Oh how busy life can be...

in bullets

• I teach swimming lessons from 9-11:30 M-F (cardio oh yea!)
• I teach Piano lessons almost daily
• We have family in town
• Dustin is leaving for the MTC on Saturday.
• Dustin is being set apart (for his mission) tonight (Stake President is heading out of town)!
• Joseph has Braille classes every wednesday for 2 hours (only 1 more class left!! He's amazing!)
• Joseph usually has two computer classes a week with Brian from DSB, for an hour and a half
• We will go to our ward temple night on Friday
• My work party on Saturday

In itchy news, I have been sun rash/welt free for two whole days!! I have adjusted accordingly for my new allergy. We have determined that my allergy eruption (yes, they call it that) has something to do with the chemicals in the pool I use in conjunction with the sun. Thank goodness for the internet, I did lots of research on medical sites and after doing what was suggested, it couldn't be anything other than photosensitivity. And I didn't waste $100-ish for a doctor visit.

We are enjoying the things that are going on, but it will be nice next week when things slow down a tad...for a while at least.

Due to severe

ITCHY-NESS. I will be taking a little break from blogging lots of stuff. Apparently I have developed a sun allergy, or photosensitivity. Definition:A sun allergy is an immune system reaction to sunlight, most often, an itchy red rash. The most common locations include the "V" of the neck, the back of the hands, the outside surface of the arms and the lower legs. In rare cases, the skin reaction may be more severe, producing hives or small blisters. 

I have hives/ welts across my shoulders, "V" of my neck, and legs and the tops of my  feet and they itch like cRaZy! Which is really inconvenient, because I just started teaching swimming lessons. Ugh, during some of my super itchy spells I seriously contemplated canceling my 2nd session, but the $$ is too good, I will just be swimming ultra-modest style, spandex shorts and t-shirt over swim top.  Add SPF 30+ yup that'll be me this summer.

 I spent this week trying to figure out what the heck was going on. We are missing our ward campout tonight because I am miserably itchy and we (my family) are trying to get all ready for Dustin's farewell on Sunday. Oh well. Just grin and bear it, excuse me while I go hide and slap on copious amounts of lotion.

**UPDATE: (Saturday July 24th)  Apparently sun sensitivity runs in my family, my mom had it- but it only lasted a couple years Valerie, my sister has it too, as well as one of my aunts. I will be wearing a super light weight jacket when I go outside, and using Aveeno lotion with oatmeal for the itch. I feel much better today.

-S

A weighty topic

**warning not for boys** it's also a touchy topic. I want to lose weight, as I'm sure a good percentage of female bloggers out there are in the same boat. I've lost sizes & mass but the scale hasn't moved much. I have done good maintaining with slim in 6. But it is time to change it up. I've bought biggest loser workout (power sculpt) I will start week 3 /6 Monday as well as swimming lessons, I'll be biking 3 days a week to the pool (1 1/4 miles) too.

I'm at a plateau; a size 10 wearing plateau. While that's a couple of sizes below the national average, it's NOT where I want to be. I want to be the size I was when I was dating Joseph, namely a 6/8. It was a good healthy size and my weight was okay- not the too much I am now. At that size I was strong and confident, just right not too small, not too big. Healthy.

I suffer from body hate. I hate on my body- it's failed me. My poor body has been through a lot though, our struggle with 4 miscarriages, surgeries and insulin resistance. I bear scars, while some are cool, and have neat stories  to go with them. There are the scars I don't like & sometimes hate- the weight I gained and well my boobs. (see I told you: not for boys) They got larger with each pregnancy, I'd like to lose a significant amount of weight and at least one cup size, get back to a 36C not the 36D I am at.

Part of my weight loss goals are for our family plans. I feel that I would have a better chance at a normal or healthy pregnancy if I was at a healthier weight. I (we) are so baby hungry it makes me (us) crazy. We want a family & home of our own, so much it hurts. I'm insanely jealous of our more fertile friends and family.

That's my big motivation. My amazing husband, our plans for the future. Be Healthy. Stay Strong. Build up self-confidence that has been ravaged by infertility. As always continue to support my husband who is working his tail off to learn new skills to adapt to the new world of blindness. Speaking of skills- I am SO behind in Braille!

We have reached the end of my body-hate rant. But this has become my journal, you know.

Our summer goals:

• Break my plateau
• Shaylee: catch up in Braille
• Ride tandem bike more
• Walk/ jog puppy most days
• get a tan, freckles included (not hard, I'll be swimming soon)
• Read some good books, (read or listen)
• go camping (at least once)
• disappear together, for a day or two or three
• Joseph: find and secure internship (through DSB)
• Joseph: finish Braille classes (next week is week 6/10)

Personal, I know but I figured if I put this out there I may find more motivation. Especially if I get to post and toast my successes along the way.

-S

I love Sunflowers!

Image cut off a little, to get the full shot click on it

I took some other pretty sweet shots,  more coming soon.

P.S. Most of the photography on my blog is mine, 

the picture on our header courtesy of Bare Photography found here
graphic design courtesy of me.

S

T Babies

That we get to play with..

Tori

And hand back to Mom when she's messy, lol. 

We're nice, we don't mind changing daipers, for real.

T-Bone

 Who LOVES Joseph! 

So sweet, so good.

 Basically the best puppy we've ever had. 

He even slept through the fireworks on the 4th.

I love to see the Temple

Columbia River Temple.

July 3rd 2010.

Have you noticed?

As my posts get more honest and open you comment more?

 I have.

 I LOVE it!

-S

High Flying

We knew when we set out to go to our Idaho home it was going to be an adventure, we've never flown together before, and we would be taking syringes on the plane. The drive was quite uneventful, we've made the trip to Spokane many many times. Airport Security, was another story. It was the standard take off your shoes send all your stuff through. But they took Joseph's white cane, and then "BAG CHECK!", the bag with the syringes. Like I said earlier we were prepared, the travel kit for the medication had an ID card in it, we also had a doctors note. What I wasn't prepared for was three people snooping around in the bag, reading and re-reading the ID card (like it was in a foreign language or something) and shooting us nasty looks. Is this what diabetics go through, what about people who carry epinephrine pens? They gave me really nasty looks when trying to speed things up, I told them the note in the bag is from his neurologist. Man, I felt like a criminal. And they took FOR.EV.ER! Finally they told me that they were going to send it through again, without the medicine pack and we were free to go. Luckily we were there crazy early.

We were boarded as VIPs, well Joseph was, I was his " and party".  We had assistance entering and exiting the plane and were escorted through tunnels and rode in pass code, fingerprint- reading elevators, it was intense. Our favorite assistant was a man with down syndrome, he took his job very seriously. He had a strong grip on Joseph from his first step off the plane, he led  us through said tunnels and elevators and then to our next gate. He didn't let me help.  He was so kind as to kick out a couple of elderly ladies from the handicap seats, so Joseph and I had seats, at the very crowded Seattle Airport. Unfortunately our efforts to stop these ladies and give them their seats back was in vain, they got away too quickly. We weren't ready to be waiting at our gate, we just wanted to know where it was, there was plenty of time to use the facilities and look around a little bit. Alas, those dear sweet ladies were long gone, and we were left feeling bad they lost their seats.

I would tell you how turbulent some of the flights were that day. Let's just say that it was a really good thing that I took some medicine for motion sickness! I don't get carsick or motion sick usually, but I guess that I do get airsick, especially on small planes. Boise was the worst, it was really bumpy and then when we landed, we bounced back into the air and then landed sideways. (I know, I was watching out the window, and feeling ill)

All in all a very quick (compared to driving), and successful trip to Idaho.

Our Plane in Idaho Falls.

J&S

All our bags are packed

We're ready to go.

This time tomorrow we'll be in Idaho.

Off for a big adventure,

we've never flown together before.

And he's never flown blind. 

Travel plans are set, 

we're all prepared.

I hope it goes smoothly, 

we have to take syringes on the plane!?

(we got a doctor's note to cover that a month ago)

We'll see our Idaho Family tomorrow.

See you in a week.

Love,

J&S

Didn't your mother ever teach you?

Not to judge?

Mine did.

We are in our mid-twenties. 

We use handicap parking...legally.

Not many people can say that, not that we are proud of it.

But it's the truth.

We had an interesting experience a while back.

We are always being judged when we park. 

We know it doesn't look good for a young couple to park in the handicap spots.

We had just finished parking next to an elderly gentleman in his big red pickup,

pulled out of his parking spot and blocked us in, 

rolled down his window, 

and showed us a look that told us he was going to yell at us.

Then Joseph and his white cane exited the car,

and his face changed,

that man's face changed from anger, to shock. 

He drove away.

I thought it was funny, he judged us too quickly. 

He was wrong.

We went in the store did our shopping and came back out to our car. 

Next to our car was another man helping his mother into one of those electric shopping carts,

we were blocked in, we loaded our car.

He watched. 

He had a look of kindness towards us.

Without saying a word, he came up to me took and returned my shopping cart for me.

That man judged us too. But he was kind.

Not everyone is willing to pull us aside and tell us exactly what they think of us. (We've had a lot of those experiences too) But all of these types of experiences have made us more aware of  the fact that we are always being watched, by those that know us and love us, and by total strangers. It puts the pressure on to be good examples, not that we think of it too often, but it does cross our minds. 

All this goes back to the golden rule: 

Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.

*J&S*