California Trip 2014



I don't know that I've ever had such mixed emotions about a trip. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Truly. Chloe's hip pain was severe (she was scheduled for surgery two days after we got home), she started having new seizures, she was in a lot of screaming pain and just plain miserable....about 70% of the time. But 30% of the time, she was happy as ever! And it was Sam's first major road trip and first time at Disneyland. He was shockingly unimpressed with Disneyland, but loved watching movies in the car (believe it or not, we bought our first DVD player for the car just before this trip and he was simply fascinated by the concept), and loved being with cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles at the rental house. It rained three out of the four days we planned on going to Disneyland. Like major downpour. It was a hard trip, but oh so worth it! Here it is in pictures.

 

The road trip there, we made it to Mesquite and stopped early to give Chloe (and us) a reprieve from the screaming and crying. Sam thought the hotel was the very best thing ever!

 



 

 

First day at Disney was probably the best one. The weather was lovely, Chloe was relatively happy, and we enjoyed riding the rides! I think Chloe's favorite rides that day were Dumbo and Peter Pan. So we rode those rides 2 or 3 times! Sam was truly unimpressed with the rides, but loved standing in line with family! :D

 



This was my attempt at a family selfie on Peter Pan.
Chloe had been happy and squealing up until this very moment.
And Sam was looking up smiling until I clicked.
Selfie fail! :)

 

Aunt Taylor captured this moment
while we were waiting for the big kids to get off
Indiana Jones.

 

Day 2 was a downpour, but Chloe was her happiest that day! We braved the storm for as long as we could. I'm glad we stayed as long as we did because it was one of my favorite times of the entire trip! We spent most of that day at California Adventure, which meant...Chloe's favorite ride, the rocking Ferris wheel! It terrified us as usual, which made her giggle and squeal even more than usual! Sam's expression never changed on any ride. What a crack up! Chloe's g-tube came out when Oby was getting her back in her chair that day after riding Monster's Inc. I had a panic attack mainly because I wasn't sure if I had the syringe I needed to fix it, but when I got her to the bathroom, all I needed was there and we got put back together no problem. Whew. But seriously, what a day.

 

 

 

3D glasses on the Toy Story ride!

  

This picture doesn't do justice to the amount of rain
and the surprising crowds despite the rain.

See? She was SO happy that day! She still had plenty of tears,
but these smiles made every tear and every poncho worth it!

Hard to tell, but Chloe is in her wheelchair under that umbrella.
Oby asked me if she looked okay.
I laughed and said it depends on your definition of okay.
Yes, it was functional, so that was what we were going for!
It looks like nighttime here, but it was only like 4 pm! It was just dreary!

Fun with cousins

 

The rainy day was rough on the entire group so we took the following day off since it was still raining. We just hung out at the house, swam (Chloe's favorite, of course and Sam liked it too), and went shopping. Oh and I took Chloe to the ER and she had three new seizures. Sigh.

 

Third day at the park was sunny and beautiful and Chloe screamed nearly the entire time! I was bound and determined to muscle through it. We took turns holding her/riding rides. Twice I went to take her home and when I would be walking back to the car, she would be all smiles! So I would try again and it would start all over. Here was the smile I was talking about.

 

 

 

The fourth day at the park was a Friday. We hadn't planned on going on Friday because we knew it would be that much busier on the weekend, but the weather changed our plans so there we were on Friday. It did, indeed, take three times as long to park, twice as long to get into California Adventure, and the crowds were insane. By the time we finally got in line for the first ride, Chloe was already done and screaming bloody murder. So we walked out and called it a day. Here is the Facebook post about my feelings at that moment, that I included with this pic from the first day.

 

My sweet little Chloe....I honestly believe she is an angel on earth and it is such a privilege to be her mama! She has been having new seizure activity and significant pain from a dislocated hip (surgery this week, thank goodness)... We shared a lot of tears this week, but we shared many more smiles. It can be a hard road we walk, but I'm grateful for it. I'm grateful for her. Oh the lessons she teaches me every day! What a courageous and beautiful soul! I thought we were going to the happiest place on earth, but I learned the happiest place is with my angel. As long as I get to be with her, it will be my greatest joy.



 

The best day of the trip, beach day! Huntington Beach:

 

Be warned. I am going to tell a pooping story. The blog is named TMI so, really, you've been warned twice! ;)

 

The night before, we had given Chloe a liquid glycerin suppository, which usually works almost immediately (Chloe poops right away). But she hadn't gone and we just chalked it up to being out of her routine and all the pain and seizures and just everything being completely out of whack. We have used these suppositories for 4-5 years and have to use them once or twice every single day because Chloe is unable to go on her own. We rolled Chloe in her wheelchair and Sam in the stroller and got to the beach. It was an absolutely lovely day, surprisingly not too crowded at all, especially for a Saturday, and both kids were super happy!

 

 

 

Sam took to the sand immediately. That boy LOVES sand! Who knew? So he was crawling around without a care in the world. We were supervising him and got Chloe in her swimsuit. We had just taken her diaper off and we didn't put a swim diaper on because they are only for poop and Chloe, like I said, hasn't gone poop on her own most of her life, but especially the last 4-5 years. She had been in her swimsuit without a diaper on for maybe 3 minutes when Oby picked her up to carry her closer to the ocean and felt...a giant poop! So basically the perfect storm of Chloe randomly pooping on her own (probably just a majorly delayed reaction from the suppository the night before, but that is still completely random because there usually is NO delay), and just that short time when she didn't have a diaper on and we didn't have the proper supplies to clean up. It was a big brown mess for a minute! LOL! But Oby's sister, Taylor, helped with Sam and Oby and I managed to get things taken care of pretty quickly. It was just honestly the weirdest thing! We couldn't believe it!

 

Okay, last poop story for this post! Ha! So then we took her down to the water and let her sit in her bath chair. This was perfect because the water was too cold to just let her be in it with how skinny she is, but just having the waves roll up on her was okay and she absolutely adored it! Sam wasn't too crazy about the water, but I'm telling you he was in LOVE with the sand! He's my little sand man. Everyone had a great day, we got lots of pictures, and it was a highlight to the trip for sure! Which was kind of funny because it was free and planned last minute. Isn't that just how it goes?!

 

The drive home was surprisingly not too terrible. We gave Chloe Dramamine, thinking maybe she was feeling car sick on the way there, and put sunglasses on in case the sun might be bothering her. We stayed in St. George and went swimming at the hotel there. It was a pleasant surprise and great way to end an emotional trip.

Gnome Nonsense

I had a fun kick-off to my weekend.

A night out with my pal Amy.
We were once roommates and had some
incredibly good times!

Amy and I at a soccer game 5-6 years ago? Funny that I have like 9 chins, even though I was in probably the best shape of my life back then. Hmph!

Amy is amazing.... as good as they come.
She wouldn't let me take a picture of us tonight.
Even though we looked FAB in our 3d glasses!
She said she thought I would post it on my blog
And try to get people to set her up on some blind dates.
Me? I wouldn't do that!
However, if my readers took it upon themselves
To see and read about my adorable and wonderful friend
And think of a handsome and wonderful gentleman they know
Who happens to also be single
And live in the Salt Lake area
And wanted to set up my friend with said gentleman,
Well that would just be completely
out of my control.
I would never, ever try to force something like that.
Or even insinuate it.
Not even suggest it.
Not me, nope.

p.s. Amy is 5'4". She is a creative extraordinaire and marketing executive for Deseret Book (aka talented and successful). She also coaches gymnastics, as she was once an NCAA champion, receiving perfect 10's left and right -- AMAZING. She is one of the only people I actually know in real life who gets 10+ pages to pull up if you google their name.... What I'm trying to say is that she's kind of a big deal. She's the Young Women's President in her ward. Without question, she gives the most insightful and inspiring talks that I've ever heard, which is why she's frequently asked to guest speak for different functions. She loves water-skiing and hiking and dogs and dark chocolate. She is one of the funniest and quick-witted people I know. She owns the cutest little home in Sugarhouse, but she's in the process of selling it to get a nicer one -- I guess that's what people do when they're 'kind of a big deal.'

What? Does that sound like someone's profile on match.com? Hmmmm I hadn't really thought about it, nor was I suggesting anything.

Oh yes, so back to tonight.

We went to see Gnomeo and Juliet.
We ran into some old friends right before the movie.
When we told them what we were going to see,
They looked at us like we were crazy.
We're not little kids, after all.
So why the cartoon flick about gnomes?


It made more sense when we explained the back-story,
our inside joke about a gnome.
Even though I've blogged about our gnome before,
I'm going to share it again, in case you're new around here.

p.s. The movie was super duper cute! Loved it!!!

Whether cultural myth or not, the story goes like this....

An Australian gnome-owner was distressed when she discovered her gnome had been stolen one weekend in the 80's. A note was found in its place: "Dear mum, couldn't stand the solitude any longer. Gone off to see the world. Don't be worried, I'll be back soon. Love Bilbo xxx."

Later on, she would receive pictures of Bilbo the gnome in exciting parts of the world, such as this one where he is in front of Big Ben in London.

Fast forward 20 years or so, and you'll find me, before I had found my sweetheart. I had just moved into a home with roommates in Salt Lake City. I had the basement to myself, but some decorating had already been done. Everything looked fine, and I even liked how the place looked, but there was one thing that was bugging me - a gnome. Little did I know that one of my roommates had found him at a consignment store, considered him a treasure, and placed him by the fireplace as a focal point to the room. I thought I could just stick him in a closet, and no one would miss him.

I was wrong! But thankfully, my roommate (Amy) didn't take offense or begin a roommate spat. She simply decided to give her gnome a more exciting life than that of simply standing by the fireplace, or worse, being shoved into a dark closet by someone who didn't appreciate his vintage flair. And so began the adventures of Gerome the traveling gnome. Not quite as exciting as the life Bilbo led, but noteworthy nonetheles....

It all started when I got home late one night from an evening out with friends. I stood at my closet, hanging up my clothes, anxious to crawl into my bed, when I felt eyes peering up at me. I looked down to see this:

I giggled to myself, and the next morning Amy found Gerome in the bathroom with her toothbrush:

He didn't travel the world, but went all around our little house, usually mimicking either Amy or myself in some way. He became an honorary roommate, as we would find him at random times in randome spots throughout the house....

playing the piano

getting dolled up

Taking a warm bath

eating breakfast

Speeding off to work

waiting for a kiss under the mistletoe

getting coal for Christmas

playing cards

curled up reading a book

eating dark chocolate and peanut butter in front of the heating vent

Well, life changed very quickly. I met my husband, got married, moved out of the house. Amy and I still met for lunch now and then, but I thought the exciting days of finding Gerome in random places were over. Again, I was wrong! Last fall, I walked out my front door to go to work, and found this:

Gerome in a wicker basket with a note, 'please take care of my baby.

Trick or treaters were not alone on Amy's doorstep Halloween night last year. Gerome was also there:

dressed as a ghost, not a member of the KKK

Update on Gerome the Gnome. Amy's nephew borrowed him for some sort of Junior High English project. I think you know where this is going.... It involves a locker.

Needless to say,
Gerome is now RIP
(resting in pieces).

Although Gerome can never be replaced, life does go on. Shhhh, don't tell Amy, but I found a fantastic little gnome at a vintage boutique a few months ago, and so the tradition will love on!!! Where will we spot Gerome next? Only time will tell.

Hoodie-Footie

Not sure what to get your sweetheart(s) for Valentine's Day? Then apparently you haven't heard of the Hoodie-Footie snuggle suit. Never has a choice been so obvious.


Snuggies are out, then?

Unexpected Outing

"- great accessible boardwalk into the Preserve!"
"- four story glass observation tower with elevator!"
"- accessible trail along border of Preserve!"

That's what the website said about the wheelchair-accessible hike they recommended that isn't far from our house. (Okay, they didn't have the exclamation points, I added those for dramatic effect.) So when we had all day today without other commitments, we jumped at the chance to check out this allegedly awesome hike! Okay, it actually isn't very close at all to our house. It took over an hour to get there, but we figured it would be worth it for our family to finally get to go on an incredible hike!

Then we got there to find that the "boardwalk into the preserve!" was 25 feet in length, if that. And the "accessible trail along the border" was also the sidewalk along a street of shops. No lie! We were laughing so hard that anyone had tried to class this place under the "hike" category. We were thinking of all the places that could be put on the "accessible hike" website if this met the standard..... malls, parking lots and office buildings were mentioned, just to name a few. We made the most of it, though, and once we got over the fact that it wasn't going to give us the fantastic hiking experience we were longing for, we realized that it actually is a pretty cool place....


The observation tower had views of Olympic venues, gorgeous mountains and a meadow of some pretty beautiful flowers and birds. Plus there was a perfect breeze, so Chloe loved it!....


Inside was some amazing artwork....


We took the scenic route home through East Canyon. The leaves are already starting to change and it was just lovely!....

And so the life lesson continues. Things don't always turn out how you expect them to, but it's usually a blessing in disguise.

Happy Birthday Obadiah!

Happy Birthday to this guy.....

who NEVER stops making me laugh! Love you.

Misadventures in Texting

Meet my cell phone:




I love my cell phone. I hardly remember how I survived and functioned in the world before I had a cell phone attached to me.

And texting. I love texting. I'm don't text a LOT, but there are uses for text messaging, and when those instances come up, I take full advantage of sending a text message.

There are occasions, though, when text messaging, specifically T9word/iTapEnglish lets me down. For those of you who might not know (ahem, Mom), T9word and iTapEnglish are used in text messaging so instead of hitting a key several times until you get to the letter you want, the phone predicts what word you are trying to spell.

When text messaging and especially T9/iTap were fairly new (man I'm old), a roommate and I were hanging out at our house when she got a text message from a guy she was dating. She wasn't in a relationship with him, and was dating more than one person. Anyway, the message she got said, "How was the hand?"

Oh my goodness. What does he mean? That could mean soooo many things. Did he see her on a date with another guy when they were holding hands? Did he mean something dirty? We spent hours analyzing the meaning of his message. She had to figure it out before she responded.



We were baffled. After days and nights of girl talk and analyzing the word hand, we finally went to her brother for advice. We went to her brother for advice often, since he was a single guy about our age.

"What does he mean by hand?" we questioned as we handed the phone so he could see it for himself.

"Game. He means, "How was the game?""

"What?!?!" We were still confused.

The last time she had talked to him, she mentioned she was going to a soccer game with her family. So he meant to send the message asking how the game was, but his iTap code picked up 'hand' instead of 'game' and he didn't edit the message before sending it.

We had a good laugh over that one!



And you might have thought I learned my lesson, but, well....

The last few weekends I've been getting together with the girl's from Oby's family for scrap booking. Good times. I wasn't sure if anyone was planning on coming tonight, so I sent a text message that said,

"Are you coming over for papas cooking tonight?"



My SIL Megan responded, "What!"

So I looked at the message I sent, and realized the typo.

"Oh, I meant scrap booking, not papas cooking!"

I wonder if I'll ever completely understand this new-fangled technology!