Monday, November 24, 2008

Grandpa Simons

Grandpa Enos Latimer Simons died on Nov. 2, 2008, this was Steven's grandfather. He died an expected death, but sad all the same to see a good man of God pass away. Enos was the father of five children, a husband, a patriarch, a bio chemist, a scout leader, and a great grandfather many times over. Steven and Benjamin both carry his middle name as their own. I only met him a handful of times, but as Steven jokingly put it, "Grandpa Simons loves you and likes me." Which I found very untrue. I will always remember him sending Ben blankets, a cowboy chaps, and a few other things so that my little boy could remember his great-grandfather. It should have been a sad day, but for me I saw it through a different light. I brought my camera that day and snapped a few pictures of the family and the legacy he left behind. I don't know how we could even be sad at his departing. If you don't believe him take a look at all of the people who grandpa Simons loved and who loved him.



Stephanie Blake and Winnie Simons






Denise Simons, Sam Sprague




David and Rhonda Simons



Many of his grandchildren & great grandchildren




David Latimer, Steven Latimer and Benjamin Latimer Simons





The Blakes



Maren Blake and Marin Simons



Samantha Winnie, Winnie Simons, Marin Simons

There were over one hundred pictures! It was a sad day, but so many people will remember Grandpa Simons, his memory will last forever.
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Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Peaches & Cream and TMJ

This month is TMJ awareness month. I am sure you are asking yourself, "What is TMJ? And why do I care?" Well, I am Ashlee Marie Simons and I have TMJ dysfunction. TMJ stands for TemporoMandibular Joint, or the jaw joint. You have two TMJs, one in front of each ear, connecting the lower jaw bone (the mandible) to the skull. The joints allow movement up and down, side to side, and forward and back—all the mobility necessary for biting, chewing and swallowing food, for speaking and for making facial expressions. These normal everyday things become painful and difficult when one is suffering from a bad episode of TJM. The body will heal itself basically through lock jaw for a few weeks or months.
Normally it does not affect my life other than the occasional achy jaw after a day of talking or eating too much. But after I have dental work done . . . watch out! Because I usually get a bad case. Right now I am going on three weeks of trying not to move my jaw. Yes, that is right, trying not to move my jaw. This wouldn't be a problem, you know, if I didn't have to eat and (since I don't know sign language) talk! My worst bout lasted for three months and I lost ten pounds many years ago.
I am extra impatient now a days deep in a three week episode of what is nothing less than a living hell. (I tend to swear more than my normal amount when I a suffering from TMJ. All it takes is for one of my children to climb over me a pop me in the jaw to send me to the other room for a sentence full of nasty language that I am certain is not appropriate for a mother of three, let alone a mother in Zion to use, but we all have our weaknesses and swearing happens to be mine. But it does put me over the edge I will well admit that.)
I asked my dentist the other day if we could just wire my jaw shut to get it to heal faster. I realize this is an extreme measure, but, so extreme is the problem. Am I a little frustrated? Agitated? Irritated? Oh yes, that sums me up right now.
But bringing us back to peaches and cream. I have five boxes of it in my house right now. I fixed tacos for the clan tonight and then sat down with my bowl of instant oatmeal, which, by the way, I had for breakfast too . . . for the past five days. I guess I will have to shop my way through Christmas, because as you can see, I will certainly not be eating much this holiday season. :)
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Saturday, November 1, 2008

1 down 2 to go!


Oh Halloween! I don't know whether to love it or hate it. I love the holidays, but it just seems like by the time we go to the pumpkin patch, pick out costumes(which is such the ordeal for my kids), have class parties, and the trunk or treat, and then finally! Halloween night where I am scrambling to carve pumpkins, I am not likin' Halloween much. My children usally like to be something I have to end up making. So, this year I was way ahead of the game and talked the girls into being princess that I found at Costco and then they found a dragon costume for Benny. But, Marin of course decided she wanted to be Barbie Island Princess and sugjested that "all I had to do was to make a peacock feathers for the back of her dress". So this year I still didn't get out of getting the sewing machine out. I did let Marin know that I was lucky I had the spirit of my Grandma Mary in me to make them what they wanted be. I hope she inherits this, because I told her when her daughter wants to be Flitter Flutter Butterfly Barbie I do expect her to rip out the sewing machine.



Samantha on the other had loved her Aurora costume and kept singing everytime she put it on, "bow to the princess Aurora." After a few days of that Marin turn around and yelled, "I am not bowing any more to you Sam."



All in all, I do love Halloween, it is so much fun for the kids and I do enjoy their excitment, but I am happy to be moving on the Thanksgiving this year!
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