Thursday, February 16, 2017

Am I Done Yet? (Also, Longest Rant Ever)

Party Animal Sarah aka Not Normal Sarah

See that girl up there? So wild and carefree with the crazy eyes? Haha. Take me back! I crave nights like that. In fact, I make my way through the every day normal life so I can look forward to nights like that. I think that's actually how I survive normal life-- just having something to look forward to AT ALL TIMES.

I will be blogging about that fun night later, but as of right now I am about FIVE months behind on my blog! How did that happen?! Oh yeah, I got a job! Haha. It always seems to happen when I am working and going to school at the same time. I am just a busy little bee. Such is life, though. It's all good. I actually find that I thrive in the busy-ness of life. That's how I get crap done.

I hate when people try to make themselves sound important by always bragging about how busy they are. That's not what I am doing with this post. I try to downplay how busy I am so that people don't think I am certifiably insane. However! This last week was one of the craziest of my lives, and I just wanted to write about it, you know, for therapeutic reasons, and for memory sake. So I shall because this is my blog.

It all started about 10 days ago. I went to a doctor appt to see my rheumatologist because my pain has been acting up in my back. Not too bad, but enough for me to notice. Originally, my doctor had told me that the injections I take weekly can stop working (it is possible to build up antibodies against it and it just isn't as effective) and after my appt, that's what the doc thought was starting to happen. After some new-ish symptoms I've been having, she also had me tested for another auto-immune disease. She decided to start the pre-authorization process with my insurance to try out a new medication that would work for both my AS (Ankylosing Spondylitis) and PoS (Psoriatic Arthritis) (the suspected new disease). I went and got some blood work done and went home to get ready for my fun girls night out with my friends for my birthday. And it was a BLAST (more on that later). 

Next day was family ski day! It was part of our family Christmas gift from Santa. I have been waiting for this day and it did not disappoint. Andy took ski lessons last year, and I had taken Daphne and Baron and Magnus to ski school the weeks before, so everyone could ski, finally. So much fun. But we got up early, and it was pure chaos getting everyone ready, getting to the rental place to get everyone outfitted, and then getting everyone up the canyon, dressed, and finally to the ticket office and then the slopes! Whew! I was sweating before we even started skiing. Exhausting. And terrific. (more on that later, too! Although, how much later? You'll never know...)

On Saturday night I had so much homework to catch up on. It was officially midterms and I had three tests throughout the next week, lectures to catch-up on, studying to do, and papers to write. Blah. 

Sunday was my birthday. Fun! Except I woke up with about the worst pain in my lower back I have ever felt. I seriously thought I was dying. I could barely walk. I knew it was a major flare-up and the only thing to do would be to walk around to loosen up. Stupid, stupid arthritic conditions. But it ended up being a very great day, thanks to many wonderful people in my life (more on that later, haha. Sensing a pattern here?) Also, Andy and his dad gave me a blessing that night. On a side note, how great is the priesthood? I love it and am so thankful for Andy who worthily wields it. However, Sunday night was not so fun. Daphne and Baron  had science fair projects due the next morning and while they had done all of the work, their poster boards were not put together yet. I spent about 3 hours (til 2 AM) assembling them just because of pure guilt. They had asked me so many time to help them and I kept putting them off, again and again. I LOATHE THE SCIENCE FAIR. Every stinking year, it creeps up on me. Andy told me he would help, but after spoiling me all day and falling asleep at 9 PM, I just did it myself. My back hurt so flipping bad after kneeling down and assembling those stupid boards. SO relieved when it was done!

On Monday my back was even worse. I called my doc with a plea for help. She got back to me later only to tell me the only thing to nip a flare this bad in the bud would be to start some high dose steroids that would make me grumpy and fat in no time at all. Uhhhh, alrighty then? Andy also happened to go out of town that morning for work, so I was on my own. My mom came to the rescue with dinner and after work I literally laid on my couch until I dragged myself off to do some homework. I took a test that night and actually did pretty well (90/100) and was so glad to have one of my three tests done for the week.

Tuesday I woke up feeling slightly better. Probably due to the fact that I had practically OD'd on ibuprofen AND also took my weekly injection 3 days early (kidding... maybe). But I took a friend some dinner that night because she had been in the hospital with some health problems. It always feels good to serve when you feel like crap yourself, am I right?

Also, amidst all of this hooplah, did I happen to mention that we had been dabbling in house hunting? That's right. We had applied with a lender for pre-qualification a few weeks before, been approved, and while I was slightly (read: extremely) upset about the amount we qualified for, due to the fact that I wanted to stay in Murray and move to a bigger house than I currently have, which = $$$$$. We had a previous foreclosure on our last house, which is why we have been in a rental for so long. And that is also why we only qualified for a certain type of loan, and the ceiling on those loans aren't ideal for finding a large home in Murray, unless it is a complete dump. Haha.  I was still looking occasionally despite my disappointment. Well, a house came up that I just had to see, so I raced over to see it with my realtor. It was a swing and a miss, but he sent me a few more listings that night and I had an appt to see a few more houses the next day. Also, among all of this? Still studying for tests and mid-term stuff for school every night.

Next day comes (Wednesday) and I am starting to feel better still. After work and driving kids all over tarnation for their STUFF, I met my realtor at THEE house. The house that I drove up to and after saying a little prayer, getting that confirming feeling. It was the one. I knew it without even going inside. But of course, I did go inside. And fell IN LOVE! I took Andy around it on face-time and he agreed to put in an offer without even seeing it in person. Now that is true love. Funny side note: This is the second time I have bought a house without Andy even seeing it in person first. He was out of town, working for this same company 11 years ago when I found/put an offer on our first house with these same realtors. CRAZY, RIGHT?!! Anyway, It was only the third house we had looked at (after my realtor had sent it to me three times and practically insisted we go look at it). So we put an offer together (and totally low balled them) and crossed my fingers. Also, I think I took another test this night... I don't think it's been scored yet. But I feel good about it.

The next day I had an interview at my current job for a promotion within the company I currently work for. It is for a GCA (genetic counseling assistant) which is why I had ever even applied at this company in the first place, with the hope of eventually getting this position. This is the experience I will need on my resume to someday get into the Genetic Counseling program. It went very well, and while I still haven't heard, I think I will find out at the end of this week. I also took Baron on a date that night (trying to do this weekly and rotate the kids) and we went to see the U of U basketball game. It was an awesomely exciting game and we pulled out of it with a win. I rushed home after that to take my final midterm for my last class (which I got an 80/100 on. Eh, not my best. But for the week I was having , I didn't even care!)

The next day I got a call from my realtor while at work. I knew it was a response from our offer. I answered and he told me to get packing because they had accepted our offer! I was floored. How did this all happen so quickly?! I was so excited and also terrified. I LOVE, LOVE my neighborhood. How was I ever going to leave? This is the longest we have ever lived anywhere (just shy of 5 years). I just can't imagine being somewhere else. Andy got home that night and we did a quick date together before I had to do my at home work hours. 

Saturday was spent running errands, doing chores, working, and also doing my sister Kaylie's hair. I also got everything ready to do our annual Valentine's Day breakfast on Sunday, two days early, before Andy left to go out of town again on Monday morning. It was just pure chaos, and I was up until two AM again getting stuff ready. 

This is where I stop. So, you see. In the course of eight days, the pure chaos that ensued?! This stuff can't be made up, people. This is my LIFE! Uuuuuugh, I need to go to bed. 

But first! Can I just enlighten you on what my next month will look like?! Pretty please? Okay, here goes....

We are going to St George this weekend for a soccer tournament. I have one day left to get laundry done, finish my at home work hours, make sure I am caught up on lectures/homework, clean up my (always filthy) house, meet with my home inspector and appraiser for the new house (we have until next Tuesday to do our Due Diligence and back out without losing out on anything if we so choose), meet with all of the kids teachers for parent teacher conferences, get my oil changed, get my brows waxed, get everyone packed up for our trip, and make sure I am not forgetting anything.... and that is just this week. 

After that it really gets crazy. We will need to start packing among other normal day-to-day stuff. Andy will be traveling every week so I will pretty much be on my own, I suppose. We are set to close on the house in just under 4 weeks. Luckily we will have until the end of March to get moved in. However, we will need to clean and repair the shiz out of our current home/rental since my sister and her husband have allowed us to live here without a deposit and we want to leave it in nearly perfect condition (minus 5 years of wear and tear from 5 children, and a dog that they never wanted here in the first place :/...) AND my dad is starting on a remodel of the basement of the new house as soon as we close (the upstairs is completely remodeled.... while the basement is original to the 1961 house. Yay for 60's wood paneling. GAG.) We want it finished before we move in (because we are also adding a master suite in the basement), so hopefully that all works out on our timeline. Here's the kicker. Andy and I leave on April 1st for a cruise. We were originally going with about 12 couples (a ton of our friends for my friend Julie's 40th birthday) but everyone except us has backed out due to Julie getting extremely sick with ulceritive colitis and being bed-ridden for 6 months and not being able to go. They moved the cruise to next year, but we decided to just go on both cruises since we felt like we really needed a vacation this year, still wanted to go, and we had already paid for it. Now I am wondering if that is such a good idea! I mean, I will need the vacation, but can I really get all of this done in the next month amongst taking care of my family, Andy being gone ALL OF THE TIME, trying to go to school AND get good grades, AND work full time and possibly be starting a new position (which equals STRESS?!?)

I don't even know. One day at a time, I suppose. And yet, here I sit, doing the least productive thing I could possibly be doing-- writing about all of it. Hahaha.

I just don't even know right now. I mean, these are all good things. And I know it will work out, it always does. But man, I am really looking forward to that cruise where I can say Bon Voyage and all of this will be behind me! And then I will only have a month of school left when I get back and then it will be SUMMER TIME! I'm not trying to wish my life away, and I get it-- Joy in the Journey, and blah blah blah.... BUT. You know?!??! You know.

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