The Philipp Family

11/22/06

Tis the Season...

Sorry it has been so long since I last wrote in my journal. I don't like going to long with out writing, but for all those mothers out there, you know it can be difficult to keep up with the things that you enjoy doing for yourself. So this is the first time in a long while since I have written.

It's THANKSGIVING Time, and of course what do we do around the time of turkey time? We think about all the things we are thankful for. As well as Christopher Columbus and the Pilgrims and Indians. But this journal entry is going to focus on the thankful part!

This past year has been to say the least a whirl wind of events that have certainly kept me and my husband Scott on our toes. Have two small kids and a husband in residency has certainly been a lot to handle. From having Christian in the hospital to finding out Gabriel isn't eating solid foods or talking and having to have 20 + of Therapy, it's been overwhelming. There have been many tears shed and a lot of laughter also.

When the boys are well they are such a joy and so fun and entertaining. Especially now that Christian is his own little man. Talking up a storm, starting to really be independent of me. He started Preschool this October and come December we start Potty Training once again. Both Gabriel and Christian are super affectionate little boys who have just melted my heart every time they come up and give me hugs or say "I love you mommy".

I am thankful that we only have a YEAR AND A HALF LEFT of this Surgical Residency! It certainly has been interesting. At least from my perspective, the Health Care System has much to be desired and the way things are run, I can't even believe people get work done. But it certainly has opened my eyes wide to Surgical Profession that to me not only is profound but extremely worrisome. I mean, if you can avoid getting surgery done, your better off! I am thankful that Scott is getting the education that he needs and the ability to do a bunch of surgeries. He is an amazing Dr. and everyone whom I have spoken to as well as what Scott has told me, say, he is an extraordinary surgeon and not only do the patients love him, but his peers who are higher up in the food chain respect him. The nurses even, ok wait let me rephrase that, some of the nurse’s respect and work well with him.

Scott has come such a long way and has done tremendous work on top of dealing with a family at home and kids who need that extra attention. It certainly is a work in progress balancing Home life with Work life. But as the years go by, we are finally getting it!

And for me, I am thankful that I have lasted and survived this year! That I have learned a great deal, have grown in my own way, and have stayed strong in our relationship. I have been able to do a few things that make me happy like teaching myself web design independently as well as learning the jewelry craft and knitting scarves that people love and sweaters and teaching myself sewing! Eventually I would like to get into quilt making, but I feel that will be saved for when we end up moving and we have a house and the kids are a little older and at school.

I am thankful to our FAMILY! Especially the parents who have been there through thick and even thicker events in our lives. Who have felt our pain and our joy along side us, and who have been there and supported us, loved us, and just been a shoulder to cry on. Mom and Dad and Jacquie and Ray we certainly have much to be thankful for, in just having you in our lives! You guys have been our crutch to lean on in more ways than one, so thank you!

So all in all I have to say "It's a Wonderful Life". Sure there are a number of things I could complain about, but on the flip side, there are even more that I can be thankful for and happy about! A husband who loves and adores this family, who works hard and is doing what he loves; two beautiful, fun loving, individual boys who in their own have complete different but wonderful personalities, wonderful friends and family who have managed to make it though all this with us and support and love us. I could go on and on.

But this Thanksgiving, there is much to celebrate. Even if Scott is On Call! ;-)

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10/24/06

The Joy's Of Motherhood!

Ok so as I went to go pick up Christian from preschool, he had a little note in his cubby. School Pictures are going to be on November 1st. This being my first time having to deal with school stuff, I was excited. It's so exciting to see my little boy starting to grow up. School pictures, soon it will be sports, and then homework. Amazing how fast life can pass by! At almost the age of 3 we start the long tradition of school photos, all the way up to Senior Portraits. And so let it all begin. I even have to bake cookies for Christians Halloween Carnival on the 31st. I new from the very beginning I wanted to be apart of my kids growing up and I am very lucky to have that opportunity to be active in my childrens lives! It's a good feeling and I'm thankful that I'm able to be there! Even if I end up not only being the baker, but the taxi driver, the hostist, the sports mom, and even one of the mothers who go on field trips. I'm going to love doing all of that for my boys!

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10/08/06

Beyond Busy!

Well another week is about to begin and already I am exhausted. You know I always thought weekends were suppose to be a time to relax and take a break. I find myself even more busy during the weekends than during the week. It's like each evening I think to myself (on a regular basis now), where does the time go? I feel like I never ever have enough hours in the day to get what I need done. And at night, after the kids go to bed, I get my own time. But I'm to exhausted from such a busy day that my own time gets shorter and shorter. I use to be able to stay up till about midnight, and be ok in the mornings but I find we have more activities during the day and I'm chasing after two kids now instead of one. So my evenings, have been dwindling away. One day I'll get them back! But for now, I must accept that my life will never be boring and will certainly be filled with activities, and school, and work, and cleaning, and the list goes on and on.

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10/07/06

What to make of Adversity

What does on do when faced with adversity? So many people handle things differently. I guess really it depends on what kind of struggles come your way. Some may be big, some may be small, but it’s all in how you choose to handle things.

Our family has just been handed down a bit of adversity and with everything going on in our lives, we really didn’t need anymore. However, what is, is, so how are we to handle things. With out going into any detail of the adversity we actually are faced with, more importantly is how we will face it.

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09/28/06

Well I'm very happy to be writting this journal entry. It happened to me today. I was taking the boys to the grocery store (Von's to be exact, right near my home). It was about 3:00pm and the kids had been playing all day. Well as I was shopping, Christian was in the front of the cart in this little car that's build into the cart. Just a little something for him to sit and pretend driving in. And I had placed Gabriel in the front by me in his little seat. Ok well, as I was shopping Gabriel just totally passed out. Went completely asleep on me. So here I've got Gabriel completely asleep in the front stroller and I'm trying to shop. I didn't get much, because I wanted to get the boys home and in bed. Well I had gotten Gabriel out of the seat in into my arms. So here I am with grocery's in basket, Christian in the front, and Gabriel in my arms, trying to push this hug cart out to my car. Well as I was struggling to get out the front door a woman in line at Starbucks (yes they now have added starbucks in our grocery store), got out of line (which seemed like a line she was standing in for a while as the line went on a ways). She came over to me and offered to push the grocery cart out to my car so I could carry just Gabriel. And that's what she did. I was so thankful and so happy some one helped me (as most people would just watch me struggle by). She said she remembered having a child and understands how tough it was for her. She stayed with my while I got the kids in the car (so the cart wouldn't roll away), and she went back into the store.

That really made my day. Just some random person going out of there way to help me. I reminds me that there is still good in the world today! So please everyone, take the time to help another person out who is just trying to get through life in this crazy world of ours. It doesn't take much to make someones day. It takes so litlte to not only make their day a little better but it sure makes you feel great to do some good as well!

There are those moments in life that you just have to sit back and smile over the innocence your children have. So here I go. Christian had just taken a bath and we were getting him ready for bed. He got his pants and shirt on. He kept lifting up his shirt saying "Belly Button". Franticly looking, he was saying "where are you belly button". He actually had a scared look on his face. Not knowing, his belly button was hidden by his diaper that was covering it up. Finally when I showed him he still had a belly button, complete relief came over him and he just smiled and laughed and said "there's my belly button". How cute was that. He truly in that moment thought he lost his belly button. So cute.

So I was watching this movie "You've Got Mail" and I was thinking to myself, I love that movie. I totally love that movie. You know there are movies that you could watch over and over again and never get tired of them. Well that is one movie that I will never get tired of. The other movie that I just love and could never get tired of is "Sabrina" the newer version with Harrison Ford in it. I just love that movie! Everything about it I just love. Those kinds of movies always put me in such a great mood. No matter what kind of day, how good or bad it was, I always feel good after those movies! Then I was thinking, how everything around you defines who you are.

I mean if you think about, the people you hang out with, the cloths you wear, the style you have, the look of your home, the way your kids are and family life is. All of that is apart of you and you are apart of it. Sure you hang out with people who have different personalities and are different type of people but there is that one common thread that brings the two together

I was thinking about this with my kids in relationship to where we want to live and how we want to raise them and where we want them to grow up, what kind of life experiences we want and hope that they get and have.

My favorite season is coming...FALL! My favorite holidays are coming also; Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years.

People who just don't get it!!!! Ok so this entry is a tough one. I've been dealing with some people who "JUST DON’T GET IT". I mean I'm sure they are very smart people, and clearly they must have something to place them in the position that they are in. But seriously why? Why when people make mistakes, don't they just own up to them and correct them; instead of digging themselves into deeper wholes. I've been there I've done that, and I learned from it. But some people just keep on. I just don't get it. Not only is it viewed poorly on your character as a person but it affects other people’s lives. Now, I know everyone is human and we all make mistakes and there are times when we keep making the same mistakes over and over. I just hope that one of those times, it will just click and all of a sudden people stop making those same mistakes. One can only wish right!

All I have to say to this is: Try not to ever land in the hospital and if you do, make you’re completely covered by your insurance company and make sure your family is covered. The sleepless nights, the aggravation, the frustration IS JUST NOT WORTH IT!

Running errands takes on a whole new meaning when you have two kids with you. I mean what could have taken me a half hour, takes me over 3 hours. Kids in and out of the car, keeping them from getting into everything. Just another fun aspect of motherhood. Boy, I have to give high marks to my mom and Scott's mom for running the household and haveing all the kids they had to take care of. It certainly makes me appreciate them more! It's funny, it isn't until you have kids that you really begin to appreciate your parents (both mom and dad). And then you wonder how in the world did they do it? I just wanted to say in this journal entry, how appreciative I am, of all parents! One of those funny things. Parenthood, a wonderful struggle!

Well Scott's on call tonight and I'm sitting here in front of the computer trying to finish out this website so I can get it up and running. It's been so crazy trying to get any work done. Scott and I are both under a great deal of stress and it's taking its toll on us not only mentally but physically as some of you know. (Scott being in the hospital)
Surgical Residency IS as tough as it sounds! All the way around, it's tough, especially if there is a family involved. It's certainly not easy or even moderately easy. It's just flat out tough, emotionally, physically, financially, everything!
We keep telling ourselves that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but even tough were half way through, the light is still very far off! The good thing is on the up side. We are more than half way through this residency. And the we get to look forward to 2 years of Plastic Fellowship which is just as difficult, if not more so. But it will be in a new place and the kids will be older and we can start resembling some sort of stable life.
I have to say though, we could have never have gotten as far as we have with out the support of our family and friends along the way! They have suffered and gone through this residency with us to some degree also! So I have to say THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS SUPPORTED US AND HELPED US AND WORKED WITH US EVEN NOW!