Halloween

So I hope every one had a fun and safe Halloween, We had a fun one. Our day was kind of crazy it went something like this, get everyone up and ready to get out of the house by 9am. I know what you are thinking that 9am is not that early to be leaving the house but trust me it is for my family. It is dark out side and it is about 6 degrees. I send lily out to start the car about 10 min before we want to leave and then we get in the car only to find it still as cold as ever because she really did not get it started just got it so the radio turned on. Drive to Aunt Tammy's house which is about 25 min away to drop the kids off there so I can go with Ray to therapy Turn around drive back into town witch takes about 15 min get to Rays therapy spend 2 hours with Ray in therapy. Go get something to eat between the next therapy drop Ray off for his cardiac therapy and then drive to Fredy's to get last minute costume things for the kids drive back up to Tam mys and pick the kids up who really don't want to be picked up because they are having to much fun with there cousins. Tell them they have to hurry need to be back in Wasilla to pick up dad from his therapy's then we need to get ready for Halloween. The kids get in the car after several minutes of I can't find this and I can't find that's. Run back to wasilla to Pick up Ray drive 30 min. from wasilla to Palmer to grandmas house to pick up the rest of Gabby's Costume. By this time it is 3:35 I am going to be meeting with the landlord of my new clinic space to sign the papers at 4:00 So we run very fast up to my house witch is about 7 miles from grandmas every one gets out of the car runs gets there costumes on back in the car get to my meeting about 4:10 not so bad. sign papers ( yeah my very own space!!!!) Drive to the fair grounds for Halloween Hallow spend 1 hour there get in the car, drive to church do Trunk or treat for that takes about 23 minutes. Every one is freezing cold but we are not done yet. it is about 6:30 So we go to grandmas to show off our costumes and trick or treat around her neighborhood. It is already dark again out side and the temp. has drop about 9 or so every one is very cold. we leave grandmas about 7:10 and go to the Valley Hotel for Dinner. That was great fun. Then we get home about 8:30. My day ended there, I pretty much shut down and watched the show numbers on TV but the kids spent the next hour with there candy bags swapping and counting and stacking and doing all the fun things that we did when we were kids I let them sleep on the floor in the boys room so as long as they were quite it was OK.

Halloween

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It is winter in Alaska

The snow is falling and it is definitely winter!! I tell you this with happiness and sadness. I am happy because we are a here to enjoy this winter together it amazes me every day how close we came to not being together. And in sadness because I really do not like the long nights or short days how ever you like to say it any way you look at it it means less sunlight.

we are still trying to figure out what our life is spouse to look like but I think that we are doing a pretty good job at faking it. the funny thing is that life just keeps going it does not realize that I have had a bad year and need a break the kids still need love and you still have to pay the bills. to this end I am pleased to announce that I have started my midwifery practice in Palmer AK. I am calling it A natural Beginning and you may find my web sight at www.naturalbeginningsmidwifery.com I am very excited to start working again. And am very thankful to every one for there support.

Ray is doing great! He thinks that he is ready to drive again. I don't think the doctors are going to let him but I will ask any way. I don't know if he is ready to drive yet or not But I am definitely ready to have another driver in the house.

Well that is a short update

Fall Is Fun!!

Berry Picking

Kaden and Ryan are Best Buds

We Love Alaska in the Fall

Dad is doing great for just having surgery

Fun at the State Fair

Lily was so happy when she got her face painted.

What to do next

So we are staying crazy busy for being unemployed. Ray attends therapy 5 days a week for at least 2 hours so it is like a part time job. Grandpa mac is still here and is busy preparing for his trip south in a couple of weeks. And I am well holding it all together or like to think I am. I did get approved for my Midwifery licensee so it will be official as soon as I can afford to pay the license fee. So than I have to take on the task of making a decision on what to do next

Ray and I went to see his therapy Doctor yesterday to get an idea of what the out look is for recovery. He said he was pleased at Rays recovery but these things take time and Ray will not be driving or working or staying home with the kids by himself any time soon. We will meet with him again in Feb 2009 to have another evaluation. I have been toying with the idea of going to work in Mexico as a midwife while Ray can't work. but I don't know how realistic that is with his injury. We will be talking with his therapist about this latter this week. I found this great blog today from this family that has done what Ray and I have talked about doing for years. They are living aboard a 64 ft sail boat with there 3 boys around my children's age. I thought wow if they can do it why can't we do it. I guess you have to think that there dad did not have a brain injury 3 months ago. But I know Ray will be whole again some day and it is nice to know people are living there dreams and that We can to.

We are home Again

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So we are home again.Ray had his surgery on the 13th and was discharged from the hospital on the 21st. Ray said if he ever sees the inside of a hospital it will be to soon. I would have to agree with that one hundred percent!

We have been so blessed this summer. Ray came through his heart valve surgery with flying colors with only a little hick up but we are home and he is doing great. The hardest part of surgery is the recovery they say. I don't know if that is true but it is frustrating for Ray he can not lift more than 5 lbs( a full galleon of milk weighs 8lb) for the next 6 weeks that includes pushing and pulling so he has to find different ways of doing things. He told me this morning that he felt useless. Wow that is hard to hear.

It is amazing to me how often the hand of the lord is in my daily life. I was reading in the ensign the evening we got home from the hospital and came across a great article that really hit me. Coming to know for ourselves by Elder Kenneth Johnson this is just a little excerpt

"The Companionship of the Holy Spirit
One of the greatest blessings of membership in the Church is the opportunity to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Through virtuous living we can qualify for this divine source of guidance, which enables us to see “things as they really are, and … as they really will be” (Jacob 4:13).
We then see things clearly; we have a fresh view that is not limited to the span of our mortal sphere. To know that there is a plan and a purpose to our lives creates a vision of possibilities and opportunities of which we were not previously aware.
In his inspirational classic, As a Man Thinketh, James Allen observed, “Whatever your present environment may be, you will fall, remain, or rise with your thoughts, your vision, your ideal. You will become as small as your controlling desire; as great as your dominant aspiration.”3
With our aspirations tempered by an eternal perspective, our minds can be illuminated by the light of the everlasting gospel, enabling us to chart a course to reach our divine potential. The choice is ours. We can fall back into the lifestyle of the natural man or yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit to become partakers of the divine nature (see Mosiah 3:19; 2 Peter 1:4)."

Ray has had some incredible blessing over the past few months. the most recent was right before his surgery and Ray was told that he should take this time to prepair for his mission in life and when the opportunity present it self he will be ready to recognize it.

So when Ray said he was feeling useless I was prompted to remind him of this blessing and to read this article together. I am so glad that the lord has a plan for Ray and our family and has given us the gift of the holy ghost that we can be guided. Any way I think that is cool.

So we decided that this was Rays time to get a scholor education and develope a personal relationship with our savoir. I am so excited about this next chapter in our lives and that we get to do it together ( well because Ray is not dead LOL, I love saying that.)

On a different note. I took my NARM exam on the 20th that is the national test for midwifery. I will have all my paper work in for the AK State board at the beginning of next week and the board will meet on Sept 12 And I hope that I will be licenced soon after that. Ya me.

Just an update

We took this last weekend to have a little time away and see a little of Alaska with Grandpa Mac. We left Friday and came back Sunday. Mom and I drove in one car with the girls and Ray and Grandpa Mac drove in another with the boys. It was a beautiful drive and we only had one misshape. Grandpa Oborn changed the oil on the little car that morning and forgot to put the oil cap back on. We caught it before the engine blew up. but it was exciting for a while.

Josh had a wonderful baptism. It kind of weired me out a little because it was exactly 8 weeks to the hour that we were at Sandy's baptism and then Ray had his heart thing so I was kind of holding my breath until 12:07 passed and nothing happened. Amy had a great open house and had lots of friends there. Then we took the kids to Santa's house and then went to pioneer park and saw a little bit of Alaskan history; it rained on us but was fun anyway.

We have kind of gotten into a little routine and are getting used to our daily life, just in time for Ray to have his open heart surgery. It will be on the 12th so pls. feel free to pray for us on that day. We think that Ray will be in the hospital for about a week and we are so grateful to Tressa and John for letting the kids stay with them while we are at the hospital.

So along with every thing else I have been trying to study for my NARM test ( my midwifery test) that will be on the 20th so you can pray for me on that day to.LOL

I hope everyone is doing well love you all