Spider bite, Shingles, or Fungal infection?

What a full couple of weeks we've had.  Troy did a side job for my sister, putting in a new furnace and a/c unit.  After 2 days in a crawl space under her house Troy found a circular rash on his arm and 2 on his back.  He doesn't remember feeling bit.  He didn't think much of it but after a week it had all grown and joined together into a giant rash.  I won't go into to many details or post pictures, it's pretty gross.  His brother and I finally convinced him to go to the doctor.  Who claims whatever it is, is infected.  He was prescribed high doses of antibiotics.  It seemed to be doing better, sort of.  We had my brothers wedding on Saturday and Troy's rash didn't grow much.  Sunday the rash started to get worse again.  We call the doctor and she's out for the week.  We see a different doctor who prescribed more antibiotics which specializes in the Mercer staph infection.  He has also had a blessing.  Today it has grown even more.  The doctor did take samples on Monday and we should know what it is come Wednesday night.  Unfortunately Troy has been feeling flu like symptoms now and isn't sure if the two are related.  Of course because Troy is sick he has problems at work and can't stay home to rest.  I pray that they find out what is wrong.  Please put Troy into all your prayers for us.  Thank you!

Graduations Galore!

If only I knew how to format these things it wouldn't be so confusing.  Sorry!  From top to bottom we have Liz with her father Harry and her dad Troy, both beaming with pride.  Next, is Liz clothed in her robes of glory (for now anyway).  The real ones come later.  On the same day as Liz's graduation from high school, our Brianna graduated from elementary school and we got pictures of her with her 6th grade teacher Mr. Kirschner and one of her and her dad.  Before that we had a special graduation for Liz.  She received special recognition for her studies in Hospitality and Tourism.  She received an orange cord to wear with her robe on graduation day.  She only has one semester left at the Community College until she gets her Associates.  We're so proud of her.  Last but definitely not least, Vance graduated from preschool.  He's not that into pomp and circumstance as you can see, he was moved to tears.  The only up side was he was able to give me "hand"made flowers as an early Mothers Day gift.  I am so glad it's over, it was quite a hectic week but well worth it.  Now it's time for all the camps and trips for summer.  Congratulations to Liz, Brianna, and Vance for jobs well done.  I love all of you and am very proud of your accomplishments.

Happy Birthday Vance!

The long awaited story of Vance finally come.  After Sarah was born I had a feeling we were supposed to have another baby and nothing happened.  So I decided I had been mistaken about the feeling and got a job as a lunch lady at Bennion Jr. High.  Not a glorifying job, but not many jobs keep school hours and I wanted to be home for the kids and I relished my time with Troy and so I refused night jobs.  About a month into the job I realized something was up and discovered I was expecting.  I was excited and bewildered as to why at the timing of it.  I told Troy and he dropped to his knees and cried (not for joy either).  He was crushed.  He felt like he was to old.  Well another month goes by and I start having horrible abdominal pain and went to the doctor who put me on bed rest.  So much for my job.  As it turns out Vance has always lived up to his name even then.  Vance means "thrasher" or "to thrash", separating the wheat from the tares so to speak.  We didn't know that when we decided on the name.  He was actually named after Troy's grandfather.  Vance was stubborn and liked to lay sideways inside me which ended up okay since I had placenta previa and he was going to have to come by way of C-section.  First time for me.  Then I developed diabetes and had to give myself insulin shots and what chore for some one like me who passed out at the sight of a needle (slight exaggeration).  I felt the spirit so strong around me lifting my up during that time.  I felt as if angels surrounded me.  I figured with all these firsts for me during this pregnancy that I would carry it a little further and not give Vance a middle name.  With most of my other babies I had an epidural and didn't have much problems.  Well it's a little different with a C-section and Vance.  They had a difficult time getting the needle in my back and I started to pass out.  They finally did it and the surgery began, well the drugs began working to well and I couldn't breathe because my chest muscles started becoming paralyzed by it.  They corrected the problem and Vance arrived kicking and screaming.  It took me 6 hours of oxygen to recover from the drugs.  Every time they tried to take away the oxygen my blood pressure would plummet.  Vance is also the first child not to breast feed because he was to impatient.  He also wanted to be propped up in the exersaucer when he was 1 month old.  He would only let Liz and I take care of him.  I am happy to report that his temperament is finally starting to get better and more fun.  I now know why the Lord chose his timing.  I needed everyones help to raise Vance.  As for order, one Vance would be a very good birth control if you could bottle it.  I love him so much and am grateful for him.  I have grown so much and am now more patient because of him.  I wouldn't trade him for the world.  All that energy he has just needs to be focussed in the right direction.  Nothing beats a hug from Vance, they're always giant bear hugs.  After all wouldn't the world be boring if we didn't have Vance's in it?  I love you Vance and Happy Birthday!

Happy Be-lated Birthday Sarah!

I feel so bad that I forgot to blog her birthday.  She weight 9 lbs 13 oz.  Sarah has the distinguished honor of being our only child who has never been in the hospital.  Other than to visit someone else.  Troy and I have never had insurance with his jobs and have relied on state medical insurance for the birth of 4 children.  In Sarah's case we earned to much by $30 a year.  Talk about frustrating.  She was our most expensive baby.  We paid a midwife $600. for all the prenatal and delivery.  The midwife was a polygamist woman and her husband was a doctor and about 30 years or more older than her.  It was very interesting.  Sarah was born in our West Valley home on May 27th  exactly 6 years to the day of Troy and I meeting for the first time.  It was probably the easiest pregnancy and delivery out of all my children except Greg.  It's a toss up on which was easier.  My parents showed up with my sisters and were going to pick up my kids and take them to their house when the midwife told them not to leave because the baby would be there in a matter of minutes.  My labor and delivery was a whole hour long.  I just had enough time to sanitize the sheets and get the bed made before she came.  My mom watched stunned as I practically ran around the house trying to get everything ready stopping only as a contraction would hit.  It's amazing how the brain can ignore a lot of pain by focusing on something else.  I never understood visualization until then.  I just learned how to control it during exercise.   Kind of cool, I think.  Anyway, she was a great baby and was happy most of the time.  She has always loved school and books.  I hope she continues that as she gets older and life gets tougher.  I love you Sarah!

Stay tuned for tomorrow.  In all the chaos, I forgot to blog Sarah's birthday.  So I will have 2 birthdays to blog about tomorrow.

Happy Birthday Jacob!

My Jacob was a whopping 10 lbs. 2 oz.  He beat Greg by 1 oz.  You wouldn't believe it by looking at him now.  Jacob is so vivacious and loves adrenaline.  He has always anything athletic.  At 2 yrs. old he tried to roller blade with Greg's blade.  When he put them on they were so heavy and big on him that they promptly fell over two each side.  That didn't discourage him.  He was determined to do it and he finally did manage to stand up.  He didn't actually learn to blade until I believe the following year.  

Jacob almost hung himself twice.  The first time he was 3 yrs. old and playing with the tetherball and he wrapped it around his neck and it got stuck and he was on his tip toes.  I wasn't active in church at that time and still felt prompted to go check on the kids when I saw him hanging there just as his face was starting to change color.  The next time happened when we lived on Chateau Ave.  The kids strung out a rope from the tree to the truck mirror which was parked on the street.  Jake was roller blading and didn't notice or forgot or both, the rope.  It hit him right smack in the voice box.  He hit it with such force it left him winded and coughing and he had a nice rope burn.

As much as Jake likes extreme sports he is a little accident prone like me.  He broke his leg at 2 jumping on a tramp.  Broke his arm jumping off a tramp at the age of 6.  He had his appendix out when he was 11.  One time he got a bike for his birthday ( I think he was 5).  He decided to test it out and took off down the road.  On his way back he ran into a parked truck and manage to take some skin off his private parts.  Owwww!  He has no fear, a bad thing if you have his luck.  A couple of years ago I got a phone call from the police telling me that Jacob had been crossing over the overpass from Eisenhower Jr. High on the wrong side.  Some lady thought he was trying to kill himself and going to jump.  Jacob didn't know what all the fuss was about, he had his friend there guarding him so kids wouldn't push him off.  He thought he took all the precautions necessary.  He was off the bridge and on the ground by the time police and the fire trucks got there.  I grounded him for a month for that one.  

He is a great kid though and can make you laugh.  He is charismatic.  He loves life and thinks everyone feels the same way.  He is probably the most optimistic person in my family.  I love you Jacob and have a wonderful 14th year.  I can't wait for your ordination.

Most of us have had times were you don't feel very in tuned with the spirit.  I'm in that place.  It usually follows a spiritual high.  I sometimes wish that the high lasted forever and then I realize that if I don't have the low moments then I wouldn't appreciate or even realize I had the high moment.  Life has that circle in everything, health, finances, weather, friendships or other relationships.  It used to depress me when I couldn't be perfect all the time.  I even gave up all together on everything spiritual because I couldn't be perfect all the time.  I am so grateful for patient and righteous parents who set the right example to me and encouraged me and had faith in me even when I didn't have it in my self.  I am so grateful for the gospel in my life.  I used to think it was hard (sometimes still do) but find it easier than I ever thought possible and a lot more peaceful.  I joke sometimes about liking the boring life.  My life is really not that boring, just more peaceful.  I used to think I was having fun doing wicked things but I was confused, depressed  and deceived.  It's amazing how much better our vision is once you clean out the cobwebs of sin.  I am so grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ our Savior and the ability to confess sins and to be forgiven for them.  Back to the highs and lows, you never really realize how low you are until something comes your way and shows you the spirit again.  Conference was great but I still didn't get the full feel of the spirit until tonight just watching a video of a skit.  No words just some music.  It was poignant in how it depicted our relationship with Christ and how the world and all the temptations out there distract us from Him and all that is good and right in this world.  I want to get back that spiritual high feeling again.  I miss it.  Maybe this is the step to get me back there again.