Blood

On Donating Blood:  Our church has a blood drive every year and I have never gone.  Wes always goes, but I don't. 

Here is the reason: I donated blood once fourteen years ago.  I am not afraid of needles or blood.  I love biology stuff . . . . I thought donating blood would be cool.  So I donated.  I fainted right before my bag of blood was full.  They had to throw it all away.  I so bummed to see my lovely blood go in the trash.  Sigh.  What a waste! 

Well, Wes and I celebrated our thirteenth anniversary this month.  The church was having it's annual blood drive and Wes was recruited to donate.  They asked me to go to, and I said, "Sure! It seems a fitting thing to do on a thirteenth anniversary!"

So we went, Wes with gusto and I with trepidation.  I drank plenty of water and ate well before going.  We donated blood on tables in the cultural hall of the church.  I did it!  I made it through the bag and felt great!  It was a lovely success and I was quite pleased with myself. 

We had the kids with us because we were leaving from there to go on a family outing.  So the kids and I went to the table for cookies and juice while we waited for Wes to finish up.  I sat down and then wham--I fainted.  A lady grabbed me so I didn't flop onto the floor. 

Passing out is a funny sensation.  I felt all tingly and then all warm, and then dizzy and then I was having the most fascinating dream.  I really didn't want to wake up.  But I did after about forty seconds.
Waking up after a faint is scary and disorienting.  I couldn't remember where I was or why I was there or what had happened to the lovely dream I was enjoying.  Then they were trying to get me to talk and answer questions and I wanted to speak but my mouth wouldn't work.  It felt like everything was in slow motion!

I ended up being very sick, almost throwing up twice, and not being able to get up for forty minutes.  It was awful.  I was sick, weak and tired for the rest of the day. 

But the best part of the story is this: the kids said, "Mom you fainted and then you were snoring!  Yeah, you were snoring soooo loud we could hear you out in the hallway!  Heee-hee-heee" 

Oh dear!  What a funny way to celebrate an anniversary!

Nauvoo

We will be in Nauvoo for four days.  We are driving--stopping first in Independence, Mo.  After a day at the water park (to let the kids recuperate from the drive), we will see Liberty Jail and the Temple Block.  Also Adam-Ondi-Ahmen and a few other spots around there.  Then on to Nauvoo and Carthage Jail.  After Nauvoo we will head to winter Quarters, then on to Mt. Rushmore.  Past there we will go to Wyoming to Martin's Cove and then back down to visit my brothers in Utah.  It will be a long but exciting adventure.  We are really looking forward to it! 
All comments and advice welcome from those who have been before and have good advice to give or want to share their favorite part! 

Ta-Dum!

I have officially caught up on my blogging.  Phew!  I really had to finish  because we are going on vacation at the end of this month and I know I am going to have a million pictures to post when we get back from  . . . .
Nauvoo! 

Ryanne's Birthday-Slumber-Shopping-Party

Ryanne wanted to have a party with some of her school friends for her birthday. She invited three girls over to spend a Friday night and go shopping with her on Saturday. Three came. Two spent the night and one went shopping with us. It was perfect! They had a great time. The party was kind of last-minute because Ryanne had waffled on what she wanted to do for her B-day. I had not planned anything for the girls, which turned out to be the best thing. They talked, walked, explored, giggled, looked at photos, ate food, ate junk, teased and painted ceramics. The funniest thing was that they spent the most of their time playing hide-and-go-seek in the house!

 The boys and Dad were gone camping and Leah was spending the night at her friends' home. So, it was just me and Ryanne and her girlfriends. They had the whole house to themsleves and they had a blast. At bedtime we pulled out three mattresses and laid them on the livingroom floor where they watched a movie and giggled until they felll asleep. The next morning we went shopping with Aunt Christy. Ryanne's friend Adrian came with us. We got Ryanne's ears pierced; she picked little emerald studs for her first pair. Then we looked at shoes and swimming suits. We had mall pretzels and slushies. Ryanne and her freind loved it. It was a very fun birthday!

Here they are:

Pearla, Adrian, Kayla and Ryanne.

Ryanne wanted BBQ Smoked sausages,

 corn on the cob, chips, baked beans,

and pickles for dinner.

Don't you just love letting go all pretenses

and just being goofy?!

They decide to move their dinner party to the fort. 

It's a good little spot to hang out. 

And this is the frosting from the cupcake fight they had. 

I think Adrian started it!

Here she goes again. 

And all of them join in.

Smash the birthday girl!

I made them take the fight outside. 

They bet Ryanne that she wouldn't eat the frosting

 off the ground. 

But she did.

It did not look like frosting!

Yummy.

Lets get her again!

Don't we look gorgeous?