News of the Day

Yes, it is true! I will be teaching grade 2 in Stirling School next fall for the year! I am so excited!

I decided last minute that I was going to apply, as I had planned on just subbing, but because I need to bank in my hours in order to keep my teaching certificate (two years of full time teaching completed in 3 years), and especially as I didn't sub even for six months after having Brody, I think it will be wisest for me to go full-time. This way I can get the hours in quickly and won't have to worry about loosing my certificate as much.

I am definitely very lucky to have gotten a position in Stirling, and seriously, how much more fun can you get then grade 2? (well, okay, I'd say that about most grades, but still).

Right now my biggest concerns are:

1. I am going to miss a lot of Brody's 'one-year old' year.

• That makes me so sad. I know I'll still be able to spend time with him every day, but it is just not the same. I keep trying to remind myself not to worry because he will be napping for a good portion of the time I'm gone anyways. I need to decide where we will send him while I'm working. It is so nice to have the Daycare here in Stirling, especially when it is so close to the school. I like the program that they have so far, and I know that it is still improving all of the time, but I wonder if I might find a situation where he can stay with someone with just one or two children at home, so it is slightly quieter and more like he would be experiencing if he were home with me every day. I'm not even sure how much is appropriate to offer someone for a day-home situation as opposed to the day care. Is that normally more expensive? I could also see if I could get different people to watch him for different days of the week, but I don't know if it's better to be consistant with them? I need to decide soon, because I want to make sure that the daycare is not full for the fall if I decide to go that way.

2. Where do I start?

• I am feeling kind of overwhelmed as to where to start with my planning for next year! There is so much to do, but there are still a lot of things that are not set in stone yet, so I don't want to do major planning until I have a more certain schedule. I'm nervous that my ideas won't work, or will not be as good for grade 2 as I think they will (as most of my experience is with the older students). I'm nervous that some of the parents that I now have a good relationship with will be unhappy with the way that I teach their child, and will wish their child was in another class. I'm worried that I will be overwhelmed with all of my work and will not have enough time to spend with Brody and to do house work and yard work, and that Kevin will be too busy farming to help as much as he thinks he will be able to. So... I guess I need to take a deep breath and think short-term for now, and remember that I really do enjoy teaching and that it is wonderful to see the students learning and progressing.

Any advice or ideas for me, I'd gladly listen. I hope that everything will work out in the end.

Surprise, surprise!!

This month, for the May long weekend, it was my parents 30th Anniversary. Kim, Deanna and I decided that the best gift we could give them would be to plan a surprise get together in Calgary while my parents were there for Mark's graduation from Med school. Mom and Dad were staying at Kim's house overnight Friday, so Deanna and I showed up Saturday morning, and came to the door at the same time to surprise them. We ended up having to tell Dad in advance to stop him from taking mom golfing for the day before we even got there, but the reaction of my mom was still worth it.

We are so glad that my parents have worked so hard on their marriage and have continued to grow in love for each other. They are such a great example to us of what a marriage should be like. Here they are in Bowness Park, near Kim's house. We spent the day there with each other and enjoyed the beautiful, sunny weather.

Kim and her baby Zac

Keira Rose

Brody's first time sitting on the grass... he was quite entertained by toucing all of the pieces and trying to pull them out and put them in his mouth.

Brody was trying to push Zac over to get the ball... Keira would have none of it.

Brody was trying to show off his clapping skills to everyone, but it looks like there were more interesting things to look at.

Deanna and Kim

Brody also got his first full-head hair cut last week. I'm so used to it being longer now that it has taken a while to get use to the new look. He did pretty good for the top, but when I started trying to do around his ears he kind of freaked out. Here's the before pictures.

It wasn't a mullet yet, but I wasn't too keep about it starting to get longer in the back so... snip!

...but Mom!!! I liked my long hair! Can't you put it back on???

(half-way done)

This kept him quiet while I did the sides, but then he rubbed it on his hair-covered high-chair and I had to take it away before he was eating his own hair... and then he wasn't so happy again. It wasn't exactly the best hair-cut ever, but it will grow back in fairly well.

To my wonderful mother...

I love my mom!

She is and has always been an amazing woman! I'm sure that I realized this as I waited in heaven to be born, as I watched her patiently wait through months of bed-rest in the hospital, with a three and five-year old at home with their dad. I'm sure that I knew how strong of a woman she was to have the courage to bring me into the world, even though doctors told her that it would be unwise because it would be so difficult. Without that courage, I wouldn't have life . I don't know that I could have been that patient, but you were. Thank you Mom.

Because of my mother, I have a knowledge that I am loved - my parents love me, and I also have a Savior who loves me. Without the many family prayers at 6:30 A.M. every school day, her emphasis on reading the scriptures (and example doing so), her unwaivering faith and testimony of the atonement and the truthfulness of the gospel, and without her example of service (especially for her family) and charity, I know I would not be the person I am today. She helped me learn that the gospel of Jesus Christ can bring joy into my life, and so I owe to her the beginnings of my own testimony, and to the joy I have found so far in my life. For that, I thank you Mom.

My mom, more than anything, has brought and kept our family relationships close, and continues to strengthen those relationships by getting us together whenever possible. I am so grateful for all of the family home evenings, games nights, exciting trips and fun activities that she is always so eager to plan for both our close family, and for our extended family on both sides. It is easy to see, by her actions, that family is central to her life. As my sisters and I move on in our lives to new stepping stones and adventures, I grow more and more aware that we are so lucky to have a family that has such a stong foundation, built by the efforts of my mother (and father). Thank-you Mom!

My mom has always been a good friend of mine, and I don't recall a moment when we have had any major difference of opinion to cause bad feelings. Although there will always be more that I can learn from my mom, I have really enjoyed the closeness that has occurred with her since I became a mom as well, or rather, even in anticipation of the event. Each day it seems that my eyes are opened even more to realize the extent of service that she has given to our family, and that she gives to my new family even now! I have no idea how I did not appreciate so many of the things that she did in the years that I grew up, but now that I am beginning to understand, I recognize that there is no way that I will ever be able to repay her for all of her continued efforts. Not only is she a great mother, but she is also a caring grandmother who, I'm sure, would do anything for the kids. Her love doesn't go unnoticed, and I'm grateful to have her support as I learn the ropes on motherhood and raising children. Thank-you Mom!

We are so lucky to have her in our lives!

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

I love being a mom!!!

I recently gave Brody his first hair trim - just around his ears and his sideburns. This is the "before" picture. I was going to take more pictures, but I found that it was more difficult than I thought and Brody was not impressed that he wasn't allowed to turn his head to look at the scissors. By the time I was done, he was definitely not in the mood for an "after" picture. Oh well!

Kim came down from Calgary for a few days, so we enjoyed going to the park here in town and giving the boys a ride in the swings! My camera batteries died before I could get a shot of Zachary and Brody together though.

He loved it!

Kevin and I are now the proud owners of this great car!! It has WAY more trunk space than my old Honda, and I love driving it (mostly because I am not a fan of manual cars, and this one is an automatic!). If anyone is interested in buying a 2002 Honda Civic, you might be able to bargain with us! I'll hopefully have some pictures up soon on autotrader.com or something. I'll let you know.

Brody has been such a happy kid lately that I find it so much harder to leave him when I get asked to sub-teach! I just love spending my days with him and making him laugh, which is usually easy to do.

He's getting around pretty quickly now, but this is what he does to get there! First, he pushes with his legs to make his bum go up in the air, then he pulls his front half forward to straighten out again. We love laughing as he does the "worm" across the room to get his favorite toy... the TV remote.

Brody also just got his first tooth at the end of April!! His second one is almost through now too, but here is a picture of his tiny first one, although I don't think he was too impressed with me taking this picture :)

We love him!

Inspired

This made me cry. I came across it while blog-snooping, and was really touched by it. It is worth listening to and I was truly inspired by it!