Emmeline's Aerodigestive Journey

I've just returned from a doctor's appointment with my sweet little Emmeline. She is newly 5 and preparing to enter Kindergarten in 2 months.  For the last 3 years or so, or maybe longer, she's been an incredible trooper dealing with her frequent respiratory illnesses.  I've been hoping she would "outgrow it".  But, the final straw broke this camel's back about two weeks ago when she got sick again.

IT'S JUNE!  My kid is not supposed to get a cold in June.  My kid is not supposed to get a cold that starts with an instant cough in June coupled with vomiting twice in less than 24 hours due to that horrific cough.  This is the 3rd sick season ( usually just Winter and early Spring) that we have dealt with cold after cold after cold. It wasn't uncommon for her to be sick for 2 weeks and then only be healthy for a few days or a week before getting sick again.  Her precious little face would barely heal from a runny nose before it would start up again.  

About 2 1/2 years ago, around March or April I took Emmeline to the doctor for this problem.  I realized she had been throwing up a lot with her colds, and that it probably wasn't normal.  So, we went to see the pediatrician. I told him that something was wrong, that I thought she either had acid reflux or asthma or both.  He agreed with me and we started to treat her for both.  She got better, but the asthma treatment was $500 for a month supply and had to be delivered through the nebulizer, which is fantastic, but slow. It took 20 minutes every day. After a while we stopped treating for reflux and continued the nebulized steroid for about 2 months until the weather was warm.  I hoped the coast was clear.

As soon as the weather turned cold again, yep, you guessed it, she got more colds and vomited more.  I need to slow down here and explain exactly what I mean.  Emmeline would catch a cold and get a runny nose and a cough, like any normal cold. But, when she would start coughing hard, she couldn't stop until she vomited. This could happen once a day, multiple times a day, every other day. . . it wasn't predictable. But, it was guaranteed to happen if she started to run or got injured.  Cough cough cough- barf! Sometimes she threw up every meal. Other times nothing for a few days.  It happened with every cold.  As she would get better, towards the end of the cold, she wouldn't throw up any more- usually.  Some of her colds weren't scary. Others were very scary.  About 4 colds ago I borrowed an pulse oximeter from a friend just to make sure she was ok.  She practically slept with that thing on for a week.  But her oxygen was always okay, so we didn't go in to the doctor. That's kind of been the story about the whole thing. She gets sick. She throws up. But, she just picks up and goes back to playing. She doesn't get upset. She doesn't cry.  She doesn't let her get it down. Anyway, I just kept hoping it would go away. I didn't want her on steroids full time. But, with this last time, I just had this feeling come over me that it was time to ask for more treatment options.  

We went to the doctor.

She gave us a prescription for a new inhaled steroid- Q-VAR.  She told me to start her on a reflux medicine and to go see a GI- gastroenterologist. That's where we went today.  Since we started those two meds one week ago Emmeline hasn't had one coughing fit and subsequently has not vomited. But, it has been a very mild cold, so I thought maybe that was why.  I stopped the Q-VAR two days ago.  That night I heard Emmeline coughing violently in her sleep. We started the Q-VAR again last night.  

I don't know what is wrong with my little girl. We went to our visit.  I said, "I don't know what's wrong, but I am WAY too good at finding something quickly to catch vomit." She laughed. She understood. There are other mothers who develop this disgusting skill. The gastro doctor doesn't know what's wrong either- yet.  The problem with her symptoms is that they can be caused by one or more problems.  She told me, as I already knew, that normally she would be destined to visit three specialists and would probably get scoped by all three of them: Ear nose throat, GI, and pulmonary.  In simple terms this means she could have acid reflux, asthma, and/or allergies.  

3 scopes?!!!  

Then the doctor gave us fantastic news- there is a new clinic at Primary Children's called the Aerodigestive Clinic. It's only been running for about one year. We can go and see three specialists at once and have all of them participate in one scope.   The only downside is that we can't get in until September.  So, until then, Emmeline will be taking Prilosec and Q-VAR. The doctor heard wheezing in her lungs today.  My heart sank when she told me this because she appears to be pretty healthy right now.  This cold has been the most mild one she's had in the last 10 months.  She sent her for a lung x-ray today so they can look at it during her aerodigestive appointment.  

Emmeline was amazing during the entire visit. We read stories and looked out the window. She colored in the waiting rooms. It was so nice that they had stuff for the kiddos to do while waiting.

During the exam, Emmeline breathed in and out, held her breath, stuck out her tongue, got weighed and measured, had blood pressure taken, had her stomach probed, and even had her little bum checked.  She cooperated with everything like it was a pleasure.  She was the same way for her x-ray. She is such a champ.

So, now, we wait.  I'm so grateful we can go to one clinic to get answers, so thankful for the great care available in Utah for children.  I saw a lot of sick kids in that building today, kids with  serious illnesses with multiple struggles that are never going to get completely better, but can only be managed.  Whatever is "wrong" with Emmeline, I know there's treatment for her.  I know she could eventually outgrow reflux or asthma or have really mild cases that require medicine but don't affect her daily life.  I'm pretty sure that will be the outcome. We're so lucky to live in a time where there are such effective treatments for these conditions.  I was very concerned about her needing to be on Q-VAR, possibly for life.  The doctor admitted that it does stunt growth, but no more than one cm total.  I guess we can live with that if it is what she needs.  Hopefully we'll find out more answers after her 2 hour appointment in September with three specialists at the same time, and three copays too.  

And that's it folks. Something is wrong with my kiddo.  My powerful wishing didn't get rid of it.  We need to get a handle on this so she doesn't miss half of kindergarten! 

Dear Clara,

This is my final love letter to my child, for now, unless I get more children one day.  ;)
Dear Clara,
     Of all 6 of my children, you are the only one who never had a nickname stick.  I'm not sure why, but Clara just fits you so perfectly.  You are the star of many blog entries because of all of the funny things you said and did when you were "little."  Lately, you've declared yourself to be a big kid, but it seems like yesterday that you were born.  We lived in Holladay, Utah and had the pleasure of delivering you at the Birth and Family Place Birth Center just a block and a half away from our house.  This was my first birth center experience and I would never go back to the hospital after- it was so wonderful!  Daddy really wanted you to come on his birthday, which was about 8 days before my due date.  I wanted to cooperate, so I made myself the "labor inducing" eggplant Parmesan recipe from the internet.  I ate it the day before Dad's birthday.  His birthday came and ended with no signs of labor.  We were disappointed but not surprised. We went to sleep around midnight as August 15th ended, taking with it all chances of a shared birthday.  At 1:30 a.m. I woke up feeling funny.  I thought I needed to go to the bathroom.  I got up and went and got back in bed, but the funny feeling came again.  Judd asked me if I was in labor.  I whimpered,"I don't know!"  He reached over and felt my belly. It was hard and firm from the contraction  was having. "You're in labor." he told me.  "Okay, I guess. You're probably right."  Within a few minutes I knew he was right. We called Grandma Kristie and woke her up to come and also called Grandma Dellory to come and help me.  Grandma Kristie lived pretty close but we couldn't wait.  We left the other kids home asleep and headed to the birth center a few minutes before she got there.  Things had gotten intense very quickly. The midwife, Rebecca Williams met us there and we went inside.  I remember laboring in the tub and my mom gently rubbing my arm and encouraging me to breathe in and out and to release the tension. It was very soothing and helped me stay focused on relaxing.  After a fairly short time I felt like you were ready to be born. I got out of the water and climbed up on a big comfy queen sized four poster bed.  Daddy sat next to me while I got on my hands and knees and rested on a pile of pillows.  I was really tired at this point, but ready. I waited for the next contraction .They had been coming every 1-2 minutes the whole time.  But, they stopped for about 10 minutes and I just relaxed. Then, they started up again and I quickly pushed you out.  Your amniotic sac broke as you were born.  Start to finish was 1 hour and 15 minutes!  You were born at 2:45 a.m. on August 16th, missing your Dad's birthday by less than 3 hours!

One of the most exciting things about your birth was that we didn't know if you were a girl or a boy. When you were born I flipped around and held you, pulling you up to my chest and checking you to find out if we had a new son or daughter.  That was one of the most incredible moments of my life.

We brought you home in an adorable yellow ducky outfit and you quickly became part of the family. You were a very easy and happy baby.  Grandma Dellory told me that you had mischief planned- she could see it in your eyes. Well, dang it all, she was right.

You waited a while to let us know, cause you knew you needed to wait, but you became quite the wild thing- about one month after I became pregnant with Audrey.  And you stayed a wild thing for several years.  When Audrey was 2 weeks old and you were almost 2, you stripped her naked and rubbed desitin all over her body while I was in the bathroom.  As you grew older, your wildness evolved into a more controlled zest for life- usually.  You are still very, um, fiesty.

We know that as you grow up you will be a powerful force for whatever you put your mind to do.  You have a way with people that is clearly a gift from God.  You see all people as worth getting to know and are not intimidated by age or unusual dress or grooming.  We had to tell you that you were allergic to men when you were little so you would stop climbing on stranger's laps all the time.  It took you a long time to figure that one out.  Sorry.  You are just very friendly.

One of my favorite stories about you is from last year when your class at school visited a nursing home and performed for the residents. You sang a song. Afterwards, you visited with the people and treated them with such kindness and interest that your school counselor sent you a letter in the mail praising your behavior.  What she didn't know is that you are always like that. You love people! And they usually love you back.

You are a determined kid at anything you do, whether it is dancing, soccer, softball, or convincing someone you are right.  You are a loving sister and daughter.  Clara, I wrote this in the blog about your baptism, but it's really important and true, so I'm writing it again. You ARE your name.  You are a "bright bringer of light" Clara Lucille.  I can't wait to see who you become and be your cheerleader as you continue to progress and achieve everything you set your mind to doing. I love you Clara!

-Mommy

 

Dear Otter

This is the 5th installment in my Love Letters to my children series.  One more to come. Then, I'll be out of children.

Dear Otter,

Otter, otter, born in the water.  You came into this world in the most awesome way of any of your siblings! I was 39 weeks pregnant and taking a nap on the couch on a hot Saturday afternoon. Earlier that day we had picked up the final Harry Potter book and spent some time reading it.  Your dad had jokingly told me I could have you any day except July 21st, the day that book came out. He didn't want to miss out on reading it.  We are pretty big Harry Potter fans.  I told him I  was going to have you that day because he told me not to do it. Well, we were both teasing, but you had plans.  You let us have most of the day to read the book and relax.  Everything was quiet. The clock switched over to 4 P.M. and . . .

POP!!!!

My water broke, abruptly awakening from my peaceful slumber.

Knowing I was likely to have a fast labor (the last one was one hour and 15 minutes), I jumped up off the couch and raced to the phone.  As I ran I yelled upstairs."Judd, my water broke!"  He raced into action loading Reuben, Amy, and Clara into the car. Tim was at a friends' house.  I called the midwife who was driving her son to the pool.  She understood I could have a very fast labor and flipped a U-turn over a concrete median to head to the birth center. I love her for that!

After the call, I ran to the car.  When I say run in the post, I actually mean run.  We were off.  It was about 4:05. The birth center was in Holladay.  We didn't want to take the time to get Tim.  I called my friend who had him and asked if he could stay overnight and she said yes.  A few minutes later, I had a contraction, nothing really strong, but definitely my body getting down to business.  The drive was about 15 minutes.  So, we got there around 4:20.  Grandma Kristie, who was luckily available, met us there to watch your older siblings.  Your dad and I headed back into a birthing suite and Becky( the midwife) checked my dilation. I was 6 cm, which was one more than I had been at my last check, so things were getting going.  I decided to get in the nice hot tub.  During this time I had been having contractions every 3-5 minutes, so not very many. I thought I would labor in the tub for an hour or more, but as soon as I got in, and Becky left to change into scrubs, I felt really safe and I told my body that I was ready to have you.  And my body listened.  With the next contraction, I could feel that everything was in place for you to be born.  I could feel your head starting to come out.  I hollered for the midwife to come back and forget changing.  By that point, a second midwife had arrived to act as nurse.  They asked if I could get out of the tub to deliver on my hands and knees like I wanted to do.  But, I couldn't get out. You were coming! Things went so fast.  I think I had a total of 8 contractions, including the 1 or 2 it took to get you out into the water, then straight into my arms.

  Start to finish- 39 minutes.   You were born at 4:39.

Well, kiddo, you made a grand entrance, and you've been awesome ever since!  You were an angel baby. You went to sleep without any trouble.  You loved to be held but also loved quiet time.  You were cute and sweet and fun to cuddle.  Everybody loved you, especially Clara who is only 23 months older.  She really loved getting a living baby doll!

After a while, your fabulous spunky personality emerged.  Audrey the cheetah/otter- loud and funny, queen of the cartwheel,  friendly, compassionate, silly, and kind.  You are a spitfire! You love going to school, once you've gotten there each day. You love to sing and dance and play with your sisters.

One of my favorite things about you is finding you asleep many nights of each week with a book covering your face.  When you were quite small you carried around a book by Gordon B. Hinckley. Then for a while you toted a large copy of the complete works of Edgar Allen Poe! The other day you had a homemade bow ( like bow and arrow) tucked in with you and tightly cuddled while you slept!

I loved getting to be your preschool teacher and I love getting to be your mom and watch you enjoy and excel at so many things.  I'm so glad to have a kid who loves to be with all of her sisters and who is game to try just about any activity.  I can't wait for you to turn 8 in a couple of months and for the new adventures that await you.  I'm so excited to watch you grow and see you develop into a woman. You're just awesome!  I like it that you say strange things like" Mommy, when you die, I want all of your jewelry. All of it! Oh, and your shoes too!"

You are just full of spunk and sass all squished into a beautiful package with silky brown hair and big sparkling blue eyes.  I must have done something right to get to be your Mom.  I love you Audrey!

Mother's Day 2015

I am the luckiest mother alive today!  I think I may have gotten more Mother's Day cards and gifts today than I ever have before.  They are so adorable! And I can thank not only my children's teachers, but also the public library and my husband for making it all possible.  And myself for the Himalayan Salt lamp I bought myself on Tuesday.  Happy Mother's Day to me!

My kids are so funny.  I just really want to share some of the highlights of what they gave me:

Check this out!

It turned out blurry, but there are 5 plants, ( and one more in the bathroom where someone is showering), 8 cards, one coupon book, two flowering hands, two woven rugs, and a fabric covered popsicle box.


Some of my favorite comments from the cards:

Tim- "You are always there to comfort me and to help me."


Clara- "I love you and hope you like your gift"( woven rug things). " I worked hard on it, even if it is ugly."

Audrey and Clara on separate cards-" I love you.  You love me too. Apples are healthy. And you are too." (Clara is angry about copyright infringement)

Reuben-"le muffinfish!"

Amy-"I love you, and hope you have a wonderful mother's day.  You are an amazing parent, and hope you always have the hope you need to get through all the challenges you  have been facing!"

She also wrote a long poem.

 a long poem. I will include one portion

Trees are lollypops
rivers are chocolate
No parents to tell you "no"
the grass is made of pixie sticks
flowers are gummies
there is no healthy food
but candy everywhere

Is your imagination going too far?

Ha ha!  My kids are awesome. They brought me breakfast in bed and actually managed to wake me up, since I went to bed at midnight.  And they made exactly what I wanted!  I'm so very lucky to have these 6 amazing kids to raise.  They are the light of my life!

What it Really Means to Be a Mom

What does it really means to be a mom, at least in my house, at least if you are me, mothering my children? Hang on. Wait.  I can't just start like that.  I'm tempted to have the rest of my blog be in Haiku.

Birth, mess, joy, sadness
intertwined , then untangled
but not in my heart

Ok, I stink at Haiku.  Instead, you, dear reader, are about the enjoy, a list. I love lists! (enter my evil cackle)  I wish I really could imbed that here. Hmm.  Um, I tried, but google doesn't want my evil laugh to live forever in cyberspace.

So, instead, you are going to get a list of 20 very random things about my kids, house, mothering, blah, blah, blah  Just us, not other people. Me, here, with these particular Pittslings.

1. My house is loud, except when it is not. That does happen.
2. My children rarely stop talking, unless I want them to talk, and then they become mutes.
3. Dinner conversation is guaranteed to contain vocabulary that the average 9th grader doesn't know, coming from the mouth of an atypical 9 year old, or maybe a 4 year old, or anybody.
4. If 6 of 8 people like dinner, it's a WINNER!
5. Among the children, and the childlike adult that sleeps next to me, the following foods are refused by one or more people:  eggs, milk, potatoes, noodles, chicken, beef, ham, turkey, hamburger, bacon, sausage, casseroles, nuts, canned fruit, most canned veggies, chocolate, oranges, squash, mushrooms, tomatoes. . . I think I'll stop there for your sake.
6.  Around here, screaming can mean pain, sadness or just happen because they like how it sounds.
7.  There's a lot of cuddling going on here, and a lot of sickness being spread through Emmeline. People, we really need to stop kissing her cheeks!
8. While my children do get sick a lot, we've never ever had a UTI, Influenza, Ringworm, Scurvy, or, um, give me a second here,.  .Dang, I can't think of anything else except stuff they've been immunized against.
9. We have dealt with roughly 5 million colds, fevers, coughs, warts, ticks, bee and wasp stings, cuts, burns, broken bones, dislocated elbows, chicken pox, strep throat, croup, pink eye, broken teeth, one set of braces and 5 to go, infected teeth, thrush, yeast infections, sprains, hives, stitches, ear infections, pneumonia, bronchiolitis, asthma, allergies, norovirus, acid reflux, acne, nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, sunburn, a hemangioma,  dandruff, eczema, athlete's foot, a febrile seizure, and three serious choking episodes-resulting in 2 calls to 911, one Heimlich maneuver, one ambulance transfer, and one surgery to remove a wire.  I'm sure I'm missing something, but you get the picture.  We go through a LOT of bandaids.
10. Every single time we have dinner, Audrey stands up on the bench. And I tell her to sit down every single time.  This must be good for developing patience.
11. I ring a triangle to call the kids to dinner.
12. Dinner is never quiet.
13. I can get my kids to eat just about anything in muffin form.  I think this is impressive considering all of the things they won't eat.
14. My girls walk home from school while reading books. Is this better or worse than doing the same thing with a phone?
15. None of my kids have phones.  ( not even the 16 or 14 year olds) and they aren't going to any time soon.  But, they do have kindles, so they can still rot their brains out.
16. My kids like school so much that most of them refuse to miss it for anything, including doctor appointments.  Or they refuse to miss because they think it is too important to miss.  I'm not sure how I got kids like this. I always thought missing a little school was the coolest thing EVER!
17. I have trained 4 of my 6 kids to do their own laundry and I'm working on the last 2.  They are so lucky.
18. My children once told me that hiking was so fun, they'd rather do that than go to Disneyland. OK!
19. The girls are rougher with each other than the boys have ever been.
20. They love to spend time with Grandma.

Ok, well, I'm exhausted, so you are probably in a coma after reading that.  Isn't parenthood great?  I'm serious.  Kids are so weird and so cool and you just never know what will happen next, like Clara writing a Cornstitution last night( a pony unicorn constitution lobbying for equal rights for the girls in her pony game at recess).  Happy Mother's Day Ya'll!

Dear Bucket,

Dear Bucket,
     Your dad and I have a tendency to come up with some wacky nicknames, hence one of yours being "Bucket.", but your real name is Timothy. You came into our lives two years and two weeks after our first child.  We were so thrilled to have a second son- brothers! Your entry into this world was terrifying. The doctor broke my water, thinking it would be a good idea to speed up my induced labor. It certainly sped things up.  I was ready to push 10 minutes later.  Unfortunately, this caused your umbilical cord to get caught next to your head while you were being born.  It was pinched in half.  Every time I pushed, you lost your oxygen supply.  We didn't find out there was a problem until I'd been pushing for about 20 minutes.  As you were starting to emerge, the problem became evident. Suddenly, there were a lot of people in the room.  The Dr. gave me a 4th degree episiotomy, cut your cord while you were still in me, and vacuumed you out while I pushed with all of my might.  Your first apgar score was really bad, like a 3.  Daddy rushed off with you to the nursery while I got sewn up for an hour and finally accepted some pain medication.  It was crazy!

Luckily, you were an easy kiddo.  You nursed like a champ and were pretty fast.  By the time you were two months old, you had some serious fat rolls going on.  You were bald and chubby and very sweet. Reuben loved you from the moment he found a snickers bar in your carseat the day you came home and you have loved each other ever since.

We will always feel a little guilty for not knowing until you were 2.5 that you had acid reflux, which explained why you threw up so much that I was a pro at catching it with anything available, and I mean anything.  This spawned the nickname, Chucker.  It had two meanings. The first was for throwing up. The second was because whenever you had something you weren't supposed to have, you would throw it.  I can't really remember why we called you Bucket.  I think it had something to do with your appetite and that song. "There's a Hole in the Bucket."

You have always hated milk and loved balls. Ball was your first word, followed by pump-ball, which meant pumpkin.  You never stopped loving balls, and you've played soccer since you were 2.

Tim, you are a fascinating combination of tender hearted and teaser. You cannot stand the thought of people or pets dying.  How many tears have you shed about my rabbit that was killed by the neighbor's dog when I was 8?  All you have to hear is "Dead Bunny" and you start crying.  You have a very sensitive heart.  But, you also love to tease people and make jokes.  You are just as likely to pull your sister's pigtail as to reach over and give her a hug.

Not to give you a big head, but you are brilliant, and hey, you do have a big head.  It took a few years, but now you do your homework without any encouragement from us and you find school to be fun but not very challenging.  Don't worry. That will change one day.  Muhaha!

Tim, you are one special kid. How many people do you know who have a social harem of girls           ( friends) at school?  That must be tough.  wink. wink.

You are artistic, motivated, competitive, kind, and messy. I guess you can't help your genes.

You have always been a fixer. From the time you were little, we could count on you to fix things, including your teacher's computer and a chocolate fountain at a wedding. If I can't figure something out, you're my go to guy. You're always happy to read a user's manual and tell me how to work something.

Even though you are also taller than me now, you will also always be my little boy.  Your dreams for yourself are my dreams for you.  When you were small you promised to become a builder and build me a house. Maybe that is your future, maybe something else.  Whatever you do, I know you will do it well with the same tenacity that you bring to life now. I know that you will use your strengths and your faith to conquer your fears.

I know you will be an amazing husband and father.  But, no matter how old you grow, please remember that I'll always be your Mommy. I'll always look at you and see a little bit of that baby boy from Baltimore.

10 Random Factoids about Me

I just love the power of blogging. I can write whatever I want and put it out into the world and nobody can stop me!  Muhahahaha!!!!!  POWER!  Ok, I am working on a couple of other blogs right now, but what I want to share right now is a quick little post about 10 random factoids about me. Those who know me well probably know these things about me already, but there might be a surprise or two.

1. I have never ever ever in my entire life watched the Super Bowl.  I have also never ever ever ever in my entire life watched sports on Sunday.  I am not sorry.  My life dream is for the Super Bowl to happen and for me to not even know it happened.

2. I didn't go to High School, not physically. I was home-schooled because we lived in Russia and my parents couldn't afford the private school tuition for 4 kids.  I went to college (BYU) a year early without having finished high school and, after my first year, transferred college credits back to finish my high school diploma.  I only needed a couple of electives, so it was no big deal, but it's fun to say that I graduated from high school after my first year of college.

3. I have hyper-mobile ligaments.  This means that many of the ligaments in my body are too stretchy and allow me to move in some ways that most people can't. You can see this most clearly when I bend my pinkies all the way back to touch the back of my hand or when I open my mouth really big.  I once put around 68 large green grapes in my mouth.  I can also stand on the sides of my feet with my legs completely straight.

4. I have a burning desire to get published, probably in a magazine.  I'm starting to think about getting really serious about pursuing this, including a lot of writing and probably some classes.

5. I come across as outgoing, bold, opinionated, loud, and funny.  I am those things.  But, I am also a recovering shy person.  I force myself to be outgoing.  When I was a child I wouldn't call my best friend on the phone.  I was so scared of bothering her and annoying her if she didn't want to talk to me.  As an adult I took a job as a telemarketer to help me get over my "phonophobia".  It actually helped.  I cried every day for the three months I worked that job, but I was really good at it, a top seller.  Afterwards, it was much easier to call people I know.  But, I still prefer to text or email.  I love talking on the phone. I just don't love initiating the call.

6. I love my hair color and I like my face just the way it is.  Other than a temporary dye for Halloween, and the failed attempt at a purple streak last year, my hair has always been a natural color- dark brown.  And I like it that way.  I like my eyes, my eyebrows, my chubby cheeks, my skin, and my nose.  I like my face without makeup.  Other than occasional lipstick and daily moisturizer, I don't put anything on my face.  I'm sure I could look great with a full makeup job, but I don't care.  I don't mind that I have short eyelashes- at least they are black.  I hate mascara.  I love myself with my glasses and without them.  I realize that while I'm not stunningly beautiful, God gave me a pretty good face and I'm grateful.

7. I think that mixing mint, chocolate, and raspberry is a SIN! Ok, not a sin, but disgusting. I was never exposed to this until I moved to Utah and it is just wrong!  Stop it people!!!!

8. I love cooking, but I hate cleaning.

9. I love gardening.  It burns calories, I get to play in the dirt, and the children don't destroy my work every two hours.  Planting something and then watching it bloom or harvesting fruits or vegetables is seriously so exciting for me.  It might be nerdy, but I'm owning this gardening passion.

10. My sense of integrity is probably pretty annoying, but it's who I am.  I am not 100% perfect, but I can only think of a couple of times in my life that I withheld information from my parents.  I just don't believe in lying or deceiving.  I'm not about to go around telling people they are fat or ugly, but I won't ever tell a lie to protect myself from looking stupid or getting in trouble.  I will keep my mouth shut if I feel like my opinion is not valued or to avoid a fight, but if you ask me to my face, I will always tell the truth straight up.  I can't be another way. It matters too much to me to be true.

Ok, well, those are the random factoids that came to mind today. What are some random facts about you?