What were you doing 20 years ago?
- I was finishing up my mission in my last area of Petersburg, West Virginia, a tiny little town nestled 1 1/2 hours from the interstate highway where people live in the "hollers."
- I was excited to come home, but nervous about jumping back into "real" life with all of the stresses and pressures that came with it.
- I was scheduled to come home December 29th and would be returning to my family, but in a new house and new ward. I also was coming home to a new brother-in-law who had married my sister a few months before.
- We were living in Salt Lake where I was doing full-time day care and teaching a few piano students.
- Paul worked for American Stores, but there were rumors of a buy-out that could affect us.
- We were expecting our fourth baby.
- I was the choir director at church as well as being the nursery leader; Paul was the elder's quorum president.
- We were living in Meridian, Idaho; Paul was job-hunting at the time and I was just a few weeks pregnant with our fifth baby.
- I had dropped the older children off at school and come back home to a pile of laundry. After I got situated ready to fold the laundry, I turned on the tv for entertainment during this most mundane task.
- As the picture came up, I saw a tall building crumble to the ground over a few seconds time. I thought: what movie is this? and why is this on instead of the usual morning news show.
- It took less than a minute of viewing and listening to realize that this wasn't a movie, IT WAS REAL, and the change it effected on our lives and our country was permanent and lasting.
- I was working the night shift full-time on the Mother-Baby Care Unit at St Luke's hospital as a CNA.
- Paul was managing a Taco Bell franchise and things were a little crazy at home with the busy schedules.
- I was home-schooling Holly half-day and taking her to school the other half of the day.
- I was in my third semester of nursing school, and getting excited about the new skills I was able to use in my clinicals
- Paul was beginning his second year as a teacher's aide in the special education classroom at Frontier Elementary, and took Ellie with him every day to attend all-day kindergarten at the same school.
- I was still working on the Mother-Baby Unit but looking for the opportunity to switch to the float pool.
- I had a clinical rotation at a mental health hospital 7am-3pm; class from 4:30-6pm; and worked (in the float pool!) from 7pm-11:30pm.
- I planned the fun, ordinary things I want to do with the kids after I graduate--like reading with Ellie (Paul gets to do that all the time--I'm jealous!), play games with Maddie and Emily, "go places" with Holly, and have long conversations with Daniel.
- I read my family's website and blogs to catch up on their news and enjoy the pictures of their beautiful children.
- I accepted a job offer from St. Luke's for a new graduate nurse position with the float pool on nights!
- I'm getting paperwork ready for graduation and applying for the NCLEX boards.
- I'm working tonight from 3pm-11:30pm.
- Kiss my children's sleeping faces before I go to bed.
- Hug my children and tell them how grateful I am for them and that I love them!
- Remind my family that there are only seven weeks of my school left before graduation!
- Hug them all again!
- Work from 11am-11:30pm.
- Tell Paul how much I appreciate all he does to support me while I'm finishing school.
