FACEBOOK UGH!!! (No offense Facebookers)

The other day Martin was looking on his Facebook page, and though I haven't been on FB for 8 or 9 months, I got seriously nauseous. I was reminded of why I HATE Facebook, and the reason I deactivated my site in the first place. Martin isn't a huge fan either and we have talked extensively (probably too much) about the phenomenon that is "Facebook." We have come up with the 8 top reasons we don't like this social networking staple. Maybe we should try to come up with 10 like David Letterman does on his "Top Ten" but, hey, I'm no David Letterman.

*Disclaimer: I realize many of you are "on" Facebook and I am in no way trying to make you feel judged. You all have your reasons, and I had mine, for using it. My reasons for abstaining just outweigh my reasons for partaking. Also, these things I'm listing here are all things I TOOK PART IN and DID when I was on FB so I am not saying I am innocent of anything. :).

Okay, here we go:

1. Our egotistical/narcissistic tendencies. I bet we all do this. We have all posted how much we got done before sunrise, how many push ups we did this morning, how fast we can wolf down a Big Mac and side of fries, and what a great gift we got our dad for Father's Day. My question is why do we feel like we have to talk about ourselves so much? I found myself bragging and fishing for compliments on an hourly basis on FB and thus, I became more and more self-centered. I was addicted!! I hated that about myself and I don't care for it in other people. It makes me compare myself to people I have no business comparing myself or other loved ones to. And while it made me feel good to say things about yours truly, I hate to think it made other people feel inept or inadequate in any way.

2. This leads me into my second point: The obligatory "sunshine up the rear-end," as my Dad would so eloquently put it. I LOVED it when people would follow up my bragging with a "way to go, Heather," or "Heather, you're such a good person." However, I have come to the conclusion that when I would compliment a person in kind for something they did I didn't mean the compliment AT ALL. To the contrary, I was usually jealous, annoyed or I just plain didn't care. Now I look and still see people doing the same thing. Everyone is just so blasted complimentary. Do they mean it? Are people really that nice? I truly believe there are people like that out there, I'm married to one, but I know I'm not one!

3. I feel like I can't say how I feel on-line. Sometimes I want to tell a friend that they are idiotic or that they're a moron, or just that they made a bad decision, but sometimes I shouldn't. I don't know about you, but I get sick of being positive all the time, so I had to remove the temptation to say what I felt completely. There have been more times than I can count that I've said something hurtful to a "friend" not purposefully meaning to hurt, and vice-versa. I've actually lost relationships because of this pitfall.

4. Pictures and comments about meals. Wow, I don't even know what to say about this. I guess eating is a big part of being a human, so we include it in everything. It just seems weird to me that I get to know what so-and-so had for dinner last night or what this guy bought at Starbuck's. And do I really need to see the photos of it? It's just a weird observation that Martin and I are stumped over. I actually got to see a photo of a ham sandwich some dude had for lunch. A ham sandwich. ATTENTION: We know what a ham sandwich looks like. Sometimes imaginations are required and preferred.

5. Status updates, status updates, status updates. When I deactivated my account it took me 3 weeks to quit thinking of my life in status updates. I realized I was walking around thinking, "I am going to the store now," or "A mean guy cut me off on the freeway today--how shall I get revenge?" I decided I needed to stop thinking of my life in status updates as it was also contributing to my narcissism.

6. Major Time Suck and Distraction. I was checking my FB page almost hourly. I was wasting time I could have been spending with my kids and Martin. I couldn't make a move without first checking my Facebook. I was too dependent on it to feel connected to people, but missing my life with the most important people in the process. Some people can check once or twice a day, but I couldn't, no matter how hard I tried.

7. Poor Grammar. This needs no explanation. I hate poor grammar and bad spelling and it thrives on Facebook. I guess that's what you get from an English Major.

And last but not least:

8. Getting left out. I really got tired of seeing all the dinner dates and parties I wasn't invited to. It was depressing and humiliating to see my friends were getting together and I didn't have a place there with them. It reminded me of High School and everyone knows I hated High School.

Some people can have a healthy relationship with social networking. These eight things may even be the exact reason you LOVE Facebook and if that's the case, I'm happy for you. I know for a fact I have lots of friends who find happiness and fun in Facebook (you know who you are). You must have found a good balance. I'm glad someone out there likes it and finds a purpose for it in their lives. Don't be offended if I struck a chord here somewhere...like I said, we all have our reasons for doing what we do, and I can't speak for you. These are just some funny observations, so laugh (or not).

How Will His Garden Grow?/Phoenix

I went to Utah to help my Mom with my Dad. He's doing well. He still has the "cement" that is infused with antibiotic in his knee. This makes it so there is very little range of motion in his leg and it's still very painful. He's also taking Vancomycin via a pic line in his arm every day for six weeks. The doctor says after 6 weeks they will take him off the antibiotic and wait two weeks. Then they will check Dad's blood for infection. If there is no further sign of infection they can put in a new knee prosthetic and pray the infection doesn't come back. His chances are pretty good, but nothing is a sure thing. Dad's pretty healthy so we are hoping everything will go as planned.

"Who will be taking care of Dad's super garden this year then?" you ask. Good question. But my Dad has been trying to convince many friends and neighbors and family to prepare the soil and do some planting. He's got some of it figured out. My brother Todd is going to be visiting from South Dakota and Dad's got some plans for him. Dad put me to work on locating and obtaining hundreds of seeds for planting, which seems like a really easy request but you'd be surprised. I had to run back and forth from the computer I was ordering on line from, explaining the difference between growing seasons of everything from cantaloupes to pumpkins. It was comical after the first 10 times. Dad refuses to let the land go unplanted and it should be interesting to see how things come up (no pun intended).

I had fun spending time with my Dad and my Mom and I got to see a lot of Erin and Phoenix, my sister Jenny's two daughters. I love to spend time with them. The way Erin looks at me with those big blue eyes reminds me so much of Jenny at that age. She has a sweet disposition and rarely causes any trouble. She's a dream of a child! Phoenix is equally as sweet but let's just say she has more of her Mom's disposition/temperament :). She can be a bit stubborn but we all adore the funny things she says and does.

While I was visiting Phoenix celebrated her 4th birthday. It seems like yesterday that Jenny had given birth and was calling me to persuade me to come to Phoenix's baby blessing. She was really intent that I travel to Utah to be there for it. She even offered to pay for half of my plane fare. It was a touching time we spent on the phone for me, because I could tell that it meant a lot to her that I be there for this milestone. I'm so thankful I went because I got to spend a lot of time with my sister. I remember we shopped and had lunch together and I held sweet little Phoenix, who seemed so tiny. I hung out at Jen's house and we took walks and watched the sunset over Antelope Island and talked about our future plans, as she was preparing to move. I don't think Jen thought that baby Phoenix would ever make her safe entrance into this world. It was a relief she was here safe. I also remember going to see the architect who drew up the plans for her new house. It was to be built next to my sister Mindy and my Mom; the house she would sadly take her last breath. Those are such sweet almost dreamlike moments as I look back. I am so grateful I could get away for a few days 4 years ago, and again last week! I leave a lot of love back in Utah.

My Poor Papa

Last week we had a scare when my sister from Utah, Mindy texted me saying my Dad was in surgery. I, of course, freaked out! Apparently, Dad scraped his leg a while back on some farm equipment. He noticed it wasn't healing but didn't think anything of it and went about his business. He started running a fever one night and by the next morning he couldn't put any weight on his leg because his knee was so painful. Mom took him to the ER where an orthopedic surgeon assessed the problem. Dad's cut had become so infected that the infection traveled to his knee and his whole knee had then become infected. The problem is that Dad has prosthetic knees that he got about 8 years ago during a very painful double knee replacement surgery.

The only option seemed to be immediate surgery to remove the prosthesis, let the leg heal for 6 weeks and then put in a new knee once the infection was gone. This means a Summer of difficult recovery and no fun for my Dad (no growing corn, no puttering in the dirt, no devising new and interesting ways to grow tomatoes...nothing). Poor Dad. He lives for the summer like a kid does. He is totally taken aback by this blow as we all are. I feel so bad for the poor chap.

I am going to go home next week to help cheer my Dad up and also help my Mom with some of the nursing responsibilities. He is home from the hospital but can only walk with a walker. He has a pic line for heavy antibiotic therapy. I'm hoping he gets well soon.

I'm currently contemplating fun ways to keep Dad entertained this summer since he can't do his usual "stuff." I wonder how he feels about spending the day at the pool with about 15 grand kids and me....Any other ideas??

Trampoline and Tulips

If you haven't heard, the Chamberlain's finally bought their children a trampoline...yes, it's for the kids, guys. Martin made me promise I would not jump and/or stand on the trampoline. I have so far resisted the call of my youth, I'm proud to say, but nothing lasts forever. It's a cool trampoline without any springs!! It's supposedly safer. No bones against metal bars at any time. The kids are having so much fun and are spending mucho time getting exercise and being outside. I love that aspect. They are excited to host sleepovers this summer upon our new acquisition. "And, see, the coyotes won't be able to get (them) through the net," said Olivia.

Olivia loves the trampoline the most, I think of the kids.

Martin took a day off of work to take me to Skagit Valley to see the tulips there. Ain't he sweet? We were going to go earlier in the month but with Alex's games we couldn't get away. Unfortunately, the tulips were topped off the weekend before so we got to see ZERO fields of bright, beautiful flowers. There was a few at a nice little park there so we stopped and took pictures. Isn't my hubby cute?

I saw these adorable dogs at Alex's game last night and so I took some pictures of them. They remind me of our old dog Max. She was a stray that moved into our yard and hearts when I was growing up. They sounded like her too. It brought back so many memories.

Mr. Baseball and a New Season

Well, friends, the 2010 baseball season has begun. Did you know it? I am always so nerdy and excited when baseball season starts and I can go see my own Mr. Baseball play. I love sitting at the games (yes, at times they are a bit long) but I have found it's super fun to take pictures of the kid and his co-players so that keeps me busy when it's been 2 hours and we're barely at the bottom of the third inning. Did I say some of the games are long?

I have to say I don't mind most of the time that the games are long unless it's raining. And let's face it, it rains a lot here in the spring. I love it when the summer weather starts in earnest and we have lots of dry games to sit through in the cool evening dusk. I LOVE IT.

Here's a few of my favorite shots from last week's game. It's interesting that each picture I took of Alex on the field, and I took over 200, he was smiling. That should tell you something about how much this kid lives for baseball. One year his nick-name (which he HATED) was "Smiley."

Here he is sliding into home. And, yes, he was safe.
Michael pitching. Sorry, not sure of his last name. I love taking pictures of pitchers (does that make sense?). These kids are seriously athletic. Check out that stance!

Beautiful girl.

This is what the siblings of a ball player do. How many hours these two must have spent at the ball park in the last 6 or 7 years, I can't even imagine. But we gave them a choice whether to come or not and they opted to come. They love the atmosphere and hanging out as much as we do.

My favorite shot of the night. It was the first photo of the night oddly enough. I love the light on the boys faces.

Catching Up and Easter

I've got so much to catch up on. March was a quiet month for us. We've put infertility treatments on hold for now as my body adjusts to some semblance of normality. We may or may not move on to IVF in a few months. I'll keep you posted.

Isaac is officially reading at grade level!!! Woo-hoo! Mrs. Miller, his teacher, took me aside the other day to let me know the good news. She says she sees a light has turned on in his little brain just in the last couple of months and he's making great strides. I'm so happy! All that reading with him and worrying has paid off. She is amazed that he has come as far as he has. He was so far behind at the beginning of the year, I was really nervous. Now we are working on his speed in doing things. Let's just say Isaac does everything really, really slow. I don't know why, other than he reminds me of my dad, which is not a bad thing! I love my dad.

Isaac has also been turned on to the gospel. Mrs. Miller asked him what his favorite book was to which he replied he didn't want to tell her. He said he was embarrased. But then she told him that all books are good to practice reading. Then he gave in and told her that his favorite book to read was the Book of Mormon. She thought that was pretty cute. Of course, it's the children's reader, not actually the real book, that he loves so much but if we don't read at least one chapter in the book at night he is really depressed. Sometimes he gets so excited about the stories in there that he jumps up and down and grins from ear to ear. A few days ago he was talking to Martin about the Holy Ghost and how he can know something is true and good by the "burning" feeling he gets in his chest. He LOVED that and told Martin he has felt that before and that he wished he could have his "heart burn" all the time. So sweet. This boy has such a sweet and kind personality. I want to just squish him sometimes.

We had a great Easter here together. We watched conference and spent the day eating some good food and relaxing. We colored eggs as we usually do and I got a few pictures of that.

Isaac's "dragon egg"

I've started drawing again and I'm having so much fun getting back into my art. I'm not good, by any stretch of the imagination but it is fun and I enjoy it a ton. I'm also going to take some art classes to help my progress. At this point, it's just fun and relaxes me and makes me feel good about myself.

This is Perdi on Easter day. "They're mine, they're all mine..."