Nummers

This post is mainly for my siblings, who will understand.

Know what I ate for dinner? A hot dog and cheese burrito. :) Roy was making quesadillas for dinner and I was making hot dogs for the kids, and first I thought of making a classic Jeppson pizza with a tortilla, ketchup (seasoned with Italian seasoning) cheese and cut up hot dog. But then I remembered my absolute favorite ghetto meal. You take a hot dog, heat it up. Then you put cheese on a tortilla and heat that up. Then you slap it together and roll it up. Totally unhealthy, but oh so good. Roy threatened to leave, but it's worth it even then. :)

Maybe tomorrow morning I'll make spaghetti eggs.

Me, me, me

I started blogging in August 2006. I didn't do much at first, but almost two years later I'm getting the hang of it. :) I was the first person in my family to start blogging and I don't take all the credit, but I do hope I had something to do with the amount of family members blogging now. My sisters all started blogs about a year after me and then my brother's wife and then my other brother and his wife. I have a few cousins that have blogs, an uncle, an aunt and the newest additions are my mom and her sister! I'm so excited. We don't get to see each other very often so reading each other's blogs helps us all stay in touch and I really enjoy it.

Just remember that I was ahead of you all in the trend! (although behind most people in the trend) I'm just glad we all got with the trend and I hope that when the trend wears off that we'll all keep going strong!

Other special occasions

I started this post last week and I'm gonna go ahead and publish it now...it's not really finished, but oh well.


This was a busy week for us! Last Wednesday my in-laws and mom arrived. We went to the Farmer's Market that evening, where the kids got to ride the ponies (twice!).






Thursday morning we went bowling and then Roy's graduation was that afternoon. We left the kiddos with some great friends (thanks again!) and got to "enjoy" the super long ordeal! Boring! But it was great to see Roy get hooded and all that stuff. And it got done earlier than expected, so that was nice.


Friday was our 6-year anniversary. We went to Vacaville, did a little shopping and went to Olive Garden for lunch. Not exactly a romantic night-out, but the inlaws picked up the tab, so that was nice! :) Then we went to the pool and had a lot of fun there.

Saturday morning we went to Ikea to pick up some things that you can only get at Ikea, which they don't have in Missouri! Then the in-laws left and we just lounged around the rest of the day. Sunday we were all sick (except for my mom, lucky!) so we stayed home from church and Roy didn't get much of a special day, but he's great and totally didn't care. Yesterday and today we've been trying to get a bit of packing done while we have an extra adult around (who just happens to be great at packing and cleaning - she even pulled out the stove and cleaned behind it- so awesome!) Tomorrow my mom leaves in the morning and I'm taking the day off from packing and just hanging out with the kiddos and trying to get completely better from my cold.

Oh, and if anyone has advice about moving companies, let me know! We're considering using ABF U-Pack. Oh, and did I mention that we found somewhere to live? We found a great 3 bedroom,1 bath duplex (well, 8-plex) for $550 a month. The price is a little above average for the area, but it's a really nice, new property that a couple of members of the church live in (I called someone there and she told me all about it) and it has a washer and dryer included and I really like the layout. And, everything for rent was filling up really fast and we had to just grab whatever we could get. And, this is one of the only properties that could let us in July instead of the 2nd week of August.

Two things today

First of all, Happy Birthday to my nephew Nolan! He turned 6 today! Hope you had a fun day. He's the oldest biological grandchild in our family. His parents just adopted 2 kids older than him and one younger than him, so he no longer holds the "oldest grandchild" title. But he'll always be my first nephew!

Secondly, I did something horrible today. I had my wisdom teeth removed. Ugh. Our dental insurance options when we move won't be very good so I decided I better get it done while it's free. (Thank you tax payers) I called yesterday to make an appointment and they had a free slot today, which was a good thing because I didn't have enough time to talk myself out of it. (Although this morning I was back and forth about whether I was going to do it) I thought my teeth were fine and had decided to just get it done after the next pregnancy, but this week one of them started hurting again, so I just bit the bullet and did it.

The only dental work I've ever had done are x-rays, cleanings, and one small cavity filled (without any kind of numbing). This was a big deal for me. They just used local anesthesia and that was the worst part of it all. The shots hurt a lot. The numbing drove me crazy. The actual removal of the teeth was super quick and painless. It was very frustrating to not be able to talk with the gauze in my mouth, especially since we went grocery shopping immediately after and I couldn't communicate with my family! And then Roy and the kids got a pizza on the way home and it was torture to smell and see it and not be able to eat it!!

I finally stopped bleeding about an hour and a half afterwards and I felt a lot better with the gauze out of my mouth. But then the numbing started to slowly wear off and the pain was so intense! Roy got home with my Vicodin prescription just in time. I only took one and it didn't help, so an hour later I took another and now I feel fantastic! I'm definitely going to have to stay on top of the painkillers!

So far I've had a can of Slim Fast and some tomato soup. It feels fine to drink but I don't really feel hungry so I'm hoping this will be a good chance for some rapid weight loss! (Slim Fast and tomato soup are super Weight Watchers friendly)

I was going to post a picture of my cheeks, but they really aren't very big. My face just looks the way it looked before I lost weight. Maybe tomorrow they will be bigger.

Oh, and the dentist office was 20 miles away in our favorite town (Vacaville) so Roy and the kids dropped me off and went to Nut Tree and rode some rides and had fun while I got tortured. :) Then we all went shopping at our favorite store that we are going to miss so much: WinCo. By the way, have I mentioned how fantastic it is to have a husband home full time?? Well, most of the time it's great, sometimes I wish we could have more of a regular schedule, but on days like this I'm thrilled. He's been taking such good care of the kids and me today and will continue to until I'm all healed. Perfect timing, really, to get this done...I have time to heal before the serious moving stuff starts.

Anyway, just thought you'd all love to hear about my day. :) Hopefully if I stay on the pain medicine I'll keep feeling as good as I feel right now, because earlier in the day I felt like I was going to die! (I seriously felt as horrible as being in labor - in a different way, of course)

Oh, and I looked into Medicaid in Missouri and it looks like we might qualify. (Me at least for pregnancy when it comes along) I've also been looking at other forms of insurance too (thanks for the tip Andrea) and don't feel quite as stressed about it.

I guess that's all for now. I have a couple of draft posts that I've been working on for a while that I'm gonna try to get to this week before all the major packing has to begin. I gave myself this week to relax and hang out with the kids and stop stressing about packing and then I'm going to start back up next week.

Sigh

So, I'm not trying to be a baby with this whole thing, trying to get someone to hold my hand and help me make a decision, but I do feel like the purpose of me blogging is to get some advice and input from people who have more experience than me and can give some insight to my decisions. (Man, what a run-on sentence!) It's been a long time since we've had to do the whole health insurance thing and I'm just having a hard time wrapping my head around each plan and the benefits and drawbacks of both. I appreciate the comments everyone has left, and I was wondering if I could get more input if I put some of the specific numbers. (You know that commercial where the girl talks to everyone she comes across about her car insurance? Sorry, I'm going to be like that for a bit here)

Medical Rates

Plan A

Plan B

A few things to keep in mind. Besides well-child visits, so far Rae and Blaise have been to the doctor maybe 10 times. They've only ever had 3 prescriptions and no hospital stays. Rae went to the emergency room once, but not for a true emergency. All of this could change in the next year, so I don't want to have my hopes up.

As for me, I plan to be pregnant while on this insurance. Both plans have the same maternity coverage. I'm leaning towards Plan A, since they have the "co-pay" type plan. (except not for maternity if I'm reading it correctly) Roy would like to be able to go to the doctor a few times for checkups, since he hasn't been to one in like 5 years. Anyway, any input is helpful. Thanks.

Bleh

Trying to figure out health insurance is the pits. Roy will have decent insurance through the school and they have a dependent plan, but I don't know what type to choose. All I know is that my kids go to the doctor for well-child visits and not much else. They hardly ever need any medication and we have only been to the ER once (just because we were in Blythe and couldn't go anywhere else) But then what if something serious happens to them and I'm stuck paying some big ol' deductible the ONE time they actually need medical attention. And with me, man, I never go to the doctor, mainly because I hate making appointments. :) But I do know I want to have another kid soon and I don't want to have to pay a bunch of money every month for insurance and STILL have to pay my deductible AND my co-pay. I never realized how easy we had it on state provided insurance. Man oh man, the good ol' days of stealing other people's taxes! :)

Seriously though, any advice out there? High deductible, low monthly payment? Vice-versa? One thing I will mention is that with whatever plan we go with, the well-child visits and immunizations are completely covered, so that's nice (even though I guess now that Blaise is older he doesn't need them nearly as often, so it doesn't really matter) Anyway, what do ya'll think?

Family Reunion

Hey all you Blythe Jeppsons, I have a question for you! When are you coming to the family reunion, and when are you leaving? We are trying to plan a trip to see Roy's dad while we are there and want to figure out when the best time is.

I'll start: I decided to fly to Charlotte with the kiddos and Roy will be driving our van and meeting us there. I'll arrive Sunday the 13th in the evening and then Roy will probably get there anytime Tuesday-Thursday (not sure yet when he'll be leaving Davis) We'll most likely be leaving Tuesday the 22nd. And how about you Christie? And Lindsey? And Aaron? And mom and dad? Your answers are appreciated!

Gross

I woke up to a lovely sight this morning. Thousands of ants in two trails from my balcony to my kitchen. I'm talking trails that were 3 or 4 ants wide, not just a small trail. One trail was focusing on the fruit near the trash can and the other trail was focused on the washing machine. Now, I know, you are probably thinking "hey, you should clean your house". Yes, I should. But it isn't even that messy. Yesterday I never got around to sweeping the kitchen like I usually do several times a day. And I didn't get around to vacuuming the living room, but it's not like it was that dirty. And yesterday was the first day in a week that we didn't do the dishes or wipe down the counters before bed. And this is the FIRST time this has EVER happened while living here. We often get a handful of ants in the bathroom, looking for water, but never in the kitchen! Ugh, so gross. Now my house reeks of bug spray (which it's lucky we even had - I hate to use it and I don't even remember when I bought it) which I wouldn't usually use, but how else do you kill a ton of ants before your son gets eaten by them??

We didn't even go to bed till midnight last night and Blaise woke up at 6 this morning - those ants are really fast!

And, if you are wondering, we spent the day doing far more important things than cleaning. For instance, I grumped around the house till noon and finally got dressed when Blaise went down for a nap and then we went to the river and came home that exhausted and dirty and fairly miserable. And after the kids went to bed I spent 3 hours packing and planning stuff. See, far too busy to clean. :)

Out of respect for my mother-in-law...

...I will respond to a tag, just this once.

5 things I did 10 years ago
1. Graduated high school.
2. Started college at Cal State Fullerton (mathematics major).
3. Almost got arrested for misuse of a laser pointer and a Geo Metro.
4. Went to my first LAN party.
5. Bred rodents.


5 things on my list for tomorrow (Ashley is dictating this to me)
1. Clean out my office (at school).
2. Take out the trash.
3. Bathe the kids, as usual.
4. Dishes.
5. Pack (maybe).


5 favorite snacks/food
1. Oatmeal
Instant oatmeal blended to a fine powder, then mixed with cold milk, peanut butter, cinnamon, and Splenda. This is also Blaise's favorite.
2. Quesadillas
Canned refried beans pureed to a fine mush, then mixed with Taco Bell hot sauce and shredded cheese between two tortillas, baked. Or sour cream instead of the beans.
3. Buffalo Chicken Strips with Bleu Cheese Dressing
Chicken breast meat processed to a fine pulp, then... just kidding.
4. Mushroom Pizza
Or, more specifically, Papa John's pizza with chicken and mushrooms, if I could afford it.
5. Olive Garden
Just about anything from Olive Garden.


5 things I would do if I were a billionaire
1. Papa John's!
2. Free up enough time to write several books.
3. Get a proper bathroom with a bidet!
4. Have more kids.
5. I don't know, mostly donate it away, but very strategically.


5 bad habits
1. Reading blogs.
2. Getting behind on dishes.
3. Obsessing over things.
4. See #3.
5. See #3.


5 places I have lived
1. Flint, MI.
2. Anaheim, CA.
3. Argentina.
4. Fullerton, CA.
5. Irvine, CA.


People I tag
I abstain.

Happy Father's Day

Since I feel like I was a total slacker for Father's Day this year, I thought I should at least write a bit about some of the fathers in my life.



My pops always works so hard for his family and still finds time to be a great dad and grandpa! My mom has been here for a few days for Roy's graduation (oh yeah, I should post about that) but my dad wasn't able to come and we sure miss him!
Some of my favorite memories of my dad:

It always made me feel so good to know that he was such a good member of the church. He was in the bishopric most of my childhood, and having him on the stand being an example to everyone else always made me feel good. And it was comforting to know that he could give me priestood blessings when I needed them, and he often gave us "back to school" blessings.

He worked in the summer in the melon sheds (he was a HS teacher and with 8 kids we needed extra income in the summer) and he'd come home smelling like melons. Whenever I smell a cantaloupe I think of my dad!

He's supportive of decisions that I've made as an adult, but he also gives advice when he can see that it is needed.

If he lays down for more than 2 minutes he'll fall asleep....usually with the tv on. But if you try to take the remote control from him he'll wake up and say "hey, I'm awake".





And, my other favorite dad, the father of my kiddos! When Rae was born Roy wasn't quite sure what to do, but he was very willing to learn! He was even the one who changed her first poopy diaper! And now he's a diaper changing, getting kids baths and bed, kid chasing, wrestling dad that is so much fun!



By the time Blaise came along Roy had a pretty good idea of what he was doing, and he was much more willing to get Blaise down for naps and to sleep at night so that I wouldn't have to be a human pacifier. He makes Blaise's favorite food (oatmeal) better than I can and is quick to get him in the tub after he's smeared it all over his hair. Man oh man, I love this father and how much effort he puts into making our life happy!

Roy's dad hasn't really been part of his life but we've recently started talking to him and visited him last fall. We'll see him again in a few weeks and it's nice to know that he's there for us when we need him and is making an effort into trying to make up for lost years.

Roy's mom married a great guy a few years ago, and he's a fun grandpa and the kids really like him. When we got married I didn't have a father-in-law, so it's been fun to have this role filled!

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there!

La la la...

Zion, Zion, Beautiful Zion

Here it is...the moment you all have been waiting for! We are moving to:

Kirksville, Missouri!


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Roy will be starting in August as a Visiting Assistant Professor in Mathematics at Truman State University. It is a one year position but might be renewable for a few more years. It will be quite a change, but we are excited! More details to come, when we get everything figured out! :)

Okay, one more...Papababy!

This one is my favorite!

Omababy

Cute picture

I found this picture the other day when I was going through boxes. These are most of my cousins on my dad's side of the family. I thought my family would enjoy seeing it! Anyone know what year this is? I'm guessing 97 or so?