Wizard of Oz Ballet 2010

Okay, I have some pictures that were not lost in the desktop computer, hooray! Last May, the girls danced in The Wizard of Oz for their end of the year ballet recital. Jozlyn was a bunny and a little witch. Haylie Jo was a little witch too. Unfortunately, the witch dance was at the end so I did not get pictures of Jozlyn and Haylie Jo in their witch costumes. I did get some professional pictures but I can't put them on the internet :(. Here are some pictures I did get.



This isn't the best picture but it shows all of Jozlyn's costume.


Josh and I waiting for the ballet to start. Josh looks awfully tired.

Good News and Bad News

So I haven't updated this blog in quite a while. We have just been super busy. What with work, Josh's internship, and the girls and all their stuff, sometimes it seems like I can't get anything done! So, the bad news is...our desktop computer crashed and it is probably the hard drive which means we might not be able to get our stuff off of it. To me that means....all of my pictures are gone. We still are not sure what is going to happen until we take it to someone who can help. I'm so happy I decided to start this blog. If all of my pictures are lost, I can still get pictures off of my blog.

On a lighter note, we have been having a super summer! I don't know about you but we have loved the cooler summer weather (minus the rain everyday). We had Josh's family come into town for the 4th of July and had a blast seeing all of those darling nieces and nephews of ours. We are planning to do some fun things together as a family now that Josh is done with his internship. Anyway, we are still here and doing great (minus the whole computer thing).

Katie Jo Berry is a Graduation Girl!

I DID IT!!! I ACTUALLY GRADUATED!!! Yes, yours truly officially has her Bachelors of Science in Psychology with an emphasis in Sociology. Oh, and did I mention that I graduated with high honors? Not to toot my own horn but...Beep b beep b beep! I look back on those long 5 years and think, "Phew, that was hard." It brings such deep satisfaction knowing how hard I have worked and to see the final product of my hard work. I know I could not have done it without Josh. There were so many times that he would watch the girls so I could get homework done or sleep. There were so many times I would come home to find the house sparkling clean with dinner waiting on the table. He had to put up with my high stress levels and my bad mood at times. He gave me a few priesthood blessings along the way. He encouraged me when so many others though I could not do it. And best of all....he still loves me after all this! Our family has also helped. I don't think there is a single family member living in Idaho Falls that hasn't helped us in some way. Now, I have to say that I have the best friends! Especially all you Rose Park ladies! I have to mention one friend in particular who has meant a lot to me, and that's you Marci Dimick! Marci served in Young Womens with me and I know I could not have fulfilled my calling without her constant help. She brought me pizza when life was crazy, she would loan me books when I needed a break from textbooks, she would drop by cards just to let me know she was thinking about me, she watched my kids for me when I was in a bind, and she did so many more things for me that I just can't write it all down. I hope I can return the favor someday. Of course I want to thank my Heavenly Father. He was with me from the beginning and will never leave me. When I finally realized I could not make my own way on this earth, I gave myself to him and let him mold me like clay. Though I am a work in progress, the work He has done with me is much finer and much more beautiful than if I would have tried to do it on my own.

Don't expect this to be the end for me. I am constantly trying to improve and reinvent myself. There will be more to come....

Here are some pics from my Graduation!

Coppelia

Jozlyn danced in Idaho Ballet Theatre's Coppelia in March. She was a tarantella girl and was part of the village scene. She even got to hold a tambourine and start out the show by dancing down the aisles in the audience! We were even more surprised when Aunt Sarah was here from Texas and could come and watch! Aunt Holly came too!

The girls on the way to the theatre.


Jozlyn and her bf Brooklyn in their Tarantella girl costumes


Jozlyn


Me and my Jozzy bear


Aunt Sarah and Jozzy


Jozlyn with Aunt Holly, Grandma Berry, Aunt Sarah, and Haylie Jo


...and my mom and myself :)


Daddy with his girlies


Grandma Sharon (my step-grandmother) and my girls


Grandma Sharon and Jozzy

Haylie Jo's 6th Birthday!

Haylie Jo Berry turned 6 years old on March 13th! I can't believe how fast time flies. It seems like just yesterday she was my little baby, chubby as can be. We had a very low key day on her birthday. It actually snowed which kept us indoors all day long. Haylie Jo wanted to go to Smitty's for breakfast so we packed up and met my dad and stepmom there. Then we took all of the kids to see The Princess and the Frog at the theatre. After that we pretty much just hung out around our house. My mom and stepdad, Mindy and Roudy, and Bill and Yvonne came over for cake and icecream. All in all a great day with family.

Jozlyn gave Haylie Jo a jumprope and a game called Bananagrams


My girlies hanging out at Smitty's


A dolly from Papa Joe and Grandma Mie


Playing with her dollies


Me with my favorite 6 year old in the whole entire world!


Haylie Jo and Daddy. There are a lot of times when I'll see them sitting side by side and think, "Holy cow they look alike!"


The crew


Grandma and Grandpa Berry with Haylie Jo


Grandma Gay Lyn and Papa Ray with Haylie Jo


Blowing out the candles

Holidays and Happy Days!

Okay, so this blog has been calling my name for quite a while. A little update. I started my new job at BHC and I LOVE IT! Tomorrow I'm turned loose to work on my own and I'm excited to finally be official. Yes, I'm working 40 hours per week which is tough while I'm still in school but it's worth it. I would rather work and go to school together for 1 month, than look for a job and be unemployed all summer. I graduate in exactly 1 month from tomorrow! Same old, same old with the family. I can't believe how much time flies! Well, here are some pics from the last month or so. Haylie Jo's birthday pics and Coppelia picks will be coming soon. Too many to fit in 1 post!

Easter dresses


My nephew Jaxon's baptism. My stepfather Ray baptized him. My father confirmed him. Josh and my father were the witnesses. My camera died after only 1 pic :(


Me and Josh all dressed up for our friend's Julie & Julia couples Valentine's dinner party.


Jozzy with her school Valentine's party goodies.


And Haylie Jo with hers too!

Simply HIRED!

Yes, I, Katie Berry, was offered a job today! Hip hip hooray! Last semester I began thinking about where I would like to work. I began looking for part time work from the beginning of January. Unfortunately, with no experience, still waiting for that bachelor's degree (due to come May 8th), and the sluggish economy, the process was very slow. I couldn't do PSR work until I earned my bachelor's, and frankly I wasn't sure if PSR was what I wanted to do anyway. Well, I started thinking about working in a hospital setting like State Hospital South or the Behavioral Health Center, part of EIRMC here in Idaho Falls. I tried to contact a few people in those settings, but both are kept secure, so secure that I had a hard time even talking to anyone but a receptionist. Bless my father who is so well-connected in the community. He talked to someone who gave me a direct phone number to someone I could talk to about job opportunities. One phone call, an application, another phone call, a 1 1/2 very in depth behavioral based interview, a weekend's wait and a combined process taking 3 weeks later = a job offer today! Thank goodness for my sweet Daddy (Yes, I still call him Daddy) who helps me and my family any way he possibly can. I must say I'm a little embarrassed that I have to rely on his help to get a job, but hey, I'm not above it. It's all about who you know and I'm so thankful that he knows virtually everyone in the neighboring states and in the medical community across the U.S. I'm fairly sure that Josh will also have to name drop a little bit after grad school to get the position he wants. Oh well, whatever to support our family.

I'll be working per diem at the Behavioral Health Center in IF. I was assured that I could work full-time hours as a per diem employee. I wanted to be considered a full-time employee, but they only hire their full-time and part-time employees from their per diem pool. Hopefully I'll be able to prove myself quickly and a full-time position will become available soon. I will also have opportunities to move up within BHC. Plus, this position will look awesome on my resume! Where would I get more diverse experience in the field of mental health? Oh, another plus... I will work 12 hour shifts which will be exhausting, but that means I'll get 3-4 days off per week.

So, a little update about our family. The last few posts I've done has seemed to be little on the pessimistic side. I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder and as such, from November until about April, the pessimist in me comes out full force. I've known I've had this since I was 15 and have never needed to go on medication. I do natural things like exercise, get outside even if it's cold, soak up as much sunlight as possible, keep myself busy and productive, and surround myself with people who love and support me. When I do these things I can maintain a healthy mood and avoid the drastic ups and downs associated with SADS. The last few years I've barely noticed the weather change at all...until this year. Taking online classes has allowed me much more time at home. This is a good thing but I do get lonely quite a bit. With the girls and Josh away at school all day long it makes for a very quiet house. Silent house + winter weather + loneliness = SADS returned. Well, if I can admit to myself what my problem is, then I can do things to change my situation. I've talked to Josh a lot, I text him at least 5 times a day. I've also talked to a few close friends about my situation. The most helpful thing I've done is to turn to my Heavenly Father. Well, I'm back to feeling better although my mood does change quite a bit. I don't feel bad about the last posts I've done. I was able to express the way I was feeling at that moment. I think we do a disservice to each other in covering up our problems. We can learn so much from each other when we are open and honest. This is what I'm hoping I've done for a few other people.

Okay, so family update. Haylie Jo's friend situation is not as bad as I made it seem. She doesn't really mind spending time alone, she just doesn't like it when kids are mean to her. Who can blame her? She is a unique little girl and as such, has a hard time finding friends with common interests. She does have friends, she just doesn't have a close friend. I have no doubt that her experiences are not damaging her in any way. She loves spending time with her cousins, who she considers her best friends. As they will be the ones who stick around for life, I should be thankful things are this way. Jozlyn is the same old lovable girly-girl. She has improved her grades from last trimester and worked hard to achieve her goals. She is performing in Coppelia in 2 weeks. Stay tuned for photos. Josh is busier than ever, but seems to have finally settled into his program. He doesn't seem nearly as stressed as last semester and expresses enthusiasm for his subject. Me, well I'm trucking along. Getting those last assignments done and looking forward to working. I'm definitely nervous about becoming the family bread winner. I do feel a weight on my shoulders. I'm just glad I have so much support from family and friends. So, I will try to make my posts more optimistic in the future. I will also purchase that singing fish to inspire me... "Don't worry. Be happy...."