Favorites of Christmas

(All in no particular order)
1.  Christmas Movies    I love watching a Christmas movie while wrapping presents, baking,  getting dressed in the morning.    I can't express in words how much I love them.  The more cheesy they are the better!

2.  I love getting Christmas cards in the mail.  The more news they hold, the more I like them.  I love the pictures.  I look forward each day for some fun cards, through mail or email, I'm not picky.   Below is a picture of how my friend Makinzee  displays them.  I am going to to do it that way next year.  Taping them up has just lost its appeal.



3.  I love Christmas baking.  We have some traditions we make each and every year.   Some of my children don't believe you can  have Christmas without the usual baking. 
We always make 7 layers bars (my mom's tradition)   Peanut Butter cups,  and Sugar cookies.   One of Matt's favorite traditions was making Sugar cookies and also receiving a package of fudge from his Grandma each year.  So I make fudge, of course, too.    

            

4.  Giving the 12 days of Christmas or receiving it!!!    This year some family has picked our family to do the 12 days of Christmas.  They have been wonderful!!!!  It has been so fun to be generously spoiled.   I love that because we have received this, that we see the goodness in EVERYONE.  You don't know who is doing this kind act, so you feel gratitude for everyone!!!  Thank you, thank you!!!  They are quite sneaky too.  Below  are some of the  fun gifts we have received.

5. Giving Neighbor Gifts  I love giving gifts.  This year I bought my neighbor gifts very early so I got a steal on them.  And it had 2 books in one!!  I love a bargain.   I gave these out as well as some other things too! 

6.  Christmas Music-----I love listening to Christmas CD's, Kara playing the piano and singing.  In fact I am doing it right now!!!!    Kara is singing tonight at a Benefit concert for the Road Home, a homeless shelter.  She gets to sing at the Masonic Temple in SLC.  The program is below, but it is hard to read.

Above is a song from Kara's recent Candlelight Concert. I loved this song, until Spencer told me what it really is implying, but I still like it.  (It is a really bad copy.  Matt and I switched users to get the best angle).

7.  I love being with family  I love having my family all together.   When I think of Christmas I think of my family.  I think of my mom and dad who have both passed on.  I miss them dearly, but I am grateful, as I focus on my Savior's birth, that he made it possible for me to be with them again. 

I am grateful that this year--all of my children are home and we get to spend Christmas together. I realize that this is a real luxury the older my children get.  I am grateful for the time we get to be together. 

 Above are my some of my siblings, Matthew, Mark, Katie, my step mom Sheryl and their families while visiting in Seattle this Christmas.
From left to right: Mikayla,  Brittany, Suzanne, Brighton, Matthew, Nathan, Sheryl, Katie,  Abe, Cougar, Mark,  Miriah, Jett, Layla, Cumorah and Caleb.  

8. I love Christmas lights  I appreciate Christmas lights. As a child I can never remember our family putting up Christmas lights, so I go overboard.  My husband is great about putting up lights. I really appreciate  him for doing this. 
   

9.  I LOVE the spirit of Christmas.   I love how everyone is a little bit more kinder, patient, and giving.  I love that Christmas helps us focus more on our Savior.

10.Reading the Story of our Savior's Birth  I am grateful to be reminded each year of the simple birth of our Savior.  I am grateful for the perfect life he led, the example he was to us, and that he laid down his life so we can live eternally.  I can't think about the Savior's birth without thinking about the Atonement. 

I want to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas!!! 

Christmas Parties

For our Ward Christmas party Kara was asked to sing.  She sang three songs:  Mr. Grinch, All I want for Christmas is you, and Silent Night! The program was very nice and the food was super, duper yummy.  Then we ran Kara to another Christmas party.

The next week we had a R.S. Christmas party.  We went around to sisters homes and they shared some of their favorite traditions.  Then we went back to the church and had yummy food.  Each sister was asked to write a spiritual event/experience they had and each sisters experience was compiled into a book.  What a treasure!  I have loved every  minute of reading it.

On another night  I went to our annual Ornament exchange party. So much fun to visit with friends and have a good time.

Above are just a few of us. 

Then we had our ward Hawaiian  Youth Christmas Party. The Beehives were in charge of it and luckily my advisers were so helpful. Not to complain, but  I have been feeling pretty bad over the last month since I barely take my shot, so it was a relief.  Thanks to all the men who helped clean up too.  It was wild and crazy, but then it was over!!!  Yeah.

Then we had Matt's work party the next night.  And it was fun to get together with everyone.  Very long, but so nice to visit with old friends and meet new ones too. 

 Another night we had our Ugly sweater party.  Last year I did it at my home, but because I feel so you know what, my friend offered to host it.   I had wanted to have two parties on separate nights,  as I wanted to invite more people, but I will have to do it  at another time.   Thanks for being patient with me.

 Above Matt and us before the party started. 

And above Matt playing one of the games.  Such  silly, fun games.   It is amazing how creative people can be.


Kara performed at a Christmas party last night.  She did a beautiful job singing.  She still has three  more singing performance that she will be doing this week.  One for a benefit concert for a charity and another for a concert and another for choir.  She keeps us running.

Incidentally she just started in a new play.  She has the lead part, being the evil one.  It is a play sort of like the 12 dancing princess.  It is hard to imagine her being evil, since she is so darn sweet, but I am sure she will do a wonderful job.  She is running between dance lessons, piano  lessons, voice lessons,  early choir performances,  teaching her piano students and play practice several times a week.  I don't think we could keep up if  we had several young children to add to the mix. 

I was excited when I realized that tonight I don't have to be anywhere.  HOORAY!!!  Both Kara and I did a happy dance when we realized it, too bad Matt can't be home too!!!!

Putting up Christmas

 Our tree!   My cousin Jana taught me last year how to make the big bows on the tree.  It was fun to do, but I am certainly not as good as she.

My Nativity that my Aunt Jan made for me.

 

I love decorating my dining room. I especially love the chandelier. 

 

 This is the Nativity that Coby brought home from Bethlehem.  We love it and we love the music that comes with it.

 Colleen and Coby came over for the last time before heading to Las Vegas. It was fun to have them both over.  I don't know if we will see her before she leaves on her mission.  We love Colleen and we know she will be a terrific missionary.  

The last month according to my camera

 Decorating pumpkins for Halloween

 Thanksgiving day preparations.  Kara was a big helper.  She helped make the green bean casserole and she made the sweet potato casserole and everyone helped prepare a lot of the food together. It certainly made it much more FUN!!!

 Colton made the mash potatoes.  We made them a little different today.  We prepared everything and then made them in the crock pot.  They were yummy.   Above Colton  having a little too much fun sweeping.  

 Sitting down to eat.

 It was a beautiful clear day on Thanksgiving. 

 Everyone helped clean up.  It makes it go by so fast.  Then we hung out and talked until we went and saw the movie, Lincoln. Spencer didn't join at the movie because he went to go and spend time with his girlfriend Ann.   After the movie we came home and had yummy pie.   Spencer had made his usual triple berry pie.  It is always one of  my favorites.  All in all a wonderful day!
                                                    

Gratitude 28, 29 and 30--A little late!

Post 28

I am grateful to be born and live in the United States.   I feel great to be able  to choose how I want to live my life.

 

Post 29

I am grateful for animals.  I am not naturally an animal loving  person, but since we have 2 dogs I have been trying to do my best to enjoy them.  I love how simple pets love and how they can bring a family closer together.

Post 30

 

I am grateful for the  prophet, and apostles.   When Matt served in a bishopric  a few years back,  we had a sweet older woman that moved in our ward.  She moved during a time that it was stake conference and general conference within a couple weeks of each other and so the bishop hadn't really gotten to meet with her.   

The bishop got a phone call at home one night and he was surprised when the man on the phone introduced himself as President Thomas Monson (this is when he was in the 1st presidency, but not the prophet).  He called to make sure the bishop knew that one of his friends, this older woman,  had moved into his ward. He shared with the bishop her circumstances and asked our bishop to watch over her well.  Then he asked the bishop how he was doing and thanked him for the service he was giving.    
When Matt shared this with me I was touched.  I had always heard stories about how President Monson always served, but this was the 1st time I personally saw how concerned he was with others. 

Frustrations and a lot of rambling

I am so frustrated with my insurance company.  I have Panhypopituitarism/Sheehan's. I hate being know by a diagnosis, but it helps me explain it better.  Basically this mean my pituitary gland doesn't work.  It is damaged and it runs at around 5% on a good day.

Five years ago I finally found a doctor who ran the right tests and diagnosed me with  my diagnosis.   There are several different ways you can treat this  and I tried all the least evasive ways,  but they weren't enough.  Then, my doctor started me on HGH (growth hormones injections) and once I was put on the right dose life improved immensely. 

My old insurance company paid for my prescription starting in the spring of 2008 until my husband lost his job at the beginning of this year.  In  April we started with our new insurance company and I have been fighting for them to cover my needed prescription. Once I started appealing it, many  representatives from my insurance company blamed it on  the increasing cost on the middle class from Obamacare.  They claim because their costs are rising that often their insurance company will delay coverage, or create so many obstacles that most people will give up.Or when a prescription/procedure is too expensive they create many loop holes. Each time I hear it,  I just want to cringe.  Obamacare isn't even in full gear yet and they are blaming it on it.

  The pituitary is responsible for the pineal, hypothalamus, thyroid, parathyroids, thymus, adrenals, pancreas. and ovaries. 


On Thursday, November 29th I got their final  letter back saying they denied coverage and would not take another appeal.  Then I had a pity party.

They claim the reason they denied coverage is because I need stimulation testing to  guarantee my diagnosis is correct.  Here is the huge Catch 22,  Stimulation testing can only be done as a preliminary test, not 5 years after the diagnosis.   So in order to do the test they require, I have to go off all prescriptions to treat my Panhypopituitarism for a minimum of 6  months.  The reason I didn't have this test in 2008, is because  the only diagnosis required  then was to fail an IGF-1  and show the absence of the  hormones the pituitary makes.  Being off my shot is not very safe and can be dangerous. Once on this medication it is a lifelong commitment.  Failure to go off of it is similar to a diabetic choosing to go off their meds, when they still need their medication.  

The other problem is there is no doctor in Utah that does stimulation testing.  The closest doctor is at UCLA in CA.  Stem cell stimulation testing is very evasive, expensive, time consuming and painful.

I have  been calling the drug companies that  makes it, but it takes several months to go through their process to try and get them to cover it, and of course you have meet their financial requirements. Just so you understand the problem, if I take the full dose of this prescription like I have taken for the last five years, it costs around $1500  a month. Just taking the smallest dose possible,  is even too expensive for us.

I have learned if Matt would quit his job that we would qualify for assistance. Of course, Matt isn't the type of person to want to do this.

  I keep telling myself for some reason I need to have this trial in life so I can learn a lesson.  So I keep trying to figure out what I am supposed to learn.   One thing I have learned from having any kind of  health problems is  to have a lot more compassion for the struggles that others face.  Maybe I just keep needing to learn this lesson.  One thing I have learned is I have a very amazing husband who is very patient with me through this whole process.  I. think. I. already. feel. better. just. by writing. this. At, least that is what I will tell myself.