I haven't been feeling well for the last 4 months and it doesn't look like there's gonna be much improvement until (hopefully) October. So, it's time I muscle through. The weird thing about this pregnancy is that I have daily headaches. Sometimes they morph into migraines and sometimes they are just a little annoying, but having a headache on a daily basis sure puts a crimp in your mood.
Our time here in Utah is quickly coming to a close. Chris will leave in a few short weeks to start his new job in Oregon and I will hang back with the kiddos until he finds us suitable housing. I feel really good about this move until I have a moment to be surrounded by family and friends. Sunday's are the worst for me. Things are going to be so much different. But good at the same time.
I went on a Girl's Night last weekend and really had a good time. I really love the group of ladies that gathered together to laugh and play games. At dinner, things got a little crazy and I was beat red out of pure embarrassment. Then the tears started to flow because I realized just how much I'm going to miss my wonderful friends although they embarrass the heck outta me! I have really been blessed to be surrounded by wonderful examples of women in my generation. We are all different, we all struggle with different situations, but we know how to support and love one another through it all. We know how to check our differences at the door and rejoice in our "sisterhood".
My hope is that I have invested sufficient time in these friendships, that I won't be easily forgotten.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Decisions, Decisions
I can't believe it's already been 3 months since my last post. So here's what's been going on around here.....
Two weeks before Christmas, Chris was laid off from his Orem job. This came as quite a shock. He has worked there for nearly 5 years and the owner has offered to sell to him numerous times. This was quite devastating, as this job was keeping our own office in SLC afloat. Due to patient obligations, Chris had to work through January. Nothing's more fun that going to a job that doesn't want you there. Ironically, this was a blessing in disguise. We had decided to start looking out of state and move during 2010. Losing this income made it a necessity rather than optional.
We learned through a miraculous revelation that it was time to finally have child #4. I always thought and required a personal visit from on High to get me pregnant again. We made the necessary arrangements (i.e. Secondary Insurance/"Maternity" Insurance) in January. This required us to wait until March to be in effect for the birth of the child. Well, that wasn't good enough for the Man Upstairs and I was pregnant the end of January. Knowing full well how to physically get pregnant, we have no idea how this happened! Definitely "meant" to happen in a timely manner. I have been VERY sick. I usually start feeling better about the 2nd trimester, so here's hoping all be good to go in April. The baby is due in Mid October and our kids are SUPER excited. They've already started throwing out names, most of which are related to Star Wars.
Since, Chris has found a wonderful opportunity in Eugene, OR. He has been guaranteed a minimum salary for the first 6 months which he is expected to exceed in only 4 months time. He would be working in a large practice with multiple colleagues and inherit over 2400 patients from a previous associate. He will also be "marketed" as a Spanish Speaking dentist to serve the ever growing Latin population. I know...Latin and Oregon don't really seem to go together, but apparently there is a great need. As we continue to negotiate this job, things just keep looking better and better. We are asking ourselves, "Why wouldn't we do this?"
To top everything off, I've been asked to speak in Stake Conference on Sunday. Man or Man! I'm grateful for the heads up, but I've been so sick the last few days, I've done nothing. As a youth, I was called upon from the congregation to share my testimony in Stake Conference. So to my local friends: don't expect great things.
Two weeks before Christmas, Chris was laid off from his Orem job. This came as quite a shock. He has worked there for nearly 5 years and the owner has offered to sell to him numerous times. This was quite devastating, as this job was keeping our own office in SLC afloat. Due to patient obligations, Chris had to work through January. Nothing's more fun that going to a job that doesn't want you there. Ironically, this was a blessing in disguise. We had decided to start looking out of state and move during 2010. Losing this income made it a necessity rather than optional.
We learned through a miraculous revelation that it was time to finally have child #4. I always thought and required a personal visit from on High to get me pregnant again. We made the necessary arrangements (i.e. Secondary Insurance/"Maternity" Insurance) in January. This required us to wait until March to be in effect for the birth of the child. Well, that wasn't good enough for the Man Upstairs and I was pregnant the end of January. Knowing full well how to physically get pregnant, we have no idea how this happened! Definitely "meant" to happen in a timely manner. I have been VERY sick. I usually start feeling better about the 2nd trimester, so here's hoping all be good to go in April. The baby is due in Mid October and our kids are SUPER excited. They've already started throwing out names, most of which are related to Star Wars.
Since, Chris has found a wonderful opportunity in Eugene, OR. He has been guaranteed a minimum salary for the first 6 months which he is expected to exceed in only 4 months time. He would be working in a large practice with multiple colleagues and inherit over 2400 patients from a previous associate. He will also be "marketed" as a Spanish Speaking dentist to serve the ever growing Latin population. I know...Latin and Oregon don't really seem to go together, but apparently there is a great need. As we continue to negotiate this job, things just keep looking better and better. We are asking ourselves, "Why wouldn't we do this?"
To top everything off, I've been asked to speak in Stake Conference on Sunday. Man or Man! I'm grateful for the heads up, but I've been so sick the last few days, I've done nothing. As a youth, I was called upon from the congregation to share my testimony in Stake Conference. So to my local friends: don't expect great things.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Shakespear's Unveiled
So, in an effort to save a few trees, I have referred all of you here to learn about our past year. It has been a fun and rather uneventful year as compared to years past. I think the one thing that has affected our family the most is our Ward split. Without moving anywhere, our whole lives have changed and we're getting to know more people in the neighborhood.
Christopher is still practicing Dentistry. He is surviving this economy and still trying to improve his office. He is still involved in the Scouting program. He is Scout Master over the 11-year old scout program at Church. He LOVES it. He was born to Scout. He is mastering the ability to multi-task but, alas, it is with video games and computer surfing instead of laundry and washing dishes. He enjoys playing with the kiddos and our 55 lb Basset Hound that thinks she's a lap dog. He was able to take the boys to Star Wars in Concert and shed a small tear of joy. He still LOVES everything Star Wars and Science Fiction.
Christi is still working for Chris from home. She volunteers at the school once a week and serves in the Primary Presidency as the 2nd Counselor; hence, she is learning to love scouts. She continues to learn new things and tried her hand at crochet this year. Although you would never guess she has time to read, she still reads about a novel a week. Her big adventure this year was getting stung by a jelly fish in Mazatlan that turned her whole arm numb and took several hours and loads of Benadryl to return to normal.
Zacory is excelling in school. He really enjoys 4th grade. He misses his old teacher (and so does Mom) but is learning to have patience with his classmates. He has achieved his Bear in Scouts and takes after his Dad for this particular aptitude. He takes after his Mom in that he is reading all the time. He has found some good authors to follow. His new hobby is playing flag football with the neighborhood boys. We have hopes that he'll get rough & tough here soon and begin competing with his peers in sporting games. He also has started watching after his Brother and Sister for short spurts of time and little amounts of money. He's our little entrepreneur when it comes to doing extra chores around the house for even more money. He wants a College Fund for Christmas.
Tyler is also doing well in school. His teacher this year in very observant and involved, which is what this kid needs. He is getting better at reading and will probably be fighting over books with his brother soon enough. He is a very social being and loves to get involved with friends around the 'hood. But he is also completely content to play in his room with his Legos by himself. He is loving the world of Wii and in constantly issuing challenges to Mom and Dad. He is very kind and such a peacemaker in our home. He is always ready with a smile and hug! It makes us happy to see him progressing and improving in nearly everything. He has such the talent for construction and math; therefore, his whole Christmas Wish List is Lego related.
Samantha keeps us hopping around here. She goes to Pre-School 3 times a week which allows Mom some time to herself. She is quite popular at school.....especially with the boys. They are constantly vying for her attention at playtime for she's the rough & tough one that instigates most of the trouble. Although, she still loves to come home and gather up her dolls on the staircase and "read" a book to them. Her hobby of late is Checkers. That girl gets it and really makes the rest of us work to get a win. She has quite the aptitude for reading as well. She has several story books memorized and is spelling short words. She went to Disney Princesses on Ice and sat mesmerized the whole time. Hence, her Christmas Wish is to BE a princess. I hope she's happy with a doll or two or six.
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and hope your hearts are touched with the magic of this wonderful season. We consider ourselves very blessed and extremely loved. Please keep in touch with us and may you all have a great 2010!
Christopher is still practicing Dentistry. He is surviving this economy and still trying to improve his office. He is still involved in the Scouting program. He is Scout Master over the 11-year old scout program at Church. He LOVES it. He was born to Scout. He is mastering the ability to multi-task but, alas, it is with video games and computer surfing instead of laundry and washing dishes. He enjoys playing with the kiddos and our 55 lb Basset Hound that thinks she's a lap dog. He was able to take the boys to Star Wars in Concert and shed a small tear of joy. He still LOVES everything Star Wars and Science Fiction.
Christi is still working for Chris from home. She volunteers at the school once a week and serves in the Primary Presidency as the 2nd Counselor; hence, she is learning to love scouts. She continues to learn new things and tried her hand at crochet this year. Although you would never guess she has time to read, she still reads about a novel a week. Her big adventure this year was getting stung by a jelly fish in Mazatlan that turned her whole arm numb and took several hours and loads of Benadryl to return to normal.
Zacory is excelling in school. He really enjoys 4th grade. He misses his old teacher (and so does Mom) but is learning to have patience with his classmates. He has achieved his Bear in Scouts and takes after his Dad for this particular aptitude. He takes after his Mom in that he is reading all the time. He has found some good authors to follow. His new hobby is playing flag football with the neighborhood boys. We have hopes that he'll get rough & tough here soon and begin competing with his peers in sporting games. He also has started watching after his Brother and Sister for short spurts of time and little amounts of money. He's our little entrepreneur when it comes to doing extra chores around the house for even more money. He wants a College Fund for Christmas.
Tyler is also doing well in school. His teacher this year in very observant and involved, which is what this kid needs. He is getting better at reading and will probably be fighting over books with his brother soon enough. He is a very social being and loves to get involved with friends around the 'hood. But he is also completely content to play in his room with his Legos by himself. He is loving the world of Wii and in constantly issuing challenges to Mom and Dad. He is very kind and such a peacemaker in our home. He is always ready with a smile and hug! It makes us happy to see him progressing and improving in nearly everything. He has such the talent for construction and math; therefore, his whole Christmas Wish List is Lego related.
Samantha keeps us hopping around here. She goes to Pre-School 3 times a week which allows Mom some time to herself. She is quite popular at school.....especially with the boys. They are constantly vying for her attention at playtime for she's the rough & tough one that instigates most of the trouble. Although, she still loves to come home and gather up her dolls on the staircase and "read" a book to them. Her hobby of late is Checkers. That girl gets it and really makes the rest of us work to get a win. She has quite the aptitude for reading as well. She has several story books memorized and is spelling short words. She went to Disney Princesses on Ice and sat mesmerized the whole time. Hence, her Christmas Wish is to BE a princess. I hope she's happy with a doll or two or six.
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and hope your hearts are touched with the magic of this wonderful season. We consider ourselves very blessed and extremely loved. Please keep in touch with us and may you all have a great 2010!
Monday, December 7, 2009
Mars Vs. Venus
When Chris and I were first married, we took a marriage class at BYU. I remember having a discussion about chores and splitting up the chores to maintaining a house. I recall the professor talking about distinct responsibilities that seem to be inherently male and female; taking out the trash, washing dishes, doing laundry, etc. You get the idea.
Well, now I've grown up and we have some interesting division of labor around here. I've tried to maintain the mantra: If I can physically do it, I will. This has led to my adventures in mowing the lawn, weeding, hanging up wall decor with a drill too big for my hand, climbing ladders and scooping up dog poop.
Now when it comes to snow removal our views are quite different. You see, I married a country boy that grew up in the sticks. The problem with sticks is that they don't shovel very well, not like smooth concrete. So the "Mars" perspective is to only clear the snow when it is hindering the evacuation of a vehicle....which usually translates into a foot or more. The other "Mars" view seems to be to pack the snow down and make it slick and near impossible to remove from the driveway not to mention ascend our inclined driveway to park the vehicle in the garage.
IF the drive gets shoveled, it is this "Venus" who does it most of the time. It's a little embarrassing to be the one out there with all the other men shoveling out their wives. I prefer to get out there before dawn so my wonderful MARS doesn't have a chance to pack it down with his 2 ton vehicle (OK, so it's not that big). I like a clean drive-way. I like to have my walkway free of ice and snow so solicitors won't sue me for slipping around the corner to sell me something I didn't want in the first place or have my neighbors bring me warm treats.
So here's this "Venus" Christmas wish: Shovel the drive and walkway. Just because I am physically capable of doing it doesn't mean I'm the only one who can do it. Tap into your chivalrous soul and just make your "Venus" happy with a nice clean driveway.
Well, now I've grown up and we have some interesting division of labor around here. I've tried to maintain the mantra: If I can physically do it, I will. This has led to my adventures in mowing the lawn, weeding, hanging up wall decor with a drill too big for my hand, climbing ladders and scooping up dog poop.
Now when it comes to snow removal our views are quite different. You see, I married a country boy that grew up in the sticks. The problem with sticks is that they don't shovel very well, not like smooth concrete. So the "Mars" perspective is to only clear the snow when it is hindering the evacuation of a vehicle....which usually translates into a foot or more. The other "Mars" view seems to be to pack the snow down and make it slick and near impossible to remove from the driveway not to mention ascend our inclined driveway to park the vehicle in the garage.
IF the drive gets shoveled, it is this "Venus" who does it most of the time. It's a little embarrassing to be the one out there with all the other men shoveling out their wives. I prefer to get out there before dawn so my wonderful MARS doesn't have a chance to pack it down with his 2 ton vehicle (OK, so it's not that big). I like a clean drive-way. I like to have my walkway free of ice and snow so solicitors won't sue me for slipping around the corner to sell me something I didn't want in the first place or have my neighbors bring me warm treats.
So here's this "Venus" Christmas wish: Shovel the drive and walkway. Just because I am physically capable of doing it doesn't mean I'm the only one who can do it. Tap into your chivalrous soul and just make your "Venus" happy with a nice clean driveway.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Not Dead Yet....
I've been neglecting my blog lately. There have been many many changes occurring in our household lately and I've just been plain busy busy busy.
I promise I haven't forgotten about you. I will be back shortly after I narrow down what to blog about.
I promise I haven't forgotten about you. I will be back shortly after I narrow down what to blog about.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Real Housewives of Utah Valley
My friends and I were discussing these "Real Housewives" shows on cable recently and I thought our neighborhood would be a great reality show. Here's what you would see:
"Sheila" up to her elbows in dishes after "putting up" 16 quarts of peaches, 12 pints of applesauce, and 8 pints of homemade pickles not to mention the 16 pounds of cheese she dipped in wax for her food storage (yes, all of it done in one day).
"Daphne" running her tween to school at 8 am, her 5 year old to kindergarten at 9 am and the toddler to preschool by 9:15am with a baby in the car seat only to turn around and pick up the toddler by 11, the 5 yr. old by noon and the "early bird" at 2:15 with a baby still in the car seat.
"Tisha" with the newspaper coupons spread all over her table and the laptop on her knee frantic to find the laundry detergent she needs for the 8 loads of laundry waiting their turn in the washer for under $4 because that's all she has in her wallet until hubby get's paid next week.
"Melody" with the phone strapped to her ear as she tries to find Primary subs for all the classes who are missing teachers. She starts with "A" and works her way down the list. She wonders if caller ID would account for no one picking up their phones.
"Justine" filling all of her "Etsy" shop orders today so she can have a clean house tomorrow for potential buyers. Their house has been on the market for 7 months and still no offers. She wonders what they are going to do when hubby starts his new job in 2 weeks in another state entirely.
"Christi" typing away on her computer hoping to put a smile on someone's face for the day because she really loves these women. They are her friends, her mentors and her therapists. They inspire her to do better and be better on a daily basis. She realizes that they do all these things in the name of love; love for their family, love for others and especially love for their Heavenly Father.
I just want you all to know that I appreciate all you do in a day to keep your families healthy and happy. Keep up the good work and know that we are all doing the best that we can and that really should be enough.
"Sheila" up to her elbows in dishes after "putting up" 16 quarts of peaches, 12 pints of applesauce, and 8 pints of homemade pickles not to mention the 16 pounds of cheese she dipped in wax for her food storage (yes, all of it done in one day).
"Daphne" running her tween to school at 8 am, her 5 year old to kindergarten at 9 am and the toddler to preschool by 9:15am with a baby in the car seat only to turn around and pick up the toddler by 11, the 5 yr. old by noon and the "early bird" at 2:15 with a baby still in the car seat.
"Tisha" with the newspaper coupons spread all over her table and the laptop on her knee frantic to find the laundry detergent she needs for the 8 loads of laundry waiting their turn in the washer for under $4 because that's all she has in her wallet until hubby get's paid next week.
"Melody" with the phone strapped to her ear as she tries to find Primary subs for all the classes who are missing teachers. She starts with "A" and works her way down the list. She wonders if caller ID would account for no one picking up their phones.
"Justine" filling all of her "Etsy" shop orders today so she can have a clean house tomorrow for potential buyers. Their house has been on the market for 7 months and still no offers. She wonders what they are going to do when hubby starts his new job in 2 weeks in another state entirely.
"Christi" typing away on her computer hoping to put a smile on someone's face for the day because she really loves these women. They are her friends, her mentors and her therapists. They inspire her to do better and be better on a daily basis. She realizes that they do all these things in the name of love; love for their family, love for others and especially love for their Heavenly Father.
I just want you all to know that I appreciate all you do in a day to keep your families healthy and happy. Keep up the good work and know that we are all doing the best that we can and that really should be enough.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Savings
So a few weeks ago I talked about how challenged I was at "couponing". I'm happy to report that our delivery person has gotten our driveway with regularity since.
I went on my first shopping trips and was quite surprised at the results.
This was a savings of 46% off my total grocery bill. Not bad. I almost saved as much as I spent.
I was even more impressed with my next trip:
Although it's only 45% off my total grocery bill, I realized that I purchased 85 items for about $82.00. That's better than shopping at the dollar store.
The good news is that we have our groceries for the next 2 weeks including snacks and lunches for the boys. I look forward to learning more and working the system for even better savings. Here's to learning new things!
I went on my first shopping trips and was quite surprised at the results.
This was a savings of 46% off my total grocery bill. Not bad. I almost saved as much as I spent.I was even more impressed with my next trip:
Although it's only 45% off my total grocery bill, I realized that I purchased 85 items for about $82.00. That's better than shopping at the dollar store.The good news is that we have our groceries for the next 2 weeks including snacks and lunches for the boys. I look forward to learning more and working the system for even better savings. Here's to learning new things!
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