Light Family

New York Trip Day 2

2012-02-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Friday was a very busy day.

We took the train from Hicksville
to Penn Station
and headed into the city.

Lots of time spent walking around.

And taking pictures.

Busy traffic, busy people.

Narrow one way streets.

Time Square

It was rainy,
foggy,
& beautiful.

We went to the Discovery Times Square Museum. They have the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit going right now. It was wonderful. We spent hours pouring over the artifacts. Some are thousands of years old. I kept thinking of what was happening in the scriptures (Old Testament, New Testament, and Book of Mormon) when looking at the dates.

Ben was done in about 30 minutes.

I took 3 hours.

What a patient husband I have.

We grabbed a quick bite to eat at Junior's.

Ben had some New York Cheesecake.
Then we went to see The Phantom of the Opera.

It was beautiful.
I cried.
The music was fantastic.

Then it was on to the Empire State Building.

This building is beautiful.

They have tight security.
Its like going through the airport.
They almost didn't let Ben in.
He had his pocket knife that he had to check in and leave with security.
They gave it back afterwards.

Spectacular views!
I can't believe they built this in 1 year!
I liked going at night.
There were no lines.

This is a view looking up from the observation deck. It was crazy windy. I thought my camera would blow right out of my hand. They originally thought they could dock a Blimp at the observation level. But updraft winds created by the building itself made that impossible.
Ben and Carolyn

New York Trip Day 1

2012-01-26T23:59:00.000-08:00

Ben's been working in New York for a few months. I get to visit him for the weekend. I flew out on Thursday morning from Spokane, WA into St Paul, MN. And then onto LaGuardia airport in New York City. I slept most of both flights after staying up packing most of the previous night. So it was a good use of my time. Ben is staying at the Residence Inn Marriott in Plainview NY. Its a nice extended stay place. They have free dinner in the restaurant Sunday - Thurs nights. It was a nice evening.

New Home... Closing 6/15/2011

2011-06-04T07:10:00.000-07:00

We have been looking for a house and we have a closing date! We are excited. The kids will all have their own rooms.

Ben's Stats

2011-05-30T10:57:00.000-07:00

Ben's been working hard with exercising each day. He eats super healthy food. Its been about 3 weeks since his first picture.

Stats are as follows:

Weight: 167.4 lbs (-7.6 lbs)
Chest: 40.5 inches (-0.5 inches)
Waist: 34.5 inches (-2.5 inches)
Hips: 39 inches (-1.5 inches)
Biceps: 14.75 inches (no change)

Ben's Path to Physical Fitness

2011-05-06T21:18:00.000-07:00

Ben's really into working out.

It is a bone of contention in our marriage.
He loves his workouts more than me. :)
But he does look really good and he's in a better mood when he's consistently in his workout routine.

Ben hurt his knee last Fall.
He really hasn't done much working out for about 4 months or so.
He's eaten "whatever" and gained a little weight in the process.

So I thought it would be fun to track his progress. This is Ben's before pic...

Here are his stat's:

Weight: 175 lbs
Chest: 41 inches
Waist: 37 inches
Hips: 40.5 inches
Biceps: 14.75 inches

He's actually been working out "hardcore" for the past 2 weeks. But we'll just start from today.

My life is boring...

2011-03-03T01:48:00.000-08:00

Wow... I am such a lame blogger. But things are boring. We live out here in Spokane. And I haven't discovered any cool fun things to do. I basically work and drive my kids to & from school. And go grocery shopping. Everything is very close together. 3 minutes to the school to drive or 10 minutes to walk. And I drive because it is freakin' COLD!

Ben is loving his job. Each day that passes has shown me that his job has been truly a gift from Heavenly Father. He's taking advantage of the educational opportunities and will be starting school part time either this summer or fall.

The girls are in a great school with great teachers and making nice friends. Natalie loves her dance class & Julia loves her gymnastics class. Levi is growing so fast & is now 15 months old. He hasn't had any PKU issues. Our metabolic Dr in Sacramento said he didn't need to see us anymore & no followup would be needed here in Spokane. His Pediatrician here in Spokane just did a PHE level last week per my request and I'll be surprised if its elevated. Levi's development has been normal and he's a bright, sweet, cuddly little boy. He loves to be read to. He loves music. He understands quite a bit, but he's not the most verbal yet. :)

My work is taking some getting used to. There are some cool things about it. It is a LDRP which means I get to care for the laboring mom & then the mom & baby after delivery. Some days I have post partum moms and babies, some days I have antepartums. It doesn't get boring. Some patients are what I call a "one night stand." This means they whine soooo much and complain soooo much and drive a nurse crazy that even though you had them last night... you have therefore done your time and are not required to ever have them again. Who cares about continuity of care. They are a ONE NIGHT STAND. A fellow nurse had one such patient. Her room was the farthest room from the nurses station and took quite a hike to get down there. She would often use her call light to send for her nurse. And then have her nurse make several trips in with ice, pain meds, formula, extra blanket, pillows, etc etc... Her best line was when she called the nurse to come to her room. When the nurse got there, she stated that when she flushed her toilet, the noise would startle her baby. She asked if the nurse would please flush the toilet while she stood in the farthest corner of the room holding her baby so the noise wouldn't startle her. ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? That was my favorite line. Classic ONE NIGHT STAND of a patient.

Well there's a quick update on my boring life. I'll try to be a better blogger.

New Place

2010-09-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

So we recently moved to Washington state. We're loving it. There are some changes for sure and I really don't do CHANGE very well. But I'll get used to it. The girls started a new school a few weeks ago. I started a new job. Ben started a new job. We are living in an apartment until we find a house. Lots of change. Lots to get used to. :)

Fast Forward

2010-03-27T01:37:00.000-07:00

My life feels like the fast forward button got pushed. Everything has flown by so quickly since I started back to work in January. I've been picking up lots of extra shifts at work & essentially turned my part time job into a full time job. Ben's been able to keep up with all the girls' activities while taking care of baby Levi when I'm working the noc shift & sleeping during the day. As these days fly by... my Natalie has turned into a beautiful little lady. She's taking a dance class on Mondays that I never get to see her do. I know she enjoys being with her best friend who is also in the class. Tuesdays my sweet, tender-hearted Julia goes to ballet class... which I've never been able to watch her do. Twice a month (on Tuesdays) I teach the Activity Day girls ages 8-11 in our Branch. Ben drives the ballet run and picks up Activity Day girls from school & I wake myself up to plan and do the activity every other Tuesday... but I miss watching the ballet class. On Wednesdays Juls has her gymnastics class. I totally love gymnastics & I miss being able to watch Juls in her gymnastics. She's very good and shows me her new gym skills all the time. But I miss watching her. I missed Levi rolling over from his tummy to his back for the first time.... I cried when Ben told me how he had rolled over. I told Ben that from now on... Levi is not allowed to do anything for the first time without me. If he does something new... don't tell me. Pretend that when I see it.. It's the First TIME he's ever done it. Life isn't always what you planned it to be, but I feel like I am missing out on my own life. It makes me sad. Fast forward... Levi is 4 months old now. He smiles and laughs.. He loves his mommy and his daddy. He is such a good baby. He loves going on walks with his daddy in the stroller. I need a bit more balance in my life. Less working and more time with my children, husband, & family. New goal. :)

Back to Work

2010-01-09T23:32:00.001-08:00

Went back to work on Thursday night. Levi is 8 weeks old. He's so cuddly and has adorable chubby cheeks. LOVE THEM... He's starting to smile and will occasionally laugh. So Thursday during the day I tried to sleep in with the baby in bed next to me. He's so sweet. Then I got about an hour or so nap before going to work @ 11pm. I had one delivery, helped with another delivery, then got the AM c-section patient ready to go. They started this new thing at work when someone comes back from a Leave of Absence, they gave me an "orientation" day. Loved it! Jessica did all my charting & I did the manual labor stuff. My password for the computer charting wouldn't work anyway. Hope to get that resolved soon. It was nice to be able to pump twice at work during my two breaks. I came home Friday morning arouond 8:30am and snuggled my baby all day while 'sort of' trying to sleep. I think I missed Levi so much that I felt I had to make up for the 9 hours we spent apart. I held him in my arms and loved him all day.... and the next day too.... Today was hard to dust & vacuum house, do dishes, sweep & mop the floor, do all laundry... while wearing my baby in my front-pack... Oh & went to Target to buy a new mop, and a b-day present for Nat's friend. I am oh so tired... but my room is messy. The baby is in his own bed right now. I finally put him down.... I think I'll leave 'my room' for tomorrow. Ben's in CO right now on a job interview. My brain is so fragmented. It is time for bed. I love my baby boy. :)

Levi is 6 weeks old

2009-12-22T23:39:00.001-08:00

Little Levi is 6 weeks old. He's such a sweet, mellow, cuddly baby. He loves to be held and he loves to EAT...

Levi (2 weeks ago) weighed about 10 lbs. I am sure he's even bigger now. His little cheeks are so chubby and cute. He's no longer in "newborn" diapers... He's in the size 1 size. (growing so fast already... ) He's been to a few outings. He went to his first day at church this past Sunday. He was very well behaved and slept through most of it. He's been to his sister Julia's Gymnastics Christmas program, and to Natalie & Julia's piano recital, and to Natalie & Julia's Christmas singing program at the elementary school. He slept through most all those performances as well. He likes to sleep through noisy situations.

Levi is "sort of" fussy/tired & doesn't want to go to sleep.

Baby Levi in his bouncy seat... 6 wks old!

Natalie's beautiful smile!

Mom & Dad came to visit from TX for Thanksgiving.

Jennifer & Mike came to visit from Provo for Thanksgiving.

Natalie & Julia hold baby Levi on Thanksgiving.

Natalie plays 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas'.

Natalie & Julia had two snow days from school!

Julia at her gymnastics Christmas Performance.

Levi was diagnosed with PKU when he was a few days old. It turns out that his PKU is on the mild side of the spectrum & is called benign hyper-phe. He'll have blood tests to make sure his levels of Phe are safe, but it looks like right now he'll not have to be on a special diet. We are so grateful for this miracle. Levi had to do about one week of the special medical formula mixed with measured amounts of breastmilk. I was neurotic and crazy for the whole 2nd week of his life, measuring out breastmilk and formula into bottles for each day's feedings. What a miracle to get the news that he has the benign form of PKU.

Julia Throws Up

2009-11-19T23:15:00.000-08:00

This morning Julia came into my room crying because she had just thrown up. She says to me... "Mommy, I was trying to go potty and my poop smelled so bad that I threw up on the floor.".....

Baby Levi Benjamin Light

2009-11-17T00:49:00.000-08:00

So happy to not be pregnant anymore. Well, I gave in. We named our sweet little boy, Levi Benjamin Light. I am happy with the name and it only took 10 years for me to agree to name my son Levi. He is a sweet, cuddly, calm little boy. I wasn't sure it would be worth it after the torturous nine months of unrelenting nausea. But it Totally was worth it. I am so in LOVE with his sweet spirit.

He was born Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 at 2:49pm. He weighed 7lbs-11ozs... totally HUGE right? and 19 inches long.

We got to the hospital around 7:30am, started the pitocin around 8:30am. Dr M ruptured my membranes around 8:30 as well. Got my epidural around 11am. I pushed for about 25 minutes and asked Dr M to please just pull him out. I was soooo done pushing after 25 WHOLE minutes. My epidural was magnificent thanks to Dr K. It was the best, most DENSE epidural in the whole world. I couldn't feel a thing, and I couldn't push worth $#@%. Oh well.... Just a little Kiwi vacuum and we had a baby.

My sweet husband kept me entertained the whole time we were in the hospital. He's so fun to be with and I had his undivided attention. That night we celebrated with the best steak I have ever had from Outback Steakhouse. It was the best feeling to not feel like puking! We also had my favorite... Vanilla Blue Bell Ice-Cream on a warm brownie... I didn't throw that up either. It was incredible.

Now we are home enjoying our sweet little Levi. It only took us until Saturday 11/14 to name him. I know we had nine months to think of a name, but I had to try and come up with something better than Levi, but I just couldn't. I think I love my husband so much that I just couldn't name him anything BUT Levi. That is probably why nothing sounded right to me... until I finally accepted it.

Name Venting Post

2009-11-12T07:49:00.000-08:00

Another post from Dad... 2 days after Baby Light's birth and still "IT" has no name! Looks as if Carolyn and Baby IT will be discharged this morning and we will have nothing to tell inquiring minds what "IT's" name is. Maybe "IT" can be named "I.T. Light"! (Hey, what's up I.T.?) or we could spell it "Eye Tee Light"..... Whatever!

So most everyone knows that I have had a name picked out for most our marriage, if we were ever blessed with a boy. Levi Benjamin Light. Well, come to find out that 12 years back Carolyn was attending a church dance and some hot guy named Levi asked her to dance. He was one of these summer college working pest control guys from Utah working in Texas. Well his mother forgot to teach him about hygiene etiquette (shower, soap, deodorant, toothpaste,) normal need to know stuff to keep woman around after your looks have gotten you to the dancing part. All Levi had to do was come within a 3 ft proximity, lift his arm and open his mouth. Now my chances forever having a son named Levi is completely gone down the Drain! Literally!

So, "Forever Single Levi" wherever you are....THANKS! And now we have been blessed with a Baby "IT".

The Big Day.... "Carolyn's D-Day"

2009-11-11T19:22:00.000-08:00

So, first let me start by being up front with everyone that reads this blog entry. This is from Ben and not Carolyn. The narcotics they have her on, hinders her from being in her Right mind! So enjoy the sense of humor that Carolyn endures on a daily basis.

It felt like D-Day started three nights ago when Carolyn went into the nesting phase of the pregnancy. The neurotic “Honey do” list grew faster than the natural man or husband could keep up with. Everything need to be perfect! Carolyn took to cleaning and organizing our bedroom making room for the baby. After completion, it only took (1) Dr.Pepper for Carolyn to decide to start over and re-clean and re-organize the room again.

On Tuesday morning, we arrived at the hospital around 7:30am and were escorted to our suite (oh I mean birthing room). I say suite because it was as big as Carolyn and I’s first apartment! I mean it! The apartment was small but this room was huge! I bet the max capacity could have been around 25+. (Carolyn was not hip on the idea to see how many we could fit.) I guess it’s good to have perks every once in a while. Well, they hooked Carolyn up to an IV and started PIT. By 8:15am. The doctor stopped in and gave Carolyn a pep talk along with offering some motivation with an AROM. This is medical terminology for a procedure that I would name “No going back now!” It could be compared to popping a water balloon between your legs.

The PIT worked its magic and by 11am it was time for the epidural. Carolyn calls it the Happy-dural. Here is a classic picture that I was fortunate to catch. Immediately after the anesthesiologist finished putting in the epidural, Carolyn went back to texting. Remember now, she is not numb yet and she is having contractions. Technology is great. The funniest part was when she got on the phone and was too busy to hear the Drug Doc. asking here to sit back up so he could readjust the epidural. So he sat there and waited for her to finish.

Well, finally around 2pm Carolyn was complete and ready to push. Carolyn asked to have her 'Happy-dural' turned off because she could not feel the lower half of her body. 20 min. later the Doc arrived and after a whole 29 minutes of pushing the Doc pulled the baby out with a baby plunger called a kiwi. You can tell in this picture those 29 minutes did a number on her.

After everyone (Carolyn) is fixed up we pose for pictures with the Doc and then our nurse.

Here is a classic picture of Baby Boy Light staring down MOM!

Natalie holding Baby Light

Julia holding Baby Boy Light

Grandpa & Grandma Light with Baby Boy Light

And Me with Baby Boy Light

We are still trying to decide on a name for this special, sweet little baby boy. He's blond, blue eyed, calm, mellow and very cuddly. Any suggestions???

37 weeks

2009-10-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

Had another OB appointment yesterday. It was short & sweet. Baby Boy Light is doing fine, getting HUGE, and moving around like crazy. My OB asked me if I had any questions. I told him I wouldn't harass him about an induction date this time.

The girls are so excited. I went on a field trip with Julia last week. (Last one for a while; it wore me out for 2 days!) She told me as I got on the bus, that she had promised all her friends that they could rub my belly and feel the baby move if they wanted to. I told her... ummmm NO. She was a bit disappointed. :( I am such a mean mommy.

Natalie is becoming a fantastic piano player lately. She practices daily and it sounds really nice! She's turning into a little lady. She and Julia were "Best Friends" on Saturday and played outside all day long. It was so sweet.

Ben is halfway through his Biology class this semester. He's working hard at interviewing with different law enforcement agencies, but so far we are still waiting for official job offers. We'll see.

That's about it for this week. :)

My Birth Plan.. Part 1

2009-10-13T11:18:00.001-07:00

OK, so I am a lame blogger lately. I'll try to be better. I got an email from MyPregnancy.Com today about writing out a birth plan for my hospital stay. As an L&D nurse, I sometimes roll my eyes at some of these birth plans that patients come in with. I am not a granola, natural person. I like drugs, epidurals, scheduled inductions, & I am OK with a C-Section if this kid doesn't just fall out in a few hours of labor. Try that on for a birth plan! Only I seemed to have picked a very conservative, careful, OB/GYN. He doesn't share my same idea on giving me a scheduled induction 1 wk before my due date just because I want one. He thinks my cervix needs to be ripe & my baby's head should be in the pelvis. (sigh.....) whatever.

So here is Part 1 of my dream Birth Plan for Baby Boy Light...

My Due Date is 11/17/09 - (If I come into the hospital anytime in the week before my due date and I am not in labor, you are just going to have to keep me because I am not going home. INDUCE ME if I am not in labor.)
I would like to be free to walk, move around, & change position at will throughout labor. (I will not be walking much as I plan on having an epidural ASAP! I agree to to change positions, but you may have to remind me and help me do so b/c I move as well as a beached whale.)
I would like to be able to have fluids by mouth throughout the first stage of labor. (I would like to eat & drink whatever I want, whenever I want it. I know I am only going to be allowed ice chips while in labor with an epidural. I am actually an ice chomping monster right now, so just keep the ice chips coming & we’ll be fine. I will be puking occasionally while in labor & for the 1^st 24 hrs after delivery regardless of what I eat or drink, so please let me eat & chomp my ice chips at will. I will be needing IV Zofran 4mg q 6hrs while I have an IV. This will only help me feel less nauseated. I will still puke. If you don’t keep the ice chips coming, my husband will be sent to refill my ice cup. And if you don’t keep the Zofran coming, I have my own stash of Zofran that I will take while you aren’t in the room.)
I will be bringing my own music to play during labor. (Actually no music needed, I’d rather sleep or watch TV).
Monitoring. (I would like to have continuous fetal monitoring because I am a control freak and I want to make sure my baby is not in distress. Feel free to use external or internal monitors as needed).
Labor Augmentation/Induction. (I would love to be AROMed to get my labor going. We can try anything: pitocin, cytotec, etc. I would like to avoid the ‘natural’ methods like walking or nipple stimulation. Walking is too much work and ‘nipple stimulation??’… Let’s just use the drugs God gave us to use.
Anesthesia/Pain Medication. (I know pain medication exists. Let it be clear that I would like a heavy, strong epidural ASAP. I do not want to try any IV pain medication before the epidural because it will make me even more crazy than I already am. If Dr Brown is available, I pick him to do it. :)

That’s all for now… I’ll finish Part 2 later… :)

Meet Rachel's "Harry Potter"

2009-09-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

I Failed my Glucose Tolerance Test

2009-08-12T17:49:00.000-07:00

Are you freaking kidding me??? I thought it was a fasting 1 hr glucose tolerance test, (which when I showed up, it turned out I didn't have to be fasting). The last thing I ate was a bowl of ice-cream around 10pm. I woke up, did a few chores. Did not eat or drink anything. I showed up for the test around 1pm in the afternoon (starving to death), drank the nasty orange crap, & waited an hour. They drew my blood & that was it. I went straight to Taco Bell and ate a huge meal! I just got a call that I failed the test and now I have to do the 3 hour test. This sucks. If I have gestational diabetes, I will die! I have no self control when it comes to food. I eat whatever & whenever I want. I won't say I eat a lot, but I don't have self control when it comes to dieting or exercising. I just don't care. I love my food!

Champs Swim Meet

2009-08-03T00:52:00.000-07:00

Natalie & Julia did great @ the Champs Swim Meet. It was so fun to watch them. They really improved their times on all strokes. Natalie is the breast stroke queen! This is Julia's 3rd year on the swim team and this will be her last year as a 6 & Under. She had many 1st & 2nd place ribbons this year. I survived the summer. Ben did all the volunteer requirements and then some. I just sat in the shade and made sure the girls made it to their races. I did swim in one parent relay team with my preggo belly about 2 weeks ago. I only had to do one lap of free-style (25 YDS). It was the most exercise I've had all summer (not counting 8 hr shifts running around @ the hospital). Two more weeks until school starts and 15 more weeks being pregnant.

Random Thoughts

2009-07-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

I am so not into taking pictures or blogging lately. Sorry. I started back to work. It has been nice to only work 8 hr shifts. I feel like I am missing half of my brain. I seem to have forgotten all passcodes and door lock combinations and I don't know where anything is. There are some new policies and I am slow at charting and I could go on and on. My patient last night was psychotic. Luckily, she delivered within 45 min and I got her upstairs to Post-Partum as fast as I could. Did you know it is against our hospital's policy for a patient to keep her own placenta? My psychotic patient threw a fit because she wanted to take her placenta home and bury it so she could plant a tree over it. This is granola-ville California!! She can't do that? I personally think it is gross, but whatever.

The tooth fairy is visiting Julia for the first time tonight. She went to the dentist today and begged her to pull her wiggly little tooth on the bottom. Julia had been working on it for weeks to no avail. The dentist kindly abliged and helped Julia out by numbing it with orajel and pulling it. She was so excited. Natalie also had her appointment and was very brave while the dentist removed her spacer. Tonight, I checked on the girls as they were sleeping.... And I found a note next to Julia's pillow. It said, "Dear Tooth Fairy, Could you please give my sister Natalie money for her spacer? Sincerely, Julia" (Only it was written in very mature handwriting for little JULIA to have written... ) I wonder what the tooth fairy will say to that... :)

Julia has changed career choices for when she grows up and states she wants to be a car cleaner. She recently helped me detail my car with armor-all and a Q-Tip. Yes, I know I am crazy... but it felt so good to get that Q-Tip all in the little cracks and have all that dirt come out. It was that or buy a new car. My 99 Rav4 is still running strong with close to 189K miles and I am broke so having a SPOTLESS car makes me feel almost like it is a new car.

Not a good day...

2009-07-09T23:59:00.000-07:00

It has been a rough day. I've been calling my OB's office since Tuesday asking for a refill on my Zofran (anti-nausea) medication. I won't run out until Saturday-ish, but I am going back to work Sunday night and I really need to have it refilled by then so I can function. I finally got the refill ordered today, Thursday (2 DAYS later), and sent to the pharmacy, but apparently my insurance won't pay for the medication unless I have my Dr send a special note to authorize my need for more than 15 pills a month. (I take this medication 2-3 times per day!) The medical assistant at the OB's office assured me that my MD will return from his vacation Monday morning and work on the special authorization then. I tried to explain that I have to function Sunday night for 8 hours and then sleep all day Monday and then function Monday night for 8 hours. She stated ever so kindly that first thing Monday morning my MD will solve my problem. The problem will start Saturday when I run out of Zofran and I start throwing up until I get more Zofran!!! I begged for the OB covering for my Dr to please write the special note to the insurance co. She said it has to be from my OB & not the on-call OB. (I don't believe her!!! And I plan on asking my OB if this is true!!!) I cried all afternoon. Solution to my problems.... Pay $5 per pill and get a two day supply of Zofran until my MD returns from Vacation. Anyone have any Zofran around you can spare??

It's Going to Be a BOY!

2009-07-01T21:18:00.001-07:00

It is a boy! At least we are pretty sure it looks like a boy. We are very excited. Natalie & Julia think the sonogram pic looks like an alien. I'll post it later. :)

Half Way There!!

2009-06-30T09:07:00.000-07:00

Today I am exactly 20 weeks pregnant. I am so happy to be feeling better. So much has happened in the last few months & I am so behind on blogging. I'll just start with the now & catch up the last few months later.

Today we (as in Ben, Natalie, & Julia and I) will be going to the ultrasound appointment that hopefully will tell us whether we're having another little girl or boy.

I am ready to go back to work on July 12th. I'll just be working part time or about 20 hours a week.

We'll keep you posted on results of today's ultrasound. :)

The Joy in My Journey

2009-04-27T15:15:00.001-07:00

We are expecting Baby #3 November 17th 2009. I've been a bit of a recluse these past few weeks. This news has turned my world upside down and brought me to my knees literally worshipping the porcelain throne. The nausea and vomiting have been unrelenting. I was very sick with Natalie & Julia... or so I thought. It is much much worse this time. My Doctor took me off work for a few weeks and at this point I don't see how I can go back. I've had three trips to the ER for IV fluid hydration. When you go 24-48 hours without holding any food or liquid down, it is the only thing that helps. I've lost 15 pounds! That last 15 pounds that just wouldn't come off for the last few years is now gone.

The joy in my journey thus far..... we tried for two years for this one. We are so grateful that we get the opportunity to have another child in our family. We are very excited. Also good news that it is just one kid and it looks healthy so far. (Which is more than I can say for myself.) We have wonderful family support and a great branch of the church bringing in meals and cleaning my house these last couple weeks. My husband does everything. He's not working right now. (Yes God has very amusing timing.) So he spends his day getting the kids off to school and to their various activities and looking for work and of course, taking care of me. This last week has been better. I can hold at least one and sometimes two meals a day down. I am living on Gatorade. I can keep 1-2 quarts a day down these last few days. I am 11 weeks along and that means 25% of the way there!!! I am starting to see some glimmers of light at the end of my tunnel.

The Lion

2009-04-06T12:11:00.000-07:00

Natalie won 1st place in an art contest for the whole county. Her painting then went on to state to win 2nd place! We are so proud of our little artist. Natalie used black marker and watercolor pencil. The art contest was sponsered by the California Federation of Women's Club. Her painting is titled "The Lion." Way to go Natalie!!!

Neonatal Nursing Class

2009-03-18T18:12:00.001-07:00

I went to another class this week on Neonatal Nursing. It was really good. I loved the instructor, Margaret Crockett. She had a great way of explaining things. Learned about Hyperbilirubinemia in newborns and how/why it happens. Critical levels can cause life long severe brain damage but can be totally prevented. Also learned about sepsis in newborns and how to calculate the ANC and I/T ratio in a newborn CBC. This basically teaches us when to call the Doc and ask for blood cultures and antibiotics on a septic baby. Also learned about RH incompatibility and ABO incompatibility. It was a super awesome class. I stayed awake and was eager to soak in all this new knowledge. The smaller hospital that I work at requires some baby knowledge in addition to Labor & Delivery. I really enjoyed this class.

I'll be flying to Dallas in the morning to see my Dad. So far the Chemo is working. He is much more sick with the #4 dose that he had a few weeks ago. He has dose #5 scheduled for Monday. Dad says that he has missed several days of work and has really slowed down over the last few weeks. But his repeat PET scanned showed all tumors were shrinking. (There was one tumor in his abdomen that was the same size or slightly larger, but all others were looking good).

Ben's been interviewing for jobs and keeping up the girls' busy schedule.

The Bones

2009-03-09T22:43:00.000-07:00

I found this video of Natalie from last year, March of 2008. Ben interviewed her on the ski lift. Ben had told her she had to hold on tight or she would fall off and break all her bones. :)

We will be going skiing together on Saturday! This time I won't get left behind. I love skiing. Hopefully the weather will be good.

Twitter

2009-03-03T11:46:00.000-08:00

I am learning to tweet. :) We'll see how it works.

Update on Dad and Ben & Girls Ditch School

2009-02-23T11:37:00.000-08:00

Dad is doing well. He has had 3 doses of Chemo so far and 3 more to go, they are given every 3 weeks. Today he will be going in for a PET scan. This will tell him if the tumors are shrinking. He will get the results back in about a week. Eventhough dad gets tired easily, he is still going to work at EDS and does what he can around the house. While I was visiting, he cleaned the pool and worked in the yard. We also went grocery shopping, I had to help him pick out a new freezer for the garage since the old one in the garage died. I enjoyed my visit with my whole family. We played our favorite game, Monopoly. (I won!)

I also got to visit with my good friend, Ms. Erica. We had fun reminiscing old times at the Abbey waiting tables. Alas, the Abbey has since closed and we had to settle for Cheesecake Factory. It was very good. Church was good too. I enjoyed seeing old friends and catching up. Great talks too.

While I was in Texas, Ben took the girls out of school this past Friday to go snow skiing. He informed Natalie that it is only OK to ditch school if it is for something important (like skiing). He took some great video clips of the girls skiing. I am always amazed at how well Ben skis, he is a born natural! The girls take after Ben when it comes to skiing. They are improving tremendously every time they go up. Last season they used a devise called an "edgy-wedgie" which hooks to the tips of each ski and connected them with a rubber band. This prevents the skis from getting a mind of there own and going in different directions. Halfway through the day Natalie wanted to try to ski without the edgy-wedgie. After only a half of a run and about 3 crashes Natalie begged Ben to reattach the edgy-wedgie. Julia, being the independent girl she is, instantly decided that she wanted to try skiing without her edgy-wedgie. Julia skied perfectly. Ben congratulated her and informed her that skiing without the edgy-wedgie was equal to riding a bike and getting rid of the training wheels. Upon hearing this and not ready to be one upped by her younger sister, Natalie instantly needed the edgy-wedgie removed also. She some times needs to be one upped by her younger sister. This keeps her out of her comfort zone. Ben decided to leave the ski resort a little early do to the fact Julia woke up that morning with a small case of pink eye. Ben said that Julia insisted that she didn't want to miss skiing in order to go and sit in a stinky stale doctors office just to be told she something she already knows. That she has pink eye. She said she would much rather be up skiing in fresh powder on a bright blue 50 degree day breathing high altitude fresh Sierra air. So on the way down the mountain, Ben called in to the Pediatrician Julia's symptoms and they called in a prescription.

Quote of the Day: Upon leaving the resort Natalie told Ben,"dad I love ditching school!" Like father like daughter....

Natalie & Julia Skipped School Today!

2009-02-20T13:51:00.000-08:00

Ben sent me this pic today. He's trying to make me jealous. The girls can ski without the edgy-wedgy. It was the perfect ski day according to Ben. Sunny, blue skies, and great snow. Ben took the girls to Donner Ski Ranch. We solved a mini crisis here at the Nichols' house. The large freezer in my parent's garage broke. It had all of the wedding cakes in it that my mom has been making for Jen's wedding. So dad & I rushed out to Lowe's and bought a new freezer that will be delivered tomorrow. We also bought a few blocks of dry ice to keep in the old freezer to keep the cakes frozen. Fun times. :)

Home for a visit

2009-02-19T00:38:00.000-08:00

I'm coming home for a visit this weekend. It has been a very busy week at the new job. I am exhausted. I'll sleep on the plane. :) See ya soon Dad!

Pretty Snow

2009-02-15T23:50:00.000-08:00

The pine trees all covered in snow with the sun coming out. I just love driving through our beautiful town any season of the year. :)

Been Busy Working

2009-02-15T22:45:00.001-08:00

It has been a very busy week at the new job. I am learning a lot of new charting and where to find things. It is a fun job! I'm very blessed. I am on my feet non-stop. I think I'll be buying a new pair of shoes here soon. :) The girls have had fun playing in the snow over the past weekend. See Grandma Light's Blog for fun photos of Natalie & Julia. I had to drive Ben's truck to work this weekend because of all the crazy snow. But am home safe and all is well. --Carolyn

Super Sunday with Cytotec Nachos

2009-02-03T23:00:00.000-08:00

Every pregnant lady due on or around Feb 1st must have shared the same plate of Cytotec Nachos while watching the super bowl... They all came streaming in to the Birth Center Sunday Evening..(as soon as the game was over). We had a crazy busy night for our tiny unit. Then of course they all delivered Monday and that made Monday night busy with tons of post partum patients. Crazy... So Monday night our unit was completely full with all these post partum patients and screaming babies everywhere. Ahhhh.... We survived and we are grateful for the business. We've spent the last month watching various episodes of The Office, Lost, 24, Heroes... and to be honest (kinda bored). I start my new job next week. No more Trauma-Neuro ICU. I will be doing strictly Labor & Delivery. It's called 'Happy Nursing.'

Sparkle at the Gyn...

2009-01-30T08:46:00.000-08:00

This was a funny email someone sent me... I love GYN humor.

.........I was due later in the week for an appointment with the gynecologist. Early one morning, I received a call from the doctor's office to tell me that I had been rescheduled for earlier that morning at 9:30 am.. I had only just packed everyone off to work and school and it was already around 8:45 am. The trip to his office took about 35 minutes, so I didn't have any time to spare. As most women do, I like to take a little extra effort over hygiene when making such visits, but this time I wasn't going to be able to make the full effort. So, I rushed upstairs, threw off my pajamas, wet the washcloth that was sitting next to the sink, and gave myself a quick wash in "that area" to make sure I was at least presentable. I threw the washcloth in the clothes basket, donned some clothes, hopped in the car and raced to my appointment.
..I was in the waiting room for only a few minutes when I was called in. Knowing the procedure, as I'm sure you do, I hopped up on the table, looked over at the other side of the room and pretended that I was in Paris or some other place a million miles away. I was a little surprised when the doctor said, "My, we have made an extra effort this morning, haven't we?"
..............I didn't respond. After the appointment, I heaved a sigh of relief and went home. The rest of the day was normal....some shopping, cleaning,cooking, etc. After school when my six year old daughter was playing, she called out from the bathroom, "Mommy, where's my washcloth?" I told her to get another one from the cupboard. She replied, "No, I need the one that was here by the sink, it had all my glitter and sparkles in it."
..............Never going back to that doctor again! Ever!!!

Ok, so I researched the story and it appears to be an urban legend. But it still made me laugh. :)

MLK Daydreams

2009-01-19T19:07:00.000-08:00

I spent my MLK day sleeping. I worked last night. We had no patients and I collected time and a half because of the great MLK. I like MLK day. The kids had a day off from school. I enjoyed listening to this speech! :)

Cadillac One: Obama's new wheels

2009-01-18T23:49:00.000-08:00

I loved this article about Obama's new Cadillac One! :)

President Barack Obama will ride in an all-new Cadillac Presidential Limousine, dubbed Cadillac One.

The car was designed, developed, and tested by specialists who adhered to an extensive set of specifications. It was subjected to an extreme testing regimen to ensure performance that achieves precise functional requirements. In doing so, security provisions were undertaken at all times during development to ensure the car's functional capabilities are preserved and confidential. Translation: GM and the Secret Service aren't telling us anything about the power train, safety features, or cabin tech.

If Internet speculation is to be believed, Cadillac One may actually be based on the GMC Topkick commercial truck platform and likely layers on some serious security/safety tech. When we looked at the Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman Guard, we got a peek into just how much tech (and weight) goes into making an armored limousine. We can expect Cadillac One to be similarly equipped, with a honking big engine for hauling armor-plated a** when necessary. Since we're already speculating Topkick platform, let's go ahead and assume the gasoline-powered Vortec 8.1-liter V-8 or the Duramax 6.6-liter turbo diesel V-8 will also be making an appearance.

Then again, this is President Obama we're talking about, so maybe it's a hybrid?

Natalie's Ears are Pierced

2009-01-18T17:20:00.000-08:00

Natalie got her ears pierced yesterday. What a grown up little girl. She was sooo excited and didn't cry at all which is amazing for a girl who is DEATHLY afraid of needles.

Here is another Jul-ism for ya. Today Julia was telling me how her friend from school, John, was having his birthday party. I was explaining to her how because it is Sunday and we try to keep the Sabbath Day holy, we wouldn't be able to attend John's birthday party. She smartly replied, "Oh mommy, I know... We don't do ANYthing on Sunday except go to church and go to the dump." (I guess she noticed our occasional dump runs tend to occur on Sundays). :)

When I grow up...

2009-01-17T09:37:00.000-08:00

This morning Julia said to me...

Mom, when I grow up I want to be 1 of 6 things. I want to be a:

1. Police

2. Vet

3. Lifeguard

4. Maid

5. Nurse

or a...

6. Monkey-Bar Teacher (FYI... a monkey-bar teacher is someone who teaches you how to go across the monkey bars all by yourself).

Hilights of Visiting Texas

2009-01-15T00:17:00.000-08:00

What a Glorious Sight!

There are many wonderful flavors of Blue Bell Ice Cream, the best ice-cream in the world! I bought my favorites, Dutch Chocolate, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Cookies n Cream. This was just one small hilight of visiting Texas as they don't sell Blue Bell in UT or CA. (One trick though is to go to Outback Steakhouse. They serve Blue Bell ice-cream Homemade Vanilla flavor with their desserts. You can buy Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla in bulk from Outback Steakhouse by sweet talking their food manager.)

Update on Dad

2009-01-12T23:31:00.001-08:00

My dad is doing well. He has his 2nd of 6 doses of Chemo on MLK day. I was able to visit this past weekend and had a good time with dad celebrating his 60th birthday. His Bone Marrow Biopsy came back clean and so his NHL (non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma) is a stage 3. The PET scan results came back with no involvement on the brain, heart, or liver which is good news also. He does have lymph node involvement on nodes near his trachea, chest, abdomen, and groin. Hopefully the Chemo will shrink these tumors. For dad's birthday, we went to the King Tut exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art. It was really interesting and exciting to see all these beautiful pieces that are 3000+ years old. Rachel & Michael practically ran through the maze of artifacts and were eating lunch when an hour later, mom, dad, and I finally caught up with them. We of course had to look at every single item and read every single caption about each piece. Mom pushed dad in a wheelchair throughout the exhibit so he wouldn't get too tired. Only it was a tiny wheelchair made for a kid I think. :) Poor dad had to squeeze into it. Mom also pushed people out of the way and squeezed her way up front of every piece so dad could see everything. I am sure some toes were run over. :) We were all exhausted after the day's trip walking all over the exhibit, but dad said he felt great riding in the wheelchair all day, not tired at all. Mom made Sweet n Sour pork chops over rice for dinner. Then we had cake with 60 candles on it!

Welcome Home

2009-01-08T03:51:00.000-08:00

I love Texas. I love the sunsets, the crazy thunderstorms, and the hot summers. OK... Winter is a little bland, but home is home. I'm flying to Dallas to visit my dad for his 60th birthday! His B-day is Jan. 10th. I'll be in town this evening thu Sun Jan. 11th.

Clothier Cousins

2009-01-06T04:05:00.000-08:00

Today I discovered two Clothier Cousin Blogs! My cousin Lindsey living in Utah right now and my cousin Ben living in Arizona. I love reading these blogs and keeping in touch with what you guys are all doing in your lives right now. Its a fun way to keep in touch. I have fun memories of Ben & Michael and I hanging out @ Christmas time in Arizona. Ben, your girls are beautiful! Congrats on your new little one on the way. Lindsey, I love your blog too. I agree that Math sucks! Good for you for sticking it out! :) CLICK HERE for LINDSEY'S BLOG. CLICK HERE for BEN"S BLOG.

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T00:52:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve 1997This is my great friend and former roommate Erica (Yankee Cowgirl). She's from New York and lives in Texas still. We had to work New Year's Eve of '97 for the annual murder mystery dinner theater at the Abbey Texas Cafe. It was great fun drinking our Martinelli's @ Midnight and having to clean up after the dinner party.

I usually have to work New Year's Eve. I can't remember the last New Year's I had off... Last year I worked in Trauma ICU for New Year's & it was a surprisingly quiet night. I remember my patient was this woman in her 50's dressed very nicely- cute nails, hair, and clothes. She had a BA (Blood Alcohol) of 390. That's what we call a "Professional" folks! She was picking her tiny dog up from the groomer's and had tripped in the parking lot (I wonder how she could even walk?) Anyway she had a head bleed b/c she had hit her head on the bumper of someone's pickup truck. Anyway. She was stable, just needed neuro checks all night. Oh and she also looked about 5 months pregnant because her liver was soooo huge from all her years of alcohol use.

Anyway. This New Year's Eve I was "on call" for Trauma ICU. They haven't called yet, so I guess that means I may be off the hook. I cooked a Roast with carrots and potatoes. It didn't turn out well. I think the meat I got was too tough and fatty. I know nothing about picking out meat. Hmmm.... I'll have to do better research next time. I did make pumpkin dump cake for the 2nd time this season and it turned out rather well! I serve it warm with ice-cream and whipped cream on top. Ben & I had the missionaries over for the dessert part of dinner. Then they played the World Edition of Monopoly with us. (I think I won, b/c I had the most property, but then again Elder Manuma had the most cash). We quit at around 11pm and sent the missionaries home with pumpkin dump cake (whether they liked it or not) and Martinelli's Apple-Mango.
I love Monopoly! I was so grateful to have people to play with. Thanks missionaries! Natalie & Julia watched their Barbie Diamond Castle Princess movie and got to stay up late too. Happy New Year! :)

Dad's Coming to AZ

2008-12-29T09:14:00.000-08:00

Here is Mom & Dad with Natalie & Julia @ Yellowstone in 2006.

My mom and dad, Charlene & Tom are coming to AZ to visit for New Year's. I think they will be leaving from Dallas on or about 12/30. I know they will be in Tucson visiting with Sonja and my dad's stepmom, Ruth. Dad starts Chemo today. I talked to him this morning. He has a friend in his ward, brother Prince, who brought over a juicer. Prince used to be on a health kick and just had it lying around but thought my dad might like it right now. My dad really teared up when he was telling me about how Brother Prince is loading a bunch of my dad's fav songs on an i-Pod so he can listen to them while he's getting his treatments. My dad LOVES music, especially the Beatles and various other 60's bands, so I know he'll really appreciate that. We hopefully will know the results of the PET scan later today. The PET was done last week, but b/c of the holidays we are still waiting for results. I can't believe dad's going to have Chemo today and then fly to AZ on the 30th but his Doc said that would be totally fine for him to travel. On Friday 12/26, dad had his Bone Marrow Biopsy and his Port a Cath placement. Those procedures both went well. Dad said he was sore after the Biopsy. They went in through his hip and he said his leg felt numb for a few hours, but all is well now. Thanks again for all your love and prayers! We love you dad! - Carolyn

Sledding to the ER

2008-12-27T23:45:00.000-08:00

Today we went sledding up near Baker's Ranch, just East of where we live. It was lots of fun until... Natalie went a little off track and sledded into some shrubbery. She has a few scratches on her face. I thought that 2 of them looked a little deep. That, and the fact that I couldn't get one of the pieces of wood out of her cheek made me go ahead and take her into the ER. The ER doc didn't want to mess up her face anymore than it already was, so he called in the plastic surgeon. 5 hours later the plastic Doc shows up. He dug around in her cheek for that elusive piece of wood and finally got it out. Natalie ended up with three stitches. We are hoping for no scars. :) We are supposed to keep all those scratches and cuts moist with Neosporin and followup in 6 days to remove the stitches. I am sooo grateful we have insurance, and so grateful the ER doc called in the plastic doc. Afterwards, I took Natalie out to Starbucks for their yummy Signature Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate. She loved it. We then picked up some special Barbie Band-Aids to cover up the stitches. Natalie is very embarrassed about her wounds and doesn't want to explain to ANYONE that she KNOWS about how she had to get stitches. She OK'd me blogging about it because she doesn't have to see any of you all. :) She's such a funny girl.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T15:37:00.000-08:00

It snowed last week. The girls had a wonderful day off from school to play in the snow. We are spending Christmas here in Foresthill. We plan on going Christmas Caroling tonight with Grandma & Grandpa Light and the Trimble cousins.

Our thoughts and prayers are with my dad. He was recently diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He's already had one tumor removed has lots of procedures scheduled for this week. He had and echo-cardiogram done last Friday and a PET scan on Monday and he's awaiting the results. The initial CT scan showed lymph node involvement in the neck, chest, and groin, but the PET scan results will be much more specific. The official diagnosis is Diffuse Large-B Cell non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Dad will have a bone marrow biopsy done on Dec. 26th. He's also met with the surgeon who will place his port a cath that will be used for Chemotherapy treatments. Chemo should start on or around Dec. 29th. Dad seems to be handling the news well. Rachel described dad as being pretty "chill" about the whole situation. We love you dad. I'll see ya soon. :)

10cm, Didn't Want to Wait for the Doc

2008-12-22T23:45:00.000-08:00

I delivered a baby this morning. The Doc showed up about 5 minutes later. For those of you who don't know: I am an L&D nurse, among other things. I work part time at a small hospital. My patient was having her 2nd baby. She came in at about 3-4cm around 2am.... really wanting an epidural. Well, by the time I admitted her, got her IV started, called the CRNA for the epidural, it was about 3:15am and she was 5cm. She then screams, "I need to push!" She's complete (10cm) of course... There was one other Fantastic nurse & our Awesome OB tech on. We called the Doc, who's about 10 minutes away, and RT (respiratory therapy). I donned the sterile gloves and assumed catching position. Sure enough, a beautiful baby girl born @ 3:25am. Our CRNA arrived just when I was cutting the cord and said, "I guess you don't want an epidural... (she looks around the room and sees Me, RN #2, & OB tech)... Hey do you need me to call someone about that? (pointing at the baby).. " Doc arrived about 5 minutes later. RT arrived a few minutes after the Doc. Hmmmm. We were lucky. Baby was 2 weeks overdue, weighed 8-11, and had thick meconium. She came out screaming. It was a good outcome. :) That's what I call a precipitous delivery if ever there was one. That makes baby #3 for me, I think...

Baptism Day

2008-11-29T23:55:00.000-08:00

Natalie's Baptism Day. Here she is all dressed up.

Natalie with her Dad.

This was the program for the Baptism.

Here we are together: dad, mom, Nat, & Juls.

We are so pleased with the decision you have made, Natalie, to follow the Savior's example and be baptized a member of His Church. I know that if you choose the right and try always to be like Christ, you will truly find happiness and eternal life. We love you so much, Natalie. --Love, Mom & Dad

A Thanksgiving Engagement 2008

2008-11-27T22:00:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving 2008!! The Nichols Family (mom, dad, Michael, Rachel, & Jen) all flew in for Thanksgiving & Natalie's Baptism. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving hosted by Grandma Janeal Light. I brought a Ham with home-made Dr Pepper glaze. I also made fresh green beans almondine and a jello pretzel salad. Oh, & I picked up a delish pecan pie from Sam's Club. :) It was a great dinner. Jen did a great job helping me get all the dishes prepared in time. She is a great cook!

Jen also had wonderful news for Thanksgiving. She just got engaged to a wonderful man (Mike). We haven't met him yet, but we hope to soon. Mike stayed in Provo for Thanksgiving. Jen's ring is beautiful. She is so excited and we spent most of the week discussing wedding locations... (In 3 days, the location changed from Houston temple, to Oakland temple, to Sacramento temple, and Dallas temple.) Last I heard, the wedding will be late April or early May in the Dallas temple. Jen & Mike, we are so happy for you! Congratulations!!!

Natalie's Birthday Party

2008-11-22T23:45:00.000-08:00

Natalie had her birthday party with lots of screaming little girls. It was fun. We made beaded bracelets. Then we watched a movie, "Casper Meets Wendy." The girls seemed to like it. We fed them popcorn, pizza, and punch. Those girls can really put away food! After the movie, we had cake and ice-cream and opened presents. I think Natalie and all her friends really had a good time. She told me it was the best birthday party ever!!! So she is officially 8 years old now!!! And such a sweet little princess. :)

Happy Anniversary

2008-11-19T23:55:00.000-08:00

Ben & I were married 9 years ago in the Dallas Texas Temple. We are madly in love. I can't believe it has been 9 years. Time flies when your having fun! I love you hon. You are the most wonderful husband in the world. You definitely 'had me from hello'. --Yours eternally, Moi

Happy Birthday Natalie

2008-11-16T22:19:00.000-08:00

Natalie is 8 years old! Happy birthday princess. You were a very cute and very LOUD baby. I think LOUD babies have strong spirits.

Your blessing day was Dec. 10th, 2000.

Your Dad gave you a name & blessing: Natalie Renee Light. (Your name was almost Sydney Renee Light because we really enjoyed the Sydney Summer Olympics that year 2000... but Natalie means 'Christmas Child' & we eventually agreed on that.)

Natalie & Daddy napping on a Sunday Afternoon. (I think you are about 4 months old in this pic).

Here you are all dressed up in St Patrick's Day green. You are about 4 months here also.

Here you are competing in the Memorial Day Hula-Hoop contest. You are 2 and 1/2 years old. This was taken May 2003. You are such a sweet, funny girl. You love to make people laugh! You are a very kind and loving sister to Julia!
And here you are today, all grown up! We love you Natalie... :)

Natalie's Baptism

2008-11-08T15:28:00.000-08:00

We took pictures today of Natalie in her baptism dress. She is very excited about her big day. We are planning for Saturday, November 29th for her baptism. Thanks Grandma Charlene for making the beautiful dress. Natalie feels like a princess! Julia has been practicing her baptism song that she will sing for the past several months. Thanks also to Grandma Janeal who will accompany Julia on the piano. I am so happy for Natalie and the wonderful choice she has made to be baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Happy Birthday Baby!

2008-11-05T21:49:00.000-08:00

Isn't he cute? Ben is now 31 years old! He's turning into an old man. Happy Birthday babe. We love you!

Our new Prez

2008-11-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

I love politics. I love the election season. It was a good race. I believe in democracy and this truly was an historic election. Congrats O'Bama! Kinda sounds Irish eh?

Prop 8 appears to have passed! Yeah!!!! We worked hard on this initiative.

Apple Hill

2008-11-01T23:45:00.000-07:00

Here are River, Julia, Sky, & Natalie in front of a giant pumpkin! We went to Apple Hill today. It was a little chilly and rainy and therefore not very crowded. We picked up some apples, apple cider, apple donuts, hot chocolate, and looked at all the fun crafts. We went with the Rosenberg Family and they are experts on Apple Hill. They knew the best farms to go to and and best places to buy certain apples. It was fun to be with them. :)

Later, Ben & I went to a pre-Holiday party at Dr. Kaufman's house. We had fun playing blackjack at the party. We won a gift certificate to the FireHouse Restaurant in Sacramento. I've never been there so we'll let you know how it is when we go. (Yes I got my hair cut!) :)

Halloween

2008-10-31T23:45:00.000-07:00

The girls had fun on Halloween. Natalie dressed up as a "pretty" witch. Julia was an adorable cuddle bug / lady bug. They were both so cute! We live in such a rural area, that we go into 'town' to go trick-or-treating. All the businesses in town hand out candy and we end up running into all of their little friends in town. It was great fun!

Natalie & Julia trick-or-treating in 'town' with their friends!

Protect Marriage!

2008-10-20T20:45:00.000-07:00

Robb & Robin Wirthlin Interview. - Thank you for having a voice!

We met Robb & Robin on our Family Reunion Trip to Yellowstone in '06. They are great people. Our kids got chased by a bear! Good times. :)

Prop 8 in plain English

Our Trip to UT

2008-10-16T18:33:00.000-07:00

Emily, Nat, & Juls

Sweet little Max!

Max's Cake - Great job Heather!!!

I've been so busy and haven't made the time to write. We were able to drive to UT for Billy and Shauna's wedding. We all had such a great time visiting with family. We left Thursday afternoon and arrived late at my awesome cousin Julie's house. Thanks again Nancy, Ariel, and Julie for letting us stay for two nights!

Natalie & Julia loved playing with the Wii and meeting the mysterious Ariel. I swear Natalie & Julia thought that Ariel was a mermaid with red hair!

On Friday, we were able to visit with the Asp Family. Kim used to be Natalie's pre-school teacher. Natalie & Julia were able to play with Emily and Ella and paint some pictures. Thank you Kim for watching the girls while Ben & I attended a temple session at Timpanogos Temple with Billy, Shauna, and lots of family.

We then attended Billy and Shauna's wedding at Casa Hatfieldadelphia Art Gallery. It was beautiful to see Billy and Shauna so happy with their wonderful children. I just loved snapping pics before the ceremony of all the cousins so happy playing and excited and dressed soooo cute.

We spent the night Friday night again at Julie's house. On Saturday morning, Ben watched a knife demonstration with Nancy! Facinating.... that's all I have to say about that..... Then Julie treated us all to breakfast at the new Paradise Bakery in American Fork. It was great.

On Saturday afternoon, the Light family all met at the Lehi Rec Center for indoor swimming and water park fun. Again I had tons of fun snapping pics of all the cousins playing. It was sooo fun for all.

Saturday evening, Billy and Shauna treated the Light family to an incredible Homemade Chicken Enchilada dinner. Great, great, great dinner. Billy also made a fantastic Chocolate Fudge Cake for us. It was incredible. We spent the night at Billy and Shauna's house on Saturday night.

Sunday morning we headed back towards California and were able to stop by Heather & Joey's house for little Max's 1st Birthday party. Max was sooo cute and loved his cake so much. The girls had fun watching Max open his presents and play with all their cousins.

We got home Sunday evening. We enjoyed our entire trip and loved visiting with all our family.

Congratulations Billy and Shauna

2008-10-11T07:21:00.000-07:00

We are so happy for you both. Congratulations to you and your beautiful family Kylee, Kayden, Bradley, Tyler, Haley, and Paige. We love you all and are so glad we could celebrate in your special day.

You Are So Lucky!

2008-10-05T03:40:00.001-07:00

One morning this past summer, Natalie climbed into bed with us and snuggled up with her dad. She began to tell him about her dream. She says, "Daddy, I had the best dream last night! I dreamed my teddy bear came to life and was flying through the air. Then my teddy bear held my hand and I was able to fly through the air! It was the best dream I've ever had in my whole life!" Ben then says, "I had a really great dream too. I dreamed my little girl crawled into bed with me to snuggle and woke me up!" Natalie's eyes got really BIG.... She looked at her dad in amazement... and said, "Dad, YOU are SOOOO lucky! Your DREAM CAME TRUE!" Her amazement in the fact that just maybe... her dream might come true too. :)

Natalie Field Trip to Auburn Journal

2008-09-19T23:04:00.000-07:00

http://www.auburnjournal.com/detail/93233.html

Read about Natalie's Field Trip to the Auburn Journal! :) Natalie is in the back row, center, with a blue t-shirt.

It was the horse's fault!

2008-09-18T21:00:00.000-07:00

Natalie & Julia went horseback riding a few weeks ago. It was the first time for both. Brother Brown & Brother Dickson brought their horses to the Branch Campout and let the youth each have a turn.

Julia, Natalie & cousin Ally

Here Julia and Natalie at the lake. Natalie actually was able to kayak all the way across the lake all by herself! I had a hard time keeping up with her!

Palin & Hillary Address the Nation on SNL

2008-09-15T19:43:00.000-07:00

I laughed so hard. Spot on Palin impression by Tina Fey. I loved it!!! Enjoy.... Click HERE to watch!

The Case for Proposition 8

2008-09-15T01:34:00.000-07:00

I will try to be concise, but I am so passionate about this issue.

California voters passed Proposition 22 in 2000 by more than 61%, saying that a marriage in California is between a man and a woman. Earlier this year, four activist judges based in San Francisco wrongly overturned the people's vote, legalizing same-sex marriage.

The Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage did not just overturn the will of California voters; it also redefined marriage for the rest of society, without ever asking the people themselves to accept this decision. This decision has far-reaching consequences.

Vote YES on Proposition 8 to overturn the outrageous Supreme Court decision and restore the definition of marriage that was approved by over 61% of voters.

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/the-divine-institution-of-marriage

The Divine Institution of Marriage article in the above link discusses the LDS church's position and gives some great insight as to Tolerance, Same-Sex Marriage and Religious Freedom.

Even if you don't live in California, you can donate to Protect Marriage and contribute to the passing of Prop 8. As goes California, so goes the rest of the country.... At some point your state will face this issue as many states already have.

Below is a great video discussing the ramifications in changing the definition of marriage, specifically referring to Prop 8. This video was made by the American Family Association.

(Click on the below link to watch the video in high quality).. http://www.afa.net/prop8video/index.html

School Pics 2008

2008-09-12T15:59:00.001-07:00

The girls got their school pics back today.

I think they turned out well! :)

Natalie 2nd Grade Mrs. Lambert

Julia Kindergarten Mr. Brown

Palin

2008-09-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

The more I hear about her and get to know her, the more I like her. I am excited to vote Republican this fall!

Julia Dances

2008-09-07T20:15:00.000-07:00

My mom likes to find old VHS movies at the thrift store and give them to the girls to watch. This old Mary-Kate and Ashley video is a hit with Julia. She loves it!!!!!! The video Julia is watching is Your Invited to Mary-Kate and Ashley's Sleepover Party. Her favorite song is Dare to Dance.... (She even sings along!!)

Where's Lake Tahoe?? What Water??

2008-08-31T20:03:00.000-07:00

Ben takes Julia out on the kayak!
Ben, Natalie, & Julia getting ready to jump off rocks!
Julia and mommy kayaking... I love the crystal clear blue water!!
Natalie & Julia... August 2008 Lake Tahoe...
Aunt Jennifer @ Lake Tahoe

We took Aunt Jennifer with us to Lake Tahoe when she was here visiting. We were able to swim and kayak. It was a beautiful day. We all had a great time. :) Julia's quote of the day ..... We were unloading the kayaks and putting up our pop up shelter right in front of the water of Lake Tahoe. Julia says, "Daddy... where's Lake Tahoe?" Ben says, "Don't you see all that water there?" Julia says, "What water??"

Oh, And Ben yells @ Natalie in this clip as she attempts to flip over my Kayak!!!

Vacation Week

2008-08-30T19:48:00.000-07:00

Jennifer came to visit for the week. We spent a day in San Francisco. We had fun shopping, eating, and riding around on the trolley cars. What a beautiful city!!!

Carolyn & Jen on the trolley car in San Fran....

This photo was taken while we were riding the trolley car. In the background is the Bay Bridge.

I love this pic. We were on the trolley car as we were passing another trolley car. The cars pass soooo closely together and some people were 'high fiving' each other as we passed by! The people on both trolley cars had to squeeze in close so they wouldn't knock each other off.

Jen smiles on the trolley car...

Jen shopping in Chinatown...

Carolyn just finishing dinner in Chinatown...

Jennifer just finishing dinner in Chinatown...

Jennifer just with Bay Bridge in the background in Chinatown.

The whole time we were there, everywhere we turned... there were tourists from Europe. We went on a Monday. It was just packed with people. I've never seen it so crowded. The trolley car driver told us we were the first Americans he had seen all week. Just tons of people from France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, etc.. The weakness of our dollor makes visiting San Fran a bargain for Europeans. We had sooo much fun.

First Day of School

2008-08-19T22:57:00.000-07:00

Today was Julia's first day of school starting Kindergarten. She was sooo excited. Natalie started 2nd grade today as well. It was a great day. They both got to ride the bus to school. I met the girls up at school & walked them to class.

Julia all ready for her first day of school in Mr Brown's class.

Natalie is ready for her first day of 2nd grade in Mrs Lambert's class.

These sisters are best friends... :)
Waiting for the school bus.... :)
As soon as the bus was pulling up. Julia started running towards it. So basically she almost got hit by the school bus on her first day of school. The poor bus driver almost had a heart attack... So what we learned today.... Never step off the curb until the bus stops & opens its doors... :)

We are ready for school!!!!

Julia Light (the next Nastia Liukin) .... :)

I remember my first day of school in Tucson Arizona at the Carden School. I remember my strawberry shortcake lunchbox. My dad had written me a note on a 3x5 card and wrapped it around a piece of candy. I thought it was a piece of trash and threw it away. :( Dad asked me how my candy was when I got home & I was sooo disappointed!

I made the girls their lunches the night before. Natalie had PB&J and Julia Turkey & Cheese. Julia was very nervous. Ben gave both the girls special Father's Blessings for Family Night on Monday night, the night before school started. It seemed to help. The girls both had a good day. Julia's teacher, Mr Brown, asked a few of the kids how they felt about starting kindergarten. Julia announced to the entire class that she felt sick to her stomach because she was so nervous. She also warned everyone that when she gets nervous, she throws up! Good Times..... Luckily, she didn't throw up today. :)

Then after school, we went to gymnastics. The girls are starting at Auburn Gymnastics with their old coach Natalie Otis. She recently bought her own gym! They had a blast. Natalie has Natalie as her coach again. Julia has Ms Cheryl as her coach. They both did great! It was soo fun to watch them. Julia loves her new leotard. She thinks it makes her look like an Olympic Gymnast. She posed a bit for some pic before we left the house.

Champs Swim Meet

2008-08-03T21:42:00.000-07:00

The girls had their last swim meet of the season yesterday. The Champs Meet had all the teams in our league there swimming. Not sure who won the meet, but Natalie & Julia had some personal best times! They both did awesome. What a fun day. I will post some more pics soon.

Julia got her trophy today. I was sleeping because I worked last night. She came running into my room and saying, "Mommy, mommy, look @ my trophy! I'm going to hold it straight up in the air like this (she holds her trophy up high) so I look like a CHAMPION!" Soooo cute.

As I was getting a drink from the fridge, I saw something strange hiding in the corner in the back of the fridge. I moved the milk aside.... Someone strategically hid their stuffed penguin behind the milk! Hmmmm.... I'm guessing Natalie. She likes to place stuffed animals in their more natural habitats. Penguins like it cold. I see the logic! I'll post some pics later.

I am loving Breaking Dawn. It is very addicting, hard to put down!

--Carolyn

Foresthill Swim Meet!!

2008-07-26T15:23:00.001-07:00

Natalie & Julia had a swim meet today. They both did awesome!

Little 5 yr old Julia swam in 4 events today!

Julia swam in the Girls 6 & Under 25 yard Freestyle and placed 7th with a time of 1:00!

She also swam in the Girls 6 & Under 25 yard Backstroke for the first time & placed 5th with a time of 2:07.

I have to say Julia's best stroke is the Butterfly. She swam in the Girls 6 & Under 25 yard Butterfly and placed 5th with a new personal best time of 1:02 shaving 5 seconds off her time!

Julia also swam the Girls 6 & Under 25 yard Breaststroke placing 6th with a time of 1:05 (also a new personal best) shaving 6 seconds off her time! We are so proud of her. She tries so hard to do her best!

Julia gets ready to swim. Coach Kendra gives last minute advice!

Julia swims the Butterfly!

Julia swims Breaststroke.

Natalie waiting to swim in her Relay Race with her beautiful smile. :)

7 year old Natalie did a great job today! She swam Breaststroke in the 7-8 yr old 100 Yd Medley Relay. Her team placed 3rd with a total time of 2:16.

Natalie also swam the Girls 7-8 25 Yd Freestyle placing 7th with new personal best time of 36.54 (shaving 3 secs off her old time)!

Natalie's best event is the Breaststroke! She swam the Girls 7-8 25 Yd Breaststoke placing 4th with a new personal best time of 39.84 (shaving 1 sec off her old time)!

When Natalie is swimming she smiles the whole time and likes to look around to see how she is doing compared to everyone else! It is soooo great!

Natalie stretches before a race! Look @ that smile....

Natalie swims the Breaststroke :)

Julia dries off in between events. :)

Julia and her friend Joe.

What a fun day. Our cousins the Trimbles' were there racing and Grandma & Grandpa Light were there to cheer us all on. Good times....

Aunt Tonya with cousin Tanner.

Tanner poses for a pic!

Grandpa Keith & Grandma Janeal Light

Carolyn & Ben also swam in the parents race against the kids. It was a 200 Yd Freestyle. Ben wore his new Speedo just for the occasion! :) We had 2 parent relay teams and 2 kid relay teams. Our team came in 3rd out of the 4 teams!

Carolyn's ready to swim in the parent relay race.

Ben's waiting for Carolyn to finish so he can GO!!

Carolyn & Ben :)

Interesting She-Shells @ Monterey Bay

2008-07-15T23:38:00.000-07:00

Ben was able to dive in the kelp forest. Here's a pic at the aquarium of a kelp forest. It feels like sea-weed and lots of fish live around the forest. Ben said that this is what it looked like as he was diving in the kelp forest.

I took the girls whale watching at Monterey Bay while Ben was diving. In the above pic, Julia and Natalie are excited to see some whales! It was a great day. We saw several humpback whales, dolphins, sea otters, and jellyfish. At the beach, the girls got to hold some starfish and hunt for sea shells. Some how my car now smells like fish?? Not quite sure what happened there.

Ben is getting ready to enter the cold water. Monterey Bay was a warm 59 degrees last Saturday. Ben is now officially certified as an SSI open water diver. Ben saw lots of cool fish life. The kelp forest plays host to sea otters, starfish, crabs, and lots of other cool fish yet to be identified.... :)

Natalie was chosen to be in a little Sea Otter game show at Monterey Bay Aquarium. She won a CFL light-bulb! Wow..... She was thrilled. Then she asked, "Why do they give away light bulbs as prizes? How does a light bulb save a sea otter???"

She did learn that all storm drains lead to the ocean.... Washing your car in your driveway apparently can kill sea otters. . . . The swim team just had a car wash fundraiser. Natalie asked me why the stingray swim team would have a car wash that killed sea otters? ? ? I don't have an answer for that one.

Natalie & Julia playing at the beach...