As many of you know, I just can't be happy unless I am doing twenty things at once. Well, I have had a project for quite a while of trying to put together a planner for members of the church of Latter-day Saints. For years, I have been trying to find a planner that helped me the most in my daily life and could never find one. I would buy a planner and then start writing in Family Home Evening every Monday night. Then I would add General Conference and Stake Conference twice a year. And so many other things! I wished there were stickers for things like scouts or visiting teachers. Alas, no such planner could be found in all of my extensive searching. So I decided to make one.
Now I have been attempting to get this done for a few years now and have had many obstacles along the way. (Okay, mainly children.) I mentioned this project in passing to a couple of friends here in Blair and they were totally excited for this project. It renewed my determination to get this thing done this year. And I did it!
This planner has quotes from general authorities each week; it has a way to get your long term food storage done for $6 a week in the year. It gives you the reading assignment for Sunday school every week to be prepared for next Sunday. As well as the normal items like weekly and monthly schedules, menu planning, and a section for notes.
I'm so excited to have this done! Now I am letting a select few individuals see it and tell me their thoughts. Then I will look into the cost of printing out this item and see if it is going to be worth it for "my customers". So wish me luck and let me know what you think!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Caution: Big Decisions Ahead!
I have been pondering for a while what my role is in our family. I have known that I am to be a stay-at-home mom right now. But I knew that would not always be the case. Every once in a while, I would feel like I needed to go back to college and finish my Elementary Education degree. The plan is that I would go back to University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) and finish the last two years of my schooling needed to get my degree with an emphasis on Early Childhood Education. I need to go full-time though in order to get the financial aid to cover me completely. Once completed, I would be able to be a substitute teacher, working only on the days I wanted to. I would be able to be there for my kids and come to anything they want me for. I could still volunteer when needed. And I would bring in a bit more income (because subs get paid really well around here since there are no benefits given - or needed in our case). But I would just shrug my mental shoulders and say to myself, the time will come soon enough for that.
Dave was starting to have some changes at his work that might cut our income a bit more than we could take and so we started praying to understand if I needed to go back to work instead. Maybe just something part-time. But I just never felt like I got an answer from God about it. So I went forward with faith. I researched job openings in Blair and got job applications. Now for the odd thing: when I went to fill them out, I would get this feeling in my stomach I categorize as the sick-to-my-stomach-this-isn't-right feeling. I told my husband about it because this was a bit of a stumping situation for me. What was I to do if I wasn't to apply for the only jobs I knew about?
When we talked about it, he kinda threw out there (half-jokingly I think) that maybe I needed to go back to school sooner. Instantly, I felt that this was sooooo right for me. I became obsessed! I dug out all my old paperwork from before I stopped going to school and started researching everything out. I prayed about it as well. Now I know... this is what I am meant to do right now. I'm not sure why though. I still have Bree at home during the day starting this fall. At least we have awesome family members who support us and will help out in whatever way they can.
The funny thing is that Dave's work situation changed again and he is back to the income we planned for. Sometimes, I think God must get so frustrated with me that he has to give me a push to go in the right direction. I am stubborn, you know. :)
So I start back this summer with two classes. Unfortunately, there are now new requirements for my degree so it will take a bit longer than the two years I planned. Financial aid has been awarded to me and will cover us nicely. I can only take one class online in all the ones that I have left to take, so I'll do that this summer. Psychology 1010 and First Aid. Psyc is a prereq for the child psyc I'm taking this fall and it (and the first aid) are requirements for the Early Childhood Education portion of my degree. I shall finish school in May of 2014 if everything stays on schedule and all the classes get offered that I need when I can take them.
So if I look like a person running around with her hair on fire at Mach 5, there is a reason for it. :) Apparently, according to God, a good one. Once I figure it out, I'll let you all know. Until then, please pray for me and keep my family in your thoughts. Sometimes, I still feel horrible about not being at home with my kids all the time, but then God fills me with this wonderful feeling that helps me know that everything will come out all right. Just like He planned.
Dave was starting to have some changes at his work that might cut our income a bit more than we could take and so we started praying to understand if I needed to go back to work instead. Maybe just something part-time. But I just never felt like I got an answer from God about it. So I went forward with faith. I researched job openings in Blair and got job applications. Now for the odd thing: when I went to fill them out, I would get this feeling in my stomach I categorize as the sick-to-my-stomach-this-isn't-right feeling. I told my husband about it because this was a bit of a stumping situation for me. What was I to do if I wasn't to apply for the only jobs I knew about?
When we talked about it, he kinda threw out there (half-jokingly I think) that maybe I needed to go back to school sooner. Instantly, I felt that this was sooooo right for me. I became obsessed! I dug out all my old paperwork from before I stopped going to school and started researching everything out. I prayed about it as well. Now I know... this is what I am meant to do right now. I'm not sure why though. I still have Bree at home during the day starting this fall. At least we have awesome family members who support us and will help out in whatever way they can.
The funny thing is that Dave's work situation changed again and he is back to the income we planned for. Sometimes, I think God must get so frustrated with me that he has to give me a push to go in the right direction. I am stubborn, you know. :)
So I start back this summer with two classes. Unfortunately, there are now new requirements for my degree so it will take a bit longer than the two years I planned. Financial aid has been awarded to me and will cover us nicely. I can only take one class online in all the ones that I have left to take, so I'll do that this summer. Psychology 1010 and First Aid. Psyc is a prereq for the child psyc I'm taking this fall and it (and the first aid) are requirements for the Early Childhood Education portion of my degree. I shall finish school in May of 2014 if everything stays on schedule and all the classes get offered that I need when I can take them.
So if I look like a person running around with her hair on fire at Mach 5, there is a reason for it. :) Apparently, according to God, a good one. Once I figure it out, I'll let you all know. Until then, please pray for me and keep my family in your thoughts. Sometimes, I still feel horrible about not being at home with my kids all the time, but then God fills me with this wonderful feeling that helps me know that everything will come out all right. Just like He planned.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Random Pics and more!
We have had a lot going on in the past few months and so I have been going crazy trying to keep up. I am very sorry about my lack of updating on here, so let me see if I can sort of catch you up:
This is the picture of our yummy dinner on St. Patrick's day:
Any guesses on what that food is? It is a meal of green hot dogs, green mac and cheese, and peas. We also served green Kool-aid and made green cupcakes for dessert. It was a lot of fun and Ryan had friends over that night so it was even funnier watching their expressions as we served the food up. ;)
Fiona has continued to settle in here at our house. She has found places that she loves to sleep and has even warmed up to Dave quite a bit. Here she is sleeping in the sunlight in Bree's room on the floor:
And can you spot her in this picture? I was folding some laundry and she decided she didn't want to move when I started sorting for folding.
The boys have been doing great in school. Conner is excelling in his class and continues to be placed in the advanced sections. He is getting along great with the other kids in his class and has taken a real interest in basketball at the moment. Ryan is also doing great at his school. He participated in a chess club tournament one weekend and got 4th place! Pretty good for his first year and being one of the youngest kids there! There were 4th - 8th graders there competing. I think he has a taste for it now and will participate again next year. We also found a nice free program on our computer that allows him to practice against the computer or people at different ability levels. Sean has his kindergarten roundup for the parents this Thursday night and in May, gets to visit on his own for the whole afternoon. He is VERY excited!
Bree has been working with a speech therapist provided to us for free through the state of Nebraska because she was delayed in her speech skills. Here is a pic of her with Miss Amy, her speech therapist who comes to our house every other week, working on some programs on an Ipad. She really loved the program that played videos with common nursery rhyme songs. Her faves were "If You're Happy and You Know It" and "The Wheels on the Bus".
So here is the glimpse into part of our life for the last few months... and there is so much more! But that is for another post.
This is the picture of our yummy dinner on St. Patrick's day:
Any guesses on what that food is? It is a meal of green hot dogs, green mac and cheese, and peas. We also served green Kool-aid and made green cupcakes for dessert. It was a lot of fun and Ryan had friends over that night so it was even funnier watching their expressions as we served the food up. ;)
Fiona has continued to settle in here at our house. She has found places that she loves to sleep and has even warmed up to Dave quite a bit. Here she is sleeping in the sunlight in Bree's room on the floor:
And can you spot her in this picture? I was folding some laundry and she decided she didn't want to move when I started sorting for folding.
The boys have been doing great in school. Conner is excelling in his class and continues to be placed in the advanced sections. He is getting along great with the other kids in his class and has taken a real interest in basketball at the moment. Ryan is also doing great at his school. He participated in a chess club tournament one weekend and got 4th place! Pretty good for his first year and being one of the youngest kids there! There were 4th - 8th graders there competing. I think he has a taste for it now and will participate again next year. We also found a nice free program on our computer that allows him to practice against the computer or people at different ability levels. Sean has his kindergarten roundup for the parents this Thursday night and in May, gets to visit on his own for the whole afternoon. He is VERY excited!
Bree has been working with a speech therapist provided to us for free through the state of Nebraska because she was delayed in her speech skills. Here is a pic of her with Miss Amy, her speech therapist who comes to our house every other week, working on some programs on an Ipad. She really loved the program that played videos with common nursery rhyme songs. Her faves were "If You're Happy and You Know It" and "The Wheels on the Bus".
So here is the glimpse into part of our life for the last few months... and there is so much more! But that is for another post.
Ryan's Birthday
We had the opportunity to celebrate Ryan's 10th birthday with most of our loved ones here this weekend. It was a great celebration with a Super Mario Brothers Theme. I allowed the kids to play as much video games that day as they wanted. We had party favors for the kids with candy dispensing Wii remotes and gold foil coin chocolates (you know, because they go around collecting gold coins in all the Super Mario Brothers games). The cake was made at Cold Stone Creamery with a browning bottom and oreo cream filling ice cream on top. It was tasty! (Thanks Aunt Mary!) Here is the picture of Ryan's cake with the Super Mario Brothers characters in front of Bowser's castle.
We had so much fun seeing a lot of the family and being able to spend some quality time with them. Ryan got a lot of what he was wanting for his birthday, including the "Are You Obsessed With Star Wars?" book, Star Wars Legos 3: the Clone Wars for the Wii, some money to buy other items he wanted, and everything he needs to move up to Webelos in Cub Scouting this summer. He is very excited and pumped about it and really enjoyed himself. So thank you to all who had a part in this special day and we missed you for those who couldn't make it!
Just remember... Conner's birthday is a big one this year because he turns 8 and is getting baptized on July 16th! We can't wait to see everyone for that special day.
We had so much fun seeing a lot of the family and being able to spend some quality time with them. Ryan got a lot of what he was wanting for his birthday, including the "Are You Obsessed With Star Wars?" book, Star Wars Legos 3: the Clone Wars for the Wii, some money to buy other items he wanted, and everything he needs to move up to Webelos in Cub Scouting this summer. He is very excited and pumped about it and really enjoyed himself. So thank you to all who had a part in this special day and we missed you for those who couldn't make it!
Just remember... Conner's birthday is a big one this year because he turns 8 and is getting baptized on July 16th! We can't wait to see everyone for that special day.
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