The Snow Storm Part 2

Because of all the afore mentioned snow we have been able to do some excelent snow man building. My brother started on Saturday and made the mommy and then started the daddy snowman. I joined him to finish off the family and make the kid and then the baby. Enjoy!

The Snow Storm.

The state of Washington has been hit this week by one of the biggest snow storms in recent history. I was coming back wednesday morning from Utah and working most of the weekend so my parents suggested that I stay in a hotel up by the hospital so I could walk if i needed to. I stayed in the Crowne Plaza from Wednesday morning until this morning (Monday) working and watching the snow come down for hours and hours. Here is a picture of my view from last night. That is I-5 you are seeing. I was a little nervous about getting home when I saw that I-5 was completely covered. Thankfully my Daddy loves me and he took the train up to the city and came to my hotel to make sure I got home safely. I would like to say that normally I am much better in the snow but Seattle is built on all sorts of hills and they are completely incapable of driving in it and of clearing the roads. Oh yeah we also had freezing rain on Sunday morning so that makes things interesting.

Chistmas Party!

So I was back in Utah and we had a Christmas Party. It was so much fun and we had some great white elephant gifts. Some so good they had to be captured on film.



Melissa ended up with this amazing blowup, spikey, bouncy ball. It held about 10 minutes of fun until.......

it popped! So sad for Melissa.

Kristina loved fishing for candy canes!

Amelia went for the bustier night light, good times at Amelia's house!

And the best present of the night goes to ...........

Melissa's Ode to the Office with a stapler in Jello. Hartley and Seth worked as the great team they are and got to take it home.

We had a great time and hope to see you all there next year!

Update

So yesterday I completed the longest, most painful leg of this silly journey to get a bachelors degree...I took the final for the independent study class I have so lovingly described in previous posts. Now I just need a passing grade on this thing which I think I mamaged. But in all seriousness I may be having my very own tommy boy moment as in "A D? I got a D! I passed!". I didn't put a lot into my studying for this final but I feel that I got a decent grade. At least that D!

Finding Blessings in the Unexpected and Sometimes Irritating.

So the last few months have been a lesson in finding blessing in unexpected ways and being reminded that when you are where the Lord wants you He makes sure you are taken care of. Lets start with the fact that my car is getting old. It will be 9 years old here soon and now has over 98,000 miles on it. It has been a great car, and I love it but as time goes on you have to get some things fixed and it seems that in the last 6 months all of those things have needed fixing. In September I put literally thousands of miles on my car. All were fun, but they add up. Part of all those miles was driving myself to Utah and back one week and this is where the fun begins. The trip was great, the car was fine. I got back to seattle on a saturday and was starting at my new job on Monday. Sunday I spent a lot of time at the hospital with Grandpa and everything was hunky-dory. then on monday i head up to seattle from auburn. As i am getting on to I-405 from SR 167 my instrument panel goes out. Well this had happened before and it was no big deal the car still ran. So i'm driving thinking it will come back at some point. Well i have some extra time so while driving on I-90 i get the idea to pull of and see if i can restart the car and fix the problem for now. Well at the light on the off ramp i turn off the car and she wouldn't turn back on. sad, i know. I had to wait for a tow truck and pay lots of money to get her fixed. But she was back. Then my car got side-swiped while parked at my grandparent's house in a gated community. Nice, no note, no way to find out who did it, i'm stuck covering the cost through my insurance company. then i got new tires and shocks and then just this this last week another problem came up. I had noticed recently that my car was not picking up speed as fast as i would like it too. So last tuesday i had my dad ride in the car and asked him what he thought. He said it was the clutch and that i needed to get it in soon to get it fixed. It just so happened that i was leaving out of town and could have it in the shop on thursday for as long as i was gone. No problem i thought, its still running pretty well and i just have to drive to and from work on wednesday and i'll be golden. Not so fast...I made it to work, no issue, then in the morning i noticed it was harder to drive than normal. but it was cold so i attributed it to that. Safe and sound i got home from Swedish just in time to finish packing and drive to the dealership to get it fixed. Well that is when the fun started. Have you ever tried to drive a car in neutral? I don't suggest it. i pretty much couldn't go any fast than 20 miles and hour and at one point thought i wouldn't make it. this would be a problem because i had a plan to catch. Well i made it and left the keys and my problems with the trusted folks at Bowen Scarf Ford in Kent. A couple hours later at the airport i got a call that my clutch was completely burnt out and that they had to push it in to the bay it wouldn't move from where i parked it. Ooops!

well you may ask where are the blessings? Everywhere. I made it home safely from Utah, driving all by myself. Then i did miss work but nothing too important and they were very understanding. I wasn't near the car or in the car when it got side swiped i was safe. and this last time the car didn't break down on I-5 or in the parking garage at swedish. it waited for me to get to the dealership. Sometimes we have to be reminded about the ways in which the Lord is watching out for each one of us. I learned this lesson very vividly throughout my mission. I learned of His awareness for each and everyone of us, but I think in the last few years i have forgotten them somewhat. I also know that when we are doing what He needs us to be doing He takes care of the rest. Its not always easy, and it may feel like you can't see the blessings but they are there. He promises us that He will always be there sharing the burden, helping us along the way home. At Christmas we get to remember the Savior and all He has done for us. I love Him so much, and feel overwhelmingly blessed and at times unworthy to have the testimony and knowledge i do.

Massages Are A Must!

I got a weekend off finally and got to come down to Salt Lake and get some good friend time in. Part of every trip back to Salt Lake that I make is to go to my favorite eyebrow waxer (you may think that anyone can do this but no, i only like to trust my eyebrows to Suzanne at waxing gurus. If you need someone she is the best!), and to get my hair done. I had managed to get these appointments scheduled within the first 24 hours of my arrival. Let me add at this point that it has made the trip so much more enjoyable. Along with my eyebrow maintainance i thought getting a massage might be a nice treat. Oh ho was i right my friends! now it has been 3 years since my last massage. I always think of getting one but then i decided that i don't know where to find a good massage therapist and i don't want to trust my back to just anyone. Well I know that I love Suzanne at waxing gurus and i have had excelent service there between eyebrows and airbrush tanning so i thought i would give her therapist a shot. And was i right. Her name is Julie and she is the best! Super sweet and thoughtful. The room was warm, and she was patient with my horribly tense back. i have knots on top of knots i think. I would like to add at this point that I did have a very long day before this and had not slept, except for on the plane, in over 24 hours. Also my car almost didn't make it to the dealership and my luggage was 9 lbs over weight that morning and my night at work and been a very emotionally draining one. I was a mess. Well after all the work she did on my back using some great visualizationd techniques and some expert hands my back is feeling better and i believe that i am completely converted to a monthly massage. After 8 years in healthcare and a mission that involved uncomfortable amounts of kneeling and biking my back is a disaster. And since i am only 26 (for 2 more months) i should really take better care of it.

So my advice to all of you, if you can get a massage, and drink lots and lots of water!

Where Am I Going to Live Next Month?

This is the great question on my mind right now. Everything seems up in there air! My plan has been New York in the New Year but that doesn't seem to be working. Partly due to the economy and partly due to the fact that NYC is a popular destination there is only one travel assignment that i have been able to find in the city and that is with several companies. So i have decided to start looking around for other options. Right now i'm still waiting on NYU and I'm in for a job in North Carolina, and six in California. We'll see what happens. Feel free to make your own prediction as to where i'll be next month!

Christmas Parties and Appetizers

The holiday season has arrived and the parties have started. Last night I attended a Christmas party with my parents that was hosted by some friends in our ward. Normally I'm not one to want to hang out with my parents at an adult party but having seen the pictures from last year which included my Dad dancing with a blue feather boa, I felt the desire to experience this party first hand.

Part of the party was bringing an appetizer or dessert. I took on this responsiblity for my family and made these yummy little bites called Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps. Sorry no pictures but they were delicious and here is the recipe.


Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps


1 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (about 4 breasts)
1 (1-pound) package sliced bacon
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons chili powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes.

Cut each bacon slice into thirds.

Wrap each chicken cube with bacon and secure with a wooden pick.

Stir together brown sugar and chili powder

Dredge wrapped chicken in mixture.

Coat a rack and broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Place chicken wrap on rack in broiler pan

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minute or until bacon is crisp.


(from the kitchen of Melanie Bowers)

They are quick and easy and everyone loved them, especially the men. So I hope this can be helpful, and thank you Sister Bowers for the recipe!

Back to the party. Being in room full of people you have known for many years, some since you were 8 years old, acting silly is quite the experience. And I have to say, Mackenzie your Dad rocking out to the walkman he got in the white elephant gift exchange was hilarious. And becareful there is a new knife at your Dad's house that is very sharp. Don't want you to hurt yourself. Also Tina your parents added lots of laughs as contestants on the newly wed game. I think they only got 5 or 10 points. but they said that that was better than they thought they would do. And they also won an old kitchen sink. Nothing says Merry Christmas like really bad white elephat gifts. All in all it was a fun evening that kept me laughing.

Young Womens

Last night I got to revist the Young Women's program in my home ward. A lot of things were the same including the fact that my Dad was with me. It never failed while I was in the youth program that my Dad had a calling the required him to be at the church on activity night. For a few brief months right after I turned 16 Dad was made a High Councilman in the stake and that kept him away but the day before I got my driver's license he was put into the bishopric and there he was joining me once again for our weekly trip to the church. Now I love my Dad and there were some perks to him being there like I was always on time, I never had to wait for a ride home, once he brought a semi truck he was test driving and let me back it up and then took the girls for rides. But I did want the opportunity to drive myself and be like other kids but it never really happened.

Well last night I had been invited by one of my old Young Women's leaders to come and talk with the girls about premature babies and then they were going to do a service project. So I did, we talked about the needs of babies and we watched a short video by the March of Dimes. It was a lot of fun and they got a lot of work done on the fleece blankets they were making for the babies to use. Well you may ask why my Dad was there. The answer is I'm not so good at the technical things and so he came to set up the projector with my computer and the sound so that everything would work out super. Thanks Dad for making it a successful evening and bringing back all those great memories of Activity night together.

Here are the girls working on the blankets and some of the finished products.

The girls did a great job and I know that the parents and babies who benefit from these blankets will be very grateful.

Word to the Wise

Do Not EVER, I repeat for dramatic effect, EVER take an independent study class. Not having a deadline is a major problem for me. I just finished my last assignment for my US government class. I am so excited. Now I only have the final to take. But the shear pain of trying to motivate myself to do all the reading and writing assignments has been one of my more taxing educational experiences.

I am however proud to announce that all that stands between me and my bachelor's degree is a final! What a relief, now i can take my 183 credit hours and like 8 years of school and not change a single thing about my job. I hope this was all really worth it!

I Got Tagged!

so here is the 3rd picture from my 3rd folder. This is Kristina and I at the Brad Paisley concert, now 2 years ago. We had a great time. I'm sorry Kristina, I'm sure you don't love this photo but you look fine and it just happened to be the one. Just for the record if you ever have a chance to go see Brad Paisley in concert you should. And Carrie Underwood was there, and she was Amazing!!!!

So here I go, I have to tag 3 people: Emily, Charlie, and Mackenzie!

My Life List

This year a I saw a movie that prehaps many of you saw, "The Bucket List". In it one of the characters has a list of things he always wanted to do before he died. His new rich friend who is also at the end of his life decides that they are going to do these things. I thought it was an interesting idea to actually write down all of the things you want to do in your life. I think that writing down your goals and dreams helps to make them a reality. I heard a quote once that went something like "a goal not written down is only a wish". Although somethings on what is my "bucket list" my seem like a wish all of them are possible and all of them will enrich my life or the life of others in some way. Some may seem silly but sometimes we need silly. Well months after seeing the movie i was reading an article in Self magazine about creating life lists. They gave advice on how to make your life list something that can help you acheive goals and dreams. So i decided it was time i started writing all these things down, and see how many i can achieve. I thought how better to keep myself motivated than to put it somewhere i will see it often. So i am sharing it with you all. I find this process motivating, and hope that i will be able to keep myself focused by following this list. The list is a living document, able to grow and change as i grow and change. Maybe some of you will want to try this too!

(As a disclaimer these are not written in any particular order. so please do not judge my priorities based on the number they have on my list.)

My life list

1. go to wimbledon
2. find the perfect hair cut.
3. make a difference every day at work in a patient’s life.
4. backpack through Europe
5. own a dog (an English Bulldog to be exact)
6. buy a BMW X5
7. Learn Spanish
8. Go to Africa on a humanitarian trip
9. serve a mission as a couple missionary
10. read the classics
11. learn to truly appreciate Shakespeare
12. know the candidates and vote in each presidential election
13. develop my own retirement fund
14. write a children’s book (even if no one else reads it)
15. make my bed everyday for a month
16. learn to scuba dive
17. swim with dolphins
18. visit the sacred grove
19. finally learn to enjoy running
20. make the perfect exercise playlist
21. live in North Carolina
22. live in New York
23. go to the temple in Japan
24. keep a journal faithfully for 1 year
25. go on a yoga vacay
26. have a perfect day
27. adopt at least one child from a third world country
28. go to graduate school
29. learn to knit
30. go to Greece
31. do temple work for on of my ancestors
32. see the 7 wonders of the world ( I did the research, there are many more but I have pared it down for myself. The Great Wall, the Pyramids, the Tajmahal, the Colosseum, Stonehenge, the Eiffel Tower, and the Tower of Piz
33. See Mt. Fuji
34. finish my cross stitch project
35. own my own home
36. Read Jesus The Christ
37. Raise a family
38. Be sealed in the temple
39. learn to stick to a budget
40. learn kanji
41. learn Japanese calligraphy
42. find the joy in each day
43. work on not procrastinating
44. create my own lasting, meaningful traditions with my own family.
45. share my testimony with a friend
46. help my children to develop strong, abiding testimonies
47. more to come……

Me and My Grandpa

This is my Grandpa! Lately, while staying in Seattle I have had the opportunity to spend a lot of time at my grandparents and got to see some pictures that were new to me! This first picture is, you guessed it me! i know i can't believe i was that cute either.

This other photo is me and Grandpa and my cousin John. I love my Grandpa very much. I am very grateful of the time I have gotten to spend with him over the last few months.

Sight Seeing 2!

So here we go again trying to get caught up. Oh well, I may have to except that it may never happen. To continue on in the exciting adventures we had in Seattle. After our trip on the Ducks we enjoyed some time on the Spaceneedle and some lunch there too!

This was our amazing deseret. Well it was actually just ice cream with caramel and chocolate but the dry ice effect was awesome!

I love being on top of the Spaceneedle and getting to see the whole city while you eat. As you can see we had perfect weather

This was one of my favorite things. The lady to the left of me is named Betty and she is from Chicago. We happened to be standing next to each other on the observation deck at the Space Needle when she noticed how clear our reflections were in the window. She said she wondered if a picture would turn out. I was sort of evesdropping and so I said "Let's see". I pulled out my camera and this was the result. I got to email it to her a week or two later!

So Melissa and I had to try it out ourselves and got a great shot of the citty. If you look really hard you can see the people behind the glass.

It's okay to admit that.......... these are the two sexiest vickings you have ever laid eyes on! Thank you Ye Old Curiosity Shoppe for making this memory possible.

We found the Fremount Troll! Now you may think that because I grew up in the Seattle area that I have been to all of these spots, but you would be wrong. My parents are not big fans of the city having spent most of their lives living in or close to it, so they never took us to see great works of art like this troll statue. I think its creepy but a must see in Seattle! If you don't know he lives under the Fremount Bridge and is holding a VW beetle i believe.

After the Troll we ended our days adventures with a tour of the U district up by the University of Washington and then down on to First Hill where i currently work and where i worked during nursing school. Melissa was a little disturbed by the ghetto fabulous hospital that is Harborview Medical Center. I know the idea of going to work at a hospital that needs metal detectors may seem scary but no worries it was a fabulous place to work. If I wanted to take care of adults again I would love to work there!

Our next day consisted of a trip to Mt. Rainier. It was again picturesque and we got to stop on our way at the Black Diamond Bakery for a Cinnamon roll. My friend and former hometeacher Jon joined us and provided the musical entertainment for the trip!

Our last day in Seattle was a trip to the Ocean. We drove out to Westport and although it was sunny and blue skies it was windy and cold! We made the best of it and got stuck driving on the beach several times (4 i believe, check out melissa's blog for documentation of the fun).

We also flew a kite and built a sandcastle. all in all a very relaxing day.

Sight Seeing in Seattle!

So I realize that I have become a total slacker at the blogging thing. But in my defense the last month has been very hectic and so my time energy and brainpower have been focused elsewhere.

Back about a month ago my dear friend Melissa came to visit lonely little me in Seattle. We did lots of "touristy" things and had some new experiences for both of us. Here is a photographic tour of our adventures!

First stop on our journey of fun was to go to Snoqualmie Falls. Breathtaking, awe inspiring. the short hike down to the falls was also quite beautiful. The foliage in this picture is just a taste of what alot of Western Washington looks like. If you like green, this is the place for you!

First stop on the next day was to RIDE THE DUCKS! It was awesome. Very entertaining and you get to see a lot of Seattle in 90 minutes. The Ducks are WWII amphibious vehicles that have been transformed into non-stop funny machinces. The start you off on land and you see lots of stuff, then you get to go onto the water! That's the duck behind me in the top photo. Photo number two is our duck skillfully entering the waters of Lake Union. On Lake Union there are lots of house boats. If you have seen Sleepless In Seattle, then you have seen one of the most famous house boats ever. In fact the third photo is a photo said house boat. Yes my jealous friends, this is were Tom Hanks character lived in that iconic movie! (Don't worry we made sure to watch the movie the next day!) The cute little duck boy in the last picture was on our tour and he artfully danced up and down the aisle of the duck while wearing that hat. It was sooooo CUTE!

Leavenworth

So for Labor Day my family made a day trip up to Leavenworth. It is a small German town just on the east side of the Cascade mountain range. We had a good time up there enjoying some good shopping (okay maybe dad and charlie didn't love that part as much) and some good ol' German culture.

This is my mom and dad. Dad may look a little funny but besides the fact that he is incapable of smiling normally, he also developed Bell's Palsy this summer and is working on getting the right side of his face to work again.

This is a shot of the mountains. they were beautiful that day and we had some lovely weather.

My Mom wasn't too thrilled with this photo, but oh well, i have the camera so i win!

I just loved the classic architecture and this giant willow tree was so pretty and pleasant to sit under!

seriously so blessed

So i was introduced to this mock-blog last month. it is quite possibly the funniest thing i have ever read. whoever created this is a comic genius. so i have added a link on my blog so that all of you can enjoy the wonder that is "Seriously So Blessed!"

Memoirs of the Dating Impaired

Just for clarification i wrote this some time ago as a way to laugh at myself. I hope no one takes this too seriously, i just thought i would share this for the humor's sake. I'm sure many of you can relate:)



What is wrong with a girl who can’t seem to figure this dating thing out? I think I’m fairly smart, successful young woman, but this dating thing has me in the remedial group. It’s hard, you have to read signals and then try to send the right signals and still be a strong, independent woman who can walk herself to the car but you better let that boy help you. How confusing for us who are the “dating impaired”. We don’t know what to do about anything.
Some may ask why would I share with all of you my great dating handicap. Well because I want others to know they are not alone and it is pretty darn funny. This dating thing totally sucks. We have books called Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, and Mars and Venus on a Date, and my personal favorite He’s Just Not That Into You. OUCH! Did we have to be so harsh? Well for the dating impaired, maybe. These books are meant to help but I fear I may be beyond it. We don’t get the signals that are so obviously there for others. Or maybe we are just so sick of the dating game that we try to overlook all of these signals that should tell us that he is not into you and only focus on the ones that say he is super, maybe even uber into you. I found this particular book one day at the bookstore after I had just come to the realization that some one was not that into me. A painful but necessary discovery. I hope one day I’ll learn to read those signals right.
It’s the worst! I hate figuring that out. I guess that it happens until you find mister right; but how do you do that? How do you get past being the dating impaired? I know that everyone struggles with their own particular challenges in life, but how do those of us struggling from this insidious handicap learn to over come it? It’s a struggle.
We have special non-profit organizations for all sorts of impairments and guess what we don’t have one for the dating impaired. We should. We are a sad, pathetic, unbelievably large group of individuals. Actually I think it is shocking how many people are able to avoid this social disability and move past dating and actually end up in long term, even permanent, possibly married relationships. How do they do this? Did I miss a class at some point along the way that explained all the rules? I think I must have. When did this class happen? It must have been in junior high school. I hated junior high. It must have been in my 7th grade science class with the weird, creepy science teacher who was hitting on the student teacher, and made everyone totally uncomfortable and the smelly kid who would play with his pens and spit on his notebook (seriously not kidding). So if this class, on “how not to be dating impaired”, was in junior high school then I must have totally closed my eyes to it.
If this handicap is genetically related than how did my parents end up together? I think it was a genetic mutation. And apparently my little brother was spared as well. How embarrassing to get, dare I say, good dating advice from a sibling who is almost a decade younger than you are!
I refer to myself as the dating impaired only to be politically correct. I first started to identify myself with this disability when I was at work discussing with some friends my most recent disaster and one of them just looked at me and said “you are a dating retard”. Slightly on the harsh side but undebatably true. These were some hard words to hear but as the saying goes “…and the truth shall make you free”. Now that I have identified myself as this I am much more open to fixing the problem. They say admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery. Wish me luck on my journey to recovery.

True Confessions

So i have decided that tonight is the night i will openly admit something that by some could be deemed as thoroughly embarassing, but that i am choosing to fully embrace. i have read and loved all four of the Twilight books. Now this admission may cause some of you to stop and rethink our friendship, i hope you can forgive me and love me despite this great flaw. I can't help myself. so many people were reading them and i was in desperate need of something a little less intellectual than my most recent of reading choices (namely The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama, and Three Cups of Tea) and once i started it was all over. I was hooked. I told Melissa that i couldn't stop and she said "i know, they are like literary crack". Melissa, i couldn't agree more.

Now for those of you unfamiliar with these books they are just your classic teenage human girl falls for amazing, hot teeage vampire boy who wants her blood more than anyone other humans but he has a moral and ethical dillema to killing humans. oh yeah and she is the great love of his life. Just a sweet story and totally plausible;)

To make matters worse i am now excited for the movie to come out this November, and i really shouldn't be. We all know it won't be as good as the book, but i can't help myself i have been "bitten" (sorry it is almost 4 am and i couldn't stop myself) by the Twilight bug.

So for those of you who haven't read them, and are looking for some good literary crack that won't make you think too hard, i suggest Twilight, New Moon, Eclispe, and Breaking Dawn for a weeks worth of reading pleasure.

Okay, sorry I'm slow

so i realized tonight sitting here are work with some time on my hands that i had never noticed if anyone had commented on my blog. i'm not so good at this "technology" stuff and i just assumed that no one really cared that much about my boring little life. so i found that some of you sweet people had commented on some of my postings, so i would like to say thanks and clear a few things up.

Melissa you are more than welcome to come to sunday worship with my family but be warned it involves a whole weekend with these people and i'm not even sure i want to be there. also it only happens once a year so you'll have to wait until next august.

Kenz, don't worry i never sent out an email and left you out of it. i did post the link on my facebook page, but until the "sunday worship" post i never had any pictures so there really was nothing to look at, but now you know and you can keep up with my life.

Hartley, I miss you guys and i'll see you in september!

Emily, i miss johnny sooooooo much!! i have to come see him soon. life just got away from me.

so now i feel i have caught ever one up, and i can rest easy until there is something else to write about soon.

Sunday Worship

This last weekend was my families annual trip to the washington coast. This tradition started way back when my mom was still in high school and has continued to this day. we have at times called it a family reunion, which is deceiving considering we all live within 20 minutes of each other, but it helps outsiders know that it is all of my mom's siblings and their families that join in the fun. For those of you not familiar with the washington coast may think that we go to the beach for some sun, surf and relaxation. WRONG! nine times out of 10 there is no sun just clouds and sometimes rain. like this year for example. we saw the sun on rare occasions and we had lots of rain, that limited the amount of activities available to us. but with the olympics starting and plenty of board games we managed to have a good time.

The trip traditionaly starts on friday morning when we leave for the 3-4 hour drive to the coast, with the compulsary stop at mcdonalds in raymond, washington. And concludes on monday with the return trip and another compulsary mcdonalds stop. this is really the only time i ever stop at mcdonalds. The weekend is mostly unscheduled except for dinner which is eaten together as a large family and the traditional sunday worship of go-carts. that's right i said go-carts. for some of you this may come as a shock that my family, devoutly mormon, would participate in such an activity, well, what can i say? we all have our weaknesses. For the most part it is a male bonding ritual in our family but every year one or two girls join in on the fun. And as menfolk are added to this motely crue they are encouraged to join as well. several years agoi decided to hang with the boys and had a blast but really once in 5-10 years is really all i need of this noisy ritual. this year i just stood by the fence and captured the excitement on film as they raced around the track. I've enclosed some pictures so you all can experience the fun with me.

The top picture is of my uncle gary, my brother charlie and my dad in a collision, then next one is of my dad pacing the warning sign. i'm pretty sure they break every rule on there. I love my mom cheering my dad and brother on. she is our best cheerleader! and then the serious faces of charlie and my dad as the race around the track.

so here it is a little insight to my family!

Dog Whisperer

So today i discovered a new talent of mine. apparently i'm the Pied Piper of Lonely Dogs. I was out on a run/walk this morning in my parents neighborhood and this lonely dog jumped out of it's window and started following me. Well i'll be honest, i don't particularly love foreign dogs coming up to me, so i did my well practiced "act like you're the alpha dog" thing and she backed away. But as soon as i started walking again she followed me and we were buds from then on. i tried, and failed to get her to stay at her own house. As soon as i walked away, she followed me right to my front doorstep. i hope the cats don't mind too much. I think she got the message and went home but it was a fun adventure for the morning.

Maybe one day i'll acutally be able to train a dog of my own.

The best roommate ever!

So while I'm home in seattle for the summer i am currently residing in two locations. My parents house is currently holding most of my belongings that i crammed into my little car, (and dad said it wouldn't all fit) and i stop off there whenever i have some days off of work. The other location is Grandma's house. I'll be honest i was unsure of how this arrangement would work out but let me say it is going wonderfully. Here is a secret, Grandma's are fabulous roommates. She doesn't care when i come or go, she is quiet during the day while i sleep, she gave me an entire room all to myself, and she makes me dinner whenever i'm there. How nice is this I ask?! Now I'm a grown up (don't laugh Mom) and I am perfectly capable of making my own food, thanks to two years of cooking class from Sister Bowers, but having someone else worry about this every day for me is a dream. It saves time, it tastes good, and i'm feeling like probably the luckiest girl in the world. So sorry Kristina, you were the best roommate up until I got to live with Grandma!

Here Goes Nothing!

So, since I am always behind in the ways of computers, I am now finally starting my very own blog. The catalyst of this venture is my recent career move. I have decided to become a travel nurse. This title may be confusing for some so let me explain. I work for an agency who works with hospitals around the country to fill staffing needs. So through this agency I set up a contract that normally last 13 weeks with a hospital in a city I am interested in visiting or living long term in. Then I work for them. The pay is good and the opportunity to live in exciting places are almost endless. The downsides really are that nothing can compare to working at the University of Utah Hospital in their Newborn ICU, and I miss my friends so much. But I'm ready to meet new people and learn new things and live places i could never live on my own. So for all of you here goes the adventure.

My first assignment is in Seattle, WA, my hometown. Seattle is a beautiful city full of diversity and family. But coming back here after almost five years away, created some culture shock. I had been tenderly protected as a missionary in Japan for 18 months and then as a single girl in Salt Lake City, that I often refer too as my home (sorry Mom), but it was time to reenter the rest of the world. I'm no stranger to the ways of Seattle, I lived here most of my life, and had even worked at the major trauma center when I was in nursing school, that was in the middle of what some would refer to as hell, but somewhere in that five years i forgot how diverse Seattle really was. Life is fast passed and exciting here, but it sure is different from Salt Lake. Let me share an example of this from hospital orientation last week. I was sitting there with some of the other nurses who were also starting most of whom were also travel nurses. Several of us were chatting about where we came from and that sort of stuff, when a woman who was a local asked me about Salt Lake and the patient population there. She then preceded to ask if the reason we had so many premies in Salt Lake was because of "all the Mormons" that lived there? I responded that no it wasn't because of the LDS population just the same teen mom, drug abusing, no prenatal care population that we see everywhere. She then questioned that again, repeating her question, like I was too dumb to understand it the first time. I again respond that it was not the Mormons. Then came the good part. She started saying that "i don't like the term lds, it sounds like a disease. doesn't it sound like a disease?" i responded no it sounds like an acronym not a disease. Someone else asked what "Mormon" was and I explained that it was a nickname, they asked where it came from and I told them from the Book of Mormon. The first woman then said "well i guess you would know you lived down in the middle of them" and I kindly informed her that "Yes I had and that infact I am one, raised here in Seattle and I even served a mission". Needless to say she changed the subject quickly. I forget how different it is outside of Utah. It was a really funny experience and the first time someone had suggested to me that my religion was a disease.