Close Call!

Do you know what? I am so sick and tired of being the cause of drama. I hate being the "drama", I get so embarrassed. And yet, I can't keep my mouth shut and not tell everybody what is going on in our lives. It just bottles up and causes more stress if I do that. So, just to tell everyone all that's going on seems to help both Colby and I deal with things. So, bare with us, as we add yet again to the "days of our lives".

I ache today, and I am exhausted. Here's why: I let some of my good friends convince me that going to a class at Gold's Gym Saturday morning was an excellent idea. I was excited to hang out with them, and join the "exercise" population out there, heaven knows I definitely need it. Anyway, I haven't exercised really, really hard in a while. Yes, I do a bit here and there, but nothing that ever really pushes me hard. So, I jump into the "Body Attack" class with them and about die in the process. It was a crazy workout, and I only finished about half of it before I started feeling my body go into an asthma attack. Something that hasn't happened in such a long time, so sometimes I forget that I have asthma. So, I decided to step out of the class and pace around the gym to calm myself down. Not only did I feel really uncomfortable for being one of the largest women there, but I also had brought the wrong kind of shoes, and I was sliding all over the floor while doing the aerobic routine. In the end, my friends finished and assured me that I had done an awesome job for my first time, and the instructor came out and made sure I was okay. I was really grateful to all of them for their support, as embarrassed as I was. They dropped me off at home, and after a shower, I fell back into bed for about 4 hours.

That evening, after Colby and I finished some more Christmas shopping, we stop by his parents house to pick up our kids. Colby's mom offers him the last cookie from a Lee's Marketplace box of store-made cookies. I have been watching what I eat lately, so all desserts are a temptation to me. I continue to beg and plead for him to split it with me. He finally concedes, and at the last bite I begin to worry. "Did we read the ingredients on the box?" I ask. They look at the box, and for some reason they are not listed anywhere on it. I could feel my mouth start to swell and itch. I have a peanut allergy. I spit the last bite out and try to rinse my mouth out. I could feel this reaction happening a lot faster than anything ever before. Colby hurries to find some Benedryl, popping me out 2 pills. While swallowing them, I know that they will not work in time. We desperately search for liquid Benedryl, unsuccessfully. Colby calls my mom, my dad has the same allergy, and they don't have any either. My sister offers to run to the store to buy some for us, and run it over to Colby's parents' house. Meanwhile, I am in the bathroom, attempting to throw up without success. My throat has closed off so fast, that nothing can get out. And from leaning over the toilet for so long, my nasal passages have closed off. I am fighting for every breath. Colby is frantically waiting for my sister, while checking up on me in the bathroom. I was lying on the bathroom floor, about to pass out and he was ready to dial 911 when my sister showed up with the liquid. We slowly get the 2 teaspoons down my throat, and now it's a waiting game. I feel like my skin is pale gray because I cannot seem to get enough oxygen into my lungs, but I look in the mirror and find that I am bright red. I can feel the hives breaking out all over my body now. Finally my throat opens up enough to get a bit more air in, enough for me to stand up and walk around slowly. Colby and his parents pack up the kids, and we make our way home .

We get home, and Colby proceeds to unload the kids from the car and get them ready for bed. I offer to help get Tristan out of the car. I get him unbuckled, then have to dart to the front lawn and empty the contents of my stomach. (That was an interesting experience.) Colby comes back out to the garage to find me in that state and hurries to get Tristan. I had left him unbuckled, luckily he was fine. Finally, back in the house, and feeling a bit better I insist on feeding Tristan some oatmeal, while Colby gets the other two in bed. He is angry because he wants me to lie down and get better. I start feeding my son, feeling good, get him out of the high chair, and have to book it to the bathroom again. Colby puts Tristan down, while I keep running to the bathroom. Finally, the kids are all down, and I develop more symptoms. I get chills, develop a major rash all over my body, my ability to breath fades in and out, (graphic description up ahead, feel free to skip it) diarrhea and vomiting are combined. Colby gets me to take some more Benedryl, since I threw everything up. And continues to call my parents to see if my dad can help him give me a blessing. He is up at Crystal Springs in Honeyville, but on his way home right now. We then ask my mom if she has any epi-pens, Epinephrine shot, left from when my dad was supposed to have one. She says they had to throw them out, because they were expired. My dad won't get here in time, so Colby calls our friend/neighbor/home teacher/EQ President to help him give me a blessing. I feel on the edge of losing consciousness, and if I continue like this, Colby says he taking me to the ER. After the blessing, I look a lot better. I throw up all my Benedryl again, and have to retake it. Then my dad gets here, and says I look bad, but that he can tell I'm on the mend now. He tells me to go get in a really hot bath to raise my blood pressure so I can stop shivering. I had told Colby to look up peanut allergy online and look for my symptoms. This is what he found:

Symptoms of anaphylaxis can include difficulty breathing and swallowing, vomiting and diarrhea, dizziness, dangerously low blood pressure, swelling of the lips, tongue, throat, and other parts of the body, and loss of consciousness. If not treated, death can result. Anaphylaxis usually occurs within minutes but can occur up to several hours after eating peanuts or peanut products.

Um, we were really scared after he read that to me. I had every single symptom except unconsciousness. After the bath, I was warmer but had another round of puking, and the shivers starting up a little bit again. Another dose of Benedryl and finally bed. I faded in and out of sleep all night, and Colby kept checking on me. I will say that I was terrified to go to sleep, but so tired from all the Benedryl. I had eaten the cookie at 6:30 pm, and by 4 am felt a lot better. At 6 am, I felt normal again. I did feel a bit drugged all day yesterday, but I could go about my normal Sunday business. The EQ President said he was surprised I was attending church, from what I looked like the night before.

Today, I am exhausted emotionally and physically. Colby was so angry at me yesterday for acting like nothing had happened. I wasn't trying to, I was just trying to repay him for all of his help by taking care of all the responsibilities. He kept telling me to stop worrying about things, and take time for myself to recover. I just didn't want to continue to stress people out. So, there it is. I will be calling my doctor this week and getting some prescriptions for Epinephrine syringes to keep in our home. Never in my life have I had a peanut reaction that intense. Usually I can take some Benedryl and I am fine within 30 minutes. Although, my dad has been to the ER, I think twice, for these kinds of reactions.

Thank you to Ryan Miles for helping Colby give me a blessing, and to my sister Heidi for breaking speed limits to get me some liquid Benedryl. Thanks to my parents for talking Colby through the process. And my love and thanks to my wonderful husband for watching over me so carefully, when I know how he deals with worry and stress and that is to get angry. I still felt loved when he was stomping around the house with worry. I am so grateful that we didn't have to dial 911 or go to the ER. We know how expensive that is, and again we have no insurance at the end of this month. It's pretty sad when you would rather wait out an emergency at home, then pay for medical care. What a world!

Job!

So, here's the latest. After two weeks of applying for jobs all over Utah, and hitting 3 interviews, Colby is employed. He starts work next Monday. Since the entire office was closed down, his old boss decided he wasn't having that. So, he chose 10 of his choice employees and is starting the company back up from scratch. The company was thriving for 12 years, and he decided to sell to THQ to keep them guaranteed work coming in so they wouldn't have to close down. Two months short of two years with them, and there small branch was one of the offices closed. So, we are just going back to work that is "tried and true". They already have a contract for a game signed, and it's good until next August, and several more lined up to be reviewed. He will still get to work from home for this California based company. His boss has always been so good to us, we are truly blessed. The nice thing is he will get severance for 10 weeks from THQ for the same amount as his salary, and his same salary starting again with the new company. That is a huge relief. Now we can shove all severance into savings in case this happens again. Thank you to all of your prayers and help in finding jobs to apply for. He has several companies interested in him now that are located in Utah. And he will be keeping their information, and having them keep his resume on file. We still won't have insurance as of the end of this month, but we are researching all of our options, until his boss gets that kink worked out in the next 3 months. Colby was that final employee decided on for this group. His boss brought all the other chosen employees in and voted on between him and a local worker. His knowledge and experience was not in question, it was that fact that he tele-commutes, and sometimes that causes miscommunication between people. But no one had anything bad to say about him, so it was pretty much unanimous. We know that he might not have been picked up had it not been for so many friends and family supporting us with love and prayers. We are extremely grateful to you all. Thank you so much! Again thank you to all of our friends and family for helping us job search (Thanks a ton Troy!). We truly appreciate all of your efforts. Okay, now I am just rambling, I'll stop now. We love you all!

Things I have done.

Things I've done are in red.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band, if you count Rock Band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (Disneyworld)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo, I am counting in a tent at Girl's Camp.
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language, Gabe-ish, it was tricky.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance, my first gallstone incident.
47. Had your portrait painted, I had my caricature drawn.
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud, as a child, many times
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business, selling homemade pies as a teenager, and Stampin' Up!
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check, only once
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper, our engagement
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous, Will Smith's son that was in The Pursuit of Happyness, also talked on the phone to Teri Hatcher, Dana Delaney, and Heather Locklear's mom. Perks of working for a Pest Control company in Southern California.
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby x 3!
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Should I Go Private?

Okay, so my friend had this link http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=4699330 on her blog. After watching it, I am very seriously thinking about going private. Let me know what you all think, and email me your name and email address if you would like to be invited. I will probably give it a week to make the change.

Colby'sTwilight Quiz

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

Twilight Quiz

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News

Colby and all the other co-workers of THQ - Mass Media Department went to work yesterday morning, all to find out that they had closed their office. Everyone in the branch, including his boss, had lost their jobs. No one had any warning, but we had been seeing our stocks drop each month. Please keep us in your prayers, as their are no stable game companies in Utah. We are still trying to find a "regular" programming job here. We are looking in Utah, because it will probably be near impossible to sell our house and move at this time in the economy. If you know of any job openings that need a software engineer, please let us know, we are applying for everything that comes our way, being that it is November and Christmas and Braxton's birthday are next month. Thanks for all your support.

The Koch Family,

Colby, RaeAnne, Braxton, Gabriel, and Tristan.

Leaves!

Yesterday we spent the later half of the day playing at Xanna and Grumpa Koch's house. Colby and his brother Ty helped turn their dad's riding lawnmower into a snowplow for the upcoming season, while the kids (all my boys plus Xavier, Ty's son) and I just played around. They have a humongous yard (we had our wedding and reception in the backyard, that's for size comparison) and lots of trees that are unloading their burden. I forgot to bring my camera, but my father-in-law kindly let me borrow his. Please don't ask me why Braxton is wearing a tank top, he insisted that he was hot. It looks like his play pants are too short as well. Funny all the things you notice when you look closer at pictures. Xavi and Braxton sweeping the leaves into a bigger pile. Tristan in shorts that are too big for him. What can you say, Colby dressed him for me, and I didn't have the laundry put away. Picking flower heads off their stems. Gabe having a blast. Tristan putting leaves on his head, after he sees Gabe throwing them in the air.

Ward Trunk or Treat and Halloween.

Here are me and my boys all ready for the annual Ward Trunk or Treat.

My parents with the boys on Halloween.

The weather was perfect for Trick or Treating and they got lots of loot.