The Greenwood Family

A New Year in our Life

2012-01-19T09:28:00.000-08:00

I feel like we are always changing (and improving) our lives. Ryan just started his second semester of school and he is doing amazing- not that I had any doubt, but when you can pass all your classes without even needing to take the finals, I would say that's amazing! Now he just needs to figure out which direction this whole college thing is going to take him... I personally don't mind what he studies as long as he ends up happy with what he is doing. I have started working at UVRMC on the mom/baby unit and I am loving it!! I could do without the night shift but I do enjoy being a part of so many people's happiest moments.

I realized a few months ago just how long he will need to be in school and I started to seriously think about this. The main question I was pondering was when I would go back to school. Should I wait until he is done and then start or just get it over with??? The idea of being in school for another 6 years between the 2 of us was just too overwhelming for me! I knew that I needed to finish so I decided we might as well go at the same time and get it all over with!

So, I have applied, filled out all of the silly paperwork, sent in my transcripts, talked to my guidance counselor entirely too many times and, yes, I have been accepted into an RN to Master's Program! I will be going through Western Governor's University. It is a strictly online program that gives me credit for the fact that I am already working as an RN and will take me through my Master's in Healthcare Administration. I am a bit apprehensive about starting school again but I also have the opinion that 2 years will pass regardless- am I going to just work or improve myself? I have chosen to improve myself. I think the biggest difference with going to school this time is that I can work at my own pace. There won't be too many overwhelming deadlines and I am already really close to having my Bachelor's Degree which helps a ton when it comes to moving up with Intermountain Health Care.

Life is bound to be stressful in the next few years but I keep telling myself that it will never be as bad as that last semester of Nursing School! I can hardly remember that last semester- I think my mind is blocking it out to protect me!!! Even with the stress, I feel like we are really moving in the right direction. I just hope that our kids can gain one valuable lesson from all of this.... go to college when your young! Of course, that being said, I never would have become a nurse if I had finished college in my 20s... wish us luck!

Marty's Farewell

2011-12-25T20:31:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! It has been a long season of elf antics and laughs! We have enjoyed having Marty at our home and hope that he comes back next year.... Here are the last 2 days of mischief.

Marty left with Santa last night when he came to deliver our presents. If you remember, Taylor told me that he saw Marty in his "big self!" Well, Marty showed us all his "big self"- He left us a thank you note that had a picture of him and Santa in our living room last night!!! It was even a bit black from the soot on Santa's hands! Wow!!!

On the 23rd, we had our Johnson family Christmas party. The kids all decorated Santa cookies- a family tradition. One of them left one out on the counter and I think Marty thought that he would try to make some. Apparently, he was distracted by the sugar! It must have reminded him of snow- we haven't had much here. Marty stopped making cookies and instead made a "snow" angel in the sugar.

I will post actual Christmas pictures soon....

My New Pink Badge

2011-12-23T08:27:00.000-08:00

I am a VERY excited RN at the moment. Christmas Eve will be my last day working in downtown SLC at LDS hospital. While I am very sad to leave friends that I have made, I am excited for the new adventures that are waiting for me.

I have been working for almost a year on the Psychiatry Unit at LDS hospital. I have had some great opportunities on this unit and grown a ton as a nurse. I really felt that it would be an easy unit and that I didn't need to be there very long- but it is amazing to me how much this unit has taught me! From gaining the opportunity to become a Charge Nurse and run one of the largest units within Intermountain Health Care to the patience to listen to a patient that doesn't feel that their life is valuable. I feel that I have grown so much as a person and I have gained a listening ear and patience that I didn't have before. For these reasons, I am so thankful for my time on this unit.

A couple of weeks ago, I interviewed and took a job at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. I will be transferring next week to the Mom/Baby unit there. It seems very surreal to me that this has occurred. I had applied for the job a few months ago and had forgotten about it when they called and asked for an interview. I really struggled about even going to the interview because I was preparing to interview on my current unit for a management position- one of my good friends told me to at least go and interview. I did and to be honest, it was a gut wrenching decision to make. I am so excited now that the stress of decision making is over. Ryan and I feel that this is the best thing for me personally and for our family. I can see myself spending a lot of time working in this area of nursing- possibly even the rest of my career. There is something to be said for being involved in some of the happiest moments of people's lives. I understand that there is still hardship and loss in this area- but after working with severely suicidal patients for the last year, I feel that I have the skills to help those that are struggling as well.

Yesterday, this became more real to me when I picked up my new pink badge! Ryan laughed that I was so excited over a pink badge but to me it means moving on in life and starting something new that I really want to do.

How does he come up with things????

2011-12-23T08:06:00.000-08:00

As always, I am playing catch up with Marty. I just love that he is so creative and the kids are loving it too. My niece and nephew just came in for Christmas and they are loving Marty too. This Mommy will be happy when Santa picks Marty up though- Taylor is getting out of bed at 6 am to see what Marty has done. On to the pictures (in order from most recent)

Last night Marty brought a TON of gifts from the North Pole. He left the kids a letter saying that Santa's sleigh is too full this year and he needed some help. Marty helped out by bringing some of the gifts early. The tree is overflowing with all the presents! I guess that's what happens when there are 5 kids in the home...

Not really sure what Marty was trying to do to the milk but he was caught turning it green. Taylor thinks that "he was trying to turn it into candy and we caught him!" As Taylor was eating his cereal he said to me, "Mom, it is really sweet, candy milk!"

Zack and Kylie have come in for Christmas. Marty and friends were pretty excited about the whole thing and made them a Welcome Home sign. Both kids thought it was great!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame...

2011-12-20T11:05:00.000-08:00

Marty and friends must have been bored last night because they set up an entire baseball field and played a game. Once again, Marty included the manger play toys. They even put a scoreboard up on the big screen. I love that they named their teams

"The Mischievous Elves vs. The Stable Boys"

Taylor was wondering why they never wake him up to play.

Choo, Choo

2011-12-19T19:25:00.000-08:00

I put our Christmas train up on top of the cabinets this year. Mostly to keep Taylor from breaking it more than he already has. Marty and his friends decided to take a ride on it! I have to wonder if "Polar Express" had an influence on this... Taylor wanted to know when he gets to ride on a train.

Reindeer, Kisses and Bums!

2011-12-18T20:24:00.000-08:00

Marty is such a pill!!! He does make us laugh every morning though and Taylor adores everything he does. I have been working so again I am catching up....

This morning, Taylor found Marty sitting on the floor outside of the garage door. He was pointing to the garage and looked like he was laughing.

When Taylor went out in the garage, he found that Timmy the reindeer had turned the cars into reindeer as well. Tay was hoping the car would fly too but I think we need some magic Santa dust for that!! (Thankfully!)

Our printer is one of those multi task ones and it is also a copier. Marty had been watching "Despicable Me" (it was in the DVD player) and decided to copy his bum like the minions do! What a great use of ink, right!?!

We have Tink up on top of our Mickey Mouse tree. I guess Marty had been watching her and decided that it was worth the climb to steal a kiss! Taylor found Marty on top of the tree smooching Tink... actually, I think that Tink is doing all of the smooching.

Catching up on Marty's Mischief

2011-12-14T20:25:00.000-08:00

Sorry- I'm a slacker, I know! But, to my credit, I have been very busy in my 8 days off. I threw a very noisy birthday party for Jessica, went to a work Christmas party, interviewed for a position at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center on the Mom/Baby unit, celebrated Jessica's actual b-day and to top it off- I got the job on the Mom/Baby unit!! We are all very excited about the new job change and I am looking forward to cutting 1 1/2 hours off of my work day because I will no longer be commuting to downtown SLC. However, amidst all of this craziness, Marty has still been up to mischief! I will put them in order from today on down.

Tonight Marty decided that he wanted to color. He colored a nice picture for Taylor and left the new coloring book and crayons for him as well. Funny thing is the coloring book is called "An Elf's Adventure"- wonder if Marty feels like he is on an adventure...

Last night Marty brought a new Christmas book back from the North Pole, "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell". I guess he wanted to share with EVERYONE. Even the stuffed manger scene got involved in this one. It was so nice of Marty to read the story to the baby Jesus!

Marty loves birthdays!! Jessica is lucky enough to have a December birthday while Marty is here. He took streamers and locked her into her room. The funniest part of this is that Jessica didn't want to "break out". Instead, she army crawled underneath the streamers and kept them up for her entire birthday!! This alone made my day! She is such a cute girl and I love seeing what she comes up with.

Marty brought a bunch of snowballs from the North Pole and had a snowball fight with all of his friends. They must be magic snowballs because they are warm and they never melt!! Ryan and Taylor have been throwing them at each other all day.

I forgot to take pictures (sorry) but one of the mornings, Marty had a gift for Jessica. He brought her tickets to Aurthur Christmas for the entire family. I have to admit this was a very cute movie. It's a different take on the whole Santa story and I suggest that any family take the kiddos to it. I am on for 3 shifts in a row- I will try to keep it updated but no promises!!

Kelsi's orthodontic video

2011-12-10T20:41:00.000-08:00

Kelsi is trying to win an iPad from her orthodontist, Dr. Thompson. She needs lots of votes!! Go to
https://www.facebook.com/#!/thompsonortho
find her video under Kelsi G., Like the video to help her out!! Yes, they are goofballs- but they're adorable goofballs!!!

Marty's mischief and Jessica's Penguin Cake

2011-12-09T12:24:00.000-08:00

Jessica is having her 10th birthday party tonight. I am having a hard time believing that my second child is now into the double digits. I wish I could just freeze them but they keep getting bigger.

Marty is super excited about the party. He decorated the great room for us last night. Taylor thought it was just "amazing". When I asked him how Marty hung the balloons so high up, he told me, "Timmy is a reindeer and can fly!" Of course, what ever was I thinking??? 2 pics today- one of Marty and friends in their mess and the other of the great room all decorated. We're doing a penguin theme- hence the black, white and silver balloons.
I decided to attempt a fondant cake for Jess's b-day party. We will be watching "Mr. Popper's Penguins" for the party so I went with a penguin theme. I found a recipe for marshmallow fondant- not only does it taste better than normal fondant, but it is also a lot more forgiving. Here is my creation- I'm hoping that Jessica and her friends love it. And yes, it is supposed to be topsy turvy like that.

Candy Canes

2011-12-08T13:13:00.001-08:00

Marty decided that our window needed some candy canes to help decorate it. He climbed up to the top and hung candy canes across the curtain rods. When Taylor saw this, he immediately climbed up and took them all down. Apparently, he felt candy canes are for eating- not decorating! He had eaten 2 before we realized that was what he was doing.... that's a healthy breakfast, right?!?

I'm not really sure what Marty's friends are doing- maybe just hanging out.

2011-12-07T18:14:00.000-08:00

Marty as his friends decided to go for a spin, literally! Round and round they went on the ceiling fan. Must have been like an amusement park ride.

Another friend arrived tonight. His name is Paulie the Penguin and he is quite cute! Now there are three to get in trouble together.....

Oh Marty, Marty, Marty....

2011-12-04T21:17:00.001-08:00

Two more nights worth of mischief! I have decided that I love listening to Taylor's exclamations of joy each morning when he discovers just what Marty has done the night before. This morning he informed me that he saw "Marty as his big self!" He claims he "snuck behind the TV and peeked on Marty"- thus seeing him in his bigger elf self. Makes perfect sense, right?!?

On to the pictures. Marty made our fridge into a pretty cute snowman. I wonder if he is missing Frosty?? I guess I never realized how boring our fridge was before it had a makeover. (Don't mind the mess on the top, I don't)The mess Marty and Timmy made- if he doesn't stay out of the wrapping paper, I might have to lock it up. Can an elf go through locked doors???

It must have been game night for Marty and friends. He even convinced Santa, Mickey and Minnie to play. They played with quite a few different games and mixed up all of the pieces. Taylor had to fix them all. Must have been a wild and crazy game night!!

New mischief

2011-12-03T16:21:00.000-08:00

Sorry, I have been working 3 12 hr shifts- so here is a 3 day update. I'm going to do them from last night and back so they stay in order...

Last night Marty and Timmy climbed all the way up to the kitchen light and flew airplanes off of it!! There were paper airplanes everywhere!! In the tree, on the TV and all over the floor. Taylor's comment was, "Wow, Marty makes good airplanes!" Timmy injured his antler in the escapade and we had to perform surgery on it today- no worries though, it's all better and I am sure they will be up to their antics again tonight!!

We have a really cute advent calender that has toys in each opening. I have explained to Taylor numerous times that we have to open "only one" each night and once we get to #24 Santa comes. I guess that Marty and Timmy overheard our talk and decided to peek into #24- Santa still didn't come early!

Matry and Timmy decided to use my ironing board for a slide. I guess they decided it was too fast and put pillows at the bottom to catch them.(Yes, it's gross- I never iron and have owned this one for all of my married life! I refuse to buy a new one.)

Our Elf has a friend

2011-11-30T19:52:00.000-08:00

Marty the Elf brought home a friend from the North Pole last night. Meet Timmy the Reindeer. I guess Marty needed someone to play with on those long winter nights. I guess that Marty and Timmy were trying to go down the chimney of Marty's house. It doesn't look like it's working too well....
Actually, looking closer, I think that Marty is trying to shove Timmy down the chimney! LOL!

Our new elf house

2011-11-29T08:54:00.001-08:00

I guess that Marty Mischief felt that a bed was simply not enough! Last night while Taylor was sleeping, his elf built an elf house.He also made a HUGE mess in the process. I guess that all good projects are messy!This elf home is DELUXE! Marty has everything from framed pictures of Mr. and Mrs. Claus and Rudolf to a Christmas tree and fireplace. I have to say that Taylor was most amazed that Marty has his very own door to Santa's Workshop! It appears to go to nowhere but we all know how magical elfs are. Taylor has decided that this is how Marty gets back and forth between the North Pole and our house so quickly!! I do hope that Marty is done building... he is going to take over the living room if this keeps up!!!
(This mom has to work the next few days so I will try to keep the blog up to date but no promises- stay tuned.....)

Marty makes a bed

2011-11-28T18:36:00.000-08:00

Taylor tucked Marty in last night on top of a pillow and with a blanket. I guess Marty thought that he should have his own bed- so he built it while we were sleeping last night. He sure made a huge mess doing it too- but Taylor was pretty good about cleaning it all up! He even told me, "well, he's my elf- so I have to clean up after him!" It was in one of those "daaah mom" voices. We will see what Marty comes up with tonight.......

Marty Mischief- the Christmas Elf

2011-11-27T11:50:00.000-08:00

I have been seeing on the internet this cute tradition to have an elf come to your house for Christmas. I just love this kind of fun tradition! I had Taylor write to Santa and ask him for an elf that is "finished with his Christmas chores." This is what Taylor found this morning sitting on top of the TV.And this was the letter that came with the elf...
I am going to try to keep the blog up to date with the antics of Marty Mischief the Elf. Stay tuned for fun and laughs....

Mom and Jessica's project

2011-07-05T12:40:00.000-07:00

Kelsi went to girl's camp last week so I decided to spend some extra time with Jessica and do a project together. I found this great, old swing on KSL.com for cheap- so Jessica and I set out to recover and repaint it. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out and it makes a great addition to our back deck. Granted, I did most of the work and Jessica did most of the talking- but hey, isn't that what mommy daughter projects are for??? On to the before and after pics....

Above is the before from the ad on KSL, below the finished project on our back deck.

Grandma's Final Disneyland Update

2011-06-21T19:52:00.000-07:00

The kids loved playing with the Faries- Taylor and Tink had quite the conversation- He sent her to her room and she went.... then proceeded to knock on the door and ask if she could come out. It was pretty cute and Taylor is still talking about sending Tink to her room!

This is Taylor dancing around before the parade started. He was doing his "cool dance moves!"

The kids sailing the Columbia

The fam with Mickey

And of course Taylor just adored him- Mickey even signed the book special for him with his name and everything. Taylor was soooo amazed that Mickey knew his name and he said "Mom, he must 'member me from before!"

We had a great time on our trip! We are sad to leave Disneyland but glad to be home to our own beds.

Grandma's Disneyland updates- part 4

2011-06-19T13:38:00.001-07:00

Riding the Tea Cups

Love this pic of Tay and Pluto- This is why we go to Disneyland!!

Jessica with Rapunzel and Flynn Rider

Taylor and Peter after their sword fight

Here the two Peters are arguing over who won the sword fight-- it was pretty cute!

The infamous sword fight!!

For Father's Day breakfast we took Ryan to Storyteller's Cafe and met all the characters

Then it was off to Build-A-Bear

Sorry the pics got all mixed up again....
The kids dancing with all the characters

Grandma's Disneyland updates- part 3

2011-06-17T21:52:00.000-07:00

OK so I didn't load the pics on all that great- just turn your head when needed and realize they're out of order!! Above is the girls jumping waves at the beach. I thought is was toooo cold for swimsuits- the girls disagreed and got completely soaked in their clothes!! Oh well they had fun!

The fireworks from our room- and the music came across on our TV and was timed perfectly!
The view from our room- you can see Space Mountain and the Matterhorn from the balcony.

Our room- Tay is hiding on the top bunk...
Tay played in the sand- he got knocked over by a wave and that was enough water for him- he wouldn't even put his feet in after that!

Turn your head--- we rented a bike that had enough room for everybody. The kids laughed and laughed and thought it was great! (They only lasted for 1/2 hour peddling though!!)

We're going back to the park in the morning so stay tuned... Luvs and kisses for Grandma and Papa- we really wish you were with us!!

Grandma's Disneyland updates- part 2

2011-06-16T20:51:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from the 1st day at Disneyland. I always knew kids should come in a box- now if only I could find the instructions!

Riding the Mickey Wheel- Jessica wasn't too sure about the height!

For the complaints I heard in the line, the girls were sure excited to see Pooh!

Riding the new Little Mermaid ride....
By Grizzly River Rapids

Grandma's Disneyland updates- part 1

2011-06-15T19:12:00.001-07:00

We took the kiddos to Mandalay Bay's Shark Reef- Tay thought it was "very cool" but didn't want the sharks to eat him!!

The Shark Reef has a sting ray petting area. Taylor didn't want to touch them because "they might be slimy!"

After arriving, the kids wanted to swim- thankfully the pool was very heated and we had fun playing in the water.

In Loving Memory of Grandma Dot

2011-06-14T14:35:00.000-07:00

As per my brother's request, I am posting pictures and thoughts from my Grandma Dot's funeral today. Above is the digital copy of the program. It was a beautiful program. My favorite part was when my Dad gave a life sketch- he said that he couldn't really do a life sketch for Grandma because her life was more of a mural that each of us have added to. He went on to describe different "brush strokes" that had occurred in Grandma's life. Elder Hafen talked about Grandma's conviction to the gospel. He talked about special talks they had in the last few days of her life. His comment was that he has never known someone more ready and more excited to meet our Heavenly Father. My Grandma's life was full of service to others. It was mentioned numerous times how she was able to make everyone around her feel welcome and loved. The spirit was strong and there is no doubt that Grandma is now with Grandpa Garn.

The Girls before the funeral- looking very grown up...

I know she looks pale and her hair isn't all done up- but Grandma requested that she look natural and didn't want it any differently.

The roses off to the side were placed by all of the grandchildren present. I think it was a very fitting way to say good-bye. In all the day went well. I am so sad to know that Grandma Dot is gone- I will miss her so very much- but I know that she's happy where she is and she deserves to be there with Grandpa Garn.

Life is so short and we never know at what point we will no longer be here on Earth. Today has further emphasized to me that we need to live each day to the fullest and we need to love those around us just a little bit more and hug them just a little bit longer.

With that in mind, we are off to play with our kids- just like Grandma would want us to....

Our life in April

2011-04-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

The month has passed by so quickly! It seems that April always sneaks up on me and suddenly it's gone. I figured I had better update the blog for the month before it's completely over. Today is actually Ryan and my 13th Anniversary. It amazes me how fast the time goes. I feel so very blessed to have married my best friend and he continues to still be my very best friend. We knew that our schedule (more particularly my schedule) would be crazy this month. So we took the first weekend of the month and ran off to Vegas. It was so relaxing and very warm! Then we came home to a snow storm... blah!

I was also blessed to get a promotion at work. I was promoted to a charge nurse position. I pretty much run the nursing unit and decide on which patients to admit when it's my day to charge. I'm not really sure that I wanted it but I agreed to the extra responsibility. If nothing else, I keep telling myself that it looks really good on my resume. And the bit of extra money will at least pay for my gas.

Kelsi turns 12 in 6 days! When did she get so old?!? She is pretty much as tall as me now and is relishing the fact that her next growth spurt will make her taller than me. She will be starting the youth program at church and is very excited to be going to girl's camp this summer. I'm not sure how she will do being away from us for an entire week. I do remember how much I grew up and learned confidence in myself when I went at her age. I look forward to her having these experiences and watching her continue to grow into an amazing young woman.

And of coarse, we celebrated Easter today. I was brave this year and let the girls make their own Easter dresses. They actually turned out pretty cute and the girls were so excited that they had made them- they could hardly wait to go to church today. Taylor has been very excited for the Easter bunny to come. He seems to think that he's just like Santa and just can't fathom why the Easter bunny doesn't come down the chimney. After all, that would just make sense, right?!? I had to laugh at how disappointed he was that the Easter bunny that came to his school didn't talk. He said to me, "Mom, I don't know why he didn't talk. On Hop (the movie) he talked! And I just couldn't get him to say ANYTHING to me!" I chuckled and felt really bad for that poor Easter bunny that Taylor was trying to get to talk!!!

Well that sums up our month- here's a few pics to go along with the words...

Ryan with the Treasure Island Chopper in Vegas

Kelsi sewing her Easter dress

Me with the albino alligator in Vegas at Shark Reef

Jessica sewing her Easter dress

Taylorisms

2011-04-06T08:51:00.000-07:00

I just adore my 4 year old and they many, many , many funny things he comes up with. So here are a few to make you smile....

Tay woke up around 9:30 the other night- this was Ryan's conversation with him-
Taylor (crying): There's a monster under my bed
Ryan: Hey buddy there isn't any room for a monster under your bed because there are drawers under there. He wouldn't fit
Taylor (still crying): But he's a really little monster!

After Ryan picked him up from preschool:
"Dad can we go to Cowafornia? I really want to pet a cow!"

After hearing that Ryan and I were going to Las Vegas for the weekend
"Why are you going to Lost Vegas? You'll get lost"

Random conversation in the car with me
Taylor: Mom is Jesus in the clouds?
Me: No buddy he's in heaven
Taylor: Where's heaven?
Me: In space somewhere.
Taylor: So when someone dies they can go to heaven and see him?
Me: Yes
Taylor: What if I just pretend to be dead? Then can I see him?

Taylor: Mom am I your favoritist today?
Me: You're always my favoritist.
Taylor: But do you love me mostest today?
Me: I love you mostest everyday.
Taylor: Nooo! The other day you loved Jessica the mostest- she told me so!

"When I grow up and I'm 10, I'm going to be superman!"

Life Changes...

2011-02-03T08:52:00.000-08:00

Isn't the stress of life just great sometimes?!? The last few months have been very stressful for our family. So here's a recap and how things have turned out--

In December I had to have an ablation. This is along the same lines of a hysterectomy but less invasive. Long story short- the doctor was nice enough to give me an infection which led to the ablation and some major antibiotics! The way the doctor phased it was that I had won the lottery on the infection because only 0.5% of patients get one with what I had done. Why is it that I can't win something that involves an amazing award??? Nope, not me... I win the prize that gives me surgery, of which we had to pay $1000, and some nasty antibiotics that I will NEVER take again!

All through this time, I was having some major issues at work due to budget cuts that hit our facility. I started looking and interviewing for jobs in July with no luck. After being told that 2 of the 5 days I worked I would have to take on a patient load of 48 to 1- Ryan and I decided to take a leap of faith and quit my full-time, benefited job. For those that are not in the medical field... a patient ratio of 48 to 1 means that I would be the ONLY nurse to 48 patients. Not only is this not safe (for obvious reasons) it's extremely difficult because if anything happens, I am ultimately responsible due to the fact that I am the RN in the area. Jan. 7 was my last day. I felt a sense of relief after quitting but the stress of having no insurance and no full-time job was a bit daunting. Thankfully, I was able to pick up hours at a care center that I worked at before.

After, literally, months of interviewing, I was finally offered and accepted a job at LDS hospital in SLC. (I think Utah is about one of the only areas that doesn't have a nursing shortage!) It was such a stress relief yesterday to go fill out all of the employment paperwork! I am very excited to be back working for IHC. I have always felt that I could spend my entire career working for them. Mainly because the company is so large, has an amazing reputation, and has tons of different opportunities and areas of practice to keep me from ever getting "stuck" in an area.

I will be working on the psychiatric/behavioral health unit. This is a lock down unit that medically treats patients with injury etc. directly related to mental health issues. I will admit that this is not my "ideal" area of work-- It's the same type of nursing that I was doing before. However, I know that I am good at it and that I have the patience to deal with these very difficult patients. Not to mention the fact that it gets me into IHC. We will see where my career goes from here.

I have truly felt a sense of calm as Ryan and I discussed and then accepted this position. We feel like we took a true leap of faith by quitting my last job. I have a sense that for some reason Heavenly Father wants me to work this new job. There were too many "coincidences" that lead to me interviewing and then taking this job. I don't know why and may never know the reasons but I feel like this is where I am supposed to be for now.

I am hoping that life calms down for at least a little while. I think our next endeavor will be the decision to buy a house again. I'm still not sure if I am ready for that yet-- there are pro's and con's to each side... and with me now working in downtown SLC, it changes the direction that our thoughts were headed as far as areas etc. Hopefully, we have a few months of calm before we have to make life changing choices....

Another Year of Memories

2010-12-15T08:33:00.000-08:00

I can distinctly remember being in elementary school and thinking that December had to be the longest month of the year. Now I think it has become the shortest. I looked at the calender this morning and realized that it is already 1/2 gone. It's fun to watch my children as they wish the time away so that Christmas can be here. Taylor has told me multiple times that "it's just taking too long!" I sit here wishing that it would slow down just a little so that we can enjoy the memories a bit longer.

This year has been full of fun family times and growth for our family. It amazes me to see that in the last 6 months all of our kids have grown 1 1/2 to 2 inches! They have also grown by leaps and bounds at school. I wish I could just pause them sometimes and enjoy where they are in life- however, they all seem to be in a big hurry to grow up.

I figured I had better do our year in review before the month is completely gone and I realize that it isn't even 2010 anymore...

Ryan: continues to work for University Parking Enforcement. He was promoted to General Manager this year and runs the day to day operation of the company. This can be stressful at times but Ryan seems to handle it all very well. He also taught the 9-10 year olds at church this year. This has been a huge challenge for him but he has kept at it and I think he has learned a bit more patience.

Stephanie: I continue to work for the state as an RN taking care of mentally disabled patients. I love the patients that I care for- they are some of the most chosen spirits. I am hoping to move into the hospital this year and get into a schedule that allows me to be home more.

Kelsi: our oldest is 11 this year. She is currently measuring in at 5'4" and will be passing me at any moment! The other day she told me that it was time to get out my "tall shoes!" Kelsi loves school and reading. She is very smart and often spends time tutoring others in her class or doing extra credit. She just finished being in the school play as one of the lead characters. She is a true "drama queen" and loves that spotlight. Kelsi is also only 4 months away from going into YW at church. She is very excited for this- I am having a hard time realizing that my baby is getting to the point of liking boys and caring about her hair and clothes. Thankfully we have unlimited texting because she could write a large book with just one month's worth of outgoing texts! It is nice to finally have one old enough to babysit for short times while I go out by myself.

Jessica: Turned 9 a few days ago. She is our little social butterfly. It amazes me how much compassion she has for others. I have watched as she befriends everyone and goes out of her way to include everyone- even if they aren't that popular. She is a fashion diva- if given her way, she would wear knee high boots with leggings and a skirt daily! We have had to regulate this a bit to keep her from ruining clothes on the playground. She is currently on her 3rd pair of boots for the school year and I lost count of how many leggings! I just adore how precocious Jessica can be! It cracks me up to see how much time she spends trying to get out of doing something. At least we know she is great at solving problems-- or at least finding a way around them!

Taylor: turned 4 this year. Where did the time go? We finally put him into a professional daycare. It costs a bit more but the rewards have been well worth it. He is able to spell his name now and can recognize basic sight words. He is in a pre-kindergarten class and will start kindergarten in the fall. He will only be 4 so he will go to kindergarten for 2 years but I feel like this will be great for him. Tay loves going to school and seeing all his friends. He has also really understood Christmas this year. He keeps telling me that he wants his birthday to be on Christmas so that he can share it with Jesus. I think this may just be a ploy to gain an extra birthday but at least he gets the true meaning of Christmas.

We were lucky enough to go to Disneyland as a family last spring. This was especially fun because we met some of our best friends there and spent the week playing. We have also spent time going on mini weekend trips to Park City and St. George. I love that the kids are old enough to just pack and go. They love the adventures and wish that we would go every weekend! We introduced the kids to baseball games and they love that pastime. Tay is really good at cheering for the home team and singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame.

It's been a great year for our family. We are enjoying this time in our life and know that these memories need to be cherished. I think within the blink of an eye, our kids will be grown. I look forward to the New Year and the memories that we will be able to make.

And the Stockings Were Hung...

2010-11-30T16:23:00.000-08:00

I decided to redo the kid's Christmas tree this year. I found a tall, skinny tree at Shopko (on sale) that was pre-lit with LED lights. We decided to do an Elf/Santa's workshop theme. The kids helped out and I think that it turned out pretty cute. It's a bit overloaded but I think it just adds to the tree. The elf hat makes a great topper and I made it all sparkly. It reflects the LED lights really well. Add in the stockings over the fireplace with our Christmas story books and it makes for a cozy area. The kids are thrilled with the end result and can hardly wait for Santa to make an appearance.
I love this time of year!

Thankful A to Z's

2010-11-23T19:35:00.000-08:00

I was laying in bed last night thinking about the fact that this week is Thanksgiving and how fast time flies. I was also thinking of all the things I am thankful for. Taylor has been really focusing on letters in preschool so I decided to do a list of things I'm thankful for, Taylor style...

America and the fact that we live here
Brine that makes the turkey yummy
Christmas season is next
Date night with my hubby
Everything Disney- movies, parks, books, etc.
Family
Growing up- watching the kids as they progress
Home that keeps us warm
Ice cream, especially Cold Stone
Jessica
Kelsi
Laughter
Money to pay the bills and buy the food
Nursing as a job
Old friends that love me still and always will
Patients that love unconditionally
Quiet time
Ryan
Sleeping in every so often
Taylor
Ultimate chipolte chicken burrito at Costa Vida
Vacations
Work that pays the bills
X-rays that showed my kids have no cavities
Years that I have spent with my family, and years still to come
Zzzzzzz... when the kids are sleeping!!

A Sample of Our New Family Pictures

2010-10-02T20:27:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how I will ever choose which ones to put on the wall... maybe all of them.

First set of stitches/glue... It always comes in a set of 3!

2010-09-27T08:47:00.000-07:00

Last week was a really bad week for our Tatorbug. Of course, that usually means that it is also a bad week for me. Having kids, I have become a firm believer in the myth that accidents or medical issues ALWAYS come in sets of 3.

Last Sunday morning Tay climbed into bed with us and I thought we had gained a heater! Off to the InstaCare we went... the doctor decided he had a sinus infection. My opinion of this changed that night when he started throwing up everywhere. Pretty sure that the poor kid had an early case of the flu!

Lots of antibiotics and meds later Tay started feeling better just in time for my dad to get his gallbladder out on Tuesday. Dad had been complaining of a kidney stone for a few weeks. After ruling out that it wasn't a kidney stone- I told my mom to go have his gallbladder checked. Sure enough it was bad and needed to come out. We have a real pretty picture of it that I'm sure my dad has shown off to anyone that wants to see.

At this point I am really beginning to wonder what incident #3 will be. Maybe it was all that positive thinking! On Thursday I was running around crazy at work when Kelsi called. I answered long enough to tell her I would call her right back. Within 10 minutes I have voicemail from daycare, text messages from Kelsi and a picture text from Ryan. LOL This was my first clue that maybe #3 had occurred. Tay had fallen on the corner of a table at daycare and needed to be looked at. Needless to say I left my poor co-workers in a HUGE mess and ran off to meet Ryan at the Instacare (again!).

The cut was right below Tay's eyebrow and needed something. We opted for glue... less traumatic and all that stuff. At least it would have been less traumatic if Tay had held still! He was very upset that the doctor was going to glue him together. Glue was for paper not little boys! Tay moved right when the doctor applied the glue. The cut was sealed shut but so was part of his eye. Well-- I was trying to help get the excess glue off his eyelashes when he jerked his head-- so he also lost a bunch of his eyelashes right at the corner of his eye. Thankfully he has a ton of them and it's hard to tell unless you look really close! The picture actually looks a lot better than it does now with all the bruises...

We were going to take family pics over the weekend. I guess it will have to wait at least a week. Hopefully I can apply makeup or something so that we can get them taken before the weather decides to turn. I am also hoping that we have had our 3 for a long while and that this week can go a bit more smooth.

Where were you when the world stopped turning?

2010-09-11T10:46:00.000-07:00

I think that we all can remember exactly where we were and what we were doing the moment that disaster struck our nation 9 years ago today. I was very pregnant with our now 8 year old daughter and getting dressed for the day. My mom called and said "Turn on the TV! The twin towers was hit by a plane!" When I tuned in, it was the Pentagon I first saw. My mom and I were so confused until we realized that both had been hit. Our country, the strong nation that always kept us safe, was under attack. We all have our own version of that horrible day and the weeks and months following it will never allow us to forget those men and women that lost their lives.

A few years later, at our now 8 year old's kindergarten graduation, I realized that I had a different way to view this tragedy. The principal gave a short speech and told us that this graduating kindergarten class was the largest the school had ever seen. He went on to say that this class would be the first class to graduate high school and start college following the 9/11 attacks. Our nation, following these attacks, rallied and brought children into the world.

These children are in 3rd grade now. They are smart, strong, and know their value. It amazes me just how incredible these children are. They are the hope and strength of our nation! Tragedy occurs in every life. We must remember that there is always hope that comes after the pain and sorrow... but we also need to never forget those that have gone before and gave their lives so that this nation can be strong!

School begins

2010-08-26T08:34:00.000-07:00

It amazes me how quickly time is going by. I can remember being a kid and thinking that Christmas morning would never arrive. As an adult I wonder in August how I am ever going to find the time to get Christmas shopping done!! And so time continues to go by.

School started yesterday and with it the realization that this is Kelsi's last year of elementary school!! She is getting so big- literally! Her feet are now a size 9- I wear a size 7!! And she's almost as tall as me. I have a feeling in the next few months, she will be taller than me. Jessica is going into the 3rd grade. I actualy could not remember which grade she was going into last week-- course this is a sign of me getting older! Our cute Tatorbug is starting preschool. Because of when his birthday is, he won't be in kindergarten for 2 more years. But Ryan and I felt that he needed more structure. We moved him to a professional daycare that has preschool all day. It is a very set schedule, not just playing with toys. I have already noticed a difference in him and I think he feels like he isn't a baby anymore.

Life just continues to go by. I have really started to realize that they aren't going to be little forever! It makes me want to cuddle them and somehow figure out how to make the most out of each moment. I guess the most we can do is cherish each moment and create wonderful memories to hold on to.... hmmm a trip to Disneyland may just be in order!! LOL!!

Give it to my sister!!!

2010-08-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

I think that because he is our last baby, I tend to listen to the things Taylor says more. I guess this is how the baby of the family ends up getting babied!! Oh well, he is pretty cute.
Last week I had to take Taylor to the doctor for an immunization that he needed to start preschool. I didn't tell him exactly why we were going- just that he needed to see the doctor before preschool. When it was finally our turn, I left the girls in the waiting room and took Taylor back. Well, he's a pretty smart little guy and he realized right off that the nurse was getting a shot ready. He started frantically crying telling me that he wasn't getting a shot. He was so loud that the nurse had to move us to a room and shut the door. At this point he looks at the nurse and says, "Don't give me the shot, my sisters are out there! Give it to my sister!" It was all we could do to not laugh out loud because Taylor was very serious about his solution to his problem. I'm sure in his mind this would be a great idea. After the nurse was finished, Taylor stopped crying enough to look at her and say, "You're mean!!" I can totally appreciate this statement being a nurse myself. Course we need to do what is best for our kids even when they want us to "give it to their sister".

Summer Fun

2010-08-26T08:12:00.000-07:00

With school starting, summer is officially over. I have been too busy having lots of fun with the kids to blog. I know I should blog more so today I'm doing the summer wrap up. We did a lot with the kids this summer. So on to the pics--We went to lots of Owls baseball games- Taylor always hopes for the fly balls!!

Took the kids to the cabin with all their Greenwood cousins

Went to Tuachan to see Tarzan and drove through Zions on the way home

Taylor ready to ride on Papa's motorcycle

Summer isn't summer without a good Demolition Derby!

Taylor and Jessica beautifying our driveway

Girls riding the tube at Deercreek- Jessica's hair was straight out in every picture

U Know You're a Redneck....

2010-08-16T10:16:00.000-07:00

I've decided that we are pretty much Rednecks. Especially since one of our favorite activities is taking the kids to the demolition derby. We don't go to every event- so maybe there's still hope! But I do enjoy watching the kids scream and yell for their favorite car. We have been to two this summer and each was great. Taylor calls it "watching cars crash!" I had to laugh yesterday at church when he got his cars out of his "quiet bag" and created his own demolition derby on the church pew. Needless to say, we had to put a stop to that quickly- he was a bit too loud with the sound effects!! As I type this, he has about 50 toy cars on the ground that are all crashed and waiting for Daddy's tow truck to come get them. Oh the joys of summer!

Fun at the Cabin

2010-08-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we took the kids up with the Greenwood side of the family to a cabin in Timberlakes just above Heber. We had a great time. The kids got to play with their cousins, ride the zipline, go tubing at Deercreek, go 4 wheeling, and all in all just have fun. There were tons of deer around that we were able to get fairly close to. The cabin was great and very relaxing. So onto the pics...

"Ladies don't..."

2010-07-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

I just had to put this story in because it totally made me laugh-- Today on the way to daycare, I had Taylor and my 6 year old niece in the car. Taylor kept making himself burp. I had asked him several times to knock it off and each time he told me it was a "monsker" (this is 3 yr old for monster). After about 10 belches, I had enough and told him to stop now. At this point Taylor stated that it wasn't him, it was my 6 yr old niece. Apparently this offended my niece because her reply, in a very serious voice, was,
"Taylor! Ladies don't burp, they fart!"
Well that shut Taylor up pretty quick! I don't think he knew what to say to that! I was having a really hard time up front not laughing because I think my niece was pretty serious. Aren't kids great?!?

Most Definately a 'Tween

2010-04-30T15:33:00.000-07:00

Today is our Kelsi's birthday. It amazes me that she is getting so old- and in turn making me even older! 11 years ago I went into the hospital a little scared and quite unsure of exactly what we were getting into- however, at that point I just didn't want to be pregnant anymore. By the end of the day, we had this beautiful dark haired little baby girl.
Kelsi was born at exactly 11:30PM- I will never forget the time because when she took her first breath and started crying, the theme song to the old show "Married with Children" started playing- you know the song, "Love and marriage, love and marriage, go together like a horse and carriage..." The TV had been left on from earlier in the night when Ryan was watching a Jazz playoff game.
Kelsi has been an absolute joy in our lives and we couldn't be happier with the young lady she is turning into. She has officially reached that 'Tween age and it has really started to show. Girlfriends and giggling is fast becoming commonplace in our home. So are texting, cell phones, crying, leg shaving, and begging to wear make-up... oh what we get ourselves into as parents!!
I know this is just the start of things to come and I really am looking forward to it- sometimes I just wish I could hold that little baby girl one more time and cherish her just a bit longer.

Spring Break

2010-04-07T08:42:00.001-07:00

So- What do you do during spring break when the week before was spent at Disneyland?!? Veg out of course... and maybe wrestle a bit if you're 3 and sisters will provide the opportunity.

Easter 2010

2010-04-05T09:08:00.000-07:00

It sure seems like this year is flying by. It's hard to believe that April is already here. I have been digitally scrap booking all of our pictures and it's amazing to see in the pictures just how much the kids have grown and continue to grow. It seems in real life you don't "see" them grow- but they are definitely getting older. Sometimes I wish I could send them to Neverland so that they never have to grow up. I guess that's the wishful thinking of most mothers.

We had a wonderful Easter weekend. Saturday we colored eggs and went to Ryan's parents house. This was Easter egg hunt #1. The kids had a great time with their cousins. On Sunday, the Easter bunny made an appearance. Thankfully he didn't leave too much candy this year. I have decided that the idea of a small present is much better than candy floating around the house for the rest of the month. And the kids seemed to appreciate it too. We then spent the rest of Sunday at my parent's home. Another Easter egg hunt, because you can never have too many right?!? My brother's kids arrived from out of state and the kids had a blast with their cousins. I had to leave to go to work but I just finished having 10 days off so I am not complaining. I hope that your Easter weekend was great and that spring finds us very, very soon.

P.S. This is for Christy--- I love wax too LOL!!! Loved the entry!!

Coloring Easter Eggs- Yes they are wearing gloves...

LOL!! I think the egg was empty- I love the look on her face!

I just love this picture! And I have no idea what happened to his nose-- he's 3.

Kelsi being cute

Taylor and his new Easter dragon

And his baseball bat- I am actually surprised how often he hits the ball

Kelsi was excited to get the new Fablehaven- I think she is already done reading it

Cute kids and Ryan's foot

Disneyland 2010

2010-04-01T09:17:00.001-07:00

I just love keeping trips to Disneyland a complete surprise. On Friday we picked the kids up from school and told them we were going to St. George. We spent the night there and the next morning we told them we were going to Vegas. In Vegas, we went to this huge saltwater aquarium and M&M World. Then Grandma and Grandpa called to tell the kids we were headed to Disneyland! The surprises didn't stop there. On our second day in the parks, we met up with some of our best friends from Colorado- Mike and Christina and their son Blake. It was Blake's first trip to Disneyland and I think he had a blast! He was tall enough to ride most things and LOVED the rides. The faster it went the more he laughed. We really had a great time! I enjoy taking our kids on vacation and spending time focused on just the kids and spending time together. It was also great to spend time with good friends. Now we have to get back to life as usual.... if only we could always be on vacation!

Riding Himlick's chew chew train in Bug's land.

Taking silly pictures!

The Kids with Mickey Mouse

Visiting with Minnie

Taylor and Blake as Buzz and Woody

Jessica wearing Mickey hands

On the Carousel

Kelsi being cute

Taylor with Woody- he loved seeing his favorite character

Taylor Kissing Donald Duck

Jessica dressed as Alice in Wonderland

Jessica's Baptism

2010-02-13T21:22:00.000-08:00

Jessica's baptism was last Saturday. It was such a special day!!! Jessica was a bit nervous but she did great! We are so proud of her and her decision to be baptized. Jessica is growing into such a beautiful young lady. Her personality radiates happiness and love wherever she goes. I love that she is such a friendly and caring person. Her concern is often for others before herself. I am so happy that I have been entrusted to raise her.
It's always great to have these "paydays" as a parent. It's hard to believe that 2 of our 3 children are now baptized. I can remember each of their births clearly! Life tends to pass by too quickly-- I am trying very hard to cherish these moments. I know that we are quickly approaching the time when the kids won't want to be with us as much anymore. It's great to see them grow and achieve milestones... but it's very difficult to know that they aren't going to be our little children for much longer. We are so lucky to have been blessed with their spirits in our home! I look forward to all of our future parent paydays-- and even the learning times ahead.

Getting Ready to be Baptized

2010-01-11T08:54:00.001-08:00

Jessica turned 8 in December. She met with our Bishop and we decided that waiting until February would be a good idea. We felt this would make her baptism more special after all the hussle and excitement of the holidays. Jessica is VERY excited to be baptized. Ryan and I are happy to see her progressing from a little girl to a beautiful young lady. We are looking forward to celebrating her special day.

From Cheap to FaBuLoUs!!!!

2010-01-03T09:43:00.000-08:00

BEFORE

If you really know me than you know that I LOVE KSL classifieds. I have found some great deals! This is my most recent find. I found this table with 4 chairs and a bench all for $75. Invested $50 in stain, sandpaper, and drawer knobs with the end result being fabulous--- all for $125!

AFTER

Taylor and Santa

2009-12-19T10:42:00.000-08:00

Oh he is a cute boy! At first he was very leery of sitting on the big man's lap... after Santa gave him a Mr. Potato Head his mind changed very quickly. Apparently, Santa is an ok guy.

Our JessiBear Turns 8!

2009-12-14T08:18:00.000-08:00

Jessica turned 8 yesterday. She is so excited to FINALLY (as she puts it) be 8. We wanted to make sure that she felt really special so she had a roller skating party. She was also spoiled rotten- she got a new room makeover (Tinkerbell of course), roller skates, scriptures, her baptism dress, and a sparkly cloak to go with the dress. I am pretty sure that she is so spoiled she stinks now! All in all, it was a great day. Yesterday we took her over to the studio and took her baptism pics. I will be making and getting out the invites to her baptism soon. We think it will be the first Sat. in Jan. I should know for sure this week.

I have to say that we are so thankful that Jessica is in our life. She can bring a smile to your face even when your upset. Jessica has a real talent for making me laugh when I should be getting upset at her. My dad tells me all the time that she not only looks like me but acts just like I did at her age! (sorry mom and dad- I am really sorry for all I did!) We are so very thankful that she is in our family and that she is growing up to be such a wonderful young lady.

Christmas At Our Home

2009-12-08T09:28:00.000-08:00

My favorite time of year is finally here! I love the love and warmth that comes with the Christmas season. I also love all of the traditions that we have. One of them is to go to the Festival of Trees. This is a huge fundraiser for Primary Children's Hospital. People decorate and donate Christmas trees and they are then auctioned off to raise funds. I took the kids and my mom this year. It was, as always, amazing. I love that our community does this each year for such a worthy cause. Kelsi's 5th grade class decorated 2 trees this year and both of them sold in the auction. She was very excited to find her trees and to point out which ornaments she had made. It was great for her to see her hard work pay off.
As to our own Christmas tree- we have two. One is the family tree which has all of the kids decorations that they have made. The other is "Mommy's tree". I changed the theme of my tree this year to, what else, Mickey Mouse. I have to say that I do love this tree and I think the theme will be around for a few years! It makes me happy to look at it and remember all of the fun that we have as a family at Disneyland. Hopefully, we will be going back soon.
Another thing to mention this post is Kelsi's play. Our school has a wonderful 4-H program with after school clubs. This semester, Kelsi chose to be in the drama club. After a lot, and I mean a lot of really hard work, the kids put on a play called "Cowboys and Mummies". Kelsi had one of the leading roles as Dotty Com. It was very cute and she had a great time. Our little drama queen is quite the actress...Life is great around our home. And I hope that it is for your family as well. This is a wonderful time of year and we are very thankful for how blessed we are. We are trying hard amid all of the presents and candy to teach our children the true meaning of Christmas. On our family card this year I put one of my favorite quotes from the Grinch- it is one lesson that I hope my children can really learn.

Moving and Getting Settled

2009-12-01T09:23:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving morning dawned bright and clear and Ryan and I decided to just get it done and move that day. I know, I know that's a horrible day to move- but everyone that helped received the gift of burning off calories BEFORE dinner! One of the major advantages of moving WAY too many times is that I really know how to pack and we were able to get everything in one load (OK 1 big trailer and about 4 cars full) So now we are all moved in, boxes are mostly unpacked and the pictures are being hung up. The best part about this whole thing is the amount of room we have! Going from an 1100 sq foot condo to a 2600 sq foot two story home really makes me appreciate all the sacrifices that my family made for me so that I could go to Nursing school. Thankfully, that part of our life is over and we are now reaping the rewards.

The kids (especially Taylor) don't know quite what to do with all of this space. Tag and hide and seek have become a favorite pass time! Kelsi and Jessica have their own space and separate rooms! This is making for a lot less fighting and much cleaner rooms. Kelsi even has her own bathroom- she is already turning into a tween and obsessing about hair etc.

I guess that I just have to say that this Thanksgiving I have a lot to be thankful for. The new home has really made me realize just how much we have accomplished in the last two years. It was very difficult but I am very thankful for the challenge and improvement in our lives. We made it through in one piece. All of our kids are alive and happy and Ryan and my relationship is stronger than ever.

I am looking forward to the holidays in our new home. Both trees are already up and the kids are very excited that we have a fireplace for Santa to come down! I can't help but be thankful for all that I have and the many blessings that occur in our life. I posted a picture of the home- it's off Google maps (I haven't found the camera yet!)

Halloween in Colorado Springs

2009-11-06T08:37:00.001-08:00

This Halloween we flew over to Colorado and spent the weekend with one of my best friends and her family. We had a great time! The kids enjoyed trick or treating and came home with entirely too much candy! It was fun to see Taylor and Blake (4) play together- they loved each other. Course it was even funner to dress them up as Buzz and Woody. The kids got a real kick out of going on airplane- and of course had an argument over who exactly got to sit where. So- on to the photos...

Oh- How He Makes Me Laugh!

2009-09-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

I just have to laugh- and share... This is how I found Taylor watching Mickey Mouse this morning! I guess the tubes from swimming last night didn't get put away and he found another use for them.

Weekend Away

2009-08-22T18:57:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I decided that we would take the kids and go away this weekend. I have to say that it was great fun. We went up to Park City and stayed in the Westgate Hotel. I picked it because the room was pretty cheep and it looked promising. All I can say is WoW! Our room had a fully equipped kitchen, a living room with pullout sleeper couch, a patio with table and chairs, and a master bedroom with a king sized bed and a jacuzzi tub. It was wonderful! The hotel also had a game room that the kids had a blast in. The only downside was how huge the hotel was- it was very easy to get lost...
Today, after a breakfast cooked in the hotel room, we headed off to the outlet mall. I spent about 100 bucks and fully outfitted the girls for school. Can't beat that, right! We then headed up to the alpine slide. We had taken the kids up here a couple weeks before and it was cold and rainy. They had fun so we agreed we could go again when it was warmer. Today was almost too warm, LOL! All of us have sunburned faces!
I had gone to Costco and bought the 10 pack pass thing so we were able to take the kids on the Alpine slide and then the Alpine coaster 2x. They loved it! Jessica was so brave this time that she flipped herself out of the Alpine slide! No worries- she skinned up an elbow and will have a bruised shoulder but she's ok. The amazing thing was that she got right back in and finished going down the mountain without even shedding a tear.
I do have to say though that the Alpine coaster is by far the better ride. It was so much fun to ride up the mountain in the little sled and then come flying down it. The girls could be heard screaming and laughing the entire way.
We had such a great time that I was too busy to take pictures- oh well! It's all about the memories, right?!? It was great to escape for a bit and just play with our kids.

Baseball and Fireworks

2009-07-28T08:04:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I decided that we would spend the 24th of July at the ball game. The Orem Owlz play at UVU and they were having a game and firework night. The kids thought this was a great idea. They loved that we were able to sit so close to the field. Both Jessica and Kelsi caught baseballs- how do we rate?!? After the game, there was a great display of fireworks! Over all, it was a great night and we plan on doing it again soon. However, I think this time I will spend a little extra money and pay for seats- sliding down the general admission hill all night wasn't exactly comfortable! I took some cute pics. The first is of the kids watching the players warm up. Taylor kept telling us that they were "those guys", LOL. The second is of Taylor wearing Daddy's glove so that he could "catch it".

New Job!

2009-07-14T08:51:00.000-07:00

Well, life is slowly getting back to pre-nursing school craziness. The kids are adjusting to having a mom again and have even started suggesting things for us to do this summer! I am also happy to report that I am now employed full-time as an RN. I took a job at the State Developmental Center working with mentally handicapped adults. This isn't my first choice of jobs but I took it for a couple of reasons-
1- the benefits are incredible! 24 paid days off a year and complete health, dental, and vision benefits for less than $100 a month
2- the patients here are really what inspired me to go into nursing in the first place. I worked here for 3 years before school and loved the interaction so much that I decided this was my lifelong calling- I feel I owe these patients something for their inspiration
3- there is something to be said for patients that- love me unconditionally, get excited when they see me, and in general are completely innocent of the world around them.
4- the schedule allows Ryan or I to be with the kids for all of about 4 hours each day. After two years of school, they really need and are enjoying having a parent around most of the time. And, I have Fri and Sat off which means lots of mini-vacations this summer!

I really do not see myself here for a very long time, maybe only a few months, but I am enjoying the slower paced environment, while earning RN wages. I look forward to when I can get back into the hospital but, for now, this really is the best place for me to be.

Climbing Mountains

2009-06-28T09:02:00.001-07:00

On Thursday I made the very long, stressful drive to a little company called Pearson Vue. I walked into the office and waited in line, listened to their little spill about confidentiality at least 4 times, had my right index fingerprint taken 4 times, was given a white board and pen, had to turn my pockets inside out to prove they were empty, was again fingerprinted and told about confidentiality and finally told I could begin.

Sitting in front of that computer again was a little daunting. We had worked for two years so that I could take this one test. No pressure, right! For those that are not familiar with the Nclex test, it is a computerized adaptive test. It is smart enough to judge how "safe" of a nurse you will be. The test can have anywhere from 75-265 questions- all dependent upon how you answered your previous questions. Once it has determined that you will or won't be a good nurse, the computer simply turns off. When I took my LPN boards- the computer turning off made me want to cry- "I wasn't finished, please let me keep answering these awful questions!" This time when I hit question 75 all I could think was, "please turn off, please turn off, please turn off" Magically, it did!

However, then comes the 48 hours of absolute agony! I am not a patient person and waiting for test results like this is horrible. Especially since the people at Pearson Vue know how you did the minute the computer flips off- probably even before that! Ryan was, of course, confident of my success and told me numerous times that I had nothing to worry about.

Yesterday morning, the 48 hours were over and I even left work to go to my parents house and check my results. After listening to the spill about this not "being official until the license comes in the mail" and I "am not allowed to practice as a Registered Nurse until that time" the funny voice on the phone said, "Congratulations, you passed!" Whew- 2 years and the 48 hour wait is really over. I am a Registered Nurse! Our life can go on- we have climbed this huge difficult mountain and the view from the top is incredible!

Graduation Day

2009-06-07T19:35:00.000-07:00

After 2 long years of blood, sweat and tears... graduation finally arrived. It was a nice ceremony at the Provo Tabernacle. But, it was even better to feel that sense of accomplishment and know that we were officially finished.

As I look back, it is amazing to realize that our life has really been in a holding pattern for the last two years. Taylor was 4 months old when I started school- he is now 2 1/2. Jessica was still in preschool- she is now going into the 2nd grade. And Kelsi, due to being the oldest, has been the one that really missed having a full time mom around. Thankfully, we have been able to pull together as a family and get through all that nursing school has entailed.

I really have to give credit where it is due though... Ryan has been my rock through all of this. He has laughed with me, cried with me, listened to me vent, helped me to study, cleaned the house and taken care of the kids alone for numerous hours- I think that he has seen what it would be like to be single. Thankfully, after all that, he is still here and together we are stronger then we were before we began.

It has been a long two years that went by quickly. And as I approached that stand to gain my diploma it really hit me that we are closing this chapter in our lives only to open a new one. Like all chapters of our lives, the pages are blank and waiting for us to fill them. I am so thankful that I get to write them with my wonderful husband and children and that together we know we can accomplish anything... we made it through nursing school after all.

Outside the tabernacle

My incredible husband

My nursing school buddies- Never would have guessed that I would make lifelong friends during school- but these two have been a real blessing

Getting my diploma
(OK, so it's just a quote and the real thing comes in the mail but hey I'm done!)

Burn, Baby Burn!!

2009-05-31T13:04:00.000-07:00

I have been required to wear these blue smurf scrubs at least three times a week for the last two years. I can distinctly remember just how excited I was the first day I wore them... I was finally going to Nursing school! Two years later and many, many hours in the smurf scrubs - I have to say that I took great enjoyment in watching my school scrubs burn!

Graduation Announcement

2009-05-19T18:34:00.001-07:00

Here it is... after two years of hard work! I am FINALLY graduating. Today, I attended my last class, next week I have finals and the week after that I get to walk with my graduating class, receiving my Registered Nurse, Associates of Science degree. Words cannot express the excitement that I am feeling about this accomplishment. For those of you that want a "hard copy" of the announcement, leave your address and we'll send it to you.

An Update...

2009-05-15T12:49:00.000-07:00

Those that are in the medical field will truly appreciate the significance of this update. Yesterday, the physical therapist had Drew standing, yes, standing. It is amazing to see what a priesthood blessing and a little faith can do. He is still pretty weak and it hurts to stand, but considering the fact that he had one of his vertebrae removed on Monday, this is incredible progress. The doctors are very encouraged by his progress and have even moved him to the rehab unit for physical therapy. I have to say that I am very encouraged that Drew will be home before we know it. I am also hoping that the long term effects will not be too serious and life can go on, like it always does.

A Ladder and a broken back...

2009-05-12T16:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, while sitting in school, my mom tried to call me- but I didn't answer. I went out a few minutes later on a break and before I could call her back, my brother called and said, "how bad is he?" This, of course put me into immediately panic mode- "How is WHO? WHAT are you talking about?" He then told me that my youngest brother, Drew, had fallen off of a ladder, broke his back and was at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. I think, no, I know that was the fastest I have even driven from Draper to Provo- I made it in less than 15 minutes... thankfully, my guardian angel is able to fly quickly!
So, long story short...
Drew was helping my dad clean up some trees that had broken limbs from the last heavy snow fall. He climbed up on Grandma Dot's shed and had anchored a ladder to the taller tree. The ladder was all tied into the tree- he really was trying to be careful. Drew made it across, cut the branch 90% off and was climbing back across the ladder when the ladder failed and broke, sending Drew down about 20 feet onto his back. Thankfully my dad was near by and was able to call the ambulance and tend to Drew until they arrived.
At the hospital, it was seen that L1 in his spine was shattered and L2 was broken. The decision was made to perform surgery and remove the broken pieces, then fuse the upper two and lower two vertebrae together, placing rods throughout the area for strength.
Before going into surgery, Drew was given a blessing by my dad and Elder Hafen of the 70- he is my parent's neighbor and just happened to be at a doctor's appointment with the surgeon when the call came into the doctor that he was needed for emergency surgery.
As a family, we sat for over 6 hours while the doctors worked. Everything went well and the doctors are very encouraged. Thankfully, after the surgery, Drew was able to move both feet and the numbness is slowly going away.
As I type, Drew is in the ICU at UVRMC. He has a really long road ahead of him. The true extent of the injury will not be seen for days, weeks, or maybe even months. He will be fitted for a turtle shell cast- it goes around his chest and abdomen to help stabilize his back and is removable for sleeping. The cast will be worn for at least three months. At this point, all we can do is let the doctors and nurses take care of him and pray that he will have a full recovery.
I will keep this updated as things change. Any prayers in our family's behalf are greatly appreciated.

11 Wonderful Years and counting...

2009-04-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

Today marks 11 years since Ryan and I were married. It always amazes me how quickly the time goes by. I really do not feel like I should be as old as I am. Recently, I have really been reflecting on just how much Ryan means to me. I am so thankful that I have such a wonderful man in my life. He takes care of the kids, cleans the house, does the laundry, and works full time without so much as a complaint.He has been my rock for the last eleven years. We have been through many of life's challenges together but they don't seem nearly as tough when facing them together. I love that even the thought of him makes me smile and it helps keep me going. I know that I never would have made it through nursing school without his constant and unwavering support. I can not even comprehend life without him. I know that I take him for granted most of the time and that I don't say thank you near enough. Thankfully we have these days to sit and reflect about the importance of each other. I truly hope that Ryan knows how very much I love him- my world would crumble without him. The thought of spending eternity with him makes me want to be a better person. After 11 years of marriage I can only say that I hope we have million more together.

Tests and Toilets

2009-04-08T08:02:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks marked a couple of milestones for our family.

First off was Taylor potty training. He has been ready for quite some time but it is difficult to get everyone on board with the idea, including me, when there is a babysitter, siblings, Daddy, and grandparents that all help out with childcare duties. The big change came when we changed babysitters. The new babysitter is wonderful and totally on board with potty training. In less than a week, Taylor is wearing big boy pants and having very few accidents! Absolutely wonderful in my book.
The second milestone was completed yesterday when I took my very last midterm of Nursing school! Hip, Hip, Hooray!! These midterms have been especially difficult because of all the time I am spending completing hours at the hospital and working. Last week alone, I spent over 55 hours away from home between school, work and hospital hours. Thankfully, we only have two more weeks of long hours. After that, my hospital hours will be complete and I can focus on getting our lives back to how it was before school started.... whew! I haven't quite figured out what I will do with all of my free time.... hmmmm....

Our Final Day at My Happiest Place on Earth

2009-03-21T21:47:00.001-07:00

Our third and final day has come and gone... we have had a great time. I love seeing the pure joy in my children's faces whenever we are here. It makes me happy to know that we are creating great memories with them. Seeing that look really makes this my happiest place on earth...Taylor kissing Mickey Mouse. He LOVES the characters. It was so fun to see his excitement over seeing them.
Taylor loves his autograph book and would spend any down time in line looking at it and naming all the characters. He is such a cute kid.
Ahhh, the girls on the tea cups- I personally do not enjoy this ride, makes me sick (I know, I'm getting old) but the girls LOVED it and the faster the spinning the better! I really think they would have stayed on all day if we didn't reminded them about all the other rides...
All six, yes, count them, six kids with Mickey. Yes, we are crazy- two families, two hotels rooms, six kids and 4 adults- I think that the kids ruled the roost most of the time but they had a great time and that's all that really matters, right?!?

Day Two at Disneyland

2009-03-20T20:55:00.000-07:00

Kelsi driving on Autotopia- she loves that she is "finally" tall enough to go by herself!
Ryan wearing Taylor's Woody hat- love those Kodak moments...
The girls waiting oh so patiently to see Tinkerbell in the new Pixie Hallow- Which I might add is rather amazing in the true Disney style. You hear pixies fly around and talking as you approach and then the grass gets taller and taller and you "shrink to pixie size"
The kiddos with Silvermist and Rosetta (Kelsi is dressed as Silvermist)
Jessica and Tinkerbell- she was sooo very excited to finally get to meet her.

Day One at Disneyland

2009-03-19T21:17:00.000-07:00

We're having sooo much fun... I love how magical it all is to the kiddos.

Waiting for the bus!

Another one of my favorite people

2009-03-08T18:23:00.000-07:00

When I started Nursing school, it was with the thinking that I was there to learn, not necessarily to make friends. I knew my goal and what I had to do to accomplish it. School had to be the first priority and I needed to spend my time studying and getting good grades, not socializing. Like most things, life often throws in things that we don't always expect. During my first semester in clinicals, I met Shaunda. The thing I remember most was her telling the teacher- "It's Shaunda, like Honda" and she has kept me laughing ever since. It's great to know that I have a cohort to go through this experience with. She has become someone that I can vent to and she totally understands my pain. Shaunda is the one that I can call at any moment, at anytime and I know that she would help me out. I really appreciate the fact that she understands me, my sense of humor, my sarcasms and she loves me anyways- it has really made the long, difficult days more bearable. I really didn't expect to gain a new best friend from Nursing school- thankfully, I was blessed enough to have Shaunda come into my life. Happy Birthday Shaun, Shaun- just think we only have 2 months, and three weeks left until freedom- and we'll make it through together.

One of my Favorite People...

2009-02-27T10:45:00.000-08:00

Today is my mom's birthday. I think she is turning 29 (again). This post is all about her and the reasons that she is one of my favorite people...

She loves me, my husband and my kids- always has and always will

She encourages me in everything I do

She listens to me

She loves to tease (just don't tease back)

She loves my dad with her whole heart

She taught me how to be a good mom

She taught me to be patient by always being patient with me

She still gets excited over the wonderful things her kids and grandkids do

She cheats at games and denies it completely

She makes her house a home that is always open to her kids

She cooks Sunday dinner every Sunday for all of her kids, and we always know that we're welcome

She sends me funny emails

Her grandchildren love being at her home

She takes the time to sit and listen to each of her grandchildren

She is a naturally happy person

She taught me that I am beautiful

She has faith

Her support is always available. I can call her for anything and she will do everything in her power to help me

She makes me laugh

She is strong- mentally and physically

She sends my kids stuff in the mail- and they love it

Most importantly- no matter what I have done, where I have gone, or mistakes that I have made, she loves me!

Happy birthday mom- I really could not have asked for a better mother. You have taught me things that no one else could and I am so thankful to have you!

Head stopper...

2009-02-21T09:07:00.000-08:00

I am beginning to wonder how many times Taylor is going to hit his head before he learns to use his hands as a stopping point... well the one good thing is that cuts and bruises will heal (hopefully without any major damage)

The Things Kids Say...

2009-02-16T09:36:00.000-08:00

I really just have to stop sometimes and laugh my head off at the things my kids say. It amazes me to hear what they are thinking. This has been especially true of Taylor since he has learned to talk. It is so fun to hear what he comes up with...

Taylor- "I the president"
Ryan- (chuckling), "of what buddy?"
Taylor- "I the president!" (he was very confused about the of what question and stated the last one in a very stern voice LOL)

"I big enough, I big enough! I go to Mickey's house now?"
This is said while standing next to our measuring chart and jumping up and down, nearly everyday!

"I do it! I do it!"

this is said to reference of anything at anytime

"I kick you!"

He does this when he gets mad at his sisters and then he will actually kick them!

"3, 3, 3, 2, 1!"

When you hear this at our house, be prepared for whatever Taylor has in his hands to come flying at you- this could be anything from a ball to food to himself jumping at you!

"Goodbye water, love you"

Taylor says this everytime he is done with his bath as he watches the water drain out- he refuses to get out of the tub until all the water is gone and he has said his goodbyes.

"I like it!"

he told me this one day when I had done my makeup and hair to go out with Ryan- I guess he just isn't use to seeing me like that.

"hotdog, hotdog, hotdog"

Taylor sings this whenever he wants to watch Mickey Mouse- for those that don't have a child addicted to Mickey Mouse clubhouse, this is part of the theme song

"I going to Grandma's!"

he said this to me last week when he was really upset at me

"Cachoow! Vrrroooommm!"

this is his Lighting McQueen impression and very cute

"Hello? I up. Let me out!"

he usually says this while kicking his door in the mornings and after nap time

"I hear it, I hear it, they're coming!"

Taylor says this whenever he hears the ambulance go by (we live a mile from the hospital so it happens all the time.)

"You feet stink!"

he tells his sisters this all the time LOL truth hurts, right?!?

"Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas!"

this has been an everyday thing since Christmas- I try to explain that it isn't Christmas anymore and then he will say, "Santa on vacation"

Needless to say, he is growing by leaps and bounds and it is fun to watch his little mind work in it's unique way. I love that he makes us laugh- it makes up for all the times he makes me want to pull my hair out!

Only One More To Go...

2009-02-05T15:43:00.000-08:00

This week was finals. After all the studying and major stress, I passed! So we only have ONE, count it, one more semester until graduation! It seems crazy that time is flying by so fast. Everyone tells you that it will and you think they're crazy, but it really has gone by quickly. I am very excited to be moving into my capstone. For those non-nurses, that's when the student nurse spends a ton of hours (160) following the same nurse. It will be much better to be with one nurse and to see how she does things on a day to day basis. I know that this next semester will be busy but after that we will be done!
I am also excited to say that I started my new job today and it seems to be really good. I enjoyed being the nurse and not the CNA. I look forward to learning a lot from this new experience. It's going to take some time to get back onto a day shift schedule but seeing my husband more often is going to be incredible!

Candids

2009-02-01T18:40:00.000-08:00

Can I just say that I love it, love it, love it when I manage to get a candid of my kids. No posing, no fake smiles, just them completely unaware of the camera.

(Course I did edit them a bit and unfortunately Taylor loves the camera so it is very hard to get a candid of him... he always knows where the camera is!)

New Job

2009-01-21T12:34:00.000-08:00

I found out today that I have been officially hired to work as an LPN! I'm really excited to start using my skills and getting experience working as a nurse. It's so nice to realize how much I will be getting paid and think that school is actually going to start paying off!
So the details... I will be working the day shift (no more sleepless nights) at Orchard Park Rehab. It's a rehab and and a rest home. Then have a really good reputation and some of my friends from school already work there. I have been hesitant to work in a retirement home but I think this is a great one and that it will provide lots of good experience for me. The best part is that I will now be able to work less hours and make more money! This will help tons next semester when I am doing my capstone hours. (for those that aren't in nursing- a capstone is when the student follows around one nurse for a set amount of hours, mine happens to be 160 hours)
I am really sad to be leaving all of the many friends that I have made at the hospital. The nice thing is knowing that it really is only a temporary thing because I will be an RN in 4 months. So here's to life's changes and the new adventures that come with them!

Really... am I that old?!?

2009-01-19T07:28:00.000-08:00

I always have to laugh when my kids imply that

I am older than dirt!

The other day I was typing a paper for school on my laptop. Jessica sat down next to me and said, "wow mom, you can type really fast!" Kelsi intervened at this point and said, "Jessica (patronizing voice) she types that fast because when she was little all they had were typewriters!" I started laughing and said, "you think so?" Kelsi replied, "well, yea, you're old!" This cracked me up as I once again reminded my children that

I am really not THAT old

and did indeed have computers when I was in school. Kelsi then stated,

"maybe, but they were HUGE!"

I give up... pick out my casket... apparently, I lived in the time of the dinosaurs...

sigh.

Snow Fort

2009-01-11T15:16:00.000-08:00

My little brother, yes he is 28, decided to help the kids build a snow fort. Thankfully he had the bright idea to use the metal picnic table as the starting point. The fort is huge, fitting all the kids at once. They had a great time and were entertained for hours! They also realized that the fort made a great hill on top for sledding down.

Last Year in Review

2009-01-01T15:31:00.000-08:00

It seems like 2008 flew by without so much as a thought. Today I am reflecting on all that happened last year and looking forward to the things that will happen this next year.

Last year:
-Taylor had the flu and was admitted to the hospital

-Kelsi turned 9

-Ryan and I went to Disneyland for our tenth anniversary (without the kids!)

-Jessica graduated from Kindergarten

-the kids spent summer with their cousins from Oregon

-Ryan changed jobs and professions, moving from the building industry to the booting and towing industry (recession proof job)

-We moved into a more affordable condo in Provo

-I graduated with my LPN

-I passed my LPN boards

-Taylor turned 2 (yes, he is terrible!)

-I continued through school for my RN

-Jessica turned 7

-We spent Christmas with family and friends

Things to look forward to in 2009:
-I will graduate from school and become an RN

-Potty training and no more diapers- ever!

-Taylor will turn 3 and be old enough to ride Disneyland rides

-Jessica will be 8

-Kelsi will be in the double digits- 10

-School loans that need to be payed off (I'm not looking forward to this but it is a reality)

-Spending more time together as a family

Stuck in the Wall

2008-12-28T19:11:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. The girls were spoiled with Wii games, guitars and drawing stuff and Taylor got his "dinosaur Roooaaarr!" I love the holiday season but it's also nice when it's over and we can get back to normal. The house always feels much bigger after the tree and decorations are put away.
This year, I worked a half shift on Christmas Eve (it's hard to say no to time and a half) and when I got home at 12:30, Ryan was in Taylor's room because he had been crying. When I walked in, all Taylor would say is

"stuck in the wall, stuck in the wall".

Ryan and I had no idea what he was talking about so we calmed him down and put him back to bed. He did this all night long, waking up 2-3 more times. Each time, he would say the same thing

"stuck in the wall, stuck in the wall".

The next morning Ryan and I were talking about this and Kelsi overheard us. She started to giggle a bit and says "oops". Apparently, she went into Taylor's room the night before and had told him a story. At some point in the story, she told Taylor that Santa was stuck in the wall and he wouldn't get unstuck until he was asleep...

I have decided that Kelsi is no longer allowed to tell bedtime stories!

Snowy Days

2008-12-21T11:42:00.000-08:00

I have to say that

I love the snow

Of course there are stipulations to this...
I love the snow when I don't have to drive in it and I can sit inside and watch it fall. The kids just love to play in it. It must be a sign of my age but I just don't get the thrill of being that cold anymore!
We had a huge storm here this week and of course the kids were happy little penguins playing in it. I however was not top thrilled when it took me an hour to drive a 5 mile round trip to pick the girls up from school. Thankfully, none of us have school for 2 weeks and we can just relax and enjoy the holidays. I have included some pics of the kids bundled up and playing in the snow-

The girls making snow angels

Apparently, they are making a snow horse LOL!

Taylor, like most kids, feels that snow is a great snack. Why is this an inborn trait?

Jessica's 7th Birthday

2008-12-13T21:07:00.000-08:00

Today is Jessica's 7th birthday. It's amazing how quickly they grow up. She was very excited to have her very first friend birthday party. We went with the Tinkerbell theme. We made fairy crowns, did face painting and played games. Overall, I think it was a big success. I'll throw some pictures on the bottom of this post.

On to Jessica...
Born at 9:30 at night, on the same day that her Grandpa was in the same hospital passing a kidney stone
Jessica loves to read and color
She enjoys playing dress up and anything with Tinkerbell in it, her fairy name is Jessibell
Favorite color: Pink and Purple
Favorite singer: Hannah Montana
Favorite school subject: Reading
Favorite vacation: Disneyland
Favorite holiday: Christmas
Favorite movie: Tinkerbell or any Barbie movie
Favorite food: Spaghetti and meatballs
Favorite books:anything silly
Favorite activity: dress up and playing outside

Happy birthday cutie!

Opening presents

This is the class monkey Max. The girls thought it was very funny to put a fairy crown and glitter on him. They were very excited to take him back to school on Monday to see what the boys in the class thought about Max going to a girl's party (notice Taylor in the background is also wearing a crown and by the end of the party he was totally girlie- Ryan was so proud LOL)

Santa Claus

2008-12-10T18:59:00.000-08:00

We took the kids to the mall over the weekend to see the Big Man. At first Taylor was very reluctant about sitting on Santa's lap. You would ask him if he was going to go see him and he would say, "no, no, no anta" Thanks to Kelsi, he changed his mind and decided that "anta" is pretty cool. Kelsi even convinced him to talk to Santa and tell him that he wanted a dinosaur- course he says dinosaur while growling like one LOL! The only downside for the kids was that they were not running the train- a plus for Ryan and I since it was $3 a kid to ride in a circle. So instead the kids rode the toy bus- with Taylor driving. Onto the pictures...

Taylor waiting in line saying "cheese"

The kids with Santa

Riding/driving the bus

Festival of Trees

2008-12-06T13:37:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year. One of my all time favorite things to do is to go to the Festival of Trees. The trees always amaze me and the event in itself is a truly incredible one; every tree is donated, every tree is purchased at an astronomical price, and every penny, including admission, is donated to Primary Children's Hospital. I can't think of a more worthy cause, especially at this time of year. I had the opportunity to create one of these trees a few years ago and it takes a huge amount of time and effort but it was all worth it. So, onto the pictures...

The girls with a Disney tree- one of my favorites of course

The girls with a full size Mr. Grinch

The sign next to the Grinch, a quote from the movie- I just might have to make one of these (after school, of course)

The statues this year were amazing- I especially loved the one of Mr. and Mrs. Claus dancing- This is how I have always imagined them

This is a gingerbread house, It was absolutely amazing! I could not believe the detail and size of it. I had never seen anything like it before. Wouldn't be amazing to have that kind of a talent?

And finally, Twilight trees for all of the fans out there. The one was cool because it was a Cullen Christmas and had presents under the tree for each of the Cullens.

Hope you enjoyed the pics- have a Happy Season!

Tub time for Taylor

2008-12-01T19:01:00.000-08:00

I have always been fond of bath time photos of my kids. There is something to be said for a happy kid that is momentarily clean, playing in the water. Taylor has decided that this is his most favorite thing to do. Every chance he gets, he asks for a bath and will even ask right after he gets out. I guess it's good that he likes to be clean. Enjoy the pics... I'm sure I will use them later in his life as bribery! (The butt shot is my favorite)

I am so very Thankful...

2008-11-20T16:20:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year. It has cooled off and the leaves are beautiful, it's football season and the holidays force us to take time out of our busy schedules to spend more time with those that we love. (just don't forget the football :O) So, true to the holiday, today I want to share those "little" things in my life that I am thankful for- keep in mind that although they may be small, my world would be unbearable without...
the "Love you"s I get from Taylor
the fact that I cannot remember the last time I had to do laundry
the girls clean room, well at least they're trying harder
the joy on my kids face when I give them a treat
the "mom, wait, I need a hug before you leave"
the thank yous, welcomes, and pleases that my kids say without thinking
the way my kids love to play with each other
the "boo" I get when ever I go to get Taylor from his nap
the text message from Ryan that simply says, "I love you"
the smiles on my girls faces when they bring home good grades
the help that Kelsi gives me with Taylor when I am tired
the words "I'm proud of you" every time I see my Dad
the way that Jessica plays hide and seek with Taylor
the way that dinner suddenly appears on a plate next to me when I am busy studying
the fact that my kids are always clean and well taken care of- even though I'm not sure how they got that way
the Sunday dinner that my Mom lovingly prepares each week for all of us
the fact that my brother is willing to leave weird messages on my face book wall
the home that we live in... it may be small and messy but there is love between the walls
the "mom, can we talk" the I hear from Kelsi
the squeals of delight from Taylor when I pick him up from the babysitters
the "mom guess what I did today" that Jessica always says
the smack on the head from the remote on Sunday morning because Taylor got past Ryan's defenses and snuck into my room to find me
all of the "I love you"s that I get to hear because I am lucky enough to be their Mommy

Only Four More Years...

2008-11-08T11:46:00.001-08:00

When I heard this story, I couldn't stop laughing... it's amazing the insightful things our children can come up with.
The girls have been participating in the elections through school and Ryan and I had been talking to them about the political process and why we were voting in certain ways. Fast forward to the day after the election... Jessica was at my mom's house that morning waiting for the bus. She was in mom's den, feeding the fish, when she turned and said, "Grandma, I'm sad" My mom immediately asked her why and this was her response- "I just don't know if I can last through the next four years!" A little confused my mom questioned her further and discovered that she was (in her words), "very concerned about the next four years with Barrack Obama as the president" She left the room stating, as she shook her head, "I guess it's only four more years" My mom said that she couldn't help but laugh and my brother, who was in the room at the time, has decided this will be his new slogan in life, "It's only four more years..."

My Snowy Adventure...

2008-11-06T14:17:00.000-08:00

So, this is my newest story to add to the list. It goes something like this...
I signed up a couple of weeks ago to take my LPN boards (did I mention this costs $300?). Yesterday morning I set my alarm for 6:20 am and groaned when it went off. After dragging myself out of bed, I dressed in my comfy clothes and headed to the door. It was at this moment that I realized that it was snowing. Of all days for the first snowfall, why this one?!? I trudged outside, thankful that I had given myself extra time. As I got onto the freeway, it was obvious that nothing had been plowed and that traffic was going to be a nightmare. My appointment was set for 8 am... after an hour on the road and Ryan calling with periodic traffic updates, I finally give in and called the n-clex boards hotline. I only had a 1-800 number that sent be to some operator back East... I explain that I'm stuck in traffic, in a blizzard. He proceeds to tell me that it's too late to reschedule my exam- "no, no, no" I say, "I don't want to reschedule, just let you know I'm going to be late." He states "oh, well I can't help you with that, you'll have to call the local testing center." With my teeth clenched and hands tightly griping the steering wheel I ask for the number since I'm driving in a snowstorm, on the freeway. Give or take five minutes he says to me, "do you have a pen and paper so you can write down this number?" Once again, teeth clenched and hands turning white from gripping the steering wheel, I say, "why no, I don't have a pen and paper due to the fact that I'm driving on the freeway in a snowstorm!" He pauses, "oh just give me the number already!!!" Long story short, I call the local office and they tell me to drive safely, they'll work me in when I get there. After an hour and twenty minutes of driving, I finally arrive and go into to register to take my boards. I'm actually relieved to have arrived in one piece and feel no anxiety towards the actual test. I walk in and an hour walk back out after answering 85 questions. Those of you that have taken boards will understand that this means one of two things: 1. I passed the boards with no problems or 2. I failed the boards in a horrible way and should possibly reconsider my career path. Thankfully, the department of professional licensure likes to give test takers ample time to consider this- 24 hours later, the results are in... according to DOPL I am an active Licensed Practical Nurse able to practice in the State of Utah! Whew! I did it! One step down... I am now officially a Nurse!

HaLlOwEeN- spooooky

2008-11-01T11:22:00.000-07:00

I love the fall and the cooler temperatures. This fall has been wonderful for that and last night was no exception. The weather was perfect for trick or treating and the kids had a lot of fun. I was very surprised that both of my girls chose to be scary this year instead of beautiful princesses. Kelsi was a ghoulish ghost, Jessica was the corpse bride and Taylor was a dragon (with growling noises, just ask him and he'll tell you). It was a fun night. Now we just have the weeks ahead of regulating candy intake!

Grandma's Obituary

2008-10-23T11:07:00.000-07:00

Dawna Randall Adamson

Dawna Randall Adamson died Tuesday October 21, 2008 at her daughter's home in Orem, Utah, and has returned home to her Heavenly Father.

She was born October 22, 1924 in Burlington, Big Horn, Wyoming to Wilford Trane and Mary Carling Neves.

Dawna married Floyd E Randall June 28, 1941 in Pleasant Grove. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. They were blessed with six children. After the passing of her husband Floyd, she married Jesse LeGrand Adamson from Highland, widower, and father of five children, on September 8, 1979 in Provo. Together they served three LDS missions in Ireland, England, and Scotland. Dawna was well know for her love of music, kindness, and her service as a Temple Worker in the London, Provo, and Mt. Timpanogos temples.

She is remembered and loved by eleven children: Larry N Randall (Beth); Dennis F Randall (Linda); Anita Carter (Ned); Stephen W Randall (Linda); Michael J Randall; and Dawna Johnson (Boyd); Stephen L Adamson (Jane); Eric B Adamson (Yvonne); Mac J Adamson; Loraine A. Fackrell (Brent); and Joel D Adamson (Kay). She has 54 grandchildren, 92 3/4 great-grandchildren, and 11 great-great-grandchildren.

A viewing is scheduled on Friday, October 24, 2008 from 6-8pm, at the Highland 7th Ward Chapel, 5212 W. Country Club Dr., Highland, UT. At the same chapel, there will also be a viewing from 9:30-10:30 am Saturday October 25th followed by funeral services which will begin at 11 am. Burial will be at the Pleasant Grove Cemetery. Flowers will be received at the 7th Ward Chapel starting at 5 pm Friday and 8 am on Saturday.

Grandma Adamson

2008-10-22T15:35:00.000-07:00

Last night, as I was starting my shift at work, I received the phone call that my Grandma had died. We were expecting this, but I have to say that it still makes my heart ache to know that she is gone. I am very thankful that her suffering was short and that she is now back with those that she has not seen for a very long time.
Last night was very special for me. Grandma died at my parents house and because of that we were able to spend a lot of time with her before she was taken to the funeral home. I never thought that it would be comforting to me to help clean and dress her body but it was. To me, it felt like the ultimate and final act of service that I could do for her. The hospice nurse was wonderful as she helped me and my aunt clean and dress Grandma in her favorite pajamas. She was now in peace and we were able to gather around her and say our goodbyes.
I have many, many fond memories of my grandma, as do my children. She has always been a vital part of my life. From staying at her home over the summer to living with her during school, Grandma was always there to help out. Even these last two weeks have been full of memories and I was very thankful that my children were able to spend time with her before she passed.
Ironically, today is her 84th birthday. Grandpa had told her that she would live to be 84- this always made her sooo mad at him- but he was right. She lived all of her days to her 84th year. I know that they are having a huge party for her today in heaven. There is no doubt in my mind that she was greatly anticipated there and that there is a wonderful reunion occurring.
Burying Grandma this weekend will be difficult- it's always hard to say good-bye- but it gives me great comfort to know that she is on the other side waiting for us and that she will always be there to act as my angel, just like she did when she was alive.

LPN Graduation

2008-10-18T10:02:00.000-07:00

It is actually official now... I have graduated with my Licensed Practical Nurse. Now, back to school on Monday to finish the Registered Nurse. It was a nice stepping stone and gave me a real sense of achievement to walk across that stage... there really is an end in sight! On to the pictures-

Taylor waiting patiently to see mommy

The entire graduating class- this includes all of AmeriTech's programs; RN, LPN, Dental Tech, Massage Therapist, Medical Assistants, etc.

My incredibly proud Dad- he missed a fishing trip for this- Thanks Dad!

Our LPN speaker, Merrie Parrish

Receiving our diplomas, or rather a nice quote in a diploma cover... guess we have to pick up the real thing at school, go figure.

Our wonderful professors, although they can get very boring and/or crazy at times!

Me and Taylor

Me and my cohort in trouble, Shanda

Fun Tag

2008-10-14T16:36:00.000-07:00

Here's a tag passed to me by my friend Christy. And I pass it on to all of you, it's a fun one.

Someday: I will be an RN

I usually: spend time with my family on Sundays

I wonder: if I will ever travel to Europe

I regret: not going back to school sooner

I love: Ryan, Kelsi, Jessica, and Taylor

I care: about people... that's why I'm becoming a Nurse

I always: want to be a good person

I am not: a good housekeeper (thank goodness for Ryan)

I remember: the moment my kids were born and how special it was each time

I believe: that I am living my own Happily Ever After... even when everything doesn't go perfectly

I dance: with my husband in the kitchen, late at night after the kids are asleep

I sing: in the car constantly

I don’t always: control my temper like I should with my kids

I argue: with my teachers over test answers all the time... sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn't- it all depends on how good my reasoning is.

I write: on my blog, in my books, and on handouts all day loooong

I lose: my mind by the time each semester ends

I wish: I could go to Disneyland this weekend

I listen: to my husband... he usually makes me feel better about things after we talk

I don't understand: why I have to figure out IV drip rates when the sigma pump will do it for me.... stupid N-clex world

I can be found: at school three days a week, at work three days a week and at home the rest of the time

I am scared: about how much we will be paying back in school loans

I need: a private investor to pay off those school loans LOL!

I forget: what it is like to have free time

I am happy: when I get to sit on the couch with my family and just veg

Taylor's 2nd Birthday

2008-10-04T19:46:00.000-07:00

Hooray for birthdays! Today is our baby's birthday. It's hard to believe that he has reached the magical, difficult age of two. Seems like the time has really flown. I have to say that I never really believed people when they told me how different boys and girls were- Taylor has made me a believer! He is so different than the girls. In one instance he can go from being a total stinker to being a little flirt. He constantly keeps me on my toes! I love that he is always so willing to cuddle and hug- and then run off and wreck havoc somewhere else in the house! The one thing that I have to say about Taylor is he has an amazing ability to love. I have never known a 2 year old that was so quick to say sorry, thank you or ask "OK?" if he senses that something is wrong. I am thankful everyday that we made the decision to have him. Taylor adds a very special aspect to our family and he is definitely worth his weight in gold! (Even with all 12 kidney stones that I passed as a result of his pregnancy!)
-In the picture with him raising his hands, he's saying "touchdown!"

The Writing IN the Wall

2008-09-27T11:26:00.001-07:00

Ryan has finally had enough time this weekend (due to the BYU football bye-week) to take out the really weird indoor sliding glass door and replace it with a wall. I decided that we should make it fun for the girls since it is the wall going into their bedroom- hence the writing IN the wall. The neighbor kids helped too. It was funny to hear them say things like "In a million years when someone takes down this wall, they're going to find our names!"
The little neighbor boy drew us a skeleton too (it's almost Halloween) So now instead of skeletons in the closet, they're in the wall! I guess that's a better way to keep them from coming out at awkward times!
When it's completely finished (mudded and painted) I will post a before and after so that you can truly appreciate the significance of an indoor sliding glass door. Very odd if you ask me! (thankfully the landlord agrees)

Hubby Tag

2008-09-22T14:07:00.000-07:00

hubby tag

Once again...a fun tag for all of you to enjoy.

1- Where did you meet? This is still a constant debate for us- however, I'm writing this so you get my version... we met when one of my best friends in high school took him to a dance. The sad thing is, that I helped the friend "flip" his room to ask him- the room was a complete mess when we were done! Anyone that knows Ryan knows that he is a total clean freak and I'm sure that he literally flipped when he saw his room that day. (he claims we had met at church before this, I don't remember that)

2- How long did you date before you were married? dating is such a relative term- Ryan claims we never dated, just decided to get married. He was home from his mission for 8 months when we were married and we have known each other since I was 15.

3- How long have you been married? 10 glorious years

4- What does he do that surprises you? hmmm... not much- I know him pretty well.

5- What's your favorite feature about him? his sense of humor

6 - What's your favorite quality about him? I love that he is such a good dad and an incredibly understanding husband (think nursing school)

7- Does he have a nickname for you? What is it? not really- he calls me sweetie a lot

8- What's his favorite color? not red LOL I would guess blue

9- What's his favorite food? he's a meat and potatoes kind of guy.

10-What is his favorite sport? Mainly football, but anything that can be viewed on ESPN 1, 2, 3, or 4 is fair game.

11- Who said I love you first? hmmm... debatable again. I told him that he was loved and he said "well, you are too" and I replied "really?" and he said "yea, I think so" LOL- you decide

12- When and where was your first kiss? In the first house that he had built after his mission. It had a nice romantic glow from the prison.

13-Do you have kids? How many? we have 3 kids- 2 girls and a boy

14- What's a hidden talent that he has? he's an amazing seat dancer- he refuses to dance in public but he sure is good at it as he drives down the road

15- How old is he? 32 (almost 33)

16- What's his favorite type of music? Metallica- when Kelsi was a baby she used to calm down to Metallica, sad I know

17- What do you admire most about him? the ability to laugh at things and be a great dad

18-What's his favorite past time? ESPN 1, 2, 3, and 4

19- Do you think he is going to read this? I bet he will- especially when I tell him it's here

So as far as tagging- do this if you want. It would be fun to learn more about the other halfs

An End In Sight

2008-09-18T15:15:00.000-07:00

I have to say that I am really starting to see the "light at the end of the tunnel!" Today was the last day of my LPN clinicals and I have finals on Mon and Tues. This will mark the end of my LPN semesters and I will get to graduate on October 17. Hooray!! Granted there is still a lot of work left to do- two semesters worth- but I am really starting to feel like this goal is obtainable and eventually not everything in life will revolve around school and homework. Graduation will be an exciting day just because I think it will make things seem more real. 'Course so will that little license when I pass the LPN boards. (the pay-raise helps too!) So, no stress over the next week- I just have to pass my finals and then I will be able to feel a great sense of accomplishment!

Picture Tag!

2008-09-07T08:45:00.000-07:00

Tagged by Krista (thanks!)
Read after the last picture to see if you've been tagged....The rules are you have to take 10 pictures of the following things and you have to do it right away. No straightening, cleaning or wiping your child's nose (I mean it!). Then you tag six others.
So... Ryan's comment was- What are you doing?!? And then he just laughed and told me to tag Marshall LOL!

1- Kids... The girls are playing on the computer (Jessica is waiting for her turn), Taylor has learned to say cheese LOL and then Jessica had to pose again because she realized that I was taking pictures and she wanted more of a spotlight then what she already had!

2- Bathroom... well it didn't specify which bathroom so I chose the cleaner of the two! (Thanks to Kelsi)

3- Closet... Thankfully I unpacked all of the boxes in front of the closet yesterday so that it could even be opened... what you're not seeing is that the one side goes waaay back and is full of crap!

4- Shoes... I LOVE my tennies! I have had them for about 4 years now and they probably need to be replaced- but why replace what works great?

5- Self portrait... I tried to take it myself and failed miserably! Ryan just laughed and took it for me... yes, I did work last night and yes, I do wear glasses when I'm too lazy to put in the contacts

6- Laundry Room... It's small but it gets the job done

7- Kitchen Sink... This made me wonder what the bucket was for- hmmm... the sad thing is that everyone I asked had no idea what it was for or why it was there- Mr. Ididn'tdoit strikes again!

8- Fridge... Wow! There's actually some food in there! Maybe I should cook something this week and give the drive through people a break! (gotta love Nursing School)

9- Favorite Room... Well, I can't say that I have a favorite room but I have a favorite person and he is in this room so let's call it my favorite room for now! Ryan even looked away from the big screen long enough to smile!

10- Dream Vacation... if you know me at all, you will be able to guess this one! Anything Disney! This last Christmas we went with my brother and his kids and my mom and dad. This was great funa nd it was great to spend Christmas together in a magical place.

Holy Crap! That took forever to blog! Now comes the fun part, I get to tag 6 people to do the same... hmmmm.... I choose:
Kim Johnson, Christy Boden, Marshall and Nany (thank Ryan), JoLynn Greenwood, Hollie Greenwood, and Kimberlyn Roundy
Have a great time- it was a lot of fun to do!

New Family Pictures

2008-09-05T20:14:00.001-07:00

I finally found the time to get the kids all dressed up cute and we went down to have family pics taken- After many attempts, we finally got a few cute ones! There is no better way to try the patience of a mother than to try and capture all three children smiling and looking at the camera at the same time LOL! It's a really good thing that they're so stinkin' cute! I posted them off to the side and down below for your viewing pleasure...

The New Place

2008-09-03T11:27:00.001-07:00

We finally got all moved into our new place and we're loving it! Ryan was able to put new floors in before we moved in. So here we have the before and after pictures. Don't mind all the boxes around, we did just move LOL.
The girls are loving the fact that there is a swimming pool and a playground. Not to mention all of the "girls" in the neighborhood. Kelsi told me that this is great because at the old house we only had boys to play with and now she has girls to play with... "It's much, much better mom!"
We owe a big thank you to our new landlord- thanks Becky!

Before with the carpet

After, with a beautiful new floor

The kitchen with new stove and microwave

First Day of School

2008-08-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

School started on Monday! Hip, hip, hurray!! The nice things is that the girls are cheering as well. Jessica is very excited to have finally graduated into an all day schedule. She thinks that eating lunch at school is pretty cool- whatever makes her happy, right?!? Kelsi is just excited that she is in the 4th grade. As Kelsi puts it, "Mom, you know this means I'm growing up, right?" -Sigh- I guess she really is growing up. It's amazing to see them get older and feel a sense of accomplishment just by being their mom. They really are amazing little girls!
Taylor, on the other hand, is having a hard time adjusting to sissies being gone. He doesn't quite understand the whole school thing and asks all day long, "sissies?" This is accompanied with a shoulder shrug and a look around the house calling their names. After his house search he comes back and says, "I don't know!" It's pretty cute.

Moving (again)

2008-08-17T19:12:00.000-07:00

In the last blog I said that I would blog this... so here goes. We're moving, yes, again! Gotta love being in Nursing School. We weren't really looking, well OK, looking but not seriously, when I found this great condo. The house we live in now is fairly run down and Ryan spends a lot of time fixing it up so that things work. The landlords are very interested in receiving the rent check and not much else. We feel like we sold our house so that we didn't have to fix it up... hence, the looking. So, I found a condo in Provo/Orem that is close to the hospital, close to Ryan's new job (next blog LOL), and allows the girls to go back to their old school, which they are very excited about. On top of all this, it will save us money, have less area to keep clean, has a pool and clubhouse, playground etc. and the new landlords are great! They're fixing it up and paying Ryan to do it. What more could we possibly ask for?!? We are also excited about the fact that it should be in a student family ward. Hopefully this will give us ward members that are a bit more understanding of our situation because they are in the same one. We're all pretty excited about it. It has given me a huge reason to clean out and downsize the things we don't need. We're already up to 4 trips to the DI. If you have not seen it or played with it in the last 6 months, it's gone! Anyone want to buy a beautiful kitchen table? All in all, we feel it really is a blessing and the best thing we can do for our family right now. So, yes, we're moving, again!
As requested, here's some pics of the table- we're selling it for $150 if you're interested...