Celebrate patience!

I love the cartoon, Maxine. When I read her wit and wisdom it could be me speaking/thinking. I have a several of her "witisms" up in my cubie at work including the one that has been my mainstay for the last ten months: Maxine is sitting in her chair with her feet up on the ottoman, eating popcorn with her can of caffeine soda in her hand (see I told you it was me). Her ever present dog is standing next to the ottoman with a plate of cookies as she says, "Now that I am older I thought it was great that I seemed to have more patience...turns out that I just don't give a sh.." And, you know, I have realized that I spent way too much time worry about things that just don't matter (ask my sister, Jul, she will tell you I was the Queen of Worry) and now I really don't give a sh..!

However, with really important things I am learning the virtue of patience. In April of last year we began the process of applying for the military academies. He has had the dream of attending one of the military academies and serving his country since he was six years old. His whole life to this point has been in preparation for the realization of his dream. We applied, we got the numerous letters of recommendations (his counselor, teachers and leaders have been awesome), paid to send him to USNA in Maryland and USAFA in Colorado, we went through the painstaking medical exams and x-rays, we wrote explanation after explanation for this or that, we sweated it while Cole met with liaison after liaison from each academy and with staff from Senator Bennett, Senator Hatch and Representative Chaffetz offices and waited with anticipation through the month of December for a nomination for any one of them. We were absolutely thrilled when around the first of January we received a letter from Representative Chaffetz stating he had nominated Cole for the Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and West Point. Mr. Chaffetz only has three nominations per academy and he used three for Cole! We were overjoyed when a week later, a letter from Senator Hatch informed us that he had nominated Cole for the Naval Academy. Cole now has two nominations for the academy he was most impressed with and wants to commit. So, here is where the virtue of patience is really trying my patience!

Everyday while I was on medical leave, I could hardly wait for the mail to come in hopes that a letter from the Naval Academy would be waiting for us in the mailbox. Now I am back at work and I wait for the call from my mother-in-law that a letter is waiting for us at home. Guess what? We are still waiting!!! The academies have until April 15 to notify candidates of their appointments. APRIL 15!!! That is forever away! And you know what? I am just the MOM! Cole hasn't said but I am sure the wait is killing him as well or maybe he has already mastered the virtue of patience. Meanwhile, we have been working on his back up plans. We applied for a Naval ROTC and Army ROTC scholarships and Cole has been accepted to the prestigious aeronautical school in Florida, Embry-Riddle, with a partial academic scholarship.

I don't know if I can do this again in four years with Charlie! Good thing he only wants to go to Duke!!

So, today I celebrate patience and pray that the letter comes today!

Celebrate Time!

You will notice that my focus has changed from finding reasons to celebrate in 365 to just finding things to celebrate. The reason is my reason to celebrate--Time!

We had a crazy January with my surgery, Eric being sick while nursing me, and a surprise last Sunday when we rushed Cole to the emergency room for an appendectomy. So that little thing called Time has been short this last month--you would think with my recovery that I would have more but sleep took up a large part of the first of January and by the time I was doing better, I had filled my days!

I am celebrating time because I am grateful for every little minute I get to spend doing the things I love. Things like spending time playing a game with my kids (and the fact they still want to), just sitting with my husband (sometimes we talk and sometimes we don't), spending time in the car running errands and listening to one of the kids iPods while we discuss various topics, being in Primary with my favorite little (and big) kids, scrapbooking, etc. The list could go on and on. I love the fact that I am well enough to start my new term and am back to work full-time. I am excited for the time I will have for all of my kids lacrosse games this season and hope to be well enough to referee.

I love having time to just be me!

Celebrate a healthy body!

I recently went in for my yearly physical (yeah, that one). I come from a family with strong, genetic illnesses (like arthritis, type 1 diabetes and thyroid disease to name a few) so after I had a scare with gestational diabetes, I have been uber vigilant to take care of myself by eating right and exercising. I have thyroid disease and arthritis but the Dr. told me I am a very healthy 41 year old woman. So, why would I celebrate this you ask? Well, today is the 8th day after my back surgery and I saw the surgeon for the first follow-up. He was amazed at how well I was walking and moving, how I wasn't on ANY pain pills, how well my incision is healing (he actually removed the steri-strips) and told me I was unlike any other patient. I have a high pain threshold and that in combination with a healthy body is what, I believe, has contributed to my remarkable recovery. So, today we celebrate a healthy body! God has given us this remarkable machine for our journey here on earth and while it will have some breakdowns, keeping it healthy will make for a longer, more enjoyable journey.

Celebrate warmth!

I am always cold! I know that a lot of people say that especially during the wintertime, however, I really am always cold! Whether it is 100 degrees in the summer or below 30 degrees in the winter (I lived in Montana). As such, I am truly grateful and celebrate blankets, sweatshirts, pillow, sweatpants, sock, etc. You get the picture. I like the fact that if I am cold I can put on my sweatpants, shirt, sweatshirt, socks and curl up under three or four blanket (which I do summer and winter). So, today, I celebrate warmth!

Celebrate movement!

Celebrate movement! I don't think we really appreciate something or someone until they are gone. For me, it is my back.

I inherited spinal arthritis and until the last few years, I have had no thought on the effect it had on my grandmother or my father until I started to feel the affects at the age of 38. My grandma broke her back at the age of 50 and I remember the back brace, the sleeping on the ground , her hunched back and the way she would manuever things around without really picking them up. I understand so much better now! My arthritis has caused some spinal stenosis or narrowing of the bones surrounding the spinal cord. I had to have some bones removed last week to relieve the pressure they had placed on my nerves causing leg pain and numbness. I put the surgery off because really, who wants to do that? But wow, what a difference! I woke up later that evening and commented to anyone who would listen that I could feel my feet! Now, it has been a trade-off. I am now prescribed to the BLT rule for the rest of my life---No Bending, No Lifting and No Twisting. See, I told you I finally understood my grandma's weird way of manuevering things. I have learned how to pick things up without really picking them up, I have a weird way of getting out of bed and out of a chair now, too. I didn't really appreciate the mechanics of our amazing backs because it was so automatic but now that I have to think before doing anything --our backs are incredible! Not only do they protect the nerves that run the rest of our body they are the starting point of all the movement our body does (and thus the saying "backbone")!

So, today, I celebrate movement! Yes, mine has been limited but guess what? There is still so much movement this body can do. I can walk, I can talk, I can hug, swim, sit, think, love and live!

The day I thought was so far away...

I know I have said this many times before but I can't help but repeat it---I love being a Mom! I loved my babies, their sweet dependence on me for everything, their cuddles and the way I was the center of their world! I loved being with them--I was one of those moms that never put my babies down, took them with me everywhere (we rarely had sitters when we weren't working, babies are just so easy to haul everywhere) and couldn't wait to get home from work to them. I loved my toddlers, their bright-eyed curiousity with the world. I loved getting down to their level and exploring everything with them. Okay, so maybe the bugs and other crawly things weren't so great, but they thought so. I loved my elementary kids, their love of learning and sharing. I loved sitting and listening to them as they learned to read, discovered the joy history and science. Math was not a favorite of mine but they all had the excitement when they finally GOT it! I love my teens and the different stages they are at right now. Syd as she finishes her last year of elementary school and prepares for junior high. Charlie as he prepares to begin his first year of high school and Cole as nears graduation and is applying at colleges, etc. I have wonderful, awesome kids--I not only love them, I like them as people. They are my favorite people in the whole world. Even with all the things I have done in my 41 years of life--those three people are my greatest accomplishments! So, that is why I have dreaded December 15, 2009 for the last 18 years.

My baby has become an adult! Cole is officially a man, a truly wonderful man, and I hope that my influence and teachings over the last 18 years have helped in some way to shape him into who he is today. I sometimes wonder who has learned and developed more---I am who I am today from our time and adventures together. I have mixed feelings as he moves in a new direction. I miss that he doesn't need me and possibly will be moving far away in the next 6-7 months but he is ready. He is a strong, capable and smart man and he will succeed!

No one can truly prepare you for parenthood! No book, no doctor or friendly (and no so friendly) advice can really prepare you for the realities of parenthood. The years (yes, new moms, years) of little sleep, the fears, the joys, the tears, the adventures, the illnesses, the homework, the broken arms, the elation, the frustration but most of all the incredible LOVE of being a parent. I wouldn't change a single moment of the last 18 years of motherhood and I am excited for the years to come as they bring new journeys in motherhood and grandmotherhood.

It's over!!!

After six years (because he took a break), Eric has finished his Master's degree in Public Health. We are so happy at our home! It has been a rough last six months as Eric was in the last stages with his internship. If you didn't already know, I am married to an amazing man! He has worked full-time (including picking up extra work due to reductions in force), worked as an intern for the Tobacco Prevention program, attended kids lacrosse games, maintained a garden (and house), held a church calling, helped Cole with his service academy applications (which went on FOREVER) and still found time to bake for his family and others. Whew! I am tired just thinking about the pace he has kept up for so long---but it has been so worth it to see his accomplishments.

I am so proud of him! Good job, babe!