I am ALIVE!!

Els, you are such a slut! I miss you. I miss clubbing with you at NVO. I finally got Spencer to go clubbing on New Year's Eve at Studio 600, it's an LDS standards club. Anyway, I hadn't been for so long that I forgot to not wear heels...okay I didn't forget, I ignored. I had a new pair of fabulous ones perfect for NYE. Anyway, my left ankle went totally numb and I couldn't walk! Our friends had to help me limp to the car, and I was laughing so hard everyone thought I was drunk. One guy even said, "I bet she got kicked out." It was hilarious. But Els, nothing beats teasing the men folk with you... *sigh*

Hollie, I love your hair. GREAT decision. Tell your mom you are the furthest thing from a disappointment there could be. I empathize about your brother. My brother is dating and is planning on marrying a girl he's fought with every day for the past 3 years. She treats him like crap. However, I agree with Jerilynn. My mother is weird with Spencer and it has almost completely destroyed our once-close relationship. Just grin and bear it...and vent to us. We love you.

Jerilynn, CONGRATS!!! See my comment under your sneaky announcement post. ;) I am so sorry I haven't gotten together with you. I have an excuse though. I do love you.

As for what's happening with me....I am not preggo nor do I plan to be anytime soon. ;) (I just knew that's what you were all wondering.) Things have been going well generally speaking. Spencer and I are very happy and having a lot of fun. We are finally out of the poorhouse, though technically we are still below the poverty line...but it sure doesn't feel like it!!! Things with Shae kinda got slow so back in September I took a 50% pay cut to start a temp job at the University in the Ag Science Department. I redesigned their website and they decided to hire me for the Utah Ag Experiment Station too. I lobbied for a raise and on Dec. 1st I was hired full-time and now have an excellent starting salary and benefits...very good ones. I absolutely adore my bosses and co-workers. It was a hap hap happy new year!! To celebrate, Spencer surprised me by kidnapping me from work and taking me to the Swiss Family Robinson room at the Anniversary Inn up here one night. It was a nice change from not having enough money to buy milk.

I've been having increased seizures so we're looking into some alternatives to medication. Working full-time + a heck of a lot of sedatives that aren't working anyway = not happy Chelsi. I want to have brain surgery to remove the part of my brain that's causing seizures, but first we need to determine what part that is so we can see if it is removable. This entails inducing 12 seizures in a hospital setting where they can monitor them. My parents are being less-than supportive and would rather I just be a zombie forever. Although, my mom is lobbying for a thing called a Vegal Nerve Stimulator, like a pace maker kinda thing. They implant it under my breast tissue and whenever I feel a seizure coming on, I hit this button and it stimulates my Vegal Nerve and stops the seizure! My mom is for it because apparently a lot of obese people are having them put in to help with weight control and she thinks I'll lose a lot of weight. (She thinks I'm fat cause I've gained the newly wed 15 and haven't lost it yet. For Christmas she got me the Nutrisystem diet that I didn't want. Thanks, mom.) I'm pretty excited about it...but I don't know if anyone will put it in me. Typically they are for people who have multiple seizures a day and can't have jobs, babies, lives, etc. People like me usually regulate theirs with medicine and are able to function. I however, am really sensitive to medication since mine is not a typical kind of Epilepsy. (We discovered this when I went into an overdose one time on a new medicine and was in a coma for a bit.) Anyway, Neurologists tend to look at me like, "Well, you're lucky you don't have 5 a day. Just take medicine. Who cares if it makes you really tired and depressed and you can't have kids? You have Epilepsy...so that's how your life is gonna be." It's very infuriating because that is NOT how MY life is going to be. I refuse to "live" that way. I will have a career and babies, and a normal life. I just have to find a doctor who will help me get one. Sorry, that is my lament.

Bella is doing well. We took her to her one-year checkup this month (She won't be one till April but she had a rash) and the vet said she was the best-tempered and most well-behaved dog he's seen besides guide dogs. He was extremely impressed and said we "must be incredible dog owners." I prefer the term "parents," but flattering nonetheless. She just lost her last baby tooth and all of her new teeth came in perfectly. We taught her to ring a bell by the door when she needs to go potty since she doesn't bark. She is very well-behaved and our pride and joy. She LOVES the snow in its powdery state, but HATES it otherwise. She also waves hello and goodbye and gives kisses.

We are planning to stay in Logan for a few more years. Spencer has decided he does NOT want to be a lawyer after some law classes, and is leaning towards getting a Master's in Public Administration. He wants to be a city planner and work his way into politics and in talking to many advisers, we learned a law degree might not be the best avenue for that. Jerilynn, he too listens to Rush and Dr. Laura (and Sean Hannity) allllllllll day...it drives me INSANE! ;) I'm a music girl. So, alas I don't get to move to Oregon... :( But I do love this town. :)

I love you all. We need a reunion. Vanessa sends her love and said she'd check the blog soon.

<3
Chels