2010 in Color!

As it is now December 31, 2010 I figured now was as good of a time as any to review my year.  I have come a long ways this year (figuratively and literally) and hope to continue to grow as much next year.

I have debated on how to format this one, so I think the simple list format will work nicely.

1. Beginning of 2010- having just graduated RN school my first step of the year was to find a job closer to home.  I was hired on at the hospital at the ER which was super exciting except I was almost fired from the hospital 3 days into my training.  Turns out they don't want to train a nurse who is more than likely moving across the country in a few months.  Through a stroke of luck however I was given a position on the clinic side of the hospital.  I had the wonderful opportunity to help set up and open a afterhours clinic.  This experience was awesome!  It gave me insight into another side of nursing.  It also allowed me to make some great friends along the way.
2. Shortly after starting at the clinic, my then fiance now husband had to leave for officer training in San Antonio.  This was sad, but an experience that had to happen as I know it will be repeated a few times in the future.  The positive of this experience was that I got to spend quality time with Asher, my then future son now son.  While it was a very challenging experience somedays, I wouldn't trade it for anything because I feel that it made my relationship with Asher much closer.  We were able to fly to San Antonio twice to see Bryon.  The minivacations were a blast.  I am very proud of Bryon for graduating from the officer course!



Graduation Day





At Sea World

 



At Sea World



3. After Bryon came home from San Antonio the best thing in the world happened!  I married the most wonderful man ever!  We had a beautiful, small ceremony out at our house.  It was sooo laid back and I think really focused on why we are here:  at then end of the day Bryon and I were married and that is all that matters.



The Wedding Cake Incident



Asher

4. Shortly after our wedding (less than one week to be precise) we finished packing up our house in Kansas and moved across the country to Washington.  Our roadtrip took a little longer than we envisioned and we had a few times where we all tested each other.  It's amazing how road trips can bring out the best and the worst in us.  It was a beautiful drive!  Nebraska took forever to get across, it snowed while we were in Wyoming, Oregon had some crazy mountain roads, and finally we hit Washington!  Upon arriving we spent a few days in a hotel while we looked for a place to live.  We found a cute little house in Spanaway.  Asher made friends with the neighbor kid right away!  Unpacking took way less time than packing did!

Bryon loading the truck.

All packed up and ready.  Good-bye Kansas!

Asher and me at a reststop in Nebraska

My view for the trip.

5.  After settling into our new home, I had to find a new job.  This turned out to be a lot more difficult than I expected.  In nursing school you hear over and over that there is a shortage of nurses and jobs are available by the handful!  Yeah, right.  I applied to lots of hospitals but because I had less than one year of RN experience and no "internship" I wasn't eligible for most of the jobs.  I had a stroke of luck when I applied at an agency though.  Working for the agency has been another valuable experience that I can add to my resume.  It has retaught me how important it is to be flexible!  I get sent pretty much anywhere and every place is a little different.

6.  In July I had an important "first".  I climbed a mountain!  That's right...a mountain.  For the first (and definitely not the last) time in my life I hiked a true hike.  It was very challenging and there were times that I wanted to give up, but I persevered!  Thank-you Bryon for encouraging me the whole time.  The view at the end was fantastic!!  I was sore the next day but I felt alive!

 

7.  August brought about great weather and more opportunities for us to be outside!  It was great to explore so many new places!  Bryon started his work on a more regular basis, I was working mostly full time, and Asher was settling in as well.  We hiked, we biked, it was great month!



I felt like hiding in the tree!




Riding a bike is something that you can forget how to do, but I get better with practice.

8.  September brought many new things to our family also.  Asher started a new school, which he is doing fantastic in!  He has also joined Boy Scouts and has started to learn to play the violin.  I found out that we are expecting a little one in May 2011. We've nicknamed the baby Appleseed because that is how big the baby was when we found out. Bryon and I quit smoking (no small feat, but I am proud that we were able to!)  Bryon had surgery at the end of the month on his jaw.  He had a rough few weeks, grew tired of his soup diet and such, but is recovered now!

Pre-op



Post-op



9.  In October I flew back to Kansas to see my cousin Melissa get married.  She had a beautiful ceremony and I wish her and her husband that best of luck.  I told my parents and sister about Appleseed, they were all excited!  I turned 26 (note to the age fairy, I can stop aging for awhile now!).

10.  November and December brought the holidays!  I have successfully cooked two holiday meals now.  We enjoyed being able to spend time together as a family but missed all those so far away!  We've been able to hear Appleseed's heartbeat, and my stomach is living proof that the baby is growing everyday!  I started a per diem position at one of the hospitals I have worked at for the agency.  I love the floor that I get to work on.



My first belly pic at 10 weeks 4 days, you can barely see the bump!



My latest at 18 weeks 3 days, a lot of growing going on!!

  So that brings us up to speed for 2010.  What does 2011 hold for us?  I am not making a true resolution this year.  I always wind up disappointed because it doesn't work the way I want it to.  Instead, I hope to continue to grow together as a family and continue to grow as a person.  I hope to remember to be thankful for everything I have already, especially when things seem darker.  I am looking forward to giving birth, meeting our Appleseed, and growing as a mom.

To everyone I wish good luck and continued good wishes for the new year!!

Merry Christmas to All!

Just a quick note to wish everyone Merry Christmas.  I hope it has been as good of a day for everyone else as it has been for me.  It was really nice being to spend the day at home with Bryon and Asher.  We had a very relaxing day, got some really cool stuff, and ate some yummy food.  Appleseed is stretching my belly even further right now.

On another note, we miss our families very much!  Our thoughts are especially with Bryon's dad right now since he just had major surgery yesterday.  We miss our friends too that are spread out all over.

Not too much else going on, just wanted to send good wishes to those we aren't with and are thankful for the time we get to have with each other.

Tuesday, Tuesday

Today has been fairly relaxed.  I spent most of it napping with Bryon.  Can't complain about getting to sleep, naps are a favorite past time of mine.  However, with napping all day guilt follows.  I had a mental todo list in my head and I have accomplished one item on it:  Go to the post office.  It's like buyer's remorse, it feels soooo good at the time and then you look back and are like, "Really?!  What have I accomplished today??"

Okay, enough of the pity party because I chose to make my own decisions.  Here is what I have accomplished today:  I got Asher up and ready for school, ate breakfast, worked on one of my christmas presents for awhile, went to the post office, started a blog for Asher, and am currently updating mine.  So all in all, I have accomplished a few things. 

How does one force motivation sometimes when exhaustion is taking over?  I love my family and I want the best for them, so that is a definite motivating factor.  I feel great when I complete what I have set out to accomplish for that day, that should be another motivating factor.  Procratination has been such a big part of my life for so long, going way back to early childhood.  I need to get over that hump and move past the procrastination.  I need to get over that hump pretty darn quick too because once Appleseed comes, timely accomplishments need to be the habit of choice, not procrastination.

As I type this, I wonder, am I procrastinating right now?  Is there something else I should be doing?  Probably, but for now, I am going to do what I enjoy and grocery shop in a little while.

First Holiday Season Post

It's been a little over a month since I last posted and that is for several reasons (or excuses).  This pregnancy has been physically kicking me and made me a little mental.  I had began to lose sight of all the things that are important to me because I felt so lousy. 

I am extremely grateful that our little Appleseed remains happy and healthy inside me.  I am extremely grateful for having such a loving and understanding husband.

I feel like I am in the holiday spirit this year.  We decorated the house up the weekend after Thanksgiving and it looks fantastic!

I cooked a successful Thanksgiving dinner for the the first time ever!  I was very nervous about cooking my first holiday meal, but I needn't have worried!  I only forgot to take out the giblets (I remembered the neck though).

My goal for this holiday season is to continue to give thanks and show love for all the little things and big things that are around me all the time!

Appleseed's Heartbeat!

I got to hear our Appleseed's heartbeat today with a doppler.  I wish Bryon could have been there to hear it too.  It was the most amazing sound in the world.  It was like an exclamation saying, "I'm really, really in there Mom and I am doing just fine!"  I almost cried.  I still almost tear up at the thought of that rapid beating that I heard because it is so amazing that we created a life that is going to be a real human in about seven months.  I can't believe that Appleseed has gone from the size of an appleseed to a lime in just a few short weeks.  The human species is wonderful!

Prenatal Yoga

I went to my first prenatal yoga class last night and absolutely loved it!  It was just the thing I needed to help me begin to get more active and relax me at the same time.  It was also great connecting with other ladies that are having a baby also.  I was the least amount along but everyone excepted me completely.  I loved reconnecting with my breath and focusing on my body and the changes that are happening to it.  Definitely an activity I plan to return to!  I also plan on taking some other yoga classes while I am still early on in my pregnancy.

Thankful

I have decided that I should put down in writing what I am thankful for and why.  No this isn't for a class, it's not an assignment.  I just feel that sometimes we take for granted what we already have.  So here goes:

I am thankful for my wonderful husband, Bryon.  He is my other half, and though I can function independently without him, I feel sooo much better with him.  He completes me.  I am thankful that he cares for me just as much, listens to me, thinks about me, and considers me!

I am thankful for my wonderful stepson (referred to as my son, from here on out in other postings!), Asher.  While I recently came into his life just a couple of years ago, he has accepted me for who I am.  We have days that are a struggle, but each day gets better and better.  I am thankful to have such a loving son in my life!

I am thankful for the little appleseed growing bigger and bigger everyday inside of me.  It is amazing that I have something so small in me that will be a human in about seven months.  I am thankful that we did not have any problems making this little one and I anticipate the day I get to meet our baby.

I am thankful for my mom and dad and my sister.  They have always been there for me.  Sometimes telling me what I don't want to hear, but always supportive.  They will always be there for me in the future.  I hope that I am half as supportive for them as they are for me.

I am thankful for my job.  Even on the days that I am praying the phone will ring to cancel my shift and I have to go in because it doesn't.  Having a full time job enables me to provide for my family. 

I am thankful for my doggies, Fivel and Bear.  I don't walk them like I should, I feel I don't take care of them somedays (I know I do, but...).  They still show love for me everyday like it's the first day I have met them.

I am thankful for having a home.  There is something about coming home everyday that is the nicest feeling in the world.

I am thankful for life!  Without it, what's the point of living?

First Things First

So I have finally reached my motivation threshold to start a blog (something I have been writing in my head for quite some time now).  There are so many things to think about when starting one.  Who am I writing to? Do I really need a theme?  What can I write about that will interest others?

I have decided to start out by writing to myself as an audience.  I don't really have a theme, just comments on my life as it is is right now.  As far as interesting others, as long as I interest myself at the moment, I consider this a success.

With all that being put out there, I say enjoy to those that stumble up my ramblings!