We had family photos taken last Saturday by one of the young women in our ward. Her mom said she got some really cute ones, so I'm looking forward to seeing them soon and being able to update the pictures on here, since the kids have changed so much in the last year.
We've also been enjoying using the BBQ now that the weather is warmer out. We had a few days where it was abnormally hot for that time of the year. Days like that make me wish that it was normal for AC in houses here, but it's just not worth it for the small amount of unbearable heat that we get in a year. I am thinking that we might be spending some time in the basement this summer though. Guess I'd better get their little air hockey table set up down there.
Bretts has been absolutely loving the nice weather and would be outside 24/7 if he could. He is walking and running and jumping so well and his speech has improved so much. We are so happy with all of the progress he's made.
Ty is so excited for Kindergarten. We told him that he would start after Auntie Rachel has her baby (she's due near the end of August), so now every morning he asks if Auntie Rachel has had her baby yet. I think school is going to be a great thing for him, and I'm sure he'll be the class clown. He still has me in stitches so often.
Caleb is loving grade 1 and just adores reading. He stops to read signs and other every day things all of the time. Today is his track meet, which he was very excited about. He is also almost done his first year of piano. He has learned so much and is really enjoying it. He has decided that he really wants to take it again next year, which I'm more than happy to do.
Not a lot else going on here at the moment, though. I just made a goal to start blogging once per week again, so I'm hoping Thursdays will be that day for me each week.
The goings on of our geeky little family and the musings and soapbox moments of the lone female in the group.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
A Proper Update
Okay, I hide A LOT from my facebook about what's really going on with me, because not everyone on facebook needs to know everything about me. However, I made myself a promise a few years ago that I would be honest on my blog. Or, at least more honest than I am on facebook. There is a really good reason why I've been all but absent since October. I started seeing a psychologist, who is LDS and the first one that I've been able to easily work with. I started confronting the mental/emotional abuse I went through as a kid and the serious lasting effects it's had on my self-esteem and perception of my self-worth. It's been an incredibly emotional time for me learning just how much this has affected me and realizing just how much work will be involved in trying to fix the damage that it did.
Also, if I'm being truly honest here, I've really been struggling since the calling change. I miss Young Women a lot and it was something that kept me sane when nothing else would, so it was very hard to be released from that during such an emotional time. However, I am (very) slowly working through it. The Cubs are great boys, and that helps so much.
So there you have it, the reason I rarely post on my blog any more. I do have great support from my husband and my friend who first convinced me to go see someone. It's not all been bad, it's just been highly emotional. Mostly, it's just nice to finally feel like I'm dealing with the problem after 20 years. So if you don't hear from me often, it's not because I have nothing to say or I'm not fine, it's because I have a lot that I'm dealing with and the specific details of it aren't something I'm comfortable sharing in this setting.
***
That being said, here's some updates for you. Caleb is home for spring break this week. He did quite well on his report card last week. He has been enjoying piano lessons (I think) and his teacher is always impressed with him. I'd love for him to keep it up, but he insists that he'd rather swim or learn guitar next year. Guess it will be swimming, because the deal with guitar was that he had to take 2 years of piano first.
Ty is his usual random self and keeps me quite entertained. We are both looking forward to him starting school in September. He's become quite proficient in using the TV, the computer and my iPhone. Sometimes I think it's bad that he's so good at it, but I think it's mostly a combination of his way of channeling his intelligence and it just being a generational thing. Especially my iPhone, since he normally only gets to use it if we're out at an appointment or something, which is very rare. Next month we get to go to his Kindergarten open house. Should be fun!
Brettley will be having another surgery in the near future for his eyes. The doctor said they could keep doing them until he's 7 as long as they're needed, but I'm pretty sure we'll stop after this one. His eyes improved drastically after the first surgery and he should end up looking pretty normal after this one, so I'd rather not do this to him again after this one if I can help it. He is catching up in his development. He can walk well, run and jump. He has hugely expanded his vocabulary and communicates quite a bit. He is very polite, using please and thank you a lot. It was such a relief to see and hear these changes in him and I'm not nearly as worried about this being a permanent issue anymore.
***
Well, that's about it for now. I hope everyone enjoys their Easter this weekend.
Also, if I'm being truly honest here, I've really been struggling since the calling change. I miss Young Women a lot and it was something that kept me sane when nothing else would, so it was very hard to be released from that during such an emotional time. However, I am (very) slowly working through it. The Cubs are great boys, and that helps so much.
So there you have it, the reason I rarely post on my blog any more. I do have great support from my husband and my friend who first convinced me to go see someone. It's not all been bad, it's just been highly emotional. Mostly, it's just nice to finally feel like I'm dealing with the problem after 20 years. So if you don't hear from me often, it's not because I have nothing to say or I'm not fine, it's because I have a lot that I'm dealing with and the specific details of it aren't something I'm comfortable sharing in this setting.
***
That being said, here's some updates for you. Caleb is home for spring break this week. He did quite well on his report card last week. He has been enjoying piano lessons (I think) and his teacher is always impressed with him. I'd love for him to keep it up, but he insists that he'd rather swim or learn guitar next year. Guess it will be swimming, because the deal with guitar was that he had to take 2 years of piano first.
Ty is his usual random self and keeps me quite entertained. We are both looking forward to him starting school in September. He's become quite proficient in using the TV, the computer and my iPhone. Sometimes I think it's bad that he's so good at it, but I think it's mostly a combination of his way of channeling his intelligence and it just being a generational thing. Especially my iPhone, since he normally only gets to use it if we're out at an appointment or something, which is very rare. Next month we get to go to his Kindergarten open house. Should be fun!
Brettley will be having another surgery in the near future for his eyes. The doctor said they could keep doing them until he's 7 as long as they're needed, but I'm pretty sure we'll stop after this one. His eyes improved drastically after the first surgery and he should end up looking pretty normal after this one, so I'd rather not do this to him again after this one if I can help it. He is catching up in his development. He can walk well, run and jump. He has hugely expanded his vocabulary and communicates quite a bit. He is very polite, using please and thank you a lot. It was such a relief to see and hear these changes in him and I'm not nearly as worried about this being a permanent issue anymore.
***
Well, that's about it for now. I hope everyone enjoys their Easter this weekend.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
When You Look At The Bishopric Member Like He's Crazy
It's been almost 2 months. Do I have an excuse? Not really. I just seem to never have anything to blog about. Except for my calling change. I discovered how much it sucks when you love your calling with an intense passion and then figure out that a release is coming but aren't sure of the when. The when ended up lasting about 3 weeks. I found out the last Sunday in February, and that first week before it was announced in sacrament meeting I was able to conveniently ignore it because I was still going to mutual and still had a Sunday left with the girls. Reality hit on Sunday as I held one of the Beehives while she cried. It was a tough few days for me at the beginning of the week. However, the sister that is now the current 2nd counselor is the exact person that I was hoping would be called to it, so I know that the girls are in great hands and that they'll have a wonderful experience with their new leadership.
I am now the Assistant Cub Leader. When the bishopric member called me to serve as that I kind of dropped my jaw, bugged my eyes out of my head and with an incredulous voice went "Really?!?". I think I was still in shock at that point too, being released was (for the first time) an incredibly emotional experience and I was bawling. I was very happy to find out that they new leader shirts are red now, though, instead of the tan that they used to be. I'm going to pick mine up this Saturday and I get to go to my first Cub meeting on Tuesday. I'm learning to be excited for my calling and the preparation it will give me for when Caleb turns 8 next year (say what?!?).
So yeah, that's what's going down. I lead such a boring life, ha ha.
I am now the Assistant Cub Leader. When the bishopric member called me to serve as that I kind of dropped my jaw, bugged my eyes out of my head and with an incredulous voice went "Really?!?". I think I was still in shock at that point too, being released was (for the first time) an incredibly emotional experience and I was bawling. I was very happy to find out that they new leader shirts are red now, though, instead of the tan that they used to be. I'm going to pick mine up this Saturday and I get to go to my first Cub meeting on Tuesday. I'm learning to be excited for my calling and the preparation it will give me for when Caleb turns 8 next year (say what?!?).
So yeah, that's what's going down. I lead such a boring life, ha ha.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Christmas 2012
Christmas vacation hadn't gone particularly well for me the past 3 years, so I was kind of nervous to see how this one would turn out. For the most part it was great. I am 100% converted to Christmas in our own home. from now on. However, spending part of Christmas night in the ER wasn't on my to-do list. I'd been battling back pain for most of Christmas Day and by night time I couldn't even lay down for longer than 2 minutes before it hurt too bad and I had to sit up or something. I hadn't slept the night before thanks to my insomnia, so I knew I needed to get some sleep. Ibuprofin and a heating pad weren't making a dent in the pain, so we called up my dad and he came and stayed with the kids while we went to the ER. I apparently strained my rhomboid muscle really badly, so they gave me a shot of a stronger anti-inflammatory and sent me home, after telling me that recovery could take weeks and possibly require physiotherapy. So most of our Christmas break was spent with me doing a whole load of nothing other than popping Motrin like it's candy and changing my position every 5-10 minutes. That being said, it was still the best Christmas that I'd had in a few years. I loved being at home and being on our own schedule. The kids really enjoyed time with Daddy. They weren't big on a nice Christmas dinner, though, so I'm going to do something a lot more basic for Christmas 2013.
There's a lot to look ahead to this year such as ward YW camp, Ty starting Kindergarten and whatever else may come our way. For the moment I'm just enjoying the fact that Brettley loves the switch to the toddler bed and the boys are loving the fact that they have a play room right now.
There's a lot to look ahead to this year such as ward YW camp, Ty starting Kindergarten and whatever else may come our way. For the moment I'm just enjoying the fact that Brettley loves the switch to the toddler bed and the boys are loving the fact that they have a play room right now.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Best Christmas Present EVER!
2 posts within 8 days, *GASP*! My tree went up, YAY! More exciting though, is that I got the best Christmas present ever on Tuesday from my favourite crazy. I gave her the present I'd bought for her back in October, because I wanted her to be able to enjoy it all winter (she'd become used to mild Pacific coast winters). I had bought her a Gryffindor scarf, which matches the one I've had for almost 7 years now. I'd mentioned in passing that night that one day I'd love to have a Weasley sweater or a Ravenclaw scarf. (If you don't know your Harry Potter, I apologize for the confused expression on your face at this point) Anyway, so we went out for a late meal on Tuesday after I was done Young Women and she handed me a wrapped box. Inside was a Ravenclaw scarf that she knit for me herself. It's special because 1) I'm a Ravenclaw at heart, 2) It was knit just for me, 3) It was knit by my bestest friend who is practically my sister, and 4) I know it took her a lot of time to make it and she is NOT someone who has a lot of spare time, which means she has been using a lot of the little amount of it that she has making something just for me. I feel so special and loved! So I just wanted to share that little story and make sure I have it documented for my own sake. Happy Christmas season!
Also, it came with a card which my adorable 2 year old 'niece' insisted on drawing a picture inside of for me because she loves her 'Aunt' Nikki.
Also, it came with a card which my adorable 2 year old 'niece' insisted on drawing a picture inside of for me because she loves her 'Aunt' Nikki.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
I Do Still Exist...
I'll be honest. I'm mostly posting just because I feel like I should, since I've had 2 posts in the past 2 months.
I kind of feel like I've been owned by my calling for the past few months. Between a trip to the Calgary Temple open house, a plethora of weekend meetings, Young Women in Excellence and extra activities beyond the normal Tuesday ones. I was kind of hoping for a break this month after all of that, instead I'm busy getting ready to train my new class presidency and get us all ready for the new youth curriculum starting in January (which I'm beyond excited for, by the way). Oh well, it's okay that I'm busy because I really do love my calling. My former class president turned 14 two weeks ago and finished her Young Womanhood Recognition requirements the night before. It's things like her getting her certificate and medallion that remind me why I love my calling so much. I was so happy for her and impressed with her accomplishment.
My tree still isn't up, which is a huge deal for me. Normally I struggle to wait until December to put it up. In my defense, though, I ended up sick on Monday night and the kids were super cranky and that's why it didn't go up. Tonight, though, before I race off to a presidency meeting (see what I mean about being owned?). I haven't felt as passionate about Christmas this year and it feels so odd. I LOVE Christmas and I'm usually bouncing all over the place this time of the year. I'm not even done my Christmas shopping yet...*gasp* I am, however, really looking forward to having John at home with us for a week and a half and to not having to travel anywhere this year. I'm excited to be able to wake up in my own bed on Christmas morning and to do things on my own schedule.
Bretts is walking quite well now and has actually started conversing a bit, which was HUGE progress for him. I'm a lot less worried about his delay now. Ty is still my crazy man who entertains us all of the time. Caleb loves grade 1 and is doing well with learning to read and to play piano. We were looking at girl clothes the other day at Walmart and he thought a pink onesie and pink leggings would look good together. They didn't, so I said "You don't know anything about fashion, do you?" to which he replied "I don't know about fashion, but I know a lot about women". I have NEVER laughed so loud in a store before, ha ha.
Oh, and about 2 weeks ago I gave up Dr Pepper for the next year or so...First and foremost, because drinking a minimum of 2 bottles of it per day is kind of an issue and I didn't like feeling so dependent on it. Second, because I'm trying to get my body into a healthier state for when it's time for Baby Bly #4. I still miss it, mostly because I miss drinking something with flavour, but I told myself that once I make it to the end of the month without having any that I can get a new pair of jeans, so that's my extra motivation right now.
There are a few other things going on, but I'm sure you don't want ALL of my dirty laundry aired, ha ha. So yeah, I'm still here, and I'm still checking blogs a couple of times a week. I just don't feel like I have a lot to say lately, I guess.
Have a wonderful Christmas season!
I kind of feel like I've been owned by my calling for the past few months. Between a trip to the Calgary Temple open house, a plethora of weekend meetings, Young Women in Excellence and extra activities beyond the normal Tuesday ones. I was kind of hoping for a break this month after all of that, instead I'm busy getting ready to train my new class presidency and get us all ready for the new youth curriculum starting in January (which I'm beyond excited for, by the way). Oh well, it's okay that I'm busy because I really do love my calling. My former class president turned 14 two weeks ago and finished her Young Womanhood Recognition requirements the night before. It's things like her getting her certificate and medallion that remind me why I love my calling so much. I was so happy for her and impressed with her accomplishment.
My tree still isn't up, which is a huge deal for me. Normally I struggle to wait until December to put it up. In my defense, though, I ended up sick on Monday night and the kids were super cranky and that's why it didn't go up. Tonight, though, before I race off to a presidency meeting (see what I mean about being owned?). I haven't felt as passionate about Christmas this year and it feels so odd. I LOVE Christmas and I'm usually bouncing all over the place this time of the year. I'm not even done my Christmas shopping yet...*gasp* I am, however, really looking forward to having John at home with us for a week and a half and to not having to travel anywhere this year. I'm excited to be able to wake up in my own bed on Christmas morning and to do things on my own schedule.
Bretts is walking quite well now and has actually started conversing a bit, which was HUGE progress for him. I'm a lot less worried about his delay now. Ty is still my crazy man who entertains us all of the time. Caleb loves grade 1 and is doing well with learning to read and to play piano. We were looking at girl clothes the other day at Walmart and he thought a pink onesie and pink leggings would look good together. They didn't, so I said "You don't know anything about fashion, do you?" to which he replied "I don't know about fashion, but I know a lot about women". I have NEVER laughed so loud in a store before, ha ha.
Oh, and about 2 weeks ago I gave up Dr Pepper for the next year or so...First and foremost, because drinking a minimum of 2 bottles of it per day is kind of an issue and I didn't like feeling so dependent on it. Second, because I'm trying to get my body into a healthier state for when it's time for Baby Bly #4. I still miss it, mostly because I miss drinking something with flavour, but I told myself that once I make it to the end of the month without having any that I can get a new pair of jeans, so that's my extra motivation right now.
There are a few other things going on, but I'm sure you don't want ALL of my dirty laundry aired, ha ha. So yeah, I'm still here, and I'm still checking blogs a couple of times a week. I just don't feel like I have a lot to say lately, I guess.
Have a wonderful Christmas season!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Honor Bee = Check!
I finished my Honor Bee requirements this morning. After completing Personal Progress, you can elect to earn an Honor Bee. To do this you need to read the Book of Mormon again and do 40 hours of service. At least a portion of that service has to be helping a Young Woman with her Personal Progress. I finished both my Personal Progress and my Honor Bee within less than 14 months, which I'm really happy about. I'm excited to go and start Personal Progress all over again now. I love my calling so much and am so grateful for the chance that I have to serve the amazing girls in my ward.
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