A New Addition to our Family

Since we moved to Richmond, we have been getting by with just one car, our trusty old Mazda 3. We knew eventually we would have to get a second car, but we tried to make do as long as we could with just one (which is why we got a scooter last Fall). In the process we have been saving a lot of money each month since Melyn began work at her first job. We simply decided this Summer was the time to buy a car. And so here is "Penelope", the name Melyn christened our new car with.

This is our new Hyundai Elantra. Melyn's last car was a Hyundai Elantra, so I like to think of this as her old car reborn. Or at least a close relative. We have been loving this car despite the fact it is black (in the Henderson family, it is a rule that all cars must be white). We love the fact it gets so much better gas mileage than the Mazda, especially with all the highway driving Melyn has to do now to get to work.

Drama, Drama

I enjoy my new job.  I really do.  But I've found that there is indeed drama wherever you work.  I HATE being told that I'm going to do one thing, and then someone changes their mind last minute (literally) and tell you to do something else.  Example One: I was told that during orientation, I would NEVER be nursing by myself.  I asked if I would even pass medications by myself, and my boss said I wouldn't.  That she "would never allow that."  Well, the next day, I come in and they want me to pass medications.  And it's only me and the charge nurse.  No one orienting me.  I couldn't believe it!  I was fine passing medications, but that's not the point.  It's the fact that she told me one thing and then scheduled me to do the totally opposite thing.  Example Two: I came into work expecting to orient with the charge nurse.  They were short staffed (this happens a lot apparently, especially in psych, but I'll get into that later) and they decided that I would be a good person to sit out in the hall and check on the patients every 15 minutes for 8 hours.  Now, I really honestly don't mind doing this - but the point is that I was IN ORIENTATION AS CHARGE NURSE - NOT PSYCH TECH!  Example Three: I was told that I would orient as charge nurse JUST on the unit with only 8 patients.  I walk into work, and the evening staff tell me I'm supposed to go to the unit with 15 patients to charge.  I WOULDN'T HAVE MINDED IF SHE HAD PUT ME ON THE SCHEDULE FOR THE BUSIER UNIT - but she just changes her mind namby pamby!  Rarrrrr!!!!!  Whew.

I've found that you just need to get in, do you work the best you can, help other people, and then leave.  Leave your work at home.

There are definite pluses to this job.  I LOVE having an in-house pharmacy.  I LOVE having an in-house lab.  And I LOVE that when you page the doctors, they actually call you back!  The actual work is EEEASSSSY.  Seriously.  I can't believe how much I used to run around at the-place-that-shall-not-be-named, and felt like I was accomplishing nothing.  And I LOVEEEEE the patients!  They're hilarious!  And annoying.  But mostly entertaining.  Now please don't take this as psych nurses (or any nurses for that matter) laughing at their patients.  It's just a way to relieve stress from the job.  We deal with very stressful patients, who don't care about their lives, who make the dumbest decisions, and come back month after month doing the same thing.  So we need to find some way to laugh.

I really do love my job.  I like seeing psychotic/depressed people become well-functioning, or as well-functioning as is possible.

I survived MDA camp 2011

Jordan here...Just got home from Wakefield, VA after a week long summer camp with kids who have muscular dystrophy. Honestly, this was one of the toughest experiences I ever had and at times I really questioned whether it was a good idea to have volunteered for it. However, it was a great opportunity to serve and learn to have more patience and compassion.

The first day was orientation for all the counselors and we learned the basics about our responsibilities. Nothing, though, could have prepared me for what it was like to take care of my little camper, "Charlie". He arrived along with all the other kids on the second day of camp (last Sunday). He was 11 years-old and used a motorized scooter to get around. This year was his 4th time coming to camp, so he already knew what to expect. These kids were so excited to come, it's their only real opportunity to participate in activities like swimming, playing sports, and hanging out, things that other kids just take for granted. Many of the kids could still walk and stand on their own to some degree, while other kids like Charlie required help with literally everything, from changing clothes, getting ready for bed, to showering and toileting.

By the end the of the second day, I was really regretting my decision to come. The reason being it was just so tough for me to lift my camper so many times during the day. He weighed 90 lbs (and I weigh around 135). I thought that because I had been going to the gym pretty often I would be able to handle it. Obviously, I had way too much confidence in my physical strength. The thing was, he had to be lifted for every little thing, like adjusting his pants, getting in and out of bed, getting in and out of the pool, and going to the bathroom. Also, it is very awkward lifting a kid who has no muscular strength. My back was so sore by the end of the second day I was on the verge of tears. I was thinking, "I have made some bad decisions in my life, and coming to this camp is one of them." Fortunately, though, it got better. I learned little things to make it easier for me to lift and transfer him. And I think my back toughened up, though my spine has probably aged 10 years in the last 6 days. But enough about my complaints. This camp gave me greater insight into what the parents of these children have to go through to take care of them, and it is quite demanding.

The staff had put on really cool activities for the kids, like a scavenger hunt and "color wars" where the kids were divided up into the red team and blue team and competed in different events. They had swimming, a carnival, a talent show, a magic show, and a dance. I was really impressed by the people who showed up every year for years on end to help out. This whole camp is paid for by the donations to MDA. You may notice time to time little paper clovers that are put up in stores and supermarkets, and a large part of these donations go to fund activities like this summer camp around the country.

I Love to Play the Piano!!

Oh my goodness.  I just watched the most amazing movie!  It's called "They Came to Play" and is a documentary about the International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs.  So, so, so inspiring!  It made me realize what I want to do - I'm totally going to apply to perform in some Amateur Competitions.  There are SO many throughout the country, let alone the world, and even though there are prizes involved if you win, that's not why I would want to perform.  I would perform for the love of piano.  But hey, $2,000 cash prizes for winning first place is a little motivating too :)  In researching these competitions, most of them have age limits.  The only one I would be able to perform in is in Colorado, for people above 21.  Almost all the others have age limits for people above 35.  Ahh!  I'm so excited!

MDA Summer Camp

Well, I just dropped Jordan off at a faraway camp.  He is going to be a camp counselor for kids with muscular dystrophy.  The camp is literally in the country, down some windy country dirt roads.  We saw hawks, vultures, and "critters" that became roadkill. He is very excited and I hope that it all goes well.  I'm a little worried, because each counselor is assigned one kid and you do everything with them, including the activities.  These activities include things like water fights and horseback riding, two things Jordan doesn't like.  Also, he has zero cell phone service, so if you need to get ahold of him, let me know and I'll pass the message to him when he gets home next Friday afternoon.

Second Anniversary

May 30, 2009 was a beautiful day.  Sunny - without a cloud in the sky.  Empowering - recognizing that Jordan and I were leaving our families and becoming one.  Energizing - realizing that I would be joined at the hip to my Honey Bunches for time and all eternity.  And now it's happened - Jordan and I have been married for two whole years.  We can't believe how fast the time has flown by.  It seems like we are still beginning and experiencing so many new things together.  And I know that we will feel that for many, many years to come.

I think back to when I was a teenager.  You hear your grandparents tell you, "You don't know what love is.  Not yet anyway."  So true!  I couldn't imagine loving someone enough that the thought of them brings tears of gratitude to your eyes.  That one person could mean the entire world to you, that you would do anything - ANYTHING - to stay with them forever.  I couldn't imagine it, but I know what it is like now.  And even now, it's hard to imagine our love growing stronger and stronger, because it already feels like my heart could burst.

We didn't do much for our anniversary, but we did go to an amazing Brazilian restaurant in Richmond called Texas de Brazil (which has nothing to do with Texas, by the way).  So, so, so delicious.  Flank steak literally melting in your mouth.  Probably the best meat I've ever eaten!  We saw a movie and gave each other gifts.  I love you Jordan!

Things we love about Virginia, things we miss about Utah

"Saudades" is a Portuguese word which roughly means to miss something, and that's the word I've been thinking about lately when it comes to Utah. Since I've been off from school I've had more time to think about this. I thought I might write about what I miss about Utah after being away for nearly a year.

I miss:

My family. Though it is nice to not have to go to every family function, I miss my parents, my sisters, and my adorable, rambunctious nephews. I wish could be there at least for every holiday. I wish I could have helped the Evers move into their new house, watch Josie's belly grow from her pregnancy, and play Star Wars with the little boys. Melyn, of course, misses her family a lot too.

Running. I've come to the conclusion that Richmond is a terrible place to run. At least by our house, the streets have no margins and the sidewalks are poor. Plus, running in high humidity is just hard. And there's no running trails nearby. Needless to say, it's been a lot of in-door treadmill running for me lately.

Carls Jr. and In-N-Out burger. My two favorite fast food restaurants, and they are thousands of miles away from Richmond. We have found, however, a really good BBQ place and an amazing Brazilian restaurant, but since they're pretty upscale ($$$$) we won't be going there often.

The mountains. They're beautiful, they make Salt Lake feel nice and secluded, and they are great as landmarks for your way around town (for the directionally impaired). We miss hiking there.

We do love Virginia, however, and here's a few of the things we like about it:

Warmer weather. Here it only snows from December to January, the way it should be. And if it does snow, it's only an inch or two and it melts by the next day. Plus in general we just love the warmer temperatures, even with the humidity.

Green surroundings, no inversion.

Lots of parks close by. Though they aren't suitable for running, they make for a nice stroll every once in a while.

We love the history here, we love how so many major cities are close by.

Lastly, I'm really happy at VCU and I'm glad I have the opportunity to attend school here.