Survey says....

I found this in my draft folder. This was from more than 5 years ago. But I am going to post it anyway. The old answers are in green, the new answers in pink.

I get these types of surveys in email sometimes. They are interesting to read and get to know a little about the person who sent them. So I finally filled one out and am just posting it. Kind of cheesy I know. But Nate is gone, there is nothing on TV, and I am a little bored.



1. WHAT IS YOUR FULL NAME? Betsy Jane

2. WHAT COLOR PANTS ARE YOU WEARING? brown chinos, black track pants

3. WAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? quiet, Toby laughing to himself while reading

4. WHAT'S THE LAST THING YOU ATE? grapes, ding dongs

5. DO YOU WISH ON STARS? of course, who would pass up a chance for a wish, still do

6. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? chartreuse, yellow

7. HOW IS THE WEATHER RIGHT NOW? frigid, cooler, but supposed to warm up to 70 degrees today!

8. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Sister Easthope, the pharmacist

10. HOW OLD ARE YOU TODAY? 32, 37

11. FAVORITE DRINK? Blackberry Izzy soda, water

12. FAVORITE SPORT? To play: baseball, to watch: basketball, still the same

13. HAIR COLOR? brown, also still brown

14. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? for the last 20 years, yes, but I've been wearing my glasses more often for the last couple years

15. SIBLINGS? Erika, Jacob, Peter, Karl, Hester, Hannah, Maddy, Axel, still the same, no new additions.

16. FAVORITE MONTH? April, May (it's my birthday month, school ends, and vacation begins)

17. FAVORITE FOOD? Chocolate still chocolate

18. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? It must have been forgettable, because I can't remember it. But I know it was last week, New Moon (Nate hadn't seen it in the theater last year. I saw it in Norway with Hester. So he wanted to rent it last weekend. I don't usually like to watch movies twice)
19. FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR? Midsummer's eve, any day that the kids are out of school and I am on vacation
20. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD? Art supplies, yep
22. SUMMER OR WINTER? summer, summer in the desert

23. HUGS OR KISSES? hugs, hugs

24. CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA? chocoate of course, chocolate

28. LIVING ARRANGEMENTS? Husband, 4 kids, 2 parakeets, still the same

29. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? a couple of weeks ago. PMS and watching sad movies. This morning while writing the last post. Stupid dental anxiety.
30. WHAT IS UNDER YOUR BED? absolutely nothing, blankets

31. WHO IS THE FRIEND YOU HAVE HAD THE LONGEST? Holley, Amber, Ellen, still the same
32. WHAT DID YOU DO LAST NIGHT? Cleaned house, practiced piano, showered and went to bed at 11:30pm. Then got back up at 12:15 to feed Hazel., watched TV, sorted paperwork
33. FAVORITE SMELL? sawdust - reminds me of my dad, also love citrus smells

34. WHAT ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT? my family, getting organized, getting ready for christmas my family

35. WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? being attacked in the dark dentists

36. PLAIN, BUTTERED OR SALTED POPCORN? buttered with real butter and salt. hasn't changed, just use less butter than I used to

37. FAVORITE CAR? Karman Ghia or Volvo P1800, still like those, also want a Ford F-250 in bronze

38. FAVORITE FLOWER? daisies, love daisies

39. NUMBER OF KEYS ON YOUR KEY RING? 4, 3

40. FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK? Friday - no homework after school, Sunday

41. WHAT DID YOU DO ON YOUR LAST BIRTHDAY? Went to the San Antonio Temple dedication, don't remember

42. HOW MANY STATES HAVE YOU LIVED IN? 5, about to move to state number 6
43. HOW MANY CITIES/Towns HAVE YOU LIVED IN? 14, about to move to number 15

44. HOW MANY COUNTRIES HAVE YOU LIVED IN? 3, still three

45. HOW MANY CARS HAVE YOU HAD & WHAT WAS THE FIRST? First was a blue subaru. Have had 4, 5 - I think I misscounted. Although, both our cars are almost dead. May be getting two new ones this year.

46. WHERE AND WHEN WERE YOU BORN? May 22 in Salt Lake City, UT, same

47. WHAT IS ONE THING YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE? Visit all the continents on Earth. I especially would like to go to Antartica. Still want to do that. But just want my kids to grow up and be good people and to be happy

On dentist visits and anxiety

There is a lot going on at our house lately.  Besides all the normal day to day stuff of family life and church responsibilities and friends, Nate is about to quit his job for good.  We are about to put our house up for sale. Nate is about to move to Kansas and I will be single parenting for a few months while trying to keep my house spotless so that someone will like it and buy it.  And then I have to pack. (Still trying to put that one off.)  And look for a new house in Kansas. 

So because of that, and the impending move, we have had to hurry and get a bunch of health/dental care items checked off of our to-do list.  I was postponing these things because the holidays were a little busy.  But now I am really busy. Kind of ironic.  All of us needed our teeth cleaned.  That was 4 separate appointments.  Then when we were at the checkups, we found cavities.That added another 3 appointments to the calendar. So I have been hanging out with the dentist twice a week for the past month trying to fit in all of these appointments. 

But I've noticed that in the past two weeks, I've felt my anxiety level rise. I've been a little short with every one and I'm sorry.  If you recall, I have seen my dentist more often in the last 8 years than most people see one in their entire lives!  To say I have just a bit of dental anxiety is a huge understatement.  Needless to say, I am a bit cranky, depressed, anxious and stressed out.  The biggest stress inducing factor is my upcoming appointment.  The last part of my facial/jaw repair process is to replace all 10 crowns in my mouth with new ones.  Because my jaw has been repositioned, the old crowns no longer fit together properly.  It still causes headaches and sore jaw muscles, and pain in my mandibular joint.  Stress makes all those things worse.  So these past few months haven't been good on that point.  All of this adds to the anxiety.  And though I've had many crowns, which were no big deal when you get them one at a time, getting 10 done at once has me a little on edge.  I was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder after my second jaw surgery (the facial reconstrution surgery) and it has made me a little gun shy with subsequent procedures.   I had expected that second surgery to be as easy as the first one.  It wasn't.  That second one was so much more painful and the recovery was so long, that it really screwed me up.  For a long time.

So next week I go to the dentist for the finishing touches to a nearly-decade long treatment plan: 10 new crowns. I get to spend the entire day at the dentist: 7 am to 5 pm. I am the only patient for the day.  I'm anxious.  It's more than a little debilitating.  Even though I have so much to do, I can't seem to get through the thoughts and anxiety of next week's appointment to get around to my to do list.  I've been trying to avoid even thinking about it by catching up on TV shows on my DVR and my Netflix movies that I've had since November.  Read lots of books, and been on a little junk food binge too. (I managed to lose weight during the holidays, just to gain it all back thi month.)   All to avoid having to even think about my teeth.  I don't deal well with anxiety and stress.  It's not good.

So, after I go and have a good cathartic cry about this, I am going to try and focus on the positive for the next week.  This will be the last dental procedure for a long, long time.  In reality, this won't be nearly as bad as having my face broken in 6 places and my chin cut off and reattached and having 54 screws put in my skull.  Not even as bad as getting a new jaw joint.  My face won't swell up tilll I look like a troll and no one recognizes me. I don't have to go to the hospital.  (Although I think I would like to be put under while they are doing this instead of just sedated.)  I will get some good pain meds to help me out. I won't have to be on a liquid diet for 6 months - just a day or two probably.  I won't have to do any chores for the day.  Nate will take care of everything else.  I will most likely be back to normal in a couple days.  Hopefully, with the valium, I won't even remember much.  And then it will be over.  Forever.  (Or at least until I need a replacement on my metal face parts in 20 or 30 years.)  I am going to get through this.  I will be fine.  I am strong.  I can do this.  It will all be ok.

At least that is what I am tellling myself for the next week. 

When I have grown a foot or two

My baby brother entered the MTC yesterday: to learn japanese and to learn how to share the gospel with the people of Japan.  I talked to him just before he left the house.  He was so excited to go!  He will be an awesome missionary.  He will touch so many lives for good in on his mission.  When we get an address, we'll let ya'll know so you can write him if you'd like. 

It is a bit surreal to me.  Axel was born while I was a freshman at BYU. He was only 3 years old when I gave birth to Toby.  When he would visit sometimes, it was more like having another child than having my brother over.  But seeing Axel now reminds me that Toby will be entering the MTC in a little more than three years to go on his mission.  My little baby is almost old enough to serve the Lord for two years!  It's a little crazy.  It makes me realize that time is short.  It goes by so fast.  There is so much to do and so much to teach and prepare for!  I appreciate the example Axel is for my boys. Good luck little brother!