Our latest happenings

Well here's the latest update on what we've been up to since Christmas. I feel as if pictures are worth a thousand words:

This is a bit too much for me when there's 2 or 3 feet of snow on the ground... and it's so cold that my nose feels like falling off when I'm walking to the mailbox...

But this doesn't stop Ethan and Jordon from having fun outside....

Jordon made a makeshift sled out of a big box we had, Ethan loved it... when he was able to stay in it

The boys decided to be adventurous one night while mommy was gone by putting Ethan on his trike in the sled

Playing trains on his new table and chairs... 

Found Ethan like this one night watching a movie... he sure likes to watch his movies in a creative way

We also like to read books in bed

Snuggle on the couch when we get up in the morning...

and our latest favorite... 

Our tent and tunnel... Thanks Ggma and Ggpa Franco!

Jordon will start his second semester of grad school tomorrow. He's also going to be busy doing research for one of his instructors. Ethan has sure loved having dad home alot, it's going to be sad not to see him as much. Jordon is so great at playing with Ethan, I have more trouble in that department. My practical side shows up often during the day when I think "I should be cleaning" or "I should be cooking"... Jordon has also been spending this week working on my car replacing the fuel pump and putting on new struts. Tomorrow he'll be helping me with cub scouts, or at least setting my "obstacle" course up at the church before our meeting. I still don't feel like a Den Leader, but I'm slowly learning.

As for myself, my back has been giving me troubles (more than normal) this past week, so I've been a slug. I've been going to a chiropractor to try to help. Only trouble is that we found this awesome chiropractor in Seattle two years ago and now no one else even comes close to comparing with him. I always say "I wish we could bring Dr Scott with us wherever we go". I'm not too sure yet if I even really like this Dr I'm going to, but I'm giving him a little time to see if things help. Biggest trouble is that there's just not a whole lot of options where we live. I did request for him to xray my back, and he's the first doc that has measured my scoliosis in my spine. I have a 29 degree curve in my lower thoracic back (mid back). I was always told that I had mild scoliosis since middle school... but 29 degrees is considered moderate, so obviously things have progressed since I was a teenager. I have a great grandma that we called "little grandma" since she was hunch backed and had osteoporosis in her older age. I have always had this fear that I would turn into that. And I remember when I used to work in a physical therapy office, this little old lady would come in each week and she had the worst back I'd ever seen, she could barely even look up at you... always feared that too! But I'm glad I now have some documentation of my back so that I can keep track and compare it in a few years and see if things are staying the same or getting worse. Let's hope things don't move much more than they already have. I also have another curve that has appeared in the last few years in my upper back which is what's been giving me all the trouble lately and is quite painful. BLAH for backs, they stink! Wish we could all be jelly fish and not have any. But I guess that could make things more difficult.

One more thought on my mind... I have two friends who are going through difficult times right now with their health. One who is pregnant, found out she has a tumor on her lung, the other just had a baby with a diaphragmatic hernia and he's in the hospital for an undetermined amount of time on a ventilator (because his lungs aren't developed well enough because of the hernia) and so many tubes... I'm just so grateful that my family is healthy, that I have a healthy little boy and that we are doing well other than our small aches and pains. Watching others go through difficulties sure puts your own life in perspective and helps remind you of how blessed you really are! I am amazed at these women and their strength and amazing testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the plan of salvation. In such a short time, I have already learned so much from them and I'm grateful for friends and all that they teach you! I guess on another note, I went visiting teaching tonight. My companion is from Brazil and the sister we visited is from Korea. I do have to say that I love how diverse our ward is. There are so many people from other countries. I had a blast listening to the two of them talk about their cultures and discuss differences. The sister from Korea fed us some dinner (her usual korean food of sticky rice with vegetables and a curry type sauce). It was wonderful and she was so sweet to offer it to us so we could try something from her culture. Ethan came with me and I had been worried he wouldn't do well at 7pm right before bed, but he loved playing with the 4 year old little boy and the legos they had. I'm glad things went well. Well it's off to lay in bed and read before sleep... thanks to my sister and her teenage girls for all their great book recommendations! I'm reading a fictional novel right now that's about an academy for girls that looks regular on the outside, but really it's a school for spies! I'm loving books more and more these days. So fun and exciting, you never know where they'll take you next...