Valentine's Day Insight...

I don't know that I will ever fully understand Valentine's Day. It is supposed to be a day to let your sweetheart know how much you love them, so why do so many of the gifts in which you might give to your significant other make them either fat, drunk or smell better? I mean what are we trying to say here, and why are we so honored to recieve these gifts?? Take candy, for example. You get a box of chocolates, which of course, you are going to have gone within a day or two only to put on a few more pounds you will eventually have to work like hell to shed, right? What your significant other is actually saying, is..."I love you. Eat this candy I give to you with love that you will become the size of a house so no one else will ever want you and I won't have to worry about you cheating on me." Or, how about wine, for instance. What your loved one might be telling you is, 'here, drink this wine, and then I at least have a chance of sleeping with you tonight, or better yet, you'll become comatose and we won't have to talk at all!!' Perfume? "You stink. Try this." Flowers, 'at least there will be SOMETHING pretty in the house, seeing as how it isn't you..."

And then of course, are the single ladies who are sad because they don't have a "valentine" to give them these offensive gifts! You girls should be forming some sort of sisterhood and partying your asses off for being smarter than a lot of us!! Trust me, there are negative messages being sent all over the world on this holiday and you are lucky to not be a part of it!

I'm not trying to completely dismiss this day, I'm sure that it is very important to a lot of people, it just seems like maybe I'm looking a little too far into this entire thing..maybe it is insanely romantic, and since I've been married for eighteen years, it's just kind of lost significance over time...for me, anyway.

However, my husband has made sure that I will be both fat and drunk by February 15th. I love you too, baby.

Happy Valentine's Day, everybody!!

Just a Sunday Night

Super Bowl Sunday has never really meant much to me, but tonight, we had our own little party! It was so fun having Grandpa, Jacob and Melinda over to watch the game! We had a lot of really fattening snacks, and even Levi got into the action, even though he kept yelling, "Go Vikings!!" He decided a couple of times that he loved football and was laughing at the screen and clapping! It was so cute. About the third quarter he was done, so we came downstairs to do some drawing and 'label making'. It was awesome because he was in such a great mood!

The funniest thing of the night, by far, was when Ben and Melinda were snuggling on the couch, and Levi wedged himself right in between them and started 'flirting' with Melinda! Poor girl, I'm not sure she knew what to think but it was completely adorable. Levi just loves girls! I wonder if it will always be like that when one of the other two boys bring home a date...Levi will try to 'steal' the girl!! So funny.

We have so much to celebrate right now. John's diagnosis, though not really 'good', is so much better than it could have been, and hopefully with the right treatment, things will get back to normal! It has been such a long hard road for all of us! You really start to realize just what you have in this life. I have a wonderful family, not just my immediate family, but extended as well, and FRIENDS...I think we found out just how many friends we really have! It was humbling, and totally awesome. Thank you to everyone, for everything. There are no words to express how much you have all meant to us, the prayers, the cards, and just the general concern. So many of you were so willing to do whatever we needed, and that was just so incredibly amazing.

I am blessed, there is no doubt about it. I am so lucky, and I wish everyone could be as lucky and as blessed as I am.

Keep the prayers coming! We aren't done with you yet!!

Love you all...

~Kimmie

Diagnosis Sarcoidosis

If you would like to look this up, you can go to www.stopsarcoidosis.com . It gives a nice overview of what it is. It's not good, but it's definately better than anything we were thinking!! So, no radiation, no chemo. (we don't think anyway!!) We will be going to see the rheumatologist in Iowa City on Monday, and hopefully we come out of there with a plan of action and some good drugs!!! John's mom was diagnosed with this a couple of years ago. They treated her with prednesolone (not sure I spelled that right) but it's a steroid, and should help take down all the swelling around the base of his spine, hopefully giving him back use of the lower half of his body!! Like I said, this isn't ideal by any means, and it's something you have for the rest of your life, so it's not like I feel like throwing any parties, but this is so much better than cancer!!!! I have been so scared!!

Now, about the other thing, yesterday John's leg swelled up pretty huge, and the doctor is afraid it's a blood clot, so he is on his way to Webster City to have an ultrasound, and we may be looking at a night in the hospital, we will have to see. If you have a daycare kid here, I"m going to be calling for an early pick up so I can get over there!! Also, I will be off Monday for the appointment in Iowa City.

I truly believe that all the prayers have helped and continue to help. If there is ever anything you ever need me to pray for, let me know, I owe many people many prayers!

Our lives just may be a little closer to normal someday!!!!! WOOHOOO!!!!

FrUsTrAtEd

I have to admit, today hasn't been a positive one. We were supposed to have the results of John's biopsy by now, and John ended up calling Iowa City only to spend time on the phone with several people who knew absolutely nothing even with his chart sitting right in front of them. I am trying so hard to keep looking on the 'bright side' of everything, but it wasn't coming so easily today. I know these things are petty, but my van also decided to expire on me, and our computer got a virus that is rather severe. It's at the computer hospital now. I also got bleach on my favorite pink shirt, and then Stella grabbed hold tight and broke my necklace. Taryn pooped through her clothes in the morning, and Stella did it in the afternoon. I didn't get Stella's bottle top screwed on right and it spilled all over me and her, and I tripped going up the stairs and smashed my shin. I mean, ever had days like that?? I have them all the time but maybe today I just wasn't in the mood. I am tired of waiting for the news of the biopsy, I am tired of poor John feeling like hell, I'm tired of his legs cramping up so bad he screams in the middle of the night and there is nothing I can do, and I'm tired of always feeling like I'm never quite good enough.

So, what do you do when you feel like this? A few things. First, I make sure to play memory with the daycare kids because I always win. Then, at lunch I feed them chocolate pudding so I can laugh at their little chocolate beards. I put them all to bed for nap except for one snuggly one, which I will rock until they fall alseep, and so does my butt...then I lay them down. Then we play 'who's mom will come first' and when I tell them I think MY mommy will come first, they think it is the most hilarious thing that my mother will come and take me home...but if they only knew just how much my mommy still took care of me, I doubt they would find it that funny!! It's so true!!

I made a good supper, went to the basketball game, got to spend time with the boys' friends...HI JACOB!! and hang out with John. Then, I came home, decided to open the bottle of wine from Kellie...(NICE CHOICE) and decided to blog a little.

You know, I think I might be feeling a little better...:)

Please pray for me to have patience and positivity!! I am trying sooo hard!!!

<3