Hi all,
this week I would like to talk about an exciting announcement! Recently in my ward, the Ashland OR ward, I was asked to serve as the communications specialist. This entails the management of a newsletter that is sent out to hundreds of women via paper and email. I would like to offer the email address for any of you who may be interested in subscribing. We don't charge you anything! It is only a few pages long, filled with uplifting insights from local women and announcements about humanitarian, service, and enrichment activities that all occur locally.
ashlandsister2sister@gmail.com
Simply email us from your own address and we will send you a copy of our new edition each month.
I hope you will take advantage of this as a tool for personal enrichment, as well as a method of connecting with women in your community.
Thank you!
Cierra
Monday, November 19, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
How Much is Your Time Really Worth?
Hey all,
I wanted to share some thoughts I've recently had about my experiences as a new mom. As children we are all taught to prioritize, to make the most of our time and it's valuable capital. This habit is drilled so deeply into some of us, that we become OCD checklisters. Every task is an opportunity for success; an additional gold star we can place on our daily report card. But what happens when we have to experience a change in pace? For some, a kind of culture shock ensues when forced to kiss the fast paced race track good bye. No more clean white lines, freshly mowed grass, or crowds who would cheer you on as you sped through your mile marks with long easy strides. Now you are in the slow lane, your legs are hobbled, and their is a gaggle of small manufactured items sprawling at your feet. Certainly, you are still mobile. Mind you, sometimes crawling, crab-walking, rolling, or hopping on one foot - sometimes all at the same time - but still inching forward each day.
This monumental change in life style can be a devastating shock, and a crippling disappointment for many. How can you come to terms with the fact that your life is irrevocably altered? Now that I have joined the ranks of the hobbled, I find myself with more time to ponder and self reflect than I have ever had before. For the record, I use the term "hobbled" only as a binary to "fast-paced". Not to say that motherhood is disabling, or harmful to the soul! But it certainly is a complete change from the life style that I have known. But I can only speak for myself. Prior to pregnancy and giving birth, I had the tendency of whizzing around, circling the globe several times a day at top speeds; hair flying check marks popping up all over.
And yet, I have found tremendous joy in running on this new track. (More like crab-walking most days...) At first being stuck to the couch, or bed, or chair, with a flailing, nursing, diaper-clad boy was neither fun nor rewarding. Ouch. You mean, I have to nurse him every time he is hungry? And change the diaper too? :/ But these are the realities of motherhood. It's a messy business. And at the same time, it can be incredibly rewarding. I was not aware of this silver lining when I first landed in the big sticky cloud that is motherhood. After weeks of late nights, early mornings, little sleep, and lots of other new experiences, I have had an epiphany; my time IS being well-spent.
From my understanding, most of motherhood consists of this very thing; overcoming the feeling that our time is wasted or that we accomplish little in life. But what did you expect? When your baby is young, you spend half of your time nursing him, and most of the other half RECOVERING from nursing him. And so it goes until they are grown - (and to my knowledge, NO ONE had found a short cut around this lengthy task....... yet.)Meanwhile, you are giving life every day, all day, to someone who desperately needs YOUR love, attention, help, knowledge, strength, devotion, and every other quality you developed while circling the globe.
So moms, if you are reading this, do yourself a favor; be happy, because your time IS well spent. You are needed, you are loved, and you are irreplaceable. Never doubt that.
I wanted to share some thoughts I've recently had about my experiences as a new mom. As children we are all taught to prioritize, to make the most of our time and it's valuable capital. This habit is drilled so deeply into some of us, that we become OCD checklisters. Every task is an opportunity for success; an additional gold star we can place on our daily report card. But what happens when we have to experience a change in pace? For some, a kind of culture shock ensues when forced to kiss the fast paced race track good bye. No more clean white lines, freshly mowed grass, or crowds who would cheer you on as you sped through your mile marks with long easy strides. Now you are in the slow lane, your legs are hobbled, and their is a gaggle of small manufactured items sprawling at your feet. Certainly, you are still mobile. Mind you, sometimes crawling, crab-walking, rolling, or hopping on one foot - sometimes all at the same time - but still inching forward each day.
This monumental change in life style can be a devastating shock, and a crippling disappointment for many. How can you come to terms with the fact that your life is irrevocably altered? Now that I have joined the ranks of the hobbled, I find myself with more time to ponder and self reflect than I have ever had before. For the record, I use the term "hobbled" only as a binary to "fast-paced". Not to say that motherhood is disabling, or harmful to the soul! But it certainly is a complete change from the life style that I have known. But I can only speak for myself. Prior to pregnancy and giving birth, I had the tendency of whizzing around, circling the globe several times a day at top speeds; hair flying check marks popping up all over.
And yet, I have found tremendous joy in running on this new track. (More like crab-walking most days...) At first being stuck to the couch, or bed, or chair, with a flailing, nursing, diaper-clad boy was neither fun nor rewarding. Ouch. You mean, I have to nurse him every time he is hungry? And change the diaper too? :/ But these are the realities of motherhood. It's a messy business. And at the same time, it can be incredibly rewarding. I was not aware of this silver lining when I first landed in the big sticky cloud that is motherhood. After weeks of late nights, early mornings, little sleep, and lots of other new experiences, I have had an epiphany; my time IS being well-spent.
From my understanding, most of motherhood consists of this very thing; overcoming the feeling that our time is wasted or that we accomplish little in life. But what did you expect? When your baby is young, you spend half of your time nursing him, and most of the other half RECOVERING from nursing him. And so it goes until they are grown - (and to my knowledge, NO ONE had found a short cut around this lengthy task....... yet.)Meanwhile, you are giving life every day, all day, to someone who desperately needs YOUR love, attention, help, knowledge, strength, devotion, and every other quality you developed while circling the globe.
So moms, if you are reading this, do yourself a favor; be happy, because your time IS well spent. You are needed, you are loved, and you are irreplaceable. Never doubt that.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
A Beautiful Thing
Hi there,
I guess I lied in my last post. Which was a long time ago. I recall saying something to the effect of, "I will post more often from now on....". Definitely a fail! But I have a very good excuse, it's even better than my last one. :) I had a baby! Now you may smile and cheer, and give me thumbs up.
A lot of you have asked how it went. Many of you have heard. But I wanted to recap some of it, so that I could share this experience with anyone else who might not have been filled in.
Because Jason and I were working in northern California all summer, we were concerned about the three hour long, windy car ride to the hospital. The hazardous HWY 96 is packed with wildlife, falling rocks, falling trees, crazy drivers, and plenty of other tricky things. For these reasons, we asked my OB to induce labor.
On the night of Saturday, July 21, 2012, we went to RVMC to begin the labor process. The hooked me up to a saline drip and gave me cytotech, a pill that ripens the cervix. They also gave me a sleeping pill, which they said would help me sleep through the contractions which cytotech would most likely induce. Well, guess what? IT BROUGHT ON THE CONTRACTIONS. So much so that I could not sleep, even with the sleeping pill in my system. So I was beyond exhausted and very frustrated that I hadn't had any rest the night before delivering a baby.
On Sunday morning my parents came and brought me goodies. Praise to mom and dad for seeing that my labor was fueled by strawberry smoothies. You rock.
The contractions increased in length and intensity throughout the morning. By noon I felt myself reaching pain levels that I had never imagined. Girls, ENJOY your period cramps because someday, the real pain arrives and you will be praying for those menstrual fiends to come back. Trust me.
My birthing plan had been to wait as long as possible and then maybe ask for an epidural. When the time came, I felt like it was right for me. So I asked for one.
Once the epidural set in, I felt so much better. And, to be honest, I am really glad I did it. In birthing class we hear about the potential side effects of the epidural, and our well-intending nurses often discourage them.
I'm not trying to say that an epidural is the answer to labor pains, or that those who choose natural birth are wackos psyched out on labor adrenaline. From my experience, it is a personal choice that every mother should be allowed to make without fear of criticism. Every body, every baby, and every delivery is different. Give mother the courtesy of being allowed to make their own decision about what is best for them and their baby.
I received my epidural at 1:30, and by 4:15 I was pushing. At 4:38 Zach was born. Naturally, I cried like ninny and was loopy from exhaustion (not from the epidural!). Having the epidural allowed me to focus mentally and physically as I delivered. I could still feel my muscles engaged as I pushed. I didn't feel numbed, but I felt relieved and in control. To me, that made all the difference. I recall the experience so clearly, and that's because I wasn't distracted by pain.
Of course, I realize that everyone experiences pain in a different way, and for some mothers, and epidural would not have gone over as well as mine did. I am grateful that I was able to have one without side effects and I encourage mothers to consider them.
On Tuesday, July 24th we brought Zach home from the hospital. For two months now we have been blessed by this little boy. He is smarter, wiser, and more commanding than both Jason and I combined. He's cuter too, but we can forgive him all of that. :)
It's true what they say; you forget the pain once the baby arrives. But don't let that scare you, because like all good things, it is worth the sacrifice. Forget the pain, and embrace the experience.
I guess I lied in my last post. Which was a long time ago. I recall saying something to the effect of, "I will post more often from now on....". Definitely a fail! But I have a very good excuse, it's even better than my last one. :) I had a baby! Now you may smile and cheer, and give me thumbs up.
A lot of you have asked how it went. Many of you have heard. But I wanted to recap some of it, so that I could share this experience with anyone else who might not have been filled in.
Because Jason and I were working in northern California all summer, we were concerned about the three hour long, windy car ride to the hospital. The hazardous HWY 96 is packed with wildlife, falling rocks, falling trees, crazy drivers, and plenty of other tricky things. For these reasons, we asked my OB to induce labor.
On the night of Saturday, July 21, 2012, we went to RVMC to begin the labor process. The hooked me up to a saline drip and gave me cytotech, a pill that ripens the cervix. They also gave me a sleeping pill, which they said would help me sleep through the contractions which cytotech would most likely induce. Well, guess what? IT BROUGHT ON THE CONTRACTIONS. So much so that I could not sleep, even with the sleeping pill in my system. So I was beyond exhausted and very frustrated that I hadn't had any rest the night before delivering a baby.
On Sunday morning my parents came and brought me goodies. Praise to mom and dad for seeing that my labor was fueled by strawberry smoothies. You rock.
The contractions increased in length and intensity throughout the morning. By noon I felt myself reaching pain levels that I had never imagined. Girls, ENJOY your period cramps because someday, the real pain arrives and you will be praying for those menstrual fiends to come back. Trust me.
My birthing plan had been to wait as long as possible and then maybe ask for an epidural. When the time came, I felt like it was right for me. So I asked for one.
Once the epidural set in, I felt so much better. And, to be honest, I am really glad I did it. In birthing class we hear about the potential side effects of the epidural, and our well-intending nurses often discourage them.
I'm not trying to say that an epidural is the answer to labor pains, or that those who choose natural birth are wackos psyched out on labor adrenaline. From my experience, it is a personal choice that every mother should be allowed to make without fear of criticism. Every body, every baby, and every delivery is different. Give mother the courtesy of being allowed to make their own decision about what is best for them and their baby.
I received my epidural at 1:30, and by 4:15 I was pushing. At 4:38 Zach was born. Naturally, I cried like ninny and was loopy from exhaustion (not from the epidural!). Having the epidural allowed me to focus mentally and physically as I delivered. I could still feel my muscles engaged as I pushed. I didn't feel numbed, but I felt relieved and in control. To me, that made all the difference. I recall the experience so clearly, and that's because I wasn't distracted by pain.
Of course, I realize that everyone experiences pain in a different way, and for some mothers, and epidural would not have gone over as well as mine did. I am grateful that I was able to have one without side effects and I encourage mothers to consider them.
On Tuesday, July 24th we brought Zach home from the hospital. For two months now we have been blessed by this little boy. He is smarter, wiser, and more commanding than both Jason and I combined. He's cuter too, but we can forgive him all of that. :)
It's true what they say; you forget the pain once the baby arrives. But don't let that scare you, because like all good things, it is worth the sacrifice. Forget the pain, and embrace the experience.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
White Cloud Press
Hello folks!
I wanted to let you know about an exciting internship that I have been working on this term. I am working with Steve Scholl, founder of White Cloud Press, to start a brand new website/blog. The name of the site is "This Week with God". The purpose of the site is to discuss current worldwide religious and spiritual events, article, news, and products. My role is to help manage site content and offer a stylistic touch! It has been a rough start so far, since the web administration has not been smooth. But thanks to help from friends at Dot.Com Jungle, we are now charging ahead.
If you are interested, the site will be a gerat forum for public discussion and education. Please check it out. The site is still in prep phase, but will be available in the next two weeks. Let me know what you think!
'This Week With God' via Wordpress.com
I wanted to let you know about an exciting internship that I have been working on this term. I am working with Steve Scholl, founder of White Cloud Press, to start a brand new website/blog. The name of the site is "This Week with God". The purpose of the site is to discuss current worldwide religious and spiritual events, article, news, and products. My role is to help manage site content and offer a stylistic touch! It has been a rough start so far, since the web administration has not been smooth. But thanks to help from friends at Dot.Com Jungle, we are now charging ahead.
If you are interested, the site will be a gerat forum for public discussion and education. Please check it out. The site is still in prep phase, but will be available in the next two weeks. Let me know what you think!
'This Week With God' via Wordpress.com
Thursday, April 5, 2012
After a REALLY long time.....
Many of you may have been wondering whether or not I have fallen off the face of the earth and consequently ended my blogging days. I am happy to report that this is not the case! For now, let's blame my writing hiatus on a major case of senioritus. (i.e., the diminishment of one's motivational and mental capacity for completion of required schoolwork and other activities due to intense academic activity). Yeah, that.
Today I want to talk about juice! That's right, the good stuff. :)
As you have probably heard at some point in your life, and doubtless have shrugged off on occasion, each adult person needs at least three cups of fruits and vegetables a day! We all have our excuses for not feeding ourselves well. I know, I know! I'm not trying to get on you about your eating habits All I want is to offer a little perspective. I have made these excuses myself and I am currently scrubbing them off! No more excusing myself! I am working to incorporate healthier eating habits into my long term dietary plan. (No, we are not going on a diet, actually.) Are you with me?
Please allow me to confess my reasons for this madwoman quest. First, I am now six months pregnant and inflicted with a severely guilty conscience. If I do not eat my fruits and veggies, I CANNOT lie to my doctor! And then, (this has happened) she will go on to say how I am gaining unnecessary weight because I am snacking too much on the wrong things.
Ouch, no one likes being called a fatty. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU KNOW YOU HAVE A BELLY! And yes, it still counts even if you pregnant. That conspicuous of a gut can make anyone feel like wearing an eskimo coat.
My other reason for trying this new quest for increasingly healthy eating is that I want to incorporate habits into my life NOW that I can teach my children LATER. That's right, throw five million carrots in the juicer with five million strawberries and no little munchkin can resist.
So far I have found this method to be highly cost effective as well as highly nutritious. If you compare the cost of one week's fruit for an adult, it comes to about $8. (give or take four dollars, depending on the market you use). Okay, now how much money are you spending on blended frappis at Starbucks and potato chips for snacking?
I promise not to judge you for your eating habits! Well....... maybe a little. The point is, I have found a fun and very experimental new way of making my eating even healthier. So, next time you grab a snack, think about the cost. Not just the money, but the payback you will get from your happy and healthy body. :)
Today I want to talk about juice! That's right, the good stuff. :)
As you have probably heard at some point in your life, and doubtless have shrugged off on occasion, each adult person needs at least three cups of fruits and vegetables a day! We all have our excuses for not feeding ourselves well. I know, I know! I'm not trying to get on you about your eating habits All I want is to offer a little perspective. I have made these excuses myself and I am currently scrubbing them off! No more excusing myself! I am working to incorporate healthier eating habits into my long term dietary plan. (No, we are not going on a diet, actually.) Are you with me?
Please allow me to confess my reasons for this madwoman quest. First, I am now six months pregnant and inflicted with a severely guilty conscience. If I do not eat my fruits and veggies, I CANNOT lie to my doctor! And then, (this has happened) she will go on to say how I am gaining unnecessary weight because I am snacking too much on the wrong things.
Ouch, no one likes being called a fatty. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU KNOW YOU HAVE A BELLY! And yes, it still counts even if you pregnant. That conspicuous of a gut can make anyone feel like wearing an eskimo coat.
My other reason for trying this new quest for increasingly healthy eating is that I want to incorporate habits into my life NOW that I can teach my children LATER. That's right, throw five million carrots in the juicer with five million strawberries and no little munchkin can resist.
So far I have found this method to be highly cost effective as well as highly nutritious. If you compare the cost of one week's fruit for an adult, it comes to about $8. (give or take four dollars, depending on the market you use). Okay, now how much money are you spending on blended frappis at Starbucks and potato chips for snacking?
I promise not to judge you for your eating habits! Well....... maybe a little. The point is, I have found a fun and very experimental new way of making my eating even healthier. So, next time you grab a snack, think about the cost. Not just the money, but the payback you will get from your happy and healthy body. :)
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