Gotta learn as you go...

As with everything else in life, having Trigeminal Neuralgia is a learn as you go kind of thing. Apparently there are some super fun triggers for the stupid thing. It is always painful but some things REALLY set it off and make me feel like when the dentist hits a nerve when he's fixing your tooth that EXTREME pain lasts for HOURS. So far I've learned that drinking, eating, heat, cold, chewing gum, talking on the phone, and touch are my triggers. Drinking cold or hot stuff on that side of my mouth or chewing food, especially hot or cold stuff on that side of my mouth, or rinsing my mouth out with cold water after brushing my teeth just send me to the moon! Wearing my cute little adorable hat I showed you all in August just sets it right off because touch is NOT good for the stupid thing.  :(  Being out in the cold air is NOT good. :(  I love winter! :(   Waking up on that side of my body is incredibly painful. Apparently it's because of that touch thing again. I TRY to sleep on my left side but HELLO I'm a crazy sleeper! Like I can control what side I'm sleeping on. It totally sucks waking up like that! I am convinced that that is where that saying, "She woke up on the wrong side of the bed" came from! I think that when I hold the cell phone on the right side of my face when I talk it sets it off. It's either the heat from the phone or the touch of the phone on my face or both. I have noticed some of these triggers for the last year or in some cases, 2 or 3 years but I just thought they were teeth problems. I was accepted by University of Utah Hospital's Neurosurgery clinic for treatment I just have to wait til June to be seen. I am on a cancellation list so I'm praying that I move up quickly so I can see if I qualify for the treatments they have for TN. I'm trying to remain as positive as I can about it all but I'm really irritated with the stupid problem! The medication I'm on hasn't helped the pain at all but it has helped some of my residual symptoms, like, I don't feel so dizzy or nauseous most days. Which is a nice improvement I must say! I have more and more good days which is great. Still lots of bad days but improvement is always good! I'm up to 5 pills a day. I start 6 a day tomorrow and have to do that for a week to make sure it isn't helping the pain. If it still doesn't then I have to switch medication and this process continues until I finally find one that actually treats the nerve. I really hate taking medication! I really do! But hopefully it eventually helps! Then I would be cool with it! Sometimes I wish I could put ice on it or a heating pad or something but hot and cold make it worse so...Anyhoo, just thought I'd give a little update.

STOP...and...THINK...

This time of year is the best! It snowed yesterday, and last night, and it still is...FINALLY!!! I am so excited! I love seeing the world around me covered in a blanket of snow. It makes me smile! The kids built a snowman. Gracie is thinking this snow stuff is pretty cool! Mostly this time of year I love focusing on the Savior. We, as Christians, focus on Him throughout the year. Each year the stores put out the Christmas decorations for sale earlier and earlier. I started seeing them out in October...OCTOBER!!! Crazy! My first thought was the same as many of you would have. What are they doing putting decorations out in October! Why do they try harder and harder each year to take the focus off of Christ and put it on all the worldly stuff! Then, I remembered the shame I felt last Christmas morning when I realized that for the first time in our 17 years of marriage we hadn't really stopped and focused so much on Him as we always have before. I determined right then that I would make it more meaningful next time as we have in the past! Well, when I saw those Christmas decorations in October and my thoughts, feelings, and heart went straight to our Savior and how I could make it a more Christ centered celebration this year I decided having decorations in the store so early, and lining Main Street, wasn't so bad afterall. It got me thinking about Him. It gets us ALL thinking about Him. Our defenses come up, we think of our testimony of Him. We think of what we SHOULD be thinking about. We think about what is really important at this time of year. So...good for commercialism! Hooray for Christmas decorations in October! It helps us Christians, all of us, no matter what religion we are, to think so strongly of Him during our busy, crazy lives. During our busy, crazy errands, we STOP...we THINK...of HIM!!!

Exhausted, even crazier than before, and more than just a little bit sparkly...

~I told the kids that we'd go to the $1 store sometime and let them buy gifts for each other. I got a wild hair Sunday and suggested they make each other gifts. I thought it would be more fun to make some bacelets and book marks with my jewelry making stuff than it would be to fold laundry so I joined in the fun. I was completely unprepared for the glittery explosion that I was unleashing but it's all good. Who doesn't need a little sparkle in their lives, huh?! Zack made God's Eye's for each of us and his teacher. Matthew made God's Eye's for Zack and his teacher and the teacher's aide, a bracelet for me, a pencil can for his dad out of an empty vegetable can that I hot glued around the inner edge to avoid cuts, I hot glued popcicle sticks around the outside and had him paint it and decorate it. He also made a gold star out of popcicle sticks and glitter. Max painted a star salt dough ornament for my mom, and he put LOTS of gold glitter on it. LOTS!!! Then he made a paper weight for his dad. He painted the biggest rock he could find in their "rock collection", then covered it in LOTS of glitter. LOTS!!! Then he drew a picture and made a picture frame for it out of popcicle sticks and suprisingly he chose to COVER it with LOTS of glitter!!! The boy loves glitter!!! I made like 14 little girl bracelets and 6 book marks just for fun! Gracie just enjoyed stringing items from each of our projects all over the place. She LOVES glitter too!! AND beads! By the time I finally packed up all the supplies at dinner time Monday night I was seriously SPENT!!! And very sparkly. I looked like a character out of Twilight standing in the sun. Brian has been making each of the kids a hat with our hat making looms. Matthew still has to make something for Max and Gracie. Max still has to make something for Gracie, Matthew, and Zacky. I may have to take a valuum to be able to survive our next little craft making extravaganza!!! Any suggestions for cheap, cute, little homemade gifts for a little girl that little boys can make? I'll be finding glitter in nooks and crannies for the next 2 years! At least we had a lot of fun together, eh?! I didn't think to take pictures of our creations until after they had wrapped all their creations but here are some pics of the bracelets I made, the bracelet Matty made me, and the book marks.

Here are some random pics just for fun and to save me from having to do more posts since I'm finding it hard to find time to lately...

This is of us at Rodizio Grill. Yes I'm fat! I told it to rotate the picture but it didn't. Nobody ever listens to me anyway so I'm used to it! ;)  Steph and her adorable kids (Josh is the cute little blonde in the striped shirt. His head is turned but trust me...ADORABLE. Emily isn't in the pic but she was there. What a cutie!!! Love them!) and KayTee came with us. It was fun. Zack ate himself sick for a minute but we all loved it! And we even have one of the $50 gift certificates left so we can go again some time!

We also made a trip to the mall to see Santa. I am so glad they let you take one snapshot with your own camera. Obviously Gracie was less than thrilled with Santa. That is until he gave her a coloring book. Then smiled at him and I said Santa is nice,isn't he?! She nodded yes really big and even gave him a quick wave goodbye.

 Thanks Grandma Irvine for the super cute outfit you gave Gracie! LOVE IT!!! Once again, it didn't listen and didn't flip. Oh well!

While we were up there we also got to go to Ikea! HOORAY!!! I've missed Ikea so much!!! It was a fun weekend! We came back Saturday.

Also, I went to the High School Choir Concert last night with the young women and young men to support the young women and young women who were performing. It was a wonderful experience! I am so glad I was able to go! The last song was so lovely it made me cry! Most of the songs were actually about the Saviors birth. What a novel idea huh?! Way to go Mr. Pinedo!!! It was awesome! All the school concerts I've attended in past years all have goofy Christmas songs about Santa and the commercial side of Christmas. It was refreshing to actually go to a Christmas concert that focused on CHRISTmas!!! Very uplifting! Can't say enough good things about it! I may have to take my little family with me next year so they can experience the beauty of it! Rarely have I felt the spirit at a school related activity but it was definitely there. Especially during that last song! So good! I hope you all are having a wonderful month!!!

Fun time!

For our Young Women activity this week we had an ornament exchange. We were supposed to think of a meaningful ornament to give to everyone. We could make the ornaments or buy them. We had to bring 16 to give to the girls and leaders. It was so much fun! I made some little salt dough ornament stars. I painted them red to represent Individual Worth and I gave them each a copy of the words to Every Star Is Different. I love that Primary song and thought it would be a good reminder that they are unique and of great worth to our Heavenly Father. My little ornaments were pretty plain and ordinary compared to everyone else's I think but that's ok. Hopefully, it's the thought that counts!!!

Here is what the stars looked like. Some had silver ribbons and some had white.

Here are the words to the song...

Here are the ornaments from all the very creative and talented young women and leaders...

On the other side of the white ball ornament it says faith. She personalized each one and put faith on them using her cricut and vinyl letters. Clever! The gold high heel shoe had this scripture with it...Who can find a VIRTUOUS woman? For her price is far above rubies. Proverbs 31:10. She put the little red rose on it as the "ruby". She wanted the girls to think of their Virtue value when they see it since Virtue's color is gold. Love it! The clear ornament in the middle has a picture of the nativity on the outside. Lovely! I didn't hear the significance of the others because I had to run with Brian to the Stake Presidents office where they issued him a calling as the assistant ward clerk over memberships. Incidentally, they also called him to be the secretary in the Elder's Quorum just 2 weeks ago. They wanted him to be over home teaching routes. I think he should do both! LOL!!! Can you imagine!!! Silly silly!!! Anyway, it was fun when I was there at the activity anyway! And who doesn't love a whole bunch of new ornaments for their tree?! My tree is very hodge podgy so I love adding to the collection!

Winner, Winner, we get a free dinner!!!

When we lived in Pleasant Grove, Brian commuted for at least 30 minutes each way depending on traffic. He could be driving for an hour or so. Well, he used to listen to B98.7 and would call in to win prizes. One time he won a $25 gift certificate to a steakhouse in Salt Lake. Another time he won 4 tickets to the Living Planet Aquarium for singing A Few of My Favorite Things on air. Wish I'd have heard that one!!! ;)  Well, now he goes online to My 99.5 and listens to that while he's at work. They also have a contest each week where they post a picture and you have to write a caption to go along with it. If they pick your caption you win a prize. Today they called him and told him he won the caption contest and the prize is $100 gift certificate to Rodizio Grill. Hooray!!! Now he just needs to win a contest where the prize is a gazillion dollars or a trip to somewhere fun or a dream house! That would be even cooler! For now though, we'll enjoy dinner at Rodizio Grill!!! I can't wait! We haven't eaten there in forever!!!
http://www.my995fm.com/pages/photocaption/7.html

PART 2 OF...Stick a fork in us...we are DEFINITELY done!!!! (we think!!!)

Oh yeah, we're done! To see part 1 go here . There is absolutely NO way I can go through a pregnancy again! I realize now that the Trigeminal Neuralgia was most likely the cause of the major dizziness I felt while I was pregnant with Gracie and why I had so many headaches and why I felt so crappy.  I know I would have felt that way to some degree but the feeling car sick all the time, like my head was spinning and stuff is how I feel a lot of the time from TN anyway and add pregnancy to that and UGH!!! When I think about being pregnant again it makes me hyperventilate a bit so I'm thinking...definitely done!!! We were weighing the options...vasectomy or tubal ligation. I told Brian that I figured I had carried and delivered 4 babies so he was up! It was his turn to experience a bit of pain and sacrifice his body a bit to keep us from having more since tubal ligation is supposed to be more invasive, more costly, more of an uncomfortable recovery for a longer period of time than having the big V. He is a big ol' chicken :)  and started googling options for this sort of thing and discovered a procedure called Essure. Basically, it is something they do right in the Dr.'s office, all we have to pay is our $25 copay, they give you a percocet and a Valium for pain management because it can feel a bit crampy during the procedure if you don't do that, you don't have to be put under or anything, the Dr. says its like having a pap smear. They open you up with that double shoe horn looking gadget and insert a scope into you and release metal coils into your fallopian tubes. Scar tissue forms around them, eventually blocking them completely. 3 months later you go have them put dye up in you and do some sort of x ray to make sure nothing is getting through the coils. This is a permanent fix. No reversing it. The accuracy of this procedure is even better than either the tubal ligation or the V mainly because they actually check to make sure it worked and things are COMPLETELY shut off. There is no affect on your hormones or periods or anything like that. Everything continues on as normal, whatever your normal is. The recovery is the easiest of the options as well. They say you feel loopy that day from the medication you took and then some people feel a little crampy like you're on your period for a day, some people a few days. That's it. Seems like the best option for us financially and physically. I still would prefer to have Brian have a V instead of me having to do anything but since I live in constant fear of getting pregnant again, at this point I don't care I'll do anything to ease my mind. This TN is just more than enough to deal with right now. I was a bit sad as I watched all the cute little pregos at the Dr.'s office. It's still hard to think about that part of my life being completely over. Not an easy choice. If I could guarantee another pregnancy would be as easy as my pregnancy with Matthew was, and if I could know for sure that the baby would sleep through the night from day 1 like Gracie did, and that the baby would be as easy as Gracie was, and if I could know that if the pregnancy was as hard as it was with Gracie I could hire a full-time maid to clean while I was pregnant and a nanny to take took care of my other kids while I laid around feeling like I was going to die, and I could know that I could hire a maid to clean once the baby came or a full-time nanny to help me take care of the baby while I cleaned and kept up with life, then SURE, I'd be all over having another baby! So, there you have it, we are DONE!!! I am scheduled to have the Essure done on January 4th. Dr. Thorpe will perform the procedure. He was the Dr. on call ,instead of Dr. Dayton, the night we had Zack. I'm trying to look past THAT experience!!! No fond memories there!!! Not many Dr.'s do this procedure and my favorite Dr., Dr. Harrison referred me to him. Little nervous but also looking forward to a little peace of mind!!!