Calgary

I have been getting used to navigating around Calgary again and have been coming here for courses alot in the last few weeks. I like Calgary (except for the traffic) and have done some reminiscing on the 10 years I lived here. I loved those years, walking the pathways around Calgary, enjoying our little home in Copperfield, date nights around the city, attending and cleaning the Temple. Chris and I spent a night 2 weeks ago at a hotel near southport (where most of my courses have been) which was alot of fun. We went swimming and to the lounge for appetizers. We used our zoo passes (that we got in order to take the kids in January when Camellia and Doug and their 3 oldest went to Mexico and we watched Evelyn and Russell) to go to the zoo the next day. We spent almost an hour watching the gorillas - it was so cold and snowy out but nice and cozy there) and then we went to the Temple. I feel such peace at the Temple and Chris and I feel so close when we are there. The kids were at the Nelsons for family week spending time with their cousins (which they love to do!) and Caeleb had young men's camp in Mountain View. 

I worked 11 days in a row last week between orientation, my old job and courses in Calgary. I had a bit of a breakdown towards the end, just felt like crying for a day. I was exhasted! Still am. It has been tough stuffing all this knowledge in my brain and being away from the kids. I did have a wonderful weekend with the family though. We went for a walk, went sledding down the ditches, made snow angels and patterns in the snow, watched movies, played in the attic, played a bored game with sister Burbank who came for a yummy roast Sunday supper. 

I missed Caeleb's game in Coalhurst tonight as I sit here at Gainors after a long day of class, working on online courses, getting ready to go to sleep so I can go at it again tomorrow. He got a 3 pointer and another 2 points in his game tonight (my friend keeps me updated). I am so proud of him. Wish I could have been there to see it 😪. But I didn't sleep well last night and didn't want to fall asleep while driving. 

Elva has Marine biology next week and flys out to Victoria with her Junior High class on Monday. Caeleb did this in Junior High as well. I am so excited for her to live on a sail boat for 5 days and experience the ocean in a way she has not before!

I am disappointed to miss my kids activities (like basketball games) but I am happy for them and their experiences and I count my blessings often. I have so much and I should not covet what other people have (though I do get confused as to why there is so much division in wealth in the world, even in the church and why some people have so much and some people have so little (I see the poor alot in home care and mental health). Why can't we as a society or at least as a church live more of the law of consecration and equal out our blessings a little more. I get so confused by this in the church as of late. But I count my blessings and want to give back. I am grateful Gainors have let me stay here. I am grateful for my job even though I get so stressed. It gives me perspective. I am grateful for my wonderful family and friends. I have decided I am taking my dear friend to Hawaii this summer. She has been through so much the last few years (brain tumor, job changes, detached retina, losing vision) and now she might need heart (aorta) surgery. She has a bucket list item to go to Hawaii and I want to do that for her! I have it all planned out. I have been blessed. 

Merry Christmas and Happy and busy New Year

It was a Merry Christmas for the Watters with the usual traditions. We put our tree up on Sunday Nov 30 and watched the Polar Express while drinking hot chocolate. Uncle Doug got us a tree this year. I really want to take the kids to the mountains to get a tree but I seem to work on the weekends that start off december, so it never happens (except once when Lizzy was 18 months). Maybe next year. For Elva's birthday, her, Mary, Amber, Emery, Lindsey, Olivia and I went to see Wicked 2 on Dec 6th. I even liked it better than the first one. We had a stake youth activity that night and Caeleb had a basketball tournament so it was a busy day! 

We watched all our favorite Christmas movies this season, participated in the Champion Nativity (Chris and I were Mary and Joseph for the 3rd time, the girls were angels and Selman was a shepard - Caeleb had a basketball game and was not there), made gingerbread houses and Christmas cookies, etc.  We were supposed to attend the choir concert in Vulcan and Champion family dance the same night but they were canceled due to snow and ice. The Champion school concert was cancelled as well due to a white out blizzard that sent the kids home from school early. Since then we have had really nice weather and even though there was some snow at Christmas, there is no snow on the ground now (Feb 8). Camellia and Doug and family came to the Champion Ward Christmas party on Friday the 19th and we took family pictures beforehand. Chris did a great job of taking and printing family portraits for our family this year and they made wonderful gifts. We did our family nativity in mom and dad's living room with the 10 kids each taking a role. 

Christmas eve was spent cooking a turkey (that did not unthaw properly the days before, so Chris had to work hard to get it ready - he always cooks a great turkey!) and having a lovely dinner at 4:30 with Mieke and Lindsey and her parents (and of course Nana, papa and Nathan). We enjoyed lots of food, playing games after and watching Mr. Kreuger's Christmas and Mr. Bean's Christmas. Kids were asleep by 9:00 in our bedroom and Chris and I stayed up till midnight watching National Lampoons Christmas. 

Christmas morning started with stockings at 7:00 (though some kids were up early and during the night). We had our traditional cracked wheat for Christmas breakfast, then went to Mom and dads at 0900 where mom had a fire in the fireplace place waiting. We were done opening gifts by about 1030 and spent the rest of the day watching Lord of the Rings, chilling and playing with our gifts. Lego and boared games were themes this year. Lizzy got barbie and bluey stuff from santa, Selman got lego and an remote control airplane from santa, Mary got a stuffy rabbit (she wants a real one or a small dog) and a calico creature cabin (she got a sensory swing after Christmas which hopefully will help her), Elva got clothes and a little Keychain electronic game and of course cinnamon bears which is all she asked for and Caeleb got some baseball stuff and lego. 

I worked Boxing Day and the 4 days after that and Rachel and Eric and family came Boxing day afternoon to play games. For New Years Eve, we had a games night, appetizers and watched the New Years Eve movie. Selman and Lizzy made it till 1000 for the New York countdown and everyone else made it till midnight. 

New Years day (Thursday), we went with the whole family to our favourite hotel in lethbridge, went to Tony Romas for lunch and then swimming after. Ordered in Pizza for supper. It was great and what made it more great is that Nathan joined us for lunch this year! On Friday, we took the kids to Cardston to do baptims at the temple and then we stayed the night at Camellia and Dougs. 

So big news of the new year is I got a new job! I had a interview for Vulcan home care (0.74 FTE - 3.5 days a week on average) 2 days before Christmas and got the call Christmas eve that I got the job due to my "glowing reviews." I am excited and scared to death. 

I started my new job on Jan 26th. It has been a whirlwind of orientation so far. So many connect care courses! It is overwhelming and I have been at the Vulcan hospital 4 days a week since then. I worked 7 in a row between claresholm and orientation a couple of weeks ago and I work 11 in a row coming up. I am nervous and want so badly to do well but it is so different than working in a hospital setting and alot is expected of me as I am a case manager. I hope I can be good enough to do all that is expected of me. I didn't think life would lead me here. I dont want a career except to be a mom but I will do the best I can. I want to be excited for this opportunity. I know I have been blessed! It is more hours than my Claresholm job (I am still casual there) but better hours and with Chris only subbing, we feel like we need this. But even talking about that gets me down so I will change the subject for now. 

Caeleb and Elva are into basketball. Elva just had her last tournament this weekend and they got 2nd. She did so well learning the sport and has been a big asset to the team making quite a few baskets. She also had a curling tournamemt last weekend and they got second as well. She is talented in that too. Caeleb has not been played much for his basketball team this year but he enjoys the sport and is getting better. He just spent 4 weekends taking the lifeguard teaching and National lifeguard courses and passed them both so he will be lifeguarding this summer (hopefully in Champion). I am proud of him. He did not want to miss church on the Sundays. It was hard for him and I am grateful he loves church. Mary continues with her chess club and hanging out with her friend Faith (many sleepovers). She is not as much a fan of church as she struggles with the noise in Primary. But I love her sense of humor and she tries so hard in life. I am proud of the effort she puts into her family and friendships. Selman does his karate 2 x a week and is wanting to do soccer this spring so we have been out practicing these days in this beautiful weather. I am enjoying my limited time at home with Lizzy as she only has kindergarten 2x a week. Wish I could be home with her more but we continue to play barbies and family together when it is the 2 of us at home (and other times too). She does love to go to school to play with her friends and she is a happy and carefree little girl. She wants to do dance lessons next year. 

Life is busy. I want to be strong for my kids. They are everything to me. I hope I can be the example and support they need to help them find success, hope and happiness in life.