Monday, November 9, 2009

Knowing Just enough to be Dangerous......


So, I have this thing about tests, speeches, class presentations, etcetera. I know that I will do really well on those things if I get nervous beforehand. It's kinda weird, I know. If I totally skimp on the preparation or whatever, no nerves it is a pretty good indication that I will bomb said speech, test or presentation. Once I was giving a speech in church and while I was speaking, I kept hearing a fast flapping sound. I finally figured out where the noise was coming from-me. My legs were shaking so bad that my pant legs were flapping like I was a flag in a tornado. That turned out to be a really great talk.

So Friday, I show up for the test-stone cold.

No nerves.
No butterflies.
No nuthin'.
Shoot, I'm gonna bomb for sure.
Then, I got ALL-that's right-ALL 265 questions possible.

See, the NCLEX is a test of minimum competancy. That means that there is a minimum of 75 questions and a maximum of 265 in a 6 hour time limit in which to make sure new nurses don't kill anybody. So I test, and the test doesn't turn off after 75. Which means the test still isn't sure that I meet the minimum competancy expected of new nurses.

Ok, I'm thinking, no sweat. The test can shut off anytime between now and 265, just a soon as I prove I'm minimally capable. Nope. Question after question after question.......you get the picture.
So, this weekend was the weekend from hell. Specially because I had already told everybody that I was taking the test, so there was no hiding the fact. And my friends even got me presents to 'celebrate,'

Then, the results. I passed. I have successfully graduated from nursing skool and passed the NCLEX, the state boards of nursing, the gateway to honest emplyment wiping people's butts and taking care of many other bodily fluids.........wait a minute, is this really what I want to do?

I AM still only 5 credits away from graduating from BYU with my Russian degree.......

Hey, at least Heather isn't gonna make me sleep on the couch tonight.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Mohawk Redux




More Camping

What else does one do when camping?
Look beautiful in the morning right after waking up of course.
I think Heather had just sneezed in this one.....
Our campsite. Where we enjoyed a blazing fire and adult conversation without chill-uns' every night. It was wonderous to behold.
He actually looked the best in the morning, actually.


Notice our diaper bag, strategically placed downwind of our camp. Yeah. Camping with three chilluns in diapers. Not a feat for the weak at heart. Or nose.
Breakfast. The most important meal of the day. Especially f I have anything to do with it. I. Love. Breakfast.

Brenin.

Work it, baby, Yeah, do your thing. Oouuuuu-wee! (this was taken either right before or after I lit the Pam No-Stick spray on fire like a flame-thrower and flambeyeed the pancakes)
Slides
Built just for little people
Impervious to your hard plastic
And your rocky dirt landing
Over and over and over and over again
Up and down we go.
Um, Jack.
Yeah Dad.
Brenin doesn't need any help.
Ok. -Pushes Brenin-
Nice.
You're welcome Bre-Nin!
(Brenin) Auugghhhh!

Learning to throw rocks. Such a boy thing.

Behold, there went out a sower to sow: And it came to pass, as he sowed.............
And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth.........

Friday, October 16, 2009

Camping World With the Turners

(warning; long post ahead)
We went camping this summer with our good friends from Wa, the Turners.

They have actually relocated to Boise, so we met them halfway at a Camping World near Tremonton.
Here is one of many pictures to come of the girls. Both beautiful, both tall, and friends since 1894. Or something like that.
In addition to a river, the place had a hot springs pool that was a lot of fun. The water tasted funny, but it was soooooo warm, it was delicious anyway.
Jack is such a good swimmer now, we love our little fish.
Heather liked the water, too.
This is Jack, before he ventures out to the sandpit. He had a lot of fun there with the boys,
Brenin and Logan.

Mmmmmmm, ribeye. Need I say more?
Also, grilled pineapple and roasted corn-on-the-cob.
Mmmmmmmm-corn.
We also found some wildlife besides the three monkey-boys we brought with us.
This snake was soooooo small. Do garden snakes even get big?
I mean, this guy was little.
Worst moment of this snakes' life.
AHHHHH!!! PLEASE DON'T EAT ME!!!
This shot is funny. I have some footage that I took of the girls right before this shot was taken. I walked up to them with the camera, and they thought that I was going to take a picture, so they started preening and tucking and getting ready, then I informed them that I was actually filming and not about to take a picture. Ha ha!!
Then I got this look. Oh boy, I'm gonna get it.
Brenin.
Logan, or Lo-lo. And yes, his parents are very exhausted.
Jack.
Dave found a bat. He was our friend. He ate a lot of bugs.
Here is his close up. What a great friend.
Dave was so good. He spent a lot of time with the boys.
Because camping is hard work. I don't remember it being so much work when I was a kid going with my parents, but that of course is because my parents were doing all the work. Now it's me and my Heather working it. Sheesh.
Awe, family camping picture with pretty sunset in the background. Thanks for the assist Mother Nature-you rock!
Classic.
This is my hair. This is my hair on camping. And Heather, still lookin' good.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Faces of Jack II

After breakfast one day, when Jack in his diaper and I in my cap-
Okay, just kidding, I don't wear a cap-I have no idea why I just wrote that, it's WAY too early for Christmas-when Jack and I were just hanging out after breakfast, I snagged some great shots of the boy.
Enjoy!

We're actually framed all of these in 8x11 and put them up in our place. Sure love this little guy.