Sick Sucks

Since I know many of you are dying to know, yes I ate the steak on Sunday. I had to cut it up super small, but it was wonderful!

Changing subjects. Do you remember when you were little and being sick used to be fun? Well, as fun as it could be. It was nice to have a break from school where you could watch movies all day and mom would bring you sprite and soup. Well I have decided that being sick is not fun anymore! As nice as it is to have the occasional day off work, lay in your pajamas, and catch up on movies; being sick is boring! I haven't exactly been "well" since surgery because of additional illnesses...yippee. But I have spent a decent amount of time the last couple months at home in bed. Its not fun. I never thought I'd say this, but I'd rather be at work. There is nothing worse than being at home all day and not being able to do anything. If I had any energy I could at least get some laundry done; instead I just feel useless. This is a new feeling for me. I used to enjoy lazy days. Interesting.

The particular reason I am ranting is since Monday I have had a difficult time keeping things down. So of course I have no energy to battle it. Resulting in my doctor telling me if I can't stop throwing up, they will have to give me an IV. The one thing in the world I hate more than ironing. I can't help but think of my poor nephew Joshua when he had to go to Primary Childrens for the same thing. I am doing better today and don't think it will actually come to that, but I've decided I'm going back to work tomorrow. Being sick is just too boring.

My Cute Kids

I see such cute pictures of people's kids and new babies on their blogs lately and decided I need to post some pictures. Until Matt and I create one of our own, these are some cute pictures we've taken lately of our babies.
P.S. For those of you new to my blog, when the writing is in pink its me talking, when it is blue you are hearing from Matt.

Sobaka the explorer

Helping Grandma with the gardening

Kutse doing what she does best...running!

Look mom--I killed it! Aren't you proud?

Finally!

I have been such a terrible blogger lately! I read my sister's, my aunt's, and a couple friends' blogs all the time and I think "I need to get better at that". So here is my new goal: I will write in my blog at least once a week no matter how short it may be. I've also decided to veer slightly away from our original intentions with this blog. I still love sharing our experiences as we learn and grow and have fun together, but sometimes I just want to write about what's going on. Especially since I don't see friends and old roommates as often as I used to.

It has now been two months since my surgery and I am feeling tons better! I can open my mouth about 35mm...as opposed to the 16mm pre-surgery. The average woman's mouth-span is 40mm so only 5 to go! Woo-hoo! I've also got to say, I love physical therapy!!! Every time I go I leave feeling so great! My physical therapist specializes with jaw recovery and he is amazing. He does these exercises with me, massages my jaw and face and does some heat treatments that help me feel tons better. I am finally nearing the point when I can eat most foods again. My goal is steak and Sunday night we are having it for my mom's birthday...so we'll see how it goes. After steak, my next step is carrots and dip. Never knew how much I loved carrots until going on almost 6 months without them.

Matt and I are doing well, for all those who feel like we've been MIA lately. I have the best husband in the world, who has been taking care of lots of extra housework and cooking while I make this long and slow recovery. We've been dealing with tons of crap from the insurance company who has decided they want to pay none of my surgery costs. Excellent. =P Our second appeal hearing is on September 22nd, so wish us luck!

Surgery

Well, I know that it's been a while and it's totally my fault this time. What finally prompted to get an entry written was Stacy's surgery. She had her surgery yesterday and it was a complete success. For those of you that don't know, Stacy's been suffering from TMJ for several years now, but about three months her jaw locked up and it has been locked since. We went to our family doctor who sent us to our dentist who sent us to an oral surgeon. After looking at Stacy's jaw he told us that she has the most sever case of TMJ that he has ever seen in 12 years. He ordered some CAT scans and after taking a look at those he felt that surgery would be the best option. Stacy went into surgery yesterday at about noon and got out about an hour and a half later. They had to reshape the cartilage on the right side and reposition it inbetween her jaw and her skull. The left side was better news. The joint and the cartilage looked good and all there was was some inflamation. About an hour or two after surgery they let her go home. Right after I got her home and into bed she looked up at me and told me that she had changed her mind and that she didn't want to have surgery any more. Poor girl. She was feeling pretty cruddy yesterday, but today she seems to be doing better. Sadly, I couldn't stay with her because I couldn;t take the time off of work. Thankfully, our good friend Breezy said that she'd spend the day with Stacy and take care of her. Thanks again Breezy. You're the best and we love you. And so as not to leave anyone else out, there were several people who offered to look after Stacy, make food, and take care of the dogs. We want you all to know how much we love and appreciate all of the phone calls, text messeges, prayers, and concern for Stacy from both friends and family alike. We love you all so much and we don't know what we'd do without you. We also want to say thank you to Dr. Blaine Austin, the oral surgeonwho preformed the surgery.

If there's anyone else out there that's suffering from TMJ or think that you may have TMJ, below are some other sites with some pretty good information:

The TMJ Association
EMedicineHealth
Consumer Guide to Dentistry
MedicineNet.com
MayoClinic.com

Tagged

I have been tagged by both Kristine and Bonnie, so I thought it was about time I responded.

Have you ever...
Gone on a blind date? (Yes, only once)
Skipped school? (Yes and got caught)
Watched someone die? (No)
Been to Canada? (No, I had the chance and it fell through. But I was only 45 minutes away…)
Been to Mexico? (No. Why must you keep rubbing it in that I haven’t been out of the country?)
Been to Florida? (Yes! And willing to go back. Road trip anyone?)
Been on a plane? (Yes)
Been lost? (Yes, many times but they always ended in some beautiful car rides.)
Been on the opposite side of the country? (Yes)
Gone to Washington, D.C.? (Yes, one of my fav places in the world!)
Swam in the ocean? (Yes, I love it! I actually prefer the Atlantic though)
Cried yourself to sleep? (Yes)
Played cops and robbers? (Last night, how’d you know?)
Recently colored with crayons? (Yes, hurray for primary callings!)
Sang Karaoke? (Yes, fat chance ever hearing it again.)
Paid for a meal with coins only? (Yes, Breakfast at work - aka soda and candy)
Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? (Probably?)
Made prank phone calls? (Yes and got caught. I wasn’t a very sneaky child.)
Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose? (No, but I’ve seen it. Gross!)
Caught a snowflake on your tongue? (Yes)
Danced in the rain? (Of course!)
Written a letter to Santa Claus? (Again, Probably?)
Been kissed under the mistletoe? (Yes)
Watched the sunrise with someone you care about? (Yes, and then we got mooned)
Blown bubbles? (Yes, both gum and soap bubbles)
Gone ice-skating? (Yes - HATE it)
Been skinny dipping outdoors? (No. Too cold)

1. Any nicknames? Stace, StacyLynn, StacyLu
2. Mother's name? Liz
3. Favorite Drink? Peanut Butter Smoo from Maggie Moo’s. Mmmmmmm!
4. Tattoo? Does Henna count?
5. Body Piercing? Pierced ears
6. How much do you love your job? I don’t think I could possibly hate it more.
7. Birthplace? TX
8. Favorite vacation spot? Anywhere with a beach and lots of sunshine.
9. Ever been to Africa? No
10. Ever eaten cookies for dinner? I prefer them for breakfast.
11. Ever been on TV? I was on the news once - the camera went right by me, so you saw my face for like 2 seconds. Go me!
12. Ever steal any traffic signs? No
13. Ever been in a car accident? Yes, but not until this last winter. Stupid snow.
14. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 4 door
15. Favorite salad dressing? Balsamic Vinaigrette
16. Favorite pie? Any, as long as it doesn’t have a “pie” crust. I prefer a chocolate or graham cracker crust.
17. Favorite number? 5
18. Favorite movie? So many choices! While you were sleeping.
19. Favorite holiday? Halloween and Valentines (doesn’t that seem contradictory)
20. Favorite dessert? Molten chocolate cake (Chilis)
21. Favorite food? Seafood
22. Favorite day of the week? Fridays (TGIF!)
23. Favorite brand of body wash? As long as it smells nummy, I will use it
24. Favorite toothpaste? Crest
25. Favorite smell? Fresh Chocolate Chip Cookies.
26. What do you do to relax? Go for a walk, take a bubble bath, write, read.
27. How do you see yourself in 10 years? With a couple kids and a few best-selling novels =)

28. Who are you tagging? I don't know...Matt, your turn! ;)

How to Have Fun

Ten ways to have fun in your marriage while keeping things alive and mushy:

1. When you are driving in the car together, kiss at every red light. Just make sure one of you has their eyes slightly open so you can tell when its green again. This can also double as a cure for road rage.

2. When shopping together, hold hands. This may seem simple enough, but the trick is not letting go. From the time you step in the store until the time you leave, your hands must remain touching. You haven't experienced fun until you've tried picking up a 20 lb bag of flour from the bottom shelf...together.

3. Hide and kiss. This game works best when you are in a public place together. While walking past a deserted hallway, empty room, or behind a block of some kind, grab the other person and kiss them until someone else appears. You then continue walking as if nothing happened. The trick is not getting caught.

4. Play games together. Matt and I love playing racquetball together! But, unlike our competitive friends, we celebrate the wins together. If I score an exceptionally good point, Matt will give me a high five, kiss me, or pull me into a big hug. I do the same for him. This way, the game stays fun and neither of you feel like you've lost.

5. If you don't want to join 'em, beat 'em! Have you ever gone somewhere public and seen those disgusting couples (usually teenagers) who are all over each other? Well, the best way to turn one of those awkward situations into a good laugh is go and stand right next to that couple, and start making out. Most of those lustful teenagers will feel threatened by your obviously superior skills and leave. (probably to find a hotel). I know you have to be similarly disgusting for a little while, but its totally worth it to watch the other couple look disgusted and scamper away. Plus, kissing is fun!

6. Jump back in time. Remember the first time you met your spouse? Your first date? The first time you held their hand? To make the evening a little more exciting, pretend you are on your first date again. Get ready for your evening in different rooms. Ladies, if you can, buy a new top or try your hair in a different way. Men, go out and buy her some flowers and come back to pick her up. Ring the doorbell as if you don't already live together. Then, have a nice evening and exchange small talk. Get to know each other's likes and dislikes, share your hopes for the future. Who knows, they may have changed since you first started dating. Stay away from discussing the kids, or anything that ties you together. This will give you a relaxing, stress-free evening alone. The best part will be at the end of the night, when you don't have to say goodbye on the porch and leave!

7. Pet names. I'm not really sure how this started, but some days it results in stomach aches for both of us from laughing so hard! Everyone uses pet names now and then; Matt and I use them to compete. Every once in awhile one of us will say, "I love you sweetie." When the other replies with a funnier pet name, the challenge has been issued. "I love you too, Googly bear" "Ok, Smoochy poo". And we continue back and forth, coming up with the silliest pet names we can think of, until one runs out of ideas and gives up.

8. Work together, play together. Until we moved into our house, we didn't have a dishwasher. So we would often stand, side by side, and wash the dishes. And no dishwashing experience is complete without a bubble fight. Have fun and do the work together. After awhile, it won't seem like work anymore. One of our favorite "work" activities is raking leaves together. As soon as we get a large enough pile, without a doubt, Matt will pick me up and throw me in it. I'll dump leaves over his head as well and sometimes we team up against the dogs, throwing leaves on them.

9. Always say "I love you". Whenever you are on the phone with your spouse, whether its a half hour call when he's out of town or a thirty second call to come upstairs for dinner, do not hang up without first saying "I love you". Its something that can never be said too much. I'm shocked at how many people tell us we're cute because we still say "I love you" to each other. I truly hope no married couples ever stop!

10. Save water. Shower together. ;)

Just Because

"What are the flowers for?"
"Because my husband loves me."
"Is it your anniversary?"
"No."
"Is it your birthday?"
"No."
"Did he do something wrong?"
"No."
"He just gave you flowers?"
"Yup."
"For no reason at all?"
"Just because."
"Wow!"

Sound the alarm! Call out the troops! Dial 9-1-1! These are pretty much the reactions I got from people when Matt surprised me with flowers at work this week. It was actually really entertaining to watch the wheels turning in some people's minds as they tried to grasp the concept. "Just because. He brought her flowers just because." The dazed and confused expressions I saw told me full well that too many marriages had lost their spontaneity. (If they had any to start with). I thought I might have to call an ambulance to revive a few that seemed to have gone into shock. Matt has always been very good at surprising me occasionally with flowers or small presents to remind me I'm loved. I enjoy doing the same for him too. If he's had an especially bad week at school, I'll pick up the latest CD he's been wanting or that movie he's had his eye on. Why? Because I love him! He knows I love him, but sometimes a surprise gift is a nice reminder. I've heard men use the argument that flowers die. Well, I don't care if flowers die, they are beautiful while they last and a wonderful reminder of Matt. When I look at the flowers he's bought me, sitting on my desk, a smile comes to my face every time. So he is on my mind all day. And to those who are too cheap to buy your spouse an occasional "just because" gift my only reply is it'll save you money in the long run. I hear divorce is expensive.