A Work in Progress

JANUARY 5TH!!!

2011-10-14T21:09:00.001-07:00

It's later than we all were hoping, but we have a date for the embryo transfer!!!! January 5th seems like so far away, but I know with Thanksgiving and Christmas, time should fly. (hopefully!)
We could have chosen December 15th, but the clinic is closed the last two weeks of December which makes things tricky.
My meds should start up in the next few weeks and I'm so excited!!

One Phone Call

2011-09-29T22:03:00.000-07:00

What a difference one phone call can make! In a matter of a few seconds I went from excitement of going to Brady's football game to scared about Riley's life!!

So,I decided that I am going to take a quick break from blogging about surrogacy and talk about Riley. Riley only has one kidney. When he was 2 1/2 he had his left kidney removed because it was not working. Once a year, he goes in to have his good kidney checked out. In August he had his ultrasound and blood work. We've scheduled a few appointments to do a followup but needed to keep rescheduling for one reason or another. Probably a good thing now that I think of it. Anyway, he finally went in yesterday and the Dr said everything looks good as far as the blood work and ultrasound. Of course the blood work was from August. Oh well. He did a urine test when he was there and this afternoon the Dr called and said it was abnormal and I need to get Riley to Doernbechers ER immediately.

We finally got there and they rushed us right in. I've never had an ER visit quite like that. Even with Brady's Asthma stuff. It was different. I guess why it seemed so different is because Riley wasn't even sick. He didn't act sick, look sick-no one would have guessed anything was wrong!! Right away they checked his blood sugars-521. Key tones (sp?) and glucose in his urine. Lots of blood was taken and vitals galore. Poor Riley was quietly freaking out. I could tell he was so worried...his sweet big brown eyes told the whole thing. We were told we were going to stay the night......now it's a few nights. At first they were going to put him in the PEDS ICU but they decided that since his PH was low (?) he didn't need a drip insulin, he could go to the regular floor. We will be here until Saturday, maybe Sunday even. Mostly for learning how to live with this. For the most part, he has a great attitude although, he is a little worried about Halloween and the candy. HA! I have no doubt Riley will handle this well. He is very diligent and disciplined about certain things so he will be amazing about keeping track of his foods etc. He is such a great kid and I am so proud of him!!!

Ice Babies!!!!

2011-09-19T08:11:00.000-07:00

Last Monday, my IP had nine eggs retrieved. Out of those nine, seven were mature and five were fertilized. Out of those five three have remained!! So now, we have three, THREE embryos-which we are lovingly calling "Ice Babies"! (I think of Vanilla Ice every time I say this hahaha) I still have to go through a treatment cycle, but I think if I was ready to go now, they would be too!
Tomorrow I have an appointment at the reproductive clinic. I will get some blood work done and a couple different ultrasounds. One is a mock transfer, so they are doing everything but transferring the Ice babies! It'll be interesting I think. Not the most comfortable procedure, but I'm ready and excited for it! THEN, after my appointment I get to meet up with my IP at Starbucks!! We haven't seen each other since May so I'm excited to get caught up with her again.
I'll re post after my appointment tomorrow. Hopefully everything will be looking good and I'll know my next steps!

Still Going!!

2011-09-13T14:26:00.000-07:00

This has been a good week! My estrogen levels were perfect so I was able to start my shots again last Tuesday! I have a neighbor who is a nurse and she came over to show Bill and I some tricks about giving shots-it was very helpful and Bill is doing so good!! I went to the Dr today again to get more blood work and everything seems on track! I get to increase my dosage tonight and then next Tuesday go in for more blood work, an ultrasound and a mock transfer. Then hopefully, I'll start my treatment cycle which includes a couple more injections, but at least Bill wont have to do them all since one of them is in my tummy which I can do.
My IP had her eggs retrieved yesterday and they got nine!!! Last night they fertilized the eggs and out of nine, 5 are fertilized. Please pray with us that those five are still going by Saturday. If they keep, then my IP wont have to do another month of injections herself and another egg retrieval.
I know they are anxious as well as me to get this process going. It is such a long process, but so worth it in the end!!
Thanks for your prayers and support!! I will continue to keep this updated as much as I can!

Starting again!!

2011-09-06T16:16:00.000-07:00

So, my estrogen levels were perfect today so I get to start injections tonight!! So excited.....I texted Bill to let him know what he'll be doing and he still hasn't responded. He's not as excited as I am. In fact, I think he highly dislikes giving me shots! LOL He's so afraid of hurting me, but they really don't hurt at all! In a few weeks, I'll be having to do a total of THREE injections. Two, Bill will have to do, and the third, I can do cause it's in my tummy. My IP started her injections last week.
Speaking of my IP, yes I do know them. We met them in April and have kept in contact by email over the months. We all have a lot in common with is so nice. Once I get pregnant, we will be seeing them often =) Yay!!
Also, while I was at the Dr today getting my blood work done, I spoke with our coordinator and she seems to think that the transfer of the embryo's wont happen til December. UGH. That's so far from now!! This process is a very long one, and is teaching me patience. Also gives me more time to try and lose some weight before I start gaining again!!

Updates

2011-09-02T10:43:00.000-07:00

I have thought about blogging for the last week, but kept forgetting to do so!! LOL. This is why I'm a bad blogger; I'm not very good about keeping things updated. It also could be there is not much to update on I guess-I messed up on my meds. I did my injections perfectly-I was prescribed two other medications. One was Provera (which is an estrogen I believe) and the other was the birthcontrol pill. I did as directed by the pharmacist and started the two medications the same evening as the injections. Well, apparently, I was not supposed to take those meds until AFTER my injections were done. Oops. My body is very confused!!! I think I overloaded it with way too many hormones-which resulted in a few major migraines. Ick.
Now I need to wait til my estrogen level is below 40 to start up the injections again. Right now I am at 120ish?? I go in Tuesday morning for more bloodwork, so I'm praying that my estrogen level has dropped.
That's pretty much my update. Not too exciting. This process is much longer than I thought it would be but I'm still super excited to be doing this! I just want to be pregnant already!!! I'm sure my IP's (the intended parents) are anxious as well!!

First Injections

2011-08-10T10:45:00.001-07:00

So I stared what they call a "Mock Cycle" to see if my body does what it's suppose to do. I have to take a few medications now, and one of them is by injection. It's in my lower back, so I am unable to give myself the shot. Bill had to do my first one! He was so afraid it would hurt me-he's so sweet. He managed to give me the first injectin the other night and I was so proud of him!! Good job Bill! He just about got sick though-and was looking a little green for a while. LOL So I left him alone to get composed again. Brady really wants to give me my next shot.....I might consider letting him do it since Bill kinda had a hard time with it!!
In a few weeks, we'll add more injections. A couple in my back and one in my tummy. That'll be interesting!

New Begining!

2011-08-10T08:13:00.001-07:00

So, I've decided that I need to start blogging again. I am about to embark on a new adventure and I want to blog on my way there. I think I'll use this as my journal so I can remember how I felt, what I did etc. My new adventure??? I'm a surrogate mom!!
This is something I've always wanted to do! I can remember the exact moment it came to me. I think I was in 9th or 10th grade driving down I-90 in Spokane with my mom. We were talking about my cousin who could not carry a baby and I remember saying "I would carry a baby for her!!" Ever since then, this desire has been in my heart.
So a couple years ago, when I knew we were done having our own children, I found a local surrogacy agency and signed up-and waited. There were a couple opportunities offered to me but those situations did not fit into why I wanted to be a surrogate.
Finally in April of 2011, we were paired up with our couple. They are a wonderful couple and have a heartbreaking story of becoming parents. They also share the same values as us-see, I refuse to terminate for any reason. I believe life begins at conception and God is the creater of life no matter how the child is conceived. We all agree on this issue which is wonderful for both parties!!
The process is just starting. Right now, I'm taking injections to prepare my body and make sure I will be able to accept an embryo. The transfer should be in late September if all goes well. I am so excited and I can't believe this is actually happening!
I will be using this blog to journal our steps....even if no one reads it! HA!

Contest

2009-12-09T19:41:00.000-08:00

I just entered a contest to win the COOLEST computer!! It's an HP TouchSmart and to enter the contest go here http://www.mycharmingkids.net/

Good Luck!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-27T20:16:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!! Bill the boys and I had a very relaxing morning and then went up to La Center WA to spend time with Bills family. We always love going up there-great food and family!!
Bill and I both have the rest of the weekend off of work. It's so nice to be home together. We were able to sleep in a little, watch a movie and then cleaned the house so the rest of the weekend can be spent relaxing! Yay!
We were also able to get a little Christmas decorating in today-but NO shopping. I think I've only gone shopping on Black Friday once. It was a couple years ago when Bill received a nice Christmas bonus-and Bill and I spent the whole day together shopping. It was actually really fun but oh so tiring! The last couple of years has been a little more difficult financially so the shopping thing is out of the picture. That's OK...I'd rather not deal with the crowds anyway. :)

2009-11-13T23:13:00.001-08:00

Ok...I guess I'll update this blog. :)
It's been an eventful last couple months! In September the kids went back to school. Brady is in Jr. High now-I still cant believe I have a Jr.Higher and he will be 13 next month!!!! A teenager too? Wow!! He completed another season of football-still our favorite sport! This season was fun and better than last. They had a 2 and 6 season-which was way better than our 0 and 8 season last year!! The kids improved so much and all had so much fun. About halfway through the season Brady ended up in the hospital for a couple days though. He got a cold and when he gets colds his asthma acts up. We've dealt with this for 12 years and nothing seemed out of the ordinary....also, I hesitated taking him to the doctor because at that time we did not have health insurance. But when he was so winded he could barely walk or talk, I took him to the dr and they ended up calling for an ambulance to transport him to Emanuel Hospital in Portland. Thank goodness he didnt have pneumonia but he did end up and air pocket between his lungs and sternum. That was kinda scary but I guess it just resolved itself. Brady actually enjoyed his hospital stay. He loved having the nurses and parents attending to his every need. :) But after two days he improved enough to go home. Then exactly one month later he got H1N1. I thought the timing was weird and I'm really hoping this isnt starting a trend of being sick once a month like that. :) Plus, his brothers-although worried about him when he's sick-might get tired of doing Brady's chores around the house!
Riley and Elliot are both doing well too. Riley is in 6th grade now and Elliot is in 2nd and both are doing well. Thankfully, their lives are more uneventful than Brady's. Their lives lately has been school, legos, x-box, friends etc.
As for me, I am back to work. I actually got my old job back at DHS. I've been back since October 9th and there have been a lot of changes in the last 10 months but it still really feels like I never left. The best thing is that we now have insurance! The three months between my 911 job and DHS were a roller coaster for me but I am so very thankful that I had those three months to recoup. Even though the 911 job didnt work out-It was a great job but I know it just wasnt the right fit for me. I did get to meet some wonderful people and learned a lot of valuable information while I was there. It was such a great experience!

Idle Time is NO good!

2009-08-15T17:14:00.000-07:00

The first two weeks of me not working-I did great. Organized my house, had a yard sale and got to go camping with two girlfriends from work. I had so much fun!!
The day after I got back from camping I hit a major low......I'm 3 days into it now. It's been so long that I've felt this way and I really don't like it. The first day was OK-I laid in bed and watched re-runs of Little House on the Prairie. Those are the best.
ANYWAY,
I keep wondering if I did the right thing. It's better for my family is what I keep hearing-this job is hard on families and friends. I liked the job-well, most of it. I loved the people I worked with-I tend to get attached easily to people which is probably one of the reasons why I'm having a hard time. I feel like I failed. I have never failed at a job. I usually do good at things-what happened? Maybe if I would have asked for a couple weeks off and got back on my anxiety meds things would have been OK? And, by the way, what was with that anxiety anyway? Where in the world did it come from? NEVER have I had an issue with it like I did at this job----it wasn't the nature of the job that made me anxious-but the training aspect of it. Weird.
So, anyway, these thoughts and more have been going through my mind over the last few days. I think I could have made it-just needed more time? Did I make the wrong decision? Doesn't matter anyway since I cant take it back. Ugh. I need peace. I need to know I did the right thing and need to be able to forgive myself if I didn't.

Disappointment

2009-08-08T07:09:00.000-07:00

So, I thought I should FINALLY put an update on here. Lots has happened since the last time I updated and I might as well put it out there.
Right now I am officially a stay-at-home mom (until I can find another job). I actually love being home with my kids. It seems our household runs better and is more organized with me home all the time. Since I stopped working I've been able to clean and organize our rooms and this weekend we are even holding a garage sale! I painted Elliots bedroom from a seahawks theme to blue paint with a cute sports border. I made myself a goal that I would do that no matter what....so last week, while it was a chilly 107 degrees outside, I cleaned out and painted Elliots room! Yes, I was a bit crazy! I wanted to get it done though and I did. I swear I could have lost about 10 pounds of sweat! Oh, did I tell you, we dont have air conditioning?
I guess I should write about my job and why I'm no longer working. I really like that job-or most parts of it. There were some areas that I was good in and then there were other areas that I was struggling in for WAY too long. I'm not sure why and I find myself very disappointed in myself because in the past, every job I've had I've always done well at. Also, I was having some MAJOR anxiety issues! In the past during certain things I would get nervous but nothing like I was having with this job. My stomach was often upset, I would be shaky and even started having chest pains. This job totally consumed my life. Even on my days off I would think and worry about the job. I knew things werent going well, and one Thursday, I pulled into work and saw my two supervisors cars and my trainers car there already. I had that sick feeling I was often getting while thinking of workp-this time it was even worse. I knew when I walked in they would all be in a meeting with the Operations Manager. I went to my console and started getting ready for my shift and after a few minutes they all came out.....then it was my turn. He asked to see me for a couple of minutes and when I sat down he asked how I was doing and feeling about how things were going. I couldnt talk and broke down.....I was so determined not to cry but I couldnt help it. We talked for about an hour and came up with a plan. I was going to take a couple of administrative days off and think about whether or not I want to come back-if I did, I had two weeks to get to where I need to be. I decided to go back on Saturday-my anxiety was so bad I almost didnt make it through the day but I finished my whole shift. The next morning we went to church and things got much worse-my chest was so tight, I could hardly take a deep breath, I couldnt talk or else I'd break down again-my stomach hurt really bad and I was shaky again. So, Bill and I talked and we decided I couldnt do this anymore. It wasnt really worth my health. I really dont regret leaving, but I do regret not being able to do the job. I wanted to succeed -it's a cool job. I also dont understand where this anxiety reaction came from?! It's not me.
Anyway, now that I'm not working I feel back to normal. I do think I made the right decision-now we just have to figure out what to do. Unless Bill were to cash out his 401K, we cant live on only one income. I need to find a job-but am not feeling so motivated to do so. I really like being home and the boys like it too....in fact, they want me to homeschool them-which I am totally up for if I knew I was going to stay home all the time. We need some guidance-should we try and sell our house? Is there anything else we can do so I can stay home? If you could be praying with and for us we would really appreciate it!
Now, I need to get ready for another day of our garage sale!!

Trusting God

2009-07-16T21:39:00.001-07:00

I havent forgotten about my blog...I was just hoping to have some pictures to post-but I ran over my camera in June-yep, ran over it! I was leaving for my third week at Academy on a Sunday afternoon and while I was backing up, I felt a thump. I was worried that it might have been a small animal or some sort of toy so I got out and went to the back of my van to see.....nothing. So, because I'm so smart, pulled my van up-felt another thump. Looked under the van again and still, nothing! So, once more.....because I'm so smart....backed up all the way, and now could see my camera had been under the front passenger tire!!!! Ugh. It was in its holder so it actually doesnt look so bad, but if you look closely, it doesnt look so good. I wonder if there is actually a camera repairman somewhere?
I have taken some pictures of lots of things with my moms new awesome camera, but we havent downloaded them yet. Some of the pictures are.....my Academy graduation, the boys rock climbing at our gym here in St.Helens, our visit from my Aunt and Uncle from Maine-and more...I just cant remember!!
Things are going ok......kinda. I feel like both our jobs are in limbo. Not sure what God's plan in all this but both Bill and I are experiencing Gods peace right now. I wonder if God is just trying to get our attention or maybe He has something different planned for us?? The waiting and not knowing part is soooo hard! I have to keep reminding myself that His timing is perfect...His ways are not my ways and everything is beautiful in His time. We are trusting Him now.

I will try and get some pictures downloaded soon so I can post them.

Another update

2009-06-06T23:01:00.000-07:00

Brady Riley and Elliot

Riley's birthday party

Riley with the swine flu!

Yep, he really had it!!

Elliot on first

I know it's been a while since I've posted anything so I thought I'd do a quick update. Things are going well right now. Riley has recovered from H1N1 and is doing great. Brady has not had much of a problem with his Asthma lately and Elliot is just Elliot. :)

Riley turned 11 on June 1st. I cant believe he's that old already. What a great kid. I am so proud of him and love being his mom! Today he had a birthday party at our park here in St.Helens. There were about 20 kids that showed up and they played a few games of capture the flag and snake in the grass (not sure how that one is played). We all had a lot of fun and the weather was perfect. Not too hot or cold and no rain.

Speaking of rain, last Thursday we had an amazing storm. Well, were I was there was an amazing storm. I've been in Salem for police academy to get my certification for my job. I go back tomorrow for a week and then the following week I'm only there for a few days. I'm actually enjoying my time there even though I have to be in uniform and we have to march a little. Anyway, back to the storm. I really wish I could have taken some pictures. It was so raining and windy. There were about 250 lightning strikes and a tornado warning. I guess 10 minutes from where I was, there was an actual tornado. It was so cool!! Our power went out for a short time, but our class kept going. St.Helens did not get hit very hard at all-but baseball games still got canceled.

So, at academy, I've been learning so much. From Criminal law to Oregon Motor Vehicle Code to Ethics and more. Anyway, it's very interesting and I like it but am missing being at work.

The boys have 4 more days left of school. They are all so excited to be out!! Brady earned the presidential fitness award. We are so proud of him and I know he is proud too. His ceremony is on the 12th, but unfortunately I dont get to go. That's my graduation day from academy. I'm bummed about that. Anyway, here are some pictures of the kids. Hope this finds you all well.

The Flu!

2009-05-17T13:26:00.000-07:00

Remember when the Swine Flu first came out? I just rolled my eyes and didn't take it seriously because the media tends to make things way out of proportion......(which I still believe they do)
Anyway, last Wednesday, Riley woke up with a 104 fever and his legs and arms were numb. Weird. The day before his left thigh hurt really bad---so when he woke up the next morning with that fever-I knew something was wrong. My mind went to the worst case-like cancer-but didn't think anything of the flu until the Dr mentioned he could possibly have Swine flu! I kinda laughed at her not knowing if she was serious or not, but she was. He needed to be tested right away. It took 3 of us to hold him down. It was horrible. They had a big syringe filled with water and a long flexible tube attached to the syringe which had to be stuck way up his nose and then the water pushed up and then sucked back out again. Yuck!! Poor guy, I felt so bad for him. The Dr told us the results would be back in 48 hours, but not 6 hours later, the Dr called us and he tested positive for Influenza A, but they needed to send a sample out to test for H1N1 aka swine flu. We had to go back and do the test again!! Poor Riley. It was worse the 2ND time around since he already knew what to expect. I really didn't think that test would come back positive---but Friday afternoon, the lab called and said he was positive! My child had Swine Flu! Oh my goodness-I could not believe it! It's been weird. I had to contact the school to let them know and we've already had a couple of calls from the heath department. Still cant believe it!!
I think his fever has possibly broken today. He woke up with 102 fever and now it is down and he is really clammy like. I'm thinking maybe we might be out of this now? He has developed a nasty cough as have I but I'm thinking with no fever it might be OK.
We cant send him back to school for a while, and they want us to keep Elliot home too. Not sure if we will keep Brady home or not since he was gone all last week for Outdoor School. All of us are on the Swine Flu medicine-so hopefully that will prevent anyone else from getting sick!!

Grandma Noni

2009-05-15T15:17:00.000-07:00

My Grandma Noni is now finally at peace and in Heaven. For the past 3 years, anytime I saw her she would tell me "the next time you see me, it'll be in Heaven" She was ready to go Home for a while, but her body just took so long to shut down. Finally, on Thursday morning she went to the arms of Jesus. I am happy for her because she is now at peace and even though her death was expected, it's still hard. She was a sweet lady who loved her family and God with all of her heart. We will miss you Grandma.

What a Difference a Week Makes!

2009-05-11T00:50:00.001-07:00

On my last post I was not feeling my best......could you tell? But this week has gone much much better-as far as work goes, and right now, that's a huge part of my life. I switched trainers which I was not all too happy with at first but after this week at work, I'm very glad I did. I really liked my old trainer a lot-she was great but we were both perfectionists and that is so very hard to work under. I was stressing a lot and am now on anxiety pills....but this week is so different. I dont know if its the pills kicking in or the trainer switch. I am actually enjoying going to work and dont dread it like I was before. Today was my Friday and I was actually bummed I dont get to go back for 3 more days! Funny how things change! My week was a busy one though-some pretty tough phone calls that really drained me. But it was good and I got a lot of practice with my multi-tasking skills. Thankfully today was a very slow day because we both needed a "breather" day.
Today was kinda a hard day though-I found out today that my Grandma took a turn for the worse and probably wont make it through the night. She is 96 years old and has lived a good life. The last few years have been hard though-especially this last year. Her body is very slowly shutting down-I'm sad to be losing her but I am happy that she knows Jesus and is going Home!!
It was a bitter sweet kind of Mothers Day-lots of emotions. I was emotionally tired from work and sad for Grandma but am so thankful for the family that God has given me! They are all so good to me!!

In a Nutshell

2009-05-05T19:46:00.001-07:00

It's been a long while since I've posted anything so I thought I should write something. Really, not much has been going on. Things are pretty good....hard, but good-I think.
Actually, the last few months have been pretty rocky, but we are still staying strong as a couple and a family.
My job has been so stressful and I've developed a new sense of anxiety. It's been so bad that I've had to go visit the Dr and be put on anxiety meds. I'm also trying not to drink regular coffee on my work days. I don't like the feeling of anxiety. My heart pounds, my stomach hurts, my head hurts......it's not fun. The job itself is not that hard, it's the training part. I really like my trainer, but she is a perfectionist which makes it kinda hard to work under. This week I'm switching trainers and my new trainer is more laid back, Friday was my first day with her and hopefully things go like they did then. If so, then this job seems doable. The other stress trigger for me it that my hearing is causing me a problem at work. I talked to the Dr about it last week, and he sent me to an audiologist today. It turns out I do have significant hearing loss and I was told I would benefit from a hearing aid. Problem is, my insurance wont cover hearing aids and they are very expensive! Wow. I guess hearing loss runs in my family. Anyway, I'm not really sure what to do with this information-do I tell my supervisors? I don't know. I'm praying that if I'm suppose to say anything, God will give me the opportunity to. The job is kinda fun when I'm having a good day...I really do like it. June 1st through the 17Th, I go to Academy in Salem, OR. I'm excited for that!!
Bills job is going good. I appreciate him so much! He works so hard and is doing pretty good considering the economy stuff going on. Speaking of economy, his income was cut 10%. Ouch! Even though this hurts, both of us have a sense of peace and are not really worried.
In April we were able to pay off two more credit cards!! Yippee!! It's a good feeling to have those gone. We still have three more to go-but they are our bigger ones. It might be a while till those are gone. But 3 is better than 8, right?? :)
We are working on building up our savings again since we've depleted it with car repairs and a new water heater. That's OK though...we were so thankful that we actually had the money in our account to pay cash for those things.
The boys are doing well. Elliot is still playing baseball and we love watching him. They are so cute out there! Riley is not doing a sport right now-I think it would throw me over the edge if I had 2 kids in a sport right now. Too much!! But he is playing violin. He's actually getting pretty good at it. A couple weeks ago he had his first recital-he did really well.
Brady is already getting ready for football. A couple times a week, he is doing a strength and agility training. I can already see some results-I think he is feeling better too.
Well, I guess that's been our life the past couple days. Nothing too exciting. Hope this all finds you well.

Signs of Spring!!

2009-04-10T23:01:00.000-07:00

Spring is here!!

Here are a some of what is blooming in our yard right now. I cant take any credit for any of these beautiful flowers and dont even know what any of them are called, but arent they just beautiful?

Thankfully it rains a lot over here so my flowers get watered....I dont have much of a green thumb and tend to kill plants and flowers.

This is my favorite time of year! This is a picture of the tree in our front yard. It only stays like this for a few weeks so this year I actually got a picture of it!! It's so pretty right now.

Easter!!

2009-04-10T22:42:00.000-07:00

Some of our masterpieces!

Elliot

Bill's "egg"
Riley being silly
Brady's not very happy to be getting his picture taken

Happy Easter!! Here are a few pictures of us dying Easter eggs today.

First Baseball game

2009-04-10T22:38:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was Elliot's first baseball game.....I love watching my kids play sports. Elliot is the only one playing baseball this year-which in some ways is nice, but I really do miss watching Brady play. I think he is regretting his decision of not playing this year. Here are a few pictures of Elliot first game.

Update

2009-03-30T01:12:00.001-07:00

Not much has happened since last time I posted. Like most other people right now, things are super tight. These next few months are going to be difficult financially for us..my income went down a bit because of insurance starting for me in April and people aren't spending as much money right now so Bills numbers at work aren't huge....But,he is working so hard. I love him and appreciate him so very much. He is such a great provider for our family! We had another appointment with our financial counselor and we are going to be changing up a couple things to bring in a few hundred more dollars a month for a while. With all that is going on, we cant complain. We both have jobs right now!
My new job is going OK. Bill asked me when am I going to say that it's going great? When I'm out of training!!! So, maybe not for another 5-9 months. About a month and a half ago, I was told that I was going to "hit a wall" at work. I was so determined not to hit that wall and prayed against it, but I realized last Tuesday, I in fact hit that wall. The last two or three weeks I've been feeling so burdened and dreading going to work. I've had stomach aches and have been on the verge of tears. I was feeling SO stretched and wondering if I was going to make it through training?? Last Tuesday I made a stupid mistake....and I was embarrassed and mad at myself because I knew that I messed up. I ended up crying. I'm not as an emotional person as I used to be....I rarely cry any more, especially around people I don't know real well yet. But I just lost it. My trainer and I went outside to get my head clear and after a while I went back in and did totally fine. I think I needed to get that out of my system! My biggest road block right now is myself. I beat myself up so badly over the mistakes I make. Everyone makes these mistakes-it's just a part of the process of learning this job. But I do have to say, that so far it's the hardest job I've ever had. This week has been better although my stomach was in knots a little today until I was there for about an hour. Not sure why?? I need to get over that because it affects my job when I'm like that.
So, I guess I could use some prayer for my job. Apparently I'm doing OK and there are not any major problems. I need to learn to let go of my mistakes and just move on.
I'm starting to fall asleep while typing so I'm going to end this. Hope you are all doing great. If there is anything I can be praying for any one reading, leave a comment and I will pray for you during the next weeks.

What a Week!

2009-03-12T21:12:00.000-07:00

This has been one of those weeks! I dont know what is up...maybe the full moon this week? I had conflict with a couple people this week. I hate conflict and do what I can to live at peace with everyone, but am realizing that some things are totally out of my control. But still it is so frustrating and after realizing I have had conflict with 3 people...yes 3 people this week I felt so overwhelmed!! I have absolutely no control over any of it-cant do anything to fix any of it either. Anyway, at about the same time that I was having my pity party and feeling overwhelmed, Bill called me from the road. I knew something big had happened by the tone of his voice and I couldnt wait to hear what it was. By this point I was feeling that I needed to hear some good news. I couldnt prepare myself for what I was about to hear-Bill was offered a job in Spokane. What?? I was speechless! I couldnt tell if I was excited or scared or sad. So many mixed emotions went through my mind and when it really came down to it, I wasnt sure if I really wanted to move. Weird huh? I am in awe of how things have changed over the course of 3 years. On the 26th, it'll be 3 years since we've moved here. Time has flown by and we have gone through some major tough times but we have also grown individually, as a family and as a couple over here. God knew what He was doing when He moved us over here. Duh! But I remember when I wished for a job offer to happen...we would have jumped at any opportunity to move back! We miss our friends and church so much. But God has truly blessed us over here too. He has given us some wonderful friends a great church and a passion for our family that we've not had before. We have grown and are still growing and we dont feel that it what God wants us to do at this point, so Bill declined the offer. As I sit and contemplate all this, I cannot believe the change in me since we've been here. When we moved I came kicking and screaming. I was a brat! I cried a lot...probably too much and did not handle the move like I should have. God is so good. I am so thankful of all our friends-here and Spokane-that God has given us. I am so thankful that God is always at work in our hearts and can change us.
So even though we will not be moving, we do plan to make a weekend trip sometime this summer over to Spokane to visit all our friends. Ill keep my Spokane friends posted on when we are coming over. We miss you all!

Happy 7th Birthday Elliot

2009-02-25T00:13:00.001-08:00

Make a Smilebox postcard

Being prepared

2009-02-24T01:29:00.000-08:00

For years, we have half heartedly tried to build up a savings account. Since meeting with our financial counselor, our first baby step (Dave Ramsey) was to put $1000 into savings for EMERGENCY'S ONLY! We finally got our savings built up and then our water heater went out. For the first time in our married life, we didn't worry over how we were going to pay to get something fixed! There was no stress, no burden-we didn't have to borrow from family. We actually had the money to fix our problem! What an amazing feeling that was!!
Just a couple of weeks prior to this, we had a discussion of what an actual emergency would look like. It all came down to if something happens that is unforeseen it would be an emergency. I am pretty sure a hot water heater not working would count as an emergency!
I'm so thankful what God is doing in our lives. It's so great when we can see His hand at work.

One More Down!

2009-02-18T00:47:00.001-08:00

Monday, we were able to pay off another credit card!! We are both so excited but know we still have a ways to go. So that's one down, 5 to go! (two more that will be gone by the end of April!) WooHoo!!

Things have been going pretty good lately. Another thing we were able to do is to get our yard cleaned up finally! This winter has been so hard on it, and I'm not much for yard work so we hired someone. I know, its an extra expense but it sure takes off a HUGE burden. I can now walk outside and not cringe at the sight of our yard!

My new job is going pretty well....I still have a lot more to learn and to master, but at least now I can talk on the radio and answer phones without shaking! There was a point were after a phone call my hands would be shaking so much. It must have been because of the adrenalin?? Thursday night I am taking a first aid course and next month I will be getting recertified for CPR.

The boys are doing great too. Brady is starting to get back in shape to prepare for football and Elliot will be playing base ball this year! He's so excited. Riley is opting for Kung Fu. Both Brady and Riley are playing an instrument. Riley is learning violin and Brady is taking drum lessons. They are actually doing pretty good.

Also, today is Elliot's birthday! My baby is 7 now. I still picture him as a 3 year old. He is growing up so very fast!! He's such a fun kid to have around-he has a great sense of humor and loves his brothers! He wants to be just like they are.

Happy Birthday Elliot!!

In Progress

2009-02-08T11:14:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking about this blog lately and wondering if I should make a theme for it...for example, I've been reading other blogs, some are for updates on family life (which initially mine was going to do that) others are about tracking their pregnancies,health problems etc. So, since right now we are in the process of getting out of debt, I was thinking that I could track our journey, good and bad on here. If it bores you, you don't have to read it. :) This will be good for Bill and I to look back and remember our journey. Where we are now, where we came from and where we hope to be. My greatest hope would be that God would use this process to help someone else through a similar situation.
Finances have been our biggest struggle throughout our whole marriage. It's amazing to see how destructive debt and bad spending habits can be to a family. We started our marriage off with debt and have been going deeper and deeper since then. Over the years we have tried different budgets and programs but have been unable to stay on track for more than one week. I think that Bill and I had to go through a process in our marriage to get to where we are now. We have had some really tough times where one or both of us didn't think we'd make it through, but miraculously God brought us through those times. It wasn't until last year that we really started working together on things. We are finally on the same page! It took a lot to get us here, but we are here.....I know we have a lot of work to do still, but this is a good starting point.
If you've read my earlier posts, you know we are seeing a financial counselor certified through Dave Ramsey-it is so great for us to have someone that we are accountable to and that guides us through some decisions and helps us stay realistic with our finances.
About a year ago, things were really tight for us as usual but we were having a hard time paying all of our bills so we decided to go through a settlement company for our credit cards. It took our payment from about $1100 to $460 a month. Although this helped a little with our monthly expenses, we were not paying ANY of our credit cards-see our $460 payment went to the settlement company in a reserve and as soon as we had enough money in our reserve, they were going to negotiate with our credit card companies (all 7 of them) at one point or another and settle at about half of what we owed. At first, we thought this would work out great...one account that we owed about $1800 on settled with us for $512. We were so excited to get one out of the way! But, even though this seemed to be working we knew this was not for us and we would not recommend it to anyone. It was like we were trying to take the easy way out but really it just caused more problems. The letters and phone calls started coming again and they were not good. So, we decided that we were going to start dealing with them on our own and either start making payments again or just try and settle on a couple ourselves (thank goodness for tax refunds!)
So, as of today, we have 6 cards to pay off totaling around $20000. That is a huge amount but sadly it was a lot bigger than that just a few years ago. This week, Bill was able to make a few calls and set up some payment arrangements and by the end of April, Lord willing, over half of that will be gone! If all goes as planned, by the end of the year, we will be credit card debt free...(then it's on to the cars). Time will tell if this all works out according to plan-I'm hoping and believing it will since now Bill and I are on the same page with this and we are making our decisions very prayerfully.
That's our beginning in a nutshell and until we are out of debt including the cars, I will use this post mainly for updating on this process we are going through. One more thing is that this all wouldn't be possible if God wasn't part of this. We have made so many mistakes and have wandered so much but God is so good. His compassions NEVER fail. They are new EVERY morning and HE is faithful!

Quick update

2009-02-02T00:34:00.000-08:00

It's been a while again since I've posted last. This is why I hesitated in the first place to do my own blog-because I didnt think I would be able to think of things to write. I'm not a writer like some. I go onto other blogs and read these wonderful, interesting stories with so much detail and energy and then try to write something on my blog but nothing comes up! Maybe the more I try, the better I get?
Anyway, things are going well in the Beckham household. I am loving my job and most days think I'm doing ok. I love what I am doing and for the most part, everyday there is something different. I am still loving my schedule but have found that I have to be careful on my days off to make sure I dont over commit my self to anything.
Bill and I are still doing good with staying on track financially for the most part. We had a major bump in the road this weekend and not sure on the outcome of that but both of us has a peace over this whole thing. God is so good. It's amazing the difference from right now and a year ago. If our "bump" had happened this time last year, I would have sunken low into a depression and had the feeling of a ton of bricks on my shoulder but things have changed so much over this year (another story that I may tell at a later time) that when this "bump" happened, I felt nothing but joy....only the joy that God can give.
Anyway, that's all for my post this time...maybe next time I'll even have some pictures to include!

Patience

2009-01-16T19:54:00.000-08:00

I was on a quest today to find a Wii Fit. I went to seven different stores today. SEVEN! You'd think out of that many stores at least one of them could have had a Wii Fit somewhere! Nope. I could have gone to more but ran out of time (my son informed me I should've gone up to Washington too)... All seven of them were OUT and didn't know when they were getting more. Ugh. Right before Christmas I was at Fred Meyers and Wal Mart and saw quite a few of them so I thought right now would be a great time to find one since it's after Christmas. But not so....I guess everyone else had the same idea that I did. As I was driving home from my search I called home and talked with my kids, and one certain child was very disappointed that I could not find one and went on to blame Oregon for the stores not having any Wii Fits and he wanted to move to China!? (Or Spokane, because of course, Spokane has everything we need) ;)
I tried teaching him about patience and how good things come to those who wait, but it appeared that he wasn't having any of that. Imagine that....
Oh well, at least I tried.

2009-01-14T21:15:00.001-08:00

Goodness....it's been a while since I've updated my blog so I thought I should just write a quick update.
The snow is gone...just like that! It's amazing how quickly it came and then how fast it melted. I love the snow and miss it, but don't miss driving in it or having the kids miss school because of it. But,thankfully, the kids are back in school! I keep wondering what the first week of summer will be like since they missed a whole week in December due to the weather. I wonder if they will extend school for that week or not? I wouldn't mind on less week of summer....hey, I'm for year round school anyway. :)
As much as the kids whined about having to go back, I think after a 3 week break, all 3 of them were secretly happy to return. This school year is already halfway over....where has the time gone?
I started my new job and am loving it. Although at times I feel just a little overwhelmed by the amount of stuff I have to learn and sometimes feel unsure of myself but I guess that's to be expected in a job like this. I think I'm really going to like my new job and my new co workers. I do LOVE my new schedule! I feel spoiled...well, blessed with this schedule that has been given me. I don't have to wake up with an alarm clock right now-I wake up between 10 and 11 and have my mornings to myself. My house has been staying clean and organized and my laundry has been caught up! I love it. Lots of time to have my devotional times, read my books and do errands if I have to. Bill has been awesome! He is waking up with the kids, getting them ready and on the bus for me-it's been such a big help! I am so blessed with such a wonderful husband!
We are doing pretty good on our financial stuff....we weren't as good in December as we were suppose to be, but we are back on track now. We see our financial counselor again this Friday. The accountability is great and we need it. We did end up paying off one of our credit cards in December and got some more money put in savings this month. I cant tell you how good it feels to be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel (and its not a train coming!!) One big thing we did was completely cancel cable! That has been great in saving money and our family time. We've been playing more board games with each other and Brady and I have been doing puzzles together.
But, I have a feeling that we are entering a more busy season. Baseball sign ups are this month. Thankfully only Riley and Elliot want to play this year. The fields are all at different locations so it makes it hard to figure out who is going to what game on what day etc.......it's fun though. I love watching my kids play sports, so it's all worth it.
That's about it for now....hopefully I'll do better about keeping my updates going.

Sacrifice

2009-01-05T01:09:00.000-08:00

I found a cool video I wanted to post on here, but had trouble making things work, so here's the info instead. Go to www.godtube.com and find the video, The Bridge. It's about 6 minutes long, but worth it.

Christmas Memories

2008-12-31T14:41:00.000-08:00

I was reading a friends blog and found "smilebox" which is a online scrapbook thing. I made one up so I thought I'd post it. Hope it works for you.

Make a Smilebox photobook

Happy New Year!

2008-12-30T11:35:00.000-08:00

Oregon weather is so weird! Yesterday it poured down rain and the snow was quickly melting-we can see grass now!! What a change from a week ago. Yesterday the grater (snow plow) finally came through our neighborhood.......by that point we could already see pavement, so I'm not sure how necessary a plow was. It would have been nice if they could have come earlier. Yesterday was the first day in a while that I could get out of my driveway!
What a difference it is between living here and Spokane! Life here kinda just stops when it snows! But finally things are getting back to normal and people are coming out of hibernation! I'm thinking that in about nine months we are going to see quite a few babies!! :)
On another note, yesterday was Bill and my 13th anniversary! I cant believe it's been 13 years! It's been great though. Bill and I have grown together as a couple over the last few years and I LOVE being married to him. He is such a great husband and dad and I am looking forward to the many years to come.
Bill is on vacation this week and the boys are loving having him home. We havent really gone anywhere over the last couple of weeks (besides me going to work) and it's been so nice to stay home. I'm becoming a home body! It helps that I live in St.Helens and there is not much to do here and I dont like driving into Portland too much.

Today is my 8th day on the job. I am loving my new job but by the end of the days my brain gets so fried!! There is so much I have to learn and am thankful for the 8 or so months of training I'll be getting.
Anyway, thought I'd do a quick update.......hope you all have a great New Year!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T11:44:00.003-08:00

It's 11:45 Christmas morning and we are all just enjoying being home and together. As I am writing right now, I'm looking out the window watching the snow. It's so rare that Oregon is having a white Christmas but I am loving it!
Bill and Elliot are putting together Elliot's new Indiana Jones lego set. Brady is playing NFL Madden on the Wii and Riley, is going back and forth from doing whatever it is he's doing. He's such a busy busy kid. My mom is playing solitare and I am on the computer......such a nice relaxing day.
Last night we had our Christmas Eve candle light service at church and went to my moms for a nice dinner and played Pictionary. We went home around 7:30 and Elliot, who still believes in Santa (Yes, we do the Santa thing) ran up to bed with his boots on! Ive never seen him so excited to sleep, but the poor kid could not get to sleep! Then Elliot and Riley were up at 2am hoping to open presents-but quickly got sent back to bed. Funny kids. I remember the anticipation of Christmas morning when I was there age.
This morning the kids were able to open presents from Santa. (thanks mom!) Bill made a wonderful breakfast for us all of Crepes, bacon and sausage.
This afternoon, our good friends Aaron and Lisa will be coming over with their 4 boys for dinner and games. (if the roads are drivable)
I hope you are all having a wonderful, relaxing day with your families and friends!
Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T11:44:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-19T10:09:00.001-08:00

Ok...well I was going to send out Christmas pictures this year, but since it is already 6 days away from Christmas, I thought I'd cheat a little and do a Christmas letter online this year.

This year has been a year of change and growth for all of us. It's been by far one of the most memorable years we have had. Like others, we've experienced a lot of hardship, but with that came some major victories and we've felt and seen God's faithfulness and love throughout the year. God is good and our hearts are thankful.

I thought I could start out with Elliot. He turned 6 in February! I can't believe our "baby" is already 6!! He started 1st grade in September and is attending a local Charter school here in St.Helens. He is doing so well and at his parent teacher conferences his teacher called him a "teachers dream". Oh my, how nice it was to hear that! Elliot loves playing with his neighborhood friends and his brothers. He looks up to Brady and Riley and wants so badly to do what they get to do. Ever since he's been a baby, he's always been more interested in playing with the big boys! I'm not ready for him to be a big boy yet. I cannot believe how fast time has gone by! In my eyes Elliot should only be about 3 years old. This year, Elliot is going to play baseball and he is counting down the days till he can play football. He has to be going into 3rd grade to play, but it's so hard for him to wait!

Now on to Riley. He is such a joy and melts my heart. Riley is 10 years old and in the 5th grade at the same Charter school Elliot attends. He is our "social butterfly" and is very outgoing. He says that he is the class clown....which scared us both at first but after talking with his teacher, it's ok and he know when to stop the goofiness. Riley loves anything to do with history and knows all about all the past wars. He is like a sponge when it comes to learning about most things. Riley also likes Science and loves doing his own experiments. He has such a kind and compassionate heart and loves Jesus. Riley wanted so badly to play football this year, but because of him only having one kidney, his doctor wouldn't sign the medical release form for him to play. That broke his heart, but he was still able to have a position on Brady's team this year. He was the water boy, which fits perfectly for him because he likes to help people. He even got a jersey and was able to be in the team picture! Right now, with the snow, Riley spends most of his days outside with his friends. We have a hill behind our house that he and his friends go sledding on.

Brady is growing up and becoming a young man. He will turn 12 this month. It's hard to believe that in one year, we will have a TEENAGER!! He has changed so much in every way. Last spring he got braces put on and it's amazing how much even his facial features have changed. When he got his school pictures it was so fun to compare all his school pictures to see the change. Wow! Brady is 12 going on 16 I think. He is maturing so much and is fun to talk to-like a little adult. He is in the 6th grade and goes to Columbia City School-which is a public school here that only 6th graders go to. It's a great program that they have here! This spring he will be able to go to "Outdoor School". Brady is very much into sports. We started off the year with baseball and Brady made the All Star team and had a lot of fun. Then, in August football started. Football is by far, our most favorite sport! Brady was able to play in a lot more positions this year and learned so much! Unfortunately, his team did not win one game, but the boys still had a ton of fun and it seemed like they all learned a lot and made some new friends. Brady can't wait till next August when training starts again.

Since we are talking football, that leads us to Bill. Bill was one of the assistant coaches this year again. I think one of the reasons we love football so much is because it brings us together as a family. Especially Bill and Brady. It's something that bonds them together-the love they both share for the game! Bill is a great coach and loves getting the kids excited to play. Bill is still working for Blumenthal Uniforms and loves it. He isnt traveling as much as he was because he is now serving more local departments. He is such a hard worker and even though the boys and I don't say it enough, we appreciate his hard work and sacrifice for our family so much. He is also leading the 4th-6th grade class at our church. The kids seem to really like his class-he makes it so fun for them to learn about Jesus. Bill and I have been seeing a financial counselor that has been certified through Dave Ramsey. If you've known us long enough, you've known that finances are our biggest area of stress. Last fall, after years of trying to do things in our own strength and wisdom (or lack there of) prayerfully, we found this counselor. He's more of a mediator and an accountability partner for us. He's there to "hold our hand" and guide us through the process of getting out of debt. We try to meet with him a couple of times a month to go over our finances and what our next step of action is. On the weeks we dont see him, Bill and I are meeting to discuss how our finances are going. It forces us to go out together too. Even if it's just at our local Starbucks and only 1 hour or so long, we are getting out on a "date"! Besides meeting with our counselor, we are also reading Dave Ramsey's books together and watching his DVDs. Even the kids are getting into it! Since we are on the Dave Ramsey plan this year, we aren't doing Christmas gifts for anyone, including the kids. We've talked to the kids about it and they understand.....well, as much as kids can understand such things. Plus they've got a few sets of grandparents that will be able to provide some presents for them, so it won't be that bad....anyway, Brady was watching one of the Dave Ramsey videos that we hadnt watched yet, and found the idea of giving away certificates to each other. For example, we did our family Christmas this last Tuesday with my parents since my dad wouldn't be home for Christmas this year. So, instead of us buying gifts for them, we gave them gifts of service. Brady offered to help them with their yard this year and help my mom by cleaning out her fridge when she needed it. Sometimes I think gifts of service or time mean just as much if not more than something bought at a store. The kids had fun making up the certificates and figuring out what they wanted to do....they are going to do them for each other as well. It will be interesting to see what they come up with!!

As I write this, I am sitting at my desk for the last time. Until today, I worked for the Oregon Department of Human Services. I start a new job tomorrow for Columbia County 911 as a dispatcher! I have mixed emotions because I am very sad to leave the friends I have made here but oh so excited to be a 911 dispatcher!! It's going to be an intense, stressfull job but I feel like I'm up to the challenge and also feel like this is what God is leading me to do. I will have a completely different schedule too-it will be Saturday through Tuesday from 2:00pm to midnight. After some thought, I think this just might be the perfect schedule and Im very excited about it. It brings me home more during the week with the boys, which is what I have been feeling needs to happen. I still get to go to church on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights with my family. I'm very nervous to start this job because of the intensity of the job, and I am praying that I can catch on quickly. I am so thankful for the friends that I work with now and am planning on keeping in touch with them on a regular basis. Also this year, I finally became an Aunt!! My brother Derek and his wife Lisa had a beautiful baby girl named Lilli! We were able to go to Las Vegas to visit them in April. She is such a sweetheart and I wish I could see her more. But I do get to have my "baby fixes" at church. A couple of times a month I get to be in the nursery holding the babies! I love that so much and I'm thankful that I will be able to continue this even with my new schedule. Speaking of church, we are still at the same church we started at when we first moved here. We all love it and God has blessed us with a wonderful core group of friends.

We hope this "letter" finds you and your family well. Merry Christmas!

Bill, Stephanie, Brady, Riley and Elliot Beckham

Thanksgiving, Sickness, New Job and Christmas

2008-12-05T21:06:00.001-08:00

I haven't posted in a while so I thought I'd better play catch up here now! It's been a busy couple of weeks. Lets see.......Thanksgiving was great! We went up to LaCenter Wa (just about an hour from here) The food was all good and the company even better. The kids love going there...they usually take their BB guns and go into the woods to hunt for some rabbit. (they still have yet to get one)
Brady has been sick all week. His asthma has been acting up all week and has run a fever, so he's been home from school and now has piles of homework to catch up on!! Oh well, hopefully there wont be too many flare ups in the future. He missed over 20 days of school last year because of his asthma. I'm hoping and praying that this year will be different. This is his first flare up since February when he started getting allergy shots.
I had my third and final interview with Columbia 911 Communications on Wednesday this week. It went great and they offered me the job. I had to take a physical today.....hearing, vision tests etc. I passed and my official start date is the 20th. I will have a new schedule of Saturday-Tuesdays 2:00pm-midnight. I'm kinda excited about this schedule. I think it's actually going to work out really well. I get to be home more on the weekdays with the kids and even get to go to church on Sundays and Wednesdays. And even more....I will be making more money per month, which will also help us with our Dave Ramsey plan. Which by the way is going great!
We still have a very long road ahead of us but at least now, we can see the light at the end!
We met with our financial counselor on Thursday. I'm so thankful we have that accountability! Not only for helping us keep on track but also to encourage us in how far we come. I have a feeling that we will have some "down" times, but having a third party involved will help us get through those times.
We've decorated our house for Christmas minus the tree...we should be getting that in the next couple of weeks or so. It's weird here though. I'm still trying to get used to Christmas with no snow-but only rain. Last year, it snowed a little but not a whole lot to make it feel "Christmassy" (is that a word?) It's funny, when it does snow, the kids' schools will be on 2 hour late start or even canceled!! The kids dont mind it one bit, but it seems so silly to me.
Riley and Elliot had their Christmas (er, I mean Holiday concert) tonight. I think they sang 3 Christmas (agh, I mean holiday) songs but mostly songs like "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" or "Lean on Me" etc. On a side note, I really miss hearing "Merry Christmas" when I go to the store.....not "Happy Holidays".
Anyway, so I guess that's it for now. Only 20 days till Christmas and I'm sure these next 3 weeks will go by so quickly. If I dont update before then, I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

The Invisible Woman

2008-11-21T08:27:00.001-08:00

This is a great video...if you have a few minutes, check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YU0aNAHXP0

Changes

2008-11-20T09:44:00.000-08:00

Ok...so if you've read my previous blog, you know Bill and I are making some big changes in our house. Today was my turn. I am am out of gas for our van. Usually, I'd go to Fred Meyers and write a check (since they still take them) and PRAY that it doesnt clear before our next payday which is a week from Friday! But, I cant do that anymore. In fact, I dont want to do that! So, I figured I could walk to work.....it only takes me 4 minutes to drive there, so walking shouldnt take too long, right? Not so much. 45 minutes later, I arrived at work-30 minutes after I was suppose to be there! Oops. (Tomorrow I think I will leave a lot earlier!! ) Thankfully I remembered my umbrella because it was pouring down rain.
Actually, it was a nice walk, and I really could use the exercise anyway. :)

Baby Steps

2008-11-18T19:56:00.000-08:00

It seems like every time you turn on the news or even talk to anyone, the biggest concern on everyones minds is finances. It's the same with us......actually if you've known us for very long, you'll know that finances have always been our biggest stress in life.
For about a month now, Bill and I have been working with a financial counselor certified by Dave Ramsey. For years now, I have listened to Dave on and off and we even took Financial Peace University at our church...TWICE! But Bill and I could never get on the same page with our finances for one reason or another.
I think it took moving over here to get us to the place we are at now. God, like always, knew what He was doing.
We have been working together so well over this last month-more than ever before. It's amazing what a difference I've seen and felt since we've been working together. The accountability is awesome! I cant believe it's taken us so long to get here.
We have a long rode ahead of us..and I know we will have some slip ups, but if we keep doing what we are doing now, we are going to make our goal! I'm so excited! This is the first time I can see the "light at the end of our tunnel"

http://www.daveramsey.com - Get REAL debt help: Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover Plan (Link to http://www.daveramsey.com/)

Growing up

2008-11-18T19:50:00.000-08:00

After waiting and waiting....Elliot finally lost his first tooth! I have mixed feelings over this. I love toothless kids-they are so cute! But its just one more reminder that my "baby" really is growing up. I know, it's just a tooth, but it's also Elliot's tooth.....in my eyes he should be only 3 or 4. Not 6 1/2 and in the first grade!!!
I took some pictures of him on my cell phone, because my camera is broken and I tried uploading the pictures of him on here, but they didnt come out so well. So, the picture will have to wait.
As for Elliot, he's excited because he's seen his brothers lose teeth and he wants to be just like them and tries to do everything they do!

Football Pictures....Brady is #81. Riley is the "team manager"

2008-11-10T20:22:00.000-08:00

Football is Over, What Now??

2008-11-10T19:51:00.000-08:00

Well, after 2 hour a day 5 days a week football practice-once a week games, our 2008 football season is now over.
Over the last couple of years I have grown to absolutely LOVE football. In fact, right now, I'm watching the Monday night football game between the 49ers and Arizona Cardinals. But my favorite games to watch are my son, Brady's football games. This year was a fun but difficult year to go through. Our team lost every single game :( It was so frustrating at times to watch, especially those last couple of games when they really should have won if it hadnt of been for a couple of mistakes!
But, even after losing those games I am still in love with this sport. It has been so fun watching Brady try new positions and really grow as a player. What I'm most thankful for is that Brady has a new love for football also. You'd think after a losing season, he wouldnt want to play again, but he wants to play more now than he did last year after being on a championship winning team! Last year at this time he was questioning whether or not he even wanted to play again.
Next year Brady will be in 7th grade and the 7th graders will have a team of their own. Thankfully most of the boys will have played before and hopefully we will have better results than this year.
We are done with sports for now. We were going to sign Elliot up for basketball but missed the sign up date. That's ok. I've enjoyed being home at night and I've been cooking and baking like crazy. I think my family appreciates that too.

On another note, last year about this time, I started testing for a job at our counties 911 dispatch center. In April I passed the final test and was put in the hiring pool. I was called last week and had a second interview. I really thought I bombed the interview, but within 2 hours they called me back and offered me the job. I still have to pass a physical and they have to receive my reference checks and finish my background check, but hopefully, I'll start around the first of December. The schedule will be something I'll have to get used to and training can last up to nine months! This is a bitter sweet thing because I'm so excited to work there, but am so sad to leave the people I work with now.

Riley and Elliot are doing good too. Both are doing great at school! Elliot has been having some tummy issues since July and we just went to the GI dr on Friday and had a couple of tests done. Hopefully we'll find out what is going on with him. Riley is our little charmer and is having so much fun going around the houses in our neighborhood to rake leaves. He started his own little business of walking dogs too. Jeesh.....I feel like I'm writing a Christmas letter!!! I guess that's coming soon, right?

Vote and Pray

2008-11-02T21:44:00.000-08:00

This is a big week for our county. I've never been so into an election before because I really do not like politics. I know what I believe in and why but I really dont like the debating that goes along with it all. This year is different. It seems like there is a lot more at stake this time. Part of me is scared, but then I remember to pray pray pray and I remember that God says no one is put in authority unless God puts them there. I have to have peace that God will protect us and His will-will be done. God is good...All the time. Even so, the closer it gets to Tuesday, the more anxious I feel but Gods word says "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phillipians 4:6-7). So, no matter what happens on Tuesday, I will continue to trust God and know that He is in control and He is good.

(One thing I will be thankful for is the end of all those political commercials!!!! Ugh.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61wj4tJICcc

2008-10-27T15:39:00.000-07:00

I love this!! Too funny!!

Not Me! Monday

2008-10-27T13:28:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm going to try the "Not Me!Monday" game I found on another blog I'm following. It looks like a ton of fun and maybe even theraputic!!! :)

I did not eat a bunch of our Halloween Candy over the past couple of days and I did not gain 2 pounds in 2 days!! I did not eat that yummy slice of pizza even though I was not hungry today and I did not enjoy it one bit! I did not leave those dirty dishes in the sink or leave the clothes in the washer and dryer.
I did not talk myself out of going to the gym when I should have. I did not almost hit a police car on the way back to work one day last week and I did not show up to work late today!
I did not forget to bring my sons lunch to school after I said I would and I did not forget to add a drink in all my kids' lunch this week.

Ok....so this was fun and I will hopefully be able to keep this up every Monday. I'll be more attentive to what I'm doing this next week and try to be more creative next time! You should try this!!

If you want to join in the fun, click on the "Not Me!" Monday link to see the directions.

TEAM SARAH

2008-10-24T08:03:00.000-07:00

Check this out!

http://www.teamsarah.org/

God is Bigger!

2008-10-19T21:17:00.000-07:00

What a busy week it's been! One of the harder weeks I've had I might add. It started last Monday when we got "the" phone call. Of course, like every other time, it had to do with our finances, but this was different. This time we couldnt see a way out or any solution of our own. I wont go into all the details, but it was scary for both of us.
So, I went and did my work out at the gym Monday night and felt better, but when I woke up Tuesday morning, it hit me hard. I had one of those days where felt like staying in my bed all day! But, I made my way to work, hoping I could keep to myself all day, but no, it happened to be a meeting filled day and I had to be at all of them and couldnt stay in the safety of my little cubicle.
Once I was able to vent to someone, I felt a little better and was able to move on with my day. I even made it to Bible study that night.
Long story short, I had my 24 hour pity party. Finally at the end of the night when I decided to pray about everything God gave me a sense of peace. I was reminded about how BIG God is. I have a vision of what our situation is like. I can see myself standing in front of a HUGE mountain that I cant climb or get around in anyway......but no matter how big my "mountain" is God is much bigger and He is my only way out! Even though nothing has changed with our situation this week, I still can see little, no wait, make that big victories. Bill and I are on the same page and working together. If you've known me for very long, that is a HUGE victory! We agreed to get an outside opinion on this and now are going to start seeing a financial counselor. We found one that is certified by Dave Ramsey and he will be coaching us until we can figure this whole thing out.
So, a few times a day, I just have to remind myself that even thought this problem is big for us, God is so much bigger and He is in control!
Everything else seems to be going pretty good. Brady had another football game yesterday and they lost again. It's so discouraging because the kids get so down, but it has been so fun to see how much they have improved since the beginning of the year. Next Saturday is the last game and I think all the parents are probably praying that we can at least win that one! I'm praying for that AND I'm praying that Brady can make his first touchdown! I kinda bribed him today-I told him that if he made a touchdown, I would give him $$. I'm hoping that will help a little. (by the way, bribing is not a common thing in our household-just in case your wondering) :)

Obama's take on babies'

2008-10-13T15:26:00.000-07:00

This is very disturbing, sad.....and even more frustrating that people can ignore what is really going on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIdbYjmbFzo

Interesting Facts

2008-10-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

Check this out..................it's very very interesting.
http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/
It's the posting about Fannie Mae.

Football

2008-10-12T16:25:00.000-07:00

Ok. I've given in.....I decided to start a blog too. There have been times in the past where I thought it would be nice to have one, but just havent sat down and figured out how to get one started. It didnt seem like it would be too difficult since so many people have blogs.....I'm just a procrastinator at some things and then I wonder if I will actually update my blog. Who knows? It doesnt hurt to try anyway, right?
We have been so busy lately which is another reason why it has taken me FOREVER to do this. Bill and I both work full time and right now is football season which means that Brady has football practice 3 nights a week and Bill is one of the coaches. I love watching him play so I find myself at the field whenever I can to watch. Riley and Elliot dont mind so much because they can bring their bikes or scooters and play with friends during practice. Brady's games are on Saturdays which, since most of our games are away games, our Saturdays are taken up with football!! Thankfully we all enjoy it.........even though Brady's team has not won once this year, it's still fun to watch. What a difference a year can make. Last year, Brady was on the team that took the Championship! Oh well, this is a learning year. It's amazing how much improvement I've seen in his team mates. A lot of them are first time players this year. Also, watching Brady learn new positions like Running Back has been so fun! He is doing great and works so hard.
Riley really wanted to play but since he only has one kidney, it isnt possible. So, he is the "team manager" aka Water Boy. He loves his job and I'm sure the team appreciates him.
Elliot is counting down the days until he can play.......it's so hard to wait. They dont start until the kids are going into 3rd grade. Elliot is only in 1st this year. Two more summers!!
Well, this is my first official blog. Hopefully, I'll keep it updated enough.