I WILL be graduating!!!

Woo Hoo!!! Classes are over, I took my final nursing school exam yesterday, and I'm proud to announce that I will be graduating with my Associates Degree in Nursing in about a month!!! I'm about 8-10 years behind the ball on this, but I'm still proud that I actually went back to school and completed a degree. On top of it all I will have a career out of this and one that will work well with having babies!

I still have a preceptorship/internship to complete, which involves 8 twelve hour night shifts with the same nurse in a specific unit. But the class and regular clinical time is complete. I'm so excited, but still in a little bit of shock I think. It's hard to imagine not going to class or having care plans and random busy work assignments to do. Not seeing my girlies on a weekly basis, but we will definitely keep in touch.

Two years ago, it felt like this day would never come. But it seems like it has flown by, and I've learned so much. There have been many experiences, changes, struggles and learning opportunities along the way. All of which have lead me to be the person I am today. There is no way someone could go through all of this and not come out a better person (hopefully).

This is the last day of clinicals from Block I, first semester of Nursing School. April '07

This is this morning after our formal class picture was taken.

You may not be able to tell much of a difference between these 2 photos, but I sure can. I love these girls and I hope we will be life long friends!

Graduation Details:

December 12th @ 7:00pm,

Phoenix College Main Campus, Bull Pitt Auditorium

I'm making formal announcements and hopefully you will receive those sometime next week!

Happy Anniversary! 2 years married & 5 years together!

Two years ago today, I married my best friend! All the words in the world couldn't describe the love I have for my husband. I'm so happy that he chose me, and he still smiles through all that I put him through. He is so patient, kind and understanding. He's the love of my life and I can't imagine loving anyone else as much as I love him. He knows I'm crazy, but I think it intrigues him. He has made me a better person. We make each other laugh. He understands me and the crazy way my thoughts come out... most of the time. He works so hard to provide for both of us, and I know he's going to be a great father. I know that the best decision in my life was to marry my Tom! I love you babe, thanks for everything!

Here is my little tribute to us... You may have seen some of these photos before in other blog posts, but I wanted to compile the pictures of us together here...

Our Wedding Day!

First kiss as Husband and Wife!

It was a hot day, and it was a hot kiss!

After we signed the marriage license.

The day after we were married on top of one of the ruins at Lamani.

Diving in Belize, the week after our wedding.

Our at home reception the week after we got back from Belize.

In front of our favorite dive shop - Belize, July 2007
Waiting at the airport for the plane to take us to Belize for our Wedding!
Rocky Pointe - Summer 2005
Phoenix Zoo, Zoo Lights - December 2006
Sedona January 1st, 2007.
Easter 2008
Amelia Island, Florida - November 2007
Beach in LA - September 2007

Different Beach in LA - September 2007

California Adventure -September 2007
Autopia - Disneyland - September 2007 Disneyland - September 2007

Birthday Party - July 2006
A friends wedding - January 2008
New Years Eve - December 2007
Christmas 2006

I love you babe! I can't wait to live the rest of my life, happily with you!

September 2008

Hmmm, I searched and searched, and it seems that I don't have any pictures from September. Well, other than the pregnancy ones I've already shown you.

What did we do in September... Let's see.

For me work, school, and being exhausted consumed a lot of the time. We told a few family and friends that we were pregnant. I was pretty tired in the first tri-mester. I took a lot of naps. I think the shock of actually being pregnant was slowly wearing off at that time too. As prepared for pregnancy as I thought I was, the idea took a little getting used to. It almost felt like it wasn't really true, but why did I have the + pregnancy tests, and symptoms too? I don't think it really, really, felt real until we heard the heart beat, and what a sweet sound that was. The ultrasound made it even more real, now that I could actually see the baby. But even still I see very pregnant women walking around and think, holy cow is that gonna be me in a few months? No way!?! And then the practical momma in my brain says YES WAY!!! I think it will really hit home once I feel the baby moving and I start to look more pregnant rather than just extra chubby!

Tom started working four 10 hour shifts and now has Friday, Saturday and Sunday off. He's rockin' and rollin' on projects around the house. We have some rearranging of the house to do, and he is taking the opportunity to scrape the popcorn ceilings in the bedrooms. I feel bad not being able to help very much, but asbestos, dry wall dust and paint fumes don't mix well with pregnancy I guess.

I'll try to do better this month (November) with the pictures.

August 2008

August meant an end to the summer for me... School started the last week of August and I tried to do anything I could to not think about it. I think Jacki and I floated the Salt River a total of 4 or 5 times this summer. Each time with various other friends tagging along.

Christopher and Jacki

Me and Jacki, we had a great time this summer!

Tom's mom Nancy has a birthday in August and this year we all went over to Tom's sister's house for a carne asada bbq and some fun in their pool! Kayla

Estefan

Victor and Estefan

Brian

Rubber Ducky, you're the one... isn't he cool?

Nanette playing with Abbey, their lab. Nanette would count down and then jump in the pool and Abbey would be a second behind her, such a water dog. They provided some good entertainment!

Since it was Nancy's Birthday, I wanted to see if I could get a good picture of her with Nanette's kids. I think this is the only picture where everyone is looking at me. Oh well, maybe I need to think up some good jokes next time!?!?

Next I tried to get some pictures of just the kids all together, the following are the best of the bunch. These kids are such hams!

This is the only one of this 'pose'... I don't think they liked standing that close together. I love Victor's crazy face and Brian's cute dimples right under his eyes!

Cute Kids! Love the snaggle teeth!

I think I was losing their patience, shortly after I snapped this Estefan slid off into the pool!

I think everyone had fun, and the food was yummy, including this yummy Cookie Dough Ice Cream cake from Coldstone Creamery. BTW- we forgot candles, so we had to improvise with what Nanette had... it should be 60 minus 1 = 59, shhhh, don't tell anyone!

Over Labor Day weekend Nanette, Teke and family rented a cove at Bartlet Lake and had a big camp out over the weekend. We just went up for a few hours one day, as I had to work every other day of the weekend. Teke took Nanette, Kayla, Estefan, Tom and I out for a tour of the lake.

Kayla suited up with her cute life preserver! Why didn't they have cute ones like that when I was a kid??

Estefan quickly passed out sitting in the back of the boat so Nanette had him get up and lay down in the front bow (?) of the boat. He slept there for a long time surrounded by all the toys!

Tom and Nanette decided to take a ride on the tube. They had so much fun. I think Teke was a little cautious to go too fast, but these two are dare devils! See them dragging their feet on the sides? They just kept asking for more. I think they even caught air a few times!

We went back to shore and picked up some of the kids that were camping with them and Kayla and this little boy had a great time on the tube. The little boy had never been on a boat, let alone a tube before!

We had a good time the short amount of time we were there. Unfortunately there were quite a few monsoons blowing through town on that weekend, and where Bartlett Lake is situated, they seemed to get the brunt of every storm. Their camp trailer got slightly damaged and they accidentally left the windows down in the truck, so the seats got soaked. But all in all I think everyone had a great time.

August 2008 - Brentwood

Brentwood is a LDS church owned campground that my dad has been reserving for the last few years. It's a beautiful spot up in the middle of the white mountains, close to Big Lake, and about an hour from Springerville, AZ. It's about a 5 1/2 hour drive from Phoenix, but it is so worth the long weekend away from the scorching heat of the Valley. This get together each year is a reunion of sorts for our family. But it's more of a family and friends reunion. In-laws, cousins, aunts and uncles, and friends are all invited and only the brave show up and realize what they were missing!


This year Tom invited Nate and his family to come along. Tom and Nate work together and Nate has helped us out a few times when we needed it. So he had a little bit of an idea of what my family could be like. It turns out they had a great time and fit right in with everyone, so much that I think they may come back again next year.

One of the big activities for Brentwood is going fishing. We will either go to Big Lake or to one of the nearby rivers. This trip we decided the lake would be a good option. To bad the fish weren't on the same page.

Here is Nate teaching Bradley how to fish. Nate was so good with all the kids. I don't know how many times he waded out into the water to untangle someones fishing line. I'm sure if I had been fishing, I'd have asked him to untangle mine as well!

Bradley is such a stinkin' cutie!

Tom and I didn't bring any fishing gear, so we just supervised.
Alex came along to help with the kids and dogs. She lost her hair clips after goofing around with Bruno's ears with them, so here's a picture of her crazy bangs!
Nate and Missy brought up an Old Fashioned ice cream maker. The kids were fascinated and took over the hard work of cranking the ice cream. It was super yummy over dutch oven cobbler!
It seems like most of the day is spent sitting around the camp fire. I can't complain it's one of my favorite things to do.

Mmmm... fire!
Krista surprised the kids with some humongous marshmallows to roast. Kellen and Dustin acted as our short order marshmallow cooks, and they were pretty good at it too!

The next couple of photos need a little bit of an introduction... You see, my dad's a harasser! Ever since we were kids, one of my dad's favorite things to do is stick his tongue in your ear!

See the silly grin on his face... he thinks he's a riot, but I have to admit, I was laughing too!

And then it was my turn!

Need a few more tales of harassment? He also likes to come in to your room early in the morning before you want to wake up and plop down on top of you like a stack of pancakes in your bed, man it was hard to breathe! You could be sitting there watching TV and he's have his finger in your ear. Walk by and he'll pinch your butt! The best/worst of it all was after he'd been on a hunting or fishing trip where he wouldn't have to shave for quite a few days and when he'd come in to wallow you he'd have a bunch of pokey whiskers to rub all over your face.

Last year at Brentwood, Krista and Duane got married.

Here's a one year anniversary picture of the not-so-newlyweds.

Another activity that happens almost every year is the water balloon launch. Tom has a water balloon launcher, we fill up a ton of water balloons and then some of the kids volunteer, or get volunteered to be targets (as they are walking back across the meadow from the creek). It's quite fun and on occasion, we get close to hitting the targets. This year it turned into a water balloon fight, that was fun too!

Alex decided that since she was soaked, and Tom was fairly dry, that Tom needed some extra lovin'! Like Tom's shirt? It's for evading those pesky kids with water balloons!

Bradley loved the water balloons! We helped him launch a few with the water balloon launcher and it was hilarious. I didn't have my P&S camera with me to get video of his laugh/excitement when he launched a balloon. He sounded like monkey each time he let one go and the closer the balloon got to it's target the more hysterical it sounded! I think his mom got some video of it and is saving it to show his future prom dates!

Lexie lovin' on her water balloon.

Here's a cute picture of Lizzy.

All the girls had so much together and it seemed like they got along so well. Lexie and Lizzy were upset to leave, without getting the other girls phone numbers.

Nate and Missy, Lexie, Bradley and Lizzy, what an adorable family! We're so glad you decided to come camping with us!

I snapped a few cute pictures of my relatives as well... Here's Dustin.
Ashley

Kiely

I think we all had a great time and hopefully we can do it again next year. I think my dad already has the first weekend in August '09 reserved. If you are interested in tagging along to our family and friends reunion, just let me know. I have maps and we would be more than happy to have you there!