i'm back!

So I thought I would give this blogging thing another try. Lots has changed. Most notably we have a darling baby Reagan Lysle. He is 5 weeks old today. In 3-4 weeks I will go back to work, and Rex will stay home for the 3 days a week I am at work. I am trying my darndest not to dwell on the thought of leaving my precious baby to go to work, but leaving him with his doting daddy is the best option we have. So this one is brief, and when I have more to say, I will. :)

out come the boxes!

I think I am a gypsy. Or maybe something akin to it. We are moving. I do have the ability to stay in one place, I promise! But, when an opportunity comes along that I HAVE to take, what am i supposed to do?! MOVE!! So here is the skinny:
*New job: Denton Regional Medical Center ER (yay for going back to the ER)
-GREAT benefits at this job AND they are going help pay for school (i am hoping to get a masters..after finishing the bachelors that is)

*We don't actually have a place to live yet. :( We are looking. Every day. I think IKEA in Frisco should just let us stay there!

*I AM SOOOO EXCITED! We are starting a new adventure and there are so many opportunities and fun things to do in the area.


*BONUS: my best friend from high school works and DRMC and lives in Lake Dallas! ADDED BONUS: hopefully..i will get to see cassie and lauren..since they are in the area too!! (cuz meeting cole and riley would make my day!)

small victories (and miracles)

sometimes (ok, most of the time) life is hard. really hard. being a nurse and a tender soul has put me in the path to have my heart broken by the pain and suffering around me. i look at the beautiful faces of my 12 (yep 12!!) nieces and nephews and am SO thankful for their health and strength. i see people more afflicted with hardships than we are, and feel so blessed to be healthy and happy and NOT rich. my mom recently got diagnosed with diabetes type 2. this is not a HUGE shock as her mother has it, but for my mom..it pretty much made the world stop. i have seen the really bad side of diabetes and know that while right NOW everything is relatively ok, there is a potential for some MAJOR problems down the road (kidney failure, blindness, losing feet and legs to ulcers, etc) and felt almost panicked that we had to do something to control it. i love my mom, but she is not the most disciplined person ever, so i was a little bit concerned that she wouldn't stick to a diet/exercise program. then the dr told us because her sugar level was so high she would have to go on medicine (dangit) i did not want her to, and to top it off because of the ice/snow that happened..the dietitian couldn't meet with my mom..so i had to set her out on a plan. so after research and more research we came up with a plan..and i printed out a food log, exercise log, and a blood sugar measuring log for my mom to use for a week before we went back to the dr. this was not the best week ever for my mom. she says she is "grieving" food. she threw a tantrum in the grocery store (see throwing veggies on a bread shelf). she called me in a panic because she ate too many wheat thins. a true test of my patience and hers. it wasn't pretty. but yesterday we went back to the dr..and he said she did NOT need medication if she continued to follow the diet/exercise plan!! (WHAT?! WE DID IT???!!! I DID A HAPPY DANCE RIGHT THEN AND THERE!!) thank goodness for the small victory in the start of this very long battle with a very terrifying disease!! :) in other good news, it seems as though despite our car giving us a bad start, we are up and running with no real issues, and thank goodness! i also lost 6 pounds (small victory indeed..but it is a start and has kept me motivated..which is no small thing). and the miracle of the month is Calliope Michelle Willden born in the first few minutes of valentine's day to my brother and his wife. she is beautiful and tiny and precious. and if my camera/computer were talking to each other i would post pics. but for now..just TRUST me..she is GORGEOUS!! i am also continuing to pray for little briley and her battle with leukemia. check out teambriley.blogspot.com for more info. LOVE to you all!!

down with the sickness!!

Ok, so the weather has been RIDICULOUS!! and because of this both Rex and I have come down with major colds/sinus infections! It has NOT been fun. For like 4 days I was in some kind of stupor because my head was so congested that everything around me was kind of "fuzzy" (and yes, I did go to work, and NO I did not inflict bodily harm on anyone!) finally..after 4 very long very miserable days I got some meds from the doctor (after a quick convo in the hallway..it does pay to be a nurse in a hospital) and though I am not over it completely, I feel like a new person! And it is starting to warm up so that helps! Hopefully all of you managed to stay warm and healthy during this awful snow and freezing weather! The only bonus from being sick..cuddling on the couch under blankets watching lots of TV with Rex..it was nice!! :)

this is not as easy as it looks!

I used to be better at blogging. I used to feel better about it. I just haven't felt into it. I mean..I really really like reading all of my friends blogs, but their lives seem more interesting than mine. I also haven't wanted to complain about stuff..and have felt a little negative about stuff lately. So here is a super-quick recap:
*Christmas was awesome..spending time with all of the family was fun!
*New Years was kind of uneventful, but I did get to share a New Year's Kiss for the first time ever!!
*We got a new (to us) car. And despite some initial issues with it..we LOVE it!
*Rex turned 28 two days ago..so Happy Birthday Baby!!

There may be some more exciting things to come. But I can't make any promises. ;)

in my down time

i am bored here at work today..so why not blog?! sure, no one reads it. but let's pretend. :P So first off to backtrack slightly I will tell of a harrowing journey to Willis Texas to visit Rex's dad, brother, and step-mom...i think i mentioned that my lovely little pt cruiser had not been working properly, we got it fixed (allegedly) and were headed down. About halfway there Rex tells me the car is heating up...so we stop at subway in some small town and wait. It cools right off so we try again..about an hour later it heats up again..so we pull over and wait some more. Needless to say this continued to happen so a 6 hour trip took more like 8.5 (yay!). While there, Rex and his dad looked things over and replaced some parts and we thought it was fixed. NOT SO. On the trip back we made it about 2 hours and it started heating up again..so we stopped..and waited..and waited..and waited. It would not cool down. So we stayed the night (and I called into work) and the next day we replaced the thermostat and started off again..and made it to Ft Worth when guess what...it heated up again. So we stopped. And waited..only this time we were waiting for my dad and brother Jake to come through with there big trucks and trailers and haul my stupid car home (and give us a ride). So here I am...without a working vehicle..little money to my name..finally coming to terms with the fact that I HAVE to get a different vehicle. I have never bought a vehicle. I don't want to. It makes me want to cry thinking about how much money they cost. I don't want to. Yes, I realize pouring more money into my car is a waste, but I DON'T WANT TO BUY A CAR! Ok, I know this isn't going to change it, but I needed to vent. Thanks.


On another note, Thanksgiving was great (we missed Skate and her family ALOT) and I made an apple pie...



and MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ME...i got one of these....


yep..that's an IPOD TOUCH..and I LOVE IT!! (yes i know it isn't christmas yet..but it was on sale on black friday..and i couldn't resist when it came in the mail yesterday!)

baby, it's cold outside

ok so not really. but it is coming. faster than i wanted it to. yes i KNOW it is November and that it has been cold everywhere else for a while now, but i for one was enjoying the extended warm season. however, i do LOVE winter clothes, scarves, and boots; so i am pretty excited to wear those (is there a way to wear those things with scrubs...i will investigat that). We don't have cenral heating in the apartment, so we are hoping and praying that the oil-filled mini-heaters will do the trick. it is pretty well insulated and so far has not ever dropped below 65 ish (but i am a pansy and hate being too cold)..so that is something to look forward to. also, there is a big prayer going up that our plumbing does not freeze or we will be up a creek. oh the joy!! :) i have a feeling that we will look back on this time in our marriage with fondness for all the challenges that came our way. isn't that how it is supposed to be? every once and a while i look at Rex and think..that is MY husband, and it is still a little weird to me. at those moments i feel like i need reminding that he is not just my best friend..which is so fun for me. :) 7.5 short months and i am so happy to be his wife!!

it is now fall!

And I am so excited! I miss the colors of the leaves in Utah, but I am happy that it is not hot anymore...FINALLY! We have had lots of happenings here..we have now been married just short of 7 months and are moved into an apartment BY OURSELVES! Happy day! there was definitely much rejoicing on that one! Both of our cars have broken down, Rex's truck has broken down multiple times in fact. Here he is working on changing the spark plugs with some "help" from Ruben!
We also made the purchase (and almost have them paid for even) of a front-loading washer and dryer! I was SOO excited. We debated for a long time about this, because I am cheap and didn't want to spend the money (even though with a little bit of tightening on the budget it was do-able) but in the end we decided that it was what we really wanted and that we (or me) would regret not getting them when we had the chance! so we did it! I took a picture..but the computer is being stubborn and it didn't upload! (so RUDE!) It was a much bigger deal to actually hook up the washer and dryer than to actually purchase it. The apartment sits next to my family's shop and did not have hook-ups, so we had to wire and plumb the lines. The wiring was easily handled by my master electrician father. The plumbing however was left for Rex to handle. Fate was NOT on his side. He first didn't agree with me on the way it should be done (I, of course, am an expert), but the supplies were purchased and we began. After having to repair multiple leaks and trying to come up with the best solution on how to actually get through the shop walls, we were FINALLY able to get it plumbed, and with some ingenious thinking on Dad and Rex's part we now have a gray water collection container for the drainage water that can be re- purposed for other things (we don't have anything to water..but we might some day!) Nonetheless it was quite the ordeal but after about 2 weeks of not being able to wash clothes, it was so nice to finally be able to do laundry (which I normally HATE doing!). Other than that, we have had fun getting settled, buying a TV, hanging out with family and friends and just being us!

yay for me!

i submitted a book review as a guest reviewer for a blog..check it out..i am super excited....

http://thebluebookcase.blogspot.com/2010/09/guest-review-girl-with-dragon-tattoo-by.html


that's all for today!!

i am still me...

Some people in my life seem to have the opinion that I am no longer myself..I have heard such things as "all you ever do is spend time with Rex," and that I am 'just different,' one comment was so brazen as to suggest that I am 'not happy anymore.' So let's here and now put this thoughts aside. I am here to dispel the rumors. I am in fact still me. Happy?...very much so (though if you catch me when I am tired or frustrated about work..I am STILL likely to be cranky). My life is so great right now. Rex and I love spending time together and being the best of friends. I still do the things I love to do. In fact, I am dragging everyone in the house along for the ride. I am currently watching 2 TV shows (past seasons) Friday Night Lights which I watch on Netflix Instant (mostly at Jarrod and Kandi's while Rex plays xbox), and Mad Men which we get on Netflix (DVD sent to the house) I made Mom and Jordan watch too. We are hooked (Mom is now boycotting, but Jordan is a faithful follower..season 2..on its way!!). I am also still avidly reading books. I just finished the third and final book in The Hunger Games series, Mockinjay (it was AWESOME) and am SOOO excited that I am going to be doing a guest review on a book review blog about the book The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo. I really liked the book and am very happy. I started taking a class to become a breastfeeding counselor and a childbirth educator so I can bring some more knowledge to the pregnant women and new mother's in our small town, and I am very passionate about that front thanks to my sisters. Still me. Just fyi. :) Much love.

one of those days

so..about two weeks ago I was just having one of those days were it seems everything and everyone is against you. I got treated badly at work by someone who thinks that they are my superior, and I was trash-talked by some other nurses for absolutely nothing (other than being awesome) and I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of it. We are trying to get everything ready to move into the apartment, and at that point there was still alot to be done, and with all that had gone on at work I was not really feeling like I could handle the apartment too. On the way home from work I was so frustrated and cranky, but when we got up to the apartment, Rex had cleaned and swept and taken care of a ton of stuff that he didn't tell me he was going to and it was such a pleasant surprise. So being in a somewhat better mood we decided to put our Klippan love seat from IKEA together (229..what a steal!) and while putting the arm/back piece on the base it broke and I dropped it (or I dropped it and it broke..really that is not the point) and it landed on my finger and broke the nail almost off in the middle of my nail..I started crying and held my hand over the floor and even though it was bleeding, I kind of just sat there crying. Yes, I am a nurse and know I needed to apply pressure. Yes, I do realize that even though it hurt, it wasn't THAT bad. Apparently all the emotion from the day needed to be released at that moment. Meanwhile Rex is a little flabbergasted as to what to make of the situation. Here I am sitting on the floor bleeding and crying, he then told me I needed to go downstairs to the bathroom and I told him I didn't want to bleed on the stairs (I got a funny look for that one, probably because there was a pool of blood beside me). After washing it off and looking at the damage (pretty ugly, and it hurt, but the nail was still partially attached) Rex wanted to put alcohol on it to 'clean' it..this brought on nausea and I told him no, which he did not appreciate. It was a pretty dramatic 3 minutes. He then goes upstairs to finish putting the love seat together, and proceeds to find out that it is broken (icing on the cake really) and that no we cannot take it back...because I bled on it. HAHAHAHA! At this point, all I could do was laugh. Side note: Rex fixed the broken love seat while I was no where in site. He has also ban me from putting things together. :)

four months

Today Rex and I have been married for 4 whole months (long time..I know!!) and it has been fantastic so far! We have gone on some very memorable road trips together. Spent 9 very long (but beautiful) days apart. And grown into the very best of friends. I am so happy we decided to get married when we did..as his original idea for a wedding date wouldn't have been until this month..to think we could have missed out on this special time together!! ;) Anway...mostly just wanted to say that I am very much in love...and that we are going to IKEA tomorrow to buy stuff for our new apartment...hopefully there will be a post in that!

rolo

I am sitting here at my desk (in a very lonely hallway back in the haunted surgery wing) waiting for this day to be over and eating Rolos. No, I do not NEED to eat the Rolos. This is not the point. I am in fact, eating them, and thinking about the last time I did. Rex and I were driving from Utah to Texas on our "honeymoon" and in our snack bag were chips, pineapple pieces, sunflower seeds, and rolos. I am instantly taken back to the moments we shared on that journey and how I was so at ease being with him, but still unsure of my role as a wife. I do not think that I felt the gravity of the situation yet, and was just in a cloud of happiness. ( note: I remain blissfully happy, but the day I FELT like I was a wife had not come). Sitting next to me on that some 24-28 hour trip was a guy that had driven the same said distance to load all of my crap, marry me, and drive me back ..all within a weeks time frame. He was amazing then, and continues to amaze me with his love for me and all of the cute things he does or says throughout the day. I know that even though times of struggle do await us, I am overjoyed that I have a partner to shoulder the burden with me.

drum roll please....

after 3 months of wedded bliss I have finally gotten enough gumption to make a blog about me AND Rex. Every day is an adventure in learning how to be a wife and a partner for me. Sadly, there are no pictures of the endeavor, but as we may be moving into an apartment this next week (we have been living in my parent's spare bedroom) and I can decorate and make a space all our own, perhaps then I will post. Also, as we did not have a wedding/reception of the traditional nature, and have hurt feelings (jk) that you did not recieve an invite/picture. I will hopefully be getting the pictures together and printed, so IF you do want one..let me know. Otherwise, you will have to be happy with ones that get posted to this lovely blog.

Being married is fantastic. Having Rex by my side everyday no matter what goes on is pretty awesome. He is so loving and caring and takes care of me. The other day, while being insanely frustrated that he could not get our pump working after the power cut off our water supply, I was sick on the couch with gross girly cramps (*ATTENTION* this means for those who had their doubts..I am not preggo) and he came inside and got me a sprite, crackers, tucked me in with a blanket (yes it was 95 degrees outside and super humid, and yes i was cold and shivering) and sat with me and made me feel better. I love him. Figuring out how to make every day count and finding the balance in our lives is a challenge sometimes, but I love it. Hopefully I will be more diligent in posting and will have pictures and anecdotes of married life forthcoming. A quick shout out to Cassie (and Craig and Riley) and Lauren (and Steve)..Welcome to Texas..hopefully we could meet up at some point (think IKEA Cassie...) and have a grand time in this super hot, but great state!! <3