Happy New Year!

Happiest of New Years to the blogging world!!

The new year came in with a bang this year, which tells me we are in for an exciting year!

It was so nice having the kids home for a little more than a week.  We had some great times connecting and learning together.  They spent Christmas Eve with their dad who came up and got a hotel room for the night.  They really had a great time with him.  On Christmas day, we opened gifts,  slept, saw a movie and ate our little hearts out.   Everyone was healthy and happy on Christmas.  Even Shelbie was doing much better.

This Christmas, I really didn't want anything.  I know people say that but I really didn't want one single thing.  Well, I did request one thing...I picture of each of my kids.  And I got it!  I am head over heels in love with these kids of mine.  I think they are beautiful in every way and I can't believe that they love me back.  Seriously!  Sometimes, I struggle with my worth and how lovable I am.

It has been a really difficult month or more.  In more ways than I have accounted for here.  I look at their smiles and see their struggle but I see their triumphs and their drive to persevere and it makes me happy.

Shelbie

Spencer

Samuel

I love these boys of mine and the way they take care of Shelbie.  They will be awesome husbands some day.

 We had the opportunity to go to a shooting range between holidays.  It sounded fun.  I have always thought I wanted to learn how to shoot a gun.  From the moment I stepped onto the parking lot, I knew it was going to be a big mistake.  You could hear gunfire in the distance but I carried on.  I was completely lost in the whole process.  Luckily the kids have all had experience with guns and their friend who came with us.  I was a train wreck but I did it.  The kids laughed and laughed and laughed at how anxious I was and the laugh/cry thing I did.  It was all too much but I survived.  I have a whole new respect for guns.  We shot an AR15 and a 9mm.

Sam and the AR15

Spencer and the AR15

Shelbie and the AR15

Shelbie's Snap Chat Announcement! 

The whole of us! 

This older lady came in with her purple camo gun bag.  She had short white hair and was probably in her mid 70's.  She walked with purpose, not sauntering around like all the men who were there for a good time.  She forcefully dropped her bag on the counter where she stood.  Pulled out a pistol of some kind, loaded the clip, fired off two rounds and made a kill shot each time.  She then quickly packed her bag and out she went.  I just kept thinking..."Oh, this woman has an agenda!"   

Then, the dude beside us was firing off some vintage revolvers and the sound of that going off was explosive!  After a few rounds of that, he would crawl around on the floor picking up his empty shells.   Too much weirdness goes on at a gun range for me to enjoy the place!  I got hit on twice by a couple of men!  Except I was like...how can you be hitting on me at a critical time such as this? Can you not see I'm laughing and crying at the same time??!! Ha ha...I'm a dork, some things don't change.

Finally, we ended the year and started a new one with a hospital visit!  What else would you expect from the likes of us?  I bet you can't guess who landed in the hospital this time??

Spencer!!  He left to go back to Utah on Monday afternoon and no sooner did he arrive at his apartment but he started throwing up.  He was sick every 15-20 minutes for nearly 18 hours.  I had been keeping an eye on things but early in the afternoon on New Years Day, he called to say he was going to the urgent care.  Urgent Care clinics were closed in his area so he had to go to an ER in South Jordan.  He had a fever, chills, body aches, the whole nine yards.   Because of his immune issues and the fact he was severely dehydrated, they kept him with IV meds and fluids.   His dad was able to catch up to him later that night and give him a blessing and help.  Thankfully, he has improved dramatically.   I also got sick on New Years Eve with what feels like the flu but I haven't gone in.  It's been an awfully long time since I have gotten sick with stuff like this.

So, anyways...we are off on our way through 2019.  I'm hoping we can handle what lies ahead.