bridal veil falls

My photography class went on a group photo shoot to Bridal Veil Falls last week to experiment with tripods and flash compensation.  It was so FREEZING!!!  But it was also GORGEOUS and FUN!  I've never been there before, but always wanted to.  Now I can't wait to take my family back!

Photo Tip: this photo was taken on a tripod with a slow (2.5 seconds) shutter speed.  That way, the landscape is clear but the water is in motion, creating  misty effect.  :)

baby #4 update

Are you wondering how Monday went?

Monday we went in for our IUD ultrasound.  The doctor was going to check the position of the IUD and pull it if it was in a good position.  Then, the waiting game would begin.  Apparently, sometimes the IUD pull can cause a miscarriage, but leaving it in has the same risk throughout the pregnancy instead of just after "the pull".

Well, the IUD was halfway out, so we were able to pull it.  :)  (Man alive, that hurt SO SO bad.)  The doctor said that the IUDs usually drift to the edge of the uterus somewhere, to make room for baby.  Ours was luckily in perfect position to come out.  I got terrible cramps (felt like labor) that concerned us for a little while, but they only lasted for a few hours.

Fast forward to now....I am still pregnant!  Hooray!

Now, things are starting to sink in.  Wes and I have already had a lot of talks about what we want with this birth (meaning what we feel is the right birth for us - mainly me and the baby) and how we feel about our options.  Since I have had three previous, healthy pregnancies and births, we've decided to try something different this time and go to a birthing center with a midwife.

I know many people are skeptical of this type of birth.  There's probably nothing I could do or say to change that for you, so I'm not going to try.  I personally feel that there is a very strong spiritual connection between mother, baby, and God from the get-go, and so far, no matter what I do, think, or say, I simply cannot feel comfortable (or even visualize) giving birth with this baby in a hospital.  I do feel that part of that comes from my baby and from the Lord.  Heavenly Father guides me every single moment of my mothering....why wouldn't he guide me from the minute I am a mother?

The first time I had a baby was a terrifying, horrific experience. It literally took me months and months to feel even somewhat normal again.  I pretty much gave birth naturally other than my 15-minute epidural, and didn't even get to see of hold my little Kolton for over four hours.  Not to mention the fact that I had to push for nearly three hours, had a grade 4 episiotomy, all the while being threatened nearly every contraction that if I didn't push this baby out soon, then I would be having a C-section.  Many, many things went differently than we had requested....I ended up leaving that hospital the next day despite how awful I felt because of how terrible it was for me in that hospital.  Once I was home, I started showing symptoms of MRSA virus (which I believe I picked up at the hospital)....the doctor didn't know what to do and ended up giving me instruction that led to the virus spreading and becoming as painful as labor had been.  I am SO grateful that the first birth for me was the worst....it has progressively gotten better since then for sure.

The second time around, we were in Utah (thank goodness!) and I had a much better doctor and hospital staff.  Because of how painful my first experience was, it took me until I was dilated to an 8 1/2 before I could be convinced by my mother that I was truly in labor and needed to go to the hospital.  Once there, I received a spinal block (since the epidural wasn't fast enough) and pushed Micah out in just two contractions.  I was happy with how things went during the birth - it was after that became frustrating.  The nurses kept making up excuses to take Micah away and then they wouldn't give him back for hours and hours.  Once they even gave him a bottle against my wished because his blood sugar was low...he hadn't nursed in over four hours because they'd had him.  I was not happy about that at all. (He had TONS of hair and I finally learned that they'd been making excuses to take him and play with his hair.  Although I can appreciate someone enjoying my baby's cuteness, I was the one who had carried him the past nine months and I wanted to hold him and play with him!)  The nurses also kind of treated me (me, the woman married to a pharmacist who has to TWIST MY ARM to get me to take any medications) like a drug addict, and despite the fact that I was told by my doctor to get into the bathtub as soon as I could after birth to promote healing, they never ended up letting me get in the bath once.  Not deal breaker issues, but they still affected things that were important to me - namely my bonding time with baby and my healing.  Also, I ended up with a terrible backache from the spinal that lasted for months afterward. (It makes me cringe just thinking about it.)

This last time I decided despite wild contradicting from my doctor, that I wanted to give birth naturally, without an epidural.  Wes and I took a hypnobirthing class and made a birth plan and shared it with our doctor, who agreed to honor it - all while telling me he didn't believe I would be able to do it.  We brought it to the hospital with a treat before I had baby Jonah, and talked to our pediatrician and the nursery staff at the hospital.  Everyone promised our wishes would be honored.  But, once we showed up and I was dilated to a 5, everything changed.  I was given an IV (which I'd been told I wouldn't have to have), I wasn't allowed in the tub (which I had been promised), the fetal monitoring I had was different than what was promised, and restricted me to one position on the hospital bed.  The lights weren't dimmed....my room was Grand Central Station!  I was told I would be left alone other than an occasional check or if something indicated intervention was necessary.  I was given pitocin against my wishes - despite the fact that I've never need it because my labors are generally pretty fast - and despite the fact that I was only there for an hour-and-a-half before I delivered.  After the birth, Jonah was whisked away to receive a bath we were promised Wes would be giving him after we'd been able to have skin-to-skin bonding time for two hours with the exception of a quick checkup.  The cord was clamped immediately after birth despite promises from our doctor that he would wait five minutes before clamping.  After that, we weren't able to see Jonah for five hours because "his body temperature was too low" and "his blood sugar was low"....duh.  When you give a five minute old baby a bath and then don't wrap him in a blanket and out a hat on him don't let his mother feed him, what do you expect to happen?  Then, once again I am treated like a Percocet and ice pack junkie and I am told that I am overdoing it.  Plus, every time they took our baby, he wasn't returned until hours later after we'd show up at the nursery and insist to have him back.  How come it is so hard for some nurses to understand that a health newborn belongs with his mother and needs to nurse often?!  Why are we collection babies for the doctor to examine before he's even there?

So this time, we've decided that the only way to ensure we get the best for me and our baby is to try something different.  I've had three healthy pregnancies and births, and so far am a low-risk mother.  Why not deliver somewhere that takes only five women a month to ensure she knows them well enough to know what they need during birth?  Why not be in a comfortable, respectful, nurturing environment where I am allowed to be in my element and get into comfortable birthing positions.  Why not be somewhere where birth is treated as a natural, beautiful process rather than a medical emergency?

I had my doubts at first, especially considering the last time and how I had attempted a natural birth but ended up with an epidural.  Our midwife says that 97% of women who go into the hospital planning on a natural, drug-free birth end up getting pain relief.  I'm guessing because she is uncomfortable with the situation, not knowing how to make sure her wishes are respected without being demanding, and because she is in more pain from the pitocin she was given against her will and being forced to lay on a bed...that's how I felt.  And I felt so good after my third that I credit it to the hypnobirthing I did do, and my desire to be as drug-free and rested as possible afterwards.  Our midwife she thinks I can do natural birth easily since I know what I am doing by now and have made it to an 8 1/2 twice (Micah and Jonah) without an epidural.  That little comment, along with strong affirmations and encouragement from Wes and my best friend, Celest, was really the tip of the iceberg for me.  Funny thing is, now I feel as strongly about it as they did.  I feel totally and completely at peace with my decision so far.  I am excited and feeling very positive about our impending birth experience - as well as very grateful we have ample time to prepare.

I am planning on feeding my body the very best foods...I have double my green smoothie intake and decreased my intake of sweets.  I have big plans for yoga, kettlebells, and relaxation practice. (Just digging up my old prenatal workout DVDs.) I am already delving into all kinds of books and movies (and YouTube videos) on natural childbirth and hypnobirthing in particular.I think I am going to enjoy completely - mentally, physically, and emotionally preparing for the big day.  I know my baby and I will both be strong and resilient because I will be taking care of myself to the very best of my ability.

So, wish us luck on this new and exciting journey.  Feel free to share your positive birth experiences with us...we'd love to hear them!  Also, if you have any resources you know of that you think we might enjoy and benefit from, let us know.  And for now, here's to a leap of faith!

cecret lake

We went on a hike for FHE with Wes' parents and younger sisters last week.  It was so nice and relaxing to be up in the mountains.  I did bring my camera, but gosh darn it the battery died 5 minutes in.  Luckily, I did get a few pictures.

Here is Jonah on his first hike:

 The boys were delighted with the whole thing (it was actually Kolton's idea and he'd been begging Grandpa to take him to "Cecret Lake" for weeks) and practically ran the whole way up.

My cute Kolton stopped just long enough for me to have one attempt at a picture.  :)

Micah kept picking and smelling the wildflowers, and then giving them to me.  He is such a little sweetheart.

I love the red leaves...not the best picture, I know, but it was the only one I managed to get before my camera went kaput.

I love the Cecret Lake hike because the scenery is always breathtaking, and it's a pretty mellow, short hike.  Isn't it beautiful?

look what jack caught!

The other day, our cat, Jack. came racing home with something in his mouth.

He's had a lot of fun with several of these little "somethings" since we moved here.

I think I'm going to work a little harder at making sure my front door doesn't stay open for too long when we go outside....can you imagine having a visitor like this in your house?! 

Hopefully Jack (or Whiskers) figure out soon how to inflict a "death blow" on these things instead of just bringing them home to play with them.

cowboy

Kolton has sure blown us away with his horseback riding lessons.  He pushes himself to do things that he thinks are scary, and in turn he's really developed some serious skills and know-how.  I sometimes wonder if he will lose interest, but every time we leave his lesson he just talks about how much he loves it.  We might have a little cowboy on our hands.  :)  I'm so proud of him.

Here are a couple videos of his third lesson back in the beginning of July.  He's much better at trotting now....he can even post, and ride a horse at a trot without stirrups!  He didn't used to like riding at a trot, and now he loves it and always wants to know when that part of his lesson is going to start.  Anyway, here he is during his first ever trot:

Way to go, buddy!

blue or pink?

These were definitely as yummy as they look!  Added bonus:  These bad boys were HUGE!  I seriously couldn't eat half of mine. 

You can't really tell from this picture, but these cupcakes are blue and pink......

.....want to guess why?

If the suspense is killing you, you can find the reason in these videos:

Yes, we are expecting baby #4!  Surprise to us!  I still have my IUD in....I guess this little one couldn't wait another minute to join our family.  We are delighted!

I am already getting sick, tired, spacey, tired, sick, having weird dreams, tired, sick, and the rest of the typical pregnancy symptoms.  :)  I'm grateful though....even though it stinks to feel yucky, it makes me feel as if everything is okay.

I find out on Monday whether or not the baby is in a position to take the IUD out (which would be a VERY good thing).  If it is, they will pull it out on the stop and we will cross our fingers....we should know in a day or two that everything's fine.

Keep our little baby in your prayers and cross your fingers for us.  Ready or not, here he/she comes!

photography basics: shutter speed

Back in high school I took a photography class and I LOVED it.  I took every single semester I could.  I took AP photography.  I wasn't fabulous, but I was learning at a good speed, and I really enjoyed photography.

Then I graduated and no longer had what I needed accessible to me (I was using an old-school D.I. antique camera and black and white film which I developed myself.  I also developed the pictures myself in the darkroom at school.).  I still snapped pictures every now and then, but it go frustrating because I had so little control during processing.  I finally gave up.

The digital photography came out and I got excited.  But all I got the guts to buy was a point-and-shoot camera....the cheapest I could find.  I often found myself frustrated because I couldn't control any of the settings, not to mention the slow shutter speed drove me nuts.  I always seemed to be just after the moment I was shooting!  Again, I gave up.

Fast forward to my getting sick.  I finally realized that I needed to do a few things I enjoyed just to keep myself sane and healthy.  When we got our tax return this year, I ran out to Costco and bought myself a DSLR camera on sale.  Finally a good camera with all the settings.  Back in business!

The only problem was, that I was rusty.  And I hadn't learned about things like ISO, white balance, etc. from my black-and-white-film photography classes.  I googled and read blogs and figured quite a bit out on my own.  I talked to my dad a lot (he's a great photographer).  I finally took the plunge and took a lesson from a camera shop.  Suddenly, I understood more and enjoyed taking pictures and experimenting more and more.  I started to improve a little.  But I felt like I lacked the knowledge, feedback, and motivation I needed to improve more.

Then I got a continuing education pamphlet in the mail from a local college and noticed they offered photography classes.  I knew I needed to jump in.  I knew it would get me in the "artsy-fartsy" frame of mind again, have deadlines to learning things, interaction and feedback from peers and a teacher, and further instruction on using a DSLR camera.  I vacillated which class to do - beginning or intermediate - but finally decided on beginning because I figured that I could always learn something and even if I sat through most of the class bored, it would hopefully wake my brain up to art again.  Added bonus:  my mom jumped in to take the class too.

My first class was last week.  It was mostly like photography kindergarten, but I did learn a couple things.  I learned that I can use a manual focus on my camera.  I didn't know that, and I was delighted to find out about it.  I learned about sensors in my camera and the different automatic sensors in my camera.  All in all, a little boring, but still a lot of fun.

Most of the class was about shutter speed.  I thought I'd share a little bit since there might be someone out there reading this blog that may benefit from me sharing. 

The shutter of the camera is a little curtain that moves to let light in every time you snap a picture.  The speed at which the shutter opens and closes affects how much light comes into a picture, and also how clear the picture is.  The faster the shutter speed, the less light is let in, and also the sharper the picture is (generally speaking).  Pictures with a fast shutter speed set to freeze a fast moment is called "stop-action".  The setting generally ranges from 1/100-1/8000 (that measurement being fractions of a second.) Sports, kids, moving objects that you want to freeze a clear picture of are taken at stop-action speed.  Pictures like this:


I know this picture breaks the "rule of thirds", but I laughed out loud when I saw it, so I decided I preferred it to my alternative anyway.  Rules of art are more like guidelines anyway, right?

The next thing a shutter speed can be used for is to "show-action", such as water running on a mountainside....like this:

My least favorite of the shots I had to turn in, but my camera battery ran out a few minutes after I arrived, so I had very limited options.  I am anxious to fiddle around with this a little more later.  With a still place (or tripod) to put my camera, and a full battery.   I still enjoyed taking it though.  :)

For that kind of a shutter speed, you will need either a flat surface to put your camera, or a tripod, because you have to leave the shutter open as long as possible (therefore the motion of the water continues to be captured and runs together, while the stillness of the surroundings are also captured.).  This shutter speed was 2.5 seconds (the longest I could leave it open with my camera's settings.)

The last type of picture you can take focusing on shutter speed is a "moving picture".  In this type of picture, you set a slightly slower-than-normal shutter speed (fast enough to get a clear picture, but slow enough that your movement will affect the shot) and follow your subject after you have taken the picture.  This shutter speed would generally be from 1/30-1/60 of a second, but it would also vary with the time of day.  This results in a clear (or somewhat clear) photo of your subject, while making the environment around it show the movement, like this:


These photos are the ones I just emailed my teacher for my first assignment.  I had this great plan to get my horse running as the last "moving picture", but I ran out of time.  I think the alternative is pretty cute though, and I'm sure I'll be able to squeeze Rocky into another picture.  :)

Good luck with your picture taking!  I hope you were able to understand what I was trying to explain, and the you have a chance to play around a little with shutter speed.  It's really fun!

beauty

Awhile ago, when Wes was taking apart our swingset to take it to our new house, I went to bring him lunch and saw this:

I'm sure the deer drive the people around there crazy, but I thought they were beautiful.  :)

what? is something on my face?

first day of school

I can't believe two of my babies are ready for school!  Kolton started kindergarten about two weeks ago.  Micah started this past week.  Here are a few pictures from the momentous days:

My big boy on his first day of kindergarten.

 He decided he wanted to ride his bike to school on the first day (he normally rides the bus)....

 ....with these two!  They were all so cute and excited!  It was the perfect morning for a bike ride.  :)

 Here they are outside the door of the school.  They lucked out and all landed in the same class!

 It's hard to believe these two used to fight like cats and dogs.  They are such good buddies now.

 The three supporters:

 Now, here is Micah on his first day.  A little less momentous, but he was excited nonetheless.  I'm so glad we found a two-day-a-week preschool....I don't think I'm ready to let him go any longer.

Starting school has been so bittersweet for me.  It's a hard slap-in-the-face reminder of how quickly my boys are growing.  I cried on every first.  First day, first bus drop off, etc.  I still find myself a little misty-eyed every so often.

But, at the same time, I am LOVING this new phase.  I have enjoyed watching my little boys' personalities evolve and blossom.  They love school and come home so excited to tell me about their day.  (Oh, how I wish I could spy on them when they're not home with me!)  I really love being able to be here when they get home and really listen to the happenings.  I love my boys and my heart just fills to the brim with gratitude and love for them every day.  I am a lucky, lucky mommy. 

happenings lately

I don't even know where to start with all the blogging I am behind, so I thought I'd just do a quick update on what's going on now, then post what's going on currently, and knock out some posts of past things from my Mind Organization blog list.  I don't think it should take me too long to get back into the groove of things.  :)  Plus, I notice a huge difference in my life when I'm writing...my mind is more clear and I am happier.  It's something I really enjoy and do to clear my head.

Lately, I feel like more and more change has been spilling out into our lives - and so quickly - that it's been hard to keep up!  But all of these changes have been good changes, and over and over I am completely overwhelmed with gratitude for the many, many blessings we have.  Every time I get excited about this or that new thing in our lives, from a nice, big yard to kids starting school to new opportunities, it feels like something else new and good comes pouring out.  It's been HARD to keep up with, but so, so good.

Lately:
-Kolton, my first baby boy, started kindergarten last week!  He LOVES it, and I am loving this new phase of walking to the bus stop together, talking about what happened at school, stealing some time away with my two younger boys, and watching Kolton learning and growing so much.  It's been a little bittersweet because I've realized that my baby really is that big, and that time with my kids is so, so fleeting and I need to soak up every moment, but entering this new phase of "school-aged children" is really fun and full of enthusiasm and discovery and blossoming into a new person.  I can't wait to see what this boy does next!
-Micah, my second boy, started preschool this week!  After much deliberation and literally going back and forth with 2-day home preschool and the elementary school's 4-day preschool, Wes and I decided that two days would be plenty of time for Micah and that we would be able to get some time alone with him when he was here and Kolton wasn't.  I had my doubts about that decision at first, especially when Micah was asking for Kolton, and putting his backpack on wanting to go to school too, but now that we've gotten through his first week too, I think we all agree that we did the right thing.  Micah loves his preschool and has a blast there, but he is also enjoying some special time all to himself at home with us.  I love this boy and can't believe he is growing so big!  I am glad to keep him by baby just a little longer.
-Jonah has found his voice!  Man alive, that kids can SCREAM.  He screams then he wants food, he screams when he's tired, he screams when he wants a drink, he screams for toys and rides on the Powerwheels, etc.  We all keep signing and saying everything hoping he will find some other way to communicate what he wants.  In the meantime, we are all learning to be a little (and sometimes a lot) more tolerant.  :)  I can't believe this boy is growing so big either to be at this stage where he's starting to gain independence and opinions.  He's such a little cutie and we love him to pieces - even when he hurts our ears.
-Wes and I are having a blast with Rocky's training.  Our riding instructor/trainer and the stable manager both like this guy and have taught us some things to do with our horse to build trust.  So far, this experience has been amazing - I can't even describe it.  It's an amazing feeling to realize that this big, powerful 1,000-pound animal is looking to you for protection and guidance.  It's a human-animal connection on a whole new level and I love it.  And Rocky is a sweet, quiet horse.  He's bonded to me so quickly that people are actually impressed.  I feel lucky to have such a good boy to start this horse thing with.  We are going to have many years of good memories with him.  He's been so loved on already and has enjoyed every minute.  I can't wait to get permission to get back in the saddle with him (it's been recommended to us to stay off his back until this "groundwork" is done first).  I love the quiet moments I have at the stable with him when it's just the two of us and I can clear my mind of all the things bothering me, the things I have to get done, the constant interruptions of life, and just be outside in nature with beautiful animals and enjoy being in the moment.  It's good for the soul.  This experience has definitely been a healing one for me.
-Wes and I are excited to attend an upcoming parenting retreat.  It feels like perfect timing with all the changes going on in our lives.  We are excited to steal away some time alone to focus on our family and where we want to be. 
-I have signed up for a photography class!  I am excited to gain some skills and learn about taking better pictures.  It's been fun to finally start to develop myself as "the person inside the mom".  It's interesting how when I focus a little on myself and make the arrangements and sacrifices I need to do so, mothering becomes easier - it's easier to slow down a little and much easier to be patient when the kids are wearing on me a little.  It's actually weird to be in a phase for awhile (no nursing baby in tow, no preggo body, kids in school) where I feel like I have a little of my own independence.  I want to take advantage of it while it's here.  I'm sure that there are going to be more times where I have to let things like photography classes go, but I am going to enjoy it while it's here and embrace this phase for awhile.  :)
-Wes' brother, Bryan, got engaged and man alive are we ever excited about our new sister in law, Anna.  Anna is a total sweetheart and I am looking forward to having her as a part of our family.  I admire and look up to her so much, and we have so much fun with her.  She is the perfect girl for Bryan and they make a darling pair!
-Wes has become a yard rat lately.  I love it!  It's so fun to see him excited about the yard and taking care of the lawn.  He had a blast getting the swingset up (it's still needing a little work - just staining) and did a fabulous job.  He's been edging our 1/2-acre lawn the past couple days and he says the new trimmer/edger is like a new toy.  I'm excited to get unpacked and settled enough to dig in the dirt.  :)
-We are currently looking for a new housecleaner.  In the meantime, I have taken on the extra cleaning time.  It takes a long time to clean with the kids around, but I am actually enjoying it a lot.  I'm thinking about saving us the money for awhile and doing it myself every week.  Wes thinks I'm crazy though and says my time is better spent doing other things and that I will still be cleaning all the time even with a housecleaner coming twice a month.  Who knows?  For now, I'm not stressing about finding anyone new.  I'm just enjoying my own new toy.  I love cleaning products that keep things clean and sanitary in a safe, simple way.  This mop has been fabulous to use - especially since we have so much tile flooring to take care of in this house.  I am sooo glad I don't have to scrub the floor on my hands and knees every week!
-I've also picked up my own version of Flylady again.  I do lots of things the same and lots of things different.  But I love the philosophy of "Housework done incorrectly still blesses your house."  Doing what I can, when I can, really does make a huge difference.  And I think that philosophy can spill out into pretty much every area of life.  Toss the guilt and catch the joy, people!  It's a very empowering, freeing thing.  :)  Thanks for reminding me, Flylady.
-We are back on green smoothies over here and going strong.  I am thinking about eating only smoothies for a few days to clean myself out.  ;)  Seriously though, I am so grateful to be drinking them once again, and I feel so much better when I do.  Just in time too.  I've gained three pounds with this move and I'm ready to banish them NOW!  I shouldn't even have to think about it between the smoothies and the more active lifestyle we are all leading now.  :)  Maybe the last 10 pounds will melt off while I'm at it.
-I am back eating gluten in full swing for now.  (Part of the weight gain came from my sudden need to treat myself to every gluten treat I hadn't had - cake, cookies, bread, pizza, etc.)  At first, I had a hard time with it, but now, I feel okay.  I'm anxious to see some blood tests and see if it made a difference and where I'm at healthwise.  I wanted to settle into our routine here first though.
-My mom, sister, and I went to Swiss Days last week.  We had a total blast.  I got the cutest skirt, my traditional handmade holiday doll (this time it was a witch), some blankets and snugglies for Jonah, bows and arrows for the boys, some yummy potpourri, a beanie for my best friend's new baby, and one of these guys.  I look forward to Swiss Days all year every year and this year definitely did not disappoint.  I was sad my candle lady wasn't there, but hopeful she will be there next year.  I also added a couple things to my wishlist.  They had darling hospital gowns for expectant mothers, and a perfect wall calendar that I would have bought there, but I wasn't sure where I would put it here.  The weather was absolutely perfect.  The food was delicious as always.  All in all, it was a good year.

I feel so blessed and grateful for the many good things we have in our lives.  Change for us has been so, so good!

did you miss me?

We are finally, FINALLY up and running in the internet department! 

We have had some glitches - with internet and with the house - that have just kept me a little too over the edge with school starting this week and continuing the unpacking and just all the "busy work" that changes entail.  But we are feeling fantastic!  SO glad to be where we are, and enjoying every minute in our new home, yard, neighborhood, etc. 

It's amazing to me how much happier we all are, how much more freedom we feel like we have, and how much easier it is to stop and enjoy life.  Although it's been way more work and taken much longer to settle than anticipated, moving has truly been one of our best "moves" so far!  ;)

I'm itching to do updates.  I have a long list of posts I want to put up.  I'd love to run down a list of the things we have been up to.  But tonight, I will have to call this good and know that we finally are good in the computer department, so blogging can be part of my life again.  Hooray!

Thanks to all who have kept checking on me...I promise I will be able to give you something fun to read and look at soon and often! 

Hugs for now!  Xo, 
Meg