Everythings Going To Be Alright

Sorry to those of you have have recently checked this blog. I (Corinne) have a hard time getting on the computer lately. A lot has been happening, and most of it is really good. Chad is on the computer all the time working on his business, so he doesn't spend much recreation time on the computer.

I have had to put in a little bit of extra time at work lately. Mostly because I missed six days worth of work for the threatened miscarriage and the flu. This has made me loathe getting on the computer at home, and helped the Bureau director realize that I was not a full-time employee (more on that later, I'm sure).

First things first - thank you for all your prayers and support, they have made a world of difference. We didn't lose the baby and now are in no higher of a risk category than we were before the threatened miscarriage. It was scary, but a lot of great things have happened because of this experience.

I had to learn to accept help from other people, and I was amazed at how many people are willing to help. I am so not good at relying on other people. I never mind helping out and I don't feel like people owe me when they do, but I always feel like I owe people when they help me. My neighbors took my kids so I could rest, family and friends had to help Chad finish our bathroom because I was stuck in bed. It was a very humbling experience for me and in a way I am very glad this happened. It was a lesson that I really needed to learn.

We have also learned to rely on our immediate family a lot more. The stressful situation has forced us to consolidate a bit more and focus just on us. While we love our extended family, we realized that in trying to keep everyone else happy (and failing miserably), we were miserable. How sad is it when your kids think your holiday traditions all include getting in the car and driving to different places until you are sick of the car? Our kids did. We never had time for just our little family.

In the past three weeks, we have had mini-vacations with just the four of us. On the Fridays that Chad has off work, we wait for Ethan to get home and then we take off for the afternoon/evening. It has been so fun. We took the kids to Antelope Island - we played on the beach, explored the ranch there, hit the visitors center and then went out to dinner. The kids loved it and so did we. Yesterday, we went to Logan. Our kids love going to the Gossner cheese factory and buying the little cartons of milk for school lunches; Chad and I love getting the good cheese for a fraction of the cost. We also took the kids to the zoo at Willow Park, we ate at the Bluebird, toured the old campus to see how it had changed and went down to First Dam. We never had the freedom to do these things before.

Things changed at my work too. I am only scheduled to work 20 hours a week, but usually end up with a little more because of the kids' schedules. I leave for work after Ethan leaves for school and get home about the same time as he does. (By his request, I come home about five or so minutes after. A boy needs some alone time, you know.) I guess that things really went to pot while I was gone. I am the only person that knows my position, and there is no back-up whatsoever. Our Bureau Director really felt the sting of my being gone and him being flooded with questions. When I got back I had so many e-mails and phone calls to return, plus all of the paperwork that came in. I will proudly admit it, I threw a bit of a tizzy. I don't mind doing my job, but because I am efficient, I have been given a lot of things that have nothing to do with the core of my job. They tiddlywink my time away.

It turns out that I had to make a list of everything that I do so that it could be reviewed in managers' meeting. The Bureau Director was impressed at everything I did and said that we needed to relieve my load a bit. It was too much for one person. Then he was informed by my supervisor and some of the other managers that I only worked part-time. He was floored, and I am now getting an assistant. I hope to have them trained by July so that they can cover for my maternity leave (and hopefully take over for me, when by miraculous intervention and hard work I have the opportunity to stay home.)

So, I know this was a long post, but I hope that you all get the gist. ALL IS WELL and I feel very blessed.