Bring your own ice!

If you haven't got the memo yet, we've moved! We had no intention of moving. We built our house seven years ago and have really enjoyed the convenient location, all the kids, and our neighbors. I don't like the idea of shuffling the kids around and hoped that our next home would be somewhere we'd stay forever.

But I'd been trying to solve my carpooling dilemma all summer long. Mulling over the options and trying to figure out if driving my kids to the charter school everyday was really worth it. We've loved the curriculum, and the great student/teacher ratio. But all those long months of snowstorms that would sometimes cost me an hour each way really tried my patience and there are things we were missing out on by not attending the neighborhood school.

Then in the middle of the summer, after talking with a family member, and looking at our current situation and weighing the options, we started looking at some rentals in Cedar Hills. There were some nice homes, but nothing that made me want to move. I told Jared I wanted to stay for another year then pursue it next summer. The same day, he pulled up the listing for our house. It was a good price, right in the neighborhood I'd loved for years. And it was across the street from a top elementary school. It was a great floorplan, with amazing views, and almost double the finished space. Not having to drive the kids to school kinda sealed the deal. I didn't even really need to think about. Which for me, is saying a lot.

So we started packing. And the day after coming home from our camping trip to Doheny Beach, we moved. Miles and Elise have their own rooms. Simone and Monet are enjoying sharing. I love the big garage and lots of closets. The views are amazing, and we have the best iceblocking/sledding hill ever. The kids are happy and making lots of friends with some of the 85 kids on the street. It is on a cul-de-sac, which helps with my little escapee, AKA Simone.

THANK YOU!!!! to all of the help that we had in moving in. We really appreciate all of the time and lifting done by the husbands, and very thankful to the wives for sacrificing those precious Saturday mornings.

We'd love to keep in contact with all of our friends. We love the neighbors we had in the other house and don't want to lose touch. We have a great hill for sledding, or iceblocking. So you are all invited to come on over! We have a new phone number that I will post on my facebook page if anyone needs that. And of course, our cell phones are the same.

Wishing it was January

I stopped into Janie and Jack on a whim, and saw this:

I want. I want it BAD. I want it even more after she wore her too small little dress to church today. Unfortunately, spending a hundred dollars on an outfit for Simone is something I can do. Too wasteful. Dang Janie and Jack. If it was her birthday, and it was on sale, maybe I could swing it. But her birthday isn't until January.

Bah. Her name is Simone. She deserves a dress with eiffel towers on it.

Camping at Doheny Beach

We had a great time camping on the Beach in Doheny. This trip was fun despite the bad start. Jared decided to eat a raw oyster the night before we were supposed to leave. Unfortunately he got food poisoning. Camping and food poisoning are not such a good combo. So we stayed the first night at the casino Elise dubbed “Cinderella’s Barn” you may know it as Buffalo Bills in Primm. Then when putting on his shoes one morning, he totally screwed up his back. He was pretty miserable! I don’t think he’ll be eating any more raw seafood anytime soon.

We went deep sea fishing the first day there. It was Miles and Monet’s first time. My favorite part of the whole day was when Miles started reeling in his little bait fish, and yelled, “I caught one! I caught a little one all by myself!”

We loved swimming in the ocean, getting dirty, late nights by the campfire, bingo tournaments, looking for buried treasure in the sand, playing with cousins, tide pools,
Swimming at Nana and Papas.

We reserved the group site which was huge. We had tons of room and could have accomodated a few more families. Doheny is in Dana Point which is close the Harbor. That made deep sea fishing really convenient. The waves are pretty small shorebreakers. So it was good for the little kids to splash around in the tide. We were close to Laguna and the tide pools and all the fun things that are around there. The tents were about a hundred yards or less from the tide. That was a big plus.

And I drove down the coast to look at another campground possibility for another year. These reserve in January and February for the Summer and fill up within seconds of being released, so you have to book them early. The group site might even fill up earlier than that. We had a great time and hopefully next time I'll have my right hand man in full commission.

Hot Fun in the Summertime

I thouht this summer was going to be a lazy one. I didn't enroll the kids in a single class or workshop. But I should have known better. All that extra time just means more time to play!

We had so much fun this summer. A few things that occupied our time:
Picking apricots and riding horses
Deseret News 10K and Provo River Half Marathon
Lots of family gatherings at the Shaeffers and Katie's Baby shower
Seven Peaks and Water Fun
Bees Game
Waverunning and weekend in Midway
Catching up with all of our friends and relatives who were visiting Utah.

The summer went out with a bang. We went on a camping trip to Doheny Beach, then the day we got home, we moved a few miles east so I would finally be free of the carpooling grind and so that we could have some more room.

Validation

I have Monet signed up to get a few of the remaining vaccines this month. She's already had the ones I strongly object to, like the Flu Shot, Chicken Pox, and Hep B when she was a baby. But there are a couple she is missing that I think she ought to get.

However, she is getting one at a time and she'll start school before she gets them all. So I had to go down to the Health Department to get my immunization waiver forms.

If you've ever had to do that, you can attest that the nurses, or doctors, whoever it is that administers the vaccines, are not too happy about the waivers.

I explained that I wanted to get the MMR spaced a bit for my daughter since my son developed ITP, a bleeding disorder, after the MMR shot, and there might be a genetic issue involved.

Her reaction?

I quote, "Well I don't think it was related."

Thank you very much Mrs. Johnson. You just confirmed to me what I already knew. The people administering vaccines have their blinders on.

I let her know that ITP was listed under Thrombocytopenic Purpura on the U.S. Government's own Vaccine Injury Table, and yes, it absolutely is connected causally with the MMR vaccine. This is listed in the package insert as well.

Mrs. I-administer-thousands-of-vaccinations-per-year-and-I-don't-even-know-the-side-effects had me repeat "Vaccine Injury Table" several times. She'd never heard of it, and wanted to know where I got my information. (um, that would be http://www.hrsa.gov/ you should be familiar with that one)

Sad. So the assumption is that vaccines do nothing but good, and anyone who claims their child has had a reaction is full of crap.

Well, this may be why the message is not getting to the lower ranks. Here is a partial transcript from the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program Board Meeting. I thought it was interesting. Some were explaining that a lot of people don't even know about the existence of the fund (Even the nurses at the county health dept apparently.) The Vaccine Injury Compensation Program was created to help those who were injured by vaccines pay for their medical care. Or in cases of death, they pay a sum of up to $250,000 to the child's estate. The burden of proof is on the person making the claim, and there are a lot of restrictions. The table lists the illnesses and diseases that vaccines are known to cause. There are other issues as well that may qualify, but these are the "easy" ones to prove since there is a body of evidence supporting causation. The fund was created so that people could not sue the drug companies creating the vaccines for their injuries. The money in the fund comes from a tax on every vaccine sold.

This was one snippet of the Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund Board Meeting where one of the members was describing why an awareness campaign of the injury fund wouldn't be successful:

“Whether it is a national effort or a county effort, people [in this case, the nurses] talking about the importance of immunizations and saying at the same time, “oh by the way, there are adverse events. you can be injured, but you will be paid for it." It is a difficult message to put across effectively, and people in the front lines communicating don’t exactly seek us out.”

I loved the response from the board member who basically stated exactly how I feel. I'll paraphrase since it is kinda long to retype:

After every pharmaceutical commercial, you hear the disclaimers. The nasal spray that could potentially cause cancer. You can even have an adverse event from Tylenol. People will take it if they need it. "I feel that with you guys not advertising it, it is hiding the fact that people can get hurt from these vaccines. They can hurt. They can kill. But we will take care of you."

That statement right there really validated me. It frustrates me when people refuse to acknowledge or admit that vaccines, though beneficial, can sometimes cause problems. It is a slap in the face to the kids who actually did sacrifice their health, and in some cases, their lives, for the immunization program and the community heath effort. It is horribly frustrating to then deny these people any kind of condolence because of their flawed assumption that vaccinations don't cuase harm. It makes these parents feel labelled and rejected in addition to being stressed and upset about their child's injury.

Most concerning is that when a health professional refuses to admit that some conditions are caused by vaccines, they don't report them. And when they don't report them, we don't have proper statistics and the doctors who analyze the program and make changes as necessary can't effectively do their jobs. It was nice to read the transcript, because it reaffirmed to me that these people creating these programs are a diverse group of good people who care. However, I think people do tend to have a bias when it comes to their jobs. They want to feel important, and like what they are doing is right and good. And I think sometimes, they ignore problems that threaten that feeling. Hence the reason Miles's pediatrician did not want to admit that he developed a problem from his immunization, despite all the evidence lining up.

A few things that would help me not feel a pit in my stomach every time one of my kids gets a vaccination:

1. More awareness by professionals administering the vaccines so they can tell parents what to look for so the children aren't put in dangerous situations. In Miles's case, he had extremely low platelets for several days before being diagnosed. I had no idea that bruising signified a reaction to an immunization or a bleeding disorder. So when Miles tripped on a stair I gave him a kiss and helped him up. Only later did I find the huge hematoma on his head. With his platelets as low as they were, brain bleeds are a big concern and that was pretty dangerous for me to be unaware that a fall like that could kill him. I would have liked to have a heads up to bring him in he develops unusual bruising.

2. I would love to see better literature that isn't biased regarding the harm that vaccines can do. I think parents ought to make an informed decision, and downplaying the risks isn't allowing them to do that. Most of us will still choose to vaccinate. But I don't think information should be withheld to induce people to vaccinate, and I've seen that happening over and over again. I like to know both sides of everything so that I can make a solid choice. I hate that there are people out there that seek to make a choice for me by offering information that isn't the whole truth.

3. Better reporting of adverse events would make me a lot more comfortable. I think a doctor reporting an adverse event holds more weight, and should be mandatory when any patient develops a condition that COULD have been caused by a vaccine. Vaccines are tested on relatively small populations and often the true side effects are unnoticed until millions of kids are vaccinated. If a child develops ITP, Encephalopathy, arthritis, brachial neuritis, or any other condition listed on the vaccine injury table within a specific timeframe, I think the pediatrician should be required to report it. But I think other injuries that are suspected to be vaccine caused or related should also get reported so that if there are enough complaints, someone can start an investigation, research study, etc.

4. Long term research proving that vaccines are safe, not just in the few days following vaccination, but in the months and years to come. There is a huge need for studies that actually follow vaccinated and unvaccinated kids through the years. What are the rates of disease in general? Do the vaccinated kids have higher rates of autoimmune problems? Could vaccines be eliminating one disease, and causing other chronic diseases? I'd like there to be more follow-up. While we feel so relieved that vaccines have eradicated many diseases, I'd like more information on the causes of the auto-immune disorders that have skyrocketed.

I doubt I'll ever not feel totally at ease when getting my kids vaccinated. There will always be risks involved. But I do appreciate the role that vaccines have played in helping to eliminate disease worldwide and want to see continued safety and improvement of the program. Seeing the risks minimized would be reassuring.

Not afraid of heights anymore!

So Monet has always been such a cautious girl. When she was a baby, she did not like being tossed up in the air, or swung around. She hated water. She was sooooo easy to look after because she was very careful and obedient. If we went to the park, she stayed right by my side.

I think this caused me to be very judgemental. I was pretty sure her obediance was because we were such fabulous parents. lol. And I kinda wondered about all those moms whose kids were wandering around.

Never do that because Heavenly Father likes to humble moms who start thinking that way. He sent me Miles then Simone, and well, let's just say I can hardly keep clothes on her, let alone keep her inside the house. It gets tough when the big kids are going in and out all day.

Anyway, Monet was a little fearful of anything that seemed reckless. But look at her now! She scaled the post like it was nothing, walked across a log, then jumped off the platform. She was very eager to prove how brave she is.

We all did it, except for Simone. And she wanted to. Miles got pretty nervous about hanging out in mid air.





We had so much fun up at the Heber Valley Girls Camp this weekend. Our friends the Milne's had a family reunion and had some extra space. It was so cool! The animals were everywhere and my kids were going nuts because the deer didn't even run away. They were just hanging out in our campsite. They must have known it was dedicated land. Anyway, we got to go do this cool zip line, some great challenging games, and we even went out on the paddleboats. Our kids were so excited to sleep in the bunkhouse with us. It was a fun overnighter. See the young buck in the middle of those trees? He was hanging out for a good twenty minutes while the kids were all walking around and looking at him.

If you are also missing Jay Leno's headlines. . .

While Jared has quickly converted to watching Conan, I on the other hand am really missing Jay's headlines.

So here is one for you. Miles is doing a reading program created by the Waterford Institute where he has to play 15 minutes of reading computer games per day as part of some research they are doing. Last month, he got this from the program:

Wow, thanks for the "Silver Metal." I sure am glad you are all teaching my kid to reed. Lol.

Okay, really I love the program and he loves to do it. So I am very happy. Just made me laugh.

The much anticipated tooth!

Monet has finally lost her first tooth! She's waited patiently while every other kid in her class at school lost theirs. I told her it might be awhile since her teeth came in late. And finally that little tooth came out.

I pushed it back and forth, and finally did a little twisting. I am sure it hurt like crazy, but she was so brave. She was as determined as I was to get it out!

Finally, it popped. She had a sleepover with her cousin that night, and the tooth fairy even knew where to find her AND let her keep her tooth!

Our Enterprising Fourth of July Tradition

What better way to celebrate the land of opportunity than with a little enterprise?

We started a tradition of selling glowstuff at fireworks shows years ago when Jared and his brother were doing eGlow.com. At first it was purely a great way to make some extra money and I have to admit I somewhat dreaded having my husband working so hard all that week. But as our kids have grown, they now see the event as super fun--like a big lemonade stand. It has become a full-fledged family tradition. Our families have joined us for most years, making it really fun for me and the kids while Jared is in the booth. Elise was fantastic and helped so much in the booth this year. She was helped all the customers for almost a full hour. Monet can't wait until she is old enough to go with daddy in the morning and stay all day. And Miles--he was great at hoarding the light sabers. He was sure proud that HIS dad was the one with all the cool stuff. We thought that was hilarious.

Each year is a lot of work, but the fun lasts for days. The kids are especially excited about counting the money afterwards--and I am impressed with their accuracy!

Monet was really excited about the snakes she got to hold (seven different ones) and wanted me to put them on the blog. She was very brave!

When I was eighteen I taught English in Voronezh, Russia for about five months. While I was there, they celebrated Victory Day and lit up fireworks over the Volga River. Having the experience of living in that country made me so much more aware of the opportunities that we have here in the United States, and I don't think I've ever felt a love for my country as I did when seeing the fireworks in Russia. Fireworks shows have never been the same since. It is especially fun to watch them now, and see the look on my kids' faces. They love them too.

Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay 2009

Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay 2009

I wasn’t sure that I’d do this race again after how hard it was last year. But my team had some people drop out, and I was happy to fill in. I am really glad I gave it another shot! I can see why this is becoming such a popular race, and I’d love to do another relay. I wasn’t sure how I liked the format last year, but I think the key is to have really low expectations. This year, I was expecting to get no sleep, be super cranky, and to be sick. I was pleasantly surprised when I felt pretty good. We even went shopping after the race. Last year, all I wanted to do was crawl into some dark quiet place and go to bed. We had two full teams this year, and with drivers that is 26 women! It was a total party.

I was runner 6 in Van 1 this year. My first leg was up a mile, then a steep downhill of about four miles before it flattened out for the last two. It was a really pretty run. It was fun to let go on the downhill. I was a little nervous about my quads getting sore, but it went well, and though I could feel the burn at the end, I felt pretty good considering.
Avon Pass was full of sunflowers and was all new to me. I loved watching all the girls in our van run through Hyrum and the south end of Logan. It was such a scenic course! I got some huge blisters that were really painful.

We had all afternoon to hang out at Snowbasin before heading out again on our second round. My second leg was at about 10 pm and I really don’t know much of where I was since it was very dark out. It was an eight mile climb, and I felt pretty good. I was slower than I’d wanted to be, but my sides were hurting and it would get worse the faster I went. Toward the end I stopped to walk for a few seconds when another lady caught up to me. I loved the camaraderie that we shared from the race. We were all cheering each other on and competing in a sense at the same time. She and I kinda leapfrogged a bit. Then a big group of ladies were walking up one of the big hills and I stopped to listen to their chatter before turning it up again. For a few miles I was on my own. I didn’t have anyone around for a long time and it kinda made me nervous. But it was nice at the same time. I love running in the dark. It was nice to be away from my family for a few days. Funny how when I am gone, all I can think about is how much I love them and miss them. Totally makes me appreciative.

We headed to sleep at a cabin in Midway for a few hours. All of us were happy to get a hot shower and a few hours of sleep before our morning runs. I felt great when I started that last leg. It was an easy three mile flat on the map, but it was really a gentle downhill and it rained lightly. I felt sorry for Van 2 who had heavy rain, hail, and cold weather for their last several hours. After over 18 total miles, my legs were shot and my blisters huge. It was a great feeling to be done with my part. At the end of the race, the two vans meet at the finish line in Park City and everyone joins the last runner from their team and run into the finish line together. It was so fun.

Highlights of the race:
--Spending some time with my friends! I don’t think there could be a better girls’ weekend. I loved all the girls that we were with, and it was so fun to get to know all the fun girls in our van better. Spending those miserable race moments together is totally bonding.
--Food! I think I ate enough to last me a few weeks—in fact, I think I just grew a spare tire
--Beautiful scenery—I think the pioneers chose the wrong side of the Wasatch Mtns
I got two cool new shirts. Yay, my other ones are really stinky.