I can't believe I have not written in this blog since March. Life is so busy. I know one day I will miss this time in my life, with small kids, keeping up with their home and school and after school activities, dealing with their ever changing emotions. For now, I will try my best to enjoy them the way they are in the moment. I sure wish I did not have to work while raising small kids but I plug away at it at, continuously trying to find the balance between home and work life. It might never be found in this life. The kids finished school well. Elva took piano lessons this year and Caeleb took guitar. We were lucky to have Eric and Rachel and their girls join us for Caeleb and Elva's music recitals when they flew out for a weekend the beginning of June. We also went to the zoo, swam in the Champion pool, rode ponies and played lots of board games. It was a great weekend. I worked 15 shifts in June and it was a very busy month with the kids finishing school, and me selling tickets and doing treasurer stuff for Mary's kindergarten. She actually wanted to go to school this year and is ready for a 4 days school week in grade one next year. Elva did amazing in track meet this year setting a new record for the Champion school grade 3 high jump. She is also doing better with reading. Caeleb really grew this year, physically, etc. He is almost as tall as I am. And he loves school and friends. He takes most everything in stride.
I started a new job at the hospital next door to where I work my 0.42 at the mental health facility. I wanted to work casual (just a couple days a month) on a medical floor since I did not go back to the Rockyview after maternity leave. Working medical helps to sharpen my critical thinking skills and I have noticed I am not doing as well making medical decisions at my current job. I am getting rusty. But I did help save the life of a woman in February who I sent over to the hospital while we were getting push back by the doctors. I even got a letter from the patient's family thanking me individually. That meant so much to me.
Anyways, I started orientating at the General Hospital the end of June and oriented 3 classroom days and 5 day and 5 evening shifts between June 27th and the end of August. I also picked up some days at my current job in mental health due to there hardly being any staff working there. I could probably work there most days if I wanted too. I suppose I should be glad that I have a secure job for now but it is frustrating how they are not at least trying to hire staff. There will be changes to the mental health center but they are not telling us what they are. It is a bit nerve wracking especially since Chris only has a temporary contract in teaching. It has been a rocky start to my new casual job at the General. I am rusty like I said before and have had some embarrassing moments but I will continue to try and I hope that I get better or will at least make the best decisions for my nursing career. I just started on Zoloft again and that has helped with my anxiety. My confidence is returning.
We had a horrible thing happen to our Watters family the beginning of July. Chris' brother Nathaniel went missing on July 9th and was found dead out in a forested area on July 16th. He took his life and none of us even knew he was struggling with his mental health. Chris flew out the day after my birthday on July 11 to help and look for him. Mom and Aunt Marilyn and Camellia helped watch the kids that week while I worked 3 evening shifts. I was even able to take Caeleb, Stirling, Elva and Liam to kids day at the Stampede. The rides were horrible (such long lines) and the food ridiculous ($18 for a watermelon juiced) but the dog and motorcycle shows were good. Chris flew back on July 17th after they found Nathaniel and we drove out on the 18th and 19th and stayed until July 29th. I have a wonderful family! I love my Watters family! I feel so deeply for Nathaniel's wife Suz and their kids Wyatt and Brooklyn and I wish I lived closer to them so that we could help them more. I have a strong faith that we can help each other along in this life and the next. This life is not where it ends and if there is a God (which I believe there is), we are all his children! He loves everyone and will be there for Nathaniel in this moment and every moment. We spent the time in Victoria visiting with family and helping out where we could. The ward was so good to us out there. They provided so many meals and so much support. We drove back home to Champion on the 29th so I could work a day July 30th. I ended up short shifting and working the night shift on July 30th as well. I was happy to do so. My co-workers at the mental health facility really filled in for me when we went to be with family the week before. I work with some great people! Sunday July 31 was spent at church and then the Gainors came to do a memorial for my cousin Brian Gainor who passed away 2 years ago and who's ashes were buried in the Champion cemetery. I have fond memories of my cousin Brian, his love of life, his kindness to others. We had a great walk and talk one day in the summer of 2009 I believe it was. We walked down by the Bow River. I will always remember that walk even if I do not remember what we talked about.
Besides swimming a little at Champion pool, participating in the Smith farm chicken killing day and watching a fun roller blading class and bike class for the kids in Champion, I worked 9 shifts in a row and 11 shifts out of the 12 days we were home the end of July/beginning of August. It was brutal but I got through it. Most of it was orientation and like I said before, that has been a humbling experience. We flew back to Victoria on August 11 to attend Nathaniel's celebration of life on August 13 and 14th. It was the kids first time flying (except for Caeleb who flew at 3 months old). I worked the evening of the 10th but got off early and was able to get to Paul and Kamille's by 1100 pm where the rest of my family were sleeping. We were up at 5:00 and to the airport at 6:00 for our 9:00 flight. It was hilarious hearing Selman's screams of delight while we took off on the runway and it didn't even faze Lizzy at all. She was just obsessed with the seatbelt, the safety sheet in front of her seat and her new found love of soothers. We are so grateful that family was able to drive us around during our days in Victoria. We even took the opportunity to take the double decker bus down town with the kids. And I enjoy a morning at Butchart gardens with my sweet mother in law LouAnn. The Celebration of life was beautiful. We love Nathaniel and he will be missed! The kids had a celebration of life for their Dad on the Sunday and it was a fun time for Brooklyn and Wyatt and all the kids invited complete with painting rocks (which Nathaniel liked to do with his kids) and a bouncy castle. Nathaniel was all about fun and adventure and just loving life! We will think of you whenever we are having fun Nathaniel. We will try to love life as you did. We will also try to serve others as you did! We will be there for you and your family any way we can in this life and the next!
We flew back home the morning of the 17th of August and went to Calaway park that afternoon (we got a seasons pass and have actually been able to go 5 times this summer - just an hour or two for a few of the times on our way to and from Victoria). I worked the next 4 days. One of them was my first shift on my own at the General and it went ok I think. There is just so much to learn there, especially if they expect me to work Emerg! I have never thought of myself as a Emerg nurse but I like medicine. I guess we will see where this adventure takes me.
After I worked the Saturday day shift, Christ picked me up at work and we went to a Barenaked Ladies concert at the Grey Eagle casino in Calgary. We stopped for seafood, went and saw our old apartment and walked around the casino (it was busy), and then enjoyed a great concert complete with the song "If I had a million dollars" and my favorite as an encore "the Old Apartment." We stayed at a cheap motel in Claresholm that evening so I could work the Sunday day shift the next day.
I was mandated to work a double shift on that Sunday August 21 and I ended up splitting the shift with the other day nurse there. He did the first half and I did the second half and then I had to drive to Camellia's house after my evening shift. I was mad about that! I love my job at the center but we need more staff! I watched Camellia's kids while she worked on the Tuesday and Thursday that week and I was more than happy too. She has helped me out so much. We also rode horses twice, picked beans and canned peaches. We drove home after celebrating Liam's birthday on Thursday July 25th (the kids went to the new Minion movie in Lethbridge while Chris met up with me to go grocery shopping). I worked the Friday and Saturday days (August 20 and 21) and we tried to go to the last pool day for Champion pool on August 20th but there was a Thunderstorm that afternoon (Mom dropped off Caeleb and Elva in the early afternoon so they at least got to enjoy some pool time while I was at work and the babysitter had the other kids). I taught Relief Society on Sunday. Last Sunday when I was at work, I was released from my calling as first councilor in the Relief Society which I had only done for a year. Kind of sad. I wonder if I was not doing a good enough job. Anyways, I taught the lesson and then enjoyed the rest of the day at home with my family - it seems like it has been forever that I have enjoyed a Sunday afternoon at home. On Monday, we went to do some last minute school shopping in Lethbride and Camellia and I watched each other's kids (and Mom watched Selman and Lizzy at home) while Camellia and I were used as guinea pigs for her niece's eyelash extension class. We also met up with my friend Lindsey and went to Henderson pool. Such a beautiful pool.
Tuesday was the kids first day back at Champion school and Chris' first day back teaching at Milo (though he spent last week there preparing). He has another temporary contract there until February. Caeleb is in grade 7, Elva in grade 4 and Mary in grade 1. There are about 50 kids in Champion school. There were about 130 kids when I went to school there. Please move to Champion. I can't believe I have a kid in Junior high. Time goes by so fast! I have been enjoying the last 2 days at home, going no where! Just being here with Selman and Lizzy, catching up on laundry, going for a walk, washing the floor, catching up on my blog. I love life on the Farm and I feel so blessed to live here!
