My Supports

I have a favorite quote that reads, "We may not have it all together, but together we have it all."-Author unknown.  This statement is absolutely true as it applies to my life... I am reminded daily of all the support that is given to me.  The greatest emotional support system I have is my wonderful family, most especially, my husband.  James has always been my biggest fan - and has worked hard to offer me the support needed to succeed in my career and as a wife and mother.  He is the type of man who just sees what needs to be done, and does it.  He supports me physically by helping with the housework, kid's homework, pays the bills, and offers me emotional support when I need it.  He makes me laugh, and is the one who gives me a reality check when I take things a little too seriously.  My children give me purpose and direction.  They are my greatest joy and blessing.  They remind me daily that no matter what - family is the most important thing in life!

My spirituality is also a huge emotional support.  I have a strong belief in God and in a loving Savior, Jesus Christ.  My testimony that They live and love me helps keep me humble and realize that we are all born on this Earth to lift and care for others.  We must support those around us. 

One of the practical supports that I rely on a daily basis is my cell phone.  I use it for waking up, entertainment, taking pictures, keeping track of everyone's schedule and appointments, and staying connected to family, work and friends.  I sometimes rely on it a little too much and feel almost naked if it isn't with me!  I am also a huge fan of the microwave!  I hate to cook, and think this invention is one of the greatest ever!!!  In fact, dishwashers and washers/dryers are pretty awesome too... they really make life easier and saves me tons of time!  :)

I was asked to share a challenge that I would imagine and the thoughts I would have with regards to supports I would want and need.  I don't need to imagine, because from Oct. 2009-Aug 2010, I actually had a year long journey with cancer, where I learned to rely on daily supports to function.  I am a very independent person, and having to admit that I couldn't do everything was a huge challenge for me.  I had eleven surgeries over the course of a year to remove a very rare dermis cancer from my forehead and endure difficult & painful facial reconstruction.  With many of the blood vessels being reconstructed and re-routed in my head, I had constant pain and pressure for months.  I would get massive migraines and dizziness if I lowered my head for too long or if there was any changes in air pressure (weird, but true!  Storms, head colds and changing altitudes still cause issues for me!).  I would finally start to feel better and gain my energy back from one surgery, only to have another one right after.  Many tasks I used to take for granted became a huge challenge for me.  For instance, my job requires me to use the computer for long periods of time (tilting my head down), yet after a very short while, I would feel too sick to continue.  The practical supports I received during this time were medication, wigs & hats (to hide the hair-loss and wounds), medical treatments, and comfort food (aka: ice-cream & chocolate.  Yes, I gained 30 pounds from not exercising and eating too much comfort food!)  My husband, children, friends and co-workers all eased my load and pitched in to help in tasks that suddenly became too burdensome to complete... cooking, cleaning, paying the bills, running kids to appointments, doing the paperwork at the office, etc...  Most of this was purely emotional support, but that is what I needed.  They all helped me to feel loved, beautiful (even without hair) and supported.  Eventually, the hair grew back, my scars faded, and my energy returned.  I now understand that the greatest support we can give someone is our time & attention, love, a smile, a hug, and encouragement.

My Connections to Play

My Connections to Play

"It is a happy talent to know how to play"-Ralph Waldo Emerson

I was blessed to grow up with a very care-free childhood, with parents who were loving and supportive of my play and development.  We didn't have a lot of money, so I don't remember having a lot of the latest toys and such, but I do remember spending countless hours in dramatic play with my older sister and friends, pretending we were moms and teachers.  We played house and school, taking turns in the various roles.  I remember my mom buying us an easy bake oven and we loved playing with it for hours!

“Play is the highest expression of human development in childhood, for it alone is the free expression of what is in a child’s soul.” Friedrich Froebel

My grandparents owned property in the mountains, and every summer we would go camping there.  I would spend hours playing in the woods with my siblings and cousins...fishing and wading in the stream, building log forts, and having pinecone wars.  We would make mud pies, climb trees, and invent scavenger hunts.  It was a very care-free time with no consideration to time or commitments.  My relationship with my cousins became very close because we had this time together every summer.

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw


I loved playing with Barbie dolls, and I remember asking for a Barbie Dream House for three consecutive Christmas'.  This house was expensive ($100 in the 80's), and a lot of money for my parents to spend on one gift, but I wanted it so badly, that they finally bought it for me.  My Dad and Mom stayed up late into the night on Christmas Eve, setting up this house so everything was perfect (it had a lot of parts to assemble and sticker decals to put in place).  When I walked into the living room on Christmas morning, the first thing I saw was that doll house.  I started to cry and couldn't believe that my Mom and Dad finally got me one!  I adored that doll house, and played with it many years (even into my pre-teenage years!).  When I got too old to play with it, I lovingly packed it away to save it for my own future daughter because it meant so much to me.  After having three boys, I finally got the chance to pass down this cherished childhood toy.  However, being the little sister of three older brothers, Jaymie much preferred more tom-boyish activities rather than dolls.  She never loved Barbies (nor pink or princesses dress-ups... much to her mother's dismay! Haha).  My doll house is now much loved by my sweet little 6 year old niece and she adores it as much as I did.  :)

Through my childhood play, I learned to be creative and act out the adult roles that I would later have in real life.  I watched others around me and the relationships and examples my role models created.  Often, these observations exhibited themselves in my play.  My friends and I would wander the neighborhood freely, sometimes even walking the mile or so to the gas station to buy treats.  I never felt unsafe in my neighborhood.  It saddens me to think that we live in such a different world today.  Although I live in a very safe place, I still keep very close supervision on my children by knowing who they are with and where they are at.  I try to also allow my children the freedom to choose what activities they participate in and do not pressure them to join a lot of extra-curricular activities.  We still go to the mountains every summer, and I take great joy in watching my children also have that care-free type of childhood as they build amazing forts, catch horned toads, and run "wild" with no caution to time or commitment.  Sometimes it takes these techno-generation children a few hours to remember how to play, but after a couple of days, they never want to come home!  :)

My Daughter, Jaymie (left) and my niece, Kimberlee

My Son, Brett - inspecting the playhouse the kids helped build

Horned toads - caught each summer!  The kids love to hold them, but will always put them back where they found them.  :)