Time Flies!

(I love this picture)


I kept saying I need to update my blog and now all of a sudden its been 3 months since I updated. Wow! The end of 2010 was awesome. Christmas was wonderful! The fam got to spend some time down in Arizona together and even though it wasn't OVERLY warm we managed to have a good time. I moved to Salt Lake the first of January and I've just been getting back into to the swing of "Student Life" again. I'm done in July!! RN here I come :). School has been a whirlwind...I jumped into a program where everyone already knew each other from the previous semesters so it has been an adjustment to fit in. However, I am so blessed to have this opportunity that has worked out so well for me. This blog is random and its just a bunch of pictures but at least I feel a little more caught up.


Christmas shopping can be so exhausting


Christmas in Pahrump!




I would ask Ava to show me her new slippers and she just kept doing this....its the best picture I could get.


The ginger bread house is definitely a tradition. Ava will remember!



I got a new snowboarding helmet for Christmas. There was one day we got sooo much snow so Robert and I took advantage and went snowboarding. Getting the Jeep out was not easy but Ken Richens came over with the tractor and we were out in a Jiffy. My dad and Ken LOVE that was tractor.







Pictures from Arizona!








I'll leave you with these. This is a prime example of why I don't do much crafting. I was convinced I wanted to crochet a baby hat for Alecia and Sam's baby. I picked a very simple pattern and not even half way through I knew something was wrong. My mom was doing the same pattern with me to talk me through it (yes I needed it). Can you see something wrong??? Mine is the one on the left.


Second round was MUCH better. I can't wait to put it on her!!! I told Alecia if she wanted to use the first draft she would have a lovely hand made nipple cover if needed :).

Just Kidding!

Things can change quickly. Thats a fact of life right? Not too long ago I got a call from Desert View Hospital in Pahrump saying they would like me to come down and work full time in the emergency room. I was thrilled! I had been trying to get down there all summer long and it was finally happening! The first day I could start was November first since I had to finish out the month of October at Central Valley Medical Center. So....I went to "as needed status" at Central Valley, packed up all of my stuff, informed my sister Lynsey should would be having a baby sitter pretty much whenever she needed, and drove down to Pahrump. I was moving into a house down there my dad's company has. It was the PERFECT situation. When I went into the hospital the next day to get all set, I spoke with the Emergency Room manager. She explained they had a rigorous six week training program. I immediately was a little nervous since I knew there was a possibility I could be going back to school in January. However, I had informed them of this so I thought it was all good. Plus, I had a while before I was supposed to know anything about school. Cross that bridge when we get to it. As I was walking into the HR manager's office I got a call on my cell phone. Here is the conversation:

Rob: Hi Jessica this is Rob from Weber State University. I just wanted to inform you that you have been excepted into the RN program starting January.

Me: Oh?

Rob: Since you live further south we were wondering if you wanted to complete our program at the DATC campus in Kaysville. This program, unlike the main campus program, ends in August. The main campus program breaks during the summer and ends in Decemeber.

Me: So, I would be going to school closer to Salt Lake and I would finish earlier?

Rob: Correct.

Me: Yeah, Rob you can go ahead and count me in. I'm super excited!!

Ope...there pops up that bridge. So with the ER manager, the Administrator, and the Human Resource Manager all present I discussed my dilemma with them. I knew the ER manager (her name is Mary) because I had worked with her when I was in Pahrump before. They were so wonderful so congratulate me and said they would be more than happy to keep me here till school. However, I understand there is really no reason to train me for six weeks just so I can leave two weeks later. So...I thanked them and spent the next four days hanging out with my mom, sister, and kiddos. Then I moved my entire closet back up to Utah. Oy Vey.

Pretty much what we did while I was down there.





All my crap in Pahrump......



Same crap in Nephi.....four days later.....



Honestly, everything worked out perfect. I'm starting school in a great program closer to where I will be living and finishing earlier than I had expected. BUT....I was soooo excited to be close to Lynsey and her family for the next two months. I walked into her house after I found out and totally started crying. I miss them when they aren't here and I wanted nothing more than to be crashing on their couch, tending the kids, and just bumming around with my sister.


So.....I literally drove back down like the next week lol. It was Randy's birthday (shout out to Randy!!! Love you bro!) and Lynsey wanted to take Randy out just the two of them. I went down to babysit the kids. Since I kinda quit my job and just pick up shifts whenever someone calls me, I've had some free time on my hands. I drove down Friday after work and stayed till Tuesday. Had a blast. Thanks you guys for letting me stay, feeding me, and hanging out with me. I truly cherish our relationship probably more than I tell you :). Love you!

Wouldn't it be awkward if Lynsey didn't read this post??



Here are some pictures from the trip. I feel bad I didn't get one with the birthday boy or my sister. Woops.
These kids....seriously can't stand how cute they are!



Ava and I made some delicious cookies in some super cute aprons.





The night Lynsey and Randy went out we all snuggled up in our PJ's, watched a movie, made paper airplanes, and just played like crazy. I also painted Ava's fingernails and toenails. She picked the colors. Toenails were pink, fingernails were light pink. Shocking.



Little dude man....








Kai had a little bit of a cold in his chest so the pediatrician recommended they give him breathing treatments fours times a day for a couple of days. He kicked and screamed the first few times. When he realized he got to watch cartoons and have a treat during the treatments, he really came around. Cute Huh?





Lastly, I would like to make note that I am fully aware my eye brows are SUPER dark. My mom and I dyed them right before she left for their cruise. I think we'll try medium brown and not dark brown next time. So yes, those are in fact my eyebrows not caterpillars on my face. Geez.....

Catch Up!

So....a little while ago I went to visit some friends in good ol' Rexburg Idaho with another one of my good friends. It was a super short trip but it was really fun. Their little apartment is above a malt shop that has live music and a dance floor. I wish I had gotten a picture of their apartment because it was seriously so cute. One of the days we went to see some water falls that were soooo pretty. That night we went to eat at the most unbelievable burger joint. Yes, you'll know what I am talking about when you see the pictures. It was such a fun trip, and I have to give a shout out to the Stringhams for being so hospitable!









The pictures below are seriously unbelievable right!?! A single patty was 1 lb. They ordered me the single to see if I could get my picture on the wall by eating it all. I failed miserably. The rest of them shared a double. Needless to say we were all stuffed by the time we left.









Please don't be offended by these next pictures. Come on they are asking for it right?? We were driving out to go shoot some skeet and I made everyone get out of the car to take pictures with this sign. I just couldn't believe it! Do I have the sense of humor of a five year old....well yes I guess I do.









I also went to the Lion King at Capital Theater and Tarzan down at Tuacahn. Both were so amazing. The costumes for the Lion King are so neat. I don't have any pictures from Tarzan, unfortunately. Funny thing about Tarzan is that I think the guy who played Kerchak (Tarzan's dad) looks like a gorilla despite the makeup and costume anyway. Impressive casting. I would go to both of them again. So great!









I have to work this whole weekened :(. Therefore I don't really get to celebrate Halloween so I did it last week. My old roommate Dottie and I dressed up as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles because....well what else would we dress up as? These outifts were crafted by Dottie's mother and lots of duct tape. Sweet....





This one if fuzzy because we were moving so fast!






The next night I went to an ABC party my friends were having. They just moved into a new house so it was kind of like a house warming party. And yes, ABC does stand for anything but clothes. I went over to their house early to try and craft something out of whatever they had. Between us their was a newspaper, bubble wrap, ball pit, and duct tape dress. I have to tell you I made Julee's newspaper dress and I am super proud. Project Runway here I come! Also, I have a micro mini duct tape skirt....we ran out of duct tape!







Yup, only one looking at the camera






Last but not least....I have decided I attract rodents of unusual size. Well maybe just rodents in general. I was sitting on the couch last night watching a movie (it was like 2:30 am. My sleeping patterns are out of wack thanks to night shifts) and all of the sudden I hear our dog barking like mad. I went to investigate and there sits a hissing racoon on my dad's Harley. Oodie (our dog) was frantically trying to get to it. Of course, I run to grab the camera THEN spring into action. I grabbed Oodie so the racoon would come down and then I let Oodie go to get it. It freaked out and ran up the weedwacker hanging on the wall.





Thats when I got my dad out of bed and this is what ensued.



Apparently I laugh like a clown....didn't know that. And the rustling and growling you can hear at the very end...yeah thats Oodie and the raccoon going at it. Oodie eventually chased it up a tree. What did Oodie get for all of his hard work?? A good belly scratch and a Rabies booster the next day. Thanks Oodie!