A Brief Update!

Hey all, So Sorry I haven't posted to the blog in AWHILE... It has been a hectic last couple of months. So I will do my best to give you a quick update of what is going on in our world :)

As I think most of you know, I was accepted to Gonzaga and started my Masters level studies there a few months ago. I completed 2 core classes and found out that their program is not exactly what I had in mind to pursue my degree. They have a great focus in all their courses on building Nurse Practioner skills, and since I do not want to be a Nurse Practitioner, I decided this program was not for me. I have instead decided to transfer to the University of Phoenix, which is a shorter program, is more tailored to just the Masters in Nursing and will cost me $10,000 less (always a bonus!). I start that program on the 23rd, and it has been hectic connecting the dots between the 2 programs to fulfill requirements.

I had a big test for nursing this last month that is a national specialty certification test. I passed and am now the only registered nurse at my hospital with a ANCC Board Certification in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing. This also means a small raise as soon as I get my certificate ~ yeah!

Jacqui has been excelling in school. She gets time outs regularly for 'side talking' (imagine that) and her teacher and I do not see eye to eye on many matters, but Jacqui is loving school and the learning experience, and that is the most important thing at the end of the day. We are working on her reading and writing at home for an hour each day and she absolutely loves showing me her new skills as she becomes more secure in them!

Last month we attended a Montessorri workshop for the Spokane School District that I am hoping to get Jacqui into next year. It is a lottery program so if they have room she will get in and be placed in a Montessorri program for 1st-6th grade through the public school district. It seems a bit more in line with my desires for her education and we are hopeful that she gets accepted and excells with the freedom to pursue her own interests in education!

Grandad #1 just got home from Kenya and Cairo, Egypt this last week. He has some amazing pictures and stories, and we are going to work on getting them collected to present them on the blog.

And last but not least, I have applied for 2 management positions within the VA, both would be significant promotions for me... one is in Spokane for the unit I am already working on, and the other position is in Walla Walla as the new Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program Manager. I will probably have interviews for both in the upcoming month, and would appreciate your prayers for God to put me where I can be of the most help and service. It would be great to return to Walla Walla and be closer to family as Jacqui grows up :)

That is all for now, we will try to post some new pictures and stories soon. Love you all!

XMAS 2009

Mike and I had a nice Christmas at home. We dog-sat for Katie and Sean while they were in Maui, so Cassie and Eric, and mom and Matt came to our place to celebrate Christmas. Then, we flew to Montana to ring in the new year with dad and Diana. Here are some pictures from our December.

Merry CHRISTmas to all!

Hope everyone had a wonderful and blessed CHRISTmas this year. Levi was able to spend Christmas with Grandad and Grandma Dixie down in Yuma, I hear it was quite the dinner and a very enjoyable family time. We are hoping to make it down there next year for an even bigger holiday dinner!

Jacqui has spent the last week between Grandad #1's and Grandma Quack Quack's houses while I stay in Spokane and work. I have enjoyed the break (I have been sleeping in every day!), but also miss my little 'helper'. Grandad #1 sent some pics to post on the blog so here they are. Jacqui has been very excited about Christmas this year and was very impressed that ALL the presents under Grandad's tree had her name on it "not even one little one was for Grandad, they were all mine!" They had dinner with some of his friends from work, and she was happily the center of attention as she was the only kid there. She has been giving his puppies lots of attention and love. Grandad was pretty smart for her presents this year and wrapped up the fixin's for s'mores, her favorite. She was very excited and told me all about it on the phone. They also had a tea party outside by the fire, in the freezing cold... Grandad #1 tells me they spend hours out there, it is Jacqui's favorite thing to do with Grandad! They also went to see 'The Princess and the Frog' the new Disney movie, which Jacqui was pretty impressed with. Grandad #2 and Grandma Dixie got her the Princess Tiana doll for Christmas, and she thought that was pretty neat! Hope everyone's Christmas was wonderful. It was cold in Spokane, but no snow. I worked the whole week, but enjoyed some time scrapbooking and looking at family pics. I will put up more pics and stories from Grandma Quack Quack and Grandad #1 as I get them over the next few weeks. God Bless!

Happy Birthday Mikey/Thanksgiving 09'

This year Mike and I were happy to have Thanksgiving at our little home:) We fit 12 people into our space, and it worked! Katie and Sean made a delicious pie and turkey, mom and Matt brought mom's famous candied yams, dad and Diana made a delightful dinner salad, Cass and Eric decorated the cute x-mas cookies in the picture, and I had to make mashed potatoes of course. Mike's brother John and his son Billy joined in on the festivities.


Mike also celebrated his birthday on the 2nd. We had a few gatherings for his birthday. Here are a few pictures including lunch at Ivar's on the pier in Seattle with dad and Diana, and the Outback Steakhouse with mom, Matt and friends.

Lion King on Broadway

Jacqui and I took our friends Cori and Kris to the Lion King last night as our Christmas present. It was a spectacular show! The set was absolutely breathtaking, the lights, colors, details, everything was just amazing. The costumes are so creative, the dancers are the animals, as the costumes, and the lines of the animal blends right into the person. You cannot differentiate where the animal ends, what is costume, and where the human and the dancer begins. The dancers were all so graceful in their portrayal of zebra, elephants, antelope, lions and the other animals of the pride lands. It was a great performance and we really enjoyed it. It was a 3 hour long show, but Jacqui was even able to sit through it, and stay awake (we were up way past her bedtime on a school night!). At the end of the performance they were taking donations for Broadway Cares, a charity for fighting AIDS in South Africa. Jacqui and I were able to donate and got a picture with Mufasa and little Simba. Little Simba is a 10 year old boy, and he was amazing on stage, he has quite a voice and is quite the little spunky dancer! It was a great show and we really had a great time. The Lion King has a great message and if any of you get a chance to see this show, there is definitely a reason it is a number 1 Broadway production. You will not be disappointed, we are hoping to go again next year, if they still come to Spokane. The set was so intricate and detailed, the lighting exquisite, you really felt like you were right there in the Pride Lands, or part of the jungle... The singing was marvelous, these guys can sing! My favorite was Rafiki, who was played by a woman. Her voice was very powerful and moving. It was a great show, and a wonderful Christmas memory.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! In Spokane, we had Grandad come and stay with us for the long weekend. He helped me finish many of my projects (I've always got SO many going!) and spent lots of quality time with JR while I was working. We decided to forgo a traditional turkey dinner, and instead had Thanksgiving fondue... Delicious! Jacqui and I are very thankful for all of you this year and for all our supportive family and friends. We really are very blessed and are thankful for that. We got to talk to Grandma Dixie and Grandad #2 on Skype, which was fun. Jacqui sang them some of her school songs, and Grandma sang her the little white duck song, which tickled her pink!
We went to Red Lobster for dinner the first night Grandad was here by Jacqui's request, they are new in Spokane, so that was a nice treat. We talked about what we are thankful for throughout the weekend, and Jacqui did remind me before I posted this that "Mom I know what you are thankful for... You are thankful for such a cute kid! (as she is beaming with her missing teeth)". And truly, I am thankful for my cute kid, as well as our good health, and that we are both learning so much in school, that I am employed in a job I really enjoy, and for all we have. It is a year to give much thanks, and I am thankful for all of you. So, thank you, all of you, for being great family, supportive friends, and loving to us in every way possible. We would not be able to accomplish so much without your prayers and support, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Disney on Ice

Disney on Ice is back in town and Jacqui and I were able to go and take our friend Cori, and her friend Devin. It was a great show this year with Cars, the Little Mermaid, the Lion King, and Tinkerbell and her fairy friends. Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy were the hosts, and we had such a great time. Jacqui dressed up in her princess dress that Grandad (#1) bought her in Mexico, last year the dress was way too big, and this year... well she has obviously grown a lot since last year! Cars was fun to watch the different characters slide around the ice and figure out how to get Mickey and Minnie's care running. Her favorite part of the show was the Lion King, "because I like the lift up part". She liked the duet skating with the lifts and all the pretty animals that were part of the Lion King. Cori, Devin, and I really liked the Tinkerbell part of the show and watching all the fairies work on bringing spring to the world. The costumes were so colorful and sparkly. Jacqui also really wanted a picture with Tinkerbell, so we all got a picture taken for the scrapbook, that I scanned for the blog. She was quite the princess watching the show and we are blessed to have the opportunity to go to fun events like this!