Sorry this won't be a picture post, although it should be.
First thing's first, this blog has been terribly neglected due in part to lack of internet at my actual residence and in part to the birth of Brynlee. If you would like to see pix of her today go peruse my facebook photos, she is there. If you are patient I will get some up here by the New Year- a gift worth waiting for!
Brynlee was born Nov.4th at 6:04pm. She came 2 days earlier than her ultrasound predicted, however according to my dates she came exactly on time- not like her sister at all! So Bryn weighed in at 8lbs 8oz and was just short of 22 inches long- yeah you read that right. She is and I think will forever be our beanstalk. Bryn has lots of hair- thankfully because I had to endure months of heartburn and desperately wanted it to be worth it, and lets face it, if she had been born bald it could've been a dealbreaker :P Kidding! She was also born with really dark blue eyes and they seem to be getting bluer everyday. I think I really expected that she would come out identical to Kalea, but alas, Brynlee, like Kalea, is her own brand of beautiful. Bryn was luckily born without any twins- you'll remember Kidney Stone from my pregnancy with Kalea. So the doctor thinks that the absence of other stress inducing factors has been the main reason that I've been able to breastfeed- I know TMI, but it's been nice to not have to fork out the cash for formula- and also the main reason that labor did not feel the same. Let me explain further. When I went into labor with K my body went nuts, as in I spent a good few hours of my life in the bathroom writhing in pain, hot sweats, cold sweats, shaking like a leaf on a blustery fall day, hurling etc... I could hardly walk down the apartment stairs to our car and I thought I might actually die from the whole experience. Fast forward to Brynlee. Um... I think I'd describe my pain as, I dunno really bad menstrual cramping... But off and on and I could still talk and laugh and was running errands and cleaning up around the house. I'm serious. It was night and day different. In fact Steve was asking me all day how I felt and I was like, "I dunno, nothing really hurts" then he made the suggestion that maybe we should just go to the hospital and get checked out. So when we got to triage the nurse, bless her heart, told me that since I was so happy and still able to have a smile on my face, they'd check me but I'd probably get sent home or sent for a walk around the hospital until things really got going. Sounded cool to me and to her. So she has a feel and was like "Oh my goodness, you're 5-6cms dilated I need to call your doctor!" I was pretty shocked myself because at that point with Kalea I already had an epidural helping me relax! That's pretty much the story. They got me up to L&D and we had a baby within a few hrs. Oh and yes I had enough time to get the epi, although I had to wean off of it before I started pushing and therefore delivery hurt. The only part of the process that I wasn't smiling through was getting Bryn the heck out of me. And after all I could say was "That really hurt"- in the tone of voice you would expect from a small child, not at all like a grown up and I said it repeatedly, over and over until someone acknowledged the fact that, yes indeed that hurt.
Special thanks to the following individuals:
Steve- for being smart and taking me to the hospital before things got too crazy
Mom- for taking care of Kalea and even making sure she got her H1N1 shot
Dr. Hitchcock- for being the best baby catcher of all time, well 2/2 times and...
Everyone who made me food and helped with the adjustment- I think we are now adjusted.
In other news, Christmas came and went in a whirlwind this year. So quickly, in fact, that the Christmas wreath that I was working so hard on before Christmas is still sitting on my kitchen table :S However, it is finished! I can't wait to put it up next year! LOL I got the tree lights sorted out and back on the tree just in the nick of time ie. the tree got decorated on the 23rd :) We might as well have bought a real tree like Steve wanted to... But my mantle was decorated for weeks before Christmas, and we had indoor lights as well, so it still felt Christmas-y. We'll be taking the tree down ASAP so we can hang pictures, etc... I have big plans for that corner of my home... Anywho, Santa came for a visit- the kids must've been really good because they got spoiled. We enjoyed time spent with family and are looking forward to using our mall gift cards tomorrow :) My wardrobe needs some spice, to say the least. We were gifted with a Wii this year, for which I am grateful because now I can "play" during naptime and get a bit of a work out in- yay for Wii Fit Plus, it is freaking HARD! I lost 5lbs playing Wii Fit after I had Kalea, we'll see how much I can lose this time around.
Steve's off until the 4th, which is good and bad. It's bad for the obvious reasons, his boss is retarded and didn't give the guys a bonus or "a week off with pay" like so many generous employers do, Steve got a hot chocolate and a handshake??? Bah-humbug. It's good though, because we're actually getting a lot accomplished at home :) Like, we finally have pictures hanging in our living room and Kalea's closet organizer is finally getting put up. It's also giving me some much needed rest- Steve keeps asking me why I'm so sleepy? I'm just trying to get as much in as I can now before he goes back to work! It's nice having someone to hand Bryn off too, or to play with Kalea while I'm feeding Bryn.
Anywho, we'll try to post pix right away. Don't get your hopes up for any Santa pix because some little girl was not interested in the man at all this year. I'm talking she death gripped me like a monkey on steroids, so sorry!
21.12.09
13.10.09
On Being Grateful...
Does it seem weird to anyone else when you hear some of the things people are grateful for? Is it horrible of me to make assumptions about a person based on their "gratitude list"? Perhaps... but if you're gonna throw something stupid out there, you'd best be willing to take a little flack for it...
Grateful for gum... GUM? Really, you couldn't come up with something a few steps beyond that?
In hopes that someone reading my blog might want to judge me based on my "gratitude list" here is what I am grateful for these days... In no particular order:
1) Family: Steve's and my own and ours together. We are really lucky to have so much love and support and help from both sides, in varying ways. I'm also thankful for my brother who is 7wks away from coming home. 2yrs goes by so fast, but I have been missing him- I'm sure I can blame both pregnancies on my need to fill the void he left. Kids, well Kalea and Fetus... Kalea is just a bundle of energy and I'm grateful to be able to be home with her- even if somedays she rules the house. Steve... I can't really say enough about this guy that I'm married to. He puts up with so much crud from me, it's not even funny. He is really the most patient person I know and on the days when Kalea has taken over the house, he sends me away to take a break/breather. He does really nice things for me like vacuuming and putting together closet organizers and hauling laundry up and down the stairs... He even splurged on a few desks so that I could have a more organized space for all my scrapbooking/sewing/computer stuff. I would venture to guess that he might love me a lot, and I'm pretty confident that I love him back.
2) Church: Well more specifically my faith and knowledge in and of a Heavenly Father who loves and knows me personally. I am so grateful to have a Savior who willingly took upon himself all my sins and sorrows and bore that burden so that I could repent and oneday return to my Heavenly Father's presence. I'm also grateful for my calling in the RS Presidency. I am learning so much and feel so blessed to be growing alongside some pretty amazing women.
3) Modern Technology and My Ability to Live Happily Without It: We're on a tight budget with this baby coming and obviously the lack of mat leave funds, since I didn't have a chance to really go back to work. So we took some luxuries like internet and cable off of our list of needs. To be honest it was a hard adjustment but I'm not sad that we've done it. We have so much more time to get things done and life is somehow more blissful. We don't spend hours on the internet doing nothing anymore and we don't spend hours in front of the tv. It's been a nice break, although we are considering basic cable through the winter. We have proven that the world didn't end when we stopped wasting our time doing nothing- and thankfully we have parents that let us waste time on their luxuries if we need to :)
4) Safety: It snowed overnight and I had a doctor's appt this morning. The usual 25min drive turned into an hour long event and I was so grateful to arrive safely and get home to mom's safely after. We'll keep our fingers crossed for Steve on his way home from work tonight.
5) Friends: I have awesome friends that I've talked about recently so this will be brief. It's just so nice to know that there are people in this world who really know and understand and still love you. Tara and I went out last week. She wasn't feeling 100% and well, I'm huge so we may have both been a bit out of it. But it was so nice to go out with her and chat and just enjoy the company. I really needed that!
6) All the Other Things That I Forgot... Whatever those are, I'm grateful for them and maybe at the very bottom of my list in the teensiest font size possible, I'm grateful for gum too.
Grateful for gum... GUM? Really, you couldn't come up with something a few steps beyond that?
In hopes that someone reading my blog might want to judge me based on my "gratitude list" here is what I am grateful for these days... In no particular order:
1) Family: Steve's and my own and ours together. We are really lucky to have so much love and support and help from both sides, in varying ways. I'm also thankful for my brother who is 7wks away from coming home. 2yrs goes by so fast, but I have been missing him- I'm sure I can blame both pregnancies on my need to fill the void he left. Kids, well Kalea and Fetus... Kalea is just a bundle of energy and I'm grateful to be able to be home with her- even if somedays she rules the house. Steve... I can't really say enough about this guy that I'm married to. He puts up with so much crud from me, it's not even funny. He is really the most patient person I know and on the days when Kalea has taken over the house, he sends me away to take a break/breather. He does really nice things for me like vacuuming and putting together closet organizers and hauling laundry up and down the stairs... He even splurged on a few desks so that I could have a more organized space for all my scrapbooking/sewing/computer stuff. I would venture to guess that he might love me a lot, and I'm pretty confident that I love him back.
2) Church: Well more specifically my faith and knowledge in and of a Heavenly Father who loves and knows me personally. I am so grateful to have a Savior who willingly took upon himself all my sins and sorrows and bore that burden so that I could repent and oneday return to my Heavenly Father's presence. I'm also grateful for my calling in the RS Presidency. I am learning so much and feel so blessed to be growing alongside some pretty amazing women.
3) Modern Technology and My Ability to Live Happily Without It: We're on a tight budget with this baby coming and obviously the lack of mat leave funds, since I didn't have a chance to really go back to work. So we took some luxuries like internet and cable off of our list of needs. To be honest it was a hard adjustment but I'm not sad that we've done it. We have so much more time to get things done and life is somehow more blissful. We don't spend hours on the internet doing nothing anymore and we don't spend hours in front of the tv. It's been a nice break, although we are considering basic cable through the winter. We have proven that the world didn't end when we stopped wasting our time doing nothing- and thankfully we have parents that let us waste time on their luxuries if we need to :)
4) Safety: It snowed overnight and I had a doctor's appt this morning. The usual 25min drive turned into an hour long event and I was so grateful to arrive safely and get home to mom's safely after. We'll keep our fingers crossed for Steve on his way home from work tonight.
5) Friends: I have awesome friends that I've talked about recently so this will be brief. It's just so nice to know that there are people in this world who really know and understand and still love you. Tara and I went out last week. She wasn't feeling 100% and well, I'm huge so we may have both been a bit out of it. But it was so nice to go out with her and chat and just enjoy the company. I really needed that!
6) All the Other Things That I Forgot... Whatever those are, I'm grateful for them and maybe at the very bottom of my list in the teensiest font size possible, I'm grateful for gum too.
13.9.09
Friends
Today we had a great RS lesson about friendship. But before I get into that can I just say how much I love Joseph Smith? Seriously. Anyways...
Our lesson got me thinking a lot about where I've come from and more importantly who has been there for this crazy/wonderful journey to "Adulthood". A comment was made about how true friends are the ones you can just pick up where you left off with- even if it's been years. I totally "get" that. So much more than anyone in my ward could ever really know. I tried to comment a few times, but my arms were heavy and my eyes were SO full the entire time. And let's be honest, emotional, large/pregnant women just aren't attractive when they try to talk through tears- I can say that because I am one of them. So I didn't comment, but I didn't want to let the feelings of my heart go unsaid.
I have grown up with the most wonderful friends. When the lesson talked about how Joseph felt about each of his friends, I can promise you I feel the same way about mine. Steadfast, unwavering, kind, loyal, true, etc... I can put faces to those words. I think about friends who struggled with me through some really retarded situations. I think about friends who have lifted me when I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I think about friends who I have laughed with. Friends I've gone from birth to adulthood with. Friends who are young and friends who are old. Friends who I've just begun with. I do not know how I could've ended up at this place in my life without my friends.
I always get "friend-sick" at this time of the year, maybe because it's the beginning of the school year and I'm reminded again that those years are gone. Today's lesson was an awesome reminder that I have been and continue to be so blessed with great friendships. I miss being so close to my friends- you all know what I mean. I miss stealing squeegies from gas stations. I miss late LATE nights/ early EARLY mornings- although I can't stay up past 10:30 anymore... I miss all the cheap movies we went to all summer long, every summer- I even saved the ticket stubs? I'm sure I intended to scrapbook them... LOL Anyways, I just want my friends to know how much their friendship means to me, and how many times they've been an answer to my prayers- in the simplest of ways. I wish I could express it the way I want to, to each one of you. If you missed the lesson it's Chapter 40, and it's so good. Oh and p.s. Julie I met a girl a few months ago and she has your exact same voice/laugh and I bump into her all the time, but she's just not you and it makes me sad- for her cuz I'm sure she's never stolen a squeegie in her life and how can you feel fulfilled as a person if you've never done that???
Our lesson got me thinking a lot about where I've come from and more importantly who has been there for this crazy/wonderful journey to "Adulthood". A comment was made about how true friends are the ones you can just pick up where you left off with- even if it's been years. I totally "get" that. So much more than anyone in my ward could ever really know. I tried to comment a few times, but my arms were heavy and my eyes were SO full the entire time. And let's be honest, emotional, large/pregnant women just aren't attractive when they try to talk through tears- I can say that because I am one of them. So I didn't comment, but I didn't want to let the feelings of my heart go unsaid.
I have grown up with the most wonderful friends. When the lesson talked about how Joseph felt about each of his friends, I can promise you I feel the same way about mine. Steadfast, unwavering, kind, loyal, true, etc... I can put faces to those words. I think about friends who struggled with me through some really retarded situations. I think about friends who have lifted me when I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I think about friends who I have laughed with. Friends I've gone from birth to adulthood with. Friends who are young and friends who are old. Friends who I've just begun with. I do not know how I could've ended up at this place in my life without my friends.
I always get "friend-sick" at this time of the year, maybe because it's the beginning of the school year and I'm reminded again that those years are gone. Today's lesson was an awesome reminder that I have been and continue to be so blessed with great friendships. I miss being so close to my friends- you all know what I mean. I miss stealing squeegies from gas stations. I miss late LATE nights/ early EARLY mornings- although I can't stay up past 10:30 anymore... I miss all the cheap movies we went to all summer long, every summer- I even saved the ticket stubs? I'm sure I intended to scrapbook them... LOL Anyways, I just want my friends to know how much their friendship means to me, and how many times they've been an answer to my prayers- in the simplest of ways. I wish I could express it the way I want to, to each one of you. If you missed the lesson it's Chapter 40, and it's so good. Oh and p.s. Julie I met a girl a few months ago and she has your exact same voice/laugh and I bump into her all the time, but she's just not you and it makes me sad- for her cuz I'm sure she's never stolen a squeegie in her life and how can you feel fulfilled as a person if you've never done that???
9.9.09
Wow...
So it's been a while since I last blogged and trust me, the intention was all there, I even have a half-finished post to prove it- obviously not getting posted. Life has been busy this summer and between reunions/1yr olds/work/pregnancy/wifely duties there just hasn't been time. That and the fact that we have eliminated all un-needed expenses from our life ie. internet & cable, makes it a bit more difficult logistically to keep up with things. So my apologies. Some catch up...
1. The McMurray Reunion: It was great on so many levels, but my favorite part was seeing my Grandma surrounded by her posterity. I know that sounds super cheesy but really, how many opportunities does one get in life to have almost all of their children and grandchildren and great grandchildren around them for almost a whole week? Call me old-fashioned but I am looking forward to a day like that to keep me going in my "twilight years".
2. Steve's Job: I think it's safe to say that he is so DONE with machining. He's looking for a career, and I'm so glad. So we're studying hard for his police exam re-write and have a few part-time things that we're working on in the meantime. Thankfully we know some good people that know some other good people, and you know, fingers' crossed by the end of the week something solidifies.
3. Steve's car or my truck: Love the Aristo, it's really our first child, but it has to go. The same goes for the truck. But in reality it's easier to get rid of a car than a truck at the moment, so please somebody buy our beautiful Japanese child! This would so make my month- because it's the one goal I set that could realistically fail, and I dunno if I can handle it. You can rest assured I already have plans for the money- I've gone so far as to break down what expenses it could cover if we sold for 3 different prices. I'm trying to plan ahead people!
4. Kalea Turned One: That was an experience. First off, how is it possible that my life seems to be stuck in Fast Forward??? I was reminded by one of the YW in our ward a few weeks ago that "Stringham, you're a MOM"... Oh yeah, silly me, thought I was all 16 again or something for a minute :P What a bummer! No seriously, I love it. Kalea is such an awesome little girl and life before her might have been a bit more carefree, but it definitely pales in comparison to the fun that we have now. She is so busy and keeps me moving- which is challenging while this pregnant, but I am in a lot better shape this time around I am sure. She's been walking since she was 10.5mths old, so we've been busy for a while, but she's quickly moved on to trying to CLIMB everything she can think of. I like that she is constantly challenging me to find new and different ways to entertain/outsmart her, it keeps my mind working! We still haven't had her official party. It was the week from heck. We dunno how but K caught a really cruddy virus and had serious pink eye and had to be "quarantined" from other children for 5-7 days after starting her eye cream stuff. It was really not fun on so many levels. We managed to have her grandparents' over and that was fun. She went to town on her ice cream cake and I appreciated that I really didn't have to entertain anyone- Kalea puts on quite the show. So it was a good but not super fun birthday. I am thinking maybe this weekend we'll get some people together. So much for all my grand plans, but I mean, she will have plenty of cool parties in the future.
5. Pregnancy #2: This one is really kicking my butt. Maybe because it's so soon after Kalea, but man, I get pains now that I never had with her. Could also be the fact that Kalea weighs almost 25lbs and I lift her quite a bit... On the good side, I feel a bit more physically ready for this one, since Kalea has kept me in a routine of walking almost daily and I actually find myself eating at normal times, breakfast lunch and dinner- this did not happen with Kalea while I was working or after. So I guess there are pros and cons. I am excited that the end is nearing and I must be entering the nesting phase because I rearranged furniture yesterday and I'm going to try to make baby bedding for this one- I know, crazy idea! Steve is pretty happy about all that I'm getting done around the house though!
So that is that for now. I have tons of pictures but Kalea needs a nap and it's time for me to go be a mom, so next time.
1. The McMurray Reunion: It was great on so many levels, but my favorite part was seeing my Grandma surrounded by her posterity. I know that sounds super cheesy but really, how many opportunities does one get in life to have almost all of their children and grandchildren and great grandchildren around them for almost a whole week? Call me old-fashioned but I am looking forward to a day like that to keep me going in my "twilight years".
2. Steve's Job: I think it's safe to say that he is so DONE with machining. He's looking for a career, and I'm so glad. So we're studying hard for his police exam re-write and have a few part-time things that we're working on in the meantime. Thankfully we know some good people that know some other good people, and you know, fingers' crossed by the end of the week something solidifies.
3. Steve's car or my truck: Love the Aristo, it's really our first child, but it has to go. The same goes for the truck. But in reality it's easier to get rid of a car than a truck at the moment, so please somebody buy our beautiful Japanese child! This would so make my month- because it's the one goal I set that could realistically fail, and I dunno if I can handle it. You can rest assured I already have plans for the money- I've gone so far as to break down what expenses it could cover if we sold for 3 different prices. I'm trying to plan ahead people!
4. Kalea Turned One: That was an experience. First off, how is it possible that my life seems to be stuck in Fast Forward??? I was reminded by one of the YW in our ward a few weeks ago that "Stringham, you're a MOM"... Oh yeah, silly me, thought I was all 16 again or something for a minute :P What a bummer! No seriously, I love it. Kalea is such an awesome little girl and life before her might have been a bit more carefree, but it definitely pales in comparison to the fun that we have now. She is so busy and keeps me moving- which is challenging while this pregnant, but I am in a lot better shape this time around I am sure. She's been walking since she was 10.5mths old, so we've been busy for a while, but she's quickly moved on to trying to CLIMB everything she can think of. I like that she is constantly challenging me to find new and different ways to entertain/outsmart her, it keeps my mind working! We still haven't had her official party. It was the week from heck. We dunno how but K caught a really cruddy virus and had serious pink eye and had to be "quarantined" from other children for 5-7 days after starting her eye cream stuff. It was really not fun on so many levels. We managed to have her grandparents' over and that was fun. She went to town on her ice cream cake and I appreciated that I really didn't have to entertain anyone- Kalea puts on quite the show. So it was a good but not super fun birthday. I am thinking maybe this weekend we'll get some people together. So much for all my grand plans, but I mean, she will have plenty of cool parties in the future.
5. Pregnancy #2: This one is really kicking my butt. Maybe because it's so soon after Kalea, but man, I get pains now that I never had with her. Could also be the fact that Kalea weighs almost 25lbs and I lift her quite a bit... On the good side, I feel a bit more physically ready for this one, since Kalea has kept me in a routine of walking almost daily and I actually find myself eating at normal times, breakfast lunch and dinner- this did not happen with Kalea while I was working or after. So I guess there are pros and cons. I am excited that the end is nearing and I must be entering the nesting phase because I rearranged furniture yesterday and I'm going to try to make baby bedding for this one- I know, crazy idea! Steve is pretty happy about all that I'm getting done around the house though!
So that is that for now. I have tons of pictures but Kalea needs a nap and it's time for me to go be a mom, so next time.
10.7.09
Life is sometimes just boring... until after the weekend
I don't have much to write today, really because I have promised pix for forever and have not delivered. My bad, don't worry, my facebook page is suffering too. We've been really busy, and by busy I really mean LAZY. No really, we finally moved into our townhouse on June 27th and since then have been rather busy getting our place together. Although, I think our "date" tonight will consist of hanging the pictures that have been sitting in our living room for the last few weeks. At least the basement is organized :P My "McMurray Family Reunion" is this weekend and we are all looking forward to that. We've been trying to get our place ready for our company to come stay, but lets be honest, between Steve and Kalea being sick for the last week, all we've really been doing is a constant cycle of laundry. YUM, I won't give you those details! It'll be a fun weekend and for everyone's sake, I really hope the weather's decent so we don't have to hear/talk about it for the next few years! I'm just excited that everyone's coming up here for a visit for a change. I only say that because this year is one of those years when we really can't afford to go anywhere (our bank account can prove it). We didn't get to do any Stampede stuff this year, which is disappointing. This is the first year since Steve and I have been DATING that we have completely missed out on going down to enjoy our once a year excuse to wear "country" gear without looking like fools! Maybe we'll go grab a free breakfast tomorrow to make ourselves feel better!
15.6.09
With Blessings Come Trials... Or is it With Trials Come Blessings??
Life lately has been somewhat chaotic with a few changes that we were and were not expecting, this is just an update so, I dunno, people know what's happening with us.
We have come to terms with having another baby so close to Kalea in age that it's too overwhelming to think about sometimes. But at the same time, as I hear about people close to me and their struggles to even have one child, I'm reminded of the blessing that it is for us that it's been so easy to start our family when we wanted to. I'm also happy for Kalea that she'll get to experience having a SISTER so close in age- since mine is 8 yrs younger and I have never really been able to relate to the experience of fighting over shoes, clothes, cars or boys with her, sounds like we've signed ourselves up for some really fun teenage years :P
When our little family of 3 was formed last August, we realized that our 3rd floor apartment really wasn't made for a little family of 3 at all! With thoughts of creating more of a home for Kalea and ourselves, we applied for subsidized housing and we were accepted into a unit right away. However, on our walk-through we found a lot of problems, most major, that the management wasn't willing to do anything about. So we decided that we needed to find another option. Steve's parents said that we could stay with them as long as we needed to until we found another place. On the bright side we found a new place rather quickly and were blessed to have called them and asked if their website was up to date, which it wasn't. Turns out we ended up being the first people on a waiting list for a large 3 bdr townhouse, which we move into shortly-the downside is that we've been living with Steve's parents since November...that's almost 8 months!!! But again being here has afforded us the opportunity to build a better relationship with them while also giving us the opportunity to get some debts under control, which has been a huge blessing. But really, I don't recommend 8mths of this to anyone, it is HARD.
Recently my YWs calling changed. A few months ago I was released as the Beehive Advisor and called to be the Personal Progress Leader. This was not a bad change, but I was struggling with the feeling that I wasn't being used- which is fine for some people, but I'd rather be DOING something. So one Sunday I was walking the hallways with Kalea and started talking to the RS President, who used to be in YWs with me. I said something about not wanting to fill the void in the Presidency but that I'd love to teach RS. Apparently I wasn't the first person to have said this to her that day so she thought it was pretty funny. Well, the next weekend rolls around and we get home from being out all day Saturday and find that there are 10 missed calls from a member of our bishopric. His wife happens to be my VT so I figured, meh, no worries she's probably frantic to get out to visit me before the month is over. Yeah... NO. Bro.Crapo came by for a quick visit with Steve and I & I was called to be the First Counsellor (Education Counsellor) in the RS Presidency... Yeah I know, seriously? This means I basically get to deal with all the teachers in RS and make sure that they're on track with things. It's not a bad thing, just not at all what I was expecting.
Along with my calling comes the great responsibility that, should something unfortunate happen to one of my teachers, I would be able to jump in and teach the lesson. K, so this is not an issue, it's an excuse for me to study the lessons better, but I was not prepared to be teaching a blind lesson my second week in RS.
Yes that's right, yesterday the teacher was not at church?!?!
So instead of panicking, we asked any of our usual subs if they had been asked to teach. We then asked everyone in RS if they had had a phonecall to teach and then the room got really REALLY HOT! Karen just turned to me and said, well I guess it's all you!
Um did I mention the fact that I had really only skimmed through the lesson and questions ONCE??? Or did I mention that the STAKE RS PRESIDENCY had shown up unexpectedly in our Ward that day? Or that the lesson just happened to be "The Power of Forgiveness"???
YEAH I KNOW!!!
To my surprise I actually got through it without crying like a baby and feeling sorry for myself, there was just a lot of sweat involved, I'm not joking, yesterday was not a good day to wear layers! All in all I know the Lord was mindful of me and my situation and I'm glad that I listened to that prompting to get up earlier than usual and read through the lesson before going to church. It was really amazing to teach this lesson WITH the RS sisters. I really didn't have to say much of anything because they were so willing to express their feelings about the questions that I asked them. So as overwhelming as it was, it really turned out great. So yay for the Spirit! And no worries, I came home and studied/prepared to teach next week, if something like this should happen again.
What else? Steve has finally put his application in to join the City Police. This is a big deal since he's wanted to do this for a long time. The state of our global economy has really affected the job stability that Steve once had, and we're pretty unsure of how much slower things can get at the shop before his boss starts to really lose money.
We were fortunate to get a phonecall last week asking if Steve might be willing to write the ACT and APCAT tests for the Police Force early, and of course Steve said that he would. I mean the lady that called said that the cancellation happened while she was flipping through Steve's application, so we figured there was a bit of divine intervention in the fact that she thought she should call Steve. He didn't end up passing the tests, and has taken it pretty hard. Which is super hard for me, but I've been able to see the positive in it.
Basically, if Steve hadn't gotten that phonecall he would've been writing the tests for the first time on my uncle's wedding day, which means should he have failed at that time, he would be mopey for our family reunion and I would be stressed out. It also means that waiting another month to write it again would have meant he would be writing in mid August, which doesn't help speed the processing of his application, and he may not be in the Fall semester of the classes he needs. Having failed when he did, he'll have the opportunity to re-write it sooner and hopefully get his file moving quicker, which is a huge blessing. In the meantime, I get to practice the skills I've always wanted to use in helping him to better prepare for the "English" portion of the tests. So it's really an opportunity for growth for the both of us, and I'm surprisingly really looking forward to "tutoring" my hubby. Oh, but if you see him, please don't bring it up, it's not something he is super comfortable talking about right now.
So that is the status of life. We are grateful for the blessings and the opportunities for growth, even if it means struggling a bit for now, but we are really looking forward to the day when some of these things aren't so worrisome. Thanks for reading the novel that is life, oh and don't worry, pix of Kalea are coming soon!
We have come to terms with having another baby so close to Kalea in age that it's too overwhelming to think about sometimes. But at the same time, as I hear about people close to me and their struggles to even have one child, I'm reminded of the blessing that it is for us that it's been so easy to start our family when we wanted to. I'm also happy for Kalea that she'll get to experience having a SISTER so close in age- since mine is 8 yrs younger and I have never really been able to relate to the experience of fighting over shoes, clothes, cars or boys with her, sounds like we've signed ourselves up for some really fun teenage years :P
When our little family of 3 was formed last August, we realized that our 3rd floor apartment really wasn't made for a little family of 3 at all! With thoughts of creating more of a home for Kalea and ourselves, we applied for subsidized housing and we were accepted into a unit right away. However, on our walk-through we found a lot of problems, most major, that the management wasn't willing to do anything about. So we decided that we needed to find another option. Steve's parents said that we could stay with them as long as we needed to until we found another place. On the bright side we found a new place rather quickly and were blessed to have called them and asked if their website was up to date, which it wasn't. Turns out we ended up being the first people on a waiting list for a large 3 bdr townhouse, which we move into shortly-the downside is that we've been living with Steve's parents since November...that's almost 8 months!!! But again being here has afforded us the opportunity to build a better relationship with them while also giving us the opportunity to get some debts under control, which has been a huge blessing. But really, I don't recommend 8mths of this to anyone, it is HARD.
Recently my YWs calling changed. A few months ago I was released as the Beehive Advisor and called to be the Personal Progress Leader. This was not a bad change, but I was struggling with the feeling that I wasn't being used- which is fine for some people, but I'd rather be DOING something. So one Sunday I was walking the hallways with Kalea and started talking to the RS President, who used to be in YWs with me. I said something about not wanting to fill the void in the Presidency but that I'd love to teach RS. Apparently I wasn't the first person to have said this to her that day so she thought it was pretty funny. Well, the next weekend rolls around and we get home from being out all day Saturday and find that there are 10 missed calls from a member of our bishopric. His wife happens to be my VT so I figured, meh, no worries she's probably frantic to get out to visit me before the month is over. Yeah... NO. Bro.Crapo came by for a quick visit with Steve and I & I was called to be the First Counsellor (Education Counsellor) in the RS Presidency... Yeah I know, seriously? This means I basically get to deal with all the teachers in RS and make sure that they're on track with things. It's not a bad thing, just not at all what I was expecting.
Along with my calling comes the great responsibility that, should something unfortunate happen to one of my teachers, I would be able to jump in and teach the lesson. K, so this is not an issue, it's an excuse for me to study the lessons better, but I was not prepared to be teaching a blind lesson my second week in RS.
Yes that's right, yesterday the teacher was not at church?!?!
So instead of panicking, we asked any of our usual subs if they had been asked to teach. We then asked everyone in RS if they had had a phonecall to teach and then the room got really REALLY HOT! Karen just turned to me and said, well I guess it's all you!
Um did I mention the fact that I had really only skimmed through the lesson and questions ONCE??? Or did I mention that the STAKE RS PRESIDENCY had shown up unexpectedly in our Ward that day? Or that the lesson just happened to be "The Power of Forgiveness"???
YEAH I KNOW!!!
To my surprise I actually got through it without crying like a baby and feeling sorry for myself, there was just a lot of sweat involved, I'm not joking, yesterday was not a good day to wear layers! All in all I know the Lord was mindful of me and my situation and I'm glad that I listened to that prompting to get up earlier than usual and read through the lesson before going to church. It was really amazing to teach this lesson WITH the RS sisters. I really didn't have to say much of anything because they were so willing to express their feelings about the questions that I asked them. So as overwhelming as it was, it really turned out great. So yay for the Spirit! And no worries, I came home and studied/prepared to teach next week, if something like this should happen again.
What else? Steve has finally put his application in to join the City Police. This is a big deal since he's wanted to do this for a long time. The state of our global economy has really affected the job stability that Steve once had, and we're pretty unsure of how much slower things can get at the shop before his boss starts to really lose money.
We were fortunate to get a phonecall last week asking if Steve might be willing to write the ACT and APCAT tests for the Police Force early, and of course Steve said that he would. I mean the lady that called said that the cancellation happened while she was flipping through Steve's application, so we figured there was a bit of divine intervention in the fact that she thought she should call Steve. He didn't end up passing the tests, and has taken it pretty hard. Which is super hard for me, but I've been able to see the positive in it.
Basically, if Steve hadn't gotten that phonecall he would've been writing the tests for the first time on my uncle's wedding day, which means should he have failed at that time, he would be mopey for our family reunion and I would be stressed out. It also means that waiting another month to write it again would have meant he would be writing in mid August, which doesn't help speed the processing of his application, and he may not be in the Fall semester of the classes he needs. Having failed when he did, he'll have the opportunity to re-write it sooner and hopefully get his file moving quicker, which is a huge blessing. In the meantime, I get to practice the skills I've always wanted to use in helping him to better prepare for the "English" portion of the tests. So it's really an opportunity for growth for the both of us, and I'm surprisingly really looking forward to "tutoring" my hubby. Oh, but if you see him, please don't bring it up, it's not something he is super comfortable talking about right now.
So that is the status of life. We are grateful for the blessings and the opportunities for growth, even if it means struggling a bit for now, but we are really looking forward to the day when some of these things aren't so worrisome. Thanks for reading the novel that is life, oh and don't worry, pix of Kalea are coming soon!
4.5.09
Bloggers Block
So I'm having a problem trying to figure out what to write about, because, quite frankly, life isn't overly exciting at the moment. I mean it's just normal everyday stuff... And I haven't put any recent pix on the computer... And I dunno, I don't just want to write about Kalea, but it looks like I have no choice... a bit of an update... Kalea is STILL teething with no sign of anything breaking through, although she is sleeping through the night again... She started climbing up the stairs this weekend, I know, she can't be old enough for that yet... Kalea has developed a tantrum back bend that may be lethal one of these days- her poor noggin'... We think she might have hay fever, but since she's teething nobody can be 100% sure yet, she is super snotty which I think is super gross... Kalea has started to twist and turn and run away during diaper changes- good times, especially when she's poopy... She licked my tummy twice today and she was so sneaky about it, I wonder if she had it planned?... Kalea really hates baby food, anything pureed, so yesterday we gave her KD and today she had pieces of cheese- she seems much happier and doesn't spit it out... I am amazed that she can eat solid food with her lack of teeth... She spat up all over Steve's arm in sacrament meeting yesterday- pretty gross- so I got to teach his Sunday school class- is it bad that the Sunday School Pres came in and asked me if I was prepared to teach and I said, "No I don't even know which lesson number they're on" and his response was "Oh [head scratch] well hmm..." then he leaves and brings two kids from another class?!?!?!? Yeah, Steve owes me SO HUGE for that! Hmmm... That's all I can think of... Oh I had a massage and a facial on Wednesday... Pretty much best bday present ever, thanks Steve... And... That's all... for now...
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