At the beginning of 2009, our really wonderful Relief Society Presidency at church started a take on the Pursuit of Excellence program they called Celestial University. I've always loved Pursuit of Excellence, ever since I first discovered it upon entering the Relief Society at age 18. However, I always started goals with gusto and then fizzled. For some reason, this "university" program really inspired me, and I worked on it quite diligently all year. At our graduation this past Saturday, I discovered that I had apparently misunderstood the whole set-up, as many women received numerous degrees (the way I was doing it, only one degree was possible). But it didn't really matter, because I have felt really good about all the things I accomplished this year. Many of the goals were small, but they were things I've wanted to do and not done for some reason or other. For example, I've never been a teeth-flosser, and after completing my goal of flossing every day for a month, I now am in the habit of flossing every day. I caught up on my mountain of ironing, and kept it up for over a month. I learned new sewing skills, kept a potted plant alive for over a year (!), learned a new vocabulary word every day for a month, practiced and performed several flute solos, headed up several community service projects, subscribed to the paper and read several news articles a week, kept my flower bed weed-free for 3 months, refinished my dining room table, read Jesus the Christ from cover to cover, etc., etc. In all, I completed over 80 specific goals, with many more still in the works. This has been so good for me, and I'm excited to be helping out in our branch with 2010's program.
It has also been fun to see the other sisters in our branch, particularly the ones from the inner-city, who worked so hard on their goals and were so proud of all they accomplished. It's amazing to see a group of ladies with vastly different backgrounds, circumstances, and interests come together and do some much good as a whole. I love the name of the program: Pursuit of Excellence. We may never get there in every area in this life, but at least we can pursue excellence and head in the right direction.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Saturday, January 16, 2010
A Glimpse at the Life of an Anesthesia Resident's Family...
- The other day Clayton said, "I would rather go to jail for the next 10 days than go to work." Ouch.
- I surprised him one day while he was sleeping post-call and took his car in for an oil change. I had to laugh that I was a mom of two little kids in a two-door red car with unused needles and syringes in the middle console and a mountain of blackened banana peels and Zone Bar wrappers on the passenger-side floor.
- I stress about money CONSTANTLY, while searching realtor websites for huge houses.
- This is the conversation I always have with the kids first thing in the morning. Kids: "Is Dad sleeping or at work?" If I say he's at work, they invariably ask: "Is Dad coming home today?"
- In a similar vein to the previous one, Clayton loves announcing, "Guess what, kids! I actually get to come home after work tomorrow!"
- Whoever makes Clayton's call schedule always seems to know the exact days I really need him home - and they schedule him to be on call.
- Luke must have tried at least 3 times to show Clayton a project he had worked on that day with words he had sounded out and spelled. Clay kept nodding and saying good job. Later, Clay asked Luke, "Hey Luke, I haven't seen you read any words lately. Have you been working on it?" Luke's eyes got really big, and he wasn't quite sure what to say.
- Clayton came home laughing one day. He had been doing rounds with another resident, and one of the patients happened to recognize them from the night before. The patient asked: "I just saw you last night. You went home in between, right?" Resident: "Nope, I've been here the whole time." Patient [incredulously]: "How long is your shift?" Resident: "30 hours." Patient: "I think I want to see someone who has slept." Me upon hearing the story: "Yeah, tell me about it."
We are so grateful to Clayton for working so hard to provide for our family, and we know it's probably way harder on him than it is on us. It's exciting to think that we only have a year and a half before residency is COMPLETE!
- I surprised him one day while he was sleeping post-call and took his car in for an oil change. I had to laugh that I was a mom of two little kids in a two-door red car with unused needles and syringes in the middle console and a mountain of blackened banana peels and Zone Bar wrappers on the passenger-side floor.
- I stress about money CONSTANTLY, while searching realtor websites for huge houses.
- This is the conversation I always have with the kids first thing in the morning. Kids: "Is Dad sleeping or at work?" If I say he's at work, they invariably ask: "Is Dad coming home today?"
- In a similar vein to the previous one, Clayton loves announcing, "Guess what, kids! I actually get to come home after work tomorrow!"
- Whoever makes Clayton's call schedule always seems to know the exact days I really need him home - and they schedule him to be on call.
- Luke must have tried at least 3 times to show Clayton a project he had worked on that day with words he had sounded out and spelled. Clay kept nodding and saying good job. Later, Clay asked Luke, "Hey Luke, I haven't seen you read any words lately. Have you been working on it?" Luke's eyes got really big, and he wasn't quite sure what to say.
- Clayton came home laughing one day. He had been doing rounds with another resident, and one of the patients happened to recognize them from the night before. The patient asked: "I just saw you last night. You went home in between, right?" Resident: "Nope, I've been here the whole time." Patient [incredulously]: "How long is your shift?" Resident: "30 hours." Patient: "I think I want to see someone who has slept." Me upon hearing the story: "Yeah, tell me about it."
We are so grateful to Clayton for working so hard to provide for our family, and we know it's probably way harder on him than it is on us. It's exciting to think that we only have a year and a half before residency is COMPLETE!
Friday, January 8, 2010
Let 2010 Begin!
I had a lot of goals for 2009. I accomplished quite a few, and fell short on a few. I didn't get Christmas cards sent out. Ugh.
Here are a few highlights of the year:
- Audrey grew hair
- 4 trips to Missouri
- two brothers home from missions
- Audrey in nursery, Luke as a wonderful Sunbeam with the BEST teacher
- I finally became fully licensed as a Cosmetologist
- Grosse Pointe Mom's Club involvement
- lazy summer days at the pool and beach
- a few fun family visits to us in D-town
- got rid of cable and love it (except for missing sports)
- Luke is coming along well with learning to read
- Joy School
- fun trip to Montana in August
- fun boxer and poodle costumes at Halloween
- I performed two flute solos this year in public
- I made my first tofu-based dinner, and the whole family liked it
- I semi-successfully pulled off all Branch activities for the year at church
- Clayton has worked like a dog, and is turning into quite a good Anesthesiologist
- He completed his research requirement and is that much closer to completing residency!
To welcome a new year and a new start, the kids and I planned a little shindig. When Clayton got home from work on New Year's Eve, we had a fabulous fondue, dropped "the ball", wore party hats, watched Tinkerbell Lost Treasure, had a dance party, and were in bed by 8:30. It may not sound like your typical, fun celebration, but we had a blast just being together. Our Home Teachers (nothing like the last minute!) even caught us through the front window taking hilarious family pictures wearing our party hats. So, as we celebrated New Year's Eve with our little family, I was so happy and content - ready to do better in the new year. I have already started fresh for 2010 by sending out Happy January cards (look for yours in the mail if I have your address!) and limiting structured activities. I have a few plans, like potty-training, doing the dishes before I go to bed, etc. But mostly, I just want to laugh more, love more, and spend more time. I want to be the kind of wife and mother that my family deserves. Welcome 2010!
Here are a few highlights of the year:
- Audrey grew hair
- 4 trips to Missouri
- two brothers home from missions
- Audrey in nursery, Luke as a wonderful Sunbeam with the BEST teacher
- I finally became fully licensed as a Cosmetologist
- Grosse Pointe Mom's Club involvement
- lazy summer days at the pool and beach
- a few fun family visits to us in D-town
- got rid of cable and love it (except for missing sports)
- Luke is coming along well with learning to read
- Joy School
- fun trip to Montana in August
- fun boxer and poodle costumes at Halloween
- I performed two flute solos this year in public
- I made my first tofu-based dinner, and the whole family liked it
- I semi-successfully pulled off all Branch activities for the year at church
- Clayton has worked like a dog, and is turning into quite a good Anesthesiologist
- He completed his research requirement and is that much closer to completing residency!
To welcome a new year and a new start, the kids and I planned a little shindig. When Clayton got home from work on New Year's Eve, we had a fabulous fondue, dropped "the ball", wore party hats, watched Tinkerbell Lost Treasure, had a dance party, and were in bed by 8:30. It may not sound like your typical, fun celebration, but we had a blast just being together. Our Home Teachers (nothing like the last minute!) even caught us through the front window taking hilarious family pictures wearing our party hats. So, as we celebrated New Year's Eve with our little family, I was so happy and content - ready to do better in the new year. I have already started fresh for 2010 by sending out Happy January cards (look for yours in the mail if I have your address!) and limiting structured activities. I have a few plans, like potty-training, doing the dishes before I go to bed, etc. But mostly, I just want to laugh more, love more, and spend more time. I want to be the kind of wife and mother that my family deserves. Welcome 2010!
Christmas
Sadly, I forgot to bring our camera (and new video camera) on our trip for Christmas, but we had a lot of fun. True to form, we didn't really get to celebrate our anniversary like we had planned (lasting consequences of getting married so close to Christmas), but we hung out with my family, avoided sick relatives (although Clayton got sick anyway), ate WAY too much food, were extremely lazy, and tried to enjoy our short time all together. I think it was just novel and fun for the kids and I to spend so much time with Clayton. The kids didn't have a huge Christmas, but that's how we like it. They got several things, like an easel, musical instruments, a Tag reader from G&G Hall, and a few other things. Luke got a baseball glove, and Audrey got dress-up shoes. One of the highlights was the I-Spy quilts my mom made for the kids, with over 200 cartoon characters on each for them to find. They love looking at everything, and I know my mom spent countless hours putting them together.
Let's just say it was a nice, relaxed Christmas. Except for not having some family with us, we couldn't have asked for anything more.
Let's just say it was a nice, relaxed Christmas. Except for not having some family with us, we couldn't have asked for anything more.
Joy School at Christmas
My initiation into Joy School teaching was the two weeks before Christmas. It was a lot of work, and it was so much fun. I helped the kids put together a Christmas program, complete with costumes, decorations, a Nativity play, and lots of songs. We performed it at a nursing home in town as well as for the parents at the Joy School Christmas Party that night. Here are a few pictures of the group (with a few siblings added in).
I was especially proud of our shy little Luke, who was the innkeeper (behind the door) and the Wise Man (holding the present). He did his parts perfectly and sang all the songs at the top of his lungs. He was really sad that Clay missed it since they kept him late at work, but we showed him lots of pictures and videos.
You can even catch a glimpse of me (the narrator). I would rather not call attention to myself or my body, but I have to point out my theory that worn-out knees on so many of my pairs of jeans is a sign that I'm not such a terrible mom after all. These are signs of hours crawling across the floor playing car races, lego jet races, etc.
Here are the kids lined up to sing their songs. So cute!
I was especially proud of our shy little Luke, who was the innkeeper (behind the door) and the Wise Man (holding the present). He did his parts perfectly and sang all the songs at the top of his lungs. He was really sad that Clay missed it since they kept him late at work, but we showed him lots of pictures and videos.
You can even catch a glimpse of me (the narrator). I would rather not call attention to myself or my body, but I have to point out my theory that worn-out knees on so many of my pairs of jeans is a sign that I'm not such a terrible mom after all. These are signs of hours crawling across the floor playing car races, lego jet races, etc.
Here are the kids lined up to sing their songs. So cute!
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