Experiences

We took the kids to Oregon for Phil's holiday party. The second day we were there I took the kids down for breakfast. Phil had already headed off to work so it was just the four of us and we had just sat down and started eating. Cannon got to pick the table so we ventured to a different section than the day before. We heard a huge crash and looked up to see a lady on the floor and heard the lady next to her screaming. At first she was just screaming and then she started yelling for someone to call 911. There were a ton of people there and they all got out their phones. The lady that had started scream was still screaming these weird screams while someone was talking to 911. During the phone call before the paramedics got there the lady stopped breathing. They started doing CPR and I felt totally helpless. I really wanted to do something, anything, to help, but I couldn't leave my kids. They were all reacting in different ways and it was interesting to watch them respond to everything that was happening. Lyla just really wanted more apple juice, but everything was happening over by the juice machine. Cannon had folded up arms and bowed his head and started praying quietly to himself. Miya was looking pretty worried and right on the verge of crying. She kept asking me a lot of questions about if I thought the lady would die. Living with a mother that is a nurse and is also very practical I know that very few people actually survive something like this and needing CPR. I informed Miya that she probably would not survive, but that they were doing everything they could to help her. The paramedics had arrived and were busy getting everything set-up and continuing with chest compressions. The woman and man that had come down to breakfast with this woman were standing around looking totally lost. I just kept thinking I wished I could do something for them, but also didn't want to get in the way. The hotel employees were trying to help them, but they looked like they weren't sure what to do either. I was so thankful that I had the knowledge of the Gospel and thought I wished they had the same knowledge and that they could feel the peace I was experiencing as I was trying to help my kids and say they things that would be best for them during everything. I did have a crash rush of adrenaline when everything started, but by the time we left the breakfast room about 30 minutes later my legs were shaking and I was just wishing for Phil to come back and hug me. Miya wanted to stay to see the lady get on the gurney and into the ambulance because I think she thought if they did those things it would mean she was going to be okay. We didn't stay that long because as some point I felt super bad about being there and not helping anyone.
Thinking back on things I feel so blessed to know that I was totally guided by the Spirit to say and do the things that would best help my kids process and learn from the experience and also that the same Spirit can comfort and help that family as they deal with the loss of the woman. It also made me decide to sign up for a CPR course since it has been so long and things have changed so much. Ever though it doesn't say everyone it is still able to save some lives and just knowing what I need to be doing is better than not knowing.

House Remodel

Phil sleeping on the couch after the party.

 

So we have been busy working on the house. We had to redo the plumbing because we have slowly been turning sinks off and messing with toilets for the past year. We thought it would be a great idea to start the process a month before Christmas so we could be finished just in time for the Nuber Family Christmas party we were hosting on December 23rd. Well we started tearing into it and then Phil got a new calling at church, then he got different responsibilities at work that would require more travel starting the month of December and to top it all off it was a standard remodel project that required all things to take WAY longer than one planned. Needless to say we didn't have it finished in time for today's Christmas party. We did however have amazing friends come and help us day after day in order to have a functioning kitchen and bathroom. Plus the house was a total disaster and all my friends came yesterday and helped me clean and scrub everything. I was on the verge of tears all day yesterday as we worked and I thought about how much I love these people that are so willing to come over to my house and spend hours of their day helping me. They are amazing and wonderful and they have been the greatest blessing to me. Chris Newville and Cory Fowler were juge helps over the past weeks with drywall, tile, cutting and moving out our huge radiators and then yesterday just doing anything we asked them to do until wee hours of the morning. Alexis, Lexi and Rachel came and helped clean and paint and make me laugh and feel loved in all the mess and distruction. We moved a lot of the mess down to the basement today in order to have the party and still have room to work for the next month while we finish everything we have planned. I will post more pictures as the work progresses. I wish I had pictures from yesterday to show all the people and work getting done, but I didn't find the camera until the mess was cleaned up.

 Phil has been working like made to get things done and has had very little sleep this past month. He was up the last 48 hours and made it through the party just to crash on the couch after the last person walked out the door. He is wonderful and amazing.

 

Thanksgiving Past

I was thinking this morning about Thanksgiving ten years ago. I was super pregnant with Miya (almost 38 weeks), Phil had gone over to the Island to play in the Turkey Bowl. I was carrying a large pot of mashed potatoes up the hill to his parents house questioning why I was by myself. Thinking back about situations makes me laugh when I think we thought we were such good communicators. I remember being so mad that I had let Phil go play football while I got things together and then walked my pregnant self up the hill. I am pretty sure I used the silent treatment to let Phil know I was not happy about things, but didn't ever voice my concern before hand. I sometimes like to be the martyr, but it always makes it difficult when I don't die sacrificing myself for the good of the family! We ate a ton of great food that day and Miya was born a few days later. Hopefully ten years later I am a little better at communicating...Phil is currently playing football and I am baking pies to take to the Island, but he will to be home by 11:00 so we can get over there together. It is amazing how much more power is in words than in the silence I once loved to create.

Things I am most thankful for:
1) the Gospel-it is just amazing and blesses my life with hope and faith
2)my family-seriously they are fantastic
3)my health-I will appreciate it everyday
4)great friends-some I haven't "talked" to in a while, but the world has given us facebook to keep track of each other
5)a beautiful world-I love being outside (or looking out the window while working on the kitchen) and seeing all the wonderful reminders that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me

Seriously

So lately Phil and I have had a good chuckle while we work with each other on the house because every time I make a mistake (which happens often when taking nails out of the floor) I mumble "seriously". We have been hard at work whenever we have a free moment and hope to have the house put back together for our family Christmas party December 23rd...things are not looking very positive right now, but I am sure once we get the cabinets put back together and all the kitchen stuff back in the right place it won't feel so crazy. Our house is a disaster. We had a babysitter last weekend and I warned her that it was super cold and messy. When she got here she said, "it's not that bad, I have seen worse." What??? I can't imagine things worst than this. It makes me feel crazy with all this mess around and I can't wait to have things put back together and for everything to have a home.
This week was a tough one with elections and coming to terms with Obama for another four years. Then to top that off this morning we went in the garage to get some tools and found that someone broke in last night and stole our tools! Hurray! We were nice enough to have a wheelbarrow for them to load with tools so they wouldn't have to carry heavy things up the drive-way. I love when things like this happen and just when everything is torn apart. I hope the stolen tools buys a lot of pot now that it is legal in Washington. Funny how everyone is writing their things they are grateful for this month and I am venting on mine. So, I am thankful for a husband that can fix things and that keeps his cool when I have a hard time maintaining mine.

New Callings

We got a new Stake Presidency a few weeks ago and Phil got called to be the executive secretary. He is working with really great men, but he has been using all my blogging computer time. I guess we all make sacrifices. Somehow October came and went. We made it through Halloween without going into a sugar induced coma and find ourselves on the other side of the holiday surprised it is November. I love fall and we have yet to turn on our heater...which means bring a coat if you come for a visit.