For Michelle...because you are my friend!

I just had to make a quick post to talk about a woman who is such a great friend and inspiration to me!  

My friend, Michelle Nelson is an amazing person!  Throughout her life she has had trial after trial after trial and yet holds her head high and smiles through those troublesome times.  I wonder sometimes why she has to go through soooo much and was thinking about this today after we had talked on the phone for about an hour.  I just asked Heavenly Father, "Why does she have to have so many trials?".  Then the thought came, "Because she is strong and endures with faith and all of  this just makes her a blessing and inspiration to others".  I just said to myself "I couldn't do it...I'm not that strong!" 

I met Michelle about 20 years ago in Silver Lake, Washington.  We became instant friends.  We were both having babies and had even more babies at the same time!  When Alan and I moved 40 miles away, Michelle and I were on the phone almost daily.  One day she called and said, "Jana...I can't breathe.  It started last night while playing volleyball and I just can't catch a full breath."  I immediately told her to get to the doctor...I thought she might be having a heart attack and I was 40 miles away!  She did go to the doctor but what they found was not good.  Her blood showed signs of cancer.  A few weeks later, and many tests later, I was on the phone with her when another call came in.  She had been waiting for some tests results so we said a quick good-bye and hung up.  My phone rang less than a minute later and it was Michelle...she said "I have Lymphoma".  My heart stopped.  I was the first person she told and then she said "I'd better go and call Dave".  She was only 27 and had 4 very young children.  She fought it and fought it hard and won!!!  She is tough!  She is also cancer free.  

We haven't seen each other in over 10 years, yet when asked who my best friend is, my first reaction is "Michelle".  There have been years go by where we haven't been able to talk because her and her family were living in Singapore, so we lost a little touch except through cards.  She is back in the states, Utah, and even though she has just gone through a divorce...she's happier than she's been in years...although she never complained about her trials.  Today the phone call was to tell me that they've now found some complications with her health again...this time her heart.  Again, my own heart stopped.  She'll be having tests on Friday and meeting with the doctor and called to ask me to pray for her.  I told her not only will I pray for her but if she has to have surgery, I'll be there!!  


So who should ever read this post I would ask that you too pray for my best friend.  She is just a lovely, giving, generous, wonderful Mom, great cook and talented person and deserves to not have to worry about huge things that she can't control.  But knowing Michelle, she'll just smile!  


I love ya Michelle!  You are amazing!!

New Playlist

I know that sometimes playlists can be annoying but I enjoy them especially when I'm on someone else's blog.  I like seeing what kind of music they are listening to.  This playlist of mine is very different!  There are some songs from favorite movies I like, like Audrey Hepburn's rendition of "Moon River" from "Breakfast at Tiffany's".  There are also some songs that I used to sing to my boys when they were babies.  Eddy's was "Que Sera, Sera"...Derek's was "You are my Sunshine".  I couldn't find Chandler's which was "The Gift of Love" or Dylan's  "A- You're Adorable".  Anyway...hope you enjoy some of them even if it's not your taste...I like it!

Explanation of the slideshow

If you double click on the pictures as they scroll by you can read the caption that goes with each one that explains the photo and then you can just click on the arrows above that photo and go through each picture seperately.  Just a little FYI...

Still no answers!

I'm still confused on what happened to my blog.  I mean, how do the songs change on my playlist... not only change but songs on there I've never heard and how does my background disappear without me doing it?  I'll never know but I did some reconstruction, added a slideshow, new background and new playlist.  Can you tell I'm a Ryan Cabrera fan?  I just like his sound.

I'm going to try and do better at keeping the blog updated.  It seems like facebook took over but I miss blogging.

Yesterday I was cleaning out some old binders and found some emails that my sisters and I had written.  I was reading them and came across this story from 2004 that I'd forgotten about.

So it seems that when Dylan was a Freshman at Williams High School, Derek was a Junior at Plano East Senior High (PESH).  Derek had been at Williams the previous year and had been in Choir and Total Harmony which is a show choir.  Well Dylan had those same classes and some of the kids that were in that class had been with Derek the previous year.  So, the girls started asking Dylan to get pictures of Derek for them and they'd pay him $5.00.  Not only did they want a picture but asked if he'd bring them something Derek had chewed on...they'd pay more!!!

Girls are so weird!  I remember being that way to a certain degree (Jim Ferris) but was I really that bad?!  I think I might have been!  I guess when girls are about 12-15 they become obsessed with certain boys and do stupid things like writing the boys' name on everything, texting them non-stop and making posters saying they love them and then holding those posters up while the boys are performing!  Girls daydream about guys and have all of these romantic notions while guys could give a rip until their hormones kick in.

Anyway, I read that email and it made me laugh all over again.  I'll have to remind Derek of that little incident when I write him next week.  I just remember him being disgusted by it all and saying "Why?" and "Weird!"!  Dylan made a quick buck at Derek's expense though but I don't think he ever took them anything that Derek had chewed on!!

So glad I have boys!!!!!!!

WEIRD!!

Okay...here's a weird one for you!  The song that is playing right now is not on my playlist!  I don't even know the song so how did that happen?!  It's a good song though...at least the part I've listened to so far.  Must be a single user problem.  Some one explain this to me...

2010 for Dylan (thus far)

DYLAN LEE RICHMOND 

 Sound Invention Spring Show & Choir Concert 2010

I know some of the pictures are of low quality but he moves around the stage so much I can't get a good shot!  We really enjoyed both of  these shows!  In the first picture below, is when he sang his solo "Just Haven't Met You Yet".  He did awesome!  Thursday night the middle school choirs came to the dress rehearsal and the girls went crazy!  After the show he came down from the stage to see his girlie, Ciara, and those middle school girls attacked him!  It was hilarious!!  They wanted to hug him, take his picture, take pictures with him even asked for his autograph!  Poor Ciara was literally pushed aside!  Poor Dylan looked in shock...like a deer in headlights!  He was not expecting that reaction at all!!!  We laughed about it the whole time along with other parents.  Too funny!

"Just Haven't Met You Yet"  he did GREAT!

Dylan is on the left...they were singing "Chicken Fried".  Mr. Knight, the choir director told Dylan and Andy that they looked like Mario and Louigi!  He was right!!

With Monica Janetti

This was at the choir concert...they performed "Masquerade" from "Phantom of the Opera"

Gave me chills they did so good!

The whole ensemble (most of which you don't see) performing the final song.  It was a great show.

In this picture he's with two of Derek's best friends and my (I wish) daughters, Lisa and Rose. (Kiah's in the back ground!)

Dylan would go to a rest home here in Plano and sing to this elderly woman who is in our ward.  She loves hearing him sing!

                            With his BFF Miken!!

Dylan and Ciara...cuties huh?  They started dating in February and  I had to post this because 

they're so cute together!! 

OH...now he is 18!!  (cry, cry).  He is counting down the days until he is eligible to leave for his mission.  Seriously...he's counting them down!!  I can't take it!!!!  We'll be empty nesters...I'm too young!!!  Time for grandbabies to fill in the emptiness (hint, hint E&M) :0)

Eddy!!

Eddy's Christmas Gift!!

So Eddy and Miken were scheduled to fly home for Christmas on Dec. 23, 2009.  I get a phone

 call at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 22nd and this was the conversation....

Eddy..."Hey Ma".

 Me... "Hi Eddy. How ya doing?"

Eddy..."Ummm, I don't think that we're gonna make 

the flight tomorrow."

Me..."WHAT!!!"  (I was not happy!  My thinking was ... they have to work too late so they'll miss their plane...Miken can't miss work...what the heck!!) 

Eddy..."Umm, well I'm in the emergency room."

Me (freaking out!..)  "WHAT!! Are you kidding...your kidding right?  What happened? Oh my gosh! Are you okay?    

 What's going on?" 

Eddy..."Well it looks like I have to have my appendix removed."

Me..."No way!!  Are you alright?  When?  How long will it take?"  Meanwhile I'm thinking, 

"My baby needs me.  I need to get there!

Eddy..."Well they have to keep me here for 24 hours to make sure everything is in working order."

Me..."So do you think you fly home Christmas Eve 

or is that just impossible"

We continue this conversation and he said that the doctor told him it's a speedy recovery and that he should be fine to fly the next day.  I was worried about the pain but they said it shouldn't be, too bad.  What is so weird about the whole thing is exactly the week before Miken's dad, Mark, went through the same thing!!  He started having pains and before you know it they are ripping out his appendix.  His comment to Eddy was "Well I know you are trying to be like me, but this is taking it a little far!"  Mark is a hilarious guy and makes everything fun...even this.  Soooo, I change their tickets, Eddy has surgery and they fly home the next day...Christmas Eve!  Crazy, huh?  They wanted to come really bad and we wanted them here...brave kid.  We had to be careful though because when the boys get together there's always rough housing.   

Not this time!  

So here is the picture of his stitches...there is one lower but Raelynn really didn't want to go there

 while taking this picture!  

This is just one of the ways we ended our crazy year of 2009!