Merry Christmas from Utah

Talk about a whirlwind! This trip has been jam-packed with awesome fun-ness.

We got about 4 hours of sleep and then got ready and headed to the Richmond Airport for our 6:00 AM flight to Minneapolis. Then we connected to Salt Lake City. We weren't able to sit next to each other on either flight, but that's ok because we were so tired and wanted to sleep. Jim and Wendy picked us up when we flew in at about 11:45 and we went to the Henderson household to see everyone. It was so fun! Wendy, my mother-in-law, always outdoes herself. The decorations, the gifts, the food - it was all wonderful. The little boys are obsessed with trains this year and got some Thomas the Train engine play sets. They also got some foam swords and played with those. They couldn't seem to get the helmets on quite right though :)

After opening gifts at the Henderson's, we went down to Grandma and Grandpa Cuthbert's house in Lehi. They had some amazing food, and we were so stuffed. Homemade soups, rolls, and hand-dipped chocolates were so delicious. It was so wonderful seeing everyone!

We then went to my parents house. We opened gifts (and got some sweet turquoise Vans, thanks Jared), among other awesome presents! My parents got us this awesome game with magnets and you have to avoid attracting everyone else's magnets. It'll be a great game for game night with our friends back in Richmond! We watched Salt, had hot chocolate, and then went to bed.

Sunday was also packed. We got all dolled-up for family pictures at Wheeler Farm with the Lassig side of the family and had a great time in the cold (no, seriously)! The photographer never showed up, so uncle Mark took pictures instead and they turned out fantastically. He also got some great shots of the "golden rooster." You had to see it - I'll ask him for some of the pictures and post them once I get them.

We went to David and Marci's for a late breakfast and chilling. It was so fun! I love just sitting around, talking with family members. Except about politics, which Omi and Buppi found out (lol).

Then we went back to the Henderson's to get ready for the Henderson family party up at Classic Skating in Layton. It was good to see everyone!

THEN...(are you getting tired of our itinerary???) we went to Centerville to see Grandma and Grandpa Beers and visit with them! Wayne and Annette also showed up with their kids so that was a fun surprise :)

Monday we decided to go to Classic in Salt Lake City to play with all the little boys. It was exhausting, but SO fun! They had a blast in the ball pit and sliding down the slides. The Blast Zone is a favorite for sure :)

After Classic, Jordan, Josie, Beckham, and I went to see Great Grandma Wood. She was pretty tired, but it was good to see her. She is 94! We then decided to go see Grandpa Larry and Grandma Della. They are so sweet, I always love talking with them.

And that's our trip in a nutshell! I left Monday night at 12:50 AM. Jordan stayed until Thursday morning and almost didn't make it to the airport with the huge storm - but barely made it for both flights. VERY lucky, considering that people were stranded all over the country with freak snow storms.

We were so glad we could come out for a bit and see almost everyone! We are going to hopefully come back out to Utah next March. My dear brother Jordan is going on his mission to Argentina on March 2, and Jordan's best friend Colin is getting married on March 5! I love how everything works out :) Love you all!

Goin' to the Gym

We got annual gym memberships to Gold's Gym this week. We're excited for many reasons...

1. Jordan will have a warm place to run (not outside in the cold).

2. They have pilates, yoga, bodyflow (a mixture of pilates, yoga, and tai chi), and ZUMBA!!!!

3. Swimming pool

4. Sauna

5. Abs room

6. Cardio Cinema - a cardio room where there is a movie playing all day!

7. 3 minutes from our house

Yay for exercising :)

Getting Ready for Christmas

Jordan and I are SOOOO excited for Christmas! The week after Thanksgiving, I decorated our front porch with lights and our front room with some Christmas decorations. For some reason, we waited until 2 weeks before Christmas to get a tree. A real tree, mind you! I LOVE the smell of Christmas trees. That, and the smell of "smoker-men" incense brings to mind so many Christmas memories from growing up. We weren't sure where to get a tree, so I kept my mind out while driving in Richmond. There really weren't many places it seemed! We also needed to get a tree stand. Target was all out of them, so we went to Home Depot and lo and behold, they had Christmas trees! For really good prices too. So we got a cute 6-foot Douglas Fir, a tree stand, and some tree food. Isn't it cute!?

We've gotten all our shopping done and I'm loving just taking in this Christmas season. It snowed last week (2 inches) and all the schools had a snow day and a lot of businesses shut down. It was pretty hilarious! We decided to go to the mall that day, and it was perfect because NO-ONE was out! Then the snow melted over the next couple days and we're supposed to get a "big" snow storm this weekend. I hope it doesn't interfere with our flight home!

Yesterday at work we had a potluck and I was the only one who remembered. Haha. We were supposed to bring foods from where we were from (A lot of the girls I work with are from Africa, so they were going to bring African cuisine). Well, I brought funeral potatoes, and everyone loved them! I also brought Martinelli's, but didn't have a bottle cap opener. One of the patient's daughters brought everyone doughnuts from Krispy Kreme. Then one of the CNA's bought some Fanta from the gas station. So my dinner consisted of funeral potatoes, Krispy Kreme, and Fanta. Delicious :) It's a good thing that I burn so many calories during a shift, otherwise I would be getting fat, lol.

Good Old-Fashioned Cheesy Potatoes (Funeral Potatoes)

6 large potatoes, boiled and grated OR 24 oz. thawed country-style hashbrowns

1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of chicken soup

2 cups sour cream

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup melted butter

1/3 cup chopped onion

2 cups corn flakes

2 Tbsp. melted butter

Combine soup, sour cream, cheese, 1/2 cup melted butter, and onions. Gently blend into potatoes. Pour into 9x13 baking dish. Crush corn flakes and mix in 2 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle on top (or omit corn flake topping and just sprinkle with paprika). Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Delicious!

Thanksgiving 2010

This year, I had to work on Thanksgiving. Jordan and I decided to "postpone" celebrating until the weekend, and we had a wonderful time! I had bought the smallest bone-in turkey breast I could find (5-ish pounds) and cooked the bird, made mashed potatoes, rolls, and pumpkin pie! It was a Thanksgiving to remember :) The turkey turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. And since I bought one with a pop up thermometer, roasting it was easy. I'm going to do that from now on! I heard from my grandparents that my little cousins raised a turkey that was over 30 pounds, and they had it for Thanksgiving! Talk about a lot of meat! Our little bird lasted us for about a week.

For the turkey, I rubbed it with olive oil, salt, and pepper and cooked it for 2-3 hours. The rolls are freezer rolls. Pumpkin pie came from can (and was yummy). The potatoes are 4 large potatoes, with sour cream, cream cheese, milk, butter, salt, and pepper. I've found that you can have a delicious meal without the hassle of cooking all day long - meaning you can make things from a can or the freezer section and they'll still taste good. Yay for shortcuts! :)

We're Coming Home!

I totally spaced blogging about this - we're coming home for Christmas! We fly in on Christmas day at one in the afternoon. We're SOOOO excited to see everyone and we want to fit in as many visits as possible! I fly out Monday night and Jordan will fly out Thursday night.

Disney World and Universal Studios

The weekend before Thanksgiving, we had the chance to meet up with the Hendersons, Petersons, and Evers for a family vacation in Disney World and Universal Studios! It was amazing!

Day One:

Jordan and I caught our hour-and-a-half (that's right, folks) flight down to Orlando early in the morning. Mitch, Jackson, and Creighton picked us up from the airport and we went to check in at the hotel. We decided to go to Animal Kingdom first, so the little boys could have the time of their lives, and got our tickets all set. We had an amazing time! The safari was better than I ever remember it. The boys went on Dinosaur with Mitch like 20 times and loved every minute of it. You can see the video description of what Dinosaur is like here. Aren't our nephews awesome?! We even took Jackson on the Mount Everest ride. He barely made the height requirement, but he loved it! We also went on the river raft ride, and got completely wet. I just love how happy the little boys were about getting soaked.

Then Allie and Easton flew in and we went to dinner at Chevy's, which was incredible by the way. If you like seafood, you should definitely get the crab and shrimp quesadilla - so delicious.

After dinner, Mitch, the boys, and Jordan and I went to the Magic Kingdom. We rode on the Thunder Mountain Railroad (is that the name?) and a the Haunted Mansion. The boys were so nervous for the Haunted Mansion, but they bragged afterward that they were only scared once. :) And I am extremely pleased to announce that there are going to be TWO new rides at the Magic Kingdom soon....Little Mermaid and The Beauty and the Beast!!!!!! My two favorite movies!!!!! I am so excited.

Jordan and I decided to go back to the hotel at this point because we had only gotten 3 hours of sleep and were exhausted.

Day Two:

Sunday was a wonderfully relaxing day. There was the big debate about whether Epcot was considered educational enough to count as a worth-while Sunday activity. Jordan, Jim, and Matt thought it was, so they spent almost the whole day at Epcot. I basically read Harry Potter all day (gearing up for the movie)! Around lunch-time, we decided to rent a four-person bike and ride around the lake. Lindsey, me, Jackson, Allie, Mitch, Creighton, Easton, and Beckham rode around three times! We are so fast. It was quite a workout too.

That evening, we went to Downtown Disney for dinner at the Rainforest Cafe, mainly so the little boys could have an awesome time. Then we walked around and Jordan and I bought some awesome shirts.

After Downtown Disney, we all played Scum, one of our favorite games.

Day Three:

Monday was incredible. We spent the day at Universal Studios. My absolute favorite part of the entire park was THE WONDERFUL WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER!!!!! Ahh, I was like a little kid the entire day! So many wonderful things. Hogwarts was amazing, Hogsmeade was amazing, butterbeer was amazing, Hogwarts Express was amazing, Honeydukes, Zonko's, Ollivanders, Dervish and Banges.......I LOVED IT!!! I am a self-proclaimed Harry Potter freak, and so I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it.

We also went to Suess Land, Marvel Superheroes Land, Jurassic Park, and a couple others. They were so fun :) The boys absolutely loved the Spiderman ride! And they were able to go on the Flying Pterodactyl ride. Almost all the adults decided to go on this "great" river adventure with Popeye, and it was awful! The main point of the ride was to completely soak you, and those that weren't wearing ponchos did indeed get completely soaked.

After drying off a bit, Micah wanted to go on the Jurassic Park river ride. "You won't get wet, maybe just a little sprinkled." Yeah. Right. :) Here we are, drifting along next to the bronchiosaurus, and then there is this HUGE drop and I got soaked! "Micah!!!" It was a hot day though, so we dried off quickly.

For lunch, Jordan and I went to the Three Broomsticks, which was an amazing experience. The attention to detail in Harry Potter Land is incredible!

For dinner that night, we went to Cheesecake Factory and then shopped a bit around the mall. Then we took the flight home!

It was an awesome experience and we were so lucky to be able to see our family members, if only for a few days! We love you guys! (P.S. See our cool shirts! haha)

Me on a Scooter

Well, we took the plunge way earlier than expected. Shown above is photographic evidence that Melyn and I purchased a scooter. How did this happen? So, I've been searching craigslist off and on over the last month to see how much used scooters were going for and what models people were selling. Using craigslist hadn't been very promising here in Richmond because rarely a scooter would appear that would fit our needs and usually it wouldn't be in very good condition nor would the seller be asking a fair price. So we had been planning to buy a new scooter at a dealership sometime next year when we could afford it. But, last week I noticed a posting for a Yamaha C3 (the same model Melyn mentioned would be a good compromise for us). It looked like it was fairly new and in good condition, but the seller was asking for more than we would consider buying it for. However, the seller kept going down in price every few days as he mentioned he was moving to California and needed to sell the scooter in part to buy his plane ticket. So it got to a point where it was listed for an unbelievable deal, and we decided to take a look.

After test driving it a bit, I felt very happy with it. After talking it over some more with Melyn, doing some more research as well as looking at its background, we decided to buy it. My first ride home with it was very fun. It can reach a little above 40 mph, which is fine for the roads I'll be riding on. It should cut my ride time to school almost in half, plus I won't arrive sweaty. And yes, Mom, I will be safe and wear a helmet always!

Scooters

Jordan and I went looking at scooters today! We won't be able to get one until January when the rest of Jordan's loan money is given to us, but it's nice to dream :)

This is the Yamaha C3. It has a nice big storage space under the seat and lots of extra safety features so it won't get stolen.

This is the Honda Ruckus. Jordan loves it because it looks manly.

This is the Honda Metropolitan. I like it because it's so cute. Jordan thinks it looks girly.

I think we're going to compromise and get the C3, due to the storage space, price, and sturdiness. Yay!

Halloween

Halloween weekend was great. It was especially sweet because of the good news of Jordan's wrist and shoulder. Because we are on the activities committee, we helped to plan our ward's Trunk-or-Treat. We brought our pumpkins and lanterns to help decorate and I made Pumpkin Chicken Chili (Amazing) for the chili cook-off. Surprisingly, I won second prize with my chili! For those who have the Dining with Duchess cookbook, it's on the last page of the main course section, page 84. The recipe is as follows:

Saute:

1 onion

1 yellow or green pepper, chopped

1 T. garlic, minced (3 cloves)

Oil

Combine saute mixture with:

3 c. chicken broth

2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

2.5 c. chicken, cooked and cut in bite-sized pieces

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin

1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes

2 T. parsley

1 T. chili powder

2 tsp. oregano

2 tsp. cumin

1.5 tsp. curry powder

0.5 tsp. salt

Cook in crockpot on low for 4 to 5 hours.

Notes: I accidently used pumpkin pie mix instead of pumpkin and I think it added a lot of flavor - it was so yummy!

Approximately 200 people came to the party, and it was so fun to see all the little kids and even some adults dressed up :)

The next day, Halloween, we went to church and then watched The 'Burbs with Tom Hanks. Hilarious, and sort of Halloween-ish. I made a pumpkin cobbler for the Richmond Mormon Chorale party/rehearsal and it was delicious. I think pumpkin desserts are my favorite! Jordan said that a total of one person came trick-or-treating at our house, and he didn't even answer the door because he was playing Starcraft. Lame!

Today I got called off work, which is always nice. I've been needing a little bit of a break. I'm so excited to see Jordan's side of the family next week when we go to Disney World! It is going to be amazing!

I asked the scheduling person at work about getting a couple days off around Christmas so that we could come home, and she said that it's company policy that there are...NO vacations from December 15 to January 15. How retarded and lame is that. I couldn't believe it. The only way we will be able to come out is if I can get someone to cover one of my shifts. So I'm going to keep trying to get coverage, but we'll see what happens. :(

A little note about commenting on blogs - The reason Jordan mentioned that I feel no one reads these is because of the lack of comments. You don't have to be a member of Blogger to comment, just click "comments" at the bottom of a post to comment as anonymous (just remember to leave your name) :). This is really the only way for me to communicate to you, our family and friends, about what is going on in our lives, and it makes me happy to read your comments, kind of like reading a conversation. Because that's what this blogging is all about. Communication! We love you so much and thank you for reading!

Dodged a bullet

Well, to follow up on the last post, it turns out my bike injury may have been more serious than I initially thought. That evening when I got ready for bed, I noticed my left hand and shoulder were still hurting pretty bad. Then I noticed that just above my wrist there was lots of swelling and bruising. Plus, it hurt a lot when I pressed directly on the bruise. Uh, oh. Those are classic signs of a fracture. I started to get real worried that I had broken my hand or wrist. On top of this, Melyn and I haven't had the greatest of luck this year with medical bills, starting with her visit to the ER last April. Our health insurance has a pretty high deductible, and though Melyn has a job, we obviously don't want another large expense this year. Plus, wrist fractures often require surgery. So I started to panic. On top of all this, I wouldn't be able to ride my bike to school!

I'd like to mention that when Melyn came home, she did a great job at cleaning me up and dressing my wounds (it's so nice to have a wife who's a nurse!).

The next morning I called the local clinic and was able to get an appointment with the doctor for that afternoon. They took some x-rays, did a physical exam, and to make a long story short: No fractures! The doctor told me, "You dodged a bullet." Yes, yes I did. The whole last night I was so mad about the whole thing, of possibly having a broken bone and to go through all the treatment that would require. I thought that since we had been so blessed for the last little while, it's certain that trials would come along too. In the morning I prayed that the injury would be as least serious as possible, but I honestly didn't believe that I could go through this incident without at least one broken bone. Oh me of little faith. Well, we're pretty happy to have gotten through this ok and excited for the Halloween weekend. Melyn is off work today and tomorrow. Sweet!

At least we don't have snow

Believe it or not, things have been pretty good for Melyn and me. I'm going down the career of my dreams and Melyn is a working nurse. Although things do sound pretty tough lately, more so for Melyn than me. As Melyn has mentioned in her previous post, her new job has been quite an adrenaline rush. It's super busy and a rehab care facility is a much different working environment from a hospital which she is used to. Still, I'm super proud of the work she's doing and I know she's the best nurse in the world. Plus, we finally have a real source of income for the first time in our marriage (yay!). I've been trying to help out more around the house to compensate for her being at home less. In other words, I'm cleaning up after myself more.

As for me, I've been really enjoying school, but I just wish I was smarter. The hardest transition to medical school from college is the fact that you can no longer coast to get by... ever. You are in a large group of students who are way smarter than you and it feels like a struggle to keep my head above water at times. The hard part isn't getting a passing grade on an exam, but rather performing favorably compared to my peers. The fact is, the classes we have now are just preparation for the boards we will take at the end of second year. When you apply for residency positions, the score you got on your first board exam will be the largest factor (usually) that they take into consideration. And so if you score below the national average, then your chances at getting the residency you want don't look so good. And so, I'm working really hard to perform well now so I can perform well when I take the boards.

Right now I'm taking gross anatomy. This course is known at my school for being the first real challenge for medical students. The hardest part is simply memorizing every little muscle, nerve, and artery in the body. I feel like my brain hasn't been absorbing very well all the names and details I'm throwing at it while I'm studying. My first anatomy exam is in two parts, one on Tuesday and the other on Wednesday. The first part is called the practical. This is where they have each cadaver marked with a few points and you have to name the muscle, nerve, etc that the marker is pointing at. The second part is the written exam, which is simply a list of questions that you have to answer regarding gross anatomy. I'm not putting too much detail into describing all this information, but really I'm just writing to take a break from studying.

Also, I've been biking to school. We live about 7 miles from the medical campus and it takes me about 30 minutes to get there from our house. We're limited to one car, so me taking the bike allows Melyn to drive to work and do whatever errands needed to be done (like shopping for groceries). To me, the real advantage in riding a bike is that it's basically free. I don't have to pay for parking, yearly registration, insurance, gas, repairs, and the inevitable parking/speeding ticket. All those reasons are why I hate owning a car. Plus, in the rare event that my bike gets stolen, it simply means I'm going to be browsing the yard sales for another $20 bike. I'm also considering getting a scooter, at some point in the future when we've put a decent amount into our savings. Sometimes it feels just too cold or rainy to bike, so having something motorized would be nice. With the laws here in Richmond, I don't need a motorcycle license or insurance to drive a scooter (as long as it's a scooter that doesn't go faster than 35 mph, which is fast enough for the route I usually take to school). And I can park it next to where all the bikes are which means I don't need an expensive student parking pass ($120 a semester). I will have to pay for gas, but at 90 miles to the gallon, they are quite efficient. This, however, is all just a dream of mine. We really won't have any money to spend on such a luxury for a good long time, but it keeps me motivated.

Although biking has been pretty good, today I had my first crash. Coming home, I was riding a little to close to the outside of the lane and I hit my right handlebar right smack on a parked car's side door mirror. I crashed and burned pretty bad (lots of cuts on my palms and shoulder) and banged up the front wheel. The wheel now runs a little crooked. With this happening and also the stress of a major test that I don't feel ready for; it hasn't been a good day. But when things are real bad, I remind myself "it's snowing in Salt Lake right now. I'm so lucky to be here."

I love you all, thank you for reading. Sorry for the spelling and grammatical errors, I'm too lazy to proofread. Also, please comment on Melyn's entries when she blogs, she feels like no one reads them.

The Worst Day Ever

On the 19th, two of the worst things that can happen in nursing happened to me. I know that I've been writing really downer stuff lately, so if you don't want to read it, don't. It's just how it is.

I was in the middle of my first medication pass, getting things done on time, and then it happened. I was giving an insulin injection to a patient, and the needle went through his skin, into my finger. I got a freaking needlestick injury. I was bleeding, and so I washed my hands really well and told the supervisor. I filled out one incident report. I had to leave the building and get blood drawn at a clinic a couple miles away and ended up being gone from the floor for almost 2 hours. 2 hours! That's a quarter of my shift! I knew then that I would be there late.

Then, during the second medication pass, I was trying to go fast and ended up giving the wrong medications to a patient. I had to complete incident report number two, call the doctor, and call the family members (always scary). The patient ended up being fine, but it was the fact that I made two big mistakes in the span of four hours that killed me.

A lot of my nursing friends have been really reassuring, telling me that it happens and that they've all made these mistakes too. Nurses are human and mistakes happen. I'm not a perfect human being.

On the positive side, I only had 2 hours of overtime yesterday, not 3 like I usually do. I'm getting better slowly, but surely.

October

Well, not much has been happening here in the past couple weeks. Jordan has begun his anatomy course and is working with a small group on a fresh cadaver, dissecting it and learning all the different parts of the body. He enjoys it, but complains that the fat that they have to cut out is very greasy and slimy. Yum. :)

I've gotten my official work schedule and I work 40 hours a week, 5 days a week. It's been a good learning experience. I had 5 days of orientation and now I'm working by myself. To be totally honest...I am not truly enjoying working at this place. The patients see me as a "pill-pusher," which is really sad. As a nurse, you do SO much more than give medications. The problem with working with over 20 patients is that half of your shift, literally, is spent giving medications. Then you have to complete tons and tons of paperwork for everyone. It's very frustrating and really a lesson in time management and multi-tasking. I hate multi-tasking, because I always feel like I'm missing something. In addition to all the paperwork and medication passing, I need to keep track of the work of 5 CNA's, and they don't really communicate what's going on. A few are decent, but below standard work is so frustrating. I can't stop dreaming about work and Jordan has witnessed me sleep-walking and sleep-talking about stuff I've forgotten to do at work. It's exhausting! This is really why I haven't written a post for a couple weeks, because I don't really have anything good to say about work.

I've committed myself to work there for at least a year, and then I'll start looking for a job in a hospital environment. They'll for sure hire me after I've worked somewhere for a year.

We haven't decorated for Halloween, but I'm going to decorate for Thanksgiving. Our finances have been extremely tight. Imagine two poor college students living on nothing anyway, moving across the country, and living on meager savings for 2 months while paying exorbitant amounts of college tuition and trying to find a job. Not a pretty picture. Things will be tight for a couple more months, but then we'll be ok.

Since Jordan is going to school in the mornings, and I'm working in the evenings, we don't really see each other except for the days I have off. And even then, Jordan sometimes has school in the afternoons. Jordan suggested that we have "Family Home Afternoon" instead of FHE :) He also suggested that we have our meals Brazilian style, where the biggest meal is lunch, not dinner. On the days he gets out of class early, we'll have a big lunch and then I'll go to school. I loved his suggestions!

We've been trying to find a way to come out to Utah for a weekend in December. We'll keep you posted, but since the only weekend both of us have off is the weekend of Christmas, it may not happen. I might be able to switch weekends with the previous week though. We're crossing our fingers, because we want to see everyone. We miss you all so much and love you!

Good News!

1. Well, it seems there aren't any more mice living under our stove! Hallelujah!

2. It's fall....makes me happy for many reasons: comfy clothes, boots, scarves, changing leaves, quilts on the bed, hot chocolate, cooler weather, more rain, turning the heater on (truly signifying the end of summer).

3. I got my orientation days set up: Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday!

4. I got my adorable (albeit white) scrubs I ordered in the mail! :)

5. We finally set up the guest bedroom bed after living here for two months. The office/guest bedroom looks much more put together.

More Callings

Oh, and in other, more happy news, Jordan and I were called to be in the Activities Committee. We get to help plan the Trunk-or-Treat, the Christmas party, and the Summer Picnic! Our friends, Adaire and Will are the committee chairs, so we get to plan with them. Joyness!

Mice. Gross.

For the past few days, I've been finding little black pellets on the counter-tops. At first I thought they were bugs, and so I'd throw them away only to find more the next morning. Well, the idea popped in my head on Saturday, "What if it's mouse poop!!?" So I called maintenance and had them come check our house out. They left us with some mouse traps and cockroach spray (just in case). We set the traps and today, at 6:38 AM, Jordan heard the tell-tale snap of the trap. I got a little nauseated and then went to check it out. Yep. There was a mouse in there, and he was wriggling, trying to escape. Eventually he died. :( I am so grossed out that there was a mouse in our house! I've been cloroxing the counters and pots and pans every time I use them because I'm so freaked out. I hope there aren't any more.

The New Job...Finally!

Well, it's official! I got the job at a rehabilitation center in the West End of Richmond. The Director of Nursing (DON) called me on Tuesday and offered me not a part-time job, but a FULL-TIME job!! I was so ecstatic! This means I won't have to search around for another job any more. I'm going to be eligible for benefits too, which I've never had in my life. The center is only 1 mile away from my house; it literally takes me 5 minutes to drive there. I had orientation yesterday, and I was the only RN there. It looks like there are four wings, with an RN Charge Nurse (CN), two LPN's (licensed practical nurses), and several CNA's (certified nursing assistants). I'll be on one of the rehab units. And oh my, the rehab facility is SOOOOOOO nice! They just built it and it cost 4 million. They have everything down there! These patients are taken care of very well.

I have been getting my "nursing bag" ready for work. It will have all my papers, clipboards, stethoscope, highlighters, pens, snacks, peppermints, masks, essential oil...all good nursing stuff. The only downside I've really found to this job is that I have to wear ALL WHITE. Boo. The problem with white is that it gets dirty so easily. Thank goodness they'll let me wear my Dansko's though (they're black).

I have another day of orientation on Wednesday where they'll test my nursing skills and medication knowledge. Then I have five days of orientation and I'm on my own! I'll be working every other weekend and three days during the week (not sure which ones yet). Yay for being a nurse...and having a job!!! :) :)

Richmond Mormon Chorale

I totally forgot to tell everyone about this! I have joined what is called the Richmond Mormon Chorale. Basically, it's a serious choir in our stake that sings all around Richmond and even Washington, D.C.! I'm so excited to be a part of it. I haven't really sung in a serious choir since high school, and it's great to be involved in something that will help to spread our love for Christ throughout Richmond.

Last week I had to try out (!!!) and the director, Donna, put me as a first alto, which I'm so excited for. I love singing harmony. Apparently I have a big range, so that was nice to find out too. We have practice every Sunday except Fast Sunday from 6:30 to 9:00. The first week we went through ALL 20 something songs! It was crazy. Yesterday we focused on four new pieces they are adding to the mix. It's going to be so great!!!

Interviews

Well, the interview at the rehabilitation center in the West End of Richmond went very well! I went there this morning, filled out an application, and then interviewed with the Director of Nursing. She kept commenting on how young I am and how she was worried that the CNA's would take advantage of me. I'm looking forward to using my leadership skills to hopefully not let this happen. I think I convinced her that I'm very excited, willing to learn, and desirous of helping patients in their own ways.

The center is amazing. They mainly do rehabilitation for people after strokes, surgery, and other accidents. The rehab place has a kitchen where people can learn how to cook for themselves, a car so they can learn how to get in and out, and all the other basic rehab stuff. I'm amazed! There are three different wings (I think). Two of them hold all rehab patients and are super busy, and the other holds half rehab patients and half long-term care patients. I would most likely be floating around to all the different units, because they are basically the same. Once she clears my references, I will orient for about a week (!!! - short!) and then start working the 3-11 shift a couple times a week. Thank goodness! You have no idea what a relief it is to finally have a possible job. Our savings are continually dwindling and it will be nice to finally start them up again.

I'm going to be reading and re-reading this awesome book I got for new nurses. It is so comprehensive. I'm worried that I will have forgotten everything that I worked so hard to build over the past four years, but all my nursing friends keep reassuring me that I can't have forgotten :) I'm just SO SO SO excited to finally start working and taking care of people!! Yeah!

Musings

Just some random thoughts here...

In Relief Society last week, one of the sisters (an immigrant from Africa) talked about when she joined the church, her family disowned her. She made the most of a difficult situation and developed her friendships within her own ward and then realized - the church is her family. This is how it should be, isn't it?

We are all brothers and sisters of the same God who created this world. We should treat each other like family. We need to love each other, care for each other, and be there for each other. Just treat each other with pure love and Christ-like love (charity) that we all deserve.

Jordan and I recognized this example at a fair our stake held today. He commented on how it seemed like a big family reunion. Everyone knew each other and was talking, playing, eating, just having a good time as member of the church. They acted like family members.

It's my hope that I can have the influence of the Spirit in my life so I can be an example of Christ's loving kindness to everyone I come in contact with.

Job Status Update

Well, so far, I've applied to 32 jobs. I've been rejected from 22 of them, and am still waiting on a couple hopefuls. I've gotten an interview next Monday at a Nursing Rehab place that's only about a mile from my house. This is for a part-time job. The positive thing about part-time is that it usually pays better than full-time and that I can get another part-time job somewhere else. I won't get bored as easily and will be able to interact with twice the amount of people. The bad news is that it's still only part-time, and I need to make a certain income to keep living where we're living. I still haven't gotten any other interviews, but I'm going to be calling all the jobs I applied to in July and August to see if they need any other information and send them an updated resume. It's discouraging but I'm still trying to keep my hopes up.

Jordan's New Calling

Jordan got a new calling yesterday as the Ward Moving Coordinator! Since our ward has a lot of students, there is tons of turnover every year, and hence, lots of moving. This will be a great opportunity for him to serve in the ward! He's excited :)

Charlotte International

Last Friday, I packed up an overnight bag and drove down to Charlotte, North Carolina, for an International Convention for ACN, my business! It was awesome. I was able to spend time with my friends that I hadn't seen for quite a few months: Melodie from New Jersey, Curtis from Salt Lake, and Kyle from Tooele. We had a blast! Saturday morning, Melodie's husband drove us to the convention center and dropped us off. We found some seats among 40,000 other excited representatives way up in the nosebleeds and got ready for an awesome day!

This picture is not rotating for me, sorry!

Several of my favorite people spoke, including Greg Provenzano, ACN's president and co-founder, Tony Cupisz, ACN co-founder and Vice President, Robert Stevanovski, ACN co-founder and chairman, Simon Abboud, Mindy Deeble, and.... GEORGE ZALUCKI!!! Wow, what a day. I love these events!

I was sad to not be able to stay for Sunday. Donald Trump, who endorses our company, was going to be speaking to the 40,000 representatives there that weekend! For more information about ACN, visit my website here.

Kyle and I

Curtis and I

Shenadoah National Park

Our good friends Alan and Lyanna invited us to come camping with them in Shenadoah National Park (about 2 hours away from us) over the Labor Day weekend. Unfortunately, we don't have any camping equipment except for camping chairs and marshmallow roasters. So we decided to join them on Saturday for a nice day of hiking, tinfoil dinners, games, and s'mores. It was so fun!

We decided to go hiking on a trail that led to an old Episcopal Mission. I thought it would be awesome to see, plus the hike was only 4 miles round-trip. The hike was easy (compared to Utah hikes), with just some rolling hills. The forest was amazing. I couldn't get over how thick the forest was; the trees were towering and the wildlife was abundant. We had been strolling along for about 45 minutes when Jordan said he thought we had gone farther than the hike was supposed to be. Uh-oh. I thought for sure we were on the right trail, but maybe we had missed a turn? No, we had stayed on the main path the entire time. We did pass by a rotting shanty, could that have been the mission? No, missions don't look like that. We were so confused. So we decided to keep hiking a little longer and then turn around if it didn't look promising.

We hiked for approximately 3 miles in before we turned around. Jordan pulled out his iPhone, amazingly getting service, and the map said that we had almost hiked to the edge of the park! Wow! All-in-all, the hike was a good experience, and next time, we'll follow the trail markers more closely. I still have no idea if that trail was the one we were supposed to be on.

We joined Alan and Lyanna and started building a fire. While our tin foil dinners cooked, we played Scrabble, which I lost horribly at. All my letters were U, M, and Q. Can't really do anything with those! Dinner was delicious. If you've never had tin foil dinners before, this website has some really good tips.

We had s'mores and talked for a while then headed home! It was such a fun experience and we look forward to going to Shenadoah National Park again soon.

Welcome to the Hendersons!

The week of Jordan's orientation and White Coat Ceremony, Jim and Wendy came out to visit! It was SO great to see them. We had missed them so much! So much happened that week. First thing we did was go to Costco and Sam's Club. Can you say food storage?? It was awesome. We went couch shopping and decided on a black leather 4-seater at Ashley's Furniture, which is about a mile away from us. They were having a Friday the 13th sale, so everything was 13% off, and shipping was only $13.00!!! Compared to a couple hundred! I was very pleased.

I felt so bad on the fateful morning Jim and Wendy decided to go running. They ended going about five miles in the wrong direction because all the streets fan out, and had been running in about 90% humidity for three hours. They tried to find out where they were on the iPhone, but kept going in the wrong direction. It was awful, but Jordan saved them and picked them up near our grocery store. It's so hard to tell what direction you're going because there aren't any mountains, which Utahns generally rely on for direction. Hopefully next time they come, Jordan will be able to run with them so no one gets lost.

We also toured around a bit to see Richmond and the sights. Before Jordan's ceremony, we went to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in downtown Richmond. It was very interesting and informational. I love to study this time period in history. It reminds me of my mom's dad, Buppi, who grew up in Communist East Germany during World War II. Unfortunately, we couldn't take pictures inside.

We then walked around the capitol building, which was this gorgeous white building hiding in a park in the middle of downtown Richmond. I believe this statue is of George Washington, but I can't remember. There were dozens of statues.

Inside the capitol building, there is a life-size statue of George Washington. This is the only statue he ever posed for.

Robert E. Lee, inside the capitol building.

Then we walked to another old building (the Justice building I think), which looked like a church on the outside and a castle on the inside!

We saw a few movies with the Hendersons: Dinner for Shmucks (hilarious!!), and Eat, Pray, Love (Inspirational to me :)). We had an amazing time while they were here, and hope the humidity didn't deter them from wanting to visit again! Thanks for all your help!

New Calling...Again!

Well I've got another calling...Relief Society Pianist! YAYYYYYYY!! I'm so excited to have something to do. I've been so bored, and now they are going to give me a key to the church to practice hymns (among other things.) They hadn't had a pianist in the RS for over a month, and when we moved into the ward, they were very glad to hear I played. I'm glad too!

Virginia Beach

On August 28, Jordan and I decided to head out to Virginia Beach for the day. It was AWESOME! We went hiking along the bay in First Landing State Park, which is where John Smith and the other people from England first landed when they came to America. We almost got lost because of the 20 million trails intersecting, took some pictures, experienced the flora and fauna, and then went to the beach to relax. Like Washington, D.C., Virginia Beach is less than two hours away from us. We LOVE living in such a central location! When we got to the beach, there was a wedding holding up all the people trying to get on the beach. Those people got married and left, and when we were about to leave, there was another wedding, haha! It was a gorgeous day. We also discovered, thanks to a tip from Wendy, that baby powder removes sticky sand from your body. It really works! We just dried in the sun and then sprinkled baby power all over and then rubbed it off. Yay for no sand in the car :)

This is for brother Jordan...a glimpse of a really nice car lol

The swamp we hiked through

Mysterious hanging moss

Awesome tree - check out those roots!

Virginia Beach