"Oh- my aching back."

It has happened again. My back went out. In my family we call it the Butler Back because my dad has had problems with his back and now with the next generation both my brother and I suffer with it. Everyday I work with varying degrees of achiness in my back and a constant worry that it will go out. Stop reading this now because this is probably going to bore you to tears but for my own chronicling I am going to recount the times I remember when my back decided it was tired and needed a rest.

#1 Hawaii. I was a junior in high school and my sister was attending BYU Hawaii for a semester. It was in the fall because I left for a week trip in the middle of basketball season- my coach was not pleased. But it was Hawaii. It was my sister. I had to go. I was in the restroom of her dorm, brushing my teeth, and I felt something in my back that was just not right. It must have been at the end of the trip because I don't remember it hampering any of our festivities. But I do remember coming back and going to see the sports trainer because I couldn't play. I was out for a week- again my coach was not pleased. I don't think I ever regained his full confidence back because I left my team during the season and came back not being able to play. 

#2 England. I was a missionary for our church. I don't remember what I was doing to bring on this episode (maybe this time I was brushing my hair- who knows) but I do remember laying on my bed while a senior sister brought me my lunch. When I hurt my back this time it was especially frustrating. Using your time wisely as a missionary is always stressed so laying there on my back, not being able to do anything, was particularly painful. We were living with some senior sisters at the time so they were able to do "splits," now called exchanges, with my companion so that was a little bit of a relief. When I was feeling a bit better I went with one of the senior sisters to do flat inspections. 

#3 Florida. I was pregnant with Kaley. Sidenote: I get really sick in the first trimester of my pregnancies. I was bending over the kitchen sink in our first apartment throwing up and my back went out. If I can point to a particular painful and discouraging time of my life this would be it. Picture me laying on our loveseat (we did not have a couch)- not being able to get up because of my back and just turning my head to throw up in a bowl. The wrenching caused by the throwing up was so painful. I just laid there- throwing up and crying. It got so bad when I stood up I would have sharp pains down my legs. I couldn't take it anymore and a friend took me to the ER. They gave me a prescription which made me sleep. When I was awake I was so groggy. Just the whole experience was horrible. However, I did come to a greater insight into the love of our Savior for us. I understood a little bit better at the sacrifice He made because of the pain I was experiencing with our unborn child.

#4 Idaho. I think. I remember going to a chiropractor when I was in Idaho Falls but I don't exactly remember when it was. We had spent the summer with Jed's parents when Jed was doing an intership at the place he now works at- was it then? I think so but I don't think it was as bad as the previous times because I just don't remember it as vividly. Actually I think my back has had problems a couple of times in Idaho- it is hazy. 

#5 Maryland. This past week. Brought on by hunching over a puzzle for hours (you can see it in the pictures to the right) and then studying in bed for some more hours. Shame on me because I should know better by now that I need to stretch. Just previous to my back going out I was talking- you might call it complaining- to Jed about how Anna is still waking up during the night. Let me tell myself- it is a lot worse not being able to get up with her at night. I have been on our couch while Jed has taken off work to take care of all of us. Thankfully, our friend Heather took the girls on Friday so Jed could go to work. It is frustrating not being able to carry Anna down the hall to change her diaper or dance with Kaley. So Janelle- the next time you are complaining about Anna waking up during the night or some other thing- just remember it is worse not being able to get up and do it. 

I can't believe you actually read this. I do have a picture when I was a missionary and my back went out (missionaries are always taking pictures of stuff) and I would have put it with this post but.... it is buried deep in our storage and I would have to dig it out which would probably hurt my back so I am not going to. Sorry. 

My Sous-chef

Kaley is my little helper in the kitchen. She loves to taste things and snitch "just a bite" while we are preparing dinner. She will eat spices plain and drink lemon or lime juice straight. It is not uncommon for her to ask what she can do to help while I am in the kitchen making something. She will sit down and watch Ace of Cakes on the Internet with me or some sort of cooking show on PBS. 

Today I put her lunch on the table and she said,

"Hmmm... this is good. I really love the texture of hotdogs."

That is a good point- hotdogs sure do have a lovely texture.

Randomness

Just a few scattered and random thoughts I wanted to throw out into the blog world.

1. M&M Mars made the Snickers bar in 1929. They named the candy bar after a racehorse the Mars family owned. Also In 1896, Leo Hirshfield of New York made the Tootsie Roll and named them after his daughter's nickname, Tootsie. 

Information found in How Sweet It Is (and Was): The History of Candy by Ruth Freeman Swain.

2. My friend was blogging about how the definition of exciting has changed for her since she has become a parent and how some things are good exciting and how some things are bad exciting. On the way home from church I was thinking about it because I think the definition of fun has changed for me since becoming a parent. Sure going out to the movies is still fun but I am finding my definition has broadened. For instance, Kaley just started going to Primary at church and yesterday they called her up to sing her happy birthday. It was so fun to see her walk up there and stand in front of everyone and be excited because everyone was singing to her. I sat in the back and was just smiling away. I was having a good time. It is exciting to watch her change and grow and experience good things. It was fun! 

I can image what it must be like for my own mom to see her little girl grow up and start taking care of her own children- I could image that that is fun.

3. My sister and I started a puzzle while she was here but were unable to finish before she left. Shelley, I just want you to know Jed and I made some serious advancements. I will post a picture when it is finished.

4. The series finale of Stargate Atlantis was on Friday. A moment of silence please. 

5. I am trying to get more food storage savvy. I want to be able to do the whole rotate what you eat but I also want to know how to live off just our food storage if we had to. I have been stuck finding recipes that just call for canned items. My cooking skills aren't quite to the level of just being able to substitute where needed but I am working on it. I love the website Safely Gathered In because she posts recipes that call just for food storage items. Anyways- I have tried a few of her recipes and I am liking it. She has done all the leg work and posts pictures with her recipes. Awesome. 

Various Updates

We have been busy busy around here. Christmas. My sister came to visit. New Year's. Kaley's birthday. And sadly my sister went home (we asked her if she wanted to stay and she could sleep on the couch permanently- can you believe that she said no). 

Anyways- here are some pictures of all of our adventures. 

1. Let's start with Anna. Here is a video of her playing her new game of run away from Mommy. When she plays she always gets this sheepish grin and I swear I can see a little twinkle in her blue eyes.

2. Here is a slide show of some of the things we did while my sister Shelley was in town. 

3. Kaley had her 4th birthday yesterday. The party started the night before because Shelley was leaving the next day and Jed and I got her a sleeping bag and flashlight so we had a little indoor camp out. We had hot dogs and s'mores. We set up the tent in the living room and Kaley and I slept in it that night. In the morning, the actual day of her birthday, we had homemade cinnamon rolls by Kaley's request. We took Shelley to the airport and when we got home I let Kaley watch as many movies as she wanted to. Kaley loves to watch movies. She actually got two new movies for her birthday- Barbie as Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty. She watched both of them. In the evening, after Jed got home from work, we had pizza and cake. Overall- I would say she had a great birthday. Here are the photos to prove it. 

 

Happy Birthday Kaley

AAAGGGGHHHHH..... blue tongues!

And Jed had to go to a meeting right after this.