My school update

So I met with my academic advisor to see how far I am (offically) at getting my Associates degree. I'm trying to figure out a plan that would suit me best on getting my goals accomplished. Apparently the last Pyschology class I took (Interpersonal relationships) didn't fulfil my social science catagory. I need to take classes from 2 different sub-sections from social sciences, so it's kind of a bugger. So I think I'll go into either an Anthropology or a Sociology class. I still need a Humanities/Creative art credit from another category I haven't taken like dancing, theater, foreign language, leterature, or music. I'm having a hard time figuring that one out. Then last of all I need the last section (c: spreadsheets) of computer literacy, which I think I'll try to test out of. Other than that I think I'll take the Pathophysiology that is a prerequisit for almost all the Nursing programs. I was able to get a "academic renewal" and take off the UW (unoffical withdrawl) I got from my Introduction to University class I took 8 years ago, but I'll have to wait another 3 weeks for it to become offical on my transcript. Other then that I think I'm going to submit an application for the PN (Practical Nursing) program over at the DATC for the Spring semester. That way I won't have to wait until the following fall semester for the Weberstate program, and they have a continuation into the RN Program with WeberState, which you won't have to compete for. I got an absolute yes to use 2 of my 3 professors as references, the last one has just been really busy. But I'm not on too much of a time crunch because the application for the nursing program for the spring semester at the DATC isn't open until April through June. Anyway that might seem like some boring stuff, but It's taken a bit to figure out. Oh and I still need to renew my CNA license. Hopefully that won't be too hard.

Oh my, Missy Mae!

So you know how each and every kid has their own personality. Well this one sure does! I keep getting lots of compliments and questions when we're out in public with her.
Of course she gets alot of compliments about how cute she is: her eyes, cheecks, and button nose, can't deny that. And I know that compared with other babies her age she seems a bit on the petite side. But it's mostly how awed they are by how fast she seems developmentally.
Amelia is an extremely impatient little girl. She never seems like she's quite satisfied with what she can do, and constantly testing her limits. She's been crawling since just after she turned 5 months old. She could stand up to furniture at 6 months. She continually tested her balance and even taken a couple of steps at 7 1/2 months. At 8 months she tackled coming up the stairs, and is currently scaring mommy by testing her limits with down the stairs. Don't get me wrong. I'm very proud of her and amazed at every milestone she's passed, but it doesn't mean that there are some negatives to this as well.
Amelia is a light sleeper, to almost any noise, including the furnace turning on sometimes, she wakes up, and even though you can tell she's still tired, it's like she's too afraid of missing out on something. She does sleep through the night at times, but only usually about once or twice a week. And is our cat-napper with her naps averaging from 10mins to about 45 mins.
She loves to be held, but there's a catch. You can't just hold her. You need to either keep up her interest, or be in constant motion or she gets upset and impatient. When I give up in trying to satisfy her and put her down, she gets upset at that as well. It also makes snuggling with her very difficult. She only likes to snuggle when she's wearing down or asleep. This is also very rare. If she's getting tired she also gets upset and inconsolable until she's put down for sleep, and it's very rare that you can get her to go to sleep when she's in the presence of anyone else. Thus we also have some difficulties during church time.
With such an active baby, as well as an active child, she's always getting hurt. There's almost never a time that she doesn't bump her head or something and get a goose, I've even found a few small cuts on her hands, toes, etc. Most times I don't know what exactly what she would have done to get them. With my other kids, they really didn't start to get into many of the bumps and cuts until they had started walking on wabbly feet.
Lastly she's a little too curious, with makes her ultra disructive! As soon as you spot her with a piece of paper you need, it's too late. She'll shred it in seconds, as well as toilet paper, paper towels, and yes, even money, as in dollars. She great at helping mommy tear the house up right after it's clean, or a section of it is clean. Pulling toys and clothes out of drawers (yes she can open them) dumping the garbage can, and doing the Stewart thing off of Madd TV where he stuff whatever she finds straight-away into her mouth, and refusing to give it up.
Now that I've ranted a little, I feel a little bad. I do love this little girl. I understand that some of the things she does is just a phase, hopefully it will pass soon. Though hopefully with these personality traits we can hone this for her best interest. I don't know how well qualified for this job, because I was more of a laid back kinda kid. I was curious, but usually just lead me to thinking alot, not actually getting into things quite this much.

New Year's Resolutions

So it's a little late, but not too late, but I need to remind myself and keep track of goals I want to accomplish this year. I must warn you there's alot, and I might end up adding to this.

1. Get financially stable, get our debt paid down that it's easier to handle and get closer to Financial Freedom.

2. Always remember to keep my children close, to teach them well, and to cherish those moments, no matter how trying they may be.

3. To have better Faith, and to keep my pride in check.

4. Pray more often, get on a better schedule with the family, and always keep a prayer in my heart.

5. Read the Scriptures daily.

6. Always encourage and inspire those around me, especially my family.

7. To keep in mind that everyone has their troubles, and that we are all children of our Heavenly Father, that we are all brothers and sisters that are were sent here for the same goal.

8. Keep a good bedtime regiment up for the family, to give me better time to study.

9. To study more often, and put more effort into that study time.

10. To take pride in my work, do it to the best of my ability and with a positive attitude, and keep in mind the true meaning of Karma; Not just that you get what you deserve, but with what attitude you give it will come back to you ten fold.

11. Get everything in order, organized, and decluttered.

12. Find more activities to do with the kids.

13. To remember when I give attention to my kids first. They're usually satisfied more easily to give me time to do what I need later.

14. Get together with friends and family more often.

15. To smile, make eye contact, and watch the world smile with me.

16. Remember that I need to take life seriously enough to get the most out of it while I'm here, and not keep putting important things off.

17. To not start any more sentences with "I should have..."

18. To keep in mind that it's not things that define me, but a character built by habits that does.

19. To actually use our camping equipment, and teach the kids some survival and scouting skills.

20. Keep building my food and water storage, and finish the 72hr kits.

21. To get Christmas shopping done before the holidays.

22. Hopefully to get an Associates degree by Christmas.

23. Get my CNA reinstated and find time to volunteer in Hospitals and Nursing Facilities.

24. Prepare, prepare, prepare. There's a reason for that preparation!

25. Make a few new friends.

26. To always keep my blessings close to my heart and find new ones to be thankful for always.

27. Eat better, not be so dependent on caffeine, and drink more water, milk and juice.

28. To Give out more embrasing hugs and handshakes.

29. To remember that in every trial and heartache there is an important lesson to be learned, and that one day I may help lighten some one else's load or comfort them in their time of need.

30.

I'm almost there!

So I went into the Nursing department to see what exactly I needed to get into the program. The advisor was really great and encouraging. I of course need to reinstate my CNA, which they gave me information to do so.

After I'm done with this semester (and pass my classes) the only prerequisit I'll have left will be pathophysiology. Though he said that since it looks like I'm so close to my Associates, that it would be more beneficial to get that first, it will give me more points on my application to getting into the program. So though I'm going to put in my application for this next coming school year, I probably won't get in, but it will also give me more points for having already put in an application.

So this fall the only classes I need will be the pathophysiology for the prerequisit, and I think I'll take Anthropology for my diversity credits, I'll also need the last of the computer classes, which is the excel program, but I'll see about clepping it during the summer. The advisor also said that it would probably be worth highering my GPA and redo the introduction to University class I didn't pass 8 years ago (which is a class I don't think I recommend taking). So for the following Spring I'll just be able to take classes I want to, and I think I'll start focusing on a bachelor in Psychology. But I'm estatic, I'm getting closer to my goal!

A flash before your eyes... Scary Stuff

So I know this is a little late, but it's something significant. On December 16, 2008. I got a call from Gaven about 5:30 in the morning. I knew that something must be going on, because he almost never calls that early. Gaven said that he had been in an accident on the way home from work. I could tell he was a little shocky, but I just kept thinking he's ok enough to call me and talk to me, and the Ambulences weren't deployed. He was coming North from Woods Cross and as he made his way around a bend under a viaduct just past Kaysville exit, he hit black ice. He was in the far left lane and said he was able to recover quickly, but then hit another patch of black ice and couldn't recover. He then went spinning and hit the center cement guard. He was going about 40-45 mph.

Right after he came to a rest half on the inner part, and half in the left lane, a Delivery truck for GE appliances slammed into the back end going about 60mph. He spun a couple more times.

Just as he came to a stop from that. The traffic started to slow down for the wreck. Gaven said that he kept thinking he had to get out of there thinking that if he stayed in that he would be sure something else would happen, but something told him to stay put. Just as he was looking at the slowing traffic a car with a couple of men headed for the base went to pass a semi truck, not knowing what everyone was slowing for, and just as they started into the left lane, they hit Gaven from behind again at an even higher speed, and again sending him spinning. After traffic had stopped, Gaven was surprisingly able to get the car to drive to the other side of the freeway. Though probably wasn't the best idea. It made it, with lots of funny noises, but gas was leaking from it.

I was frantic. We called my mom over and over, our neighbor (who are so lucky to have), and he said that he would go, but my mom then got ahold of me and said she was heading over. This is what I found when I had gotten there. He had been there for about 1 1/2hrs. I was surprised first that he was alive, but also that the paramedics hadn't been called. He had a splitting headache, neckache and backache, and he said it felt like his knuckles on his right hand had been broken. But after all the paper work was done, and we got the go ahead. We drove Gaven to the hospital to get checked out.

I had to get a picture of him like this, of course he's making faces. They did a CT, X rays, and a C Spine. Everything checked out fine. They just said that he probably would have some whiplash, and bruises that would show up from the seat belt and his knuckles. They never did, but the first few days afterward were sore. The Integra is totaled. Took a good beating and did keep him safe. Gaven was given a warning for speeding in bad conditions (aparently it's Utah law that they should go no faster than 30mph, even though the roads and sky were clear), and he was given a ticket that we're fighting for impeding traffic, because when he came to the first stop after hitting the cement he was partially in the lane, and the delivery truck apparently had no where else to go (though the rest of the road was clear at the time). Allstate (our insurance company) has been remarkably good to us, at least for now. We'll have to see if we hear anything for medical, but they said they'd cover for up to $3000 without much question.

AHHHHHHHH... SCHOOL COSTS!!! $$$$$$

So I started school this Spring semester. I'm taking Math 1050... again, since I didn't pass last semester (suck!), Chemistry 1110, and Microbiology 1330. It seems like only 3 classes, but it's a full schedule with Math being 4 credits (4 hours a week), Chemistry 5 Credits (which isn't accurate, should be like 7 credits since the labs last longer than an hour) and Microbiology 3 credits, so that makes 12 credit hours. This is going to be probably the most difficult semester I've had yet. The syllabuses are full of work in all classes, and I'm going to have to apply myself more religiously to my math class, because I am NOT retaking it AGAIN!!! So yeah, this is quite the book bag full, again I'll remind you this is just for 3 classes. But at least I'll only have to lug around 3 of them since the microbiology is online. I'm hoping that I'll do ok with taking that online, but it looks like the professor is recommending that I read the entire chapter and take really good notes. Yes soooo I'm ranting, rant rant rant...... rant! I'm hoping that it's more just anxiety that's making it look worse in my mind, and that it really won't be that bad. I will just keep telling myself that it's just 3 months, it's just 3 months, it's just 3 months. And the total to these books is.......

Yes, that is the real cost, the actual reciept. That is not your imagination. The bad part(s) I bought the chemistry book used (the other 2 I could not, they're work books). The math book is not included because I'm reusing that from last semester which cost $150 at the time, and I still have to buy lab fees, safety goggles, and a couple of notebooks since both my classes have desks so small that there's not enough room to put my folder down, but maybe 5/8s of an open book which means I'll have to work with my notebook on top. I love learning, but sometimes you have to wonder if there's a conspiracy, and that they test you to wean out the weak. You know, survival of the fitest... It's just 3 months, it's just 3 months, it's just 3 months.

I also need to get together with the Nursing department and get things going so that I can become eligible for requirements to get in. Which also means that I have to renew my CNA (retake the tests) and get I think 20 hours under my belt (even though I spent 3 1/2 years working as one).

The good news....drum roll please.... I only have 3 more classes after this semester to get my Associates in Gen Ed (general education), though I have to double check with my Advisor, and I'll be that much closer to my goal.

New Years Eve 2008/2009

On New Year's Eve we got a last minute invitation to hang out with my old friend Shantelle and her family. This was quite the relief to help my suffering in longing for Gaven to be home, while he was out on the road, and wouldn't return till the morning. Mostly we just let the kids play while a movie was running, we ate some pizza and brownies and reminsqued on the "good old days". So I had left the camera in the car, but about an hour before midnight we got an invitation from Shantelle's aunt to come over and join their party. It was a little hard to be around so many people we didn't know, but we found some new friends there. The picture above is the kids with their friend (Shantelle's daughter) Keelee. We're all gathered outside watching the firework program Joee' (Shantelle's husband) set up.

As you can see this was pretty inpressive! It lasted about 15mins+ and had alot of fireworks going off at one time. Joee' (Shantelle's husband) is the regional manager of Idaho, Utah, and Colorado for Phantom fireworks and has access to many cool fireworks.

We missed daddy alot. Not the first time that we've had to go without him, but it doesn't make it that much easier either. Hopefully though, we can make this New Year much better then 2008 has treated us. Not necissarily a great year, though we did recieve our princess Amelia during that time, and learned some really hard lessons.