Doula Job in HAWAII

SUNSHINE!!!

Heading out the door this week to visit my sis and brother-in-law in Kauai.

The real amazing story is that she is going to have a baby

and has asked me to be her doula!

I am humbled and pleased and thankful and excited and...

I get to enjoy a little sunshine too!

Dan is going too but kiddos are staying home.
(We all went together 2 years ago)

We told them we were going and they were sad at first

until we told them they would be at our best friends house.

Suddenly they were almost as excited as if they were going with us!

Thank you Gunderson Family!

Speaking about Doula stuff, I am getting closer to my official certification.

I have to write some papers on my experiences

and what I've learned so far.

I will be working on that in Hawaii on the beach!

I haven't had a lot of time to just sit down to do it thus far.

(Obviously by the fact I hardly EVER post on here!)

(I want to do better)

Anyway, I'll try to update later but I can't promise anything!!!

  

Been Thinking of You

I think of things to put on here and then don't simply sit down and share them.
Today I just want to share a simple quote from Charles Spurgeon that I liked.


"Cultivate a cheerful disposition; endeavor, as much as lies in you, always to bear a smile about with you; recollect that this is as much a command of God as that one which says, “Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart.” Let us take the pure gold of thankfulness and the jewels of praise and make them into another crown for the head of Jesus. When it is the Lord’s work in which we rejoice, we need not be afraid of being too glad. Cheerfulness is most becoming in Christian men. Contentment is the crown jewel of a happy life."

I love it.  Simply put.

What is a DOULA?

Well, this year I decided to follow through with a desire that I've had for years. I decided to pursue becoming a doula.

I wanted to become a doula ever since my children were little but I had no time for it. Well, now our kids are a lot older and can function well on their own occasionally. So this year I decided to take the DONA certification class to become a doula!

More and more people are employing doula's at their births because of several reasons. First, women want to have the best experience possible at their birth because a lot of people only have one or two tries at this. Giving birth is one of the biggest experiences of a woman's life and she wants it to be a positive one. Second, due to studies that have shown that cesarean rates are cut by 50% and epidural use by 60% when a doula is present, insurance companies are much more interested in paying part, if not all of the doula's fee. (Saves them thousands.) Third, more and more woman with the support of the medical community are learning that natural birth is the very best option for both mother and baby for long term recovery both physically and emotionally. (Baring special circumstances of course.)

So what is a doula? A lot of people have never heard the word 'doula' before. They have been around for centuries but not know much about in our society until more recently. The word 'doula' is Greek for 'woman servant'. She is a special kind of helper associated with childbirth. She doesn't deliver babies or do medical stuff but she helps the mother in other ways. It is hard work being in labor and having a calm, soothing person with you helps you to stay focused and cope with the experience better. A doula not only helps the mother stay focused emotionally but helps her labor. Some of the duties of a doula include; suggesting positions and changes to help labor progress, breath with the mother and help her focus during contractions, give massage, find pillows and blankets for comfort, help keep the atmosphere in the room calm and peaceful, hold her hand and remind how well she is doing, help her and her family understand the process and what is happening to her, help her communicate with hospital staff, keep her hydrated and cool/warm, encourage nursing when the baby is born, help her and her family process the birth.

I had my first birth as a doula this last week and I did all those things with the mother. She did beautifully and labored long but went all the way without pain meds. Baby did great and was born after a 24 hour labor, healthy and strong. This woman's goals were accomplished!

Does this mean that if you have a doula you can't have pain meds or anything? Absolutely not! It's not about being superwoman and having a natural birth at all costs. It's about having the very best possible experience and having peace about every decision made that day. A lot of woman want to try to go 'as long as possible' but often get easily coerced into an epidural with the first suggestion. The goal is having someone help a mother think through the decision, make sure she is well informed and then support her in whatever the decision is. It never means a woman 'fails' if she gets an epidural or ends up with a cesarean. It's all about the experience.

For me, to serve a woman in one of the most amazing times in her life, then getting to witness a new life come into the world is beyond words! I'm looking forward to being a part of future births and hopefully helping mothers have a positive experience regardless of the circumstances.

Summer

Summer has come and is about to go.

Most of the country had droughts but our neck of the woods, here in the Pacific Northwest had mostly rain.

It rained intil the end of July!

Here we are starting September and we still have some nice weather.

We also have smoke from forest fires and school is starting for most people.

We are NOT done with summer yet!

So we are going camping this weekend with our church and enjoying the weather for a few more days.

I'm not quite ready to start schooling yet anyway. I have my homeschool closet organized but not all of our curriculum or schedules put together.

My summer has been busy.

My grandma moved.

My mom was in the hospital a few times.

We had house projects to complete including painting and rearranging rooms for the children, power washing the house (ok, only the driveway got powerwashed, the washer is still sitting in our back yard waiting to wash the house), cleaning out and organizing the garage, not to mention harvesting and canning produce from friends' gardens. (We have a tiny garden but just for small meals, not enough to put up.)

We usually go camping and hiking and biking a lot in the summer but due to the weather we only went camping once at Diamond Lake. It was beautiful but cool and wet at times.

Good memories!

We are going camping again which is perfect except I think we can't have camp fires because of the forest fires going on.

It will still be good memories!

Mostly this summer we have been blessed.

I think my biggest blessing is my family.

Our children are amazing, my husband is loving, sweet and funny, our home is peaceful.

All of this because the Lord is in our life.

Does that mean nothing bad will ever happen to us?

No.

It is just that He is with us no matter what and if anything goes 'wrong' our Lord will sustain us through everything.

I trust Him to give me peace and strength through any storm.

Peter walked on water to Jesus in a storm.

His only mistake was taking his eyes off of Jesus, concerned about the waves and storm and he began to sink.

The Lord still held him.

This blog has been quiet too long.

I'm motivated to keep it updated but computer stuff, facebook and such just aren't a priority to me. Sometimes I wonder if it really matters what I put on here as only 8 people 'follow' this blog. I'm going to continue it because it is good for me to do. I may not be consistant but I will try.

I have a feeling there will be a lot to blog about in the future.

One Year

I can't believe it's been one whole year already!

This time last year we had just gotten back from Texas where Dan had a vasectomy reversal.

Since our journey began, I know of so many people who have gone through this recently.

(We have friends that are coming home today from Kentucky where she had a tubal reversal done.)

I'm glad we obeyed in this and know that we are where we are suppose to be.

There is an incredible peace that comes with it all!

My Gramma asked me today if we never got pregnant would my heart be broken.

I could honestly answer that it wouldn't.

I am so content with our children and feel so blessed by them.

When we first desired children after a few years of marriage it was different.

I didn't have any children to hug or fill my mama's heart up.

I know the feeling of those who want a baby so bad that it almost hurts.

I don't feel like that right now though.

I admit that when I see someone on the same journey as us, expecting twins, I wonder just a little.

(I've always wanted twins.)

I also know that God will only give me what he knows I can handle.

I trust that he knows what is best for me so I don't stomp my foot and fuss about it.

I am content and full of joy!

Joyful that I am blessed already and that my God loves me so much and he is in control!

I trust Him.

HAWAII

What can one say about Hawaii?

Beautiful

Refreshing

Relaxing

Rejuvenating

We probably had one of the best times together as a family.

While home was freezing in the 20s we were basking in 80 degree weather in our shorts and swimsuits.

Truly wonderful.

Our family had two weeks of being constantly together. That isn't new for the children and I but to have Daddy with us all that time was. It really drew us all together even more.

I was so struck by the beauty and natural splendor of the island.

We did a lot of things while we were there.

The first week we got to stay at a really nice resort.

We swam...a lot

We saw waterfalls

Explored a cave

Went to a lighthouse.

This is a coffee plant we saw at a coffee plantation.

Drove to the top of the mountains.

Played at the beach.

Watched the sun set.

We visited with Dan's brother and his family and got to experience the laid back lifestyle of the Hawaiians. We had such a great time but by the end of it all we were ready to come home. We missed our beds, our home, our friends and our family.

It was truly all a blessing.

Now we are refreshed and ready to start back with school and our regular routines.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The following is my Christmas letter and I thought I would share it on here.

Hoping this finds you all in good health, spiritually, physically and mentally. Our family is blessed. We are thankful for all of those things!

From the outside, it may not look like it as Dan has had two surgeries this year. One back in February and another this November. He is healthy as a horse and has faired well in both cases.

Back in February, while recovering from surgery, Dan was hired at PGE. He had applied months previously, but God worked it out at just the right time. Dan now works as maintenance electrician on the dams along the Clackamas River. He loves working for them and they love him!

I continue to homeschool and be a keeper of my home. Juggling four school children's education, running the economy of our home and thinking of future plans is a full-time, yet very rewarding job. The Lord is faithful and has filled me with Joy, Peace and Patience for this role. There is no other place I would rather be!

The children keep growing right before our eyes! They will soon be passing me in height this next year. (Not hard since I am only 5'1 but their dad is 6'1.) We are involved as a family with our church and various activities. Apologetics class, dance/tap class, worship team and sewing circle, to name a few.

Melody is 12 and loves to read! Naomi is 11 and is a reader also but loves to do crafts and serve others. Anna, 9 this month, also is finding a love of reading but her favorite thing is to be 'mommy' to her dolls. Finally, Jimmy turned 7 and is showing his creativity with building his Legos and making paper airplanes. They all are such a joy and a blessing to our family.

We are looking forward to the beginning of the new year as we will be visiting Dan's brother and his family in Hawaii. This is our first BIG family vacation anywhere. We usually do a lot of camping during the year and love it but have been blessed with this trip.

We are also looking forward to see what the Lord does in our lives this coming year. We are completely content with where He has us now, while learning always, to rely on Him daily. We are trusting Him for Wisdom in raising our children to affect generations to come. We want to be purposeful and prayerful, not just in parenting but in all our relationships.

May you all find your Joy and Hope in the One True Giver of blessings as we remember who the true Gift of Christmas is.

With much love.

A Dream Last Night

I had a dream last night.

I was in a room full of my friends.

They had all come to visit me and spend time with me.

As I looked around the room I noticed some were missing.

I saw on the far side of the room three of my friends who were sitting with their backs to me working on computers.

I was a little saddened but said nothing.

I walked down a hallway and saw three more friends on computers.

I was hurt because some of them had travelled far to visit yet would rather be on the computer.

I asked if they were going to join me for visiting and was put off with an

'Oh, yes, in just another minute we'll be there.'

To be put off by dear friends that I loved really hurt.

Then I went to another place and saw three more friends.

The room they were in was kinda dark but I could see their faces because a blue light was reflecting on them.

It was the light of a TV they were watching.

I asked if they were coming.

Two of them didn't even notice I was talking but one barely glanced up enough to tell me,

'No, we don't want to miss this show.'

I started to cry.

I cried so hard that it was hard to breath as I walked back to the room of all my waiting friends.

I was so sad.

I was hurt that these other friends of mine would choose to spend their time on the computer and TV and not with me.

I cried so hard in my dream that in real life I heard myself moaning in my sleep.

Then...

I awoke suddenly as I heard a gentle, love-filled, yet sorrowful voice quietly say...

This is how you treat me.

Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life

Proverbs 10:17a

Blessings

This is the month of Thanksgiving.

I love November because it reminds me to count my blessings.

To quote Madame Blueberry from Veggie Tales,

"A happy heart is a thankful heart."

I have much to be thankful for and I think the things I value most are relationships.

My relationship with the Lord,

My husband,

Our children,

My extended family,

My church family...

The list goes on.

I adore my husband and respect him in a way I never have before.

The thing that makes me giddy is that he cherishes me!

It wasn't always that way so I am truly thankful.

Dan was helping a friend haul some wood and ended up with a double hernia.

The poor guy has been toughing it out for a couple weeks now and will have to have surgery next Friday.

He's a trooper though.

No complaints coming from him.

So we will be spending the Thanksgiving week low-key while he recovers.

I'm thankful to God that He gave Dan a new job this year that allows him to have paid time off, and that he can return to work on light duty.

Unlike February.

As he goes into his second surgery this year,

I am thinking of how thankful I am for Dan.

He is hard working, loyal, faithful, focused and brings joy to others with his humor.

He balances me as I get too serious at times and I tend to get side tracked easily.

He is everything this woman wants in a man!!

I am blessed beyond measure!

So I have a heart full of thanks!

Here I am!

CHANGE

Who likes it?

I certainly don't.

When your friend informs you she is moving across the country.

When other dear friends decide to attend a different church.

When your husband comes home and tells you to do things differently.

When your body doesn't work as it use to.

When your children get taller than you.

When...

Okay, it's not really that bad.

What about when the weather changes for the next season?

I love that!

The beautiful fall colors that the Master has painted.

And

The grand adventure my friend gets to have in a whole other state.

The new and improved schedule for my home that makes life function better.

The reminder that even though I am not so young, I can still be fit and healthy.

The twinkle in my daughter's eye when we share an inside joke.

I was reminded last night that what we define as 'Good' may not be the same as what God defines it as.

So

Even though change is hard at times and it doesn't seem good at times,

I know that all things work together for good for those who love God.

New Beginning?

So in order to keep a blog

One must continue to UPDATE said blog.

Do I do such a thing?

No.

So I've decided to start anew and try to keep this updated.

I have no 'news' as of yet

except the good news that our God is so great

and we are always blessed!

We've had a full summer but I am going to purpose to blog at least once a week.

We'll see if I can follow through with that.

So for now I am just letting everyone know

(that is if anyone even reads this anymore)

I don't do well on Face Book either.

I'm rarely on here but I want to connect with others somehow.

So here goes!!

Fenelon -- Gentleness and Humility

Francois Fenelon was a writer and archbishop of the 16th century.

A dear friend gave me a Lamplighter book called

'Dialogues of Fenelon Vol.II"

It's a little book with just a page or two to read on something he wrote.

Today I was reading on Gentleness and Humility. I want to quote that page as it is very encouraging to me.

'Your remedy for wandering thoughts and want of fervor will be to

set apart regular seasons for reading and prayer;

to mix yourself up in outward matters only when it is necessary;

and to attend more to softening the harshness of your judgment,

to restraining your temper,

and humbling your mind,

than to upholding your opinion even when it is right;

and, finally,

to humble yourself whenever you find that an undue warmth concerning the affairs of others has led you to forget your supreme interest,

Eternity.

"Learn of me," Jesus Christ says to you,

"for I am meek and lowly of heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

Be sure that grace,

inward peace,

and the blessing of the Holy Spirit will be with you,

if you maintain gentleness and humility amid all your external perplexities.'

Wow.

Blessings Friends!

Sunny Day!

Today is a sunny day!

Literally!

It finally feels like winter is over and spring has sprung!

Dan had his first day at his new job with PGE. He is so excited about it all. This could be the beginning of a very long career with them. That is the hope anyway.

The first week or so is just orientations and safety classes and such. It will take a few months to be fully on board with how things work around there, but he is a sharp thinker and will get it down quickly.

This is the dream job for Dan.

So our question is 'Why would God want to prosper us?'

I know that it pleases God to bring blessings to those who are his children. Just like I have joy in giving good gifts to my children.

We don't deserve His blessings but we enjoy His blessings because he loves us.

So why would God prosper us?

To glorify Him!

This is true whether we prosper or not.

So....

I've been convicted lately that I need to get out of my 'comfort zone' (disobedience).

Our home becomes a fortress when we use it to avoid contact with others.

I want my home to be an embassy that welcomes visitors and shares the Good News by sharing our lives with them.

I'm talking about

Hos...pi...tality

I attended a conference this weekend and one of the areas I was challenged in was hospitality.

I learned that in hospitality, we show our love for God by how we love each other.

Romans 12:10-14

Hospitality is an offering to God that we get to enjoy with others.

1 Peter 4:8-9

I love the idea of allowing our home to be worn out for Christ.

It's to be used because it is an embassy.

Hospitality is also a way to live like a missionary in your own home. Using it to reach out to strangers, neighbors, co-workers, friends and family.

Building relationships and sharing your life.

Do we need a big, perfect home?

Do we need to have perfect children or a wonderful marriage?

Does it have to be fancy food?

No.

If we wait for all those things to line up, we will never open our home!

It's a humbling thing to do and it takes practice doing it.

This is where I am.

I've grown over the last few years. I can make the main areas in my house look comfortable, but don't open the closet door or something might fall out on you. Keep my bedroom door shut because even though the bed might be made, the rest of the room is a cluttered, disorganized mess. And please ignore the other half of the 'play room' (the garage) because it actually looks like a messy garage.

You have to be willing to be vulnerable to people seeing your clutter or disorganization. It's okay because having people over makes us look at these things in a new light and helps us to work on improving them. (They'll never be fully perfect but that's okay too.)

My house stays a lot cleaner when I have people over often.

It has taken a little while, but I am starting to enjoy hospitality. I use to dread having people over because it meant work on my part.

(Shows you how lazy I am.)

Now I'm starting to enjoy it because it is good to share our lives with people and love on them.

Hospitality is not a big deal for some people as they thrive on having people over.

I am learning from them and

need reminding like this weekend.

Dan and I have a new vision for our family.

The starting of a new job is only an outward reminder of this fresh start.

By His grace,

and our humble obedience to Him,

we will live to glorify God!

Crazyville

That is all I can say about the past few days/weeks.

I won't go into all the boring details of life around here.

I will say that it has all been for our good!

The second week off from work for Dan proved to be Providential.

He realized quickly that he still needed to recover from the surgery as it is easy to over-do things. During that time he was able to get a FULL medical release from his doctor and return to work after only having two weeks off. He still had to take it easy.

During that 2nd week off, Dan got a call from PGE.

He's been trying to get hired by them for years. He sent yet another application to them a couple months ago. They finally called and said they were interested in him, when could he come in for a test? Well, he wasn't working at the moment so he went in and tested to see if he knew his stuff. The VERY NEXT DAY they called him again, he passed the test and they wanted to set up an interview. He interviewed a couple days later and we just heard yesterday that

THEY WANT TO HIRE HIM!!

We see all of this as God's perfect timing.

First, what seemed like a bummer of having to take time off, was really so Dan could rest longer, he was able to test with PGE and eventually interview, and we learned some wonderful financial and faith lessons.

The timing of this job is perfect because the one he is currently on will be ending soon. The Lord has provided work all along for Dan and so he would have had more work if God wanted him to, but this is a great time for the transition. He won't be leaving anyone high and dry to move into the PGE job.

Our God is so Good!

He should be starting in a couple weeks after PGE does paperwork.

(I forgot to mention that Dan's job with PGE will be as a Dam Maintenance Electrician on the Clackamas River out in Estacada. He loves that kind of work.)