Carpenter

A Brand New Makeover!

2010-08-23T15:57:00.000-07:00

I'm entering a new stage in my life and it's going to be great! To kick it off with a great start, I am changing blogs!

My new blog is entitled "Life is OH so delicious!"

I hope you continue to follow my blog and please, please, please leave comments! There's nothing better than receiving an email saying someone posted a comment on your blog.

Hope you enjoy!

http://lifeisohsodelicious.blogspot.com

A Hoppy Birthday!

2010-08-05T16:19:00.000-07:00

I have always loved my birthday. When I was little, I would tell everyone who would listen that "my hoppy birthday is August 4th"! Even the grocery store clerk knew when my birthday was. It was near impossible to forget my birthday when you had a toddler reminding you every day.

Yesterday was my hoppy birthday on August 4th. It was the best birthday I have ever had! It started out as just a regular day. My mom and I went to my grandma's house for our daily morning walk. I was surprised to see my whole family waiting for my arrival. I've never had a surprise party before and they did a great job of keeping it secret because I had no clue whatsoever.

My grandma had slaved away and made a wonderful breakfast that included strawberry waffles with whipped cream! So good! I wish we had taken some pictures of us all eating breakfast together but there's never a camera when you need one. They even sang happy birthday to me and I blew out a single candle stuck in a delicious bear claw pastry.

Next, I went to work for a few hours. The kids I babysit greeted me with a happy birthday and a beautiful bouquet of flowers! They instantly brightened my day!

When I got home from work, I assumed that my birthday surprises were over but boy was I wrong! Molli and the girls brought by a huge chocolate banana cream pie from a restaurant called Manzana. It is one of my all time favorites! If you haven't tried it, you should go tonight. You'll never forgive me for suggesting it.

My next surprise was a pedicure! My mom, grandma, sisters, and I went to get pedicures together. My nail polish was called "hot shot".

The day is not over yet!

My mom and I then made a quick stop at Sonic for a refreshing drink and headed home to change and get ready for dinner at Justa Pasta! This is one of my favorite restaurants. It's located downtown Portland and they have homemade pasta. I always get their fresh three cheese ravioli with pesto sauce.

There was still another surprise for me! We drove around downtown and finally stopped at the Keller Auditorium. My mom purchased tickets for us to see the stage play South Pacific! I absolutely love plays and I haven't been to one in so long so I was so excited! The cast did a wonderful job and we left smiling from ear to ear.

We went home and crashed. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. It was such a wonderful day! The best birthday I have every had by far! Thanks to all the amazing people in my life who made it possible and thanks for all the birthday wishes I received!

Garage sale or garbage sale?

2010-08-01T20:27:00.000-07:00

That's a good question. I've walked away from quite a few garage sales thinking the junk they were selling would belong much better in the trash can.

Jessica and I successfully completed our first garage sale this last Saturday. And no, I didn't spell garbage wrong. Of course, you always think your stuff is much better and worth much more than the sale down the street.

Our mom and grandma donated 99.9% of the items we were selling. After a few hours of organizing on Friday and running the sale from 9-4 on Saturday, we found out just how successful a garage sale can be. It was a good amount of work but we both agreed it paid off in the end. Maybe next year we'll try it again. Maybe.

Alex

2010-07-30T16:23:00.000-07:00

Timeline

2010-07-29T21:21:00.000-07:00

Since Alex and I are approaching our one year anniversary, I thought I would share some photos. Sometimes these kind of posts can be boring but I'm doing it more for me and the sake of journaling than anything else.

I better start at the very beginning...our first date.

Alex was fresh off his mission and I had just finished my third semester at BYU. He took me on a super fun date to see the Christmas lights at the Oregon Zoo.

Next we come to a dating photo. This is one of my favorite pictures of Alex and I. We drove to Rexburg, Idaho to visit his sister and spent one evening off-roading with some of his friends. He was so proud of how dirty his truck got so we had to take a picture.

We had dated for a year when I proposed to Alex while we were in Maui visiting my grandparents. Here are a few of our engagement photos.

You know that song we used to sing in grade school about "kissing in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. First comes love, then comes marriage," and I won't sing the last part of the song. Anyways, here is the marriage part.

Our honeymoon.

Then we were off to school to begin our life together.

We've done a lot of fun things since we started dating two and a half years ago. I'm sure there will be more to come!

21,097.5 meters to go

2010-07-27T13:57:00.000-07:00

My younger sister, Danielle, has been training for the past few months to run her first half marathon. She signed up for the Smith Rock Sunrise Summer Classic so off we went on a road trip, just the two of us.

Our mom's cousin was kind enough to offer us a place to stay, for which we were most grateful. Thank you Melinda!! (Just a side note: She made us the most delicious dinner ever!)

The Cascade Mountain Range stands between our home and Eastern Oregon so we made our way over Mount Hood.

It's amazing to me that you can go from lush, green trees as far as the eye can see (above photo) to brown, brown, and brown in a matter of minutes. Both landscapes are beautiful but complete polar opposites.

We arrived in Crooked River Ranch, Oregon just in time to see the beautiful sunset.

The next morning, we awoke at four to head for Smith Rock to prepare for the race. I seem to be really good at being in the right place at the right time to see really amazing views! This sunrise greeted Danielle and I.

Danielle had a great start to her race. I'm so jealous of her running capabilities!

She finished just under her goal of two hours. Congratulations!

Sign her up for a marathon now! I'll be there to cheer her on!

And That's A Wrap

2010-07-21T21:01:00.001-07:00

I believe I've come to the end of my Tongan posts. I've got a million more stories to share but I don't want to bore anyone any further. However, a few photos may sneak into future posts. So here it is, Tonga in a nutshell.

Beautiful views.

Wonderful friends.

Unforgettable nursing experiences.

From womb to tomb.

Humble lifestyle.

Beautiful beaches and so much fun!

I'm so incredibly grateful for all the wonderful memories and friends that were made on this study abroad trip! I had so much fun and learned so much. I hope to return someday with my husband. Thanks to all who showed interest in these posts!

And that's a wrap!

An Unwelcome Guest

2010-07-18T19:01:00.000-07:00

While we were on Tongatapu we stayed in the Liahona which is the LDS church school. Weather stripping seemed to be lacking and there was an inch gap under our front door. Each night when we came home we had to "de-bug" our apartment. Our efforts were in vain as we would watch centipedes creep in by the dozens.

Unfortunately, centipedes aren't the only thing we had visiting us. One evening we discovered a very unwelcome guest who had taken up residence behind our refrigerator.

We argued about who would be brave enough to "take care of the problem," but no one was overly eager to volunteer.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not by any means a fan of giant spiders but I wasn't about to go to bed knowing that this was behind our refrigerator, so I gathered up all the courage I could muster and stepped up to the plate.

I grabbed a tennis shoe, not mine of course, and squeezed my arm behind the refrigerator to get a better angle. Just a side note, spiders with really long legs run extremely fast! My roommates and I screamed bloody murder as it ran towards us from behind the refrigerator. After a few attempts, the shoe made contact and the spider fell to the ground.

Robin was kind enough to pick it up so I could take a picture and then quickly discard it outside before it had time to come back to life.

Overall not one of the highlights of my trip, but just thought I would share with you.

From Shots to Smiles

2010-07-17T23:54:00.003-07:00

One of our clinical rotations was spent out in the community giving immunizations to the school children.

The community nurses and I drove out to one of the elementary schools with our supplies in tow.

We arrived at the school and I pulled out my camera to take a few photos.

(One of my favorite pictures from Tonga!)

A few boys ran up to me, posed with huge grins on their faces, and shouted "Picture, Picture!" I willingly took a photo of these handsome boys.

A few bystanders noticed me taking a picture and jumped in to get their two seconds of fame.

These boys then called their friends over to get in on all the fun.

Tongans love having their photo taken! Before I knew it, I had children knocking me down to get a photo of themselves!

How could I possibly say no to those faces?

Next came the hard part. Immunizations.

At first they were excited to see a white person, but they soon caught on to what I was going to do to them. They stood in the door with tear-filled eyes.

Tonga has a 99.9% immunization rate! It's mandatory to be immunized. The government pays for the nurses to visit every school and make sure each child receives their shots. The 0.1% that aren't immunized are the few babies they can't find.

Despite the pain I caused, they were eager to show me their battle wounds.

So what happens if a child is not at school the day the nurses come to give immunizations?

Simple, we hunt them down.

This boy wasn't at school because he was sick. We drove to his house and yelled from the van until his mother came out. The nurses explained that her son needed his immunization and she obediently brought him to us.

Now we can check him off the list.

Next on the list of absent children was this boy.

Check.

You can run, but you can't hide.

And last but not least...

Check, check!

All children found and immunized! Now we can rest peacefully tonight.

Sunshine and Summertime

2010-07-11T22:17:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting to do this post because I think it's going to be one of my favorites. When I first learned Tonga was one of the options for my nursing abroad experience, I immediately thought about beaches! Tonga is known for their beautiful beaches and crystal clear water. We only spent a few days at the beach but I enjoyed every second of it.

See that teeny tiny boat? We rode an hour and a half on that boat to a small island that is inhabited by nine families. All sixteen of us rode on that boat! Eight students, two teachers, and six Tongans. I repeat, there were sixteen people on that small boat! Eight of us sat on the roof and the other eight sat inside. I have to admit I was a little nervous and it wasn't very reassuring when the twelve year old boy that was with us began scooping out buckets of water after arriving.

The view alone was worth it though.

We spent an afternoon at this beach, a local favorite.

We were the only white people and the only ones wearing swimsuits. The Tongans thought we were crazy because we purposely laid in the sun while they avoided the sun like the plague.

The beaches on Tonga were more beautiful than I ever imagined!

(Special thanks to Erin and Danielle for letting me use some of their photos for this post!)

Aotearoa: The Land of the Long White Cloud

2010-07-10T21:37:00.000-07:00

A brief glimpse of the ever so beautiful New Zealand!

We had a two day lay over in Auckland, New Zealand on our way to Tonga. Bummer!

Rugby is huge in New Zealand! They practiced all day in this park across from our hotel.

We took a harbor tour and saw a few of Auckland's sites.

This man was one of the performers in the Maori show we watched.

Don't worry, he's not naked. But pretty close to it!

Auckland is a beautiful city! I can't wait to go back to New Zealand and see the south island, which the locals call the better and more beautiful island.

Brigham Young Francis Drake

2010-07-01T23:01:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering, we did get some opportunities to practice our nursing skills in Tonga.

This 18 year old girl, pregnant with her first baby, labored at home all night and all day before she arrived at the hospital.

We were able to offer counter pressure and labor support measures throughout the afternoon while we awaited her delivery. No epidurals are given in Tonga so we did our best to make her as comfortable as possible.

One of the head nurses brought us cake which we ate in front of this poor girl. When we asked what the cake was for she said one of the patients had brought it to the hospital for the nurses. We all agreed that the cake was to celebrate this baby's birthday! We jokingly call it "labor cake" because we didn't get a chance to wash our hands before the nurse forced us to take the cake. I don't even want to think about what sort of fluids may have been on my hands while I ate it. Some things are just different in Tonga. I must say though, it was really good cake!

After several hours, she gave birth to a baby boy!

The next day, the baby's father thanked us for all the support we offered his wife throughout the labor. He then expressed his desire for us to name his son. In Tonga, the family of the father names the first child and the family of the mother names the second child. It continues in this manner back and forth for each additional child. For him to take this right away from his family to give to us was a really big deal and a huge honor!

After much discussion, we decided on the name Brigham. In Tongan it's Biligahame.

His father added Young as a middle name and his father's family chose Francis Drake as two additional names. Brigham Young Francis Drake.

Poor kid.

We later learned that if you name a child you are considered Aunties and have the responsibility of taking care of that child throughout their life. Maybe that will be my excuse to return to Tonga some day.

A Bird's Eye View

2010-06-30T23:15:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what you can see from the window of an airplane.

Goodbye Utah!

Hello Tonga!

This tiny toy airplane carried us from the main island Tongatapu to Hapai and then to Vavau.

I emphasize the word tiny.

I was in the very back when I took this picture. And that's not first class behind that blue curtain, that's the cockpit.

One of my friends was chosen to sit with the pilots during the flight.

The airports in Tonga are just a smidge smaller than the ones here in the states.

It gives "one man show" a whole new meaning for me now. It's fun to see the woman who checked in your baggage take your ticket and also get on the plane as your flight attendant.

My favorite part of the airplane journey?

A bird's eye view of the "Friendly Islands".

Tonga is composed of 169 islands. Of which, 36 are inhabited.

Teeth, Teeth, and more Teeth

2010-06-28T15:26:00.000-07:00

Each day in Tonga we rotated between the various clinics at the hospital. One of my favorite rotations turned out to be the dental clinic. Although dentistry is not included in my scope of practice in the states, I enjoyed the opportunity immensely!

I spent the first hour or so in the clinic and watched a root canal, teeth pulled, and a cavity filled.

The dental clinic was decorated with posters teaching about proper oral care. This particular poster got a little lost in translation.

First of all, I definitely hope that a hurt on your body is not breeding in any way shape or form!

Second, I'm not really sure how you soak something in a (singular) milk or a (singular) fresh water.

Our next stop? The elementary schools!

We traveled to a few elementary schools where the children were lined up with a water bottle and a toothbrush.

Once a week, the dental clinic travels to all the elementary schools and teaches teeth brushing.

We hooked them up with some toothpaste and they went to town brushing those pearly whites!

We sang a song as they brushed each area of their mouth...

and stood back when it came time to spit!

Everyone then got two squirts of fluoride and swished for one minute as we shouted, "Pu Pu." clap clap. "Pu Pu." clap clap. (Translation: swish swish!)

Here we are with sparkling clean teeth!

Sunrise to Sunset

2010-06-25T17:58:00.000-07:00

One of the things I miss most about Tonga are the beautiful sunrises and sunsets.

This sunrise takes my breath away every time.

And these are what I had to look forward to each night.

A Whole New World

2010-06-22T18:38:00.000-07:00

What's the food in Tonga like you ask?

Um, Um.

Well, let's just say it's a little different than I'm used to.

Yes it is. That's a whole pig they cooked for us in their underground oven. The meat was quite good but just a little hard to eat with that pig snout pointed my direction.

It arrived in this large cooler and they cut off the meat right in front of us.

A few of the things on this menu included kasava (tapioca root) pie (seen on the left in an uncovered 9X13 pan), sweet potato (the giant potato to the left of the crab), crab, pig, whole fish (the covered plate on the far right), chicken (in the pot in the upper left hand corner), corn (on a plate right behind the crab), papaya and shaved coconut (just to the right of the woman), and coconut (behind the woman, we called them Tongan juice boxes).

This was a wonderful family that invited us over for what they called an "authentic Tongan" dinner. Among other things, they served watermelon and lu pulu. The lu pulu are the two dark dishes located on the front of the table.

Lu pulu is made of canned corn beef wrapped in taro leaves and cooked in coconut milk.

These are taro leaves.

Enjoying our authentic Tongan dinner.

When all is said and done, I'm glad to be back to American food.

Malo e le lei!

2010-06-14T20:49:00.000-07:00

After a month in Tonga and 35 hours of traveling in one day (we crossed the international date line) I have made it home. Tonga was a blast and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to go!

Over the next few days or possibly even weeks I will post some of my adventures, so stay tuned!

Where are the tulips?

2010-05-12T13:57:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Alex and I went on a date night to the tulip festival at Thanksgiving Point. I've been to a tulip festival in Oregon before and it's amazing! So, I dragged Alex up there with my camera in tow.

This is what I recall the tulip festival looking like in Oregon. Tulips as far as the eye can see!

Naturally, I assumed the tulip festival here in Utah would be similar. Right?

Wrong!

My first thought was, "Where are all the tulips?"

The thoughts following consisted of, "Did we come to the right place?" and "We paid 20 bucks for this?"

We did manage to find a few tulips and snap a few photos, but next year I'll think we'll pass on Utah and just head to Oregon for the tulip festival!

Tonga! Here I come!

2010-05-11T12:35:00.000-07:00

The day has finally arrived! I have been packing and preparing to leave this Thursday for the Kingdom of Tonga. Hopefully I'll come back with a nice tan and some gorgeous photos!

I'll try to update my blog at least a few times to keep everyone posted on my adventures. Feel free to leave comments and questions!!

PW photo contest.

2010-04-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

I entered the Pioneer Woman photography contest today. The theme is landscapes.

I took this picture while I was on a road trip with my mom and grandma.
Pretty good for just a point and shoot and no photoshopping eh?

Here it is after a little help from photoshop. Which one do you like better?

It makes me miss the Oregon coast. The warm sun, the soft sand, the cool breeze, the sound of the waves, pretty much everything except for the "so cold I can't feel my feet anymore" ocean water.

Anyways, hopefully PW likes my photo! Here's another photo I took that same day.

Tomorrow I can enter another picture!

A friend named Jean.

2010-04-15T11:36:00.000-07:00

Today I went to visit my friend named Jean. She was my first patient ever as a brand new student nurse!

Jean gave me permission to post about her, so I'm not violating HIPAA

The only thing I knew how to do at that time was take someone's pulse and blood pressure. The poor lady, I must have practiced taking her blood pressure and pulse a thousand times. It's a wonder her arm didn't fall off! She didn't mind though. She is one of the sweetest people I have ever met! She reminds me a lot of my great grandma but without the bright lipstick.

Jean just recently turned the big 80! She has had quite the life. She was married for 60 1/2 years before her husband passed away a few years ago. She has 5 children, 12 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren, and 1 great great grandchild! I told you she was amazing!

Not a Giveaway

2010-04-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

This is not a giveaway. I'm sorry.

But every girl needs one of these!

You can thank me later.

Girl's Night Out

2010-04-08T09:17:00.000-07:00

My sister and I left roommates at home and went out for a night on the town! Our evening began with a shopping trip to Old Navy and the mall.

Danielle and I both scored some awesome $100 banana republic jeans for only $25! I know you're jealous!

Next, we headed over to a movie after we grabbed some frozen yogurt and custard for dinner.

Let it be known that you have been warned. This is an incredibly sad movie! I should have known...it's based on a Nicholas Spark's book. Danielle and I must have single-handedly emptied an entire box of tissues! Sniffles were heard throughout the audience. I'm pretty sure even the men were at least a little teary eyed. If you don't cry through the second half of this movie...you have no heart!

Top Secret Cheesecake Recipe

2010-04-02T09:59:00.000-07:00

Because so many of you have been begging me for my delicious cheesecake recipe, I have decided to share it with you. Ok ok fine... only one of you asked. No matter though, I'm going to share it with you anyways because I know you'll love it.

Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake

Crust Ingredients:

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup melted margarine

Filling Ingredients:

4 8-ounce pkgs. cream cheese

1 ¼ cups granulated sugar

½ cup sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5 eggs

Topping Ingredients:

½ cup sour cream

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Canned whipped cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place a large pan or oven-safe skillet (that the cheesecake pan will fit inside) filled with about ½-inch of water into the oven while it preheats. This will be your water bath.

2. Combine 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon into a medium bowl. Mix in 1/3 cup melted margarine. Press the crumb into a 9-inch spring form pan that has been lined on the bottom and side with parchment paper. Use the bottom of a drinking glass to press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan and about 2/3 the way up the side. Wrap a large piece of foil around the bottom of the pan to keep the cheesecake dry when placed in the water bath in the oven. Put the crust in your freezer until the filling is done.

3. Use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese with sugar, sour cream, and vanilla. Blend mixture for a couple of minutes or until the ingredients are smooth and creamy. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl and then add them to the cream cheese mixture. Blend the mixture just enough to integrate the eggs.

4. Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the filling into it.

5. Carefully place the cheesecake into the preheated water bath. Bake for 12 minutes at 475 degrees, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the top of the cheesecake turns a light brown or tan color. Remove the cheesecake from the oven to cool.

6. When the cheesecake has cooled, combine ½ cup sour cream and 2 teaspoons sugar. Spread the sweetened sour cream over the entire top surface of the cheesecake. Cover and chill the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. To serve, slice the cheesecake into 12 equal portions. Apply a pile of canned whipped cream to the top of each slice and serve. Makes 12 servings.

Enjoy!

Spring Has Sprung

2010-03-28T11:31:00.000-07:00

Our friends invited us to the first barbecue of the spring.

We went to Rock Canyon Park and set up all our gear.

Alex manned the barbecue and I the camera.

We enjoyed our food and basked in the sun.

Hopefully there will be many more barbecues to come!

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

2010-03-21T21:13:00.000-07:00

Photography by: Emily, Edited by: Alex

Just a novice.

2010-03-19T19:52:00.000-07:00

My mom is letting me borrow her nice canon camera for a few months. Alex and I took it up the canyon today for a test drive. Let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I am not a professional so please be kind.

Skating On Ice

2010-02-27T10:45:00.000-08:00

The BYU nursing program put on an ice skating activity for the nursing and accounting students.

I haven't been ice skating since... I don't even remember the last time I have been ice skating.

Alex caught on pretty quickly. Here he is showing me his triple toe loop!

Me on the other hand, that's another story.

Danielle and her friend from the nursing program came with us.

It was really fun! I'm proud to say that none of us fell.

2014 Olympics! Here we come!

Sometimes life is just a little too short.

2010-02-16T19:00:00.000-08:00

The last few days I've been thinking about how short life can be.

One minute you're on top of the world, and in the blink of an eye you're pulled from this earth.

Yesterday, Alex's cousin passed away suddenly of a heart attack at the prime age of 25 years old.

Why do things like that happen?

Why?

I guess I'll never know.

Alex's cousin was a good guy. He was the kind of guy who would do anything for anyone.

He didn't talk much, but what he did say was kind.

I didn't know him very well, but I liked the way he chuckled when something tickled his funny bone.

He treated others with respect.

He loved his family. I could just tell.

He was loved.

We will think of him often.

We will miss him and his chuckle.

Sometimes life is just a little too short.

His life was just a little too short.

Flowers and Food ... A Valentine's Delight

2010-02-15T11:29:00.000-08:00

Alex got me flowers...

and I made a cheesecake!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Isn't it nice to be loved?

2010-01-11T15:57:00.000-08:00

I received this in the mail a few days ago...

(Sorry it's a little blurry. There wasn't enough light and I couldn't hold it still enough.)

Jordan is a little girl I babysat in high school almost every week. She and her three sisters were some of my best friends! I gave them a movie for Christmas and this is her thank you letter.

Her letter almost made me cry.

I realized how much I miss Oregon, my family, and the people I grew up around.

Isn't it nice to feel loved and wanted?

Where's Alex?

2010-01-09T21:16:00.000-08:00

Can you find him?

There he is!

Alex received this new gun and camo for Christmas. (Thanks Ken... it's just what I've always wanted. (there's slight sarcasm in my voice that you can't hear.)) He is quite excited about it and wanted me to post about it on the blog for all to see and admire.

So everyone... look and admire!

Don't you wish you had one of those?

The Decision is Final

2009-12-17T12:08:00.000-08:00

Remember way back when I asked for opinions on places I should go for my nursing abroad semester?

Well, the options changed significantly and after much debate I have decided to go to...

Tonga

Tonga looks pretty good to me! (Except, maybe not the guy on the left.)

A Sewing Lesson

2009-12-10T20:31:00.000-08:00

Alex learned a new skill this week!

While I was making dinner, he randomly pulled out the sewing machine.

He was working very intently for quite a while.

What is he making?

Maybe it's a Christmas present for me!!

Or maybe...

I should have known!

He was adding to his gun paraphernalia.

I'm still so proud of him! He knows how to sew now!!

Berry Burst

2009-11-21T11:11:00.000-08:00

Uncontrollable coughing for hours in the middle of the night isn't very much fun.

Wednesday Night: I banished myself to the couch so Alex could get some sleep. By drinking some hot honey water, lying on my back, being super still, and trying not to swallow, I managed to get three or fours hours of shut-eye.

Thursday Day: I didn't cough once the whole day! My voice was a little raspy and deeper than usual but I felt fine.

Thursday Night: The uncontrollable coughing starts again and my sweet husband (who gets a gold star) goes to the store at three o'clock in the morning to get some cough medicine.

Why do they call it berry burst flavor? It sure as heck doesn't taste like berries bursting in my mouth! I have to say it tastes disgusting, but it works. My cough went away and because of the drowsy side effects, I slept until noon the next day. It felt wonderful.

Friday Day: My voice is almost completely gone due to hours of coughing the night before.

My mom calls...

me: Hello? (In my extremely raspy almost completely gone voice.)

mom: Oh I'm sorry, I have the wrong number.

me: No mom it's me, Emily!

mom: Oh sweetie! You sound awful. You sounded like a little old lady. I thought I had the wrong number for a second.

Please oh please can I just stop coughing!

Perfect Timing

2009-11-18T12:15:00.000-08:00

I haven't been feeling well the last couple days. Alex has been taking great care of me by fetching top raman noodles and ice cream. Today I received a care package in the mail from my grandma (Baba). Perfect timing! It was just what I needed to boost my spirits.

Everyone needs a Baba!

Friday Night Out

2009-11-14T12:30:00.000-08:00

Friday night, Alex and I got invited to go with two other couples from our ward on a date night. We went to a place called Jump On It in Lindon, Utah. It's basically about 30-35 trampolines all put together that makes for a mad house!

It turned out to be pretty fun after we got used to the foul sweat smell from the hundreds of kids running around! You think I'm kidding, don't you? I almost purged several times. Anyways, I snapped a few shots of Alex "jumping on it".

The three guys had fun playing football while the three wives sat on the sidelines and watched most of the time. Don't worry, we got our fair share of jumping time. After an hour of straight jumping though, your stomach starts to remind you of what you ate for dinner.

Here's a few of Alex's tricks!

Where are you Christmas?

2009-11-13T14:28:00.000-08:00

Alex and I both LOVE Christmas and we couldn't bear it any longer... we got a Christmas tree and decorated it today! We realize we're a little early but we leave the middle of December to go home and we wanted a chance to enjoy our decorations. I decorated our little tree while Alex put up some lights. The end result is a little Christmas cheer!

a little hard work +

a tree + lights

+ sparkly decorations =

Our first Christmas Tree!

Don't worry, we haven't forgotten about Thanksgiving!

A possible career

2009-11-05T11:37:00.000-08:00

This is what I did yesterday for twelve hours during my labor and delivery nursing clinical!

Inserted a few of these:

(Yes, that is a foley catheter.)

Made sense of this every fifteen minutes:

And, my favorite part, helped assess these:

And I loved every minute of it!

Another Year

2009-10-26T11:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Clint!

You're the best big bro I could have ever asked for! I miss and love you more and more every day!

A Tough Decision

2009-10-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

This coming spring I have the opportunity to participate in a nursing abroad experience. Alex and I decided that it's a once in a lifetime experience and I am so excited! The only problem is that I can't decide which country I want to go to! The options are:

Amman, Jordan

Taiwan

Ghana, Africa

Guayaquil, Ecuador

What's your vote?

Then and Now

2009-10-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

Alex and I last October. Dating and so in love.

Alex and I this October. Married and still in love.

I can't believe how fast time flies!

Oh to carve a pumpkin

2009-10-22T17:42:00.000-07:00

Alex and I decided to organize a group date for last Saturday. It ended up being so much fun! We went with our neighbors and my sister, Danielle, and her date Austin. We drove down to Springville where they have a u-pick pumpkin patch. After a few wrong turns, a construction roadblock, a u-turn, and a phone call asking for directions, we finally arrived at Jaker's!

The six of us then proceeded to wander through the patch looking for just the right pumpkin.

Some were too small...

Some were too lopsided...

Some were too warty...

And some were just plain gross...

But these were just perfect...

(You can probably guess which one is mine and which one belongs to Alex.)

Then it was time for the carving!

And the finished product!

Alex wasn't quite done with his pumpkin by the end of the date, so there isn't a cute picture of us with our carved pumpkins. But here's what ours look like a few days later and a little shriveled. Can you guess what Alex's pumpkin is supposed to be?

I'll give you a hint...

Happy Halloween!

School, school, and more school.

2009-10-17T17:40:00.000-07:00

I thought I would post an update on what Alex and I have been up to these days.

Alex has been super busy with school and work. He has really enjoyed his information systems classes and is thinking of changing his major to I SYS and Economics. A double major will add another year to his schooling but in the end we think it will be worth it. Luckily, Alex has been able to enjoy a few days of shooting with his friends. I'm not sure why but he has suddenly taken up an interest in hunting. Anything from prairie dogs to coyotes will satisfy his craving but he hasn't had any luck yet. It's fine with me just as long as he doesn't bring it home for me to cook.

As for me... school has pretty much been taking up all my time. Everytime I turn around there is a test to study for or a few hundred pages of reading. It's good though and I'm learning a ton! I love nursing and I'm so excited to graduate! Each semester I have a clinical in a different area of nursing. This semester is the childbearing and childrearing semester. For childbearing clinical, we drive 45 minutes to IMC hospital in Murray, Utah. We work a twelve hour shift in the labor and delivery and postpartum units. The childrearing clinical is an hour drive and a 15 minute trax ride to none other than...

I get to spend two six hour shifts a week with children! It's so amazing to work with these children. I can't even imagine what they are going through. Some of them have spent months in the hospital yet they are still so full of life. They are such a great example and I'm so lucky to have the opportunity to be working with them. Stay tuned for an update on my labor and delivery clinical in a few weeks.

My favorite time of the year!

2009-10-04T16:54:00.000-07:00

I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house.
So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air.
- Nathaniel Hawthorne

Fall is by far my favorite time of the year. The colors are so gorgeous! Alex and I went for a Sunday drive up Provo Canyon and this is what we found...

What's your favorite time of the year?

Thank goodness for mothers!

2009-09-30T15:25:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to tell everyone that my mom is the greatest!! Happy Birthday Mum! I love you!

We forgot our camera...

2009-09-13T16:29:00.000-07:00

Sadly, we forgot our camera so these are the only pictures we have of our honeymoon. We were so lucky and had the opportunity to spend three days on Kauai and a week and a half on Maui.

We drove up to Waimea Canyon in Kauai. It's the "Grand Canyon" of Hawaii.

Watching the surfers while we eat our red hot dogs from Haiku.

Cruising around Maui in the ever so faithful "Jimmy".

We went para sailing in Maui. It was so much fun and I would highly recommend it!

Home Sweet Home

2009-09-10T15:36:00.000-07:00

Alex and I finally got moved into our new place and we love it! It's a ten minute walk from campus and is nicer than we ever imagined! Thanks to all our wedding gifts, we were able to decorate a little.

Our family room.

Another view of the family room.

Our kitchen where I cook up a storm every night.

The dining area.

The bedroom furniture was given to us by Alex's parents.

We even have a guest room for visitors! Come visit us!

A Whole New World

2009-08-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

This blogging thing is new to me but my sister (yes you Jessica) informed me that marriage marks the coronation into the blogging world. Blogging is a whole new world to me so I'll try my best... here goes nothin'!