Our World

Our World

Friday, May 23, 2014

Precious Birthday Blessings

Wow!

My children are growing way too fast.  I cannot believe my Kylie and Caylee will be celebrating another birthday tomorrow.  It still brings me back to when I was not sure that they both would be home with my husband, son and I.  What a tough few weeks for us it was.

Where do I begin?  After heading to the hospital a few times  because of bad contractions, the third time I stayed.  The staff did all they could to stop the contractions and make sure our babies would stay in my womb as long as they could.

I was very grateful to receive a blessing from my Father-in-law and brother Roberts.  I felt after tests and finding nothing regarding what was wrong, it was one of my only hopes into making sure things might turn out for the better.  Literally hours after, I was transferred to another hospital and they ran another test.

The doctor came in and told me we could not wait for our doctor and that he needed to deliver the babies right away.  It turned out I had severe preeclampsia and I immediately began to panic.  At the time I had no idea what he was talking about, my husband was at work and I missed our little Caleb.

Praying was all I had left in me for the moment in time and I was scared.  I wanted an epidural shot and did not get one and was very tired.  My husband was able to make it and our families as well.

One thing I still wish could have been different was seeing my baby girls after they were born.  My husband was able to see them, but they took them away to NICU as soon as they came into this world.  I still am sad about this today, but I cannot change this.

The girls were not able to come home right away, but the staff at Mercy San Juan were the best and I would not have changed that at all.  My girls were treated like the princesses they were and I am so very grateful for that.

One week later we brought home our daughter Caylee on my Mother's birthday!  We had given her my Mom's name as her middle name when she was born.

Two weeks later, we brought home our daughter Kylie on my Mother-in -laws birthday!  We had given her my Mom's (husband's mom) name as her middle name when she was born.

Truly gifts from Heavenly Father!

It was a difficult time dealing with Kylie's heart monitor, having twins and making sure I did my best with our son as well for the next few months.  It was not easy, but we managed.  

My heart grew bigger and I went from loving one child to three in an instant and it is a wonderful feeling.

Four years later tomorrow, we have been on this road and we are not stopping!








Monday, May 19, 2014

Sunday Always Sets The Tone For The Week To Come

When you read Leadership Education: The Phases Of Learning, you will come upon what is known as "Ingredients" and there are a total of 55.  That number can seem like quite a lot.  But, as parents we are the experts in our own home and know what is of importance, can work, will not work and so forth.  Since I have started my journey on TJED, I have fine tuned and found what works better for my family and what simply we can do without.  As the seasons change, obviously what works and is best for my family will change.  But, with the guidance from my Heavenly Father, I am not worried at all.

One thing for sure is Sundays are a must!

This day had already been of importance to me.  But, as I incorporated Ingredient #1: Sundays, it has become even more crucial to keep things the way they are now for my family.  With our FEC (Family Executive Committee) meeting in place on this day, it truly has set the tone for our week.  My husband and I are a team and we discuss what is going on during the week, how our time will be spent, discuss our children and with my seven year old son he let's me know what things he would like to work on and helps me in planning field trips.  My son and I also talk about his feelings, what is of importance to him in his learning and we talk about how his Core Phase is coming along and how he is growing.  He knows that before he will move on to LOL he must have the Core Phase Curriculum down. 

That's right on page 40 in the book, we know there is a simple curriculum which consists of:

right and wrong
good and bad
true and false
relationships
family values, especially spiritual culture
family identity, including family history and mission
family routines and responsibilities
accountability
the value and love of work and play

In this simple curriculum of Core Phase, a lot is covered and they are of great importance.  As an adult, I know we can always add to what we have learned and gained during this phase, but it is crucial to lay the foundation.

Yes, my children and I learn a lot each day and work on topics in many subjects, but my main focus is that my children understand that Core Phase is the basis for a great life.


Taking care of pets is an important job.  It is not just about playing with them.  Who says hard work cannot be fun?!

I have said it before and will say it again.  When we work hard, we can play hard and even enjoy it more!

Monday, May 12, 2014

Frugality Wins...Even on Mother's Day Weekend

A beautiful weekend it was!  Every single moment I treasured and it has been locked away in my memory jail, as my son puts it!  Memory jail is for those memories that you want to keep and do not want to let them go.  One thing for sure, was that even during this past Mother's Day weekend, my frugal thinking had to be turned on.  That's right.  No break and spending regular price.  That would be outrageous.  At least for me.  Everytime I need to buy something, there is a plan.  I know that when I make it to that finish line and leave the store, I will be glowing all over because of my savings!

I have embraced my frugal ways and have been refining them all of the time to master my skills more on a weekly basis.  This is one of my TALENTS!  Yes, you read that correctly.  I am mastering a talent of mine and am very proud.  I even read books on this subject matter that I pick up from my local library.

I have a post on the 99 Cent Only Stores on my blog, but I covered food.  There is another reason I stop into these stores.  I am able to get other items that would cost a lot more money at other stores, but these items will end up here.  I am talking about brand name items from stores like WalMart, Target, KMart, and many more.  I have been in need of new sunglasses, since my girls had messed mine up last summer.  But, I would not buy any because I wanted the best possible price.  I know that it can seem a little out of the ordinary, but I can't bring myself to pay full price.  It's not happening. 

Have you heard of Foster Grants?  Me too.  Well, I snagged two pairs of their sunglasses marked at $15 each.  That means I would have paid $30 regular price and I snagged them for $2.  A great deal in my book.  I must stress again that it is important you do not shop at these stores to fill up a cart with items just because they are $1.  I go to these stores with a plan.  I am only looking for amazing deals that I know I cannot get for a better price and are worth my $1.


This is the one store that I do not take my coupon bag inside.  But, with always having a plan, I am saving so much and spending very little.  Get to know your wokers at these stores.  I have enjoyed getting to know the workers at my local 99 Cent Only Store.  I talk to them all of the time and they enjoy my children giving them hugs and saying hello.  They have also gained some valuable tips.  I know when to scope out the store and I always feel comfortable asking them what other items have not been brought out from the back yet.  Very friendly staff and I truly appreciate all that they do.

Check out a store near you!