It's Cryin' Time Again

I just got back from the Happiest Place on Earth...back to life, back to reality... Awhile ago, I put my hat back in the ring to apply for Intermountain's nursing program. I also upped my ante, and applied for Salt Lake Community College's nursing program. I jumped through all their little hoops, crossed my t's, dotted my i's, and sat back to wait...and wait....and wait some more. SLCC's website stated that NO notifications concerning the nursing program would be given until August 30th, no sooner, no later. Imagine my surprise when a letter arrives in my mailbox in mid-August from the nursing program....and my subsequent disappointment when they tell me, "sorry, you're really great and all, but....NO. Sorry, you are not a winner, try again!!" All hope was not lost however, because I have applied for another program, a program that I have been turned down for twice already, and have been assured by several people that "it's your turn, you're gonna get it this time, definitely your year, there is NO way they will turn you down again!" I just had to wait for October for the inevitable nod that was FINALLY going to come my way....Guess what....I was absolutely stunned to find out, that once again...it's still a BIG FAT NO! I was beside myself with the absolute injustice of it all! Are you kidding me???? My two coworkers got in, who, between the two of them, equal my length of service with the company. One of the girls I had much better grades than, and I had tons more experience in the field than either one of them. But Intermountain still didn't want me. I was not content to go softly into that dark night...oh no, not me. I wanted a darn good reason as to why I was being rejected, yet again. I called the program director bright and early the next morning, and got voice mail, left a lengthy message...and waited. No call came by early afternoon, so I called again and was rewarded by a live person on the other end. I stated who I was and explained my plight. I asked where my shortcomings were, what ousted me from this opportunity that I have wanted so badly? She told me that they look at many things, but this year again, they were really concentrating on the performance evaluations. I stated that I had not had my evaluation this year, so how could I have gotten fair consideration? Cold dread hit me in that moment...and I asked "So...the evaluation that you are judging me on is from last year?" She confirmed my worst fears...."Yes, the most current evaluation we have is from 2011." OH NO!!!! I informed her that it was that evaluation that cost me the program last year...and let me tell you....last year was my worst year EVER!!! I nearly lost my job, got demoted, and written up...it just plain SUCKED! And this was what I was being judged on? Awesome... She spent several minutes giving me advice to be a better employee, and to really step it up, and to not give up, and try again...blah, blah, blah...It all fell on deaf ears. I was in total disbelief! I was totally and irrevocably being shafted, and there was nothing that anyone could do. All I can say, in hindsight, is that there is absolutely no way that Intermountain was looking at any other factors, it was all based on the employee performance evaluation..pure and simple, that was the ONLY thing they were looking at, and mine was not current, and not good....enough. It also seems, that no matter how badly I want this, or how hard I have worked to get here, it just isn't time. I don't know when it will be, but it isn't now. Back to the drawing board...Hey, I'm nothing, if not extremely persistent!

Happiest Place on Earth

We had some drama in the neighborhood. It involved us, but was not started by us - just haters trying to blow a nothing situation in to all sorts of emotional turmoil. As a result, we needed some space from the storm, and a rather fortuitous option became available to us. My husband was perusing Facebook and came upon a post from an old school friend of his that was looking to give away some Disney Park Hopper passes to anyone who could make the time frame work. There was only 1 day left of the three days originally purchased, and they had to be used by September 30th. It was amazing how things just fell into place, Rob had the time off work, I had the time off work, and the funds we needed to make it happen were available. The only downside was that I had to work a night shift the night before we left. So I got everyone's things together before I left for work, and Rob tied up all the loose ends, packed everything in the van, and was there at 0730 at the hospital to pick me up. We were on the road all day long, and the trip was, thankfully, uneventful. We reached our hotel at around 5p.m. and got checked in and settled down for the night. All the older kids knew where we were going, but the younger two had no idea, and had never been before, so all of us were excited for them. I have to tell you, this was the quickest, and cheapest trip to Disneyland EVER!! We found a decent hotel through Priceline that cost us under $100 for two nights, we brought and prepared all of our meals and bought two additional park hopper passes for an extremely discounted rate. We set out for Disneyland bright and early the next morning and proceeded to spend the most enjoyable 16 solid hours imaginable there. The two youngest were so excited, I thought they were going to bust out of their skins! Three weeks later, the baby is still talking about the Snow White ride, and the Pinocchio ride, and her absolute favorite, It's a Small World (she went on it at least 4 times!). Her all time favorite movie of the moment is currently The Nightmare Before Christmas due to the fact that Disneyland was all done up for Halloween and she was able to go on the Haunted Mansion ride which was themed after the movie. She asks me for Skeleton Happy Halloween at least 3 times a day, and will actually sit through the entire movie at least once. Anyway, if you didn't get it from the above description, we had a wonderful time and made a lot of awesome memories! And what would a Disneyland post be without some pictures? Here you go! Enjoy!

'Skeleton Happy Halloween!'

One of many trips through Small World

End of the night, we were exhausted!

A Fond Reunion Due to an Unexpected Farewell

I went to a funeral last week, the funeral of my first 'official' boyfriend - Gary Anthony Stubbs. It was a beautiful and brief service, and I know he was there and happy that some of his closest buddies had shown up for him.

I had reconnected with him through facebook about a year ago, before that, it had been almost 20 years since I had last spoken with him. Finding him again was nice, and a little sad. I could tell he was troubled by something and that life had not been kind. I wanted to reach out, and we did chat some - but our different life choices put some distance between us. I am a married woman with multiple children, and he was a single dad who adored his little girl. I let him know through our chats that my friendship was always there, and that I would help him if he needed it. He was grateful for that, but kept his distance. I would see occasional posts from him here and there, and then....he just disappeared.

Gary had been crossing my mind a lot lately, and I knew something was going on with him, that's when I discovered his facebook account was no longer, so I had no way of checking up on him. Then, on June 26th, my phone rang and another blast from my past was on the other end. It was Steven Bradford, and I knew that anything he told me wasn't going to be happy...He shortly confirmed that feeling after apologizing for not contacting me before now. Gary had taken his life on Saturday, June 23rd and his funeral was tomorrow. What news! It was a shock to say the least, I was reeling just a little bit. Steve told me what he knew, and we did some catching up, he was definitely going to the funeral the next day, and I started getting busy making arrangements. After saying goodbye to Steve, my very first call was to my old friend Sandee (Beraz) Robison. She had JUST moved from Davis county to the city right next to mine. What a way to get together after 20+ years of not seeing someone, eh? Well, Sandee was as floored as I had been, and had definite plans of attending the service, and offered me a ride..I accepted without even hesitating. If I couldn't be there when he needed me in life, I was definitely NOT going to miss this chance to pay my respects and say my goodbyes!

I had a shift to work at the hospital that Tuesday night, so I went and worked. Then I went home and crashed for about 4 hours before suddenly waking up at noon and hurriedly getting myself ready before Sandee arrived. We drove up to Farmington where the service was to be held. It was a small, intimate gathering, and there was this wonderful peaceful spirit there. I knew my friend was there, as I have mentioned before...his presence was palpable. I could feel his excitement over the fact that his closest high school friends had come to wish him a fond farewell, and that there were others who couldn't make it who were there in spirit as well. I knew that where ever he was, he was happy, and at peace - something that had always been a struggle for him in this life.

I shed quite a few tears during his service, a select few members got up and shared experiences that they had had with Gary, they were wonderful. It brought me comfort that he was surrounded with such love.

So, what ever you are up to now Gary...I wish you the best, and I hope to see you again someday, my good friend...you will be missed!

Hey Daughter-In-Law...I'm going to miss you..

My husband's aunt, Lindi Ellsworth Fox, passed away after a long 9 year battle with cancer. We had a little 'inside joke', if you want to call it that...She was born in September of 1972, I was born in June of 1972...making me 3 months older, but in the Fox clan, I'm a granddaughter-in-law. Here's some brief Fox family geneaology for you. William and Joyce Fox had 7 boys, Lindi married Ken, son #7. I married Rob, the second son of William Fox, who is son #1...making me the granddaughter-in-law, and Lindi the daughter-in-law..get it? I'm sure when I see her again we'll giggle about it, but until then, I will just miss her.

Here is a beautiful video that was put together by a friend of my husband's who does professional photography. Be warned, it made me cry, so have tissues on hand. The love that radiates from this woman is tangible.

So, once again...Hey Daughter-In-Law, I'm going to miss you, a lot...From Granddaughter-in-law.

http://vimeo.com/37911263

Soup's On!

http://myblessedlife.net/2010/03/broccoli-cheddar-soup-panera-style.html I made this soup tonight and it was really good! I altered some of the ingredients because I just didn't have them on hand.. Broccoli Cheddar Soup – Panera Style 2 T. Butter, melted *1 large onion, chopped 1/2 c. butter, melted 1/2 c. all purpose flour *4 c. half and half *4 c. chicken broth *1 lb. fresh broccoli *2 cups, julienned carrots salt and pepper, to taste 1/2 t. nutmeg 16 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated Saute onion in butter. Set aside. Whisk butter and flour over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add half and half. Add chicken stock, still whisking. Simmer 20 minutes. Add broccoli, carrots and onion. Cook over low heat until veggies are tender – about 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup will have thickened by now. Carefully transfer soup mixture to blender and puree. Return soup to pot (or crockpot) over low heat. Add cheese. Stir until well blended. Add nutmeg right before serving. Makes 8-10 servings. Enjoy! Instead of 1 large onion, I added about 3 TBSP. of dehydrated onion. Instead of half and half, I added 2 cans of cream of chicken soup along with 6 cans of water, this also substituted for the chicken broth as well. Instead of fresh broccoli, I used a package of chopped frozen broccoli. Lastly, instead of julienned carrots, I used about 1/4 c. of dehydrated. I own a Vita Mix, so it was super pureed by the time I was done with it, and there were no little nice flecks of green like in Myra's picture. My husband commented that it looked like mustard...but everyone had seconds and thirds, so it must have been good! I am currently sick with what I think is the flu...but what I could taste was pretty yummy!

Another One Bites the Dust...

One Mitsubishi Outlander driver side door munched - check
One South Jordan street sign flattened - check
One Rocky Mountain electrical transformer box obliterated and pushed half way off of its foundation - check
One 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan totaled - check
One driver of said Caravan shaken and totally pissed because of all this drama caused by someone NOT PAYING ATTENTION - check

Moral to story, if you are going to do something, go all out and do it well folks!

P.S. There were no injuries to either party involved and the two of us gals ended up getting along rather well. She felt horrible about the whole thing, and that pretty much caused my anger to instantly evaporate. Her insurance was extremely quick to amend things...Progressive...consider me impressed! The only downside is trying to find a replacement van by Monday, that's when we lose the rental...

15 years

I meant to do this post closer to the actual date...but life happens..so it didn't happen! Rob and I.....the story..... We met in a Young Single Adult Ward in Northern California after he had returned home from serving a mission in the Houston, Texas area in July of 1994. I noticed him right away, thought he was cute, but all the other girls seemed to be after him, and I wasn't interested in the 'stake a claim' competition that happened every time a RM came home.....ANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNND...I was dating someone else. We continued running into one another at various ward activities, then the stars finally aligned in late January/early February of 1995, and we actually started dating. It lasted an impressive 2.5 months, and we (I) broke up. A few months later, we tried again before he went out to Utah for school, and we broke up again right before he left. He came home for Thanksgiving break, we got together.....only to have me break his heart AGAIN before he returned to school...(heartless, aren't I?) Same thing at Christmas, AND when he came home for President's Day weekend, only that one didn't end so tragically! We actually kept the relationship going when he returned to school, and a rather large phone bill to boot! When he returned in late March, and we were still together, our bishop called us into his office and told us how happy he was to see us together, but then told us that we had better make this attempt stick, because if it didn't work out, and we broke up, he was going to get restraining orders for us that would not allow us within 500 yards of one another. We continued dating through that summer, and on September 7, 1996, he took me down into the coldest, most treacherous pool of water I have ever been in and asked me what I would be doing for the next 50 or so years, asked me if he could take me to the Lord's Holy House and make me his wife. I, of course, said yes, when I could finally unclench my chattering jaw long enough to operate it! We were married December 27, 1996 in the Oakland, California temple. The above picture is us on that eventful day, 15 YEARS AGO..... And on the same day, different temple (Sacramento, California). Our friend, Beth Caudle, tried to recreate the picture taken all those years ago.

 

Happy Anniversary Rob! Fifteen years and five kids later...the adventure continues...

Brenna's guitar final - Blackbird

http://youtu.be/6YMZjcoKw0k

Sorry! You'll have to copy and paste the link in your browser to see it...

I have been trying all afternoon to upload this video to facebook, but I haven't been successful. Apparently 720p HD is too much for their server and apparently the file was just to big for Blogger as well, so I finally uploaded it to You Tube. I will have to remember to tone down the settings on my camera so that I am not pulling out so much hair the next time!


I am so incredibly proud of this young woman. She is incredibly talented and at such a young age! It is an honor to be her mother, even when she is an ornery teenager! Love you sweet girl!

The Good Times Keep On Rollin'....

Things have been mildly frustrating lately, that's the best I can describe life lately...mildly frustrating.....

My last post started with me applying for the nursing program...so let's start there, shall we? Long story short, I didn't get in. There were 276 applicants for 40 spots. Everyone was getting notified about program acceptance except for me, it seemed. I didn't hear anything for 10 days after the initial offers were sent out. 10 very long, hellish days. Everyone kept telling me that 'no news was good news' because it meant I was still in the running. Well, I was still in the running, but just not strong enough to finish. I finally got someone on the other end of the phone that I had been incessantly calling for the last week on a Wednesday morning, and by noon of the same day, I had a nice little lump of coal email waiting for me in my inbox..."Sorry, but you aren't the applicant we were looking for..." niiiiiiiiiiice. I sobbed in a most heart broken manner for about 4 hours. I really, really wanted this! Why couldn't this one thing just go my way for once? Huh? So, I allowed myself to mope and whine for the rest of the day. Self pity is good in small doses once in awhile. My sweet husband came home in the middle of my melodrama and gave me a good, long hug and said, "Sorry...I know how bad you wanted this..but what have you wanted longer? To get into nursing school, or for me to get a teaching job?" I answered to the latter...more on that development later...
So, I didn't get in, I moped for a few hours, and moved on. Then I got a call from the IHC nursing program, making sure I had been 'contacted'. Yeah...I got the contact..thanks a billion! But the sadist in me couldn't stop there, oh no, if you could, pretty pretty please, tell me why I didn't get in? She did...it was brutal. I was in the very final group and in the end, my employee evaluation scores were just not quite high enough. They offered to 40 students and 4 alternates...that's 44...and me....I was number 45. Sigh So, it's not meant to be right now, and I will just have to wait until Spring of 2015 until I start nursing school, because that is where I fall on SLCC's wait list. SLCC has changed their admission requirements as well, and I am one of the last on their wait list, as they are doing away with it. So I could possibly get in sooner under the new requirements, but if I get rejected there, I will still have that spot. So it will eventually happen, just not on the time frame I had hoped for.

So, Rob got a teaching job! So freaking awesome! He is a History and Social Studies teacher for a very small private school here in the Salt Lake Valley, and it all seemed very exciting until he got into it. He has been there for a month and they have already had to move locations. It wasn't the school's fault they had to move...the church basement they were in didn't meet fire code for schooling purposes, and the church congregation decided at the last minute that they didn't want a free remodel of their basement...weirdos...so the school had to find new digs. They have successfully done so, and are at a much nicer and closer location. Hopefully they can stay there for the long term. The kids are a rough bunch, and that is putting it nicely. Most have been kicked out of the traditional public school system, and some have served time. They are very learning challenged and the parental support is minimal at best. Rob's biggest frustration is the fact that these kids don't want to do any work, at all. The pay isn't all that stellar either, but it is pay and we are grateful for it! Well, there are issues with that too, but we have at least gotten ONE paycheck....

I finally took my kids to the dentist last month...I figured that since I was paying for benefits, that I should probably use them before the end of the year! Jaron and Quentin had clean oral bills of health, Brenna and Cade weren't so lucky. Brenna ended up with a cavity that was so severe, that one of her molars had been steadily falling out in chunks. I had known about this for months, but had been waiting for a little extra money, so I could take them in...because I knew that Brenna's situation was going to cost. It probably wouldn't have cost so much if I had just gotten her in sooner. As it turns out, when I took her back to take care of the bad tooth, they had to drill so deep, that some of her nerve was exposed. I suspect that when they did that, they also pushed some of the infection up into the nerve space and it turned into an abscess. Two weeks after this neato keen appointment, Brenna started complaining of horrible mouth pain and headache. I called the office back and they told me that it sounded like she needed a root canal....WHAT? Oh, and they didn't do those there and I would have to find a general dentist to do it. After much calling back and forth, they finally referred me to one..right down the hall from them. I took her in, sure enough, there was a large abscess and they had to open the tooth, drain the abscess, and pack the nerve root with antibiotics. This was only the start of the root canal. The soonest appointment they had to be able to finish the job, was February 1st. Yeah, they are kind of busy there. Then they will finish the job and then she will need a crown. This will all be to the tune of around $700. At least my insurance will cover 50% of it...but still! Yike! One other blessing is that the new dentist will allow us to make payments on the amount until it is paid off...so we can make that work. Rob has voiced concern that the original dentist had some responsibility in creating this very expensive mess and should be held responsible in some part. I really like this pediatric dental practice, but I really don't know how to broach this issue. 'Hey, uh, you kind of caused a huge mess in my daughter's mouth, and I shouldn't have to pay you for it..?' I don't think they will take too kindly to that. But if I never ask, I'll never know...so I need to figure it out. Any diplomatic suggestions?

I switched health plans this year during Open Enrollment from my $200 a month premium plan, that I couldn't afford to pay the co-pays on, to a no premium, high deductible plan with a Health Savings account attached to it. With my first payroll deduction of the amount of my choosing, Intermountain will deposit $750 right off the bat into said account. Bonus! So when I took Jaron in for his yearly visit with the pediatrician in May and he told me that Jaron had scoliosis and needed a back x-ray to confirm how severe it was, I didn't know how I was going to be able to work that one. Now I have a way, I will just have to wait until January to do it. It will all work out eventually, right?

The Unknown

I applied for my company's nursing program on August 1st....I am waiting, with absolutely no idea if I will even be notified whether or not I am even in the running. My local community college is no longer accepting applications for the Nursing, Radiologic Tech, and Dental Hygiene programs. I was accepted onto the wait list this past December, and am promised that their program suspension will not affect the start date they have given me. They say they are revamping their admissions process, either way, I will start this new career path...someday.

The kids have started school and are pretty happy so far. Quentin got sent to the office for misbehavior, and it was only the 2nd day! He said he was just feeling really tired and didn't want to work. He has been grounded - he is NOT happy about that and asked me endless questions about why such a punishment existed. I explained to him (numerous times) that we institute punishments so that the next time he feels like doing something naughty, he will remember how much he didn't like the consequence and NOT to repeat the action that got him there the last time. I don't think the answer suited him, because he was back 5 minutes later with the same question....He likes to do that. If an answer or situation is not to his liking, he starts this intense, badgering question session. I guess he figures he can wear us down with it, it hasn't worked yet!
We made a quick trip out to California this past weekend for Rob's 20 year High School reunion. It was nice to see some people that I knew, but the reunion itself was kind of a disappointment. At least we ended up winning a $40 GC to The Cheesecake Factory for having the most children out of anyone else in the room! That kind of made up for the $120 we had to pay to go to this thing for everyone else's alcohol consumption and getting no dinner. The impromptu reunion that my husband put together the night before was much better, and much more fun!
I had the wondrous opportunity to go on a FABULOUS cruise to Alaska this past July. It was the ultimate vacation, and I will have to post pictures at a later date! It was a week with my husband and his family and NO KIDS! It took me awhile to figure out how to function!
It has been an awesome summer, but now the waiting for a possible big change in my life begins...

So Much.....

I finally finished Pathophysiology, and I pulled a B+ out of it - I was quite satisfied with that. The class was wonderful and even the instructor said it was one of the best classes she had had in a long time. We had the best class jokes going and it made lecture really entertaining! Like with end stage renal disease....there is a condition called uremia, which basically causes uric acid crystals to be excreted through the pores of the skin, making the victim sparkle....we then proceeded to diagnose the Cullen family with end stage renal disease....get it??? Well, it was hilarious to us....

I am still working at Riverton Labor and Delivery and still very much loving it. It has been one of the most fun jobs I have ever had the privilege of having. I have met some truly wonderful women here, that I am honored to call friends. I lost one of those friends on Saturday, April 30th. My friend and co-worker, Wendy Mack, passed away due to a coarctation repair failure. She was 32 years old, and 33 weeks pregnant. I found out a few days after the event, that the ambulance crew was actually headed to us, because she was scheduled to deliver here. But, there was a massive accident on I-15 that night, so they diverted to American Fork hospital instead. I feel bad for my colleagues at that hospital that had to do such heart rending work, but I am eternally grateful to them. You see, I was the scrub tech that night and had they ended up coming here as planned, I would have been down there in the middle of that horrible section. Looking back on it, I probably would have done it, it was my job, but I don't know how well I would have dealt with it afterwards. And like I said before, I am eternally grateful that I won't have to know. As it was, by the time I got home Sunday morning, I was an emotional wreck. I could hardly stop sobbing long enough to get out the news to my husband, I think I scared him a little.... I will miss her, she definitely was a shining example of the best of womanhood, and I would hope to someday be a fraction of the good person that she was.

I got some good news the night before Wendy's funeral....IHC is opening up their nursing program again for a January 2012 start, they take applications starting August 1st....I have an alert set up on my phone and everything. I actually have a chance this time, and I am pretty excited about it. I'm not getting my hopes up too high though. They are only taking 40 students and it is very competitive. I have all A's and B's and one C+, so I don't know what my chances actually are, but I have some hope that I might have a fighting chance of getting in!

Brenna made the National Junior Honor Society and they had a big induction ceremony and everything, such a proud day...








Jaron turned 11 last month and went on his first overnight campout a couple weeks ago, he was sooooo excited!





Cade's 10th birthday is today and his friend party is this weekend, he is really looking forward to it.



Quentin's last day of pre-school is today, and as of last week, he is sporting the toothless look. He has lost his two front teeth on top, and he is pretty cute!



Haedyn is saying more and more every day and is extremely busy. She has started a nasty nipping habit that she thinks is hilarious..we are nipping that one in the bud early...she loves to bring you things....from all over the house. If something can't be found, the blame usually falls on her!




I finally finished the last picture of my family wall collage that hangs in my kitchen and I updated the kids pictures in the collage. I guess I'll have to post a picture, I was pretty impressed, if I do say so myself....

Okay.....

Yup, slacking again. But with Facebook and all, it's kind of hard to remember to come back to this blog. So, here I am...blogging in the wee hours of early a.m.
Brenna, straight A's...is anyone surprised? She is taking Art this time around and I thought she would be happier about it but I guess she isn't so happy about the teacher, so that has taken any excitement about the class away. She excels at everything except the mile run. She LOATHES it and she is unable to get anything higher than an A- in P.E. because she can't seem to get her time under the required 10 minutes. We all have to have our challenges, eh? She came home just last week with her 8th grade schedule request. She has an option to take beginning guitar next year and ceramics and because she is so advanced in reading, she will test out of that and be able to take a foreign language. She has signed up for Spanish, Daddy is thrilled!
Jaron, he is very active in Scouts and will soon be moving on to Boy Scouts and campouts and such. He is excited! He is wrestling for Herriman High's Jr. League. He has started taking piano lessons and so far, he seems to love it and is really taking to it. He has really taken off in reading and will actually read for pleasure once in awhile.
Cade is also in wrestling and it seems to have really clicked with him. He really buckles down and focuses during his matches and channels his aggression appropriately and has won a couple of matches. He has bulked up a bit and is actually bigger than his older brother at this point. He is still a video game fanatic, and homework is still his nemesis. He will still come up to me and give me random hugs, almost as if to say'"You're still alright mom....you haven't screwed up too bad.." he's such a random kid, I never know what he will do next! He says the funniest and oddest things for a 9 year old. You can't stay mad at a kid like him...
Quentin is in preschool this year and absolutely loves it. It's almost like an episode of Cheers. Every morning when Quentin shows up on the classroom scene, 15 preschoolers chorus "Quentin!" He is immensely popular, apparently. He is a very cheerful and loving little guy for the most part, until you tell him he can't do something that he really wants to do, then he becomes this whiny little stinky monster and boy can he ever pull of the puppy dog eye pout!! He is also in wrestling with his brothers, but he hates practice. He likes to run around but doesn't like to do the drills or exercises, so practices are a chore. It's definitely an introduction to the sport at this point.
Haedyn is still a little thing and I am milking it for all it is worth! I can hardly believe she will be 2 next month! She has a mouth full of teeth and has started nipping family members on the shoulder or the legs..whatever she happens to be closest to when she is in the biting mood. Hopefully she doesn't expand her biting menu...She is obsessed with dogs and Blue's Clues is her favorite show at the moment. She is showing the potential for having quite the little temper when things aren't going as she thinks they should. She has mastered the ultimate crusty and will promptly tell you off in Haedynese if you are displeasing her in any way. She sleeps through the night and is still fairly easy to soothe. She is our only child that likes to tote around a stuffed animal or two or three...and the softer the better! She likes to rub them against her cheek when she is tired, it's pretty dang adorable! She is in nursery and is doing well and thus far goes in willingly.
I am back in school after thinking that I would have the semester off this time round...that's what I get for thinking! I had already been turned down for Pathophysiology before the end of last semester and then I get a call a week before Spring semester starts telling me that they have room and would I like to fill the spot? NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNnnnnnnnnYES....I don't when I will get such an opportunity again, so of course, I take it!! I am fortunate to have a buddy in the class, my friend and co worker, Laura. We are pretty much in the same stage of life and near to the same age. She is one of the most genuine, kind hearted, and hard working individuals I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, so I count myself fortunate. The subject matter thus far is fascinating and horribly difficult all at once. I have scored an 88% on my first test, so I am cautiously optimistic that I might have a chance of doing okay in this class. I am on the Salt Lake Community College Nursing program wait list, and I just got my acceptance letter Saturday afternoon stating that I am slated to start in Fall of 2015....WOOT!! They say that my wait time is actually more like 2.5 years and that if I have a CNA licsense, then my wait time might be even less. Here's hoping.... I have also started dieting and exercising. I now consume a high protein high fiber low fat low carb diet and Rob got an Xbox Kinect, so that I can exercise without getting tripped up by controllers and wires and the like. I have been doing this for over a month and all I have noticed so far is that my clothes are only slightly looser, and I have an inordinate amount of rumble in the Bronx going on and so I feel like a bit of a balloon tire. I don't know about this. I keep hoping that my body will adjust at some point. Rob has been really supportive and encouraging...I think he's just plain pleased that I am making some sort of effort to lose my baby weight now that my babies are teens, tweens, and toddlers...it needs to come off, plus, I am tired of it- so it MUST go!
So anywho, that the most recent scoop from this neck of the woods...ta ta for now!

Isn't She Lovely?

 

 

I can hardly believe I have a 12 year old child! Where did all the time go? Look how grown up she is! When her Dad saw these pictures, he sighed and shook his head. I thought he didn't like them and voiced my concern. He replied..."The pictures are fine, she's just too pretty..." Yes, she is quite a lovely specimen, isn't she?

In A Holding Pattern...

Yup...it's the slacker back for an update! I finished Summer semester and did much, much better than I expected I would. An A in Chemistry and a B in Physiology!!!! Never in my wildest dreams did I expect I would do so well in a subject I loathe so intensely! Like they say, third times the charm! The key concepts finally sunk in at the right time, I dunno, but hey, it finally clicked, and I will take it!

So now I am retaking College Biology and am very happy with my teacher so far. Finally, a biology teacher that thinks that testing you on what she lectured about AND in the order she presented it, makes sense! I have much higher expectations from this class this go-round. The only downside at this point is the postponement of the nursing program I was hoping to get into. IHC has postponed their next possible enrollment until Fall of 2011 and they have released the next two cohorts from their 2 year contracts. Their are just no jobs available in our region for the new grads. My options are pretty slim right now for school. I can't really stomach the idea of paying for a degree through these private schools, and my grades aren't quite there for the university route. I have been told that my one C+ will exclude me from most, if not all, of those programs. The school I am currently attending has a nursing program, with a wait list...........of five years..........but is it my best option right now. I will probably get in within 2 to 3 years, and it won't be too bad. It will be time I get to spend with my family after all the time I've missed with them over the past couple of years stressing about getting 'done' with school.

Meanwhile...

I have a middle schooler! When did that happen? My oldest child has gone from little girl to young woman seemingly overnight! Brenna is greatly enjoying this new stage in her life and all the educational opportunities that she has to choose from. She chose Choir and Art this year for her electives. Her writing has been noticed by several teachers and she has signed up to accompany in Choir. She continues with piano lessons, somewhat grudgingly, but still moving ahead and progressing.

Jaron and Cade are doing well in school so far and both like their teachers. They are currently on their first off track period and are happy for the break. Jaron has started piano lessons and is very diligent about practicing. Cade is, well, Cade. He is rambunctious and cute and active and curious and hates to be made to do anything that wasn't his idea in the first place.

Quentin will be starting school next week Monday and he wakes up every morning asking if today is the day and if his school is open yet. We got him into a local pre school, and it is all he can talk about! On the information form there was a question that stated "What do you like most about your child?" I replied, "His sweet, sunny, and loving nature. He gives the best hugs!" I sure hope he has a great time in school!

Haedyn jabbers up a storm these days and runs everywhere. True, she occasionally trips over her own feet and face plants, but she is something to try and keep up with! She has sprouted 4 teeth on top and 4 teeth on bottom, and she knows how to use them! (Keep your fingers clear, folks!) She enters nursery next month, and Rob and I are pretty excited about it. We've been taking her in for trial runs, and she does pretty well. She may be one of the smallest in there, but she can definitely hold her own, or at least she hollers until the other kid backs off to save their hearing...Really, she is quite adorable, parental bias aside. I love it when she snuggles up to me and pats me on the back, that's one of her newer 'things'.

And for now....that's all folks!

So Glad That Is Over....whatever....

So, I am finally done with this semester....PHEW!!! I took two very difficult classes, and guess what? I only have to repeat one! Yay me! The counselor who advised me that combining Biology with any class was a bad idea, was right. That class was entirely miserable, and so much harder than it really needed to be. I was in this class with some fairly young people, and they were struggling horribly as well. I scored D's on every single test I took. Such a horrible blow to my self confidence, I tell you. I have not EVER done so poorly in a class that I have put so much effort into. I was so frustrated by this course that I burst into tears in the middle of the final, I just knew I was going to fail. I had spent 3 days solid studying for this final, and very little of the covered material was anywhere to be found on that test paper. I was devastated and completely demoralized. My grade was posted by Friday, I got a C, 74.7%, to be exact. I contacted the instructor to see if there was any possible way that I could do some extra research or a paper or anything along those lines to bump me up another 2%, but alas, no, there was nothing to be done. So now instead of getting to apply for the nursing program in August, I will have to wait until December. So, what's another year, eh? I have a goal in sight and I guess I will just keep jumping through hoops until I reach the end. I just hope they don't change book editions between now and Fall semester. I have to have a C+ or better to even get on the waiting list, or to apply for any of the programs available. I managed to pull a C+ out of Anatomy, so I won't have to retake that one, but if I continue with the C's, I won't be able to get in anywhere because there are plenty of people with A's and B's that will get in over me with my bare minimum. So that is my academic life in a nutshell right now....in a holding pattern. I am signed up for Chemistry and Physiology for Summer semester, hopefully this semester goes better than my last...

yup...I'm a slacker.....

I check everyone's blogs on a regular basis and have really enjoyed reading everyone's updates, but I have neglected my own blog here....so sad....
I started at Riverton Labor and Delivery about 6 weeks ago, and I still absolutely love it! I work with a great bunch of ladies and I am learning a ton. I have also gone and enrolled myself in school again. Here I was, thinking that I was almost done with all this undergrad garbage and had some sort of chance of getting into a nursing program - at least a waiting list or two - well, that's what I get for thinking....HA!
I made an appointment to speak with the the nursing program academic advisor, all jazzed because I was finally going to be able to get on the waiting list. He looked over all of my transcripts and gave me the most apologetic expression I have ever seen, and told me, "sorry, no". I was crushed...I started to bawl...he looked extremely uncomfortable, I didn't care. I was informed that to even get on the FIVE year (yes, YEAR) wait list, that I had to have all prerequisites done with a C+ or better. I had three classes that were at a C. Then I got told that my College Biology was the wrong type and that I would have to re-do that one as well..(bunch of money hungry grubbers...grrr), oh yeah....AND I got a C...BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH! So, I moped...I was ticked....and then I enrolled in Biology and Anatomy, both of which have their own separate labs. So....now I am in class Monday through Saturday and working 3 nights a week at the hospital...and I am still doing puppet shows..yup...pretty busy. Though, the shows are kind of dwindling due to the super duper economy, most places can't 'afford' me any longer...yet some of these places can afford nice, big brand new signs....uh-huh..I was breaking them alright!
Oh, and more on the school front...I will be taking Chemistry and Physiology this summer...I just want to be done with it. The adviser mentioned in above paragraph said that my load was an unreasonable one and that I ought to reconsider. I told him I was done waiting to be eligible and done jumping through their hoops and that those C's were earned with little to no effort on my part...so just imagine what might occur if I actually put some effort into the academic foray....could be interesting! OH, and one final burn in the academic dept.......I was also informed that the FCS 1500 (Human Growth and Development) that I took about 14 years ago was now acceptable - GREAT! Except.....I just retook it last semester because I was told that they wouldn't accept it because it wasn't named Psychology 1110, even though it was THE EXACT SAME STUPID COURSE!!!! Oh, but just kidding...we changed our minds at the beginning of last semester, and just forgot to inform you...so sorry! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
I could have taken something else that might have actually gotten me closer to my goal....imagine that.....needless to say that I am more than just a little put out with the administration at this institution. Is anyone surprised?
Brenna is still her generally brilliant self. She continues to diligently practice piano, is an avid reader, participates in student council, and is currently trying out the drama scene by participating in her first play/musical with the South Jordan Community Theatre. She is a townsperson in Aladdin. She is almost as tall as I am and growing up entirely too fast. She will be twelve in June....where did all the time go?
Jaron and Cade are still plugging away at school and scouts and just being boys. Quentin is his usually jolly and entertaining self. And Haedyn is getting bigger, not by much, but definitely bigger. She has mastered crawling and is now trying to move on to standing, and she also loves to climb stairs! She may be little, but she is definitely busy!
So, that's all for now folks, and I might not post anything new until the end of the semester....just sayin'.....

I can't believe it finally happened....

I was able to actually speak with the nursing supervisor of the Labor and Delivery unit for Riverton hospital last week Friday. She assured me that she had received all my messages, and that things had just really been crazy. She told me that she wanted me on her team, she just didn't have a place for me at the time. She told me to please keep checking in with her on a regular basis, and that I would be hired as soon as there was a place for me. So I figured the earliest there might be an opening would be this coming Spring, as that is when that unit tends to be the busiest. So, I was planning on a rather lengthy wait. After this conversation, I promptly emailed the nursing supervisor of the med/surg unit at Riverton to inquire about needs there. She sent me a reply the next day stating that she wouldn't be able to do any more hiring until possibly January, and that she would gladly snap me up when she got approval to hire...either way, I was going to end up at that hospital!

I continued to call in for my scheduled shifts, and my extra ones. On Tuesday night I started feeling funny, scratchy throat and burning lungs, no head congestion though...so i thought maybe it was some air pollution irritation...until the fever started and the coughing began. By Wednesday I was totally miserable, and I was scheduled for a 12 hour shift that night, which I worked - it was seriously the longest night of my life. I had a puppet show the next morning which I dragged myself to and through. By the time I got home I was a total wreck. I shoved something down my throat and dragged myself up to my bed. This was about 1 p.m. Thursday afternoon, I didn't wake up until 7a.m. Friday morning. I have never slept that long in my entire life, and I felt much better for it. I still feel kind of crappy, now it's in my head...headache, stuffy/runny nose....maybe that means it's on its way out....

Anyway...on with the story....I was getting ready to head out to a puppet show for my son's entire 4th grade, when my cell started to ring. I, of course, didn't reach it on time, so I immediately redialed the number and Nina Griffin from Human Resources answered. She asked me if I remembered applying for a position in Riverton's Labor and Delivery unit and I replied that I most definitely did, and then she asked me if I was still interested and I said, "Yes, of course!" And then she uttered some of the most beautiful words one can hear from any one in a position to hire..." We would like to extend and offer of employment to you..." I was just giddy with excitement, I couldn't believe it, FINALLY!!! So, my start date is December 27th, I am so excited - I can hardly wait!

Life Goes On.....and on......and on

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! It's been a couple of weeks, so I figure I better update! A few weeks ago, I received a couple of missed calls on my cell while I was at work. They were from Rob because the night had been particularly rough. Quentin kept waking up every hour crying and in pain because he could not breathe. His crying would wake up Haedyn, and she would start crying. Rob would get Quentin re-settled and then Haedyn, and then Quentin would wake up again, and the cycle would start all over - poor Rob. I finished my shift at the hospital, took a nap in the back of my van, went to perform a puppet show, and came home. I could hear Quentin before I saw him, he sounded horrible, and I knew he would require a trip to the doctor's office...ugh...I was so tired, I just wanted to go to bed! But I knew I would just get woken up by a sad and tired little boy, so I called the doctor, and they were able to get him right in. By the time I got him there, he was in pretty bad shape. They gave him a breathing treatment, but he didn't improve much. It was then decided that he needed an epinephrine nebulizer treatment. Normally, this would require a trip to the ER, but we were in luck, it could now be done in the doctor's office - it only required a 4 hour observation......WHAT? I had only gotten about 2 hours of sleep in the last 36 hours or so, and I was exhausted, but he wasn't improving, and I wanted to avoid a hospitalization, so I agreed. Poor little man slept through most of the treatment and was just an irritable little creature through most of our stay. I wasn't able to sleep either, as there was really no place to lay down in a pediatrician's exam room, so it was pretty miserable all the way around. Eventually we were able to go home, but the doctor really thought we were going to be back in the ER again that night because Quentin really wasn't showing much improvement after 5 and a half hours of treatment. I took him home and put him to bed and put the cool mist humidifier in his room on full blast, it wasn't long before he was sleeping comfortably. I went down to fix dinner and then Rob had to leave for class. The night didn't end there either...oh no...I had gone and signed up for a Zumba class for a relief society girl's night out. Glutton for punishment that I am, I went. It was a lot of fun even if I was beyond the point of exhaustion. I guess it was good that I was so tired, because I could see that I was the fattest woman in the room, but I didn't really care. I worked really hard during that class and I figured that I would not be able to move the next day. Amazingly enough, I wasn't the least bit sore the next morning!

I have been working a lot of hours lately as well. December is traditionally a slow month in the health care business. No one wants to be in a hospital during the holidays, and so I get cancelled a lot. So I have been putting in 40 hour weeks to hopefully lessen the blow when the shift famine starts. I actually got to put in a shift at the new Riverton hospital this last Wednesday, and I really enjoyed it. I was talking to the night nursing supervisor while I was there, he was someone that I knew from the 8th floor at Intermountain Medical Center, I told him about my dilemma with the Labor and Delivery floor there, and he suggested that I just show up on the floor in the next few days and reconnect with the nurse manager, and see if she will give me an answer. He then mentioned that if they didn't want me, that their unit could definitely use me. The charge nurse was also in on this conversation, and told me that she had already emailed her boss about hiring me out of the float pool. Just a side note, her boss used to be our Education Director in the float pool, and she knows me quite well. So, there might be an opportunity there - we'll see...

My adventure doesn't end there however, as I had to return to Riverton this morning with Haedyn. It seems that croup has visited us again. Haedyn wasn't in as bad of shape as Quentin had been, but I wasn't going to wait for it to get to that point. I had put the cool mist humidifier on her for the past two nights, and she was starting to get worse. When I got to the ER, I was the only one there and was immediately taken back. Treatment was started immediately with a cool mist nebulizer which was followed by a decadron syrup dose which we hid in apple juice. By the end of two hours time, she was hardly wheezing and had stopped coughing. The doctor warned me that she might get worse tonight and that we should bring her back if that did happen. I am working a 12 hour shift right now, and my phone has been quiet, so I think she is probably fine for now. At this point, I am just hoping to remain awake for the next hour or so, so that I can return home, crawl into my bed, and sleep for a few hours. There is a plan that includes my mother in law, sister in law, my daughter, and myself going to see New Moon later on today. I saw Twilight with Brenna when it first came out, and was really disappointed along with a lot of other book fans. I have been promised that this movie is a much better representation of the book....we shall see.....

Yep...I'm bragging...

I just finished with yet another round of parent-teacher conferences. The boys did okay. Jaron got told that he just needed to relax and not stress so much, that he was doing fine. He has made huge strides in his reading levels. Cade is his usual rambunctious self, he has a need to touch everything, it's harmless, but people outside of his everyday life just freak out. His classmates like to use it to set him off. They tattle on him everytime he starts checking something out and then he gets in trouble, and then he gets mad. He hates being singled out, always has. I think if everyone concerned would just quit freaking out over nothing, then he would be just fine. He has also greatly improved in his reading levels and mathematics just seems to come naturally to him, but he hates to write. He seems to be struggling a bit this year, but I am sure that once we straighten things out, things should get better for him.
Brenna, on the other hand, is a whole different story. This child has gone and gotten A's in just about every academic area, especially in language arts. She got B's in Math and Science. She says that since she has gotten her glasses, math has been a lot easier - since she can now see the numbers and problems up on the board! She went and entered into the yearly Reflections contest this year. She created 4 separate entries for this contest, one in 3-d art, one in photography, one in music composition, and one in general fine arts. She ended up placing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd and received a participation award. She basically placed for every entry, it was amazing! None of the projects have been returned to her, so we are guessing that they go on to the state level competition. She did every last project on her own, granted, she waited until the day before they were due for a couple of them (can you say stressed out mommy?) but she got them all done and turned in! During her parent teacher conference,her teacher showed me her results from last years state end of year tests....she beat the STATE'S top score by a clean 20 points, I was - once again - completely amazed! Yeah...I was proud too...just a little...

I Can't Believe He's Four!

Quentin Joel Fox turned four today! When did that happen? It's almost as if he went from baby to big boy overnight, kind of sobering.

We started the day with the traditional birthday pancake. Quentin wasn't all too thrilled with this at first. He covered up his face when we started to sing to him and wanted us to stop. But after he blew out his candle, he was just fine, and happily plowed his way through two of them. After breakfast, his older siblings went off to school, and Quentin was ready to go to the toy store - NOW. He slapped on a pair of sandals and headed outside to get in the car. We were able to lure him back in the house, where Rob read him a Seuss Birthday Book, then he took a bath, and then we were ready to go! I had a puppet show to go do, so he came with me, and he actually watched it! After that, we hit Toys r Us, and he was in heaven. He of course wanted just about everything in the store that was transportation related. He found the battery powered ride on toys and decided that the kiddie Cadillac Escalade was the ride for him. He kept telling me, "but I wuv it mommy, I wuv it!" I then told him he already had something similar at home, to which he replied, "I pwomise, but I pwomise!" Not sure exactly what he was promising, but we eventually left with a nice wooden train set. He fell asleep on the way home, and I woke him up trying to get him into the house (that kid is heavy!) He wasn't ready to wake up and was pretty ornery for about 15 minutes, until we opened his new train set. Then he was once again his jolly little self. We then took him out for a late lunch at
Wendy's, where he downed an entire kids meal, then we went to the local library where he checked out an entire pile of Bob the Builder DVD's. Then we returned home again, where he continued to play with his train set for hours, and was still going strong when I left for work. We will be having a party for him this Saturday, where we will do the cake and ice cream thing - the kids were rather disappointed about the no cake thing tonight stating that it was his birthday today, and he just HAD to have a cake! But there was no cake tonight, and Quentin really didn't seem to mind. He knows he is having a birthday party in a couple of days and he is excited for all his friends to come and celebrate with him.
Love you birthday boy! Thanks for choosing our family! I hope you had fun today!