Bright's thoughts

  Katelyn turned 8 on Friday and had the opportunity to be baptized the next day! How great is that? Turn 8 one day, then the next you get baptized! Wohoo!   I am so proud of her. She is such a good girl. The program was beautiful and I cried through the opening song and I had to say the prayer. It is hard to believe that my little Kates is 8 and accountable for her own choices right now. Of course we aren't sending her out in the world yet. What a big step for each of us.   Katie with Grandpa Jackson!   Katie and Sierra, clean happy girls!

A week and half ago I failed the one hour glucose tolerance test. I did the same thing over 6yrs ago too. This was, however a shock. I had been checking my glucose levels periodically and was doing fine. So, I thought. After that test I dcided to check my blood sugar every two hours (after meals) and fasting for the next 3 days. I was consistently high on the two hour ones. My fasting ones were perfect (under 100). Last week when i went in for the 3hour I failed the first two numbers. My fasting was 111, then I drank the 100gr of glucose lemon lime drink (btw, they are no longer carbonated). BLECH!!! My one hour number was 183 (supposed to be under 180) and was told I probably hadn't even peaked out yet. I wasn't surprised at this actually. I saw the dietician at Mountain View Hospital and feel a bit better. It is great to have guidelines now. Poking my fingers every two hours is not my idea of fun. I am a grazer and like to eat when I like. If I want to eat an...

A week ago, Dejah and Katie started with flu like symptoms. NO!!!!!!!! By morning they both were lethargic and exhausted! Of course I was worried with all the hype of N1H1 and pregnancy. I knew my kids who are usually healthy would be fine. They got blessings and I took them in to be tested, not knowing they would NOT test them. Had I known that I would have avoided the waiting room entirely and treated them at home as if they did have N1H1. The doc said he was 99% sure it was swine flu. By Friday, Bryan had the chills and a headache. He started vomitting and fevering in the evening and was lethargic the next 2 days. Lindsey quickly followed the lead and was sick. Luckily she was mild! Journey was probbaly the luckiest of all! She only got a low grade fever (99-101.5) and that was it. She did not have the lethargy the first three had and no added cough! She even enjoyed her 6th birthday!!! Dejah's fever was the only one that returned for an added day. Today marks a ...

We have been asking Scott for MONTHS for a new kitty. Last Friday (week and half ago) I saw a mouse run across the kitchen floor. I freaked! NOT IN MY KITCHEN!!!! I called Scott and said "THERE IS A MOUSE IN THE PANTRY!" He calmly said, "put a sticky trap in there". I did. I found a "calico kitten" on Freecylce and for fun I emailed the gal. I just do that. I had no clue she would look so much like Teeka (our kitty we had to put down). I sent Scott an email with the link to pictures and he said WE COULD GET HER! I was SHOCKED! I figured he would only be MORE annoyed with me. We picked her up on Saturday. This morning, I saw a mouse. Of course it was the same one! Yes, I am in denial. So I grabbed our new kitty and tossed her into the pantry too. I hear her rifling around and I decide I will help by removing things. I only LET the mouse get lose! She apparently still was after it. I saw her all over the house in search mode. I came home ...

Here's a story problem for you.... The Jackson Family has four girls and one boy, Come the new year this will change there will be a total of six but with 5 of one and only one of the other. What is the new baby? You guessed it, I am having a GIRL! Of course this throws a small wrench in things. Where do we put her? We have 5 bedrooms and will have 6 kids, 5 girls and one boy. The two girls rooms are filled to over flowing now. Bryan's room is the only one with room. SO, for a while we will have to bunk up a girl and boy. I have two girls already ready to fight for that. LOL! I don't think they realize what that means. The best part of all of this is she has all the right things in the right place, everything seems perfect. She is a bit stubborn and unwilling to show everything in a timely fashion or in a "normal" order. She is breach and all curled up in a ball. Tight and facing my spine. Hard to get a good view of her face, no profile view either. ...

  Tomorrow I will be officially 21 weeks and Monday is my ultrasound. Any guesses on boy or girl? Or twins? Lindsey took this picture again, I asked for my head not to be cut off. This was the second, the first had a smile. :) Love it!

I HATE being pregnant! Hate hate hate hate it! The issues I tend to have are occuring faster this time around. Which of course I'm not pleased about! The light headedness is here to stay (usually the 3rd trimester) and along with it are the dang varicose veins. They make me feel like my insides are falling out and tons of pressure. The treatment for them, causes other issues. UGH!!!!! I am trying an herb I read about and hope that helps. So for the past little while I have been laying down on my left side as much as I can. Modified bed rest, is what my doctors in the past called it. I have only had one bought of sciatica, Hallelujah! As you can imagine with all the laying down I have done in the past 4 months, my house has become a disaster. My kids and husband seemed to do half jobs here and there, which didn't keep things up. I did half jobs too. Then when my vomitting subsided (I'm too chicken to try without the unisom), that stopped and it was back on me. N...

Since I have been so sick over the summer the kids have not really had much fun. Seeing how I do well on the meds we decided to make a last chance trip to Sea World. I am happy to say, I didn't need my meds until Saturday on our way home. I forgot to take the unisom on Friday night. OOPS! I am getting back to normal!!!! I learned a few things on our trip............... 1) a dvd player is a life saver! The last minute purchase made the 14hr trip enjoyable for everyone. 2) having a plan on when the kids could drink and eat snacks made life easier! 3) A/C is a must traveling through the desert (I'm thankful mine worked!!!) 4) I don't like Vegas (too crowded and too much construction going on) 5) Hotel Circle in San Diego lacks gas stations 6) There are too many interstates in San Diego! 7) I will forever be a small town girl! Yes, I know I wasn' a small town girl growing up. Maui forever ruined me. Which I am thankful for! 8) Kids love sea world (big and small) 9) S...

So three of my four that have lost teeth get what we call "shark teeth", the adult teeth grow in behind the baby teeth. When this happens the baby teeth don't get very loose for a LONg time. As the adult teeth grow in there is litte room to grab the baby tooth. Journey's teeth got so loose this time that it HUNG. She wouldn't let me get near her to "pull it". She let me LOOK at it and take a picture. The only reason she let me oull it was because we were going to the dentist. I told her he would charge me to pull her tooth. She said "I'll let you pull it so you don't have to pay $50 for him to pull it". I doubt he would have charged me for that one. But the others have been about $56 to pull, they never got this loose. By the way, she swallowed the other one. She had no clue it came out. Seriously, I remember being so excited to loose a tooth I would run to my parents and beg them to pull the loose tooth at the first sign of...

I am so excited! My mom called from work the other day and said "do you feel well enough to travel". Hmmmm, travel where? Travel to WalMart? Travel to Mexico? Travel? I have been feeling pretty good lately. I was really hoping I was over the hump. She told me my SIL called and said they wanted to fly her down for the weekend. WOHOO! My brother and his family have been living in Quatar for 6 months. They are home to renew Visas and will return. SO she asked if I wanted to come too. WOW! I haven't been "home" in about 5yrs I guess. Of course going to Texas at the end of July, first of August isn't the best time to go. Today down there it rained and the high was 103. 100% humidity so it felt even hotter I'm sure. I hope I survive! I will only be there for a short visit, but it will be nice to get away from things here. A get away for mom is always welcomed! I am so excited!

Four years ago I was pregnant and moving. I have been thinking about my pregnancy with Bryan. All the things I did while I was pregnant with him. I was due the end of November, so three months ahead of where I am now. We moved the first week in August. We decided in April that we would move. We set out to get the house on the market. I painted the trim on the house, raised the flower bed rock trim. It had sunk over the years and needed to be raised and leveled. Everything had to be weeded well. I finished the walls in one of the bedrooms, I had put up fabric but it wasn't finished. I did all that! HOW? The only thing I can think of, is I felt better. We painted the great room (vaulted ceilings) I was up on the tall ladder painting until I got dizzy and had to come down. So I know there were moments, plus I was throwing up still. I know that. I wish I had kept a journal. I used to make dolls and even made a doll for my OB before I left. I had my 20wk ultrasound before we left, actua...

I listened to a VERY funny audio the other day, you can hear it at . It is entitled "Left Brain's grocery list", it about 7 1/2 minutes long. I thought it was well worth the laugh. Yesterday, I asked Lindsey to switch the laundry from the washer to the dryer. I was away from home and asked her to go down to the dryer so I could tell her which setting to put it on (I had it on a strange setting from the last load). I tried to explain to her where to look, the left dial and asked her to read them to me. I told her which one to put it on. Well I said the "more dry", she said "there is nothing that says that". We had already determined where on the dial it was. She said it said "VERY" Dry. Okay, that is it. Later I began thinking about her personality and this audio. I can so see her doing that, taking everything so literal. I guess, I need to be more specific in the future. It is a good thing she can't drive yet. ;) She is a fu...

  Katie's is the small one, Dejah's (her 3rd) is the big one     Ever seen a four leaf clover, better yet ever found one? ME niether. My daughters, however have! Dejah has found THREE so far, Katie one. I got to thinking last night if RED clover has more four leaf clovers than the standard green clover. Red has a light green/white on the petal, the flowers are a purple. Red is edible too. Yes, we have tried them, mighty tastey. They would be a great addition to a salad, if you haven't poisoned them that is. When Dejah found her first one, Scott promised ice cream. He took us all the THE CREAMERY ON NINTH in Provo. The girls loved it and Dejah got a double. She couldn't finish it either. So tonight is another ice cream night, tradition I guess. Creamery once, banana splits another time...time again for the creamery. Dejah and Katie get the double this time. Lucky girls!

I had my first Ob check today. According to my dates I was 9w7d (tomorrow would be 10wk). I was bummed when they decided to stick to a 28d cycle. Oh well. I guess it is better to expect later and go earlier??? When I got there they had me at 9w3d, so I was happy when I left with them saying 9w5d...a few day difference. I know I'm picky. LOL! All went well, my blood work looks good, a bit on the anemic side, but everything else great. So that is fabulous! He said he wasn't surprised to see me. Funny man! We talked about the crohn's and he researched the meds I'm on and thinks they are great. Much better than my history of meds, so he is pleased. So am I! We did an ultrasound to confirm dates, that is where I was excited. It came closer to my dates, so I was pleased, more of a "meet in the middle". I saw the heartbeat and saw him/her wiggle all over. A mover and a shaker already. It made it all so real. There is only one, which is a tremendous r...

For some reason, this is not showing the whole screen of the video. You can view it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RplBQGogYEk

So I decided to measure my waist yesterday, I knew I lost all muscle tone (wait did I have any?). So Low and behold I have gained two inches in my waist. I at first lost two pounds, then gained them and lost them. So those two pounds are eluding me, which I don't mind. Oh the joy's of showing early. Someone even said yesterday "you're showing?!", um yes, thank you for pointint that out. So it has begun. I am not even officially 7wks along and I'm showing. I was in maternity clothes with the last two by 9wks. I guess this one is stepping it up a bit. It isn't just the waist either, I'm bigger up to the rib cage. So I don't look just fat, but pregnant. Oh the joys of number 6? I had Lindsey take a picture....this is in maternity clothes. I look bigger than the 2inches. That is only in the waist, mind you. UGH! I haven't had a flat tummy since Lindsey. LOL! 6w6d #6

I NOW have air conditioning in my suburban! It had been making noise when we bought it. They told us they had gotten it checked over and over and no one could say what was wrong with it. It took my friend Steve only a few minutes looking at it one day to see there was NO belt! I guess what happened was that the belt was slowly breaking and maybe the pieces were hitting something, making the noise. I guess when the belt finally broke and littered the road is when the A/C finally stopped. A month or more ago we bought the belt but couldn't connect for Steve to put it on. Well yesterday was the big day. I was really hoping it was only the belt. He put it on and the A/C worked! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!! About 5 minutes after leaving his house yesterday Bryan and Journey were saying "I'm freezing, turn it off". What a glorious sound! It blows SO cold too. Hmmm, so where can we drive to, what day trip can we make now? What did the pioneers do without air conditioning? T...

When you decide you are finished having kids there is a roller coaster of emotions. You often wonder, am I REALLY done? And there is the occassional baby lust when you see the perfect baby and you want to hold it. Then you wake up and are happy you are past that phase. You see pregnant women and think they look so cute and are saying prayer of thanksgiving that you will never look like that again. I do have to say, I'm not really a cute pregnant woman, I'm a whale. I found myself earlier this month thinking about "If I ever did it again, I think I would want to go with a midwife". WHat was I thinking that for? I wasn't ever going to do it again. All my births went fine, I survived and so did the babies. Lindsey I guess was a toss up there...she could have gone either way at a few points. I guess that is to be expected when the OB thinks she is 7lbs and she is really 9lbs. She was so unexpected, she was a Tongan looking baby. I am wanting to take a Famil...

Dejah is my quiet shy little girl. SHe LOVES to climb and do "challenges" with her daddy. She is so funny...she needed no help to do this in reality. He was there for support. She is awesome! Check out her climb.         AND SHE GETS IT FROM....DAD!

Tonight Scott took me to dinner at Saruku (sp?) for Sushi and Japanese barbeque. We shared the grill area with a set of sisters. After dinner was made the one asked us if we were from around here. We said we lived in Santaquin. She looked at Scott and asked if he ever lived in Orem. Nope...how about Provo. Well having been at the Y for 6yrs yes he HAD lived in Provo. She swore up and down she knew him from somewhere. After a good ten minutes and her gathering Scott was not the person she thought he was she explained what she thought she had remembered him from. About 20yrs ago she was taking care of a apartment complex in Orem. She told us about a young couple who came in and put down a deposit down on a place. They got married and then asked for the deposit back. They were moving out. They were getting an annullment after only about 2wks of marriage. She said Scott looked identical to this guy. She had even leaned to her sister and said, "I rented an apartment to hi...

A friend posted this on Facebook. I am just amazed at what can be done with music. I am not musically inclined but I do know I like music and think it makes the world a better place. I hope you enjoy this. I have never heard a cello played like this, ever. Don't forget to turn off my music at the bottom.

Hope of America is a fifth grade program. They run for two nights to get all the classes to participate. I think there are about 70 schools that participate. The 5th graders sing and dance to patriotic songs. I LOVED it last night. When I think of our wonderful country and how it was founded, I tear up. I felt the spirit there last night and hope that that the students felt how special our country is. We live in a great land.   Here is a blown up view of Lindsey's group. They were in the top white stripe on the right.  

Just when I think I can get excited something changes. So currently the company in Brazil is checking out other options. So the trip was going to be (for Scott) the 23rd and I would come down on the 5th. They requested three weeks (Scott's company) so Scott could do some developing and allow two weeks for the VISA. We are now less than three weeks away from the time they said they wanted him. I am really hoping this still goes through. From what I have been told Cluster is "cheap" compared to competitors. So I have hope. Who better to help with a CLuster Product than Cluster themselves. Seems like a no brainer to me. Scott will be between Sao Paulo and Rio. WAY down South. Too bad it will be WINTER there. :)

This is an old draft. I apparently didn't hit post. So this is from last Thursday. I love to see the temple, I'm going there someday.... The days I go to the temple I notice I need extra help to make it through the day. Seriously, those days are almost painful. So sad to say outloud. I find I am easily frustrated and on edge. I snap at the kids so quick. By the time I get out the door I am saying a prayer of thanksgiving and seeking forgiveness for my short fuse. Often, I feel as if I'm not worthy to be going to the Lord's house. I know it is the advesary working on me. Once I walk in those doors all those feelings melt away and I soften immediately. Tonight I am lucky enough to actually be going with Scott. Usually we don't go together, we alternate. I am anxious for this visit. I love to See the Temple, I'll go inside someday.....

I woke up early this morning. I woke from a very bizarre dream. It was the kind that you hope never happens, but COULD. In my dream we had recieved a bunch of calls from people I didn't know. It was as if we were just looking at the caller ID and not picking up. There was a knock at the door, we had JUST sat down to eat dinner. A man was at the door I didn't recognize at all. Scott gave him a huge hug and began talking to him as if they were best friends. I guess they were from years ago. Scott had talked to him earlier and not told me that we were letting his man's parents stay with us. I looked around and thought "WHAT was he thinking?!". So the man walks out and gets his Dad. He brings his dad in, HE's BLIND!!!!!!! Then comes the mom, in a motorized scooter!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wake up! (Lindsey is Rolling thinking this is so funny!) So there I lay this morning (5:45) thinking about the crazy dream and HOW was I going to care for these people as the ...

Look what pulled up in front of my house yesterday!   The back part is what was "mine". That was just SHY of NINE THOUSAND POUNDS of wheat!   I wish I had gotten a picture of it in my driveway to get a better idea of the enormity ot this. I have been stressed over this for over a month. I collected over $2000 dollars and sent it off to a guy I know in Centerville the end of March. I had some people make comments like "How well do you know this guy?" and "This is a lot of money ($120) I don't like handing it over to someone I don't know." Delivery of the wheat was tricky. I had thought "My trailor can haul 7500lbs, it can handle 6000". Scott set me straight, the max weight minus the trailor's weight really is 6000lbs which made Scott FREAK out over. All in all it turned out fine, since the oder grew by another ton. I recieved payment for 2000 more pounds the day after I sent off the first 6000. SIGH!!! The stress began to ris...

It is really funny how the kids have seemed to have grown a bit since they have gotten their own money. Usually they are wanting to just buy candy. A few weeks ago Lindsey was saving for a day camp. We told her she would have to pay for $25 of the $75. When she got her overdue allowance she looked at her money and decided the day camp wasn't worth it to her. We were actually relieved as the $50 from us could be put into a whole family outing. She agreed that was better. Today we went to pick out a birthday gift for a friend of Lindsey's and all the kids took their money. Journey and Katie had been eyeing these glitter balls. Quite cool things, but $8! I didn't think they were worth it. I have decided to give guidance but not tell them that they can't buy something. It is theirs and if they "waste" it, then they learn. Dejah knew what she wanted she wanted to make a special dessert for the family. I thought it was really cool she wanted to spend her...

  So, I think I will wear sunscreen and take Vit D supplements. OWIE!

So, I have come to a depressing realization. I am gaining inches! I have been working out for 3wks now. Hard workouts! Lots of core work and lunges and squats. Mass ab work and I'm GAINING inches! I don't get it. I have however noticed my biceps are more defined and my quads are harder. Could this be the cause of inches? I mean, maybe the gain before the loss? My body fat percentage has dropped 2%, but I have gained weight and inches. It is rather depressing in a way. The good news is I am seeing a difference in my muscles. I have said in the past that I just wanted to be tone and fit. Maybe I'm getting my wish. I know, I know three weeks is not that much time. I'm working out 4-5 times a week and it feels AWESOME! I just hope I start to lose soon.

You try to teach your children to NOT play with knives then your husband so lovingly says "let's carve soap for Family Home Evening". What do you say? "Uh, you know we have 5 kids 11 and under?" He said it infront of them....oh boy! EVERYONE is excited but mommy.   The crew...everyone got a bar of Ivory soap and a knife.     I helped Bryan, more like I did it, then he broke the snowman to bits with a butter knife. &nbsp We had a Turtle (scott), a Dog head (mom), Fish (Lindsey), Car (Dejah), Dice (Katie), Dice and a mailbox (Journey) and a Snowman (Bryan with the help of Mom). Oh and no worries not a single drop pf blood was split. And we had a food fight afterwards even.... All sorts of "no nos" in a night.