It's that time of year.

I just love that time of year when all of the good shows and series are on, especially AI! This season is proving to be quite the gem and I am LOVING the judges panel - ESPECIALLY Steven Tyler as a judge! He was always the great rockstar, but as a judge - no one is as intuitive, compassionate, and dead on as this guy is....and well, I just didn't see that coming. This panel works well together and is a breath of fresh air to Idol. I miss Simon, however I am really loving this season. Annnd J Lo's outfits look fly.

Last night: group rounds. I think group rounds are kind of stupid and sometimes kill people who shouldn't be killed. However, last night there were some awesome performances! Here are some of my faves.

Some amazing 15 year olds... WHO BREEDS THESE KIDS?! I want in. 

I bet the winner this year is underage because there are SO many good minors! (There are more minors besides this group too)

These sexy women. 

You could make a new Destiny's Child now. AMAZING. Harmonies were so great.

And these two groups took a chance by singing A'capella. BRAVE. Same song, even braver and maybe stupid.

The second group way better.

LOVED em.

Off the topic of the groups if you haven't seen this feel good story it makes me cry every time. 

I love him.

Love his voice.

Love his sweet little heart wife.

And his sweet heart of love.

Happy Valentines Day.

And last but not least we have this cute little Mormon boy in the running who just got home from his mish and has a great voice.

 

Since he has a great voice, was in my friend's mission, is sweet, and is Mormon, natch I love him already! Hahaha, love it.

Hope everyone has a great American kind of day.

PS. I went to the doc yesterday and my hormones look great and the meds are working! I am so happy! As far as the migraines are working we are praying really hard that I have a certain condition that is treatable. I won't go into details but I have some more testing and I really just need everyone to pray that I have this condition that is treatable. Can you please pray for that? Wishing you love to your family and so grateful for all your love and prayers thus far!

Should I be scared??

So for some of you who know me personally know that for the last 6 years of my life I have been on a health roller coaster, and I mean truly hellish in some ways if you ask me. And well, my parents have taken the brunt of it and taken the bigger burden by watching me suffer it and then taking the support financially and emotionally. It has not been fun by any means, but trust me when I say I have learned some amazing life lessons in the process and through every seizure, knee surgery, blood test, and therapy session grown into a better woman. I will also thank the heavens that I went through this now and not later on when I have children and million other things to do. 

That being said we have really reached the basement level on all of this! I am so happy with this NP we have found (if you are in Provo and need a good OB/GYN Heidi Mcsweeny is AWESOME! Love her!) who has really gotten to the root of so many of my issues. I think we can finally put that past behind me and can move forward even if it is going to take a little while for this medicine to kick in. Monday I have another blood test to see how it is working and Wednesday another follow up appointment to see how all that should be checking out. So on the hormone side of things...it's all looking up!

On the whole other spectrum is this new issue that has suddenly decided to show up in my life and that is this Chronic Migraine Syndrome. Does anyone have this or know of anyone who does?? I have started to do some research and I don't know if I should be scared?? This literally has taken over my life and I am completely flat in bed every day. If you have ever had a migraine you know how much it hurts and how badly you feel you want to die and even how crappy you feel the next day. And to be honest, I thought I was sick when I was having seizures all the time, but that doesn't touch how I feel lately. One migraine is bad enough, but right now I have sometimes 6 to 12 a week and that really makes me mad. The Topamax I feel like has cut them down to maybe 5 to 10 a week sometimes, but I have a migraine almost every day and in between each migraine I feel horrible. I am literally nauseated all of the time, sore muscles, depressed especially right before the attack, sensitive to light and sound, insomnia, fatigued, and tension headaches where the migraine happened. The reason I am putting this on here is not to complain but just to see if anyone else has dealt with this, because when I have done research I have only found grim results of people dealing with this for years and years and ruining their lives....

so should I be scared?

Because I am kind of scared. I can only watch so much TV and it has already been over 2 months of laying down so....any and all comments and prayers are totally welcome!

 

Balentines Day

I love Balentine's Day! That's what we call it over at the Gould house, and to tell you the truth I don't know why we started calling it that but ever since I can remember the "V" has officially been turned to a "B".

Now, I am not one of those people who becomes all grumpy and upset around Balentine's Day just because I am not dating anyone. I don't call it "Single Awareness Day" or wear black or eat a bucket of ice cream...NO! That is dumb. I LOVE Balentine's Day!

I love it when I am sappy and dating someone and when I am not.

Here are my TOP ( I am in a listy mood lately) reasons why YOU and I should love Balentine's Day whether or not you are currently attached.

1. Balentine's Day Outfits.

My mom also loves Balentine's Day and she always gave us a small gift and it was usually a cute Balentine's Day shirt or something cute to wear. I love to get dressed up and wear something pink or red on this day and so I went fake internet shopping and put together this cute outfit that could be potential Balentine's Day attire...dat ma.

2. Balentine's day boxes.

Even if you don't get to still make them and use them this year, the thought of elementary day Balentine day boxes are THE best ever. Whoever came up with these was SURE genious...look at these children's faces...it is enough to change the world.

3. Grocery Aisles at Balentine's Day.

It just makes me happy to go down grocery aisles and see them looking like this:

Nothing makes me laugh harder than knowing I can buy fuzzy handcuffs for my best friends and a horribly scented candle down the aisle at Harmons...who said money couldn't buy you friends? They were dead wrong.  I can also buy myself a "grow your own boyfriend" and well, it never gets old.

 4. Julie Ann Garbutt:

 This is Jules and we have been friends since forever. And well, we don't  get to see each other very often, but I can still finish her sentences. Her birthday is on Balentine's Day so you can't hate it because it is her day of BIRTH. And I love her face so I will always love this day.

5. Sugar Balentine Day Cookies

I love sugar cookies, but I love them SOOOO much more when the have pink or red frosting on them with crunchy sprinkles and I am enjoying them in Feb. There is just something so different about them, and I have no other argument except for that I just like them way more at Balentine's Day. Ha.

6. Cinnamon Lips Candy:

Cinnamon Lips candy are the absolute best and we always have it out as soon as Feb hits. They always get me out of my January slumps and reminds me that spring is hopefully not too far away and the Balentine's Day is a GREAT holiday!

7. Valentine Cards/ Secret Admirers

Well, I really do LOVE the old vintage valentines and all the cute sayings, but also I love to get cute cards from those people you do love whether that be friends, neighbors, relatives, or your special someone. And if you do have a secret admirer....well, then your day turns out better than you expected!

So everyone stop being whiny and admit that Balentine's Day is GREAT. I could come up with more reasons, but once again it is late....


HAPPY BALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE! ENJOY IT THIS YEAR!

Things I'm just really loving.

I really love blogging and really love writing and I really love having something blog and write about. Lately that has been lacking since I mostly lay on the couch and watch TV and judd like that. I mean it's exciting and all, but not really. HA!

HOWEVER, if I was going find some things I really was loving right now I would have to say I would be loving...

1. These men:

2. That Scuddles is my BFF downstairs on the couch every day...and that I love Papa in the background of this picture. It is too good to be true.

3. I am pretty much always cold and my toes are always cold. In the winter at any given time you can probably find me sporting Dixie sweats, hoodie, t-shirt, giant puffy fuzzy socks, and of course - my favorite - a fleece blanket. I LOVE a good fleece blanket. My favorite I ever made is still out in the field and I can't wait for it to come back to me.

4. I am really loving a lot of new music - well new to me since I was gone for six months - but also loving this song and this video. Chris is also looking pretty good so I love him too. 


5. When I was in Thailand in the summer I got this amazing Thai boxing oil and it burns so good! So I love it. When I get a bad migraine all my neck muscles twist up like a rubber band and my mom rubs this in and it helps as much as anything can help. Thank you Thai people!

 

6. These boys. They are just so great - some of my best friends and always there to help me laugh and have a good day when it isn't a good day. This picture is for sure my favorite and perfectly describes each of our personalities and our relationship soooo perfectly...HA! I love them.

7. Some of my favorite outfits which I love:

 Anyway, I also love not having a migraine and being able to sleep at 2:30 in the morning so I am going to try that and try going to sleep like the rest of the world. 

Happy monday everyone :)

Ohhh man.

My sister showed this to me and it was just too much to handle.

Poor girl.

Normal

I am officially a normal person again because
my cell phone is back on.
That just cements for sure that
I am home from my mission and that is weird!
Anyway, if you knew me before the
mission it is the same number - so now you know where to find me.
Happy Thursday :)

A Steady Diet.

Ok, so I definitely do not look like Brittany Murphey...but I should be called Ramen Girl.

Right now I am living off of a steady diet of:
1. Ramen
2. Ginger Ale
3. Jamba Juice
4. Crackers

That's about all I can stomach these days....and that is if I am lucky. The meds I am on make me really sick to my stomach and give me no appetite; however, they make me more sick if I don't eat...hence, I am force feeding myself even those things.

So yesterday, my sweet sister and I went to the store and walked down every single aisle in hopes that just might possibly find one thing that looked remotely appetizing....nothing. Everything made my stomach turn AND I smelled fish when we walked past the meat packaging. That was the worst. I feel like a pregnant woman!

All that came out looking like I could shove down my throat...


                                                                               Ramen.


The good news: I am getting pretty skinny. And I am going to be on these meds for a looooong time. The nausea will go away: loss of appetite and skinniness, probably not. I can handle that :).