Hot off the Press

We go to Brookside Nature Center quite often. We have seen puppet shows, gone on a great pumpkin hunt, and made  nature crafts. Well last Saturday, I took Kaley and Anna to the nature center to help tap the maple trees to make maple syrup. But you don't have to take my word for it because we were interviewed in our local newspaper. Our quote is at the very end of the article. 

Click here to read all about it.

The Other Mother

This is Anna's other mother. Anna absolutely adores our friend Heather. Anna is a pretty shy little girl- it takes awhile for her to warm up to new people. But she loves Heather. The other day Heather watched the girls for me when I hurt my back. She dropped them off in the evening and when she handed Anna to Jed, Anna started to fuss and wanted to go back to Heather. Also- whenever Heather comes over or we go over there- Anna bolts right over to her. I will have nothing to worry about if Anna continues to choose great friends like Heather as she grows older.

"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.