More Answered Prayers

I feel so very blessed today. Having steady, reliable work has been a little bit of a struggle since it seems the bad economy is finally hitting Dallas. We have been praying sincerely that we would be able to still make ends meet with me working as little as possible so Zach doesn't have to spend much time in daycare. Thankfully and miraculously, I have been blessed with enough work to get us by. Especially amazing is the fact that I know God has heard and answered my specific prayers this week. I have been getting very few days of work lately- one to two days per week, and this week I did not receive any calls to work until Thursday, when they asked me to come in Saturday. I have been praying to be able to earn the maximum amount of money in the minimum amount of time so I can spend more time with Zach. Since I am paid on a commission, some days can be very profitable, and others can be almost a waste of my time (although every little bit helps). So today I was able to earn what I normally make in 2-3 days while Corey was able to stay home and spend some fun time with Zach. It was really hard work for me, but much easier to do before the baby comes than after. I have been able to work some Fridays and Saturdays, which has been great because Corey is able to to provide almost all the childcare these days. I am hoping and praying that I will secure a permanent contract that will allow me to work just these days (or just one of them--as long as I can earn enough!) after the baby is born so that I can still provide for our family while Corey is in school and Corey can spend valuable time with our little ones.

Working has been a difficult decision for me, and I still question it at times. I have come to have a strong testimony that mommas need to be with their babies as much as possible, and that there are fewer exceptions to this rule than most of us realize. I am not at all here to judge other moms who work, but for myself, I have learned that I will only work out of absolute necessity for my family's physical needs, and I will not sacrifice their emotional and spiritual needs for my profession. Thankfully, I enjoy what I do, and am blessed to be able to earn enough to provide in just 1-2 days a week. I know many are not that fortunate, and so many wonderful mothers would love to spend more time with their families but are forced to take on a heavy workload. You women have my total support and admiration for faithfully doing what it takes to get by.

I know that if I were not able to give sufficient time to my family, if my job required too many hours, that I would quit working, stay at home with my children, and trust that God would somehow provide. I've seen it happen in many other families when it didn't seem possible. Why don't I do that now? Well, it could still happen, especially after this little one comes. But as I stated earlier, I am so blessed to be able to provide for us on such a few short hours or days per week, that I do not at this time feel justified in receiving handouts from others while I am physically, emotionally, and spiritually able to work this small amount of time. If I were making minimum wage and having to work 40 hours per week, it would be a different story. I know I would be too exhausted to be the mother and wife I need to be, and wouldn't be capable of adequately providing for my family's more important emotional and spiritual needs. And I am happy for some of my tax money to be helping out those who resposibly choose to be home raising their children rather than letting someone else who doesn't care as much raise their children. I know that, when used honestly and properly, our system can truly help those is need, and am grateful to know it is there if I ever need it.

I admire the many women- many in our own family- who sacrifice so much to be home with their children at such great cost. All of my sisters and sisters-in-law are both extremely talented and well-educated, and not one of them chooses to spend their time working (much) outside the home. None of them are extremely well-off financially. They clip coupons, live frugally, and sometimes have the opportunity to use their talents and training to bring in some extra money. I couldn't be prouder of them, or more grateful for their example. They are nurturing and teaching their children. They are allowing their husbands to learn to nurture and provide for their families. It truly is the Lord's way, and their families will reap spiritual and emotional benefits that far outweigh anything that extra money from working would provide.

For a long time, I really thought I was the exception to the Lord's counsel that mothers stay home with their children. Thankfully, I have been blessed to realize that, while higher education and professions are great and can do much good in the world, nothing can compare to the good that needs to be done in your own home. Again, I am not here to chastise or judge anyone. I am just grateful to have learned this lesson as soon as I did. I look forward to the day when Corey will take over the role of provider for this family, and know he will do such an excellent job of it. He is working so hard in school to gain the skills necessary to do so, and the time he spends with us is packed with joy and meaning. His life revolves around little Zachary, and Zach is equally fond of his daddy! I may always do a little dentistry, but if I don't, who cares? My priority is my family and my service to God. Dentistry is just a job. It is enjoyable, and I do love that I can help others with my education and experience, but I hope I will never allow it to fill me with pride or take my focus from where it should be.

Trip to Idaho and Utah for Christmas

Alright, this will be a little random because of the way I downloaded the photos, but here is a quick recap of our recent trip to Idaho and Utah over the Christmas break:

Here I am at about 31 weeks along in my pregnancy. I have stayed about 7 pounds lighter than I was at the same point with Zach, which I am proud of. I didn't know what to expect with him, and just ate whatever and whenever I felt like it. With this pregnancy, I have exercised much more regularly, and haven't given in to every craving that comes my way. I still eat plenty and give in to more treats than I ought, but I am really trying to stay at about a 25 pound gain, which is what the doctor recommends for normal weight women. With Zach I gained closer to 35, and those last 10 pounds took 5 months to get off, which was really discouraging. I still have 6 weeks at this point, and should be about on track if I gain around one pound per week.

 Can you believe we are sisters?! Look how cute Natalie is!

 Here is my first baby shower, which was held at Tessa's on the 18th. 9 of the Malan granddaughters were present that day, and 2 more came to the shower in Idaho. It was so great to see all those sweet girls, and we had such a great time together!

 We had a Nativity pageant at Nick and Meadow's the week before Christmas with the costumes I bought. It was random and fun. The kids had a good time with it.

 Here are the Alexander siblings- what a handsome bunch! Man, I love these guys!

 Nick, Meadow, Natalie, and I had the special treat of attending a session at the Salt Lake Temple together. It was such a wonderful experience.

 Mom treated us to a super-fun night of bowling at BYU, and we snapped this photo afterward.

 Corey and I made it to Rupert to visit our sweet grandmothers. It was so great to see them again.

 After the first week up north, we headed to Idaho Falls to spend the next week with the Wilhelmsen clan. We had a great time together, and had yet another bowling expedition. This time, it was the in-laws against the outlaws. It was a very close game!

 Look at that hottie mom of mine! This is at the shower that Corey's family threw for me on the 29th. It was so much fun! I got spoiled rotten!

 And on the way back to Utah to catch the plane, we were treated to this lovely Idaho sunset.

We loved our time with friends and family. It will likely be quite awhile until we are able to return, but we always look forward to seeing familiar faces and places again!

Our Little Christmas in Big Texas

Since we were spending Christmas in Utah and Idaho with our families, we decided to have our own little Christmas celebration here in Texas before we left, so we didn't have to cart presents across the country, etc. It was tricky to find time to do it since Corey had finals up until a few hours before we left, but it all worked out well. The night before, we read from the scriptures and used our nativity set to act out the Christmas story with Zach. We also sang some Christmas songs with him. 

 The stockings were hung by the chimney with care... (Wondering whose is whose?!)

 I love the look on his face. It is priceless! 8 bucks for Buzz and Woody plush toys was a hit! He has said several times since then, "I love you, Buzz/Woody. Give me a kiss!" So sweet!! I love this kiddo!

This facial expression is also priceless to me, because it is Zach saying, "Needs batteries," and scrunching up his nose at the cheap, lifeless versions of Buzz and Woody we got him. He is fine with them now, but had recently played with the talking, moving versions at the store, so he knew what he was missing!

 We also got him a rolling Toy Story suitcase that came with a pillow and blanket that he loved and put right to use! ("I go sleep.")

(Thanks so much to Nana and Papa for the Christmas dinero and letting us buy the gifts here so we didn't have to pack them!)

 Can you tell how thrilled Corey is to open his giant, hand (or even life)-saving, Christmas surprises?! They will sure give me some peace of mind, though! (He is actually using them as I am posting this blog. I want to be taking a nap while Zach is also napping, but am afraid to leave him alone while working on the car again!)

 What can I say, other than "Like father, like son," right? Zach adores this new truck that comes with tools he can use to remove and replace the tires. I might need to get him some mini-tire chocks and jack stands so he learns how to do it safely from a young age!

 It was a fun and memorable little Christmas to share as a family.