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| This picture was taken about 2 months after I had it cut. It actually looks a lot longer here than when it was first cut. I NEVER not once have worn it down since it was cut. But it is much easier and quicker to do and cooler for the summer. |
Thursday, July 30, 2015
The long and the short of it
Ok sorry about the confusion about my hair. I only posted the before picture because I didn't take an after one because I don't like my hair short. But then I don't really like my hair. Well I mostly don't like the color. I mean really, am I blonde? Am I brown? Who knows!
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Tender Mercies
We received a tender mercy this week. We have been praying for it so hard and it is such a relief to have received it. We announced in February, I think it was, that we had paid off our unborn baby (babies) and that we had finished after 6 years paying off Quinns student loans (most of which was to pay for his broken arm in college) and we were debt free. We were so happy about it and it felt so good!
After the twins were 4 days old I ended up in the hospital due to an extremely rare liver condition called fatty liver of pregnancy (we have been planning on writing a post about that for a while, so I will get Quinn to write that soon). Anyway, I was so worried about the cost of going to the hospital. I have never been in the hospital for anything related to my health before so I had no idea what it would cost. I asked Quinn so many times if he had a clue how much this would cost us or if he knew how much our insurance would cover. He had no idea how much it would end up being. And of course it takes the hospital forever to send us a bill. While we waited I prayed so so so hard that we wouldn't have to go back into debt. But unless our portion of the bill was quite small we would be back in debt because we had just used our saving to get out of debt. We did get the doctors bills (I saw many Dr's) and those added up to a number of hundred dollars.
Well, we finally got the hospital bill. Keep in mind that I was only admitted into the hospital for about 12 hours. Our bill before insurance totaled about $15,000! I could have died. I can't even begin to express how ridiculous that is. I didn't' receive a single pill, medication, or treatment. The doctors didn't' even touch me! Ok, one doctor pressed on my liver to see if it was tender, but that's it. Luckily our insurance covered about $10,000, but that still left us with a $5,000 bill. I couldn't believe it. When I found out how much the bill was I was so frustrated at first. I was actually very angry that I had even ended up in the hospital. I immediately told Heavenly Father that the bill was so much more than we could afford but that we needed so much help still. I had no idea how but I told him we needed help not going back into debt. We continued to pray. I told the Lord that we had obeyed the prophets counsel and had gotten out of debt. I told him that had been a huge priority of ours our whole marriage. I told him that we needed to be blessed for it. We continued to pray, pray, pray.
After we received the bill Quinn called the hospital to get an itemized bill so we knew what we were being charged for. While on the phone with this lady, they were chatting and he happened to mention that we had just had twins. As they talked further (and this wasn't' something she was originally planning on telling him) she started asking him how many children he had and how much he made. Then she told him that this is hospital is actually part of a not-for-profit healthcare system and that there is paper work we can fill out to see if the hospital will excuse some of our bill as a form of charity. We gladly filled it out then waited and waited and waited AND waited. We were still praying so hard. Finally this week Quinn got a call from the hospital and they said if we empty our health savings account to pay what we can (no matter the amount) they will excuse 100% of our bill. HOLY MOLY the Lord answers prayers! We had about $170 left in our health savings account after paying for our twins and the doctors bills.
We firmly believe that this situation was yet another tender mercy to go along with all the other tender mercies we have received lately, especially with the birth of our twins. It is truly an answer to fervent prayer.
After the twins were 4 days old I ended up in the hospital due to an extremely rare liver condition called fatty liver of pregnancy (we have been planning on writing a post about that for a while, so I will get Quinn to write that soon). Anyway, I was so worried about the cost of going to the hospital. I have never been in the hospital for anything related to my health before so I had no idea what it would cost. I asked Quinn so many times if he had a clue how much this would cost us or if he knew how much our insurance would cover. He had no idea how much it would end up being. And of course it takes the hospital forever to send us a bill. While we waited I prayed so so so hard that we wouldn't have to go back into debt. But unless our portion of the bill was quite small we would be back in debt because we had just used our saving to get out of debt. We did get the doctors bills (I saw many Dr's) and those added up to a number of hundred dollars.
Well, we finally got the hospital bill. Keep in mind that I was only admitted into the hospital for about 12 hours. Our bill before insurance totaled about $15,000! I could have died. I can't even begin to express how ridiculous that is. I didn't' receive a single pill, medication, or treatment. The doctors didn't' even touch me! Ok, one doctor pressed on my liver to see if it was tender, but that's it. Luckily our insurance covered about $10,000, but that still left us with a $5,000 bill. I couldn't believe it. When I found out how much the bill was I was so frustrated at first. I was actually very angry that I had even ended up in the hospital. I immediately told Heavenly Father that the bill was so much more than we could afford but that we needed so much help still. I had no idea how but I told him we needed help not going back into debt. We continued to pray. I told the Lord that we had obeyed the prophets counsel and had gotten out of debt. I told him that had been a huge priority of ours our whole marriage. I told him that we needed to be blessed for it. We continued to pray, pray, pray.
After we received the bill Quinn called the hospital to get an itemized bill so we knew what we were being charged for. While on the phone with this lady, they were chatting and he happened to mention that we had just had twins. As they talked further (and this wasn't' something she was originally planning on telling him) she started asking him how many children he had and how much he made. Then she told him that this is hospital is actually part of a not-for-profit healthcare system and that there is paper work we can fill out to see if the hospital will excuse some of our bill as a form of charity. We gladly filled it out then waited and waited and waited AND waited. We were still praying so hard. Finally this week Quinn got a call from the hospital and they said if we empty our health savings account to pay what we can (no matter the amount) they will excuse 100% of our bill. HOLY MOLY the Lord answers prayers! We had about $170 left in our health savings account after paying for our twins and the doctors bills.
We firmly believe that this situation was yet another tender mercy to go along with all the other tender mercies we have received lately, especially with the birth of our twins. It is truly an answer to fervent prayer.
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Husband Brag: Tasha's Sacrament meeting talk
I want to share with all of you a talk that Tasha gave in sacrament meeting on June 28th. Actually, Robyn specifically asked for me to post it and I am more than happy to. It gives me an opportunity to brag about my wife. :)
More than simply the text of the talk, she presented it amazingly well. I wish you could have been there to hear her! She was clear, confident, and spoke with a power that not only grabbed but kept peoples attention. I received numerous comments about how well she did and that they all loved her talk.
A counselor in the Stake Presidency was there as well (the same counselor who extended my calling into the Bishopric, so we know him well). Immediately after the talk he walked over to thank the speakers and asked Tasha, "How long did it take you to prepare that talk?" She smiled and laughed as she said, "Well, I do have 5 small kids at home." He answered that he knew that and it was because of that that he was asking the question.
Honestly, it is hard to say how long it took. It was a put together over a number of nights after the kids were in bed. It came together well and she did a fantastic job. She is truly an amazing woman and an even more amazing wife and mother. There is no real answer to this question, but I have often asked myself, "What would life be like if I had not married Tasha?" Honestly, I don't want to know. Because I wouldn't have it any other way.
So below is the text of her talk (you have to click 'Read More'). She writes everything out, so it makes it easy for me to share!
More than simply the text of the talk, she presented it amazingly well. I wish you could have been there to hear her! She was clear, confident, and spoke with a power that not only grabbed but kept peoples attention. I received numerous comments about how well she did and that they all loved her talk.
A counselor in the Stake Presidency was there as well (the same counselor who extended my calling into the Bishopric, so we know him well). Immediately after the talk he walked over to thank the speakers and asked Tasha, "How long did it take you to prepare that talk?" She smiled and laughed as she said, "Well, I do have 5 small kids at home." He answered that he knew that and it was because of that that he was asking the question.
Honestly, it is hard to say how long it took. It was a put together over a number of nights after the kids were in bed. It came together well and she did a fantastic job. She is truly an amazing woman and an even more amazing wife and mother. There is no real answer to this question, but I have often asked myself, "What would life be like if I had not married Tasha?" Honestly, I don't want to know. Because I wouldn't have it any other way.
So below is the text of her talk (you have to click 'Read More'). She writes everything out, so it makes it easy for me to share!
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Baby Blessing x2
On June 7th during our family reunion we blessed the twins. They were both very good, no crying. They both received very sweet blessings. In the circle we had Quinn, Grandpa Pearce, Uncle Logan, Uncle Johnathan, Bishop Stan Bower, Ryan Wood (who was in the bishopric with Quinn) and our friend Geoff Bennett. Uncle Andon got to hold the microphone for Quinn and he was pretty proud and felt so important that he got to go up with the men and be a part of things.
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| Grandma Pearce made the blessing dresses. The original plan was for Tasha to make them and to have her mom help her get started while she was here after they were born. Well, when the time came for making the dresses together Tasha got a fever. So Grandma Pearce took the fabric home and made them a pair of beautiful dresses. Cadence on the left and London on the right |
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| These girlies definitely reached a point with it being so hot they wanted out of their dresses and no more pictures. |
London Natasha Eastin
Blessed by her father Quinn M. Eastin June 7, 2015
We bless you with the health and strength necessary to fulfill your mission in life. You have been welcomed into your family with your sister. You have been blessed to be joyful and happy. We bless you to be a noble, virtuous, lovely, worthy and stalwart daughter of God. You will be an example to those who look to you for counsel and advice. We bless you to be worthy and to worthily be sealed to a righteous son of God. There you will make the covenants that lead to salvation and Eternal Life. As you live your life you will find opportunities to learn, grow, teach, and instruct others. You will be an be an example of righteousness. These blessings we seal upon you.
Blessed by her father Quinn M. Eastin June 7, 2015
We bless you with the health and strength necessary to fulfill your mission in life. You have been welcomed into your family with your sister. You have been blessed to be joyful and happy. We bless you to be a noble, virtuous, lovely, worthy and stalwart daughter of God. You will be an example to those who look to you for counsel and advice. We bless you to be worthy and to worthily be sealed to a righteous son of God. There you will make the covenants that lead to salvation and Eternal Life. As you live your life you will find opportunities to learn, grow, teach, and instruct others. You will be an be an example of righteousness. These blessings we seal upon you.
Cadence Jean Eastin
Blessed by her father Quinn M. Eastin June 7, 2015
We bless you with all the blessings you stand in need of to live a righteous life. You have been welcomed into a family who prayed for you and your sister. You are so loved. We bless you together with your sister to lift your family and those around you and to be a daughter who will bless their lives. We bless you to live a life full of virtue and righteousness. You will be a light on a hill to those who are looking for peace and they will find that through the gospel. Stand against the evils of the world. We bless you to be healthy and strong, capable and able to fulfill all God has in store for you. You will be sealed to a righteous son of God. We bless you to live a life of faith and goodness and reap the blessings your Heavenly Father has prepared for you. We bless you to follow the direction of the Holy Ghost and you will become a mother of righteousness and a mother in Zion. These blessings we seal upon you.
Blessed by her father Quinn M. Eastin June 7, 2015
We bless you with all the blessings you stand in need of to live a righteous life. You have been welcomed into a family who prayed for you and your sister. You are so loved. We bless you together with your sister to lift your family and those around you and to be a daughter who will bless their lives. We bless you to live a life full of virtue and righteousness. You will be a light on a hill to those who are looking for peace and they will find that through the gospel. Stand against the evils of the world. We bless you to be healthy and strong, capable and able to fulfill all God has in store for you. You will be sealed to a righteous son of God. We bless you to live a life of faith and goodness and reap the blessings your Heavenly Father has prepared for you. We bless you to follow the direction of the Holy Ghost and you will become a mother of righteousness and a mother in Zion. These blessings we seal upon you.
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| There is something so sweet about seeing a daddy love on his baby. Quinn is such a good daddy. His kids love him so very much and so does his wife. He makes having twins easy because of all the help I get from him. I was sick today so he took all 5 kids to church by himself so I could rest. How many men do you know that would or even be willing to do that? |
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Pearce Family Reuion: June 4th - June 9th
Our very first Shannon and Katie Pearce family reunion.
My parents and 5 out of the 8 kids were able to make it. The 3 that couldn't come was because of their jobs. The 3 married couples were all able to make it though. Millie and Johnathan have 2 kids, Logan and Sarah have 2 kids, and Quinn and I have 5 (making more that half the grandkids). We started out at our house and then we headed to the Washington coast for a couple days. We stayed in a beach house in Ocean Park, WA.
We ended the reunion with a trip to the Portland Zoo (minus Grandpa and Logan and Sarah with their girls since they had to leave earlier). It was a hot day, but we had a fun time and the kids had plenty of room to run and play.
My parents and 5 out of the 8 kids were able to make it. The 3 that couldn't come was because of their jobs. The 3 married couples were all able to make it though. Millie and Johnathan have 2 kids, Logan and Sarah have 2 kids, and Quinn and I have 5 (making more that half the grandkids). We started out at our house and then we headed to the Washington coast for a couple days. We stayed in a beach house in Ocean Park, WA.
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| A little scripture story time before bed. |
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| Cousins all sleeping together on one air mattress in the garage at our house. |
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| The twins always sleep together. Ok, any guesses on who is who? Cadence is on top London on bottom. |
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| Many many books were read. |
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| If you've ever been to the Oregon or Washington coast you will know it is NOT like the warm southern California coast. Especially in the beginning of June. It was really windy and chilly. We are not a big water family but still had fun playing in the sand and a little in the water. |
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| On the other hand Andon is HUGE water lover. He really wanted to go out in the water but I think was a little nervous to go alone so I told him I would go with him. We waded out just passed our ankles and would jump little waves together. When a big wave would roll in we would run from it and then head back out once it was gone. Once, we didn't run fast enough and got a little more wet. Andon thought it was my fault he got wet so he started to chase me to get me for getting him wet. Then he decided he was comfortable with the water so he just sad down and started splashing. |
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| Andon, Millie, and Johnathan taking a run and a dip. |
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| Jemmy and McKay the only 2 boys out of 9 grandkids. Jemmy is 3 and McKay is 5. |
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| After playing some games Gensie thought it was her job to gather up as many ping pong balls as possible. |
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| The beach house |
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| There was a lot of wrestling. |
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| Back to our place for Saturday night baths for 9 kids... and 1 tub. |
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| Sunday morning a little breakfast chatting. |
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| Brighten 5, McKay 5, Genesis 3, Brindee 3, Jeremy 3, Avonlea 23 months, Kayslee 11 mon, Cadence and London 3 mon. |
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| Our three 3 year olds. |
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| McKay and Grandpa Pearce |
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| Lots and lots of books were read. |
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| We went strawberry picking. For the next 3 days we ate Strawberries and whipping cream on waffles for breakfast and dinner. |
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| All this is strawberries. |
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| I cut Brigtens hair. We cut off a pony tail so she could donate it. |
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| This is the most amazing part of the whole reunion. Grandma got on the trampoline with the kids. My whole life I don't remember ever seeing my mom get on the tramp. I guess grandkids have special powers. We had a great time and I'm already trying to find a place to have one again next year. So mad I didn't get a single group shot. |
We ended the reunion with a trip to the Portland Zoo (minus Grandpa and Logan and Sarah with their girls since they had to leave earlier). It was a hot day, but we had a fun time and the kids had plenty of room to run and play.
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