Snow!!!

Snow...that's almost all we've seen this week. Even though I hate being cold and I hate driving in snow & ice, it has been fun to watch the white stuff fall. I took these pictures on Tuesday night around 10 pm. I stood just outside our front door and got these. I thought they turned out pretty good. These flakes were HUGE and very beautiful! Enjoy!

Christmas Concert Fun in Kuna

One of the many fun things to do this time of year is to go to Christmas concerts. Curtis and I had planned on attending 2-3 different concerts, but with being on IVs and other stuff going on, we've only been able to make it to one concert this year. Many people remember when I babysat/nannied for the Jensen family. Well, even though I don't do that anymore, we still keep in touch with them a lot. I use to watch the older girls when I was in High School....now Riley and Amanda are in High School. Ethan is now 6 yrs old and Aidan is 4 yrs old...where has the time gone??

Riley sings in the choir and invited us to her concert Monday night. Since I didn't really know anyone else singing in the choir, we sat by the Jensen's. It was lots of fun! Of course the boys were excited to see Curtis and I. They kept us entertained before the concert started and every moment after. Ethan was my little turtle friend for the night and Aidan was the bug boy or snake...I'm not sure which one? We heard all kinds of stories that only a 4 & 6 yr old can tell. Ethan sang along with several songs. (I told him we should have put a suit & tie on him and had him go up there and sing). Ethan also told Curtis (again) what it was that I wanted for Christmas...every girl wants jewelry and diamonds, so that is what Curtis is suppose to buy me. (He gets that from his sisters, although jewelry is not for his Mom...) At the end of the concert the choir sang the Hallelujah Chorus and invited Kuna Alumni to join them on stage to sing. Curtis, Ethan & I went up and sang. It was fun!!! Ethan is one of the youngest alumni ever and now Curtis is also a Kuna High Alumni...he finally switched loyalties and joined the best high school in the valley!! :o) Ok, really they invited alumni and anyone who wanted to go up and sing. But I can still tease Curtis that he is now a Kuna High alum.

Of course we took pictures. The boys wanted me to take pictures of them all night long...but here are a few of them. Enjoy!!

My Turtle Friend being shy

The snake & turtle finally smile....

Riley after the concert

Sing, sing, sing...

They sang Rudolph (a jazzy version) and the boy in the back row had a blinking red nose

Not from Monday night, but a nice picture of the boys with me in

August, aren't my little boys Cute!!!!

It's a full-time job...but someone has to do it!

So what have I been doing the last few weeks...I've been my own personal nurse here at home trying to get better. I have been sick now for over a month. My breathing test (PFT's, aka lung function test) have been down around 40%. Most healthy people have lung function around 90-100%. Sam, my sister w/CF who can run up to 16 miles or more a week, is about 85%...my normal (base line) is between 50-55%, so I'm definitely not as healthy as most people. Anyway, we did almost 4 weeks of oral antibiotics with my test only going up about 1% each week. So we decided to go to home IV's to help me get back up to my base line level. Well they are starting to work! This week when I went to the doctor my test went up 6 points!!! Yahoo!!! So if that happens again this next week I'll be back up to my base line and hopefully off of antibiotics for a while. Oh, on top of the one IV antibiotic, I'm also taking 2 oral antibiotics and 1 inhaled antibiotic....so with all of that something had better work! (this is what happens when you are resistant to most antibiotics and now allergic to some of them....having just one doesn't do the trick, but if you combine 2 or 3 of them it works great for me. This is not recommended for most people!)

The current IV antibiotic that I am on has to be given every 6 hrs! It's not very stable mixed up, so I have to mix it right before I give it. Normally I have my little "bottles" with my medicine in them that I can hook up and go. This one has to go in via gravity drip...so I have an IV pole at my house that I hang my medicine on. This one definitely isn't very travel friendly, so I stay home a lot. It takes about 45 min. to go in and then I unhook, flush and go until the next round is due. My current schedule is 8 am, 2 pm, 8 pm, and 2 am. Yes it would be so much easier to be in the hospital and have the nurse worry about this, but I'd rather be home than in the hospital. It's a good thing we have an alarm...Curtis has also been really good at helping me. He is my own personal nurse in training. :o)

On top of taking my IVs and other oral medications, I also spend a lot of time doing breathing treatments. Since I'm sick, I've been doing them 3 times a day. My inhaled medications take about 30 min. in the morning, 30 min. in the afternoon, and about 45 min. in the evening. I also use the Vest for 30 min each time I "smoke" to help loosen the mucus in my lungs and get it out. On top of all of this I'm suppose to eat and try to get as many calories in that I can. (easier said than done when you don't feel very good...but I'm trying!) I'm also suppose to take it easy and rest. This can also be very hard when you know there are dishes and laundry to be done...but I have lots of help. Sam helps when she is here and Curtis helps a lot too after work and on the weekends. The nice thing about all of this is that I've been doing a lot of reading...I've finished 3 books in the last 2 weeks. I also worked on my scrapbook for my Grandmother. It took about 2 weeks to do, but slow and steady wins the race.

Anyway, I'm starting to feel better and thought that I would take some pictures of what my day is like. I'm excited to be feeling better for Christmas. I feel very blessed to have all that I have, especially a wonderful loving husband who loves me and makes sure that I get the medical care that I need.

My medicine right before I mix it up

My best friend every 6 hrs.

The Vest and air compressor for nebulizer treatments

My favorite past-time...smoking, shaking, and reading all at the same time!

Family Scrapbook

For the past week I've been working on a scrapbook of my family for my Grandma Myers for Christmas. (I believe that there will be a page for all of the grandchildren (26) & great-grandchildren (27)...I was only in charge of my family so I'm not sure exactly how it will turn out). Anyway, I finished it up yesterday and I thought that I would take pictures of my pages and show them off...mostly because I haven't done any scrapbooking for a few years and thought they turned out REALLY GOOD! (No, the Myers family doesn't know about our blog yet, so it won't be ruined). Enjoy!!!

Thanksgiving

This year for Thanksgiving we had dinner with the Curtis' family. It was fun because his sister Heather and her husband Ben and son Spencer came up from Utah. Dinner was of course delicious!!! I loved it for several reasons:
1-I didn't have to cook anything but rolls
2-Ben soaked the turkey in a brine overnight and it made the turkey ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!
3-Did I mention all the food was delicious?!!
4-It was fun to play with Spencer and to watch Curtis play with him
5-I ate all of my food...I know for those of you who know me that is a no-brainer, however, I've been sick and on antibiotics and I'm not eating much food because it just doesn't taste good. I was very excited to eat a plate full of food and actually enjoy it for the first time in a few weeks! Everything tasted sooooo good!

After we had dinner and pie at the Cahoon's we went to Nampa and visited with my Grandma & Grandpa Ward for a few hours. We also had some of Grandma's home-made apple pie...oh-so-good!!! Of course the weekend wouldn't have been complete without Football & Shopping! Curtis & Tim watched the games on Turkey day, went to the BSU game against Fresno St. on Friday, and watched the other games on Saturday. The only game I watched was the BSU game at my parents house, where I stayed warm while watching the game. It was pretty fun getting all excited during the game with Brenda...I'm surprised that my Dad was able to sleep through us yelling! Heather & Judie went shopping on Black Friday and again on Saturday. I decided to skip out on the Black Friday shopping and instead went to my parents home to help my sisters change rooms around & watch the game with them. I did end up shopping on Saturday with them and was able to get a few good deals on things for Curtis. (What I got will have to wait until Christmas to be known....) Anyway, it was a very fun family filled weekend. Below are pictures from Thanksgiving Day. Enjoy!!!

Spencer & George

He can play so well!

Grandpa Chuck giving Spencer a tour of the house

Ben doing what he loves....cooking!!! The turkey was sooo good!!!!

Heather

Tim...football anyone?

What a handsome movie star!!

Chuck & Judie...a VERY cute picture together!!!

It wouldn't be the complete Cahoon family without us!

Happy 25th Birthday Nicole!!!

Today is my little sister Nicole's birthday. She is now the BIG 25! (Wow, that makes me feel old!!) We celebrated yesterday at our house with the family and ate some of Nicole's favorite food...lasagna and pumpkin pie. Instead of making "real" lasagna, we made a Rachael Ray "fake-out" lasagna which was soooo much easier and faster to make. (Basic idea: cheese filled ravioli, cooked & layered in a baking pan with meat and spaghetti sauce, topped with cheese.) Watching Nicole open presents is soooo different than Brenda opening them...Nicole took FOREVER to open, making sure she got every piece of tape and wrapping paper off before tackling the box. (Brenda on the other had rips stuff off so fast and throws it so that she can quickly get to the gift inside. I think she has opened things in under 8 sec. before...now we use LOTS of tape!) Some of the things Nicole got for her birthday: a few necklaces, a book, a picture for her room, and her 1st ever BSU T-shirt! (she's never really asked for one and I just realized this past week that she was the only family member w/o a BSU shirt...she was VERY surprised!) Below are pictures of everyone, except Parley who was sick and opted to stay home to avoid getting the rest of us sick.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICOLE!!!

The Birthday Girl

We just love the camera!

I'm not sure I know who this goofball is...

A rare picture of Dad

Mom actually smiling!

What a CUTE sister picture!!!

My Angel

Since the conference edition of the Ensign has come out I've been enjoying rereading the talks that were given at conference. I haven't felt good the last few weeks and when I start to get really bad I start feeling down and a little depressed. So to combat my down feelings, I've been trying to do more to have the Spirit with me, have more faith, and try to think positively (kinda hard when you really don't feel good). The other day as I was reading the talk given by Elder Holland entitled "The Ministry of Angels" I was overcome. In fact, I was crying so much that I couldn't read it...so I did the next best thing, I listened to it on the Internet so that I could still cry my eyes out. I loved how he talked about how there are angels still among us, even in a time when the world seems so "dark and dreary." Angels are still sent to help us as they have been throughout the ages. He reminded us that we should be filled with faith and that the Lord will always be there for us. Then he went on to talk about how "not all angels are from the other side of the veil, some of them we walk with and talk with-here, now, every day"! I was once again reminded that I have so many angels in my life that help me every day. One of those angels is my husband. (I do have other angels that are worth mentioning, but I'll save that for another day)


My Angel Husband

I love Curtis SOOOO MUCH! He loves me for who I am as a person. I love the way he tries so hard to provide for me and our family. He wants me to be healthy and have the best medical care that I can get. He makes me laugh when I'm sad or depressed, to help me to feel better because he knows that Laughter is the BEST Medicine! He stays awake with me for 2 hrs in the middle of the night when I'm coughing and am having a hard time breathing (and then goes to work all day while I stay home and sleep...) He feeds me lunch in a hospital bed when I have to be flat on my back. He holds the bucket when I am throwing-up (That is true love right there!!). He prays with me, reads scriptures with me everyday, and makes sure that we have Family Home Evening every week. He honors his priesthood. He makes me want to be a better person. He values my input, my opinions, and my ideas. He listens to me when I need someone to talk to. He helps with ALL the household chores and does the outside ones as well (usually without my help). He supports me in what ever it is that I want to do. He will watch a Disney movie or a chick flick instead of some sporting event because he knows that's what I like and want to do. (Don't worry, I watch sports with him too...) There are so many other reasons why I love Curtis and why he is my angel. But the number one reason is: Curtis is my Best Friend to whom I'm married to for Time and ALL Eternity! I love you Curtis!!!!

Happy Birthday Brenda

Yesterday was my sister Brenda's birthday. She turned 17! (My baby sister is 17 now...holy cow!) On Sunday we went over to my parents house and had dinner and let Brenda open her presents. Of course all she wanted was a BSU shirt...or anything to do with BSU. Her presents included 2 BSU shirts, an Idaho license plate w/her name on it, and a BSU blanket & pillow covers. She was SOOOO excited! (side note: it may look like we spoiled her, but she had to earn the money for the bed stuff by helping do chores around our house. It took her about 4 months to earn enough money for it, but she did it!) After opening presents she immediately tried on her shirts and then wanted to put her new blanket on her bed.

On Monday, her birthday, Sam and I went and bought a small cake and the store and some balloons and took them up to the high school. We delivered the goodies to her in her classroom (the resource room). You should have seen the look on her face...she was on cloud 9! At the end of the day she was able to share the cake with all of her friends in her class. This will be one birthday story that she will talk about for a long time...Happy Birthday Brenda! We love you!

The Birthday Girl

Finally getting to blow out her candles
(her favorite thing to do at any birthday party)

Tagged

I've been tagged by my friend Brenda for Things of 8. Lets see what I can come up with....

8 Shows I love to watch:
-Rachael Ray (the cooking portion of the show)
-The Doctors
-Biggest Looser
-Numbers
-hmmm...I don't even watch these shows religiously because I just don't watch much TV, so I guess I don't have 8 favorite shows...

8 Favorite Resturants:
-Olive Garden
-Red Robin
-Panda Express
-Mongolian BBQ
-Mona Lisa (this is a once a year place, but ohhh sooo Good!)
-Applebee's
-Casa Mexico
-Johnny Corino's

8 Things that Happened Yesterday:
-Studied for my Social Work Licensure Exam
-listened to the BSU game on the radio
-went grocery shopping w/Curtis
-Scheduled my SW Exam!!! (Nov. 17th is the big day!!)
-talked to each of my sisters on the phone (it may sound unusual, but I usually only talk to one of them on the phone each day, not all 3)
-did the dishes
-"Smoked" aka-breathing treatments
-kissed my husband

8 Things I am looking Forward to:
- Having my Social Work exam DONE!
-being a Mom
-spending time with family during the holidays
-having our car paid off
-gaining weight & not loosing it
-the elections being over
-going on a date with my husband
-helping to make someones day better than it was

8 Things I Love about Fall:
-watching the leaves change color
-eating pumpin pie
-drinking hot chocolate
-cuddling with my husband to keep warm
-cooler temperatures
-General Conference
-watching BSU football
-all of the holiday dinners w/family

8 Things on my Wish List:
-To have at least 1 day where I don't cough
-to NOT have carpet in our dinning room
-good health insurance
-getting our carpets cleaned
-to have flowers in our "rock" beds
-to have a cure for CF
-to be able to run a marathon (this won't happen until I get to heaven...watch out everyone!)
-for everyone around me to be happy

It's Finally Official!!!

We now have documented proof that we have both graduated from BSU. Curtis' diploma arrived in the mail this past weekend. Yahoo!!! The Master's degree if FINALLY done!

Curtis' Masters Degree

Sara's Bachelor's degree



Both of them side by side

For some reason they need to make the Master's degree larger...Rude! I think it's because the Masters degree holders have a big head and think that they are smarter. Yes, Curtis may be smarter than me in some areas, but there are things that I'm better at then he is. Oh well, if I really wanted a Masters degree I know that I could go back to school and get it. The truth is, I worked long and hard to get my bachelor's degree and I DON'T want to go back to school anytime soon. (I choose to live rather than be sick in the hospital while going back to school and dealing with the stress of a Masters degree.) I'm just happy to have the paper in hand that shows all my hard earned work. I'm also extremely happy that Curtis is done with the thesis after the many hours and years of work that he put into it. Next step, both of us getting licensed in our profession.

Family Birthday Fun

Today is my Mom's birthday and Wednesday is my brother's birthday, so we had a family birthday dinner at our house yesterday to celebrate. Here are some cute and funny pictures that we took. (I'm sure you can guess who had the camera....Sam!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

The Birthday Girl

The Birthday Boy

Nicole, Sam & Brenda (aren't they cute!)

Can you tell we are sisters?

Brenda wanted to join in the fun too...

Parley & Sam goofing off...

Save the Family

I got this in an email earlier this week. I personally don't go to YouTube a lot, but this is a really good video. I was very touched by the message of this song. Please take time to watch it and pass it along to everyone you know.

On YouTube, things spread like wildfire across the Internet. To get our message out about the importance of families and marriage, Joy Lundberg and Janice Kapp Perry have created a song called, 'Save the Family' which we have produced into a powerful music video. It's best to view it on high quality.
Click below to see it and feel the magic and importance of families.
Spread the word that 'Family is the beating heart that keeps the nation strong.' Let's act on our convictions and tell the world that family doesn't get in our way. It is the way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1GRQGc5GQ0

I LOVE my family!!!

They're My Team!!!!

So those people who know me personally know that I am a sports junkie. I really enjoy healthy competition and really enjoy watching a well-played game of pretty much any sport (baseball, football, basketball, hockey, soccer, Frisbee, cricket, lacrosse....). I also have three teams that I refer to as "my team." They are any sports team from Boise State (My Alma mater and hometown school/team), the Chicago Cubs, and the Carolina Panthers.

I have pretty much followed the Cubs since I was old enough to know what baseball is and how to play it. I have vivid memories of watching the Cubs play with my Grandpa Hasfurther when I wasn't even old enough to start kindergarten. I remember memorizing all of the starting players' names on the 1983 and 1984 Cubs and I remember very well having the Cubs get my hopes up every year, only to have them crushed sometime before the middle of October (when the World Series starts....). I've seen them get eliminated in the playoffs five different times (I was in Brazil the other time they made it and could not watch or listen to any of the games, of course), and I've always kept my optimism (Does that make me technically insane????). I've stuck with them through the years because...well...they're my team. Every time they collapse, I look forward to following the next year and hope desperately that next year will finally be "the year."

Boise State has always been my team because, let's see, my dad graduated from there, my mom went there for a couple of years, I grew up in Boise, my brother graduated from there, my sister got her first degree from there, I have two degrees from there, I met my wife there and she just graduated from there....(you get the idea). I have lived and died with them for years (especially basketball and football). I've watched the football team endure the painful "streak" of defeats to the Vandals (most of which were close games), watched them break the streak and play for a 1-AA National Championship in the same year. I watched them change from a good 1-AA football program playing in a 16.000-seat stadium, all the way into a perennial top 25 football team with a stadium twice that size (and still growing). They have held their own in the highest division of college football, and are only the second mid-major school to appear in (and win) one of the prestigious BCS bowl games. I've attended more basketball games through the years than I can count, and I have vivid memories of watching Chris Childs, Arnell Jones, Tanoka Beard, Roberto Bergesen, Gerry Washington, Abe Jackson, Reggie Larry, and many others play in a packed basketball arena and regularly challenge for (and occasionally get) a NCAA tournament bid.

As for the Carolina Panthers, they have officially been my team for just a little over a week... :o)
I was making fun of my co-workers' teams (the Raiders, and the 49ers) when they said I had no room to make fun of their teams unless I chose a favorite NFL team to stick with. I promptly chose the Panthers and continued my teasing, all in good fun, of course.... ;)
I actually have followed the Panthers for awhile and rooted for them to make it to and win the Super Bowl a few years ago, so my choice was not really a "spur of the moment" thing, per se. Anyway, I've rambled a little too long. Just wanted to let any readers know a little more about some of my favorite things....

The Place I'd Like to Visit

And you think Niagara Falls is cool...(I have been there and think it's pretty cool). This place caused First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to exclaim "Poor Niagara." Iguazu Falls (spelled slightly different in Portuguese, but you get the idea....) is located where Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay all come together. Not only is Iguazu Falls taller than Niagara Falls (269 feet tall in some places, but 210 feet tall on average), but the series of waterfalls spans 1.67 miles from end to end, and is composed of a system of over 270 individual waterfalls!! Of all the places I'd like to visit in the world, this is probably at the top of my list. Read more about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iguazu_falls