The key to survival is friends

Our weekly get-together with Melissa (and kids) and Michelle (and Sofia). Fun, fun, fun!

Sofia


All the kids (Hailey wasn't too happy and Abbie looks like she stuck her finger in a socket)


Abbie's trip home from dropping Nate at preschool (beginning her nap)


Getting ready for bath time (waiting for Daddy)


Abbie and Nate's "Naked Baby" Dance (Warning: Nudity)


After spending so much time with Melissa lately (thank you!), I have come to wonder why mothers are so isolated. Why do we try to do everything on our own? I know that for me at least, my days are a million times better when we get out and see other people or have people over to our house. Why don't we help each other with our homes? Why don't we help each other with our children (especially those of us with "spirited" or challenging children)? Why in our society do we have to do it all on our own? I'd love to hear ideas on this, because I sure can't figure it out. Just wondering....

Chili's Saves the Day

Beginning of the Day:


See all of our summer toys out? Even the sandbox is open and full. Good grief.


A rotten morning, stuck inside with two kids--I was in a bad mood already. Alan came home at lunch and we captured the lovely April snow showers. Ugh! It didn't stick and it's supposed to be warm for the rest of the week, but yuck!

We decided we needed to do something to save the day, so we went to Chili's for dinner. We invited the Seniors to come with us because Jeff is out of town for the 2nd week in a row, so we figured Melissa could use a way to get out too. Nate, Jake and Abbie played and ate, and Hailey was a dream until the very end when she was hungry too. Abbie was so happy Hailey was there--When she found out we were going to dinner with them, she ran around the house yelling, "Nah nah nah nah nah, I get to see Baby Hailey!". Dinner with Alan, Melissa and the kids definitely saved the day. Thank goodness for Chili's and thanks goodness even more for good friends.

Our Weekend

This isn't really an accurate representation of our weekend, but I didn't have the camera with me for most of it. Here are the pics I did get:

Ripping down the wall that we thought was causing flooding in the basement.


Nate and the sledgehammer


Abbie with a regular hammer (we were worried about what she could do with the sledgehammer)


Alan and Marilyn finishing things off


The picnic I set up for Nate and Abbie so that they could eat lunch while watching the demolition occur


Nate and Abbie getting ready to go hot tubbing at Grandma and Grandpa's house


Our weekend also included some hot bumper bowling on Sat morning with Unkey Mikey who is in town until tomorrow. I scored my highest bowling score ever and won the game--111 pts. Wahoo! We also went to see "Baby Mama," which is absolutely hilarious and I highly recommend if you're in the mood for a funny lol movie. Church was great and the weather is beautiful. Tomorrow begins the LAST ROTATION EVER for med school--Hallelujah! Two more weeks!!

Yes, I'm actually asking for help

2nd post today--If you read this, I'm asking for prayers. There's water in our basement again. Last year we completely flooded and had to replace all of our carpet as well as some other things. It's not that bad yet and I have towels/dehumidifiers in place, but I'm worried it's not enough. I can't even see where the water is coming from, other than that it's coming from somewhere in our food storage room and somewhere in the laundry room. The carpet is already wet and it's supposed to storm all day. I'm asking for prayers. Please pray with me that the rain will stop (or at least be mild) and that our basement will be safe. Also, if you have an extra prayer around, I could use one for patience, energy and patience (yes, I meant to say that twice). Thank you.

Is Anybody Out There?

Yesterday was a long day. We spent the early part of the morning doing more spring cleaning. Abbie helped me sweep while Nate cleaned up his room. Then our friends, the Gunthers, came over. Nate and Tal are in preschool together (and the same Primary class at church) and Abbie and Jackson are close to the same age. They also have a little one named Ellie who is unbelievably sweet. After they left, the kids played in the sandbox for a half an hour and then we had lunch. We watched Mr. Rogers and then had "naps." Abbie chose to throw a fit instead of napping and Nate had quiet time. Days without nap time are always so long for me. I really look forward to the hour or two of quiet, a time for me to regroup and refuel. Anyways, after "naps," we headed out to Target to buy Abbie some new summer clothes. We got some super deals, but when we came home, I had her try on some of the shorts and all of the 4T shorts were too small! I couldn't believe it. So now I have to return them all and trade them out for 5T. How my 2 year old in underpants, not even diapers, needs 5T clothes is beyond me. After Target the kids played/fought and we waited for Daddy to get done. He finished late, so we went to pick him up as it was raining. We had pancakes and sausages for dinner and then I went to Enrichment. It was a parenting session--We had a lesson on child development, teaching early literacy, and Anger Management/Conflict Resolution. They were wonderful lessons and I learned a lot about things that I'd like to do or change about myself and the way I interact with (mostly) my children. I was tired when I got home after 10--I watched an Episode of The Office online and then went to sleep. Here are some pictures from our morning:



Dining Room--Partly Spring Cleaned


A family of 3 baby bunnies is living in the window-well right below our bedroom window. They are tiny and precious and we spent much of the day checking on them. So far, no sign of their mommy (Abbie is very concerned about this), but they seem to be doing fine and this morning one is gone, so I assume the're just trying to grow big enough to jump out.


This is so Abbie


Oh yes, the title to my post--Just wondering if anybody is reading this :)

Days in the Sun

Playing in Eagle Heights with Callie, Alyssa, Jacob (and Hailey) this morning


Nate pushing Jacob on the swing


Abbie and Hailey yesterday at Jacob and Hailey's house


Michelle, Sofia, Melissa and Hailey during our weekly get-together (yesterday)


Kristina, Kaely and Travis at our house for a lunchtime picnic (yesterday)


Yesterday morning before the rain went away, snacking on some cinnamon toast with our rainy-day lights on in the background


We've had a good couple of days. Busy days. I think that busy=good when kids are involved. We are loving the beautiful weather and I am shocked that I got sunburned on my nose and arms in April. It's about freaking time!

Happy Birthday, Liz!

For you, Ra and Kris.

Bring on the Rain, Jo Dee Messina Another day has almost come and gone I can't imagine what else could go wrong Sometimes I'd like to hide away somewhere and lock the door A single battle lost, but not the war Cause tomorrow's another day and I'm thirsty anyway So bring on the rain It's almost like the hard times circle round A couple drops and they all start comin down Yeah, I might feel defeated and I might hang my head I might be barely breathing but I'm not dead Cause tomorrow's another day and I'm thirsty anyway So bring on the rain No I'm not gonna let it get me down I'm not gonna cry and I'm not gonna lose any sleep tonight Cause tomorrow's another day and I am not afraid So bring on the rain Tomorrow's another day and I'm thirsty anyway So bring on the rain I love you and I know you guys will get through this.

Life (sigh)

What I woke up to this morning (again):

Isn't she precious? A missing husband is never replaceable, but this little face comes pretty darn close.

Our yard is finally clean and ready for play. I got dressed and ready today in a silent house! I sent Nate and Abbie out back to play by themselves for the first time. Of course my window was open and I watched non-stop, but it was nice to feel like I could be in here while they were out there.


At 10 we met Melissa (and Jacob and Hailey), and Rachel and Haven Cowan at the park by our house. The kids had a blast playing and I gave Rachel a VT message. It was so beautiful outside and a wonderful way to spend the morning.
We walked home from the park, had lunch and then took Nate to preschool. Abbie and I came home to nap, then went back to pick Nate up from preschool. We then went to Orange Tree Imports to buy a birthday gift for their cousin, Joshua. He turns two tomorrow, but we celebrated tonight with a barbecue and ice cream cake at Grandma and Grandpa's house.
In the middle of everything, I got a phone call from Ra. She said that her doc had called and they had found an EFI in her baby's L ventricle. We talked for a while, but I felt very helpless. I offered prayers and called the Bishop in the ward that she and Kris would be in if they were members of the church to ask if he could find some men to give her a blessing. (Rachel said that she would really appreciate a blessing.) I know that this is in the Lord's hands and trust that He will bless her as He sees fit. I will continually pray and ask for all of your prayers that their baby is healthy. I also had her name put on the temple prayer roll, so prayers are coming from all around! I guess that's all I can do for now.
I will exercise again tonight and then start this whole thing called life over again tomorrow. Sigh.

Answered Prayers

This morning I awoke at 7:30 with my darling daughter in bed with me instead of my husband. I love Abbie to death, but it's not really her face I look forward to seeing when I wake up in the morning. Ah, the joys of med school and children. We ate some mini-donuts in bed and then got ready for church as fast as humanly possible. I was determined to be early (okay, on-time) and even more determined to walk there instead of drive. I woke Nate up at 8 and we were all out the door by 8:35. For those of you who aren't mind-blowingly amazed right now, SUCK IT! We walked, well I walked, Nate and Abbie rode in the double stroller, as fast as humanly possible, again. We made it. I got my Enrichment Invitations on the table and we were sitting in a pew before the meeting officially began. Victory! Or so I thought... As soon as the meeting began, so too began the whining for toys, books, coloring stuff, snacks, etc. I do have a rule, though, that nothing comes out of the "church bag" until after we have taken the sacrament. At least that way I feel like they are thinking about Jesus for a little while. Right. After about 3 minutes, Nate started to do his dying goat cry and I had to take him out into the foyer, leaving Abbie alone on a pew. Oh crap! I did know that my friend Melissa was sitting behind us and would step in if I needed her to--Thank goodness for good friends. Anyways, in the foyer, Nate continued his tantrum and I told him to go in the bathroom, go potty, and come back into the chapel when he was done (pottying and tantruming). It was a success and he chilled out. For the next 15-20 minutes, the kids did everything they could to turn me into a center-of-attention-witch during the middle of Sacrament Mtg. Here is where the prayers come into play. I prayed. I prayed harder than I've prayed in a long time. I prayed over and over again. Want to know my prayer? "Please bless me that I won't hurt my children. Please bless that I won't hurt them." It was then that I looked over and saw Alan standing in the doorway. He had gotten done with call early and made it church--just in time. My prayers were answered. My prayers were answered. God hears us. He knows us and he knew that when I was praying to not hurt my kids, he better intervene fast because I was right on the edge of slamming their two heads together and then cramming them under the pew for the rest of church. I know that God loves me and that he heard my prayers this morning. I am so grateful that I knew to pray this morning and I am so grateful for a Heavenly Father who loves me (and my children) enough to send an answer. More later....

I've been tagged

Four jobs I've had: 1. Registered Nurse--Labor and Delivery 2. Nurse Extern--Labor and Delivery 3. Nurse Extern--Oncology 4. J.T. Puffins--Retail Four movies I could watch over and over: 1. The Notebook 2. Harry Potter and the OOTP 3. Hot Rod 4. Pirates of the Caribbean (Fine, it's really just Will Turner I'm watching, not the movie) Four places I've lived: 1. Austin, TX 2. Madison, WI 3. Albuquerque, NM 4. Skokie, IL Four TV shows I love(d): 1. The Office (Jim Halpert) 2. Law and Order (All of them--I know, more than four) 3. Family Guy 4. Scrubs Four favorite foods: (just four?) 1. Coke (Crack is not a food, you naughty-thinkers!) 2. Fritos with Dill Dip 3. Watermelon 4. Oranges Four sites I visit daily: 1. Email (Yahoo and Gmail) 2. Facebook 3. Blogs 4. NYT Four places I've vacationed: 1. Italy 2. Brazil 3. San Diego 4. Paradise Island, Bahamas Four places I'd rather be right now: 1. A castle in the UK 2. A clean house (including no dirty laundry and all gardening done) 3. Anywhere with Alan 4. NBC's The Biggest Loser

Friends = Sanity

After a rough morning (think crazy, head-butting, screaming) at Shopko, we came home to clean a little bit. Then we ate lunch and had early naps. At 1:30, my friend Melissa Senior came over with her son Jacob (Nate's friend) and her daughter, Hailey. Hailey is only about a month or two old, so Abbie is fascinated by her. My friend Michelle Ambrosek also came over with her daughter Sofia, who is 7 months old and as cute as can be. Nate and Jacob played for hours and we moms (plus Abbie) chatted and enjoyed adult time very much. We even scheduled a repeat at Melissa's house for next week. Here are some pics from our afternoon:

New Fun & Birthday Pics

Miracles

Five years ago today, I gave birth to a baby boy. He was born at 31 and 3 wks, weighing 3lbs 2oz. He came out after 36 hours of labor with about 3 pushes. He came out crying and promptly peed on the doctor. That's my boy. After 5 weeks in the NICU, we brought our little miracle home. Nathan James Dimond is my miracle. We were never even supposed to be able to have children, due to Alan's cancer/BMT. Then he was born 8 1/2 wks early with his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck twice. He is my miracle.
Now my precious baby is five years old. He is learning to read, can ride a bike (we just took his training wheels off today!), is a better artist than I'll ever be, is passionate about everything that he does, loves his sister dearly, loves his daddy with all his heart and loves me like I always dreamed my baby boy would. He still gives me hugs and kisses, even in front of his friends, and he still says I love you whenever we are parting.
I love my Nate-Nate more than anything in the world. He makes me smile whenever I think of him and makes me want to scream at least twice a day. He is my world. He is my miracle.

Surprise Blessings

As I awoke this morning, alone (Alan was already gone for call), I told myself that it was going to be a difficult day, but that we could make it through. I managed to get myself, Nate and Abbie dressed, ready and out the door to church by 8:30 (a half an hour early) to practice the song that the women were singing during Sacrament Meeting. We made it through that and barely through Sacrament Mtg. I am so grateful for Nursery and Primary. Abbie cried when I left her in the nursery, but I checked back moments later and she was happily playing musical instruments on the slide. Sunday School was very spiritual and educational. Our teacher is from South Africa and is the best Sunday School teacher I've had. I actually enjoyed the lesson! Our Relief Society lesson was on John the Baptist. It was interesting to learn about his life, as I had only known him as the cousin of Jesus and the man who baptized him. After church, we pulled into the driveway and lo and behold, Alan was home! I guess his intern and resident said that he probably wouldn't be doing anything anyways, so he should just go home. What a treat for us! For dinner, we invited Ryan Solomon, the aforementioned Sunday School teacher, over. It was fascinating to learn about life in South Africa--The kids loved hearing about all of the animals that he had encountered. He is just starting his PhD work in Rhetoric here in WI, although his wife and daughter are not loving it, so they're not sure how long they'll be here. (They are currently on a trip back to South Africa) Bedtime was smooth. I am so grateful for Alan's presence today. It started the week off on a good note, something I can't remember happening for a while now. Tomorrow is Nate-Nate's FIFTH birthday (tears). I am grateful for his health and strength and what a wonderful young child he is. I love him so much. Thank goodness for surprise blessings.

Aargh! Cap'n Nate's 5th Birthday Party

TREASURE HUNT!



Treasure in a treasure chest! Pirate Gear!



CAKE



Digging for treasure--Gold coins and jewels!



Pirate Baby Adeline and the pinata!

A Good Day (mostly)

Here's how we start our day, first thing every morning:



We played at our friends, the Ferrin's, house this morning. Then Nate went to preschool where everybody loved his new haircut:


Daddy got done with school at 4 (SO EARLY!!), so we decided to go see "Horton Hears a Who." The kids like the book, but none of us were particularly thrilled with the movie. Tomorrow is Nate's Pirate birthday party. He can't wait--I just hope that we're all ready when the kids
arrive!

Also, on a more serious note... This past year has been very difficult for us. Illness, hospitalizations, depression (I know it's an illness), med-school, death, just to name a few. Over the past 14 months, I have gained 60 lbs. Gaining this weight (which was mostly from a medication) has had an enormous effect on my life. I have friends who I haven't seen in a year and I only make it to church about once a month because I am so self-conscious about how I look. I am embarrassed to look like I do. I am embarrassed for people to know that I am fat. I am embarrassed for people to see me. I am writing this here as accountability--I will lose this weight. I will lose it.

Goodnight.

Like riding a frickin' elevator where the up only works part of the time

I wish I were up tonight with a baby who needed a drink, or a dog who needed to go outside or even a husband who insisted that I watch a Stupid Video at 1 AM. Alas, I am not. Our basement is flooding again as I speak. Apparently some moron drilled holes in the foundation and now water is pouring in them. Imagine that! Can you sue a home inspector five years after you buy the home? At least it's supposed to be warm and sunny and SUPER dry for the next week. Right...Who do you think we are? If you guessed members suffering from the Dimond Family Curse, you're right. But all I have to give you is an umbrella and you'd probably get struck by lightning when you use it anyways. Nighty night.

A New Me?

Spring Cleaning has begun. Well, it actually started last week, but I've only managed to do one room so far. But hey, it's better than nothing! Here are the results:


(The towel is where I over watered the plant)

Also, for those of you who have been asking, here's a pic of my newest piercing:


Not the most flattering picture, but it was that or let Abbie take it.

Almost nap time! Then I have to bake a cake for my stamping group tonight--If anybody needs supplies, talk to me!

Gratitude

Today I am grateful for:
Mommy Time-outs
Daddy
Rachel, Ella and sweet Addie
Preschool
Nap time
Music, music and more music
Outdoor weather
Memories
Hot chocolate
A voice
Forgiveness