December

Well the year is just about over! And what a year it was. I finally graduated from Nursing School!!! Then we had our big move back to Washington. We've had a good time so far and just as long as there is snow on the ground that Elly can play in she's a happy girl!
Here are some pics from the last couple of weeks. We spent our Christmas at home and later that day went to Carl's Dad's house to visit.
We also drove up to Chinook Pass to play in some snow and go sledding for the first time!! The snow was a little hard so hopefully it snows again and we'll play in some fluffy stuff instead!

GRADUATE NURSE!!

OMG 2009 finally has something good to offer me and that is graduating nursing school. I am so done with all the classes and the 2 years that it took me to really get here. I am done.
On a bonus note Carl is back in Texas. I am such a happy girl and have missed him so much. We went to pick up Elly from daycare and she was in shock. She had no idea he was coming. She sat there in a shock for a bit and then got up and ran to her daddy. It was so sweet and she won't let him out of her sight. He can't go to the bathroom by himself hardly. She missed her daddy so much and so did I!!! So hopefully we never have to do this again because we won't do it again.
I can't wait now to move to Washington and really get my life started. I am a Graduate Nurse until I take my NCLEX up in Washington and then I'll be an RN. Our family is back together and well we want to add to it so hopefully we'll get that going this year as well!
I'm so happy this horrible year is over and ended on a wonderful note because I am DONE!!!!!!!!!
I'll post pics of graduation later!

Halloween!!!

Elly got to dress up twice this year. I know insane. But on Friday she was grandma's accessory at work as a black cat and then on Saturday she was a cute mermaid. She had a blast and now she can't stop talking about Thanksgiving and Christmas!!

October

So we're still just busy going to school. Carl started his new job working for his Dad in Yakima and I have 6 weeks left til graduation!!! Elly is doing good and we finally decided we needed to paint some pumpkins.

AHHHHH Rain

So if you haven't heard anything on the news about our central texas heat I'll fill you in. This summer has had 68 days at 100 or above!! the record is 69 set in 1925. So yea 2 more days and this would have been the hottest summer but instead it is the 2nd hottest summer. A few days ago it started to rain. And I don't mean a few clouds of rain but it has been raining for the last 5 days straight pretty much. So we've had a bit of flooding because of the amount of rain in the short period of time but we so needed it. As I type this it's pouring rain again!! Ok it's been raining all day.
So there is a lake where my mother in law lives and behind her house is a runoff to the lake. Since we've had so much rain the runoff now kinda looks like a stream. Well the crawdad's have come out of the ground and from the lake and ventured up the runoff. I've seen crawdad's behind the house. Crazy but true. So I decided to catch a few to show Elly and let her enjoy them for a bit. So I caught 2 and brought them home and once Elly woke up from her nap we played with them. One was kinda old I think and didn't care much for us so I could pick him up no problem and hold him and show Elly. The other one was younger and reactive. Even looking at him from above or moving my hand and it immediatly put its claws up to defend itself. It was quite funny because he would fall over backwards doing this! I took a few pics of us with the crawdad's!

Hanging out in the yard

Breast Cancer

So there have a few new developments in my family on my mom's side. Apparently breast cancer runs in the family. WHO KNEW??? No one. My mom has 4 sisters and her youngest sister was diagnosed just last year in oct got a lump removed and underwent chemo and radiation. As far as I know she is going ok. Now just 2 months ago one of older sisters was diagnosed. AAAGGHHH!!! This time she had lost some weight and started to really get concerned with that lump. She was getting YEARLY mammograms and they still didn't pick it up. The surgeon told her she probably had it for 2 years!!! It was found in the lymph nodes but no word yet as to where else it has been found. She had a total masectomy done on one side and is starting the chemo and radiation as well. There is another sister who has had 6 lumps removed but none cancerous.
So now I've convinced my mom to get genetic testing done to see if she has the marker for it and as soon as I get insurance and it's covered I'm totally getting it done as well.
This totally sucks and almost makes me rethink having another kid. I'm only hoping that in 20 years when I start approaching the age where my Aunts starting getting diagnosed our healthcare system comes up with something to help assist with better diagnosis and screening of this cancer. How is it that mammograms the tried and true test done to find cancer didn't work??? I'm so frustrated and now so worried about getting it and passing it along to Elly!! I totally wish the next kid is a boy now so I don't have to worry about this.
The other thing is that breastfeeding and having kids is suppose to help but both aunts who were diagnosed had 4 kids and breastfed!!! How does that work with the whole breastfeed to prevent breast cancer? I guess it isn't helpful if it runs in the family. I'm just hoping my Aunts don't have anymore cancer and my mom doesn't get diagnosed!!!

We're on a roll

So we've settled into our new home. My mother-in-laws. I love it because I've lived here before and I'm comfortable. Elly enjoys daycare even though she cries everyday we drop her off, she gets so excited when we pick her up. I know she loves it. When I pick her up she begs me to leave her so grandma can get her but some days grandma has to work late. Then when we get home I'm chopped liver except for this morning. Elly woke up to see grandma but started asking for me! So she crawled back in bed with me and we cuddle for a half hour!!! It was nice to be loved again.
I started school and it's going to be a long semester hopefully a good one where I can feel confident in this whole NCLEX thing. Still freaked out about it since it is my boards. Plus it just got so much more complicated. I just hope I pass!!!
Carl is settling in. He found a house to rent in Selah and moves in next week and I can't wait to see it. He's going camping and fishing this weekend. Wish I could go camping and fishing :-( I just want out of this heat!!!
Still hot as hell in Texas. 2nd hottest summer on record. 3 more days above 100 and it will be the hottest summer in texas on record. We've had 67 days of 100 or above weather plus a drought and no rain! I'm suprised the states has when POOF in fire because it's so dry. No one is allowed to water their yard except for your designated 1 day and if you get caught you get a $400 fine!!!! Crazy!
I'll be so happy when I get to washington and see snow! I really can't wait to see Elly's reaction to nice fresh powdery snow! She saw the compacted months old snow at White pass but that doesn't truly count.
Just working hard a few times a month and going to school 4 times a week!!! Crazy schedule but it's almost done!!!

It's going to be a long 4 months

Here it is the day before I start my last semester and Elly goes back to daycare. Carl left yesterday and is trecking is way up through Colorado and Utah. It's a long drive (Thank goodness I don't have to do it!!) But he should hopefully arrive tomorrow. I can only hope he finds a place soon so he can start getting settled and start working.
I have moved into my mother in laws house and Elly loves it but still doesn't understand.... she's 3 what would I expect. I can only truly hope tomorrow daycare is good for her and that this time goes by quicly! I can't wait for December 13!!!!

The longest 4 months

So Carl is leaving August 21 for his long drive to Washington. Steve is coming down to help him move and to be there for the long ass drive to Washington!!! I can only hope that Elly wil behave and cooperate on the long drive. Of course they'll make stops along the way but its still a 3 day drive.
I will stay in Hutto until December. My pinning ceremony is Dec 10 and I fly out the 13. I need a few days to treat the hangover I will most likely have of celebrating TOO much!
I will stay at our house until we find a roommate to move in with our friend Dusty and then I'll move in with my mother-in-law Dawn until December. I can only live out of a suitcase because everything will have moved to washington and since I'm flying back I can only bring what fits in a suitcase. It's going to suck not seeing Elly face to face but we have discovered Skype. If you don't know what Skype is I'll tell you. Skype is a FREE program online that involves a webcam. I can talk and see the people I'm talking to. So I can at least see Elly everyday but won't be able to touch her. So it's still going to suck but at least now we can see each other and read books. IT'S AWESOME!! If you have a webcam you should download it and we can talk via webcam. Anyway things keep going and hopefully this move will go smoothly!

Rocket's Rabbit

The other morning Rocket caught his rabbit and was so proud of his kill!!

The BIG move redone

SOOOOO the move isn't going the way we would have hoped. Carl needs to get to Washington to start working and making some money. So we need to get this house rented ASAP!!! That also involves Carl Elly, Hades and all our stuff will move to Washington sept/oct. And Rocket and I will move December after I graduate. It'll be tough being apart for that long but hopefully things will go smoothly for Carl once he gets up there. Then I get to drive with Rocket across the states by ourselves. It's going to be a long and lonely drive but worth it in the end. So hopefully we can find some good renter's and not have to worry about this house as much!

The big move

So it's been decided we will move back home to Yakima, WA. We plan on moving jan/feb of 2010. Just after I graduate so I can get a job right away. It's going to be a hard move since it's in the middle of winter but the sooner we get there the sooner we can make some money. We also have to take care of our house here before we move. We have quite a few upgrades to do before we move like put tile downstairs and a few other things. We were going to sell it but since the economy is shit we are keeping it and are gonna rent it out for a bit. We hope the market goes up so we can sell it and make some money off of it but we'll see. Luckily Carl's mom is still here and she can keep an eye on it for us. The move is going to be the hard part. Last time we did the drive from washington to texas it was just Carl and I and my ferret Buttercup. It was also april and we could drive through colorado. This time it's going to be winter, it will be Carl and I plus Elly and our 2 dogs, mind you aren't small. Plus we drove down in my small subaru station wagon pulling the small uhaul trailer behind it. Well we have a lot more shit this time around. AND we have to drive through California so it's a bit longer drive. It's going to be interesting and I don't even want to think what the best way to deal with it is. We'll see what happens as things get closer and I have to deal with it. Until then I just hope it goes smoothly!!

My Big girl

Well Elly turned 3 last May and we have been working on potty training even harder. Well Pooping has been Elly's hardest thing to do. She will request a diaper when she needs to go and nothing else. We've tried bribing her and putting her on the potty when she needs to go. We've tried all kinds of things. Well today has been day 3 of Elly pooping in a potty, granted it's her little potty chair but it'll work. She still tried asking for a diaper and we wouldn't let her have it. We sit and read books while she poops. When she's done she's excited about putting the poop in the toilet. I'm hoping of doing this for a few days we can get her to go in the toilet. We'll see we're slowly making good progress.

Rocket

Update. Rocket has been returned. I finally got a call Sunday "I think I have your dog." OMG really. Well I was at work so could only talk to her about THANK YOU THANK YOU like 500 times and to call Carl. So Carl got the call and picked up Rocket. He had a few scratches on him and managed to survive a night out in the cornfields until he was picked up Wednesday morning. We are very happy to have him back and he will never go without his collar again and we're being more careful when we let him out. If there is a cloud in the sky we go out with him. It took him a few days to get back to his self. But he's now back and still lazy lying on the chase lounge!!

Our dear beloved Rocket jumped the Fence Tuesday morning. He is scared of thunder and barely heard it in the distance. So he jumped the fence. Carl didn't realize it for a good 20 minutes and he got a good head start. We have contacted animal control, shelters, craiglist, put up flyers and just hope he returns to us. We are on day 2 and are losing some hope. We don't think he made it. There are plenty of corn fields and some wooded areas around here and he may have just stopped in one of those. We have no idea. But we still have some hope that dwindles daily.

Trip to Washington

I'm back in the good ole state of Texas.... physically. I didn't realize how much I truly missed Washington until this last trip. Seriously. The mountains, the weather, my family, friends, MOUNTAINS, snow, camping, everything. Elly is so deprived by hills that every hill she saw she called a mountain and wanted to climb to the top. She had such a blast playing in the little bit of snow left on White Pass. We went Camping, which Elly has never been and I haven't been since I moved out of Washington, and we had such a blast!! I miss camping, sitting by the campfire, roasting marshmallows, having a warm blanket to keep you warm since it gets chilly at night. I really can't wait to move back.
We went fishing the last weekend and I had a blast. I haven't been fishing since I was like 13 and fishing for little trout. So to fish in the ocean for Sea Bass was fun but exhausting!!!
We had a good trip overall and really can't wait to be closer to some family and friends that we miss while we're here in Texas. It's just too damn hot down here. I'll load some pictures in a few days but I'm working on laundry and no sleep.

Washington

We're leaving tomorrow!! Going to be in Yakima for about 2 weeks. Plus the camping and whatnot we get to do. Excited to see family and some friends. I really just want to go to Mt Rainier I think Elly would love it plus I always liked a good hike!! We'll see what happens!

Zuccini

So this year I have a huge backyard and I wanted a garden. So I planted a nice little spot 27ft X 3ft along the fence. It has grown so nicely. We've only gotten a few strawberries but they usually don't do good until the 2nd year anyway. I've picked out some fresh basil, cilantro and rosemary. Eaten a sandwich with some fresh lettuce. Ate the peas and some beans. Waiting for the tomatoes to turn red. There's quite a few out there but they are all still green. Then I finally decided to look at my zuccini to see if anything had grown bigger. HOLY CRAP there were 3 huge zuccini's. I had to pick them and eat them. So I took them inside and cut em up and sauted them. OH MY I've never known zuccini to have so much flavor. I usually have to add so much to make them taste good. I can't wait for more things to ripen in my garden. My pumpkin plant is trying to take over and the watermelon plant is just slowly growing. I've got a few ears of corn so that will be good!

Dell

Well Carl got laid off this week. He has survived several rounds of layoffs prior but this week he didn't. The letter that they gave him talked about the economy and cutting 4 billion dollars and he just happened to be one of those areas affected. Luckily he said he was one of the first that day. I don't know how many people got layed off this time around but several teams were cut.
Carl's got connections so he should be able to get another job soon. He's taking some time off to relax a bit. He might actually get a job back in Dell. He was trying to get a certain position a few weeks ago but wasn't eligible for transfer. Now he's eligible for rehire so we'll see what happens. It's a huge loss to us right now but the sky is still blue and we're looking ahead. This just may in the plan to move to Washington sooner than we thought. But we'll see what happens. I may have to try and pull some strings to get a job Jan/Feb as a new grad. We'll see what things pop up the next few weeks.

Easter

Well today was Easter. We're not religious at all so we just focus on the egg hunt and candy. They were forecasting thunderstorms and rain and to just ruin Easter. It was cloudy out when we woke up but nothing to alarm us. Then as we're getting dressed and ready we hear the rain. SHIT! Luckily it only lasted for about 10 min then stopped and then it got GORGEOUS out! So I went outside to put the eggs out while Carl entertained Elly. She found all the eggs because I didn't hide them very hard. She enjoyed it and was excited to go to her Grandma's house. So I turned the eggs into deviled eggs and we were off to Grandma's. Then again she had another egg hunt, more candy and some good food! It was a lot of fun hanging out with family. We went home for a nice relaxing evening of watching movies and then bed! I'll upload pics later. I tried but it wasn't working!

The Baby Brother

So I was looking at some online today and Elly was next to me and she sees the baby and autimatically recognizes it's a boy ( we've been working on he's a boy, she's a girl). So I ask her a few questions....
Me: Do you want a baby?
Elly: Yes
ME: Do you want a baby brother?
Elly: Yes
Me: Do you want a baby sister?
Elly: Yes
Me: Do you want a baby brother or sister?
Elly: Baby brother.
Then she asked a few more times for a baby brother.

If only she really knew what a baby brother was and how she could get one.

Elly's Birthday

Elly keeps asking about her birthday so every day she asks if it her birthday and we've told her it's coming up soon but she has no concept of time. So everyday she asks about her birthday and where it's going to be and invites you everyday to come to her birthday party. So just about every night when she goes to bed we discuss the birthday again and she again asks "will you come to my birthday?" It's cute.

Hamilton Pool

This weekend we went on an adventure outside of Austin to a place called Hamilton Pool Preserve. We were very impressed and can't wait to go back, this time with a swimsuit. The pictures don't seem to do it justice but it was absolutely gorgeous!