This afternoon I started reflecting back on the last 18 years

As I lay down today to take a nap I started thinking about some of the women in my life that have had a huge influence on me. I started to wonder what it was about them that left a special place in my heart. I think it was partly because we became good friends but I have been friends with many others so I was trying to figure out what was special about them. So I thought about them individually and tried to figure out what it was that was different about them and what I had learned from them and decided I'd like to post it here.

First is Sis. Barlow from the 33rd ward. I served in the Young Women's presidency with her as Secretary. I learned from her to accept people as they are even if I don't agree with the way they live or the choices they make. I learned to find something good about them and to find a way to connect with them. Because of this I have met very few people that I have a hard time being around and spending time with.

Second is Sis. Dickman from the Kayscreek ward. I served with her in the Relief Society Presidency also as Secretary. She taught me to rely on the Lord for everything. I was always so impressed with her strong testimony and witnessed many miracles while working under her. She, along with a lot of other women, helped me get through a very difficult pregnancy.

Third is Sis. Whiting from our current ward. She has been a bright star in the middle of a very dark time in my life. She has been incredibly patient and supportive of me these last 6 months.

I have been so blessed to have these women come into my life and I pray that some day I may become wise enough to bless another in the same way. Thank you so much for everything.

I just remembered last night that I have a blog!

Funny, huh! It's been a long, crazy summer. I had a some things happen that made me lose my memory, not all of it, just wierd parts of it. Some of you know, most of you don't. I might share and I might not. Nothing personal, it's just that sometimes I feel like talking about it and sometimes I'd rather just put the whole thing behind me.

JA went on his trip and had a blast! Thank you to all that donated. One of these days I'm going to get him to put together a presentation on it. Unfortunately he is about to start a class that is going to be very heavy in the work load so I'm not sure when it will happen.

Baby girl turned 1 in July. She is getting so big. She's not walking yet but she says a lot of words. She cracks herself up. She says something and then start laughing at herself. She also loves to copy her siblings and then laughs really hard. JZ is potty training. I can't wait until I only have one in diapers.

If you drive past my house and wonder where I got the really ugly camping trailer, it was given to us. We are hoping to get it all fixed up so we can use it this next summer. Even though it's pretty ugly it has huge potential with some really nice features like heat and air conditioning!

Um, let me see........ oh yeah, I'm going to births again. The midwife that I apprenticed with before and while I was pregnant called me and asked if I was interested in going to births with her because she didn't have an apprentice. I'm very happy about it!

AC had a birthday yesterday and turned 9.

Kids have already started doing their school work at home and the teens will start their classes next week. Oh, yeah, big news! JA tried out for a ballroom dance team and not only made it but is President over all the ballroom dance classes. There are 3. Beginner, Advanced and Formation, which is the dance team JA tried out for. They will be doing performances and competitions this next year. JK said that he regrets not trying out for it.

Thats all I can think of for now. I will try to keep my blog updated so it will be interesting to read again.

Repeat!

We are doing another Garage Sale this weekend so if you had stuff you meant to bring to me and didn't, here is your chance! Also, if at all possible, please come. We would REALLY appreciate it. Even if all you bought was some soda pop and a donut! Every little bit helps.

Sara, if you still have that stuff I was wondering if you could take it to my brothers house. He lives up near you and I don't think I will have time to get up there before tomorrow.

I NEED YOUR JUNK!!!!!!

Hopefully that got your attention! JA's garage sale is the end of this week and we need lots of donations so we can sell lots of things and he can, hopefully, earn lots of money for his trip. He still has to earn about half of what he started out needing. It would be a shame to do all this work and then him not be able to go because he is short $1000 or so dollars. We would also love to have some bake sale items to sale so if anyone is up for some baking, that would be great.

Garage sale is on the 18th.

Copied and pasted from my other blog

Saturday, March 21, 2009

It hasn't been a great couple of days

Thursday I dropped my boys off at their co-op then got gas and was on my way home from there and got in a car accident. I went through an intersection where the lights were not working. I stopped then slowly pulled through to show my intention to go through then I started to speed up. When I was about 3/4 the way through the intersection a car hit me. She was an elderly woman that didn't notice that the lights were not working and didn't stop. She hit me in the right front of my van, thank goodness because I had my four younger kids with me. If she had hit me in the side my 8yo dd or 2yo ds would have been hit. All the kids were fine. I hurt a couple of fingers really bad, although they aren't broken, and the muscles all through my back hurt pretty bad. I'm going to see a chiropractor on Monday and a massage therapist possibly on Tuesday.

Then Friday our dog got out and got bit by some neighbors dog that was out in it's yard. He's got two deep gashes on his back near his neck. We have absolutely no money for a vet so I cleaned them out with essential oils and glued them with super glue. So far it seems to be working. I'm going to rinse them several times today with the essential oils so hopefully it doesn't get infected.

My 6yo dd has an abcess on her gum and my 2yo has a nasty sounding cough. It can only get better from here, right?

Posted this morning- March 24, 2009

Saturday I ended up with a stomach bug. I woke up feeling fine but by 2:00 I was super sick. My kids had it the week before and I thought I had escaped it while I was in Oregon. It had been 7 days since someone had thrown up. You know it's a strong bug when I get it. Usually stomach issues pass right by me, I can count on one hand how many times I've actually thrown up from one. I finally got an appetite back Sunday night.

Sunday my 8mo started a fever that didn't come down until this morning. I've done nothing but hold baby for two days. I have no idea why she got it, my kids rarely get fevers and she had no other symptoms.

Our dogs wounds opened up last night and started bleeding again. I guess I'm going to have to take him to the vet. Hopefully they will let us pay in two days. I desperately need a calm few days.

I went and saw my chiropractor friend yesterday. He sent me for xrays and I have my first adjustment today. He also has a massage therapist on staff so I will also get a gentle massage. I'm really looking forward to that.

I'm really ready for a calm few days.

On a side note, JA is selling Cutler's cookie dough for a fund raiser. It's a tub of dough that makes about 4 dozen cookies. LMK if you are interested in a tub or two (or three, hee-hee). They are $15 a tub. It comes in Milk Chocolate Chip, Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, White Chocolate Pecan, Brownie Fudge, Classic Sugar.

{{{Deep Breath}}} It's time.

I'm ready. I went to the Midwifery Today conference in Eugene Oregon this past week. I learned many new thoughts and ideas but the biggest thing I brought home was more confidence in what I already know. I went to a lot of classes on complications in labor and delivery and the whole time I felt like it was just a reminder of what I already knew. My friend quizzed me several times on my knowledge and while she gave some alternate suggestions I still felt like I could more than adequately deal with the situations presented.



I don't know everything. I will be the first to admit that. I have a long way to go to be considered knowledgeable. I have a really long way to go before I could be considered wise, if ever. What I do know is that I feel competent. I will have a midwife friend check my prenatal records and come to births with me until I become confident enough to do it on my own. It's been suggested that that happens around 100 births so that is my goal.



So what am I saying? I'm in business! I'm hanging my shingle out and looking for clients that are willing to be a bit of guinea pig until I figure out what in the world I'm doing with the business end of things. I can't promise that I will be completely professional but we will have lots of fun. I can promise that my clients health and that of her baby will not be compromised even though I'm admittedly somewhat inexperienced. I bought most the equipment I need and am ready to get started.



I know I don't have a lot of readers and thats ok but I'd like to offer something to you. If you send someone my way that eventually hires me you will get a gift. I haven't decided what it will be yet but it will be worth your time. Also, for the first person that hires me I will take $200 off my fee, which is already lower than any of the other midwives in the area. She will also get a free belly cast and henna art on her belly along with a few other surprises. Sound good? I think most of you have my phone number but if you don't let me know and give me your email address and I will send it to you. I will also have a web site together some time this week and I will post that as soon as I have it ready.

I don't really have anything new to say

but I'm delaying my cleaning and laundry and wasting time and it's been awhile since I blogged here anyway so......um.....yeah. LOL

KA is now about 6 1/2 mo old. She has her first two teeth (at least two months later than the rest of my kids), is sitting up and has become a mover. She's not actually crawling but she pushes herself with her toes while on her belly. Kind of a little army crawl. This means nothing is safe anymore and I have to start reminding the kids to keep things off the floor. She thinks food is the bestest thing in all the world and loves to drink out of a cup. She has started this funny little scrunchy face grin like she has to show off her new teeth to all the world.

JZ is using the potty again. He's still not really using it when he really needs to but only because it's a fun thing to do so I don't know if we are done with diapers yet but I can always be hopeful. Some days he only has one accident and others he seems to have way more misses than hits, but thats ok.

I'm feeling much, much better. Some of you know that I was dealing with Post Partum Depression. I finally gave in and got meds from the Dr and within a week I was noticing a big difference. I have energy all day again, I'm playing with my kids again and we are routinely doing school again. A few days ago I briefly, for just a few minutes, was feeling old feelings of being overwhelmed with pressures but I was able to quickly get past it. Before the meds that was happening 2-3 times a week and it would last for several days. Do the math and it means I had good upbeat minutes a few times a week. Now I'm just feeling normal.

Girl Scout Cookies!

MA is a Girl Scout and it's Cookie time! If you are interested in ordering from her let me know.

Also, we've decided we're going to have a fund raising (another!) garage sale to raise money for JA's Ireland trip. I'd like to have it around the end of March when it starts warming a bit. So the big thing we need from all of you is donations. Clean out your storage and closets and donate it to us! We'll take any amount, even little grocery bags. If you have DI stuff bring it our way instead. I'm considering making it a bake sale and craft sale too. I let you know if that is the plan.

I think

just about everyone in this family is sick! I think MA is the only that isn't. I started taking an herbal medicine on Saturday that a friend recommended to me. I thought it was working because Sunday night I was feeling nearly normal but this morning I woke up feeling terrible again. We ran out of the herbs so I need to get some more asap. I'm trying really hard to not go to the dr but when I know I will be feeling much better in a little more than 24 hours, it's really hard. This time I think I will get a big bottle since I've been giving it to everyone except baby.

Christmas and the end of the year

Christmas was awesome! Mostly because my sis was visiting from California for nearly a week! Even though they have lived there since my kids were tiny they are still very close to their cousins. It was lots a fun to watch JZ open his presents. He would get overwhelmed everyonce in a while and refuse to open something but would eventually come back to it. His favorite gift? KA's fish bowl that makes lots of noise and has lights! LOL Jk got the guitar he so desperately wanted and MA got lots of things to do her hair with. JA got the money he wanted for his trip but because Santa couldn't bare to see his not opening gifts he got some clothes and Wii games too. SR and MC got moon sand which is now mostly all over my house. Thank goodness it vacuums up easily.

Dh spent way too much money on me. He is so sweet. I've been wanting a nice big jewelry box for many years that I could hang my necklaces up in so they don't get bent and tangled and he bought me one this year. It's beautiful! He also bought me the new kind of thermometer that you just rub across your forehead to put in my midwife kit. He also bought me some new slippers and a bunch of other things. Santa brought me a Wii fit! I love it but it's also kicking my butt! LOL

I've been working hard this week on getting my video/games/gaming cabinet all cleaned out and organized! I took pics but you know how I am with getting them posted so maybe you will see it, maybe you won't. It's going to be soooo nice to have that done. Hopefully the kids can keep it neat for a while. It's one of 5 areas that fell apart when I was pregnant that I'm slowly trying to get to to organize.

New Years is now upon us! I don't like goals. I shy away from them. When I set them it just makes me discouraged, it feels like a heavy weight is over me, reminding me all the time what I should be doing but don't have time for. With that being said I do try to think of how I'd like the new year to be different. I think of how I'd like things to be different plus think of all the things that will change this year. One of the things that should change is that by the end of this year I should be a Midwife. For now, I plan on taking the NARM in August. I'd like to say I will have two clients by the end of this year but we will see how that works out. I have a bil that is willing to help me set up the business end and I plan on doing that in March. Beyond that I make no promises!

One thing that I know I can do because I've done it three or four times in the past is lose weight so that is something I plan on working on. Wii fit is fun and feels more like play so I'm planning on using that quite often. I also got a treadmill from a friend so when everyone else is hogging the Wii I will use it.

Another thing I'd like to get done this year is to paint the house. Probably not the entire thing but I have little projects planned. The lose goal is to get each childs room painted by their birthdays. I'd like to also get curtains on their windows. I also have an area in the kitchen I'd like to paint, maybe that will get done in January. I may also finally get sick of the counter the way it is and take it apart even though it will be several years before we can finish it. I also really need to get a new table this year, one way or another.

It would be nice if Jaxon were out of diapers very soon. He's close but hasn't quite crossed over yet. Some days are really good and he will stay dry all day and others he couldn't be bothered to go potty at all. Kirstin will likely walk this year. Morgan will turn 12 and start Young Women's. Jordan will likely get his license to drive and Josh will get his learners permit. Josh will likely go to Ireland.