big cedar 2022

i'm so sad to be back from a magical visit to one of our favorite places. visiting big cedar is one of the most beloved experiences we do as a family. the girls have precious memories from our years here, and it's always where they request to go summer after summer. it's beautiful, fun, not too far from home, and there's always an adventure to explore. for the first time this trip, we ventured into branson for dolly's stampede [lucy and betsy were chosen out of one-thousand audience members to participate in the chicken race!] and silver dollar city. we had a blast... and were also content to just stay on property at big cedar after this :) when eloise was 5, she and jon did this same trip to branson, so it was super fun to see her memories explode! charlie joined us for the first time this vacation, and it was the best! he was living his best life swimming at tablerock and being with his people somewhere new. we ate at some spectacular restaurants [osage, mountain top grill] with the most gorgeous views. we made s'mores and spent evenings on the porch swing. 

until next time...

and in the midst of packing, lucy had her first minitainer rehearsal and we got to swim with some of our faves. the taylors hosted us at their club for amazing food, drinks and company!

the sun is setting on this special summer.

xoxo, 

-ivy

summer is winding down, and school is revving up. the girls' uniforms and backpacks are ready, supplies are labeled and thankfully summer math books are finished. we've had a lot of slow days and unstructured hours, time with friends and reassessing goals for the coming school year. jon's company officially rebranded- a project that's long been in the works. monument healthcare development is a labor of love, commitment and creativity reflecting the whole team. it's been really fun to watch this growth in real-time :)

 we're excited to escape to one of our very favorite vacation spots, big cedar, next week to unplug as a family. 

and i'm including my entrance essay that i submitted this week. i've been trying to figure out what i want to be when i grow up. my undergraduate degree is in theatre, and i pretty quickly learned that that was not the lifestyle to fulfill my dreams. i earned my master's in education, and taught early childhood special education before the girls were born. but i truly fulfilled my heart's work when the girls were born and i was able to stay home and be with them 24/7. ...at the same time, i longed for the day that all 3 would be in school full-time, so i could have my days, and still be the one to drive them around to all the things and volunteer at school. and while i did love this past year with all the time in the world to check off my life's lists... i still feel like there's more for me to do here on this earth. i teach 2 year old ballet at the girls' studio, but really its very minimal and after years of teaching the program, it doesn't take much brain power as i easily slip into "teacher's autopilot." so after months of jon telling me he thinks this is what i'm meant to do... i've applied for a master's program in human lactation in order to sit for the international board certified lactation consultant exam. i hope to start classes this semester.

***

My goal is to have the certification and education needed to empower and educate moms who

desire to nurse their babies. I nursed my 3 girls for 6 years straight (through 2 pregnancies!),

and I’m passionate about helping others who are currently deep in the trenches. The hospital I

delivered our first daughter at did not provide a lactation consultant or the nursing support I so

desperately needed in my exhausted postpartum state, and I remember the helplessness and

extreme anxiety I experienced as I spent hours doing my own research to successfully nurse. I

had taken breastfeeding classes and read multiple books throughout my pregnancy, had all the

“right” pillows and equipment, and yet… I still struggled. I was determined to give my daughter

the gift of her mother’s milk, and if it weren’t for the continuous encouragement of the

network I was able to unlock, I never would have been able to meet these personal

breastfeeding goals. I hope to make the possibility of nursing much more attainable to and

enjoyable for mothers, especially in those early postpartum days that can, all too often, feel

dark and lonely.

One of my strengths as a person is the ability to be empathetic towards people of all different

backgrounds, histories, and cultures. I actively pursue works of authors and speakers of all

socioeconomic backgrounds to better understand the human experience. An additional

strength of mine is both written and verbal communication. I keep a blog for my family that I’ve

updated weekly for nearly 10 years. I use this as an outlet for creative writing, as well as

documenting our own family history. It’s fun to see the family blog books pile higher as the

years go on! I also believe that the key to successful verbal communication is listening. In truly

listening to another to hear, rather than listening to respond, a deeper communication level

and understanding of another’s perspective, joys, and struggles can be achieved.

My undergraduate degree is in theatre, and my graduate degree is in early childhood special

education. Before our daughters were born, I taught early childhood special education in a

hospital setting, where I often worked with feeding therapists and lactation consultants to

guide families of children with feeding difficulties feel empowered to take charge of their child’s

eating, whether it be latch concerns, sensory processing disorder, or food intolerances. After

many fulfilling years at home with our girls, I’m excited to dive back into the outside world for

more education, knowledge, and another degree! Given that my family lives in Kansas City, this

distance program would be a great fit for me. I’m self-motivated and organized, and a flexible

schedule will allow me to continue to fulfill my responsibilities to my family.

***

xoxo, 

-ivy