Lake

I was so thrilled to be feeling better

that I wanted to do and see everything I missed in the last week.

(Yes I know, I know. Wrong approach to "exhaustion" recovery)

On Sunday we got up and made a yummy breakfast.

Then played squirt guns in the backyard for a bit.

It was supposed to be 103 degrees!

And it felt like it by 10am!

Then we got all dolled up and headed to church.

After church I made a big exception to our usual Sunday routine.

We decided to do a spur of the moment lake trip.

Ryan's new job has him working Saturdays until he's earned his keep.

It's a huge bummer to say the least.

So Sunday is our only day to all play together.

Which Church takes up half of the day.

Not that I mind because I love us all going to church together.

It just really limits our time for other family bonding activities.

The more I juggle this crazy little life of mine

and the sad reality of not having my kids at home safely in their beds every night,

has really made me take a second look at how to make the most of 

the time we do have together.

Whether it be spiritual time, fun time, homework time, talking time, teaching time.

I've realized that most spiritual bonding isn't within the 4 walls of a church building.

It can be any day and any where.

Keeping my little family bonded is my top priority.

So if that means occasionally altering my traditional Sunday routine in order 

to create family moments,

count me in.

It's about balance.

With everything in life.

At least this is the speech I gave myself as we loaded up the boat

hoping none of our Mormon neighbors saw us! lol

We had just gotten onto the freeway when Ryan hurried and slowed down.

The tube had decided to take flight.

So we pulled over to the side of the freeway and he jumped out to fix everything.

I sat there hearing my mother repeat in my head,

"See this is what happens when you don't keep the Sabbath Day holy!" lol

Right at that very moment I get a text from a church friend,

"Hey are you guys towing a boat on the freeway right now?"

Uh oh....busted!

Lol it took literally 3 mins for someone to recognize us!!

I jokingly texted back that we WERE towing a boat but are now parked on the shoulder.

She wrote back laughing that they were in the lane behind us and saw the tube catch air

but didn't realize it was us until they passed or they would have pulled over.

I let her know we were ok and just being cursed for going to the lake on Sunday.

She laughed and said she was jealous.

Phew dodged that one!

20 minutes later....

We packed sandwiches and had a late lounging lunch.

Taylee begged to ski first.

I still can't believe this little girl has to guts to get out there all by herself!

Anden was Co-Captain and in charge of telling me if she fell

Then he had to take his turn next and show her up

 

Ryan gets the illustrious job of being the Starter and Fetcher.

He holds their board in the water until I take off.

Then chills with the fish in the middle of the lake until I swing back 

and drop the kids off to him.

We dance, we play, we sing, we laugh.

And we take a timeout to ooh and aah when Taylee finds a multi color sour patch kid!

We strike poses

And we attempt group pictures!

And we stay out until sunset.

What an all around wonderful day!

Soccer Games #3

Soccer Games #3
April 27th

First Up: Anden's Game

He played so hard!!

He was everywhere bolting in and out of kids.

Somehow I saw him do like 4 flips.

It was just a mass of blonde hair flying around!

The other team was SO good!

We lost 3-1.

Anden scored the only goal.

I was so proud of him!

His team worked together to get the ball down the field.

He gave the final kick to the goal.

It went flying and then suddenly in slow motion the goalie stopped it right at the goal line.

We were all on the sidelines holding our breath to see if it passed the line.

Then the refs signaled GOAL!!

Anden beamed and flashed the $1 sign to me! lol

Somehow Anden is the only kid on the team that can't keep his shoelaces tied.

I swear I double and triple knot them before every game.

I have no clue how they come undone.

I don't know how many times me, other parents, coaches have stopped the game

to tie those dang shoelaces! lol

I was in charge of team treats for Anden's game this week.

So yes that meant I hauled in the cooler bag in addition to everything else.

No worries.

Good thing I have 5 arms.

Next up: Taylee's Game

Ahh I love watching her play! lol

She was of course everywhere playing so hard too!

But then she would kick back and just chill and stare at the grass, trees, sky for awhile.

Then snap right back to feisty action.

She rocked it and scored FOUR goals!

I think the final score was 7-2.

She was so excited to do the kick off after the other team scored.

She carefully lined up the ball.

Backed up into the perfect position

Ran forward.

And kicked the AIR!

While somehow landing on top of the ball!! lol

But never fear she jumped right back up dribbled it down to score a goal! 

She's so cute and is always helping and coaching her teammates.

It was HOT that day.

Ugh already high 90s.

I think I was sweating more on the sidelines watching them!

And I know for sure I was definitely more dizzy and lightheaded than the kids playing!

(Oh that's right. Prob cuz I was still recouping!)

Anden and I sat under the umbrella trying to stay cool.

He was zoned into pounding his Pirate Booty popcorn.

Taylee running back after scoring another goal!

And yelling "I SCOOOORED!"

The she was off with a break away dribble and her final goal of the game!

I love this picture.

One of her mental timeout moments.

All this occurred while Anden nonstop scarfed popcorn in his mouth

and everywhere else!

We hobbled out of there before this Mommy passed out.

Luckily the kids were begging to go to the library.

So our sweatiness headed straight there 

while I collapsed in a chair under an A/C vent as they looked for their books!

Then we went home and made lunch.

Luckily I was able to chill for an hour at home 

(watching the kids catch bugs in the backyard! lol)

before heading back to the Community Center to go swimming with the Russos.

Somehow I only got one picture.

Not of my kids but of Noah!

That still counts though right?!

I was too busy talking to Tracy

and every other person there that I knew.

Gotta love small town Anthem.

Phoenix Coyotes Finale

Friday night was the final Coyotes home game.

Unfortunately they had barely missed making the playoffs.

But that seems to be the Arizona sports theme lately.

(well more like being blown away from making playoffs)

We had planned to take the kids to this last game.

That morning I told Ryan to sell the tickets since I was still sick.

Well after I picked up kids from school,

I suddenly started to perk up.

I called him to see if they had sold.

Luckily he got busy and forgot to post them.

Perfect!

We're going to the game kiddos.

Even if it takes longer for Mommy to hobble in!

It was fan appreciation night.

We had such a fun time!

This was Taylee's first time going.

She was beyond hyper and excited.

(Well that's pretty much the norm for her!)

She loved cheering the loudest of anyone and yelling at the other goalie when we scored!

Anden mostly loved basking in the glory of inhaling a huge bucket of popcorn alone.

As for me, 

I was just beyond thrilled to finally feel more like myself

and be with my most favorite people!

Ode to the Missing Week

Dear April 19th-26th,

I'm deeply sorry to write you this but although we had an unexpected, unscripted and interesting relationship, it's time I move on.  Our moments together were intense and you have made a permanent impact on me. I am forever a changed woman.  I will always remember our bonding moments together huddled over in excruciating pain, throwing up in pink plastic buckets, sobbing in despair, getting two shots in the buttocks, peeing in a strainer for 6 days collecting rock/sand specimens, getting high on prescription painkillers 24 hrs/day, fumbling around dazed, dizzy and confused while resisting the intense desire to scratch my face off, somehow hosting a baby shower, getting the kids to dance lessons, 2 soccer practices, 2 soccer games all while being stoned and foggy, laying in bed wondering how I'm going to roll over and simply stand up, drinking countless bottles of water, lemonade and gatorade yet barely peeing out any of it thus resulting in michelin man puffiness and 6 lb water weight gain.  Oh those were such grand times.  Definitely memorable.

Now you really swept me off my feet when all the stones passed and my body and head cleared and then you spontaneously threw a dose of unforgettable stomach virus at me.  You were just too much for me.  You knocked me out. Oh how it was to spend all night long sleepless and on the toilet.  I never knew you could take my body to such distances.  You gave me body aches and dizzy spells like I've never experienced. I even skipped my championship softball game to stay home on the couch with you.  And that night you eventually were able to knock me down emotionally and mentally too.  Oh how a good 'whoa is me' cry always cleanses your soul.  But it led to finally allowing the missionaries to come over to give me a healing blessing, which led to renewed faith and new friendships. So that I am thankful for.

In the afternoon of Day 8 of our stint together, my body and spirit finally realigned.  I was able to smile, stand up straight with no pain, pick up my kids, and I might have even laughed.  Yes I was still moving very slow and cautiously, but my spirit had fought its way out of the dark hole!  And that is when I knew it was time to quit you. It was time to slow down and start taking care of myself, along with everyone else.  So good bye April 19th-26th, you won't be forgotten...even if I tried.

Rejection

So I'm gonna clue you in on a secret

that's not so secret.

It's not rocket science that my personal financial situation

isn't as bright beaming as it once was.

It's been a struggle.

It's been beyond stressful.

But somehow I've made it work.

And I'll admit

I'm pretty proud of myself for pulling it off each month.

Well April 15-22 was definitely an odd and interesting financial week.

I had had a few extra expenses and therefore things were a bit of a juggle this month.

I had decided that maybe I would bust out

the credit cards for a few things that week.

Just to be safe that everything balanced until pay day on the 19th.

Well I never use credit cards.

I actually loathe credit cards.

I think they are an evil trap.

However still very convenient and useful.

On April 15th I was at Dollar Tree picking up supplies for my church activity

and decided to dig one out from the depths of my wallet and give it a whirl.

$21.98 total.

I gave the ole card a swipe.

and waited

and waited

"I'm sorry Ma'am your card was declined."

Confused I told her, "There's no way. I never use this thing. Let me try it again."

Swipe Again.

Wait.

"Sorry Ma'am your card was declined again."

My confusion turned to sheer embarrassment.

Who the heck uses a credit card at a DOLLAR store?!

And worse who the heck gets a credit card declined at a DOLLAR store?!

So I fumble and hand her the 2nd of my only 2 credit cards

while mumbling apologies and excuses that I never use these cards.

She tried everything possible not to roll her eyes.

She swipes that one.

We both hold our breath.

And wait.

She kindly hands it back to me and says.

"This one is expired".

I glance down at the card.

Exp June 2012

Hmm obviously I've used that one often.

So I whip out my trusty ole debit card and snag my bags

while shuffling out of there with my tail between my legs.

On Tuesday I got around to calling the first credit card to see what the heck was wrong.

Visa Rep: "Ma'am I see here there is a temporary hold on your account for fraudulent activity."

Me: "Oh wow, I had no idea.  I never use this card.  When did this happen?"

Visa Rep: "Well we tried to notify you in August 2012 that we put a block on your account. It appears someone in CA tried to use your card and it was flagged for suspicious activity."

Me: Trying to decide whether to laugh or be shocked, "Wow my card has been blocked since August?  Oops I didn't even know."

So after a quick discussion she permanently cancelled the card and mailed me out a new one.

So at this point I was pretty proud of myself for really staying on top of my finances.

I have 2 credit cards.  

One expired in June 2012.

The other was hijacked in August 2012.

I just now found out and

it's April 2013.

So in other words it was a long week counting the days until pay day.

On Friday 19th morning, I pull into the gas station on my way to work.

If you recall from a previous post, 

I had already dropped kids off and realized I forgot my laptop,

and driven all the way home to get it.

So now I was out of gas.

I swipe my debit card.

WHAT?!

Swipe it again.

What is this some sick joke?!?

So I whip out my replacement credit card that luckily came in the mail the day earlier.

Sweet now I can get a measly $20 of gas and be on my way.

Well I was checking my email when I got to work and realize

there's one from my mortgage company saying that my mortgage payment bounced.

What?!

So I check my bank account online and there's more than enough money.

Hhmm that's odd.

Make note to call them later.

Well then as you recall from a previous post,

I suddenly got struck with kidney stones and had to drop everything

and rush to Urgent Care.

As I was crippled over the steering wheel crying on my way there 

I decided to pull into the ATM real quick and just try my card prior to paying Urgent Care.

I'm sobbing from pain and reach over to the ATM and slide in the card.

I wait.

The ATM spits my card back out.

"Card invalid. Transaction Cancelled."

WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?!

I'm in excruciating pain and clearly can't walk inside the bank.

Guess I'll call on that one later too.

So then I somehow finished the drive to Urgent Care.

And we all know how that went down.

Well one of my extra worries as I was hobbling out of Urgent Care

was if my stupid card would work to pay for it.

Pathetic to say the least.

Luckily they told me they would just bill me later.

And salvaged the sliver of pride I had left from another "declined" status.

Later that day when I had awoken from my drug induced coma,

I called Bank of America.

Somehow I always get the most delightfully unhelpful customer reps.

It went a little something like this...

Me: "Hello my debit card has been declined twice today and there's plenty of money in my account and my auto bill payments are also being declined now. Can you please tell me what in the world is going on?!"

Rep: "Sure let me look it up....Well I see here your card has been cancelled. There was a massive breach by a third party retailer and all the cards were cancelled and replaced."

Me: "WHAT?! Shouldn't I have been notified? Or you think it's fun to just secretly shut down your customers' accounts and make them scramble figuring out why?"

Rep: "Well all of the customers should have been called and the new cards were mailed out 4/6.  You should have gotten a call and new card prior to us shutting down your account."

Me: "Well nope, I didn't receive a single phone call or the new card! So instead I have absolutely no access to my own money and my auto scheduled bills are bouncing left and right. 

Rep: "Well sorry ma'am but if you could check your mail I'm sure your new card is there.

Me: "Well I'm sorry sir but this is the WRONG day to pick on me because I now have kidney stones and can't even move! So unless you want to magically show up to my front door with a cheesy smile sporting your little name badge on your crisp polo shirt tucked into your perfectly pleated khaki dockers along with a shiny new metal wheelchair in your hands that can push my stone riddled dehydrated kidney butt down the street to the mailbox, there's no way I can check my mail."

Long story short.

No, I still never received a phone call.

No, I still never received a replacement card.

Yes, I did have one single dollar bill on me.

No, I couldn't even access a single penny from my account.

Yes, I did have to steal money from my kids' piggy banks.

Yes, I did spend several hours calling every auto pay bill center to explain the problem.

Yes, I did have to live in financial lock-down until the following Tuesday

when I finally was able to walk my own butt inside the Bank.

After many management apologies,

I now have a "temporary" debit card

while the new one will take 5-7 business days to arrive.

Heaven forbid they forego standard policy and 

simply foot the bill to overnight the card to me.

I mean it's not like they already caused me an ounce of inconvenience.

Oh and they are willing to reimburse all of the late fees, etc I got from

other transactions bouncing during this time.

That is after I'm required to fill out numerous reports, fax documentation

 and I'll assume multiple phone calls by me to follow up that they actually complete this.

Oh and they did have the audacity to try and sell me on opening a credit card with them.

I just glared at her.

She quickly shut up.

Now I'll wait to see if the card actually ever arrives.

We're on Business Day 6.

So far the outlook is bleak.

I think I would have rather taken my chances with hackers.