Garrett's Schooling

I've had a few questions this weekend about how things are coming for Garrett's schooling and thought I'd write about it. We are 95% positive that there will be an opening for Garrett in January, which is great news. The bad news is that the school decided that he would need to retake the final that he passed in 3rd Semester to make sure he's ready for 4th Semester. One of the instructors recently told Garrett that they are considering handing out the objectives for each unit to the students that are applying for reentry - to help them study. Then, I believe he would just take the final in December along with the other current 3rd Semester students.

Then, classes begin a couple weeks into January and he will go to per diem status at the hospital, which means that he must work at least one shift a month, but he can work more if he has time (and desire). He would finish in the middle of May and then prepare for the state board exam. The hospital puts him on staff as an RN until he takes his board. If he passes, he becomes a licensed RN and if not, he goes back to LPN status while he attempts to pass again. This first part is nice because it allows him to go thru the training for RN, but before he actually passes the board exam.

Garrett doesn't say a lot about what he's thinking, but I'm sure he feels like there's a lot of pressure on him. Having been enrolled in 4th term once already, he really knows what he's facing and the realities of what he must accomplish. I'm so proud of him for coming this far already, and knowing what he knows, being willing to go back and submit himself to another grueling term.

For those of you that didn't know, I am planning on, once again, supporting the family on my own while Garrett's in school. I have cut the daycare back to two kids and will quit altogether on December 21st (my personal D-day). I am still considering having a two-hour preschool, as Jonathan has benefited so much from this and its easier to do with more than one child. I have already started a side business of cleaning. It makes so much more money in so much less time and I can arrange the schedule to my own needs. I currently clean three homes, and am hopeful to add a business to the mix to make enough to support the family.

The current big kink I haven't been able to iron out is the C-section. I have to have one because of Wyoming's hospital insurance laws and it is just too far to go to have the baby vaginally in Ogden or Denver in the middle of Wyoming winter. Besides, it will be a lot easier for Garrett to plan the delivery around his classes. With a c-section, I'll be unable to vacuum for 6 weeks and I'm not sure how that's all going to work. But I'm sure it will be fine.

Endearing Quirks

Today, I've just been thinking about those cute little things that my little boys do that I don't ever want to forget. Gabe finds Garrett's baseball caps and wears them backwards around the house like a little punk. He flings himself at me for big hugs. He loves baths until it's time for washing, and splashes until the whole room is covered. He loves sitting in chairs that are his size (we found a recliner at Walmart and instead of looking at the toys, he just lounged in his special chair). He whines like a little puppy for anything he wants - usually food that someone else is eating. He loves his blankets. We were gone for a couple of days and didn't have his blankets with us - When we got home, he went to his bed and whined to get in bed. When I put him in there, he just snuggled with his blankets but didn't go to sleep. He giggles a lot when Jonathan gets giggling. He is so anxious to have fun with Jonathan. He'll go running if he hears Garrett and Jonathan playing together. He's snuggly and very firm in his desires for anything he wants.

Jonathan loves puzzles and tools and trucks and trains. He is so proud to be able to recognize the letter A. He says amano instead of tomorrow; cabach instead of ketchup; slerpy instead of slippery. He loves telling other kids what to do while we are trying to tell him what to do - that one's sometimes scary to see him mimicking me. He always asks me if Jesus is God. He loves looking and acting like his dad. He loves helping me cook - especially if he gets to get in the water in the process. He loves playing with (and pestering) Gabe. The primary has started to let the kids who will advance to Sunbeams come into singing time towards the end of church. He sits and folds him arms so reverently until the music starts, when his arms turn into a guitar and he strums away. He is always informing me that we are going camping. He loves telling me that he is "too big" to do things - like bath and go to bed.

And on a side note - my big man - Garrett - also has endearing quirks that are delightful. He puts soy sauce on any rice dish regardless of its flavoring. He salts everything (including watermelon). He eats condensed canned soup straight from the can and thinks I'm ridiculous for adding water. He has a cup of water or a bottle of water at many, many locations around the house, so he can always be assured of a drink, no matter where he is. He doesn't believe in wearing sweats outside of the house, unless you're exercising. He acts as if it's no big deal anytime he does something wonderful - like make dinner or clean up the house. He is one of the most wonderful organizers I have ever known and rearranges rooms when he gets tired of them. He hates positive attention and was the most upset with his job a few weeks ago when he and a coworker were recognized for having the most positive comments from clients - HR put his picture up on the wall - To listen to him talk, you would have thought he had was one step away from being fired. He can't resist playing around with his little boys - even when he's worried or stressed.

Oh - how I love these three wonderful men in my life!

What I believe...

I have noticed that a lot of people - including myself - are curious about the religion of those with whom we associate; however, not wanting our curiousity to be misunderstood as serious intention, we hesitate to ask questions. Here is some basic information about my religion and church - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Facts:

• “Mormon” is a nickname for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members are often referred to as “Mormons,” “Latter-day Saints,” or “LDS.” The term “Saint” means “member.”


• The Church was restored in 1830 in upstate New York with Joseph Smith as its first prophet and president. Today it is headquartered in Salt Lake City, with President Gordon B. Hinckley as the present prophet.


• There are now over 13 million members in 176 countries and territories. About 6 million of these are in the United States, making us the fourth largest Christian denomination in America. As one of the fastest growing Christian faiths in the world, we complete a new chapel every working day. Members pay a tithe, which is 10% of their income, making this and other programs possible.


• Local congregations are led by volunteer, unpaid members. Both men and women serve in assigned leadership positions.


• Mormons are well represented in politics and government. (In the United States, for example, there are 16 members in Congress, from both political parties.) Members also serve in high and trusted positions throughout the world in business, medicine, law, education, media, sports, and entertainment.

Faith:

• See our 13 Articles of Faith at http://scriptures.lds.org/a_of_f/1.


• We believe in the eternity of the soul, that God is the Father of our spirits, and that we can return to Him after death.


• We believe that Jesus Christ is our personal Savior, and we try to model our lives after Him and His teachings. We commemorate Christ’s atoning sacrifice in our Sunday worship services, similar to taking communion in other churches. We accept as fellow Christians all who believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God and the Savior of all mankind. Many Christians do not understand that we have much common ground with them. Joseph Smith taught that Jesus Christ is the core of our belief, and everything else is an appendage to it. The name of the Church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.


• We believe the original church that Jesus established was lost and has been restored again in our day. The priesthood, the authority given to man to act in the name of God, with apostles and a prophet to lead us, has been restored as have all necessary ordinances of salvation.


• We believe in and we use the Holy Bible, both the Old and New Testaments.
  And we believe in the Book of Mormon and other books of scripture which support and authenticate the Bible and testify of the ministry and divinity of Christ and of God’s ongoing revelation to man. Indeed, the Book of Mormon is “Another Testament of Jesus Christ.”

Family:

• Mormons place particularly strong emphasis on family as the basic unit of the Church and of society. We have a deep commitment to marriage (defined as a union between one man and one woman). Polygamy, a limited practice in the early pioneer days of the Church, was discontinued in 1890, some 117 years ago.


• Families and individuals, whether members of our faith or not, can attend Sunday services in our chapels. Here we worship together, instructing one another from the scriptures.


• Latter-day Saint families are encouraged to hold family home evenings weekly, usually on Monday nights. This provides a regular and predictable time for parents to teach values to their children and to have fun together. We invite those not of our faith to adopt this practice with their own families.


• The Church has auxiliary programs for women, youth, and children as a support to the family. These programs provide such things as religious instruction, opportunities for Christian service, sports, drama, music, and Scouting.


• And there is also much focus on extended family, genealogy, and personal family history, providing young and old with a stronger sense of roots, identity, and belonging. The highest and most sacred ordinances of our faith relate to our families, both living and dead, and some of these ordinances take place in our temples.

Fruits of the Restored Gospel: The Savior said “by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:20; emphasis added). Here is some information based on United States statistics. But these would be similar throughout the world among practicing Mormons (by which we mean those who attend church and the temple regularly):

• One of the fruits is a longer life. Studies show that practicing Mormons are healthier and therefore live longer than the national average. In 1833 the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith the Word of Wisdom, which is the way to live in order to enjoy a long and healthy life.
  Those who are married in and attend the temple regularly have a divorce rate far below the national and world average.


• We achieve an educational level that is higher than the national average.


• Over 70,000 members volunteer at their own expense to serve for 18 to 24 months in humanitarian efforts, Church service assignments, and full-time missionary service throughout the world.


• We place strong emphasis on self-reliance and a solid work ethic. We encourage active involvement in our communities and in providing service to others. The Church continues to donate substantial money, goods, and services to humanitarian causes around the globe, including untold hours of labor donated by members to assist in disaster cleanup and relief.

If you want more information, please go to www.mormon.org .

Gabe's One Year Photo

Well - Gabe turned one in August and we had his pictures taken the first week in September. My brother Joseph picked them up for us and we got them last week. Isn't he cute! He's such a delightful boy, but doesn't show that side often to the outside world. He giggles a lot and loves playing. Today, he had an early nap and Jonathan was napping when he woke up. Garrett and I sat on our bed and played with him. He loves holding his blanket and laying back on one of us. He lays back so quickly, he almost knocked me out twice. He is so ticklish - Garrett had him giggling a lot today. It's so fun watching them together. He loves it when I pick him up and spin him around. I did it once with one of the daycare mothers here and she said it scared her, but Gabe loves it. He's a fantastic eater - if he feels like it. I have really enjoyed him and just hope that he has enough time as "the baby" before the next one gets here!

Weird Weather

Well, the first snow officially arrived sometime between Saturday and Sunday. My husband was up early getting ready for work and took some great shots. I got one during the day - right before I tried to resolve the situation by shaking branches full of snow until I was covered in snow; however, the tree on the left had already raised up thanks to our wonderful wind. What you are seeing is the poor branches on the bottom being weighed down by broken branches on top. The trees that you see are Russian Olives - Our other trees' branches just snapped, but the Russian Olives twisted and bent. The whole town had problems - Tree limbs were all over. Power was out for a few hours Sunday morning. It was a new experience for me!