We Made It!

Here we are and the big move is finally over.

We packed the truck on Saturday and tried to leave Monday evening. The brake light was on in the truck and we turned around to come home. We found out the brake fluid was spilling all over the road. We didn't end up leaving until Tuesday. We did make it through one state and into the next and slept on our bed in the back of the truck (saved $$). That was after twelve hours of driving. Then we drove another 16 hours and slept in the back of the truck again.

At that point I thought my water had  broke because I was drenched when we went to bed. I just tried to hold off until we made it to our new home.

We got here at about 3:30 pm and got the truck unloaded. Okay, E did it all by himself. After that we headed for the hospital. Come to find out I had just lost my plug. My contractions were measuring pretty big on the monitors but they're still irregular.

I really liked the doctor who saw me so I think I'll use her. The people here are very kind.

We're Outa' Here!

Plans have changed a little bit. I had a doctor appointment yesterday to make sure all is well for the trip. I've been getting really hard contractions for the past few days and I got one while he was examining me! Then he checked my cervix and I am dilated to a 2 already. he told me I would probably have it in the next couple of weeks. Yikes! Needless to say we're leaving ASAP to avoid this poor kid being born in a Ryder truck!

I'm almost done packing. There's mostly just odds & ends left and some of the kitchen. E left to go horn hunting today so I'm on my own all day.

We're Home!

We've made it home from our trip and I forgot to take my journal. E accepted the job and we absolutely fell in love with the place we will be calling home. It was so beautiful!

We found an apartment while we were there and it is really nice. We're on a golf course an dget unlimited free golf, a jr. Olympic size pool, lighted tennis, basketball courts, and sand volleyball. Our apartment is two bedroom and only $480/month.

[... something called me away. This entry ended abruptly]

A Job... A Real Job

E and I leave in four days to fly across the country to check out a perspective job. We are both pretty excited. The base pay (any base pay) will be so nice after what we've been through this past nine months. I'm hoping we can get moved in the next couple of weeks so I'll have time to find a doctor and unpack a little before it's born.

My abdominal muscles are tearing really bad this time around. I'm in quite a bit of pain all of the time but I think it's because I over do it. There's just a lot to get done and plus, I'm still doing medical transcription. I get tired but I know the Lord will give me strength.

A Not-So-Good Full-Time Wife

Back to real life as a wife and I feel like I'm pretty crummy. E and I are having a hard time adjusting - I only say that because we've been fighting NINETY PERCENT of the time since he moved back home. It's probably a lot me because I feel like he just makes huge messes. He doesn't agree. I'm just used to a clean house for the past 12 weeks and I don't want it to change.

Anyway - E is still job searching. We've got a few leads... Virginia, Louisianna, Pennsylvania, and some others. All back east though. Oh well. I guess it'd be all right. Some of them will fly us out to see them so that'll be nice. both me and E! We'd probably leave T.

E seems to be so irritated with me and I don't know why.

Seventeen Week Internship Out of State is FINISHED

E is officially DONE with his eternally long internship today! I am so excited! He should be walking in the door anytime!! :) Yeah!

My day was pretty productive. I got another paycheck from Dr. S. That's always nice. It doesn't hardly make a dent in the bills we have though. E thinks he'll just get a temporary job for a while, at least until we figure out where we're headed to. We've come to the end of our financial rope... no funds left.

It'll be interesting to adjust back to having a spouse. I wouldn't have it any other way of course. I've just gotten used to my set schedule eevery day without any outside influences. I'll have to adjust to a second opinion again :) haha. Oh I can't wait!!! I hope again that I'll be a good wife.

Gotta run. I think he's home!!!

To Be A Wife Again

Only one day left and I'll have a husband again... FOR GOOD!! No more being away from each other so much. Boy ~ I sure have missed him. It'll be so nice to see him every day! I talked to E on the phone tonight and I guess he's caught the flu from one of the kids. His supervisor is showing no mercy either. At 10:00 pm tonight he was still at the clinic doing paperwork. I think part of it may be that "finals week syndrome" that E gets when he's stressed. His body just shuts down and he gets really sick.

I finally got the work done for Dr. M.'s office. I charged him $75 since it was such silly work (his thank you cards) and it took forever! But my little income doesn't even made a dent in the bills we have to pay. Crazy! It's a little discouraging I must admit.

 E is coming home today! I've rarely seen him during the 14 weeks he's been living in ... but we only have three weeks left of this. He'll have missed almost half of my pregnancy. Lucky for him!

I got a phone call from a THIRD doctor who wants me to do transcription for their office. I have doctors calling me now! Wow!

We still haven't found a job yet for after E graduates but I have faith we will. Some more companies are sending us applications so hopefully it'll happen soon!

 Heavenly Father continues to bless us with our finances. I know we're being blessed because we didn't put off starting our family. Of course we haven't had extra money very often but I think we've lived pretty good. We haven't had to go without. Maybe by the world's standards we have, but I've loved our life - though I would've loved to see E too :) We've been blessed endlessly. I am truly indebted to Heavenly Father.

Great Quotes from Long Ago

I really appreciated what Joseph F. Smith said in the Millennial Star in 1894... I hope to be able to say this someday as well...

"Father, all that I have, myself included, is Thine; my time, my substance, everything that I possess is on the alter to be used freely, agreeable to Thy holy will, and not my will but Thine, be done."

In 1966, Marion G. Romney stated "the only limitations on you and me is within ourselves." I need to learn to be more passive, humble, and faithful.

The more I learn, the more I realize how unlearned I really am. When I feel I'm doing pretty good ~ that's when I need to sit down and study some real doctrine of the gospel. It always sets me straight.

I had the opportunity to go to the temple yesterday. The first time I've ever gone alone (Note from Lizzy: It had been almost three years and I'd never gone alone. Wow.)I tried to open my mind (despite my nervousness) and I really enjoyed my experience. I feel my mind and my heart has really been opened this week. I thank my Heavenly Father for all He's blessed me with.

Commandments

Today in Relief Society the lesson was on keeping the commandments. The lady teaching wanted the women to help her make a list of commandments other than "the 10." People were saying things like having a garden, keeping a journal, etc. My neighbor was really upset because she didn't feel she was breaking "commandments" because she didn't have a garden. It made ma stop and think.

Commandments help us reach exaltation. I don't know if keeping a garden helps us reach that but it sure makes food storage easier and cheaper. Some things help us better achieve things but we're not necessarily breaking commandments.

I don't know. I've just been brainstorming a little and thought I'd jot down my experience and thoughts.

"Becoming" a Mother

Today was productive. I cleaned the bathroom, the kitchen, and baked bread. I was really sleepy by mid-afternoon and kind of fell asleep while T watched  her movie. Tonight I took a loaf of bread to Tonya and Moses D. 

I don't know why - but suddenly I've been really feeling like a mother. Not that I haven't before, but I feel I do more motherly things. I read at night... read to my baby. I teach T to hop and give loves. It probably sounds silly. Becoming a mother takes a while to settle into. I guess with #2 on the way it's about time!

Temper

I'm five months pregnant, I'm tired, and I need a husband. I feel bad because I just break down and lose it. My temper just seems to be out of control. Some dumb little thing will happen and I can just feel myself start boiling inside. then, suddenly I blow my top. I can't figure out what's wrong. I hate it!!!

Like tonight, I swore at my sewing machine. Go figure ~ like that's going to solve anything.

Note from Lizzy: No. We did not have cell phones. When E was gone, he was REALLY gone.

IT IS FINISHED!

I FINISHED MY MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION COURSE!

I am so excited! I started on this almost two years ago and I am finally done. I did take a year off in the middle but I actually finished! I guess this is a big accomplishment for me because I can count on one hand how many things I've completely finished. Not too many. I seem to lose interest and never complete tasks.

Tonight I was working on all of my advertising. I typed up a letter, flyer, references, and my resume. Tomorrow I'll order some business cards. I need E home so he can give me advice. He's good at English and stuff. Hopefully he'll come home tomorrow. I guess I can't start sending out letters anyway until I get my business cards. Here's the name of my business...

ELITE Medical Transcription

I finally finished something and I think I'll really enjoy it! Wish me luck!!

Oh the Messes of a One-Year-Old

My first day alone hasn't been easy, to say the least.

T has strung papers, utensils, clothes, etc. all over the floor. She was in the bathroom while I was doing my hair and dumped everything she could find into the toilet, including my decorative soaps. I took everything out but didn't know my soaps were there so they got flushed. after I put her to bed I found the shampoo bottle open and spilling all over the floor and she'd poured a cup of water all over the floor from the toilet.

I had to vent.

OUCH! In more ways than one!

I got a call from the ski resort this afternoon. My instant response when he said where he was calling from was "please don't tell me my husband's hurt." He was.

E used his arm to break his fall while snowboarding and completely dislocated his elbow and hyper extended his wrist. The humerus completely came loose and the socket was empty. The two bones above the hand are supposed to be in the cup. He's home now though and completely drugged out of his mind. They gave him 18 mm of morphine and five other drugs to prepare him for the reduction. he snored through the whole procedure and they had to get him another drug to wake him.

One little set back.... Just this afternoon I dropped our paperwork in the mail to drop E off of our COBRA insurance because "he's so healthy." This ought to be expensive...

New Year's Resolutions of a Young Mom

Another year has past and so much seemed to happen. On the night of the 30th, I laid in bed and randomly read some of my entries. Thinking back I thin what stands out to me the most is how openly the Lord blessed us though the year. Life was crazy at times but overall it was a pretty nice year.

I'd like to set a few realistic goals for the coming year.

1~ Be a more organized housewife. I intend to do that by reading up on some good ideas and then applying the one's that pertain to my life.

2~ I'd like to have our one year supply of food storage built up by the end of the year. That will take some discipline but I feel we're already well on our way.

3~ I want to work on keeping my voice down and controlling my temper with E. I've been working on this for a while and feel I've improved a little but I'll carry it over to this year since I have a long way to go to become more Christ-like.

4~ Try harder to stay morally and physically clean. I'd like to keep my thoughts under better control and focus on good.

5~ Serve others by staying happy, keeping the right perspective and enjoying life. I've noticed when I do this it is much easier to give of myself to others.

Hopefully these are realistic. I guess it's being realistic with myself. I don't expect to have mastered all of them by next year but I'd like to do my best at it all year.

This Christmas with a one-year-old was a lot different for me. rather than being intent on listening to speakers, musicals, and all of the other things that put me in the spirit of Christmas, I found myself taking T out so everyone else could enjoy it. What I really learned is that the spirit of Christmas comes from within.

I'm almost finished...

I've finished another lesson in my Medical Transcription course. Now I only have seven lessons left. That means I'll probably get done by the time E is done with his internships out of state, unless I really kick it into high gear. That's what I'd like to do. The earlier I get done, the better.

I took T to the doctor again today. She has another ear infection and a yeast infection that's causing the diaper rash. But the yeast infection is from the antibiotic she just finished a week ago and now she's on another antibiotic for the new ear infection AND a cream for the diaper rash. It's all going in circles. I just pray my little girl will be better soon. She's the best thing that's come into our lives.

Is That Flame Supposed to be There?

E comes home in about 6 hours. I'll have to show him the oven.

I tried to bake T a cake for her 1st birthday and noticed that the flame wouldn't come back on in the oven. When I checked into it, I saw that a fire had started right against the wall, but luckily didn't start the house on fire. That oven really scares me!

Alone = Time To Think

I fear this may be a long entry, so bear with me...

Since E has been gone to work all week, I've read his journal from when we were dating, and then my journal of the same thing and a little after we married. I've really seen how much I've lost focus on the true meaning of life and why we're here. 

Since T was born I've grown to become so self-centered and have no regard for anyone else. I've taken E so much for granted and continually felt sorry for myself. I looked back at how dependent I was on the Lord and how grateful I was for how my life was, even though it was difficult. I've fallen away from that humble state of mind and come to rely on my own abilities which are completely inadequate without the Lord's help. 

I used to try and find the good in people and look at the bright side of every situation. Now there's a black cloud over my head that rains all day. I see everyone else faults and always know how to make someone better. For example, E's mother. I have fought it since we've moved here and I think pride has set in so heavily that I'm not sure how to change. I have been so wrong!!

I feel as though I don't allow the spirit in with me while I'm raising T. I don't ask for help when my day's going tough and then feel guilty later for not controlling my temper very well.

Oh how I need the Lord's help! I need him by my side leading and guiding me. Here it's the Christmas season and it's just turned into war-zone in our house because I don't want my Christmas things to be ruined. That's not what Christmas is about. I've become so hard headed!!!

I'm glad I've had these few days to really take a look inside myself and assess where I'm at. I've realized so many things. But - most importantly, I've realized how much I love my husband and why I did fall in love with him three years ago. He's caring of his family, he's trustworthy, he gives 100% all of the time, he's completely devoted to me, and he'll always be there for me. These are the qualities I saw in him as a boyfriend and they are truer than ever now. He is still my knight in shining armor. He's a dedicated servant of the Lord and gives his all. He's an excellent example to me in honesty, loyalty, determination, hard work, and love. He has the biggest heart of anyone I know, but is afraid to show it to people sometimes. He'd do anything for anyone. I love my husband dearly and will try to be a better wife.

My New Friend 'Mold'

I had to rearrange my entire front room today because I found mold on the bottom shelf of our bookcase. That while corner of the room was just mold heaven. It kind of wore me out.

I talked to E tonight, but he must've been watching a movie or something; he wasn't real talkative.

I finally gave our food storage its real kick-off today. E agreed to spend $100 per month on food storage and I didn't do anything last month so I had $200 to spend. I got a lot of real basics like salt, milk, beans, etc. The bare minimum kind of stuff. I'm excited. This will give me something to be in charge of and feel like I have a little responsibility. I put together a filing system that I think will work pretty good. I also asked my family for a wheat grinder for Christmas. That would sure be handy!