Finally getting some pictures up

OK, I have finally figured out how to upload new pictures from the new camera onto the new computer.  This darn technology is not going to get the best of me!

Let's start with the girls' day of skiing.  We had a great time! You know, everyone should reconnect at some point with someone from their past and re-live the good old days.  We had a great time, and everyone looks fantastic!!!

How about Christmas Eve - and Christmas day in Grandma's robes?  Check this out

A good day

Maybe I will jinx myself by posting what a great day this has been before the day is over, but ... I have had a great day!

First of all, any day that you start off by playing tennis is good.  But, although we had to drive 45 mins. to get to our opponents, I got to play tennis with Traci today!  Traci is definitely the best player on our team.  There is 1 con to playing with her, and lots of pros.  The con is you have to play court 1 - which is usually always the strongest players on either team.  So you know you are going to play some good ladies.  BUT, you have Traci to play with!  I swear she makes me a much better player than who I am.  She sets you up so good for that perfect put away, and you feel like Maria Sharapova as you hit an amazing winner!  She gives you a confidence that makes you play with confidence and you hit the ball better because you tell yourself you CAN do it!  Then, if you happen to screw up (which I did several times today) she just wins the next point for you and you are back on track again.  It was really fun tennis!  And, it is about 70 today - so what more could I ask for?

Well, the fun didn't stop there, because my bro and sis in law took Lane and I out for lunch today for our birthdays.  How nice, you may think.  I think so too, but I have to laugh because our birthdays were in July and August!  It is January!  Kami says she doesn't like being in debt, so they invited us out and we had a great time and a great lunch.  We really like being with them - they are fun and great people.  I really feel lucky to have a great in-law family as well as my own family.

So, there is my perfect day!  Oooo . . . I just realized it probably won't be so perfect in a little bit - I have to teach piano all afternoon, and I'm bound to have someone who hasn't touched the piano this week!  Ugh!  Why won't kids practice just a little?  I digress - It is a great day!!!!!

Breathe again!!!!

I am happily typing this post from my kitchen computer - where I belong - but now on a MAC computer!  Can you believe it?  We made the switch, and although the jury is still out, we are liking it so far - I just have to learn all the little tricks and stuff!  It is very different from the old computer.  

So, while I type, I feel great peace and comfort knowing that my new Palm Treo sits happily in my purse all charged, working perfectly, and is BOUND to make my life more organized and perfect, right? ha! (That would be Lane's dream for me)  But, at least my mind can check one more "out of whack" thing off my list.  I do need to get all my contacts transferred over to my phone though - I still don't have anyone's phone number in my phone yet.  ugh!

I still haven't posted about the great trip to Utah we had.  I loved skiing with my daughter, then skiing with my high school friends.  Can I just say these girls looked great and we have all had such amazing experiences and challenges, etc, but we are all surviving them and holding strong.  That was really neat to see.  Plus, I wasn't even sore when we were done skiing!  We did some tough runs too!  Fun!

Can I just say that after that trip, I will not recommend trying to drive home when you have the flu, are shivering with fever, your body aches everywhere, your head wants to explode and your throat is so swollen and sore that you want to die!  I tried it for you all - and do NOT recommend it! :)  I have to thank my husband for doing 90% of the driving and taking care of  everything.

We are back in the swing of life down here, and except for the huge christmas tree that we don't know where to put away (the box bit the dust and it is too huge to put in containers - any ideas?)  all inside decorations are away.  Now for the outside lights!  Man, that will entail getting up on the roof again and un-hanging them.  Wondering if it is really worth it. . .

Technology tragedy

So I have already ranted and raved about this to my friends I've talked to in the last few days - as well as family, but I have to rant on here. I haven't posted for a few weeks because of many reasons, one of which was we were in Utah for a fantastic week vacation!

But, the other reasons are our main computer crashed, thus I can't upload pictures, and I hate the keyboard of the office computer (which I am actually now typing on until the new computer is set up tomorrow).

Second, Kayla dropped my cell phone in the toilet, and although it rings and dials, I can't see anything on the screen. Now, I ask you - do you have all the phone numbers in your cell phone memorized? NO! Of course we don't! I can't tell you how frustrated I am that I can't call ANYONE because I really have so few numbers memorized anymore.

So, basically the last 3 weeks I have been functioning with the proverbial chopped off arms. Computer arm and phone arm. Can I tell you how hard this is? I have been the WORST angry, frustrated mom because I feel like my 2 best multi-tasking tools are gone! To add insult to injury - my new phone (a Palm Treo - to get me into the 21st Century) arrived promptly in the mail, but the touch screen didn't work! So, we had to send it back, and the new one doesn't get here for 2 more days! It is amazing the huge knot of frustration I get in my stomach when things are out of my control, but I need some control, but have no control! Why won't the computer repair guy that we pay a monthly retainer to call us back? Why can't the phone people send a phone that works? Why can't I just let go and enjoy the season? Probably because I had to keep coming back to the office for all those great recipies of things I was trying for the holidays. I'm used to my kitchen computer - right there with easy access, etc. And of course with the computer down, I couldn't print stuff either! ugh, ugh, ugh!

OK, so there was my complaint about my addiction to technology and all the wonderful and bad it brings us!

When we get the new Mac up and running, hopefully I'll be able to figure out how to upload pictures and I can post our Christmas post! Because, when all was said and done, we had a great one!

6 month lease on life!

I'm a little late in posting this, and most people know anyway, but I'll put it down for record. Lane got back last week from Houston and getting his scans. We were concerned that his cancer had started to grow again and chemotherapy would be necessary. We kept praying with total faith that this would not be the case, but several little things were making us doubt. Well, the Lord was so gracious and answered our prayers, because Lane's cancer still is in remission. In fact a few of the nodes shrank a little bit more! We feel SO incrediby blessed right now. Then, like the cherry on top of our sundae - the doc said he wouldn't need to come back for 6 months! YEA!! We have been going every 3, and to get 6 months is like the best present ever! (Course I freak out because what if it starts growing and we wait to long? but . . . we know what to watch for, so it's OK) Lane feels like he just got his 6 month pass to live and be happy.

You know, it has been interesting to talk to people who are going through this. We wait in the waiting room and everyone asks "What kind of lymphoma do you have?" What treatment have you done? How is it going? We all compare stories and rejoice over small victories and marvel at the lessons we have learned going through all of this. One thing we all talk about is that little "lease on life" they give you each time you leave still in remission. You get to go and live a normal life for 3 or 6 months until the next scan. You kind of find yourself planning your life around that too. It is very strange - a different way of living than we are used to. Oh well, that's what we will do!

I have to say this Christmas has been rough. Not because of Lane's situation, but more because I have just overscheduled and over-planned things for myself and I have been running like crazy and don't even have time to enjoy the holidays! It finally now is starting to slow down (thus the blog post) and get to where I can breathe a little today! yea! Now I have to sort and wrap presents. Does anyone else get tired of finding Christmas presents in March that were meant for 3 months ago, but they just got hidden a little too well in the closet? So, I am digging around trying to make sure I don't forget anything. Now I can totally relate to my mom who was always pulling stuff out of her closet at random times of the year saying, "Oh! I bought this for you for Christmas last year! That's where it is!" Usually I'd go ahead and use what she had bought for me or my sis as a birthday present for a friend! Ah, funny memories.

Anyway, I love Christmas and can't wait to have our first Christmas here, then drive to Utah and be with my family and go skiing! yea! Should be fun!

A funny Connerism . . .

The other night we prayed that dad's cancer will stay in remission. Conner asked after the prayer, "Dad, why does your cancer have to go on a mission?"

Here's the kids with their reindeer -yum!