Brain Dead Family (amazing we aren't dead!)

So, this family has too many brain dead people in it.

Brain Dead #1: Mom. Mom puts beans on to cook and then decides to take the big dog to a self serve dog bath place and then grocery shopping. As she is leaving it dawns on her that she put beans on the stove to cook. She calls home a few times and finally Dad answers the phone (with the smoke alarm going in the back ground) "Yes, you did try to burn down the house!" The beans were literally ashes at that point.

Brain Dead #2: Tomas. Tomas hears the smoke alarm, sees the house filling up with smoke so he opens the windows, decides Mom wants to cook that way and then continues playing the video game.

Brain Dead #3: David. David is in bed sick. He also hears the smoke alarm, smells the smoke but also hears Tomas playing a video game so he decides to ignore it and go back to sleep. (with the alarm blarring!)

We all went to church today smelling like a fire. The house still smells really bad.
It is truly amazing sometimes how we ever manage to survive.

Hello world

Hello to family and friends. Don't know if anyone even looks at this blog anymore. If not, guess I don't blame you. I've had plenty of things I've wanted to put on, just haven't gotten to it yet.

Last Sunday evening my friend Julia Lane Stevens came to visit me. When I first moved to Tampa she was the first to greet me. She lived behind me. We became best friends. She's the one that came over with her guitar and we taught ourselves how to play. She now lives in Kentucky. She came to San Fran. on business and decided to drive up to see me. It made me feel so good, that she would make that kind of sacrifice to come see me. We've kept in touch through the years with Christmas cards. It was so fun to see her again.

Still here!

I'm still here in Utah with Tomas, and here is an update. When he first met with the therapist two things came of it. First, he didn't think Tomas has a Schizoid Personality Disorder. He thinks he has PDD or Pervasive Development Disorder. Asperger's is in that category although he did not say that he thought that that was what he has. The other thing was that they have thrown up the red flags thinking that Tomas is high risk for suicide. He's had suicidal thoughts, but the gal in Portland thought the risk currently was low. Then this past week we were told that Church policy wouldn't allow them to treat Tomas because of the suicide risk. They wanted him to be institutionalized to become stable. We of course were rolling our eyes saying "You have gone overboard." But then again you second guess yourself, maybe they know something we don't. But I do know Tomas, he doesn't lie. To make a long story short, the places here in Utah they wanted to send him to, we don't qualify for. They could sense our frustration and my refusal to institutionalize my son. Finally they asked me if I really believed Tomas when he told me that yes he has had thoughts, but he doesn't think he would do anything. With that they got permission from the Regional Director to continue treating him. So now, he will start the medication, but not until next Friday because the doctor is out of town. I will need to stay for a while longer until he is stable on the medication. This has been such a roller coaster! They'll need to institutionalize me soon!!!!

What next?

I guess it's been a while since I wrote anything. Life changed pretty quick when Tomas came home from his mission on a medical release. We finally have a diagnosis. At first I was a bit skeptical, but as I've researched it more I think it's very correct. He has a Schizoid (skee'zoid) Personality Disorder. I'm not saying this to blab it to the world, but to yell to the world "So that's what I have!" I was so much like him and have struggled with much of the same things. Now I understand my depression. Now I understand my lonlieness. Now I understand my social weaknesses. Now I understand why I don't like to talk. The wonderful thing is that I've seen the Lord's hand in walking me through life and helping me cope, adjust and learn. For some reason I new that what I struggled with was rooted in the emotional abuse of my childhood. Like Tomas, the human soul can only take so much before it shuts down and even though you can outwardly look and act like all is well, there is an emptiness that never goes away. You lose the ability to form a deep bond with people. Now I understand why it is so hard for me to be a good friend. Even to the people that I really love and care about, I'm often aloof. Inwardly I long for that close connection, but the very thought causes anxiety. This is a difficult thing to have in a church that is very social! The Lord kept telling me to just practice. I've come a long way over the years. I use to not even be able to call people on the phone. Crumb, I went from that to Relief Society President. Big change! I still really like being in the nursery where I just do my own thing. Perhaps now that I know what's going on I can get some help too. I'm just so glad that Tomas is going to get help while he's still young.

Plain White Trash

Last Thursday I got in my car, put my seatbelt on as usual and was shocked to find that my seatbelt was shredding. I knew I hadn't seen that before, but figured it must be scrapping on something. Friday it was shredded even more and Saturday morning when Ezra and I got in the car to go to the Temple it was completely in two. On Monday Ezra replaced the strap and then did a sweet thing and completely cleaned the car, he even vacuumed and shampooed the carpet. Yesterday morning I got in the car and the new belt was shredded and there was garbage on the floor at my feet that had definitely been "chewed." The droppings that were left were not cute little mouse size either. I bought a trap, and this morning I'm grateful for a husband. I can do little green bugs, but rats are not my thing! OH YUCK! We'll set it again tonight to see if there's been more than one. So! Rule #1. Don't leave food in your car, it attracts unwanted vistors. You wouldn't think something that big could get in, but it did. Sorry kids, I guess your mom is offically "plain white trash."

The Male Brain

Let me first tell you about an incident that happened a few years ago. I went looking for my large silver bowl but couldn't find it. It turned up in the garage filled with motor oil. Tomas didn't know what else to use. That became a family joke. Well, Saturday morning I went to the cupboard as I always do in the morning to take my vitamins. I have a new liquid vitamin that I take, but it wasn't there. I searched all the cupboards, but no vitamins. A little while later Krista came down with them. They were in the bathroom upstairs. I chuckled because I had told David the night before where the Xylitol was that I wanted him to start rinsing his mouth with. (the dentist told us that Xylitol will actually heal cavities) I figured he didn't listen to my directions and rinsed with my vitamins instead. So, I went and took my vitamins. They had kind of a weird taste. Almost like cologne. I didn't think more about it until last night when I said, "David, by the way. The Xylitol is in the butter cupboard, what you used was my liquid vitamins." "Oh, well actually I just needed a dropper so I could transfer my cologne from one bottle to another." No wonder I had a headache and felt dizzy for 2 days! He nearly didn't live to see Christmas.

Walking in Memphis

David performed at a recent school concert playing and singing Walking in Memphis. I tried to upload it to my blog, but couldn't get it to work. I tried to send an email link directly from YouTube, but I'm not sure if it worked so now I'm posting the link here for you to watch it if you want to. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J--7rm3absU