Thursday, December 17, 2009

Merry Christmas

The cute Christmas card Patti came up for us!


My house with the lights on and can you see the snowman and reindeer? Spencer made that with my niece Emma and nephews Gage and Chance!

My front porch


our beautiful Christmas tree! We had one we used in our duplex and apartment, but it was small and one night I woke up before work and saw that Spencer had bought this beautiful tree! I was soooo happy!



My kitchen table~can't really see the decor, but I love it! We made the little glass blocks with snow and then a snowman candle on top...love it!





Yes, Jonas brothers is on in the background. Come on, you know you watch it too? Okay, my niece and nephews were watching it...really!



See I told you they were watching it, haha!


The love of Spencer's life! Okay, so she loves me too! I was at work and she missed me, so went into the closet and layed on my sweater! woot, woot!

 

 I got to watch Patti's kids last weekend and it was a lot of fun! We played the wii, made a snowman and reindeer in all that snow we received, had McDonalds, watched Up, and oh yeah, played the Wii!

Here are some pics I am throwing in of my house! I love it! I love decorating, so here are some of my Christmas Decor! Oh yeah, and a pic of Sash!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

What I am THANKFUL for...

I love this time of year and I have been reflecting back on all the things I am so thankful for. My heart has been so full lately. I know Spencer and I are right where we need to be. It's always scary to think about the future, but it is so comforting knowing I will always have Spencer by my side! So, here is a list of what I am thankful for. My dad always asks at the Thanksgiving table so here goes:
~My husband! I am always told what a great man I have and I couldn't agree more!
~My marriage! I love everything about my marriage. Everything we have gone through has strengthened us. I KNOW I married my soulmate!
~The Gospel! I have always had a strong testimony, but since I started working, I worked Sat. nights and it was so challenging to make it to church. My schedule has now changed and I love sitting through church! I love listening to the lessons and feeling the spirit! You definitely don't know what you miss until it's gone! I am also thankful for the power of prayer, fasting, and priesthood! I have turned to all three in every challenge of my life and I ALWAYS come out a stronger person!
~My parents! My parents taught me about hard work and to NEVER give up. I wouldn't be an RN without their continous encouragement! It is so amazing to have parents believe that you can do ANYTHING! I love having a mom that I can call 24-7! I love that in my saddest times, she's the one I break down to and she's right there crying with me! I love having a Dad that is always asking how I can MAKE it better? If I have a problem, it's like Well Jess, what you gonna do about it? Talk about teaching your little girl to be tough and KNOW she can do anything! He told me a quote "Work like it depends on you and Pray like it depends on the Lord." What excellent advice!
~My sisters and my bro! We have always been so close. They can make me laugh hard and cry harder! They have always been my rock. They know when I'm upset and can always get the tears out of me! What a great feeling to be blessed with such great siblings who have been with me through it ALL!
~My Job! All I can say is WOW! I absolutely love my job! These last couple weeks I have not felt the greatest and everyone was always after me to take off work. I never could because I just didn't want to. Last night on my way to work, my heart was so full with the love I have for my job! The Lord knew exactly where I was needed and what I needed! It definitely has been a blessing and I think about it EVERY TIME I clock out and head home. Nursing is so rewarding and I love being apart of my patients' lives! I had the cutest patient who came up to me a week ago and said he wanted to read me a quote. It said "If you know WHY to live, you can bear all of HOW to live." Wow, how did he know I needed that?! Amazing!
~My home! I love having my own home with Spencer! I love that our home represents us! I love walking into our door every morning when I get off work! I am so thankful the Lord has blessed us with our home.
~My Grandpa! He is the most spiritual man I have ever known! My grandpa always has my best interest at heart and is ALWAYS there for me to talk to! He has been praying, fasting, and going to the temple for me since he found out about my aneurysm and has revealed amazing things to me. What a man of God!
~My nieces and nephews! I told Spencer I could take anyone of them and make them my own! I love them all that much! They have been over a lot and they make me want kids soooo bad! I love playing with them. I even told both my sisters that I want to have their kids for a weekend. Yes, I love them that much!
~My dogs! I have the two best house dogs in the whole world! They are so well behaved and I love it! They are so willing to sleep with me all day and be good even after they had just woke up from a nights sleep! I love that they have taught me and Spencer (mainly Spencer :) patience! I also just bought Spencer a hunting dog! I love that I can do that for him! I love that getting a Brittany Spaniel for him brings back a flood of fond memories of hunting with my dad and bro! I so look forward to watching Spencer hunt with our little boys! What a great hobby to look forward to!
~Good health! Yes, I have come to bumps in the road, but I am thankful for the knowledge of healthy living and that I have applied it to my life.
~my family and friends! Spencer and I have a great support system and we know we couldn't be more blessed!
~ Trials! I am who I am and where I am all because of TRIALS! What don't kill ya, definitely makes ya stronger!
~AND FAITH! Definitely a comforting feeling...ALWAYS!
~My blog friends! I mean who else would sit here and read what JESS is Thankful for?!
So here is my list in a shortened version, yes, shortened! Don't worry fam, I will keep it very short at the dinner table on Thursday:)!!!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

A Blog Slacker

Yes, I have turned into one of those...a blog slacker! I really have been so busy, running like a chicken with my head cut off~it's crazy! Here's a rundown of my schedule~sleep anywhere from 9-11am to 5-7pm, workout, eat dinner, if I am lucky-watch a show with my hubby, take the dogs on a walk, and then off to work from 11pm to 8am. I absolutely love my job, so I am definitely not complaining. Nursing is amazing and I can't believe how much I love it, love what I do, love my pt's, and love my coworkers~well most of them, haha! Another reason I haven't blogged is I am waiting to download pics of my house, but my dear husband is a camera hog and takes it to work with him every day. He makes cool things and so of course he needs to capture them on film...I get that. Okay, so this whole post was to talk about what's been going on, so here goes...My birthday was awesome! Spencer invited a lot of my family out to our house for cake and ice cream. Only a couple of them had seen our house, so it was fun to show them all! Side note: I love my new house! I love cleaning it! I love decorating it! Spencer spoiled me for my bday! I got a lot of fun things, not to mention CLOTHES and A BODYBUGG! I can't get enough of this thing! It is so much fun! Yes, I am an addict! I tell so many people about it and they all want one...hmm, maybe I should go into selling these things! Anyway, my mom did so much for Spencer and I while I was in fun ol' nursing school, so I really wanted to get her one and Spencer agreed. We went to Idaho this past Sunday and we gave it to her! She loved it! I don't know who was more excited! It is so fun to have someone to talk about it with and compare! Anyway, I had to go to Idaho because awhile back ago, I noticed this weird looking thing on my arm. Spencer says that was back when I was in school, but honestly I have the worst memory lately and do not remember! I kind of blew it off and then one night at work I thought I would show my fellow nurse and right away she said to get that thing checked. I then showed a few Dr's I worked with and they said the same thing~Get that thing checked. So, I told my mom about it and my mom got me in to see her Dr. in Idaho. There was no messing around with my mom. When I told her I wasn't going to make it to Idaho, I got a text in all CAPS saying if I didn't, she would be down to bring me up. Spencer and I thought we just won't mess with mom and go, haha! Moms know best, right?! Well the Dr definitely did not like the color. It was black, a little smaller than the edge of an eraser, with a line growing out the side. The Dr. cut it out. It was as deep as full skin thickness~ouch and it was not cancerous, thank goodness! Life is good :)

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Derek's 'lil boy is here!


Congrats DK and Holly! He is so cute and I can't wait to meet him. I don't know all the details except he was born today and weighs 8.5lbs! You know how guys are, they don't give you all the fun details! Yea, another nephew!

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Work, inappropriate comments, fair, and my party...I think that sums it up!

Where do I begin? I have not written for awhile because I have been so busy! This last week was no exception! I have been promoted as charge nurse and love it! I really enjoy conversing with the Drs. I even had one suggest that I go on and become one~we'll see. I have so many fun stories from work. It is a great place to be and I have made so many friends! I love the people I work with~I definitely am where I'm suppose to be~crazy how that works! I also love my patients~I have had quite a few pts wanting to talk to me about life and them wanting to end it. It makes me so sad, but I love talking to them and making them feel better. It has helped me have such an appreciation for my life and the decisions we have made. I even have funny pt's that think they can be inappropriate. I have had one tell me to leave my husband for him, and he would make the loudest noises as I would walk by and he would be checking out my hind end. Gross, I know. I feel like I am always telling my pt's that is inappropriate! I have also had one grab my waist, another tell me his fantasies about me and thinking I must have been a cheerleader with my personality, um no! Then last night a pt asked me out to dinner the day he leaves and the whole nursing station heard it. Awkward and once again I had to say No and that he is being inappropriate! My husband gets a kick out of my stories! I also almost had a nervous breakdown last night~ I felt so sick and almost called in sick. I had already worked about 50 hours this week, but I just couldn't call in sick. The nurse before me had totally messed up everything! My tech was so happy to see me when I walked in because that nurse was driving him crazy! She had messed up on meds, didn't sign out the narcotics, wrote down wrong orders on three different pt's med sheets, AAAH! And to top it off, pt's were mad at her and all wanted to talk to me about it. Who was I for hoping for an easy night? Oh well, I now have a couple days off (hoping I don't get called in like usual:) and they are well needed! I miss my husband so much, one good thing is when we're together we can't get enough of each other! I rather enjoy that part! I also got to go to the Utah State Fair and see my fam show horses and my mom came out to see our new house! I had so much fun and enjoyed showing it to her! My mom is one of my biggest inspirations and it feels so good to hear her say how proud she is~definitely makes it worth it! My birthday is in two weeks and I am having a party at my house!!! Yes, that's what I said~I need a life too, haha! Everyone's invited!

Monday, August 31, 2009

Life is good!

I have been at my job for almost two weeks now and love it! It was one of the smartest things I ever did becoming a nurse~ maybe my family thinks so too! My sisters and mom call me all the time on medical questions (don't worry, I love it, so keep the questions coming). I worked days for a few times and now I am at graves. I actually love graves! The pay is so much higher and I am kept constantly busy during my shift! I am training to be the charge nurse. It is kinda scary and exciting knowing I will be the one that calls the shots at night. Spencer was so sweet and bought me "black out" curtains, so that I can sleep during the day! It has worked wonders and I have been sleeping so good! Not to mention, my poor dogs won't sleep at night when I am gone, so they sleep so good with me! Spencer is doing great at his job and loves it! He is such a hard worker and has treated me like a princess with my change in schedule. I asked him to please get home by 4pm on Friday since it was my night off. He walked into my "dark" room at 3:30pm while I was still laying down~best feeling ever! AND if you know Spencer, that just does not happen~being on time that is, lol! It is crazy to think where we were for the past two years and where we are now~a major 180 degree turn. The Lord definitely has a plan for us and I am glad we stuck it out when things got hard!

Saturday, August 22, 2009

The cutest second graders I know!

How cute are my nieces? I cannot believe they are in the 2nd grade! Time sure flies! I love this picture. It is so cute! Elle and Emma truly are best friends & act so grown up (haha, my sisters are going to have to watch out). I can just tell these girls are going to be heartbreakers :)!

Monday, August 17, 2009

After 1 month of agony...

I am employed! What a journey this has been. When I first started nursing school, we were told that getting a job was EASY and that there would be sign on bonuses, etc. etc. etc! Well with this economy, luck was definitely not on our side. It has been really hard for us nursing grads to find jobs. All the hospitals won't hire anyone unless they have atleast ONE year of experience. Did I say hospitals? I meant everyone! When people would ask about the current situation, I would tell them that AND everyone would say Well, how can you get experience if no one will hire you?! EXACTLY! My testimony definitely has grown even more within this last month. Trials definitely make a person stronger. Anyway, I prayed one morning and decided to look on the internet for jobs and out of the blue I came across one and it just had an email to contact. I emailed my resume and cover letter and the lady wrote back to tell me she received it. That was back in June, I think. After I passed my NCLEX, I had a feeling to email them again, but to tell them I passed the NCLEX and was now registered. They emailed me back and said they would send it to Corporate. Then the Nurse Manager called me for an interview and when I went in, I got the job! So exciting! I am now an RN for Highland Ridge Hospital. It is a psych facility. I love when I tell people that because for some reason they picture it a 100 times worse than it is. It isn't. Infact, it will be an awesome job. My patients will consist of substance abusers, rehabers, and people with depression, eating disorders, etc. We even get celebrities since there are only 4 of these hospitals in the U.S. Pretty cool! I am starting out on graveyard, so it'll be easier to learn. The nurse manager said she wants to train me to become the Charge nurse, way cool! This has definitely been a blessing in disguise! I absolutely loved my psych class and clinicals, but it wasn't my first choice of work. The Lord knew what was best for me at this time though. I know I will definitely learn and grow in this field. It is amazing and the starting pay is over $5.00 more than anywhere else! I am very thankful for this opportunity! I am so ready for what lies next in our lives! It is such an amazing time for us AND Spencer couldn't be more thrilled. Infact, I think he said my new job definitely makes the last two years worth it! Should I be worried he said it with a smirk on his face, lol?!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Putting life into perspective

PLEASE PLEASE get this to as many people as you can. Ron, Jed, and Jordan Mingo were tragically killed in a plane wreck last weekend. Jordan left a beautiful wife and 3 wonderful kids, ages 4, 2, and 3 months. A trust fund for Jordan's kids has been set up at Wells Fargo Bank. To donate please contact any Wells Fargo Bank and reference the Mingo Family Fund. Lets help these kids!! We miss you Ron, Jed, and Jordan!

Here is the story...
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=7496744

You can also visit their blog at wherearethemingos.blogspot.com

My heart really goes out to the Mingo family. It has re-opened my eyes and put life into perspective. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Weekly recap

Wow, this last week has been busy! Spencer and I left for Idaho Monday night to see Spencer's brother, Shayne return from his mission. Tuesday morning we drove to Twin to see Shayne fly in. It was so good to see him! I wish I had pictures, but we forgot our camera...oops! Then we had to come back Tuesday night, so Spencer could work Wednesday and Thursday. Then Thursday night it was back to Idaho. Spencer had an uncle pass away, so we made it for his funeral Friday morning. It was a nice funeral. We will really miss Uncle Bill! Saturday we hung out at Spencer's parent's house and all the guys played football in a flooded lawn. It was fun to watch them. I even got some sun :)! Spencer even took me to my favorite restaurant...awhh! Then Sunday after church we came back home. First, we stopped at our apartment to pick up Spencer's Altima (Yeah, our very unlucky car). When Spencer got in, he got stung by several wasps~somehow they had made a hive right in the door. Poor Spencer, but what a great way to end our days at the apartment! We just never had good luck there! Anyway, It was good to come back to our new house. It definitely feels like home! Now I am finishing up my last two rooms with painting and decorating...then it's back to Idaho on Friday for Shayne's homecoming! This month is going to be busssssyyyy!

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Everyone calls you AMAZING...Yeah, I just call you MINE!

(Turn up the volume)
I heard this song and it totally reminded me of Spencer! Spencer is amazing and anyone who knows him, knows I am right! He is such a hard worker and is friends with everyone! I love Spencer so much! I can honestly say we are more than husband and wife, we are best friends! We've gone through so much together and I can't imagine going through it with anyone else. He definitely is my world!

Friday, July 24, 2009

First day of yard work!

We don't believe in having our lights on...don't ya know it cost money? Atleast that's what I was ALWAYS told growing up, haha!


Here is my man telling me how much he loves me... or telling me to go inside while he does this part of the yard.





Coming in to get a plastic bag and he said I could come back outside :)










Spencer had today off of work due to Pioneer Day! How did we celebrate? We did yard work! It was quite fun (for me, the photographer :) Our backyard is full of weeds. Someday we will plant grass and definitely put in a fence for the dogs. The 3 walks a day can be brutal in the heat (Yes, my dogs are extremely spoiled)! The yard looks a lot bigger without the weeds. We are excited for our future backyard! Oh and there is one picture taken from my kitchen, so you can see some of our decor! I'm not completely finished with decorating. I just need a few little things and then pics will be posted. I know, the anticipation is killing me too, lol!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Our house...we love it!

Here's a better picture of the outside of our house. We absolutely love it and feel so blessed to have this as our first home. Now since we are all moved in, well maybe a little further into the future, I plan to give this yard some TLC! We plan on planting flowers, putting a railing around the porch, and of course my favorite~ putting a flower planter on the front window! More pics to come...

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Moving Adventures

We are now in our new house! We had to wait another week to close which worked out perfectly because it was the day after I found out I passed my test! Thursday night Spencer and I moved most of the boxes. Then Friday my awesome sister, Patti, came over and helped me paint the walls. It was fun and if I must say so myself, they look pretty sharp! Then at about 1:30am Saturday morning, we finally had all our stuff (big, heavy stuff) moved in. This morning Patti came over again to help me decorate. It was so much fun even though I was so exhausted (studying for and taking the Nclex and then moving has really taken a toll on me). Anyway, thanks Pat for helping me decorate. I totally love it and it feels so much like home! Don't worry, pics are definitely on the way...I just need to find our camera in one of the boxes we still have left to unpack. Can I just say I am not a fan of moving?! I am sure glad I could live in this house forever if we wanted. Anyone in for a party?!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

The light has finally come...Jessica Halford RN!!!


I am in huge shock right now! I just found out I passed the NCLEX-RN! I took it yesterday and they told me it would take 4 weeks to get the results, seriously? I about died! I then found out that DOPL would post it soon, so when I looked tonight, there was my name as a Registered Nurse~best feeling ever! It has been one of the hardest two days waiting, wondering, and picturing those darn questions in my head over, over, and over again! It was a brutal test to say the least. I was one of the "lucky" ones who got a lot of SELECT ALL THAT APPLY questions. You have to select the correct amount to have it marked correctly, there is no partial credit. It was not fun! The morning of my test, I was a complete zombie. I woke up, watched Spencer workout and then sat on the couch until I had to workout before I took my test. Thank goodness for working out...I definitely meant the words in my last post! Just before I took my test, I told Spencer waiting for this test (and even after) was the worst feeling ever! I am not kidding. Anyone who has done something like this in their lives will definitely relate. These last two years have been sooo tough for Spencer and I! I am so thankful for the Gospel in our lives. I definitely could not have done this without Spencer and the Lord on my side. My testimony has grown even stronger! Spencer was so sweet and left a sweet, sweet letter in my drawer for me to find right before my test. It literally brought tears to my eyes! I love you, Spencer! Thanks for being my rock! WE DID IT!!!!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

I swear by it :)


Yes, I am talking about working out! It all began when I was in Junior High, High School where I started to see what working out did to my mom, so I joined and of course to get in shape for basketball...good ol' basketball, sigh! It has been apart of my life ever since. It helped so much during nursing school and helped me think 100 x better when it came to taking tests. This last week I have really seen how it helps me in every aspect! I come from an anxiety infested family? Don't believe me? Have you met my family, haha j/k...or am I?! I think that is why we all workout. It totally helps. As I have been studying for the biggest test of my life, I have studied a lot of anti anxiety drugs, antidepressants, etc...It is so crazy to think how those little pills come along with tons of side effects and I thought to myself, wow, working out does the same thing, if not 10x better, without crazy side effects, but GREAT ones! I will definitely be a nurse who encourages exercise instead of or maybe as an adjunct to pills. I'm not putting down people who take them (I've even thought about it on my craziest days), I'm just saying give exercise a try. I'm a spaz (ask Spencer) and working out HELPS, I swear by it :).

Friday, July 3, 2009

Our new house!!!

This is our new house! We thought it was funny to put that other house in our last post as a decoy! Yeah, we make ourselves laugh...a lot! We move into this house next week and we are so excited. This house is so perfect for us! It is definitely an answer to our prayers. We found this house the EXACT day it was listed with my step mom's help! She definitely knows what she is doing (she's a realtor :) Thanks Raelynne for finding this for us! Don't mind the clutter on the front porch. It is NOT ours and will NOT look like this when we move in! I am not a fan of clutter...I repeat...I am NOT a fan of clutter! Okay, so there is only two chairs and flowers on there, but still :)

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Livin the American Dream...


That's right, we are buying a house and we are soooo excited! I definitely was not joking when I said in a few posts back that we wanted to move! Our new house is so perfect for us right now. AND did I mention we are so excited? Apartment~goodbye...forever (haha gotta love Friends)!

Friday, June 26, 2009

Tribute to MJ


I was sad to hear the passing of Michael Jackson. I mean, what is a childhood without his songs?! I remember several times my sisters turning up his songs and we all danced. Yes, with hairbrushes...we were cool! Turn up your volume to hear some of my fav. songs from the King of Pop! If you are on facebook, look at my videos...my sister Jen, does a great job singing his song "Beat It" hehe!
Tribute to MJ Part II
So to begin, I will start with our night. Spencer and I are saving money by being creative~well hanging out at home! We watched Friends just as we do every night. On the show, Rachel ate a cookie, so at around midnight, I thought hmm I want a cookie (yes, this show influences us in the wrong wayyyy). Now giving me a cookie is like giving me an ounce of alcohol (never tried it, but I have no doubt). I walked over to the computer and turned up my MJ songs from the blog and started dancing. Spencer casually watched until his cookie kicked in and he joined me! It was so much fun! We busted our moves to "Man in the Mirror." I am pretty sure we have a whole routine down (I'm thinking we missed our calling~our parents would be so proud :) AND I am sure MJ had a good smile...did I say smile? I meant laugh! Awhh I love my husband and the crazy, fun things we do for entertainment!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

What has the world come to?

Friday night Spencer and I thought we would jump in the truck and head to Smiths to get a Redbox movie. We also brought Pays and Chade along~they needed out of the house as well. We pull into the parking lot and a kid, maybe 18, came up to our window. We rolled it down and he asked if our dogs were shih tzus. He then told us about his shih tzu and even showed us a picture off his phone. After chatting about how great the dogs are, he tells us in a nonchalant way, that his car ran out of gas down the road just a little bit ago and he's trying to gather up change to help him out. It seemed harmless and we gave him a buck. Then seconds after this kid left, a Smith's worker came to our window and asked if he was asking for money. He then proceeded to tell us that kid has been there all day doing it and he then went and told him to leave. We then watched him walk across the street to Albertsons where I'm guessing he did it there. Being the natural detective that I am, I said lets go see if his car is where he said it was. Well, nope, and thank goodness we were only out a buck. It is so sad how some people go to extreme measures in these difficult times. I guess that's when you tell the true measure of a person.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

At a crossroads...

We are going to make our blog private...again. I took it off so my parents could get into it (not quite tech savy) and I forgot to put it back. Spencer and I have reached a crossroads in our life and as things come our way I would prefer to share details in private. If you already gave me your address, great, but if you haven't please do so. I would love to see who else is looking at our blog. Thanks guys...and girls:)

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

~Busy, Busy, Busy~


For more than a week, Spencer and I have been running ragged. This past weekend we went to Idaho to pack up the rest of our stuff from our cute 'lil duplex in Idaho. We laughed when we saw how big, nice, and cute our first home was. It was so much fun living in Idaho! We miss it! Anyway, sorry for the rambling, we spent all weekend loading it up and then when we came back here, we had to unload it. We had fun though. We find that we can entertain ourselves quite easily. We also found that we would give any other couple a run for their money when it comes to stuff like the Newlywed Game. We seriously know each other so well! This week I have been helping Spencer with work. He is a manager over a company and today I had to help him install insulation for one of his workers. Talk about blood, sweat, and tears...Okay, maybe not tears, but it was hard work. First off, I was dressed in my husband's dirty, baggy, work clothes along with my bottom scrub pants from school (I knew they would be put to good use). I also had to wear goggles and a mask. It was an awful feeling. Then I had to load huge bags of insulation that weighed a ton into some machine. Spencer said it didn't go fast, but he was wrong. I think he was trying to make me feel better about working for him, but once the machine started, I knew he was a big, fat liar! I worked my butt off~too bad there is no pictures of me covered in sweat and insulation with my eyes bright red from irritation~just this picture that Spencer had to get of my arm. Both my arms are so sore! I am sure the home owners had a good laugh at me, probably because they watched this crazy girl running in the back of a truck with insulation blowing everywhere. Well, there's an update. Can't wait to be a nurse and I feel soooo bad for the people that work under Spencer. Now it is midnight and I still have to study. It has been a long day!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

We are moving...

Yes, that is right, we are moving and I don't know where! We have had the worst luck in these darn apartments! We walked out to the parking lot tonight and noticed someone had stolen a tire off our car. Seriously? We have the worst luck, but hey guess what, they put a donut tire under it, so it wouldn't fall or whatever! And guess what, if we don't fix it, it will get towed. Seriously, we are done, done, done with this place. So, to sum up, we will be house hunting because we are just sitting targets at this place. Lets see what has all happened to us here: 1-we live below a drunk guy who gave us crap the first year we lived here (I swear one day he is going to be about dead on the stairs and I have told Spencer I WILL NOT resuscitate his butt~you know what I mean). 2-I was here studying with my friend and a guy knocks on our door claiming to be police. I looked at the window and he had a knife looking thing in his hand while he is banging on my door and window while trying to look thru the blinds (No, he was not police by the way, the real police came later). 3-Our car gets stolen. Yes, we do find it, but everything is gone inside including all Spencer's tools, IPOD, camera, and yes, keys to both our cars. 4- I get hit on numerous times by weirdos nearby~ I even had a guy try to hang around me while doing laundry. Seriously, I was covered in sweat from my recent workout. Some guys are freaks! 5-I take Chade & Paysley out potty at 3am and a guy dressed all in black is walking briskly from parking lot to parking lot~ Yes, Paysley barked at him like crazy and it was scary! It then happened a few days later, but now he had more partners in crime. Don't worry, I no longer take them out that late!!! 6- Now to the present day~a tire is taken from our car, but don't forget the nice gesture of the donut tire underneath. Yes, the cops know us well around here! Infact, they are on their way (Could it be a good thing my dad is the Judge? One might think!) If you think we live in a creepy place, you could be surprised, no one else around us has EVER had a problem. Go figure!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Do you drink from water bottles...listen up!

Cancer Update from Johns-Hopkins

Bottled water in your car is very dangerous!

On the Ellen show, Sheryl Crow said this is what caused her breast cancer. It has been identified as the most common cause of the high levels of dioxin in breast cancer tissue.

Sheryl Crow's oncologist told her:
women should not drink bottled water that has been left in a car.The heat reacts with the chemicals in the plastic of the bottle which releases dioxin into the water. Dioxin is a toxin increasingly found in breast cancer tissue. So please be careful and do not drink bottled water that has been left in a car. Pass this on to all the women in your life.


This information is the kind we need to know that just might save us! Use a stainless steel canteen or a glass bottle instead of plastic!LET EVERYONE WHO HAS A WIFE / GIRLFRIEND / DAUGHTER KNOW PLEASE!This information is also being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center ....


No plastic containers in microwave.

No water bottles in freezer

No plastic wrap in microwave.

A dioxin chemical causes cancer, especially breast cancer.

Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your plastic

bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic. Recently, Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital , was on a TV program to explain this health hazard.

He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us.

He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers...

This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat,=2 0and plastic releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body...


Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic

containers for heating food... You get the same results, only without the dioxin.

So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc.,

should be removed from the container and heated in something else.

Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper.


It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc.


He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away

from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons...

Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran wrap, is just as dangerous when

placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high

heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food.

Cover food with a paper towel instead.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Seriously?

I have come to the conclusion that I hate the saying "Good things happen to good people." I think that is the biggest load of you know what! Seriously? Who in the right mind would say such a thing? Maybe people should realize that bad things happen to even better people. Yeah, I like that one much better. I mean trials are based on strengths, right? Anyway, for all those who have gone through hard times, I am sure you will understand right where I am coming from. Now, Spencer and I are not ones to complain or expect a handout and we know we are in control of our own attitudes (my new saying lately) BUT, we definitely dont need to hear that dumb quote. Why this venting...well, Spencer was in a car wreck this morning, so that call ruined my day. The end...

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

sJh UpDaTe

Here's some more pics from graduation~thanks to my friend Lori (She is the one with me in the pics). Jen has some too...infact, she probably has the most, so when I get those I will post them!
Yes, this picture made the Salt Lake Tribune! When we were in line outside waiting to walk in, all us nursing grads were well, being ourselves, haha! We finally told the other grads that we are RN's and then they totally understood!!!!

Oh, I forgot to tell ya what's on my cap! My sisters made this cute lil flower to put on it, so they could find me in the huge crowd. I thought they were crazy at first, but turns out it was genious!





I just realized I haven't blogged for almost 2 weeks~so unlike me! So here's a little update ~ After graduation we headed up to Idaho to spend time with my mom and for Spencer's cousin's farewell. We had so much fun! We miss Idaho so much! We spent the weekend at my mom's. It was so fun to workout early with my mom before she went off to work (Yes, I admit, I wasn't a fan hearing her come down the stairs that early, haha). It was a blast though. Spencer and I laughed when we realized both our eye dr's and fav. restaurant are there, along with the dog's groomer and vet!!! I guess there's no place like home! Now that we are back home, we are both keeping busy. Spencer has a great job and is either on the phone or doing paper work! I don't mind sharing him because he's such a great worker which is much needed out in the work field these days. As for me, I have been working on my nursing license application. Who knew it was a long process...and I thought I was done jumping through hoops, geesh! When that is all lined up, I can take the NCLEX and get a job! For now I will still be studying...for the NCLEX!

Friday, May 8, 2009

Pinning Ceremony & Graduation!!! Time of my life!!!

My Pinning Ceremony for just us graduating nurses was held Thursday night! It was a lot of fun and of course I had my fan club!!! Here I am with my 3 favorite girls! ...and here's my new haircut! I love it and have had sooo many compliments! My sisters sure know how to do hair!
Here I am sitting with one of my fellow classmates. We are patiently waiting for the program to start!

My fan club...Abby, mom, Elle, and Emma!
Me and my mom!

Me with my beautiful sisters!!!




Here I am at SLCC Graduation. We are in line waiting to make an entrance!
Here I am...somewhere!
My friend is the one with her hands up and I am the one getting ready to walk up to her. About 3 seconds after this pic was taken, we let everyone know how thrilled we were!


Here are my cute nieces and nephews waiting for me to come out of graduation, so they can give me all these flowers...how sweet!
My mom with the kids and my grandparents!
My dad with Chance!
Here I am with my beautiful sisters again!
Here I am with Chance & Gage! They wanted to wear my honors stuff, so I let them :)
Me with my nieces! They also wanted to wear my honors stuff! This picture definitely shows how exhausted I am! I can barely keep my head up after this 2 year nursing program!
Me with my rock! I love ya Spencer!

Here I am with my husband and inlaws!

And here we are again! It's not the same picture...look at the flag :)

Here I am with my WONDERFUL parents! I couldn't have done it without them! If you are wondering what they have around them...well let me tell ya~ When we graduate we wear Gratitude stoles! I bought 4 and wore them during graduation. After, I presented one to Spencer, my dad, my mom, and my grandparents. The stole of Gratitude represents those who have stood by us and helped us through this journey! They are all so deserving of it! I love you all!

And another one :)
Cute 'lil Emma in my cap! Future grad!!!

Gage in my honors cords! He was so cute...when I walked out of graduation, he ran up and gave me a pink rose! Thanks bud!

Chance being the cute lil guy that he is!
Thanks to everyone who came! It was so much fun. It was an emotional, wonderful day and I am glad I got to share it with all of you!