How life changes!

I have to say that I forgot I had this blog until I came across it a couple weeks ago. I was amazed I haven't been here since 2010. Oh the changes in those 3 years! My grandson is now 4, his younger sister, Brayleigh, is going to turn 2 this weekend and he has a new baby sister, Brienna, is 2 months old already! I am now an LCPC, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. I have a full time job working at the school as a therapist working with K-2 grade kids. I ventured out just about a year ago and challenged myself into starting my private practice. When I was going to college the thought of being a counselor was not really an area I figured I would go. I wasn't sure that I would like helping others work through their issues. But after I got out of college I had a lot of student loan debt and realized that if I got my counseling license I would be able to apply to the National Health Service Corp for loan repayment. I got a job that allowed for loan repayment and got my license and then apply to the NHSC and was accepted for loan repayment. I worked the two year commitment for the loan repayment and found I love my job in working with kids. I still don't enjoy the paperwork part of the job but deal with it. Last year I saw a need for a private practice but didn't know if I had the self-confidence and drive to what it would take to start my private practice, but pushed forward through the paperwork and learning what it took to start my own practice. I found an office, ordered furniture and let a few people know I was hanging out my single. I was as full as I wanted to be within the first couple months. Now I am really full and keeping busy. I have to say I love my job and am so glad I went down this path. Looking back on the past 3 years, I would have never guessed I would be where I am right now. Now onto some cute update pictures because what is a blog post without pictures!! I will try to post more now that I remember having a blog!! I love this picture! Jerad, Braydon, Brayleigh I will have to get an updated picture of Brienna but here is one from when she was born!

wow I am bad

I am such a bad blogger. Humm July 2009, well since then I have turned another year older. Still working at the same job, wrecked my Honda. Brayden has celebrated his first Christmas and his first birthday! Birthday for Brayden was great. He is walking and on the move now.

I am in the process of studying for my LCPC exam and have been studying like crazy because I am hoping to get to take the test in May. Study, study study, that is my life now.

I will have to post some quilt tops I finished recently. I am trying to work on getting a bunch of old unfinished projects completed.

Summer

Wow I haven't updated here in a long time. Brayden is getting so big, rolling over and jabbering away. Hard to believe he is already 5 1/2 months old. He is just over 20# already and growing like a weed.

Summer is in full swing and keeping busy with work. I am really enjoying the summer program, taking the kids to the park and pool. Really trying to teach them to use the social skills that we have been working on to learn to play with other kids. I am amazed how many kids just don't know how to play and interact with other children because they don't really do it anymore. They don't "play" together, but rather sit and watch each other do video games or watch tv when they are at home.

Hard to believe that school will be starting back up in just over a month. Summer has good really fast this year. Amanda, Brayden and I did a trip out to Wisconsin in June. In July, Sam, Jerad and I took a vacation down to Rapid City and Mt. Rushmore to watch the fireworks. So not a fun time as we had to hike about 3 miles from our vehicle up the hill to Mt. Rushmore, than wait in the grass sitting with thousands of other people for about 5 hours till it got dark enough. Just as it was time to light the fireworks off, the fog rolled in and we didn't even get to see anything except the fog turning differnt hues of the colors. So we had to hike down the road again to our car. The fireworks would have been spectacular if we had gotten to see them. The day was beautiful though, and our trip was great, relaxing and enjoyable just getting to hang out.

Holy Cow

I am so bad about updating my blog. I have found facebook and am loving staying connected to my friends and family on a daily basis. Spring is in the air here in eastern Montana. I spent all last weekend working on my garden. Last year I just had a smaller garden and found I needed a bigger one this year. Sam helped me drag railroad ties around and set up a much bigger raised garden.

My neighbor has a tractor so he was nice enough to come over and dig up dirt and move it around. I got some of my cucumbers and squash planted. Sam helped me get some flower beds dug up and stuff moved around. I can't wait to have some nice weekends to get some stuff growing and planted. Too bad this coming weekend is supposed to be rainy and even a chance of snow.

So now for some Brayden news. He is growing like a weed. His eyes are still a vivid blue and this grandma is hoping they stay that way. Hard to believe he is over 2 months old already. He is so much fun to hang out with becuase he giggles and smiles about everything.