Yippee!!!!

I found out last night that I got the job at the Housing Authority! I am soo excited!!! The job is going to be amazing. I will be a Housing Counselor there and will be making 25k a year to start, full paid benefits for me and I found out they pay at least half the benefits for the kids. And they pay into a government pension. I will have to go to a training from January 11-15 up in Salt Lake but for that they will either compensate my gas money or pay for the plane ticket and such, plus a hotel room and an eating stipend each day. I will miss the boys so much while I'm gone but it will be worth it because then I will become certified.
My first day is...today! I am officially done with Convergys and will start at the Housing Authority this afternoon. They are letting me stay at the school until winter break, and then I bump to full time. I can't wait! I am going to miss working at the school soo much but I am on to bigger and better things!
So on my big "lets improve my life" checklist I can check off find a good job finally, and next up on the list....move! Now that I can afford to. Say goodbye to the sardine can, roach filled apartment and hello to a better and much cleaner place! :)

Upcoming Events I <3!

I love Christmas. There are so many things to do, and I'm super excited for upcoming events. First one is tomorrow, the Relief Society Christmas Party. I can't wait for the yummy food and good speakers. Only downfall, I've been asked to sing. I get a huge, enormous, massive case of stage fright when I have to sing in front of people, so I'm sure its going to suck rocks. But hopefully the feeling will still be there. Also, The Messiah concerts are coming up on Sunday and Monday night. I absolutely LOVE singing The Messiah. Last year was my first year and it was soo powerful and amazing. I highly suggest anyone who can to come see it. We are a huge choir singing with the Southern Utah Orchestra. And bonus...Its FREE!
Next up in the running, Nate really badly wants to have a friend party this year, which I think would be fun, except I don't know when to have it. I wanted to do it the 19th, but they will be with their dad. Nate wants it to be the 21st, but thats close enough to Christmas that people might already by traveling. So I'm not sure what we are going to do, but we will figure it out.
Oh yeah, the light parade is on the 12th too. I love the light parade, and am kind of sad Nate and Ty won't be going with me since it's a Saturday, but am excited to take Ryder.
I am really, really (!) looking forward to Christmas Eve dinner at Scott and Betsy's house. Its a tradition we started a while ago, and something that we now look forward to every year. And I get the boys this year! So even better.
Then of course Christmas Day. The boys are so sweet. They told me the other day that it's ok it we don't have a big Christmas, they just want one or two presents. Why? Cause they will have three Christmas's; one with me, one with Parowan family and one at Grandma Carlile's. Yeah.... I love my kids (and im rolling my eyes). But all the same, they are still sweet for saying I'm ok to get them a little less this year.
Anyway, that about covers it for my fun happenings. I'm sure I'll post after them with how awesome they were and hopefully even pictures too. Have a good Christmas Season everyone!

YAY!!

I got a job interview on Monday for the housing authority! I am sooo excited! Thank you everyone for your prayers and support! I'll let ya know how it goes :D

New Background

1. Woohoo! New background for Christmas! I finally figured out how to get rid of my old one. I liked it but lots of people were having issues. So...yeah.
2. We went shooting on Thanksgiving after a super yummy dinner at Tony and Valena's. It was sooo much fun! I will post pictures later. And Steph I'll email them to you too when I'm at Mom's house next.
3. I am super excited for Christmas. Its still kinda stressful because I still haven't found a job..but there is soo much to be thankful for and soo many good (free!) times ahead for sure! More to come on our activities!
4. If ANYONE hears of ANY jobs I don't care how big or little...please let me know! My last day at Convergys is Dec. 19...and my last day at school for Christmas Break is the 18th. I'm getting a little nervous that I haven't found a job. So keep your eyes and ears out for me...would very much appreciate it.
5. I have a new found appreciation for my kids and their excitment for Christmas. Everytime we drive past even the littlest light set up..Ry is full of "OOOOO!!!" and "WOW!!!" Its awesome :) And Nate and Ty are super excited to give Santa their letters too. I love my kids..they make all the bad stuff go away..at least for a little while!

Thank you soooo much for all your support and love everyone! I will try to post more often and will be posting for sure after Saturday, since I'm pretty sure thats when the Christmas Light Parade is. Love you all!

Dieting

Today is officially day 1 of my new diet. As a couple may know, I've been trying to find a way to drop some weight but haven't been super successful. Well, today is the first day of the rest of my life. Ok not really. But my friend Amanda and I are starting the hCG diet. Its supposed to be really good, and her mom lost 25 pounds on it. Our friend Christy has already lost 15. So we shall see! Its definitely going to try my discipline but thats a good thing. I've been needing to work on it anyway. So anywho...hopefully all goes well and soon we will see a slightly smaller version of me! Wish me luck! :)

Updates

Hi everyone....sorry its been awhile since I updated...Steph reminded me I need to update more. Let's see. Since my last posting A lot has happened. Job-wise, Key is laying me off, they are moving their contract to a different center so I'm in the middle of trying to find a new job. If I make it to the last day....my last day there would be December 18. They also cut back our hours as well, so money has been tight. Very tight. But we are surviving. I hope I can keep the school job, but so far all the open positions have been full time. We will see though, a couple are going to be giving call backs this week, so if they think I'm fantastic, I guess I'll get a call back. School is fun though, my kids are learning alot and are having a good time. They are very anxious for school to go on break for Thanksgiving.
I recently went to New Moon as well with my friend Staci, and that was really, really fun. The movie turned out WAY better than I expected and it was definitely worth waiting in line for about 4 hours. Plus it was nice to be able to spend some time with Staci...oh and her mushroom ravioli's were very tasty! Thanks Staci!
The kids are doing well. Nate has been getting into a little bit of trouble at school, but is starting to do better I think. He is very excited for his Thanksgiving/Grandparents day deal tomorrow at school. Tyler is also doing well, he recovered amazingly quick from his surgery and has been just hanging out doin' his thing. He also had a really fun time at his feast at daycare last week.
Ryder is huge. Massively huge. Ok maybe just I think so but he is growing up soooo fast! He is walking and running everywhere, and talking! I can't usually understand what he's saying but he babbles like its going out of style. It's fun.
Other news...I'm officially starting my diet this week. Yeah it sounds bad with Thanksgiving but I am really going to try to do good. I'm very tired of the extra weight I put on with the kids and am determined to get it off. It helps I have a couple friends doing the same diet so we can be a support to each other. So hopefully....I will be slightly smaller soon! :)
I can't wait for Christmas to get here. I LOVE the holidays and even though its kind of stressful because of the whole possibly not having a job on Christmas stuff, I'm tryin to make sure my kids realize the real meaning, and not just the present factor. I also look forward to Thanksgiving this week, it will be nice to be with the family, and I will have the boys too! So that will be good. Anyway I hope ya'll are doing good as well...and appreciate all the love and support thats been shown to us lately.
Anyway...Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I hope the holiday season treats everyone well and that everyone keeps safe!

p.s. I've heard that my background is giving alot of people grief. I just tried to change it but our school computers won't let me download the new backgrounds so I'll do it later at Mom and Dads. Look for a new Christmasy design! :)

Red Ribbon Week

So Red Ribbon Week is not normally all that special or fantastic to me. I always remember in school it was a good excuse to get out of class. But since I've been working here at Canyon View, I've had a new profound smack in the face about it. Last year, I was literally brought to tears by the Every 15 Minutes video. It was soo graphic and showed every detail of what happens when you get into a car wreck due to drinking and not wearing seatbelts. After that, and since then, I ALWAYS buckle up and make sure the kids are secured tight. This year, it was a different experience. On Monday they started announcing every 13 minutes (yeah...deaths have increased from every 15 to every 13. scary.) someone from our school who had died from an alcohol related accident. Although it was fake, those kids weren't able to be in school; no phones, no friends, no going home, no priviledges at all. They even stayed at the principals house from Sunday to today. But today was the big funeral assembly.
The school decided to make their own video and showcase 2 of the kids who die, and 1 who goes to jail for texting while driving, and killing those 2 kids as a result. It was kinda crazy to think that something as little as shooting a text real fast while driving can cause fatalities. The video was very well made (good job to the EMS, Fire Dept, Police Dept and funeral home) and really showed the affects our choices have on ourselves and others. But what got me and the students was when the 2 kids who got "killed" had their final goodbye letters read to their parents. Wow. To be read a letter from your child who is now dead; apologizing profusely for their mistakes, naming all of their regrets, telling all of the dreams they had for the future that will no longer happen. Man I never want to have to go through that, ever. And on the flip side, I never want to put my family or friends through that experience either.
So what did I learn? I WILL NOT drive and text again. Or even drive and talk on the phone unless its necessary, or I can figure out how to use my bluetooth. And my kids will be trained very well not to drink and drive. I will drive that into their heads till my dying breath. Its not something little, its something to take very seriously. Its not something that only affects you but so many people around you. Be smart. Think.

Enrichment Night Discussion

Last night we had enrichment and it was definitely worth going to. After we ate some yummy spinach lasanga John Ault was the guest speaker, and it was kind of an open forum on things we had questions about. Alot of people wrote down questions for him to research and answer of trials they were going through and how to get past them. Most of the talk was focused on the first topic, which was wondering how to love and support wayward children. Although I didn't think I would get much out of it, it was really helpful.
John spoke alot about how we need to realize that our lives have been planned out, there is a path that is in place for us, and for our children. Even though we make mistakes, Jesus died for us. He had perfect empathy for us. When he died, he was able to say that he was one of us...he was Kim Stubbs...for a brief time when he had to live all of the mistakes I've made and will make. That is a really big thought provoker for me. Also that if we stay in tuned to the Holy Ghost, there are times we will be provided with that same type of empathy to a degree if it is needed to understand someone else's situation. This also goes along with dealing with our own children.
He discussed for quite a bit how alot of time we will try to change people, maybe not even realizing it, but try to do it without getting dirty ourselves so to speak. But there are times when we have to step in and suffer right along with them, and have true genuine love for them, like Christ did for us when he died on the cross. There is a bigger picture that we can't fully see, and it causes us to want things to be the way we want them, when in fact they are going the direction they need to according to our master plan. So because of that we try to take the easy way out, the way thats least 'dirty' for us. But thats just not how its supposed to go sometimes, we need to be able to have non-hypocritical love, again true genuine love for ourselves, or for the person that we are concerned about, and have faith that things will work out how they are meant to work out.
Another big thing he talked about was how to really guide our children thru victim empathy. There were three main keys that can lead to this kind of empathy. The first is being able to state what they are feeling, thinking, or doing. So for example, say "You FELT you wanted that toy because you really like playing with it, even though your brother had it first." This helps the child feel like you understand why they did what they did. The second is getting them to understand how the other person felt, the one they had wronged. This could be done by stating a sentence such as "How did it feel when your friend took your favorite toy when you weren't done with it?" That helps them to be able to see things from the other persons side, and realize that it made them feel bad. The third was asking "How did it feel when you did that?" This can help them get in touch with why they did it, and that maybe it didn't feel very good. Such as, "How did it feel when you stole that toy from him? Did you feel happy, sad, mad?"
Through that all though, it is needed to follow through with what you say, and make sure if you make a mistake to acknowledge that as well. I really liked the qoute John said while talking about this. He said "Once you have had to step into the ring to battle, you have already lost, even if you win the fight." I thought that was great because it's true. When you fight and argue it just leads to the other person getting hurt or feeling less of a person, or if your on the other end of it you end up hurt as well.
There was much more he spoke of and some personal experiences he shared that were very enlightening to me as well, and I really learned alot about myself as well as what I can do to be a better mother. It also made me think of ways that I can do better for myself and my family, to create an all around better environment. I really appreciated all of the things that were taught that night and the spirit that was felt because of it.

Tylers pictures :)

Ty just coming out of surgery...poor guy had blood everywhere :(












Me and Ty in front of a waterfall in the garden













Tyler playing in the registers waiting room, it took forever to register.












Finally getting his "jammies" on so we can go in to surgery












Surgery was delayed so a sweet volunteer lady helped Ty paint a car while he waited












This cute lil guy was in getting surgery too, and kept pushing Ty around in the cool cop car.












Just waking up from surgery...he was so sad and sleepy












Feeling much better now....waving to the camera :)












Playin in the wheelchair today...he loved that thing.

Tylers Big Surgery

Tyler had his surgery on Tuesday, and oh boy what a trip it was. We went up on Monday night, fully expecting to have to be at the hospital early, so we stayed in a hotel. A rather creepy one at that but that's a totally different story all together. The next morning we found out surgery was going to be delayed, so we figured it wasn't going to be that bad. We got there about 11:15 am, and waited...waited...got registered and checked out....and waited...until a little after 3:00 pm! I felt so bad for Tyler, but he was a real trooper.
The surgery took about 2 hours, and when I went in to see him, he was having such a rough time. Everything hurt and he was confused and crying, and blood was coming out of his nose and mouth. He also couldn't breath well or talk at all due to the breathing tubes. I felt soo bad for him, it was really hard. But we got him calmed down and back asleep and he ended up sleeping for quite awhile after we wheeled him back up in his room. When he woke up he was alot better, we watched TV and movies for a while before bedtime.
The next day we got really bored, so we decided to go roam the halls. The nurses gave us a wheelchair that was just his size and he had a ball in it. We also went to their playroom where we were able to get a prize for bingo day....even though we didn't play. He was very excited. After we got back we got discharged and left, eating some food then stopping in Cabelas for a bit. Ty rode with Dan to Parowan and I picked him up there and then we came home. It was an eventuful trip thats for sure....long and very rough. But we are happy to be home.
Thanks to everyone whos been wishing us well and sending out love and prayers, it was much appreciated!
p.s. Im downloading pics seperate just cause its easier :)