tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92219586619439928662024-03-13T13:59:50.145-06:00The Boman ZooAaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15144164411319922623noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221958661943992866.post-50202659226867748872013-12-30T00:30:00.002-07:002013-12-30T00:30:08.204-07:00And Then There Were Four...I was planning on writing this several months ago. You know...directly after the events I plan on discussing. However, my computer had different plans and decided to die on me. Several times. Unfortunately, I lost a lot of pictures and was unable to blog for awhile...which may have been a good thing. Then my phone died and I lost more pictures!<br />
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So here we are several months behind schedule and I am on a new laptop with pain medication in my system. <br />
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Two posts ago I went into detail about our latest foster kittens. At first our favorite was the one name Barack. He was a little orange tabby with the cuddliest personality you could possibly imagine. I think I was the first one to comment on a new favorite; a black and white named Percy.<br />
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Look at that face!</div>
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Jessica soon started saying Percy was her favorite as well.We noticed a few of the kittens were having trouble swallowing their food. For whatever reason they could cough and hack even though we were feeding them wet food. Percy was the worst of the bunch. He would cough, meow and struggle for breath.His gurgling plea for help was heart-breaking. After a few instances of his choking, Jessica called a made an appointment for him at Mountain View in Providence.</div>
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(This is where I would post a video of one of his choking episodes if my computer hadn't died)<br />
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The day of his appointment he started choking worse than ever before. In a panic we scooped him up and drove as quickly as possible to the Providence Mountain View. Upon arrival we found the place locked up tight since everyone was on a lunch break. Jessica held wheezing, choking Percy in her arms while I checked the side of the building for another entrance. I found a door and started pounding on it. Through the glass I could see a woman grooming a dog. She looked up at me with an annoyed look on her face. I kept knocking until she finally came over.</div>
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She informed me the other door was the entrance (duh) and to come back later. I explained my kitten was choking to death and we needed help. Just then I saw one of the vets walk around the side of the building. We took Percy over to her and begged for help. After looking at him for a moment she said the needed equipment to help him was at the North Logan location.</div>
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Percy had been choking for 20 minutes by now and we felt time was running out. We jumped back into the car and took off on the back roads. I wasn't about to watch him die while on the road and decided to drive through stop signs and stop lights. Unfortunately, I didn't pull any Hollywood stunts and cause people to swerve out of the way. <br />
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We arrived and they rushed him back while Jessica and I sat in the waiting section trying to decide what to do. We could hear him crying back there. Ugh. Heart wrenching. The vet told us he might have a hole in his esophagus. Wow. I didn't know what to think. At what point do I be the though guy and say we can't afford it?<br />
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He eventually stopped crying. The vet came out and said they could run a test to see how his esophagus was doing. The test would take a few hours so we went back home. And worried.<br />
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And worried some more.<br />
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Keep in mind this guy wasn't even ours at this point.<br />
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The phone rang and we picked up, expecting the worst. Thankfully, she told us he came up clean. No holes. Yay!<br />
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So we picked up Percy and our lives changed.<br /><br />He has grown so much since then. We still have to feed him in a special way or he will choke (which is painful to watch). Wet food is bad for cats as it sticks to their teeth more readily than dry food. And dry food require more crunching which in turn removes plaque. We bought a treat toy for the cats before we got Percy and decided to use it for his feeding time. He has become accustomed to it over time and whines and whines until we give it to him.<br /><br />tl;dr - Percy was a foster cat who won us over because of sickness and money and now we own him. Or he owns us depending on who you talk to :P</div>
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Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15144164411319922623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221958661943992866.post-39376553695277691532012-08-12T23:37:00.000-06:002012-08-12T23:37:03.282-06:00Our Voices Podcasthttp://mormonexpression.com/voices/2012/08/08/39-jessica-and-aaron-tried-every-trick-mormonism-trained-them-to-perform/<br /><br />Give it a listen.<br />Jessica and I go into details about how we met, our missions, our marriage and our leaving Mormonism. We had a blast recording it and we are quite happy to have our "story" out there for friends and family to learn from.<br /><br />Oh, and feel free to donate to Mormon Expression!Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15144164411319922623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221958661943992866.post-68500598094996945302012-07-15T03:15:00.001-06:002012-07-16T12:48:01.679-06:00Foster ParentsI've been meaning to update this for MONTHS! I wanted to post pictures from baby animal days and never got around to it. I don't know why I have such a hard time updating this thing. Maybe if it weren't for the facebooks I would update daily. So maybe you should be thankful for facebook!<br />
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We successfully fostered our Nintendo kitties - Mario, Luigi, Peach and Daisy. Luigi was adopted at the Super Adoption and Mario went a few days later. Peach was last to go about a week after Mario. Daisy, the mama, is still at CHS waiting for her forever home. The person who adopts her will have to be a special person. Daisy is very timid and not very friendly. She has come a long ways since I first met her, hissing and snarling in her carrier.<br />
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Letting that family go was quite difficult. We had them a few days after birth and watched them grow from helpless, sightless kittens to rambunctious furballs.<br />
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Awww, so tiny! Mario is on the left, Peach is on the right.</div>
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We never had to worry about their health since Daisy was there to take care of them. It's amazing how much a mama cat does for her kittens. Without her, survival is very slim...as we found out earlier this year. I'm so happy these guys were able to find forever homes!</div>
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Peach! </div>
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Luigi (we called him Weegee) </div>
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Mario aka Bruiser!</div>
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A few days after we said good-bye to these babies we welcomed seven more cats into our house! One was a mama who had just weaned her kittens, two were siblings and the rest were from separate litters.Unfortunately, one of them died the day we brought him home. Jessica roused him out of death enough to keep him alive for another half a day. I received a text that night while at work saying he had died. She left him wrapped up in a cloth which she then placed inside a plastic sack. I came home and held the little guy on the bench outside our apartment. I wished for an afterlife for him, a place free from sickness that he could roam and play and be loved. It was an odd moment, one where reality and the unknown met face to face and exchanged awkward pleasantries. </div>
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It takes a lot out of you, watching these helpless animals die. Sometimes I am at the shelter and know a kitten is going to die and I just pet them and acknowledge them. I let them know that their death means something to someone, to one individual in this world. </div>
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We had a huge scare with this new batch. The foster mama (she let these kittens nurse even though they weren't hers!) because severely ill and had to be put down. We were worried the babies weren't going to make it. Thankfully, after many doses of medication they are doing much, much better.<br />
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Jessica and I agree that the first litter we fostered were cute and adorable but these guys (they are all male) are a million times cuter. They haven't really had a mom and are completely dependent on us. They purr like crazy and nuzzle our faces when we hold them. Right now I have two of them purring in my lap. It's amazing. These guys would most likely be dead had we not opened our home to them.</div>
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And that's why we do it. That's why we are crazy cat people - to save lives of worthless, insignificant animals that most people write off. Loving them and then giving them away is the most painful yet rewarding thing I have done in my life. This coming from the guy who yelled "I hate you!" to the people who adopted one of his cats when he was in the 5th grade!</div>
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These are our babies. We don't need children, we have them. They are our lives, our future. Jessica and I couldn't do this if we had children of our own and we are fine with that. We are young! We have plenty of time to adopt or procreate. Right now we are focused on helping our four legged friends! It's the most rewarding volunteering I have ever done.</div>
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Thank you for saving us! (The black and white one has stolen our hearts!)</div>
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Our apartment might stink, I might post a lot of pictures on facebook and talk about kittens at work...but it's worth it. Saving a life, ANY life, is worth it.</div>
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I sort of laugh inside whenever someone asks me if we have and children. I always say, "Nope, but we have animals!" and I'm sure people think it isn't the same...and I'm okay with that. It's what we want, it's what we need and it makes us happy.<br />
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And isn't that all that matters?</div>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15144164411319922623noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221958661943992866.post-56398744617333496042012-04-03T21:30:00.001-06:002012-04-04T03:07:19.752-06:00Bath Time at the ZooWow, I meant to do this update back in December! Let's just pretend I did and that I've been keeping this thing updated.<br />
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There comes a time at the zoo when Jessica or myself says to the other, "I think we need to give (one of the animals) a bath." Usually this is after Diesel has spent a lot of time outside in the rain or snow or, heaven forbid, has found a standing body of water. Now, this body of water can be a small puddle or a patch of mud that contains .000001% of water. It doesn't matter to Diesel. Add this all up and you have one stinky Poop!<br />
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Then there's Kaylee, our beautiful medium-haired cat. We know it's bath time when her hair starts to look a little greasy and feels like...greasy hair? Shyla's short-haired so we don't worry too much about her. Sometimes, after bathing Kaylee we dunk Shyla just to keep her humble and on her toes. <br />
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Now, legend has it, once every great while there comes a time when the stars align and a sort of other-world idea finds its way into Jessica's brain as well as my own - bathe them all! With this thought comes the primal strength and patience needed to complete such a task. It is no small feat to scrub, rinse and repeat four uncooperative animals.<br />
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Such a night occurred on a cold evening in December of 2011. Before any of them could get any whiffs of what was about to happen, Jessica started up the bath and I grabbed the easiest of them all - Jade. She'd never really had a bath before. Jessica doused her once shortly after we adopted her to remove the layers of food, litter and poop off her fur.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YJ86LgR0fuY/T3uz1Nw_eSI/AAAAAAAAAKM/LhuNJS5QpA4/s1600/DSC09613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YJ86LgR0fuY/T3uz1Nw_eSI/AAAAAAAAAKM/LhuNJS5QpA4/s320/DSC09613.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> She was so small, so innocent...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_K4hOrGGMuc/T3uz3NjsHVI/AAAAAAAAAKU/ACvWaTLxy2g/s1600/DSC09615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_K4hOrGGMuc/T3uz3NjsHVI/AAAAAAAAAKU/ACvWaTLxy2g/s320/DSC09615.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">...so not amused. This is the face that keeps me up at night, the face that haunts my dreams.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yeqheEYCGFw/T3uz40o2z1I/AAAAAAAAAKc/LMBr78y9uCM/s1600/DSC09617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yeqheEYCGFw/T3uz40o2z1I/AAAAAAAAAKc/LMBr78y9uCM/s320/DSC09617.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Diesel, our next victim, pleaded with us to stop the torture, to end the madness. This is the most difficult one because of his size and ability to cover us in hair and water within .32 seconds. His bath takes the longest to clear the evidence; soapy water prohibited by a black hair clogged drain.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jWMYGzur414/T3uz7lJL1eI/AAAAAAAAAKk/1f3COcvBy9c/s1600/DSC09622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jWMYGzur414/T3uz7lJL1eI/AAAAAAAAAKk/1f3COcvBy9c/s320/DSC09622.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Next up, Kaylee puss. Her gentle meows fell on deaf ears. We had passed the half way mark. She flashed her vicious looking hind claws at us in warning. We finished before she had an opportunity to spill our blood.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hktm_N-qQrM/T3uz-T109ZI/AAAAAAAAAKs/dnJP1k7b0sA/s1600/DSC09625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hktm_N-qQrM/T3uz-T109ZI/AAAAAAAAAKs/dnJP1k7b0sA/s320/DSC09625.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Last but not least - Shyla. Her angry growls echoed through the bathroom as she pawed at us, desperately wishing her removed claws would suddenly regrow and free her from this nightmare. She, who usually escaped bath time, is counted among the victims. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-030-K8eX1HM/T3u0AO0KnpI/AAAAAAAAAK0/YQrZ8HkVYFw/s1600/DSC09630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-030-K8eX1HM/T3u0AO0KnpI/AAAAAAAAAK0/YQrZ8HkVYFw/s320/DSC09630.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> A silence followed the event. Jessica and I came to our senses and looked around in utter dismay at the piles of towels strewn about, clumps of fur and various scratches upon our arms. Jade, thinking she had just experienced a ritual of sorts, a once in a lifetime experience, forgot the whole thing and tried to cheer up Shyla. But Shyla had noticed Jade's long fur and knew the day, the Perfect Storm if you will, would strike again.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
Unexpectedly.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15144164411319922623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221958661943992866.post-1424501705231692152011-11-20T20:21:00.000-07:002011-11-20T20:21:13.094-07:00Introductions!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Beta' the Betta is still alive!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I'm not sure if switching to bottled "Spring" water did the trick in keeping him alive or if the other fish was sick. Either way I'm not complaining. Put a thermometer on the bowl to keep track of the temperature. Whenever it dips to low 70s I put a heating pad between the bowl and the wall. Seems to do the trick!<br />
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A few weeks ago I couldn't ignore the feeling that it was time to add to our little furry family besides a rat or a fish. Volunteering at the shelter was supposed to keep the desire to own a kitten at bay and it was working. I don't know how to explain it! I wanted a kitten!<br />
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There were other reasons as well. Kaylee was being a pest and terrorizing Shyla. Jessica and I wondered if Kaylee needed a playmate (so blame Jessica, too!) Not to mention November happened to be free adoptions on cats! As if I would be able to turn down a free kitten :D<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First day at home!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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Her name is Jade. I held her a lot on the day I volunteered and decided to give her a chance to be adopted by someone else over the weekend. I mulled over the pros and cons of bringing another fluff ball into our apartment.<br />
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Well, Monday came and she was still there...so we adopted her! The name Jade seemed to fit her quite well so we kept it. We did the same with Shyla. Kaylee's name was Petunia....blech...that had to change.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">As you can see in the picture Jade was very dirty! Her diet consisted of wet food mixed with a milk substitute. She always seemed to manage to get it all over her face and whiskers.<br />
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Unfortunately, a few days after we adopted Jade she began to sneeze quite often. Jessica and I knew exactly what that meant - Jade had caught the upper respiratory infection that is ever present at the Humane Society. I took her to the vet who seemed more concerned with the diarrhea than the sneezing. Jade became more and more sick. She wasn't running around any longer and her eyes were constantly running.<br />
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We took her back to the Humane Society for her second round of dewormer medication. While there the technician gave us some drugs to take care of the infection. The next day Jade couldn't breathe through her nose. She would sleep by tilting her head all the way back in order to open up her airway as much as possible. I stayed up with her all night and held her head so she could relax enough to sleep a little bit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ew0XDxrumqA/TsnAtnwDGXI/AAAAAAAAAHY/-InFrYySnxQ/s1600/DSC09464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ew0XDxrumqA/TsnAtnwDGXI/AAAAAAAAAHY/-InFrYySnxQ/s320/DSC09464.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fingers are delicious!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The days following were very stressful as I wondered if Jade was going to make it. After losing our five kittens several months ago I didn't think I could handle another death. We fed her with a syringe in order to keep her hydrated. Gradually, she started eating more and seemed to have more energy. She moved around the house on her own and I started to call her "Wheezy/Wheezer" because of her raspy breathing.<br />
<br />
She has been running and pouncing all over the place the past two days. She is such a little pest! Shyla still hates her while Kaylee is being very tolerant. I hope they can be wrestling buddies soon!<br />
<br />
The biggest surprise is how Jade is lacking any fear towards Diesel. She loves to pounce on his feet and chase his tail. Diesel seems very confused. I don't think he realized cats came in that size!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tmBqSIed3kA/TsnCwGkx6aI/AAAAAAAAAHg/Ejswg3Gtsyw/s1600/DSC09474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tmBqSIed3kA/TsnCwGkx6aI/AAAAAAAAAHg/Ejswg3Gtsyw/s320/DSC09474.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Friendzies!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table> And now our zoo consists of - 3 cats, 1 dog, 2 rats and a fish. Whew! Taking care of them sure keeps us busy and happy!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fIFjOXOqirg/TsnDY3dIdlI/AAAAAAAAAHo/zEZ4FigvFfM/s1600/DSC09480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fIFjOXOqirg/TsnDY3dIdlI/AAAAAAAAAHo/zEZ4FigvFfM/s320/DSC09480.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jade says - Leave a comment or I will find you and NOM your nose!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15144164411319922623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221958661943992866.post-50283226350278767282011-11-06T23:02:00.000-07:002011-11-06T23:02:29.906-07:00Fish DramaMost people know that I am, to put it mildly, a cat person. I have a few theories as to why I am this way:<br />
<br />
1 - When I was very young we babysat my neighbor's dog, Sparky. Said dog nipped me on the thumb and scarred me for life. The only reasonable response would be to love Sparky's natural enemy.<br />
<br />
2 - I ate cat food as a kid. What do you expect? It was on the floor and I am a creature of opportunity.<br />
<br />
3 - My parents took me to a museum and a genetically altered cat bit me and I became a cat man.<br />
<br />
4 - Because cats are better than dogs (yeah, I said it!)<br />
<br />
I also am a fish person. Aquariums are cost money and take up room - two things that are not in abundance 'round these parts. This past summer I found a nifty hanging fish bowl on amazon and before I knew what was happening my subconscious took over and the rest is history. That can be said for a lot of my amazon purchases! <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G9RE5Vg3gb4/TrdwcWpeQ2I/AAAAAAAAAGw/jgEzemSAkb0/s1600/DSC09386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G9RE5Vg3gb4/TrdwcWpeQ2I/AAAAAAAAAGw/jgEzemSAkb0/s320/DSC09386.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alpha - July 2011</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
We named the Betta fish Alpha, har har har. He was a good fish until about two weeks ago when he decided to die. The next day we replaced him with another Betta fish (Beta/Bravo...we never got that far) who also took the cowards way out and died within three hours.<br />
<br />
Now, I'm not a fish n00b. I've had many aquariums in my life - 20 gallon, 10 gallon, 5 gallon...odd. They appear to get smaller as time passed. Regardless, I know what I am doing when it comes to fish. Therefore, my only conclusion was the water where I am currently residing is dumb. <br />
<br />
I took the unnamed carcass back to Wal-Mart for a refund. Have you noticed how small the North Logan Wal-Mart's fish section has become? Probably because it was a joke and Petsmart was dominating them on sales. After getting our money back we went to Petsmart and picked out a new Beta/Bravo (still haven't decided). He has been hanging out in the cup we purchased him in because I am none too eager to place him into the bowl and watch the poor thing die. <br />
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Tomorrow will be the day of days for our little fishy. Be strong, future Beta/Bravo!<br />
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PS - Cast your vote to the right and influence what I will be blogging about next :D<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15144164411319922623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221958661943992866.post-23391120789233387352011-10-18T10:05:00.001-06:002011-10-18T10:05:11.810-06:00Ch-ch-ch-changes!A part of me hates changes. I like routine. I like knowing exactly what is going to happen. I have a set idea of what I'd like to do on a given day and if someone wants me to alter that schedule - watch out!<br />
<br />
Yet, a part of me loves changes. New places, new people, new experiences. Just give me time to warm up to the idea of making a change, please!<br />
<br />
Jessica has a new job.<br />
I'm attending school.<br />
We moved back to Logan.<br />
<br />
These are the big changes that have occurred within the past few months. I haven't the time to go into detail about them right now. I am currently in the computer lab on campus (I should be in Ballam's class) and we haven't hooked up the internet at our place yet. Therefore, my time is limited.<br />
<br />
I plan on writing here more often and updating the way this blog looks!Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15144164411319922623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221958661943992866.post-84111878014664128732011-07-22T16:24:00.002-06:002012-04-04T03:05:27.140-06:00Love and Tolerance<div>I am continually astonished by the myriad ways in people justify themselves for their bigotry. Love between people of the same sex is wrong because "God" says so. Black people aren't real people. Muslims are all terrorists. Poor people are lazy. Cat people are poor, old, and wear gingham. In my research, and in my limited lifetime, I've come to the conclusion that people are people. No matter what age, race, or circumstances, some people handle things like heroes and some people hurt other people. It's just how it is.</div><div> </div><div>So I get tires of hearing people's prejudiced remarks. To me, prejudice, is just another tool of self-aggradndizment. We hate others to make ourselves better than them. We also hate what we don't understand and consequently fear. I guess I can understand that. My problem is when we refuse to even try to understand.</div><div> </div><div>My parents, bless them, (love you guys!) will never be able to understand my dicision to leave the church because they don't want to understand. They won't ever listen. They're scared that if they open their minds to what I'm trying to say to them, that they too will lose their faith. I'm inclined to agree with them on that. It's a tough situation. At least I have my Aaron to lean on. As far as spitituality, we aren't exactly on the same page but we agree when it comes to the LDS church and that is enough for now.</div><div> </div><div>I love you so much, baby! Everything I d,o every day, is for you, for us. I hope you notice it. :) My sweetheart, we'll get through this together, and keep on lovin'!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221958661943992866.post-59362448907857145852011-07-18T17:52:00.003-06:002012-04-04T03:05:27.145-06:00Gastritis<div>I was three weeks out of the hospital when I began to experience reapeated diarrhea and nausea. I thought maybe it had something to do with running out of my probiotic I usually take, but then I woke up one morning vomiting. I couldn't stop. I went to my doctor who told me something was wrong with my stomach and to head to the ER if I continued to throw up. The danger was dehydration. I went the next morning at 5:30 am and was admitted with severe dehydration. It took several days to get to a place where my nausea and pain were controlled enough to send me home. An endoscopy was perfomed which diagnosed the gastrits. The pictures showed a red, swollen, and ugly stomach lining. I was put on Karafate. My doctor calls it the "bandaid" since it coats the stomach giving it the space it needs from food and medicine to heal.</div><div> </div><div>It's going to take time, however. I'm still on Karafate and will be for a while. I'm also being tested for siliac's diesease and/or gluten intolerance. I was on a gluten free diet for a while but I'm off of it now. I plan to resume the diet after the gastritis has healed some more. What with the diet and the week in the hospital not eating, I've lost nearly fifteen pounds so that's a silver lining. My sweet husband was my rock, supporting me and loving me despite all our fears. So thanks, Aaron. I love you!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221958661943992866.post-22040885881378856802011-07-14T14:16:00.000-06:002011-07-14T14:16:46.115-06:00No Spinning!This past weekend was one of the most relaxing experiences in my life. Jessica and I went to a Dutch Over Dinner at a friend's house and had a blast. Made new friends, laughed with old friends and just...expressed ourselves. I opened up about a few things that had been on my mind for some months and doing so felt great. Maybe I'll talk about it in a later post.<br />
<br />
Why was the weekend relaxing? What did we have to relax from? Jessica went to the hospital again. Another four day/three night adventure. My baby told those doctors what's up and refused treatment she didn't want. I'm so proud of her! A big change from the woman I knew when we were still newlyweds. Turns out she had gastritis. I saw the pictures of her stomach and it wasn't very pretty.<br />
<br />
The experience was quite stressful on both of us. Once again I will let my lovely wife do all the talking about her hospital visit.<br />
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This is going to be a short one. I have to go to work soon and later at 2:45 tonight....HARRY POTTER!Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15144164411319922623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221958661943992866.post-11612046434170285642011-06-18T00:05:00.002-06:002012-04-04T03:05:27.155-06:00A Fragile Mass of Nerves Continued<div>When Marilyn, my wonderful mother-in-law had that second aneurysm, we stayed most of the night at the hospital with all of Aaron's brothers and sisters and their spouses, as well as some of the older grandchildren. We made quite a crowd in the waiting room. The surgeon who came to tell us the (favorable!) result of Marilyn's surgery said he felt intimidated talking to such a large group. :) A few hours later the incredible stress and fear I had been feeling caught up to me and I succumbed to an IBS attack. I had to spend the following day and night at my brother and sister-in-law's home while I recovered.<br /><br />The following evening I began bleeding even though I shouldn't have started for another week. I called my doctor who said it was likely the result of the previous few days' stress. Except it didn't stop. On day twenty-eight other symptoms surfaced. I began to throw up. Aaron will tell you that nausea is my kryptonite and he's right. I was miserable. On the advice of our doctors we went to the ER who then promptly told us that there was little they could do and to go see my OBGYN (the same one who sent me to the ER). Frustrated and getting worse, we saw a colleague of my OBGYN's (since she just couldn't squeeze me in herself) and he prescribed a high dose of progesterone to stop the bleeding which would then, hopefully, clear up the nausea and vomiting as well. We left his office and went straight to the ER where they finally admitted me.<br /><br />I was in the hospital for four days. On day two I was given a shot of that large amount of progesterone and, sure enough, the bleeding slowed and then stopped. The nausea took a little longer but I finally was able to go home. Now my body is struggling to gain some sort of equilibrium, vacillating between diarrhea and constipation. Mornings are especially bad. I'm hoping that by eating right and taking my medicines, my body will eventually stabilize itself, but until then I'm a less than scintillating companion for my Aaron. There. Two months of hell spelled out.<br /><br />As for Marilyn, she's still pretty weak herself, and often confused about what is going on around her. It's really hard to see. My heart just breaks for my husband because, knowing how much I love her and knowing that his love for her is twenty times my own, this is hitting him hard. He wasn't kidding when he said she was the glue that holds us all together. Her approval, her support, her advice are very important to all of us. She is special. She stands out from those around her because of her wisdom and charity. I think if anyone wants to know what it is to love unconditionally, talk to Marilyn. She'll teach you. And she'll love you. No matter what.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221958661943992866.post-15177343002041135852011-06-17T23:43:00.000-06:002011-06-17T23:43:13.577-06:00A fragile mass of nervesThe human brain.<br />
<br />
The past two months have been a complete nightmare.<br />
<br />
On April 23 my mom had "the worst headache [she'd] ever had" and threw up a few times. Some of my sisters took her to the ER and the doctors there suspected an aneurysm and she was whisked via life flight to Murray.<br />
<br />
Jessica and I pulled up right as the helicopter was about to take off. One of the hospital employees had to jump in front of the car to get us to stop and then hold me back from running up to the helicopter. I wanted to see my mommy!<br />
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We all drove down the Murrary with questions tumbling through our minds. Her helicopter hit a bird on the way there, putting a hole in the windshield and forcing them to make and emergency landing at the SLC airport.<br />
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Tests, test and more tests. The doctors couldn't find where the bleed was happening. Days passed. A week passed and boom, a full on aneurysm. This time the doctors were able to go into her brain and find the bleed and repair it. This was a scary time.<br />
<br />
Towards the middle of May Mom was allowed to come home. She's not the same as she was before - obviously - though she is making baby steps. The woman gave birth to 9 kids naturally without pain medication (I was the only one she had pain free :D ), raised ten kids and several grandkids. She's a fighter. Seeing her laid up and fragile is quite shocking. We are all used to seeing Dad sick or injured. Not Mom. She's the glue that holds us together!<br />
<br />
My heart aches for those of you who have had a loved one with dementia. I visisted Mom in the CCU and she didn't seem to remember me, which shook me to the core. I can only imagine the pain of having a loved one never remember anything about you.<br />
<br />
Shortly after Mom came home Jessica became sick. I'll let her talk about that.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15144164411319922623noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221958661943992866.post-86812290380704424972011-04-10T21:11:00.007-06:002011-04-11T00:34:58.546-06:00Waxing Nostalgic IIOur neighbors were an odd bunch. The morning after our wedding one of them knocked on our front door. She seemed nice enough. We talked for a minute or two until she asked us when we were married. I told her we had been married last night. She freaked out and said, "Oh my goodness, I'll leave you two alone!" My parents knew her from years ago and she loved cats. In fact, knowing she had cats in her "no pets allowed" apartment inspired us to do the same!<br /><br />We never talked to the lady above us. She loved listening to techno-ish music and cranked movies on Sundays. That's my only complaint of her.<br /><br />There was a kid in his 20's living next to the cat neighbor. He was...odd. He was on a lot of medication which may or may not have included pot.<br /><br />Of course there were more people living next to us. These are the only ones we interacted with more than once.<br /><br />Our apartment did not have air conditioning. During the summer we quickly invested in a fan or two in order to combat the stifling heat. Our cat would get so hot she would sprawl out on her belly on the tile floor in order to cool down!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vv_SW_NlxsM/TaJ0rzlu_oI/AAAAAAAAADw/znGGcOAxPUY/s1600/DSC07758.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vv_SW_NlxsM/TaJ0rzlu_oI/AAAAAAAAADw/znGGcOAxPUY/s320/DSC07758.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594161983079251586" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Shyla saying "zomg u hoominz kneedz teh Ay Si"<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;">Jessica and I thought about buying an AC unit. Lack of funds kept us from doing so. This, in part, helped us to toughen which allowed us to survive living in our second apartment.<br /><br />These were the days of tin foil over the bedroom windows in hopes of blotting out the sun, thus making it possible for me to sleep during the day. These were the days of hospital stays and medical bills. Wait...those days are still upon us! These were the days of referring to Shyla as "my little Jew", seeing as we were hiding her from the landlords. These were the days of feeding stray cats and even catching one with a blanket (I let it go. His name was James) These were the days of adjusting to living with someone and of the usual first year of marriage fights (these still happen once in awhile, as they should)<br /><br />Looking back I can see how hard the first year of marriage was for Jessica. Here she is in a new apartment, new surroundings all alone, at night, while her new husband was off working. Then I would come home and sleep while she was awake or at work. She's such a trooper for doing that for over two years. Never again.<br /><br />On our fourth month or marriage Jessica was hospitalized for two weeks. The Logan doctors had NO IDEA what was wrong with her. In fact, one doctor was certain she had a STD. We still joke about that. I think those two weeks brought us closer together. I remember when she had an allergic reaction to a medication and her limbs were jerking around involuntarily. Scared the heck out of me!...as well as her nurse.<br /><br />Seeing Jessica like that scared me in a way I'd never experienced. And I hope I never have to again.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div></div><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v09pMh1wOxw/TaJ0FzcgE-I/AAAAAAAAADo/_yEGHLBUC2A/s1600/DSC07758.JPG"><br /></a>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15144164411319922623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221958661943992866.post-37545011893092387882011-03-20T10:27:00.003-06:002011-03-20T10:34:20.531-06:00Life is sweetWe have many joys in our life. Every morning I wake up in the arms of my husband brings me happiness I never saw coming. And our animals. Their quirky personalities, their unconditional love, all the little tricks they do, add such spice to life. I couldn't live without them. And Spring is on the way. Warmer air and melting snow give me all kins of happy feelings. I have to remind myself daily to cling to these things or else the stress of each days chores and duties plummets me into depression. So here's a big thank you to my sweetheart for making me laugh every night, and to my animals for making me laugh when Aaron isn't there. My little family makes life sweet.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221958661943992866.post-44515075746563841792011-03-15T23:21:00.006-06:002011-03-15T23:38:45.173-06:00Waxing NostalgicLooking for an apartment has made me reflect back upon the first apartment we lived in for 18 months. <div><br /><div>A long time ago (2007) in this galaxy Jessica and I were not yet married. I don't recall exactly when the apartment hunting began. I do remember becoming tired of it after the first one or two. This was when I had barely started working on the graveyard shift. I was tired and did not feel like going to look around town when I could be sleeping. Therefore, my lovely future wife took it upon herself to select our humble abode. I gave her to go ahead to decide.<br /></div><br /><div>One day in November Jessica called me to say she had found our apartment. She described it as a one bedroom, bath and kitchen with nasty carpets. The lady currently residing there was a pack rat and Jessica said she had to follow "paths" to get from room to room. Ick. But Jessica had decided "this was the place".<br /></div><div>Sometime between then and the wedding date I (it may have been a week before the wedding) I went to the apartment and peeked inside. The carpet was disgusting. I think the original color was blue only now it was more black than anything. Jessica reassured me the carpet was going to be replaced.<br /></div><br /><div>We tried to move in about a week before our wedding. The bank wouldn't have it because we had told them we wanted it by December 20th. I explained we were getting MARRIED on the 20th and needed it available a few days before so we could adequately move in. </div><br /><div>We moved our stuff in about a day or two before the 20th. The carpets weren't finished yet. I called the bank and basically told them to get it done now or die. I think it was finished either the day before or the day of the wedding. Talk about cutting it close!<br /></div><br /><div>The wedding came and happiness followed. I must confess being alone with Jessica in "our" apartment felt odd. I could finally be with a girl and not get in trouble! Woo hoo! </div><br /><div>Unfortunately, the previous tennant hadn't cleaned very well at all. The cupboards were nasty, the walls had stains on them and the carpet layers had left a horrible mess on the kitchen tile. There was a door in the kitchen that led to the carport, which was nothing more than mud and gravel. The gentlemen had tracked mud in all over the kitchen. Oh, and they hadn't removed the extra carpet or vacuumed up the little pieces. There was so much to do. Unpacking. Cleaning. Buying groceries. The usual. I'm so glad we didn't go on our honeymoon right off the bat! What a horrible mess to come home and find, waiting to be cleaned and polished. </div><br /><div>Within the first week one of Jessica's friends brought her husband over and helped us clean. He helped me saw an inch or two off the bedroom and living room doors. With the new carpet being higher than the old you couldn't close the doors without much pulling/pushing. Those two pretty much saved our lives! I will be forever in their debt! Side note - once 9-10 PM rolled around I was quite anxious for them to leave so I could do some "rolling" of my own...if you know what I mean! </div><div> </div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584544612412031794" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tzdGm6n51Ok/TYBJvJ8kAzI/AAAAAAAAADI/-vNq9dq4IPY/s320/DSC07659.JPG" /><br />This is the living room. We rearranged it several times over the months we lived there. This is the earliest picture I could find. Look at that sweet SD TV in the corner! Also, note the lack of a Wii or Xbox 360. Those window blinds wouldn't go up very easily. We could have used some new ones and, ironically, the owner bought new blinds after we moved out! I was always afraid someone would peek in through the broken blinds. </div><div> </div><div>There's more, of course, but it will have to wait until another time. Stay tuned!<br /></div><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><div></div></div>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15144164411319922623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221958661943992866.post-41991181594318381222011-02-07T12:48:00.002-07:002011-02-07T13:06:51.724-07:00When enough is enough.Yesterday, Jessica and I attended the best Superbowl Party I have ever attended (it's the only one so far...good to start out with the best). I've come to love my new friends...not in a creepy way. It's so great to be connected with a group of people who have been where you are and are feeling what you are feeling. The love and acceptance is almost overwhelming at times.<br /><br />We were there for about six hours. I ate too much chips and dip. The conversations were hilarious. Loud laughter was shared by all! Oh, wasn't that a horrible Half Time Show? Black Eyed Peas ftl.<br /><br />Jessica and I have decided to stop with the I.U.I.s and the associated medication. The money is just too much for us at this time. Another reason is I have been on clomid for over 4 months. I'm tired of the hot flashes and dizzy spells. I want to go back to feeling like my old self. I want to be able to trust what I am feeling and not having to wonder if it's the drugs. And the stress of it all is something we don't want to deal with right now.<br /><br />Jessica's schooling is going quite well. She aces all of her quizzes and tests. I'm proud of her. We are looking into a paper route in hopes of making some extra money.<br /><br />Diesel had his first check up on Saturday. He loved meeting all the new people and smelling the scents throughout the office. He appears to be in good health and weighs 77 lbs! When I think about how far he has come along since we first bought him I can't help but be thankful we have such a good dog! As a puppy I wanted to strangle him. Pooping everywhere, peeing in the other places, puking on me, keeping us up at night. I wanted to kill him.<br /><br />Now he's an obediant dog who listens when given commands. His tail might be considered a weapon in most states, however.<br /><br />That's all for today. I was going to include more "Deep Thoughts by Aaron" section. Maybe next time!Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15144164411319922623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221958661943992866.post-48535834374741218012010-12-30T15:35:00.002-07:002010-12-30T16:09:39.878-07:00A quick update and a mini rantI had this whole entry read and the internet decided to be dumb. So here we go again!<br /><br />This entry is going to contain something I've been thinking about for quite a while. It will be at the end.<br /><br />For starters, a quick update!<br />In November, Jessica needed to go to the ER again. The doctors loaded her up with pain pills and sent her home. Four days later I dislocated my knee at work and went to the ER. The same doctor and nurse who helped Jessica helped me. It was quite humorous. I took 9 days off of work and about went crazy. Now I remember why I was so upset after the surgery three years ago. Being crippled SUCKS. I had to use crutches at work for a week. That wasn't fun.<br /><br />In December, Jessica needed to go to the ER again. Well, first we went to Wal-Mart at 4 AM for drugs and THEN we hit the ER. She was in so much pain! Turns out it was just a gas bubble.<br /><br />We celebrated three years of marriage in December! We spent a weekend together. Two nights in the Providence Inn and one night in the Anniversary Inn. Jessica didn't know we were going to the AI. I put a blindfold on her and surprised the crap out of her! Got it on video, too! The weekend was pure bliss. The bed in the AI was freaking squeaky. Our poor neighbors!<br /><br />Coming back to reality after the weekend SUCKED.<br /><br />Last week we went in for IUI #2. We did everything we needed to do. The day before Jessica took a vial of HCG (good-bye $85) and I had all my drugs. Took the, ahem, sample in for the doctors to spin it down. Ten minutes later the doctor comes into the room and asks me if I'd been sick or had an infection. Confused, I answer that I am fine. He says my white blood cell count is sky high, thus making the IUI impractical. Good-bye $300. Here's to next month.<br /><br />This leads me into my main topic for this entry. I am so grateful my ideas on "God" have recently evolved. If not, I might be beating myself up for not being "worthy" of God's blessings. "Maybe if I paid 15% tithing, read 2 chapters a night, had home evening, family prayer, family scripture time, planted a garden, read the Ensign, read the upcoming lesson, take my neighbors cookies and go to the temple twice a week, God will bless me."<br /><br />I'd be stressing myself out, pleading with God to help us have a baby. "God's hand is in all things," yeah, right! There are no blessings. Things just happen. Some people pay tithing and mysteriously find money while others go bankrupt. Some people pray for their loved ones in the war and they come home safely while others are sent home in a coffin.<br /><br />I don't have to jump through hoops anymore. Doing so is like the Native Americans and their rain dances. If it doesn't rain...God didn't want it to. But if it DOES rain...the dance worked.<br /><br />No thanks.<br /><br />Reminds me of my black lab, Diesel. He sees I have a treat in my hand when teaching him to do a new trick. He doesn't get what I'm trying to get him to do so he starts doing all the old tricks I taught him, just hoping one of them will earn him that treat. So it is with God.<br /><br />Anyway. I'm thankful I've come to understand how "God" works. Too bad I didn't earlier, it would have saved me a lot of grief.<br /><br />....and if the IUIs never work, then next step is to have sex while wearing garments. That's supposed to do the trick ;)Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15144164411319922623noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221958661943992866.post-84200197764701741352010-10-04T23:27:00.003-06:002010-10-04T23:52:34.040-06:00My Conference Weekend<span style="font-family:courier new;">Well, we are all moved in and currently living in Amalga. The cats adjusted quicker than expected, not that I'm complaining! Kaylee loves everyone and Shyla is becoming less shy to other people. Diesel is in heaven with a big backyard to run around in!</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">Unfortunately, Jessica's health took a turn for the worse. She has been in pain for the past three weeks. Some days she can barely move yet she still manages to do the laundry and take care of me! What a lucky guy I am!</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">On Friday we decided to go see a doctor about the pain. The doctor's office was closed for the day so I encouraged her to go to InstaCare. I was at work dealing with the stress of caselot and unable to transport her. One of our friends took her. Woo hoo for friends!</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">Jessica called me later and asked if I could get off work early so I could accompany her to the hosptial because the doctor wanted to do some more tests. I didn't think that was possible seeing it was caselot on a Friday night. She wouldn't tell me the reason for the test and only gave in when I demanded an answer.</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">"They think I'm pregnant"</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">Silence.</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">My heart had leaped into my throat and my mind went blank for a couple seconds. I asked how they thought this. The doctor had her take a pregnancy test and they were just about to x-ray her when the doctor burst into the room and exclaimed, "Wait! You might be pregnant!" Jessica burst into tears, understandably, since we've been trying for over six months now. The next step was to go to the hospital for an ultrasound to see if she was in fact pregnant.</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">Thankfully, the store was slowing down and my boss let me go an hour early. Thanks Landon! We went to the hospital and waited for our turn. We talked about not getting our hopes up and when the baby would be due. I did my best to remain calm until we had concrete proof.</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">We were called in, Jessica stripped from the waist down, her belly was oiled up and the ultrasound began. </span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">Nothing. He said the pregnancy might be early and unable to show up on the scan. Our only hope was the blood test results which the doctor was trying to finish by the end of the night. This didn't happen so we waited all of Friday night, hoping, wishing, thinking and worrying. The feeling was the same as I used to experience on Christmas Eve as a youngster. Would I get the right presents? Would Santa come? Why can't it be morning already!</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">I remember waking up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. My mind was a haze and I stumbled around until a burst of a thought came into my mind. </span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"></span><br /><em><span style="font-family:courier new;">I might be a father.</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:courier new;"></span></em><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">I smiled at the thought and couldn't wait for the hours to pass. I climbed back into bed, pulled Jessica into my arms and drifted back to sleep.</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">I awoke to the sound of a ringing cell phone. Jessica bolted and answered it. I perched over her , resting my chin on her shoulder so I could hear the news as well. My heart was pounding, my thoughts racing.</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">"I'm sorry," was the answer.</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">How cruel to have our hopes and dreams teased only to experience the crushing reality. Part of me expected that answer so I was able to brush it aside. The other part of me was heart broken. There was nothing to look forward to any more. No planning, no excitement. Just pain. I was just me again.</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">Still, hope remained. The irrational side of me knew tests could be wrong. Jessica's period was supposed to occur a few days ago. There was still a chance....</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">No. The proof came today and with it goes a painful experience. And now, we count the days, plan the time and wait another month. </span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">This is something close to my heart as well as Jessica's. I felt like it should be shared with friends and family. I know others have experienced the same disappointment and survived. I know we will. We have each other, our cats, our "rodents" and a silly puppy.</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">I just want a freaking baby.</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"></span>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15144164411319922623noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221958661943992866.post-24128105166807981972010-06-18T23:27:00.002-06:002010-06-18T23:32:20.964-06:00My Two Cents<span style="font-family: arial;">I think you did pretty well, sweetheart, in covering the last few months. I suppose I could add some of our family news. Little Arleah was born to Tae and Steve in March and has been a completely delightful new niece. My Mom had gastric bypass surgery and is losing tons of weight very fast! I can't wait to go shopping with her soon. I'm also making a cd with my brother and sister. It should be finished soon if the "Diva" (Jason) would get off his high horse and work. We'll see. Speaking of Jason, he got his mission call to Paraguay, Ascuncion North. We're very excited for him. I continue to work on my book and stories and my sister joins me in my efforts. I love my new job and Aaron's too. Yes there are a lot of bills and times are hard, but they're good too!<br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221958661943992866.post-40006445448610318132010-06-16T18:30:00.003-06:002010-06-16T18:54:22.076-06:0011 months summed up in a few paragraphsEleven months have come and gone. I guess enough time has passed for an update on the going ons of our lives.<br /><br />First off, we didn't get rid of Kaylee. Shyla hated her guts for a little over a month and then they became fast friends. Their personalities are very different. Shyla was a crazy kitten, attacking everything, shredding the walls and peeling off the wallpaper. Kaylee was more relaxed and a cuddle puss.<br /><br />Unfortunately, their friendship hit a rocky spot in December when we took Kaylee in to be fixed by the vet. When we brought her back home Shyla could smell non-Kaylee scent. This did not go well. Shyla tolertates Kaylee now, however, long gone are the days of cuddling together. Also, Kaylee is as big as Shyla and loves to play. There's another factor that strained their friendship which I will comment on later.<br /><br />After adopting Kaylee we found ourselves in a tricky situation. Our apartment did not allow pets. We ignored that and adopted Shyla...hey, I can't live without cats :) Adding another cat made life a little more interesting. A few of the other renters in our complex had cats as well and that added a little comfort. We also felt cramped living in a one bedroom apartment.<br /><br />We searched and searched and searched and finally in September found a two bedroom apartment that allowed pets. We moved in the cats enjoyed the extra space as well as stairs to run up and down in the middle of the night.<br /><br />Unfortunately, while this was going on Jessica's health declined and she was forced to quit her job at Dillard's. She didn't like working there so it wasn't hard for her to say good-bye. We felt the loss of her paychecks twice a month. Life was rough then. We didn't unpack everything. The apartment was a mess. The neighborhood kids constantly wanted to see the cats and rat/mice. New ward. No money. The usual.<br /><br />In January we bought a black lab puppy for Jessica's birthday. Days passed before we decided on a name - Diesel. He was a cute and cuddly ten pounds...and a pain in the neck to keep from peeing/pooing every where. I wanted to kill him a few times and stopped calling him "pup" and switched to "poop"...a nickname that stuck.<br /><br />Now he is approaching seven months old and is 65 pounds. He rarely has an accident inside and, if I remember correctly, has only destroyed a pillow and one of Jessica's sandals. All in all, he is a great dog who suffers from HLS (Happy Lab Syndrome) and LOVES to play outside with other dogs.<br /><br />Jessica went to the ER/hospital again in the early months of the year. We are once again fighting bills and trying to make it to the next paycheck. Thankfully, in May I was promoted from the midnight crew to assistant (to the) manager at Lee's. I've enjoyed my new shifts and new friends and Jessica, I suspect, has enjoyed my being home at night. Sleeping at "normal" times is taking getting used to and I do miss the perks of the old shift - iPod and friends - I love working in the day.<br /><br />Jessica started a new job a month ago. She works after hours as a dental clinic filing files and setting up appointments with old clients. The two hour shift is great for her on the bad days when she can't stand up or move around much.<br /><br />That brings us to the end of the cliffnote update. Jessica might do a post with her version of events. Maybe the next one will arrive before another 11 months passes on :)Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15144164411319922623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221958661943992866.post-9380847273531415582009-07-28T21:02:00.003-06:002009-07-28T21:09:36.082-06:00Here we go again...Jessica and I go to Petsmart each Saturday to visit the various animals for adoptions. She likes to visit the dogs while I, surprisingly, head for the kittens. I don't know why I do this. I would compare it to a person on a diet going to the bakery to stare at the doughnuts.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_F4V_m0kV0HI/Sm-830uDjXI/AAAAAAAAACQ/guJKwP4iLjs/s1600-h/DSC08606.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363713348452191602" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_F4V_m0kV0HI/Sm-830uDjXI/AAAAAAAAACQ/guJKwP4iLjs/s200/DSC08606.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Now we have a two month old kitteh (I think she is even younger). We named her "Kaylee" from the character off of Firefly. Sweet and innocent...for the most part.<br /><br />Shyla hates her. Hopefully things will calm down in a few weeks or it's bye-bye Kaylee.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15144164411319922623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221958661943992866.post-42049991212096589932009-07-25T09:35:00.004-06:002009-07-25T09:46:14.764-06:00ai don't do "fetch"<p></p><p><span style="font-family:courier new;">hoominz sae goggies r smrt</span></p><p><span style="font-family:courier new;">but ai traynd mai hoomin to trow teh ball for meh</span></p><p></p><p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwPlcPZFXByDIGLraDt2Y65uzXYHoY9q73oS2RSmaHi_0rnRJpobaBAQVliwqHeJwjzRobAoRQQXawHoRGILQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p><span style="font-family:courier new;">stoopid goggies</span></p><p><span style="font-family:courier new;">o rite<br />tis b wen ai wuz a itteh bitteh kitteh<br />lyk, won yeer ago</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221958661943992866.post-71960038479987666532009-07-05T08:35:00.004-06:002009-07-05T09:09:25.847-06:00Aaron and Jessica Plus 5 (without the drama)One night at work there was a mouse running around the backroom. First so and so saw it, then another guy. Over there, now over here.<br /><br />I finally saw the little guy running out in the open. I noticed how small it was compared to my huge ratses. Then I saw how it did a lot of things that the rats do- stand up on hind legs, sniff the air, wash whiskers with front paws, etc.<br /><br />The next time a sighting was reported I did my best to catch the little bugger. I managed to do so, because I am awesome, without using my hands. I put the little guy in a box and showed him off to the coworkers. Some were screaming for its death.<br /><br />I doubt I would have been able to kill the tiny thing before making the rat comparisons. AFTER that...no chance at all.<br /><br />So I took him outside and let him go.<br /><br />A week later I bought two pet mice.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_F4V_m0kV0HI/SlDBCn3Nb-I/AAAAAAAAABw/rJtEPQC6abw/s1600-h/DSC08567.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354992207747968994" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_F4V_m0kV0HI/SlDBCn3Nb-I/AAAAAAAAABw/rJtEPQC6abw/s200/DSC08567.JPG" /></a><br /><br />The dark one is "Gus Gus" and the lighter one is "Fieval".<br /><br />Shyla wants to eat them.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15144164411319922623noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221958661943992866.post-9741306555597161522009-06-25T17:23:00.002-06:002009-06-25T17:27:12.092-06:00New Job!Yay for me! I have been hired by Dillards! I'll be working full time and getting benefits. Aaron is thrilled, even if it does mean he has to go to school come Spring. I couldn't be happier. I get to work with clothing and home decor, I get to help people, and I'll finally be contributing equally to this little family. Nothing is worse to me than being a burden. My dad always said "Whatever you leave undone falls to your spouse to do." I hated it when my health or my inability to find full time work left Aaron with the burden of our family's finances (and sometimes the house work too). Nothing is worse to me than feeling useless. I'm so excited to finally be an equal contributer to our well being! So friends, come to Dillards and see me! I'll help you find that dream outfit (on sale ;).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221958661943992866.post-78078390866872513622009-06-07T10:09:00.003-06:002009-06-07T10:25:18.197-06:00Rude Awakenings<p><span style="font-family:verdana;">One of the joys of working while others are sleeping is waking those <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">slumberers</span> in odd and interesting ways. I enjoy waking Jessica up in several ways. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;">For example- when <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Shyla</span> was a wee <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">kitteh</span> I would put her on Jessica's face/stomach/arm. Let's not forget the run-in-and-belly-flop-on-the-bed. Sometimes I will throw in a flip-on-the-light-switch before ending with said <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">maneuver</span>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I've done the whole "awake sleeping beauty with a kiss" <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">maneuver</span>. I find it to be a little too boring. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;">That leaves me with the infamous putting-rats-in-the-bed trick. To do this I take Velvet (she's more friendly than the psychopathic River) and place her quietly on Jessica's pillow. Velvet will then proceed to climb over Jessica's face/arm/bare flesh, which rips her from blissful slumber.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;">This video is not said <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">maneuver</span>. It is just funny.</span></p><p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwsAwT4Wn8hRAgXU_WOvWY9okmjisROOb2-fb2QueSe4m3JvIxYbro0rL2JBl3ciSF5lVEeQXYN1FWTnh_BfA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">And to think Jessica didn't like rats or have any desire to own one while we were dating...</span></p>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15144164411319922623noreply@blogger.com1