FEBRUARY

Does anyone else have a hard time pronouncing "February?"  I vote they just get rid of the first R.  The English language is so screwy.  I really feel for those who learn it as a second language.  The other day for spelling Kenna was doing words with ie or ei.  I started in on the saying of, "I before E except after C."  Then I got looking closer.  That rule doesn't work.  Not at all!  I found a whole slew of words where that rule goes right out the window.  Sheesh.  Anyhow.  February- it needs a revamp.

Whenever we go into town, we pass by the Wellsville cemetery.  Without fail, whenever we drive by Ty reminds us that Uncle Justin is buried there.  The kids had been asking for quite a while to go up and see his grave, so we finally went up there on a Sunday afternoon.  It's a beautiful spot. 

Ty can't quite decide who he likes better; the Ninja Turtles or Spiderman.  It changes frequently.  Whoa!  Watch out!  It's Spidey!

So the kids have reward charts they get to put a mark on every time they are caught doing something extra nice or special.  This way whenever they ask for something, I tell them they just have to fill up their reward chart.  Contrary to popular belief, I am not the bank.  This gives me an easy answer to the thousand times a day I hear, "I want...."  It also helps me focus on some positive reinforcement rather than feeling like I am the Wicked Witch of the West all the time.  Ty got in his mind that he reaaaaallllllly wanted a Ninja Turtle costume.  So he set his mind to getting his reward chart filled up.  I have to hand it to him, he worked hard!  He was pretty darn dedicated to being a good little boy.  Shortly before his reward chart was filled up, however, he found out about cap guns.  That may or may not have been due to the other little boy in our house.  AKA Dad.  Yep, the beloved cap gun.  Not sure which of the two boys was more excited.  That became the new fixation, so when John Wayne filled up his reward chart the two boys headed into town to pick out a cap gun. 

Whoa there, trigger!

I couldn't decide which picture to post.  Let's be serious, that is pretty darn cute.  Take note of the Ninja Turtle shirt.  Oh excuse me.  Not a shirt, it's a sweater.  Just ask Ty, he'll set you straight.  He wears it over everything. 

The Pinders have an indoor pool out in Young Ward where they host a big Family Home Evening swim night for whoever wants to come.  We took the kiddos over one night and they absolutely loved it.  Minus Ty who lost his privilege and had to stay with Grandma Israelsen while we swam.  Sometimes even the reward chart goes out the window.

 Lexi decided the little water slide was the best thing invented since mini wheats.  She loves mini wheats.  We learned we need some major work with swim lessons this summer, too.

My sweet Grandfather Otte passed away the first week of February.  I gotta be honest, I was so happy for him.  It was definitely his time.  He was such a trooper for those few years after Grandma died.  I can only imagine what a difficult time it was for him- he and my Grandma were always together.  They had been for a very long time, too.  I learned so much from him.  What an honor to call him Grandpa.  Oh I could write so much.  I didn't get a whole lot of pictures from the day.  Here is the Otte clan.  So grateful for such an amazing family!

While all the funeral preparations were being made, I got a phone call from my Mom asking if I would be willing to sing at the funeral.  Yow.  This was such a crazy emotion for me.  On the one hand it was such an honor.  On the other hand it was a huge pit of anxiety in my stomach.  Here's the problemo:  my emotions hover right at the surface.  It doesn't take much for me to spontaneously leak tears.  (Pretty darn annoying, acutally).  I really wanted to sing, but I did NOT want to stand up and just blubber through the whole thing.  Immediately in my mind I knew exactly what I had to do.  This would require a HUGE amount of faith, fasting, and prayers.  Along with this I had the calm assurance that if I did my part, the Lord would do His.  This ended up being an incredible experience for me.  There really are no words to adequately explain what a great learning and changing opportunity this was for me.  In short, when it was time, I was able to get up and sing just as I hoped I would be able to.  I really have no way of adequately describing this whole experience.  It was amazing.  On the outside it seems so simple and small, yet to me it was huge.  My testimony of relying solely on the Savior gained a whole new depth.  Hurdles really do become catalysts for great growth and change.

Grandma and Grandpa have their burial plots in Salt Lake where they buried their daughter, Stephanie, so the graveside service was held the next day.  It was simple yet beautiful.  Those pictures are on Jacob's phone....and well if I keep waiting I'll go another 4 months without a post.  So I'm moving along.

Jacob decided he had been without some good bovine out on the north 40 for far too long, so the middle of February we added 2 new critters to the mix.  Behold Snickers and Milky Way:

For the most part the girls have been doing pretty darn good taking care of their calves.  We've had a few issues with who does what in getting the milk all mixed up and such, but it's been a good learning experience. 

We also have had a good crop of baby goats out at Grandma and Grandpa Israelsen's farm.  Darn those little things are cute:

We ended up bottle feeding an orphan for a bit.  The kids loved having a little baby goat to chase them all over the backyard.  We also brought one of our older mamas and her two babies out to our place as well.  Watch out Wellsville, the Israelsens are in town!

I got to join Allie and her 2nd grade class on a fieldtrip to see a darling little play about Laura Ingalls Wilder.  It was such a fun trip to spend with my Allie Gal.  Nothing like a ride on a school bus to do your heart some good!

I guess I can't leave February behind without mentioning another trip I took.  I think I would have rather gone on the school bus again.  Nope, this time I hitched a ride in an ambulance.  I don't even have a good war story to go with it....

One nice Thursday morning I had made myself a big long list of all sorts of great stuff I was going to get done that day.  I decided to start with utilizing the strawberries on my counter to make some jam.  I leaned over to grab the saucepan and YOW!  My lower back caught just right and it just about took me down.  I was able to hold onto the edge of the counter to steady myself then let the pain subside enough so I could catch my breath.  Poor Jacob had just left to head out for the day when he got a phone call from me telling him I had just thrown my back out.  Again.  This is the third or fourth time in about 6 years I've done this.  Ridiculous.  In the past when it happened, I could get situated enough to where I could move really really careful to keep it from catching again and feeling like someone had a pick ax wedged in my lower back.  Then I could make it in to the chiropractor to help work it out and after a few days it would subside.  Well this time it just kept catching over and over again and I basically had become immobilized.  My parents had come out so my Dad could help give a blessing.  When they got there, it was to the point that if I even breathed wrong it would catch.  My Mom decided that getting an ambulance to take me to the hospital was about the only choice we had.  I was at the point that I just let her call.  I needed some serious help!  The EMT's said I was starting to go into shock.  I begged them not to touch me, just please knock me out!  They got an IV line going and loaded me up with some good stuff.  Oooooooooh yes it was good stuff.  It kicked in enough to where the pain was subsiding and I was getting loopy enough so they could move me over to the stretcher and load me up in the ambulance. 

Long story.  Blah blah blah. 

So we went to the ER.  More meds.  The ER doc suggested letting it heal for a while then getting into see a doc and getting an MRI done to find out exactly what was going on.  I finally got in to see a doc, and after x-rays he feels pretty certain I have a joint that gets inflamed and then when it doesn't glide right the body goes into overdrive with major muscle spasms.  He really doesn't think it's a disc issue, therefore the MRI wouldn't do a whole lot of good.  It would just be a big money pit.  I'm ok with not spending any more money!  I just can't WAIT to see what they charge us for the taxi ride into the hospital.  So now I just have to go to therapy to get my muscles back into shape and keep myself better aligned so this doesn't happen again.  Ever.  I would rather give birth.  To 10 pound triplets.   

I guess I'll consider it a learning experience.  We were SO blessed through it all.  I am beyond grateful for Jacob and our two families who basically had to take over for a while until I could gain some movement back.  We also had amazing neighbors and ward members who were so gracious in helping with meals and such.  Thank you thank you THANK YOU to all who gave prayers and love and time.  It meant so very much. 
  
Well ok then.  I guess that wraps up month number two of 2015.  Feb-yoo-ary.