January began with the passing of the prophet, President Thomas S Monson. I loved hearing him talk and tell stories in his comforting grandfather voice. He was a shining example of humble service. He will be greatly missed. My boys were very sad. Caleb was only a toddler when President Hinckley passed away, so this is the first time he has gone through this, really. It was so comforting to know that the Lord already had a plan in place for who would next lead the church, under His direction. I could see in the past couple of years how President Nelson was being prepared to take up the task, and grew in my love for him and his devotion to doing the work of the Lord.
I started reading again this past month, which was a big deal. I had stopped reading when I got really sick last year, so it's nice to be enjoying something that has been a lifelong hobby for me. Brettley also hit a reading milestone and is officially reading grade 2 level books now. I suspect he'll get to grade 3 books before the end of the year. Caleb is now reading high school level books, and apparently asking college level questions in science class. Ty has grown to love reading so much this year, which is such a joy to see.
I began my calling in nursery and was surprised by how quickly I fell in love with it. I had been in nursery when we left Edmonton and it had never been a happy place for me there, but here I instantly felt connected to these young ones and love their sweet little spirits. They are truly a joy to be around.
I discovered bullet journaling this month. It's a system that was made for me, I'm sure. I love lists, calendars, being organized, office supplies, and this combines them all. I've been loving it!
I finally got around to making a large wall calendar project that I'd been wanting to make for the past several years. John was a big help with it.
I got to see C, L's mom, when we were out shopping one day, which was a wonderful experience.
I have started walking more, outside and doing steps inside when it's too cold or icy. I found this really cool thing where it tells you the distances between locations from Middle Earth (Tolkien's world), so I'm using that to set goals for myself.
Last weekend I attended our Stake Relief Society Conference, which was amazing. I attended 2 classes. The first was 'The Courage to be Imperfect' which referenced Elder Holland's October 2017 talk quite a bit. The second class I went to was 'Don't Look Around, Look Up' where we talked a lot about the need to look to the Lord instead of comparing ourselves to others. We all got to listen to Dr Wayne Burton talk as well as play and sing for us. There was a wonderful luncheon afterward. I'm so glad I got to have that uplifting experience.
Yesterday was Bell Let's Talk, which I actively participated in to help fundraise, but also to bring awareness about the need that still exists for more education for the general public, more research and better access to supports. Obviously, this is something that is very near and dear to my heart. Caleb had a psychiatrist appointment yesterday and he gets to come off of his last medication. It was a very happy victory to see him have come this far from where we were even 2 years ago. He is such a brave little fighter.
The goings on of our geeky little family and the musings and soapbox moments of the lone female in the group.
Showing posts with label Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Church. Show all posts
Thursday, February 1, 2018
Monday, November 6, 2017
Belated Birthday Post aka Nikki Turned 33
So I feel like I'm not blogging often enough. This is the only journal I keep for myself and our family, unless you include things like Facebook and Instagram. I realized that I did fact about Caleb and Ty for their birthdays, but I didn't do facts for me about mine (probably because I was in a medication fog at the time). So I'm doing them now. My belated 33 facts about myself for my 33rd birthday.
1) Growing up, my favourite colour was blue. In the past 10 years it changed to purple, as that's the colour for pancreatic cancer awareness. Plus, purple is awesome!
2) My state of mind is almost always directly related to how clean or organized my house is.
3) When I was upset about something as a teenager I would deep clean and rearrange my room.
4) I don't really like chocolate, never really have. Most of it gives me toothaches.
5) I have a slight obsession with Dr Pepper. Okay, I'll own it, it's more like an addiction.
6) I have acquired a cat since moving to Magrath. It was sort of a family cat before that occasionally showed up here, but now (especially since it's snowy and cold) he's over here hanging out more often than not. His name is Webster and I love him.
7) I am severely terrified of mice. Like, whenever we've had mice in the past (thanks, town homes) I left home until it was 'safe' to come back. This might be one of the reasons I love having Webbie around so much.
8) I joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when I was 19. I am deeply grateful for the perspective that being an adult convert gives me.
9) I am currently growing my hair out. It has been short for years, but it's too hard to maintain it as short as I like it and the wind down here demands the option of a ponytail.
10) I love sour or salty snacks. Miss Vickie's Sea Salt and Malt Vinegar chips are probably one of my favourite snacking foods of all time.
11) I reached a huge milestone this year. I have accepted and embraced my current weight and size. It has lifted a huge weight off of my shoulders and I wish I'd done it years ago. Nevertheless, I'm grateful to be at this point now.
12) I currently hold a position on my boys' school council.
13) This summer I went to my first concert ever with a good friend.
14) I have an incredibly diverse taste in music. My playlists include everything from classical to alternative, country to punk, gospel to metal, and several other genres.
15) I love baking, I just am not a fan of doing the dishes afterward.
16) I have made homemade perogies, pickled beets, nylysnyky, cabbage rolls, sausage and sauerkraut. I love my Ukrainian ancestry.
17) I find quads boring because I grew up driving a trike and I miss being able to steer that easily.
18) I have driven a combine and harvested canola before.
19) I have always be a pretty good shot with firearms. My uncle was so sad the day I declared I wouldn't hunt when I turned 12.
20) I am incredibly allergic to canola pollen. I have to take Benedryl every night and alternate between daytime allergy meds during the days to be able to function when it's in bloom.
21) I was a cheerleader in grade 12.
22) I don't eat anything that lived in water. Fish, shellfish, seaweed, any of it.
23) I am very sensitive to the smell of pineapple, particularly if it has been canned.
24) I started reading at the age of 4 and have loved reading ever since.
25) My favourite book, contrary to what most people think, is not a Harry Potter book. It's To Kill a Mockingbird.
26) My favourite movie is Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Extended Edition.
27) I am not good at auditory learning. If I don't see it happen or read the words, I have a hard time retaining what was said to me. It cracks me up that I love music so much and am so good at understand the lyrics, because it totally goes against how this usually works for me.
28) My favourite food is bacon. I LOVE bacon!
29) I have 2 people from mine and John's first primary class that I still keep in touch with. They have become dear friends and like family to me. They are now 18 and have become amazing young adults.
30) I intentionally don't put my kids in activities outside of church ones because I hate the idea of being an over-scheduled family. Our lazy evenings and weekends are precious to me.
31) I love reading books that help me learn more about the gospel. This year I've really been enjoying the books written by James L. Ferrell.
32) I had a Cabbage Patch Doll while I was growing up. Her name was Winifred and I called her Winner. I saw a Cabbage Patch Doll identical to her on a TV show this past week and it made me super excited. I think John wasn't sure what to do with me.
33) I love playing Dungeons and Dragons. We had an amazing group we played with in Edmonton. We still play together online, but I sure miss gaming together in person and having yummy treats along with it.
1) Growing up, my favourite colour was blue. In the past 10 years it changed to purple, as that's the colour for pancreatic cancer awareness. Plus, purple is awesome!
2) My state of mind is almost always directly related to how clean or organized my house is.
3) When I was upset about something as a teenager I would deep clean and rearrange my room.
4) I don't really like chocolate, never really have. Most of it gives me toothaches.
5) I have a slight obsession with Dr Pepper. Okay, I'll own it, it's more like an addiction.
6) I have acquired a cat since moving to Magrath. It was sort of a family cat before that occasionally showed up here, but now (especially since it's snowy and cold) he's over here hanging out more often than not. His name is Webster and I love him.
7) I am severely terrified of mice. Like, whenever we've had mice in the past (thanks, town homes) I left home until it was 'safe' to come back. This might be one of the reasons I love having Webbie around so much.
8) I joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when I was 19. I am deeply grateful for the perspective that being an adult convert gives me.
9) I am currently growing my hair out. It has been short for years, but it's too hard to maintain it as short as I like it and the wind down here demands the option of a ponytail.
10) I love sour or salty snacks. Miss Vickie's Sea Salt and Malt Vinegar chips are probably one of my favourite snacking foods of all time.
11) I reached a huge milestone this year. I have accepted and embraced my current weight and size. It has lifted a huge weight off of my shoulders and I wish I'd done it years ago. Nevertheless, I'm grateful to be at this point now.
12) I currently hold a position on my boys' school council.
13) This summer I went to my first concert ever with a good friend.
14) I have an incredibly diverse taste in music. My playlists include everything from classical to alternative, country to punk, gospel to metal, and several other genres.
15) I love baking, I just am not a fan of doing the dishes afterward.
16) I have made homemade perogies, pickled beets, nylysnyky, cabbage rolls, sausage and sauerkraut. I love my Ukrainian ancestry.
17) I find quads boring because I grew up driving a trike and I miss being able to steer that easily.
18) I have driven a combine and harvested canola before.
19) I have always be a pretty good shot with firearms. My uncle was so sad the day I declared I wouldn't hunt when I turned 12.
20) I am incredibly allergic to canola pollen. I have to take Benedryl every night and alternate between daytime allergy meds during the days to be able to function when it's in bloom.
21) I was a cheerleader in grade 12.
22) I don't eat anything that lived in water. Fish, shellfish, seaweed, any of it.
23) I am very sensitive to the smell of pineapple, particularly if it has been canned.
24) I started reading at the age of 4 and have loved reading ever since.
25) My favourite book, contrary to what most people think, is not a Harry Potter book. It's To Kill a Mockingbird.
26) My favourite movie is Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Extended Edition.
27) I am not good at auditory learning. If I don't see it happen or read the words, I have a hard time retaining what was said to me. It cracks me up that I love music so much and am so good at understand the lyrics, because it totally goes against how this usually works for me.
28) My favourite food is bacon. I LOVE bacon!
29) I have 2 people from mine and John's first primary class that I still keep in touch with. They have become dear friends and like family to me. They are now 18 and have become amazing young adults.
30) I intentionally don't put my kids in activities outside of church ones because I hate the idea of being an over-scheduled family. Our lazy evenings and weekends are precious to me.
31) I love reading books that help me learn more about the gospel. This year I've really been enjoying the books written by James L. Ferrell.
32) I had a Cabbage Patch Doll while I was growing up. Her name was Winifred and I called her Winner. I saw a Cabbage Patch Doll identical to her on a TV show this past week and it made me super excited. I think John wasn't sure what to do with me.
33) I love playing Dungeons and Dragons. We had an amazing group we played with in Edmonton. We still play together online, but I sure miss gaming together in person and having yummy treats along with it.
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
October 2017
The first few days of October our region had a massive snow storm. The boys even got to experience their first official snow day. Snow seems to make many people in my life sad, angry and other negative emotions. I'm generally indifferent to it. It looks super pretty sometimes, but mostly it's just part of living in Alberta and that's how I see it. This time, the snow felt like home. I live in the desert of Alberta now. It's hot, it's dry and it's crazy windy in this Chinook region. Snow gave me a sense of familiarity.
John and the boys stayed home on our snow day. I baked super amazing massive chewy chocolate chip cookies as well as some diabetic friendly peanut butter cookies for John. I also baked a Saskatoon Berry Pie that week. That's my favourite kind of pie in the whole world, but it was the first time I've ever made one. I also had my birthday that week, which I mentioned in my previous post. The highlight of that day was a surprise visit from my brother. Love that guy!
John and the boys stayed home on our snow day. I baked super amazing massive chewy chocolate chip cookies as well as some diabetic friendly peanut butter cookies for John. I also baked a Saskatoon Berry Pie that week. That's my favourite kind of pie in the whole world, but it was the first time I've ever made one. I also had my birthday that week, which I mentioned in my previous post. The highlight of that day was a surprise visit from my brother. Love that guy!
John and I actually were able to find Rod's grove. It's a bench surrounded by trees and flowers that was made by John's dad's friends after he passed away. I kept asking family here where it was and they'd always say something like "oh, it's by so-and-so's house". Um... I don't know where people live here. But anyway, we finally found it and we love it!
We had our municipal election. Holy doodle, I've never heard people in Canada get that nasty about an election in Canada ever before. It was not fun and I was glad when it was over. There was some humour though when someone grabbed some of the election signs from a neighbouring town (that we apparently have a bit of a rivalry with) and put them up here in town.
We had a heartwarming experience in the pharmacy mid-month. John and I were in the pharmacy to get my prescription for my meds filled. The store was having some system issues with their debit machine while they were ringing through the lady ahead of us. The cashier let us know what the total was for my pills in case we had the cash to cover it. We both realized we had no cash and kind of figured John would have to go to the bank to take out money for it. Then, the kind lady in front of us put down the cash on the counter to cover the cost of my meds and told the cashier she was paying for them. Neither of us knew her, but she was willing to pay for my meds for me, no questions asked. It was a bright ray of light in what has been a very dark time for me.
John and I have been going on Saturday date in to Lethbridge in conjunction with our weekly grocery shopping. 2 weekends ago I got some jeans that fit (I had none) and then we went for brunch at Firestone. I had half of a club sandwich and cheddar broccoli soup. So delicious! We LOVE Firestone. It was my belated birthday meal since I wasn't doing well around my actual birthday.
The boys did their annual Primary Presentation. It was Caleb's last one. They all did great. Brettley even complimented Ty loudly after he said his part. It made us chuckle.
Ty turned 9 and I did a post saying 9 things about him on Facebook. Here they are:
1) He is, hands down, the winner for recipient of 'most lines I never thought I'd have to use as a parent'.
2) His favourite colour is blue.
3) He loves Disney Princess movies.
4) He is doing choir in school this year. He also likes to serenade the shower-head regularly.
5) He is my only boy who has hazel eyes or who is a south paw. Both are traits he shares with his dad.
6) Ty loves math, it is by far his favourite school subject.
7) He loves to talk randomly about cotton candy and/or pigs. He also randomly likes to rotate.
8) Well, really, he's just incredibly random in general.
9) Ty is an extremely happy person. I'm sure Heavenly Father gave him to me as my own personal ray of sunshine.
I had quite a few comments from people after my last blog post. It made me grateful that I chose to break my public silence about my struggles. Things seem a lot more positive having that added support. THANKS, GUYS!
Today we're enjoying Halloween, so here is our annual picture. Caleb is a military pilot, Ty is Harry Potter and Brettley is Boba Fett.
Monday, October 23, 2017
Blog Post #500
I just finished frosting and piping Ty's birthday cake. He turned 9 today. As I was squeezing blue icing out of a tube to make a lightning bolt and write a message on his cake, the irony of the situation was definitely not lost on me. In fact, it was screaming loudly, demanding to be heard. The last time I did any piping on a cake was for Ty's first birthday. I won't cherry coat this post, so this is your warning to turn back if you don't want the details.
My "on this day" on Facebook has been so kind the past few months to remind me that this time 8 years ago I had entered the worst depression cycle of my bipolar disorder that I'd ever experienced. John's parents came up for Ty's first birthday. Not because we'd asked them to come celebrate with us, but because they came to pick up our 2 boys to go stay with them for a couple of weeks. Not because we wanted the boys to have a super fun time with Grandma and Grandpa, but because I was non functioning. I couldn't even take care of myself, let alone 2 very young boys. Over the next half a year after that, my boys would spend many weeks down here with their grandparents as we tried desperately to figure out the best way to help get me okay again.
Here is the irony that I was mentioning I felt. I am currently struggling with the worst depressive episode I've had in the last 8 years. After our move down here I could feel myself sinking, but at first I thought it was because John was still working up in Edmonton and that once he was down here things would level out a bit again. Well, he got here over 2 months ago. Things kept getting steadily worse instead of better, especially once the boys started school. I went from having a clearly defined purpose last year as a full time mother and teacher to having nothing and no one to keep me occupied during the day for five days a week. I don't know who I am anymore. I've wondered a lot why we are counselled very heavily to be at home when our kids our young if possible, but no counsel is given about what to do once they're all in school full time. I feel so lost. I am still without a calling (other than being a visiting teacher).
By the time Caleb's birthday rolled around last month, I had severe, debilitating anxiety attacks daily. I absolutely had no desire to read anymore, which if you know me you would know is a clear sign that something was very wrong. I no longer had a desire to live. My mind began formulating plans about how and when would be the best way to commit suicide. I was able ignore it when it was just the 'when'. However, as soon as the 'how' came, I told John how bad things had gotten.
A few days after I told John I was already in an appointment with our new family doctor telling him how bad things were with me. Bless that man's heart, I definitely chose a wonderful doctor for our family. He started me back on meds. He arranged an appointment for me with a short term counselor. He asked me to come back in a week. I had my niece with me during the days that week, and we asked my dad come and stay with me for the following week. I knew I was a danger to myself, and we took steps to ensure I was safe.
That next week, while my dad was here, I had to up my dosage from the starting dose to the next dosage as ordered by my doctor. That was the night before my birthday. Now, if you've ever taken Seroquel or are close to someone who has, you know that adjusting to Seroquel makes you exhausted beyond reason. The brain fog is awful and all you want to do all of the time is fall asleep right where you are. You basically look stoned and really aren't coherent. That's how I spent my birthday as I first met with the short term counselor and then with my family doctor.
The meeting with the counselor went well, but she felt I would be better off with someone who does long term counselling, so she asked if I was okay with that. I knew that was what I needed, so I agreed and we got that going. She had me start to fill out my safety plan to help keep me safe. Then I met with my doctor, who decided that we were going to cover all of our bases and he referred me to a psychiatrist as well.
I was able to meet with my new counselor the following week. I felt very quickly that she would be a very good fit for me. I find it incredibly easy to talk to her, and we share several common interests. We meet again next Tuesday. Since then I've met with my doctor again and I got an appointment set with the psychiatrist for Nov 28. I'm also on the cancellation list for that, so it could be sooner.
It baffles me how quickly things move down here. Within a month of me telling John how bad I'd gotten, I've had 3 doctor appointments, 2 counseling appointments and have a psychiatrist appointment booked for just over a month from now. I'm not used to things moving this quickly, but I sure appreciate it.
This past Sunday I forced myself to go to church because it was our ward's Primary Presentation. More particularly, it was Caleb's last Primary Presentation. Church is painfully hard for me when I'm struggling with anxiety. Sitting still in a room full of people is about the most torturous thing for my anxiety. I was blessed to make it through Sacrament Meeting without any major issues. They sure hit during Sunday School, though. During my second panic attack, our bishop happened upon us. He invited John and I in to his office, where John gave him an extremely brief overview about what's been going on. Bishop asked me if I would like a blessing, which I did. It was so helpful. Our bishop also asked me to work up to walking for an hour outside every single day. I felt well enough after the blessing to try to go to Relief Society. I walked in and sat off to the side by myself. John's aunt immediately motioned for me to move my chair next to her. She then put her arm around me for about half of the lesson. She didn't know the details about what was wrong. She just knew I needed comfort and she gave it, no questions asked. I thanked Heavenly Father right then and there for her.
John and I went for a walk yesterday after our family dinner, and I went for another this morning. Despite the windy walks making me very tired, I did feel better during both of them. I did feel calm and peace while I was walking.
Now, I'm not all better right now. In fact, I'm painfully aware that it will be a long road before I level out again. And that's a good thing, because it means it'll be less likely to act like a yo-yo and just keep swinging from hypomanic to depression. In fact, on the whole, things still feel horribly sucky a lot of the time right now. But I'm still here. I'm still fighting. And THAT is a win.
I've known for this past month that I wanted to write about this part of my personal journey with mental illness and mental health for my post #500. I want to make a difference. I want to be an inspiration to others who feel like the fight isn't worth it. Because it doesn't always feel like it. When you struggle with feeling severely depressed and suicidal, you have many times where it feels impossible to want to keep going. I want to be that proof that those days don't last forever, and that there's a way to get past them without devastating your family and/or friends. In my safety plan I had to list my reasons for living. In addition to my family, one of the things I wrote was that I can't help others if I give in to this. So I will stay and I will continue this fight, even in the many moments right now that it doesn't feel worth it. Because once I get through it, having fought through it will mean everything.
My "on this day" on Facebook has been so kind the past few months to remind me that this time 8 years ago I had entered the worst depression cycle of my bipolar disorder that I'd ever experienced. John's parents came up for Ty's first birthday. Not because we'd asked them to come celebrate with us, but because they came to pick up our 2 boys to go stay with them for a couple of weeks. Not because we wanted the boys to have a super fun time with Grandma and Grandpa, but because I was non functioning. I couldn't even take care of myself, let alone 2 very young boys. Over the next half a year after that, my boys would spend many weeks down here with their grandparents as we tried desperately to figure out the best way to help get me okay again.
Here is the irony that I was mentioning I felt. I am currently struggling with the worst depressive episode I've had in the last 8 years. After our move down here I could feel myself sinking, but at first I thought it was because John was still working up in Edmonton and that once he was down here things would level out a bit again. Well, he got here over 2 months ago. Things kept getting steadily worse instead of better, especially once the boys started school. I went from having a clearly defined purpose last year as a full time mother and teacher to having nothing and no one to keep me occupied during the day for five days a week. I don't know who I am anymore. I've wondered a lot why we are counselled very heavily to be at home when our kids our young if possible, but no counsel is given about what to do once they're all in school full time. I feel so lost. I am still without a calling (other than being a visiting teacher).
By the time Caleb's birthday rolled around last month, I had severe, debilitating anxiety attacks daily. I absolutely had no desire to read anymore, which if you know me you would know is a clear sign that something was very wrong. I no longer had a desire to live. My mind began formulating plans about how and when would be the best way to commit suicide. I was able ignore it when it was just the 'when'. However, as soon as the 'how' came, I told John how bad things had gotten.
A few days after I told John I was already in an appointment with our new family doctor telling him how bad things were with me. Bless that man's heart, I definitely chose a wonderful doctor for our family. He started me back on meds. He arranged an appointment for me with a short term counselor. He asked me to come back in a week. I had my niece with me during the days that week, and we asked my dad come and stay with me for the following week. I knew I was a danger to myself, and we took steps to ensure I was safe.
That next week, while my dad was here, I had to up my dosage from the starting dose to the next dosage as ordered by my doctor. That was the night before my birthday. Now, if you've ever taken Seroquel or are close to someone who has, you know that adjusting to Seroquel makes you exhausted beyond reason. The brain fog is awful and all you want to do all of the time is fall asleep right where you are. You basically look stoned and really aren't coherent. That's how I spent my birthday as I first met with the short term counselor and then with my family doctor.
The meeting with the counselor went well, but she felt I would be better off with someone who does long term counselling, so she asked if I was okay with that. I knew that was what I needed, so I agreed and we got that going. She had me start to fill out my safety plan to help keep me safe. Then I met with my doctor, who decided that we were going to cover all of our bases and he referred me to a psychiatrist as well.
I was able to meet with my new counselor the following week. I felt very quickly that she would be a very good fit for me. I find it incredibly easy to talk to her, and we share several common interests. We meet again next Tuesday. Since then I've met with my doctor again and I got an appointment set with the psychiatrist for Nov 28. I'm also on the cancellation list for that, so it could be sooner.
It baffles me how quickly things move down here. Within a month of me telling John how bad I'd gotten, I've had 3 doctor appointments, 2 counseling appointments and have a psychiatrist appointment booked for just over a month from now. I'm not used to things moving this quickly, but I sure appreciate it.
This past Sunday I forced myself to go to church because it was our ward's Primary Presentation. More particularly, it was Caleb's last Primary Presentation. Church is painfully hard for me when I'm struggling with anxiety. Sitting still in a room full of people is about the most torturous thing for my anxiety. I was blessed to make it through Sacrament Meeting without any major issues. They sure hit during Sunday School, though. During my second panic attack, our bishop happened upon us. He invited John and I in to his office, where John gave him an extremely brief overview about what's been going on. Bishop asked me if I would like a blessing, which I did. It was so helpful. Our bishop also asked me to work up to walking for an hour outside every single day. I felt well enough after the blessing to try to go to Relief Society. I walked in and sat off to the side by myself. John's aunt immediately motioned for me to move my chair next to her. She then put her arm around me for about half of the lesson. She didn't know the details about what was wrong. She just knew I needed comfort and she gave it, no questions asked. I thanked Heavenly Father right then and there for her.
John and I went for a walk yesterday after our family dinner, and I went for another this morning. Despite the windy walks making me very tired, I did feel better during both of them. I did feel calm and peace while I was walking.
Now, I'm not all better right now. In fact, I'm painfully aware that it will be a long road before I level out again. And that's a good thing, because it means it'll be less likely to act like a yo-yo and just keep swinging from hypomanic to depression. In fact, on the whole, things still feel horribly sucky a lot of the time right now. But I'm still here. I'm still fighting. And THAT is a win.
I've known for this past month that I wanted to write about this part of my personal journey with mental illness and mental health for my post #500. I want to make a difference. I want to be an inspiration to others who feel like the fight isn't worth it. Because it doesn't always feel like it. When you struggle with feeling severely depressed and suicidal, you have many times where it feels impossible to want to keep going. I want to be that proof that those days don't last forever, and that there's a way to get past them without devastating your family and/or friends. In my safety plan I had to list my reasons for living. In addition to my family, one of the things I wrote was that I can't help others if I give in to this. So I will stay and I will continue this fight, even in the many moments right now that it doesn't feel worth it. Because once I get through it, having fought through it will mean everything.
Friday, September 1, 2017
August 2017 Pt 2
John came home to stay on Friday 18 August. He got in super late, but it was such a happy moment for us. The next day we cleaned at the church and got a new (to us) barbecue. We haven't had one for a few years, so we are very excited to have one again. Then John and I went on a date to Firestone (yum, my favourite) to celebrate him finally being home with us.
I got to help can my 20 pints of kernel corn from our garden. It's fun learning these new skills that are so useful.
John's mom was home briefly on the 25th before they took off to bring her to her mission field. John was able to give her a blessing before she left. The kids miss her a lot. We send her an email every week to update her on how we are.
On Sunday I saw that they announced that they are rolling "Come, Follow Me" in to the Priesthood and Relief Society lessons next year. I am super excited about this. I loved this when I taught the youth and think it will be an amazing thing for these adult classes.
We've spent most of the last week under a heat warning here and several days with air quality issues from the smoke as well. I'm really looking forward to after Thanksgiving.
Yesterday we went the the school and the boys got to take a tour of it. They each saw their new classrooms and met their new teachers. Brettley is very excited that his classroom has fish in it. Ty has opted to go by Tyrell this year since there will be another Ty in his class. Caleb has 2 teacher, but only was able to meet 1 of them yesterday. They also got to spend a couple of minutes playing in the school's new indoor playground. We brought their school supplies home and got them all labeled and ready to go for Tuesday. I also sorted and labeled all of the school supplies for my sister-in-law's kids yesterday. I do love me some school supplies. However, I'm really going to miss having my kids at home. I was so spoiled last year in getting to do things on our own schedule and having them to keep me company as we learned things together.
Fun note, just as I finished writing the previous paragraph, our heat warning was finally lifted. Why? Because it's ONLY going to get up to 28C today, ha ha. I'm so grateful that my bedroom is in the basement.
I got to help can my 20 pints of kernel corn from our garden. It's fun learning these new skills that are so useful.
John's mom was home briefly on the 25th before they took off to bring her to her mission field. John was able to give her a blessing before she left. The kids miss her a lot. We send her an email every week to update her on how we are.
On Sunday I saw that they announced that they are rolling "Come, Follow Me" in to the Priesthood and Relief Society lessons next year. I am super excited about this. I loved this when I taught the youth and think it will be an amazing thing for these adult classes.
We've spent most of the last week under a heat warning here and several days with air quality issues from the smoke as well. I'm really looking forward to after Thanksgiving.
Yesterday we went the the school and the boys got to take a tour of it. They each saw their new classrooms and met their new teachers. Brettley is very excited that his classroom has fish in it. Ty has opted to go by Tyrell this year since there will be another Ty in his class. Caleb has 2 teacher, but only was able to meet 1 of them yesterday. They also got to spend a couple of minutes playing in the school's new indoor playground. We brought their school supplies home and got them all labeled and ready to go for Tuesday. I also sorted and labeled all of the school supplies for my sister-in-law's kids yesterday. I do love me some school supplies. However, I'm really going to miss having my kids at home. I was so spoiled last year in getting to do things on our own schedule and having them to keep me company as we learned things together.
Fun note, just as I finished writing the previous paragraph, our heat warning was finally lifted. Why? Because it's ONLY going to get up to 28C today, ha ha. I'm so grateful that my bedroom is in the basement.
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
June Part 2: We've Officially Moved
I decided to get this done today since I have gardening and cleaning to do tomorrow and John will be here on Friday.
We got here on the evening of Fri 16 June. The next day a few men from the ward came to help us unload the moving van. I was meant to be helping direct where things were going, but Ty injured his knee pretty badly right as people showed up so I was busy calming him down and trying my best to clean his knee up for most of that time. We've been through a few minor injuries down here already, ha ha.
On Sunday we met with our new bishop, which was probably the most relaxed meeting I have ever had with a bishop/branch president. It was really good. He sounded so excited to have a new "young" family in the ward and was so happy when I said I was ready to accept a calling as soon as one came for me. The very next day I was asked if I would be willing to substitute in Primary for the summer until I have an official calling. I felt needed right away and it was a great feeling.
We got the address on our licenses changed, got Caleb's prescription from the pharmacy, got our Shaw hooked up, I met with the principal, registered the boys with the school for the fall and bought a family pool pass for the summer.
John went back to Edmonton and did the final walk through to hand back our townhouse. We officially have no home up there anymore. He bought me a bike last weekend. I'm excited to get it tomorrow!
I have loved being able to send Caleb to the store if I need something and he's really enjoyed picking the mail up for me from the post office each day. I got to substitute teach the Valiant 11 class this past weekend. There are 4 girls in the class, so it was very similar to teaching Beehives. They were a lot of fun.
The boys all camped out in a tent on Sunday night and on Monday it was just Caleb and his cousin, which they really enjoyed. We've started helping in the garden. We spend about an hour out there each morning. I have so many more opportunities to be active down here, which it great. The only downside has been that mine and Caleb's allergies have been way worse down here. Hopefully we'll eventually adapt.
This afternoon I got a surprise visit from one of my nieces. It was a great afternoon and we got some yummy ice cream Slurpee's together. She is going to help watch my kids for most of the summer, so it will be great to have her here so much.
Caleb went to the pool by himself this afternoon and made a friend while he was there. It was such a HUGE step for my boy who struggles so much with anxiety. It was definitely testament to how beneficial this move has been for him. He is thriving! We all are!
We got here on the evening of Fri 16 June. The next day a few men from the ward came to help us unload the moving van. I was meant to be helping direct where things were going, but Ty injured his knee pretty badly right as people showed up so I was busy calming him down and trying my best to clean his knee up for most of that time. We've been through a few minor injuries down here already, ha ha.
On Sunday we met with our new bishop, which was probably the most relaxed meeting I have ever had with a bishop/branch president. It was really good. He sounded so excited to have a new "young" family in the ward and was so happy when I said I was ready to accept a calling as soon as one came for me. The very next day I was asked if I would be willing to substitute in Primary for the summer until I have an official calling. I felt needed right away and it was a great feeling.
We got the address on our licenses changed, got Caleb's prescription from the pharmacy, got our Shaw hooked up, I met with the principal, registered the boys with the school for the fall and bought a family pool pass for the summer.
John went back to Edmonton and did the final walk through to hand back our townhouse. We officially have no home up there anymore. He bought me a bike last weekend. I'm excited to get it tomorrow!
I have loved being able to send Caleb to the store if I need something and he's really enjoyed picking the mail up for me from the post office each day. I got to substitute teach the Valiant 11 class this past weekend. There are 4 girls in the class, so it was very similar to teaching Beehives. They were a lot of fun.
The boys all camped out in a tent on Sunday night and on Monday it was just Caleb and his cousin, which they really enjoyed. We've started helping in the garden. We spend about an hour out there each morning. I have so many more opportunities to be active down here, which it great. The only downside has been that mine and Caleb's allergies have been way worse down here. Hopefully we'll eventually adapt.
This afternoon I got a surprise visit from one of my nieces. It was a great afternoon and we got some yummy ice cream Slurpee's together. She is going to help watch my kids for most of the summer, so it will be great to have her here so much.
Caleb went to the pool by himself this afternoon and made a friend while he was there. It was such a HUGE step for my boy who struggles so much with anxiety. It was definitely testament to how beneficial this move has been for him. He is thriving! We all are!
Friday, June 23, 2017
June Part 1 - While Still in Edmonton
I could probably sum up this time period in only three words: I was stressed. Almost all of the packing was done by just Caleb and I. I was arranging things and cleaning and still worried about what felt like a thousand different things. It was the longest I'd ever lived in one town/city and the longest I'd ever lived in one home (and it was still only for 6 years in that home). I was gifted a couple of tubs of Cookie Dough Dynamo ice cream by John and my friend, Jenae. It helped a lot when things got too hectic. We also took a few breaks to the park in that last week when I needed a break from the house for a while.
We were officially released from our callings on the ward level and John's final act as ward membership clerk was to move our records to our new ward in Magrath. I got to a point in the last week where I just wanted to set fire to our home and all of the belongings in it, but I stuck it out and we got it done.
We ended up getting to move a day earlier than planned thanks to many people who came to help us load the moving truck and to clean the old place. John and Caleb drove down in the moving truck and my dad drove Brettley, Ty and I in our van. It was the fastest that drive has ever felt, even though it took the same amount of time it always does. We are so grateful for all of the help given to us our last few weeks there.
We were officially released from our callings on the ward level and John's final act as ward membership clerk was to move our records to our new ward in Magrath. I got to a point in the last week where I just wanted to set fire to our home and all of the belongings in it, but I stuck it out and we got it done.
We ended up getting to move a day earlier than planned thanks to many people who came to help us load the moving truck and to clean the old place. John and Caleb drove down in the moving truck and my dad drove Brettley, Ty and I in our van. It was the fastest that drive has ever felt, even though it took the same amount of time it always does. We are so grateful for all of the help given to us our last few weeks there.
Thursday, May 4, 2017
April
We started April off with General Conference. We spent that Saturday with our friends watching it at their house, which was a great time.
That week we met with the boys' school facilitator in a meeting that went very well. Ty is reading at a grade 4 level (he just finished grade 3) and Brettley's reading for just finishing grade 1 was extremely good. I am so thrilled with what they accomplished this year. It may very well be the best year I'll ever have with them. We grew so much closer as a family. No regrets!
We had a nasty bout of croup and colds go through our house. We mostly avoided illnesses this year since they were home schooled, but this one snuck through and did a number on those poor boys, and then on me.
We had a major shakeup here in the Edmonton LDS area. A fifth stake was created. Our ward was moved from one stake to another. The man who was our bishop when we first moved to this ward is now our new Stake President. He is definitely a man willing to let Heavenly Father work through him, I felt instantly that it was an inspired calling.
Our hockey team, the Oilers, made it to the playoffs for the first time since I was pregnant with Caleb. Game nights have become a big thing in our house as of late.
We went to spend some time at my sister-in-law's while her kids were on Easter Break. It was the best time ever! The kids had so much freedom there, my anxiety was better than it has been in many, many years and we all had a blast. As a fun story, I decided to drive part of the way there. That was the first time I'd driven in years. I felt pretty good, but the sun set just before we were passing through Fort McLeod and the town was experiencing a black out. It was so nerve wracking and, of course, the one pedestrian I managed to encounter was wearing all black. I made it about 5 minutes past the town before I had to pull over and let John drive again. Driving through the black out shook me up just a bit too much, but heck. I did it! I drove again!
I also managed to get hooked on herbal iced tea. Yum!
And for our last bit of news for April, we announced that we are FINALLY making the move to Southern Alberta. Most people who know us have known that this has been our eventual plan ever since we were still engaged. We knew back in February that it was supposed to happen and after countless prayers, many people fasting and a few visits to the temple, we felt strongly prompted to make a move of faith. John's permanent address will be down there with us, but he will stay with my dad and still work up in Edmonton until the job issue works itself out. This is the scariest thing we've ever done (and probably will ever do). Our moving day is June 17th and we are extremely excited, nervous, scared and many other things. But we know this is the right plan for our family and are looking forward to our new adventure. The boys will be attending the local school there in the fall, which we are all excited about. But we really want John to be with us down there as quickly as possible, so please, please, please keep us in your prayers.
And that's our April :)
That week we met with the boys' school facilitator in a meeting that went very well. Ty is reading at a grade 4 level (he just finished grade 3) and Brettley's reading for just finishing grade 1 was extremely good. I am so thrilled with what they accomplished this year. It may very well be the best year I'll ever have with them. We grew so much closer as a family. No regrets!
We had a nasty bout of croup and colds go through our house. We mostly avoided illnesses this year since they were home schooled, but this one snuck through and did a number on those poor boys, and then on me.
We had a major shakeup here in the Edmonton LDS area. A fifth stake was created. Our ward was moved from one stake to another. The man who was our bishop when we first moved to this ward is now our new Stake President. He is definitely a man willing to let Heavenly Father work through him, I felt instantly that it was an inspired calling.
Our hockey team, the Oilers, made it to the playoffs for the first time since I was pregnant with Caleb. Game nights have become a big thing in our house as of late.
We went to spend some time at my sister-in-law's while her kids were on Easter Break. It was the best time ever! The kids had so much freedom there, my anxiety was better than it has been in many, many years and we all had a blast. As a fun story, I decided to drive part of the way there. That was the first time I'd driven in years. I felt pretty good, but the sun set just before we were passing through Fort McLeod and the town was experiencing a black out. It was so nerve wracking and, of course, the one pedestrian I managed to encounter was wearing all black. I made it about 5 minutes past the town before I had to pull over and let John drive again. Driving through the black out shook me up just a bit too much, but heck. I did it! I drove again!
I also managed to get hooked on herbal iced tea. Yum!
And for our last bit of news for April, we announced that we are FINALLY making the move to Southern Alberta. Most people who know us have known that this has been our eventual plan ever since we were still engaged. We knew back in February that it was supposed to happen and after countless prayers, many people fasting and a few visits to the temple, we felt strongly prompted to make a move of faith. John's permanent address will be down there with us, but he will stay with my dad and still work up in Edmonton until the job issue works itself out. This is the scariest thing we've ever done (and probably will ever do). Our moving day is June 17th and we are extremely excited, nervous, scared and many other things. But we know this is the right plan for our family and are looking forward to our new adventure. The boys will be attending the local school there in the fall, which we are all excited about. But we really want John to be with us down there as quickly as possible, so please, please, please keep us in your prayers.
And that's our April :)
Saturday, November 26, 2016
A More Positive Update
It's been way too long since my last post, and it wasn't a very happy one. Things got sorted out for us with the school stuff. The boys are now with Vermilion Home Schooling, and we are very happy to be there. Our facilitator is great and very happy to help me know exactly what we need to do to keep the boys parent-directed but still have them receive an Alberta Education High School Diploma.
John started his 4 day work weeks. We are very blessed and he has enough vacation and banked time saved up that we are covered for it until mid-June, at least. We were pretty worried that John would have to get a second job, and now he might not have to get one at all.
Last Sunday was our ward's Primary Presentation. Caleb pleasantly surprised us all and decided to take part in it, despite his anxiety about it. He and Ty did wonderful. Brettley was...very wiggly, ha ha. He moved around a lot, but apparently peoplewho aren't his parents found it entertaining, so it's all good.
Not too much else going on here, just excited to start our daily activities that we have planned for December. My mum bought the boys an elf for this year. I tried to fight it for a few years, but I've found him to be a really easy way of getting the boys to do their chores and listen to what they've been told to do, so I'm loving that side of it.
I hope that everyone is doing well! Is anyone still here?
John started his 4 day work weeks. We are very blessed and he has enough vacation and banked time saved up that we are covered for it until mid-June, at least. We were pretty worried that John would have to get a second job, and now he might not have to get one at all.
Last Sunday was our ward's Primary Presentation. Caleb pleasantly surprised us all and decided to take part in it, despite his anxiety about it. He and Ty did wonderful. Brettley was...very wiggly, ha ha. He moved around a lot, but apparently people
Not too much else going on here, just excited to start our daily activities that we have planned for December. My mum bought the boys an elf for this year. I tried to fight it for a few years, but I've found him to be a really easy way of getting the boys to do their chores and listen to what they've been told to do, so I'm loving that side of it.
I hope that everyone is doing well! Is anyone still here?
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Swimming and School
The boys started their swimming lessons last week. They all have the same teacher, and we are at the pool for a long time (over 2 hours), but it's worth it. Caleb and Brettley have also had colds, but Caleb's is gone now and Brettley is improving.
Brettley's attitude about school has gotten much better in the past week (except for one day that he was the most sick). Tyrell has had a rough few days with staying focused and not giving up if something is difficult. Caleb is doing awesome. It helps that he is used to this routine. He is currently doing his novel study of Underground to Canada and he is reading way ahead of schedule because he's so interested in it.
Caleb also has started Cubs for the year. Tyrell is really excited to start it at the end of October.
Yesterday we went out and delivered flyers for the food drive we participate in annually. The boys love it and look forward to it. On Saturday we do pick up. They are curious to see how well we do this year.
Not too much else is new around here. Just still trying to find our groove for the school routine. Hopefully we'll get there in the next couple of weeks.
Brettley's attitude about school has gotten much better in the past week (except for one day that he was the most sick). Tyrell has had a rough few days with staying focused and not giving up if something is difficult. Caleb is doing awesome. It helps that he is used to this routine. He is currently doing his novel study of Underground to Canada and he is reading way ahead of schedule because he's so interested in it.
Caleb also has started Cubs for the year. Tyrell is really excited to start it at the end of October.
Yesterday we went out and delivered flyers for the food drive we participate in annually. The boys love it and look forward to it. On Saturday we do pick up. They are curious to see how well we do this year.
Not too much else is new around here. Just still trying to find our groove for the school routine. Hopefully we'll get there in the next couple of weeks.
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
But That's Not What It's Supposed to Look Like...
Surprisingly, this post isn't homeschool related. So for the past several months I have struggling with depression and anxiety. It was hard to take it seriously for quite a while, because it was nowhere near as severe as it was before I started taking Seroquel. Before then, depression and anxiety meant not being able to do even the easiest of household tasks, not being able to hold myself together when John wasn't here, majorly struggling with self-harm. This time around, I was still able to get the basic chores around the house done, I was able to function without John at home, I was able to be consistent with homeschooling and even feel excitement about it. Although I'm sure I will always struggle with the temptation to self-harm, I haven't given in for well over a year. So my life didn't look how I expected depression and anxiety to look, but it was there. I was almost ambivalent about Christmas, which is the opposite of how I usually am. I couldn't sit still with more than 10 people near me without having an anxiety attack (yes, that means I couldn't do church), and often was having anxiety attacks in stores. I was depression eating.
So this past week I decided to make some changes. I was willing to open up to a good friend and also to a bishopric member about what was going on. That was a huge step, I always try to hide when I'm struggling. I committed to only eating after supper once per week, which would eliminate most of my stress-induced chips and dip binges. I am committing to some sort of intentional movement every day that John works, even if it's just dancing to 2 songs one day. I started taking a multivitamin for women. I decided to take church 1 week at a time, and my goal for this Sunday is to sit in the hallway and be able to stay there at least long enough to partake of the sacrament. At any time after that, if the anxiety is too much, I'll go sit in the van and read Jesus the Christ until John and the boys are done their meetings.
Also, I made the connection that things really started going downhill right when I started taking birth control pills in an effort to help with PMS emotional issues. So since I just finished a pack anyway, I decided that the trade off isn't worth it, and I won't be continuing with them.
While things haven't been easy, I've remained optimistic that I will get through this rough patch, like I always do. I just need to pull out of it 1 step at a time.
So this past week I decided to make some changes. I was willing to open up to a good friend and also to a bishopric member about what was going on. That was a huge step, I always try to hide when I'm struggling. I committed to only eating after supper once per week, which would eliminate most of my stress-induced chips and dip binges. I am committing to some sort of intentional movement every day that John works, even if it's just dancing to 2 songs one day. I started taking a multivitamin for women. I decided to take church 1 week at a time, and my goal for this Sunday is to sit in the hallway and be able to stay there at least long enough to partake of the sacrament. At any time after that, if the anxiety is too much, I'll go sit in the van and read Jesus the Christ until John and the boys are done their meetings.
Also, I made the connection that things really started going downhill right when I started taking birth control pills in an effort to help with PMS emotional issues. So since I just finished a pack anyway, I decided that the trade off isn't worth it, and I won't be continuing with them.
While things haven't been easy, I've remained optimistic that I will get through this rough patch, like I always do. I just need to pull out of it 1 step at a time.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
October Update
So apparently I'm sorely lacking in the 'remember to blog' department. Oops! Here's an update and I will do my best to get back on track next week.
Brettley has been doing eye patching for the past few months. He has one pair of glasses that his cloth patch remains on permanently and then his big boy glasses that have no patch for the rest of the day. He has been working hard at learning all about letters and numbers. If he keeps up the hard work, I may actually get to teach him some sight words before he starts Kindergarten next fall. He is very close to being able to get out of the car seat and into the booster seat, a day we are ALL awaiting.
Tyrell is loving grade 2. He has the same teacher that Caleb had last year, which I may or may not have fist pumped over (okay, I'll totally own the fact that I did). He is still a big chatterbox and ball of energy when he's not at his desk at school. He just turned 7 last week and keeps talking about how excited he is to turn 8 next year and get baptized and start Cubs. This week he moved into the room with the double bed (Caleb moved in with Brettley), and he is so excited to have a space of his own. Our plan is to have them rotate who gets a room to himself every year.
Caleb is doing alright, after we got him settled into grade 4. He had a hard time adjusting, and so the principal and I have decided to go through trying to have him get coded for next year (due to his ADHD aggression, Oppositional Defiant Disorder and anxiety) so that he will qualify for extra help and so that when he goes to junior high and we have to deal with many teachers instead of just 1, I don't have to fight too hard for him to get the accommodations that he needs. He still absolutely loves science and has shown an interest in computer programming, so he and John are getting books out of the library to introduce him to that. He turned 9 last month and already has a teenage attitude, ha ha.
John is doing fairly well, other than his bout of shingles these past couple of weeks. A huge blessing, though, that it was an extremely mild case and was more of a nuisance to him than anything else. The biggest down side was that because Brettley hasn't had his second chicken pox immunization yet, he has been living at my dad's for over a week. He gets to come home tomorrow.
I am doing pretty well, aside from the case of bronchitis that Caleb so kindly shared with me this week. I have been doing lunchtime supervision at the school (my dad watches Brettley) and I really enjoy it. I am still happily serving away as the Mia Maids adviser in Young Women to a wonderful group of girls. I have been focusing a lot more lately on getting more out of my scripture study and just about increasing my learning in general. It's been a lot of fun and it keeps me very motivated.
So I think that's our updates, or at least the Coles Notes version of it. Have a great Halloween weekend!
Brettley has been doing eye patching for the past few months. He has one pair of glasses that his cloth patch remains on permanently and then his big boy glasses that have no patch for the rest of the day. He has been working hard at learning all about letters and numbers. If he keeps up the hard work, I may actually get to teach him some sight words before he starts Kindergarten next fall. He is very close to being able to get out of the car seat and into the booster seat, a day we are ALL awaiting.
Tyrell is loving grade 2. He has the same teacher that Caleb had last year, which I may or may not have fist pumped over (okay, I'll totally own the fact that I did). He is still a big chatterbox and ball of energy when he's not at his desk at school. He just turned 7 last week and keeps talking about how excited he is to turn 8 next year and get baptized and start Cubs. This week he moved into the room with the double bed (Caleb moved in with Brettley), and he is so excited to have a space of his own. Our plan is to have them rotate who gets a room to himself every year.
Caleb is doing alright, after we got him settled into grade 4. He had a hard time adjusting, and so the principal and I have decided to go through trying to have him get coded for next year (due to his ADHD aggression, Oppositional Defiant Disorder and anxiety) so that he will qualify for extra help and so that when he goes to junior high and we have to deal with many teachers instead of just 1, I don't have to fight too hard for him to get the accommodations that he needs. He still absolutely loves science and has shown an interest in computer programming, so he and John are getting books out of the library to introduce him to that. He turned 9 last month and already has a teenage attitude, ha ha.
John is doing fairly well, other than his bout of shingles these past couple of weeks. A huge blessing, though, that it was an extremely mild case and was more of a nuisance to him than anything else. The biggest down side was that because Brettley hasn't had his second chicken pox immunization yet, he has been living at my dad's for over a week. He gets to come home tomorrow.
I am doing pretty well, aside from the case of bronchitis that Caleb so kindly shared with me this week. I have been doing lunchtime supervision at the school (my dad watches Brettley) and I really enjoy it. I am still happily serving away as the Mia Maids adviser in Young Women to a wonderful group of girls. I have been focusing a lot more lately on getting more out of my scripture study and just about increasing my learning in general. It's been a lot of fun and it keeps me very motivated.
So I think that's our updates, or at least the Coles Notes version of it. Have a great Halloween weekend!
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Spiritual Thought for April
This past weekend I was blessed to be able to watch almost all of the 5 sessions of General Conference. John and Caleb were watching the priesthood session at home, so I caught a lot of it. I love General Conference weekend. Not just because I can stay in my PJs the whole time if I want (although it is an added bonus), but because it's just so spiritually uplifting.
This one in particular had so many amazing talks that I felt were so relevant to us. For the first time ever, I didn't take notes. I wanted to be able to focus on what they were saying so that I didn't miss anything while writing. I plan to go back over the talks and study them and make notes then.
What stuck out to me the most was how much family and the importance of it was talked about in this particular conference. It's always a big topic, but maybe I just noticed it more than usual this time or something, I don't know. It reminded me that family is very much meant to be looked at with an eternal perspective. I feel more motivated to keep helping my children learn what they need to know so that they can build their own unshakable testimonies.
One of my favourite moments from the weekend, though, was when Caleb found out that people like him can actually attend General Conference in person. He and John set a goal to go together and attend the Priesthood Session once Caleb turns 12. I love seeing his love for the gospel!
I love General Conference and am looking forward to the next one in October :)
PS
Our monthly update is in the post below this, as I just put it up right before writing this.
This one in particular had so many amazing talks that I felt were so relevant to us. For the first time ever, I didn't take notes. I wanted to be able to focus on what they were saying so that I didn't miss anything while writing. I plan to go back over the talks and study them and make notes then.
What stuck out to me the most was how much family and the importance of it was talked about in this particular conference. It's always a big topic, but maybe I just noticed it more than usual this time or something, I don't know. It reminded me that family is very much meant to be looked at with an eternal perspective. I feel more motivated to keep helping my children learn what they need to know so that they can build their own unshakable testimonies.
One of my favourite moments from the weekend, though, was when Caleb found out that people like him can actually attend General Conference in person. He and John set a goal to go together and attend the Priesthood Session once Caleb turns 12. I love seeing his love for the gospel!
I love General Conference and am looking forward to the next one in October :)
PS
Our monthly update is in the post below this, as I just put it up right before writing this.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
The Atonement
I know, I missed last week. I'll post about why in a few weeks, I hope.
Anywho, I'd rather post the thing I missed, which is my spiritual thought for the month, rather than pictures of what I've been making over the past month, so here goes.
Here in Edmonton, we, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have been doing a media blitz over the past couple of months. This month's "thing" was to post a picture that shows what The Book of Mormon has taught you. Here's mine:
I wrote about this to my nephew this week, who is currently serving a mission. Too often, I think we forget that the Atonement covers so much more than just sin. The peace and comfort it can give you during your trials is nothing short of miraculous. I could not have gone through several things I've been through in my life without the comforting power of the Atonement. Even when I feel my most alone, I am NEVER truly alone, and how amazing is that?
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Personal Progress
So my (short) spiritual thought for this month...I've been thinking a lot about Personal Progress lately. What an amazing program available to the Young Women. I have finished it 3 times within the past 3.5 years (also finished the Honor Bee in there once) and have started it for a fourth time. It is such a HUGE testimony builder for me. I have also had the privilege of helping 3 girls finish the program very early on (2 to 2.5 years). I am absolutely certain that this program was inspired by Heavenly Father and would highly encourage any woman at any stage in her life to do it (or do it over again). I LOVE it!
Sorry this isn't longer. It's Brettley's birthday so I'm busy cooking and baking today, plus we have our annual suite inspection today and I'm also getting all of my last minute stuff done for my trip to Calgary since I'm leaving at 6 tomorrow morning.
Sorry this isn't longer. It's Brettley's birthday so I'm busy cooking and baking today, plus we have our annual suite inspection today and I'm also getting all of my last minute stuff done for my trip to Calgary since I'm leaving at 6 tomorrow morning.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Our January 2015
So the first Sunday in January had Brettley leaving nursery and starting Sunbeams in Primary. Caleb left Junior Primary behind and started Senior Primary. Brettley's milestones are slowly starting to become bittersweet for me. That in itself is hard for me, because in the past I've always been a mum who enjoys when their child moves on to new adventures and isn't sad about them leaving anything behind. It feels really weird for me. That day we also went back to 9 am church, which reintroduced the Sunday afternoon naps (yay!).
I also started doing a lot of research about Sensory Processing Disorder. I noticed a few things about Ty (and Caleb as well, if I'm being honest) and thought I'd check into it. They both have quite a few traits from it, so I found a LOT of information about. It has been an amazing learning experience. Also, the BEST book I've found for it so far for our particular circumstance is The Sensory Child Gets Organized (I even linked it for you). I linked it to Indigo because I feel an obligation to support the company that my brother works for (he manages the Indigospirit T.D. Square in Calgary).
My brother's father-in-law was very generous and brought my mum, stepdad and myself to an Oilers game this month. They were playing Chicago and we won and it was great! It was the first came I'd been to since 1997 when they were in the playoffs, so I was really excited to go.
I managed to reinjure my back again and for once it wasn't because I did something I shouldn't have been doing. It was (how to put this lightly...) Caleb related. I ended up having to go for a couple of massages because I was in a lot of pain (I was medicating every 3 hours and still was hurting so bad that I wanted to puke). I'm pretty much better now, but still taking it (relatively) easy.
John decided to introduce me to Gilmore Girls one night when we were looking for something to watch on Netflix. I. AM. HOOKED!
Caleb's class had an in-class field trip about Rocks and Minerals that I helped out with. I got to show the kids actual obsidian, so they were all obsessed with it. (Thank you Minecraft for making rocks and minerals more interesting to young kids)
And then I chopped my hair off again. I had been waffling on it for months. I have thick, naturally wavy hair. And here is why I hate it when people tell me that I'm lucky to have it...It's heavy, so it gives me headaches unless I have it thinned every week or two. It's horribly awkward to grow out. It looks awful when it's anything but short unless I actually DO my hair. I am a VERY low maintenance girl when it comes to my hair. So when I hurt my back again I knew that I wouldn't be able to straighten it again for months and chopped it off. I also got the purple temporary colour I mentioned the last post to occasionally put in my bangs. I'm really glad that I decided to cut it short again.
So, that was pretty much our January. I had to take allergy meds a few times thanks to all of the snow melting and exposing the snow mold (blah). Sorry there aren't more pictures. I really need to get better about taking pictures...Anyway, next week's post will be on Wednesday. Actually, there will be 2 because it's also Brett's birthday that day. But I'll be gone on Thursday, so that's not really an option. Have a good one :)
Thursday, January 15, 2015
My 'Crafty' Side
I will be the first to admit that my mum kept all of her crafty talent and shared none of it with me while I was still in utero. I severely lack an imagination (I couldn't even read the first chapter of Harry Potter until I had the visual from the movie) and it took years to be able to draw a straight line with a ruler. However, I decided over Christmas holidays that I need to start being a bit creative just to have an outlet. Being a stay-at-home mum who doesn't drive, I kind of lose my mind in the winter. And summer... Pretty much any time, ha ha. So I bought Caleb's desk from him that he wasn't using for the price of a Skylanders trap (so, about $7). I used a fair chunk of my Christmas money from my parents to buy things for my desk like 2 new pen sets (huzzah for Staedtler pens), highlighters, organizers and so forth. Thus, my creative space was born.
So the 3rd Thursday of the month is about getting to share what I've been working on.
Mondays are set aside for personal writing, which is just that. It's personal.
Tuesdays are for learning about whatever I feel like learning about. Lately it has been Sensory Processing Disorder. There are a lot of traits from it that my kids have, so I have been learning about lots of fun activities to do with them. One that I think all 3 of them are going to enjoy this summer is 'painting' the fence in our back yard with water. We're also going to make them calm down bottles (if you're on Pinterest, I'm sure you've seen them). I've got a whole list, but it would probably just be a lot easier to check it out on Pinterest. There are so many fun activities that just about any kid would like.
Wednesdays are to build up our collection of geeky Christmas ornaments, aka Perler Beads Day. Here are the latest 5 that I've made.
The Batman is for John, Wonder Woman is for me, Green Lantern is for Caleb, Superman is for Ty and The Flash is for Brettley. They also match our geeky Christmas stockings that my mum made for us in 2013. I've also made 1 other ornament each for us, but they made it on the tree last month and are put away now.
Thursdays are my blogging day and, if I'm up to it, doing a decluttering chore. With my back out right now, though, it's not been happening.
Fridays I am finding floor plans for houses that I like on Pinterest and putting them onto graph paper, making a few changes as I see fit. This is actually one of my most favourite things to do. John keeps telling me to become an architect and then he will stay at home with the kids. I keep reminding him that I sucked at high school math and barely scraped a passing grade in Physics 20.
My side project recently has been assembling Busy Bag activities for the boys for church.
This one is part of Brettley's school stuff to help him learn the Alphabet, but it's being transferred to the Busy bag.
Here's part of the Colour Sudoku kit I made. I'm actually pretty excited about this one, since I love Sudoku and am pretty dang decent at it (right Amber?).
From the reactions I got while making this, the kids are probably going to be fighting after this Build a Pizza kit. They all thought it was so awesome.
So that's what I've been up to this past month in my efforts to be a little more creative.
Also, thanks again to Amber for my awesome new blog header :D
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Spiritual Thought
So for my second Thursday of each month, I decided to devote it to something spiritual that's currently on my mind. This month my new thing is doing the Book of Mormon 365 (by LDS Living) on Instagram.
Each day it tells you how far to read that day (starting at 1 Nephi 1:1 on the first day) and gives you a question to ponder as you read it. I am finding this to be completely invaluable! For so long I've been able to read regularly (when I'm focusing on it), but have a hard time actually getting something out of it. It's been a struggle for me the whole time since I've joined the church. Having the section set out for me with a specific thing to ponder as I read it has helped me get more out of reading the scriptures these past 8 days that I did in all of last year, I'm sure. I would highly recommend it to anyone and I'm really grateful that a friend of mine recommended it on her Instagram. It's amazing to finally have a way to study the scriptures with a purpose!
If you're interested, here are some links:
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Revamp, Farewell and Celebration
If you're not on the mobile version of this, you've probably noticed that I'm making some changes to my blog. I just felt that it was time. I plan on using my blog differently in the new year (that's SO far away now), and I felt that the changes I'm making would work well with it. I got rid of some stuff, added some buttons and changed or edited a lot, including our bios. The change to how I'm using my blog will start tomorrow with the brand new year. Hopefully it will work better for me :) With that, I won't be doing the Thankful Thursdays anymore. They were feeling redundant, and it wasn't really motivating me on here.
So 2014 on to 2015, hey? I was right, 2014 was significantly better for me than 2013 was, so huzzah! It's been a big year. I got called back in to Young Women, we went on the rollarcoaster to find out what was going on with Caleb, ended up with a diagnosis, went back to Magrath for the first time since Dad passed away early in 2012, Caleb was baptized and I turned the big 3-0. C does this thing where she has a motivational word or phrase for the upcoming year. I've sort of been trying to adopt that, so my word for 2015 is... Reclaim . I'm hoping to reclaim my healthy body, a healthy mind and an even healthier and stronger testimony this coming year.
However, I can't let 2014 go just yet, because today celebrates 9 years since I married that amazing man that I call my husband in the Cardston Alberta Temple. Our marriage has survived so much in the past 9 years. I've seen so much with this amazing man by my side, and I'm looking forward to an eternity more. All of me loves all of you, John!
So 2014 on to 2015, hey? I was right, 2014 was significantly better for me than 2013 was, so huzzah! It's been a big year. I got called back in to Young Women, we went on the rollarcoaster to find out what was going on with Caleb, ended up with a diagnosis, went back to Magrath for the first time since Dad passed away early in 2012, Caleb was baptized and I turned the big 3-0. C does this thing where she has a motivational word or phrase for the upcoming year. I've sort of been trying to adopt that, so my word for 2015 is... Reclaim . I'm hoping to reclaim my healthy body, a healthy mind and an even healthier and stronger testimony this coming year.
However, I can't let 2014 go just yet, because today celebrates 9 years since I married that amazing man that I call my husband in the Cardston Alberta Temple. Our marriage has survived so much in the past 9 years. I've seen so much with this amazing man by my side, and I'm looking forward to an eternity more. All of me loves all of you, John!
Thursday, December 18, 2014
1 Week Until Christmas
1) I am grateful that I was able to go watch Caleb and Ty in their concert on Tuesday. They both enjoyed it so much. Ty was so animated and I had a hard time holding my phone still as I recorded it because I was laughing, but it was awesome.
2) I am grateful for how much I get out of serving the young women. They are constantly inspiring me to do better and help keep me focused. They are such amazing girls.
3) I am grateful for a wonderful husband who has been helping me out as I go through health issues. I am so blessed to be his wife and I love him more than words can say.
2) I am grateful for how much I get out of serving the young women. They are constantly inspiring me to do better and help keep me focused. They are such amazing girls.
3) I am grateful for a wonderful husband who has been helping me out as I go through health issues. I am so blessed to be his wife and I love him more than words can say.
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