10 Years Together

2001

Today is our 10 year anniversary! We dated and were married in a short amount of time. We've had our ups and downs, but it has been well worth it. We've learned a lot about each other and how to work together. This year has been a learning experience with the precancer. It has been a good one though. It has helped to bond us in a way we hadn't been before. I am glad and proud of this great accomplishment. I look forward to the future and what it may bring. I'm grateful for my family and for the opportunity we had to get married in the Manti Temple to seal our family together forever. We are very blessed and I"m so grateful. I thought I'd post some pics of the past, FLASHBACK! We both look so little, I was only 19 and Branden was 24. I was young, but I believe I was ready. Happy Anniversary Branden, I love you very much!

2011

First Pack Meeting

Ever since Brax turned eight he's been so excited about starting Scouts. He went the first week and couldn't wait to get his book. The second week he got his book and looks at it every day. He tries to see what he can do next. Tonight he earned his Bobcat after only having his book for a week. I can't tell you how proud of him we are. He's an amazing kid and we're so grateful for him in our lives.

The two newest cubs getting their Bobcat. Their leader started crying and of course I followed along.

We were trying to figure out where to put the mother pin.

Since the two boys earned their Bobcat, the rest of the Wolf Den painted each others faces. This is how Brax ended up and he was the one with the least face paint.

Thoughts for the Season

Christmas is a season where people stress out and have had enough. Normally I'm excited, stressed, etc. This year is so very different. I'm not way excited about the gifts or the wrappings. I tried to buy more thoughtful gifts, things people can use. This season has come without the holiday stress and with a whole different thought process.

As Christmas approaches, I have a feeling of inner peace. All I want for Christmas this year is for my family and friends to know they are loved. I'm feeling very grateful for the life that I have. Even Black Friday was different because of all the pushing and shoving for 5 or 10 dollar gifts. Normally I'd get right in there, but this year I kind of stood back. I met some fun people though.

I didn't get Christmas cards done, but oh well! I hope my family and friends know how much I truly love and appreciate them. My mom made a few trips down here to be with me for my miscarriage appointment and surgery. My dad had to sacrifice his secretary and made sure she was down here. I've had people come in and clean my house, listen to me cry, etc. I know I have a Heavenly Father that knows me and knows when to send certain people into my home when I need it. I can't say thank you enough for all the people that have helped in prayers, Brax's baptism, with my calling, etc.

I hope that we all can have a great Christmas and remember why we really celebrate. It's not about the gifts, it's about the birth of our Savior who came in a manger and was wrapped in swaddling clothes. He was born into meager means. I can't say how grateful I am for his birth and example. Merry Christmas from the Anderson clan.

Brax Turned 8

The Monday after Thanksgiving was Braxten's 8th Birthday. He was so happy to be 8. He couldn't wait to be baptized. We didn't get him a lot for his birthday. He did get up early to open presents before Branden left for work. Branden made us all french toast as well for Brax. He also took his car seat out of the car. We did take him out that night to Fiesta Fun for some miniature golf and arcade play. He had so much fun! I also took cookies into his classroom that day.


The rest of the week was spent preparing for his baptism celebration that he planned. Tuesday I made two soups, Wednesday 2 more, Thursday was desserts, and Friday was breadsticks and rolls. One of my soups didn't turn out, but the rest was great. We also had a couple other soups and desserts that family members brought.

The baptism was so spiritual. All I could do was cry. My baby is so amazing! I love him so much and am so proud of him. We had so much love and support here for him. We were only missing one of set of Aunt and Uncle's and one cousin. We are so grateful for everyone that was here. I know it was kind of treacherous travel for some, but I can't say thank you enough for everyone. We also had quite a few friends in attendance. We got distracted with having everyone come over that we didn't take a lot of pictures. I felt really bad, but I know it's a day we will remember forever! I feel very blessed with all the love and support that we have in our lives.

Brax writing in his baptism book after everyone went home.

Thanksgiving 2011

Once again we headed back up to visit family for Thanksgiving. This trip was a little more abnormal than most. We decided to head up Tuesday the 22nd so that we could have lots of time with everyone. We made it up just past Beaver (about 3 miles) when the car died. We couldn't get it started again and it was 10:30 pm. I thought it was the alternator. We called both our dad's. My dad had the flu and didn't answer, but got a hold of Branden's dad. He agreed to come and pick us up for the night so we didn't have to get a hotel room for the night. In talking to him we decided to get towed into Beaver since we were right off the side of I-15. The man that towed us was so very nice. He was also the mechanic that was going to work on the car. We waited on the 23rd for him to call us and let us know what it was. Branden and his brothers were helping decorate their parents yard and Branden couldn't wait to go pick up the car. There for a while we didn't think we'd get it back before Thanksgiving. The mechanic finally called us about 12:30 to tell us the fuel pump had gone out on us. Not what I wanted to hear, especially after hearing the price. He fixed it quickly and Branden went to go pick up the car with his dad while I went to Breaking Dawn Part I with the girls. While there my sister-in-law accidentally knocked my drink over on me so my pants were wet. It was pretty entertaining!


All in all it was a fun weekend. Thanksgiving morning we were able to get an Anderson family photo with everyone for the first time in years. The other thing was we added two new babies this year so it was their first time in the photo. We had a really nice day and a lot of food. So much in fact we ended up eating it at the Anderson's for a couple days. That night I went Black Friday shopping with my sisters from both sides. It was not as fun as normal. A lot more pushing and shoving. If it's going to be like that I won't return.


Friday I was so exhausted from being up all night that I decided to take some time to rest. A lot of the Andersons were heading up on the mountain to go cut Christmas tress, so we hung out in Venice for a while. That afternoon we went to Glenwood. We played some games and visited. We also ate a lot. I think I was so tired I don't remember a lot of that day. Saturday we spent some time with family before heading home. We did make one stop in Cedar. Branden has been wanting a pistol for a very long time and had saved up enough money to finally get one. It's a 22, but can't tell all the details since I know little about firearms. We were able to get home early enough to eat dinner and relax. It was a nice weekend.

When we did get home though Brax convinced me we were going to set up the Christmas trees and some decor which we did get done about 11:30 that night.

Birthday, Baptism, and Baby Blessings

The 4th of November we headed back up to see family. On November 4th it was my dad's birthday so we made sure to be up there that day. My mom took us all out to dinner at South China to celebrate. Following that, Cara, Branden, and I went to get cake and ice cream for back at the house. It was a lot of fun. My dad enjoyed the time spent with all of us.


Saturday we spent time with friends and family. It was the weekend of the beginning of the pheasant hunt. Branden went hunting and I rested at the house. Following that we all hung out at the pheasant hunter's dinner in Venice. It's a full Thanksgiving meal for not a lot of money. I truly enjoyed it and ran into friends and family. A while later was the baptism of our niece Brinley. It was very fun to be there with everyone. We are so proud of her!
Sunday we woke up and headed to Glenwood for two baby blessings. Paxton and Payton were born within a few weeks of each other and were blessed on the same day. It's fun that they were able to share the special day. Following the blessings, we headed to the dinner. We celebrated the baptism and baby blessings together. It was a great time. I was exhausted because it was the weekend following the surgery, but glad I made the trip with my family.

The Car Ride Home

Mixed Emotions

Today was the big day to return to the doctor. I was cleared from doctor's care today and told that I have bronchitis. I'm just glad it's not pneumonia again. I just can't wait to get feeling better. I'll start a Z-pack again and should feel better soon.

Now to what everyone really wants to know about. The stuff they got out was precancerous all the way around. I'm glad it wasn't cancer. I am going to be on birth control for 4 months. They don't want to run the risk of pregnancy and uterine cancer. They want to see if I can continue to shed the rest of the precancer on the lining. At that point I will have another biopsy, not looking forward to that, it hurts! If the biopsy comes back with no precancer we will move forward with fertility drugs and trying to get pregnant again. If precancer still appears the only other option is hysterectomy. I will go in right before my 30th birthday. I told Branden maybe that could be my 30th birthday present.

My feelings are kind of mixed. If we do the fertility drugs then it's back to the guessing game and the emotional roller coaster that goes along with it. At the same time, if I don't have regular cycles I have a high rate of developing uterine cancer, but they have not way of telling when. He said it could be 6 months from now and it could be 20 years. Even with cycles I still am at high risk. If I have a hysterectomy the guessing game is gone and all the PCOS issues along with it. At the same time, that means we're absolutely done. I guess then maybe we'll explore other options as a family.

Either way, I'm happy to be alive and to have a good husband who is always there to help and support me and assure me that the money put into my health is well worth it. I'm also grateful for a wonderful son who loves me unconditionally and is quite helpful. I love my family so very much. I'm also grateful for a mom and dad who are always watching out for and praying for me. I know they are always there and I really couldn't ask for better parents. I'm grateful for my siblings, in-laws, grandparents, and friends who help give me the strength and support that I need. I am one blessed girl and truly grateful for all that I have.

Hiking, Birthday Party, and Halloween

The week leading up to Halloween was kind of a crazy week. We carved pumpkins, went hiking twice, and celebrated Shanelle's 21st birthday. Carving pumpkins was fun, but I never took pics when they were done. Brax, Shanelle, and I spent a few hours outside carving. Shanelle made a ghost, Brax made a dragon and vampire, Branden's was an angry bird and Mario, and mine was a smurf and Happy Halloween. I decided next year I'm going to go get a carving kit to do more detailed work. It was a lot of fun and nice to have Nellie here to help me carve.


For Shanelle's birthday we made a cake, went out to dinner, and tried to make the day all about her. My parents also came down and took her to Thriller. We went hiking at Red Cliffs the day after with them as well. She has now moved out since things with her job didn't work out, but it was fun to celebrate with her.




The Saturday before Halloween Shanelle, Brax, and I decided to go hiking because it was the last time I'd be able to go for a while. We did the same hike at Red Cliffs, but went further. It was interesting. Brax was crying once we got to the foot holds because he was scared. Shanelle got him up and over. After that on our way back, the camera fell in about 3 ft. of water. I slid down and couldn't catch my footing and fell in also up to my waist. The water was cold, but we saved the camera. We took out the battery and memory card to dry them out and put it all in rice that night. Amazingly enough it survived. I was cold so we came home, but glad we went.


Halloween was an interesting adventure around here. We got up and got Brax ready for school and dropped him off on the way to the hospital. I went in for my surgery and was at the hospital for about 4 hours. My mom and Nellie went to the school to watch the parade which I was very grateful for. I spent most of the day on the couch and did give candy out from the couch when Branden let them in. Shanelle and our friends took Brax trick or treating and did the trunk or treat. Brax was Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon. He struggled with the wings a little, but had a great time. Shanelle spent four days here to help me and moved home after that.

The surgery went quite well. I'm still tender and nauseated, but trying to rest. Branden says I need to do less, but it's very hard. I'll keep trying. I'll update more after I go to the doctor on Thursday. In the mean time, I can most likely be found on the couch.

Biopsy Results

I did get my biopsy results back. The diagnosis is Complex hyperplasia with (focal) atypia. Now you say, what is that? It is a precancer growing in the endometrium of the the uterus. I am going to tell you info, but it's how I understand it from the doctor. My results came back non-malignant, but the doctor said that they have a 25% false negative test result. He wants me to have it removed ASAP. The best way to do so is to have a D & C (Dilation and Curettage). I am going in on Halloween. Not the best of days to have it done, but it was the one that worked out best for my family in the fact we have a lot coming up over the next few months that I need to have all the strength and stamina I usually do. They say I should only be down 2 days tops. I do have restrictions for two weeks such as not lifting anything over 10 lbs., no bathing, no heavy exercise other than walking, etc. I think you get the idea. I'm so very grateful that they caught this now instead of having it be cancer and spreading. If that were to happen it can lead to hysterectomy and more evasive things to try and get rid of it then is a lot harder.

Once again, I'm a rare case. My doctor said I am only his 2nd case my age in 27 years. It is more common in women around age 50. He believes it is due to the fact I haven't had regular cycles over the past 7 years. Since I started having regular cycles after the loss of 20 lbs., he also made sure to let me know that my weight can cause it again and I need to keep it under control. All this was shocking news, but at the same time now I really think about what I do and eat because it can all be hazardous to my health if I let myself go again. It's just not worth it. I am still working at weight loss and I'll continue to work on it. I just hope that this gets rid of the precancer. I do have to go back in every 6 months following and get retested. I'm grateful for the miscarriage due to the fact we wouldn't have found this any other way.

I should still be able to get pregnant after the D & C and I really don't have anything that should cause problems, I just need to take it slow for 2 weeks. If you know me very well, it's going to be a challenge but I'm glad to get it over and done with soon.

Shanelle Moving In

Shanelle moved in about a month ago. Brax loves having her here. He gets excited pretty much every time she comes home. She is really good to help out around the house. She helps with dishes and meals when necessary. I hope her and her friends feel welcome in our home. They did have a group date here one night and they made pizza. We went and played co-ed volleyball with the stake and let them have the house. She is working at Paradise Bakery and loving it there. I hope she has good success there and can get more hours. The food there is so very good!

We made home made french fries one night and Brax took a picture.

Easton's Baby Blessing

The second weekend in October we headed to Venice for Easton's baby blessing. It was a lot of fun getting ready for it because Shanelle and I were both making desserts. I made sugar cookies (chocolate and regular) and Shanelle made cupcakes. It was fun experimenting.

Branden and I worked on our sprinkling system there in Venice when we got there. It was freezing! I had a coat on and still froze. We got it done pretty quickly. We were able to spend time visiting with both families. I took Brax and Brinley to the pumpkin patch in Elsinore and got some BIG pumpkins, but I left my camera home so no photos available. They had fun even though it was sprinkling and cold. We had pizza with the Anderson clan that night and just visited. We also helped Tyler finish his Eagle Scout project. It was nice to spend time with both families while we were there.

The blessing day was very nice. I could tell Kincade was nervous, but he did a great job. Sacrament Meeting was very spiritual. The dinner turned out really well as well. We had fun and there was lots of good food. Cara's boy that was adopted by a family also was there with the rest of his family. It was so nice to see them.

After the dinner we went to Glenwood and our sister-in-law took photos of Brax so that we could get his baptismal invitations made. I'm so excited to see them. She does such a great job with photos. It was a fun weekend and we're glad we went.

Shanelle and Cara

Brax getting a drinkShanelle's cupcake standThe nieces and nephews

Varsity Scout Triathlon

The Varsity Scouts decided they wanted to do a sprint/mini sprint triathlon. Branden decided he was going to do it along with the boys. He trained very hard and September 24th was the big day. My sister, Shanelle, moved in with us and she came along to help out along with the Holmes family. Two boys and Branden did the sprint and two more boys and Brother Holmes did the mini sprint. I was so proud of all of them for finishing. I was so proud of Branden for all his hard work. He came in first and beat the boys by 10 minutes plus because the boys didn't run as far as they were supposed to. Everyone was shocked that he came in first, but like I said he trained extremely hard.

Start of the Race

Shanelle chillin' at Sand Hollow

Biking


RunningAfter the race

True Happiness

In life, it seems like we're always wanting more. Whether it be more money, a bigger house, a nicer car, more kids, etc. Why is that the case? It's not a bad thing to want more kids or nicer things, but when are we happy with what we have?

Anyone can be happy with our own situation. For years my want for children has seemed hard. I suffered from depression and struggled with my weight. After my recent miscarriage, I realized something with the help from others around me. I haven't been truly happy with what I have. I have a wonderful child who is loving and forgiving. Through him I have learned and grown so much. I have been blessed with only one child, but that's more than others are blessed with. There are still women out there seeking a spouse or even one child. While listening to Conference this weekend I realized that we are only blessed with things when we're ready to learn and grow. We can't do that if we're angry at the world or at the Lord.

Life throws us curves that we don't expect. Through the miscarriage, I learned a lot about my health and body I didn't know for sure or had been simply assumptions. There are still some tests in process and more to learn about. Knowledge is power. If we are able to have more kids, great! If we're not that doesn't mean that I have less value as a woman. I have fulfilled my responsibilities in the task. Whatever the Lord has in store for me and us as a family, is what will happen. He knows me and what I need better than I do.

I'm truly grateful for the gospel in my life. I know that here on earth I can touch the lives of those around me and help them out. I am around children all the time and I can help their parents out in different ways. My hope is that after my time on this earth I may be able to touch and help more children. We can only do the best with what we have. I have a lot and couldn't ask for more. Thank you all for the love and support that you give to me.

Information Overload

Who knew a miscarriage could be a blessing in disguise? I went to the Dr. a week ago due some way excessive bleeding. They believe it was a way early miscarriage. I had some tenderness so they decided to get an ultrasound of my uterus. We found out that I have a uterus that is tilted backwards and also is heart shaped (both abnormal). They don't have a definitive test saying that's a bad or good thing. They've seen both sides. They did say women with a heart shaped uterus usually have to have C-sections due to the fact that the baby can get caught on one side or the other and have problems. The technician said my ovaries had lots of cysts and asked if I had heard of PCOS. I told her I was diagnosed with it in September 2007 (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). When she pulled up the photos of the ovaries, she put it in these terms: Most women have ovaries that look like chocolate chip cookies, a few spots here and there. Mine look like chocolate chunk cookies. It just looked like it had holes all over in them (that's how it looked). They also found some tissue in there that wasn't normal. I had a biopsy done and will get the results back in a few weeks. After I get the results back we're going to come up with a more aggressive plan of attack.

Why would this be a blessing in disguise? I didn't know any of this information before except for the fact that I had PCOS. I believed ignorance is bliss. I learned a lot today. As I've stated before, PCOS isn't curable but is treatable. They also say weight loss can help with the symptoms. It is a hot topic right now. They learn more about the disease each year. They now have The PCOS Workbook and The PCOS Diet Plan in book form. I'd love to get both for informational purposes and to help others because it's highly likely that one or both of my sisters could have the same problem. I want people to know and understand because it's a pretty common thing. I know quite a few women who have the same problems. I think I was wanting to make sure everything was okay after the miscarriage so my mind was open. I believe that's why it all happened right now. All the information I learned today can only help me in the future with our quest for more children. With my cycles being more regular and all the information learned, my chances are looking better than they ever have before.

I believe that things are brought into our lives in the time and season that we're more willing to look at change. I'm in that state right now. What seemed tragic a week ago now is a blessing in disguise. I have hope again and look forward to meeting with my doctor again next month.

Comfort

In life we become comfortable in many different ways. It's like a pair of shoes that you break in and absolutely love. You wear them all over the place and then they get holes. You still wear them because they're what you know and love. The problem is when it rains or snows you get wet inside and can get cold all they way to the inside of your body. If we'd take the time to let change happen and get new shoes, we'd be better off.

Obviously I'm not talking about shoes. Not only with shoes, but everything else we get comfortable with or take the easy way out. It was easy to be heavy. It took little to no work and I didn't have to change anything. Every once in a while I decide to change. I have changed a lot this year. I have dropped just shy of 40 lbs. It's changed a lot. I love the way I feel, the way I look, and a lot of other things. I believe the change has really helped me grow into a better person.

With the rest of life, we go through ups and downs. Some of them can change our life completely. Others help us to grow just enough. When we're brought down to the complete bottom emotionally, physically, and mentally we grow the most. I've had a lot of those instances in my life. I think everyone has. At that point we have a decision. Do we let things get us down or do we have a stronger resolve? I've decided I'm not going to let things get me down. I'm going to just continue moving forward. If I let it get me down, it's just going to hurt me in the long run. All we can do is move forward one day at a time. Some days are harder than others, but it's those days we need to just have a little more faith and try harder the next day. I'm grateful for the knowledge I have of the gospel. I'm so happy to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have a Heavenly Father and brother, Jesus Christ, who are always there for me. They know what I need to help me learn and grow. In all the hard and good times, they are there for me, helping. I have had harder times, but you know what, I'm stronger because of it.

Labor Day Weekend 2011

It was a crazy weekend. I'd gone back to the doctor and found out that I had a sinus infection still. We still decided to go see family. We did a lot while we were there. We canned beans, hung out with family, met a new niece and nephew, and went to a few family functions. The main reason for going was the Cowley Family Reunion (my side). We had so much fun. We were able to see people we hadn't in a long time. We were able to hang out with everyone and take some time to rest.
For the family reunion we had a dinner and played games Sunday night. Monday morning we had breakfast and went repelling. We also had lunch and played at the Rotary Park. I'm glad we were able to have fun.