jeff and lynn

movin' right along

2012-01-17T07:19:00.013-07:00

A lot has happened in the last few months:

I graduated from nursing school!! Woohoo! I'm so glad school is over and I can move on to bigger and better things. I still have one more hurdle to jump before I can say that I'm an RN. Wish me luck on cramming as much as I can into my brain before then!

We spent Christmas in the Florida Keys with my sister, brother-in-law, and oh-so-cute niece and had such a great time! I probably shouldn't mention our snorkel trip where most of the snorklers got seasick from the waves rockin' the boat. Leslie, Anika, and I managed to keep down our breakfasts. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the manly men. Christmas day was spent at the beach soaking in as much vitamin D as we could before we had to head back to Tennessee. I think we should spend Christmas at the beach every year!

Riley loves the beach, can't you tell?

We celebrated 6 years of marriage on January 7th. So glad I get to spend my life with such a loving and supportive husband. I'm very lucky.

And last but definitely not least:

We will be changing our address at the end of March. On our way down to Florida we stopped in Atlanta for a night so Jeff could interview for a great job opportunity and while we were driving through the Keys he was offered the job! What a great way to start a vacation! We've really enjoyed our time in Tennessee. We've learned a lot about ourselves, gained some extra education, gained some life and work experience, gained a couple pounds from eating really good barbecue, and gained a crazy coon hound during our time here. We are very excited to start this new chapter and we're looking forward to new experiences, new opportunities and getting to know a new city. And no, Atlanta will not be our new home. We are headed to Sin City (aka Las Vegas)! I know you want to come visit!

it's been awhile

2011-09-27T23:30:00.016-06:00

Hello? Anyone there?

*sigh* It's been awhile since I've posted anything on here. As usual, every time I think about blogging I tell myself I'll just do it another day. So here I am at 1:30 in the morning blogging because I've been doing clinicals from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. (yes, you read that right) and I just can't fall asleep right now. And I don't feel like doing anything school related because not only have I lost my blogging motivation, but I've also lost my schooling motivation. December can't get here soon enough because I'm tired of school. Just let me take the NCLEX and slap that RN after my name so it can all be over! I just read a post that I never posted about how going to nursing school and being a nurse scared the bejeebies out of me. Well, I've got news for you. It still does. I question my decision just about every day. Luckily, I've almost survived the school part. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm very quiet and reserved and non-assertive, and none of those things seem to be synonymous with nursing. I don't feel prepared at all to go out into the nursing world, but I don't really think anyone is when they're done with school.

I've been doing my clinical this semester in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) and I've been learning a lot. I've really enjoyed my time there, even though my shift has been in the middle of the night (I almost fell asleep in one of the big, comfy chairs for the moms one night...shh, don't tell anyone). It's still very intimidating to me because some of the babies are so tiny (our smallest is about 1.5 pounds) and hooked up to so many things. There is so much to learn. It can also be very sad and very frustrating at times since many of the babies that are in our NICU are there due to bad decisions the mother made while pregnant. Perhaps if you are smoking crack you should be using birth control. Just a thought. It makes me so sad that some of these babies start out their lives addicted to drugs and have to leave the hospital to go live in crappy homes. Some don't even have family come to visit them. It kills me.

Anyway, I've been meaning to put some pictures on here from my short break in between semesters so here they are. My parents came to visit for a weekend and then Jeff's mom came to see us so we racked our brains to come up with some fun things to do in good ol' Northeastern Tennessee and various and sundry (sundry is a weird word) close-by states.

Music on the square in Jonesborough, TN. Yes, that is a washboard that she is playing.

Laurel Falls, TN (part of the Appalachian Trail overlaps the trail to the falls)

Roan Mountain, NC (part of the Appalachian Trail goes through this area also)

Farmers' Market--Asheville, NC

Monell's restaurant in Nashville. It is in a cute little house and they seat you at a big table with other people and just keep bringing out the southern cookin'. Yum.

Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. We saw Vince Gill, Martina McBride, Emmylou Harris, Amy Grant, and some others that I can't remember.

Gotta love southern humor.

Prince's Hot Chicken Shack in Nashville. If you ever want some spicy hot chicken, this is the place to go. Jeff ordered the extra hot and the lady at the counter flat out told him no, he didn't want the extra hot. We were sweating by the time we left.

Wild Horse Saloon in Nashville. Jeff doesn't look too happy, but that's probably because we made him line dance (hooray for trying new things!).

We love the mountains. We love the rolling hills.

Mennonite-made donuts at the Johnson City Farmers' Market. Worth every penny.

more love

2011-07-20T14:17:00.001-06:00

Love this one too:

One more week of school (is it December yet?) and then maybe we'll actually have time to do something fun. Actually I know we will because we have visitors coming to see us and a trip to Nashville planned!

Things that matter most

2011-06-16T14:53:00.002-06:00

Love this:

"We would do well to slow down a little, focus on the significant, lift up our eyes, and truly see the things that matter most." -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Definitely something I need to work on. Read the full talk here.

R&R

2011-05-10T07:12:00.005-06:00

Zen

So it turns out that even after we go on vacation, albeit a very short one, we still only have pictures of our dog. But she's so dang cute and lovable, who could resist?

Semester three out of five is now complete! Hooray! Hold your applause because I start summer semester on Monday. That's right folks, only 10 days off and then back to tests, tests and more tests. I have a feeling that 17 credit hours crammed into two-and-a-half months is not going to be a fun time, but once December rolls around I'm sure I'll be relieved to be finished (except for a very large licensing exam looming over my head).

So with another semester complete, we decided to skip town for the weekend to hang out at the beach in Charleston, SC and get some much needed vitamin D.

This is what happens when you take a coonhound to the beach. She didn't like when Jeff tried to fill in her masterpiece and went to work again.

Sandy nose.

Is it weird that I only post pictures of our dog? We need some human children.

oh dear

2011-04-15T14:45:00.000-06:00

Don't you hate it when someone doesn't update their blog for, oh I don't know, three-and-a-half months and whenever you click on their blog you see the same picture over and over again? Yeah, me too. Oh wait....

Heaven help me, I've lost my blogging motivation!! Our lives are just your regular, everyday work and school lives and really not so interesting or blog worthy. And seriously, how in the world did April sneak up on us? This semester is almost over and hopefully December will be here soon! Not that I would ever wish for winter because, let's be honest, winter is basically the bane of my existence, but I'll be done with school!! I'll still have to take my licensing exam but at least school will be done!

So this semester hasn't really been that eventful as far as hands-on experience and I probably should have counted my blessings for that because you know when everything is ho-hum that something "eventful" is bound to happen. When you're in nursing school the experience you get really depends on the patient you get assigned, the nurse you're with, the place you're at, etc., so not everyone has the same experiences. We are in our pediatric clinical right now and along with working at the children's hospital, we get to go to a health department and a school and yesterday I got to go to a clinic that serves the uninsured, underinsured, etc (I have a professor that adds etcetera after every sentence and I think I've picked it up). Well, up until yesterday I had never given an intramuscular injection (most immunizations are intramuscular), so I was pretty excited to get the experience. Seriously, any experience while in school is jumped on 'cause you don't want to look like a complete idiot when you get out of school. Would you want a nurse who didn't know how to give a shot? Needless to say I got a lot more experience than I really wanted. To keep an already long story short, TWO of the children I gave immunizations to ended up having allergic reactions and had to be given epinephrine and benadryl (two more shots) and were sent to the ER. Thankfully, both the reactions were limited to a rash moving up the body and didn't involve the airway. Both were observed at the hospital and were sent home just fine. The nurse practitioner said the odds of that happening were slim to none and reassured me that there was nothing I could have done to cause the reactions. She also told me I might want to look into cleaning up my karma (I might just look into that). Hopefully yesterday's experience isn't an indicator of my nursing career.

My clinical in February was in the labor and delivery unit at the hospital and I got to spend a couple days in the NICU. I actually found the NICU fascinating, although definitely heart-wrenching. I also got to see the birth of twins (by C-section) which was neat. In March I was at the psychiatric hospital--for clinical, not as a patient (although at times I felt like I fit right in). I find psych interesting, but I think if I worked in that area I might just become one of the patients. I have already diagnosed myself with all sorts of different disorders.

Jeff is still putting up with me and is working hard as usual. And since no post is complete without pictures, here are a few.

We visited family in January. Jeff might not like that I put this picture on here, but I just think it's cute. He had a straw in his mouth and both of our nieces copied him.

Riley likes to ride shotgun on long car rides, except I'm usually the one in that spot, so she ends up on my lap instead.

Okay, that's really all I've got unless you want to see more pictures of Riley 'cause apparently she is all we take pictures of anymore. I think we need a vacation.

seasons greetings

2010-12-30T11:04:00.003-07:00

Riley and I enjoying our present from Jeff's mom; actually, it was Jeff's present but if you snooze you lose.

Merry (late) Christmas and Happy New Year!

It was just the three of us this year for Christmas which was different but nice.
I've been enjoying my break from school and Jeff is working hard as usual.
We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas (holiday, Kwanzaa, Hanuka, etc.) and here's to new and exciting things to come in 2011 (holy cow, 2011??)!

O.R.

2010-11-17T08:27:00.005-07:00

Last Monday I got to spend the day in the OR. I got all suited up in surgical garb and followed a nurse around for the day. I really wanted to take my camera and get a picture of myself with the sweet hair cover on (see example below of sweet hair cover), but they discouraged us from bringing valuables into the locker rooms. I guess after a hard day in the OR some nurses are more prone to pilfer.

At first they placed me with a surgeon who had evidently had a student nurse anesthetist sign off on the wrong blood type for a patient the previous Friday. Needless to say he didn't want anything to do with any sort of student, even though as a nursing student pretty much all I can do is watch. Anyway, so I switched rooms and ended up with a great nurse and a surgeon who was very accommodating. He explained things to me and let me get up close to see what he was doing (well, within one foot because that's as close as you can get to the sterile field if you aren't scrubbed in). I got to watch an AV fistula repair and a fem-pop (femoral artery-popliteal artery) bypass which were both really neat. You can youtube either one of those and watch for yourself. I was surprisingly fine with all the blood and cutting into flesh. I bet you thought I would get queezy and barf, but I didn't!

Here's the best part. Are you ready for this? I got to put in my first catheter! On a real person! He was anesthetized but it still counts. You might be grossed out, but it's a nursing student milestone, okay?

I had a good experience in the OR but I don't think it's where I would want to work. OR nurses do a lot more than I thought and they have an important job to do, but I think I'd like to do something more patient friendly.

p.s. Jeff got a promotion and is now going to be a manager! He's learning a lot and working hard. Sorry ladies, he's taken.

places to go, people to see

2010-10-19T09:16:00.006-06:00

This is what I've been daydreaming about recently. Oh how I wish I could just travel. I also wish it didn't cost so much for airfare!

Italy

Ireland

Thailand

Denmark

Bora Bora (to my family: I wasn't kidding about hiding in the suitcases)

Bali, oh I love Bali

Peru

Kenya, my birthplace

Paris

It's quite eclectic I know, but when you live overseas and get a taste of a little bit of everything, you just can't stop wanting to see more and more, whether it's Paris or Mombasa. Trust me, the list could go on and on. I made a deal with Jeff that once I graduate and start working that we're going to go somewhere exciting. We'll see if I make it to next December!

dragon boats

2010-09-25T08:09:00.007-06:00

A few weeks ago Jeff and I participated in the Dragon Boat Festival. The festival is a fundraiser for one of the hospital systems in our area, Mountain States Health Alliance (who is also Jeff's employer). East Tennessee is apparently the Mecca for hospitals. We have one on every corner.

The festival is basically a bunch a teams from local businesses, churches and organizations who raise money for Mountain States and then get together one Saturday to race paddle boats. This is harder than you might think, especially when you have 20 people on a boat and you're all trying to paddle at the same time. Okay, that still sounds like it should be simple, but surprisingly it's not. Anyway, Jeff's office got a team together. We definitely didn't win, but we had a fun time even though it was pouring down rain most of the time. Jeff's office did raise the most money though, so hooray for them. We also made the newspaper's website (which totally counts by the way) but I can't find the video anymore.

Parrot or dog? You decide.

things learned

2010-09-17T08:35:00.005-06:00

Things I have learned in nursing school this month:

How to write a nursing diagnosis, care plan and how to chart.

How to do dosage calculations.

How to do a sterile dressing change. Is it a bad sign that I felt a little nauseous while watching the videos on wound care? Those wounds can be pretty disgusting (and that's without knowing how they smell).

How to put in a Foley catheter. I've heard some pretty gross stories about actually doing this in real life. Again, gross. Also, if your instructor, who is supposed to be watching you and correcting you while you practice, is talking with another instructor about their cats (no joke), how the heck are you supposed to know if you're doing things the right way? I blame her if I stick a tube where it's not supposed to go.

How to give intramuscular injections. Hold the syringe like a dart at a 90-degree angle and go for it (making sure you're aiming for the right landmark, of course). If you hit bone just pull back and act normal/don't freak out. Yikes.

Practicing on dummies is NOT going to be the same as doing these things on real people.

When you ask the same question to different instructors, expect to get a different answer from each one of them. Helpful, very helpful.

I believe enemas and ostomies are coming up in the near future. Sounds like fun. Hope I don't barf while watching the videos!

You might be questioning my choice of nursing by my usage of the words gross, nauseous and barf in this post. I'm hoping these things will get better with experience. I can handle it, but it doesn't mean I'm not a little grossed out at times. We'll see what happens when it comes to putting things in peoples' open wounds, needles in their veins and tubes in their who-has (that's a medical term, didn't you know?).

summer happenings

2010-08-26T13:28:00.010-06:00

How is it almost September??? How did that happen? I guess time flies when you're sitting on your butt stressing out about school starting again.

After almost four weeks off, I'm headed back to school on Monday. Honestly, I've been enjoying doing whatever during the day and I'm dreading the stress and anxiety that comes with school. This is the semester we learn all the nitty gritty stuff and we start clinicals in the hospital in October, which by the way I'm freaked out about, probably because I don't feel prepared at all, but hopefully once that time comes I'll at least feel a little more prepared...but I'll probably still be freaked out.

This is what I have to look forward to:

I have a feeling I'm going to be like this:

Anyway, Jeff started a new job at the end of July. He is now a Charge Master Analyst. Don't ask me what all it entails, but it sounds cool right? He's working in the business office for Mountain States Health Alliance which is one of the big hospital systems in this area. So far he is enjoying it and learning a lot.

The day after I took my last final I drove out to Bethany Beach, Delaware to spend some time with my family at a beach house they had for the week. I wish we all lived closer together so we could see each other more than once or twice a year! Some of the pictures below are from Assateague Island where they have wild ponies roaming around.

A few weeks ago we decided to take advantage of Atlanta being only four hours away and we drove out for the weekend. We went to the Georgia Aquarium which has a ginormous tank holding 6.3 million gallons of water, four whale sharks and thousands of other fish (it's the world's largest aquarium exhibit).

And I betcha you can't guess what else we did in in Atlanta. Okay, okay, you guessed it. How could we go somewhere with a major league baseball team and not go to a game? We can't. You might be wondering why we have a picture of two strange men. Well, apparently they aren't strange at all (to baseball fans). The guy in the blue is Leo Mazzone who was a pitching coach for the Braves and apparently a well known pitching coach at that, and the guy holding the umbrella is Mark Lemke who used to play for the Braves. I wonder if these guys ever get tired of random people sneaking up on them and taking (or making) their picture. You might also be wondering what I'm holding in my hand in the picture below. They were giving out Moon Pies at the game. Yum.

good things to come

2010-06-21T14:43:00.005-06:00

"Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come."
-Jeffrey R. Holland

I really should be studying, but I've seen this message mentioned in a couple different places today and thought I would post it as well. It is, as all of the Mormon Messages are, uplifting and powerful.

You can see the full talk here.

monthly update

2010-06-12T20:34:00.011-06:00

Oh, hello there blog world. I'm sure you've been dying to know what we've been up to since it seems I've neglected to post my once-a-month post. Well, let me assure you that you haven't missed much.

Yes, that's a flip flop tan. They're trendy now, didn't you know?

About a month ago we took a short trip to Myrtle Beach and Charleston. While in Charleston we visited Boone Hall Plantation which was really neat (they filmed snippets of The Notebook there and, you know, lots of historical stuff happened there too).

We also attended the strawberry festival in Unicoi, TN to enjoy a little southern culture. We seriously need to take the camera with us everywhere we go because there are some great pictures to be made out here. Yes, you read that right. Out here in Tennessee we get our pictures made, not taken.

If I posted on this thing regularly, I would do a "you know you live in the south when" post once a week but let's be realistic folks, that's not going to happen any time soon.

Oh yeah, Jeff graduated and now is a master of athletic administration! Yay Jeff! And I started school which is another reason why this blog is neglected. I'd like to introduce you to my new best friends:

Actually, I really should've been studying instead of blogging, but procrastination was calling my name. I will leave you with this gem:

oh dear

2010-04-15T10:50:00.009-06:00

Dear Spring,

Thank you for gracing us with your presence. We've missed you. Thank you for bringing back the warmth and the beauty into life. I wish you could stay forever.

Dear D.C.,

Thank you for always having things for us to do and see. Riley especially liked being a tourist and checking out the FDR memorial. However, she was not very fond of the gigantor replica of FDR's scotty dog and probably has nightmares about him. Don't worry though, we bribed her with treats in order to snap a picture. She'll thank us later. Also, thank you for the beautiful cherry blossoms. Unfortunately, we missed their peak but we got to see some nonetheless.

Dear girl walking up the stairs, thanks for ruining our picture.
(I took another one but Riley is cuter in this one.)

(The pictures below are Arlington Cemetery which we were able to go see with Jeff's aunt, Cheryl, when she came to visit D.C. in March)

Dear mom and dad,

Thank you for putting up with our nut of a dog when we come to visit. I'm not really sure why she loses control (of her bladder) when she sees new people. She just wants to be loved by everyone. She can be sane at times, I promise (see picture on right below).

p.s. Can you tell we love our dog? She's basically our child (bladder control problems, nuttiness and all).

future plans

2010-03-16T10:28:00.006-06:00

Who would've thought?

Jeff got into the MPH, Hospital Administration program for round 2 of grad school. He'll graduate with his master's in athletic administration this spring.

He was also chosen to be a member of the President's Pride which is a "student service/honorary organization unique to East Tennessee State University" (quoted from ETSU's website). Over 100 people are nominated, 50 go on to interview and 25 are chosen.

This weekend he'll be headed to Cincinnati, Ohio for the first round of the NCAA tournament with the women's basketball team cause he's been such a hard working grad assistant. Go Bucs!

I'm so proud of him and all he has accomplished!

(p.s. How cute is this picture?)

I got into ETSU's accelerating nursing program for round 2 of my bachelor's.
(no comments on the picture please. yes, this is me, not a boy in pink overalls)

We'll both (hopefully) be graduating in December 2011. There is light at the end of the tunnel!
Hallelujah.

Riley has been accepted into a treatment program for hound dogs with ADHD and anxiety disorders. Do they make Xanax for dogs? Cause I think they should. Don't be fooled by this picture.

as usual

2010-02-03T09:30:00.003-07:00

Well, here we are in the cold dreary months of winter. I’ve decided that I don’t particularly care for cold weather, and what I really mean by that is that I could really just do without the whole dadgum season all together. You know how some people like to have all four seasons and can't wait for colder weather when summer is blazing hot and vice versa? Yeah, I’ve come to the conclusion that I am not one of those people. The thing I do like about Tennessee is that we have days that are in the 50s interspersed among the freezing cold days. Where can we live that has three out of the four seasons? Cause I like the other three just fine.

Anyway, we haven’t done anything blog worthy for awhile, just the same ol’, same ol’.

Jeff has applied to the MPH program; he is finishing up his master’s in sports admin and is working hard as usual.

Lynn has applied to nursing school; she is working and trying not to tear her hair out as usual.

Riley is crazy as usual.

And it’s flippin cold outside.

But these two can always brighten a dreary day. A dog really is a man's best friend...right after his wife of course.

home for the holidays

2010-01-05T12:50:00.005-07:00

We spent Christmas this year in Northern Virginia (or NOVA as some locals like to call it, but we try to refrain from using the acronym too much) with part of my family. Christmas isn't quite the same with a bunch of adults and we missed my siblings who have little kids, but I'm glad we got to spend it with family nonetheless.

We started out our visit with a trip to the Kennedy Center to listen to the Washington Chorus. Even though I was hacking up a lung (which I seem to have been quite a bit this year...I blame the nursery kids), it was a wonderful concert and a great way to get in the Christmas spirit.

We headed out to D.C. the next day and went to the Holocaust Museum. I just cannot understand how any human being could think it's okay to do what they did to people. How did they sleep at night? If you ever get a chance to go to D.C., I would definitely recommend this museum, just give yourself plenty of time as there is lots to read and take in.

We then ventured out to Ben's Chili Bowl for some tasty chili.

We celebrated Sam's quarter-of-a-century birthday. If you ever need a haircut and you happen to be in the Rockville area, Sam will hook you up...even though she has never been to hair school nor does she do it as a profession.

And we topped off our stay with a trip to the Washington D.C. temple.

I'm not quite sure how it got to be 2010 but here we are. Hope you all had a great holiday season and here's to another year and new adventures (to warm places!).

Attempt at craftiness

2009-12-17T08:47:00.002-07:00

We might have been a little ambitious in our first attempt at craftiness but I should probably tell you that this one little stocking took us all night to make, and by us I mean both Jeff and I because if I had tried to do it myself it would have taken twice, if not three times, as long to do. Maybe perfectionists (on the verge of OCD) aren't meant to be crafty. I'm the one sitting there rereading the instructions a million times and cutting exactly on the line and wanting my stitches to be perfectly straight (which is dang hard to do by the way, especially on that crown part, as you can tell). And Jeff's sitting there saying just do it! He's the one who doesn't even pin the fabric together or read the instructions while I'm saying wait, wait, wait! And of course it turns out just fine. Yes, my husband can cook AND sew. He's very handy and multi-talented really. I won't tell you how long it took just to figure out that dang bobbin (thank you YouTube). Even though it took us forever to do, I think it turned out pretty good for a first attempt at being crafty, and we didn't even have to take anything apart or redo anything (I probably would have if was just me doing it).

Needless to say, we haven't really touched the sewing machine since. I got the idea from our friend Erin's blog (who is crafty). Here's the tutorial if you'd like to try it, just don't tell me how long it takes you to complete. We left off a couple things as you can see, but if I can barely sew in a straight line do you really expect me to know how to applique (or do it in less than a matter of hours)? I didn't think so. Maybe I should try something easier next time, something that only involves sewing in straight lines.

As a side note, you might be wondering why we chose UT fabric as neither of us attend UT. Well, we made this one for our nut of a dog cause the University of Tennessee's mascot looks like her, although she'd rather eat it than anything else (trust me, she already tried). UT's mascot is a Bluetick Coonhound and Riley is a Treeing Walker Coonhound, pretty close though.

Grateful

2009-12-04T10:28:00.006-07:00

As Thanksgiving has come and gone I, like many others, have reflected on the things that I am most thankful and grateful for. I try to keep a running list in my head of my blessings at all times and I try to remember that I have it pretty dang good compared to many others, but for some reason it’s so much easier to think of the things you don’t like or don’t have. It’s so easy to forget how blessed we really are as we live in this materialistic world where self-esteem and self-worth are dependent on worldly possessions.

This is a short list of a few of the things that I’m most grateful for in my life right now:

I’m grateful for the almost 4 years Jeff and I have had together, just the two of us, even though it’s not what we had planned. Come what may and love it, right? (Easier said than done in some instances, unfortunately.) Who knows if, when or how we will have children, but for now it’s just Jeff and I and our crazy dog trying to figure life out.

I am grateful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and for the knowledge that I have that I am a child of God and that He knows me and loves me. I’m also grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ and what that means for me personally.

I am grateful to have a family who loves me and supports me, has provided me with more than I could ever need or want growing up, has taught me how to be a good person and who has given me opportunities to see the world. I’m also grateful for a second family who has welcomed me with open arms as a second daughter.

I am grateful for the simple necessities that we take for granted every day: clean water to drink, running water, electricity, food to eat, a place to live, heat and air conditioning, clothes, shoes, etc.

I am grateful to be citizen of a country that believes in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

I am grateful for a job that helps me to provide the necessities stated above.

I am grateful for my education and parents who taught me the importance of education.

I am grateful for a husband who loves me and treats me well and wants the best for us and our future. I’m grateful for all that he does to support me and to provide for us. I’m grateful that we can laugh together and that we can enjoy life together.

in case you were wondering...

2009-11-05T11:05:00.004-07:00

what we've been up to, I've decided to update you. And if you haven't been wondering what we've been up to, well then why the heck are you reading this blog?

Okay, does this look like it says EFF to anyone else? helloo, there is a J in there. And p.s., if you don't think that's a cute picture then something's not right with you. seriously.

Jeff is working hard as usual. He's not only taking his athletic admin classes but also taking some public health classes as well. Why, you ask? Because Jeff has decided to become an uber master and get a second master's degree in public health. Why, you ask? Because he's awesome like that. On top of his full load of classes, Jeff has his graduate assistantship with the women's basketball team helping with marketing and getting fans out to the games (which we all know is a difficult task for women's basketball, let's be honest). And since the season hasn't started yet, even though he's working on getting prepared for the season, they have him working at the soccer games doing the scoreboard and announcing. AND on top of that he's babysitting kids in a study hall two nights a week AND mentoring a couple of student athletes. I know what you're thinking, what a stud. Yes, I know.

Lynn is still typing away and sitting in front of the computer for 32 hours a week. 32 hours, you ask? Yes, you read that right. Lynn cut down on her hours because she was getting to the point where she was about to march right over to the hospital, track down the doctors that seem to think it's okay to talk likethisandmumbleandwhisperandchewgumatthesametime while trying to pronounce words like esophagogastroduodenoscopy and give them a piece of her mind. It's not a pharnix, it's a pharynx. It's not a larnix, it's a larynx. It's not a sontometer, it's a centimeter. And iller and prescriptionally are NOT words!! Gosh, I wish I had the chutzpah (yes, I just said chutzpah) to do that. But we all know that wasn't going to happen, so I cut back on my hours for my sanity...and Jeff's. Lynn has also decided to apply to nursing school yet again in February. Let's face it people, if she doesn't get in this time she might as well take at as a hint that it's just not meant to be. So stay tuned for that one. She has also decided to try and become crafty and finally figured out how to thread her sewing machine this morning! We'll see how that goes. ha!

Well, now that you're updated with our lives I'm sure you feel that your day is complete. Stay tuned because this might all change tomorrow.

p.s. in case you were wondering about Riley Jo, she's as crazy as ever. we got a membership to the dog park and she is in dog heaven...if only there were paper towels, peanut butter and cardboard there, she'd never want to come home.

POST EDIT: Jeff informed me that I forgot to mention that he is also applying to get a business certificate (which is basically the core classes for an MBA...so he really is an uber master) and also gives baseball lessons on the side. I can't even keep up with all the stuff this guy does. Holy moly.

Our bribery worked!

2009-10-14T21:24:00.000-06:00

What do you do when Aunt Cheryl and Mama Hiestand come to visit you in Johnson City, Tennessee?

Just about everything touristy/fun you can think of to do in a two-hour radius. Umm, and we might have gained a few el bees (that's pounds if you didn't get my attempt at being clever... you know, lbs...nevermind) in the process. Well, we had to show them all the good places to eat too! And even though we wished for a miraculous overnight change of the trees into their full fall glory, it never happened. Maybe when they visit us next year :). Oh, and we made a couple of trips to Walmart...and then a couple more.

Family picture. These first two pictures are pictures taken from pictures hence the not so good quality.

Scenic overlook on the way to Asheville, NC.

The Biltmore Estate built by George Vanderbilt before he was even married. I guess he didn't want to start out with an apartment. Beautiful but overpriced. My favorite part was the swimming pool in the basement.

Dollywood! Where do I go for the Dolly boob job? We payed enough to get in here!

Dolly's tour bus. I'm surprised her and her boobs fit in this thing.

I think I might frame this one.

Riley is pooped. She loved having visitors. Cheryl gave her a middle name so we can now properly reprimand her. RILEY JO YOU STOP EATING PAPER TOWELS RIGHT NOW!

Apple Festival in Erwin, TN. If you have no teeth how are you supposed to eat apples?

Aw. Riley loved having two air mattresses set up so she could look out the windows and lounge...and jump on people to wake them up in the morning (she likes to aim right for your head).

Okay, who's up next for their visit? You know you want to.

Thanks for coming to see us!!!
Ya'll come back now, y'hear!

finding hope

2009-09-08T13:00:00.004-06:00

*Scroll down to the bottom of the page to turn off the music so you can listen to this amazing message. This is just what I needed today.

Bribery

2009-09-04T10:32:00.006-06:00

Jeff and I like to eat...a lot (not in the sense that we like to stuff ourselves, but we enjoy eating...you get the idea). Usually we like to eat healthily, but sometimes you just have to eat the really good stuff and we all know the really good stuff is not so good for you. Just don't eat the really good stuff before you attempt to run 8 kilometers (see post below about 8k).

ANYWAY

Ridgewood has the best bbq around. It's pretty much a glorified trailer tucked into the hillside on the side of the road. You know the 'no soup for you' episode of Seinfeld (of course you do), well this place comes with its own grouchy lady that takes your name and tells you not to ask her how long the wait is (we've been tempted to see what she would do if we did ask--No bbq for you!) and then throws your menus on the table. This just adds to the experience. Let's just say that this place is a little bit of food heaven on earth (if they have grouchy ladies that take your name down in food heaven that is). It's probably a good thing that Ridgewood isn't closer to our house or we'd be there weekly and then we'd be fat. for sure.

So the reason I tell you all this is to make your mouths water so you'll want to come visit us in lovely scenic, bbq-loving TN. I mean, I would go to UT just for some Cafe Rio and La Casita (it's in Springville. Go now!), so I would assume you'd come visit us just to try some authentic bbq. We assume that since our trips are based around food, yours should be too. (Sorry it was closed when you visited Leslie!) Trust me, you will go home happy. Plus you get to see us so what's not to love...the best bbq ever AND the company of Jeff and Lynn. What are you waiting for?

Best blue cheese dressing you will ever have...and yes, it comes with crackers

The smokers

I warned him it was going on the blog.

Windy country road and no where to park.

It's never not packed. There's always a wait. p.s. I like how the lady in blue is smiling for the camera.

This is Jeff and Lance on their phones telling you to come visit us!! Now!

miami

2009-08-24T11:32:00.011-06:00

Why can't life just be one long vacation? I'm always telling Jeff let's go here, let's go there and he just looks at me and says, you want to go everywhere! Yeah well, I guess I have the travel gene (thanks mom and dad!). Maybe when we're rich :).

Last weekend we headed down to Miami for a change of scenery and had a great time.

Day 1:

Best Taco Bell Jeff's ever had (and he would know). You didn't know that Taco Bell could be different from city to city, did you? I guess they know how to make those refried beans in Miami.

Air boat ride in Everglades National Park. We thought maybe we'd see a crocodile or two but had no idea they would come up right next to the boat, which was a little too close for comfort but definitely an experience.

Jeff locked the keys in the car (I'm surprised I haven't done this...yet).

Ate some really good authentic Mexican food.

(you can enlarge the collages by clicking on them)

Oh, and of course we went to a Marlin's game. You didn't think we'd go on vacation during baseball season and not go to a game did you?

Day 2:

We headed out to Key Largo and took a boat ride out to a reef for some snorkeling. The water was crystal-clear blue but we were both a little disappointed with the reef and the fish but it was fun nonetheless.

Day 3:

We hit up south beach and spent the day in the warm ocean and worked on our tans (or our burns...either way, we got some color).

We often watch Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on the Food Network which is on late at night when I get off work and it always makes us really hungry. While we were in Miami, we took the opportunity to check out two places featured on the show and both were really good! As you can tell, our trips focus around being touristy and eating good food!

Our flight the next day left out of West Palm Beach so we headed up there and checked out their awesome downtown area.

This is what our puppy looked like when we got back. She had her own vacation while we were gone where she just played and played and crashed when we picked her up. We thought she was depressed at first cause she looked so sad but it turns out she was just pooped.

p.s. We saved ourselves a lot of stress by getting a GPS with our rental car. Garmin saved our sanity. I highly recommend them for places you are unfamiliar with.

Family: It's about love

2009-08-08T14:14:00.005-06:00

I can't believe it's been over a month since we were in California. This year is flying by.

Maybe I should've titled this post three funerals and a wedding because that's been our year so far.

Unfortunately our trip to California was not for pleasure. Jeff's cousin, Bobby, passed away and we went to attend the funeral. I only met Bobby once but whenever anyone would mention his name I would automatically think of his smile that seemed to light up a room [which incidentally is what first attracted me to Jeff...I guess great smiles run in the family]. Apparently this sentiment was shared by many as his smile was mentioned many times throughout the weekend. Bobby will be greatly missed by so many. As you can see in one of the pictures below, the hall where the memorial was held was packed and many people had to squeeze in to find a place to stand since there weren't enough seats.

I know I've said this in my other posts about the funerals we've been to this year but, although we felt deep sadness for losing Bobby so unexpectedly, we enjoyed the time we spent being surrounded by family. Because isn't that what life is all about? People may come and go from our lives but our family will always be there. And how lucky am I to have not just one but two amazing families?

Riley

2009-07-27T11:03:00.006-06:00

Our little puppy is not so little anymore

This used to be her favorite spot until she realized she didn't fit anymore!

She likes to air out

(the bowl in the background is covering up a cable that comes through the floor so she doesn't chew on it...we don't usually leave bowls on the floor)

She got a bee sting and her lip was huge! How sad is that face! It didn't really seem to phase her though.

She's a little crazy but we love her!

crazy is right

2009-07-13T10:28:00.006-06:00

This is what we did on Saturday. An 8k. Why? I'm still not sure and my legs definitely never want to do another one. Let me just say that I am NOT a runner. I haven't run for a few weeks and when I do it's not for very long and I can't go very long without walking. I've never enjoyed running but Jeff has taken it up and well, it's supposed to be so good for you, yadda yadda, so awhile ago I decided I'd try to take it up. Well, my progress has been mediocre at best. I just can't seem to push myself to get any better. Or maybe I'm just a wimp...okay, I'm definitely a wimp. I've always thought that people who ran long distances had to have a screw or two loose. Why in the world would you want to run for hours on end? Do you hate yourself? But people really seem to enjoy it so I thought maybe I could force myself to enjoy it too.

You may be asking yourself, then why the heck did you run an 8k if you hate running? Well, let me first say that I'm using the term 'run' very loosely. And secondly, I think I might have a few screws loose myself. Jeff and Lance convinced me to give it a try....and we got a t-shirt (I was going to say free t-shirt but with what we paid to enter the race, it definitely was not free. And no, I cannot believe that I actually paid to run.). They convinced me that I'd have more confidence after crossing the finish line after "running" 8 kilometers (p.s. why do they measure these races in kilometers? We don't use the metric system here, remember?). If you can run for ten minutes, you can run for an hour is what they told me. Well, I knew I was gullible but jeez, you might as well tattoo 'idiot' on my forehead cause that's the biggest lie I've ever heard. For some odd reason I felt that if I didn't do it I would regret it. They say it's the world's fastest 8k cause it's mostly downhill but I think that's a lie too. Cause I'm pretty sure only the last .5k was downhill.

Well, maybe I do feel a sense of accomplishment for finishing the race even though I didn't run the whole way. When I did run it was at a snail's pace (there was an old guy power walking -- in fairly short shorts I might add -- that was going faster than me). However, I think I lost a little bit of self-esteem as 7-year-olds passed me, 70-year-olds passed me, guys in really short shorts passed me (is this really necessary people, really?) big people, little people...you name it, they passed me. Am I the least fit person in this area of fried food and heart disease? Jeff had to remind me that mostly people who have been running for awhile are crazy enough to sign up for an 8k and that made me feel a little better. Oh, you mean I'm the only idiot who can barely run for 10 minutes straight that signed up to run 5 miles? I probably would have passed out on the side of the road if it weren't for Jeff who decided to give up a decent finishing time and run with me and encourage me the whole way (and to make sure I wasn't kidnapped by any rednecks along the way).

So anyway, I made it. I'm alive even though I can barely walk. I think I'm glad I did it. I'm not sure if I'll ever get the hang of this whole running thing.

But, if you've learned anything from my experience it should be

1. Just because you were born in Kenya does NOT mean you can run like the wind, or run at all for that matter. No matter how much you wish it were true.

2. Do not, I repeat, do NOT listen to Jeff and Lance when they try to convince you to do something that seems even the slightest bit ridiculous (even though I can now say I "ran" in an 8k).

3. And don't eat barbecue six hours before you run. Not. A. Good. Idea.

visitors

2009-06-08T12:25:00.005-06:00

My sister, Leslie, made made the 11-hour trip from Jacksonville, IL to wonderful Johnson City, TN with a two year old and a large dog (small horse) by herself...because she loves us. We had a great time. The dogs had a great time. We wish we lived closer!

Ready to bike the Creeper Trail

Do we look alike?

Happy

And sad. Don't worry it only lasted a few seconds.

Throwing rocks in the river was the best part for Anika

Thanks for coming to visit us!

charleston

2009-06-03T11:28:00.002-06:00

Three couples.
Two babies.
One puppy.
(These three things equal a lot of stuff, especially when camping).
One boat trip to Fort Sumter.
One afternoon at the beach.
One day of walking around downtown Charleston which tired the one puppy out (see picture of jeff carrying puppy).
One night of rain and a leaky tent (sorry lance and ariel) and maybe a little animosity towards lynn because she is the genius who came up with the camping plan (yes mom, it was my idea believe it or not). Unfortunately I cannot predict the weather.
About three dozen bug bites.
One fun memorial day weekend with good friends in a great city.

better late than never

2009-05-20T13:55:00.000-06:00

This is Sam.

Isn't she a beautiful bride?

We met almost 10 years ago before our freshman year of high school when we were both new kids.

We used to talk on the phone for hours even though we lived right down the street from each other.

Without Sam I'm not sure I would've made it through high school in one piece.

Even though we went our separate ways during college we can always pick right up again with a phone call even if we haven't talked to each other in months.

Moving around a lot growing up I always wondered what it would be like to have a friend that you grew up with and I'm grateful I can experience some of what that might be like with Sam as we share in some of life's milestones with each other.

Sam got married on April 18th (how has it been a month already?) in Maryland to Andy who is pretty much perfect for her, if I do say so myself.

We had a great time, it was a beautiful day.

Love ya Sam (one of my few dedicated blog readers :))

Oh, and of course we squeezed in a Nationals game and we coerced my parents into going with us. It was their first win of the season.

Also, Sam is a very talented artist and just started a blog with her artwork. Check it out here!

let me tell you 'bout my best friend

2009-05-15T10:30:00.004-06:00

This is how it starts...

Happily chewing their bones side by side.

Hey what the heck. You have your own.

I win! Sucka!

I guess we know who wears the pants in this relationship.

We still haven't completely settled on a name yet. We've been calling her Miley (yes, like miley cyrus but not because of miley cyrus). Anyone have any suggestions?

it's a girl!

2009-05-11T08:53:00.003-06:00

Please welcome the newest and cutest {it was close} member of the Hiestand family...

She's a beagle mix but we're not sure with what which means we're not sure how big she's going to get...but her paws aren't huge so we're hoping she won't be.

Ace (lance and ariel's dog) loves having a playmate

Don't you love her spots?

After visiting the shelter almost weekly since we moved here, we finally gave in.

She's looks very docile in all these pictures, but she's pretty mischievous & spunky.

We still haven't decided on a name. Boy dog names are much easier.

Wish us luck on potty training.

We love our new addition!

you know how i went to play racquetball today?

2009-05-02T12:21:00.006-06:00

What do you get when...

200+ pounds of hardcore racquetball player and one of the court's walls collide?

One exercise stopping crash that brings the gym to a quiet standstill.

One angry gym bossman (who is usually in a bad mood so it doesn't really count).

One racquetball court out of commission.

One sigh of relief that no one was hurt.

One sigh of relief that we don't have to pay for it.

One insurance company fighting the company that makes the courts because apparently those things aren't supposed to break...even when it comes to large (and by large I mean muscular) hardcore racquetball players running into them.

And one good story for the blog. Oh, and one guy who still very much enjoys the game of racquetball (yes, they are still letting him play on their other courts). Don't let him tell you he's not good, cause he is.

Boston

2009-04-24T08:58:00.011-06:00

I feel like after having nothing much to post about for so long we have finally been some places recently -- and taken a few pictures too (because I know we have so many avid readers out there. ha.).

It's kinda hard to tell but I like this picture cause to the left of the Fenway sign it says Monster.

Jeff made his first trip to the northeast. Unfortunately we were not in Boston for pleasure but of course we had to at least go by the stadium. My grandma June passed away and we went to Boston for the funeral.

My grandma persevered through a lot in her almost 90 years -- epilepsy, basically growing up in an institution because there was no medication for epilepsy, losing two brothers to drowning on separate occasions, brain tumors, just to name a few -- but she was a very optimistic woman with great strength who was determined to accomplish her goals (she worked as a nurse against some odds) and worked hard for her independence. After living alone for almost 24 years she is now surrounded by her loved ones. I love and admire her very much and will miss her.

Of course funerals are sad, and going to two within 6 months isn't so great, but I do enjoy the opportunity to see my family. Seriously, who can resist these faces?

I hadn't been back to Bean Town for quite some time and enjoyed going to see my grandma's beach "cottage" in Wareham near Cape Cod where I have many fond memories. (Please note the street that it is on. p.s. I love my mom in this picture. She was trying to get Anika to smile, I think.)

Last weekend we were up in Virginia/Maryland for my best friend, Sam's wedding but I will entertain with you that on another day since I think I've met my quota for length with this post.

Jeff has also been applying for jobs as an academic advisor within the athletic departments at the University of Wyoming (brrr) and the College of Charleston (beach, mmm). We'll see what happens since he still has a semester of school left -- don't worry, he can finish online. Keep your fingers crossed.

western carolina

2009-04-06T08:41:00.005-06:00

This weekend BYU baseball came our way and played at Western Carolina University which is about two hours away from us. So Jeff and Lance went on Thursday and Jeff and I headed down for the Friday and Saturday games. The university is in a cute little town and we stayed on an Indian reservation not too far away. So of course we had to check out the Harrah's casino (don't judge us) on the reservation. When we pulled up I thought there was something going on in town because there were rows and rows of cars parked before getting to the casino. We had to take a shuttle from the car to the casino. We were definitely not expecting this huge casino in this tiny town. But for such a big casino we were pretty disappointed with what was inside. It was mostly slot machines, the tables had high minimums (no dollar tables?) and there was no roulette! And it was extremely smoky. Gross. So we didn't stay too long. We had fun going to the games and seeing the guys sweep Western Carolina.

You know you're in the south when they're offering 12 biscuits for $10. Who gets 12 biscuits all at once?

Homemade candy and fudge on the Indian reservation. Yum.

such is life

2009-03-24T13:52:00.006-06:00

Here's what's been going on the past couple weeks:

Spring has decided to grace us with its presence here in Johnson City. I am definitely loving spring weather.

I started working my 2:30-11:00 pm shift. I think the doctors get worse the later it gets. But I do get to sleep in which I always enjoy.

Jeff did some announcing at a few baseball games...maybe we've found a new calling in life for Jeff.

I turned the big 2-4 and am getting older by the minute. Fortunately or unfortunately (take your pick) I can still pass for 18, maybe younger. I once was mistaken for a 16-year-old (when I was probably 22) at a Padres game. But I got a sweet Padres lunchbox that some lady offered me money for later...we turned her down. People tell me it's a good thing to look younger, hopefully it'll stick with me. Thanks for the genes mom and dad.

And finally and sadly our little Fenway (one of Jeff's mom's weenie dogs) is no longer with us. She was accidentally run over (sad I know). She was spunky and loved to be scratched (just like Jeff). We loved her and will miss her a lot. I couldn't find a picture of her on my computer, so here's a picture of her puppies:

more about jobs

2009-02-23T13:07:00.006-07:00

So

here's the update:

Jeff is now the women's athletic director. Okay, not really...but with how much he works and all the stuff they have him do they should consider his graduate assistantship a full-time job.

Speaking of full-time jobs...

I got offered one. I'm a little nervous about sitting and transcribing mumbling doctors for 8 hours a day instead of 4, but who can turn down extra money and extra vacation time? Caribbean cruise anyone? I'll be working from 3 to 11:30 in the evening, which isn't ideal, but it's better than in the middle of the night. I would like to take a moment to say that I realize in my last post I sounded a little negative about the whole job thing--you know sitting through orientation is boring--but I really am very grateful to have finally gotten a job, especially one doing something that I am trained to do. And it's really not so bad. Actually, it would be relatively easy if doctors could just enunciate and not speed talk. Is it really that difficult?

Speaking of jobs (which seems to be the theme of this blog recently)...

Look at the great job Lance and Ariel did on making, baking, and popping out this little girl:

She's a cutie. Everyone loves a newborn baby.

Speaking of babies...

Just kidding. Gotcha for a second though, didn't I?

Today I decided I want one of these:

I haven't told Jeff yet. Pretty sure you can't say no to those wrinkles and floppy ears. Even if you're not supposed to have puppies or any dogs at all on new carpet.

2009-01-24T12:07:00.003-07:00

Well, Jeff is back at school and busy working with the women's basketball team, and I just finished my first week of orientation/training for my new job. Yes, I said week. A whole week of the same things over and over again. We love our patients, code red means fire, you're a caregiver even if you sit and type all day, yadda, yadda, yadda. Oh, but I did win 2 movie tickets so I guess the hours and hours of sitting were worth it. And then there was the orientation of the medical records department, which might I add is partially in the dungeon of the hospital. Luckily I'll be in the upstairs part where there is real light. Okay, I know some of these ladies enjoy their jobs, but I don't know how they can sit and scan charts or sit at a computer and check bar codes all. day. long. And I thought medical transcription was tedious. I guess someone's gotta do it. Thankfully once I'm up to speed I can work from home. Oh, and don't hesitate to ask me about the importance of handwashing.

A couple weeks ago our friends JD and Jerrica came to visit. We had a fun time and ate way too much cake. You would too if you tried this cake. We checked out a waterfall that Lance and Ariel had shown us, went bowling and realized I'm a horrible bowler, played tennis and realized I need some help with that too, played games, and ate some more. It's what we do best.

December in Review

2009-01-07T11:19:00.006-07:00

Went to Bristol Caverns

Spent Christmas in D.C. with my family

Went to the Air & Space Museum (we also went to the American History Museum and the Newseum which are both very good)

Visited my awesome friend Sam & her fiance Andy who are getting married in April :)

In other news, I did get offered a job with Johnson City Medical Center, which I really was not expecting because I thought for sure they would take someone with more experience. I guess they decided to take a chance and offered me a part-time position which is more than fine with me. Now, about that puppy...

basketball, jobs, and puppies

2008-12-17T10:12:00.005-07:00

I know, I know, it's winter in the Volunteer State now. We've had a mixture of really nice days in the 60s and very cold days where it snows but rarely sticks.

I know I've been slacking on updating the blog, but every time I log in to start a new post I just don't feel like writing anything and my mind glazes over. That could be due to the fact that I have nothing to write about because our days have been like this:

Jeff goes to school/studies for tests, does well on tests and school stuff (yay Jeff!).

Lynn tries to look for a job anywhere from Target to medical transcription to whatever the heck you want to give her (okay, maybe not whatever), applies for jobs, doesn't hear anything about jobs, resumes sitting on couch watching Ellen and Oprah (the "man" who has woman parts is having another baby. What is this world coming to?). We blame the economy (for me not getting job, not for the man/woman having a baby)...or my lack of experience, but isn't the economy a better excuse?

Jeff and Lynn occassionally take trips to the animal shelter where Lynn tries to make sad faces at Jeff so he will let her get a puppy. These attempts are in vain because Jeff is the practical one and what is that you say? Puppies cost money? Dang. But they're so cute.

Here's how things are shaping up for next semester:

Jeff got a graduate assistantship (school paid for PLUS a stipend. hooray!) with the....wait for it....WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM. That's right, I said women. I think that is what one would call karma. Jeff is already working hard lining up promotional things for said team even though he doesn't get paid until next semester.

After going into the HR department of the hospital system here and being told she didn't get the last medical transcription job she applied for (in SEPTEMBER), Lynn got a call this morning telling her they want to interview her for the job she didn't get. Weird. She will be working on her interview skills and hoping they called the right person. [Insert prayers here]

The jury is still out on the puppy situation. [Insert sad looks here]

p.s. How is Christmas next week? When did that happen? That's right, Ellen is doing 12 days of giveaways and Oprah already had her favorite things show (they were economy friendly this year...because she has to worry about how she spends her billions). Happy holidays!

Fall in the Volunteer State

2008-11-08T11:26:00.005-07:00

It's true, fall in Tennessee is beautiful. The reds, oranges, and yellows cover the rolling landscape, and when the sun shines through the leaves the colors are even more awesome.

Jeff took these pictures right outside our apartment. Doesn't the orange tree look like it's on fire? I love it.

p.s. It's been in the 70s here. Don't be too jealous.

Til we meet again

2008-11-01T13:06:00.003-06:00

She was a fiesty woman with a lot of love and a lot of faith.

She had a curiosity towards angels, and now she is one of them.

When I feel sad about not seeing her again on earth, I think about the many family members that greeted her as she entered the spirit world--her husband, son, brothers and sister, parents--and the happiness she would have felt at seeing all of them. I am grateful that she never has to be alone again.

She was very particular about how things were done. This used to really frustrate me, but as I got older I learned to laugh along with her idiosyncrasies and I loved her for them.

This past Christmas was special as our whole family was together. When she grumbled about the salad dressing or something of the sort, Jeff and I would just look at each other and we would start to laugh, and she would start to chuckle too with her characteristic half smile. I think she realized she was being silly at times.

We're grateful that she had a sharp mind her whole life, as well as good health.

I look forward to seeing her again one day and telling my children about their great-grandma Vera.

happenings

2008-09-29T09:45:00.007-06:00

"Miss Lynn, are you married?"

"Yup, I am."

"Do you wanna have kids?"

"Sure I do."

"Well, maybe after this week you won't want to have kids anymore!"

Jeff and I were asked by a family in our ward (our congregation at church) to take care of their kids (ages 5 and 8) for most of the week while they were both out of town. Jeff has class most nights of the week so it was basically me and the kiddos running around from one place to the next. Days go by pretty fast when you're doing homework, getting snacks, practicing piano, practicing spelling words, going to karate, and gymnastics, and scouts, fitting dinner in there somewhere, getting ready for bed, and still trying to get some fun time in. Holy cow.

We had a fun time though and both kids were great aside from the occasional bickering (that's what brothers and sisters are for after all) and one pee incident where Shelby was peed on by a neighbor's dog (weird, I know). I love hearing the things that come out of kids' mouths (most of the time). Where do they come up with some of these things? Shelby is dying to have a pink mini van when she gets older--she's going to buy it at a place that only sells pink mini vans (duh)--and Matt was talking about how he's got a date for the school dance (he's in second grade) and all the cheerleaders already have dates so it's just too bad for the guys who are still looking for dates. It's amazing to me how perceptive kids are and how much they really catch on when you don't think they're listening or you don't think they'll understand what you're talking about in the first place (see conversation above--he had to have gotten that from something an adult said).

On another note, as you can probably tell I've had a little bit of blogger's block recently. We haven't really done too much that has been blog worthy. It's kind of hard to find something to write on a daily basis when you do the same things every day, unless you have kids cause they're a constant source of entertainment and stories. I'll do my best to keep the blog interesting.

We did go to see some of the Dragon Boat Races a few weeks ago which is a fundraiser for the Children's Hospital. It was blazing hot that day with 90% humidity so we didn't stay too long, but at least you have some pictures to look at right?

parents weekend

2008-09-04T14:29:00.007-06:00

My parents decided to bring the mini van, the bikes, and some of my stuff (hallelujah we have a microwave) down to Johnson City for a visit. So my parents, Lance, Ariel, Jeff, and I all piled into Lance's truck, strapped the bikes into the back, and headed up to the Virginia Creeper Trail which is a biking/hiking/horse trail that goes from Whitetop, VA to Abingdon, VA. It hooks up with the Appalachian Trail (which goes from Maine to Georgia) at one point too. We cheated a little bit and took a shuttle up to Whitetop and rode mostly downhill to Damascus (about 20 miles) instead of biking round trip or going all the way to Abingdon. We had one flat tire along the way but actually ended up making great time even with Lance and Jeff biking back and forth from a restaurant that had a pump to get it fixed (my mom is one fast speed walker).
I stole this one from your blog Ariel (thanks!)

Later on in the weekend Jeff and Lance took on my parents in tennis. I'm still trying to figure out the whole game, set, match thing. What kind of scoring goes 0, 15, 30, 40 (did someone forget how to count by fifteens)? And then they throw in the words love, all, deuce, and ad in/ad out. And it's definitely harder than it looks, but isn't that how it is with all sports? We also enjoyed some homemade pizza courtesy of the master chef Jeff. So as you can tell, we had a great weekend! We recently ordered some bikes, so stay tuned for more biking adventures.

guaranteed to make you smile

2008-08-28T11:20:00.012-06:00

Jeff and I both have some super cute (when talking about nieces and nephews it's completely appropriate/acceptable to use the words super cute) nieces and nephews. We were really lucky to live near Jeff's sister and my brother in Utah. Before we left I happened to get some cute pictures (please excuse the bad red eye reducer). If you don't smile when you look at these then there's something wrong with you.

The newest addition to the family

And I had to include a picture of my sister's little girl, Anika, cause she's super cute. They live all the way in Illinois, and we wish we got to see them more often.

We made it!

2008-08-27T09:38:00.014-06:00

We are alive and in Tennessee! I know all of our avid readers were starting to get worried (hi mom!). We never want to move ever again. Moving all of our stuff in and out of trucks and garages and apartments over and over didn't help that feeling. Where did we get all of this stuff!? We seem to have added even more stuff since we arrived...ugh. We left Utah on Thursday the 14th and made it to Johnson City on Saturday just in time to move our junk from our cars into our apartment and settle down on Lance and Ariel's (our across the hall neighbors...hopefully they're not tired of us yet :)) couch to watch Michael Phelps win his eighth gold (we timed our arrival for this). Man that guy's ridiculous. Did you watch the Olympics? Did you watch Usain Bolt blow everyone away? I'm trying to get Jeff to agree to go to London in 2012.

Anyway, we've been really busy trying to get settled. Jeff started school yesterday and I've been trying to find a job (don't ask). So you know how Jeff's scholarship requires him to teach some activity courses? Well...

Yep, he's teaching a general conditioning class AND...bowling! So we like to joke that Jeff quit his job at the Health Department to bowl. We won't mention that he hasn't bowled for years, but I'm sure he's still great at it.

Photos of our adventure:

Goodbye basement apartment

Goodbye lab where Jeff and I met

Hello gas prices (this was more than 70 cents cheaper than Utah's gas prices when we left)!

This is the field where Jeff played summer ball in Nevada (pronounced nuh-vay-duh), Missouri

And this is the gym in Nevada with the crooked stairs

This is the road to get to Ammon and Marlene's house (his host family)

Here are Ammon and Marlene. They're hilarious. This is where we picked up the word dagum, and lucky for us they use it here in Tennessee too.

Jeff is pretty handy. This was our makeshift shower curtain--trash bags and packing tape.

I don't really have any pictures of the area yet, but it's beautiful and green out here with all the rolling hills and trees. It's going to take a little while to really know our way around since there's no grid system here like Utah. We're practicing our southern accents so we can understand people better. Well dagum, y'all come back now, y'hear.

sa-wing batta batta

2008-08-10T15:12:00.006-06:00

This past Thursday Jeff participated in a home run derby that the Owlz hosted. Out of 10 guys Jeff came in third, which is pretty dang good for not playing baseball for 2 years. The guy who won is a former Major Leaguer and I'm pretty sure they said the second place guy played in the minors. It's always fun to watch Jeff swing a bat whether he's playing softball or baseball.

I tried to do something new with our camera and it didn't work so well, but I like this last picture mostly because of the people in the background--the guy in the stands is pointing and everyone's looking at the ball fly over the fence.

The hills are on fire!

2008-08-05T12:49:00.007-06:00

So we had a little bit of a panicked Friday night. (Keep in mind that Jeff and I moved into his parent's place in Payson last Wednesday.) During the afternoon we had noticed that there seemed to be a fire down at Spring Lake because there were plumes of smoke going up into the mountains by Jeff's parents house, but we didn't really think anything of it. Later on that evening I went into the garage and overheard the neighbor talking about having their bags packed and how they needed to leave ASAP. As I came outside to hear her better (because I'm a busybody like that) I saw the blaze of fire on the mountains that form Payson canyon, right in front of Jeff's parents house, moving ominously close to the orchards on the hillside. Let's just say the flames looked a little too close for comfort. Jeff's parents and I went outside to check out the situation and not too long after firemen were coming around the neighborhood to tell us to pack up our stuff, close our windows, and evacuate.

This picture doesn't really do the fire justice, but this was the view from our house.

I've been evacuated from two countries (Jordan during the Gulf War and Jakarta when riots were breaking out all over the city due to economic problems and we had to leave in the middle of the night) and neither time do I remember being really scared or panicked and that's because my parents were always so calm during the situation. Well, the same can be said for this situation. There were people that were obviously freaked out and some were acting a little like maniacs, but Jeff's parents were totally calm and reassuring during the whole ordeal and that made all the difference. I was a little worried because Jeff and I had just moved all of our stuff into his parent's garage and it could have possibly all be lost.

So anyway, we packed all of our valuables into our cars and decided to hang around to see where the fire was headed since it seemed that we were okay where we were and the firemen weren't forcing us to leave. By this time the fire had died down a little on the hillside (it was still going strong in some spots). When Jeff got home from the Owlz game he got on the roof with the hose and started watering down the house. We drove down the street at one point and watched the fire burn what seemed extremely close to a couple of houses. Luckily no structures were burnt down, but there were some houses that were extremely lucky (like the family that has the orchards). We were told that it was the orchards that saved our houses because apple trees hold about 40 gallons of water, unlike pine trees that burn very rapidly. The wind was also blowing in our favor. So that was our Friday night adventure. Helicopters are still flying over today to make sure the fires are all out. We're very lucky and relieved that it turned out the way it did!

yee haw

2008-07-25T19:16:00.012-06:00

This past Monday we headed out to the Spanish Fork Rodeo with our good friends Blair and Sara who we always have a great time with. I can't believe those guys have the guts to ride bucking bulls or horses. Crazy. It cannot be good for your back...or the rest of your body for that matter. Unfortunately the zoom on our camera isn't so great and for some reason the picture quality isn't as good when uploaded to blogger, but I did take some video of the steer wrestling, mutton bustin' (little kids trying to ride sheep), and bull riding--you just have to look closely.

camping

2008-07-24T19:17:00.002-06:00

We've had the opportunity to go camping a couple times this summer--once in Payson Canyon and once in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. In Payson Canyon we hung out around the camp fire during the evening and went hiking during the day. We ventured off the trail a couple of times before we got to where we were supposed to be headed. And people wonder why so many hikers get lost out here, some better signage would have been nice. In Lava Hot Springs we soaked in the hot pools, played poker at night (not for money, don't worry), and tubed down the river. There were some minor injuries but we had a great time. We also spent some time just hangin out with friends in Provo Canyon having tin foil dinners and playing botchi ball. I can't believe how fast the summer is going. We've had a lot of fun spending time with great friends before we head out next month.

We wish we could've gone camping more this summer because it's one of the things we're going to miss about Utah. We love having the mountains right here so we can go camping and hiking whenever. We could find a great camping spot in the mountains just 20 minutes away if we wanted to. It's too bad that I've been out here for 4 years and have never experienced skiing in the Utah snow (the best snow on earth, so they say--i say keep it in the mountains and not on the roads because it makes the utah drivers that much worse, but that's a story for another day).

Optomap

2008-07-14T20:11:00.015-06:00

So normally I wouldn't write about our optometry appointments, but I'm making an exception in this case. Jeff & I are taking advantage of our health insurance, which we're finding out isn't as great as we thought, by making appointments to get our eyes checked, getting new contacts, going to the dentist, going to the dermatologist for my regression into my teenage years (what the heck), etc. before our move.

Anyway, while at the optometrist office we were given the choice of getting our eyes dilated (blurry vision for the rest of the day, no thank you) or getting an Optomap, a high-tech picture of your eyes. Jeff, being his inquiring, informed, money-saving self, declined both after talking with the doctor who said we were young enough and our eyes were probably healthy enough that the procedures were basically unnecessary. I, on the other hand, being my suckered-into-anything self, when offered the choice, said (after inquiring about the price), "A picture of my eye! So cool! Let's do it!" Although if you know me you know I rarely talk in exclamations, except with people I know really well. So it was more like, "Oh, a picture? I'll do that I guess." But inside I was all about the exclamations. I was also concerned that I might have a tumor or something on my eye that would otherwise go undetected. I then felt guilty after Jeff didn't accept either the blurry vision or the cool picture. However, when Jeff saw the picture of my eye he said, "You should put it on the blog." We did meet in anatomy lab, afterall. So it wasn't such a bad choice in the end: I have the peace of mind that I have a healthy eye--we won't mention the fact that my eyes are almost twice as bad as they were 2 years ago--and I get to share my retina with all of you. So here in all its glory is my eyeball. Enjoy.

The yellow spot is my optic nerve and the dark spot to the right is my macula. You can also see my eyelashes at the bottom.

Owlz

2008-07-10T18:20:00.012-06:00

Jeff has recently taken on a second job. He is now the Official Scorekeeper for the Orem Owlz who, for those of you who don’t know, is the short season single-A team affiliated with the Los Angeles Angels.

You might be saying to yourself, scorekeeper? What an easy job! Well, let me tell you, it’s a lot more difficult than you might think. He’s the one who decides hits, errors, earned runs, not earned runs, who the winning pitcher is, etc. Baseball has about a million rules so this is not as easy as it might seem. Jeff even has to look up rules at times and he’s been playing the game his whole life. He also has to write down what happens during each play of the game so he can call into minor league baseball every half inning so they can update their stuff, and he has to record everything in the scorebook (I think that’s what it’s called) as well.
During BYU's baseball season Jeff worked the score board while I put up the names of the batters with their averages. We figured since we'd probably be at all of the games anyway, why not make some money and be warm doing it (we got to be in the press box with a nice heater right under our feet).

This was our view from the press box

Why has he taken up this second job, you might be wondering? Well, mostly for some experience working for a professional team, and it never hurts to have some extra moolah, especially for our expensive trip across the country next month (dang gas prices).

Speaking of which, we’ve decided to forego the U-haul with the car trailer and save ourselves almost a grand in gas (crazy!). We’re now going with U-Pack where we load all of our stuff into a portion of a semi and they drive our junk out to Tennessee for us.

We’ll have to drive both of our cars out there but we would’ve had to drive separately anyway with the U-haul. This way we’ll actually be able to go the speed limit and we’ll save on not driving a gas-guzzling truck. If you would like to donate to our gas cause (the kind that goes in cars, we have enough of the other kind around here), we accept all major credit cards, checks, and cash. Just kidding...sort of.

We would've had to start way earlier, but we would've saved a TON if we had tried moving this way:

Maybe next time.

Independence Day

2008-07-05T17:15:00.008-06:00

A good friend of Jeff’s family did the sound for The Stadium of Fire (I think his official title was Technical Director) so we were lucky enough to get hooked up with some backstage passes and tickets to the show. With our backstage passes we might have stalked Miley Cyrus just a little bit, even though I'm only familiar with one of her songs, but she is the who’s who among preteen girls and I could probably pass for a preteen girl (sad, I know), so it’s okay. We did happen to get this footage of her after she finished singing and was headed back to the motor home:

We were hoping to get something signed so we could make a boat-load off of it on eBay but she was surrounded by people the whole time and went pretty quickly from stage to motor home. I still can’t wrap my mind around the fact that this is a 15-year-old girl with more money than I could ever imagine having and when she goes anywhere she has to have an entourage because all the tweeners love her. When I was 15…well, we won’t get into it cause it’s not even a close comparison and I don’t wish to relive those days. What a strange life.

Anyway, we had a great 4th of July. We spent the day at Seven Peaks (which is a waterpark for all you non-Utah people) with friends and stalked Miley Cyrus at night (oh, and watched the show). I love the fourth because of what it celebrates and because it is to me the essence of summer in America—barbequing, being at the pool/lake/beach/camping/or some other family-friendly activity, and just hanging out with friends and family. I’m very grateful to be a citizen of a country that allows us so many freedoms and possibilities.

Parachuters

Glenn Beck wearing a BYU hat

Miley (sorta) and a guy's neck

Glenn Beck and his kids (I'm assuming)

And for your viewing pleasure, here's a clip of Miley Cyrus singing. We actually weren't super impressed, but we aren't preteen girls...thank goodness. (ignore the part where I try to go to the jumbotron cause it didn't work out so well and I don't know how to edit movies):

buy me some peanuts and sunflower seeds

2008-06-24T12:03:00.008-06:00

Jeff and I went to our nephew's baseball game a couple weeks ago and I got some cute pics of the kiddos and thought I would share. When Jonny got on base he'd look over to Jeff (instead of his coach) to see if he should steal or not and Jeff would yell over to him to go go go when it was a good time. (The pitching is really all over the place since they're just starting to learn.) I think he even stole home. When he caught a fly ball the first thing he did was look over to make sure we all saw his amazing play. The games are kinda funny cause a lot of the kids swing at every pitch and pick flowers in the outfield, but it's the experience that counts right?

Sofie sharing Grandma's sunflower seed addiction :)

While we're on the subject of baseball (which we are a lot), I think I should point out that I don't think it's a coincidence that after my post on bulldogs, the two teams in the College World Series Finals are the Fresno State Bulldogs and the Georgia Bulldogs. Not only that, but the games are being announced by Orel Hershiser whose nickname is "Bulldog" (probably because he didn't want his name to be Orel anymore). I think it's a sign that we should get one. p.s. Fresno State is the lowest seeded team EVER to make it to a national championship in any sport.

Love this

2008-06-19T11:01:00.003-06:00

My new love of english bulldogs came from watching Rob & Big

and this video:

If we ever get a bulldog I'm teaching him/her how to skateboard.

Reading does the mind good

2008-06-18T20:20:00.023-06:00

I’m a reader (it runs in the family). I always have a book around to read when I have some spare time. Recently when I made the comment that I don’t really have any hobbies, my loving husband mentioned that reading is a hobby of mine. (Insert sigh of relief--I have a hobby.) It's actually a rediscovered hobby since I've been out of school.

I love the library. In a world where pretty much nothing is free I love that you can go to the library, pick out a book (or like 10), swipe your library card (also free), and you are good to go. I also love that they have EVERYTHING you’ve ever wanted to read about. Awesome. When we made our trip to Costa Rica, we just checked out a couple guide books from the library, took them with us, and then returned them when we got back. Easy peasy.

Here some of the books that I’ve read recently:

Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl. This is a book found in the young adult section of the library. I read it in a matter of hours and love its message to be yourself, no matter how weird you are (because we all are), and to embrace others for their differences. Read it. There's a sequel too that I have on my list (Love, Stargirl).

Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner. Some of the images in this book were extremely disturbing, so much so that I almost had to stop reading it without finishing it. I cried. Very simply, it's about complicated family/friend relationships and the Taliban taking over in Afghanistan. It's a powerful story, but I'm not quite sure I could stomach the movie although they've somehow managed to make it PG-13.

Sophie Kinsella's Confessions of a Shopaholic. This is the first book in a series (I read it backwards cause that's the order I got it off the hold list at the library). This author is laugh-out-loud funny. Seriously. I've almost read all of her books because her stories make me laugh.

Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. I actually read all of these near the beginning of the year because I'd heard so much about them (and the author is a BYU grad). I'm not usually into the whole vampire thing but I could not put these books down. The fourth comes out in August.

So if you have any book recommendations feel free to send them my way cause I'm always on the look out for a good book.

Ahem

2008-06-10T15:43:00.007-06:00

Dearest doctors,

Why must you mumble? Do you not realize that someone has to try to decipher your mumbo-jumbo? I have no idea how to even try to look up a word that sounds like mmmfrremaaashhhooo. Is it really that difficult to speak clearly into your little Dictaphone? Is it? Because is makes life SO much easier for me when you do. So much.

Also, when you speak very quietly I cannot hear you. Isn’t the point of speaking into your little machine so that someone can HEAR what you are saying so that they can type it up for you? That’s what I thought.

Also, when you eat (or burp…no joke) while you are talking I cannot understand a word you are saying. Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to talk with your mouth full? Apparently not. I know you are busy, but have you ever tried to listen to one of your mouth-full-of-food reports? If you did, I bet you wouldn’t be able to understand a word. Well, neither can I.

Also, when the phone is ringing very LOUDLY in the background it makes it very difficult to hear what you are saying. Not that it really matters because you are probably eating your lunch, mumbling, or speaking very quietly to begin with.

Also, if you could learn how to pronounce the names of the instruments you use and the procedures that you perform, it would help me out a lot. You are the doctor and not me, right? Oh, and if you could use some grammar that makes sense that would be great too.

Thanks a bunch,
Your transcriptionist

When I started this course I thought (like many others I’m sure), how hard could it possibly be to type up what a doctor says? Well, let me tell you, it’s a lot harder than it sounds. First of all, there is the grammar (which I'm still working on and probably always will be), the abbreviations, and the medical terminology, such as the names of procedures (ie: esophagogastroduodenoscopy and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography), instruments, and drugs, to learn. I can get the hang of all of that. The hard part is trying to figure out the mumblings of the doctors. If I could figure out how to put a sound file in here I'd give you a sample because, trust me, you would be amazed.

I guess I should also say that they're not all bad. Some actually know how to speak clearly and enunciate. I'm amazed and relieved when they do.

Texas

2008-06-05T12:16:00.003-06:00

On our way back to Salt Lake from Costa Rica we made a stop to check out Houston and the Dallas/Fort Worth area (thank you Lance and Ariel).

World Travelers

2008-06-05T12:15:00.005-06:00

Costa Rica is the closest I've come to completing my quest to travel to all six continents. But wait, you ask, aren’t there seven? Technically, yes. But when you’re talking travel, let’s be realistic. I don’t count Antarctica because a) scientists are the only ones who really go there and b) I’m not a big fan of the cold so minus 100 degrees makes me want to get back into bed and turn the heater on as we speak (or as I write I guess). Anyway, I know Costa Rica doesn’t exactly count as South America, but it’s pretty dang close. Jeff also received his first stamp in his passport which is pretty awesome. Hopefully there will be many more stamps to come.

We had a great time hangin out at the beach, zipping through the trees, feeding the monkeys fruit loops, learning how to make Costa Rican rice and beans, and trying not to run over lizards in the road--or people for that matter. We were lucky enough to stay at Jeff’s uncle’s place where the builder of the house, Frank (aka Frank The Tank as we liked to call him), took us all around showing us the hot spots and leading us down the beach in our non four-wheel drive (luckily we didn't get stuck...thank you jeff) to get to the good beaches and snorkel spots.

Introducing...our first blog

2008-05-30T15:01:00.013-06:00

Well, we've decided to enter the blogosphere since we have family all over the place and since we'll be leaving behind lots of family and friends this August. Yup, that's right, our latest news is that we're going to be leaving Happy Valley (aka Provo) and heading out to Johnson City, Tennessee where Jeff will be getting his Master's at East Tennessee State and learning all about athletic administration/sports management. They've also offered him a full tuition scholarship which is awesome! They want him to work 8 hours a week teaching an activity course which sounds like a great deal to me. We're excited for this new opportunity for Jeff to pursue what he loves and to explore a different state. Also, it came at a perfect time as I've never lived in one place for more than 4 years, and I am getting a little antsy since this is my 4th year in Utah. I'll probably have to settle down one of these days I guess. We'll also be about 6 hours from my family which will be a nice change. We'll be sad to say goodbye to all of our friends here and Jeff's family who've been so good to us--we've been so lucky to have them practically just down the road. Everyone always says that you should do something that you love to do, and after a lot of pondering about what that might be, we both think that this is a great opportunity.

We'll try our best to keep everyone updated!

Note: Jeff and I are both new to the blog world, so you'll have to excuse us while we work out the kinks.