I'm throwing in the name badge

In July 1996 I got my first job in the healthcare industry. I worked at Hillhaven Rehabilitation Center and Rest Home in downtown Salt Lake, 40 hours a week as a Certified Nurse Assistant. It was by far the most physically demanding job I have ever had, including being a maid at my dad’s lodge. I would literally sweat for eight hours. I wore comfortable, ugly white tennis shoes and scrubs that I knew would get sweaty and dirty. Even though I was at the young age of 21 I would often need a nap when I got home.

I started nursing school in January 1997. I changed jobs and started working at the University of Utah Hospital as a Health Care Assistant in April 1997. I worked in the resource department which means that each day I worked the hospital would tell me what floor needed me and that is where I spent my 8 or 12 hour day. Working “resource” was a great way to experience every floor in the hospital and eventually gave me the insight that I don’t like adult nursing.

May 1999 I graduated from nursing school and three months later began working in the Newborn ICU at the University of Utah hospital. I took care of premature babies ranging from 23 –34 weeks as well as sick term newborns. I learned how to start IV’s, work with ventilators, draw blood, give medications and blood products, manage infants temperature and oxygen, tube feed and teach babies how to bottle feed. I am an expert at changing diapers, the burrito wrap, and calming the most stressed baby. What I value more than learning these skills was what I learned from the remarkable people I worked with. Through years of working with them I observed how they live their lives. I would listen to their stories in amazement. No matter the heartache or trial they pressed forward, never giving up. I have never seen such strength and perseverance. I will forever be changed because of their example.

Throughout the years, in many ways, working tied me down and complicated my schedule making life seem harder. But in so many other ways working provided blessings, freedoms, and opportunities we otherwise would not have been able to enjoy. Though it didn’t seem obvious at the time, working made life easier. I always knew working was the right thing to do. I’m grateful I was supported and helped along the way.

Thank you to my parents who encouraged me and helped me through college. Thank you to my mom who watched my kids each day and night I worked. Thank you to Jason who stepped it up with housework and other responsibilities to help lighten my load.

I feel more than ever the importance of treasuring my time. Since time goes by so fast, every moment of every day needs to be spent wisely.

With the blessing of not having to work and having more time comes more accountability for me. I will need to answer for how I use my time.

"Thanks for the memories."

Our House

HOW I FOUND MY HOUSE:

This is an excerpt from a talk I gave in my church October 2005, four months after moving into my house.

From June 2004 to June 2005 we lived in Spokane Washington for Jason’s first year of residency. In November Jason and I came to Salt Lake to spend Thanksgiving with family. We knew we were going to move to Salt Lake in June and even though we had seven months left in Spokane I felt we were suppose to look for housing so we would know where we were going to live. The day after we arrived in Salt Lake I drove around looking at potential apartments to live in. After two days of apartment shopping nothing felt right, so I began looking to rent townhouses. Again after two days nothing felt right. Jason then began looking in the paper and on the internet for houses. (I hadn't considered buying a house because I assumed we couldn't afford one.) The next day, which was now the 6th day of my search, we walked into a house on Oakledge Rd. The moment I walked into the house I pictured my family there. I loved it and it felt right. To be responsible we went out the next day and saw five more houses. At the end of the day I told Jason that I wanted to go back to the house on Oakledge. As we walked in the door for the second time a strong feeling came over me again and I knew we were supposed to buy the house.

Why were we looking for houses seven months early? How was it possible that we could afford rent in Spokane and a mortgage? Why did I feel so directed from Heavenly Father?

I strongly believe that it was revelation and inspiration. He brought us here to this house and this ward for a reason, and I am so grateful to Him.

My feelings have never changed; I’ve only become more and more aware of why we are where we are.

WHY I LOVE MY HOUSE…

· My boys share a room, my girls share a room, and Jason and I share a room.
· Our rooms are all on the same floor.
· It’s “small” enough that you know where everyone is.
· It’s easy to spend time together because everyone is usually nearby.
· My parents and siblings put so much time working on the interior and exterior of the house to get it ready for us to move in. It is very common for me to look at the ceilings, painted walls, new doors, and all the hours that went into it. I still get choked up remembering how much service was given to me.
· I love my neighbors and friends that live nearby.
· My ward is FULL of amazing people whom I sincerely like to be around.
· I have the remarkable blessing of having a brother, three sisters in law, and two brothers in law in clear view from my driveway.
· It is close to the freeway…but not too close.
· It is close to the gym.
· It just feels right.
· Not to mention the beautiful mountains, wonderful schools, and a grocery store that I am sure to see several neighbors at each time I go.

A few weeks ago while in California we visited my uncle at his beautiful home. The back yard had an extraordinary swimming pool, trampoline, fire pit, BBQ pad, and a playground. The inside had a movie theater and a large playroom with foosball and a pool table. My kids had a blast.





On our way there we played “would you rather?” As we drove away I had a “would you rather” question for my kids. “Would you rather live in that house or our house?” Without hesitation my 6, 8, and 10-year-old all said “Our house!” I’m not surprised… It’s Our House.

Through out the past four years we have tried to give our house some tender loving care. That has been extremely hard because I was not blessed with ANY form of talent that has to do with interior design, decorating, color coordinating, shopping, or anything associated with creativity or vision. (Have you noticed my wardrobe???... it consists of a pair of jeans and a solid color t-shirt/ long sleeve t-shirt (depending on the season) from DownEast? There is a reason.

Since buying the house each room has been given a little love. Here are some example of our "tender loving care".

The LIVING ROOM before we bought the house


We had some work to do.

BASEMENT

BEDROOM

Looking at the house with the realtor

Never Say Never

I started the summer doing two things I said I would never do: go to Disneyland in the summer (Jason and I took the kids once in the summer and the crowds were unbelievable), and get a dog (they pee on the carpet, smell like dogs, and take too much time).

WHY DISNEYLAND IN JUNE?

I won’t go into a detailed story…just the necessary facts.

My Grandma and Grandpa have always lived in Southern California. When I was a child I would spend one week each summer at the beach with my grandparents, cousins, and siblings. Good memories. Early this year I thought it would be fun to do that with my kids since we’ve never done a California beach trip…instead it has always been Disneyland trips. My parents, siblings, and their kids were all able to go. (Everyone except my hubby, Casey, and Martell who had to work ).

We left for California the day after school got out. After a couple fun days at the beach we realized the weather was going to stay cloudy and in the 60’s. That’s not too bad for kids but not exactly what the adults had in mind. I like to sit and soak up the hot sun. A week sitting at the beach with my jacket on was not ideal. My siblings with kids entertained the idea of going to Disneyland for a couple of days. I felt in a laid back mood so even though I anticipated huge crowds I thought “why not?”. Maybe it was because I anticipated the worst or maybe it’s because I remember Disneyland in July and August when it is blistering hot, but I was wrong. I do like Disneyland in June.

WHY A DOG… AND NOT JUST ONE DOG BUT TWO?

I have always said, “I will never get a pet”. Not a guinea pig, hamster, turtle, dog, cat, fish, etc. I really have never liked animals. I would not be a good vet or zookeeper. Heartless, I know. My kids have always asked for a pet, especially Ashtyn. When they were younger and wanted a dog I said they could have a baby instead. So we had Ethan. After Ethan was born when the subject came up I had to remind them that I have four kids and don’t have time for another “baby”. (Ashtyn always figured that if I only had two kids she would have been able to get a pet…too bad those last two kids came along).

I’m not clear on how I changed my mind about dogs. All I know is it started with a thought I had a month ago…maybe in the next year I should get a dog for the kids. I felt it would be good for them to grow up with a dog. Why? I didn’t grow up with a dog. But in my mind it was now or never because Chandler is already ten and in a few short years he won't live here anymore.

Side note: I’m not a shopper of ANY kind. Not clothes, household items, gifts, food…or dogs. I DON’T LIKE TO SHOP! (It causes me stress). But my sister Jen is a great shopper. She basically won’t buy anything because everything is a waste of money. But when Jen does buy something she researches until she knows she’s getting the most for her money. She’s the epitome of frugal.

With that in mind, months ago Jen mentioned that a Portuguese Water Dog was her dream dog because they don’t shed, are awesome with kids, have a calm temperament, learn quickly, are a good size, and they're cute. That was good enough for me.

At the beginning of May I told Jen that I would like to get a dog but I wouldn’t feel right about getting her “dream dog” unless she got one too. After some serious convincing she agreed to get one. We found a breeder in Montana named Debbie who I talked to every day for a week. During this time Debbie and I became great phone friends. Jen and I decided on two boy puppies and were extremely excited. For the next couple of days Debbie kept talking to me about her favorite puppy that was the runt of the litter. Debbie really wanted the runt to be with her brothers.

To make a long story short I went from “I will NEVER have a pet” to “NO WAY will I get two” to “having two puppies is PERFECT”. The day I got back from California we got our two sweet puppies. Maybe I anticipated the worst about dogs or maybe my life is calmer than in the past so I can invest time in pets, but I was wrong. I do like dogs. Indy and Belle have been two fun additions to our family.

That's what friends are for

During the week, for no clear reason, my mood was somewhat grouchy and I was not filled with warm fuzzy feelings. I didn’t really want to leave for the weekend because I didn’t feel a warm connection with Jason and the kids. I thought I should spend the weekend with them, have quality time, and get that loving feeling back. But I had a commitment to do a triathlon.

On Friday morning I left for Lake Las Vegas with seven of my girl friends. We drove, we ate, we slept, we supported each other during the triathlon, we relaxed at the pool, we watched a chick flick, we laughed, we talked, we hugged, and WE CONNECTED as only women do.

Sunday evening I returned home feeling not only closer to those wonderful girls but I felt like myself again. I felt refreshed and connected to my kind husband and my sweet kids.

Since the day I was married, Jason has always encouraged me to spend time with my friends and have some girl time (maybe so I will give him more man time to golf :) ). My response has always been that I don’t need to. I’d rather stay home and hang out with Jason. Though I have had girlfriends through the years I don’t feel like I have made enough of an effort to really spend time with them. Hence I have never felt like I’m a very good friend.

Because of this trip I have gained more of a perspective on the importance of taking time to BE WITH my girlfriends, which is much different than just HAVING girlfriends.

Here are a few quotes from a study on friendship among women.

“A landmark UCLA study suggests friendships between women are special. They shape who we are and who we are yet to be. They soothe our tumultuous inner world, fill the emotional gaps in our marriage, and help us remember who we really are. By the way, they may do even more.”

“Study after study has found that social ties reduce our risk of disease by lowering blood pressure, heart rate, and cholesterol. There's no doubt, says Dr. Klein, that friends are helping us live longer.”

“Women thrive both emotionally and physically from close friendships with other women. These bonds are important for female well-being and livelihood.”

Why is it so hard to find time to be with our girlfriends, especially when we need to "soothe our tumultuous inner world?" (Sounds pretty serious)

“Every time we get overly busy with work and family, the first thing we do is let go of friendships with other women, explains Dr. Josselson. We push them right to the back burner. That's really a mistake because women are such a source of strength to each other. We nurture one another. And we need to have unpressured space in which we can do the special kind of talk that women do when they're with other women. It's a very healing experience.”

The weekend definitely healed my grouchy mood. If anyone would like to join us next year you are more than welcome. Come and have some girl bonding time and do some "special kind of talk." (Participating in the triathlon is optional.)

Thank you Kristi, Wendy, Rosanne, Jeana, Minnie, Deanne, and Amy for being my girlfriends and for the wonderful time I had.



Before the swim
"Let's have some fun!"











"Glad the swim is over, now get this bike ride done."



"What a race."








"We deserve a yummy dinner."

On The Home Stretch

After getting home from our vacation to Florida and the US Virgin Islands we put it into high-gear to finish off the home stretch of school projects, reports, and extracurricular obligations with the kids. I knew that once May came it would all be downhill from there.

In March Chandler and I finished his 54 page autobiography. We put hours and hours into it and it sure paid off. Chandler and I (and yes I mean “I”) got an A+ (528 points out of a possible 450 points.) WOW! Extra credit for our extra effort. But what is even more awesome is that Chandler wrote a wonderful record of his life that he will have forever. (I’m so glad that’s over.)

Ashtyn and I finished her bibliography and oral presentation on Walt Disney, which was due the same day Chandler’s autobiography was due. Then there was the painful preparation for Chandler’s school spelling bee. We studied and restudied words for six weeks. I honestly don’t know how many hours we put into it. The night before the spelling bee we could study no more. We had run out of time and were unable to study the last 200 words. The spelling bee was on April 16th and I just hoped that Chandler would make it to the top 10 so he would feel it was worth all his time studying. As Jason and I watched the spelling bee, one by one students got out. Chandler made it to the top ten and kept going. When he was part of the top five I thought there would be no way he would beat the other four kids. They knew the words well and seemed to be on a roll. Before I knew it Chandler was standing with a 6th grade boy, duking it out for first place. I had to laugh. Word after word was given. I told my neighbor sitting next to me, “Don’t worry, this won’t go on much longer. In five more words there will be bacteriology and that is the last word we studied.” Chandler spelled bacteriology and then he tried to spell accolade, which he hadn’t studied and got wrong. Chandler won 2nd place and could not have been happier. He won a trophy that he wouldn’t let leave his side for two days. The studying was worth every hour we put into it. Chandler knew he did well because of all his hard work and the blessing he got the night before to help him remember what he had studied. (I’m so glad that’s over.)

At the end of March I took a day and painted Chandler’s blue bedroom a different color blue, because the old blue was “lonely and uninviting”. Now his room has three walls of “happy, warm, and welcoming” blue and one gold wall to go with his white ceiling. (Well obviously, because those are BYU colors.) But since I painted Chandler’s room it was only fair to paint the girls’ pink room a different pink. What was wrong with the old pink? "Not dark enough." So I painted one wall dark pink and added dark pink polka dots to another wall that was already light pink. Why not? (I’m so glad that’s over.)

A few days later, after working all night at the hospital, Jason came home and instead of sleeping spent the day putting together a bunk bed for the boys. There is nothing worse then putting furniture together. Now Ethan is out of his crib and on the top bunk. It is like he is still in a crib because he doesn’t know how to get down. I get him out of bed when I am good and ready.

Amidst the chaos we went to Moab for spring break. I love Moab. Each time we go we always try to do the typical things as well as something new. We always go to Arches, the sand hill, and drive up the Colorado River. The new adventure this trip was jeeping and watching the jeep safari culture. Way fun.

A week after spring break I ran my first ½ marathon and honestly had so much fun. A few days before the race I worried a lot about getting injured and whether or not I was ready. I’m so glad I decided to do it. My friend Amber signed up at the very last minute to run with me. She helped pace me and I owe it to her for having a fabulous time.

I can’t believe May is almost here. It seems like just a few weeks ago school started and we were revving our engines up for the many school and extracurricular activities that lay ahead of us. Now that the school year is almost over, looking back I have to say, we got a lot done. But I hope at the end it might be said of us that “their activities did not distract them from the path leading to eternal life.”

Either my kids are really stupid or we are fantastic liars.

We surprised the kids with a family vacation:

Before Disney World:

We went shopping for summer clothes in 30 degree weather.
I packed for one week and had several suitcases in my room.
For a week the kids had to do double the homework... and didn't wonder why.
Everyone else knew.
A few people asked them, "You're going to be out of town next week, right?" "No."
We told the kids that before school we needed to take their grandma to the airport. "Grandma, it's your lucky day. I wish we were going on vacation."
At the airport we unloaded 6 suitcases. Chandler said, "Mom, I have a dumb question, but why are there so many airplanes." (Don't you think the question should have been something else...?)
After getting them out of the car and backpacks on Morgan said, "Great. We are going to stay here for two hours."
Chandler was upset he was going to miss chorus.
I finally had to repeat a few times.
"Do you want to go on vacation?"
"Really???"
"REALLY!!!"





After Disney World we told the kids we were going to the airport to go home.
We boarded a bus with "Disney Cruise Line" written in huge lettering on the side of the bus.
When boarding a lady said, "Have a great cruise." Jason dismissed her as being crazy.
The 60 minute bus ride had a 60 minute movie about the cruise.
When we got to the cruise terminal Jason said, "We got on the wrong bus. It took us to the cruise instead of the airport. We better go in and figure out how to get a bus back to the airport."
They didn't figure it out until the cruise greeting crew convinced them.

I'm 33 for a moment

Another year has come and gone.
Looking back I remember elementary school, living in the small, safe town of Park City.
I remember middle school and high school; the tough times of being a teenager and not knowing who I was.
I clearly remember my single college years in Idaho. What a blessing those few years were. I had an amazing time with roommates and friends who were great examples to me.
I remember the eventful years of my twenties that included marriage, graduation, employment, and three children.
With each year and season in life brings experience and growth, failures and regrets, monotony and change, adventure and surprises.

Here are 33 things I will remember when I look back at the time I was 33 for a moment:

·Cancun with Jason, my kids, and other family members brother Jason, McKenzie, Ryland, Martell, and Jen.
·Fabulous adult river trip down Cataract Canyon near Moab with ALL my siblings, their spouses, and my parents.
·Girls trip to St. George and canyoneering in Zions National Park.
·Las Vegas with my family and seeing two of my greatest girlfriends Angie and Janet.
·Buying my first road bike.
·Getting used to my bike by riding the 25 mile Salt Lake Marathon bike tour with Jared and Casey.
·My first triathlon “The Fourth Street Clinic Triathlon and 5 K”. I had 7 friends and 4 family members do the tri and 9 family members do the 5 K including my kids.
·My second triathlon in Provo.
·My third triathlon in Burley Idaho.
·Riding 80 miles in the Little Red Riding Hood bike ride in Logan with family and friends.
·Jason graduated after 12 years of anticipation.
·Pulled off the biggest surprise week to celebrate his graduation.
·Did not quit my job as I was looking forward to doing for nine years. I feel it is the right thing to do for now.
·Started texting.
·Started a blog.
·Started facebooking.
·First year that I did not go to Disneyland since having kids.
·Have a T.V. in our bedroom for the 1st time ever. (Jason's idea.)
·Haven’t gotten sick one time.
·Had the Santa talk with my 9 year-old boy.
·Had the sex talk with my 9 year-old boy. (Chandler's in the stage of wanting to be a man.)
·Had the maturation talk with my 8 year-old girl. (Ashtyn's in the stage of wanting to be a teenager.)
·Had the “you don’t need to like boys and it's fine to still like Barbi's" talk with my 6 year-old girl. (Morgan is in the content stage...so don't listen to your sister.)
·Had the “this is the time out chair “ talk with my 2 year-old boy. (Ethan is in the stage of demanding his own way.)
·Had the “you need to convert to Diet Dr. Pepper” talk with my 34 year-old husband. (Jason is in the slow metabolism stage.)
·Have felt a connection and made great friends in my ward.
·Know the name of every woman in my ward.
·My brother Jared and his wife Nanette moved into a house across the street from me.
·My sister-in-law Trisha, husband Ryan, and their two kids moved into a different house across the street. (This is in addition to my sister-in-law Kristi, her husband Matt, and their kids who live next door.)
·I am comfortable in saying that Jason and I will not be moving from our house for many years to come.
·My marriage is better than ever.
·I feel I am in my prime.
·I’m still trying to improve.

I am now thirty-four and I know it will only be for a moment. I look forward to being on this earth for another 33 years and to then look back and remember my 30's, 40's, and 50's. And then live another 33 years after that.

There are too many things I want to improve on to list, but to sum up, I just hope with each year I am a better person than the last.

Since I only have a hundred years to live on this earth I sure hope I am making the most of it. Dream big and live each and every day because when each season is over I’m going to miss it.

My wonderful friend Lisa reminded me of the most important thing I want to conquer:
"Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.” Henry James