Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Past few weeks

So these past few weeks have been full of busy, exciting, and scary times.  On Halloween we had a great time with the kids.  Even Nate dressed up, he was a penguin.  The only bummer was that Billie had surgery the day before on her gull bladder.  I am glad though because that means they found out what was going on and fixed her problem(I hope).

Troy had gastric bypass surgery and he is doing much better.  I want to add the letter he wrote to family before because it says alot of his feelings and I think it is important...


Hi All,
I wanted to let you all know of a new adventure in my life. As I’m sure you all are aware, my health has not been all that great this past few years and most of the problems are centered around my diet and weight. I’ve been going through a program through my medial insurance this past year to help work on those issues. One of the choices at the end of this program is to have gastric bypass surgery. After seeing what success Melanie has had with her choice to do this six years ago, I’ve decided to do the same thing. My choice to do this is based on the health benefits compared to what I am experiencing now and what is eminent if I don’t make drastic changes in my lifestyle. This surgery is not a cure. It’s not a magic wand that makes everything better. It is simply a tool to jump start me into a life change that over this next year or two I need to make permanent. Melanie was helped by this surgery in losing a lot of weight. That was a temporary tool to get started. It has been her continued lifestyle changes that have made her health get so much better. Before her surgery, it was very hard for her to be motivated and even able to do the things she does now which keep her healthy. I’ve seen this with my sister in law over the past year since she had her surgery. It’s weird to see these two go workout and run on a daily basis. They have worked harder than anyone I know in making the changes needed to get to a healthy weight and keep it. Had they made the decisions not to do this surgery, I am sure they would still be in their other less healthy state today.

I just thought that I would share this with you all as I am going to be having my surgery first thing Monday morning in San Bernardino. I’m hoping to be home from the hospital in a day or two after the surgery. I’ve taking off about 20 pounds this year in preparing for the surgery as well as getting my blood pressure and other things under more control prior to doing this. Kaiser has a good approach to this and wants it to go as smooth as possible so they have a program that takes about a year to go through before they can consider you medically optimized for the surgery.

When Melanie had her surgery, she had several people including siblings that had some frustration with her having it. Some thought she was “cheating” to lose weight and others just did not understand why anyone would go to such extremes. I’ve lived through it for the last six years and have seen such a great benefit from her choice to do this that I am glad to be making this choice. I’m not doing it to change my looks. Those things don’t bother me much and don’t affect how I view myself or the world around me. I’m doing it for my health and for my family. I love what going through these changes has done for Melanie over the past few years and am looking forward to this new journey for me.

Here is a basic run down of what they are doing during surgery and what I’m preparing for if you are interested:

The next two weeks after Monday I will be on liquid only diet drinking protein drinks and strained soups, and the like. The third week I start on foods that are the consistency of baby food (Yuck). After that on week four, I get to start introducing solid foods to my diet again. It’s almost like a baby graduating to new foods in sequence. I will then start being able to eat small meals and will have to manage my diet to make sure I get the proteins and nutrients needed from the smaller portions of food that I will be able to eat. The surgeon will take a small portion of my stomach and separate it from the rest creating a small pouch (my new stomach) about the size of an egg. They then attach that to the intestines about a third of the way past where the stomach is connected. This bypasses most of the portion of that system that absorbs the fats and sugars from foods. This way I don’t only eat less but not as much of the sugars and fats can be absorbed by my system. They actually leave the rest of the stomach in tack and attached to the upper part of the intestines so that the enzymes and such are still created and continue to do their job in that system.

I’ll be off work for a couple weeks at home to recoup and deal with that part of the process. This is a pretty good sized surgery so there are of course risks involved. The risks however of continuing down the roads I am currently on with my health are even more risky. We have talked these things over with our doctors and children and we all feel it to be the right decision.

I do apologize for the novel I just wrote on this. I talked with Mom and Dad about this a few times over the past year and again the other night and asked them to not mention it as everyone is dealing with many things right now and this is of little consequence in my opinion to all the trials, struggles and even happy things that we all are facing and I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. As I thought about that today, I decided that I should share it anyway as you all are part of my support in many ways and if you could remember me in your prayers for Monday morning, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks and I love you guys,

Troy
 
That is basically the past two weeks.  It has been a ride and I am happy to say that he is healing nicely and he is loosing weight as well. 
This is Thanksgiving week and although my family will not all be here I am very thankful that they are mine and that they are all well and happy.  I hope and pray that they are safe and well and that they are able to have a fantastic day.  Treya will be going to Jordan's house and they will be spending Thanksgiving together.  That makes my heart happy.
Nate was just called to be a zone leader in Scotland near Edinbourgh.  He is excited and scared but he will do awesome.  I am so proud of him and of his accomplishments.  He is a good boy.
Well there is always so much more to say and I will add some more later. 
For now bye

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Funny Stuff

This is so funny to me how I always seem to let my blog, journal, etc... go for years on end and not add to them.  I am sorry for me because I do not have a good memory and I do not have all my stories written down.

The last entry in my blog was in 2009.  That was like forever ago, and I laugh/cry at what has transpired in that many years.  It is sad to my that I have not shared with my family to come all the wonderful happenings of the past years.  I have never been good at blogging anyway or at journaling for that matter, but that is no excuse.

I really want to add to this blog some of the highlights of the past few years as well as maybe some memories I have from the past.  I am going to have to leave it until later tonight though.  I really am going to come back to this and I am going to put it on my list of things to do.

Life is so busy and I really am not a huge fan of the computer so I put the stuff I don't like on the back burner.  I am working full time and I am trying to stay up with my calling and my housework.  I think I am kinda failing at all turns, but I keep on trying.  I hope that I will not forget to return and tell of some of the wonderful things that have gone on in our family over the past few years and beyand.

Until later then!
Melanie

Monday, October 26, 2009

Sooooo Lame

Ok, so I am sooo lame at the computer. I just don't take the time to sit down and share with anyone or anything about what goes on in my life. I am just not a computer freak. Now if I could train Troy to do my blogging and facebook for me I would be out there more and have more posted. There have been way to many things in my life in the last few months. I need to write about some of them, unfortunately for me, I don't feel like this is the time. I have to many things calling me to take care of them. The laundry, the dirty kitchen, the tablecloth that needs to be made. And I could name a ton more.

The kids are having so much fun in their shenanigans group. I was volunteered to run the Christmas program and I am kinda excited to do it, however I am not to sure how to put a program together. Nate, Treya, and Brittani tried out for the top "travel" group in shenanigans. I kinda hope they make it and I kinda hope they don't. I want things to slow down and I don't foresee that happening any time soon.

Last night we had fun carving pumpkins. We haven't done that in years, I didn't even have a camera available to take any pictures. It was fun anyway. Halloween is coming way to fast. I don't look forward to it cause it's hard to get 6 kids ready all at the same time. I hope with the kids older this year it won't be so much work.

I was recently called as the Young Women's President. It is an overwhelming responsibility and I pray daily that I can fulfill my calling like I should. I love the young women's program and I am so glad they didn't release me. We just had YW in Excellence and it went pretty well. I hope the girls are more jazzed about doing personal progress. It is actually a really neat program.

Well that is it for now. I am going to write this weekend about our summer trip and about Halloween. I hope all goes well with that.

Melanie

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Just catchin up!

I knew it would be tough for me to keep this up. I just wanted to put down some random things that have gone on in the last few weeks. The time has flown by because life has been busy and full.

We have had a rough two weeks with our little Jenna. I always knew she would be a handful, I just hoped it would be easier than I thought. I am at my wits end not knowing how to handle her temper tantrums and acting like a two year old. I just want to pull my hair out sometimes. If anyone has any suggestions let me know. I just really don't know how to get through to her.

Backing up a couple of weeks. The girls tried out for a group called Shenanigans a few weeks ago. They all had to sing a solo in front of a panal of judges. They were so scared. They did so good though. Jenna was so super scared. They told me she probable wouldn't have made it except that the three older girls did so they put her in too. They are loving it so much. It is so cute to see them try to dance. Not much coordination with them all. Jenna is having fun trying though. Chloe wasn't able to try out cause she is not old enough. However she insists on going every time to watch them. I even bought her some sweats to wear there so she could dance. She peeks in the room and then trys to mimick the dance. It is so funny. The ladies their are trying to talk the board into having a 4-6 group and they are even more adament now that they have watched chloe for two weeks. She is just so cute trying to do the songs and dances with the older girls. It has been fun having them in this new song and dance group.






Next the girls decided that they wanted to donate their hair. So two Saturday's ago we chopped the hair. It was very tramatic for me. I cried when I had to cut 10-12 inches off each of their heads. The kids were so excited and loved it. They have not regreted it for one minute.






Finaly,we had a fun day with the kids. It started with heart/candy pancakes, and we gave them little gifts. I of course took no pictures, but it was a nice morning. Nate wasn't with us he was having a campout in the snow. He went up to Big Bear and they hiked a mile with snow shoes on than they ate their meager dinner(dry top ramen and granola bars) then they went to bed because it was snowing so hard on them. This morning Nate had fruit and played capture the flag. I was so afraid that he would come home with frozen limbs or something. He was fine and had fun. Told me I didn't need to worry so much. Ha, I am my mama's daughter. She got it from her mama. It is a viscious cycle. Stop the insanity!

We took the girls to Burger King today to have a little birthday party. Yes I am about 6 months late, but right when it was Jenna and Chloe's birthday we changed their school. Then I couldn't find their friends phone numbers and addresses. Well needless to say the holidays slowed us up and now we finally got around to finding phone numbers again and put on a little birthday bash. It was fun, they each had a couple of friends come and they played and had a blast. It was a good day. I like Valentines day. I had lots of fun hanging out with my girls, and Troy of course.










Well I guess that is all I have for now. My life is just not that exciting that I can put pictures and stuff on here every week.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

My kids are so smart

My kids are so smart; they should be in smart kid’s hall of fame. Ha ha! Semester grades recently came out, and I have to say that I am so proud of all of my kids.

The three little girls have all improved a great deal in both reading and math. Since starting at their new school halfway through the 1st quarter, Jenna and Shelbie have raised their reading level more than a full grade level. They have all been doing so well academically. Chloe is doing great also. She made honor roll this semester. (Whatever that means to a kindergartener I don’t know). We are so proud of all of them.

The older three kids are also doing so well in school. Brittani made honor roll this semester and has done pretty well in her grades. Like all of us she has a little to work on before she is “perfect”. Classes at their new school are at a higher level than they are used to. She is doing great. Nathan and Treya are doing really well in High School. This is the end of Treya’s first semester in High School and she got straight A’s and is ranked #1 student our of 79 total 9th grade students. She made top honors for Honor Roll. This has been a goal of hers for the past three years and she is really happy to have made it. Along with that she enjoys any sport. Currently she is on the basketball team and they are really pretty good. This is her first time ever playing basketball and she has gotten some pretty good court time. Her coach says it is because of her good attitude and hard working spirit. Nathan raised his GPA from 2.58 to 3.56 this semester. We are really proud of his progress in school. He is ranked 13 out of 49 total juniors. He also made the honor roll this semester. Aside from academics Nate loves music, especially the guitar kind. We got a whole bunch of stringed instruments for Christmas and he has been trying to learn them all. We got a bass guitar, an electric guitar, a mini acoustic guitar, a dulcimer, a mandolin, and a banjo. They are really fun. He also is part of the drama club at school. Their next play is a musical called “Remembering the 80’s”. I think that is what it is called. Whatever it is called it makes me feel old, since that of course was my time. Some of the girls are trying out next week to join a group called shenanigans. It is a dance, sing, act, type group or club. I don’t know much about it; however I think they will have fun.

Needless to say we are all so busy. I am busy just trying to calendar all of the activities that the kids, Troy and I have. Just that is a full time job. Ha ha. Well, that’s all until next time. I hope I am not so long winded then.


This is Chloe receiving her Honor roll aword.

Chloe and Jenna at the awords assembly.

Chloe and her kindergarten teacher.

Monday, January 12, 2009




I have spent a great deal of time this last week thinking about and remembering one of our beautiful children. I just wanted to write down some of my feelings.

This year January 9 and 10 2009 marks the tenth anniversary of our beautiful Madisen Lethie Smithson's life on earth. She only lived a few hours, but the time she spent will forever be embedded into our life. She not only touched our lives but many others as well. She was 9 lbs 15 oz. She has dark brown hair and brown eyes. Her left ear curled forward and was just so cute. She was so warm and smelled so good when we held her. She spent her life in the ICU at St. Josephs Medical center in Phoenix Az. She was however with many family and friends during that time. There were 19 family members that were able to be there in the ICU as she was given a name and a blessing by her father. It was an awesome experience. We were truly blessed because the hospital usually doesn’t let more that two family members in at a time. Many people were there as we held her in our arms while she slipped quietly away back to her Heavenly Father. It was a remarkable experience to hold her and know that the veil was so thin. It was almost as if we just handed her back to her Heavenly Father. I know that she was received into loving arms. She was only ours for a time and that time just happened to be very short. I will never forget the special feelings that came to us as we shared that time with her. I know that our children were very young at the time, but they will always feel that spirit that she brought to them. The time following her death was so hard and so wonderful. Everything fell into place as if angels were helping us and carrying us through. Every fear was dissolved as the spirit fell upon us and we were able to take part in the few things that we as her parents could do for her in this mortal state. It was all a great blessing and as I think back on the times that we shared with her, the things that we were able to do for her, I am so grateful to our Heavenly Father for giving us those memories. During the hard times that is what carries me through, that is what helps me to remember where she is and that we as mortals are the only ones that suffer and in time we too will be able to feel her joy and know her as Heavenly Father knows her. I am grateful for the plan of Salvation and the knowledge that I will know her again someday and I will have the chance to raise her and be her mother on a higher level. I know that if we as parents are worthy we will be with her again someday.

There are so many things that are in my mind to say and yet I have a very difficult time expressing them. This year has been particularly tough on me, I guess because it is number 10 I’m not sure, but I really do miss her very much. As a family we have the great opportunity to talk of her and remember her many times through the years, but on her birthday we celebrate her. We actually have a birthday party of sorts and it is so awesome. Friday was her birthday and we had a family day. We went to lunch and to the movies. We also went to Michaels to have one of her pictures repaired. My goal at one point was to have her scrapbook done by year 10 but I failed to complete that. My heart if full of love and admiration for her life and how even though she is not here she is one of our family. She is talked about, we visit her at the cemetery, we have her picture on the wall and we are able to continually have her in our life. She is only gone for a time. I am so grateful to be her mother and to have shared with her the special 9 months that we had. It wasn’t long enough, but I know she is in a better place. I remember when we named her. It was one night after we had received news that she may have downs syndrome. Troy and I agreed that her name would be Madisen and for the next 4 and a half months that is what we called her. We (mostly I) talked to her often and I am truly grateful that I did. I know that this has been one of my greatest trials and I have been blessed by it. It will always be hard, but it has made us all stronger and made me a better person. I am truly grateful for her life and what she has given me and for the part she plays in our family.

Happy Birthday Madisen, We love you!

Sunday, January 4, 2009

This is the beginning of a brand new year and I am hoping to make this blog thing work. I am really excited about the chance to share things about our family and what we do in everyday life. Our new year started out with a bang. For the last couple of years we have had bubble wrap at the house on New Years Eve and when Troy and I decide it is time to celebrate with the little ones we break out the bubble wrap and yell happy New Year and everyone jumps on the bubbles and pops them. It is so fun and the kids think it is their thing to do now. We had a great New Years Eve. We watched movies, did bubble wrap, ate treats and the big kids went to the dance. Good times!







Let’s back up though and tell a little about what we did for Christmas. The best part of our Christmas was sharing it with Great Grandma Harris. We got to go down to her home in Long Beach and take her a Christmas tree. The kids and I strung cranberries and the kids all picked out their favorite ornament from our tree to share with her. Her tree was really cute. She really liked it. We went to lunch with her to Hometown Buffet (her third time that week, she didn't tell us that.) and then we went shopping at Wal-Mart. We took her home, took some pictures and bid her goodbye. It was an awesome experience and time with her. We also did another fun thing. We took stockings to the missionaries in our ward and the ones that live behind us. We went to the dollar store and found lots of toys and candy for them it was so fun.

The kids got some fun stringed instruments for Christmas and a karaoke machine. They have been having so much fun playing all the neat instruments. We got a Dulcimer, a Bass Guitar, A mini Acustic Guitar, a Banjo, an Electric Guitar, and a Mandolin. They are so fun. It was a wonderful Christmas. On Friday after Christmas we went to Mesa to visit family and it was busy but very fun for all. It was nice to spend time with all our cousins again. It was also good to see Dena and the kids again, even if only for a few minutes. We love them so much.







Well back to today. This is the day that we set our goals for the New Year. It is our tradition to write them down and put them in our stocking till next year when we see how we did. One of my goals is to keep up this blog so that we can have a history for our family.

This holiday season has been very special to me. Having my family together and being at home has been absolutely wonderful. I love my family so much and am so blessed by my savior. I am grateful to have had the chance to reflect on his life and what it means to me. I love my savior and am so grateful for the sacrifices that he made for me. I am grateful for his love and forgiving nature. I am blessed to have a wonderful family and children that are so special to me. I couldn't have asked for more awesome children. They bless my life everyday. We love our extended family and are so grateful to them for their support and love. Thank you all and have a great New Year.