to graduate or not to graduate

Bob will graduate next month. I will be taking more classes. Life would sure be easier if I weren't going to school. I love what I am doing, though. On June 24th I will be half way done. That means I will have finished 32 credits and have 33 credits left. Agh!

I guess I just have to eat the elephant one bite at a time. Just keep on truckin'!

Update

Anaise's comment, for my last post, was a great one. Come to find out, the family now has a favorite nurse at the hospital. She has been a nurse who gives them great hope for bringing this baby home. She gave them a blanket for the mom to sleep with for a couple days. Then, when they feed the baby, they can hold him in this blanket so he can smell his mommy. He is getting several drips of breast milk now. Also, the nurse said not to feel sorry for the baby. He has never experienced another life. I mean, he is the way he is and he doesn't know anything different. It reminds me of something my deaf teacher said. She says she doesn't miss music, she doesn't care about music and no one needs to feel sorry for her. She has never experienced it and she doesn't mind that at all. As for the baby, we are still waiting to see what is going to happen.

Baby

I haven't posted since Baby Energy. Yes, Dianna had an awesome experience with her great friend and neighbor. Everything was going along fine. The neighbor really appreciated Dianna's calming influence. Then the friend went to the hospital to deliver the baby. The baby was born with severe, severe problems. It has been a very sad and tumultuous time. The family is hoping the baby will live. The doctors are not sure if the baby will live. Everyday is like a roller coaster. Even if the baby lives, there will be severe problems, mental and physical. Dianna has been a fabulous support to her neighbor. The pain of this situation is extremely difficult. There was no clue given, before the birth, that there would be anything wrong. (Seems impossible that the doctors didn't catch this sooner.) The little baby is a sweet baby boy. It is weird to be close to this situation. I haven't known anyone, personally, while they were going through a situation such as this. It is hard to know what to pray. Dianna says she prays that the family can be strong in the faith, no matter what happens. I think that is a good prayer.

Baby Energy

Year ago my midwife told me I have 'baby energy'. I was good at bringing this energy to laboring mothers.

When Dianna was a young girl, I labored and birthed Heidi and Kelli. Dianna was one of my attendants. I labor by relaxing. She learned from her experiences with me. She now has four boys and she is an incredible birther! I have been blessed to be at all of her births and she has felt great comfort from my presence.

Today Dianna is helping her neighbor. The neighbor went into labor this morning and called Dianna. Dianna used techniques with her friend, the techniques she learned from my coaching her during her four births. Her friend felt so good about Dianna's words that she invited Dianna to come over and help her labor. The midwife is there and the husband came home from work and is there now, too.

Eventually, the woman will go to the hospital. She doesn't necessarily want a home birth. (She had an emergency C-section last time.)

I feel so happy for Dianna and to for this family. What a gift from Heavenly Father! Dianna has 'baby energy', too!

Spring!

March is the beautiful month of Spring! We have had a wonderful winter so far and now we are sliding into spring. March is a beautiful month! I have started noticing the tiny bit of green on the tall, skinny-limbed trees (I am not sure of the name). They are the first trees to turn start green every year. Isn't it great? I couldn't believe it when I saw the first bit of a greenish hue on them last week. Now that the snow has melted, we can see bits of green grass starting to make its way through the dormant grass. Flowers will start breaking through the dirt at any moment! Tulips, crocus, daffodils. Wow! I love looking at the little buds on the trees and the tiny, tiny leaves, so perfectly formed, starting to grow.

I know I am jumping ahead as today is only 35 degrees, but tomorrow is March, the beautiful month of Spring! Yippee!!

Summarize

My blogs are always SO LONG! I am just too long-winded. I love to talk, and talk, and talk!

I got a new calling today. I am on the enrichment committee for Relief Society. I am very excited! I am always so busy going to other wards interpreting for Deaf people so I really don't like to have a Sunday calling. This is perfect! I can do things during the week and not feel the stress of having to prepare a lesson every Sunday. This feels like a really good fit! Yeah, Bishop Arnold and his counselors!

PARTY!

Hey, guess what? Today is my 32nd anniversary for being married to Bob. I can't believe it! How does the time go so quickly? It has been an amazing ride so far. We have learned a lot and have grown a lot. We have enjoyed each other and enjoyed our growing family. We still laugh at each other's humor. Bob still thinks I am funny! He is hilarious to me, too!

I was thinking the other day about so many things that we have been through and I can't believe the list I came up with. Here are some of them starting in 1997:

1997-1998: my mom suffered and died of inflammatory breast cancer, which is a cancer that grows on the outside of the body. (with all that entails)
1999: my father's intestines burst, he almost died. colostomy bag. 2nd surgery to reattach his colon. 3rd surgery for aortic aneurysm. 7 years of managing his affairs, caregivers, etc.
Bob's dad has major stroke. 6 1/2 years of managing his affairs, his caregivers, his life.
2000: happy beginning of year. dianna marries Todd. i start working more to pay for wedding. bob's dad falls down and breaks hip.
2001: happy beginning of year. Christopher is born (yeah!). has surgery at 5 months old. twin towers are struck and we go to war.
2002: bob loses job. the family moves to Utah. James is born (yeah!).
2003: our trampoline is stolen. bob's brother, Gary, dies at a young age, unexpectedly, while bob's elderly father is in the hospital with severe pneumonia.
2004: my car and wallet are stolen. criminal gets a wig to look like me and writes bad checks and takes out money from my account. my stepfather suffers and dies of cancer (with all that entails). i am executor to his trust, with all THAT entails.
2005: bob's father dies of pneumonia. we are executors over his will, with all THAT entails.
2006: my father dies of old age. i take care of everything, like executor, as i am an only child. we move to a new house (super blessing!!). dylan is born. (yeah!)
2007: i can't think of anything really strenuous. finally just adjusting to not having tragedy every single minute. hormonal issues at its peak, though, which causes terrible problems!
2008: jake is born (yeah!). bob's car window is broken into and his planner stolen.

It has been a few pretty hard and painful years. On top of all this, I have been perimenopausal, with all THAT entails! Simple sentences do not at all explain what we have been through during these times. Thank goodness we have had each other as super supports.

I am grateful that when I was 15 years old I prayed to God, (I wasn't a member but I heard the missionaries talking about eternal marriage), that I could be married to Bob in heaven. Heavenly Father answered my prayers! We have been through thick and thin and everything else! After 32 years I can easily say Bob is the love of my life!