New recipes..........

These are some quick recipes that we use and love.....they are weight watcher approved. The cookies are 1 pt a cookie (keeping in mind how big you make the cookie of course) and the Taco soup is 3 pts a cup...if you add the cheese you need to add another point. These are both yummy and great for this time of year...family favorites!

Grandma Schroeder update....

Where do I start.............wow, what a day. We got another phone call around 5pm yesterday from one of Grandma's nurses Brooke. She wanted us to know that they found grandma on the floor two other times after we left her at the Golden Living Center...her bruise that was half way across her forehead was now all the way across her forehead. She wanted to know why the St Marks hospital didn't admit her earlier for evaluation etc...I guess if you are hospitalized for 3 days, medicare will pay for a 60 day stay at a nursing home facility, giving us the time we need to make hard decisions and get ready. Because grandma fell again 2 other times, and also, she had been throwing up and was extremly dehydrated we decided to take her to the University Hospital....what a night!!! Let's just say, we go home and were in bed at 5am this morning.....I know, why am I up now? I just can't sleep right now so of course, I am on the computer....Anyway, grandma was so confused and agitated. She didn't know Gary or I....they did tons of testing on her but between each test ordered, we were interview by a number of different nurses and doctors....I am sure Mike and Allison can tell you a lot about this...you tell your story, then another doctor comes in, their first comment after introducing themselves to you is "what brings you to the hospital, tell me what happened" Can I just tell you....I couldn't count the many times we had to go through the incidents of the day with grandma, and her life history!! The story got a little old to tell after a while....gosh, you see so many different doctors and nurses....I have to say though, they were all exceptional last night though.

Around 1am the tests were slowing down, you could see grandma was getting more tired and an IV was started to give her potassium and antibiotic. One of the doctors came in and told us all the tests were pretty good, that there was one blood test which they use to follow the heart was just a little elevated and would be followed in the morning etc...they did their thing and left the room....grandma started getting agitated...playing with her many gadgets on both arms (IV's, vital's equipment etc..she had a lot on that irritated her) I stood up to hold her hand and it felt cold and clammy....I told Gary and felt her head..it was ok. I told the nurse. He at first didn't feel what I did. I told him to feel her arms...he felt it and immediatly got concerned. He placed her on the heart monitor....her heart dropped to around 30 beats a minute (bradycardia), her blood pressure dropped to something like 55/30...everybody scrambled to come in....she is "Do not resuscitate" which means no extreme means to keep her alive such as compressions, breathing tube..it was explained to us that people who go through this in her condition have a 5% chance of a semi normal life, but that her mental status would just deteriorate more, and probably she would have fractured ribs after the compressions etc. They did of course add fluid, medication in her IV different things like that to get her built up...I just kept holding her hand and stroking her hair during this time...she was almost gone and looked it. After much scrambling and different medications..IV bag of fluids, she started getting better as far as her blood pressure and pulse. Gary just about lost his mom last night...it was hard to watch this happen...the future is so unclear right now. We finally got her to her room last night (or should I say this morning) at about 4am....I am so worried about her though...she was more agitated when we left and looked frightened...we will be going up today...thank you Mike and Allison for your kind thoughts...you two are an example to me more than you know...your trials are so much more than ours and you are the ones giving us the support and encouragement, thank you We love you guys!!

When it rains, it pours!!!

Do you ever fill like when things are going smoothly it is scary because you just know that there is something on the horizon ..... well our horizon has hit!! Things are really going fast with Grandma Schroeder!!! We got a call from St Marks Hospital around 11am...she was there....in the hospital because she fell in her bathroom this morning...they found her around 7am...and tried to call us several times...we have missed calls and we didn't even hear our phones ring once!!! We feel like we neglected her because they couldn't reach us and we were right here all the time!!! Anyway, we went to the hospital and got her....she is really confused and agitated. I see a bruise on her forehead I think she got from the fall....things are happening so fast. Apparently she has a bladder infection, which in people with Alzheimers just throws them into a bad stage of confusion...after a few days on her antibiotic she will be a little better....anyway, we are looking at bringing her home next weekend!!! Oh my goodness! I am just not ready for this! I am actually scared....she will be full time care and I have to work! I am hoping to get some help Monday when Medicare and other places are open....I have been crying all day!!! This is so hard for me...We are moving Kati into storage, Rob to Kati's room, redoing Robs room.....so much to be done in such a short time...I am feeling so ungrateful right now and I know I am....this is just hard....where do I find "Joy in this Journey?" I just have to stop feeling sorry for myself and move forward...we all have our crosses to bear....I know we need to serve each other, I just want to serve because I want too not because I have too...isn't that an awful way to feel? You guys are seeing the real side of me now, the ungrateful side...sorry....If any of you have any suggestions, I will listen to anything...I will buck up and move forward, I have too....wish us luck!!!

WEIGH IN RESULTS......are you ready?

Well .... here we go...............I lost 1.6lbs, (a little disappointed because I felt like I did really good...but at least it's a loss) Staci lost 2.2lbs (great job!), Kristi lost 3.2lbs (great job), and da da da daaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Gary, the man, lost 5.6lbs!!!! Explain to me WHY do these men do so well all the time??? Anyway, can I say how proud I am of everybody!!! On we GO!!!

Kids say the darndest things.........'..............

Ok, this is a grandma moment....we are watching our little Max tonight so Staci and Trevor can have a well deserved date night. We have more fun with this 3yr old. I have to say, it's a lot easier when it's your grandson...anyway, we went to Walmart to get some "goodies" actually dinner supplies, strawberry milk (yuck) and a bag of m m's...(m & m's)...while I cooked dinner, Pa (Max call's Gary Pa and me grandma U...for grandma Lu)anyway, they were drawing with chalk on the sidewalk out front, just the two boys. Now, to preface this, Trevor and Staci really spend a lot of time with Max teaching him letters, sounds and numbers. He is funny, he will see a billboard and start reading off the letters of the words on the board...he is pretty amazing (of course I am grandma)...Anyway, when they were out front with the chalk, Gary wrote his name on the sidewalk....Max walked over and started reading
G A R Y......that spells PA!! He was so happy with himself and Pa got a good chuckle. Got the letters down anyway.....................well, it's Max time! He just found a wistle...yes you can just imagine!!! (where's the m & m's!!) I think we are going to take him to the Halloween decorated house tonight that the Hardings talked about.....what fun!!

The BIG Weigh in tomorrow!!!

Oh goodness!!! How I hate the big weigh in!!! It is tomorrow. This was our first week on weight watchers. I really felt like I have done good, and I know I have probably lost something, but I just hate the weigh in!! You really don't feel the first few pounds that you loose, it is when they get more and more, and the cloths get larger and larger, then it's fun.....right now, it's just a loss. And, of course, hormones play such a big part of a women's weight loss...you know when you are retaining fluid.....that is a bummer for sure because it shows up on the scales. I will for sure blog what the results are after the BIG WEIGH IN tomorrow!!!

I think Lucas has a crush...........on Kristi!!

Kristi and I went up to the hospital again last night. What a cutie, AGAIN. He is such a flirt...oh my gosh, with Kristi. He just loves her. No matter where she is he has to keep his eye on her....she loves him too and plays with him. Kristi actually got him to giggle a couple times....it was so cute!! He had a hard time later in the night. He actually, out of the clear blue, just threw up...alot...all over me (just a watery substance). He was so sweet though, after he was done he looked at me like he had done something wrong. Poor little guy. He didn't tolerate his 9pm feeding at all. One thing, he gets antibiotics by mouth, sweet, yummy, he really seemed to like that....Can I just tell you what respect and love and compassion I have for his family. They have to come from Orem and go home every day, not to mention making plans for the older three boys.............what a draining drive! It isn't easy to get to the hospital no matter where you come from...so much traffic, train, people and commotion! I will have gone up 3 days in a row and it's not easy to get there.....once you are there it is a privilege to be with this little guy...they have to arrange their whole lives to get to the hospital, everyday.....Please keep this family in your prayers, they need it so much. Find Joy in the Journey.