Chapter 31: Babysitting Part 3

Tonight the parents come home from their trip!

Yesterday was quite the day! The family has a couple of black labs, one of which is a bird hunting veteran, and a chicken coop in their front yard...Need I go on? :] The dogs somehow broke a hole in the fence surrounding the chickens and the 3 youngest kids and I got to play rescue for a solid 45 minutes! The older of the two dogs, the mastermind, managed to get a chicken then he'd bring it away from the coop and the puppy would join in on the fun. She was the pouncer and the older dog was the biter. There was about 5 inches of snow so it was a mess trying to grab the dogs away from the chickens, or trying so shield the chickens from the playful puppy that none of us could seem to catch!

It seemed as though once we saved one chicken, we'd turn around and they had another! We did that 3 times but finally got enough control of the dogs to put them in their kennel. Luckily, 2 of the 3 chickens survived and now they're in a big sink in the laundry room by the garage...

I have no idea what I should be doing with them.

They keeping making little sounds and every time my little girl hears them she goes over to the door and yells "Chicken, hayyy!" which translates into "Chicken, you're okay!" :]

As chance would have it, I had already had some chicken in the crockpot for dinner...So...

Nope. Kidding!

Chapter 30: Babysitting Part 2

Holy moley. Things were crazy last night/today!

Whill the kids and I were watching a movie last night, I kept hearing a noise that I could not place. Until an hour later when I went into a different room and realized a low roaring sound I was hearing was a WOLF!

HA! Got ya.

What I was hearing was actually the wind trying to tear apart the house. When it first started it sounded almost like a muffled sound of a semi going by or maybe even a low flying plane, but once it picked up, there was no mistaking what it really was. It was cold enough outside but with it the wind brought a new meaning to the word. My reaction every time I went into the garage or outside was...well, it looked a lot like this..

When we woke up this morning, we were all half frozen to death (exaggeration) and we realized the power was out and had been for quite a few hours judging by the temperature. So, we all got dressed and after we called the power company to inform them of the power outage (the wind had knocked trees into power lines and made a huge mess) we decided to go out for breakfast! It was well worth the wait and the crowd for the heat alone, but the food was delicious and filling as well. After killing some time at the mall we figured we'd pray all the way back to the house that we'd see the porch light on as we drove up....and we did!

I don't know about everyone else, but there's nothing like a painful winter bite that makes me grateful for the food, shelter and heat that my family enjoys.

Chapter 29: Babysitting Part 1

I am babysitting for some old friends for 6 days starting this afternoon. I used to watch these kids years ago and now I am getting to watch them again, only this time in a different house and not just for date night! :]

Truly amazed at how grown up they have become and, while they like to pick on each other like any siblings, how much they seem to care and look out for one another. They have reminded me how much I liked, and still like, them and how much fun we are going to have this week!

We are going to have a blast and I know my little girl is going to love the attention from some more attentive little Mothers! :]

Chapter 28: Grr

We just dropped Rodney off at work. We sat in a spot for maybe 5 minutes before he went inside and I'm pretty sure I got a parking ticket. The guy was practically chasing me down as we pulled away with his stupid little handheld gizmo to copy down my license plate number.

I just burned lunch.

My nose feels stuffed up, but it keeps running.

I want to lock myself in my room with a mountain of junk food and hours of Netflix.

Flo must be approaching.

I think I'll move to Australia.

Chapter 27: Sick Baby

My poor girl woke up in the middle of the night with a fever.

She doesn't have the fever anymore but she has been wanting to cuddle or sleep all day. So that is what we've been doing.

When I went to the store this morning to get her some medicine, I found a little (and I mean little) baby blanket with multicolored owls on it for a couple bucks. She signs bird all the time because they're outside our window on the power lines, so I thought it'd be a nice little sick day surprise.

She hasn't let go of it since I brought it home except for during bath time.

How can someone be so beautiful when they're sick? She has inherited some great genes from her Tongan side, because I look like I'm sick even when I'm not! :]

Chapter 26: Scratch That

That last post was kind of a downer, sorry. We are certainly blessed and our struggles are small in comparison to so many others who are battling. We are happy. We are healthy. We miss the sunshine.

THIS is breathtaking, don't get me wrong...

...but we are genuinely missing this right now...No no, not the diapers...The BEACH. We like Baby M using the potty! :]

Chapter 25: Thoughts

I wish I had the power to magically make everything simple and within reach. I am grateful for the trials and hardships that have to take place in order for myself and my family to appreciate what we have. I do wish that I knew all the answers ahead of time so that we could avoid anything that may become an unnecessary struggle, but I know that without that rough journey the end would not be as sweet as it could be.

I am starting up school again soon, and too frequently I feel a sting of guilt. It's going to be hard, I'm going to be busy and chances are I will be in an anxiety ridden state much more than I would care to be in. I don't want to feel like I am neglecting my baby and husband or the things that I take care of in our little family because of school. I know that with the endurance and motivation to follow through all the way to the end, this will be a vast blessing for our family. I don't know why I feel guilty about it; maybe because I feel like I had my chance and I messed up? That shouldn't be a reason though, should it? Life is about learning and most of the time that lesson is learned through mistakes. I made a mistake but because of the road I have been on between then and now, I know that I will savor the moment, and the moments to follow, my graduation.

I may feel guilty because of the loans that will have to be taken out for me to finish school, and there is no greater discomfort to me than a debt. I don't like to owe anyone and my stubborn streak prevents (through my choosing) me from asking for help. However, if I can find a great job with this degree that I am seeking, perhaps I will be an inspiration to other people who feel that they may have missed their chance to complete something and they will overcome their own pride and ask for the help to get them started.

My husband has been out of college for nearly a year now. While he has been able to find a few different entry level Tech jobs, he has yet to find his dream job. I know that it takes time. I know that everyone has to work through the crappy jobs to get to the one they stick with for awhile, but I also know that living in a place that has next to no polynesian population and a very different way of thinking is difficult for him. Hell, it's difficult for me, too. Growing up in a place, but becoming an adult somewhere else can lead to a bit of a shock when you return to where you grew up. I love it here, but my exposure to such a diverse place has made it...foreign feeling at times. Rodney has been actively searching for another full time job in an IT position that will lead to a better situation, but connections these days can mean the difference between an ok job and a possibility of a career. I wish I knew how to help him get to that career that he loves.

That may be another factor in my guilt; Rodney could have a better chance of having those connections near family or friends, but I'm starting school and we are anchored here until I'm finished? I don't know. He is fully supportive and has never given the slightest hint of not wanting me to return to school but I overthink everything.

Maybe going back to school and being anchored somewhere for awhile is what we're supposed to do? I could have my BA in less than 3 years from now. That could be time to build up the experience and resume that he needs for that job out there, and it could happen around my graduation.

I know things will work out, I just wish I could know when.