Picking up speed

I feel like the next month or so is a slalom. A down hill race with dozens of events to accomplish or avoid. The finish line is when I arrive in LAX on October 21st. 

I spent the start of this week at Miranda's. The boys are doing a great job accepting the new baby. For the most part they play well, with only a few incidences of fisticuffs and/or hysterics. Rachael is doing well at sleeping at night. When Miranda took her in on Tuesday, she had not gained weight. She'd lost a few ounces. So now she needs to supplement. And of course Rachael says, "Oh, a bottle is so much easier to drink from. I'll just use the nipple as a pacifier." Miranda is not accepting of this arrangement. So I guess sometimes she nurses well, and sometimes she doesn't.

Wednesday I drove back home. Dan got me set up on the Microsoft Surface with books on tape from the Tulsa library. So I was able to listen to In the Hand of the Goddess, by Tamora Pierce. I stopped by Deborah's briefly on the way home. I was in a hurry, because Tom wanted to drive down to Andy's and go to a Young Woman recognition event for Katie that night (she was recognized for earning her YW Bee, an additional 40 hours of service). It made sense to get the Toyota back in time for him to take it, so he didn't have to drive the truck. We kind of hot-seated the car. I got out and he jumped in.

However, we did take time to stop by a rental house and see what all he'd accomplished. He is a miracle worker. It had looked absolutely trashed. Simply vacuuming it... well, not so simple. He said it took an hour!... and painting the walls made it look SOOO much better. Each time we have someone leave with a mess behind, we think, "we have to inspect more often." Fortunately, this doesn't happen very often. 

Thursday, I planned on being very diligent with my writing. I had three reports to write and wanted to try to get them knocked out pretty quickly. But somehow, just getting home and settling in seemed to take time. Also, as I was praying, I realized I needed to cover the new Relief Society curriculum in the training that was planned for this Saturday. So I had to call people and ask them to shorten their presentations and then plan on how I wanted to present this new material.

Thursday night Tom (who drove him that morning) and I went to the Self-reliance fireside. It was an introduction to a new self reliance initiative of the church. This is a fantastic program that joins people in councils with a facilitator and has them learn how to use spiritual principles to solve temporal problems. The four areas that can be covered are financial, getting a better job, getting better education, and starting your own business. It has an interesting organization to it.

The lessons incorporate learning and quotes from scriptures and leaders with discussion time. Then participants are encouraged to spend some time pondering about how to implement the things discussed in their lives. They commit to act. They have a partner that follows up with them during the week to help them take the action they committed to. And finally, they return and report how it went. I thought this would also be a good format for the new Relief Society councils we will be having on the first Sunday of the month starting in January. 

Friday I got some writing done and also finished my preparation for Saturday's Auxiliary training. I was to bring most of the food. Saturday I left for West Plains about 7:45 am for the meeting. We talked about disaster preparedness, improving attendance, the new curriculum and the self-reliance initiative. The meetings went well.  For lunch we were simply having meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, rolls, grapes and cookies. The counselors brought the cookies. I had a presidency meeting afterwards to discuss upcoming events-- Training the new Ava presidency, Branch conference at Ash Flat, trip to Nauvoo, and upcoming stake conference.

I think we got a lot accomplished. I hope we can meet the needs of each individual sister for Nauvoo. Those who can go to the temple and those who can't. Those who can sleep in top bunks, or not. Those who can eat everything... and those GF, or with strawberry, orange, nut, corn and other allergies. Certainly we need to rely on the Lord to make it all work!

After the meeting, I shopped at Aldi for food for us and for the Nauvoo trip. I have hamburger that I need to cook with taco seasoning and beans and then freeze in packages suitable for each house where the sisters will stay. We have approximately 120 sisters attending this event and they will be housed in 5 different houses.  With the number of sisters in the houses ranging from 16 to 40... the food division is a little complicated. I got home about 4:30. A long day.

Today it was fun to go to church with Tom... actually drive in together. He was a bit lost in the morning with all that extra time on his hands! After church we met with the bishop to start the process for going on a mission. We plan to leave about mid-March.

While the trip to Nauvoo is the largest event on the slalom, we also have a trip to Oklahoma City Wed/Thurs of this week for self-reliance training, Ash Flat branch conference this next Sunday as well as the first self-reliance meeting. Then General Conference, Mountain Home Ward conference, my trip to my writer's conference.... and finally off to visit Mom! In the mean time, I have a 16 page promo to write plus various emails and ads. And we feel the need to de-clutter and get the house in order before our mission. I better take it one day at a time or my head will fall off!

Oh! And Tom's hand is healing up well.

Baby Week

Mostly this week I've been with Miranda and new baby Rachel.

I drove back to Miranda's on Monday morning.  Tom had errands to do so he was gone about 8am as well. He went to visit Ernie, our neighbor, in the hospital. He's been there longer than we expected him to be, but he seems to be getting a little better.

Tom's wrist, where it was cut, seemed to be getting more inflamed. So he finally went in on Wednesday.  They took the stitches out and gave him a broad spectrum antibiotic. It seems to be getting better, although the steri strips they put on didn't last long.

Baby Rachel seems to be doing about as good as a newborn can do.  She's nursing pretty well, sleeping 4 hours or so at night and only fussing periodically. She is very cute.  Miranda's a bit sleep deprived.  The other boys seem to be doing pretty well. They are enjoying their new play structure in the back yard.  Ethan especially likes interacting with Rachel, but all of them will try to make her happy.  Dan and Miranda took Rachel to a well baby check up on Tuesday and she is gaining some weight back.  Wednesday we took Camden to his allergy shot and did some shopping.

My writing goal for this week was to work on reviewing long form sales material from a three-day course I took a couple of years ago, and then to research the material I have on his program. Mid week I got an email from a friend who works for Weiss Research.  She asked if I'd be interested in helping write some special reports for a promotion.  Weiss is located around Delray Beach in Florida.  So they were shutting down for the hurricane, Irma. Thus, I might not get the research I need in a timely manner.  I've been watching the hurricane.  Since it's going up the west side of Florida, perhaps Delray will not have too much damage.  I have a writing conference there in about 5 weeks, or I will if it's still standing.

Early Thursday morning I got some messages on my phone. Mom' (GG's) cough and cold had turned into pneumonia. She'd go to the hospital and they admitted her, gave her a breathing treatment, and started her on antibiotics. They were treating it as if it was a bug she picked up while she was in the rehab center. She is feeling better now and may be discharged on Sunday. I really appreciate Kathy and Cynthia & Jim being there for help and support.

Miranda is well loved. People have been bringing her food each night. I've done laundry, picked up stuff, and held baby, but I really haven't done much in the kitchen but make breakfast.

Friday evening David McClellan came up.  And Tom arrived on Saturday about noon. We'd gone to
Sprouts and I bought him some goodies.  In the afternoon Tom dropped me off at 1/2 of 1/2 for clothes shopping while he went to the huge used book store.  I found some dresses, Tom found a few books.  And then he got some nice white shirts as well.

Because Tuesday is our anniversary, we decided to celebrate by going out to dinner at a tasty Mexican restaurant.

Today Dan's aunt and uncle, plus his brother, Charles and his wife and four girls came to the blessing of Rachel. She was wearing a beautiful christening dress that Kera sent up.
 
 It was nice and she was cooperative.  We'd done a little dinner prep, but Miranda and David McClellan did most of the work fixing cafe rio chicken and cut up cantaloupe, pineapple, and strawberries. Aunt Maryanne brought donuts and cheesecake for dessert.  The girls took full advantage of all the fun things to play on in the yard-- rings, trampoline, play structure, slide, and swings.

I finally got the food for the Nauvoo trip all planned out.  One of Miranda's very helpful friends came over and talked about where to shop and how much I'll need for 130 people.

 Tom and Rachel taking a nap together.

An Exciting week!

This has been a busy and eventful week.  It began with my trip to Miranda's on Monday.  I packed, finished some projects with a goal to leave about noon, and actually got out the door and gassed up before 1.  We had a meeting in the morning with our attorney's office for an annual update on our paperwork to make sure everything was still listed in the name of the trust... we had a few new things that were not.

I had an uneventful drive west.  I stopped at Deborah's to drop off some tomatoes and beans and give the grandkids a hug.  Then on to Miranda's. I got settled in and on Tuesday we were off to the hospital for a baby.

Nathan stayed with Alex and Deborah's two little ones.  She came over to stay with Miranda during recovery. So we all headed to the hospital with Miranda and Dan.  There were a few stressful moments as the IV's were uncooperative and they said Dan might not be able to be with her since she would be in general surgery instead of delivery. But they let him in and all was well.

There had been some concern that the placenta had grown into the uterus and she'd need a hysterectomy (thus the general surgical room) but it turned out to not be a problem and so all her parts are intact... except for the c-section incision. The baby girl was born at 10:30 and Dan was back in our room by 10:45 and Miranda was back up by 11!  So all went well.  Baby McClellen was 20 inches long and 7 pounds 10 ounces.

There had been a long ranging discussion of names.  I think they expected the baby to tell them her name. Alas, she did not.  So the discussion continued. Deborah and Dan left about 12:30- Deborah to return home.  And Dan brought the boys over to see the new baby.  They were pretty excited to see her and each took turns holding her.  The loved stroking her soft, dark hair.

That afternoon I got a text from Tom.  He had been helping a friend move a chicken coop.  Somehow the roof part slipped and came down on Tom's arm.  It had the corrugated metal edge sticking out beyond the 2x4 and it cut Tom's wrist to the bone.  The friend freaked out, Tom went in washed it off, bandaged it with paper towels and took himself off to the urgent care clinic.

They looked at it and said, "Oh," bandaged it back up and sent him to the Emergency Room. There he got 10 stitches and the good news that no major blood vessels, tendons, nerves or muscles had been severed.  We are most grateful. I will put a picture of the unsutured wound down at the bottom of the page. It is not for the squeamish. I was so sorry for him. And sorry that these hospital events seem to happen when I am out of town.

Tuesday evening Dan stayed with Miranda and I headed home to feed the kids dinner and put them to bed. We had a tenuous relationship and they were not overly cooperative, nor thrilled with my response. But they got to bed after calling and talking with their mom and dad.

Dan came home late that night and then went off early the next morning.  I got the kids off to school. Alex and I cleaned up the back yard so Nathan could mow. We didn't exactly do it the easy way.  We gathered the hundreds of balls into a bag. Then Alex climbed to the second floor of the play structure and threw the balls into the sandbox boat. A surprising number made it in. After cleaning up the rest of the balls Alex and I went to the hospital.  Mom and baby were doing pretty good. The nursing thing was still a bit of a struggle. Alex happily watched a movie while we visited. Then Dan took him home and again, a little later brought the boys back with pizza and we ate dinner there.  This time Dan took them home for bed and I stayed with Miranda for the evening.

Thursday the kids went off to a friends house and we both spent some time with Miranda.  Baby seemed to have figured out how to nurse, but still didn't have a name. Dan picked up the boys and brought them over to the hospital for a visit, and I took them home for dinner again. This time I was a bit more prepared and we knew each other better.  So I had dinner on the table sooner and we had time for games, stories and conversations before bed.  So I wasn't "the meanest person" this night.

Friday I decided to stay home and clean up the house in preparation for Miranda's return. I didn't need to make dinner. The neighbors were bringing it over.  But I vacuumed, cleaned kitchen and bathrooms and washed and folded laundry. I changed some beds in anticipation of Kera and Andy coming that evening. Tom called to say that the stake presidency would be attending our ward on Sunday. He was to be released as Bishop, but I was not to tell anyone.  I was surprised at my reaction.  I felt sad.  It was the end of an era.  We had an organized, predictable life... and now what?  What lay in front of us?

Miranda came home Friday afternoon with baby Rachael Marie. She's a pretty baby. She eats well and seems to be pretty happy for a newborn.  Of course I'm not the one up with her at night. The neighbors brought over a banquet: 2 1/2 roasted chickens, corn on the cob, roasted potatoes, cabbage wrapped rice, hummus, salsa, and a huge pumpkin pie.  Oh and a giant Mum! (we didn't eat that.)

It was utterly delicious!! Andy and Kera, Matthew, Emma, and Charlotte arrived a little after 6pm and were able to join in the bounty.

I decided I should be home for the release. The stake president wanted to hear from the wives. So I used Dad's hand as an excuse. Andy and Kera went to the temple on Saturday morning.  About 9:30 a friend of Miranda's came over to help me figure out the amounts and cost of the food for our Relief Society trip to Nauvoo. She had some wonderful suggestions and was very helpful.  Dan spent the morning out creating more wonderful play equipment. The kids mostly played well... although I believe there were about 5,000 legos over the bedroom floor at one time.

I left a little after 12 and got home just in time for dinner with the missionaries. Tom, Katie, and Aaron had fixed Tacos.  It was a good meal, but I was tired! After the dinner and short lesson, Tom and the kids went downstairs to watch a movie.  I had some work that needed doing, so I worked on that. I had recorded the speech I wrote, but she could not listen to it.  So I researched recording to mp3 and re-recorded it for her. I also had a call with a relief society president and needed to send out some messages about the upcoming Nauvoo trip.

Sunday was bittersweet. The new bishop called will be excellent. He's young and works and has a wife in a wheelchair, so things will be different. But he loves the lord and the youth and is humble and will grow into the calling. It's been an adjustment for Tom. A time of introspection. Did he do everything he should have? Were there areas left undone? Again, where do we go from here?

So it's been an eventful week.