Boys, Boys, Boys

It' official that Boys rule around here. We found out last week that we are having another boy. I laughed and said "really?". I have been wrong every time! Steve laughed and nodded his head with a smile. We are both happy to have another boy. Although Jenna's eyes filled with tears, she is getting used to the idea of being the only girl and all the specialness that comes with that. Zac thought it was a boy all along, so no surprise there. Trevor doesn't have any idea what is going on, bless is heart.
So October 11 or there about we will welcome the little guy. I have to say that I love babies and feel blessed to be having another child and for my uneventful pregnancy thus far. Thank you, thank you! :)
Now let the name game begin. So far Lucas and Reuben get a resounding "no" from Jenna..and Steve! Zac has suggested the name Sling Shot, which for our boys may be appropriate! Love these boys and my special little girl that is such a great big sister!

Field Day and a chapter closing

School is nearing an end for Jenna this year.
I haven't officially blogged about it, but again we have run into job issues and have experienced another lay off. This time it wasn't so devastating considering that Steve wasn't a huge fan of his job and there is severance. We are happy to move back to Utah to find work and be surrounded with family and support. I know it is where Steve's heart is, and I love the West as well and love Steve's family. It will be far from my fam again. People in love don't think about that when considering marriage...that our families live on opposite sides of the country. Makes it hard on someone. And there was no interest in Kansas! So back to Utah we go, happily. Aside from missing my family here, there are things that will be missed about Lexington, which is a whole other post altogether! Stonewall Elementary is one of those things. Such good people that I know love Jenna. She has made good friends, and despite it being a pretty big school of 700+, it feels close knit!
So I was able to help with their day-long field day that is so cool, organized and fun!
There were several stations in the afternoon that they rotated through and the video is Tae Kwon Do. They had to hold on to a leg and try to knock the other child's leg loose with the knee that was up. Jenna was so determined and pleased that she "won". It was really fun to see her smile and have a competitive spirit.
I didn't get pictures of everything, but I know she had a great time and hopefully she will always remember or at least know that she had a loving and fun start at Stonewall Elementary.
Again, Jenna, I plan to make this into a book and want you to know that you are a fun and happy girl that treats her friends nice, is a good listener to your teachers, and a real sport for fun times and sweating in the sun! Love you babe. I had a great time with you and watching you.

Jenna's Night

Tonight was Jenna's art night at school. They recited some poems, sang songs, and she showed us her journal and some art. She was thrilled to have us all there. I just love her and am so proud of her. Even though having her repeat Kindergarten was a difficult decision at the time, it really was the best thing that we did for Jenna. She is so confident and loves school. She likes to read and to write stories. She still likes to draw pictures. Great job tonight Jenna, I love you!


(The little girl in the black is her BFF, Hannah. The little boy is Jeremy...another BFF.)

Workin'

I think that I have bemoaned work since the beginning of time, well... that is a lie...maybe since the dawn of my life with babies and then older kids. I worked in high school and in college. I recall getting up at 5 am when Steve and I were dating to go clean my assigned buildings on campus... Yes, a janitor. I even had a vacuum that you could strap to your back for the auditorium aisles. Really not bad, there were no iPods then, and I liked the quiet time to myself (kind of like mowing now). Now, I didn't love Arby's (the drive-thru petrified me) or the nursing home, but I have liked being a nurse. After Jenna, it was harder to go to work though. Then more babies came and they get older and all bawl or whine when they know you are leaving, that is heart wrenching. New sitters or daycares are always nauseating and bring tears. Working nights seemed better, at least they are home with dad at night, who needs a lot of sleep anyway? Well, come to find out, sleep is a good thing. I need it and mostly get it, especially as of late, but there is still the missing out...and sometimes I am missing out when I am present and awake. I mean that I am a totally irritable and emotional time bomb that occasionally explodes and feels bad at night once they are all tucked in bed. I will spend the quiet times dreaming of all the stuff that we will do together, and when the time comes, I am hung over from a night shift and just don't have the patience. Well, this is just tough cookies (such a dumb expression if you ask me...it should be "tough meat" or "salty cookies"). My intention was not to go on and on about being a mom that works. Lots of women do it, and I, by no means, imply that a mother that doesn't work outside of the home has it easier all together. I was able to be a stay at home mom for about 6 months last year right before and after Trev was born, and it is no cake walk, the house was not always clean, and laundry and dishes were not all clean and snug in the drawers or cupboards. There was chaos, misbehavior, long fingernails, scraggly bangs, and fast food because cooking didn't always happen. There were days when I craved adult interaction. I would default to turning on PBS or Nick Jr after the kids would go to bed because that was what we watched. It does require a lot of organization to make the day flow and introduce variety to allow adult sanity and child happiness. But with that acknowledged, that is still what I want.
But...Even though I went off on a tangent at first, the purpose of this post was to notice that despite all the bemoaning, I have met some amazing and wonderful people in the jobs that I have had since I became a nurse about 7 years ago. I am overwhelmed with the love that I have felt from and have for my co-workers, or as I usually refer to them "my friends at work". There are such good people in the world. I think of my friends and my experiences and am so grateful for the people that I have worked with that I have cried with through struggles and laughed with until my face contorted and then broke into tears of laughter. I think of the people that I worked with and ran my butt off with, and I smile because of them. I love their stories (happy, sad, serious,funny, and even inappropriate at times). And I love their little acts of goodness. Tonight, or I guess this very early morning, I count my blessings for my jobs- not so much for the income or even the great experiences in a profession that I like (although these are good things too), but for the people that I have met along the way. I would like to be home with my babies, but if I need to be anywhere else in the world, it's good to know I am in the company of my friends. I love you all!