Losing it with Laurie

I am sure that there are a million blogs out there of woman who are trying to understand what in the world is going on inside their bodies and heads at the onset of menopause. So I decided for purely selfish reasons to make an attempt at the blog thing and see if that doesn't give me and others a place to vent. So here goes...........

Tomorrow I will have surgery to remove "my guts". Feeling excited, nervous and a bit unsure as to how I will be post surgery. I have done quite a bit of reading so hopefully have prepared myself.

I feel this morning like I am at the beginning of a new adventure. I just hope that it is a better adventure than the one I have been on for oh say.......the last 3 years. That is when I first started noticing that things were changing.

I hope to be a bit transparent in my day to day dealing with this change so as to possibly help or learn but most of all laugh at what we as women experience in our later years. Again, this is purely therapy for me but I am hopeful it will be so for you as well.

I am sure that for the next few days I will not have much presence of mind. So until then.......

You Up For a Game?


Here's the deal...The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make! (Though I hope you will!)
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It'll be done this year. {might be a little while}
4. You have no clue what it's going to be. I don't even have a clue what it's going to be.
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did, will win a homemade gift! It may not be great, but it will be fun!!* * *Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!* * *

The Big Five-Oh

This is Melissa, blogging on behalf of my mom, since I have all the pictures and won't be able to get them to her for a bit.

Well, tomorrow is the day that my mom will officially turn 50, so Happy Birthday Mom! We surprised her this last week with a HUGE birthday fiesta to celebrate 50 years of one amazing woman. The party was a great success and the only downside was that we had so much family far away that couldn't be there. Sarah, Michael and I made all the decorations ourselves, and Pop designed a buffalo pinata that Sarah and I decorated. Unfortunately, my dad doesn't know how to construct things that are easily breakable and it was no surprise to me that she couldn't break through the thick cardboard reinforced with metal wire. At least we all had a good laugh watching her try :) The Mariachi's were INCREDIBLE, and should anyone in Utah ever need some, they are called Mariachi America. If you couldn't make it to the party, you really missed out! Don't worry though, we've already started planning for her 100th party (we need to get a head start if we're going to out-do ourselves!).

Fishing with Grandpa

The kids spent some time with my dad while Daniel and I were away on business this weekend checking up on some of our stores in California. They love his happy spirit and always look forward to any time they have to spend with him, since he lives in St. George (4 hours away) and we don't get to see him as often as we'd like. They went out fishing up Big Cottonwood Canyon and had a blast (even though they didn't catch anything!). Or as Grandpa would say it when passersby asked how many fish they had caught- "Well, this one and six more will make 7!"

Today is Sunday. I think because it is a day of rest, I am able to reflect more on the things that are most important to me. The Lord truly knew what he was doing when he gave us a day to slow down and refuel. I must admit that sometimes I have to make myself remember this concept.

Anyway, I am in S. Cal visiting Mom. She has been asleep for most of the time that I have been here this morning. Her awake times have shifted more to the afternoons. She loves when I come and clean her room. She is not able to get out of bed to do it herself. That must be so frustrating! She has been in this very bed for 15 years. She is such an example of patience and endurance. 

So as I sat in this room I reflected on her life. Behind her on the wall is pictures of a life well lived. There are pictures of a girl's trip to Europe, college graduation, a loving grandfather, a even a page containing her name of "Who's Who in American Colleges".  Anyway, even though at a quick glance you see a woman reduced to a bed and few bookshelves, this is one woman who lived life to the fullest. Maybe somehow she knew that her life would change drastically with a stroke at 30 years old.

I love you mom and am so grateful for the fullness of life that you gave to John and I. The only thing that holds you back from those pearly gates is that they just aren't ready for your energy. After all it has been bundled up for quite some time.

Updates

Ok, so we've kind of fallen off the face of the planet in both the blogger and real-world sense, but I'm trying to make a comeback so bear with me! Over the next week or so I am going to try and post every couple of days to get everybody caught up on what has been going on in our lives.

I guess I'll start with the most recent event, Thanksgiving. Daniel and Katie came to visit from New York and we had so much fun while they were here. It was a short trip and they only stayed for the weekend, but we look forward to many more visits in the future!

In other recent news, we just released a new look for Buffalo Chips this last month, and the new bags look great! We just got in with a new distributer, Nature's Best, and have already picked up 23 new stores in Arizona and the surrounding area. That's a lot of new! We're getting ready for the big food show in California in January and hopefully pick up even more stores!

The Great Bambino

Michael really has a gift for baseball. He loves the sport and really gives his all. At an age where most kids out on the field are typically picking their noses, staring sleepily into space or flat out lying down in the outfield (and I'm not joking!) Michael is so intense on the game you would think it was the major leagues. We redecorated his room recently and Melissa took some pictures of him in his uniform to put up in his room. We think they look great and Michael couldn't be happier!