Is anyone still out there?

Does anyone even read this anymore?  Oh my poor little blog.  I've fallen so far behind it's sad.  I know I still like to read blogs so I think I might be selfish.  Reading lots of other people's blogs but not contributing to the blogsphere.  I am terrible.

I guess I need to be better about that.  Sometimes the things I want to write about though, I can't.  How fun would it be to be anonymous amiright?  Oh the things I could say! 

Anywho.  I read my last post and I guess we'll pick up from there.  My feet are still freezing.  I am, at this exact moment, sitting in front of a space heater.   Nothing has changed in a year.  Yes, it's 70 something degrees outside but I am cold.  I have problems okay?  Last year my amazing MIL gave me another foot warming device.  HOT BOOTIES.

You guys.  I love these things.  They look ridiculous and yes, I look ridiculous in them but I DON'T CARE.  My tootsies are happy in them.  I highly recommend them.  And best of all, I can work in them.

Now if only I can find something similar for my poor hands...every time I touch my boys they shrink away like they've been touched by ice.  Because they basically have.  Mommy and her ice hands.  Maybe the movie Frozen was modeled after me?

Yum

I came to work (I work at home remember?) this afternoon to find this on my desk:

My husband loves me.  :)

My toes are finally comfy!

People, I have a problem.  In the winter my feet are icicles.  I am FREEZING.  I'm telling you, I cannot get warm.  EVER.  I have various pairs of wool socks, even a SUPER great pair that an awesome friend sent me (thanks Kem!).  These help but still, my feet are always cold!  As we speak (or you read), I have a space heater aimed at me. 

The biggest problem though is at night.  It seems I was doomed to be cold forever!

The other day I'm cruising along the aisles of Wal-Mart working down my list of random items...you know how you do in Wal-Mart right?  Then suddenly I happen to glance over and I see it.  I swear, I heard angels singing.  It was like this product was MADE FOR ME. 

I could not believe it. 


A heating pad for the foot of your bed?  JUST for the foot of your bed?  JUST for the sole purpose of heating up your feet at night?  Are you freaking kidding me?!?!  I grabbed that thing so fast you would not believe it.  And better yet, the only size they had was a twin.  So it would just fit on my side!  Josh is like a heater and needs no such heating device. 

My toes have never been so happy or so comfy.  I turn this baby on while I'm brushing my teeth and washing my face and when I get into bed at night, if my feet could sing, they would be singing, "HALLELUJAH!!!" 

I would like to thank my SIL Chelsa because her gift card to me for Christmas is what made this purchase possible.  Merry Christmas to me!!

The world continues to turn.

I've been wanting to post for a while but haven't really felt like it.  Honestly I've just been too sad.  I did have two grandpas pass away last year but this is the first loss I've ever experienced where the person was both very close to me, and it was totally unexpected.  It's been very difficult for our family and it has been interesting to see how it has affected different areas of our lives.

For me personally, I've become a bit of a space-case!  Which is weird, because I'm normally not a space-case at all.    I've been described as Type-A, but definitely not someone who lets things go.  But now?  I can't seem to get organized.  I have forgotten to pay bills.  I will just stare off into space during the day.  My daily to-do list frequently does not get done.  The house has not been kept up.  Projects are not getting done.  Basically I've been in survival mode.  Don't worry, you won't come over and see a "Hoarders" type situation, or the cupboards bare and the kids running around dirty and disheveled!  But it's given me a new understanding on grief and the different ways it affects people.  I'd like to think I always had compassion for people but my compassion for those who have suffered a loss has definitely increased.

Anyway, we had a busy summer filled with swimming lessons, the boys attended a summer program, we traveled to Utah to visit family and friends, and we even had an awesome friend take some gorgeous family photos!

https://www.facebook.com/Annamillerphotography

Hopefully I can get back into the blogging groove because my boys continue to say funny things and do funny things, etc.   I'd like to catch up on everything but we'll see if that happens!  Life moves on even if your heart feels stuck.  We all do the best we can right?  :)

To every thing there is a season...

Josh and Dad - 2011

 Sometimes you can just be living your life, going through the routine of everything, stressing over the unimportant details.  And then you receive a phone call that is life changing.  Your husband’s father has passed away in a shocking, unexpected way.  Time seems to stop and speed up in that moment.  You know things will never be the same.   You have to tell your husband the news, the most difficult thing you’ve ever had to do.  You don’t know how your family will ever move past it.  You worry for your husband and your entire in-law family who you love like your own.  You are amazed at the amount of tears a person can cry and wonder if you will ever stop.  You wish you had listened to the prompting you had to write your father-in-law an email those last couple of weeks telling him how much you loved and appreciated him, but kept pushing if off thinking you’d do it later because you were too busy.  Then you cry some more.

I spent a lot of time looking at pictures of my sweet father-in-law and remembering his life before we traveled to California for the funeral.  The boys and I remembered fun times.  I'm going to let them pick whatever pictures they like and make them each their own photo albums to keep.  I'm glad I insisted on taking a lot of photos even though he hated having his picture taken!

Papa Big Dog and Samuel - 2007

Papa Big Dog and J.J. - 2011

Papa Big Dog and Trey - 2006

Bruce and JoAnn

There's something healing about attending the funeral of a loved one with all of your family and friends.  I don't think I really understood that until now.  

 

It was kind of like attending a big family reunion with one very important family member missing.  

My amazing MIL and her 8 children - May 9th, 2012

The Larsen Family - May 9th, 2012

Still though, we had some fun times together.  Trey actually celebrated his 7th birthday while we were there, and all of the cousins had a lot of fun together.  

Trey opening presents (yes, that's a Christmas gift bag!)

Larsen grandchildren - May 11th, 2012

We talked, ate, laughed, and wished we all lived closer to one another.  I just love this family.  They are amazing.  I couldn't ask for better in-laws.

I hope I can teach my boys to be the kind of man their "Papa Big Dog" was.  Kind, generous almost to a fault, with a true love of the scriptures and the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He didn't just talk the talk, he truly tried to help other people and never sought recognition for it.  I will truly miss him and I am so grateful for the knowledge that families can be together forever.   For now, I know that he is being taken care of. 

Are you there readers? It's me. Christy.

I haven't blogged in a really long time.  I don't even recognize blogger anymore.  Everything looks different and weird.  It's not that I don't have anything to blog about, I do.  I keep meaning to blog but it just doesn't happen.  Maybe I should do something about that...

Maybe I will.  We'll see. 

A Man's Man

Yesterday I volunteered in J.J.'s class and was filing these short stories in a filing cabinet that his class had written.  The topic was something like "What I would do if I went to a ball" or something to that effect.  The girls all had these elaborate stories including what color their dresses would be, how a prince would come pick them up, take them out to dinner, they would dance all night, etc.  A few of the boys even had details like being picked up in a limo, and having a fancy dinner or whatnot.  It was actually quite impressive!

The majority of the boys however had stories like my boy.  And when I got to his, I had to take a picture.  If I was smart and knew how to operate my dumb phone (and it is literally a dumb phone) I could post this pic.  Instead I will write his story out for your reading pleasure.  Don't worry, it won't take me long.

"First I would get a suit and throw it on me.  Next I would go to the party.  Then I would eat dinner and go to bed."

Yup, definitely a man's man.

The funny thing was that the next story I had to file was a Halloween story and he filled the entire page with details about bloody zombies and graves and skeletons and the like.  At least I know he has writing skills when the subject interests him!