COLD!!!!!

Cold. That's what I am. COLD! I am soooo tired of being cold. It gets into my joints and just makes me crazy! I can't get warm. I go around with my jacket on and my shoes on and here I sit, COLD. Oh, by the way, did I mention that I am cold? Maybe I should just go stand under a HOT shower?

My fingers are too cold to type anymore. Until I thaw...

FEBRUARY 2010

Here it is, half way through February already! Oh, my, does time fly!

I have been working hard with my reading groups. We are gearing up for the next round of testing that will take place the week of the 23rd. I am hoping to have a good success rate.

I have started doing a treasure box in my groups at work. The kids are loving it! I bought a record book and a star stamp at Teaching Tools. I use small stickers. It's kind of hard to find them small enough. They have to get 20 stickers and stamps (they get one of each every day) if they have good behavior and stay on task in our group. After 20, they get to pick 1 item out of my treasure box. I have an assortment of items for girls and boys. Although girl items are easier to come by, I have managed to find some things that the boys like. I have bought some of the things at the store (never more than $1) and some I have found at yard sales. In fact, that's where I got my treasure box. It is a pretty good size and I only paid $1 for it. Love yard sales! Anyway, most of my kids have already picked out something. I have a small handful who may never get to. Between behavior and absences, they haven't gotten many stickers.

Thursday was my Dad's 85th birthday. We went over to Bob and Shelby's house and had cake and ice cream. Doug and Marsha brought the cake and we brought the ice cream. Dad has had 3 teeth pulled recently and his mouth is still very sore, so the ice cream was a treat for him! He sure misses Mom! Everyday he prays to go. It is really hard to see him this way. I never would have guessed in a million years that he would be like this. His body and mind are both too healthy!

Yesterday was Jeremy's 35th birthday. It is very hard to believe that it's been that long since I had my first born! Where has time gone? I remember it vividly!!! That was back in the "olden days" when the only pain medication we got was a shot of Demerol (which didn't do anything for me). He has always been such a blessing to us. We love him so much! What a great man and wonderful father he has become!

Last night our ward had a Valentines dinner and dance. The dinner was okay (my piece of pork was tough and dry). The salads were super! We danced for about 30 minutes. Boy, we sure aren't as young as we used to be! Nor are we in good shape! Whew! It's hard to believe we used to dance for 2 or more hours!!! I still enjoyed dancing with my Sweetheart. Even after all these years.

Tomorrow is my Relief Society lesson. It is on Jesus Christ, Our Chosen Leader and Savior. I love the lessons this year. They are so simple! Tomorrow is also our Ward Conference, and the Stake RS Presidency wants to take about 10-15 minutes. That's fine with me. Makes my time shorter! I'm sure I can cut it back and not go over. I enjoy teaching the sisters. Sometimes I have a more difficult time preparing my lessons than others. Sometimes my lessons that I have prepared change as I present them. It's amazing what the Spirit does!

Well, I better get movin'. I still have to do my Saturday night grocery shopping. Until next time...

January 2010

Been a while...No excuses! Just a few thoughts. Love the rain we've been having. Just not the lack of power in my kitchen because of too much water. Hey, this is Arizona. How can that be? Anyway, something got wet and flipped a breaker and it took a week to dry out enough to stay flipped back! AARGHH! Love doing everything in the flashlight! Now more rain is forecast. I still love it!

I decided that I needed to do more with my husband. So, since I enjoy reading so much, I thought it would be fun to read a book together. So, I bough 2 copies of "The Tristan Betrayal" by Robert Ludlum for us to read. We are already on chapter 6. This is a little bit different kind of book than I usually read, but I know he enjoyed the Bourne Identity, so I thought we could try it. It is good so far. Maybe a fun adventure.

Until later...

GRANDBABY #14

Well, this morning it happened! Our 14th grandchild was born. SHE arrived at 7:43 a.m. via C-section. SHE was 7lbs 5oz and 21" long. HER name is LILY GNEHM SMITH! GNEHM? GNEHM? What is that all about, you say? I guess it was one of Jill's great grandmother's maiden name. What ever. I haven't seen her yet, but I did get to see a picture of her. She looks like a keeper. I probably won't be able to go see her until tomorrow sometime. No car. Story of my life!

Speaking of cars, Roger's has been down for basically 5 weeks. It's been real fun! LOL!!! I am so tired of cars that don't work when they should. It always seems to be when you need them the most, too. Oh, well.

Work has finally improved. We started doing our small groups yesterday. So far, so good. Right now we are only doing 2nd and 3rd grade. Next week we add 1st grade. We won't do kindergarten until they get another teacher. So, it's been kind of nice working our way into it.

Well, that's all for now. Until later...

New School Year

Thought I should post about the first 4 days of school. Last week was busy. We helped in different classes. I was in a 2nd grade class. The teacher really didn't need me (she is super organized and has great control). So, I helped in our Basic Skills office and in the front office. We helped the kindergarteners and 1st graders in the cafeteria. Then at the end of the day, we helped the kids get on the buses.

Today, we started our testing. We did two classes and we were through by 10:00 a.m. So then, we went back to helping in the same classes. Well, my good friend that I work with, Ranae lost her 34 year old son last Thursday. She came to work Friday and this morning but she left at noon. She isn't doing very well right now. DUH! Anyway, she works in a kindergarten class so I went in her class to help the teacher. Needless to say, I was totally exhausted when I got home. I don't know how Ranae does it.

I got a new look for this year. I got my hair cut and highlighted (no pics yet). I really like it. I also bought some blouses that are very different from what I usually wear (colors). I've gotten lots of compliments. I guess it was a goo change?

Michael is registered at MCC. He is taking 2 computer type classes and 2 welding type classed. He still hasn't gotten his books yet. He starts next Monday and better get with it!

Well, that's about it for now. Until later...

My Boring LIFE!

Well, it's been a while since I updated my blog, so, I decided that it was time. I have had several peopl mention that they were tired of seeing the same thing every time they looked at it. A lot has happened in the last 4 months.

To begin with, here are some pics of my hand with a cast and after the cast was taken off.

This is the only pic I got of my cast. I went green!

These are the scars from where they took the tendon.


This is my thumb scar from where they put the tendon.

This is the scar from where they released the trigger finger nerve.

This pic shows (barely) the carpel tunnel scar. It is almost invisible!

Overall, I am very pleased with my results from the surgery. I still have some stiffness in a couple of fingers and don't have the flexibility of my wrist and thumb back, but the doctor says that will take up to a year to get back to normal. The best part is I have NONE of the pain that I did. I went through 4 weeks of therapy after 6 weeks of a sling and cast. I am considering doing my left hand next year. We'll see.

5 days after I got my cast off, Michael broke his hand. He was playing dodgeball and had a sudden male, anger, testosterone moment with a wall. So, he spent the next 6 weeks in an orange cast. The only picture I have of that is from camping.

So, this is Michael with his cast.

Here are a few camping pictures:

Roger and our friend Jim setting up the tent trailer.

Friends relaxing.


Friends and family playing some game.

Not too many days after Michael got his cast off, he totaled my car. He was driving southbound on the 202 freeway just before Guadalupe, when a back tire lost all the tread and he lost control. He spun around and took out about 7 posts that are in the median of the freeway. I don't have pictures of that because they are on a phone. I haven't taken my camera with me when we visited it. The good news, Michael wasn't hurt.

We have been on vacation the last 2 weeks. Well, Roger has had time of for 2 weeks. We haven't been able to go anywhere. We did go see "My Sister's Keeper". It was a good but sad movie. This week, on Tuesday, we went bowling. Roger has been suggesting it for a long time and I have kept vetoing it. Well, I decided to go ahead and go.

Our electronic score card.

That's me. Perfect form, right?

About to release the ball. I'm sure it was a STRIKE! HA! HA!

Well, that was about my only fun! Not too long after this picture was taken, Robie the clutz fell. Yes. In all my glory. I showed everyone there how talented I am! I knew bowling was a bad idea!

Last night, I went to see WICKED! with Tanya and Sarah. Tanya bought the tickets a year ago. It was sooooo good! I don't have any pics of that, though.

Anyway, that pretty much brings us up to date. I go back to work in just 2 1/2 weeks. Not looking forward to that. I really enjoy staying at home. But, I also really enjoy those paychecks! Too bad they won't pay me to stay home!

Well, til next time...

Pictures After Stitches

Here are a couple of pictures that Tanya took after they took out my stitches. It looks more like I was trying my hand (literally) at redneck fishing! By the way, the blue/purple marks are where the doctor marked on me in ink BEFORE surgery so he could get it right. Now I have a bright green fiberglass cast on for the next 4 weeks. Sound like fun? I only hope that it is worth it when it's all over. Tanya and I both thought my hand looked my mother's after they took off the dressing. Kind of made me sad.

Work was a little difficult this week. My hand swells a lot from all my movement. I have t take it easy at home, elevate it. I get bored easily because there isn't alot I can do without both hands.

Well, I am tired of my lame typing so, til later...