Go Cougs!

We decided today to visit Utah yet once again. My sister is in Suessical the Musical at the Scera so we'll get to see her show. AND as luck would have it, that same weekend (Oct. 11th) is BYU's homecoming football game against New Mexico Lobos!! Mark and I will get to wear our true blue while Kendra will sport her Lobo cheerleader outfit! (By the way, everything down here is English and Spanish, so for those of you who don't habla espanol Lobo is spanish for wolf). We're excited to get to go to another game at BYU.

When we drove through Utah in July we didn't have much time and we were rushed. We wanted to see our professors, spend more time at temple square, and go to Thanksgiving point. Plus I wanted to eat at Brick Oven. So, now we'll get to do that!

Just Quarantine Us Already!

So on Wednesday Mark came home and just fell on the couch. That's not a good sign - he's never done that. "Kristi I don't feel good." Great, my entire family is sick! He finally went to the doctor today and got an antibiotic. I just hope the cycle will stop now. Mark was sick a month ago, then passed it on and it's going back around. It started early for us this year. Last year it didn't begin until late October. It didn't end until April. Let's hope we'll be healthier this time around!

Who taught her that?!?!

Kendra and I have watched way too many movies over the past two weeks. I think she is learning new vocabulary from them. One day she said, "Oh my gosh!" Mark and I don't say that and it took me forever to figure out where she got it from - The Little Mermaid. We play a game where she sits on the couch and then I sit on her and she pushes me off, she thinks it's loads of fun. So as I sat on her today she said, "mommy you're too fat!" I still haven't figured out where she learned fat from. I need to be more careful with my impressionable daughter.

I have bugged Mark for years to take me to Disneyland. He is finally okay with going. My brother just went with his family and I talked to him to get a perspective with a young child. He told me that Disneyland is an extremely over stimulating place and asked if Kendra with her SPD would be okay with that. Out of my excitement to go I had forgotten about Kendra's SPD!!! I'm not sure how she'd take it. I thought the beach would be a great sensory experience for her, but maybe Disneyland would be the ultimate!

Kendra loves to talk on the phone especially to her aunt Shoni.

My Two Cents

After Mark and I moved to Albuquerque we decided it was time to follow counsel and start our food storage. Every month we set aside some money to spend on food storage items or preparedness items. Recently I heard about the avian bird flu. The federal government is planning on a pandemic. Now that we have our year supply I am working on being able to live in our home for 3 months. I thought this was good enough to pass on.



Here is the CDC's website:



http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/



Here are websites for food storage/preparedness:

http://www.providentliving.org/pfw/multimedia/files/pfw/pdf/113827_HSOrderForm_US_JUL_08_pdf.pdf

http://www.foodstorageideas.com

http://www.survival-warehouse.com/food/index.htm?gclid=CImj2OCd2ZUCFQQRswodkXZFDw

http://www.beprepared.com

I also have recipes that I use frequently. I'll post them sometime. Many preparedness items can be found at Wal-mart or sporting good stores for a cheaper price.

The Doctor Visit

I avoid the doctor as much as possible. Why you might ask? My daughter is like a hysterical caged monkey. It has been this way since she was a newborn. She would just cry and scream until the visit was over. She would be fine in the waiting room and as soon as we crossed the door into the office part, the screams and cries would begin. Amazing. It's been more difficult as she has grown. I think this reaction is partly due to her SPD and partly due to her temperament. She always freaks when there is unwanted physical contact - no matter who it's from.

Kendra has had a cough for a week and a half now. On Sunday my mom told me that I needed to take her in to see her doctor. Yesterday I decided that was wise counsel. Kendra's lungs are so full of gunk and she can't seem to get it out. So I made an appointment for today. I dread going to the doctor!! I have a social book that I read to Kendra, we practice with our doctor kit on her baby, and we talk about how fun it will be. I also brush her and do compressions before we leave.

Today she was as happy as a lark to go to the doctor! I thought that finally we would have an easy visit. Kendra loved watching the TV as we waited and was great with the nurse. She did everything she asked her to without any hesitation (that's a first). We sat and colored while we waited for the doctor. Kendra was laughing and having a great time. As soon as the doctor came in Kendra's mood changed. Before the doctor did anything Kendra began to scream and cry! Are you kidding me?!?! The doctor hadn't even touched her yet!! She clung to me as before while freaking out until the doctor opened the door to leave. Geez, even when it was over she wouldn't stop!

But we got through it without gagging or vomiting amazingly. We had to fill her prescriptions after that. I took home a grocery bag full! Have you ever taken so many meds home? Most are for her nebulizer. Well, all in all it was worth the visit for now I know Kendra will get better and our days (and nights) will be easier. Then we can go places again!

At the pharmacy the pharmacist was adding flavoring to Kendra's med and she was pounding it on the counter. Kendra yelled, "come in!" and everyone started laughing. She's such a funny kid.

This is the life

We have spent alot of time outside recently. While Kendra and I sat on our swing she said, "this is the life mommy." She now says it when we are pulling weeds, playing in the rocks, or just watching a movie.

Kendra has been sick all week and thus didn't get to go to nursery class at church today. She loves her class (finally!) which we owe to her great teachers. She kept saying, "I'll get my shoes k?" A few weeks ago she began to say prayers all by herself. She says the normal things and then she'll add something like, "thank thee sparkles" refering to her Cinderella doll dress or "thank thee movies" which make us laugh.

Smiths grocery store had their case lot sale last week. This happens twice a year and is a time I stock up on our "year supply." As I waited in line a man from my ward waited behind me. I had 50 lbs of sugar in the bottom of my cart. I twisted it around before I lifted it so that I could get a better hold. He, being nice, said, "here let me get that for you." I was like, are you kidding me? I was raised on a farm to be a tough burley girl. I know I'm skinny and look weak but please, I can fend for myself. I just said, "I got it. Thanks though." And ofcourse lifted it with ease. :)

I've attached pictures of our backyard. Two are from when we moved in. Weeds consumed our grass and ugly bushes were planted by the fence. Mark and I have constantly weeded our lot. Weeds grow everywhere! Our grass is finally looking decent, but sparse without the weeds. I took out the back bushes and put some type of flower in. The other two pics are what it looks like now.

I did it!

I finally set up a blog! Kendra is just too funny not to. By the time I email everyone I forget everything she has done.

We bought Kendra a toddler bed a few weeks ago. She loved it so much that she no longer wanted her crib in her room. She frequently comes into our room before "morning." The other night she came in at 3 am. I usually hear her open the door but didn't this time. I only realized Kendra stood next to my bed when she coughed. The poor thing! I wonder how long she waited there for her mommy to pick her up. She laid with me in bed for a few minutes before I took her back to her room. She apparently turned off her sound machine and nightlight before walking down to our room. How responsible!

Kendra is really into princesses and loves dancing to the songs in the movies - her favorite - Enchanted.