Talking about what happened is just fine. Thinking about what happened when I am all alone is another thing.
On Sunday night, we went to bed before midnight. Zack got up around 4 o'clock in the morning to use the restroom and then got back in bed. The next thing I knew, it was 6 o'clock am and I was staring at the ceiling wondering why I was awake. I wasn't tired so I just lay there looking at our bedroom windows. All of a sudden Zack let out a loud, painful sounding growl. I called to him but he didn't respond. He immediately began to have a grand mal seizure. You know, the kind where they shake and bounce all over the place. I flipped the light on and futilely tried to get him to snap out of it. I grabbed the phone off my dresser and called 911.
I have had so many dreams where 911 has put me on hold and I desperately hoped that wouldn't happen. As I tried to tell them our address and what was going on, I was shaking like a leaf trying to get Zack to wake up. He continued to seize for at least 20 seconds, which seemed like forever. Finally, he stopped.
The woman (my personal angel) told me to put the phone down and roll him over. I finally was able to get him on his back but he still wouldn't regain consciousness. At least he was breathing, though it was ragged and weird sounding. He was asleep! The nerve ;) I grabbed my robe and ran down to open our door so the paramedics could just run upstairs when they got there. They are 1 mile up the street and it only took 2 1/2 minutes for them to arrive. Let me tell you, that is an eternity with something like this.
Once they arrived, they tried to get him to wake up and took his vitals. Still no response from Zack with the exception that he would open his eyes for a second when they would call him by name loudly. They told me that they would take him to the AF hospital and that I should meet them there. They brought up a special chair with straps to take him down the stairs - another reason why I want a rambler! Anyway, they had to revive him a little to get him to be upright in the chair. They called him again and he started to look around. It seemed to kind of freak him out that there were 8 uniformed men in our bedroom. They told him why they were there and then he immediately fell asleep again. They brought him down the stairs, put him on the gurney, and then rushed him out the door.
A few of our neighbors were there by the time they took Zack out and the 911 dispatcher had called my parents so that they could come help me with the kids. We had a great deal of support which I will be forever grateful for.
I drove to the hospital all the while having a nice, long begging session with the Lord. The hospital let me right in to see Zack and he was still really out of it. My dad showed up and then about 15 minutes later, our home teacher arrived. They gave Zack a blessing and I finally began to relax. The ER doctor diagnosed him with a seizure. Wow...really? You think?
It was about noon by the time we got home and he slept nearly the entire day and all through the night. He actually went to work the next day. Man, that's so not me...I'd milk it for all it was worth! He had a CT scan which was normal, and just had an MRI done yesterday and plans on having an EEG on Tuesday. Next Wednesday he will see a neurologist which I predict will diagnose him with Epilepsy. For a few years, he has had weird "dizzy spells" which, if I am right, are actually mini seizures called "Aura"s .
In a way, I hope that this is epilepsy. It's treatable with medication...otherwise, if it's not, then we are back at square one. The only physical thing that you can see that says something happened to Zack is that he now has red stripes on his shoulders and chest where the straps from the special chair held him in. It's a little weird for Zack for sure. All he remembers is going to bed after using the bathroom and then he was waking up in the ambulance.
Oh, here's a little tidbit for all you sports fans...The ER doctor, his little brother is Steve Young.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Zack's personal chauffeurs
Posted by Amber at 9:29 PM 7 comments
Thursday, December 17, 2009
While visions of sugar plums danced in their heads
And by sugar plums, I really mean chocolate!
I love to cook and bake the entire holiday season. Candies, breads, cookies, and most importantly, hand dipped chocolates!!! I guess it's a good thing I didn't join the BR Biggest Loser this year! Starting today, I plan on making...
4 batches lollipops, cherry & raspberry Done
3 batches pistachio cranberry biscotti drizzled with white chocolate Done
2 batches pecan pralines Done
1 batch coconut dipped chocolates
1 batch butter rum dipped chocolate - Zack's favorite Done
1 batch lime dipped chocolates - white chocolates Done
1 batch raspberry dipped chocolates
1 batch caramel nut dipped chocolates
1 batch mint dipped chocolates
2 batches peanut butter fudge Done
1 batch chocolate fudge Done
2 loaves cinnamon raisin bread Done
2 loaves white bread Done
4 batches caramel chocolate popcorn - thank you, Gina!
2 batches English toffee
And plenty of these for Zack and me with the left over chocolate.
Oh man, I am crazy to try all of this. We're still having to show the house, too! I am going to end up in the looney bin considering Christmas is a mere 9 days away. Plus, I think I broke my elbow.
And have a bruised nose.
Posted by Amber at 8:12 PM 5 comments
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
He Does Exist!!
Posted by Amber at 9:51 PM 10 comments
Monday, November 23, 2009
Journal Entries
I have to write this stuff down before I forget - which will happen.
On Sunday, a friend was telling a story about something that had happened to Zacky at their house. He was over playing with their kids and he was trying to clean up a large box of Lego's. As he was trying to put the box back into it's cubby, it would not go in all of the way. So, he tried to shove it in harder......nothing, harder.....nothing. On his last attempt, he pushed it in really hard. There erupted a loud Reeeeeeeear! and out shot the family cat. Apparently, he had been trying to snooze in the dark cubby.
The other night, Mikey was playing with Scotty up in Scotty's bedroom. Mikey tried to shut Scotty's closet door really fast. We heard a slam, then a deep, Barry White sounding scream, then Mikey came flying down the stairs and landed on his knees sobbing. He had pinched his thumb in the accordion style closet door. I have never seen a blood blister that large. It was huge!!! We always know that if Mikey is crying, it's something serious. Neither him nor Scotty ever complain of pain. Such examples would be: Scotty having his broken arm for a week before we took him in and this past week he had TWO ear infections, with barely a mention that his ear would hurt when he put his finger in it. I only had him checked after Emily had her ear infection. Oh, and this is our 5th ear infection with all of our kids. Sweeeeeet!
Posted by Amber at 10:02 PM 1 comments
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Just FYI
I have finally discovered my favorite place to shop for clothes. Has anyone ever been to Christopher & Banks? I have never had clothes fit me so comfortably without looking like a mu mu. They have very classic (very feminine) styles and I normally would freak out about their prices (I am so cheap!), but with their sales, I just can't help myself. I only go when they have their "40% off everything in the store or online sales" or when it's their "Buy one get one free" sale. I love that place!!!
I recently found this, this, and I really want this just to name a few...
This post seems very familiar. Maybe I've put in a shameless plug for them before, but I am too tired to search for it, so sorry if this is a rerun.
Posted by Amber at 3:56 PM 3 comments
Sunday, November 15, 2009
High Anxiety!
Right now I am so stressed out. We are still trying to sell the house and the holidays are here. Our neighbors finally sold their house but they let it go for about $24,000 less than it was worth. This makes it even more difficult for us to sell because now we seem really over priced. Dang it!
There are so many other things adding to our stress and Zack and I are both suffering from extreme symptoms of anxiety/panic attacks. We have narrowed down Zack's "dizzy spells" to his most stressful moments and are assuming that they are stress related. For me, I have been having severe asthma attacks, that have been nearly crippling and the inhaler barely seems to help me. It's odd, but my asthma isn't nearly as bad when Zack is with me. He is my medicine ;) Even now, as I sit here typing, it is driving me crazy to look at the keyboard, the "G" button looks too small in comparison to the others....grrrrrr. I am not even including the stress of what Washington is doing to our country - that's a whole other post!
I have no idea how to de-stress myself and calm down except to ask for a blessing from Zack and our home teacher later on today.
Other than that, we are all healthy enough, happy enough, and are loving the fall/winter and the holidays. The boys' Primary Program is today and I am excited to see them perform. I also cannot wait to eat, eat, eat for the entire weekend of Thanksgiving.
Just FYI, the lady is breathing into the bag, not puking into it.
Posted by Amber at 12:07 PM 4 comments
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Halloween 2009
Well, this Halloween has been an unusually busy one for us. I was in charge of our Ward Halloween party and it was a big one. We think at least 200 people came :) I had a lot of great helpers that made everything run much smoother than it originally would have. THANK YOU!!!
I was so exhausted that I was not really in the "mood" to do Halloween the next day. Poor Mikey wasn't feeling well either, so he missed the Trick or Treating...
Can you tell by looking at most of our costumes that I LOVE cheap or free costumes?!?
Here are our costumes:
A Babe Magnet - Zachary
Billy Mays for the Power of Oxyclean! - Mikey
A prisoner - Tommy
Darth Vader - Scotty
Little Orphan Annie, Daddy Warbucks, and the Terrible Miss Hannigan.
Zack was so wonderful...the bald cap was terrible so he went the distance and actually shaved his head! I think it freaked Tommy out and surprised many of the teenagers at church!
Posted by Amber at 8:05 PM 6 comments
Monday, September 28, 2009
Missing my man
While Zack is spending the week in Hawaii, I have been thinking of some of my favorite things about him. One of my favorite is when I hear him tackle one of the boys, grab up their bare foot, and with hand poised to pop their little toes, he'll shout, "Pick a letter between question mark and 9." (or he'll pop them) They'll squeal and yell, "Boat!" hoping they're right. Zack then hollers, "Wrong - it was Jupiter!"
POP!!!
Oh, how I love him!
Posted by Amber at 3:43 PM 4 comments
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Baby Steps
Today, I ate.........leftovers!
This is really hard for me to do and I have no idea why. However, in order to try to save some money, I am trying to not let things go to waste. Last night for dinner I made low fat Chicken Tortilla soup. It was so yummy. It was even better today since all of the flavors had more time to marry. Anyway, I am so proud of myself!
As a side note, it sickens me that on those House Hunting shows, people buy 4,000 sq. foot homes to make sure that their three dogs have enough space inside and out. What a slap in the face.
Posted by Amber at 1:22 PM 2 comments
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Remember when...
Remember when you'd want a cheap dinner out so you'd take the family to Chuck-O-Rama? Well, gone are the good ol' days.
We went a few weeks back and it cost us $60.00!!! Emily was free, too! What a rip-off. It really bothered us, so we weren't upset in the slightest when Mikey dropped a full plate of food on the ground. Well, maybe we were a little embarrassed since it was really loud when it shattered. Then we made sure that everyone stuffed themselves to the gills to justify spending that much. Not a very fun time at all. So, I guess Chuck-O-Rama gets to be put on the "Never Again" list. Too bad.
Good job, Mikey.
Posted by Amber at 10:32 AM 4 comments
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Love is....
...waking up to cool breezes coming through the windows, a hearty family breakfast, and this on the TV.
I get emotional just thinking about it!!! Fall and winter are coming!!!
Up next:
Posted by Amber at 10:00 AM 5 comments
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Last get-a-way of the summer
We were blessed to have the opportunity to stay with Zack's parents up at their cabin for the extended weekend. We had a great time visiting with our family. The boys always love time with their cousins. I've hurt my back and the house needs some attention so I'll make it quick.
Emily watching Caillou on our MP3 player. Whatever stops her screaming. Sheesh!
Mikey and Zachary on a hike with cousins Katie and Annie, Grandma and dad. They were "lucky" enough to find a half buried deer carcass. They dug most of it up and reconstructed the animal. Yummy.
Uncle Lincoln pulling Scotty, Little Lincoln, and Will for a ride.
The cousins trying to trick the hummingbirds into drinking from Mikey's cup. Mikey does this for hours at a time. Literally. He prefers doing this to riding the ATVs.
Scotty's new look. The dry air maybe?
The kids at the "lake".
Posted by Amber at 11:13 AM 2 comments
Friday, September 4, 2009
Graceful as a .....
A friend of mine from Texas posted this today. I cannot stop laughing!
Posted by Amber at 10:04 AM 5 comments
Friday, August 28, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Most Boring Post Ever
1. Emily was stung by a wasp - yet another reason to go out of my way to hunt them down...
2. My house has never been cleaner - I have never been more insane.
3. School starts tomorrow for Zachary - JUNIOR HIGH!!! I am so excited for him!
4. School starts Thursday for Mikey & Tommy. Life will be just that much more crazy.
4. School starts next Wednesday for Scotty - can he really be old enough already?
5. So tired I apparently have forgotten how to count.
6. This is the first year EVER that I didn't want them to have to go back to school. WOW.
7. I am really looking forward to some mommy daughter time...so excited - hope she'll start to enjoy being with me. Dad seems to be her main squeeze right now.
8. Still looking/waiting for our miracle - no, not a baby!
9. Zack and I have gotten emotional with the cooler weather we've been having - can't wait for more!
10. I am still laughing at our jokes we had prepared for our talks two weeks ago but didn't share...not really funny though. Sad.
11. I have discovered that I am addicted to FB and still eat popcorn and Kit Kats nearly every night.
12. I am starting to feel old because I hate the t-shirts out for young girls - "To be honest...I'm a liar" ugh! What kind of girls will my sons have to deal with when it comes time for dating and marriage - why is being ladylike so unpopular?!?
13. Even I am getting bored with this post - I'll post 1st day of school pics soon-ish.
Posted by Amber at 4:56 PM 4 comments
Friday, July 24, 2009
Silly Girl!!
Emily's favorite thing to do during meal time is to make silly faces. She rarely actually eats. This is her newest material.
Posted by Amber at 8:44 AM 8 comments
Thursday, July 16, 2009
News Flash!!!
If any one is interested in a beautiful home on a quiet cul de sac, with four bedrooms plus a large bonus room, two bathrooms, updated ginormous kitchen, .24 acres, A/C, and cold storage let us know!
Here is our ad.
Posted by Amber at 11:37 PM 10 comments
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
CFR '09
We just returned from our 2009 reunion to St. George. What a great week to go. The weather was extremely mild - almost too cool for swimming, and the house we (all 25 of us) stayed in was snug, but perfectly accommodating. The A/C struggled (OK it was non existent) the first night in a few of the bedrooms, but was fixed the next day and was almost too cool. We were able to have large, very tasty meals, we saw "Annie" at Tuachan, played at the city's splash park, the guys played tennis, the ladies did home decor crafts, we did Karaoke (always a hoot), we visited the temple grounds, visited various church history sites, played games, and just relaxed. It was a blast! We always take our camera places but never remember to use it. Here are a few pics of our adventure with more to come as I get them:
Tommy in front of the Hamblin Home.
In front of the St. George LDS Temple.
Thank you to Kali & Kristie who put lot of time & effort into planning this year's reunion!
Posted by Amber at 2:13 PM 4 comments
Thursday, May 28, 2009
The Graduate
Scotty had the opportunity to go to pre-school this year. He loved it!! They each had a speaking part at their graduation and many songs were sung. What a fun time we had. Here are a few pics from his big night.
Posted by Amber at 2:47 PM 3 comments
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Zing!
OK, so we have tried yet another new recipe and loved it. This is a super tasty garlic butter spread for corn on the cob. Cook the corn the way you prefer - grilled or boiled and then indulge. Mmmmmmmmm-mmmmmm!!!
Garlic Butter:
1 stick butter or margarine, slightly softened
4 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon chili powder - we are wimpy so I used a little more that 1/8.
handful of fresh chives, coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese
4 fresh limes, quartered
Combine butter, garlic, chili powder, and chives in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to use.
Cook corn and smear with garlic butter, top with cheese, and sprinkle with lime juice. The picture above is obviously much more heavy on the chili powder.
WOW!!!! This is sinfully good!
Posted by Amber at 2:57 PM 8 comments
Monday, May 11, 2009
Home
This past Saturday was a sad one in our family. Zack's childhood home was burned to the ground. They lived in that house for 23 years. The company that bought the property from the Churches offered to let the Pleasant Grove Fire Department use it for about 6 weeks to train their men. The Fire Chief was kind enough to call the Churches and let us come to see it in it's final moments.
The firefighters did some little exercises inside for a bit and then they came pouring out of the home and said that it was time. They started the fire in the upper west side (Matt's bedroom) and it roared down the hall to the massive balcony that overlooked their lovely living room. Then it went downstairs and consumed the rest. It was so hard to watch. The firefighters said that it took 8 minutes for it to become completely engulfed.I believe that it was at least a 6,000 square foot home that they built all on their own nearly from scratch. So much of their hard work brought so much joy to so many.
I believe that there was at least 200-300 people who stopped by to see it. So many people have been a part of that home. We even had our wedding reception there. Zack didn't want to go at all, but I thought it might be fun for the boys to go see it. Boy was I wrong. The minute we turned the corner and saw the little wisps of smoke, I burst into tears. We parked at the church next door and walked over. The firefighters were so kind and let us go right up to the front of the home.
Zack kept his distance, but finally joined the rest of the family. Everyone kept saying that his emotions were close to the surface - that is a big understatement. All of his memories, the good and the bad, I am sure came rushing back to him. Our sons also shed tears of sorrow, particularly Mikey. When his Aunt Kali asked him what his favorite memories were, he immediately said, "Chocolate chip pancakes". I am so glad that they have such great and warm memories of this home. I have a great sorrow for Scotty and Emily who never will. I think Scotty was too young to remember it. Zack's dad didn't even come. It was hard enough for him to see the enormous plume of smoke from across the lake In Saratoga Springs. To be honest, I am glad he didn't come.
Here is a great close up of the beautiful double sided fireplace we all enjoyed.
Here is the news clip from the fire. It's a bit choppy, but still neat to watch.
I have been going through so many different feelings and thoughts. Today, I am surprised to find that I am dealing with anger and then back to sadness. Zack and I are working so hard to make sure that our children have warm fuzzies about our own home. Thank you so much, mom and dad, for such sweet memories.
Posted by Amber at 11:18 AM 18 comments
Thursday, April 23, 2009
How to:
How to Annoy Your Dad
First, find a hat. Put it on slanted. Then you show your dad.
Next, go to your dad and say "sqweemlesh" about 5 times.
Then, say, "Hey dad, I just texted you!"
Last, say, "Hey dad, I gots a toy and I likes to plays with it's!" Then he will get mad at you!
I'm thinking that we are witnessing the beginning talents of the next Pulitzer?
Posted by Amber at 12:54 PM 6 comments
Monday, April 20, 2009
Recharged!
Well, for our Spring Break we were able to go up to Bear Lake for the entire week. We had a blast! On Monday we ate at The Bear Trapper Steakhouse. It was kind of pricey but the kids thought it was soooo fancy because they brought out their fresh raspberry sorbet to "cleanse every one's palate". The best parts of this restaurant were the fireplaces and that Emily kept growling at the wooden bears.
It was so windy and cold - it looks like I ran into the picture.
We were also able to take the kids swimming numerous times in the heated indoor pool. I really struggled with this due to two things. One, I am terrified of my kids drowning and two, the water was all cloudy and every time some stranger's kid came by me, snot was all over their face. I knew I was just sitting in everything gross a kid could come up with. Ew.
We really enjoyed the rain and snow. I know this sounds weird, but we loved it. We were all cozy and warm and had even anticipated this weather. The boys had a blast playing their Uncle Joseph's XBox 360 and I even played. We rented new movies and had a movie night every night but one. That night we had a Call of Duty 4 competition.
Don't worry, Zack will photo shop me into this picture later.
One place everyone has to visit if they travel to Bear Lake is the KOA grocery store. Odd suggestion, right? They were unbelievable. The first time we stopped in, the electricity went out so their computers were down. The man rang up our items, made a list and just said, "Come back tomorrow, I trust you." WOW!!! We stopped in at least 2 other times and they remembered us each time and even asked how Mikey's foot was. (He had sliced it open on the filter or something in the hot tub.)
Emily kept herself very busy.
On the last day of our vacation, we went down into Logan. I cannot get enough of this place. I literally think about it all day long. It was so pretty and every one was so friendly. Zack and I have always wanted to live somewhere more rural. It was gorgeous!!!I loved seeing the rolling hills of the farms and even the smells were inviting. And yes...I do mean cow manure. Ha, ha, ha!! (but only as long as it is a distant smell)
That night we also were able to visit with a friend of Zack's from his mission. We had a wonderful dinner and we had a great time visiting with the Peapealalo family. They have four gorgeous daughters and our boys had a great time playing with them. Thank you so much guys!
I cannot wait to go back to Logan and Bear Lake!!!
Posted by Amber at 2:58 PM 8 comments
Friday, April 3, 2009
Who are you & what have you done with the real me?
Posted by Amber at 10:11 AM 7 comments
Friday, March 27, 2009
The people we ought to be... once more
A few years ago, I was blessed to have the experience of traveling to Pennsylvania. I was able to visit Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Valley Forge, among many, many other historical places. The Spirit there was as strong as it can be in the Temple. Amazing.
I have such a love for our Founding Fathers. In Doctrine and Covenants 101:80 it says, "I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood."
How wonderful to know that our Heavenly Father directed our Founding Fathers in such a beautiful work!!
So, on that note...I am excited, I am nervous, and I am thrilled to say that I am a 9 - 12er. What is a 9-12er? If you believe that it is vital that we live our lives on principals and values, you too just might be a 9 -12er. First, the principles:
Do you believe...
1. America Is Good.
2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life.
“The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the external rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained.” from George Washington’s first Inaugural address.
3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
“I hope that I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider to be the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.” George Washington
4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
“It is in the love of one’s family only that heartfelt happiness is known. By a law of our nature, we cannot be happy without the endearing connections of a family.” Thomas Jefferson
5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
“I deem one of the essential principles of our government… equal and exact justice to all men of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political.” Thomas Jefferson
6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results. “Everyone has a natural right to choose that vocation in life which he thinks most likely to give him comfortable subsistence.” Thomas Jefferson
7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable. “It is not everyone who asketh that deserveth charity; all however, are worth of the inquiry or the deserving may suffer.” George Washington
8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.
“In a free and republican government, you cannot restrain the voice of the multitude; every man will speak as he thinks, or more properly without thinking.” George Washington
9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.
“I consider the people who constitute a society or a nation as the source of all authority in that nation.” Thomas Jefferson
Now, the Values:
Honesty - Reverence - Hope - Thrift - Humility -
Charity - Sincerity - Moderation - Hard Work -
Courage - Personal Responsibility - Gratitude
I am confused as to why everyone seems to have forgotten the lessons we learned from 9-11. On September 12th, we all promised ourselves that we would stick closer to what was truly important in this life. However, we are all back to the bickering, fighting, finger pointing, and looking out for ourselves and no one else style of living. Back to our September 10th selves.
I know that I am sticking my neck out by saying this, but I am sick and tired of people screaming about how patriotic they are, but when push comes to shove, they stand around whining and complaining about what's going on with our country instead of taking actions to try to fix it.
Well, I am no longer one of those people. I am now a part of "The 9-12 Project". It is getting larger everyday and it is gaining speed - rapidly (over 340,000 as of today). If you feel that these principals and values are indeed important and worthy of your attention, please join up. It is not a democrat vs republican thing. It is a right vs wrong thing. It always has been. If you would like to get more info and even see what other people around the country are doing click here.
I finally feel like I have a voice and that I am no longer alone in how I feel.
Posted by Amber at 7:25 PM 4 comments
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Lost in translation
This was Scotty's first St. Patrick's Day that he could remember. He made sure to wear green and he even had a green party at pre-school. Today, Scotty woke up just so excited. He came downstairs and announced that he had to wear red today because it was St. Spongebob's Day.
Get it ???
Posted by Amber at 9:04 PM 3 comments