September is birthday Month in our home. Not all of our birthdays but Chris, Caeleb, and Mary and even some other family members have birthdays this month. Poor Chris doesn't get much of a birthday as Caeleb became his best and "last" (well, I guess he gets some small gifts) birthday gift 7 years ago.
Caeleb wanted a birthday party this year. So Camellia and her gang came up and helped with it. I made a pea shooter (from plants vs zombies) piñata days before, planned some games and Camellia tidied up the place while I was at work on the special day, Thursday September 14. When I got home we had Sterling, Liam, Porter Sebastian, Max, Lane (from Caeleb's class), Sydney (a neighbor friend) and of course Caeleb, Elva and Mary here for the party. We had the typical hot dogs, chips, watermelon, juice, etc, with a homemade (I tried at least) Lord of the Rings/Warhammer cake (with a gummy bear army) for dessert. Caeleb got some fun toys including a mechanical robot building set, a cool minion t-shift, pokemon cards and a Warhammer Tyranid start collecting set (which was expensive and so also a gift for Chris too). Chris got a lunch bag with the kids hand print on them and the day after I gave Chris a few hours of my time to learn more about his Warhammer models/game hobby. Thanks to Camellia for watching the kids. I can't believe Caeleb is 7. He is such a delight to have in our family. He is a great big brother to his sisters - very protective. He has a great imagination and loves to play by himself - Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, etc. He just runs around, points a wand at things, makes punching sounds and has a blast. He is well behaved at school and he loves to go there. He is quiet, happy and cooperative (well, most of the time -not so much at bedtime though).
Mary had her 2nd birthday on Tuesday September 19. It was simple. All she needed was her favourite food "pizza!", a little chocolate cake to get all over her face, a few balloons and some people singing happy birthday,to her to make her day special. She did get some puppets (that a nice family in the ward gave to us the other day) and the other kids put on a puppet show for her. Wow, Mary is 2. Not a baby anymore. She has a strong "I do it" personality. She loves balloons and bubbles, jumping on the trampoline, singing the ABCs and Mr. Sun, and counting (she even counted to 10 the other day - I could barely believe it). She has started to recognize some colors and she is a talking quite a bit and will ramble on and on at times in gibberish but says a lot of small coherent sentences too.
Well, I best be going. Chris and I are playing a Warhammer game before bedtime. (Chris is lucky to have me to play these 2-3 hour long games). Should be fun and I love to see Chris' face light up when he gets excited to do something.
Home on the Prairies
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Summer 2017
This summer went by fast. They always do. But it felt like a good complete summer and we were all ready to move into the Fall. Here is an overview of Summer 2017.
Lets just begin by saying that it was a hot, dry summer - all summer long. Probably only rained 2 or 3 days. The land is parched and wild fires have ravaged much of BC and even down in Waterton this last week (luckily not much was damaged at that wonderful place and the Nelson family did not have to be evacuated even though a lot of their community was).
Much of the summer was spent with Chris trying to finish up his math classes online at Athabasca University. It was stressful year as Chris studied math classes that he found difficult. In July, we were unsure he would be able complete his classes and we thought we may have to wait a year for him to go to the University of Calgary (U of C). But in the end, we experienced a big tender mercy and he did not need one of the math classes and so was able to get into the elementary education program at the U of C. (His target was the secondary education program but one of his math classes that he needed for it did not go well). Long story short, he is now at the U of C entering his 3rd week there and he is really enjoying it (he even gets to take an Institute class to get free parking). I loved my university days and I feel a little envious at times. But I would not trade my mom role for anything!
Let me rewind a bit as I forgot to mention something I did in May. Camellia, Aunt Marilyn and I ran a 10 km race in Fort McLeod. Aunt Marilyn is a great runner. It was actually easier than I thought it would be and I am definitely game to do it again - maybe even a half marathon - next year. I love to run. It makes me feel so good inside!
Since then, I have not been doing much running. In fact, I have been feeling too sick to run. Can you guess why?.. Yep, baby number 4 is on the way and due the middle of March 2018. I found out on July 15. We went downtown to the stampede that day. Since we were there early, we got plenty of pancakes and bacon and we even got a pass for the whole family to ride around downtown in a horse pulled wagon. We rode down into rope square and around by the river. It was a blast, except that I was feeling a bit queasy so I took a test that day and it was positive. Of coarse I am nervous as every even pregnancy I have had has ended in a miscarriage around the 17-18 week (#2 and #4) and this would be that pregnancy (#6- if going by the pattern) but we are keeping positive and we would love to add this little one to our family.
Okay, back to the summer. We spent July 1st down at the farm and in Champion. It was mom's birthday so I made a Korean feast which we ate on the floor (as they do in Korea). I thought it turned out pretty good. We went swimming in Champion and we went on the early morning walk around Champion and had breakfast there. Nathan put on a fireworks show that evening at that farm for Mom and to celebrate Canada day. He did a great job!
On Friday July 7th, the kids and I made a quick trip down to Mountain View so I could see The Music Man with Mom and Dad at the Carriage House Theater. It was our birthday gift. I then worked Saturday and Sunday. Monday was my birthday. Chris' parents were at our place that weekend and we took the kids to swim at Sicome lake on Monday and then the parents treated us to Chinese food and Blizzard cake from Dairy Queen.
The kids and I spent a few days at some lakes in the area. A couple of friends invited us to Mahogany lake a couple of times. We went to Little Bow lake with Mom one Saturday and we went to Mckenzie lake with another friend on another day. The kids did swimming lessons the second week in August at the champion pool. Mary and Porter had their own private lessons too. All the kids enjoyed their swimming lessons there and I hope that they can continue having them in Champion for many summers to come.
Camping consisted of our June ward campout in High River, another ward campout west of Nanton that happened beginning of June (It was with the Inverness ward and we were invited by friends). We only last until 4:00 in the morning at that campout as I was not prepared and it was sooo cold and I had to work later that same day so I needed a good rest. The kids and I also set up the tent in our back yard and camped outside one night.
August 12 (Saturday) was spent going to a ranch near Cochrane so I that could go on an hour long trail ride (Chris' gift to me for my birthday). I had so much fun and could have ridden all day. I love riding horses and one day I would love to get my kids a horse.
The Nelsons joined us August 14 at Calaway park. The kids had a blast (I think the favourite was the log ride) but it started to rain halfway through the day and we ended up having to go home. How funny that it chose to rain that day when it has been so dry out.
Camellia, Mom and I served at our friend TerryLynn's wedding reception at the Waterton lds church on August 18th. It was a beautiful reception and we were glad to help. The next day Chris took me to Phantom of the Opera at the Jubilee auditorium for an early anniversary gift. It was amazing and we had a fantastic time! I must say, even on a tight budget, we have managed to spoil ourselves this summer.
We headed off to Victoria on Tuesday August 22 after a late night of work the evening before. Chris did a great job driving and the kids did really good at staying calm in the car. We sang songs, listened to Phantom of the Opera and Disney music and watched a few movies on the laptop. We enjoyed the ferry ride like we always do. The kids had fun running around on the decks outside. We enjoyed our time being with family in Victoria. We went downtown to the inner harbour, had fish and chips at fisherman's warf, and went to the breakwater. We went on a hike with Jarad and his girlfriend. I went on a walk with my sisters in law and we had a games night. I love going to the island. I love the smell of the ocean. I love being around family. We came back to Calgary on August 30th so I could do my CPR class and have an ultrasound on the 31st. It was a good trip and I wish we could go more than once a year but we will take what we can get.
We watched Max and Sebastian 4 days a week this summer (Chris watched them on the days that I worked). The little extra money has been nice. It did limit us to what we could do as our van does not fit all the kids. We would spend the mornings at our house coloring and playing and then after lunch and clean up, the kids and I would walk across Copperfield and spend the afternoon at the Islas home (playing those darn video games but also playing outside too). There were some hot days this summer and walking across Copperfield with 5 kids was a chore.
And now we are back into school. Chris and the kids started on Tuesday September 5. Caeleb was excited to go to grade 2 - his school is 8:20 to 3:20. Elva has been a little hesitant about kindergarten but she has been doing great. She goes in the afternoon from 1230 - 3:20 and then it is Mary and me time. While Mary naps, I do things like work on my blog and tidy the house. Well, Mary will wake up soon so I think I will try to get some laundry done before then. I will catch you up on September birthdays later.
Lets just begin by saying that it was a hot, dry summer - all summer long. Probably only rained 2 or 3 days. The land is parched and wild fires have ravaged much of BC and even down in Waterton this last week (luckily not much was damaged at that wonderful place and the Nelson family did not have to be evacuated even though a lot of their community was).
Much of the summer was spent with Chris trying to finish up his math classes online at Athabasca University. It was stressful year as Chris studied math classes that he found difficult. In July, we were unsure he would be able complete his classes and we thought we may have to wait a year for him to go to the University of Calgary (U of C). But in the end, we experienced a big tender mercy and he did not need one of the math classes and so was able to get into the elementary education program at the U of C. (His target was the secondary education program but one of his math classes that he needed for it did not go well). Long story short, he is now at the U of C entering his 3rd week there and he is really enjoying it (he even gets to take an Institute class to get free parking). I loved my university days and I feel a little envious at times. But I would not trade my mom role for anything!
Let me rewind a bit as I forgot to mention something I did in May. Camellia, Aunt Marilyn and I ran a 10 km race in Fort McLeod. Aunt Marilyn is a great runner. It was actually easier than I thought it would be and I am definitely game to do it again - maybe even a half marathon - next year. I love to run. It makes me feel so good inside!
Since then, I have not been doing much running. In fact, I have been feeling too sick to run. Can you guess why?.. Yep, baby number 4 is on the way and due the middle of March 2018. I found out on July 15. We went downtown to the stampede that day. Since we were there early, we got plenty of pancakes and bacon and we even got a pass for the whole family to ride around downtown in a horse pulled wagon. We rode down into rope square and around by the river. It was a blast, except that I was feeling a bit queasy so I took a test that day and it was positive. Of coarse I am nervous as every even pregnancy I have had has ended in a miscarriage around the 17-18 week (#2 and #4) and this would be that pregnancy (#6- if going by the pattern) but we are keeping positive and we would love to add this little one to our family.
Okay, back to the summer. We spent July 1st down at the farm and in Champion. It was mom's birthday so I made a Korean feast which we ate on the floor (as they do in Korea). I thought it turned out pretty good. We went swimming in Champion and we went on the early morning walk around Champion and had breakfast there. Nathan put on a fireworks show that evening at that farm for Mom and to celebrate Canada day. He did a great job!
On Friday July 7th, the kids and I made a quick trip down to Mountain View so I could see The Music Man with Mom and Dad at the Carriage House Theater. It was our birthday gift. I then worked Saturday and Sunday. Monday was my birthday. Chris' parents were at our place that weekend and we took the kids to swim at Sicome lake on Monday and then the parents treated us to Chinese food and Blizzard cake from Dairy Queen.
The kids and I spent a few days at some lakes in the area. A couple of friends invited us to Mahogany lake a couple of times. We went to Little Bow lake with Mom one Saturday and we went to Mckenzie lake with another friend on another day. The kids did swimming lessons the second week in August at the champion pool. Mary and Porter had their own private lessons too. All the kids enjoyed their swimming lessons there and I hope that they can continue having them in Champion for many summers to come.
Camping consisted of our June ward campout in High River, another ward campout west of Nanton that happened beginning of June (It was with the Inverness ward and we were invited by friends). We only last until 4:00 in the morning at that campout as I was not prepared and it was sooo cold and I had to work later that same day so I needed a good rest. The kids and I also set up the tent in our back yard and camped outside one night.
August 12 (Saturday) was spent going to a ranch near Cochrane so I that could go on an hour long trail ride (Chris' gift to me for my birthday). I had so much fun and could have ridden all day. I love riding horses and one day I would love to get my kids a horse.
The Nelsons joined us August 14 at Calaway park. The kids had a blast (I think the favourite was the log ride) but it started to rain halfway through the day and we ended up having to go home. How funny that it chose to rain that day when it has been so dry out.
Camellia, Mom and I served at our friend TerryLynn's wedding reception at the Waterton lds church on August 18th. It was a beautiful reception and we were glad to help. The next day Chris took me to Phantom of the Opera at the Jubilee auditorium for an early anniversary gift. It was amazing and we had a fantastic time! I must say, even on a tight budget, we have managed to spoil ourselves this summer.
We headed off to Victoria on Tuesday August 22 after a late night of work the evening before. Chris did a great job driving and the kids did really good at staying calm in the car. We sang songs, listened to Phantom of the Opera and Disney music and watched a few movies on the laptop. We enjoyed the ferry ride like we always do. The kids had fun running around on the decks outside. We enjoyed our time being with family in Victoria. We went downtown to the inner harbour, had fish and chips at fisherman's warf, and went to the breakwater. We went on a hike with Jarad and his girlfriend. I went on a walk with my sisters in law and we had a games night. I love going to the island. I love the smell of the ocean. I love being around family. We came back to Calgary on August 30th so I could do my CPR class and have an ultrasound on the 31st. It was a good trip and I wish we could go more than once a year but we will take what we can get.
We watched Max and Sebastian 4 days a week this summer (Chris watched them on the days that I worked). The little extra money has been nice. It did limit us to what we could do as our van does not fit all the kids. We would spend the mornings at our house coloring and playing and then after lunch and clean up, the kids and I would walk across Copperfield and spend the afternoon at the Islas home (playing those darn video games but also playing outside too). There were some hot days this summer and walking across Copperfield with 5 kids was a chore.
And now we are back into school. Chris and the kids started on Tuesday September 5. Caeleb was excited to go to grade 2 - his school is 8:20 to 3:20. Elva has been a little hesitant about kindergarten but she has been doing great. She goes in the afternoon from 1230 - 3:20 and then it is Mary and me time. While Mary naps, I do things like work on my blog and tidy the house. Well, Mary will wake up soon so I think I will try to get some laundry done before then. I will catch you up on September birthdays later.
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Spring 2017
The Spring has come and gone and now we are well into summer. In my last post I mentioned that Elva had her Mahogany preschool Graduation on June 17. Caeleb's last day of Grade 1 with Ms Feltham at Copperfield school was Wednesday June 28th. He spent his last 3 days of school learning how to rollerblade for gym class. How fun! Also, Caeleb and his class went to the Zoo at the beginning of June and Elva and her class went on a field trip to Butterfield acres. I am proud of both kids and all they have accomplished this year with their schooling. Caeleb is becoming a good little reader and writer - he loves to write and illustrate his own little books. Elva has become good at patterns and counting numbers.
Caeleb lost his first 2 teeth in June. It was really interesting. The adult teeth had been coming in behind the baby teeth so he had 2 sets of teeth for what seemed like a few months. Those 2 front bottom baby teeth wanted to keep holding on and I even tried tying some floss around them to pull them out which loosened them more and they both fell out soon after. Of course he left them under his pillow for a visit from the tooth fairy and he got a toonie per tooth so he is getting rich.
Mary is talking so much now. Her language took off in April I believe and she has been repeating everything everyone says. Shoe was one of her favorite first words and she loves to get her "shoes" on and go "owsi" (outside). She says so much now and is speaking short sentences - "les go (Lets go), Come on, eat, peas (please), tankoo (thank you). And she sure knows the word No! She says that one and stomps her foot when she does not want to do something. She is an opinionated little girl and like most 1 year olds, she wants to be outside exploring all the time. Oh, and she just learned to say her age. When asked how old she is, she say "un" (one).
We are watching Max and Sebastian Tuesday to Friday this Summer from 7:30 to 5:15 which makes for a long day and really limits us to staying at home as we do not have enough seats in the van but I guess we do not have much money anyways, so we best stay at home so as to not spend money. The kids play pretty well - with the standard daily fight or two or three. But Sebastian and Caeleb are best friends and they all do have fun together - even Mary tries to keep up and toddles after them as fast as she can go. I am not sure if we will have more kids so I need to enjoy this time with these 5 kids running around. I can hear them all playing downstairs right now and I am going to miss this someday - it really is a busy beautiful sound!. And now I hear Mary crying so I got to run. Until next time.
Caeleb lost his first 2 teeth in June. It was really interesting. The adult teeth had been coming in behind the baby teeth so he had 2 sets of teeth for what seemed like a few months. Those 2 front bottom baby teeth wanted to keep holding on and I even tried tying some floss around them to pull them out which loosened them more and they both fell out soon after. Of course he left them under his pillow for a visit from the tooth fairy and he got a toonie per tooth so he is getting rich.
Mary is talking so much now. Her language took off in April I believe and she has been repeating everything everyone says. Shoe was one of her favorite first words and she loves to get her "shoes" on and go "owsi" (outside). She says so much now and is speaking short sentences - "les go (Lets go), Come on, eat, peas (please), tankoo (thank you). And she sure knows the word No! She says that one and stomps her foot when she does not want to do something. She is an opinionated little girl and like most 1 year olds, she wants to be outside exploring all the time. Oh, and she just learned to say her age. When asked how old she is, she say "un" (one).
We are watching Max and Sebastian Tuesday to Friday this Summer from 7:30 to 5:15 which makes for a long day and really limits us to staying at home as we do not have enough seats in the van but I guess we do not have much money anyways, so we best stay at home so as to not spend money. The kids play pretty well - with the standard daily fight or two or three. But Sebastian and Caeleb are best friends and they all do have fun together - even Mary tries to keep up and toddles after them as fast as she can go. I am not sure if we will have more kids so I need to enjoy this time with these 5 kids running around. I can hear them all playing downstairs right now and I am going to miss this someday - it really is a busy beautiful sound!. And now I hear Mary crying so I got to run. Until next time.
To the Men in my life
Well, when I wrote my "shout out to women" post, I said that I would write about Fathers day and that was almost a month ago but it has been on my mind. I think my thoughts may flow better if I just start writing. I hope Chris had a good Fathers Day. It was Elva's preschool graduation the day before and Nana and Papa came up for that. Elva looked so cute in her graduation cap ( I did take pictures but can not upload them here as it is tricky to do). They sang "Down by the bay where the watermelons grow" and "where or where has preschool gone." Elva had two amazing teachers who went above and beyond with their class. She had 8 classmates. Afterwards, I took the kids to the farm so that Chris could study a little and then have the evening to himself to do whatever he wanted. He has been working so hard and I wanted to give him some time to relax. We came back on Sunday after going to Sacrament meeting in Champion. I had to teach Relief Society. Then we had supper and an evening as a family. We went for a long walk discovering new paths around Copperfield.
I am so grateful for my husband Chris. Sometimes I have my eyes down and it is hard to see past the bumps and curves in life's road but when I do look up, I see forever and I see Chris. He is part of that forever and that makes complete sense to me even when I have a hard time making sense of the here and now. I am grateful for Chris' christ like example. For is optimism. For his perseverance. For the love that he has for his children. For his unconditional love for me. I would feel lost without him!
I am grateful for my dad. For his christ like example, his quiet goodness, his steadfastness to doing what is right, his simple yet strong unwavering faith, his love for his Grandkids.
I am grateful for my brother, for his love of life, his love of new hobbies and adventures. For his ability to be an amazing uncle/second dad to the kids.
I am grateful for my father in law Gary, for his love of life. He always has a twinkle in his eye and is always laughing and enjoying the present. And we always love listening to his stories.
I think some things that these men have in common is that they don't waste time fretting about the future but they enjoy the moment to the fullest. They don't compare themselves to others, they don't spend time thinking about regrets, they just move forward and they are okay being who they are. I admire these attributes and want to do better applying them in my life.
I know that Fathers day is important. There are some amazing men in the world and they need to know how amazing they are!
I am so grateful for my husband Chris. Sometimes I have my eyes down and it is hard to see past the bumps and curves in life's road but when I do look up, I see forever and I see Chris. He is part of that forever and that makes complete sense to me even when I have a hard time making sense of the here and now. I am grateful for Chris' christ like example. For is optimism. For his perseverance. For the love that he has for his children. For his unconditional love for me. I would feel lost without him!
I am grateful for my dad. For his christ like example, his quiet goodness, his steadfastness to doing what is right, his simple yet strong unwavering faith, his love for his Grandkids.
I am grateful for my brother, for his love of life, his love of new hobbies and adventures. For his ability to be an amazing uncle/second dad to the kids.
I am grateful for my father in law Gary, for his love of life. He always has a twinkle in his eye and is always laughing and enjoying the present. And we always love listening to his stories.
I think some things that these men have in common is that they don't waste time fretting about the future but they enjoy the moment to the fullest. They don't compare themselves to others, they don't spend time thinking about regrets, they just move forward and they are okay being who they are. I admire these attributes and want to do better applying them in my life.
I know that Fathers day is important. There are some amazing men in the world and they need to know how amazing they are!
Saturday, May 20, 2017
A shout out to Women
Mothers day was last Sunday. I worked an evening shift but I felt blessed that 4 out of my 6 patients were women and I hope that I was able to help them feel a little better on their special day. It was a good day!
I am so grateful for my Mother. She is an incredible example to me and I love her so so much! She is the best mother and grandmother anyone could have.
I want to share something that has been on my mind lately which actually concerns women. Growing up I always felt that as a woman, I was less than a man. Nothing in my past would have led to those thoughts. I have a wonderful father and brother. Perhaps it was because I did not date much in High School and University and I always seemed to see guys dating who they wanted because it was the guy that chose who and what he wanted. I guess I just thought there were less guys out there and that they were entitled to what they wanted and that they did what they wanted to and life was easier for them and consequences did not matter as much to them. I know that is not true but for some reason that way of thinking has been a struggle for me for as long as I can remember. Those thoughts have been even more of a struggle to me when I have seen many women have to be strong as they face many challenging circumstances in life. This "guy complex" that I seem to have has controlled my thoughts at times. But I am learning to and trying to control my own thoughts and make them positive ones!
So I will put my lack of understanding away for now realizing that all my questions will be answered someday and my sense of imbalance will one day be made right. For now, I will focus on the good. And this week, that good is centered on the women in my life. In a few weeks, on Fathers day, it will be centered on the men in the world. For now, here is my shout out to Women:
Thank you...
To the woman who keeps trying better even when she makes mistakes
To the woman who forgives others even when it is hard and life doesn't make sense
To the woman who lets her emotions drive her down a positive path in life
To the woman who tries to be less critical and more accepting
To the woman who keeps trying and keeps trying...
To the woman who fights for what she believes in
To the woman who is graceful when faced with obstacles
To the woman who has to raise her family by herself
To the woman who has to face this life alone right now
To the woman who has puts her hopes and dreams on hold in order to support the dreams of another
To the woman who cares for and does so much for her husband even when it does not seem to be returned
To the woman who cares for and does so much for her children or nieces and nephews, or others when it does not seem to be returned
To the woman who leaves her children in order to work outside of the home when she would rather not
To the woman who sacrifices money and other things to be at home and be at the crossroads of her children's lives
To the woman who is scared and confused but continues to move forward during challenges
To the woman who supports her family through their challenges as is able to put her challenges aside to do so
To the woman who has goals and works to accomplish them even when life is hard
To the woman who works day after day in the home creating a place of love and security
To the woman who comes home after a day of work and has to keep working in the home to keep it from falling apart
To the woman who makes up the difference when others do not know that it needs to be made up
To the woman who goes the extra mile
To the woman who is sensitive and caring and can put herself into another's shoes
To all the women out there...
Thank you for doing all you do and for being who you are!
I am so grateful for my Mother. She is an incredible example to me and I love her so so much! She is the best mother and grandmother anyone could have.
I want to share something that has been on my mind lately which actually concerns women. Growing up I always felt that as a woman, I was less than a man. Nothing in my past would have led to those thoughts. I have a wonderful father and brother. Perhaps it was because I did not date much in High School and University and I always seemed to see guys dating who they wanted because it was the guy that chose who and what he wanted. I guess I just thought there were less guys out there and that they were entitled to what they wanted and that they did what they wanted to and life was easier for them and consequences did not matter as much to them. I know that is not true but for some reason that way of thinking has been a struggle for me for as long as I can remember. Those thoughts have been even more of a struggle to me when I have seen many women have to be strong as they face many challenging circumstances in life. This "guy complex" that I seem to have has controlled my thoughts at times. But I am learning to and trying to control my own thoughts and make them positive ones!
So I will put my lack of understanding away for now realizing that all my questions will be answered someday and my sense of imbalance will one day be made right. For now, I will focus on the good. And this week, that good is centered on the women in my life. In a few weeks, on Fathers day, it will be centered on the men in the world. For now, here is my shout out to Women:
Thank you...
To the woman who keeps trying better even when she makes mistakes
To the woman who forgives others even when it is hard and life doesn't make sense
To the woman who lets her emotions drive her down a positive path in life
To the woman who tries to be less critical and more accepting
To the woman who keeps trying and keeps trying...
To the woman who fights for what she believes in
To the woman who is graceful when faced with obstacles
To the woman who has to raise her family by herself
To the woman who has to face this life alone right now
To the woman who has puts her hopes and dreams on hold in order to support the dreams of another
To the woman who cares for and does so much for her husband even when it does not seem to be returned
To the woman who cares for and does so much for her children or nieces and nephews, or others when it does not seem to be returned
To the woman who leaves her children in order to work outside of the home when she would rather not
To the woman who sacrifices money and other things to be at home and be at the crossroads of her children's lives
To the woman who is scared and confused but continues to move forward during challenges
To the woman who supports her family through their challenges as is able to put her challenges aside to do so
To the woman who has goals and works to accomplish them even when life is hard
To the woman who works day after day in the home creating a place of love and security
To the woman who comes home after a day of work and has to keep working in the home to keep it from falling apart
To the woman who makes up the difference when others do not know that it needs to be made up
To the woman who goes the extra mile
To the woman who is sensitive and caring and can put herself into another's shoes
To all the women out there...
Thank you for doing all you do and for being who you are!
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Mini Vacations
Life is busy and stressful at times. But every once in a while we get a little escape from the craziness of reality. Chris just got back from a one and a half day mini vacation to Las Vegas. The kids and I picked him up at the airport after church today. This vacation was to celebrate Chris Father's birthday. We love our Grandma and Grandpa Watters - they are such wonderful people! I am happy that Chris could help celebrate a milestone for Gary. Chris and 4 of his 5 siblings flew to Las Vegas to walk up and down the Strip, go gun shooting at a famous gun place and have an expensive, elaborate steak dinner at the Paris hotel. They planned this a few weeks ago and I will tell the truth by saying when I first heard about it I thought to myself "okay...wait, what the...!" I have been feeling a little bit of the weight of the world on my shoulders these days and sometimes tears are close. Spending money on an expensive dinner in Las Vegas did not really lessen my stress. Starving student phases in life are hard and I feel like I can not seem to get out of them. But, I love my husband, and I love the Watters family and I have to keep my emotions at bay and my thoughts simple. I keep telling myself that. Sometimes life doesn't really make sense but I know that I will go through many times in life where everything will make sense and life will seem easy and I will look back on tough times as small learning moments and I will wonder why I thought they were a big deal. I keep telling myself this too. And I move forward.
Now to talk about another mini vacation. This one involved the whole Smith family. Thank you for making this happen Mom. I used our petro points to book a few hotel rooms at the Sheraton Cavalier in NE Calgary the first Friday night in March. We stayed at this hotel when I was a little girl on New Years eve and it brought back fun memories. It has a nice waterpark with 2 fun waterslides, a kiddie pool, hot tubs and a sauna. We went swimming for hours Friday evening and Saturday morning. We had a pizza party and we went exploring in the hotel with the kids. Mary loved the elevators and went up and down and up and down. Mom brought muffins for breakfast and after swimming some more, we checked out on Saturday at 1100 and went down the road to Chuck E Cheese for an hour so that the kids could play. Then mom and dad treated us to Korean food at an authentic Korean restaurant on McLeod trail. I may never be able to go to Korea but I sure do enjoy the food that they have there. I think it takes mom and dad back to their mission days in Seoul.
Well, life is good. Caeleb and Elva are on Spring break this week and the weather is great. Maybe Spring is here to stay. It feels like it has been a hard winter with the cold spells and snow but it has not been too bad so I can not complain. I work a few days this week but I hope the weather stays nice and the kids and I can enjoy walks to the park and maybe around Fish Creek park. We shall see. Chris will be studying this week. The more studying the better. I am looking forward to General Conference this weekend. I look forward to listening to the uplifting messages twice a year. We are also looking forward to Jared and Landon's visit in a few weeks. Life is good.
Now to talk about another mini vacation. This one involved the whole Smith family. Thank you for making this happen Mom. I used our petro points to book a few hotel rooms at the Sheraton Cavalier in NE Calgary the first Friday night in March. We stayed at this hotel when I was a little girl on New Years eve and it brought back fun memories. It has a nice waterpark with 2 fun waterslides, a kiddie pool, hot tubs and a sauna. We went swimming for hours Friday evening and Saturday morning. We had a pizza party and we went exploring in the hotel with the kids. Mary loved the elevators and went up and down and up and down. Mom brought muffins for breakfast and after swimming some more, we checked out on Saturday at 1100 and went down the road to Chuck E Cheese for an hour so that the kids could play. Then mom and dad treated us to Korean food at an authentic Korean restaurant on McLeod trail. I may never be able to go to Korea but I sure do enjoy the food that they have there. I think it takes mom and dad back to their mission days in Seoul.
Well, life is good. Caeleb and Elva are on Spring break this week and the weather is great. Maybe Spring is here to stay. It feels like it has been a hard winter with the cold spells and snow but it has not been too bad so I can not complain. I work a few days this week but I hope the weather stays nice and the kids and I can enjoy walks to the park and maybe around Fish Creek park. We shall see. Chris will be studying this week. The more studying the better. I am looking forward to General Conference this weekend. I look forward to listening to the uplifting messages twice a year. We are also looking forward to Jared and Landon's visit in a few weeks. Life is good.
Friday, March 10, 2017
Tender Mercies
I am a bit emotionally drained right now but I still want to write about something that has been on my mind. I have been pondering on the concept of tender mercies for the last 6 months or so. Elder Bednar spoke on this topic several years ago during conference. Through the challenges that we have had in life, Chris and I have learned to focus more on the tender mercies, using them to strengthen our testimony about the purpose of life when it gets a little hard.
Last Sunday Chris bore his testimony in church on tender mercies and it really touched me. My visiting teaching partner has a sick little boy the same age as my Mary - just 2 days older I believe so it hits a little close to home. Our Ward family has been praying for this family and emotions were strong in testimony meeting that day. Chris shared an experience that I had not thought about in a while. When Elva was sick in the PICU, we were unsure if we would be bringing her home. I was pregnant at that time, about 14 weeks along. On Elva's sickest day, I was so worried and wanted to make sure that the baby I was carrying was okay as I felt that my stress would affect the baby. The staff at the PICU could see my stress and were very empathetic and supportive. They offered to do a portable ultrasound on me in the PICU but when doing so, they could not see a heartbeat (It was a poor quality ultrasound, not used for obstetrics and they could not see much at all). I was panicking at that point and raced to a nearby walk-in clinic to get a second opinion. The doctor there could detect a strong heartbeat and I was instantly relieved. A week after Elva came home from the hospital, I went for a regular check up on our about 17 week along baby and after a heartbeat could not be detected, an urgent ultrasound was done and we found out our baby had died. Chris mentioned this experience as a tender mercy in his testimony last week. One might think that how could it have been a tender mercy if we ended up loosing our baby in the end. But I agree with how Chris explained it. Would it not have been worse to know that we had lost one child and could loose another one at any time. How blessed I feel that that little baby held on until we knew Elva was okay. I absolutely know that we can see tender mercies in any situation in life as long as we look for them!
I also know that we can see small tender mercies everyday as long as we take the time to look for them! They may be so small they can easily go unnoticed, but they are real and they are there. They are like little hugs from our Heavenly Father to let us know that he is real and is watching out for us. I have been watching for them and have seen them more frequently as I have intently looked for them lately. A few months ago, I was having a bad day at work and feeling like a crummy nurse. I silently prayed to Heavenly Father to let me see a tender mercy that day. Not long after, a co-worker came up to me and gave me a big hug saying "I love you Katherine." It was so unexpected and not like her at all. But I feel that it was inspired and it completely turned around my day.
Another tender mercy experience is one that I shared in my last post but I am going to repost it here as well: Working Christmas was tough but I made sure to look for tender mercies! We went to Sacrament meeting on Christmas day and then the kids and Chris dropped me off at work. The kids sang Frosty the snowman to some patients including one grumpy old man who not only let the kids sing but he smiled at them too (and trust me, that is from a guy who swears at the nurses all the time). I believe the Christmas spirit had a lasting effect on him and that is a tender mercy for him and for me to witness it.
We may overlook some tender mercies as coincidences or everyday occurrences. But I honestly believe that if we see them as tender mercies, they become tender mercies and we can see more of the workings of Heavenly Father and the hand the Lord in our lives. And how much happier can we be if we choose to live with purpose, believing and knowing that a Heavenly Father has his hand in our lives and has a plan for our existence.
Last Sunday Chris bore his testimony in church on tender mercies and it really touched me. My visiting teaching partner has a sick little boy the same age as my Mary - just 2 days older I believe so it hits a little close to home. Our Ward family has been praying for this family and emotions were strong in testimony meeting that day. Chris shared an experience that I had not thought about in a while. When Elva was sick in the PICU, we were unsure if we would be bringing her home. I was pregnant at that time, about 14 weeks along. On Elva's sickest day, I was so worried and wanted to make sure that the baby I was carrying was okay as I felt that my stress would affect the baby. The staff at the PICU could see my stress and were very empathetic and supportive. They offered to do a portable ultrasound on me in the PICU but when doing so, they could not see a heartbeat (It was a poor quality ultrasound, not used for obstetrics and they could not see much at all). I was panicking at that point and raced to a nearby walk-in clinic to get a second opinion. The doctor there could detect a strong heartbeat and I was instantly relieved. A week after Elva came home from the hospital, I went for a regular check up on our about 17 week along baby and after a heartbeat could not be detected, an urgent ultrasound was done and we found out our baby had died. Chris mentioned this experience as a tender mercy in his testimony last week. One might think that how could it have been a tender mercy if we ended up loosing our baby in the end. But I agree with how Chris explained it. Would it not have been worse to know that we had lost one child and could loose another one at any time. How blessed I feel that that little baby held on until we knew Elva was okay. I absolutely know that we can see tender mercies in any situation in life as long as we look for them!
I also know that we can see small tender mercies everyday as long as we take the time to look for them! They may be so small they can easily go unnoticed, but they are real and they are there. They are like little hugs from our Heavenly Father to let us know that he is real and is watching out for us. I have been watching for them and have seen them more frequently as I have intently looked for them lately. A few months ago, I was having a bad day at work and feeling like a crummy nurse. I silently prayed to Heavenly Father to let me see a tender mercy that day. Not long after, a co-worker came up to me and gave me a big hug saying "I love you Katherine." It was so unexpected and not like her at all. But I feel that it was inspired and it completely turned around my day.
Another tender mercy experience is one that I shared in my last post but I am going to repost it here as well: Working Christmas was tough but I made sure to look for tender mercies! We went to Sacrament meeting on Christmas day and then the kids and Chris dropped me off at work. The kids sang Frosty the snowman to some patients including one grumpy old man who not only let the kids sing but he smiled at them too (and trust me, that is from a guy who swears at the nurses all the time). I believe the Christmas spirit had a lasting effect on him and that is a tender mercy for him and for me to witness it.
We may overlook some tender mercies as coincidences or everyday occurrences. But I honestly believe that if we see them as tender mercies, they become tender mercies and we can see more of the workings of Heavenly Father and the hand the Lord in our lives. And how much happier can we be if we choose to live with purpose, believing and knowing that a Heavenly Father has his hand in our lives and has a plan for our existence.
Saturday, February 25, 2017
Christmas 2016
Well, I better write about Christmas 2016 before I forget all about it. It was a simple Christmas but sometimes simple is better. Elva celebrated her birthday on December 3rd and she got an American girl lego horse stable set that I have since put away for her to play with when she gets older (I guess I was more excited about it then she was - too many small parts). It was a busy day. Mom and Dad came up to see her preschool Christmas concert (they sang songs - like little snowman - and made gingerbread houses) Chris and the kids went to see the movie Trolls that afternoon while I cleaned the house with Mary. And we had our ward Christmas party that night which was great as usual. The kids sat on Santa's knee - Mary was not a fan but what do your expect from a 1 year old right.
We got our tree from the Mckenzie town lot the first weekend in December (was about $60 and we were supporting two guys with cancer who drove those trees out from Nova Scotia). I love decorating the tree with my family and putting out the nativity sets. We went to the nativity pageant the week before Christmas at Heritage park and that brought a special spirit to the season. I hope that we can continue that tradition in our family.
Because I worked Christmas evening and Christmas day evening (Saturday and Sunday), we spent the weekend before that at the farm. We had our Smith family Christmas program and the kids acted out the nativity as per tradition. We made Gingerbread houses and had appetizers and played games and watched Christmas movies. The kids drew names this year and got their person a gift. I think they got more into the giving aspect of Christmas this year and were not too much about the getting part. I do want to record some of their gifts as to remember what their interests were at this age. Caeleb got Ghostbusters lego and night vision goggles, Elva got doll clothes and little plastic mermaids. Mary got baby treats. It was the year of the games. We got the Bop it game, the Star Wars operation game and the Pie in the Face game and that is one we really enjoy as a family.
Working Christmas was tough but I made sure to look for tender mercies! We went to Sacrament meeting on Christmas day and then the kids and Chris dropped me off at work. The kids sang Frosty the snowman to some patients including one grumpy old man who not only let the kids sing but he smiled at them too (and trust me, that is from a guy who swears at the nurses all the time). I hope the Christmas spirit had a lasting effect on him.
The week after Christmas as well as New Years Eve was spent with Chris cramming to read Great Expectations and another book and complete 2 essays for English. I was proofreading his work at 1130 pm before he sent it in just before the midnight deadline on New Years Eve. We were too busy talking about his essay to welcome in the New Year. Poor guy, he sure is working hard though and it is paying off. Lindsey and I took the kids over to Michelle's house for a few hours that evening to play games and hit a piñata with Max and Sebastian. They really had fun with that. They were in bed by 1000 that night.
Chris made Valentines day so special this year. He surprised me by taking me to the play Peter Pan in Cardston. Thanks Camellia and Doug for watching the kids! We had fun walking by the Cardston temple and downtown and then we ended up at the Carriage House Theater and I had no idea that that was where we were headed. How fun! I made our traditional scor truffle for Valentines day. I am all about little traditions.
Well, we are almost to March now. I have had a rough couple of months with work (the anxieties are getting to me once again and I find work a bit of a rollercoaster ride going on ups for a few months and then downs for a few months) but with the love and support of some coworkers and with some phone counselling suggested by my manager, I feel like I am back on track again with my confidence at work. I do love being a nurse and count my blessings every time I go to work. I am so blessed to have such a good job!!!
Okay, so I need to write about a random ironic parenting moment that happened last Thursday. I have been slacking on combing Elva's hair daily as she hates it so much and it is a fight each time we try. Chris is usually the one to get it done - what an amazing husband. Elva usually goes about with wild and crazy hair (which is still growing back from the 2 times she cut it in September). Well, today I combed her hair all nice and put it up in a scrunchy and off we went to her preschool. Lo and behold, it was crazy hair day at preschool so when I noticed the other crazy hairdos, I quickly back combed her hair with my fingers to get her hair back to looking crazy again. It just had to be that day. How funny is that! It reminds me of when I forgot about Caeleb's Halloween party when he was in preschool. I hadn't even finished making his elephant costume yet. When I realized that he was the only one not dressed up, we quietly slipped away back to home and I know I called up my mom, crying and feeling like a horrible mom - Caeleb was fine though. Oh, those funny parenting moments - I suppose most of us have them and it is part of life.
Well, the kids are all over me now and I need to enjoy moments like these while I can so until next time...
We got our tree from the Mckenzie town lot the first weekend in December (was about $60 and we were supporting two guys with cancer who drove those trees out from Nova Scotia). I love decorating the tree with my family and putting out the nativity sets. We went to the nativity pageant the week before Christmas at Heritage park and that brought a special spirit to the season. I hope that we can continue that tradition in our family.
Because I worked Christmas evening and Christmas day evening (Saturday and Sunday), we spent the weekend before that at the farm. We had our Smith family Christmas program and the kids acted out the nativity as per tradition. We made Gingerbread houses and had appetizers and played games and watched Christmas movies. The kids drew names this year and got their person a gift. I think they got more into the giving aspect of Christmas this year and were not too much about the getting part. I do want to record some of their gifts as to remember what their interests were at this age. Caeleb got Ghostbusters lego and night vision goggles, Elva got doll clothes and little plastic mermaids. Mary got baby treats. It was the year of the games. We got the Bop it game, the Star Wars operation game and the Pie in the Face game and that is one we really enjoy as a family.
Working Christmas was tough but I made sure to look for tender mercies! We went to Sacrament meeting on Christmas day and then the kids and Chris dropped me off at work. The kids sang Frosty the snowman to some patients including one grumpy old man who not only let the kids sing but he smiled at them too (and trust me, that is from a guy who swears at the nurses all the time). I hope the Christmas spirit had a lasting effect on him.
The week after Christmas as well as New Years Eve was spent with Chris cramming to read Great Expectations and another book and complete 2 essays for English. I was proofreading his work at 1130 pm before he sent it in just before the midnight deadline on New Years Eve. We were too busy talking about his essay to welcome in the New Year. Poor guy, he sure is working hard though and it is paying off. Lindsey and I took the kids over to Michelle's house for a few hours that evening to play games and hit a piñata with Max and Sebastian. They really had fun with that. They were in bed by 1000 that night.
Chris made Valentines day so special this year. He surprised me by taking me to the play Peter Pan in Cardston. Thanks Camellia and Doug for watching the kids! We had fun walking by the Cardston temple and downtown and then we ended up at the Carriage House Theater and I had no idea that that was where we were headed. How fun! I made our traditional scor truffle for Valentines day. I am all about little traditions.
Well, we are almost to March now. I have had a rough couple of months with work (the anxieties are getting to me once again and I find work a bit of a rollercoaster ride going on ups for a few months and then downs for a few months) but with the love and support of some coworkers and with some phone counselling suggested by my manager, I feel like I am back on track again with my confidence at work. I do love being a nurse and count my blessings every time I go to work. I am so blessed to have such a good job!!!
Okay, so I need to write about a random ironic parenting moment that happened last Thursday. I have been slacking on combing Elva's hair daily as she hates it so much and it is a fight each time we try. Chris is usually the one to get it done - what an amazing husband. Elva usually goes about with wild and crazy hair (which is still growing back from the 2 times she cut it in September). Well, today I combed her hair all nice and put it up in a scrunchy and off we went to her preschool. Lo and behold, it was crazy hair day at preschool so when I noticed the other crazy hairdos, I quickly back combed her hair with my fingers to get her hair back to looking crazy again. It just had to be that day. How funny is that! It reminds me of when I forgot about Caeleb's Halloween party when he was in preschool. I hadn't even finished making his elephant costume yet. When I realized that he was the only one not dressed up, we quietly slipped away back to home and I know I called up my mom, crying and feeling like a horrible mom - Caeleb was fine though. Oh, those funny parenting moments - I suppose most of us have them and it is part of life.
Well, the kids are all over me now and I need to enjoy moments like these while I can so until next time...
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