Catch-up

I didn't realize how long it's been since I've blogged! February was good. I was able to finish my Bachelor's Degree in Nursing ... it only took 3 months and 3 weeks which should show how busy I have been. I wanted to get it done within the 6-month time frame that Western Governor's sets because then I only had to pay 1 semester of tuition instead of two. I loved being able to work at my own pace and felt that the work I was doing would really benefit me instead of just being busy work. It was a lot of paper-writting and I sharpened my APA skills! I'm glad it's over-with. I always toy with the idea of going to get my Masters but with the Master's only focusing on Education or Management - I really have no desire to do either, so not a lot of motivation to go back now.

For Valentine's day we went bowling as a family. We love having the Megaplex here in Ogden because there are lots of yummy restaurants and things to do. Sophie loved bowling and loved the slippery floor. She was dancing and scooting all around! It was a lot of fun.

The Treehouse had a sale on their membership passes in January, so we got one! It's not quite as fun as Discovery Gateway but it's close and something fun to do. Sophie loves the farm area and the chess set the best. She is such a cutie, I just love her and it's so fun to go and do things with her!

My Grandpa has been very sick. He went to the hospital because he had blood in his urine. They got that taken care of, but then he couldn't maintain his blood pressure without a special (critical) medication called Dopamine. He would turn gray and pass out every time he got up from a laying position, and he wasn't able to get off the medication in the hospital. The staff and nurses were great, but we had a really bad experience with a physician there. He pretty much said that he doesn't care if my Grandpa lives or dies, only that he won't get paid anymore because my Grandpa is on Medicare and he has to go to a nursing home to die. My mom was not ok with that answer and arranged for him to come home with the Dopamine Drip and she and I were able to manage it and wean him off of it completely within a few weeks.

Even though no one under 14 is allowed they made a special exception to let Sophie visit shortly since we weren't sure he would make it home. I had made a DVD with some video's of Sophie and printed Grandpa lots of pictures. It was nice to visit.

He was able to come home with Hospice. An ambulance had to bring him home because any time he'd sit up he'd pass out for minutes. This was a hard adjustment for him, but he was so glad to be home. We spent a lot of time with his. Someone had to be there 24-7. It was a good opportunity for Sophie and I to spend a lot of time there (Sophie even more since my mom is her babysitter when I'm working). My Grandpa LOVES Sophie so much! My grandpa is doing better. We were able to get him off the Dopamine completely and he is able to get up and around with a walker. My mom installed one of those huge walk-in tubs and has altered his house to make it Grandpa-proof. He is now able to stay there independently. We take turns being there each day, help him get into bed, and are able to leave him throughout the night. He has a button he can press that will call my Mom in an emergency, so that's a nice back-up plan. We are so grateful he has done better. It's been hard, and I think he is depressed often about his limited mobility and feels sad about not being able to do all the things he used to do, but he is glad he is at home.

Sophie liked being at Grandpa's house. We had a little portable TV, lots of toys and movies, and markers and crayons. She is so cute. We just love her!

I have been working on losing weight lately. It's been good being able to really be accountable for what I eat and trying to get more exercise. I have been able to do some things as a family too, and being active together like biking, hiking, running, walking, and even doing some workout video's together! Sophie loves it!

Last July 2011 I was my heaviest. That's when i did a bootcamp with my sister and it really jump-started my desire to get healthy. To date, I have lost 41 pounds! I do my calorie counting app, MYFITNESSPAL, and exercise at least 3 times a week. My app calculates how many calories I should eat based on my current measurements and my goal (1.5lb weight loss per week). Right now I am at 1700 calories, so if I go over, it's important I exercise to stay under my goal. It's a really great app, they have the online version too, so if you're looking to lose some weight I suggest it!

March has gone by SOOOO FAST!!!!!! We have really wanted to take advantage of this weather and have spent as much time outside as we can. Sophie loves going for wagon rides, pretending to ride her bike (she can't figure out the coordination of steering and pedaling), going hiking and on the Parkway. We live by a ditch so it's fun to go throw rocks in the water. We are so lucky to have a big yard and Sophie also loves jumping on the trampoline, swinging, and playing outside.

We have also been using our dinosaur pass a lot more too. Sophie gets scared of the dinosaurs that growl, but for the most part she really loves going to look at them. She loves the playground there too, and her favorite thing is the big dino-slide! We went with our friends Whitney and Emery and it was fun to take friends!

I have been helping my mother-in-law with housework lately. I love to clean and am glad I can help her. Recently we went down for pictures. We rode the frontrunner train. Sophie loved it and sat so patiently like such a big girl! I look at her and can't believe how big she is and how sweet of a girl she is! I love spending days off with her doing fun things.

We got some Easter pictures at Garnder Village. We also go to see the ducks in the pond there, it was fun.

There is a nice playground by my in-laws so we went there to play. Sophie found some glasses and thought she was pretty cool. She kept them on almost the entire time (she never does that for me). She loved going on the big slides and playing on the playground!

That night the cousins came to our house for a big sleepover! Sophie learned more about sharing her toys. She pretty much wanted anything she didn't have. Her cousins are very good to understand that she is little and she is learning, so it worked out. We had popcorn, watched movies, played inside, and out! The next morning we got everyone ready and went to church. Everyone had so much fun in Primary!

We all went to the dinosaur park with our cousins and everyone loved playing and seeing the dinosaurs.

That night before they left we spent a few hours outside playing. Sophie is such a daddy's girl and loves being outside. Kale was trying to show her how to hit the baseball. It was super cute. I love Sophie so much. I am so blessed and have such a great little family.