Saturday, December 28, 2013

Time & Space To Think.



     **Another blog first posted in my newest Exploring page--- with 30+ posts.   Please check them all out and share the links!!   http://exarizonagobensonbobcats.blogspot.com/ **





      Hello and welcome back readers!   I want to thank you all for helping make this sight great and getting the word out to other Arizona Explorers, residents, and people that simply wish they were lucky enough to call this fine state home.  I have MANY new posts, ideas, Exploring, and pictures to share just please be patient with me.   With three kiddos and all of the other aspects of having an amazing family---life gets in the way a lot, and of course family always takes top priority. 

   On the Friday before Christmas I was letting to many things in life get me down.  And noticed that I was in way to of a Scrooge mood for it being that close to such a holiday.   The day before I snuck of with Butch and did some deep thinking in the local cemetery.   I needed to venture out on a long hike by myself and get lost.   Explore and ponder while looking for my moment of Zen or a Vortex.   I don't know if anyone in reader land has read about Vortex's  but I have studied them in great depth.  Or tried to---the concept seems to be so deep that it is past my understanding.  A lot of the areas seem to be around Sedona-- while roaming the painted rocks.   To  make it even more interesting -a Vortex can move, and is experienced differently by everyone that finds it.  Depending greatly on the state of mind they are in when they enter it, or how dehydrated they are.   I finally watched a You Tube video awhile back that explained the concept to me some what.  And I think for the most part-it is a spot were you find yourself, and become at peace with everything.     On this day I did not find a Vortex but did find a place to sit way up on a hill and just be calm and peaceful.  And eventually I found myself in a much better state of mind and mood. 



   On this day I took off to the dead end on Fourth Street.   I have been here before with all of the kiddos.   Feel free to check out that blog post at: 


http://exarizonagobensonbobcats.blogspot.com/2013/11/nothing-beats-back-road.html



                                                     But this Exploring took me under the freeway and beyond. 

 
 
 
 
 
   I soon found some cow trails that helped me roam through the open desert.  The trails also kept me away from the few near by houses.   Mostly because in a lot of the places I Explore I am not positive if I am trespassing or not. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
              As in most of my trips---I was surrounded by varied desert life and rolling hills and mountains. 

 
 
 


 
And I always try to picture different types of plants in each blog post.
 
 

   

 
 


 
 
On this day it could not decide if it was going to be cloudy or full out sunny.
The above peak is much taller, but the top was gone from view. 
 
 
 
 
 
I took a long pause on one of the hills.
Enjoying the view and the quiet.
Watching all of the traffic sped past on I-10 was also calming, as I realized I had all the time in the World that day
with no real place to be. 
 
 
Being a Wyoming native---I often reflect on the long journey that brought me to loving life in the desert. 
 
We have lived in the desert before--and hated it, but it was not good parts of the state for sure. 
 
 
 
 
Coming down from the thinkin' hill I found these deer bones.
A sure reminder that others have ventured here even if they might have been four legged creatures. 
I love being able to hike and not see anyone.  But on the same note - if something did happen to me-it could be awhile before I ran into any help. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
At one point I found piles and piles of old phone pole insulators. 
 
 
 
 The clouds were still deciding what they were doing.
 
 
 
 
Any guesses were I was Exploring next?  
 
 
 
 

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Every Creature Was Sturring!





      First off I would quickly like to thank all of my readers!   I like to joke that only I and my mother read my blogs, but just this blog page has recently hit 25,000 + views!   Although I have had this page for the longest, and it has for sure been my place to vent -it has also become like a picture filled journal for me.   I hope you enjoy the ride even half as much as I did and do, when I look back at the pages.   I also have two other blog pages---the one I am most focusing on at the moment takes us on an Exploring & picture filled journey of Arizona.   And will also feature a new blog post tonight--if I indeed consume enough caffeine.   Please check it out and share the links at :  http://exarizonagobensonbobcats.blogspot.com/


     **"I can't believe it's been almost a year since we all died in 2012!"**

            **What I love most about my home is who I share it with!"**

**"364 days until Christmas and already so many people have there decorations up!"**

                     **"I found I wrap presents like a blind chimp on meth."**----We agreed to delay the main part of our present opening until mommy gets out of the hospital this year-so that we can open them as a family.  But I am very sure that our living room will soon look like a Toys R Us store threw up!


  **"I feel sorry for kids with lesbian parents--they get caught in the endless loop of go ask your mother!"**


More great and or deep quotes can be found in almost every blog post for this page!!
                                                   Collect them all!

      As I said above this blog page has been running itself for three years now and has become almost like a live journal for me.  My family and I have gone through a lot of changes and done a lot of traveling in those three years.   We have been together eight years now, and have gone through all kinds of Christmas Eve's and days.  From our first awkward Christmas together to crummy holidaze spent states apart.   The worse years were always the years we had to spend apart.  The best in a long time was last year, I had been stuck in the cold in Wyoming, and flew back home to Bellingham before Christmas to the kids and my than girl friend.   We soon after got married.  Each of the last few years is described in much more detail in my past blogs, if you care to do a search.  Through the years we have also come up with some great traditions.  Like I always pick a special tree ornament for each of our kiddos each year.   And we also find a dated ornament each year--a harder task than it might seem.   This year we also did a family Christmas card, although because of mommy being sick and other such "fun" most family members will not see for awhile still.



This is the un-edited version

     For the first time in years, we started December with a nice amount of cash and got to spoil our selves just a little bit, without going into debt.  Or so it seemed.   Right before April went into the hospital, we decided it was best that she quit her job, so we are now very close to a $0 in family income. 
    We also had to skip some traditions this year.   Like the famed Margarita bucket!   You can buy pre mixed buckets of the ingredients, add the booze and than place them in the freezer for most of a day.   We buy one of these and than enjoy on Christmas Eve as my wife and I attempt to play Santa.   This started years ago, the first year my parents meet my wife and kids.   We were not sure how the day would go, and decided booze couldn't hurt.  Although we bought the bucket, this year is the first year in about 5 years we have not drank it.   All and all this may well be our most memorable Christmas yet. 


   This year my lovely wife ended up in the hospital for the holidaze.   As her grandmother says, she does have bad timing.  On Monday night we went to the local hospital --thinking we would be out some what soon, and she would feel better  or would be very annoyed.  It is a small town, and maybe not the best hospital in the scale of many that we have visited along the way.  Early Tuesday morning they were sending her to a Tucson hospital by ambulance. 

     **Ok so here is the cliff notes of what April is in the hospital for: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a serious complication that stems from diabetes. If you don’t have enough insulin to help your body process sugars (glucose), your body will start burning fat to fuel itself. As a result, acids called ketone bodies build up in the body. If left untreated, these ketones bodies poison your body. DKA can occur if you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, but it’s considered rare in those with type 2. DKA can also appear if you are at risk for diabetes but have not received a formal diagnosis. It can be the first sign of type 1 diabetes.**


     Long story that is still going on, short--- on Christmas Eve we opened on gift each and than agreed to open the rest when mommy got home.   On Christmas day I found someone to watch the kiddos---a very hard task on any holiday.   Especially when the mother-in-law is not an option!  And surprised April by not only showing up at the hospital, but by choosing to stay the night with the love of my life.   Yes the love of my life, and April are the same person to any of those that are new here.  I brought her stocking from Santa and one gift to open. 
    Some were along the line I forgot how fun hospitals were.  Minus the fun of course.   And I believe we got exactly 0 hours of sleep!  But we were together.  Above is a picture of April from this afternoon.   When she was feeling much betterer, hooked up to almost no wires, and about to transfer into a room out of ICU with an actual working potty and shower!   She had also just found out in the picture, that she could squeeze one Mc Griddle into her new strict diet on the day she finally leaves the hospital~!  Before I had sent an extra pitiful picture of her to much of the family.   At that point she had an IV in both arms and was more than not loving life.  I will spare her by not adding that picture to this post. 

      I will go into the whole hospital experience and Exploring in a future blog post.   I do have several pictures of course because well I don't sit well.   I do have a few more to share tonight though.



   

Even the cactus were ready for Santa's visit -all around the hospital and Tucson!






Disguise a potty in her room---closed position...


open!

Although we found this beyond kool and any van owners dream, I could not drag myself to stand in the middle of the room and actually use it. 



Just out her window,  this orange tree.


Inside the huge chapel


More pictures to come in a future Exploring blog.  
I would lastly like to thank the family members who really do care about April and her health.
I have practically worn out my thumbs
trying to keep everyone updated with how she has been doing these last few days. 

And as always a few of the family members are so worried about themselves and not being the
focus of every ones attention
that they got banished from any updates from me.  
The great mother in law--by passed all of our wishes and has tried to call the hospital many times---I say tried because the nurses have been instructed not to tell her anything more than that April is in stable condition.  Aprils new nurses now tell her mom that no one by that name is even in the hospital.  The nurses idea--not ours, but we like it!  ;)

Anyways--A huge thank you to those friends and family
that truly care! 

And to all of the prayers and support coming in from all across the country.

Your prayers really are helping!!


Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Not A Creature Was Sturring.




     **"I love the trappings of Christmas as much as anyone; but the truths of Christmas trump the trappings of Christmas, and too many people get trapped in the trappings and forget the truth"**--David Jeremiah


     Annoy more friends by sharing this on the 30th of December   with a count down till next Christmas!      Have you been tracking Santa on his amazing ride?  I have.


  



                                      **"Life is short    Play with your dog!"**  ;)







   I keep talking this year about how amazingly hard it is for me to get into the Christmas spirit this year.  Maybe it is from all of the in-law crap, that never seems to stop.  *For better or for worse.*  Or maybe it is the super warm temps of the desert.  Although I did spot snow at the tops of many of the hills surrounding Sierra Vista just a few days back.  Maybe it is how super bratty our kids have been acting this year.   Or my wife's failing health over the last few weeks.  But here it is Christmas Eve  one of the single most fun nights of the year, and I have still not found my full season spirit.   With my wife in the hospital as her Christmas present this year, I have to extra suck it up for the kiddos- to make it the magically and holy night it truly should be.  I have been reading blog posts past about my Christmas past, they vary SO much from year to year!   My next post will be a little more cheery and run down the best of the past with those I love.  Complete with our traditions carried on each year.  

 
Because it's been a year now since we all died in 2012!

 But now to recap--on why much of my spirits just are not so bright this year.  Complete with some of my Facebook posts in the last week.  

   **Dear friends and family--April Adams is going through a VERY ruff time health wise right now. We do have family pictures for many of you ---and presents, but we are focusing on the kids and getting April better at this point. Please know that your greetings will be late from us--but they are still heartfelt. We hope that you all have an amazing Christmas and new year. And please keep us in your prayers.**        So much of a hard time that we soon found it best for her to quit her full time job.   For the first time in years, our work over the last few months, allowed for a very nice amount of presents under the real tree. 

      This takes us to last night.....
  **Such a long night. Took April into the local hospital at ten last night. They have been running tests all night next another cat scan than they are sending her by ambulance to a Tucson hospital.**

    Her heartburn became so bad that we took her to the local hospital for what we thought was going to be a quick-ish visit.   At about 4 AM ---I gave up and returned home to relieve our baby sitter.  Some time around 8 AM she went by ambulance to Tucson.   Her body is all out of whack---apparently with everything else she has diabetes and it has not been treated.  Although it is so much better that they discovered things last night, she will not be home for Christmas morning.  But it is much better than if her body would have "crashed" at our home Christmas morning. 


    My post a few hours back....

  **Just came back from the hospital. No chance with everything going on at our house right now--I hate to say this, but it's official---I talked to Santa and it will be the first year EVER all three of our kiddos have made the naughty list. They are close every year--but always turn things around. Not this year, and word is Santa is leaving coal and letters to our kiddos. Click on "like" if you support our parenting on this.



     Although this really pains me---it really does---We have both decided that it just might be the only way to fix all of the negative -self centered---non season like behavior the kids have been showing all year long.   You know you want to read the letters Santa is leaving in there stockings under the coal   Right??

                                                                   Sure you do!! 


  **I must quickly add here that this is the letter to our youngest.  At the great age of 9 for about another month.   He was actually closer to the nice side, and was receiving a filled stocking-until this afternoon.   I was preparing us for going the 40 miles to Tucson to visit there mom at the hospital, and found our youngest and his sister, in the back yard lighting things on fire!  **



    Dear Youngest,

    I have checked my list---twice and regret to have learned that you are on my naughty list for the first time ever!   You were right on the good/naughty boarder line--until my elves at your mommy's hospital told me about your fire today.  Everyone is naughty sometimes, even your parents and me!  But when things like hitting, disrespect, not listening, and not doing your chores becomes the normal, I have to shake my head and than add you to the naughty list.   I wanted to keep the mess down for you and me, and did not put coal in your stocking.  BUT do not fear I am always watching--and you can turn things around faster than a flea can jump off of Blitzen's butt!  YOU now have 364 days to make sure you are once again filed on the NICE Christmas list next year. 


    Sincerely
 
         Santa




    
 
 
 
This does not apply on Christmas morning if you have kids. 
 
 
 
 
Were you can shop for me next year!
 
 
 
 
The only person that likes cookies more than Santa!!