Dave and I hired a regular babysitter (a college student) back in March and she just comes when Dave goes to class until either he or I get home - so it averages to be about 3 days per week and anywhere from 2-3 hours per day. I've really struggled to know how much to pay her, because she comes regularly like a nanny would, but doesn't take on any duties of a nanny. She is just here to watch Isabelle - no house duties, no driving, no bathing, etc.
How much would you pay a regular babysitter who comes to your home?
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Belle is One!
My last post was supposed to be about my sweet girl who turned one, and then obviously turned out to be something other than that. So I am going to make up for it and do a real post about my cute 1-year old.
On July 18th, our little Belle turned ONE!!!! I honestly cannot believe that she was born over a year ago. Time really does fly and kids really do grow so fast - they grow too fast. For her birthday, we decided to have a small party for her. We invited family and a few friends. Almost all of my family was there, including my grandma and aunts and uncles. And our friends, Mike and Mel came with their little boy Ashton.
It was a small and simple party, but a good one. My sister, Kathryn, helped me with some decorations and frosting some cupcakes. It was a bright, fun, summery party! Belle got all sorts of great presents and even had fun opening them. Overall, it was a good day.
One of my high school friends made the cake, Kathryn and I did the cupcakes, and Kathryn whipped together the cute paper flowers in a matter of minutes! What a talented designer.
When Isabelle first got her cake, she was a bit bashful with it, and just picked a little at the time. But eventually she got the hang of it and dug right in. She loved it! It was so fun to watch her make a mess and enjoy eating her little cake.
It truly is amazing to reflect on the last year and see how much my baby has changed in grown. It is sad to know that she is no longer my tiny baby, but it is so fun to watch her grow and change and develop into the cute person that she is. She has truly brightened our lives even amidst a busy and stressful time.
She is the busiest body I have ever seen - walking everywhere, getting into every cupboard, climbing every stair, and moving as much as she possibly can. She loves to just spend time with her mommy and daddy. She loves to play and laugh for as long as we have energy to do so. She loves to play with the dogs and I think she almost talks to them more than she talks to us. She loves to spin around in circles and be thrown in the air. Again, she just loves to move! Sitting still, lying down, or being strapped in a car seat are definitely not any of her favorite past times. We are lucky to have a good little eater. I swear the girl never stops. She will eat anything we will let her. Although she is a social baby, she likes to pretend she's shy when people try to talk to her. But eventually, she'll give in and give them the smiles and babbles they are looking for.
Although totally and completely exhausting, we cannot get enough of our little Belle. We are truly blessed to have her in our lives.
We love you Miss Isabelle Jane!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
My baby is growing up!
Our little miss Isabelle Jane turned 1 on July 18th! Although it feels like she was born forever ago, I feel like she is just growing so fast! It is crazy to me that we have left the baby phase and are well into the toddler phase.
I am sure that I am not the only person who has felt the way I do, but as we have hit this significant benchmark, I am feeling like a horrible mother. I have not been consistent in keeping a journal about all of Isabelle's growth and each mile marker. I have not written down when she rolled over for the first time or when she got her first tooth. I don't have video of her first steps. I don't have pictures of every significant event through her first year. And I'm wishing I could make up for it and remember every little single thing so I can document it, but let's be honest - a lot of it is a big blur. I may have well been on drugs for the first three months of her life (but don't worry, I wasn't) - between the recovery from the delivery/c-section, the recovery from my whacked out hormones, trying to get a grasp on being a mom, and trying to stay on top of things with work - things were definitely crazy and there are few significant things that I can remember.
Although I eventually regained a sense of who I am and became more of a normal person, life didn't get any less busy, and unfortunately, I didn't get any better at keeping a scrapbook or a journal. Although I did make a few attempts to write in a baby book my aunt gave to me, I know that I missed out on writing a lot of things down. I hope that one day Isabelle will forgive me for not being more on top of things - for not having newborn pictures, for not sending out birth announcements, for not documenting her growth each month of her first year, for not scrapbooking all the precious moments, for not doing all the things that I always wanted to do and wish I did do.
Now that this post which was supposed to be about my adorable daughter has turned into a self-hating session, I will try to make it more of a positive entry.
Although I missed out on a lot of writing and picture taking, I truly have enjoyed this last year with our beautiful daughter. Isabelle has truly been such an incredible blessing in our lives. She has such a positive spirit about her and has a way of just making you feel good. Even though I haven't been the perfect mom, the time that I have had this last year to be a first-time mommy has been nearly perfect. It has been an incredible experience to bring a child into this world and to experience this part of Heavenly Father's plan, to take part in such a divine calling. I have treasured the last 12 months and I so look forward to the future years with our little Isabelle.
I am sure that I am not the only person who has felt the way I do, but as we have hit this significant benchmark, I am feeling like a horrible mother. I have not been consistent in keeping a journal about all of Isabelle's growth and each mile marker. I have not written down when she rolled over for the first time or when she got her first tooth. I don't have video of her first steps. I don't have pictures of every significant event through her first year. And I'm wishing I could make up for it and remember every little single thing so I can document it, but let's be honest - a lot of it is a big blur. I may have well been on drugs for the first three months of her life (but don't worry, I wasn't) - between the recovery from the delivery/c-section, the recovery from my whacked out hormones, trying to get a grasp on being a mom, and trying to stay on top of things with work - things were definitely crazy and there are few significant things that I can remember.
Although I eventually regained a sense of who I am and became more of a normal person, life didn't get any less busy, and unfortunately, I didn't get any better at keeping a scrapbook or a journal. Although I did make a few attempts to write in a baby book my aunt gave to me, I know that I missed out on writing a lot of things down. I hope that one day Isabelle will forgive me for not being more on top of things - for not having newborn pictures, for not sending out birth announcements, for not documenting her growth each month of her first year, for not scrapbooking all the precious moments, for not doing all the things that I always wanted to do and wish I did do.
Now that this post which was supposed to be about my adorable daughter has turned into a self-hating session, I will try to make it more of a positive entry.
Although I missed out on a lot of writing and picture taking, I truly have enjoyed this last year with our beautiful daughter. Isabelle has truly been such an incredible blessing in our lives. She has such a positive spirit about her and has a way of just making you feel good. Even though I haven't been the perfect mom, the time that I have had this last year to be a first-time mommy has been nearly perfect. It has been an incredible experience to bring a child into this world and to experience this part of Heavenly Father's plan, to take part in such a divine calling. I have treasured the last 12 months and I so look forward to the future years with our little Isabelle.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
4th of July
Once upon a time, my family and relatives used to take an annual trip to the Grand Tetons and camp over the 4th of July. It has been quite some time since we last went (like 10 years or so long time) and this year, my youngest sister Kathryn decided we needed to reintroduce the tradition. We have talked about it many times, but this year Kathryn actually pulled through and reserved the campsite for us, so the trip actually happened!
We camped at Colter Bay in the Grand Tetons for 4 nights and spent our days visiting some sites. Unfortunately, we were there for such a short time that we couldn't fit everything in, but we were able to fit in a few highlights of beautiful of northwestern Wyoming.
We arrived Thursday night, July 1st and didn't have time to but anything but set up camp before heading to bed.
On Friday, we hiked around Jenny Lake and up to the waterfall then took a boat ride back. It was a long hike with a baby, 4 kids, and some out-of-shape adults, but it was fun.
Then on Saturday, we took the drive up to Yellowstone to visit Old Faithful and walked around the geysers. For some reason, those geysers seemed a lot cooler when I was younger, but we still had fun.
For the 4th, on Sunday, we had our own family sacrament meeting at the campsite. My dad and uncle Bruce organized a simple and nice little meeting. I was actually quite impressed for having been such a sporadic meeting, as we had planned on attending church at the Jackson Lake Lodge, but changed our plans once we found out Sacrament was not until 6:30pm. Dave and my brother Jeff prepared the sacrament, and Kathryn's fiance, Matt, and my cousin, Josh passed the sacrament. My uncle Bruce conducted the meeting and gave an inspirational talk about the blessing of the gospel being restored in our country and the responsibility we have as members of the gospel of Jesus Christ and citizens of this country to live righteously in order to maintain the freedoms we do. My dad added a few thoughts and then opened some time for testimonies. Although very simple, the meeting was a spiritual one. It was really neat to see the priesthood holders in my family gather together and provide the opportunity for us to partake of the sacrament, and to feel of the spirit as we sat together as a family in the sounds and scenery of the mountains. I felt as if that day and that meeting was a tender mercy. The simplicity and yet strength of that day was a testimony building experience for me.
After church, we traveled to Jackson Hole just in time to watch a really lame shoot-out near the town square, walk through a couple shops, and then make our way to the baseball park for the spectacular fireworks show. The night was definitely colder than I remember past 4ths in Jackson being, but the fireworks were pretty incredible, and in my opinion, they were the best that we've seen there.
After a long and late night in Jackson, the inevitable came, and we had to wake up early to get camp packed up and head back home. It was a very short few days, but they were fun. I always love spending time in nature, I love spending time with family, and I love having new experiences with my cute hubby and baby.
We camped at Colter Bay in the Grand Tetons for 4 nights and spent our days visiting some sites. Unfortunately, we were there for such a short time that we couldn't fit everything in, but we were able to fit in a few highlights of beautiful of northwestern Wyoming.
We arrived Thursday night, July 1st and didn't have time to but anything but set up camp before heading to bed.
On Friday, we hiked around Jenny Lake and up to the waterfall then took a boat ride back. It was a long hike with a baby, 4 kids, and some out-of-shape adults, but it was fun.
Then on Saturday, we took the drive up to Yellowstone to visit Old Faithful and walked around the geysers. For some reason, those geysers seemed a lot cooler when I was younger, but we still had fun.
For the 4th, on Sunday, we had our own family sacrament meeting at the campsite. My dad and uncle Bruce organized a simple and nice little meeting. I was actually quite impressed for having been such a sporadic meeting, as we had planned on attending church at the Jackson Lake Lodge, but changed our plans once we found out Sacrament was not until 6:30pm. Dave and my brother Jeff prepared the sacrament, and Kathryn's fiance, Matt, and my cousin, Josh passed the sacrament. My uncle Bruce conducted the meeting and gave an inspirational talk about the blessing of the gospel being restored in our country and the responsibility we have as members of the gospel of Jesus Christ and citizens of this country to live righteously in order to maintain the freedoms we do. My dad added a few thoughts and then opened some time for testimonies. Although very simple, the meeting was a spiritual one. It was really neat to see the priesthood holders in my family gather together and provide the opportunity for us to partake of the sacrament, and to feel of the spirit as we sat together as a family in the sounds and scenery of the mountains. I felt as if that day and that meeting was a tender mercy. The simplicity and yet strength of that day was a testimony building experience for me.
After church, we traveled to Jackson Hole just in time to watch a really lame shoot-out near the town square, walk through a couple shops, and then make our way to the baseball park for the spectacular fireworks show. The night was definitely colder than I remember past 4ths in Jackson being, but the fireworks were pretty incredible, and in my opinion, they were the best that we've seen there.
After a long and late night in Jackson, the inevitable came, and we had to wake up early to get camp packed up and head back home. It was a very short few days, but they were fun. I always love spending time in nature, I love spending time with family, and I love having new experiences with my cute hubby and baby.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Until Later
Earlier this week, we said our final goodbyes to Dave's step-father, Steve, until it comes time to meet with him again beyond this mortal existence.
After receiving the news that Steve had passed away late Tuesday night, we traveled to Blanding to spend time with Dave's mother and family and attend the funeral of the man Dave knew as his father for the last 16 years. It was a bitter-sweet few days there.
For the first time in years, all twelve children and their families were together to support one another and to celebrate the life of Steven Hurst Burtenshaw. During our time together, there were feelings of immense strength and peace. And although there is peace in knowing that Steve is now in a better place and that we will one day see him again, it was hard to say good-bye. There will be a hole in that family without him, but there will always be a blessing of the strength and unity he brought to the "BS Ranch."
After receiving the news that Steve had passed away late Tuesday night, we traveled to Blanding to spend time with Dave's mother and family and attend the funeral of the man Dave knew as his father for the last 16 years. It was a bitter-sweet few days there.
For the first time in years, all twelve children and their families were together to support one another and to celebrate the life of Steven Hurst Burtenshaw. During our time together, there were feelings of immense strength and peace. And although there is peace in knowing that Steve is now in a better place and that we will one day see him again, it was hard to say good-bye. There will be a hole in that family without him, but there will always be a blessing of the strength and unity he brought to the "BS Ranch."
Friday, May 14, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Mother Eve
A couple of Sundays ago, Dave and I went to my sister's ward for church. In Relief Society, our lesson was about the Fall, but mostly centered on Eve. This morning, that lesson has been replaying in my head, and I am feeling nothing but gratitude for Eve and her courage and faith.
During the lesson, many of the sisters in the ward were asking questions and making comments about Eve's decision to partake of the fruit. I'll admit, that as that discussion took place, a bit of frustration grew within me. I feel that too often, and especially in the Christian world, Eve and her decision to partake of the fruit are misunderstood.
I feel that in most depictions, Eve as portrayed as a naive woman who unknowingly ate of the forbidden fruit simply because she was "beguiled" by the serpent. Yet, I feel that Eve was a much wiser and much stronger woman than many people see. I do not think that God's work and glory was started by a woman who naively followed the temptation of a serpent.
I believe that Eve was as so many other women in this world -- she was smart, strong, faithful, and willing to do anything for her God and her family. As a woman, she was already a mother with the instincts of one. I believe when she partook of that fruit, she knew what she was doing and why she was doing it. She understood her divine calling to be a mother, and that the commandment to multiply and replenish the earth was the greater commandment. She understood her purpose in God's eternal plan and she expressed great courage in making sure she fulfilled her divine calling.
Just as we are all indebted to our mothers, we are indebted to Eve for her great sacrifices in moving the plan of our Heavenly Father forward.
During the lesson, many of the sisters in the ward were asking questions and making comments about Eve's decision to partake of the fruit. I'll admit, that as that discussion took place, a bit of frustration grew within me. I feel that too often, and especially in the Christian world, Eve and her decision to partake of the fruit are misunderstood.
I feel that in most depictions, Eve as portrayed as a naive woman who unknowingly ate of the forbidden fruit simply because she was "beguiled" by the serpent. Yet, I feel that Eve was a much wiser and much stronger woman than many people see. I do not think that God's work and glory was started by a woman who naively followed the temptation of a serpent.
I believe that Eve was as so many other women in this world -- she was smart, strong, faithful, and willing to do anything for her God and her family. As a woman, she was already a mother with the instincts of one. I believe when she partook of that fruit, she knew what she was doing and why she was doing it. She understood her divine calling to be a mother, and that the commandment to multiply and replenish the earth was the greater commandment. She understood her purpose in God's eternal plan and she expressed great courage in making sure she fulfilled her divine calling.
Just as we are all indebted to our mothers, we are indebted to Eve for her great sacrifices in moving the plan of our Heavenly Father forward.
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