tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656846031900993162012-01-03T11:22:40.407-07:00The Polad'snoreply@blogger.comBlogger831100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-54852408725793092162012-01-03T11:22:00.002-07:002012-01-03T11:22:40.421-07:00

16 years ago I was diagnosed with a crippling disease; Austin was only 2 months old when it first hit. I remember the pain I felt in my hands as I struggled to lift him and vowed at that point I would not let this ruin my life. I have to admit I have done well learning to deal with it, until recently. I was in a minor car accident the Saturday after Thanksgiving and jammed my right wrist. Since

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-91982791065652616922011-11-02T22:48:00.001-06:002011-11-02T22:49:59.949-06:00

Sometimes I think my life would make a great TV movie.  It even has the part where they say, "Stand by. We are experiencing temporary difficulties."  ~Robert Brault A hug is worth a thousand words. ~Author Unknown Keep your fears to yourself but share your courage with others.  ~Robert Louis Stevenson Bravery is being the only one who knows you're afraid. ~Franklin P. Jones

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-69803135407717621912011-10-24T19:11:00.000-06:002011-10-24T22:25:25.586-06:00

Over the past two years I somehow feel like I have lost myself.  It all started 9/11/09 - I got laid off from my job of 7 years, 01/2010 - Found a new job, 04/2010 - Laid off from new job, 05/2010 - Shailyn had her accident and that changed everything.  I spent the summer of 2010 being a full time nurse / Mom, on shift 24 hours a day and running to various specialists, in September 2010 the kids

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-56556403485324640702011-10-15T21:36:00.000-06:002011-10-15T21:36:43.099-06:00

Wow!  What a proud moment for Kaysie!  She had her last 2 games of the season today and ended it with her first homerun!  Congratulations Kaysie!  (Unfortunately I was too excited to remember to take a picture of her homerun) On another note, it wouldn't be a week at the Polad house if someone wasn't injured or seeing a doctor... Tim got smacked by a softball on the field today, right in his

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-33711053473442184262011-10-14T21:37:00.000-06:002011-10-15T22:17:37.055-06:00

I can't believe Austin is old enough to be going to a high school dance!  His school did a masquerade and he had a blast; he told me he learned how to cha-cha, the macarena (spelling?), and a couple other dances.  So glad he had a good time!

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-47190883757201186712011-10-14T15:00:00.039-06:002011-10-16T01:20:16.583-06:00

Just when I think things are getting back to normal... I took Shailyn in for a physical today and she has lost hearing in her left ear.  Since this is the side that her TMJ joint was shattered they think it may have something to do with her accident.  We are trying antibiotics (and hoping by some miracle she has an ear infection that is causing this, although the doctor couldn't see one)... after

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-58578272945080204372011-10-14T01:47:00.000-06:002011-10-16T13:34:38.740-06:00

January 2011 - Kaysie played for the Jr. Jazz April 2011 - Austin played soccer for Spectrum Academy High May 2011 - I went with Shailyn's class on a walking field trip uptown May 2011 - Shailyn did her Country Report on Switzerland  June 2011 - We had the Polad Family Reunion Kaysie made the Taylorsville All-Star Softball team!  She played starting catcher! Tim turned 40!!

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-71797028777685594762011-09-21T11:45:00.000-06:002011-09-21T11:45:35.819-06:00

Wow, it has been over a year since I last posted (Thanks Tammi for pointing this out!) and I am going to make another attempt at the blogging world.  Let's see where to start?  This last spring Kaysie played softball and made the All-Star team!  She played starting catcher, short stop, and left field during the summer.  She has amazing self motivation and gives 100% of whatever she puts her

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-56149958468451196582010-06-29T22:09:00.004-06:002010-08-31T22:24:29.423-06:00

Finally, Something normal to post about! Kaysie cut about 7" off of her hair!  She looks so cute with her new do! Shailyn's hematoma she had on the back of her head has finally healed enough to get her hair done!  She just wanted a trim, but she still looks adorable! Thanks Jessica for always doing such a great job!

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-5495499989128454492010-06-27T21:55:00.002-06:002010-08-31T22:24:20.606-06:00

Shailyn has been cleared to walk and swim!  She is so excited to be mobile again!

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-14430723860634865732010-06-23T22:03:00.001-06:002010-08-31T22:24:12.380-06:00

Today we got the results of the MRI on Shailyn's knee... Good news!  Nothing needs surgery!  Her bones are bruised up pretty bad, which will take 6-12 months to heal...  All of the white parts on the above picture are bruising, I have no idea how she didn't break her leg, but am grateful she didn't.  They also found a lesion on her bone, which according to them "is not cancerous".  At this

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-67061169497373238542010-06-23T22:00:00.001-06:002010-08-31T22:23:58.394-06:00

After spending the first 2 months of summer in a cast, she finally got it off today!  She was so excited for the appointment, but then we found out her bone was not healed all the way through.  Fortunately for her she will be able to use a splint for the next three weeks while the healing finishes. 

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-64950782524421111442010-06-18T00:20:00.001-06:002010-06-18T00:21:09.354-06:00

As of yesterday 4 weeks have passed since the accident.  Shailyn is doing quite well all things considered.  She is now eating soft foods and we get her up for 10 minutes every hour and have her walk around so she doesn't lose her strength.  Her fractured hip, ribs, and pelvis seem to be healing pretty well, she does favor her left side as she walks but other than that she is doing great! 

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-17310981364037819422010-06-18T00:17:00.000-06:002010-06-18T00:17:50.038-06:00

Today I received a surprise visit from a couple of the Taylorsville Cheerleaders. They did a fundraiser for Shailyn and completely shocked me when they stopped by! I don't know how to even begin to thank them  for what they have done for us! Last week I was looking at our bank account and didn't know how we were going to buy groceries for the remainder of the month, it is such a relief to know

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-31426203276769176092010-06-07T19:18:00.000-06:002010-06-08T19:19:16.381-06:00

Before  We had to be to the hospital at 6:00 AM which in itself was a huge chore because Shailyn is about the farthest thing from an early bird you can find. (as you can tell from her before picture) We got to the hospital, checked in and waited until 7:30 for her surgery to begin.  The procedure today was rather simple, they were taking the arch bars out of Shailyn's mouth and removing all of

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-65168029652454655742010-06-06T12:19:00.001-06:002010-06-08T19:22:46.042-06:00

Today I found a picture of where Shailyn was rescued from on Mt. Timpanogas...I can't even explain the emotions that hit me when I saw this, I still have a hard time believing this is my daughter!

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-5172504556228639702010-06-03T00:11:00.000-06:002010-06-03T00:11:35.389-06:00

Today started out with Shailyn wanting to eat everything under the sun!  She wanted Bean and bacon soup for breakfast and Tim ended up spraying her in it!  We ended up with an early shower then her appetite grew... We had Pediasure, Bean and Bacon soup, Chicken Noodle Soup, Uncle Bryon's famous cream of broccoli soup, a smoothie, a milkshake, and some apple juice.  By the time I had fixed all of

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-68533108994917147272010-05-31T22:16:00.000-06:002010-05-31T22:16:49.295-06:00

Life at home has definitely been different than I expected.  Shailyn requires 24 hour care, she can't get up by herself, eat, drink, or get to the bathroom.  Since we have been home Tim has been taking the night shift and sleeping on the couch next to her to make sure if she needs something we are there.  Last night was the first night she slept through the night, which is really nice other than

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-31595624321957505062010-05-29T22:38:00.000-06:002010-05-30T20:57:28.344-06:00

Since Shailyn's jaw is wired shut, we are currently feeding her through a syringe with IV tubing attached.  Today she wanted pancakes... So I cooked up some pancakes, put them in the blender with some half and half, butter and syrup, put them in her syringe and I started feeding her.  Well apparently the pancakes were a little too thick for the IV tubing.  The IV tubing popped off the syringe and

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-86960027367322540472010-05-28T21:45:00.000-06:002010-05-28T21:45:51.164-06:00

Finally Smiling again!Her bruises are healing up nicely!Getting Stitches outWE GET TO GO HOME :)Finally, her own bed to sleep in.  Maybe now she will start feeling better!

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-18717723374062353042010-05-28T00:18:00.000-06:002010-05-28T00:18:37.050-06:00

Today was a very different day for me, we woke up a little before 6 AM and Shailyn wanted to get out of bed to use the bathroom.  As tired as I was I was still excited she actually felt good enough to get up!  From there I tried to get her to eat or drink something, and of course I failed.  Tim came up at 9:30 after dropping off Kaysie and Austin to school.  We spent the morning just the three of

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-40523166917274804142010-05-26T23:41:00.001-06:002010-05-26T23:43:03.733-06:00

Well, the afternoon was slightly better than this morning, Shailyn was able to sit up long enough to paint while her Dad and Kaysie were here.  Kaysie brought her a cream soda and she drank 83 ml (not quite 3 oz) of that which is the most she has drank at one time.  We haven't been able to get many things down her today so she is still on her IV.  We have been able to reduce her morphine and

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-82327342823975680462010-05-26T13:07:00.000-06:002010-05-26T13:07:30.798-06:00

Well today has been interesting to say the least.  As of Noon today Shailyn has consumed 6 oz and 1/2 tsp. of fluids... Not looking good.  She is also very miserable today, which has made her so ornery!  She has kicked me out of the room 3 different times, the only thing she can say clearly enough for me to understand right now is "GET OUT!" and she says it with all her energy.  Poor thing, I

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-68978592041320113982010-05-25T23:00:00.000-06:002010-05-25T23:00:23.536-06:00

Before...This morning we were up at 6:00 getting Shailyn ready for her surgery, she couldn't have any medications after 6:30 so we had to get up and make sure she got what she needed.  After getting her ready, I helped Kaysie and Austin prepare for the day, enjoyed my last morning at home and then we were off to the hospital.  We had to be to the hospital by 8:00 to check-in for surgery so my

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-69742586433117987382010-05-23T23:52:00.000-06:002010-05-23T23:52:40.780-06:00

Today we were released from the hospital.  What an experience that was!  The doctor that released us made me feel horrible.  She wanted to put Shailyn back on the antibiotic that she is allergic to, and when I refused she got an attitude.  I told her I would be fine with that if we could stay in the hospital but she told me that was an unreasonable request.  I told her I was concerned about

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-90417384264141791602010-05-23T00:20:00.001-06:002010-05-23T08:58:38.478-06:00

Today started out really well, Shailyn was actually smiling!  Because she was doing so well when the doctor came in she authorized us to go home later this evening; however this afternoon Shailyn developed a rash which we are assuming is an allergic reaction to something - we just don't know what.  She got to get in the shower today for the first time mainly because I requested they show me how

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-84683926933125297832010-05-21T23:40:00.000-06:002010-05-21T23:40:09.952-06:00

Today I talked to the Sargeant who was at the scene of search and rescue.  I finally got the details of how she fell.  She was talking to two friends on her way down the trail, she lost her footing at a turn in the trail and plunged vertically about 20 feet, she grabbed onto a branch that was about 1/2" in diameter but the branch broke and she tumbled / cartwheeled approximately another 85 feet.

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-88835850379237251742010-05-21T21:15:00.000-06:002010-05-21T21:15:04.896-06:00

This picture for some reason did not load yesterday, this is her left hip.

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-47396506044557505242010-05-21T00:16:00.000-06:002010-05-21T00:16:48.272-06:00

Yesterday was absolutely the most terrifying day of my life.  I received a call from one of Shailyn's teachers, Mrs. Miller to let me know Shailyn had fallen on her field trip at Mt. Timpanogas the ambulance had been called, but she was conscious and alert.  The nearest hospital was American Fork Hospital so I jumped in the car and headed south, Then I received call number 2... She was being life

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-6332050569471715822010-05-09T22:24:00.002-06:002010-05-20T23:42:34.577-06:00

Mother's Day started out great!  Tim made the coffee, and he and the girls cooked up some turkey bacon and eggs!  He and the kids bought me a bonsai tree that is as many years old as I have been a Mom! (14 years, I really can't believe it!)  I was able to relax and enjoy the kids company this morning before we headed out to Tim's Moms.  After we were done visiting we headed to my Mom's for a

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-45807119716403350392010-05-08T00:11:00.000-06:002010-05-08T00:11:55.707-06:00

Today we found out that Kaysie has pre-diabetes, or hyperinsulinism.  We are going in tomorrow for a full glucose tolerance test, a thyroid test and a liver test to find out the extent of what we are dealing with.  Fortunately, pre-diabetes can be overcome by making healthy life choices (Or a very strict diet, but Kaysie gets angry when I call it that). Tonight we spent some time going through

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-28902979472492022802010-04-03T23:19:00.000-06:002010-04-07T23:30:03.960-06:00

As a tradition, we always dye Easter eggs the night before Easter.  This year I thought it would be fun to get different dyes, so I bought the Golden Egg kit, and the Tie Dye kit.  I forget sometimes that Austin doesn't exactly agree with changes to traditions and he was not happy about this, so I ended up digging in my cupboard for some food coloring so we could do the traditional eggs as well.

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-82569032086687970472010-04-01T21:30:00.000-06:002010-04-07T23:42:26.024-06:00

Every year Austin's school puts together an Autism Gala during the month of April for Autism Awareness.  The 6th, 7th and 8th grade students all came together to read poetry.  I was impressed with the job Austin did, way to go Austin!  They also do a big auction for all kinds of  things that have been donated to help raise money for the school.  This year most of the classes also did art projects

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-43376185714345964872010-04-01T13:15:00.013-06:002010-04-08T13:22:07.508-06:00

Well, today I took Shailyn into an Orthopedic specialist for her knee.  No broken bones, but there is the possiblity of ligament or cartlidge damage - not good, this could mean knee surgery.  The doctor is leaning more towards cartlidge damage as ligament damage is not very common in children.  The swelling is still so bad they can't do the proper exams so they are having us come back again in 2

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-50746234912114874482010-03-31T22:08:00.000-06:002010-04-07T23:19:43.305-06:00

Poor Shailyn is spending her 11th Birthday on crutches!  She woke up this morning complaining about how bad her arms hurt, what a rotten birthday gift!   Shailyn has really grown up a lot this past year, she loves talking on the phone, and texting her friends.  she is extremely helpful around the house (the only exception is her bedroom), and is a joy to be around.  Tonight we took her to Red

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-54544612254918667592010-03-30T22:39:00.000-06:002010-04-07T23:08:36.905-06:00

Today, Shailyn went on a field trip to Classic Skating!  She was so excited, she  worked very hard at school this past month to earn this field trip. After school my phone rang as it usually does, and I was excited to hear about how her field trip had gone. Unfortunately the first words out of her mouth were "Mom, I need a ride home."  I proceeded to tell her I was at work, and couldn't come to

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-42611134392408668532010-03-12T10:24:00.018-07:002010-04-07T22:38:36.582-06:00

Today, Kaysie turned 9 years old!  Wow, I can't beleive how fast time flies.  It seems like just yesterday Tim and I were bringing her home from the hospital.   Kaysie chose to get her ears pierced for her birthday.  I can't help but smile every time I look at this picture, she is trying so hard to smile - but looks completely terrified!  She did great though, she only cried for about 20

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-54882263761584268002010-02-23T22:39:00.000-07:002010-04-07T23:58:50.457-06:00

Navy is finally letting us near her and the puppies, even letting us hold them sometimes!  We have 8 cute little Border Collies, 1 brown male, 2 gray males, 1 gray female, and 4 black ones... (not sure of their sexes yet).  The kids love having the puppies to keep them entertained, I just hope we have got through to them that they will all be leaving us soon.  Shailyn has adjusted to going to bed

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-76850616828474119762010-01-31T14:59:00.000-07:002010-02-18T16:10:15.133-07:00

Last night Navy finally had her puppies!  8 healthy little ones... They are all so cute and tiny but she won't let any of us near them (Or her for that matter).  After the first one was born (above) she seemed to be okay with Tim in the room but then when the second one started coming she wasn't having an audience.  She growled at all of us when we would try to peek in at her progress.  I am

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-23980609537722619252010-01-27T19:53:00.000-07:002010-01-27T19:53:21.429-07:00

Monday I started a new job for A&T Plumbing as their Office Manager. Boy has it been strange! I got to work on Monday and the owner Andre explains to me that he has no idea what the person does that sits behind my desk and hands me a stack of paperwork that needs to be done. He proceeds to leave my office and head upstairs. Good thing I didn't exaggerate in my interview! Luckily I was able to

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-36630213201489711342010-01-11T17:29:00.000-07:002010-01-11T17:29:59.875-07:00

What an amazing article I came across today on Austin's school, and to make it even better ~ Austin is in the picture! New help for Autism By Elizabeth Stuart Deseret News Published: Monday, Dec. 28, 2009 9:32 p.m. MST Pretty soon, Dani Hartog won't have to worry.  She won't have to leave her car idling in the parking lot at Northridge High to drag her 15-year-old son, kicking and screaming,

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-31994125868472942882010-01-10T13:58:00.001-07:002010-01-10T20:34:02.957-07:00

This year we are trying to do something every weekend with the entire family.  Yesterday we chose to go to dinner at Buca Di Beppo, and it was fabulous!  We were able to enjoy each others company and eat a great meal together.  (By the way, their antipasta salad is delicious!)  After dinner, Tim had plans to go to SnoCross with his brothers.  Don and Wendy's family came down and stayed the

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-71851510278165425552010-01-08T21:30:00.000-07:002010-01-10T12:24:00.767-07:00

Danielle and Shailyn Today Shailyn attended a birthday party for her friend Michelle.  She came home from school with her friend Danielle and they were so excited for "the party of the year".  They tried on numerous outfits, and then put make-up on... (Let me just say now, she is only 10!!).  I had to laugh as I watched how excited they were for this birthday party. (The smile on Shailyn's face

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-88401261213580812932010-01-03T22:07:00.002-07:002010-01-03T22:21:59.318-07:00

What a blast we had today! Kaysie has been begging us to take her ice skating.  Tim and I haven't been in about 10 years so we weren't exactly looking forward to it. Today we finally took them! Shailyn picked up on skating pretty quick, she only fell a few times! I took this picture of Kaysie just as she stepped onto the ice.  She took a little longer to get the hang of it but by the end she

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-33201714420415227652010-01-03T12:24:00.016-07:002010-01-10T12:32:42.048-07:00

This morning I was just getting out of the shower when I heard the kids laughing hysterically at something... I was immediately suspicious and threw on my robe and ventured out into the frontroom.  I found them on the couch with Tim pinned underneath them, all laughing and egging Tim on to try to get up!  They were having so much fun I had to share!

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-54348449966089200582010-01-02T21:52:00.000-07:002010-01-03T21:52:43.805-07:00

Danna called me this morning and offered us tickets to The Importance of being Earnest at  the Hale Center Theatre.  Tim declined, so the kids and I went on a special date, and it was fabulous! I haven't seen a theatrical performance in years and I truly did enjoy it.  Austin liked about the first 30 minutes, after that it was pure torture for him.  Shailyn and Kaysie both enjoyed it although

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-32263892285939133082010-01-01T21:31:00.001-07:002010-01-03T22:21:12.590-07:00

Wow!  I cannot believe it is already 2010!  So far so good, we started off our new year spending it with Tammi and Bryon's family.  Unfortunately the only pictures I remembered to take were of my drink: Yes, it was that impressive! At Midnight we rang in the New Year by a lot of noise makers, goofy string, sparkling apple cider for the kids, and of course a New Year's kiss. Our New Year's

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-89457271813459955422009-12-25T19:00:00.000-07:002010-01-03T21:09:38.476-07:00

Christmas has always been my favorite time of year, when I was younger I think it may have had something to do with my birthday being in December... But now, it is to celebrate the joy of family.  2009 has been a very interesting year for us, we have had many life changes (and challenges) and are learning to roll with the punches.  Christmas time this year was so special to me because I had the

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-51952121954691140292009-12-24T17:35:00.000-07:002010-01-03T20:58:47.474-07:00

Christmas Eve we spend with my family every year, and we have a lot of great memories that come from these parties, here are just a few of this years: Making Gingerbread houses... A talent show, This year Shailyn played her trumpet, Kaysie sang the 12 days of Christmas, and Austin played a dvd of his school performance. And then of course, opening presents!  The grandkids are always first,

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-72557466783854649532009-12-18T17:02:00.001-07:002010-01-03T17:27:47.275-07:00

This year Shailyn kicked off the Christmas programs with her band concert December 16, 2009.  She started playing the trumpet the beginning of the school year.  Listening to her practice has been far from enjoyable for all of us, but she now has learned to play the notes which has made practice time much more tolerable.  It was so fun to go and listen to her play.   Austin's school did a

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-33321184816157385132009-12-17T16:00:00.010-07:002010-01-03T21:03:57.607-07:00

Congratulations Chelsey on such a beatiful little girl! Born: December 17, 2009 Weight: 6 lbs 15 oz Height: 19 inches

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-10372841125469241132009-12-01T11:19:00.002-07:002009-12-26T11:45:13.291-07:00

The first thing we did was went to the "Believe" show with Shamu, still amazes me how they are able to train these animals!  The kids really wanted to get wet so we all sat in the soak zone, but we only got a few drops on us. The kids favorite show was with Clyde and Seymore, it was hilarious!  The kids were laughing through the whole show! We fed the sea lions, and this crazy little creature (

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-30418624796200323712009-12-01T11:00:00.000-07:002009-12-26T11:17:44.975-07:00

California Adventure, Thanksgiving Dinner and Disneyland We started out having a relaxing morning and slept in, then around noon we headed over to California Adventure. We were able to do everything we had missed the day before plus had time to go on the California Screamer one last time. Mom and Dad made reservations at 4:00 PM for Thanksgiving dinner at Buca Di Beppo, so we headed to dinner

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-54599988647915112542009-12-01T10:49:00.030-07:002009-12-26T11:01:10.382-07:00

Day 6: Austin turned 14 in Disneyland and California Adventure! Happy Birthday Austin!   Austin's 14th Birthday started at 11:30 PM last night! We were just getting ready to go to bed when he informed me it was already his birthday in Utah (Too Funny!) so we went ahead and opened presents before we went to sleep. We got him a cell phone and he was SHOCKED!!!   He told us he wanted to be at the

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-31179114740353991592009-12-01T10:48:00.000-07:002009-12-26T11:03:01.499-07:00

This was our first trip to Universal Studios and we were all very impressed! The day started out with going through a haunted house (I can't remember the name), and proceeded to the Simpson's ride, the Shrek show, the Jurassic park ride, the Waterworld show, Backdraft, Terminator 2, and the Mummy ride (possibly more) and then we went shopping! It was fabulous! Kaysie was so excited to meet

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-59848871851004744902009-12-01T10:16:00.003-07:002009-12-26T11:44:38.147-07:00

The Zoo was a more relaxing day. We stayed with my Mom and Dad most of the day and did a bus tour of the animals. We went on the skyride and it was terrifying, it made horrible noises as it started going and it was higher than any sky ride I have ever been on. The San Diego zoo had some exotic animals like the koala bears, they were so cute! I wish we would have had more time there to see

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-63557317492767343262009-12-01T01:00:00.001-07:002009-12-26T11:03:53.626-07:00

Day Three: DISNEYLAND!!! What a wonderful and very frightening day all in one!  The first thing we did when we arrived at Disneyland was went to the hat shop and bought all of the kids crazy hats to wear for the duration of our time in Disneyland!  This was Tammi and Bryon's idea and it was a brilliant one!  We have a total of 10 kids on the trip with us and it adds to the fun to see a group of

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-11871338504999262152009-12-01T00:55:00.000-07:002009-12-01T00:55:16.189-07:00

This year my Mom really wanted to go to Disneyland to see it all decked out in the Holiday decor, so what better way to spend Thanksgiving than with my family! (minus Kim's family, wish you could have been there)! Day one: We drove to Primm, NV and stayed at Whiskey Pete's.  We left after Austin got home from school (about 2:30) so we didn't arrive until around 9:00 PM.  The kids were AMAZING

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-86488070925777910742009-11-16T13:30:00.000-07:002009-11-16T13:30:16.390-07:00

2009 Reflections, Beauty is... Shailyn's Entry in photography: This year Shailyn wanted to enter a picture into Reflections...  The theme this year was "Beauty is" and Shailyn wrote a about how she finds beauty in nature.  The above picture was taken by her this year up at Donut Falls towards the end of September.    She was so excited when she found out she had won an "Honorable Mention"

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-47786697487312395252009-10-02T23:46:00.009-06:002009-11-16T13:33:21.106-07:00

Today I took advantage of having some time off from work and took the kids to Frightmares! Let me just start by saying I absolutely hate anything scary so I have never had the desire to go there but the kids really wanted to ~ so I gave in. Trying to get into the spirit of Halloween, we started the day off by going on the Haunted house and then the Terror ride. As if those weren't bad

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-12327897705714888072009-09-28T12:32:00.008-06:002009-09-28T13:25:13.698-06:00

Sunday Tim and I decided to take a trip up to Donut Falls with the kids, Shailyn is doing photography for Reflections this year and wanted to get some pictures of the mountains with all of the leaves changing, it was just beautiful and Shailyn got some amazing pictures! Once we made it to the falls, both Tim and I were shocked~ apparently about 2 years ago there was a rockslide and the

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-61028853849467406862009-09-26T14:02:00.003-06:002009-09-26T15:37:53.450-06:00

Yesterday the girls didn't have school and I got invited to a lunch meeting. Thankfully my parents watched my girls so I could go. When I got back, my girls were sunbathing, and it was so cute! They were just laying out enjoying one of the last days before the pool is closed. I had to share these fabulous pictures! How would it be to look that cute in a swimsuit?

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-46000770157827335872009-09-14T21:39:00.002-06:002009-09-14T22:53:05.997-06:00

Well, what to do now? I have asked myself this very question several times over the past few days. The company I have devoted much of my daytime hours to over the past 7 years officially closed last Friday and I have found myself without a job. Often when I am emotionally unstable I find myself cleaning, or working in the yard, or doing something just to keep my mind and hands occupied. Over

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-88455923827787888892009-09-08T09:40:00.003-06:002009-09-08T09:57:41.742-06:00

Austin is running for School President this year at Spectrum Academy. He is so excited and I think this will be a great experience for him. His motto is "Party's" (Imagine that), he is under the impression if he becomes school President he can throw as many parties as he wants to... I have tried to convince him otherwise but to no avail. It will be very interesting if Austin is nominated, and I

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-83002089029580972412009-08-25T14:36:00.006-06:002009-08-25T15:57:44.090-06:00

Wow! Summer is gone again and the kids are back in school already! Austin is in 8th grade this year at Spectrum Academy. His teachers' name is Mrs. Ryan, however Austin calls her Mrs. "B" ~ I am not sure why this is (and I am really hoping there is a good reason and it doesn't stand for another word I can think of...) but she seems okay with it so I am not going to push the issue... yet. Look at

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-38698967384011708652009-08-01T21:47:00.005-06:002009-08-25T11:38:23.605-06:00

Shailyn and Kaysie had a wonderful day with Renee! Because I was not there, I have asked them to tell their story: Kaysie: Well it went like this: Great salt lake(there was a gift shop there and it stunk) then we went to liberty park(we went paddle boating and Shailyn and me went on the swings it was super fast) but fun then we went to snowbird(we went 11,000 feet in the air) then we stayed

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-46271573605550433302009-07-06T23:16:00.005-06:002009-08-01T21:46:13.637-06:00

Another Wonderful 4th! We celebrated the 4th of July with my parents, Natalie, Chris and Todd, our friends, Aaron and Becky, their kids Alex, Matthew, Vanessa and Jacob, and Natalie's friends Mike and Shari and their boys, Dillion and Dewey. Last year my Dad started a new tradition, a watermelon eating contest! All three of my kids were so excited to participate, our friends kids on the

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-86086343014832000172009-07-02T19:31:00.012-06:002009-07-02T21:57:06.923-06:00

Well, I have been lagging on posting anything new. And of course we have a ton of stuff going on! The girls had their dance recital on June 12th and both of them were fabulous! Grandma and Grandpa Williams came to watch their wonderful performance, Thank you so much for being there for them! Dancing to Isn't She Lovely Shakin it to Proud Mary! They also performed Isn't She Lovely at

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-87247746635588959862009-06-21T21:05:00.003-06:002009-07-02T21:54:00.762-06:00

Brittney and Shamae Graduated this Year!! Thank you so much for inviting me to come! I am so proud of both of you and hope you can both find happiness and success in your futures! Good Luck with whatever road you choose to endeavor!

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-91429730750977235332009-06-10T22:31:00.000-06:002009-06-11T11:34:05.595-06:00

This week has been completely crazy! Sunday: We all said goodbye to Tim for the week, he left to Wyoming for work. ... Then, we took Austin over to his Dad's to stay the week, and Grandma Polad invited all of us over for dinner! Yum! We had chicken Kabobs and they were great! Shailyn hadn't been feeling well all weekend, but she hadn't complained much so we thought her allergies were bothering

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-13884422240855827722009-06-04T23:26:00.000-06:002009-06-05T09:30:26.488-06:00

It seems like the school year just started! This year has been such a great year for all three of my kids, all of them have grown so much I just can't believe it is already over! Austin attended 7th grade at Spectrum Academy this year. He has progressed leaps and bounds in reading. I am so proud of him! He has never enjoyed reading, but this year he started picking up books and reading them

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-33866077958764235432009-06-02T22:59:00.003-06:002009-06-02T23:26:20.081-06:00

Wow, life seems to have gotten a little crazy over the past couple weeks and I haven't had a chance for an update... Let me just start by saying I am so glad I only have one boy!  Last week we headed to Austin's maturation program (Tim was out of town, so I was the privileged one who got to experience this one!)  I am not going to go into a lot of detail here, but I do have to share one story.  

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-11959312154683547672009-05-26T21:25:00.003-06:002009-05-28T10:09:45.710-06:00

Today Shailyn's 4th grade class had a field trip to the State Capitol and Pioneer Museum. I volunteered to go along (before realizing it was a 5 HOUR field trip!), mainly because I don't get a lot of alone time with just Shailyn. We got up this morning and I got the girls off to school, Chelsey came and picked up Austin (She is doing carpool while Tim is out of town ~ THANK YOU CHELSEY, you are a

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-42043855164103024002009-05-26T00:03:00.002-06:002009-05-26T00:10:18.369-06:00

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-22506673349396272862009-05-24T22:03:00.004-06:002009-05-24T23:19:53.289-06:00

Tim's brother Don invited us to go with them to Lagoon today for Skylar's birthday.  Well, this morning it was pouring rain and Tim and I really did not want to go... However the kids were extremely excited, Austin was excited just to see his best friend Tyrel, who was also going to Lagoon.  So we decided to attempt a rainy day at Lagoon.  My Mom and Dad bought us season passes for Christmas so

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-69289583723805275002009-05-23T14:28:00.005-06:002009-05-23T15:13:05.274-06:00

Yesterday we started our long weekend with a barbecue, swimming and a family baseball game!The Domgaard's against the Polad's!Austin did a tremendous job at keeping track of how many strikes, balls, and outs all of us had.  He successfully made a home run (Although we were yelling for him to stop at each base! Against the odds he made it home, way to go buddy!) He was also our score keeper but

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-89885750086030416822009-05-18T21:17:00.009-06:002009-05-19T00:06:44.037-06:00

Today was the girls school carnival, and I have to admit I did not want to go, I was not excited, but of course the kids were... So of course we went.  The kids had a blast!  For the first time ever my kids were able to go off with their friends and go do the things they wanted to ~ as long as they came to check in every ten minutes or so.   (Okay, truth be told, they all wanted to do different

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-41088971632584672232009-05-16T17:32:00.005-06:002009-05-17T11:45:56.381-06:00

Today, I took the kids swimming at my Mom and Dad's.  Poor Austin slipped on the diving board and slid on his chest into the pool OUCH!  As a result he is covered in what looks like road rash.  Good thing this kid is so tough!  Right after he came up from his fall the first thing he said is "I'm Okay!" I am not one who can handle watching accidents happen, luckily I didn't see the actual fall,

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-54991607996912227412009-05-12T21:59:00.005-06:002009-05-13T20:18:35.802-06:00

Today Kaysie's class did a skit on The Frog Prince.  Kaysie got to be the princess and she was very excited!  She has such a natural talent for acting, she just amazes me!  She has been blessed with such a great teacher this year who has gone the extra mile to make sure the kids in her class continue to progress academically and socially at their own levels.  I wish all my kids could have such a

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-11515196774682655542009-05-10T21:30:00.000-06:002009-05-11T19:50:37.754-06:00

Today I woke up a little after 8:00 AM, which is very unusual for a free day to sleep in! My kids were all angry because they wanted to give me breakfast in bed, but they were still excited to help Dad cook breakfast! It was great to start the day sitting around the table enjoying a nice breakfast. Kaysie made me a picture at school (A picture of myself!) and her and Shailyn both gave me home

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-88471046383579875492009-05-07T23:24:00.000-06:002009-05-07T23:48:12.918-06:00

This Morning we woke up as usual, and just as I am getting out of the shower Kaysie starts complaining she doesn't feel well. (Let me just add this is not unusual for her). I tell her to get ready for school, and if she is not feeling better by lunchtime to call me. She went and got dressed and was looking for the hairbrush when I noticed her cheeks were flaming red! I felt her forehead and

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-47004513961357989112009-05-07T23:16:00.000-06:002009-05-08T21:56:12.590-06:00

Today was my Dad's birthday, and he opened the pool! The kids were ecstatic. We weren't there more than 5 minutes and all of them were in the pool. A great start to another summer! The girls were arguing about who would be the first one into the pool, when Austin comes flying by and "SPLASH" he wins!

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65684603190099316.post-53030927983737894432009-05-04T23:29:00.000-06:002009-05-04T23:58:53.781-06:00

This year I have decided to live an extremely busy schedule, I am working full time, going to school, and enrolled my girls in dance and theatre classes. Last Friday they had their Up with Kids theatre performances in "Enchanted". They both were absolutely amazing, I am so proud of them. They learned numerous songs, dances, and various lines to play their parts; Shailyn's main part was Dr.

The Polad'snoreply@blogger.com0