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Sunday, March 26, 2017

Staten James Allred



On Tuesday, March 22. 2017, my daughter-in-law Kieonah gave birth to my 3rd grandson, Staten James Allred. Staten was born at 10:57 PM, weighing 7 lbs 15 ounces, 21 1/4 inches long. His name was chosen for Staten Island, because my son Tyler met his wife Kieonah when they were both serving as missionaries for the LDS church in the New York New York North mission. 
Kieonah had invited me to be in the room with her when she delivered the baby, and while I was honored that she asked, I really didn't think I wanted to be there. Her Mom would be there, Tyler would be there, and I just wasn't sure I should. But once her contractions started, I knew I couldn't leave. It was an amazing experience, watching this teeny little girl go through 15 hours of labor to bring my son's son into this world. 
Every time a contraction started, she reached for Tyler's hand. And hour after hour, his hand was there for her. 
My kids drove 6 hours to be there, and seeing them hold Ty's baby was a moment I will never forget. 
Rogue was fascinated that there is someone littler than him. I think they will be good friends as they grow up. 
Ken was amazing. He waited in this tiny waiting room all 15 hours, going out for food when Ty needed something. We are so blessed to have Ken in our lives. 
And now I'm excited to watch my youngest child raise his own family. 
Life is good :) 

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

The Only Constant is Change

About 8 months ago, I started commuting 3 hours each way twice a month to tend my two grandbabies, Riken and Rogue, while their Mom and Dad worked. It was SO good for me!! I loved the time I spent with them, I loved the weather in La Verkin, and I even loved the drive. I listened to Audible books and seriously just got into a routine that worked for all of us. I missed my husband for the 14 days a month I was away from him, but we FaceTimed two or three times a day, and it was OK. He would go down to La Verkin on the weekends when he could, spoil the grandkids and hang out with me.
Then my son-in-law got a BIG promotion at work. Schedules changed, the dynamic changed, and although I continued being their Nanny, it was just different. I had a feeling that even bigger changes would be coming, so one Sunday night, I decided to just  look at the Workforce Services website IN CASE my days of nannyhood were coming to an end.


I came across a job announcement for a caseworker at DCFS, about 60 miles from my home in Ephraim. I got my Bachelor's degree two years ago and haven't really done anything with it, so I decided to just go ahead and apply for the job. It closed at midnight on the very day I pulled up the job description, and I finished the online application at about 10:30 that night. 
The next morning, as I was headed to La Verkin to tend the boys,Tammy from  DCFS called my cell phone and we set up a job interview for the following Tuesday. So I had a week to prepare for the interview. And prepare I did! I had little recipe cards where I would write a common job interview question on the front and key points I wanted to hit in my answer on the back of the card. I studied those cards for hours each day. I was SO prepared. 
Got my roots done on Saturday, got a blessing from Ken on Monday, and headed to the interview on Tuesday. The candidate before me was a young guy, early 20's, full of vim and vigor, confidence and poise. But I held the tentative grip I had on my own self-confidence, and gave them answers that highlighted what would make me a good candidate.... my 15 years experience as a Primary President, Counselor and teacher, my blue qualities of compassion and empathy, the fact that if I were hired, I'd be  there to stay for the rest of my working life. Which, ironically, is 20 years to full Social Security retirement age, and Utah state retirement benefits also happen after 20 years. 
They called Wednesday and offered me the job! I start on April 3. 
I go into this knowing full well that it will not be a "feel good at the end of the day" type of career. I will see some heartbreaking situations with children who deserve better, and parents who want to do better but are limited by circumstances or addiction.  I will have to rely on the mentors I find in the field, and on my own training and life experiences. I'll be making great money, get great benefits, and make a difference to the people with whom I come in contact.

Monday, February 13, 2017

Dallen

My son-in-law's little brother, Dallen, left his broken body and passed on to the other side last week. His mom, Amy, broke my heart at the funeral. Even though it's a blessing for him and for her, really, she loves her little boy and she has been his lifeline for his entire life, feeding him through a tube, bathing and changing him. She will miss his constant presence by her side. Amy is a very special person. Dallen was a very special person. There is so much love in this family.