Family is Everything!

Random Ramblings

Chase took his first college final today.  It was a humanities class.  He calls it Michael Ballam 101 :)

Nicole successfully defended her Master's thesis on Friday.  She graduates on May 6th.  

Talon graduates on May 7th.

Melanie graduates on May 26th, which also happens to be Chelsea's 24th birthday.

Greg threw down a serious bribe the other night to "motivate" Dustin to finish his Eagle.  What, you may ask?  A trip to Disney World and Harry Potter World.

Months ago we purchased tickets for our family for the musical "Young Frankenstein" at the Capitol Theater in Salt Lake. Today we decided we would not be attending.  Read the reviews and saw an ad on t.v. and think it would not be an uplifting experience to attend such a "bawdy" performance.  Expensive lesson just learned.

Addie goes to the pediatrician tomorrow morning and I'm anxious to see how much she weighs now.  She barely fits into her newborn outfits anymore. Cute little peanut!

Andy cracks me up! What would I do if I couldn't chat via internet and see his cute cubby cheeks?!  I miss that sweet boy! 

I miss Chelsea and Brigham, too.

Allergy season is upon me. And Dustin. I heart singulair.

Have I mentioned how much I enjoy McDonald's oatmeal? They serve it 24 hours a day. That is important to know, just in case.

I had forgotten how tired your back becomes when walking the floor with a fussy baby.

I had also forgotten how difficult it is to get stuff done with a newborn on hand.

I have not forgotten, however, that parenting teenagers is a draining mental game, while parenting infants is just physically tiring, and we've got both ends of the spectrum going on here.

My nephew, Darwin Barney, hit his first career home run the other day.  We were pretty excited here at the Hicken house.

My laundry was caught up until Melanie and Dustin brought up their dirty stuff.  And thus it continues.

I'm discovering how many of my clothes I really don't enjoy wearing.

I'm also discovering that I might enjoy wearing some of them more if I dropped a few pounds.

Chase has a girlfriend. Weird. (Not the girl. Just the fact that it is Chase with a girlfriend.)

I smashed my left pointer finger in the ironing board as i folded it for storage. 

 

 

 

 

The Competition

The other day I commented to the teenagers that it might be an interesting experiment to see how long one could go in wearing each item of clothing you own and not repeating anything. They also thought this would be an interesting experiment, but thought that the person going the longest should win a cash prize. Say $100? We approached the Dad, and the competition was born!

Rules:  Wear all clothing without repeating outfits. No mix and match allowed. Underwear,socks, jewelry and shoes (although they probably should) do not count. Dustin's tennis clothes don't count (he has to wear them daily as well as his school uniform). Dustin's church clothes do not count (he has two Sunday outfits, poor kid).  Greg's do (he has 12, count them, TWELVE, suits). After Dustin has gone through all pants and shorts, he may begin repeating them until he has gone through all shirts (remember that Dustin is still growing, and so his wardrobe is lacking in largeness).  No purchasing of new clothing during the tenure of the competition.

The players:  The teenagers, aka Melanie and Dustin.  The parental units, aka Shirlene and Greg.  We did not invite Chase to play since he would lose within the first week.

The purpose:  To rediscover those hidden items of clothing that we forgot we had.  To realize that we have an excess of clothing and live an abundant life.  To perhaps get rid of some of the excess.  To learn something poignant.  Still trying to figure out what that is exactly.

It has been two full weeks thus far.  I have discovered that I don't like some of the stuff I have been "forced" to wear and so those items have since been relegated to the DI bin. Greg wore a pair of pants the other day that I can't wait to throw away.  Not even good enough to donate.  Dustin found a few pair of shorts that don't fit him.  Remember, he is growing.  It is my belief that the Dad will win.  He is a clothes horse. Seriously (see the proof pictures below). Melanie, however, is determined to win.  She wants the $$$.  Winning, however, just shows that said winner is not living a very provident life and has an excessive abundance of clothing!  We could probably clothe a village with our family's excess clothing. Just think of all those Priesthood holders in underprivileged countries that could benefit from the excess of suitage in the Padre's closet!  It is mind boggling!

And so it continues. The daily choosing of outfits is wearing me out. I just want to throw on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt.  But I've already worn all of those and so now must wear "real" clothes.  Ahhh the challenges we face!

                  (My side of the closet)                                    (Greg's polo type shirts)

                     (Greg's dress shirts)                                     (Greg's side of the closet)

Like I said, the Dad is certain to win. He can go a solid three months without repeating pants or shirts. It's a little embarrassing.  Or at least it should be!

 

 

Modern Technology

Ichat, gmail chat, skype -- whatever you use or call it -- seriously cool!!!

We chatted with Chelsea, Brigham, and Andy in Alaska via computer technology last night.  I just wanted to reach right out and squeeze little Andy's sweet chubby cheeks and give him a humongous grandma kiss!

        

                                                       Love them!

Welcome Home Adalyn!

After 26 days sweet Adalyn Julene left the McKay-Dee NICU and came home! To our house! And I couldn't be happier! We've had her home for two whole days now, and it is a joy having her here!

         (In her car seat and ready to go!)                (Notice the EXIT sign! Leaving the NICU!)

           (Leaving McKay-Dee Hospital)                       (All buckled in and ready to roll!)

              (Leaving the Guest House)         (Addie's first car ride! Remember, she got to McKay-Dee via                                                                                         life-flight helicoptor!)

Aunt Chelsea and Uncle Brigham even wrote a little diddy about Addie's homecoming event! Click here to see it via Aunt Chelsea's blog.

The love level in our home just increased by about a bijillion units!  Welcome home sweet Addie!

 

My Schedule

For the past 3 1/2 weeks my schedule has pretty much followed this schedule:

M - W - F:  

Arise in Ogden at the Annie Taylor Dee Guest House

Go for an ugly run on the path around McKay-Dee Hospital. The mile-long path is graded at an incline for at least 3/4 of the mile.  I guess I could go the other direction, but then I'd have nothing to complain about.

Get cleaned up, try to focus long enough to read a chapter in the New Testament, eat something.

Head to the NICU with Nicole.

Tend to and love my darling daughter and granddaughter.

Eat a late lunch.

Drive back to Logan.

From the time I arrive in Logan in the evening until I leave Logan again the next day around dinner time, I:

do 1-4 loads of laundry, iron an item or two and sometimes even three, wipe the kitchen counter at least three times, tidy the house, pay bills or do paper work, see to the needs of the teenagers and one returned missionary and one husband, make meals, buy some groceries, try to remember to have scripture reading with the teenagers, repack my "back & forth" bag, gas up the van.

I sleep at home on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sat.  I sleep in Ogden on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

On Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday evening I again spend hours in the NICU tending to and loving my daughter and granddaughter until 10 or 11pm. 

However, tomorrow this may all change, because Addie may get to come home!

Home to my house with her mommy and daddy!

She still has some serious eating to do between now and tomorrow. And she will still need special care.

But we are getting ready.

Just in case.

                               

 

 

Projects

Four more of 34 completed, although the pink/green receiving blanket (and the other 5 that are ready to bind) aren't on my official project list.  Maybe I'll add them so I can cross them off as I finish them :)

   Wool pillow project from Quilt Guild class.                      Dustin's t-shirt quilt.

                Hawaiian slide-show.                                       Receiving blanket #1.