Thankful Day #5

Since this is my last "Thankful" post I am going to try and make the most of it.

1. I am very thankful that this holiday is almost over so that everyone will start blogging again. I have been very lonely without my fellow bloggers!

2. I am thankful that Christmas is coming!!!! I love Christmas and everything that it entails. The lights, the snow, family, the gift giving & receiving (I'm only human), fires in the fire place, decorations, Christmas caroling, exchanging goodies with neighbors, cheesy Christmas shows on t.v. every night, and sending out Christmas cards. I love it all except for one itty bitty little thing...ICE!!!!! I am petrified of ICE on the sidewalks, the roads and especially on stairs!

3. Unfortunately, I think I am a little thankful that this is my last day of being thankful...this is kinda hard!

Thankful Day #4

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Today makes me thankful for so many different things.

1. I can walk better than I could a few days ago!!!!

2. Everyone working together to make great food!

3. Today I am especially grateful to have been able to spend time with my brother Jeff's family because I hardly ever see them.

After the dinner my nieces and I made Christmas sun catchers, it was a blast!!!




This is Hailey's Joy to the World. It would be the first of many!




Cambria started off with santa and a reindeer.




As we sat and talked while we painted the girls were telling me what they wanted for Christmas and kept reminding me that their dad had Santa's phone number. They knew if they weren't good Jeff would call Santa up and let him know...they were petrified! A few years ago while all of my nieces and nephews were at my parents house there was some fighting going on so Jeff called up Santa and they were each able to talk to him and promise to be better. I think we were all there that night....except for Brian!

Thankful Day #3

1. Today I am most thankful that I didn't end up breaking any useful body parts when I had let's say a less than graceful moment (in my last blog).

2. I am completely grateful for BYU-I catering services so I don't have to make rolls and pies especially now that I can hardly move!

3. I am thankful for people who step in to help when I have less than graceful moments!

4. I appreciate and am thankful for Wal-mart cashiers who know how to do their jobs, are courteous, fast and careful with my bread...Not that I had one today, but I am grateful for them when I do get them!!! I know I was a perfect Wal-mart cashier in Utah :D

Snap, Crackle, Pop...no rice krispies!!!

This morning as I was getting ready to start preparing our family's secret stuffing recipe (it is from England, passed down through my mom's family, and it takes at least 3 hours to make) while my mom and I were in the living room playing with the cat. She (Bella, not my mom) was starting to pull down the beads on the Christmas tree and I ran over to stop her. But on my way, my foot slid on the carpet causing me to go into a split like pose. But, my body doesn't do that...so I fell and hit my head, my knee cracked (not literally, just the noise), then came the loud pop which I think pulled every muscle from my knee to my foot and then I managed to twist my ankle. What ever happened to the tuck and roll advice we got as kids, or how about just falling strait down? WHAT WAS I THINKING!! As I lay there in agony on the floor my mom ran over and kept saying "what can I do for you?" The only thing she came up with was "can I hold your foot," because it was in the air. So we assessed the damages and wrapped the swollen parts, thus the picture, knee to foot and have been adding ice and heat off and on. So who knows what tomorrow will bring. With my luck I am thinking it's going to be amputation.



Will I ever have a normal, plain, run of the mill holiday? I'm not holding my breath!

Thankful Day #2

I have decided to start out today's list by putting a positive spin on a negative situation.

1. I have been told that in the body department I got a dud, but there are several body parts that I have that work quite well. For example, my ear lobes. They have been true to me since kindergarten, holding up various sizes and shapes of earrings. My fingernails have never given me any problems! They grow like they are supposed to, they hold paint well and hold up nice after cleaning the house. My nose has always been good to me, warning me of places I should or shouldn't go or and always letting me know if I needed a shower that day or if it could wait when I was running late somewhere. So here's a shout out to the body parts I have that do work!!!!!

2. I am paraphrasing this to the best of my ability. My sister was saying that it would be nice this year if we could focus more on things that were home made and from the heart, making Christmas more Christ centered, instead of getting into all the hustle and bustle of seeing who can spend the most or get the greatest gifts (am I any where close Diana?) Anyway, I thought about that and today I met with the lady in my ward that is in charge of the humanitarian aid. For the next year...maybe longer...I am going to be sewing quilts and bags and all sorts of things for the church. So I am thankful I was given the idea to have this holiday season more Christ centered.

3. I am thankful for Lyrica!!!! It is a fibromyalgia medication...I think it is the only one that is FDA approved and it really works. I tried it before, but the side effects were really hard on me. Of course it causes weight gain and it made me really dizzy. But since I have hurt too much to hardly even walk for the last few weeks I am going back on it. Today I cleaned the house, did all the laundry, ran errands, did grocery shopping for thanksgiving, made lemon and herb baked halibut and salmon, scalloped potatoes and corn for dinner and I am still going. I hope I can handle it better this time...at least the next month will be AWESOME!!!

Thankful Day #1

I have decided that because Thanksgiving is this week, this would be my thankful week. So, I am going to try and attempt to remember things that happened today that I was thankful for.

1. Feeling well enough to run errands for my mom after being sick for so long and having side effects from some new medications!!!

2. Finding kitty treats that will hopefully make Bella less gassy! Cross your fingers :D

3. The laughter I got at my 3 year old nieces PG-13 rated song lyrics to a song she didn't quite understand...It was AWESOME!!


Today's Funny:
As a side note I was in Wal-Mart today and apparently was having trouble speaking. I asked an associate where I could get a Flick and Tea (Flea and Tick) collar, and at the register I told the cashier that I had already prayed (paid) for my prescriptions at the pharmacy.

TWILIGHT here we come....

My mom and I have tickets to see twilight Saturday at 1:50. I told her that I was going whether I was tethered to an IV pole or not. But, I feel like I am doing a little better so BRING IT ON!!! Go team Edward!!! It is really fun to get excited about something so silly!

Ice packs, heating pads, rice bags, nebulizers, inhalers, humidifiers and medications, OH MY!!!

The make shift Shelley Gee Memorial Hospital has been set up in my basement and I must say that I am very proud of what we have been able to accomplish. If I didn't know better, I would say that I was in a first rate hospital. Notice the cat sleeping on my chest every morning whether I like it or not, I guess you could say she has grown on me.



The day time nursing staff has been very attentive to me as you can see. Boy am I glad when the night shift comes on...thanks Mom I LOVE YOU!!!

I must admit that the food is much better than that of a hospital cafeteria.

The first few days have been very painful because my fibromyalgia is in a major flare up right now because of what my body is going through and it just sucks, but I am having a hard time relaxing and falling asleep because of the high dose of steroids I am taking...thus the time, 2:44 a.m. Well I will keep record of my journey to keep myself occupied on something other than my pain.

A polite no thank you...

I have been having problems with my asthma again, constant coughing, and difficulty breathing. I called the doctor and got in that afternoon (yesterday). After a few tests he determined that my lung tissues have filled with fluid again (which is what put me in the hospital for 5 days last month). He suggested I go back in the hospital where he could treat me with high doses of IV steroids and IV antibiotics. My response to that was a polite, but firm NO THANK YOU (followed by a little begging). I am so sick of hospitals, the thought makes me want to puke...and then set $10,000 on fire because it feels like I am just throwing it away. So the doctor and I compromised and this is what we came up with. A REALLY big shot of steroids right in the bum, big doses of prednisone, 2 inhalers, breathing treatments every 4 hours, always sitting under a humidifier to loosen me up and an antibiotic (just in case)! I get 4-5 days to show that I am improving and if not, I go to the big house (hospital/jail they are one in the same). But since yesterday I discovered I have a bladder infection, *WARNING: All men close your eyes, or be embarrassed, I rate this PG-13* a yeast infection and my period started :c CAN LIFE GET ANY WORSE!!!! Oh, crap I just jinxed myself...

Kids say the darndest things...

Tonight my sister and her family came over and we were visiting for a while. We were up in the living room where we have some nut crackers under our Christmas tree. The kids were playing with them and then Ellie, who is 3, picked up the white one. She was playing around and all of the sudden she turned to me with all the innocence of a child and said, now with two pieces in her hands:

"It comed off!?!"

(Blushing with a half grim smile)

Not knowing if she should laugh or cry her big brown eyes starred at me and as I smiled she knew it would all be ok!

How sweet is the innocence of a child! And isn't it nice to know we have the face of the Savior to look into and say "It comed off" or "Oopse, can I get another crack at this" and know it will all be ok. What a great privilege!

I am NOT the weird cat woman!!

As our sweet Bella has become more comfortable in our home she no longer sleeps in a cute little ball. She like to spread out as much as she can. Can you see where she was shaved when she was spayed? Poor kitty...



As you can see she has out grown her bed and this is how she prefers to sleep!



Don't let her fool you, Bella isn't just a cute long thing...she turns into a vicious animal when it comes to felt fishes.

I am so VERY BLESSED!

This has to be one of my all time favorite pictures of Christ. For some reason it just gives me so much comfort and peace. I have been thinking and praying a lot today because tomorrow a member of my family is going to the doctor and the outcome could be very scary. I have been stressed, depressed and very anxious so I decided to think about all of my blessings and realized that it made me remember a time in my life that was amazing.

While I was at USU I was going through some very difficult situations and I stopped going to church, reading my scriptures, praying and eventually lost my testimony...that isn't the part I wanted to share, but it was kind of necessary so you could understand the next part because if you don't know the sorrow, you can't know the complete joy! I decided after years of living in this misery that I was sick of it and I was going to get some help from my bishop and a counselor at LDS family services. I worked sooooooo hard to get myself to a place of light, where I had felt I was in the darkness for so long. I had decided that I was going to make being worthy to go to the temple my goal. I worked for close to 9 months and I remember the day that I realized that I was truly a daughter of God! I was ready to burst out with my testimony at any moment!

When this realization came over me I wanted to shout from the rooftops that the church is true! I wanted to tell everyone that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the Living God! The atonement is real! I was reminded of the old saying "I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it! And it is SOOO worth it!!! I have truly felt Gods love envelop me and I know he will never leave me alone. And I know that temple work is one of the greatest gifts we can ever give to ourselves as well as to others! But most importantly I know families are forever, and no matter what happens it's just all going to be ok! As the D&C says "Doubt not, Fear not!"

This is what I know!

(I feel like I need to end this as a testimony so, amen)

The Grinch!!!

My sister-in-law in an actress on Broadway and right now she is doing The Grinch. I got these pictures off of her facebook page, so I hope she doesn't care (I love you Sarah, don't hate me:) I think it is so cool so I wanted to be the proud sister-in-law and show off. She is touring right now in Baltimore and Boston.



This is the sign outside of the theater.



Sarah is one of the Who's down in Whoville (is that how you spell that?)




I tried to get a close up and it turned out too blurry, but you can still see her!


Sarah, we are all so proud of you and love you so much! Break a leg!

Happy Birthday to me

I have been dreading this birthday for 364 days. So when the fatal day came around I decided that to make myself feel better I would put up all the Christmas decorations!! How fun is that, I mean Christmas is my most exciting holiday and I wish that I could celebrate it all year long. Even though November 6th is a little early to some people I thought it was the perfect day. Although none of it would have happened with out the help of my sister Diana and my mom. I wasn't planning on telling my parents until my mom came home from work that night when it was all done and I had sworn Diana to secrecy. But my mom had the flu that day and it was a little hard to hide!!

Starting in the basement we decorated the ledges only to find out when we were done that the lights didn't work...typical!!! This is half of one ledge...



...and this is the other half.



This is the small ledge my the book shelves. Moose's and Santa's and snowmen oh my!



And of course the stockings were hung by the chimney with care!!! A very lonely 3 stockings I might add.




This year we bought a new tree and downsized quite a bit. I was disappointed but I decided I LOVE this tree!




Diana and her kids came over for birthday cheesecake and afterwards we took a picture under the amazingly decorated tree! Again, thanks Diana, it would have taken me days to do it alone because I have felt so sick!!!

I wish the flash had worked out better because I LOVE these kids!!! And one of the best things about my birthday is that Diana is going to help me do some redecorating in my room!!! I am so excited. When we are done I will be giving guided tours :D (and for those of you who don't know, this is a sideways smiley face, and it means that I am really happy). I had to explain that to a few family members!!!

10 Greatest Moments

Hey everyone it is me! I really hate putting pictures of myself up so this may be the one and only that you see. But I always think it is more fun when there is a picture with a post so this is what I came up with.



Anyway this point of this blog is something I got from my cousin and I thought it was a really cute idea. She wrote about the 10 greatest moments from her week, but I couldn't do that so some are from my last week and some are really old!!!

Shelley's top 10

1. Going through the temple. That experience totally changed my heart and my mind for the better and temple work is one of my favorite things to do!

2. Moving home to serve my parents.

3. Moving home for my parents to end up helping me as much as I help them.

4. From 5-8:50 every night my parents and I are together for dinner and good old t.v. watching, but we usually do so much talking and laughing that who knows what happened on the t.v. Unless it was Dancing with the Stars or Survivor :D

5. Graduating with a Bachelors Degree!!!!

6. Working for 7 years with people who have disabilities and truly helping to make a difference in their lives. That is amazing work!!!!

7. Learning to trust in the Lord even if I am in the hospital, in tons of pain and they are trying to kill me. I know the Lord has a plan specifically for me and that is what is going to happen.

8. The lifelong friends I made and amazing experiences I had at Utah State!!! I learned so much there about my testimony and the Lords plan for me. I met people that are friends you can only find once in a lifetime...although I also have amazing friends that I didn't meet at USU.

9. Most people wouldn't want to say this but it is true. One of the greatest moments in my life was when I lost my testimony and then found it again stronger than I ever imagined it could be!!!

10. Finding out that the tumor in my pituitary gland was GONE!!!

These are my greatest moments!!! And I know that I couldn't have accomplished any of it without my savior!!

Gratitude

In the church we are often told that we need to have gratitude and a few years ago a friend of mine told me that she kept a gratitude journal . Anytime she was feeling a little low she would either read it or add to it. So a few years ago I decided to follow her example and it has done wonders for me, especially when I feel like I am sick all the time and life isn't fair and all of those other whiny things we all say to ourselves. So I just wanted to share some of my gratitude with everyone else!

First there are the obvious ones:

Family

The gospel

My Savior

TEMPLE WORK!!!

My nieces and nephews

SMART doctors

Scriptures

Then the not so obvious ones:

A breeze on a calm spring, summer or fall evening

Bamboo wind chimes

Sunsets

Star gazing

Cannon in D with ocean sounds (CD)

T.V and movies on a sleepless night because of insomnia

Reba's show

Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Avonlea

Books

Buying books

LDS Fiction (Anita Stansfield, Michelle Ashman Bell, Betsy Brannon Green...)

LDS non-fiction

Christmas crafts

Hot chocolate

Old T.V. shows

Little House on the Prairie

Forgiveness and starting over

Fresh peas from the garden

Lilac's in bloom

Fresh garden carrots

Shopping for purses

Reading friends blogs

Blizzards that keep you inside with your family and in front of a blazing fire

Frogs - not the real kind

The fact that I am not a pioneer woman because I would have died at least 7 times by now

Sewing

Cross stitching

Baking

Hearing my parents laugh hysterically, even if it is at me

Taking pictures

Spring and Fall

A cool breeze coming in the window on a hot night

Sending thank you notes, AKA: Love notes

Noodle soup when I am nauseated, which is about 50% of the time

The new and improved Rexburg Hospital...well, maybe just the new rooms

I got to see my first temple marriage in September

Buying tons of stuff I don't need at the dollar store

Some people might think that I am just silly because I am grateful for Bamboo wind chimes and any other kind just won't do or that I am ok with being nauseated 50% of the time because I have grown to love noodle soup. But all this really is, is focusing on the positive. We all have PLENTY of the negative, but do we spend enough time thinking positive? I challenge everyone to start a gratitude journal...it has to be written down...and see what a huge difference it will make in your life, no matter how silly it is!!!!

Evil kitten = Kitty jail

So I decided last night that Princess Bella might not be the best name for my kitten. I should have gone with my first impression. SHREDDER!! My kitten was totally freaked out last night and attacked anything in it's way and I was one of those anythings....with 6 scratches and 2 bite marks. After the last bite Bella went to kitty jail for the night...which translates to the laundry room with food, water, her bed, the litter box and I felt bad a little later so I threw in a toy. Thank heavens she is getting declawed tomorrow!!!!! And I did sit her down and explain why she spent the night there and gave her a sweet warning that if her kept biting me we would have her deteethed also...just kidding.