August!

School starts in three weeks.  That is crazy!  The summer has gone by pretty quickly.  Maddie starts 4th grade on the 23rd, Cami and Brie start Kindergarten on the 29th.  They're all excited about the new school year. 

Last weekend the girls and I went up to Boise with my parents for my great- aunt and uncle's homecoming.  The girls were so excited to do something different and really enjoyed the time with Grandma, Grandpa, Chelsey and Andrew.  It was fun to see extended family we don't see very often.  On the way back home, we were talking about the girls' favorite memories.  Brie said hers was Disney World, and Cami told my mom "every memory I have with my family is my favorite."

Aaron started his classes through the University of Texas last month.  He's doing their online RN-BSN program and is scheduled to be done next August.  He's finished with his first class this weekend.  It's nice because they are all only 5 weeks long, but the coursework and material covered is what would typically be done in a 16 week semester so it's intense.  He is thinking about grad school to become a family nurse practitioner.  The BSN will allow him more opportunities and options, I'm glad he's getting it done. 

We took the girls to see Harry Potter 7.2 the other day.  I hesitated taking the twins, but we started watching all of the movies at home to get ready for the new one, and they begged to go.  We went to the first show of the day hoping for less people to disturb if we had to take them out, and there was only three other people there.  The girls did great and they loved it.  Right before it started I told Cami and Brie the secret: "I know this movie is going to be scary, but the good guys win in the end." They asked how I knew that and I told them it was because I'd read the book.  They thought it was awesome to have that kind of information.  Funny girls!

Yesterday we celebrated Pam's birthday by making a couple of her recipes.  The girls had looked through the book a few days earlier and picked hobo sandwiches and apple pudding.  I had suggested sending balloons up into the sky, but I worked Saturday and knew the helium in balloons probably wouldn't last for 24 hours.  The girls loved dinner and we talked about Grandma Pam for a while.  Maddie turned on the Wizard of Oz after dinner.  At the end of the night, Brie said "I was wondering if tomorrow we could go see Grandma Pam's gravy?" I had to hide my smile, it was so cute.

We took the girls to Manti for the Mormon Miracle Pageant on June 24th.  We decided to head down earlier in the day so that we could visit the horses and other animals near my great-uncle's house.  I thought the girls would enjoy it, but they were overwhelmed by the smell of manure.  It was so funny, Cami and Brie plugged their noses and wouldn't let go until we moved away from the smelly animals.  They were much more interested in the kittens nearby.  We spent the afternoon and early evening relaxing at Uncle Cless' house while the girls played with my cousin's kids.  The pageant started about 9:30, and even though the girls were exhausted, they managed to stay awake for most of it.  At one point, when the pageant comes to 3rd Nephi, the twins were excited to see Jesus.  Aaron and I had been asking them "Who's that?" when different people came out.  When Aaron asked Cami during this part, she replied excitedly "Jesus!" *pause* "....but not the real one."

That weekend was the start of a week off for me and it was so nice!  The girls and I played a lot and I got caught up on housework that gets neglected the weeks that I work three shifts.  I also got a few bigger projects done. .  I have also been working on getting pictures on our computer put into albums. 
Yesterday we had our neighbors over for a BBQ and fireworks because I work tonight.  It was fun to hang out and the food was great!  I opted to skip my nap for work today so that we could take the kids to see a matinee of Mr. Popper's Penguins.  We finished up with an early dinner at Chili's.  Cami and Brie have really become big girls and going out is so much easier than it used to be.  I can't believe we're less than two months away from Kindergarten!

Bits and Pieces

A random sample of life at the Larson house the last month or so.

*The girls LOVE going to the movies.  I love taking them.  This has gotten so much easier the last year or so!
*Popcorn rules: no one can eat any popcorn until the movie starts.  Unless we have a large popcorn that comes with a free refill.  In that case you must divide the popcorn out and get a refill before the movie starts. 
*Early morning snuggles in bed - many mornings I wake up to all three girls in bed with us.  This is one of those things that drives me crazy but I love all at the same time. 
*Cami falling asleep next to me on the couch
*Cami and Brie both call me "Momma"
*The girls are so quick to try and comfort/console each other if one of them is hurt or sad. 
*Squeezy hugs
*Cami's laugh when she is tired is one of the best sounds in the world.  Love it!
*The twins helping me shop at the grocery store
*Maddie saying "nyet" - she's picking up a few Russian (Ukrainian?) words from the new neighbor kids. 
*Cami and Brie still sing "Sweet Caroline" at the top of their lungs in the car
*Brie singing "Book of Mormon Stories" in the shower.  Aaron also caught a glimpse of her dancing behind the shower curtain, but she doesn't want us to know about that. 
*Brie's enthusiasm to stand at the pulpit on fast Sunday 2 months in a row (actually 3, I didn't take her up this last time though). 
*Brie to Cami: "Whoa!  You look fabulous.  Fab-u-lous!"
*Brie told me she thinks I'm Super Mom. 
*Taco Tuesday tradition - this started a few months ago when I had worked a night shift on Monday night and I was totally unmotivated to make any kind of dinner.  I had to pick something up at Walgreens and drove through the Del Taco drive-thru for dinner.  This is when the girls were amazed that 12 tacos cost just $4.  And the Larson family "Taco Tuesday" was born.  The girls wake up excited about it every Tuesday!   Every once and awhile we break tradition and do something else, and one of the twins will say "It's okay if we don't have tacos on Tuesdays sometimes."
*Earlier this week I asked Maddie a question that made her a little uncomfortable.  I don't want to embarass her so I won't give any details.  A couple days later she came to me and said "Mom, you know that thing you asked me about the other day when I was filling up my water bottle?  I'm ready for it."
*Aaron started his online RN-BSN program through the University of Texas this week. 
*I showed Aaron a thank you note someone wrote to me.  He jokingly asked "Why aren't you like that at home?" Haha. (yeah, I didn't think it was funny either)
*Aaron is losing weight again and he's looking good!

This last week has been rough

My work schedule has been a little wacky and it really has messed me up!  I usually work Thursday and Friday nights and every other Monday night.  For some reason my Friday shift got bumped to a Saturday shift so I worked Thursday, Saturday and Monday night.  That made for 5 days of exhaustion.  Tuesday I only slept for a couple hours when I got home, then I crashed as soon as I put the girls to bed at 8:00 that night. 

Father's Day was really nice, I think.  I felt bad because I was so tired, but I tried to help the girls make it a special day for Aaron.  I made a cake that morning when I got home from work and Maddie helped make the ganache later in the day.  The girls and I brainstormed and made a candy bar poster for him and they also answered a questionnaire about him that they gave to him.  We went to my grandparents' house for dinner and a visit with my family.  When we got home we had the cake - it was so good!  It was a triple chocolate peanut butter cake.  Yum.  Aaron said it's the best dessert I've ever made.

I've been trying to get caught up on housework, again.  It's never-ending.  Maddie is really enjoying piano lessons and her sewing class.  Cami and Brie have several friends on our street that they love to play with.  I took them for their Kindergarten check-up and shots on Wednesday, they did pretty well.  Brie had her shots first and didn't cry, but Cami watched them do it and it made her really anxious.  I had to hold her down and she cried the whole time she was getting hers.  I felt really bad.  We made up for it with ice cream at the new place near our house and a Redbox DVD.

We're headed to Manti for the pageant tonight, the girls don't really know what we're doing.  We're leaving about noon so we spend some time in Ephraim with my cousin and her kids.  We are planning on visiting the farm so that the girls can see the horses and collect eggs from the chickens.  They will love it!  I'm looking forward to it, it's the start of a whole week off of work!

The last couple days...

I worked Thursday night.  Aaron and the other guys in my family had tickets to a private showing of the Green Lantern last night, so I met my mom, grandma and sister for dinner with the girls at Hires.  

This morning Aaron wanted to try the french toast at Kneaders.  We got up and going early (for us) to have breakfast.  We stopped at Costco to look at a watch for Aaron, then went to World Market to look at their tables.  Aaron really wanted to go get this watch he's been wanting since he first saw it in Las Vegas last September, so we made the trip up there for that.  On the way back home we went to Ikea to look at the dining tables there.  I think we found the one we're going to get.  We got home a little after 3, just in time for me to take a quick nap before my shift tonight.  I was amazed at all we got done in the 5 1/2 hours we were gone!  

It's after midnight now so it's Father's Day.  Aaron will take the girls to church in the morning while I sleep for a bit.  I have a project to work on with the girls when they get home (hopefully Aaron can take a nap while we're working on it) and then we're going to my grandpa's house for dinner.  

Mommy/Daughter days

Aaron and I both worked Sunday night so the girls slept at Adam and Jodi's.  I picked them up after sleeping at my mom's for a few hours Monday morning.  I decided to take the girls to a $1 movie since we were close to the theater and we invited Lora to come along.  They all decided on seeing Soul Surfer even though we'd seen it before.  I really love that movie.  I bought everyone a twist cone before we took Lora home.  The girls had all been up late the night before so I had them all in bed by 8:00.

This morning I worked on cleaning out our kitchen drawers.  Maddie had piano at 9 and her sewing class at noon.  We had kids hanging out around the house all afternoon.  Cami for a good chunk of the day and was super funny today, here's a few things that had me laughing:

(a one-sided conversation) Cami: "Maddie is the smartest.  Well, me and Brie are a little smart.  We are getting smarter.  You know those candies called smarties?  They are yummy.  You can eat them, right, Mom?  What's for dinner tonight?  Oh yeah, it's Tuesday.  Tacos!  Yay!  How old was Maddie when she started taking piano lessons, seven or eight?  She got baptized when she was 8.  I'm going to take my ponytail out so I can wear my helmet cuz I'm riding my bike.  I'll be home at 11:30 like you said.  Bye Mama!"

I found a set of keys while I was cleaning out the drawers this morning.  I asked Aaron what they were for, he said one of the keys was the old key to his mom's house.

Cami: "We should keep them and give them to Grandma Pam when she comes back to life."

When I put the girls to bed tonight I mentioned that the twins' room was already getting messy again (they had cleaned it up this morning).  Cami said "How rude of our room to get messy again!"

I had an eye exam this afternoon and then we went to Chili's for dinner.  Brie and Cami wanted to watch a movie, but Maddie wanted to play with friends.  I turned on Father of the Bride and snuggled on the couch with the little girls while Maddie went to our neighbor's house to play.  It was a pretty late night for them, but they were being really good (and it's summer time!).  

If you can't see the video, go here.  

First week of summer is over

We didn't do much in the way of activities this week, but the girls have been spending their days playing in the pool and riding their bikes.  They already have sun-bleached blonde hair and summer brown skin.  They come in at the end of the day smelling like a combination of the outside air, sunscreen and sweat.  Usually the smell is not something I enjoy and I send them straight to the tub as soon as they're done for the day, but the other night I took a deep breath in and thought it was a smell I wanted to remember forever.  My little girls are growing up so fast. 

Last Saturday Aaron took the girls to the Pony Express Days parade while I slept after my night shift.  I woke up when they got home and we got ready to go to the carnival.  The girls had a great time on the rides, we shared a big bag of kettle corn and then went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner.  Aaron had promised ice cream so we grabbed a treat at Artic Circle on the way home. 

Monday Aaron made dinner for our friends/neighbors down the street, Wendy had knee surgery last week.  When I asked her what she wanted for dinner, she jokingly said that they wanted a leg-shaped meatloaf.  Aaron has become famous among friends and family for his holiday shaped meatloafs and he was up for the challenge.  It turned out pretty well! 

Later in the week I was able to sneak a night out for myself with my cousin Jessica.  We went to dinner at Cafe Rio and met up with Julia to see a movie.  We spent the night in my parents' living room (just like old times) and then went to breakfast the next morning with our friend Amy.  It was fun to get away and laugh like you do only with your closest girlfriends.  I loved it! 

Saturday I tackled a major project, cleaning out and organizing the playroom.  The room has been behind lock and key for several months because I was tired of the stuff coming out of there and the messes that kept creeping up in the room.  I made a pretty good dent in it on my own and the girls were so excited about it that they helped me for a little over an hour.  We're just about done. 

Sunday morning I woke up with a headache and I was moving in slow motion.  We missed Sacrament meeting but made it for the last two hours of the block.  I took a nap after lunch and then we got ready for the night, Aaron and I were both scheduled to work and the girls went to Adam and Jodi's for a sleepover with Lora. 

Nothing terribly exciting, but that's what has been going on the last several days.   

What we've been up to

The family went to Disney World in April 2010.  We had tons of fun!  

Cami and Brie turned 4. 

Maddie started (and finished) 3rd grade.

Brie and Cami started preschool.

Maddie turned 8 and got baptized!

Aaron found his alter ego.

We surprised the girls with a Christmas trip to Disneyland thanks to the Give a Day, Get a Day program as well as Aaron winning a Disney ticket on a Facebook contest. 

I have been able to do fun things with my spare time now that I'm done with school.  Crafting, sewing, cricut-ing.   

Aaron and I tagged along as chaperones on Adam's music department tour to Orlando in April 2011.

Easter 2011 - I made their outfits.  (Free time is great!)

Brie and Cami graduated from preschool!

Cami turned 5!

Brie turned 5!

Did you miss me?

I've been absent.  I stopped blogging because I felt like it was all just one big "ME! ME!" And then I realized I've done a not-so-great job at documenting our lives in general...so if you don't want to read my "ME! ME!" you don't have to.  I need to document.  

To be continued....  

Project Linus

We anxiously waited for the sign-up date for Disney's "Give a Day, Get a Day." The website was overloaded the first day or two but I was able to sign up for Project Linus. The girls were so excited about making blankets. We took a family trip to Joann's to pick out the fleece together and then the girls helped me put the pieces together and watched me sew them. Aaron and Maddie helped cut some of the fringe and we shipped them off last Tuesday. We're excited to get our vouchers for our free day at Disney!

Cruisin' (a long detailed travel journal...sorry!)

Aaron and I went on a Mexican Riviera cruise last week with our friends Shaye and Emily. We had a great time! What a fun couple to spend a week with.

Sunday we left for my parents' house at 5:40 a.m. so my dad could take us to the airport. Chelsey spent Saturday night here with the girls so we didn't have to get them up that early too. My dad dropped us off at the airport at about 6:45. We met up with Shaye and Emily at the gate and flew on the smallest plane I have ever been on to Long Beach, CA. We took a shuttle to San Pedro cruise terminal and had to wait for a while before anything happened. I think they allowed us to board around 11:30 a.m. The cruise ship was amazing! It was incredible to realize that so much was on a ship. We had lunch at the Windjammer Cafe and then gave ourselves a tour. We were allowed access to our room at 1:00, but there was a malfunction on our floor and none of the key cards worked for the rooms. We found this out sooner than most and only had to wait for a few minutes at guest services to get our cards fixed. We spent the afternoon exploring the ship and unpacking our bags. We had the early dining time at 6:00 and met our dinner "mates" Paul, Barbara, Mark and Jayne. They were very nice and had all been on several cruises. They were hapy to share their tips and experiences with us. After dinner we went to the Welcome Aboard show in the Savoy Theater, the comedian was funny! We also played a trivia game in the Schooner Bar and ended up on a team with an older couple who was on their 64th cruise.

Monday started with breakfast and a planning session for the day. This was something that made me laugh every time it happened. The guys took charge of our activity schedule. We started with bingo in the Lotus Lounge. We didn't win anything, and we learned that if you're going to spend money on bingo on a cruise ship, wait until the game where they are giving away a free cruise or the big pot of money on the last day. After lunch we went up to the pool deck and relaxed in the sun. We cleaned up around 3 so we could play in the Digital Photo Scavenger Hunt. We took 2nd place and got silver RC medals. It was fun! We got ready for formal night and went out to the deck in time to catch the sunset. It was really pretty. After dinner we went to a variety show in the Savoy Theater that wasn't very good. We skipped out early to get good seats in the Lotus Lounge for Finish That Lyric and Karaoke Night. Shaye was one of the contestants in Finish That Lyric and his participation in that landed us a spot as the judges for karaoke. That was really fun! It went until 1:00 a.m. - which was rough because the clocks changed ahead one hour that night and we had to be off the ship and ready for our shore excursion in Cabo the next morning.

Tuesday we tendered in Cabo San Lucas. As we were coming into Cabo we saw several dolphins right next to the ship. That was fun to see! We had booked a snorkeling excursion through www.shoretrips.com and had a couple hours before we had to get on the boat for that. Of course the guys needed to have some fish tacos in every port, and they found a little hole-in-the-wall joint that had great fish tacos. The snorkeling excursion started at 11 and it was so much fun! It took about an hour by catamaran to get to the area where we snorkeled. We couldn't use the beach next to the snorkeling area so we had to jump off the back of the catamaran. That was interesting. It took a minute to figure out how to use the mask and breath through our mouths but we got the hang of it. What an experience! We had about 50 minutes to spend in the water. I loved it! Lunch was provided on the catamaran and once we got back to Cabo we shopped for a bit and then headed back to the ship. We went to dinner in the dining room and then we all decided we had done enough for the day and went back to our cabins. I had a small allergic reaction to something at dinner and took a benadryl, I was asleep by 8:45. Aaron ended up going to see the Nelson Brothers show in the Savoy Theater and then he went to Ellingtons to listen to some jazz music.

Wednesday we docked in Mazatlan. We didn't have any excursions planned for that day and found a resort to go to for beach access. We took an open air taxi there and that guy was in a hurry! The resort had a beautiful pool area that we didn't end up using but the beach was nice. Aaron and Shaye rented boogie boards and attempted to use them. That was funny. I noticed some people parasailing nearby and found out it was only $35 - just a fraction of what the cruise ship had quoted on their website. I decided to do it. Probably not the smartest thing I've ever done, but it was fun and I survived! :) After I was back on land (phew!) we went to a restaurant on the beach. Shaye and Aaron ordered a monster seafood platter and enjoyed every bit of it. The guys talked us out of ordering nachos and trying a combo platter and both of us ended up liking the food. Surprise, surprise! We were back on the ship by about 4:00 and had dinner in the dining room at 6. We spend the evening in the Lotus Lounge listening to music and then went to the Love and Marriage Game in the Savoy Theater. There was a buffet at 11:30 by the pool that we went to, but the food was not very good so we didn't stick around too long.

Thursday we docked in Puerto Vallarta. We had signed up for the Mexican Fiesta excursion through the cruise ship. We had a bus tour through parts of Puerto Vallarta and drove closer to the Sierra Madres to a nice property that had a small strip of shops, a tequila factory and a few other buildings. Part of the excursion was a tour of the tequila factory, that was interesting. After the tour we had lunch and then there was entertainment - authentic dancing, a tortilla making contest (Emily won) and a pinata. After the fiesta we got back on the bus and slowly made the trip back to Puerto Vallarta - the bus was having issues with the A/C and the driver kept stopping. It was a miserable trip back. We went to do some shopping and toured a church in the main area of Puerto Vallarta. We were expecting to find good deals on the shopping, but nothing was priced very well and that was disappointing. The guys had fish tacos one more time before we got back on the ship at a restaurant that was right next to the cruise terminal. After dinner that night we went to see Tony Tillman in the Savoy Theater - he was excellent! That night at 10:30 was The Quest - a gameshow for adults only that was hillarious! Shaye was one of the contestants, of course, and we laughed really hard.

Friday we spent the morning by the pool. Aaron joined the belly flop contest and took second place - I think he deserved 1st! ;) We played bingo to try to win a cruise - no such luck. We played Name that TV Show Tune before dinner and also Country Name that Tune. After dinner we went to an 80's variety show in the Savoy Theater that was terrible. We left early to go up to the Lotus Lounge for Battle of the Sexes. Shaye and Aaron were original contestants and I joined in after a couple rounds. We stayed for karaoke for a bit but left around midnight to go to bed.

Saturday was a much slower day. It was too cool and windy to spend much time outside. We went to the Captain's Corner which was basically a Q&A for the captain. That was interesting. We packed up to get ready to go home. After lunch we found a sitting area to hang out in and then went up to take naps. We went to the karaoke finale and then relaxed until dinner. We went up to Ellingtons afterwards and were surprised at how strong the winds were and how big the waves were. Aaron heard later that we were riding tsunami waves from the earthquake in Chile. It was definitely the roughest night at sea that we had. We called it a night around 10 but Aaron went back up to Ellingtons to listen to the jazz music one more time.

Sunday morning we met for breakfast at 7 and ate quickly. We had originally planned on disembarking at 9:15 (we chose the express option which meant we took all of our luggage off the ship ourselves). We were done eating in time to try to catch the 8:15 disembarkment. It worked out well! We were checked out and through customs by 8:40. We waited for the Enterprise shuttle for about 25 minutes and went to get our rental car. We didn't have to be to the airport until about 4:30 and had decided to spend the day at Downtown Disney. We took the scenic route there and got there just before 11:00 a.m. We had lunch at the Jazz Kitchen - it was great! We spent the afternoon shopping. When we got to the airport and checked in, a message popped up that the flight was overbooked and they may ask for volunteers to take a different flight for compensation. Aaron talked to the ticket agent and let her know he was interested. Shaye and Aaron ended up staying in California one more day for $400 in airfare vouchers from Delta. They were also comped a hotel room and a taxi from the airport to the hotel. Emily and I had a nice flight home and our parents picked us up about 9:00 from the airport.

Aaron sent me a text Monday morning asking me how they could get into Disneyland for cheap. I wasn't sure there was a way but I checked ebay and ksl.com. I found a great deal and the guys made arrangements to meet up with the seller near the park. Brats! The crowds were small and they were able to get on everything they had wanted to before leaving at 4:00 p.m. for the airport. We picked Aaron up at about 8:45 Monday night.

Aaron, Shaye and Emily have all had a hard time back on land. I haven't noticed much of anything - but I have had a headache since Monday morning. I don't know if that's related or not.

We had an amazing trip and loved sharing it with our friends. Thanks for the suggestion, Shaye! We're already looking forward to the next one!

Tandy Larson, RN!

That's me!

Okay. Now that THAT is over. Phew!

Life is good. No, it's great. :)

I took the NCLEX on the 22nd of January. My anxiety level was through the roof! I studied, took practice tests, and prayed. The prayers were more for calm and clarity and peace - not so much for passing. I knew that was on me. The anxiety part was what I needed help with. It was horrible. When I scheduled the test, Aaron suggested I stay in a hotel the night before so I could have some time to myself prior to the big day.

I took the test in Ogden. I drove up early in the afternoon the day before and met up with some friends that live in Northern Utah for dinner at Maddox. I went to the grocery store to get some snacks for that night and the next morning at the testing center. I decided to rent a PPV movie at the hotel and relax in my pj's. It was a good thing to do. I knew I was as prepared as I was going to be, so I opted not to study that day at all. I went to bed around 10:30 with some help from melatonin.

I woke up at 6:00 Friday morning - not so happy about that. One of the few times no one has been around to wake me up and I had to get up anyway! I had breakfast at a place right next to the hotel and drove to the testing center that was only a few minutes away. The parking lot had a few cars in it with people that were looking through notecards and different study materials. I saw someone walk into the building so I went inside too. I have never liked waiting to test, I didn't want to be the last one in out of a group of us. I was second in line and got through the verification process pretty quickly. I was feeling oddly calm. I sat down to take the test and started clicking through the questions. I made a conscious effort not to pay much attention to what question I was on, there's a minimum of 75 and a maximum of 265 - I didn't want to get discouraged if the test kept going past 75. Most of the questions weren't too bad. I was taking about one minute per question. At question 72 I needed a calculator. I clicked through 3 more questions after that and the screen went blank. Just like that. 75 questions is most often a good sign, and I was relieved. I felt like I had done well. I cannot put into words the peace I felt about it all, and I knew that my prayers had been answered.

I tried the "Pearson trick" as soon as I had internet access and I got the good pop-up. I was encouraged. Sunday morning I checked the Pearson website and my results were available for $7.95. I decided to check so I would know for sure. That's when I saw PASS. Ahhhhh. Relief. Freedom. Success. Pride. Joy!

I have spent the last 12 days enjoying the fact that studying is not a part of my daily routine. It's not a nagging thought at the back of my mind. It doesn't take priority over being a mom, a wife, cleaning the house, reading a book for fun, or taking time to take care of myself. I hardly know what to do with all of this free time!

I have started working officially as an RN and will be orienting with a preceptor for the next two weeks or more. I am really excited about all of this but being the nurse is an intimidating place to be!

"...with love, with patience and with faith she'll make her way"

I can't remember not wanting to be a nurse. When I was around 4 years old I went to an open house at the old Primary Children's Hospital before a surgery on my birthmark. I remember getting a mask and a pretend stethoscope. I wanted to be a nurse. A couple years later I had another surgery at St. Mark's hospital and I spent more time at the nurse's station than I did in my room. I wanted to be a nurse.

In high school I took a vocational class to so I could become a CNA. I started working at TOSH the week I turned 18. CNA's don't make a lot of money and I was cancelled a lot, and I left the hospital to work for TMA. I piddled around on pre-req's and on classes I unknowingly didn't need. Life happened. TMA was a good place to work, I was happy there. Aaron went through a couple layoffs and we focused on getting him through school. Maddie was born. We discovered we couldn't both successfully go to school full-time at the same time, and it was more important for Aaron to finish up the nursing program. I finished up my pre-req's in the summer of 2005 and applied for the program in December of that year. We found out about the twins a week after I turned my application in. I forgot about applying. A couple weeks later I got my acceptance letter for spring of 2010.

Fast-forward to November of 2007. Aaron and I made a decision in probably less than 5 minutes to just go ahead and get it done. I had low expectations. The twins were 19 months old when I started. They were a lot of work! Maddie was in Kindergarten. You get the idea...I just felt like I was not going to be able to pull it off. Every time I passed a test that first semester I kind of sat back and said "Huh." I know that this happened when it was supposed to, for whatever reason. I have made some great friends. I have discovered something in me I didn't know was there. I have worked hard and accomplished something that seemed so distant for so long. It was always a hope that I would do it some day, but as time progressed I felt like the opportunity might pass me by. It didn't!

I did not do this by myself. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father who laid out a path for me and provided a way for me and my family to get here. I am grateful to Aaron for his patience with me, and I have to say it was so nice to have a nurse in the house to get feedback from when I was working on assignments and studying. I am so grateful for my girls, they have been great cheerleaders. They give me high-fives and ask me if I made 100% on my tests. (Hardly). They have been pretty good about letting me study. They have sacrificed a lot of mommy time so that I could get this done. I am also grateful for Amanda, our babysitter and friend. She has been such a blessing. The events that led up to her watching the girls for us were nothing short of a miracle for me. I just can't even express the appreciation I have for her. My parents have always believed in my ability to do this, even when there were times that I didn't. My friends in the program helped immensely as well - we have shared study guides, emailed notes and helpful websites back and forth, phone calls and texts at all hours of the day and many hours of the night - and even played hooky a few times to catch lunch or a movie.

My emotions have been high this week. I am proud of my accomplishments. I am looking forward to my college graduation! It's about 10 years later than my original gameplan, but I DID IT! Thank you to all of you for your encouragement and support!

26 days

until finals are over! I have not kept this updated very well and I apologize for that, but life has been hectic!

I can't believe I'm almost done! Less than 4 weeks to go. It feels fabulous! Well, almost. I still have things to do. There are still two exams in High Acuity, but they're on "easier" material and I'm not too worried. I am in a fairly comfortable place in all of my classes. I am also done with clinicals! I was supposed to have one more tomorrow, but it was cancelled. I am so glad to be done with those. My SLCC scrubs are in sad shape and I am really not a fan of royal blue. :)

Last week when I was at work I found out that the newborn ICU at the U is hiring me after graduation. I had hoped, but it wasn't a guarantee. Nursing jobs are in short supply right now! The NICU had already worked Holly and I into their staffing considerations so they're keeping us. Holly is in the program with me at SLCC. We're both so excited! I'll have a couple weeks off after graduation and then I start the didactic orientation on December 28th. Didactic is basically a big fat book that we have to read through and review for 4 weeks. After that's over I'll orient with an RN for 3 shifts and then I'm on my own. I'm also taking an NCLEX review course in January that is one week long. It's going to be a busy month.

School isn't leaving time for much else but we are getting into holiday mode here at home. The twins are beyond excited about Christmas. It is consuming them. I love it! I jokingly call it "Christmas crack." Cami wants a Charlie and Lola movie, Brie wants a Strawberry Shortcake doll. Maddie has a longer, more expensive list. She thoughtfully divided it in half so that Santa can get her 6 things and we can get her 6 things. Too bad the list contains things like a computer, a Nintendo DSi, a swingset...I told her she's going to need to simplify a bit.

If you haven't checked this out already, it's worth a few minutes of your time. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tuwid8_O8dk

It's time for the 10 week countdown!

Finals week starts 10 weeks from today. That is a crazy scary thought. I have taken two High Acuity tests, one Community and one Management. I have passed all of them. That is great news. There are still 11 tests on the board (including finals). Six in High Acuity, three in Community and two in Management. Rumor has it that the first four tests in High Acuity are the worst, so if I can survive the next two I'll breathe a little easier. One of those is next Monday, the other is on the 26th. In case you're wondering, finals will be over in 10 weeks and 2 days. Graduation is in 10 weeks and 3 days!

Life has been busy! Between classes, clinicals and my work schedule I've been driving to Salt Lake 4 days a week. Sometimes I have had to make two trips in one day because of Aaron's schedule and Maddie's follow-up appointments on her hand. She also started physical therapy three days a week. That has been fun to fit in to our crazy schedule!

Maddie has started reading the first Harry Potter book on her own. She also has set the goal to read the Book of Mormon by her 8th birthday, and we've been trying to read a chapter a night for the last two months. This has been great for me as well because I find myself taking the time to explain things to her which is helping me focus and understand things better.

Cami and Brie are wearing big girl panties!!!! I am so thrilled about this one. Brie has been doing this for almost 2 months, Cami was more reluctant. She threw a big screaming fit for about an hour one day when Aaron told her no more pull-ups. She kept sobbing "I don't want to be a big girl! I want to be a little girl! I want to wear pull-ups!" We just sent her upstairs so she could have her meltdown in privacy. She eventually came downstairs in panties. It was a fight for a couple of days but she now takes her nighttime pull-up off first thing in the morning and puts on panties. Yay!

Aaron has been working hard at keeping things under control at home. The twins don't make that part easy. We're all surviving and really looking forward to December when I can actually be present at home.

Is anyone out there?

I know it's my fault if not. I have not been great about keeping this updated! Today we are battling the flu. I have not quite succombed, but I fear it's my turn next. The girls are all feeling pretty crummy. Maddie actually seems to be on the mend, her temperature is back within normal limits today. That may mean she can go to school tomorrow, which would be good because she's missed 3 days this week - add that to the two days she missed because of her surgery and we're up to 5 absences since August 20th. That has to be some kind of record for the first month of school.

I am only about 2 weeks into the semester and already feel like I'm neck-deep. The good news is that I passed my first high acuity test. The bad news is it was probably the easiest one of the semester. On Tuesday our lecture in the class was on mixed acid base balances, nullifying effects, V/Q, oxyhemoglobin dissociation curves and other equally as mind-boggling topics. I know these terms don't mean much to you unless you work in healthcare, but don't worry - they don't mean much to me either. Not yet, anyways. I am working on it. Our test on this unit is a week from Monday and I'm desperately working to grasp all of this.

Graduation is 3 months from today!!!

What I did this summer

I thought that I had typed up a draft of the things we have done this summer, but I can't find it. My summer break was nearly 4 months long and it was really nice. It started out with the trip Aaron and I took to Disney World. What a vacation! The first time we've been on our own for a week in years. Maddie finished 1st grade at the end of May.

The twins are often (not always) easier to take out and do things with, so I've been a little more ambitious in my attempts to take them to do things when Aaron's at work. Sometimes it's gone really well, other times it's been just short of a nightmare. We've gone swimming, to the movie theater, to Lagoon, shopping...it's always an adventure. The girls enjoyed having grass in the backyard. to play on - and it's really nice to be able to say "Go play outside!" when they are stir-crazy and I need a little break from the crazy.

As a family we've been to This is the Place Heritage Park, the zoo, camping at Pineview, a weekend in Park City, and a trip with my family to Jackson Hole and Pinedale, Wyoming.

At the end of July we hosted a friend from Aaron's mission for several days. We spent them as tourists in our own city, which was fun. We toured the Oquirrh Hills Temple, went to a dinner show at Showtime Utah, Wheeler Farm, Park City, the State Capitol. We really enjoyed having him here and the girls really had fun getting to know him.

I nearly finished the painting in the living room, kitchen and family room. We found a couch and chair for the loft. Aaron put together a desk and bookcase for our room that will be nice to have this semester. The twins have real beds now, they had spent about 9 months on mattresses on the floor.

Oh - that reminds me. We've had a few mishaps this summer:

*Cami flooded the side yard, a window well and the basement the day before Father's Day.

*Maddie caught her shorts on a cupboard door in the kitchen, stripping the hinge out of the wood. I was able to fix it by breaking toothpicks up in the hole and screwing the hinge back into place. This was all done without Aaron knowing. Maddie couldn't handle the guilt and told him all about it a few days later. :)

*Cami and Brie were monkeys jumping on their beds and Cami jumped right through the slats of Brie's bed, breaking it into unusable pieces. Thank heavens for good return policies at Ikea.

*Maddie learned the story behind "Curiosity killed the cat" after playing with a utility knife even when she knew she shouldn't. An ER visit, 5 stitches, follow-up with a hand surgeon and a surgery later, she's on the mend and hopeful for full recovery. Physical therapy will likely follow once everything has had a chance to heal.

There you have it. A summary of our summer. My classes started yesterday and I'm already missing the freedom.

Aaron works every other Sunday so I'm on my own at church.  It's just such a challenge!  I used to use it as an excuse to skip Sacrament meeting, and then I started noticing how many other moms are on their own on Sundays.  Whether they're single or their husbands are working or their husbands aren't active.  I decided I better stop using the girls as an excuse and I've been working at getting to church on time for Sacrament meeting.  Some weeks are better than others.  Last week, when Aaron was there with us, the snacks turned into a problem and I decided we're taking too much.  I told the girls last week that we would be taking snacks anymore.  They did great today!  Only one book came out of the bag but the majority of the time they were sitting quietly.  

I do have to tell you a funny story about Brie.  This will give you an idea of what she's like.  :)  Cami was sitting on my lap, Maddie was seated on my left and Brie was on my right.  Brie was interested in what the kids behind her were doing, so she was turned around.  I noticed at one point she had slipped her legs through the back of the chair and had her bum up for everyone to see.  I quietly reminded her she was in a dress and to please make sure her bum is covered.  She climbed back through the chair, stood up and lifted her dress up to her armpits.  

Father's Day 2009

Dad,

While I always appreciated your patience, nothing has made me work harder towards being like you than being Cami and Brie's mom.  ;)  You are such an amazing guy.  You might not think so, but you are.  You have come to my rescue more times than I can count.  Thanks for being such a great dad.  I love you!  

Aaron,

I know we are still trying to figure out this parenting thing - pretty much on a daily basis.  I think you're doing a great job.  The girls adore you.  You can't help but acting like a kid yourself when you're having fun with them, and that is one of your best qualities as a dad.  Thank you for working so hard to support us.  I couldn't do what I do without you.  I love you!

Happy Father's Day, everyone!  

Dear Mom,

I love you very much.

You are the best MOM ever.

I am so glad you are my mom.

Thank you for being my mom.

I am so glad God gave me you for a mom.  I love to DO fun stuf with you.

Sinserle,

Madilyn

I am the lucky one.  I love you, Maddie!