Cowshare

So, in the last year or so I've been learning a lot about the virtues of whole foods. I still have a long way to go in cutting out so much processed foods from my family's diet, but I took a big step today. I was searching online for organic coops to see if there was anything available here in my new town. I came across information about a farm just outside of town that does cowshares. Since it is illegal in most states to sell raw, unpasteurized milk, this farm sells shares on cows. So you are not buying milk, you pay for the farm to board and care for your cow. So basically, I go get the milk from "my cow" once a week, plus sometimes yogurt, kefir, cheese, cheese curds, ect. Cool, huh? If any of you think I'm crazy and want to know what possessed me to want to do something like this, I highly suggest you google Weston Price and read about his studies. Fascinating.

I took the kids to the farm today to check it out and meet the cows. Besides getting a bit soiled from stepping in cow you-know-what, it was great fun. Charlee was so happy to see the cows, right up until one sniffed her up close. Then she got scared and buried her face in my shoulder. The farmer told us about their personalities, and we decided our favorite is the trouble-maker. She came right up behind James to check him out. He was pretty surprised to see her there when he turned around. Instant friendship, I tell ya.

So, here's to improved health and well-being for my family. Cheers.

Some good pics

I forgot to blog about the moving the tramp adventure. Jason was dreading taking the trampoline apart because we knew we couldn't take it with us to Colorado (having bought a house with a sloped backyard, and all). So, anyway, it turned out that our friends down the street wanted the tramp, and they got a couple friends together to help move it. I honestly didn't think it would work without taking it apart, but this is the result of their teamwork. :)

So, I am always trying to come up with easy things to do with Charlee's hair. She is like her mama and has long, thick, unruly hair. And, just like me when I was a kid, she HATES to get her hair done. She cries and fights the whole time I'm trying to do it. I look online and there are all sorts of cute ways to do girls hair, and most of them involve time-intensive flips and braids and multiple rubberbands... Ya, Charlee will not go for that, I've tried. So, I got online and ordered these super-cute headbands with big flowers that are very "in" right now. And sooo easy. This is the very adorable result.

And finally, only my family will appreciate this, but we have this home video from when we were kids and Kelli is famous for her "I some" line. So, here is Charlee with the exact same sentiments.

Nothin' Much

Now that I have unpacked as far as I can until we have a basement (finished, that is), we have thankfully been able to have a little more order in our lives. I have finally been able to get some homework done, although it's been precious little, and I have a lot of catching up to do. The kids I think are lonely for their friends because we still don't really know anyone here. I have been taking them to ward playgroup every Tuesday, but that is all the social interaction they get besides Sundays. I did take them to an indoor playplace yesterday called Lil' Biggs. It was fun, but something we will only do every so often because it's expensive. I need to start taking the kids to see the local (free) attractions. Luckily, our ward had an RS meeting on that very subject this last week, so I am more informed at this point than I ever thought I would be so early in a move.

I am still pretty worried about the whole babysitting situation for when I start attending births again, which I am hoping will be soon. But, like all things in life, I need to just have patience that it will all work out sooner or later, with the Lord's help.

Our New House

Hey all. I took these pictures just now. So this is our new house! We love it. We still have a bunch of boxes in the garage waiting until our basement is finished before we unpack them. We have a lot less storage space in this house. But we love Colorado Springs so far are are happy to be here and starting to get settled in.

I'm here

Hello everybody (if anybody actually reads this)! Well, we're here. And when I say we, I mean everybody, even Jason. He wasn't going to come until the end of May, but he couldn't stay away that long. :) So, we are playing house now and getting everything unpacked. Unpacking is a huge pain in the butt and I don't enjoy it at all. I just wish I could pay somebody to unpack and get my house all set up for me and I could just go on with my life. I hate this long break from routine. But I do love my new house a lot. Jason has been a great help in making it beautiful with curtains and wall hangings. We met our neighbors and sat and talked for a long while this evening and they seem really cool, so that is always a plus. I still have a lot of unpacking to do, but I haven't done homework in about 3 weeks so unpacking is going to have to take a back seat for a while now.

OK, so I promise that once my house has some semblance of order I will take pictures and post them. I really want you all to see our new place. I will email with our new address and stuff soon.

Moving This Week

So, I'm sitting in TLF (the base hotel, basically) surrounded by the few toys I let my kids keep out of the packing. We had the movers come pack us up and load all our stuff on a big semi-truck. The trick was to keep the kids out of the way. They thought it was all pretty interesting. Jayden was very excited to see that the semi truck was yellow (his favorite color). After they packed us up, I spent a few very long days cleaning the house from top to bottom. And I mean clean...you could probably eat of any surface of the house. :)

So now, we are just basically waiting until Tuesday when the housing office tells us if I have done a good enough job of cleaning to turn the house over to them. Then I will immediately start driving to Colorado to get there in time for Thursday when they do a thorough walk through and explain every aspect of the house to me. Then closing on Friday and I will officially be a Coloradian (is that a word?). So, wish me luck that all this goes smoothly. To all my very loved Great Falls friends, I will miss you intensely and will be forever grateful that you have enriched my life.

Tender Feelings Today

I had my last day of work as a student at the birth center today. It was a good day. I have definitely improved and learned a lot since starting as a student almost a year and a half ago. But I have worked for Elaine at the birth center in various capacities, including childbirth educator, birth assistant, and student midwife, for almost 4 years. That is as long as I've ever had a job. But this was so much more than a job to me. In fact, for much of it, I made next to nothing or literally nothing. Working at the birth center was like living my dream job. It was like finding out who I really wanted to be in life. It was about finding out how much courage I have. And it was about having good friends.

I owe Elaine so much, I don't think I'll ever be able to repay her. Here are some of the gifts she has given me:

- She gave me an opportunity after meeting me only twice. I walked into the birth center one day and said I was a childbirth educator. She asked me to come back and meet with her and her partner. I came and met with them and they gave me the gig on the spot. Thus began my childbirth education classes at the birth center

- I was her first birth assistant at the birth center. I had been to births as a doula before, but I don't think she really knew how inexperienced and scared I really was then. But she trusted me enough to allow me to come to births and be taught by her. This was the beginning of a whole new chapter in life

- After working with Elaine for a while, I became pregnant with Charlee. There was no question in my mind that I would have my baby at the birth center. But after some upheaval in the birth center staff, Elaine had decided to not accept insurance anymore. This included mine, of course. So she did my prenatal visits and attended my birth for free. I don't think I've met anybody as generous in my life

- Soon after Charlee's birth, I felt some desire to become a midwife. It seemed like the logical next step, and yet an insanely scary one. Watching Elaine care for women and give them opportunities they never would have had in another birthing environment made me want to be involved in this amazing work, too. But it took me a while to build up the courage

- Finally, after much prayer and stress, I decided to take the plunge and go back to school to be a midwife. Elaine, of course, was tremendously excited for me and readily agreed to be my teacher. How could I have done any of this without her encouragement and support? Not to mention her unfailing belief in me, more than I had for myself?

- The last year and a half, I have work even more closely with Elaine as a midwifery student. She has given me opportunities for learning and growth and helped me be brave, and yet has not pushed me faster than I could go. I can only hope and pray that when we move, I will be able to find a midwife-teacher as amazing as Elaine has been for me.

So, today, after we finished up the clinical work, Elaine took me, Melanie, and Brianna out to lunch. I was so happy to be out with these wonderful friends, and yet sad that my time was up with them already. We had a great meal and were visiting as we finished up. Then, as a perfect ending to a midwifery apprenticeship, Elaine got a call on her cell phone that a mom was in labor and to hurry quick to the birth center. She and Melanie got up and quickly ran out the door to go down the street to the center to be with this mom on this most significant of days. Tears ran down my face as I watched them leave...without me. I can't believe this chapter of my life is over. I'm not sure I'm ready. Moving hasn't been this hard since I left Logan and my best friend forever Marie. But, life marches on. And, just like all the babies I've seen be born grow up and change, so must I.