Ramblings

* I'm sitting here outside V.'s classroom at her dance studio. I love listening to the beautiful classical music that is pouring out of the open door!
And I love peeking through the window to see 8 cute little girls stretching and pointing their toes.
I love V.'s instructor, Ms. Kristy. I think she is a wonderful teacher and a wonderful role model for these girls. She always has the class under control, without ever using anything but her quiet, gentle voice. Somehow the girls just know to show her the proper respect in class.
V. has fun in class, but is also learning the basic fundamentals she needs to know.
Her teacher always complements and uplifts the girls.
Her teacher is so very feminine and ladylike. I love the way she carries herself with confidence and grace. But never in a  snooty or sexual manner like so many girls/women do now-a-days.
The students just adore Ms. Kristy!
* The snow is slowly melting! It's still cold, but slowly getting warmer. I've even turned the heat down a little in the house! Yay!
*I've gone a week with very little back pain. I'm now only going to the chiropractor twice a week. Obviously following the restrictions he's given me is working. I'm so hopeful I'll be able to start running again in May!
* Steve wants me to pick up Cafe Rio on the way home for dinner. Sounds great to me!
* I help in V.'s classroom at school on Tuesdays. I'm so grateful that I don't have other obligations to prevent me from doing that. I love helping at her school!
* We have a viewing to go to tonight of a family friend. She was in her 80's. Her husband passed away a few years ago. It's sad, but also wonderful to know she is with him again!
* My phone that I'm typing this on is just about dead. So I guess that's enough rambling for today!

Jackson/YellowStone October 2012

Last October we took our annual trip to Jackson and Yellowstone. Steve's brother Mike came with us. I think he said he'd only been once before.
We went up to Jackson and stayed the night. Then the next morning we drove up to Yellowstone and came home later that night. As always, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!
The year before there was snow on the ground. This time there was no snow but it still was very cold!

Here we are in Jackson Hole!

 Looking at Lewis Falls.

 Waiting for Old Faithful to go off!

 Tuckered out.

Steve's brother Mike really enjoyed the trip. And he was a good sport to play knock-knock jokes with V. and let her follow him around. She loves that he calls her kiddo!
I think we all decided we'd like to go back in the Spring when the bears are out. So maybe in a couple months I'll be posting about another trip!

So grateful

Steve spent all day yesterday and into the night working on our bathroom. We are finally getting some updating done! There is still alot to do in there and we are hoping that each month we can get a little more done and hopefully by the end of the summer have the bathroom completely redone! Anyway, he worked so hard and I felt bad I couldn't help him. But because of my back, I couldn't do anything but watch. He also carried all  the laundry downstairs for me so I could wash it.
Then today he vacuumed the entire house for me as well. Yes, it's the Sabbath. But since what I can do with the house cleaning is limited, Sundays are the best days for Steve to help.
{V. has vacuumed a couple times this week as well.}
Plus, the other morning I got in the truck and discovered it was full of gas. Steve had filled it up the night before while I was asleep. Now, I CAN do the gas myself still, but he wanted to do it so I wouldn't have to worry about it.
I'm so grateful for him. He works all week to provide for us. Works all Saturday to get the bathroom done. And he still takes the time to help me. I know he really cares for me. These are all small ways a person can show another how much they love them.
Okay, I'll quit being sappy and bragging about Steve. But I count my blessings to have him as a husband. He's so good to me!

Soccer Dad{s}?

Soccer {summer 2012 }

I was filling out V's soccer registration online. As that is how you have to do it this year. She was already in the system because she's played in the past. All I was supposed to do was update her info. As I was looking over her info. I saw they had both Steve and I down as her fathers. I corrected it and then printed it out. It still said I was her father. So I tried correcting it again but it seems intent on leaving it where it was.
So, according to V's soccer registration, she has 2 fathers.
{ and she's still 6, has only 1 year experience, has no insurance and doesn't have a school name. As it wouldn't let me correct those errors either!}

Love at first sight

So, So SO excited!! I have been looking for the perfect door for my pantry for like...um... maybe 18 months or longer. I finally came to the conclusion that it might take longer to find exactly what I want. So until then I need to find something else. I fell in love with the idea of a French door for the pantry door. We went to Lowes last night and I found the perfect pine, french door! I knew immediately it was the one! I looked at the price. $135. whoa! Not gonna happen. Then I look up and see there is a sale price above it. $25! Yipee!! THEN, we get to check out and it rings up at $20!! It was meant to be!!!! I now just need to decide on a stain color, get it stained and then installed. Eventually I'll post pictures. But for right now I am thrilled!!!
{ I may have given Steve the big puppy dog eyes and asked to him to please, pretty please buy the last 2 french doors that were on sale as well. I know that in our next home I will use them and LOVE them!!}

I thought maybe I'd let you know how I hurt my back since I've been talking about it a little bit these last few weeks.
Last November I sneezed and immediately had pain shoot through my back. I doubled over and couldn't stand up straight. I walked over to my bed and laid down and was in so much pain. Over that weekend the pain lessened to where I could move around without hurting so much. And it slowly got a little better after that.
But sitting was horrible. If I sat for too long I would get this burning pain along my lower back. I ended up starting to come home from church early because I'd be hurting too much. Over Christmas, I took my rice bag with me wherever I went to warm up and put on my back while sitting.
Then In January I was helping in V.'s classroom and it was almost like torture sitting at the desk reading with her classmates! That's when I told Steve it was time I saw someone. I didn't know if I just needed a really good deep tissue massage or if it was something more serious.
I went to see Dr. Ellis. He is a chiropractor. After letting me explain what was going on he did a few tests. He said he was 80% certain I had a disk problem. So he told me to be careful, take it easy on my back and all and showed me some exercises to do to help strenghten my back/core. He also gave me some pills that are high in manganese {or something}. It's supposed to help disks.  He said most times disk problems will take care of themselves if we let them. However, he said I will need to be gentle with my back for at least a year for it to completely heal.
After seeing him for maybe 1 week I was starting to feel better. Then all of a sudden the pain was back with intensity! That was when he put me on more restrictions. No running/high impact exercising, no lifting over 10 pounds, etc. For at least until May. He said running isn't out entirely for the next year. Just to wait until May and see how I feel then.
This last Sunday was a really bad day. I hurt whether I was sitting, standing, or laying down. The only relief I found was in laying on my back on a heated massager thing we have. So that's what I did all day. Since then, I actually have been doing real good! The last 3-4 days I've only had a little bit of pain while sitting and nothing while standing. So I've been walking, doing the elliptical and still being careful. Dr. Ellis said to just come see him twice a week now instead of 3 times. But he said to be careful. Alot of times people get feeling better and then do too much too soon and go back to the beginning. So I'm still supposed to follow those restrictions he gave me until May. But I'm hoping that by then I'll be healed enough to start running again.
So what I've been doing when I go in to see him is he adjusts my back and neck, and stretches my lower back.  I lay on a heated bed with rollers to massage everything. They also put electricity on my back. And I get a small back massage. I think everything combined is what's been helping my back.
So yeah, that's what's been going on with my back. Steve and V. have been so good to help with the things I can't do right now.