Adventures in Single Motherhood

Earrings

2009-02-04T09:10:00.003-07:00

Shannyn came up to me yesterday and told me that she wanted to get her ears pierced.

I got mine re-done (they had grown closed) back in June and she has been asking me for quite a while to get hers done. I would always tell her how they would do it and that it would hurt but if she still wanted to, I would take her to get them done. She would always change her mind and decide not to do them...until yesterday.

I talked to her again and told her what would happen and that it would hurt but only for a little while. She still wanted to go for it so I told her we would go after school. When I picked her up from school, I asked her again and also asked her to tell me what would happen. She told me that she knew it would hurt, but only for a while, and that she would be very brave. So off to the mall we went!

She was so calm and collected sitting in the chair waiting. She picked out a cute pair of little pink daisy earrings and waited while the girl got everything ready. Then the first one was pierced. That's when things got a little loud and very sad. She started crying and I wanted to cry too. But she held still and let the girl pierce the other ear too. After just a couple minutes of crying Shannyn calmed right down when she saw herself in the mirror. Of course the ice cream we got afterward helped too! She was so excited to call both sets of grandparents and to show them off today at school. I guess this is just one more thing that proves that my little girl is growing up and time is barreling forward!

I'm Done, I'm Done, I'm Done!!!

2009-02-02T20:28:00.002-07:00

almost.............

The academic part of my massage therapy training is over. I graduated on Saturday in a short and sweet ceremony! I still have about 115 clinical hours to do but am hoping to get them finished up by the end of March at the latest.

In other news.....Balanced Touch LLC is organized and ready to start accepting new clients....as soon as my hours are finished. I have my business accounts all set up and ordered my table, chair and other supplies yesterday. A big THANK YOU to all of my friends and family out there that contributed!!!! I really appreciate all the love and support I received through this past year. I am so excited to be finishing up and ready to do something that I love to do. You are all the best friends and family a girl could ask for!

Ups and Downs

2009-01-22T22:57:00.002-07:00

Ups for the week

one more week of school
my sister-in-law had her baby girl yesterday
only one more week of school
a teacher I worked on yesterday said I was better than one of the CMTs at the clinic
school is done in 1 week
did I mention that I'm almost done with school?

Downs

mom and dad have to put down one of their kitties that I grew up with.......very sad
my microwave shot a big blue spark at me this morning and stopped working........total bummer

More ups than downs. That's always good!

Bike rides and awesome clients

2009-01-20T21:23:00.007-07:00

Oops! It's been a while! Sorry 'bout that!

Things have been pretty hectic around here lately. I'm finishing up school and am graduating on the 31st (yeah!), Shannyn is back in kindergarten and Leo is......well being Leo.

The weather was finally nice enough last weekend to take the kids out to the park and try out their new bikes they got for Christmas. That was quite the adventure. Neither one has ever really ridden a bike before and I knew this was going to be tricky when they got tangled up just walking their bikes down the driveway. But we finally got to the park (with some whining and fussing) and the lessons began. Leo wasn't really interested once we got to the park; he wanted to go play on the slides. Shannyn was really starting to get the hang of it when she went down and bashed the handlebar into her ribs. She was okay after some well deserved tears and loves from mom but was done riding for a while.

While we were at the park, a couple of little girls arrived in their Barbie Jeep power wheel car. Leo was so enthralled with it and he was just following the girls around in their car, running down the hill after them and pushing them back up, that I couldn't resist taking a picture of my little man. The girls were so sweet and they let him have a turn driving too. I didn't think we were ever going to be able to leave but the thing started running low on power and the girls had to go home.

I think the kids had a great time riding and they haven't stopped bugging me to go back to the park since Saturday. Hopefully the sun will be out this weekend too. I guess I need to get Bryan's bike fixed up so I can join them on their excursions!

And now for something completely different..........................(ha ha Monty Python reference)

I have been having a great time in the clinic the past few days. I have one regular client that comes in to see me about every other week and I've had four other clients request me for future appointments since last Thursday. It makes me feel really great that these people want to come back and see me! They've had nothing but praise for me and are disappointed when we can't make our schedules match up. One client today told me that I was done being a student and ready to get out of school. How cool is that?! My confidence is at a pretty high level today and I am so excited to get out of school and start into my own practice! Hopefully I'll be done with my hours by the end of March. I can't wait!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas! (a little late)

2009-01-01T12:05:00.002-07:00

Merry Christmas all! Also, Happy 2009!

I can't believe how fast the last part of 2008 went. But now it's a new year and with that comes the standard resolutions and hopes for better things than last year brought.

We had a great Christmas with my brother and Carrie and Hailey in Grand Junction. We took the train over and back. It was a lot of fun but a really long ride. I was just glad that I didn't have to deal with traffic or weather or fighting kids in the back seat. We'll probably do it again but not for a while! I got a ton of pictures at Christmas and will be posting a slide show soon so keep your eyes open!!!!

Last night we spent New Year's Eve with a bunch of my friends from college. We had a lot of fun and did the obligatory toast at midnight (I was drinking sparkling juice instead of champagne of course!) Shannyn crashed out long before 12 but my little stinker, Leo didn't fall asleep until we were in the car and on the way home around 1:30. Luckily they both slept in till after 10 this morning.

Kari and IJ will be here tomorrow to celebrate Christmas again with us. I'm really excited to see the kids open their gifts! I know that Leo is getting a trike and Shannyn is getting a Princess bicycle! I can't wait to see their little faces when they open their presents! It will be a lot of fun. I guess I need to get Bryan's old bike down from the hooks in the garage and get it fixed up so we can all go for bike rides this summer.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday this year and I wish you all the best for 2009!

Santa is coming to town!

2008-12-17T18:53:00.002-07:00

This afternoon I took the kids to the mall to see Santa. The kids were so excited and neither one was scared! They both climbed right up on his lap and proceeded to tell him what they wanted for Christmas. Of course "Santa's little helpers" wouldn't let me take my own picture and they wanted some ridiculous price for their photo so we didn't get a picture this year. I'm a little bummed by that but oh well! Leo decided he wanted monster trucks and Diego while Shannyn told Santa that she wanted Barbie Diamond Castle.

On the way home, Shannyn informed me that it wasn't the real Santa at the mall. I asked her why she thought that and she told me that his beard was too short and that Santa has a long white beard down to his belly. Cute huh?

The kids have been exceptionally ornery the past few weeks. They've been fighting and arguing with me and each other. Just a few more days and we will be on our way to Grand Junction and hopefully some peace......well maybe not peace but hopefully less stress.

Not much new here

2008-12-16T13:37:00.003-07:00

Well it's been a few weeks since I updated but you haven't really missed that much.

Shannyn and I have been busy with school and Leo has been his charming ornery self. I am almost done with school and I have a major case of "senior-itis." I finish up my classroom work at the end of January but will be finishing up some clinical hours for a month or two afterwards. It's been really tough this week to find the motivation to go to class. We get 2 weeks off for the holidays and I just really don't want to go to class!

The kids and I are really looking forward to Christmas this year. I decided to book tickets on the train out to Grand Junction and spend the holiday with my brother's family. I don't know what is going to be more fun, riding the train through the mountains or playing for a week with my kids and niece! At any rate, I will be posting photos and an update about our trip when I get a chance.

Last week we got our Christmas pictures done at Sears and I think they turned out fantastic. The picture in the corner of the kids with the gold background was one of the new photos. I've decided to get over my aversion of pictures of myself and post a Christmas photo of the 3 of us also. I hope you enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T17:33:00.002-07:00

I know I'm a couple of days late but I was out of town. We had a great Thanksgiving. We went to Green River for the holiday and spent a lot of time with the Wyoming family. On Saturday, we went over to Evanston and had a big shindig with the extended family. The kids got to play with their cousins that they haven't seen in quite a while and the adults got to catch up too. It was a really fun long weekend but it's good to be home.

I decided some time this weekend that I was going to post a kind of top ten list of the things I'm grateful for this year. It's just a small portion but I thought it would be good to share it with others. So without further ado.....here it goes!

#10-I'm grateful for the opportunity to go to school and learn. I know in some countries, women aren't allowed to go to school and I'm glad I live here and not there.

#9-I'm not much of a walker or public transportation kind of person so I'm grateful I have a nice car to drive and that it gets us safely from point A to point B

#8-I'm grateful for the house we live in. Sure it's messy most of the time, but it's still home.

#7-I'm grateful for my pets. They're my furry kids and I love them!

#6-I'm grateful that we are able to make ends meet. We have nice clothes to wear and good food on our table and enough left over to have some fun on occasion.

#5-I am so thankful for the ward family we've been blessed with. They are always looking out for my family and making sure we are taken care of.

#4-I'm thankful that I am healthy and able to work and do the things I like to do.

#3-I'm grateful for my friends and family. I don't know where I'd be without their unconditional love and support.

#2-I'm grateful for my kids. They mean the world to me. I'm grateful that they are healthy and smart and strong. I feel so lucky that they were sent to me to love and raise. They keep me going and teach me to pay more attention to the little things in life.

#1-I'm grateful for Jesus Christ and my faith. I know that I wouldn't be here without His love and that He is helping me through every day in everything I do. I'm grateful for this life that He has given me. I'm grateful for my knowledge of who I am and where I am headed.

God Bless and Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!

Casa Bonita Still Sucks

2008-11-24T20:21:00.002-07:00

Saturday night we went to Casa Bonita. It's kind of a Denver icon and it's not known for it's food.

We went with our friends Brian and Nikki and Brian's daughter Jessica. Jessica is in town from California to spend Thanksgiving with her dad. Nikki thought it would be fun to take her to Casa Bonita and invited us to go with them. I hadn't been there in probably 14 or 15 years and the kids have never been. It is a fun place; they have cliff diving, puppet shows and all kinds of fun stuff for the kids to do.

We got a table right next to the cliff diving show so that was pretty neat. After we ate, the kids wanted to go into the cave. We got about 4 steps inside and they all wanted to get out. But the pathway is about 2 feet wide and there were a bunch of people behind us so we had to drag 3 terrified kids through the rest of the cave. But I don't think there was any permanent damage! We watched a few more of the divers and finally headed out around 9:30.

The food there is terrible and Shannyn ended up getting sick Saturday night and again Sunday morning. I'm not totally sure it was from the food but I'm not counting it out. Anyway I think I'm good to avoid that place for another 15 years.

Mother Knows Best

2008-11-19T12:53:00.003-07:00

You know that old saying "Mother Knows Best?" Well I have a whole new belief in it.

Monday afternoon I got a call from Leo's daycare telling me that he was favoring his right arm, not letting anyone touch it, and not using it. I figured he'd dislocated his elbow again (he did it back in September) so I picked him up and took him to the ER. I told the nurses there what I thought the problem was and the doctor on call fidgeted with his elbow but didn't think it was dislocated. She ordered some x-rays and those came back normal. Leo was still not using his hand so we got more x-rays of his wrist. Well after about 2 hours, they basically told me "we don't know what's wrong so here's a splint and a phone number for an orthopedist." I called and made an appointment for Thursday but needed a referral from Leo's pediatrician for my insurance to cover it. And home we went.

Tuesday morning, Leo woke up with a fever of 101, and would not move or let me pick him up. So after dropping Shannyn off at Kindergarten, off to the ER we trucked again. The doctor that saw him diagnosed Leo with a cold and wanted to look at his x-rays from the day before and check out his arm while we were there. He didn't find anything on the x-rays and ordered more x-rays with a different view. 2-3 hours later, he came back and told me that Leo had a "bent" ulna in his arm. He said that because he was still young, the bone didn't break because it was still pliable. He said that it's still treated like a fracture and to keep the appointment with the orthopedist for Thursday. So back in the splint and home we went...with a prescription for Tylenol with codeine. Did you know they made Tylenol with codeine for 2 year olds?????

Which brings us to today. I got an appointment with Leo's pediatrician so I could get the referral to the orthopedist for tomorrow. The doctor came in, looked at Leo's arm for all of 2 minutes, fidgeted with it, and popped it back into place. He said there was no break, nothing wrong at all with his x-rays and that, yes, it was dislocated.

WHICH IS THE SAME THING I TOLD THE NURSES AND DOCTORS IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM ON...wait for it.........MONDAY AFTERNOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ARRGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! can you tell I'm frustrated?

Anyway, Leo's elbow is back in place, he's using his hand just fine, and doesn't seem to be in any more pain. Needless to say, I will not be taking Leo back to the hospital again for his elbow. I should have just taken him to his doctor in the first place but when your kid is hurt and hurt bad, you don't always think to call the doctor before heading to the ER. You just want your baby to feel better and feel better now.

And that's how my week started...........

The Giving Spirit

2008-11-15T18:05:00.003-07:00

Today a local news station was running a huge donation drive across the state. They were collecting food, clothing, toys etc. I talked to Shannyn and Leo this morning and told them about the drive and how some kids weren't going to get any toys for Christmas unless people donated some old ones they didn't play with anymore. I asked them if they thought it would be a good idea to go through their toys and give some away so kids could have a nice Christmas. Shannyn got very excited at the idea and Leo seemed content to put some of his toys into a bucket as well. We spent about an hour this afternoon and filled up a big plastic tote with toys that they decided they wanted to give away. Shannyn decided to part with some little fairies, a baby doll, and even a couple Barbies! Leo put some of his animal toys in and some of his cars too! Of course the first question Shannyn asked was if they could get some new toys since they gave some of their old ones away. I told her that I was pretty sure they would get some new toys for Christmas. I am so proud of them for understanding the idea of charity and for unselfishly deciding to help other kids have a nice holiday this year.

Major Picture Update

2008-11-09T15:55:00.021-07:00

So at long last...the pictures I have been promising are here! These first ones are from Jimmy's wedding. We had so much fun and it was such a great day despite all the rain!

Here is the cutest ring bearer ever! Leo did so good and loved carrying the pillow around. He was careful to know where it was at all times.

Shannyn loved dressing up in her "princess" dress!

My mom, Shannyn and me before the wedding. Three Generations!

The big moment!!!!!

My brother, new sister-in-law Carrie and my new niece Hailey

At the reception:

The obligatory cake smash

Shannyn dancing with my dad

Yup that's me catching the bouquet...
man that thing flew right toward me didn't it?

We all had a great time but Leo sums

up the way we all felt at the end of the day

And now for a few Halloween pictures.....

Shannyn was a butterfly

Leo was a caterpillar. He couldn't wait to get into his candy!

And I was a bug catcher!

We had a lot of fun and I can't wait 'til next year to dress up again. I guess I'm just a big kid at heart when it comes to Halloween!

Happy Halloween!!!!

2008-10-31T22:30:00.003-06:00

Hey everyone out there in cyber world! I hope that everyone has a safe and fun Halloween! We had fun tonight after a scare with Shannyn. She ate a peanut butter cup at school today and ended up throwing up. She has had mild reactions to nuts in the past; she says her tongue is burning and sometimes gets bumps around her mouth. Well I called the doctor and he called in a prescription for an epi-pen for her to carry with her now. He said that it is a serious reaction when she says her mouth is burning and that if she accidentally eats nuts again, I have to use the pen. I'm not looking forward to ever having to use it, but I'm sure that the day will eventually come.

After the nut fiasco, we piled in the car and went to Aurora to meet my brother and sister-in-law and go trick or treating with my kids and my niece, Hailey. Shannyn was a butterfly, Leo was a caterpillar, and I was a bug catcher. We had a lot of fun and I will get some pictures posted soon!

I am doing much better since my slump a few weeks ago. I have great friends up here and great family that is just a phone call away to help me pick up again.

A Rough Day

2008-10-17T20:43:00.002-06:00

I feel bad posting this before I post anything about my brother's wedding (it was great by the way and I will be posting some photos when I get them) but I just need to get this off my chest tonight.

Today was a really rough day for me. I found out this morning that Caleb's sister and brother-in-law died this past week. They were in their cabin near Laramie and died from carbon monoxide poisoning from the heater in the cabin. They were there with their 2 kids age 5 years and 9 months. The 5 year old took care of the baby for 2-3 days before anyone came to the cabin and found them. She was feeding the baby applesauce and bananas and basically keeping them both alive until someone came by the cabin to check the heater and found the parents dead in the bedroom. The coroner figures that they died in their sleep on Monday. The kids were treated for dehydration at the hospital but are in perfect health otherwise. The Lord was definitely looking out for those kids and I know that that is the only reason they are still alive and well.

All this news came on the day before the one year anniversary of my best friend, Marcy, losing her mom to cancer and 3 weeks before the 2 year anniversary of losing Bryan. Needless to say, I am beginning to really dislike this time of year and it's usually my favorite. I called both Caleb and Marcy today and cried over the phone with both of them. I was still having a hard time keeping it together 2 minutes before I had to work on a client at the school. I'm so glad that I went into massage therapy because after my first client today, I felt so much better and was able to make it through the rest of the afternoon. I really feel like it's not only therapeutic to work on people but it is therapeutic to me as well knowing that I can make someone feel better.

I kinda feel like locking the house this weekend and staying in my bedroom but I can't let myself do that. I feel a slump coming on and I refuse to let it get the best of me. Luckily I have a craft day planned at church tomorrow morning and will probably try to get out of the house again tomorrow evening. Sometimes I get so mad at myself when I can't seem to get control but I know that it's okay to get down every once in a while. I just have to remember to keep my head up and looking forward and rely on my family, friends and faith to get me through the rough patches

First concert of the season

2008-10-05T16:20:00.003-06:00

The Greeley Chamber Orchestra had our first concert of the 2008-2009 season on Friday. We played quite a variety of pieces and featured the oboe professor from UNC as our soloist. She was fantastic!!! The concert was great and I got a lot of compliments on my playing. I feel like my confidence has returned in force after a 2 year hiatus. I love my new bassoon and am really enjoying playing it.

My mom and dad are still in Colorado and were able to come to my concert. It's the first one they've been to since February 2007! I was so excited that they were there. I felt like I finally had someone there rooting just for me! We brought the kids and they loved the music too. Leo was "conducting" for us and I think Shannyn was just relaxed. She actually fell asleep right at the end!

The GCO's next concert is the weekend before Thanksgiving so I have a few weeks off from rehearsals but I already have my music for the next concert. We are playing a Hayden mass and probably a couple other pieces. The season is off to a great start and I am looking forward to 4 more fantastic concerts!

Labor Day Camping

2008-09-19T22:29:00.000-06:00

I know I'm a few weeks late but hey at least I'm still posting right?

Well the Rogers clan descended on Ryan Park, WY (up in the Snowy Range) for Labor Day weekend. It's our usual spot; we've been going there for about 6 years now. This year Rene and Lori and their boys joined us and we all had a lot of fun. We ate dutch oven cooking every day and enjoyed the fresh air and campfire.

The kids wanted to go fishing while we were up there so we drove to one of the lakes on Saturday and let them "fish." Actually the 5 older kids (Andreas, Demetri, Isaac, Shannyn and Caleb) did fish with worms while Leo and Spencer just played with dipping the pole in the water. Unfortunately, I missed the biggest moment of the day when I had to take Leo back to the car but my little girl caught her first fish!!!!!! She was so excited and I guess she just squealed when the fish got close to the shore and she saw it flipping around. He was just a little guy, about 8 inches, but he swallowed the hook so we ended up keeping him and frying him up for dinner. Shannyn already has the fisherman's tale down. The fish got bigger every time she told the story!

All in all it was a really fun weekend but I was very glad to get back home and into a nice, long, hot shower. With 7 kids up there, I'm not sure if we left any dirt on the mountain! I love going up to that site with everyone and am already looking forward to next year's trip!

School Days

2008-08-26T22:06:00.000-06:00

Shannyn started kindergarten last week! I can't believe she's already that old. It seems like just yesterday she was crawling around the floor and learning to talk. She loves going to school and loves her teacher. I'm so glad that she is enjoying it and I hope she always does. She's not too keen on doing her homework but who really does like homework anyway? She is doing great though and was actually sounding out a few short words with me yesterday. It won't be long before she'll be reading the bedtime stories to me! I hope she grows to love reading like her daddy did. Bryan was never seen without a book and would get antsy if he finished a book and didn't have another one to read. I think Shannyn will be like Bryan though. She has always liked to "read" books and lately has started making up her own stories to go along with the pictures in some of the books we have at home.

I did really well last week with getting Shannyn to school. I really didn't get too sad until Thursday when I didn't walk her to the playground. It was so hard for me to watch her walk into the school while I stood by the car. I had a huge moral dilemma going on inside my head! I felt like I was a slacker of a mom because I didn't hold her hand and walk to the playground with her. On the other hand, I was trying to let her go on her own a little bit. It was so tough and it still is, but with me back in school this week, I can't walk her into class and be on time to my classes too. Arggghhh!!! All you out there who don't have kids yet, or kids that aren't in school yet, have no idea of the mental struggle I am having over my "baby" girl!!!!! It's so hard to realize that they are going to grow up and be adults (sooner than I think) and there is nothing I can do to stop it or even slow it down. I only hope and pray that I can prepare them for life and to be responsible, caring, and strong....among other things.

Estes Park

2008-08-17T20:09:00.000-06:00

I meant to post this before now but with finals for 2nd quarter last week, I just plain ran out of time. My mom and dad took the three of us to Estes Park last weekend. for some fresh mountain air. We spent three days admiring Estes and all the tourists....well not really admiring the tourists but you know what I mean. The town was pretty full.

We drove to the top of Rocky Mountain National Park on Friday and saw some gorgeous bull elk. They were just munching away on the grass and not minding all the cars that had literally stopped on the highway to see them. It was pretty amazing. I've never seen elk that close before! Not ones that were alive anyway! Later Friday afternoon, my dad and I took the kids mini-golfing. They had never been before and we had so much fun! Leo got a hole-in-one at every hole....of course his idea of golfing was to pick up the ball and drop it in the hole at the other end....and Shannyn was getting the hang of it towards the end of the day. Actually, I don't know who was having more fun; the kids or my dad.

Saturday we took the aerial tramway to the top of a mountain...Prospect mountain I think. The views from up there were stunning. The kids had a ball feeding peanuts to the ground squirrels and climbing rocks. Some of those squirrels were so fat and their cheeks were full of nuts too. That didn't stop them though. They kept coming back for more! It rained Saturday afternoon and I caught this picture of a brilliant rainbow near our campground. The picture really doesn't do it justice.

All in all, it was a fun trip. We were only about an hour away from home, but it was still nice to get out of town for a few days.

All I Want for Labor Day?

2008-08-17T18:53:00.000-06:00

Is my 2 front teeth!! Shannyn lost her two bottom teeth and the tooth fairy was very generous. She was so excited the next morning when she looked under her pillow and found a whole dollar in the baggie where her tooth was. I am expecting more loose teeth to follow over the next few months. We'll keep you posted!!!

I've got the best friends

2008-08-03T09:46:00.000-06:00

Leo and I went to Marcy and James' house last night for a get together with some friends from New Mexico that we haven't seen in quite a while. Shannyn is camping with my mom and dad in case you were wondering. Anyway Marcy spilled the beans and told me that the group of them were going to buy me a massage table for my graduation gift! I am so excited and feel so lucky to have such fantastic friends! Marcy told me to start looking at tables and figure out which one I want. I can't wait!!!!!!!!

Viva Las Vegas!

2008-07-31T12:52:00.000-06:00

So I spent this past weekend in Las Vegas with my brother and his new fiancee. He had a time share thing where they give you a "free" weekend in a condo and all you have to do is attend a meeting where they try to sell you a time share. We had a blast though!

We got up around 3:30 am on Friday to get to the airport by 5:00am for a super early 6:10 flight. We got to the hotel/condo around 8am Vegas time but couldn't get into our room until 4. It was a real pain too 'cause the hotel advertised itself as being "on the strip" but in reality it was about five miles south of Mandalay Bay which is the end of what people think of as the strip. True, it was still on Las Vegas Boulevard but I would hardly say it was on the strip. Anyway the hotel did have a shuttle that dropped off at Ceasar's but it didn't leave the hotel until 10. So our choices were to hang out in the lobby for 2 hours or take a cab into town. We chose the latter. After a fantastic breakfast of crepes at Paris, we walked to the Flamingo, where I took some pictures for Jim and Carrie's wedding invitations, and walked through the Forum Shops before catching a shuttle back to the hotel. We finally got into a room around 3:30pm and promptly crashed for 4 hours. When we finally got up again, we went back to Paris for an all you can eat sushi dinner, a ride on the Manhattan Express roller coaster at NYNY and a look at the lights.

So Saturday we went to bed around 2am and got up and going again about 10am. We spent the day on Fremont street and played some black jack and a bingo game from hell. We barely had time to look at our cards and mark the numbers being called before the next one was called. I don't even think we had a chance to figure out what pattern we were looking for before someone called bingo. It was stressful but we got some good laughs out of it. After the obligatory buffet dinner, we watched the Fremont light show and headed to the Stratosphere. We went to the top of the tower and rode one of the rides up there that was kind of like a roller coaster but just dropped you down the side of the tower then pivoted and rolled you back. After the ride, we were enjoying the view and my brother officially proposed to Carrie. He did the whole thing where he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. I got pictures!!!!!! Some of the people around them were even clapping for them. It was very cool!

We were all too excited to sleep after that so we took a cab from our hotel to a locals casino even farther south of us. We ate a really good breakfast at 2am and played more blackjack until 3:30 or so. Sunday morning, Carrie and I went to have hot stone massages while Jimmy went to his time-share meeting thingy. We all met up for lunch and went to the M&M store and walked through the Luxor before having to head back to the hotel and off to the airport. We got into Denver around 11:30pm and I got home at about 2:30. Needless to say, I didn't make it to class on Monday.

It's taken me three days to be able to stop long enough and process what all we did while we were out there. The only thing I could remember at first was all the walking and the blister I got from my flip flops. But we had so much fun and I hope we can make it out there again next year....only not in July......and I will be wearing sneakers.

for those of you....

2008-07-13T22:47:00.000-06:00

...who thought I fell off the face of the earth....I didn't.

I can't believe I haven't updated this in almost a year. I honestly don't know why! But since my mom and dad have added a link to my blog on their blog (that I know the family reads) I figured a quick update is the least I could do.

So let's see...where to begin......

I don't even remember what I did toward the end of last year, except for the noisy Christmas spent at Mom and Dad's place in Tucson (you can read all about that on their blog) but since then, I have been quite busy.

In January, I started back into school by taking a CNA (certified nurses aide) course. It was five weeks of class time and one week of clinicals in a nursing home. I'm glad I got a scholarship to pay for it all because I realized that I really don't want to be a CNA. It's hard and very rewarding work and I admire those that do it but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

So about halfway through CNA school, my friend Jennifer told me about a massage therapy school that had a session starting in February. I thought that sounded interesting and said to myself, "sure why not?" So I am happy to say that I am halfway through the year long 1000 hour course and loving every minute of it. This school has opened my eyes up to all kinds of possibilities of careers. I'm thinking about taking advanced classes to become a doula (kind of a midwife) and I definitely want to learn reiki (an Oriental type of therapy that involves energy transfer). I can't wait to work on Mom and Dad when they get back up here to show them all I am learning. I really feel like I am helping people and that I definitely have a knack for this.

The kids are doing great. Getting bigger all the time. Leo is 2 and has started to really get into the whole potty training thing although I have to admit, I'm kind of at a loss when it comes to training him. I just don't have the same equipment, you know? Shannyn is 5 and is so excited to be starting kindergarten this August. I can't believe she's going to school already. I miss my baby but she is growing into such a great girl. I'm looking forward to it though, and I know I am going to cry on that first day.

Well that is a very quick summary of what we've been up to for the last year. I know I've said this before, but I will try to keep this updated as best as I can. And if you don't hear from me for a while, don't worry, I'm still here!

Anniversary greetings

2007-07-25T00:51:00.000-06:00

Well today is Bryan and my 8th anniversary. Today went pretty well. I was a little apprehensive about it, but I didn't have any major meltdowns. I did have a couple of family members call and send cards to see how I was doing and let me know that they were thinking of me. I didn't really want a big fuss over today because I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that everyone is thinking of me and keeping us in their prayers, but I really don't want the pity. I very rarely feel sorry for myself anymore. I have come to accept that this card was dealt to me and my family and that's just the way it is. There are a lot more people out there that have it much worse than I do.

I had the most selfless person I know take care of me today. My best friend Becky took us to the zoo and then she found a babysitter for me and she and her husband, James, took me out to dinner at Outback. It was one of Bryan's favorite places to go out and eat. As the waitress was bringing our dessert out, I saw a man behind her carrying a huge bouquet of red roses. I thought "Oh how sweet, someone is getting flowers!" Little did I know that the roses were for me! They got me a beautiful arrangement of 2 dozen red roses and this small white flower that looked like lace. Becky signed the card like it was from Bryan and told me that ever since he died, she had the feeling that he wanted to give me flowers on our anniversary. I can't believe the great friends I have been blessed with.

I have Bryan's picture from our wedding up by the computer and I swear his expression changes when I need him to understand me or make me laugh. Right now he is smiling that smile that says "I didn't get you anything, I don't know what you're talking about!" Well Bry, you did get me something and you can't deny it anymore. You made sure that my friends remembered us on our anniversary and the happiness we shared and not that I was alone.

Jericho this is for you

2007-07-08T20:48:00.000-06:00

So wow I can't believe it's been like 4 months since I wrote on this. And I was trying so hard to keep up with things. So let's see...what have I been up to in the last 4 months.

We went to Tucson in June to visit my mom and dad. The kids first trip on an airplane went really well actually. Shannyn fell asleep on the way down and on the way back. I actually had to wake her up when we landed. Leo was a little squirmy but I just kept feeding him Cheerios and fruit snacks and he was fine. I think they had a really good time. My cousin and her family came out from Virginia so it was like a mini family reunion. We got to go swimming a couple of times and Leo absolutely loved it! He accidentally put his face in the water one time and we all laughed at him so much that he kept on doing it. Shannyn even got the hang of it and was floating around the pool with her arms hooked over one of those noodle things. I am so looking forward to visiting again...only not in June.

I moved out of jewelry at work and back into the office. I do like it better but I am still having some problems convincing them that I can't work a whole lot of weekends. The lady I worked with before in the office moved to Louisiana and the new HR manager seems to want me to do all of the work. Oh well, it's a job right?

So I am still planning on going back to school in the fall but now it's looking like I may be going to the University of Northern Colorado to get my nursing degree. It's not my ideal career path, but it would open up a lot of different opportunities in the future. I was going to get my Surgical Tech degree from the community college, but they have a 3 year wait list and I don't really feel like waiting that long to get back into school.

Oh I almost forgot! I have a new site that you can go to to see pictures of us now! My cousin's husband set me up with a smugmug account. It's like a blog but I can post pictures on there for people to see. Don't go now because it's not quite ready yet, but the address is www.rogerskids.smugmug.com. The address will probably change but I will keep you all posted.

Speaking of the kids, they are doing really good. Shannyn is almost completely potty trained now. She still needs some reminding when she is busy playing but other than that, she is doing really well. Leo is walking and running all over the place. He makes sure I get my exercise. He has about a 5 word vocabulary but still only says "ma ma" when he is upset. He is getting really good at voicing his disgust when Shannyn or I take something he shouldn't have.

I currently am keeping very busy, not only with kids and work, but I have been helping a couple of friends with wedding stuff. I love to do anything crafty and this is helping out friends as well. I also have been very busy in my yard trying to plant flowers and keep them alive. It's kinda hard when the weather is in the upper 90's every day. Oh well, hopefully they will all make it!

I had to give up one of my dogs to the humane society a few weeks ago. To make a long story short, I had a run-in with a neighbor and it was kind of the last straw. I had been trying to find a home for Jack for 4 or 5 months now but I wasn't able to find anyone who would take him. I gave him up and he was adopted after only about a week and a half of being at the shelter. I was just not able to give him the attention and time he needed. We still have Sampson and will have him until he is old and gray. He was Bryan's dog and he reminds me so much of him. He is also very protective of me and the kids and I like having him around for that reason too. He is such a big lovable puppy!

Well I hope all of you out there in cyber space are doing well. Once again, this is the part where I say that I will try to keep up on things....we'll just have to see!
God Bless!

Update

2007-03-12T22:38:00.000-06:00

Okay. At the request of many family members and friends, I am finally sending out an update. Sorry it's been so long. I guess I have been busy. So let's see....what's new.....

Shannyn is finally getting the hang of the potty training thing (YES!!). We finally just put her in training pants and made her go to the bathroom every 30 minutes. She goes about every 2-3 hours now. I am so proud of her and I am looking forward to less expense on diapers. I can't believe it, but she is going to be 4 on the 23rd!!! She is growing up so fast! She will be in kindergarten next year!

Leo is getting so big too. He will be 1 on the 19th and is almost walking. If I hold on to his hands, he practically runs across the room. Crawling is still his favorite mode of transportation since he can move faster. He is also starting to say a few words. He says "ma ma" and my dad swears he said "gampa" the other day. I'm not quite sure I heard it but he does mimic sounds and syllables.

I bought a new car last week. I traded in the Explorer (or Exploder as Bryan used to call it) and got a 2006 Ford Freestyle. I love it! It seats six, still looks sporty and has some good get-up-and-go. And my favorite thing about it? It's green! I will try to post some pictures later.

I am having the kids' pictures taken at work (Sears) on Friday and I am having their birthday party this Saturday so hopefully I can get some pictures posted soon. As for me, I think it's bed time for now. Good night to all and God Bless!

Merry Christmas and all that jazz

2007-01-02T15:02:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas everyone! And a Happy New Year to boot! We had a pretty good one. The kids got so many new toys that I am preparing to give away most of their old ones. Shannyn was so excited to open all of her presents and Leo was content to eat the bows and wrapping paper. I will get pictures up when I get them downloaded to my computer.

I managed to muddle through the holidays with pretty good spirits. I have been down a little the past few days. I think it's because the new year is supposed to be a chance for each of us to have a fresh start at life and I don't really want one right now. Sure I am looking forward to doing new things but I don't want time to pass too quickly right now. I miss Bryan so much and I don't want to cheapen the time I had with him by feeling like time is moving along. I think part of me wants to be stuck in the past. I am making new plans, however. I applied to Aims Community College last week for the fall 2007 semester. I want to finish my radiology degree that I started back in Wyoming.

We all got over the stomach crappiness that we had a few weeks ago but now we are all fighting colds. Shannyn has a double ear infection, I am getting over a pretty stuffy nose, and I think Leo's runny nose and cough are due to teething. Bryan's mom and dad came to visit last week and ended up with a 24 hour stomach bug while they were here. Of course it had to happen the day that Shannyn came down with her ear infections and the day that I got a really bad sore throat. So I had a house of 5 sick people last week. We all started getting better the next day luckily and were still able to have a lot of fun.

Well no more snow for the time being. We got another 3 inches last Friday but I guess that's winter in Colorado. I just hope we don't get another blizzard that buries everything again. I don't think my Christmas decorations in my yard are coming out until sometime next summer.

I will try to post more regularly in the future. The holidays were pretty busy around here but that's a good thing. It keeps me from sitting still for too long and feeling sorry for myself. That's the last thing Bryan would have wanted. I wish all of you peace and love and many, many blessings for the new year.

Snow

2006-12-22T21:55:00.000-07:00

This will be the third time I have tried to post an update so I will make it short and sweet.

Snow. lots. not melting until July. see pictures of backyard and front porch. back fence is 5 feet tall. see pictures of pile of snow in front yard after shoveling out driveway. kids and me feeling better. keeping self busy doing crafts. see picture of foam nativity set I made. it's cute. doctor's office brought over tons of presents for kids today. feeling very blessed. love to all.

The kindness of others

2006-12-19T08:44:00.000-07:00

I have been amazed at the outpouring of support and love from my friends and family. Even people that I don't even know have helped me in different ways. A couple of days after Bryan's death, I received an anonymous card with $500 cash inside. Last week, I received a check in the mail from a company called Phelps-Tointon. They said they were touched by the articles in the Greeley Tribune and just wanted to help my kids have a good Christmas this year. My doctor's office has "adopted" our family for Christmas this year and are getting gifts for the kids and me. Even the kids pediatrician has donated $75 to go into the memorial fund I have set up to save for their education.

Yesterday I got a card in the mail from a woman in Briggsdale, Colorado. She lost her husband in October in a car accident also. She has two little girls, 8 and 5. I have no idea who she is, but like so many others, she read the articles in the paper and wanted to reach out to me to let me know that I'm not alone. Like me, she was touched by the kindness of others and sent along a memorial too. She even sent a picture of her family and contact information. I will definitely get in touch with her. Maybe we can help each other out.

This Christmas will be very difficult. For the first time in my life, I am dreading waking up on Christmas morning. But I have been shown the true meaning of Christmas time and time again over the past few weeks. People, strangers even, are reaching out to give their love and that has strengthened me in ways I can't describe. I only hope that someday I can somehow repay the kindness that I have been shown. All I can do is pay it forward and pass it along.

A good day

2006-12-14T18:54:00.000-07:00

Today was probably the best day since November 8th. I went to Social Security today and got all of the paperwork filed and should be getting benefits soon. I also heard from my lawyer and the settlements are on their way and should be here next week.

I took the kids to the doctor today because they are still sick. Unfortunately, they can't give them anything, it just has to run it's course. I think they are slowly getting better. Leo hasn't thrown up on me today. Right now I'm just trying to keep them awake for another 45 minutes or so so they sleep good tonight.

I had to give Leo a bath in the sink last night and was hoping to get some pictures of him posted today but the battery in my camera was dead. So I will be doing a sink bath again and will be sure to have a charged up camera. He got water everywhere! He was having so much fun splashing the clean dishes on the counter that I hadn't gotten put away yet. Needless to say, they're not so clean anymore. Well I think I'm going to get the kids in their jammies and ready for bed. TTFN

Oh yeah I almost forgot. I have an interview with State Farm on Monday to work in their call center. I hope that I get a job out there. I think it would be a great career opportunity.

So anyway, this is me

2006-12-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

Well most of my friends from Laramie are blogging on this site now so I decided to give it a shot. Marcy I will let you know how it goes! I decided to name my blog "Adventures in single motherhood" in the hopes that I can help someone out there in my position and get advice in return. Also I think I am one of the only Alpha Nu's who have kids so this will either act as a preparation to those who want to have kids or a good reason for birth control for those who don't.

Okay so a little about me. My beloved husband of seven years was killed in a motorcycle accident about a month ago leaving me with two kids. Bryan was and will always be the love of my life and I miss him every day and more so at night. Our two children are so young that I fear they won't have any memories of their wonderful dad. Shannyn is 3 years old and asks almost everyday where daddy is. I try to tell her that he is in heaven but she still doesn't understand. My son, Leodell is only 9 months old and I doubt that he will remember anything. I will be looking to my brothers and friends and family to help me teach our kids about their father and the great, fun-loving, caring, compassionate, and so many other adjectives their father was.

Right now we are getting over the flu. Shannyn was sick all day Saturday and I caught it Sunday night into yesterday. Leo seemed to be okay until yesterday afternoon and was up and down all night. I hope he gets better today. Luckily my mom and dad stayed with me Sunday night and all day yesterday to help me with the kids. I can handle sick kids but not when I am sick too.

Well I guess that is all for now. I will try to keep this up to date as best I can but as you can tell, my life has become even more hectic over the past few weeks. I will also post pictures when I get a chance. I hear Leo waking up from a nap.