Side yard

We have been working on our yard since we moved in! We started by taking out some rotten decks four years ago. I don't know how many square feet the side deck was, but it was HUGE! It had layers of rotten plywood as a surface, and though the boys loved to skateboard and bike on it, it was a safety hazard (and an eyesore) and needed to go. As you can see in the last picture, it left us with a very large hole. It was maybe 4ft deep in some places. We started filling that hole with a concrete sidewalk (from another project), with clippings, etc. Last summer we found a contact who owns a dump truck and has lots of dirt. He dropped a whole load in our front yard which Greg and I wheel-barrowed to the back. It wasn't quite enough. We really wanted to level the yard back there and raise it a bit between the back deck and the pond so there wasn't so much of a drop. On Tuesday we got our second dump truck load of dirt. Greg and I have been working away at it. He mostly shovels and I'm mostly spreading and rolling and picking out rocks. I think this second dump load might just do it. Then we still will need top soil and grass...possibly some landscape ties and rocks, but I can almost see the end in sight! Don't underestimate the amount of time it takes to do landscaping! We did a tiny little job in Calgary on our postcard stamp yard, but it was worth every hour of sweat as we had a beautiful green lawn in the end. I will make sure to take some pictures of the middle stage we're in here, with the hole filled. Pre-grass. Then you all will be able to ooooh and awwww with me when I reveal the final pics. Time to warm up my rice bag! Greg and I are sore!

Easter 2013

Greg and Shea went early to church this morning to do music prep, and I came later with the two bigger boys. By the time I wrestled them off the tramp, brushed their hair and forced them into their church pants and shoes, we were all in a fuming mood. Then we got to the Easter Sunday service and sang, did crafts, visited with our friends, and listened to the Easter story and we all left in a much happier mood. We are so thankful for our church, for the sunshine today, and the work that Jesus did on the cross so there is hope.

Our favorite little "Eller-bean" turned four this week. Her and I had planned her "rainbow party" months ago, and so we just had to pull it off. Her mom made her a cake that matched our picture perfectly, and I had the place looking like a unicorn had just visited. Rainbows, clouds, stars and butterflies all over. So fun to decorate for a girl! And it helps that she's such a sweetie!

Catchup

I guess it's true, as my mother has pointed out, that I have been pretty quiet on here lately. I have been a busy girl. This week we celebrated two birthdays, on top of our usual busy routine of work. I didn't put my usual major effort into the whole party planning, but I did what I could. We had a family party for Liam, with an Angry Bird theme. Then yesterday we got to go out for supper (on our own) and then join the kids and both sets of parents for cake (actually a peach meringue dessert) for G's birthday. So we kept it simple, but we made sure they were celebrated. I can hardly believe that Spring Break is here. I just spent three hours in the yard, trying to thin out the last of the snow piles, prune the trees and rake. The little buds are coming out and it just seems so soon! I guess I've been used to waiting around for Spring to come after Christmas, but I've been so busy with work that it just snuck up so quickly. I've taken the next week off of work, to spend with the kids. They are off for two weeks, and I didn't think it'd be cool to have them in full time daycare the entire time. We're even going to squeeze in a trip up to PG to visit my sister again. I'm a little nervous about being home all day with my busy boys, but we'll try to do lots of activities. My job is going well. I'm so glad I took the opportunity that was given to me. I could have easily thought up a million reasons why I couldn't or shouldn't. It has been both easy and challenging, stressful and relaxing, sad and fun. I have so enjoyed having people to talk with, working very closely with people who need my help (both the physios and the patients). I am humbled by meeting people who are dealing with incredible pain, or are at the end of their life and still are living it with as much joy as they can muster. I've helped a patient to sit up in their bed one day, and they died later that night. I consider it a privilege to have spent some of their last hours with them. I see patients who are working so hard to get back home, but probably never will. I see some who are withering away in a bed with no one visiting them ever, while others have a loved one at their side constantly. It isn't all fun and games. We get yelled at, called "annoying", bled and peed on, we see things we never wanted to see, and smells we never wanted to smell. But at the end of the day, it is rewarding work. I'm really hoping to job share when my temporary position is over, and keep working part time. The kids are doing well in school, and had such a fun winter of skiing/snowboarding. Shea and I joined them last weekend, and we had Shea take his first lesson and learn to ski! He did great! We can imagine many more family ski days ahead. Shea pulled out his two wheeler and started going on it this afternoon without our help. Last fall we had been running around behind him trying to get him going and he was just not getting it. In true Davidson-boy fashion, I guess he was just ready in his own time. He needs a few more practice sessions ahead, but it'll be great to have him join us all on two wheels. At the pool, that boy is already jumping (and spinning) off the diving board and rope swing and swimming back to the side without a life jacket. Always trying to keep up to the big boys. Ok, well that's a bit of a catch up. Since I'll be home this week, I'll try to write again and take some photos. I haven't even figured out my new camera yet as life has just been so crazy busy! But it's a good busy.

We're enjoying our weekend with family and friends! Here are some photos from Shea's sleepover with cousin Ella. Today we're going to the pool which is rented by our church group. Lot's of fun and craziness!

It's official. I've been working for 6 weeks now, and I just got my tags. I really am enjoying my job and am happy to go to work in the morning. CHEESE!!!

What do I do??

I don't know if you care, or wonder what I do all day at work...but here was my day today. Arrive at the hospital and get onto the computer. Print out the daily nursing census worksheets for level 2 and 4 (where our patients are). We do the physio and occupational therapy for these two floors. Clean equipment that was left out from the day before. Bring some used and dirty wheelchairs upstairs to clean later. Meet with the OT and PT for rounds, to discuss the new patients and find out my assignments for the day. Start with my list of patients for ADL's (activities of daily living). This is basically a glorified way of saying, helping someone get ready for the day, and encouraging independence and proper body mechanics while doing so. I have done everything from helping with toileting (eww) to setting a person up at bedside to shave, to dressing, feeding, teeth, hair, washcloth bathing...you name it. Most of the patients need help learning how to use adaptive aids, or need cuing as they can't remember what they are doing from one minute to the next. I had three guys to see this morning. Then I moved on to the sewing room where I made a pillow cover for an square piece of foam used on an amputee board. It required pinning and sewing, and then putting 2 rows of velcro sewn just so, so it would stick onto a board. I finished in the nick of time and took the completed chair with the custom pillow down to a patient with a below knee amputation. Then I took her over to the exercise room where we proceeded to do her daily exercises in the parallel bars. We were missing some stretchy elastic bands to do her arm work, so we went down to the department to get some. While there, there was a fire alarm, so we had to wait for awhile. I then was called (we all wear walkie talkie things) by the OT to fix a broken strap on a reclining big wheel chair and some shaky armrests. I also had to run up and whole-punch some papers and find binders to put them in and label them for the OT. I was also called to find some anti-tippers for the amputees' wheelchair as it was missing one. Thank goodness I found it right away, as sometimes it can take awhile looking for things! I took lunch, which I was more than ready for, and then it was back to work with the PT. I usually meet up with her in the afternoon to help her with patients that require two people. Usually I'm there to follow closely with the wheelchair and/or IV pole/ O2 while she walks them, or to stand on the other side of the patient to help them up and out/into bed. I also run to grab things we need, like gait belts, walkers, heart monitors, lifts, etc. We did a few doubles, and then I taught a guy to do some bed exercises and wrote them out for him on a paper so he'd hopefully do them for "homework" over the weekend. Then I was asked to make a sign for another patient (reminders for nurses), and label a few chairs with names. Back upstairs now, and the PT had me help her with a few more patients. When she had some referrals to do, I was off on my own to walk a patient the loop of the unit. The OT left a note for me to hang some enlarged calendars I had made the day before in two patients rooms, and grab some sheepskin elbow covers and a special tray for another guy. A walker needed some screws tightened and a name put on. I had a bit more cleaning to do, and then it was time to do my charting on the computer. I finished right before four, so I didn't have time to clean those wheelchairs I had taken upstairs, and then I remembered I needed to bring the laundry over to a nearby care home. (We take our specialized cushion covers etc. over there to be washed rather than put into the general laundry that is shipped to Vernon, as we'd never see it again.) So I drove the laundry over (a block away) and delivered it. Phew. It was only ten after, and I was on my way home. So that was today. My job is nice in that every day is very different. I only sew about once a week. I have different patients to meet and work with. Sometimes I spend hours fitting people and making up wheelchairs to suit them. Other days I do nothing much with equipment and am mostly hands on with patients. I also help with educating people on hip protectors (special padded pants to wear for people who are a falls-risk). I help do up referrals and fax them where they need to be sent or do a little filing for the PT in the nursing charts. I have to communicate with my physio, OT and the nursing staff all throughout the day. I'm sort of there to help them all as necessary. It is very busy, and I'm running all day. There are occasional teaching times, where we discuss articles or watch instructional videos, or we even went to visit the newest extended care home. I really love the time spent with the patients, and I am sad when most of them go! I've watched some of them progress from flat out in the ICU, to independently walking. Thankfully none of my personal patients have died. I'm sure that would be hard. The acute care can be a really sad and lonely place, and it's all I can do to not sit on the edge of the bed when we're done "working" to visit with them!! Most of the ones I walk or do ADL's with, are talking non-stop the whole time. Aww. Some of the patients are really sick, or have just undergone an extensive surgery, and we're the first ones to get them up. It is important they keep up their strength, as muscle can turn to mush pretty fast. We also are trying to get them upright to prevent them from getting pneumonia. The physio is very conscious of chest health and we will work with the patients on deep breathing and coughing to prevent build up in those lungs. I'd say my least favorite job is with the equipment. Sometimes something that should take 5 min. takes an hour. For example...I was asked to install a rear-seat belt (for an escape artist) on a wheelchair. It became a huge job as the screw was stripped. I worked for ages to get it out and then had to search the place for a new one. I removed the regular belt strap and started looking for a long one. Nope...there was nothing. I finally found a piece of new strapping and made my own belt, taking off the metal part of the old one and putting it on this new piece, folding over the ends and sewing them, punching a hole for the screw, melting the hole so it wouldn't fray, and then screwing the thing back on. And while doing that, I'm feeling pressure as the physio is waiting to work with me! Never a dull moment. But it's good. I enjoy it, and I'm getting more comfortable every day with the people and the tasks. It's not an easy job, and sometimes isn't too pleasant, but it is definitely interesting. I don't intend to keep up full time forever, but it is good for me in gaining my skills faster than if I was casual. I am sure that by July, I will be quite confident and know what I am doing. The first four weeks have gone pretty quick.

Riley, at 11 years, has started to turn some corners, and is a real pleasant little man. He and his dad can butt heads at times, but I find him pretty easy as long as he isn't bored. He's more willing to step in and help and will do most anything as long as he's not overtired or underfed! He's starting to converse more, and if you catch him on his own and in the right mood, he'll talk your ear off. He isn't overly outgoing or confident, but he is willing to go off to the rink skating on his own, and will talk to whoever is around. He is always game to try anything new, and is hoping to skate ski this week with his aunt. I'm still praying he finds some good close friends, but for now, he hangs out with his cousins and has a blast snowboarding with his dad on weekends. There is the odd time that he and I get some one-on-one time between my work and picking up the other two boys.

Shea, on the other-hand, has been a bit of a handful. He had such a rough two months of being sick, and now has had a hard time after the Christmas break to be put back on a schedule. He is really tired after school and daycare, and I find by the time I get him at 5pm, he has no more focus or any desire to look you in the eye and actually talk or pay attention. He gets so excited for weekends and he holds two fingers up and tells the daycare staff that he gets "2 days off". Poor kid thinks he's so hard done by!!? He is a tech junkie and I find it hard to pull him off the computers and games. He loves to bug Liam to death, and the two of them are at it constantly. I think he's still doing well in school and haven't had any complaints at daycare, so I'm hoping he's only acting poorly when I'm involved!!? We do enjoy our quiet Saturdays together while the boys are up skiing. I'm sad he's growing up so fast, and can't believe he's coming up on 6.

Long time no see!!

Well I'm a week and a half into my new job. I'm surviving!! I pretty much go to work, come home, make dinner, get the kids, organize our lunches, do homework, pack all our bags and do some paperwork, and go back to bed and do it all over again the next day. It is a tad tiring, but it is also nice to have a complete change in what my normal day used to be. Greg is now taking the kids to school for me, as I start at 8am. I don't see the school at all, which feels really weird after being there 2x a day for the past 6 years! The kids are in their daycare and doing quite well. Today they took a bus to an indoor playground and were completely worn out when we picked them up. So we're all more tired around here than usual. I was happy to see the weekend, but on Saturday my sister was hit with a crisis, so it wasn't as restful as I had hoped. This week has been full of many tears, worries, phone calls and fitful nights. My family left town to visit her yesterday, and I will leave with my sister in law tomorrow and be there for the weekend. The stress of all of this on top of a new/demanding FT job is almost too much, but I'm hoping I can get through it. I'm not quite sure of God's timing in all of this...but one day it'll all make sense. In the meantime, can you just pray for my little sis, and wish her well.

We love her so much.

365

Last year I decided to be part of a 365, a photo a day project. I'm the only one I know that actually finished it to the end! It was a commitment for sure, and I don't judge the people that couldn't follow it through. I had a hard time especially in December, to stay on top of it. It isn't easy and requires a lot of time, not just taking the pictures, but the process of uploading, editing and choosing. What did I learn through the project? 1. I definitely prefer to shoot close up flowers and faces.

2. The more I know about my camera, the more I don't know. 3. Going manual gives you a lot more play with the photos, and helps them to stand out from any other generic photo. 4. It is hard to take photos in those dull months of the year where the weather is crap.

5. Taking that many photos results in a very full hard drive! 6. I am glad this is a hobby and not a job. 7. When you look at the album as a whole, you realize how much goes on in one year, the changes in looks (esp. the babies) and the changes in nature.

8. Sometimes simple things like a badminton net, a pendant or asparagus can make for a cool picture.

9. It helps to get at different angles to have your pictures look totally different. I went up above, down to the carpet, straight on, sideways, you name it.

10. You have to be in the right mood to take pictures, and sometimes forcing yourself to get that picture taken for the day just doesn't work. However, it was a good challenge to try to find something beautiful and try to present it artistically. There is always something when you look for it.

I am glad to be done and will take the next year off for sure! Greg bought me an even fancier camera which I now need to get to know. Thank you to all my faithful followers and people who would comment. It definitely helped to feel accountable to my facebook friends so I actually got something posted daily.

Eleven

The biggest of my boys is now eleven!!! I had so much fun watching him over the Christmas break as he played with his cousins, enjoyed his presents and glided down the ski hill on his board. That boy, he's growing up. He got to open some presents with the Davidson crew on the eve of his birthday. Then on his actual birthday, it was Sunday, so we went to church. Afterwards they were holding a "winter picnic" so we stayed for hotdogs and games and brought his cake there to enjoy with 30 of his church friends. After that party, he went with Greg to the big annual Davidson dinner at G's aunts. There was sledding behind a quad and much more fun to be had. Then his cousin Claire was picked up for a sleepover and they got to go up to Silver Star again to board again for the day! Lucky kid! I think he has had a wonderful birthday week.

Shea has been coughing up a storm (still) and if I think of it, he has been on/off sick for over a month. I am getting nervous with my job approaching as I will no longer be able to just keep him home. I've tried to keep him at home whenever possible over the holidays, and get him to bed on time, but nothing is really working. I guess it's just that time of his life where he has to build up his immunity. We've all been tired because all three boys are up coughing in the night. At least he's not feverish like last month, but it's still very exhausting for all of us. I'm hoping on this last week of holiday, that it will work its way out of his system so he won't catch the next bug lurking at the school! Since Shea and I skipped out on the Davidson party last night, I got started on the huge process of after-Christmas un-decorating, laundry, cleaning and sorting. I still have a ways to go, but this week should be enough time to get myself organized before crazy working/school schedules are back into play. I hope you're all enjoying this Christmas "break" and staying healthy!

Davidson Christmas

Every Christmas we celebrate with either G's family or mine. This year was the Davidson year. We were able to stay home this year and host the party at our place! We had a great time. Every minute is busy when there are 7 kids around, but everyone did well and had fun together. All the families took their turn to make meals and help me with clean up and it all went rather smoothly.

Here is my lovely in-law family... G's brother Glen and his girls...

G's sister Heather and her boys...

Greg himself with our crew...

And G's sweet parents who took us out on this lovely sleigh ride...

Thanks for everything, Davidson crew....and Happy New Year everyone!!

workin' it.

Would you believe that I had a big ol' interview at the hospital yesterday!? My first interview in over a decade. To say I was nervous is an understatement! I was interviewed by two ladies who were more than forgiving of my mom-brain though, thank goodness! I applied for a full time temporary (mat leave) position in the rehab. therapy department. Full time! I would never have applied if it wasn't a temporary thing. I view it as free training course back into the workforce. It would be a jump into the deep end of my field and I'd hopefully not drown, but it would pick me up to speed again. Then once the seven month position would end, I could fill in as a casual, or PT position as I saw fit. I doubt FT will be easy, and I'll also need to pay for childcare after school and on pro D days. That said, I think it would be worthwhile, so ahead I went with the interview process and with a little urging by my friend who is a physio there. EEk! My mind has been full to the brim thinking through all the scenarios of being a full time mom and employee. Of balancing it all and not having time to do the things I've been able to lately. How tired will I be? How confident will I be on the job? What will it be like to earn my own money? How will my kids do in childcare? What will I do with the kids during spring and summer breaks? I am a little stressed out, but trying to rely on God to give clear direction...ie. if I'm accepted for the position, that it's meant-to-be! Definitely a new chapter. Then this morning I got the call (the day after the interview) that I GOT THE JOB!! I was accepted and start on January 7th!! I am squealing over here in excitement and yet also very nervous!! I really am in awe that despite my lack of experience, that I was hired! I really thought my "career" days were over at this point, and if I had hopes of a "real" job, that I'd have to go back to school. I really view this as a gift and a super opportunity that was handed to me. So I feel blessed and honored and hope I can live up to my potential.