My busy life!

After 18 months of being home full time with my kids it is time to go back to work! I would LOVE to be able to be at home with my kids full time, but a some not so smart financial choices means that the sooner I go back to work, the sooner we can be debt free. Won't that be wonderful!
The great thing is the job that I got. I could have just gone back to ICU in Lethbridge picking up casual shifts, but that means 12 hour shifts plus driving at least 30 minutes there and back. I didn't really want to work "the floor", I wanted to work in emerg here in Taber. One day I was just checking the posted positions and there was one posted for 8-8hour shifts in a month in active care (that's where the patient is when they are admitted to the hospital). I liked the idea of 8 hour shifts (I can still come home after a shift and spend time with the kids, or leave after they're in bed), and 8 a month is perfect for me. I applied and got the job. I started last week and it has been really good so far. My favorite part is that I get to do some maternity as well. I've never worked with mom's and babies, but I got to help with a delivery this weekend and I loved it! I can't wait for more.
Here's a few pics of my girls...Kayla LOVES having her picture taken!

did you notice i wasn't blogging???

Well, it's been awhile since I last blogged. Life has been super busy and I'm trying to catch up with everything. The blog has been ignored, because, well, does anyone really care what I've been doing? I still keep up with my list of friends. (if you have a blog and it's not on my list, send me the link, I'd like to stalk you through your blog).
Here's a few of the things that are on my mind these days...

My kids. wow, three kids is busy. I really love my kids and love hanging out with them all day. Ryker is LOVING joy school (we'll do a big joy school post another time) and I love taking my turn teaching (I'm super excited for the Halloween party we're having). Kayla is in nursery now. It's so nice for her to have somewhere she is allowed to run around and play, and have a snack, and play with her brother and friends at church. She's our "silent" kid, 18 months and not talking...Ryker likes to talk for her. Blakelee is getting soooo big! It truly amazes me how fast they grow. Blake and I are part of a program for a grade 5 class where we go in and visit the class once a month during the school year and they get to watch how she grows and develops. we had our first class today and it was so fun to visit with the kids and see how excited they were to meet her (she loved the attention).

church. I've got a new calling in church. I'm the 2nd counsellor in the primary. I'm excited to be a part of primary. I don't really know the kids in our ward, so I am slowing learning their names (don't know if it's age, or babies that have turned my brain into mush! it's harder now to remember names). It's been fun so far, and I get to teach my first Sharing Time this Sunday. I'm a little nervous, but it'll be great!

work. Well, I've been off for 18 months, it's time to go back. I applied for a great position at the Taber Hospital and now I'm just waiting to hear when my start date is. It's a casual with benefits position that guarantees me 8 (8h) shifts in 4 weeks. The shifts are based on my availability and so I can work when Chris is able to stay home with the kids. I love the flexibility of nursing and I am looking forward to the opportunity to stretch my brain.

photography. business is slow, but I'm keeping at it. I love taking pictures so I'll continue doing what I love! (let me know if you want pictures done for Christmas, I'm sure I can squeeze you in)

surgery. well, I never thought that I would be excited to lose a part of my body or have surgery that didn't end with a new baby, but I am. About a month ago I had this awful pain in my chest, I'd had it before, but never that bad. It was so bad, in fact that I made Chris take me to the hospital (I almost called the ambulance, but he said he could get me there faster). I thought I was having a heart attack the pain was so bad. They did an ECG, and all the things they do in emerg, then told me it was probably my gallbladder (stupid cheesewiz!) and booked an ultrasound. Gallstones! terrible, awful things! "lots of gallstones" as the report said. my family doc referred me to a surgeon (of my choice, I went with the cowboy, had luck with cowboys so far, my ob is a cowboy) who told me he would take it out. there wasn't even the option of having the stones removed (which didn't really bother me). his office called today and said they had a cancellation, would I like to go in next friday, otherwise i would have to wait until December. Yes, I'll take Friday. It's a day procedure, they go in through the bellybutton and suck it out (kinda). I just have to "take it easy" for a week. ever try to take it easy with 3 kids under the age of 4?? we'll survive, and the pain will be gone (I've had more "attacks" but nothing that sent me back to emerg).

books. I have 5 new books waiting to be read (plus a few from the library waiting to be picked up). so, I've got to get cracking....but, if you're looking for a good read, try Still Alice by Lisa Genova. It's a great book about Alzheimer's from the perspective of a 50 year old professor at Harvard that gets early onset Alzheimer's. It will change your perspective of Alzheimer's. If you know anyone with Alzheimer's, I would suggest you read it (and I bet most of you know someone with it). I found it at Walmart and think it's worth buying. (if you live close to me and would like to borrow it, just let me know).

well, that's it for now. can't wait to hear what you've been up to...

I am a mother!

Our book club this month read the book "I am a Mother" by Jane Clayson Johnson. Have you read it? you should... I really enjoyed this book. Never apologize for being a mom. There is nothing better than being a mom. Jane Clayson Johnson was a host on the Early Show and a career woman before she married her husband and resigned from her job and chose to be a stay at home mom. The book tells of her experiences leading up to this and peoples reactions to her decision. One thing I enjoyed about this book was that I didn't feel guilty for not being the perfect mom, but I did feel that the work I do for my family is important! Her big thing was how the world says "I'm just a mom" as if we should be doing more, get a doctorate, work in an office. It's ok to be a mom and to be proud to say it.
I am a mom! and I love being a mom!

Joy School

So, many moons ago, when I was 3 or 4, my mom joined several other moms and we participated in Joy School. Last year I got thinking about it, and thought it would be fun for Ryker. I googled it, and came to a website where you had to join to access the program. I didn't join at the time, I didn't have anyone else to do it with and couldn't see myself doing it all alone. Then, a few weeks ago, a friend called and asked if I was interested in joining a group of moms to start Joy School for our kids. I got excited and agreed to join them. I signed up on the website (click here to check it out). and began preparing for Joy School to start. When I told Ryker about it, he got really excited (living across the street from the school he asks me almost every day if he can go to school). Next Tuesday is our first day and I am so excited! I got the music CDs in the mail yesterday and have been playing them for Ryker and Kayla all day (some of the songs are the original recordings from when I was in Joy School!)

What is Joy School?? It's like preschool (kinda) but the mom's take turns teaching for a week (2 days a week) at their home. the kids learn from different units (the joy of my body, the joy of the earth, the joy of sharing and service, etc) through songs, activities and stories.

Once a month

So, a friend sent me a link for a site called once a month mom. As I started reading it I get really excited. It's all about once a month cooking. You take one day and cook like crazy and come out with meals to put in the freezer for the entire month. This site is great because they have the menu/recipes/shopping list for each month that you can print out and go. you don't have to do any of that work!! I'm going to start this in September...hopefully I'll find someone to do it with me, if not, I'll have 2 months worth of meals (which include breakfast, lunch, AND dinner) as the recipes are enough for 2 families of 4. If you have any good freezer dinner recipes let me know, I'd love to hear about them...

Friends

Just over a week ago, on a beautiful Friday morning, I was up early with the front door open, enjoying the cool morning air before the heat set in. Ryker woke up, got dressed and sat on the front step waiting...He was waiting for the neighbors to wake up and come play for a little bit. He seemed to understand that he wouldn't be able to play with them like he has almost every day since the weather started getting nice. They were moving that day, and though they would be back to visit their grandma and grandpa, it would never be the same! Here's a few pictures of the kids playing that day. We miss you guys!

Canola field

Ever drive past those fields of YELLOW and think how cool they look? Well, the other day my sister, Cassidy, called and suggested a photo shoot in a canola field by my parents house...here's a sneak peak at our shoot. More can be seen on my photography blog.

Candy land

I've got a new post that needs your opinion on my photography blog...
check it out and leave your thoughts!

click here

Blakelee's blessing

We had Blake's blessing this weekend. We were happy to have family and close friends come enjoy the evening with us.
For those that don't understand...As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we don't believe that children need to be baptized. They are not to be baptized until they reach the age of accountablilty (8 years old). However, when a baby is born there is the opportunity to say a special prayer on behalf of the baby, in which they are given a name by which they will be known on church records (same as legal given name), and ask Heavenly Father for blessings on the baby for their life. It is not a requirement, but a wonderful blessing.
Here's a picture of Blake in her blessing dress...

While my Sister Sleeps

I saw this book at the library and thought it would be a good novel to read (yes, I judged the book by it's cover). I didn't expect it to be such a thinker, but it was! Here's the authors summary...
At 27, Molly Snow is the youngest of three siblings. Feisty but hard-working, she has always been overshadowed by her older sister, Robin, an elite marathoner who is favored to shine at the upcoming Olympic trials. When Robin suffers a heart attack during a training run and fails to regain consciousness, her family is devastated.

As Molly's parents fold under the heartbreak and her brother retreats into the cool reserve that is threatening his marriage, Molly is the one left standing. By default, she is thrust into the role of family spokesperson, not only with friends and the media, but at Snow Hill, the family's hugely successful tree and plant nursery. More crucially, Molly becomes her sister's voice when Robin can' t speak for herself. In the process, she finds her own voice.

While My Sister Sleeps is more than a coming-of-age story. Taking place over six days, this novel explores a family in crisis, peeling away layers of relationships to expose one startling truth after another. Mother to daughter, sister to sister - it is a story of rising to a challenge and making hard decisions, then loving enough to let go.

I really enjoyed reading this book and pondering the issues raised, some of which are important to me, having seen these types of situations from the nurses perspective. Wills and living wills...do you have one? I am a firm believer that EVERYONE should have a living will (a personal health care directive for what you want done in case you can't express your desires and assigning someone to make the decisions for you that knows what you would want done). yes, I have one. Another issue raised, organ donation...did you know just because you check yes to being an organ donor on your ahc card, it is still up to your family to make the decision! make sure that they know what you want done (better yet, but it in your personal health care directive/living will).
This book helped me see the family side of things. So many times I don't understand why families have such a difficult time making decisions when the outcome seems so obvious (brain dead is brain dead, there's no coming back and no real quality of life). I hope that I've been a caring, understanding nurse in situations I've been in, and I hope that this eye opening book will help me even more the next time I am caring for someone's mother/father, sister/brother, friend.
I really think that you should all go to the library and read this book...

Father's Day

This is what we did for dad and grandpa's...

monday's list of things to do...

For anyone that knows me, you know that I make lists for EVERYTHING. It's the only way I can survive without forgetting something...like wipes on an outing to the park, or someone's swimsuit on vacation, or milk on a trip to Safeway! well, I've got a list of things I need to do this week, and I thought if I posted the list it would make me more accountable. (and maybe I'll work on the list rather than spend my time on facebook). so, here goes...
sweep and mop the floor (sweeping could be done after every meal, but i aim to get it done at least once a day).
laundry (it nevers ends!)
dishes (another task that never ends, my goal is to have dishes done each night before i go to bed so i'm not having to do them every morning)
pay bills
clean off the table (it seems to pile up with everything...bills, flyers, hair clips, movies, pictures, leftover seeds, and anything else you can think of)
thank you notes
update simple moments website
get kids haircuts
return books/movies to the library (maybe even watch the movies i borrowed)

I'm sure there's more I need to do, but we'll see how long it takes me to get this done. For now, I'm going to have a shower while the kids are sleeping (can you believe that all 3 are sleeping at the same time????)

Reading list

Here's just a list of some of the books I would like to read this summer...
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte(I'm reading this right now and we're discussing it in book club this week)
Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy
While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
The Choice by Nicholas Sparks
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
Stolen innocence by Elissa Wall
Any other suggestions? Ever read any of these? What did you think?

Flowers and vegetables

I've tried to plant a vegatable garden every year for the last 5 years. Some years are better than others. I've had to leave a few gardens behind when we've moved. In Okotoks we used a community garden plot. I've stuck to vegetables, because, if you know me at all, you know that I can kill flowers (any house plant) with out even trying. Last year, in an attempt to increase the "curb appeal" of our house (we were selling) I planted some flowers, and managed not to kill them! This year, in our new home, I inherited some perenials (are those the ones that you don't have to plant year after year? I never know). They grew all by themselves! It's nice to not have to worry about them (I'll have to look into what needs to be done in the fall so they keep coming back). I even planted a few annuals (the ones that need to be planted every spring?). and planted some strawberries too. We weren't sure if the garden plot would be great for this year (there were some trees blocking the sun), so we took advantage of an empty, irrigated field and planted peas, bean, tomatoes, onions and beets. Chris cut the trees down in our yard, and we ended up planting more vegetables in the backyard...potatoes, lettuce, carrots, zucchini, spaghetti squash, and some herbs. I'm excited for the harvest in the fall!

I don't know what these are, but they're pretty.


pretty sure this is one of my zucchini plants.


Garden butterfly.


these look like pansies, they came up all by themselves (I always thought pansies had to be planted year after year).


my strawberries are already blooming. i love strawberries!


I really don't know if this is a flower or a weed, but it's cool!


peonies (i've got one with a pink tinge on my table, beautiful!). these were covered with ants and my mom told me that they need the ants to bloom. i looked it up online, and that's not true (but many people believe that).


poppies??


Pansies that I did plant.


I can't remember what they're called, but i planted purple and white ones.


Iris'. they weren't blooming when i took this picture, but I love when they are blooming.


orange pansies. ryker picked these ones (his favorite colour is orange)


my garden girls. kayla loves to play in the dirt (mostly she eats it)


blake is happy to sleep in the sun! (for now)

I'll try to remember to post pictures of the vegetables as they grow.

Camping

So, this past weekend we decided (Friday morning) to go camping...that means, Chris goes to work and leaves me with 3 kids, piles of laundry, and an unorganized storage room (the black hole for stuff we had nowhere else to put). Because Chris gets off work at 3:30, we figured we could get wherever we were going at a decent time...we finally left Taber at 6pm! We had planned on going to Waterton, but it would have been WAY late by the time we got there, so, instead we called to make a last minute reservation at the Michel Family Campground. We set up camp in my parents yard and had a great time. We roasted marshmallows for s'mores on Friday night and enjoyed a sun filled Saturday with Lola and Grandpa Wally. Auntie Shelsea, Kenyon, and Tayvee even stopped by on Saturday to play! It was a great way to start the camping season, now that we've got everything found and organized we can actually make it to our destination the next time.

Grandpa even helped set up the tent.


Kayla got a new hat


Ryker loves his Diego bed.


Blake kept warm all night.


Kayla had a rough night, and fell asleep before we got to the end of the driveway when we went for a walk by the creek.

book review

At our book club a few months ago, rather than discussing a book, we all brought books that we had read and really enjoyed. I loved this discussion and seeing the kinds of books that everyone has read and recommended. It's always nice to get another perspective and read a book you would have never thought to pick up otherwise. The only problem with this was that I came home with a list of 30+ books that I wanted to read. I ended up buying about 6 books that week, not all of which were on my list, but that caught my attention while I was looking for other books. I know, I could just go to the library, and I do, but I LOVE books and love having them in my home to read again and again. I did get some books out of the library...I love being able to look them up online, put them on hold, and pick them up when I take the kids to get their books (ever try looking for a book with 3 little kids running around??)
I read 3 books (a series) by Deborah Ellis. The lady that recommended them was reading them because her grandchildren are reading them in school. That said, they are junior fiction, and a very simple read. Simple read does not mean simple content...

The first in the series is the Breadwinner. All the books are based in Afganistan after the Taliban took over, they deal with how children survive, girls especially. the Breadwinner is about Parvana. "One day, Parvana's father is arrested by the Taliban -- the extreme religious faction that controls Afghanistan -- and the family is left without anyone to earn money and shop for food. Forbidden to work as a girl, Parvana must transform herself into a boy to save her family. The Breadwinner is a novel about loyalty, survival, families and friendship under extraordinary circumstances."

Parvana's Journey is about Parvana's search for her family after they are seperated. "Her father has just died and she has no idea where her mother and siblings are. As she crosses through the wilderness she bands together with other children and they all try to take care of each other as they search for her family."

Mud City is about Parvana's friend, Shauzia, and her quest to flee Afganistan and go to France. "We find fourteen year old Shauzia and her dog Jasper in a refugee camp in Pakistan having left her miserable life in Kabul, Afghanistan behind. She carries with her a magazine cutout of a field of lavender flowers and dreams of one day visiting France and seeing the ocean. She decides that the only way to make her dream come true is to leave the refugee camp and instead earn money on the streets. Living on the streets is dangerous, scary, adventurous, and she even spends a night at the local jail. She discovers that navigating her way through a country full of Afghan refugees is not easy and that her dream of escaping her miserable life may well be out of her hands."

I really enjoyed these books. They opened my eyes to some of the situations that the children in Afganistan find themselves in every day. I would recommend these books to anyone. It made me appreciate the quality of life that I have and the blessings I enjoy each day in a free country. I think that books like these are important for our children to read, they need to understand that life is not the same for all children around the world.

Summer begins

I love the warm weather, after being inside most of the winter it's nice to be able to get outside every day (without bundling all the kids up).
Shelsea and her kids were down for the Cardston 1/2 marathon (go Shelsea and Mom), so we had a picnic at Henderson. For the past 6 months my sister, Cassidy, has been wanting to take Kayla to get her ears pierced, but can't seem to find someone that will do it...finally they decided to get them done that day. Shelsea found a cute set of studs, and they pierced them at the park! Kayla did really good, she cried when they did it, but was playing just a few minutes later. They look really cute, she looks like a little girl now, not my baby anymore!
We took some pictures in the park and had a great afternoon visiting...

Walden

For book club this month we read Walden, by Henry David Thoreau. This book is a classic, first published in 1854. Thoreau was born in 1817 and lived in the Boston, Massachusetts area. He attended Harvard and rubbed noses with some of the great minds of his time. In 1845 he moved to Walden Pond and began writing Walden. He lived a life of bare minimum for two years before returning to civilization. He did not wish to live the life of a hermiy. He hoped to isolate himself from society in order to gain a more objective understanding of it. Simple living and self-sufficiency were Thoreau's other goals. He was truely ahead of his times, though I'm not sure what he would think of our times, as he saw his own times as fast paced and materialistic!
I did not read the entire book, as it is quite deep and requires focus (a difficult task with busy children and little sleep). The parts I did read, I quite enjoyed. It made me consider what I can live without, how can I simplify my life. In discussing the book, we talked about finding our own Walden's Pond...a place that we can go to/a moment we can take to leave the world behind and enjoy the simple things in life.
When I got home that day I was sitting on the front step watching Ryker play, feeding Blakelee, listening to Kayla sleep, I enjoyed one of those "walden" moments...
My goal is to have more of those moments in my life. Summer should be a great opportunity for this, as we are taking a break from tv and turning our sattelite off for a few months. More time to get out and enjoy the sunshine!

Henry David Thoreau is quoted a whole lot more than you would think...do you recognize any of the following quotes?

Aim above morality. Be not simply good, be good for something.

All this worldly wisdom was once the unamiable heresy of some wise man.

Be true to your work, your word, and your friend.

Beware of all enterprises that require a new set of clothes.

Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but follows religiously the new.

The birds in my front yard...

Many years ago, in elementary school, I did a report on "the birds in my backyard". It was all about birds that live in Southern Alberta. All I really remember is visiting a couple in Welling that raised peacocks. I had a big display with pictures and descriptions of all the birds...Today, I will tell you all about the birds in my front yard. We've got a tree in our front yard that was full of berries this winter. When the birds arrived this spring, they were in heaven! I could identify the robins, but there was another kind of bird (a waxwing) that I'd never really noticed until now. They came in large numbers enjoying the berries... One day we were playing in the living room (which has a big window to the front and our berry tree) when there was a big bang on the window. It sounded like when Chris would throw a snowball at the kids while they stood in the window watching him, but there was no snow, and no one even close to the house... I was confused, but went on with life, not thinking about it. Until it happened again...and again...finally, I figured out what it was. The birds, while feasting on the berries, were startled by a car or something from the direction of the road, and flew off in the direction of the house. Some of the birds didn't make it over or around the house and flew straight into the window!! We wondered if maybe the berries had fermented and the birds were getting drunk on them. Many of the birds were simply stunned, then managed to fly away. Some, however, were not so lucky. Those birds, I am pretty sure, became a midnight snack for the neighborhood cats.
Here's some pictures...

Blake and her siblings...

Ryker and Kayla love Blake! Ryker always wants to hold her and help take care of her. Kayla comes up and gives her hugs and kisses (and pokes her) all the time. They both love to watch her sleep, if only they could just let her sleep...