ThanksGiving 2008

My favorite holiday is ThanksGiving... I love it, I love getting together with family and just hanging out. This year was a just a little party, only a few of the crazy's showed up. And since Victoria rarely updates her blog I thought I add some pics of her and her chubby baby. Victoria and Ali
Baby Tish just had a baby on Monday and here is a four generation picture of Great-Grandma Castillo, Grandma Clark, Tish and Taylee, aren't they just cute as buttons.

Todd always the Rock. Anytime I need him.


Here are some pictures from Temple Square. I love, love Christmas lights and what better place to see them then on Temple Square in SLC. Courte, Me and Todd went down on Friday the night after Thanksgiving. I love it. It is like FireWorks in the cold. These aren't very good pictures but I think you can understand where I am coming from.

Todd and Courte in front what looks to me like a gingerbread house. I don't know what building it is, but it is cute.

Todd and Me

Me and Courteney

The Results are In and I am a Loser

Okay I am a loser, not the biggest, in fact only second to last place. But hey that's okay, I have been losing weight since February and this was only part of what I have lost or intend to lose.
The results are - Weight Loss 8.2 lbs. Overall % Loss 4.82 Inch Loss 9.75. Not bad for an old lady, like myself. So far this year 17 percent overall. Yea! for me!

HRI Halloween Party

So we had our Halloween Party today!!! Yea! Todd went as a weiner and I didn't dress up, I still have one more opportunity to dress up. I just don't know if I can make it. It is at a co-workers house but it doesn't start for another hour and that's past my bedtime and an old fart tonight. We'll have to see what happens.

Anyway today at our party Todd got "Employee of the Month". Pretty cool, huh. He wasn't even expecting it and I can usually guess who they are talking about but this one went right over my head. But wait, that isn't all that happened.

So we've been doing "The Biggest Loser" at work and I have been trying to slim down a bit (okay a lot). So I made Todd join Weight Watchers with me in February and of course he lost his weight rather quickly. But that little sucker is still losing weight. I tell him all the time he's done and needs to quit eating like a girl on a diet. But I think he enjoys telling people that he is still losing. We have officially become the skinny man with the fat wife. It's sad, I know. But he refuses to eat more and lift weights. Anyway back to the other good news, we've been doing this TBL contest sincs June sometime and well I came in third, so I won one hundred dollars, pretty awesome, huh. I should have been first but one girl changed birth control and lost automatically and another one is still nursing. Oh well, you win some, you come in third on others. I am way excited for both of them!
I'll post pictures from our party on Monday.

LIFE CHANGES

Okay in about 10 hours it will be exactly 8 years ago that my life changed as I had come to take advantage of, one day you are there doing your thing and suddenly the carpet gets pulled out from underneath you and it changes your life and puts you on a whole new course. Eight years ago on October 17, 2000 approx. 2:30 a.m. Spenser was diagnosed with Severe Aplastic Anemia. That was the first day of life, out of control. Because of course I thought I HAD control, my first mistake.

The next year and a half were to say the least an interesting learning experience. To say the worst, a living hell. I don't mean to sound selfish, but between regular scheduled office visits to Primary Children's Hospital, emergency visits to Logan and Primary hospitals, helicopter, ambulance and driving as fast as I could in the fog to the hospital. Constant worry that any germ could make Spenser sick, constant worry about blood counts, drawing blood, becoming a pseudo nurse and still wondering if and how this is affecting the rest of the family attending football and basketball games. Parent teacher conferences, working, making sure bills were getting paid. Making sure the house was clean, the clothes were clean. Making sure Spenser was feeling as normal as she could. Hospital stays, attempts at immune suppression to restart her bone marrow, the chemo the radiation the hair falling out and her brushing it out to give as Christmas gifts. Christmas for the girls, birthdays, anniversaries, dancing, tryouts, homework, making the team, school, everyday girl stuff. The sores and worries of Spenser must have had (we were both trying to be brave for each other). The operations, the cultures, the ICU, insurance, the meds, these are just a few of the things that could really stress a person out, especially for someone who thought her life was in control.

At the same time, what an experience for my family, I mean really how many of you know a teenage girl that would spend her Saturday nights week after week with their baby sister in the hospital, because she was getting a emergency transfusion. Well I happen to know two of them, they are the most amazing girls anyone could ask for. Anyone would be lucky enough to have one but somehow I managed to get THREE wonderful and beautiful girls.

I have to say that my life isn't exactly where I thought it would be 10 years ago. But, and sometimes I feel really guilty about thinking it is good. I really don't have to many complaints, I mean really everybody has LIFE happen to them, overall my life is pretty damn good. I never expected to be happy again, I really thought my life was over when Spenser passed away I at times thought that I wouldn't be able to go on. It isn't natural to have children pass away before you do. But I still had Kirsten and Courteney, Todd and even myself to take care of, we were still trying to cope with such a loss.

I have to say that not a day goes by that I don't think of something Spenser would have said or done. She is still a big part of my life. I miss her, so much sometimes it hurts. But I now know that she isn't hurting anymore.

Who would have thought that both Todd and I would be working at Harris and not only that working right next to each other, riding together almost everyday (thanks to gas being so high). Sometimes the drive, well I am not going to lie is just to much for either of us to handle. Luckily at night we both have separate floors to be on.
So basically the moral of this long story is - even though it isn't how I thought my life would be, and I miss Spenser so much...it still is a good life and I am thankful.

UP UP AND AWAY

So this weekend was the Ogden Valley Balloon Festival. Todd and I have been going up there for the last few years, it's fun and so peaceful we love it. And we just remembered Friday night on the way to the gym. So I immediately called my nephew Val to see if he could get a condo. He said it was short notice but he would try. I was like what you can't get one in a week or two, little did I know that it was this weekend. So we ended up staying at his condo with his wife, Olga and three boys, Val IV, Tony and Nicky. Very sweet and cute little guys. Luckily Todd and are absolutely no trouble what so ever.

Me and Todd not the greatest pic but for some reason the camera doesn't take pictures of us the way we think we look.Saturday Night - getting ready for the glow.

Sunday Morning launching

Here are the boys, it was freezing.

just some of my favorite pics.

No frogs this year in fact a lot less than in years past. Hopefully next year they will have a better turn out.

the ride home in Ogden Canyon

USU Ladies Football Clinic

This was the biggest waste of time for me and Kirsten. But don't we look cute.

This was pic was taken moments before my daughter knocked me on my ass, not only on my ass but to where my head was bouncing off the ground! This is the only part of this little episode I can remember. I don't remember her running toward me or hitting the pad. The only thing I remember is that my feet were slowing coming up from underneath me and I was thinking, "I am about to fall, if I don't get my feet back under me. Too LATE!" Bamm, bounce, bounce. I was a little shaken and I have to admit a little embarrassed. Luckily for me I tend to trip, fall and run into walls, chairs, desks and such that I am used to being a little embarrassed. So we went on, in the meantime everyone notice all the coaches and of course all the other ladies and of course congratulated Kirsten on her nice hit. I am so glad that I can make her look good. Usually it is the other way around.

The reason it was a waste of time is because instead of learning the rules and the calls and when they call them, USU coaching staff in their infinite wisdom decided it would be funny to see a bunch of ladies TRYING to hike, catch, throw, tackle, run, backwards, forwards, side to side. They are awkward positions and shouldn't be done outside of your own home. But I guess if you can make a living, looking silly to the outsider, who cares, I have to admit I am pretty sure they were getting a kick out of watching. I hope the have it on tape to show the team later this season when they lose all their games and need a little pick me up.

Just a Quiet Sunday Afternoon

Yesterday what a beautiful day. I woke up as usual about 6:00 a.m. Every weekend I wake up that early but on a week day I struggle to do it. Anyway I laid around for awhile trying not to disturb Todd until a more reasonable hour. Nine o'clock finally rolled around and Todd got up got dressed and we went to the movie, "Step Brothers". Ehhh. It was funny but not as funny as everyone claimed. Then we headed over to Iggy's for a quick bite to eat and a little NASCAR. The sandwich I got wasn't as good as the last time I got it, this should have been a sign, but I did not heed. Lunch ended up being a little to filling so we decided to hit a park and relax under the shade of a nice maple tree, and the grass and the dirt it smelled so good I wanted to eat it, mmmmm, yumm. Anyway we laid there for awhile and I was telling Todd I think when we were little we used to go to parks and hang out on Sunday's too. I was pretty psyched about remembering happy moments from my childhood. Just as we were getting ready to go I started playing Suduko on my phone I played a game and when I looked up there was a car right behind where we were parked. I was a little startled by it and I guess the person in the car noticed. Anyway we got up and were on our way to go workout at SARC anyway I get in the car and start to pull out when I noticed the person in the car is now right on my ass. I thought she didn't need to be so close she could have my spot no one else was around. Then she started following me really close, Todd at this point is mad and swearing and turning around looking at her hoping that she would stop. No luck, she followed me from Central Park to the cop shop. I went there because they say if you are ever in trouble you should drive straight there. Well I don't know where the F*@# the front door is anymore to the police station, well I ended up in the Post Office parking lot and I stop and roll down my window, this psychotic bitch is asking my name, I'm like, why. Basically it boiled down to that she thought I had given her a "LOOK" and she didn't like it. Well, crazy bitch I didn't even see you. So much for a quiet Sunday afternoon in Cache Valley.

Just Starting...

So we started this today because I thought it would be a good way to show our friends and family the things we are doing. So where to begin?

A little about the two of us...
Todd and I are high school sweethearts. I really hate that phrase, but what are you going to do. It is what it is.

We were married January 1985.
We have three beautiful daughters - Kirsten, Courteney and Spenser.
All three are fabulous and doing very well.

We are basically empty nesters now, I love it, it is the greatest thing next to having kids. We have the benefit of kids but they don't stay around all the time and the best thing ever is that I don't have to pay for everything anymore. (just some things)

This is us on our way to Memphis, I will write more about this later.

Kirsten is finishing her Masters in Accounting and will be starting her new job in the fall. She and her husband Tanner will soon be moving away and I can wait for that to happen. We will miss them so much.

Courteney will be starting her third year of college and doing well. She moved to Kentucky for the summer with her friend Ty. She seems to be having a good time and enjoying being away for awhile.

Spenser, well she passed away a little over five years ago, she is still a part of our lives and we think of her everyday.

She is our little angel.