Winter

I grew up in Fort Worth, Texas - we moved there when I was five and I moved away when I was 23. I lived in Kansas City, Missouri for three years, moved to Omaha, Nebraska and lived there for over a year and then moved back to Kansas City, Missouri. Growing up I hated summer and wished for winter. I wanted to see snow and have cold temperatures. I don't think I feel like that anymore. I don't love summer, but I sure don't love winter like I thought I would. Maybe it is the fact that I am a mother of a 14 month old son, but winter just isn't as much fun as I thought it would be. It is 9 degrees here in Kansas City. I had to stop for gas on the way home from my mother-in-law's house. I usually pay cash for my gas because I get out gas money at the beginning of the month. Today I used my debit card at the pump because William (the baby) had lost a shoe and was showing signs of wind burn on his face and I didn't want to get him out of the car to pay cash. I am not like some mothers who would leave their children in the car to go pay for gas. Then, Will decides he will take off his sock too. So that leaves me bringing in a baby from the car with only one sock and shoe on and one foot exposed to 9 degree temperatures. Plus, he refuses to keep mittens on his hands, so his little hands are exposed to the cold too. I am just waiting for him to get frostbite on his hands or feet. So, I don't like winter and don't want to live someplace that gets cold. I also don't like 100+ degree summer weather, so maybe I should just move to California and get flood and fire insurance.

School

You know, for all the time and trouble I spent getting into nursing school and all the money we are spending for me to be in nursing school, I sure am not very motivated. Maybe that is because I am burnt out, or maybe it's because my mom is coming to visit in a week and a day and I just can't seem to focus. Of course, it could be because studying is boring. I have always had a difficult time motivating myself, and if finals didn't start Monday, I would probably procrastinate some more. I am stressed out and not dealing with it well.

To top it all off I had to take Will to get his 1 year shots and he has not felt well. He got a flu shot, his MMR, the chicken pox vaccine, and Hib vaccine, which is a vaccine for a type of bacterial flu. I know I wouldn't feel good after that. Will runs around whining and pulling my homework down. It drives me crazy, but I can't be mad because he is just a baby and doesn't understand he can't play with my homework and he doesn't understand why he doesn't feel good. I love him.

Don't mess up in Nursing

At school a couple of weeks ago they put The Missouri State Board of Nursing Newsletter in our boxes. I found it in my church bag today and was looking at it. You know, if you do something stupid and get caught at a normal job you get written up, suspended, or fired. As a nurse, you get all of those things and you are reported to the State Board of Nursing. They publish every offense that was comitted in the last four months (it's a quarterly newsletter) with your name, the city you live in, a detailed description of the "crime", and if you were suspended, reprimanded, or had your license taken away. Be assured that I will NEVER get my name in this paper. It's a strong deterrant.

Family History Calling

I actually have three callings in the church (if you count visiting teaching). I'm not very good at any of them, but my family history calling requires me to teach sunday school each week, so i'm forced to work on my calling. I love all of my callings and I just haven't found a way to prioritize yet. Anyway, I had a meeting with the Stake Family History Center Director on Tuesday and we talked about my ability to work at the family history center. I was working one night a week for two hours and that became too much. However, I like being in the fam. hx. center and want to work if I can. We worked out a deal where I can work the first Saturday of the month and I am excited about it. My shift is four hours, from 9am to 1pm. I am at the fam. hx. center now and there are only two patrons. I brought my Pharmacology homework and am getting some good work done. I really enjoy being here. The director once compared it to the temple in the type of quiet reverence here. I do think there is a sweet spirit and a quiet reverance that I am enjoying.

Will's First Birthday

Sunday 21 September 2007 William Alexander Ware turned one. We had his party at Deanna Rose Farmstead out in Kansas. It is this cool petting zoo/fun place for kids. Saturday evening Michelle came over and I made her dinner and she helped me with Will's cake.


This is the cake Saturday night. Michelle put the orange icing on it and I wrote the words and both Michelle and I decorated it. It may not be the prettiest cake, but we sure had a great time making it.



So Sunday Matt, Will, and I get to the farmstead and it is crawling with people. It was totally insane. I didn't know before but it was the last day of the pumpkin patch (which we didn't make it too). When everyone was there we lit his candle and sang and helped him blow out the candle and Matt started to cut the cake. About that time I realized that Donald and Michelle had driven by but not shown up yet. We fixed the cut in the cake, re lit the candle, and waited for them to show up. Then we sang again and cut the cake. The following is a video of Will's first few bites of cake. He was so good.




I opened Will's presents and he played. He really loved this Nemo toy and book that he got. He enjoyed the tissue paper from his gifts and also liked the cards.

He was so good. I was concerned but he had a great time. I love our wonderful son.

Our Second Anniversary

Our two year anniversary was Monday 15 October 2007. Sometimes I can't believe that we have been married for two years and sometimes it seems like we have been together forever. They always say that the first few years are the hardest, and I can understand why they say that. Our first year was less stressful than the second. We had a baby, I started nursing school, and we bought a house. We made it through our first two years. If we can make it through nursing school, we can do anything. Matt bought me flowers and took me to dinner Friday for our anniversary. I made a nice dinner on Monday. Simple celebration but perfect for us. I love my husband and am grateful to have him and to have been married for two years with an eternity to look forward to.

Somtimes Owning a House Sucks

Don't get me wrong, I am a very grateful homeowner. I would much rather have a house, even with all it's problems, than squeeze my family into a tiny apartment (which is the only size we would be able to afford). However, sometimes I wish we didn't have the problems that a house brings. Take, for example, our bathroom. It isn't an example of the best craftmanship ever, but it is fully functional and has a big shower (no tub though). All in all not to bad, except when it rains. Think about where you would prefer to have a leak in the bathroom: maybe over the sink, or in the shower, or even on the floor, where you could put a bucket to catch the leak. Well our leak is none of those places. I is right over the toilet. Yes, you think that would be ok because it just drips into the toilet - no need for a bucket or anything. However, when you have to go to the bathroom, you get dripped on. It REALLY, REALLY sucks (and since the water comes through the roof and the boards under the roof and the ceiling, it is kind of nasty by the time it drips on you). And it doesn't just drip on your head, it drips on your back. YUCK!

So, we had the brilliant idea to fix the problem ourselves. Our friend Donald, my father -in-law Dale, and I got some roofing tar and put that on the roof. Last night at 3am it began raining and it has been raining ever since (it is now 11am). It still leaks over the toilet, and it is leaking worse than it has been. Matt seems to think that if we tar around the toilet vent (who knew that toilets need vents in the roof?) that our problem will be fixed. I sure hope so because a new roof would cost over a thousand dollars and who can afford that? Not us. I'm not working and in school full time and we have a baby. We can barely afford to feed the baby (ok, it's not that bad). We surely can't afford a new roof. Hopefully the new patch will work!