Stress

Since this blog is supposed to capture our life, I figured it would be good to acknowledge that with all the fun and good times we have, there is also times of difficulty and stress. The first thing that happened recently is, that despite being a solid performer at work, I was not given a merit increase because I got a significant bump last year. As you can imagine, I was not happy about it. I wasn't expecting a lot but it is a blow when you get nothing. It's hard to enjoy and be motivated in your job when you don't feel valued, especially when they keep asking you to take on more work with less resources and for less pay. It's hard to feel like I'm not being taken advantage of. They also made me start going to an office full time which is more personal expense and more time away from the boys.
It's been ten years with the bank but I am getting the impression that I should be looking for a new job.  

A few weeks ago, after completing blood work and an ultrasound on my thyroid, I was given a preliminary diagnosis of Hashimotos. This is an autoimmune disease where my body attacks my thyroid and it ultimately stops producing what it should causing me to have hypothyroidism. I'm going to see the Endocrinologist next month for additional testing and for a biopsy on four nodules that they found in the ultrasound. I've been having neck pain and have been extremely tired so I'm hoping once this is all sorted out, that I'll feel better. 

We made a plan for our backyard landscaping that we were very excited about. It includes a pool, grass area and a fireplace. It is something we've been wanting to do for a while and finally started getting bids to do it. We have to get a home equity line of credit to make it happen. In that process, our house was appraised and unfortunately appraised for less than we were expecting. Frankly, I'm certain that the appraiser was lazy and didn't get the comps that were right for our house. As a result, we didn't get the amount of loan we wanted. Now, it's back to the drawing board. So very frustrating.

The most stressful and concerning challenge we are facing just surfaced this week. We have noticed that Logan has developed a tic. It is a motor (head and eyes) and vocal tic (grunt). As a parent, watching this and not knowing anything about anything about it, is an incredibly scary thing to face. There are a lot of unknowns at this point. When I ask him why his neck moves that way and if he's making his neck do that or if it just happens he replies with, "God just made me this way." My heart breaks for him. I have no idea what this means or what our plan is but it's stressful not knowing it or having answers. The good thing is that it appears to be a minor tic and doesn't seem to bother him. 

I know all of these things will pass and will be resolved somehow. Rick has been doing a good job of trying to help me stay focused on the things I can control and do so in the right time. I don't mind being busy but when there are stresses like this that our out of my control, it makes it much harder for me to mentally manage it all. This is life. I am just trying to focus on our upcoming spring break trip to Florida that I am really excited about.

Happy Valentine's Day

Because Valentine's day was on a Sunday this year, I felt like we got to turn it into a weekend long celebration.  The boys both had Valentine's day parties in class at school on Friday, which included a card/candy exchange. On Saturday, we had a special Valentine's family dinner at PF Chang's.  We dressed up, and told the boys we were going to a fancy dinner. Luckily we had reservations so we didn't have to wait at all and the boys were on their best behavior. They were engaged, happy and ate really well. It was a very successful night out for us. On Sunday, after church, the I was able to give the boys a little Valentine's Day present.  We also made a ton of chocolate covered strawberries to give to friends and neighbors. Since Monday was a holiday, we got to enjoy a long three day weekend, which is always a wonderful thing in my book.

I am so blessed to have three cute, smart, funny and precious boys in my life. I love their hugs, kisses and snuggles.

 I got to attend Logan's class party to help with the activities. I always love spending time with him at school. 

 He made his Valentine's Day mail carrier hat to wear as he delivered his cards to his friends. 

 Graphing heart candy. 

 Logan read a book about this cat and then painted his picture. Apparently he likes Ashlee. 

 He was so excited about all the goodies he got from his friends. Once he got home from school we dumped out his bag and read each card. 

 This was a painting activity he did in school that day. 

 My adorable boys outside of PF Chang's. 

 Family picture. 

 At church on Sunday, Logan passed Lincoln this note that said, "I love him." Then Lincoln wrote back, "I love you too!" Then Logan replied with, " You are nis (nice)." It made this mom's heart very happy and thankful for the times when they actually show love and kindness to each other. 

 A glimpse at some of the strawberries I made. They were yummy!

 Lincoln has been really into NFL football and has started collecting the cards. He put them into a binder and reads them every day.  I knew getting him several packs of cards was the way to his heart this Valentine's day. 

 Logan had this monorail train a couple years ago and broke it. He refused to throw the pieces away so we've had the broken monorail laying around the house. I knew when I was on my recent trip to Disneyland that I had to get him another one and Valentine's day was the perfect day to give it to him.  

Since we had Monday off we took advantage of the unscheduled afternoon and headed to the movies to see Kung Fu Panda 3.  The boys both really liked it and as a parent, it was pretty easy to watch. 

Girls Disneyland Trip

My friends and I have been talking about a girls trip to Disneyland for a long time. We decided that we were finally just going to plan it, and go. It ended up being Kristy, Kareth, me and Bam Bam- who had only been to Disneyland once and it was over 25 years ago. It was going to be a quick trip but packed with fun and laughter. We left Sunday morning, planning a stop at the Cabazon Outlets for lunch and shopping. By the time we got there, it was freezing cold and pouring rain. Not sprinkling; it was raining cats and dogs. We couldnt believe that the one time that we all actually planned to stop there (after driving by it year after year with our kids and never getting to stop) that it was such terrible weather. We made the most of it and managed to still hit a dozen stores and pick up a few cute things. 

We arrived in Anaheim in time to check in at the hotel and head to Downtown Disney for shopping and dinner at Naples.  We started Monday morning bright and early with breakfast in DTD before park opening. We couldn't believe how cold it was. We were bundled up with several layers and tried to take advantage of whatever sun we could get. We met mom at the main entrance and we got through the main gate right at park opening.  We immediately headed to Indiana Jones for our first ride of the day. We completed all the rides in Adventureland, Frontierland, Tomorrowland and a handful of the classics in Fantasyland. We also got to see the Paint the Night parade. We hopped over to DCA and experienced all of the big rides there too. We had lunch at the bakery and saw the Pixar parade. Because Bam Bam had only been once many years ago, everything was new to her so we tried to cram as much in as possible and allow her to experience everything from churros to the Tower of Terror. The only ride she skipped was the Mickey Roller Coaster but she hung out with mom while Kristy and Kareth and I went on it.

We ended the night with shopping  in Disneyland and after park closing we had dinner at Tortilla Joe's in Downtown Disney. By the end of the night we were absolutely exhausted. We were cold, sore and beyond tired. We all slept very well that night. Tuesday morning we got up early, grabbed some Starbucks for breakfast and started the drive home. We made it home in time for me to shower and get ready for my tennis match at 6:00 pm that evening.

I am so glad to have fun, wonderful friends that I am able to bond and create lasting memories with. The trip couldn't have gone any better, except if it wasn't raining at the outlets. We had such a great time. I missed my boys and so glad the Ricky was able to keep things going at home so I could have some much needed girl time! 

 Dark and gloomy drive to CA. 

 Even though I love to spend time with the girls, I missed my boys!  Things like this were a constant reminder of my cuties back home. 

 At breakfast. Excited for the fun day ahead and trying to stay warm. 

 Mainstreet USA

 We rode Big Thunder Mountain twice - once from the front and the second time from the back. The family of boys behind us were glad they got to photo bomb our picture since they also rode Indy with us. 

 Celebrating Disneyland's Diamond anniversary. 

I love this ride and laughed so hard my stomach hurt. Kareth was terrified, Bam had no idea what to expect and Kristy just smiled. It was classic.

 Enjoying the Toy Story soldiers shortly before the Pixar parade. 

 Great photo spot and unfortunately the Cars ride was down so we had to catch it later that night. 

 Floats from the Paint the Night parade.

January Fun

January felt like it came and went so quickly but we also managed to squeeze in a lot of fun. There was so much going on and we were getting back into our regular schedule post holidays. Here's a little peak at some of what took place.

 Logan's teacher sent me this picture of Logan. It was jersey day at school and it was also the 100th day of school so they were doing activities about 100. 

 Logan is our resident clown. He is naturally quite funny and always willing to get attention and entertain.  This is what he did when he was spending time in the studio with daddy. 

 Lincoln's class went on a field trip to the Musical Instrument Museum. I was bummed that I wasn't picked to chaperone but hope I can on the next one. 

 The boys have been to monster jam before but Logan was too young to remember and Lincoln didn't remember much.  They are at a perfect age to take them and this year it was at Cardinal Stadium so it was extra easy for us to get there. 

 They were very into it and super excited for each event. 

 This little foam car came with the cotton candy (that I actually spent $15 on!) so I was really glad when Logan leaned over to me at one point in the night and said, "thanks mom for buying me this truck. I really love it!" It made the sting of the price a little easier to deal with...and he really did play with it the entire night. 

 I love the pick truck.  She was the first truck to do a flip in freestyle round. 

By the end of the night there were several crashed up trucks on the track, including Grave Digger, who won the night. 

Good Grades = Good Dinner

As a part of an ongoing deal with the boys, if they get good grades in school, then we can go out for a fun and fancy dinner. The last two times they have chosen to go to Hayashi. They love the food their and have the added bonus of watching it be cooked right in front of them. It is always a fun experience and they are so well behaved. I'm so proud of them both for doing so well in school and trying hard.

Birthday Celebration With the Girls

It is a tradition that the Fab Five get together for a special activity for each one of our birthdays. We started out with simple fun dinners but that has morphed into creating a memorable adventure with the girls instead of just dinner. This year, for my birthday, we went to the Wrigley Mansion for lunch and a tour. It was a mid-day activity and unfortunately Debbie couldn't make it at the last minute. None of us had ever been there before so it was a new experience for all of us. We had a delicious lunch with a view overlooking the Phoenix valley.  After lunch we were given a tour of the mansion that Mr. Wrigley (from the chewing gum company) lived in for a month or so out of each year. It was their fifth home and used typically in the winter months. The place was massive and I was quite impressed how much of the original furniture and artifacts were still left in the home.

After the tour we were treated to a yummy chocolate cake for dessert as we watched the sun set. We of course took a ton of pictures, laughed until our sides hurt and eyes watered and made some great memories. It was such a wonderful day to celebrate and spend time with my friends.

Here is a little history on the place:
Wrigley Mansion, a breathtaking landmark originally constructed in 1932 by chewing gum personality William Wrigley Jr., was thoughtfully designed as a 50th anniversary gift to his beloved wife. Once sold by the Wrigley family in 1973, it changed hands several times. In 1992, as the city of Phoenix was planning to tear it down to make room for condos, the late Geordie Hormel and his wife Jamie fell in love with the property and purchased it. Together they restored it with the intention of sharing its inherent magic with everyone.

 Kristy, Bam, Me and Kareth

 Lunch table

 This is the original Steinway player piano now worth approximately 24 million dollars. 

 This is the first player piano to play more than two songs. It plays ten.

 View of Camelback Mountain.