A Time for Change

Life goes on. Things change. Time to move on!

Well Jennifer has been away now for about 3 weeks. It is different with her gone. We even took a leaf out of the kitchen table. The refrigerator accumulates leftovers without her here eating them for lunch or after school snacks. It is just weird. But we are so happy for her to be out on her own and getting into college life. So glad that she was able to add the drawing class that she wanted, has fun roommates, and is having fun. I enjoy getting a text from her now and then, and so glad that I can see pictures of her posted on facebook. I had a great time being 19, and hope that she will too. I know she is in the right place.
So it is time to get settled in again. We are switching bedrooms. Jessica and Jennifer had the big room upstairs, so Jessica is going to switch with Melissa and Rachel downstairs so they can have the extra space. In preparation for the switch, we finally got the girls to agree on a paint color and spent time last week painting. There was no school on the 19th so we bought paint, pushed all of Jessica's and the remnants of Jennifer's stuff to the center of the room (and out into the hall) and got to work. Jessica, Melissa, Rachel and I painted the walls Navajo White. Then I rag rolled it with Glorious Gold. My body was sore for a day, but well worth it 'cuz the girls like it. It is very bright in there!

Jessica has been in limbo for these weeks. First feeling lonely in that big room, and getting to look across to the clutter of the Jennifer remains. Then during the painting, she slept one night on Rachel's top bunk, then the next night in the living room on the couch (she said the bunk mattress was horrible), then the next night she dragged her mattress down to the floor in the girls room, where she has been now for the rest of the week. We went to pick out carpet at Home Depot yesterday, and now will wait for the measuring, and installing. Hopefully we won't have to schedule out too far so we can settle in again. It will be good to get rid of the ugly blue stuff in their room. It is very old, worn, and filthy. We didn't bother covering it when we painted, and laughed when we saw blue paint on it from when we painted 11 years ago when we moved in- saying we'd get new carpet, but never did get around to it. It is a big room - 18' X 18' and the pricing of carpet reflects that! Jessica has been a good sport in all this. My goal is to get her settled in someplace soon. Do you think we'll have it all done by the time Jennifer comes home in July?


On another note, a couple of weeks ago, Kevin wasn't feeling so good. He complained about his leg hurting because of a big zit. When he got a fever and chills and came home from school sick, I questioned him more and connected the two. We got him into the doctor on Monday the 12th, and sure enough he had an infection. The Dr. put him on some aggressive antibiotics and had him stay home from school. The next day when we went back in, the Dr was happy to see the infection had gotten smaller- it was now only the size of her fist! I was shocked to hear that it was that huge- the redness was only a fraction of that size. No wonder he was in pain. She OK'd him to go back to Winter Percussion practice if he took it easy, and offered to write him a note to get out of anything he wanted. He did go to school to take a test, and prepare for finals. When we went back on Friday the 16th for another check the infection had shrunk way down and he was cleared for normal life again. It was a little scary when we thought about it, and how it was a similar infection to the one he got when he was in 3rd grade, which resulted in a bone infection, hospital stay and surgery. (It always hits very close to home when I hear the story of Joseph Smith and his bone infection and operation.) Anyway, I am so thankful for modern medicine, and a doctor that knows what to do.

Jessica's ballroom dance class had a Dance Showcase last week. She performed the Tango, Waltz, Cha-cha, Charleston, and Swing. Her partner's didn't show up, so she found another partner and practiced in the side wings between numbers. Thier teacher died over Christmas break, so they did it with out her, and dedicated it to her. Here is a clip of one of her dances she did. She is in the polk-a-dot dress.

One more bit of information: I get an email feed from LDS living and they had asked for people to send in their favorite soup recipes. Well I sent in my favorite- Butternut and Acorn Squash Soup. I got an email back saying it was selected, and today I found in my mailbox the the Jan/Feb issue that they sent me free. On page 93 you can find my recipe with my name! (Well actually I got it and adapted it from allrecipe.com!)

Well, that is it for now. The kids all just got back from a stake fireside.