What would you do?

I was watching this show on ABC 20/20, What Would You Do? I have seen other specials they have done like this before. They set up hidden cameras, put in actors and act out scenarios to see how people will REALLY act when put in those situations. I am always so shocked at the level of denial people are in. Maybe I'm just mean compared to most. One is a blind woman or man(actor) in a deli getting change from the employee (an actor) and he gives them the wrong bills because they are blind. I would in NO WAY stand there silently. I am shocked that it takes one person to say something before the whole room of people react. WHY WOULDN'T PEOPLE TELL HER THE BILLS WERE WRONG? I don't get it. So the question is asked.... What would you do? I have been in situations like that before. It's not always the popular thing to do, but sometimes it's just the RIGHT thing to do. I have got yelled at by a judge for putting my hands into a shoplifter's back pockets to get the merchandise he stole from the store I worked at. I have called the cops on drunk drivers when I worked at the bank. I KNOW that if I saw your husband and your best friend at a restaurant together, holding hands, I would call you and tell you where to be to watch your husband get his butt kicked BY ME!!!! Some things that are hard for people to do are not hard for me for some reason. I guess I get my "whistle blower" part of my personality from my mom. It's not always a bad thing. Anyhow, I guess it's an interesting look into human behavior. Well, interesting to me!!!

Our great weekend!!!

I want to start out by thanking those of you that left comments on my last post. I will print those out to put in Tyler's book. I was happy to get to share it with you all!!!

This weekend was really a great one. We went to Vegas on Friday to go through the Temple with my niece. It was so cool. Then on Saturday, she got sealed to her husband and their son. There is nothing better than being in the Temple with people that you love!!! It was really a special time and I'm glad we got to be there with them.
Then it was time for Tyler's birthday party at Chucky Cheese's!!! He was so excited. We don't ever get to have birthday parties with the Albrecht's, so this was going to be extra special. We were able to get ALMOST all of the Vegas Albrecht's there. I think we were only missing 3, that could have actually been there. NOT BAD!!! We also got to have Amy's sons Taylor and Trayce there, Tyler was LOVING that!!! So the head count for Tyler's 7th b-day party was....

Us 5, Grandma Albrecht, Aunt Vicky, Uncle Gus, Trey and K.C., Uncle Ricky, Aunt Rhonda and Jake, Scott, Debbie, JoAnna, Savannah, and Andre, Taylor and Trayce.

Not bad for a birthday party away from home, huh?


There is my Aunt Vicky and my grandma!!! LOVE THEM!!!!
Ricky and Rhonda, don't let this picture fool you, he's more obnoxious than I am!!!
Then on Sunday, Randy had lots of meetings, so the Clyde's came here for dinner and birthday presents for Tyler!!! We knew we would get home from Vegas too late for Randy to make his cake, so we called on the pro... GRANDMA!!! Tyler told her that he wanted a Pokeball cake. That was no problem for Peggy!!! It ended up looking just like the Pokeball Tyler had!!!!
Here is Tyler killing Uncle Steven on Guitar Hero!!! Really, he beat him. Steven didn't cry, but I think he wanted to ;)
Isn't this so cute? My cute son and my cute niece battling it out!!! They could take on any other pair of 7 year olds!!!
So, it was a great weekend. Anytime we get to go Vegas, we have a blast. Tyler had lots of fun for his birthday and that's all that matters!!!

By the way, I just finished Eclipse, only Breaking Dawn left!!!! Gina's getting her copy to me tomorrow or I would be reading instead of blogging!!! Woohoo!!!!

AN AMENDMENT....
My niece, so gently reminded of an even that happened when we went to dinner after Amy and Dan went through the Temple.... She's pregnant (HUGE pregnant, like... come on, when are you going to give birth?) and she challenged me to a Coke chugging contest. Even though that would be my 4th Coke and her 2nd, I accepted the challenge. As we chugged, (we, meaning her, I just watched in awe of her talent) I could feel myself losing ground, well, let's be honest.... she totally spanked me!!! I never knew her "days drinking the boys under the table at the bar" would come in handy for her!!! I was so proud. She read this blog post and threw a temper tantrum that I didn't include our "event". So, there... I hope she's happy now!!! I love you Amy!!!

Happy Birthday Tyler!!!!

If you would have asked me 7 years ago if miracles can happen, I would have said, "I sure hope so!!!" Today, I can say with assurance that YES they do!!! Tyler's 7th birthday is on Saturday. I wanted to share a little of his birth story with you guys.

On the day we went in to have him, it wasn't looking so good. We knew Tyler was going to be born with a birth defect called Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH). It happens 1 of 2,500 live births. The chance of survival, if the child is born alive is 50%, with months of intensive care, therapy, oxygen, feeding tubes, possible skeletal problems and a lifetime of doctor appointments. That's why we had to have him is Salt Lake, to have the state's most qualified people working to save his life. We weren't very hopeful going in to have the c-section. We had all received priesthood blessings and were clinging onto faith with everything we had.

Here I am getting ready for surgery. You know I can't pass up the opportunity to be a smarty!!!

As soon as Tyler was born, there was a photographer there to take his picture to document CDH cases for a medical book (that's right, Tyler's birth is helping doctors and nurses know how to better take care of CDH cases!!!). I didn't get to see him, as quick as they could, the nurses got him out of me and pushed him though an open window with a team of NICU specialists waiting. This is the first picture taken of our new SON!!! We didn't know we were having a boy, officially, we might have seen, in one of the many ultra-sounds, what we thought might have been a you-know-what, but we didn't want to know, so we looked away!!! In this picture, he isn't sedated yet, and he hasn't cried yet, which was perfect, we didn't want him to cry because it would have made him sicker.
Here is the first picture I saw of my new baby. Not the picture a mom wants to see. I was at University Hospital and they transported him to Primary Children's and after a c-section, I wasn't able to see him till the next day. This picture was the only thing that made me feel as though this wasn't all just a bad dream.This is the first view of what I saw when I walked into the NICU to see my baby. Scared would be the best word to describe how I felt. Look at everything around my little baby. He was 7 lbs. 10 oz. We don't know how long he was, apparently, length isn't a critical measurement!!! Who knew?
Here Randy and I are the first time I got to visit him.... that's a 3am, by the way!!!! It hurt so bad to stand there, but if I sat in a chair, even an elevated one, I wasn't able to see him... I would stand no matter how bad it hurt me, I was not going to miss seeing my baby.
There are 2 places I could hold him. His upper arm and upper thigh. Everywhere else had leads or IVs. I couldn't talk because he would recognize my voice and freak out, machines beeping, nurses would come running from all over and then I would get yelled at for talking after they stabilized him again.

On day 3, we thought we were going to lose Tyler, but there were so many people fasting and praying that I think that's what kept him alive. The doctors didn't think he would make it past that day.... That's when Dr. Null named him, "Miracle Tyler"!!! They had to pump him so full of fluids so that they could give him more of the meds that were keeping him alive that he ended up looking like a little line backer!!! He almost doubled his birth weight in 3 days.

On day 5, it was time for surgery to put all of his insides back in the right order and put a patch to act as his diaphragm. I will never forget the words I whispered to my newborn when I had to leave him for surgery, "Just do what your Heavenly Father tells you to do". They are the same words I tell him today.


I can't tell you how hard it was for all of us to see him like this. Especially knowing that we weren't out of the woods yet. He could die anytime, still. He was on complete life support. Lots of sounds, beeping, and smells that would become so familiar to us. After his surgery, he kept getting better without looking back. Our 4-6 month stay in the NICU would turn into a short 28 days!!! Everyday he just got better and better. He's been a determined little boy since birth.

On day 11 was the first time we got to hold our son. That's a LONG time to wait. My arms were aching so bad. When we finally got to hold him, we didn't want to ever put him down!!! This is what stress did to me... I lost 40 pounds in 2 weeks. I only gained 10 pounds during the whole pregnancy. I wouldn't recommend this weight loss plan to anyone!!!

Here is the baby we got to take home, still named "Miracle Tyler", the miracles that happened at the hospital on this stay would not be his last. He continues to make doctors shake their heads in disbelief that he's doing SO good. His "lasting" health problems, extremely flat feet (which could have come from the Campbell side of the family) and an extra rib on both sides (which will be handy if he ever needs to make some Eves from them)!!! NOTHING ELSE!!!

I'm so happy that Heavenly Father trusted me enough to let my son live. I just hope I do a good enough job to make Him proud. Tyler, Happy Birthday!!! I love you more than you know!!!

You're welcome!!!

I just heard a reporter telling about the mood of the inauguration and he said, "the sound of hope is loud". All I can say is, "DUH!!!" Ever met me? There is nothing quiet about me, so this is nothing new to me. Having a dumb name like Hope is fun sometimes. I try not to be irreverent in church when they talk about "not losing hope" and stuff like that. Randy will always have Hope. He would like to have an absence from Hope sometimes, but that wont ever happen!!! Sometimes Hope isn't very loud, like when I lose my voice (and that happens regularly), but for the most part, I have to agree with that wise reporter... Hope IS loud!!! Anyhow, it just made me laugh.

Hit me, baby!!!

A little while after I started my blog, I put a counter on it. Maybe you've noticed it, but it counts every time someone logs onto my blog. Well, I noticed today that the number has crusted the 7,000 mark. That is really amazing to me. If you ask me, you guys must be really bored to be reading my blog so much, but whatever!!! Anyhow, I finished book 2 of Twilight (in 3 days, by the way) and I've started on the 3rd. Randy will be happy when I'm done reading these stupid books and so will I. I hate being obsessed with reading, it's just so not-like-me!!! Last night we had some friends come over to play games for one of our friend's birthday. We had so much fun!!! Ronni wanted a piano for her birthday so Randy made her this piano cake!!! Any idea I give him, he makes it happen and better than I can imagine!!! Good job, babe!!! Randy took the kids out shooting guns today. I didn't go, Cambelle decided to take an extra long nap. If we wake her up before she's ready, her "red-head" temper shows!!! She has brown hair, but she's named after a family of red-heads, so she comes by it naturally. We get to see baby Elijah tomorrow. I'm the only one in my family that has seen him. I'm just a brat like that!!! Well, that's all for now. Thanks for watching. I hope to keep my life completely ridiculous for your entertainment!!! I'm just generous like that!!! ;)

I HAVE A NEW NEPHEW!!!

The day we have all been waiting is here!!! Peggy called us at about 5 tonight to let us know that Steven and Amy were on the way to the hospital. AMY WAS IN LABOR!!! She is such a toughy that whenever she thinks it's time to have a baby, it too late!!! After a couple hours, they told us that the Doctor was coming in at 8:30pm to break her water, so just after 8, I went down. Randy stayed home with the kids, he was decorating a cake and I think he knows how much more fun it is for me to be there for "the moment". We waited and waited. She usually gets to the hospital when she's dialated to like a 6, but this time, she didn't want to wait too long, she went in when she was a 2. Well, at 11:59:58 on 1-15-09, Elijah Richard Clyde entered our family and hearts forever!!! They didn't know they were having a boy. The way they decided to tell us, was they had a girl diaper bag and a boy diaper bag. After the girls went in to see what it was, they would bring out the appropriate bag... they brought out the camouflage one!!! Tyler is going to be so happy to not be the only boy anymore!!! I can't wait to tell our kids in the morning.

Here's Grandpa Clyde holding his grandson for the first time!!!
And Grandma Clyde!!!
Here's the new Clyde family. Steven, Mazie, Amy, Baby Elijah, Naomi, and Layla!!!
I think we're gonna be great friends!!!
I can't tell you how much I admire my sister-in-law. She ROCKS. She does this whole birth thing NATURAL!!! No pain meds, NOTHING!!! She's stronger than I could ever imagine. I am so happy for them. When things settled down a little, I heard Steven say to Layla, "You'll have to ask Auntie Hopie" when I said what, she asked, "Hopie, are you done being pregnant?" My quick answer to her innocent question was, "YES!!! Well, yes for now." I don't think I could ever do 4 kids. I will just borrow baby Elijah!!! CONGRATS YOU GUYS!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

The new song...

Like it? I do!!! I would post more, but I just finished New Moon and I have been sucked into the land of Twilight. I'm just glad that I only have 2 more books to read so I can stop yelling at my kids, "WHAT DO YOU THINK I AM? YOUR MOTHER?". That's been an unpleasant side effect to this whole "reading" thing!!! Anyhow, more posts later, after 2 more books!!!

13 years? Dang I'm old!!!

13 years ago today, Randy and I went on our first date!!! I was working with his cousin, Wendy at Canyonland Gifts when she introduced him (well, he introduced himself... if you know Randy, you know what I mean). I had been in a long relationship, so I was nervous that I would call him the wrong name. I had RANDY written on my hand that whole week. Anyhow, date night came. I was so excited, it had been almost 4 years since I had been on a first date!!! He picked me up in his dad's yellow car cuz he had just wrecked his truck (sleeping and driving=not a good combo) and off we went. We started out at Paula's for dinner... long line, went to Pizza Factory... long line, ended up at Taco Bell!!! I know you're laughing, so were we. It was fun to flirt again. After that we went to a stupid movie, Bio Dome. Not that I cared much about the movie. I was with a cute boy!!! After the movie we ended up at my friend, Jamie's house. We were having a Canyonland Sleepover. I wonder if it had anything to do with wanting the dish on our date. Everyone that I worked with knew Randy. Up until this night, I only knew him as "Wendy's cousin". Any time that I had to find Wendy for any reason, he was with her. He was so sarcastic (and still is) and I loved that!!! So that's where our first date ended, in front of Jamie's house, in the yellow car, maybe a little making out and that's all I'm gonna say about that. When I went in, all the girls wanted all the juicy details on the date!!! It was fun. I remember feeling things that I didn't know was possible. My family was freaked out that he was the "rebound" from my other relationship, but look how things have turned out!!! I can't imagine how more perfect 2 people are for each other than Randy and I. So it's been a long time since that night when I was 19 and our lives have changed so much, but I'm so glad that Randy took that first step and asked me out. I'm sure it wasn't easy, it never is, but hopefully it paid off for him!!! So, happy first date anniversary to us!!! I think we'll put the kids to bed early tonight!!!

A funeral and a couples conference!!!! hahaha

Isn't that a funny title? But that's what we did today. It was my brother-in-law's father's funeral then a couple's conference put on by our stake. It was a good day. My cold is all but gone, thank goodness. I finished Twilight and now starting book #2. I loved every page of the book. I want Randy's mom to read it in time to see the movie to see what she thinks. Ok, I'm just looking for another reason to see the movie again!!! Whateva!!! I said I was slow, not that I wasn't just as obsessed as everyone else!!! I just can't find the balance between being a wife/mom and reading Twilight!!! Maybe on the second... anyhow, LATER!!!

Halfway!!!

I am celebrating a milestone... I am halfway through the (first) Twilight book!!! Can you believe that? I feel like I have totally wasted my day, but this stupid cold still has parked my butt on the couch. So I might as well waste time reading, right? I decided what I like about the movie, and book so far is the flirty nature of it. I don't necessarily like "romance", but I love flirting. Maybe that's what is so attractive to me. Whatever it is, keep it coming, cuz I'm liking it!!! I better get off here and see what's next!!!

The favorite song of the day...

If you know me at all, you know I'm a total music geek. I love music. Whenever I post a new blog, it always has an appropriate song. I'm just nerdy like that!!! My new favorite song is by Pink, it's called Sober. It's totally a break up song, but I love the groove that is has. It makes me just wanna sit back and chill. I LOVE IT!!! Anyhow, take a listen if you want!!! My favorite part (cuz I ALWAYS have a favorite part) is where she says, "I don't wanna be the girl that has to fill the silence" then it's quiet and then starts back up... WOOHOO!!! LOVE THAT PART!!! See, you thought I was kidding about being a geek!!!

My kids make me laugh.

I have a nasty cold that my sister gave me. It's all her fault. My head is spinning and I don't find much humor in much today, but my kids crack me up. This morning, as soon as Tyler woke up, in his sleepy, but anxious voice he said, "mom, did I grewn?" (groon). I said, "WHAT?", "you know... get bigger... grewn". Ohhh, I got it!!! He is obsessed with growing, so he wanted to know if he had grown during the night. My answer to him was YES!!! He kills me. Then, just barely, Cambelle wanted some of "daddy's ice cream" (a frosty that had been in the freezer for, umm, maybe 3 months), so I told her sure, she can have it. She got it took a big bite and started to gag. She then informed me that it was "not good for me body" (yes, she did say me not my). She was so mad that it tasted nasty that she just kept repeating that phrase over and over. It brought a little bit of joy to my crappy day. I shouldn't have laughed at her, but if I would have told her no because it was icky, she would have thrown a fit. So I let her figure it out on her own!!! I feel like such a whiner, after the kidney stone and not this stupid cold, oh well. By the way, I'm on page 70 of the book, I would be further but the benadryl keeps making me fall asleep. That's all for today... sniffle.

Yea, I'm slow...

I'm kinda stubborn... kinda. When the Twilight series came along, lots of my friends and family were reading them. I wouldn't read it for more than one reason, but one was that I hate when people say that I "have" to. I didn't see the movie Titanic for 2 years just because I was sick of people saying that I "have" to see the movie, the other reason for not reading the books was, I'm not a reader, I hate reading. In fact, when I was little, the only reason I would go to the Library was to check books out so I could ride my bike through the drive through to return them. ANYHOW, with all the hullabaloo about the Twilight movie, I was getting excited to see it. I've seen it twice now and absolutely love it, so I decided to MAYBE read the books. Big on the maybe. Over the holidays, I decided to give into peer pressure and break down and actually real the books, well, at least the first one. I started it last night and read 20 pages... you have to understand what that means, I DO NOT read books. It is so boring for me. So, this is HUGE!!!! I was getting too tired to read more last night but I can't wait to get into it today!!! Oh, my mom would be so proud!!! I will let you know what happens, oh wait... I'm the only person on Earth that hasn't read the series yet!!! Whatever!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

It's 2009!!! Now what?