This is said perfectly

"Das Leben ist eben so -- Höhen und Tiefen, eine Beule auf den Kopf und einen Schlag auf's Schienbein. So war es schon immer: Hamlet ist mit "Sein oder nicht sein" weinend umher gelaufen, aber das hat auch keine seiner Probleme gelöst. Es scheint eine Tendenz unter uns zu geben, zu denken, dass alles lieblich und rosig und wunderschön sein müsste, ohne dabei zu realisieren, dass selbst Widerstände einen süßen Nutzen haben. Einer meiner lieblings Zeitungskolumnisten ist Jenkin Lloyd Jones. In einem kürzlich veröffentlichen Artikel der "News", kommentierte er wie folgt: 'Jeder der glaubt, dass Glückseligkeit normal sei, wird eine Menge Zeit damit verschwenden, herumzulaufen und zu rufen, dass er beraubt wurde. Fakt ist, dass die meisten Putts nicht einlochen. Das meiste Fleisch ist zäh, Die meisten Kinder wachsen auf, um später einfach normale Leute zu sein. Die meisten erfolgreichen Ehen erfordern ein hohes Maß an Tolerierung. Die meisten Jobs sind die meiste Zeit eher öde als anderweit. ... DAs Leben ist eine Zugreise wie in alten Zeiten - Verspätungen, Umleitungen, Rauch, Staub, Asche und Geholper, nur gelegentlich durchsetzt mit wunderschönen Aussichten und aufregenden Geschwindigkeitsschüben. Der Trick liegt darin, dem Herrn zu danken, dass er uns diese Reise machen lässt.' "

In English : "Life is like that--ups and downs, a bump on the head, and a crack on the shins. It was ever thus. Hamlet went about crying, "To be or not to be," but that didn't solve any of his problems. There is something of a tendency among us to think that everything must be lovely and rosy and beautiful without realizing that even adversity has some sweet uses. One of my favorite newspaper columnists is Jenkin Lloyd Jones. In a recent article published in the News, he commented: Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just ordinary people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. . . . Life is like an old-time rail journey--delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."

I personally think the German makes it sound better, but I'm probably bias.

As I look back on how our summer turned out and how our future looks, everything just looks bleak. Blake has a job that pays $7 an hour, but he won't be able to get more than 30 hours a week because they are overstaffed. I still am unable to find a job, especially since no one is "hiring" or I am "overqualified". It truly wears you down.

But that quote from President Hinckley said it all. Life is just a group of ups and downs. You have to constantly work at it to make it work for you and then half the time it feels like you are sinking. And there is nothing you can do about it except relish the good times and know they will come again.

This made me cry a little

I got this story off of the blog of my young women's leader in Germany. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. (Especially you mothers out there).

A woman, renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk 's office, was asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself. "What I mean is, " explained the recorder, "do you have a job or are you just a ..?" "Of course I have a job," snapped the woman. "I'm a Mom." "We don't list 'Mom' as an occupation, 'housewife' covers it," said the recorder emphatically.

I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall. The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient, and possessed of a high sounding title like, 'Official Interrogator' or 'Town Registrar.' "What is your occupation?" she probed. What made me say it? I do not know. The words simply popped out. "I'm a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations." The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair and looked up as though she had not heard right. I repeated the title slowly emphasizing the most significant words.

Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written, in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire. "Might I ask," said the clerk with new interest,"just what you do in your field?" Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply, "I have a continuing program of research, (what mother doesn't) In the laboratory and in the field, (normally I would have said indoors and out). I'm working for my Masters, (first the Lord and then the whole family) and already have four credits (all daughters). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities, (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day, (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careersand the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money."

There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she completed the form, stood up, and personally ushered me to the door. As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants -- ages 13, 7, and 3. Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model, (a 6 month old baby) in the child development program, testing out a new vocal pattern. I felt I had scored a beat on bureaucracy! And I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than 'just another Mom.'

Motherhood - What a glorious career! Especially when there's a title on the door. Does this make grandmothers 'Senior Research associates in the field of Child Development and Human Relations' and great grandmothers 'Executive Senior Research Associates' ? I think so!!! I also think it makes Aunts 'Associate Research Assistants'

The laxative chocolate....

So, we were given some chocolate last night and on the back it reads "may have some laxative effect". Well, Glade found one.....as you can see from the pictures.... And to make it better, she ate the entire bar before I checked on her... Come three in the morning I am going to be one unhappy mom............

A New Day

Today is Blake's first real shift at his job. He left at four, despite Glade's cries and her saying "dada" inbetween tears. I hate when he leaves because Glade gets so heartbroken, and I just miss him. I haven't had to not be with him since January....well, except for class. But that is about it. It is so strange.

I love having him around. Most of the time we don't really hang out with each other, even when we are home. He is painging his Tournament army and I am making things for babies and playing with Glade.

I love being at home though. You don't have to worry about bosses and paychecks and coworkers..... It is a very low stress environment.

I just wish that Blake and me didn't have to work at all. I wish would could just win a million dollars and be set for life. Or that we were just rich to begin with. That would have been awesome too. But, it is so much better not being rich, I guess. The stress makes you stronger.

I guess that is just the way it goes with life. The one time you get to enjoy yourselves and not have to worry is when you're dead. Good thing I'm going to the celestial kingdom, huh!!

So Glade's new thing is opening ziplock bags with her goodies in them and then throwing them all around the house. She gets a kick out of it and it drives me bonkers. But the one problem is that it is a pain in the butt cleaning when she is awake, so we do it after she goes to bed at night. However, it is just one big ugly cycle where she makes a mess, we clean it, she wakes up and does it again. It really does drag you down a little....

But Glade is so cute when she is making messes you can't stop her. She is just so enthralled in different things and it is just fastinating. Her new thing is to take books off the shelf, place them in front of the tv stand, and then put them back on the book shelf. It is really cute how she is in the "put away" stage. It's actually really nice. When she spills her cheerios, you hold the bag open and ask her to help, and she picks them up one at a time and puts them back into the bag. It is absolutely adorable. And she looks so proud of herself when she does it. Like she has accomplished something amazing and the whole world will be different for it.

Everyday with her is like a new experience. She is just absolutely adorable when she waddles around the house with her empty sippy cup and then shoves it on your lap and screams at you. Or when she walks around the house crying 'dada' and doesn't find him, so she comes into the living room with tears streaming down her cheeks. Or when she learns something new, like how to turn the tv off so you have to pay attention to her....

It is definitely a series of fantastic surprises from the minute you wake up, till she goes to sleep at night and you smile as she sleeps with her baby doll.

Motherhood....ugh....

Motherhood is a series of beautiful and ugly events that always seems to happen right after one another. You have this beautiful child that is surely a gift from God, but sometimes you just want to put them in their room where they can't mess anything up.

My beautiful gift from God, Glade, decided today that she would take her bowl of cereal (while we weren't looking, mind you) and put it in the bathtub. Well, little did she know, that when you drop a bowl with a lid on it time and time again, eventually the lid will come off. So I walk into the bathroom this afternoon, and there is rice cereal mixed with prunes all over my walls, the bathtub, the shower curtain....just everywhere....

And I go to see what Glade has to say for herself. (Yes, I think she can talk...) Well, she smiles that cute little smile, points to the bathroom, and giggles. You can't be mad at her for it. So, I get a bucket, a rag, and I go clean the bathroom.

Sometimes, I wonder why children are the way they are. I truly think God put them here so we could learn patience. Otherwise, people would freak out at other people at the drop of a hat. Since becoming a mother, I am more patient than ever. I can talk to people I don't like without a word to say otherwise, I can smile at my daughter when she refuses to eat dinner (for the 3rd night in a row), and I can smile at my husband when he is driving me insane.

Children are great, but without them, sometimes you just have to imagine a better and worse world all rolled into one....

Updates all around!

Today was Blake's first day of work. He now works at a boy's home in Cedar City, much like what we were doing in Tropic, but he will probably be working graveyards. I am so excited. We won't be able to be with each other all the time now, but at least we will be earning money...right?

Glade is the same troublemaker she is and always will be. But she is so cute. She was playing cards the other day. She had the whole deck in front of her and she would pick one card up, put it on another pile, pick up a card from that pile, and look at it for a minute before she put it down or picked up another one. She did this for hours. It was definitely entertaining.

She does hate her room though. We have her sleeping on a mattress now, but she just hates her room. She will play in there all day long, but the minute we put the gate in front of her door, she cries bloody murder. It really grates on you. But we close our door and watch movies to drown out the crying. She normally stops after about a half hour. But she has learned to surprise attack you. She stops crying and sits on her bed looking at the door. The minute you look in on her to make sure she is asleep, she starts to cry again. And then gives you this look that breaks your heart...

Other than that, she is doing very well. She loves to eat meat. If you make something for her that doesn't have meat in it, she won't eat it. It is truly kind of funny.

I am doing well. I am still looking for a job, but this town is stupid and won't hire anyone...But such is life. When I need a job I am sure I will find one. It always works out like that.

Other than those things, our life is going by swimmingly. We have more than enough time on our hands, and yet we don't get enough done. But that is how it goes all the time. I am glad I don't have school this semester...I have so much stuff I need to finish. Too many people are having babies this year.....

Always the same, ha ha...

Today, Glade went to the doctor for her iron check-up. She is doing peachy with her iron level now, so she doesn't have to be on Fer-Gen-Sol anymore, thank goodness....

But, my suspicions were confirmed. Glade did have the chicken pox. He called them "mini-pox." Obviously they are very common after the Varicolla shot babies receive at a year. They are highly contageous, but they make their immune system that much better because they had to fight it off.

Glade took it all very well. She giggled at the doctor and showed off how cute she was whenever he looked at her. She is definitely a man's girl.

She is walking everywhere and we can't keep her out of things she shouldn't be in. You put it away, and she is into another thing she shouldn't be into. It is definitely a neverending cycle...

Blake now has a job interview! We are so excited. We have been placing applications and bugging people since the middle of June and finally, we got an interview! It is for a boy's home here and in Cedar and hopefully he gets it.

Lately, I have been sitting at home, crocheting more than I knew I could and watching more movies than I have seen all year. Netflix is a fantastic investment...I love unlimited movies on my computer!!

I am making some cute little animals for a baby I know, and when they are done, I will post pics of them on here. They will be WAY cute.

My heroes...

RELIEVES THE WATCH

Aye, Mates, for many years this man stood the watch.

While some of us lay about our bunks at night,

this sailor stood the watch.

While others of us were attending schools,

this sailor stood the watch.

As our families watched the storm clouds of war

Brewing on the horizon of history,

This sailor stood the watch.

This sailor looked ashore and saw his family

Often needing his guidance, but he knew he must stay,

because he had the watch.

For many years he has stood the watch so that we

and Our fellow countrymen could

sleep soundly in safety,

knowing that a sailor would stand the watch.

Today we are here to say

"The watch stands relieved",

Relieved by those you have led, guided and trained.

UT1 (SCW) Dale Pollock,

Boatswain, stand by to pipe to the side.

Shipmate going ashore.

"Fair Winds and Following Seas"

This poem would mean nothing without a little commentary...

My father is one of my heroes. He always has been. When I was little he wasn't around very often because he was "Standing the Watch." I never understood why one man had to be away from his family so much when there were no real wars going on. But when he retired last year and he had tears in his eyes as they sent him ashore, I knew why he had done it all.

It wasn't for the honor or the glory. It was so people like us could stay free. There might not have been any wars, but what would it be like if we didn't have a military at all?

I am so proud of my father for serving in the military. There are truly no words to describe it. It gave me friends that I will think of forever, and more family than I will ever be able to name. It has given me the person that I am and the person I want to become.

But talking about my heroes doesn't truly mean anything unless I talk about my other hero.

The Wife's Watch

Be it known that Mrs. Janece Pollock has

stood the watch...The Wife's Watch.

While her Sailor answered the call from

the sea, she stood on the shore fighting

down the fear that he would not return.

In his absences, she has had to deal with

car repairs, home maintenance, financial

worries, children's injuries and illness...

All these and more she has taken in

stride so that her Sailor could proudly

serve our nation. Today the Side boys are

posted and the Boatswain stands ready to

pipe.

And as she has for many years, a

Sailor's wife stand waiting on the shore.

Soon the pipe will sound and her Sailor

will come ashore for the last time...

His watch stands relieved...

So too, does hers.

We gratefully honor her courage and

steadfastness and offer our best to the

both of them for the new life

they now begin.

My mom....there is not a lot to say that can be understood....

She went through so many things I didn't understand until I was a mother myself. She is definitely the strongest woman I know. She had to be mother and father to two children while her husband was away for months at a time. And she couldn't let us know her fears or doubts....

She carried her burden like a badge of honor. I never knew what she went through at night when he wasn't by her side or she hadn't received a letter in a few days. I never went through the fear of thinking that your husband might not come back...

I wish I was more like her. Strong willed, determined....But I'm not.

She is one of the strongest women I know, and I wish I was like her.

I am so proud of her service. It might not be as recognized as normal military service, but I truly think hers was harder.

I am so proud of my parents. They are such great people and so strong in every aspect of their lives. One day, I want to be like them...

My beautiful baby girl!!

Last week, Glade had her year appointment at the doctor, and she had three shots done. She has never had a reaction to shots before so we figured these would be a piece of cake. Little did we know that she would not do good at all...

It has been about ten days and now she is running a fever, won't eat, won't sleep, and just isn't herself. And I am not used to her being fussy because she is such a good baby, so she is driving me and Blake completely crazy.

Her fever seems to break in the morning and come back at night (as is typical), and I just am at a loss of what to do. She is my little girl, and it breaks my heart to see her like this...

If any of you have any advice on getting them better faster, please let me know.

Hope it works...

I got this from a friend's blog. I hope you will play along.
Here are the directions:
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. (A memory with Kayce or Blake or both) It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot--anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you.