!!

Chris has been busy with work this week and so it's been great to have an extra set of hands around here to make the transition for me and the kids a lot easier! We're getting schedules set into place (we won't have the hang of those for another couple weeks, I'm sure, but we're getting there) and we've already been invited over to a couple houses for dinner. Chris has already attended Elders basketball and I've been invited to join the play group that happens each week.

We're really enjoying our time here so far and hope and pray that we will find out soon what the Lord has in store for us up here and why He guided us here! We miss our friends back in Strasburg area...and while we're on that subject...a big CONGRATS to Karen and her family for their new little arrival! Can't wait to meet her!

Bad Dreams

Ok, so my hubby goes on business trips all the time, that's nothing new. I have dreams when he goes, but in my dreams, I always seem to know that I'm dreaming, it just scares me slightly. Last night (AFTER he has been back from the latest trip for a few days) I had a TERRIBLE dream. It felt so real, my subconscious didn't even seem to know I was dreaming...I wasn't aware. I woke up crying quietly (although in my dream, I was screaming in emotional agony) and had to snuggle up closer to Chris, completely relieved that he was still alive and lying next to me in bed. I have to say that I really hate having dreams like this. All day today I've been having a hard time shaking that unnerving feeling, and constantly have been checking my phone and have called and texted him a few more times than normal, just to have that reassurance - I even tried to go out shopping with my mom (had a good time, but still was antsy and relieved to get home to him, hugging him just a little tighter when greeting him. I'm not sure if anyone has noticed or not, but I still find myself tearing up typing this, I swear I'm going to start crying and Chris (laying next to me in bed watching Animal Planet) will think I've completely gone nuts (white jackets and padded rooms, here I come).

In my dream, I'm actually asleep and get awakened by the phone ringing. It's the Wyoming Highway Patrol asking if this was the Nelson residence, if I was Sandi and if my husband's name was Chris. I answer yes to each of those questions. The officer on the other line tells me that there has been an accident. I find myself frantically trying to write down directions to where he is, so that I can get there to be with him, then trying to find a babysitter to watch the kids overnight. Then I'm driving down the highway, not being able to pass anyone that is going slower than the speed limit, because there's mega traffic jams going on because of construction. I finally get past all of that and speed to the hospital where he is (I couldn't even tell you the city right now, but I can vividly see everything in my mind). I race in there and they tell me that he's finally stabilized enough for them to load him up in Life Flight and transfer him to Denver. I ask if I can see him before they load him up, which they grant me, but tell me that I'll have to find my way to his room myself because they're way busy, they give me directions and I set off, but in the maze of the hospital, I get lost and can't find him. Then when I finally get someone to help me, I find that LF has already taken off with him. I run to my car and drive and drive and drive for what seems like forever. Then, somehow, I'm in the next hospital and I'm sitting down waiting for the doctors to update me on how he's doing. When they finally come out, they tell me how sorry they are for everything that I've had to go through, but that they don't have any news that will make me feel better. They keep beating around the bush and not telling me what is wrong. I keep asking questions and they just look at each other, almost as if wondering if they should tell me anything in my "fragile state" - I was a hysterical mess by this point, and it was apparently evident by my appearance. They finally told me that they weren't able to save him and that they had tried everything possible, but that my husband was gone. My dear, sweet, loving and compassionate husband, my best friend...the one I could rely on for everything - my rock...my EVERYTHING! I began to hyperventilate and it seemed like I had tunnel vision...people sounded so far away. I was planning out the funeral program...picking out caskets...everything. I would cry at the drop of a hat (for obvious reasons) - it was a nightmare that I couldn't leave. After the funeral, I ran away...ran and ran as fast and as far as I could. I finally was in a field, by myself and I let out a scream of pain, agony and complete insanity for my loss...it was in the middle of this scream that I woke up crying to myself. The kids were just starting to stir...they came in and climbed into bed with us for a bit, then went downstairs to visit my mom. Normally, I'd feel terrible (and still do somewhat) about them waking her up, but this morning, I really needed to just be with my husband, just laying in his arms...just for a few extra minutes. I think I even took a small nap, but not much.

The rest of the day has just been gloomy, I try to laugh, but I'm not sure if it's been whole-hearted or not. I hope no one else has noticed, I've really been trying to hide it, but still can't shake that feeling of "what if". What if this is a fore-warning (I REALLY hope it's not)?! What if, what if, what if?! I can't tell any of you just how grateful I am that he's laying beside me now.

I really hate nightmares - really really bad! GO AWAY NIGHTMARES AND LEAVE ME ALONE!