Well, if this blog is going to be an accurate record of the life and times of the Bashaw family, it's got to be a record of the hard times too, right? As anyone who follows this blog probably already knows, Jason was laid off from Red Prairie two and a half weeks ago, right before Memorial Day weekend. The company is doing some major corporate restructuring, and part of that included eliminating the resource management program and thus Jason's position. While Jason knew that something big was brewing within the organization of the company, I don't think he really anticipated this happening. This was a very low blow to our family, particularly with me only working 20 hrs/week since moving to Wisconsin. It is a very scary time for us, but Jason and I are very confident that we will persevere through this and come out stronger as a couple and a family on the other side. We are certain it will lead him to new career experiences and hopefully a much improved work-life balance. It's also solidly reinforced that we made the right decision to forego many "indulgences" over the last 5.5 years and save that money instead. And quite honestly, this is probably somewhat of a blessing in disguise. While it is true that many, probably even MOST, professional jobs in the business world these days are not 40-hour-a-week jobs, Jason has routinely worked 55-65 hour weeks for the past 17 months without the financial or professional praise rewards of which he was so deserving. He has poured blood, sweat, tears, and sleepless nights into this position and while he has admittedly gained some good experiences from his time there, the stress and long hours over time would NOT have been able to be maintained indefinitely without causing detriment to his health and/or his relationships with his wife and daughter. So we are finding the silver lining amongst this big storm cloud and hanging on to the outlook that, as my Dad always says, "this too shall pass." Hopefully sooner rather than later! We feel blessed to have each other and to have the most amazing child that either of us ever could have imagined. We feel fortunate to have the love and support of our family and friends. We will survive!
Onwards to happier news... We've had some great times w/ our siblings and nieces/nephews as of late! Adam, Rochelle, and Kaden (and LJ) were in town visiting over Memorial Day weekend. It was really nice to get to spend some quality time with them and to be able to celebrate Kaden's 7th birthday with her. I can scarcely believe she's 7! I remember meeting her for the first time when she was about 2.5. That adorable little toddler has grown into such a sweet, creative, and beautiful little girl, and we love her very very much. Here are some pics from their visit and Kaden's party.
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| Siblings and siblings-in-laws |
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| Miri and Kaden dancing |
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The birthday girl!
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This past weekend, the Thompson family came from Ohio to visit. It was wonderful to see them. We hadn't seen them since November, and it is amazing to see how much Desmond and Maggie have grown up in that time! Des is now 2.5 years old. He's such a great talker, a wonderfully sweet and compassionate little boy, and he just has the most fabulous joie de vivre! He is a ton of fun. Maggie is 7 months old now, and she is the happiest, most laid-back baby you can imagine. When we visited the Thompsons for a weekend shortly after Maggie was born, I heard her cry only once that weekend, and I only heard her cry once this weekend. Seriously, she is about as easygoing as they come! It was a fun weekend of parks, splashpad, and lots of fun cousin playtime. Here are just a few picture highlights.
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| Miri entertaining Maggie |
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| Miri and Des plotting their next adventure |
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| Splash-tastic times! |
As for Miss Miriam, she is growing like a weed-- physically and mentally. Some pants and shirts that fit her perfectly just a month or so again are getting too short, although she's still a skinny little thing. Her language has really exploded in about the past 1.5 to 2 months. Her vocabulary is easily over 200 words. I would say probably 80-90% of her utterances are 2 word phrases, and she's starting to have occasional 3 word phrases a couple times a day now too. She loves music and singing these days, and her favorite toys are her baby dolls. "Little Baby" and "Baby Sandie" (named after Miss Sandie, her beloved daycare teacher, who gave her the doll as a gift on her last day of daycare last week) have been going just about everywhere with her lately. She is such a little nurturer. If her babies cry, she holds them on her shoulder and bounces gently and shushes them. When they are tired, she tucks them in for "night-night" with their loveys and rubs their backs. She puts her babies in my lap with a book and asks me to read stories to them. Today she taught Baby Sandie how to play with her "whack-a-ball" toy and used Baby Sandie's hand to push the balls into the slots. It's really sweet to see her being a little mommy. I have no doubt that she is going to be an amazing mommy herself some day (hopefully not for at least a good 28 years or so though)! Miri also loves playing outside more than anything. Whether it's taking a bike/wagon/"beep beep" ride, blowing bubbles in the yard, playing at the playground, or splashing at the splashpad, she is a happy girl to be outdoors. She is such a tremendous joy and so much fun these days. I have never known much Scripture, but for Miri's baptism, my mom framed a picture of her in a religious frame that pretty much says it all: 1 Samuel 1:27 "For this child I have prayed, and the Lord has granted me my request."
