Reunion

We returned from Utah and our visit with our families and it was such a wonderful trip!  I found myself holding a lot of anxiety largely because I knew it was a short trip and there were so many people I wanted to talk to.  I'm kicking myself though because I really did want to take an updated picture of Moriah, Aub, Kateka, Tazia and Heather and I didn't remember to do it. All the excitement of seeing everyone I guess, made me forget. It amazes me how much love I have for all these people.  It's been so long since we've all gotten together. My niece Tiffany and her mom Janeal worked hard and invested a lot of dollars into it.  They bought a water slide complete with a little pool and water guns, they also had a little jumping house the kind that fills up with air and the kids can jump on.  There was a volley ball game, baseball game and horseshoes.  They also passed around some squirt guns which I think grandma Veloy was having far too much fun with secretly squirting everyone.  Along with all the good eats, it was really an amazing trip.  I am very grateful to Janeals family for going all out to make the event so wonderful.  

I got pictures of Nate H., Nate J. and Brandon all trying to take Moriah down to get his cell phone so they could dump him into the kiddy pool.  Three guys couldn't do it!  It must have been the army suit he was still in!  Cuter than cute was Claralynne manning the pool squirt gun and she aimed it at the commotion like she was breaking up a fight.  Hilarious.

What's funny is that our family parties used to be held at Veloy and Earls house in Bluffdale. They had six kids with all their kids and we used to fit in that house all of us.  That couldn't happen now there are way too many people.  I always looked forward to having dinner and then later gathering around the piano and singing songs.  My own family didn't know how to play an instrument so that never happened at my home growing up.

Time just rolls along......... us along with it.  Loralee's son is 14 years old. I remember when he was born.  Andreah has 5 kids...she surpassed me! Jill is expecting her 11th! Wow! I remember when she and I were expecting our kids at the same time, she pregnant with Richie, her first child and me with Heather, my second.  Richie is married, Heather grown up and working as a teller in a bank.  When did our kids turn into adults? Hell, I'm a mimi twice!

And wasn't that short lived! What you say?  Seeing my grandkids for 5 minutes before they were wisked off back to Michigan.  My heart breaks just thinking about it.  Aub says she traveled 5 hours for a family reunion in Bryce Canyon and this is the second time she didn't get to see the canyon.  That's nuts!  I could have been playing with my little grandgirl and her brother all that time.    

I have to say that for me, there isn't anything better than family.  Even with it's ups and downs, there are so many people that love me and that I love back that my heart fills up with joy at the thought of it.  Many times I felt like I was sitting in the back of the class, just watching the action around me but not really feeling like I was seen or a part of what was going on.  Somehow that has changed, and I do feel seen, and I do feel heard.  I'm not sure how that happened but I'm glad it did.  Maybe it was my nieces saying they loved me and how much fun I was with them growing up jumping on the tramp with them.  Maybe it is my nephews who wrap their arms around me and say how nice it is to see me.  I've struggled to feel like an aunt to my spouses family because I am not blood related.  But, I didn't feel that at all this time around.  I really felt I counted for something and that means alot to me. 

I miss Utah.  I miss the heat of summer. We went swimming at my sister Lori's house, the first time this year for me.  I ate Utah salt and pepper corn, spent a day at Mill Creek smelling the pine and trees.  I can't believe how much the valley is expanding, I hardly recognize where I am

in HERRIMAN! Go figure!  It definately doesn't have the same feel in Riverton where I grew up. That, I can truly say, is one reason living here in Colorado is nice.  There is growth, but my heart doesn't take a hit when the open space or field becomes a mall.  Although I know it will happen here too.  I only pray that the zoning keeps things around me at 35 acres cuz then there won't be housing tracs out here. 

All in all, I'm glad I went.  I'm really glad I got a spot update on how many new kids are added to our family. I am at a good point in my life, still young enough to do things and enjoy everyone.  

Annoyed at the Store

Have you ever been in the store, and that same person you've been trying to get around seems to pop up in every isle you're on? Me too, and not only did this woman show up everywhere, so did her wreaking perfume!




Now, I don't mind perfume. I wear quite a few scents myself and have been known to stop a person to find out what they are wearing if I like the scent. But I couldn't get away from this woman. I seriously had to hold my breath everytime I passed her............and the scent still didn't escape my nose.



ANNOYING!!!



I was annoyed by screaming kids in the store too. Not little ones, teenage ones!! The ones that should know better. They weren't just joking around kind of loud, but yelling and screaming at each other. I've never misbehaved like that in public. My mother would have smacked me upside the head if I ever behaved like that.



I like to go shopping, but not if I end up so annoyed.

Maybe I need to go in another direction.............like maybe.........














Or maybe I just need...........................












A good laugh.......... (Yeah, I know what you were thinking......I'm not getting enough).....................






COMEDY IN MY LIFE!!!!!






I need to be with my sister. She makes me laugh and get out of myself. Last time I was with her we gave the camera to Dodi and made her take pictures of us pretending to smoke. We look the part eh? We should, we had it blown in our faces by all our relatives, our mom, aunts, uncles, grandparents. It seemed like everyone on moms side smoked. We got alot of practice in just watching. (Dad quit when I was 1 year old and has been my inspiration for not smoking). nOtiCe nO sMoKe!!!!

(She'd kill me if she knew I posted this picture online. Oh well, she doesn't even get email!)








I miss her so much.

My Scooter! Miss him and his fam tons!!!

I'm going to Utah to visit and I'll see them all then. I'll get to see my grandkids, Aub and Nate, my dad, Scott, Lori. We are having a little reunion on Nates side too and I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone. I can hardly wait. Me and my pops.

(He has even performed the marriage ceremony for a few people in our family both mine and Nates sides. Pretty cool!!!)


I haven't seen Earl and Veloy in a couple months. So much has happened to both of them since they've been gone. I am looking forward to seeing everyone.

Maybe we'll see some of the long lost (or missing in my heart) relatives. After Ken died, I didn't think we'd ever see his kids again. Heather has made Richie and the other boys her pals and that has opened doors for reunions like this..............

Ken and Laura's boys Brian, Moriah (and girlfriend of the moment), Ensign and wife Christina with their son Shane, James and his then girlfriend (may be his fiance' now. I know he's engaged but not to whom. Maybe at the party I'll find out!)





All the gang at Janeals house. I cried and cried when I saw Brandon. I am amazed he is alive. God bless him and Marie.

Ensign, Shane and Tina. They came to Colorado to visit. We all went bowling! Tons-o-fun!!



Ensign and son Shane (so adorable, hope to see how he's grown)




There are so many people that I love and can't wait to see them on the 24th!

See, that's just what I needed...........FAMILY!!!!!


Who knows who will all be at that reunion. It would be cool to take another one of these pics and update it!









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I Bet You Don't Worry about Bears Making Breakfast out of Your Garbage!

So what kind of a photographer do I think I am when there is a bear in our garage and I don't even get proof?

Not only did Nate see two bears in the wee hours of the morning around the 23rd of last month, but the kids came running into the house several days ago screaming that there was a bear in the driveway.  Oh, and did I mention Whit came running into the house at 10:30 the other night right at a pinnacle scary point in our movie yelling that there were two buffalo in our driveway? Yeah, buffalo........long story I'll tell it later! Anyway..... 

So, this morning, I got up at 05:30 am because I was awake anyway and went up to get my laptop and I hear something in the garage.  I thought I heard Cisco (the Rottweiler) moving and hitting her butt against the sliding glass door of our bedroom earlier this morning so I'm not convinced it was Cisco in the garage.  I peeked out the door and there was a bear!!!!!  It was eating some of the left over food that I had put down for Cisco.  This bear was massive! I stood there dumbfounded, amazed and curious, shocked and scared shitless!  Wow, her hair is thick and wirey, kinda like a giant porcupine.  She has her head poked down into the cardboard container. You know me, lover of animals,  I kinda wanted to introduce myself....... Hi, I'm Tami, I'm the one who put that food down for our dog, cuz she gets tired of dry dog foot, but go ahead, eat it, I don't mind, just don't turn around and push the door down to get to me....I don't taste good.

Do I just keep looking? Should I slam the door really hard to scare it off?  But what if it tries to get in the door right after I slam it? The door only locks with the key.  The key's in the door, but will it hold shut even if I lock it? Bears have been known to knock down doors! What if I turn the key the wrong way and the door isn't truly locked?

I just slowly and quietly shut and lock the door and decided to go down and double check to see if Cisco was truly guarding our bedroom door! Sure enough..............there she was sprawled out sleeping to her hearts content.  What kind of a watch dog is she?  Oh Yeah, I feel safe! Ever since the first bear sighting, we were told we should leave the dog out of the garage so she could scare off the bears.  So much for that idea. 

I woke Nate and we went back upstairs to inspect the garage.  The fridge door was wide open and the Crisco can was on the floor opened with big paw prints in it.  The bear got into two containers of fruit filling, some margarine and the pie crust was on the ground uneaten.  Crisco, strawberries and margarine smeared all over the garage floor. What a mess. 

We followed the strawberry tracks just out of the garage door and there she was up on the hill eating something else.  Nate had bungee corded the garbage cans closed earlier in the week and all the cans were knocked down, two still corded down.  Nate shut the door into the garage and we went to look out the window and could still see her on the hill. 

I'm staring at her in shock.  He shuts the fridge door hard and it startles the bear.  She looks right at me through the window!  Oh thanx I'm thinking, she's looking right at me, so I'm hoping she doesn't have a mean streak and decide to come after me!  Then she takes off.  Whoa!  What a trip.  

We are truly living in the great outdoors,  the wild side of life.  I see deer crossing the road when I jog in the afternoon, bunnies and squirrels all the time.  An occasional coyote and fox.  It is truly a trip in wild kingdom where I live. 

Now we're making future plans for garbage can storage, dog storage and just keeping the bears out and away from any food.  

Medical Jargon

I have racked my brain to blog about something about myself that might be interesting to someone else and I thought maybe something as simple as medical jargon would be interesting. Something I take for granted knowing every day I work.  

Here is a snippet of my job as a nurse. Each shift we have to do a full body assessment and these are the abbreviations for how a patient is doing:

Joe Montague

Dx: CAD, HTN, S/P CABG 5/3, POD #2

Hx: Stents x2 1992, DM, CVD

Neuro: A/O X3

CV: HRR, SR LBBB on tele, VSS

Resp: LCTA,  mild DOE and SOB. O2 @ 2L NC, SPO2 94%, 88% ORA

GI: BS+ X4 QUADS, Abd soft non-tender, no N/V. Last BM yest.

GU: Voids QS, CL YeL

Integ: ML Sternal inc CDI.  well approx. Ecchymotic

2+ pitting edema to bil LE's, PPP 

IV: LFA 20g Patent

       RAC PICC w/D5 LR @ 75 ml/hr

Drains: CT to 80 mm/Hg LIWS

Medical Jargon  

Interpretation:

Dx=Diagnosis, CAD=Coronary Artery Disease. HTN=Hypertension. S/P=Status Post. CABG (pronounced like cabbage)=Coronary Artery Bypass Graft.  POD=Post Op Day.

Hx=History, DM=Diabetes Mellitis. CVD=Cardiovascular Disease.  

Neuro=Neurological System. A/O x3= Alert/oriented  to (x3) person, place and time.

CV=Cardiovascular System. HRR=Heart Rate Regular, SR=Sinus Rhythm LBBB=Left Bundle Branch Block on telemetry.  VSS=Vital Signs Stable.

Resp=Respiratory System. LCTA=Lungs Clear To Auscultation. DOE=Dyspnea On Exertion. SOB=Shortness of Breath. O2=Oxygen.  2L= Two Liters.  NC=Nasal Cannula. SPO2=Saturation of Peripheral Oxygen. ORA=On Room Air.

GI=Gastrointestinal System BS=Bowel Sounds. Abd=Abdomen. N/V=Nausea/Vomiting. BM=Bowel Movement.

GU=Genitourinary System. Voids=Urinate (I'd never heard of voiding before nursing school).

QS=Quantity Sufficient CL=Clear. Yel=Yellow. 

Integ= Integument System. ML=Midline.  inc=incision. CDI=Clean Dry Intact. Well Approx= edges come together well. Ecchymotic=bruising. 2+ pitting edema= Means that when you push on their legs it sinks down for two seconds. Bil LE's= Bilateral Lower Extremities. PPP=Positive Pedal Pulses.

IV=Intervenous. LFA=Left Forearm. 20g=the gauge or size of the catheter or IV. Patent=It works and flushes with saline. RAC=Right Antecubital.  PICC=Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (an IV that can stay in for months because it exits at the heart) D5LR=5% Dextrose Lactated Ringers (An IV fluid).  They want it to run at 75 milliliters an hour.

Drains. CT=Chest Tube connected to the wall suction and set at 80 (mm) millimeters of (Hg)mercury pressure on the wall suction. Set at LIWS=Low Intermittent Wall Suction.

......................................................................................................................................................................

Compare the amount of writing saved with all the acronyms!  I remember learning all this stuff and now I write it like I was just talking to someone in another language.  And that's exactly what it is.  I think it's really cool. Just something I do every day!

The next step is to have the doctors put their orders into the computer so we don't have to interpret their incredibly AWFUL  handwriting.  Second graders have more legible handwriting!

Mid Year Thoughts

Things I love:

~My family~

~My eyesight~

~The use of my hands~

~The feel of pussy willows~

~Fresh air over the pines~

~Taking pictures~

~A full fridge~

~Shopping for clothes, exercise tools, movies, house stuff, organizer stuff, and gifts~

~Pastries~

Fears:

~Wrinkles~

~Growing old and becoming incontinent, blind, deaf, forgetful, tired and achey~

~Losing my hair~

~Not having enough money~

~Not being able to take care of myself~

~My children having problems~

~War and leaders who don't care for our country or it's people~

Goals:

~Pilates Certification~

~Purchase of Reformer, Cadillac, and other Pilates equipment~

~Get back down to a size 5~

~Becoming a great photographer~

~Seeing my Michigan Kids as much as I can~

~Helping Whit and Heather accomplish their education goals~

~Helping Nate to Achieve his goals~

~Being committed to either long or short hair~