Friday, August 30, 2013

The Accident

The past few days have been very long and very exhausting. I'm sure that Steven's side of the story is more interesting, but this is my blog.

Tuesday was a rough day and I was counting down the minutes for him to come home, when I got the phone call that every wife is terrified to receive. Steven had been hit by a car while riding home and was being transported by ambulance to the hospital.

I was pretty shaken up and called my friend who was driving home from work. She came over immediately to watch the girls and I drove to the hospital. I spent a long time just waiting in the emergency room and I was definitely freaking out. 


When I was finally able to see Steven, things were better. I could see that he was ok. He had quite a few scrapes, bruises, and was obviously in a lot of pain, but he was still my Steven. And since he miraculously didn't hit his head, I just felt so relived and blessed because I know that his injuries could have been much worse. His leg was in a lot of pain and after a lot of x-rays it was confirmed that he had fractured his tibia and would have to be admitted to the hospital.


The hospital stay was pretty horrible, but long story summed up in a few words: manually set the bone in place (Steven said this was the worst pain he has ever been in), made Steven fast and prep for surgery, then no surgery, dirty, nurses ignoring him, sharing a room with a screaming mental patient who was admitted for attempted suicide, etc. Needless to say, we will NEVER be returning to that hospital again.


But.... he is home now! The hospital sent him home with a full-leg splint and on Tuesday our doctors will make the decision of whether or not the bone can heal with just a cast or if surgery will be required. So, we are waiting. 


During all of this, the girls and I have just been surviving. Normally, I am very spoiled. Steven has a job with great hours and he is a very hands-on dad. Now.... I'm going nuts. Taking care of a 2 year-old, 8 month-old, and husband who is unable to do anything is completely exhausting. I'm taking things day by day because if I look ahead any more than that it seems too overwhelming. 


Despite the complete exhaustion, I am so blessed. I have so many friends (and family... Steven's brother is visiting for a few days) who are bringing us dinner, helping watch my girls, and just letting us know that they are thinking of us. And, I have my husband. Who will full recover from his injuries. He is still in quite a bit of pain, and that is hard for me to see, but things will get better.


There have been a few times in my life when I feel like my circumstances are more than I can handle. I have been thinking about the following quote a lot lately from Elder Jeffery R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve:


  When suffering, we may in fact be nearer to God than we have ever been in our entire lives. That knowledge can turn every such situation into a would-be temple. Regarding our earthly journey, the Lord has promised: I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up. [D&C 84:88]

That is an everlasting declaration of God’s love and care for us, including—and perhaps especially—in times of trouble. (Jeffrey R. Holland, Sept 7, 2008, CES Fireside).

I know that our family is growing and learning patience through this experience. We must have a lot to learn :)

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Money Hip Mamas


My sweet and smart friends Lauren and Lisa started a personal finance blog called "Money Hip Mamas." The three of us were really good friends all through the BYU accounting program, and I have learned a lot from both of them.

The blog is fun and informative in a very easy to understand way. Personal finance, taxes, insurance, DIY projects, home organization, etc. Go check it out and follow on Facebook or Bloglovin.

Despite my crazy children and often less than one hour of spare time a day, I plan on being a frequent guest poster. So if you have any burning financial questions, please let me know. My first guest post is up today, so check it out here:

http://www.moneyhipmamas.com

Finance, accounting, investments, taxes, and anything of the sort are all definitely something that I have a passion for. I love having an outlet to use my degree other than just making our personal finances really organized and pretty :)

Friday, August 16, 2013

Kids on Campus

Today, LinkedIn had their annual, "Kids on Campus" or Bring your Kid to work day. We had been telling Aubrey for a while that she would get to go to work with Daddy, and she was so excited. Disneyland and LinkedIn (mostly due to the fact that she always gets lots of treats) are about equal in Aubrey's world, so this was a big deal.


LinkedIn sure knows how to throw great events. Aubrey did crafts, coloring, slides, bounce houses, snacks, games, karaoke, visited the office, got her own badge, and had a great daddy/daughter date.



 While those two were busy at work, this little cutie and I went shopping at the mall:

It was bliss. Shopping is something that is impossible with Aubrey around and something that I miss. Cora fell asleep for most of it and I almost didn't know what to do with myself.

After shopping, Cora and I met up with Steven and Aubrey for lunch at LinkedIn. It was a little insane, but fun.

Days like today really make me think back to our life two years ago and make me so grateful for where we are now. I am so glad that Steven found such a high-demand career he loves and escaped the horror of public accounting at Ernst & Young.

We both graduated from the BYU accounting program and loved that, but we are in a much better place now outside of the business world. Tech is the place to be.... great benefits, great hours, great pay..... Steven is already planning how to teach our girls to program :)

Saturday, August 10, 2013

The Good Stuff

Sometimes living in the Bay Area drives me crazy. Lots of people, lots of traffic, and lots of $$. Anytime that I feel a little stir-crazy, all I have to do is go to the beach with my family and I remember some of the reasons why I love it here so much.

We had a great Saturday at the beach. We were there for three hours (which is quite the feat with a baby and toddler) and we were all still having fun when we left (meaning... we didn't drag anybody screaming back to the car. Yeah!)


Cora ate a lot of sand. She actually seemed to enjoy it.

We buried Aubrey in the sand....

And once she was out of commission, Cora moved in and got some revenge for all the toys Aubrey has stolen from her:

Daddy/Daughter matching hats:

And for a few brief moments, the girls were playing happily, and Steven and I tried to pretend we were on vacation:


 I think if we were millionaires we would live here forever :)