End of the Year

As the year draws to a close, I think of all the things that have happened to Jason and me. We've been through good and bad and we've had a lot of blessings. We both look forward to the new year, especially since that means our baby will be that much closer to being born. We're very blessed to have such wonderful and supportive friends and family. We hope that all of you have been as blessed as we have been this last year, and that your blessings will continue. Have a safe and wonderful new year!!

*I also downloaded some new photos to DropShots. I know it's been a long time and I'm sorry for that.

Merry Christmas

We were not able to make it back to eastern Iowa yesterday. The weather was not with us, and apparently neither were the snowplows. We did make an attempt. Made it to highway 30 and took the first exit(which happened to be interstate 35) back home. We spent the day watching movies from Netflix. We did make it to my parents in the early afternoon today. Mom, Dad and Marc were there. We had lunch and opened presents. We are very thankful for all that we received, but more thankful for spending time with family. We drove to Jason's parents for supper and played some cards.
Tomorrow we will spend the day with Jason's family and go back to Ames. Jason has to work early on Monday, so we can't stay longer. Hopefully we'll be able to visit again soon...when the weather is nicer.

Ready to Go

Our Pacifica has new wipers, new rear brakes and a new driver side headlight. We've wrapped all of the presents and have our suitcases packed. We're ready to go! Of course we've already had some snow today and we're expected to get more tomorrow, but Jason's ready to take on the snow! If it's not too bad of course. We're not that crazy!

We are excited to go to eastern Iowa this year, especially since it means that neither one of us is in the hospital! This will also be our last Christmas where we won't be toting around another person with us, and all the stuff that person will need. We're very excited and thankful and we want to wish all of our friends and family a very Merry Christmas!

Snow Fall

It has been quite the weekend in Ames. I'm really glad it was my weekend off of work! It started pretty warm on Friday (in the mid-40s) and sunny. Saturday morning we woke to it actually snowing. It had stopped around 10ish, so Jason and I decided to go shopping for some maternity work pants. (I can only wear certain material and certain colors, which of course I can't find both in a pair of pants that will fit.) On our way to Target, the roads were very icy. It's days like that I'm thankful that Jason works for CyRide and knows how to handle situations like that. We made it to and from the store all right. It did start to get very windy in the early afternoon and it started to snow again around six. Wouldn't you know that it was a blizzard outside and everytime the wind would rattle the windows, Zara would wake up all wide-eyed. We spent most of the day indoors and finally put up our Christmas decorations. We have our tree up, but nothing on it yet. We're still waiting to see if we'll wake up to pieces on the floor and a "innocent" looking kitty.
The snow apparently stopped around three this morning, but the wind was still blowing until about one. Jason is snowblowing the driveway and it is very sunny out. I worked on a few of my projects and feel good about how much I've gotten done. I'm not finished with all of them, but I feel a lot better spending some time on them.

Doctor Appointment

We went to the doctor today! The baby's heartbeat was in the upper 140s and the doctor said I should try to eat more protein. Jason was very upset to hear that, especially since we still have quite a bit of beef left! The doctor also decided to test my blood for my thyroid level since I haven't had that done since July. We go back the first week of the new year.

We haven't had any snow yet, just flurries. There are some days where it is really cold and windy so we still know winter. I spend quite a bit of time wrapped in a quilt on the couch. Sometimes Zara joins me.

The semester at ISU is over next Friday. The week after that, I work three days, then not again until the new year. I'm not really sure if I'm happy about that or not. The time off will be good and I won't really have to drive anywhere. However, I will miss getting paid. (It's part of the 9 month contract I have. I work one week in May so I have to have a week off some other time in the year.) I am hoping to get through quite a bit of my class that week. We'll just have to see how things go.

200

It's been a long week. We did go to Olin on Saturday to celebrate Thanksgiving with Jason's family. We had a good time, was able to play with Audrey and Ethan for a little bit, but came home in the early evening. Sunday we just bummed around and didn't really do anything. I did cook though so I guess I did something.

We both went back to work on Monday. I've been having headaches for the last couple of days and am not sure if I'm not getting enough quality sleep, or if it's from the weather. It actually flurried all day today and today is the day my headache has been the worst. Not bad enough to go to a doctor, but bad enough that Jason decided to worry about supper. (He's really good like that! He makes sure I eat something, even if it's something little.)

This is also my 200th post for this blog! So many things have happened since the first one, and I am thankful for everyone who reads!

Thanksgiving

Jason and I went down to Des Moines yesterday to celebrate Thanksgiving. Besides Grandma and Grandpa, my mom and dad, Jim, Martha, Sara, Steve and Paul were all there. We had a wonderful time laughing, eating and playing games. Grandpa and I weren't having any luck in garbage bingo. Everyone else playing seemed to be doing all right. I think Grandma had over 200 pennies at one point.

Today Jason and I have been doing a little bit of housework. Other than that, we've just been doing pretty much nothing. It's cold here, so we haven't gone outside unless absolutely necessary. Zara has been playing with the paper bag we brought home from the brown bag yesterday. We've also been making a batch of pulled pork today. And of course I've been hungry all day because of it.

I've been doing pretty good. Still a little tired but definitely getting over the nausea for the most part. I still get a little nauseous at work, but it hasn't been as bad. I've also been getting headaches which I'm not sure if they're from the weather, or the pregnancy. I have another appointment on the 8th, so we'll see how thins are progressing.

Weekend

It was a nice weekend around here. Although it rained and was wet Saturday, Jason and I spent a good part of the day cleaning our house. Jason rearranged part of the kitchen and made it look very nice. I did a lot of laundry, a lot of stuff that has been sitting there just waiting to be washed. I can even see the top of our table now. Sunday we were invited to go to ISU's Band Extravaganza. It was really neat. It featured a wind ensemble, the jazz I group and the marching band. We'rer excited to go again next year. And of course when we got home, we had fresh bread waiting for us courtesy of our bread maker.

Jason is starting to feel better. He's still has a really nasty cough, but it doesn't seem as frequent. He's actually getting some sleep at night and not waking up as much to cough. Hopefully the cough will be gone by Thanksgiving.

My class is going really well. I still have an "A" and am still working hard. I'm learning about basic biology so it's hard to get myself motivated to go through these lessons, but it's mostly a review. I'm hoping to get through this set of lessons by the end of the month.

It's also officially the beginning of our second trimester! I'm still having some nausea and headaches. I do feel like I have a little more energy though. Zara is still being fairly protective of me. Jason is also very concerned about me. He makes sure I'm eating and that I'm getting enough rest.

Doctor Appointment

This morning I had a doctors appointment. I was able to go over our insurance options which was very helpful. I got to hear the baby's heartbeat again and had some lab work done. Everything seems to be fine. We're still very excited! I'm starting to get some of my energy back, but I still get nauseous, especially while at work. I've been having some headaches, but the doctor said they should go away as the pregnancy progresses. I think the headaches are more from the weather.

Jason has been battling a sinus infection. He woke up the other night with so much sinus pressure that his ears hurt. He's starting to feel better.

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday to me! Today is my 31st birthday and I've had a wonderful day. Jason and I slept in then vegged out on the couch. We did a little shopping and had lunch with my friends from Chem/Tox. We had a good time. We came home and I took a nap. We went for a walk and then did some grocery shopping. Jason grilled some pork chops for supper and we watched a movie. It's been a great, relaxing day. Thank you to everyone for the birthday wishes!

Happy Anniversary!

I just wanted to wish my parents a happy anniversary! We love you both!

Homecoming

While I know our baby hasn't been born yet, I do need to carry it with me wherever I go. So today was baby's first ISU tailgate, football game and homecoming. Our friends from Independence came down with game tickets. Jason had to work, but I was still able to go.
The game was at 1:00 pm so we didn't tailgate for very long. It was nice and sunny out with a little bit of a cooler breeze. The game was pretty good. ISU won against Kansas. One more win and Iowa State will be eligible for a bowl game. Here's hoping! The marching bands did Halloween themed songs. (There was the regular band and the alumni band.) The regular band were dressed in costumes for the half time performance. I was able to tape a little bit of it.

Check-ups

Today was a busy day for me. I go to the chiropractor once a week which definitely helps. The prenatal visit was mostly me giving my medical history and they gave us some information about the different clinic classes and midwives. They even gave us a pamphlet on how to get Zara ready for the baby too. It was a very informative appointment. I had my teeth cleaned at the dentist and they gave me some helpful information and told me of some products they have to help keep me from getting cavities and gingivitis during my pregnancy.

I have another doctor appointment on the 10th of November. Jason and I are very excited! It's been a great journey so far. The only speed bumps we've encountered is a little bit of nausea on and off, especially at work, some headaches and being very tired. We're both in good spirits though and are trying to patiently wait for May to come.

Shot

I got a flu shot yesterday. I'm not very happy about it and my arm feels like it's bruised. It was my first flu shot I've ever gotten, and I'm not sure I will get another one next year. I got the one yesterday since they encouraged it at the fertility clinic. I felt icky for most of yesterday and didn't feel a lot better today. I slept on and off for most of the day, but that's been my normal day off activity since I've been pregnant.

Other than that, not much else is new. I'll have my three month review at work in the next week or so. It should be interesting. I have a different supervisor than when I first started and supposedly this one is just temporary until the other one is done with working with the catering department. No one seems to know when that will be, so I have no idea who I need to talk to about what we can do to compromise with my pregnancy. There's no way I'll be able to do my job for eight hours once I get farther along. Hopefully they'll be very understanding and be able to find something for me to do to keep working.

Check Up

I had an ultrasound today and Jason went with me to the appointment. Everything looks good. We got to hear the heartbeat. It is very strong at 156 beats per minute. We are very happy and excited! I get to see my regular practitioner now and will hopefully get an appointment set up for next week.

We stopped at Grandma and Grandpa Peterson's after our appointment. There were lots of hugs and a very yummy supper. We didn't stay too late since we were both pretty tired.

We're very happy that things are going well! Thank you for all of the thoughts and prayers!

News

For those of you not on facebook (don't worry, I'm not either, but Jason is)...
Yes, Jason and I are going to have a baby. We had an ultrasound about two weeks ago and there is one baby. We got to see the heartbeat which the doctor said cuts down on the risk of miscarriage. We go again on Monday for another ultrasound. We expect our bundle of joy at the end of May!
I've been really tired and am usually queasy on and off during the day. My friend Destiny has given me some helpful hints that so far have not disappointed. I think I've been pretty lucky so far. Jason worries about me constantly, but is very excited. I'm not sure Zara know what to think. I know she enjoys taking naps with me on my days off. Sometimes she even continues to nap without me!
I'll keep everything posted as things progress!

On-Line

I have enrolled in an on-line medical transcription class. I received my materials for the first part on Saturday and I've finished two of the lessons. (I'm tying to do a lesson a day.) I took my first submittable quiz and received a 100%. I was pretty excited! So far I've learned what exactly a medical transcriptionist does and root words of medical terms. It's been really interesting so far. I'm looking forward to the rest of the lessons.

Jason has been very supportive of this. My main concern was not having a paying job during the summer. (Remember, I only work nine months out of the year.) Hopefully it might turn into something I can do for a main income and not have to deal with hundreds of students' dishes. But, we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

Jason and I talked to our friends Jeff and Michael on Skype yesterday. They are still in Spain but are planning on coming back in June. I'm not sure if it's just a visit or if they are going to be back for good. We're excited to see them again.

We also bought some new mousies for Zara. Of course, we forgot to take them out of the bag right away.

Visitors

Before September is over (Where did the time go?) I thought I would blog about all of the visitors we've had in the last week and a half.

Two weekends ago, our friends from Independence came down to visit. The adults played Dungeons and Dragons while the two boys took a nap. They had a fun time while they were here and was able to try apple butter, which they loved!

The following Tuesday, Jason's parents stayed overnight in Ames on their vacation. They told us about the Grotto in West Bend they visited and showed us their tourist guide. It looks really neat and Jason and I are thinking about going to visit sometime.

Last weekend, the Zoller's came out. (Jason's sister and family.) They stayed in Ankeny and went to see Thomas the Train in Boone. We were able to see them on Friday and had some lunch. They stopped at the house for a little bit to take a break from the car.

We enjoyed seeing everyone, no matter how brief it was. We love seeing our family and our friends! It would be nice to live a little closer, but we're glad we do have family close by.

Sick

So, now I'm sick. I have a sinus infection and spent today at home. I'm very tired and have a runny nose. My eyes feel like they might pop out of my head. I'm sure I'll get over it soon. Jason's been pretty good about it, although I think he might be getting a cold. I think the only one of us not sick is Zara. She's spazzy as ever, though, and spent the morning snuggled with me. She was pretty cute!

Happy Birthday

I just want to wish my mom a very happy birthday! I hope you had a wonderful day!
Can you guess which one she is?

Labor Day Pictures

As promised, here are some pictures from the weekend.
Listening to the children's sermon.

Picking apples. Ethan was such a big help!

Mason showingus how he can ride his bike.

Happy Labor Day

Jason and I had a wonderful weekend of visiting family. We left Saturday afternoon to head to Olin to see Jason's family. We had dinner at The Heights Supper Club where the food was pretty good. We then headed back to Jason's parents. His mom had made some bread in her bread machine, so I had to copy some of the recipes she had. The next day, Jason and I went to church with his family to see his mom preach her last service for the Wapsi Valley Parish. It was a wonderful service and I'm sure she'll be missed. We celebrated afterwards with a family lunch at Ditto's in Stanwood.

After lunch, I took a nap. I'm not sure, but I don't think I was the only one. Jennifer's family came down to the house and the women went for a walk. When we got back, Jason and I gathered our stuff and got ready to pick some apples at Jennifer and Mike's. We gathered quite a few. I'm looking forward to canning all of them! Jennifer also gave me some butternut squash. I'm trying to decide what I should do with all of them.

After picking apples, Jason and I headed to Miles. When we got there, Jamie and her family were already there and they had the campfire going. We ended up eating inside since it was so windy. Mom, Jamie, Mason and I played a few rounds of Uno, while Dad, Ben, Jasper and Jason watched TV. Mason also showed us some of his dancing skills.

During the night there was a huge storm. The worst part was all of the wind. I thought the windows were going to blow in! I had heard someone go downstairs, so I went to see if they had looked up the weather. Jordan had gotten home from Davenport and was watching the radar. We had no warnings or alerts, so I went back to bed.....after Kenzie licked my feet clean. Monday morning, Mom and I went for a walk. When we got back, I looked through some of Mom's music while Jason finished the last Harry Potter book. (I told him he wouldn't be able to put it down!) We spent a pretty relaxing day with Mom and Dad. Jason helped Dad in the garden for a little bit. We brought home potatoes and onions. It's a good thing I have Friday off so I can try to do something with all of these vegetables!

We made it back to Ames safely. Zara acted like she missed us, but I think she was happier I opened the windows back up. We had a great time this weekend, but we're glad to be home! (Pictures and video will be posted later.)

August

So August was a busy month. Jamie and her family came out for a visit. They got to ride on one of the CyRide buses and we went swimming at the new water park. Then the State Fair hit. We had friends from Utah visit it us. We took them to the fair with some of our other friends. While at the fair, we saw Mom, Dad and Jordan. We saw a lot of things and had a really fun time.
I've also been busy canning some of our produce. I still have a bunch of tomatoes. Jason dug up the potatoes. Unfortunately half of them he dug up were rotten.
Jason and I are also trying to get back into the swing of things at work. I slipped and fell at work the other day. I had a headache and some nausea, so they told me to go to the emergency room. The doctor there decided I just strained some muscles and told me to stay home from work and relax for a couple of days. I'm feeling a lot better.
This weekend, we are heading to Olin for Jason's mom's last service for now. It will be a great weekend with family and we're looking forward to it!

Quick Note

We've had a very busy couple of weeks. Of course, I'm at food service and the students are back in full force. I come home exhausted and not feeling like blogging, so forgive me the time between blogs, and the lack of them lately.

We've had some visitors and a flood. Jason and I are both trying to get used to our new schedules, and obviously it's taken us quite some time. Hopefully my next post will be sooner and have some pictures to go with it.

For now, Jason,Zara and I are doing all right...mostly tired.

Happy Birthday!

I know that there is less than an hour left, but I wanted to wish Jason a very happy birthday! You're the most wonderful man I have ever fallen in love with and I pray for you to have many more happy birthdays!

Flooding

Just to let everyone know, Jason, Zara and I are fine. Ames was flooded again this year with the majority of the creeks/rivers cresting over the flood of 1993 numbers. It took me almost a half hour to get to work (normally it takes about 7 minutes) and over two hours to get home. Of course part of that was backtracking and traffic. I was not at work for very long. The food service I work at is across the street from the Iowa State Center. They put the flood gates up yesterday, and the water was at the top of them this morning. I'm not sure if I'll have to work tomorrow, but we are also under a water boil warning. It's going to be pretty hard to wash dishes with no gas, electricity (both being turned off today on campus) and no water.

Jason did have to go to work, regardless of the fact that CyRide is also without power. Apparently they were able to get buses out to run some of the routes. They moved to Fredrickson Court (used to be Pammel Court), but the building they were using closed, so they moved to city hall since they could get to it at that point.

Our sump pump has been working overtime. We have a little water in our basement, but not on the finished side. I'm trying to boil enough water to get us through until tomorrow. The website said it could be up to 24 hours. Just in time for Jordan to visit! We convinced her to wait one more day to visit. I wouldn't even know where to begin to tell her how to get here. Most of the Ames exits are closed, and if they aren't, you can't get very far. Hence the two hour drive home. It's not supposed to rain tonight, so hopefully things will dry out some and the water will start going down.

We hope and pray everyone else is safe and dry! (Sorry, no pictures this time! Too tired to take them. I work early everyday and haven't been sleeping well with the torrential rain we've been having!)

Visitors

I made it through my first week at food service. It wasn't so bad, except it was really hot, and I ate way too much food! It's so hard to say "no" to some of it. Like Snickers cake. Who can say "no" to that? The people are good to work with, and the students who worked this week were excellent.

As a "reward", Jamie, Ben, Jasper and Mason came up to visit us today. Jason took us on a bus ride, then we had lunch at the Mongolian Buffet. Jasper, Mason and I played Chutes and Ladders, which Jamie won. Then we spent some time at the new Aquatic Center. It was pretty crowded, but there weren't too many long lines. The boys had a great time, and the adults were even able to go down a couple of the water slides. They left for Des Moines again after we got back so they could get ready for the ICubs game. I think Zara was happy the boys left. She's not used to all of that energy!

Update

I know I haven't been blogging very consistently this summer. This past week, life definitely got in the way.
It was my last week at the lab for the summer. I start back at food service on Monday. It was a very frustrating week for me. The person who bumped me had their proficiency test and didn't pass. And kept making mistakes all week that I pretty much had to fix. It was extremely frustrating to be fixing mistakes of someone who has had almost six times the length of training you had. (I had two and a half weeks, they have had three months.) And they still have my job, the lab is still trying to show that this person needs to be let go. And this person keeps saying how many days I had left to work and how much the lab would miss me. Needless to say, I was very heartbroken about leaving, and upset by the comments this person kept saying to me.

I came home and cried, and Jason made me feel better. He has really been wonderful through this whole thing. He makes me laugh and puts up with all of moods. (They've been a little on the depressed side for the last few weeks.) I am still applying for jobs outside of Iowa State. The problem being that everyone seems to be looking for a job, and it's extremely difficult to get an interview. I keep praying that everything will work out, and I know they will.

For now, I will go and wash dishes at food service. I like the people I work with, it's not what I want to be doing. My food service supervisor is very supportive in me finding a different job. She understands that I do not want to make food service my career, especially since that isn't what I went to school for.

Happy Birthday!

I just wanted to wish Dad a very happy, late birthday! He and Mom went on a trip to kayak on Sunday and they got back today. He said they had a good time, and I'm glad he got to spend his birthday doing something he enjoys!

Busy Day

Apparently, there was a huge storm that when through Ames last night. The reason Jason and I knew was that there were branches all over our yard when we went outside this morning. This is our driveway. Believe it or not, it actually looks worse now than in the picture. I weeded the side and there were weeds everywhere. This is the view of our front yard, or at least a good part of it. We had some branches by the sidewalk as well. We're pretty sure no one was hurt and that there were no branches in the street. This is the first part of our backyard. I had to pull some branches from the raspberries and I had to get on the roof and take the ones off up there too. We took three truckloads of branches over to the debris dump. We could probably have taken one more truckload of lots of little sticks, but we got to the point where we were just too tired. It took us most of the afternoon. However, Jason thinks the rest of the debris in the driveway will wash away with the next rain.

Minnesota

This weekend we went with some friends to our friend Pat's parent's cabin in Minnesota. We had a wonderful time! The weather was absolutely perfect and we couldn't have ordered better weather. It was a long drive up there, but completely worth it. We've already asked for a weekend to go next July! As you can see, the view from the cabin was beautiful. Jason and I walked to the end of the dock one night and looked at all the stars. There were so many that we could see! It's definitely a sight we miss living in Ames.
We went boating and drove the jet ski. I went tubing and swam in the lake a lot. Jason and I tried canoeing, but it didn't end well. We had a bonfire and roasted s'mores and were able to sit back and relax.

Happy Fourth!

Happy Fourth of July! It's rainy and muggy and we've not really done anything but hang around the house. I did go into work for a couple of hours, but it wasn't anything strenuous. Mom and Dad did come down for a few days to help with our sewer lines. We're extremely grateful they did that! Now all we have to do is finish cleaning up the mess. I've already gone through one mop trying to get all the gunk off the basement floor. Of course, some of that was already there so I can't completely blame the guys.

No word on different positions at the lab. I have been applying at other labs, but I haven't heard back from them yet. Everything will work out, so we're not worrying about it. The people at food service were really nice, so it won't be so bad!

News

We're back from our trip to Olin. The baptism went well and Ethan was very good in church and even got to help with the baptism. (Isn't he cute!) We had a wonderful meal at Mike and Jen's afterwards where Ethan played with everyone who came. Jason even played "Fur Fighters" with him.

We made it back to Ames all right. We both went back to work today. I left work early because of a migraine. I went to our chiropractor and I'm feeling a lot better now. He suggested some neck stretches to keep my neck from getting out of alignment.

I was also told that I would not know anything about my old position until it went up for transfer/recall. So, I am looking for a different job. I like working for the University, but I really would rather do something that's related to my degree instead of washing dishes. We'll just have to wait to see what happens. Until then, I'm enjoying working at the lab and all the people are still really fun to work with.

Visiting

We're visiting Jason's family for Audrey's baptism tomorrow. I got a good video of Jason playing with Ethan.

Ethan loves it when we visit. He had to show us his room and all of his toys. Audrey was fussy because she hadn't taken her nap yet. She fought for so long, but she finally gave in. We brought a lot of stuff for their churches "God's Garage Sale". We almost didn't have enough room for our luggage! Of course we also had a cooler in the back to bring back some beef and strawberries. I also have a helmet, tube cake pan and recipe books we're taking back. It seems that whenever we visit our parents, we come back with twice as much stuff. At least this time we brought some stuff to leave here!

Saving Money

Jason and I were watching "Good Morning America" the other day and they had a segment on how to help save money. One of the things they talked about was the website smartypig.com. It is an on-line savings account that has a higher interest than you would at a bank. I've done quite a bit of research, and I decided to join. I'm trying to save for our "emergency fund" since it will be harder to use if it's in a different account that isn't as accessible. We'll see if it's actually worth it.

Other than that, as of now, I'm still going back to food service starting in August. I've emailed my supervisor (he's been on vacation this week) and he hasn't answered yet. So we're still waiting to see what will happen.

Anniversary

Jason and I celebrated our sixth anniversary this last Saturday. We went down to Des Moines Saturday and spent the afternoon at the Iowa Historic museum. It was really neat. We were there for several hours, long enough to not have time to go to the art center or the botanical center. We went and saw the movie "The A-Team" and it was really enjoyable. We had supper at Bravo and went to our hotel room to swim. We came back home after checking out since it was really rainy and gloomy. It was a nice relaxing weekend for us, something we really needed.

Jason did have me take a picture in the museum of something he thought was amusing.

I thought this was amazing.
Those bottles are filled with sand. Yes, the artist, who was a deaf-mute, placed each grain of sand to make the art. It's quite amazing. There were several pieces displayed.

Fun Packed Weekend

We had a wonderful time in Galena this weekend! We went over to game with our friends. We stayed at the Country Inn and Suites with some of them and the hotel is always nice. It doesn't hurt that they have a water slide! As you can see, we had a blast in the pool!

We also tried the new Chinese buffet in Galena, which was pretty tasty. They even told me that I said "thank you" correctly. (Did I mention that I'm learning Chinese, Thai and Russian through my co-workers? I'm doing all right, but still have a lot to learn.) We had a really great time, and had a lot of laughs. It's always a good time when we get together with our gaming group!

It's been a long week, though. I stayed home Monday with a headache and exhaustion. Jason didn't sleep very well Sunday night, and it didn't help me sleep at all. I've been walking the dogs at work and of course it's been really hot and sticky. We'll get by though. Our air conditioning is working just fine, so it's helpful to come home to a cool house.

Videos

Thought I would post the videos from this weekend!


Here's Jason and Ethan playing video games.


Ethan showing me how he blows bubbles.

Good Weekend

It was an interesting weekend for us. Both of us had to work, Jason on Saturday and me on Sunday. After I got off of work, we left to go to Olin. Jason rode his bike and I followed in the Pacifica. We made a stop in Cedar Rapids because Jen and Mike's van wasn't working. Of course by the time we got there to help, Mike had it fixed and Jason's mom had picked up Jennifer and the kids.

We did see the changes that Jen and Mike did to the house. They have worked very hard and their house looks very nice. We had supper at Mom and Dad's. Of course Ethan had to play in the basement with me until we ate. Afterwards, Jason played a video game with Ethan. I guess Ethan was really good because he won.We also got to watch part of the movie "Up". It was pretty funny.

Today we went to Jason's Grandma Rosemary's house for a family get together. All of the Slater cousins were there with their families. It was good food and good fun. Jason's cousin Chris got out some musical instruments and sang for us. Our trip back was uneventful, except for the fact that Jason's butt started to hurt from riding the motorcycle for so long. I don't think we'll be having any more long trips on the bike any time soon.

We are grateful to be back home and that we had safe trips to and from Olin. It was good to see family and fun to watch all the kids!

New Things

So things have been very busy. Last weekend, our washer finally decided to stop working properly. It won't spin anymore. So Saturday we spent some time at Best Buy looking for a new washer. We had about $250 in reward money to spend, so that's why we picked Best Buy. We also bought our refrigerator there and they were great on how they brought it in and installed it. We got a Whirlpool Cabrio HE. It's Energy Star rated so we're eligible for rebates from our electric and gas companies. All total, we got the price down quite a bit. It's really nice! And quiet! And doesn't vibrate all over the floor!

We also had a visitor, Flat Jasper. Jasper's class is reading a story about Flat Stanely, so they are doing a project to go with it. They made themselves out of paper and sent them to people out of town. Jasper decided to send his to us! We had a good time with him. I took Flat Jasper to work with me and Jason took him to work and campus. I'm sure Jasper will tell anyone about it if they ask.

We also got the fence around our garden so hopefully it will keep the rabbits out and we'll have lots of produce soon! Our roses are also blooming. The wildflowers are still growing and I'm anxious to see what they are.

Bonfire

My first week back at Racing Chemistry went pretty well. I got to walk the dogs on Friday and it was beautiful out! It was a nice break from being in our dungeon of a lab. There was a fairly large mistake made on Friday that meant re-extracting a good portion of samples. Since I was the only one without forty hours for the week, I went in on Saturday to do it. It was nice and quiet, and didn't take too long. It was nice to know that they still trust me enough for me to do that.

Jason and I went to a Ballard bonfire last night. The wood was still wet from all of the rain, so it took a while to get it started and stay lit. There was a lot of teamwork involved, and we ended up with a fairly decent size fire. Joyce got these huge marshmallows for toasting s'mores (along with the regular ones). I have decided that the huge ones are not good for s'mores. First, they don't cook all the way through so when I put in it on my graham cracker, the middle stayed on the roasting stick. (I did toast that part and put it on the s'more too.) Second, while eating the s'more I couldn't help but get melted marshmallow all over my hands. I didn't make the sandwich part big enough I guess. Still, a s'more is a s'more and it was still delicious!

Back at It

I've started back at Racing Chemistry and I'm pretty happy. I'm not optimistic that I will be able to get my position back. There are some rumors of discontent and some people might leave. I might be able to apply for one of them, if people do leave. We're supposed to have a meeting tomorrow to discuss the direction of the lab. It should be interesting.

Happy Mother's Day

I just want to wish all of my friends and family who are moms, Happy Mother's Day!

Spring Time?

Yesterday was my last day at food service for the school year. I will be back at food service in August, if things don't change between now and then. I do, however, have a temporary job in Racing Chemistry until then. I start back there on Tuesday. I'm very excited because it will be a nice "vacation" from the eight hours on my feet. I'll miss the people I worked with at Maple, but it will be nice to not be completely exhausted when I get home from work.

Jason and I also saw the second Iron Man movie and both of us enjoyed it. We went with some friends of ours to the theater in Ankeny and went to the new HuHot that opened there as well. It wasn't too bad of a day for it being cold and drizzly. Felt more like fall than spring.

We have decided not to plant any more in our garden until it warms up. We don't want our plants to die!

Verdict

I had another blood test today. I am no longer pregnant. There is some good news and that is that Jason and I can get pregnant. The doctor told us that it will a few months before we should try the fertility drugs. It may be a while before we get pregnant again, but we're not giving up! Thank you to everyone for your prayers and support! It means a lot to us to have so many people praying for us and our family, we can never thank you enough!

ER

I went to the Emergency Room this morning. I had some bleeding and first nurse said to go to the ER. The diagnosis was that I have a threatened miscarriage that doesn't look to have a happy ending. I'm taking it easy for the next few days, but I would really like it if everyone were to pray for us. It's not been an easy day and I know it will be really tough for us for a while. Thank you for all of your support and prayers!

News

So Jason and I have some news. The two of us will become parents in late December. That's right! We're having a baby! We've been struggling for almost two years. We went to the fertility clinic in Des Moines and they suggested insemination. They also gave us some advice and gave me some fertility drugs for a little boost. Jason and I go to the fertility clinic on May 10th for an ultrasound. It's basically to see if things are all right, and to see if there's more than one. Are chances went from 3% (which is the normal percentage for all couples) to 7%. It's a slight increase, but with twins running in Jason's family, who knows? We're very excited and couldn't wait to share our wonderful news! Jason told his family and I told mine on Saturday, so we can share the news with everyone now!

New Job

This week I started at Dining Services at Maple. I work in the dish room where it's noisy and hot. Yes, I went from a chemistry lab to washing dishes. I'm on my feet the whole time I'm working. However, the people are really nice and the food is wonderful! I'm very thankful I had today off though. My feet were hurting so bad I had a hard time walking after sitting down. I'll get used to it and I bought some insoles for my shoes. I work two more days this week and have the weekend off to enjoy time with family! Jason won't be able to go with, but I'm sure he'll be all right and not miss me too much.

Official

So, it's official. I no longer work for Racing Chemistry. I now work as a Kitchen Helper I in the Seasons Market at Maple Dining Center. Hopefully, I'll be recalled back to my position soon. The guy bumping Olha, who was bumping me, decided he would rather take the voluntary layoff then work in Chem/Tox. He decided this last Friday. However, instead of coming in and signing papers to make it official and stop this bumping chain, he decided to give everyone the run around and make the bump change go into effect anyway. So I was hoping and praying that I would get a phone call today that said I wouldn't have to move, but it didn't happen. I will work for food service for the next three weeks (it's a nine month position that ends May 7th and will start again August 1st), then enjoy unemployment unless Racing Chemistry posts a temporary position, or get recalled. It's still very stressful, but I won't go into work until 9:30 am at the earliest. It might be a nice vacation, who knows?

At Last...

Jason bought a motorcycle last night. It was a pretty good price, and we are able to make payments over the next year. On top of that, the guy that sold it to him agreed to help teach him maintenance until Jason feels comfortable doing it himself. Jason was pretty happy and drove it to work today. He was pretty lucky it didn't rain on his way home. There have been dark clouds looming over Ames for most of the evening.

My job situation is fairly complicated at this point, so I will post about it once I figure out what's going on myself. It's been dragging on all week.

I have been talking to my friend, Bethany. We were discussing later this summer, more likely next year, trying to sell some stuff at the Ames Farmers Market. We're just in the talking stages and trying to figure out the rules and prices to see if it's worth our time or not. We wouldn't mind any ideas for items to sell! Right now we're looking at jam, mixes and some crafty things. (Bethany crochets and also quilts.) We'll see what we find out though!

A Spring Weekend

We had a pretty good weekend. Well....it ended pretty well. Saturday I had blood taken for thyroid hormone levels. The first time, she didn't find my vein and that hurt really bad. She had to use my other arm. Then, later that afternoon, I received an email from the food service supervisor. Apparently she had been called and told I would start on April 19th. I thought, that's funny, I haven't been told anything. I replied to her email, then forwarded her email to my current supervisor and section leaders. Of course, none of the Racing Chemistry people knew anything. I still haven't gotten anything from HR or the Union. We'll see how things go next week.

Pat, Matt and Adam came down so we could game, but it turned out more of just hanging out. Jason's friend from work let him borrow the motorcycle he's selling. Jason's been riding it every chance he gets. Doesn't he look cool! He's still debating whether or not he wants to try and buy it. We'll see how things go. We all went down to Des Moines for supper at the Machine Shed for supper with Kate and Blair. Nala had a volleyball tournament in Des Moines, which her team won, and wanted to see us.

Sunday, we played for a little more, then had lunch at Great Plains. Jason had softball practice at 2, so it was a very short session. While he was gone, the rest of us cleaned out the garage as a surprise. We mostly rearranged things and know we're able to get the truck and a motorcycle in there. Now we're just relaxing with the windows open!

Rumors

Jason has a friend at work who said he would be willing to sell Jason his motorcycle for a decent price. His friend even said that he could make payments. Jason's going to try it out this weekend to see if he likes it. So, maybe by the end of the weekend, Jason will have his own motorcycle! He's very excited about it.

Otherwise, we're still waiting to hear about my job. The last rumor I heard was that nothing was going to happen until May. If it's after the 7th, I'll work as a temp in Racing Chemistry for the summer, then start at food service August 1st. That's a long ways away yet, so who knows what will happen between now and then!

Thanks for sending us the strawberry pie recipe, Cyndy! I'm sure we'll enjoy it very much!

Limbo

Last night Jason and I went to Des Moines to have supper with his mom. She's in Des Moines for an educational conference. We went to HuHot, which is always delicious! We were glad we got to see her for a little bit.

On our way back from Des Moines, our front bumper decided to let go in the front and drag part way home. The pavement scraped off part of the plastic bumper, and part of the bottom of the license plate. We were able to pull over and rig it up with a bungee cord. Hopefully we'll be able to get it fixed this weekend.

I still have not heard anything on when/if I'm moving to food service anytime soon. I'm still in limbo, not that it's a completely bad thing. I still have a job while I wait.

Happy Easter!

We just wanted to wish all of our friends and family a happy Easter! We love all of you and hope you have a wonderful day!

Keeping Busy

It's been a pretty long, and busy week for us. Monday I took the time to go over to the food service I will be moved to and talked to the supervisor. She was very nice and was very helpful. Since it is a nine month position, I will be able to work for Racing Chemistry as a temp during that time. We're just waiting to see what happens.

Wednesday was Jason's city employee banquet. I went because Jason was being awarded his 10 years of service award. That's right, he's worked for CyRide for ten years! I'm very proud of him. I know sometimes he comes home not liking his job, but he's really enjoyed working there.

I've been spending most of my evenings at 20th Century Bowling trying to transfer some files to the new computer and getting frustrated at not having all the software I need. This has been an extremely slow process! But I keep working at it. Hopefully I'll be done with it by the end of the year.

Jason and I have decided to stay home this year for Easter. We're going to try to start our garden and weed the strawberries. It's supposed to be fairly nice this weekend. Not the near 80's we had for the last two days, but fairly nice, with no rain. It did rain for a little bit this afternoon. The only reason I know that is because we heard the thunder in our lab. (The lab I work in is on the bottom floor, in the middle of the building.) Here's hoping we won't be having too many rabbits this year!

Happy Little Kitty

Today the temperature got into the 70's! It was absolutely gorgeous out. I was fortunate enough to help walk dogs today, so I got to be outside for part of the day. Jason had today off and spent the afternoon tilling the garden. He opened the widows in the house and Zara was soooo happy!! She didn't even sleep into the closet today. She's been busy running from window to window and watching outside. She's been running all over the house as well. She can't seem to sit still. I do love having the windows open. It smells like spring in the house now. Now, if we could only remember to get a new tank of gas for the grill!

Bundles of Cute!

We visited Jason's family this weekend and was able to see our nephew, Ethan, and our new niece, Audrey. Ethan is just so full of energy! He had Jason and me chasing him around the new house. He showed us his toys and we watched part of "Alvin and the Chipmunks". Jason and I definitely got our exercise today!

We both got to hold Audrey. She was really good and slept most of the time. Jason got to hold her while she was awake and she made faces at him. Of course he made faces back.

We also got to see all of Jason's grandparents too. It was good to see everyone and we feel bad we couldn't stay longer. We'll definitely be back for the baptism, whenever Jennifer and Mike decide when to have it.

Meeting

So I had my meeting with human resources today. I have been offered a position with food service. It is a 40 hour a week, 9 months a year position. I haven't had a chance to talk to the supervisor of Maple, (that's right, across the street from the food service I used to work at) so I don't know when for sure the 9 months is. I assume that it goes from mid-August to mid-May. They don't know when I'll be moved, but they were hoping sometime within the next two months. There are some other questions I have to talk about, but I did ask the human resources and union rep about taking a temporary job in racing chemistry during the summer since they hire people for their busy season. They said it could be arranged, as long as my new supervisor will allow it. I do get to keep my health insurance during the three months I'm off, so that was some good news. I will be able to transfer to a lab tech I position or apply for other posted positions, so I'm not without options.

Yes, I have started another blog. I have chosen to monetize it to try to bring in a little extra money. There is a link to the new blog on the side. This blog is not linked to the other one, the biggest reason being that I will not be putting pictures of family on the other site, but will continue to do so on this one. I haven't been putting labels on these posts because it makes it harder for people to find them. I don't want to jeopardize any one I love because some weirdo saw your picture on my blog. I don't plan on making this blog invitation only, but will if it comes to it. Besides, there are lots of pictures to share with friends and family! The best way to do it put 'em on the blog!

A Few Things

First of all, I made my homemade dish soap from Castile soap I purchased at our local "health store". This "health store" is our co-op in town, but it's pretty expensive for almost everything, but they do have organic and alternative foods. I don't shop there, pretty much ever. So I make my soap and I've been using it, but I'm not liking it. It seems to leave a film on everything. Of course Castile soap is made of olive oil, so it wasn't a big surprise. I've tried to add vinegar to help with it, but it doesn't seem to help. So, I think I'll have to try a different recipe.

Second, I have my "official offer" meeting Friday morning. This means that they will offer me a different position, if there is one, or I can take the layoff. We'll see how things go during the meeting. In the meantime, I've been looking for jobs other places. I've also been doing some research for working at home. There isn't much out there, but there are a few things that could bring in a little money. Or at least some rewards that are as good as money.

Third, I'm almost 100% better. I'm still a little congested, but I'm not nearly as tired. The stuffiness gets better throughout the day. I'm sure I'll be at my best by this weekend.

Sick Again

So we had a pretty good weekend. Jordan and Cory came down on Thursday. I think they had a good time. On Thursday and Friday Jason and I helped our friends Pete and Mary move out of there old house and into their new house. Saturday, Pat, Adam and Matt came over to game. Of course the weekend was not without it's down parts.

Pat was sick Saturday night and part of Sunday. Jason stubbed his toe on the cabinet in the kitchen and messed up his toenail. I got another sinus infection Sunday afternoon and spent today at home. Of course both Jason and I visited the doctor today. They pretty much said there was nothing they could do unless we got worse. Here's hoping we get better soon.

Spring?

I would like to think it's springtime. Yesterday was absolutely beautiful! The sun was out, it was warm despite a cool breeze, and the snow was almost finished melting. Until today. That's right, it was snowing today. More like flurries, but it was still snow. And the best part is that it's supposed to snow more tomorrow!

Jason, Zara, and I did enjoy the nice weather while it lasted. Jason opened one of the living room windows and Zara sat and watched the outside all afternoon. I went home for lunch so Jason and I could take a walk in the sunshine. We did help our friends, Pete and Mary, pack up there house so they could close on both their new and old house today. Jason is there helping them unpack now. He was disgruntled that it was snowing, but I thought it could be worse. It could have been the rain we were told we were going to get.

I'm just hoping to get the garden measured so I can start planning on what to plant and where to put it this year. I even bought graph paper so I could map it out!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Happy Saint Patrick's day everyone! I hope everyone is well and having a good day! Our week is busy filling up fast.

First off, we'd like to say welcome to the family to our new niece, Audrey! She was born Sunday night and we couldn't be more excited. Now it's just finding time to go visit her!

Thursday and Friday we're helping some friends move into their new house. Jason actually took the days off, but I need to work so I get to help afterwards. (Maybe all the heavy stuff will be done by then.) Jordan is also supposed to come visit, however she has a pretty bad cold, so we'll see if she decides to come or not. We're also haveing Matt, Adam, and Pat down this weekend for some gaming time. It always seems to pile up on one weekend.

Two Dollars

We had our tax appointment today. It went better than last year, but was still disheartening. We owe $2.00 for federal taxes. That's right, $2.00. And the great part is that if we were owed that much, we wouldn't get it, but we still have to pay. It just stinks. We are getting some money back from our state taxes, but it's already spent. We have decided that we need to replace our windows this year since the government will give some money back. And of course we're going to send in the window receipts to our local utility provider since they have an incentive program as well. We've decided to replace our windows because we need to. The incentives are just a nice bonus!

In other news, I have started applying for other positions. It's growing tiresome with the union and HR and now my lab mate that is getting bumped is suing the union for not representing her since she wasn't a card carrying member, and Iowa State because when she went to file her grievance, they told her it wasn't official since the union didn't present it. You can read more about it at And yes, the employee with less seniority than her is me. So I sort of made the paper. I do like my job, but it's hard dealing with all the stress of the bumping and the transition to a different job with a new to the job supervisor. (He's been here for a few years, but not as the department head.) Besides, I can always say "no" if I decide I want to stay.

Saving

Since I've been getting food from the Angel Food program, I've had this problem with the citrus fruit we get. Jason's not a big fan of citrus, and I have to be in the mood for it. (Grapefruit are the worst!) So, I got to thinking about the best way to use the oranges and the like without throwing them away. While I was at Walmart yesterday, I picked up a fairly inexpensive juicer. Jason went to the grocery store with me on Tuesday and wanted to get orange juice since he's been sick. He was amazed that a gallon was over four dollars. This is the biggest reason orange juice is only in our refrigerator when one of us is sick. So tonight, I took all of our oranges and the two tangerines we had left, and juiced them. We got about 3 cups of citrus juice. Granted, it's not a whole lot, but at least I didn't waste the oranges, and it will be much cheaper than buying orange juice.

On another note, my "No-Hassle Housecleaning" is starting to get back on track after my bout of illness/surgery. The concept is pretty simple: two 5-15 minute "cleaning bursts" a day (one at night, one in the morning), one 10 minute "focus room" a day (different room each day), and one "clean-for-all" a week lasting anywhere from fifteen minutes on up. I have a hard time with the morning cleaning burst, but have been doing pretty well on the "focus room" and nighttime "cleaning burst". Today's focus room was our upstairs. I decided to get some organizing drawers for the yarn my friend Kate left me when she moved with her family to Galena. Zara loved it! Of course, all the yarn is now organized and Zara can't get into the drawers like she could the boxes.

Guess Who's Sick Now!

So, I started feeling a lot better on Thursday of last week. The antibiotics I'm on made me feel a lot better. Of course, that's the day Jason started waking up with a sore throat and blowing his nose a lot. During the weekend, he started having a lot of sinus pressure with the sore throat and blowing his nose. Of course that means he has a sinus infection. Yesterday he came home and said he was having so much sinus pressure on the left side of his face that his eye constantly watered. He now understood why sinus infections knock me down so much. Today he had the day off and I convinced him to go to the doctor. He has sinusitis...also know as a sinus infection. They put him on antibiotics, a decongestant, and a nasal steroid to help relieve the pressure. I guess he had so much pressure that it was beginning to affect his sight in his left eye. Hopefully he'll get some much needed rest today and the antibiotics will start working. He said he had been sleeping on and off for most of the morning. I'm sure he'll be better by the weekend.

Fun Times in Independence

This weekend Jason and I went to Independence to game with Pat, Matt and Blair. (Kate was not able to make it due to a conflict in her work schedule.) While we were gaming, Jamie and her family were in Waterloo for peewee state wrestling. Jasper is wrestling today. We don't know how many times, but he'll wrestle at least twice. Jason and I met them in Waterloo for supper and we had a good time. Mason had a hard time sitting still and Jasper was very quiet. Jasper did tell us about going to the Dan Gable museum. Jamie told me about how they made the cookie mixes we gave them for Christmas, but their dog ended up eating almost all of them. I guess I'll just have to send them some more!

The group we were with had lunch with Dad, Jordan, and Jordan's friend Corey. We went to Pizza Hut where we waited a long time and had to ask several times for the breadsticks and marinara sauce we asked for. Apparently, that particular Pizza Hut doesn't have real great service, which is why Pat usually calls for delivery. Oh, well! The pizza was really good. Jordan is planning on spending some of her spring break in central Ames. We'll get to see her again in a couple of weeks.

Auf Deutsch

Heute mein Blog schriebt auf Deutsch. Mein Fruend Dan hat einen Gebertstag! Er ist dreiβig Jahre alt und auf Deutschland kommt. Er spielt World of Warcraft mit Jason und mich. Wir getroffen im Colorado Dan und seine Familie. Seine Frau heiβt Stephanie. Seine Kinder heiβt Maya. Sie leben in Utah.

Herlichen zum Gebertstag, Dan!

Still Sick

So this is day three of being sick. I went to the doctor and she put me on augmentin. Apparently this antibiotic is good for sinus infections and to prevent infections in pulled teeth. Hopefully it'll work. This sinus infection is really kicking my butt. I'm hoping to be able to go to work tomorrow.

Sick

So now that I have my wisdom teeth out, I'm either coming down with a cold, or a sinus infection. I'm not really sure which one it is yet. I haven't had a fever and I haven't thrown up since I stopped taking the hydrocodone. I feel very stuffed up and my throat hurts. My eyes feel very tired, regardless of how much sleep I get and I have a slight headache. I should know better and shouldn't put my body through so much stress. The last time I did something "good" for my body, (tetanus booster) I was sick for a week and a half afterwards. I'm really hoping to get over whatever this is quickly. I'm running out of sick time!

Mission Accomplished

I had my wisdom teeth pulled today. I am now at home recuperating. I feel all right, not too much pain, yet. I'm tired, but that's a good part from the medicine. Mom came out and is in the middle of making chicken noodle soup. Not that I can eat any of it today, but I'll eat some of it tomorrow.

We did go to Hickory Park for lunch. They were pretty nice and mashed up my carrots for me so I didn't have to chew them. I couldn't taste much of anything, but it tasted good in my mind! Tomorrow Jason is going with some friends to the ISU women's game and we're going to Hickory Park for lunch. So I'll get a second chance to taste the food.

Posting

I decided to show Mom how to use blogspot.com so she knows what it takes to blog. I picked this picture to post because Mason is so silly. Maybe she'll start her own blog one of these days!

My Hero

So, last night I tried reinstalling my last disk of World of Warcraft. I moved (and ended up deleting) the files that were keeping the disk from completing the installation. It worked! Wonderful! Now, I have to download all of the patches. Eventually, Jason figured out there was a problem, so he uninstalled that particular disk, reinstalled it, and downloaded all of the patches. It took overnight to download the patches, but my game finally works! It even has all of my settings again so I don't have to change them every time I play! We're still working on why some of the programs run in 32 bit as opposed to 64 bit. (I have no idea what the difference is. And at this point, I really don't care.)

It's nice to know I'll have another option while sitting on the couch and recovering this weekend!

Frustration

If any one's noticed, I have not posted any pictures on Dropshots. Mainly because I haven't had time to go through the process, but also because I am in the midst of upgrading my computer from Vista to Windows 7. I thought I had it figured out, until I went to play World of Warcraft. The computer was laggy and choppy and none of preferences were left in the game. So Jason and I take a look at it and the computer is still using some of the Vista stuff. Odd, especially since I updated all of the programs it told me to. So yesterday I decide to uninstall all of the installed games I put on the computer and reinstall them, starting with World of Warcraft. (It does take the longest.) I get to the last installation disk, to 98% and it tells me that the installation failed because of a file it could not delete and could not rename. I try again. Same problem. At this point, I'm still trying to figure out Windows 7 and why it's still laggy. Why every time I start my computer it tells me it's switching to high performance mode, which is what it is supposed to start up with. I have not had time to determine if I like using Windows 7 or not. The only thing I've really tried to do is save or open files, and changed my background. My Office programs aren't any different (thank goodness!) and all of my web favorites are still there. Maybe while I'm laying around in pain this weekend, I'll be able to get things posted.

Nice and Neat

Last night I rearranged our bathroom closet. I got rid of some things we don't use at all. I went through the different storage containers and reorganized. I put some things we don't use as much, but should use up, on a shelf in plain view so we won't buy more. I did all of this work and was very proud of it! Until I realized that all but the first aid container were buried behind all of the stuff we use constantly. Now I'm rethinking on how I arranged everything and think I need to move stuff again. At least I thought ahead and that the first aid kit is up front and easily accesible!

Blessings

Today I felt very blessed. I took Zara to the vet where she had her two booster shots. She did really well and sat still for the shots and only cryed out at the end of the rabies booster. She was very scared of the barking, boarded dogs and couldn't wait to get back in her taxi.

I was able to get all of my errands done with little hassle. I did have to renew my library card which made another stop, but it's always worth it.

I went and picked up our Angel food ministries and they had been given frozen broccoli, carrots, and rice as extra items. We ended up with a lot of food which I'm grateful for. As you can see, it was a lot of food. We will enjoy it and it makes me feel good that I don't have to worry about buying a lot of other groceries for the week.

I'm also blessed to have such a loving husband and that both of us are employed. Sometimes the employment is not so great, but we are thankful we have them. We are both thankful for the love and support of our families and friends.

Jammed Packed

Jason and I have been pretty busy. Or at least it seems that way. And as we get ready for yet another round of snow, things keep piling onto Saturday.

It started with the Angel food ministries being distributed on Saturday from noon to one. Then I realized that Matt's mom, Joyce, is having her Pampered Chef party in the afternoon. I had borrowed some library books and they are due Saturday. For Valentine's day, Jason let me pick out some books to buy, and among them was "No-Hassle Housecleaning" that had some really good ideas to keep cleaning fairly inexpensive, as well as manageable. However, I have a few things to get to help keep it simple. (But I have started a few of the ideas.) I have also decided to try to make our own dish soap and laundry detergent. My friend Bethany gave us some of her laundry detergent to try, but I still need to get the ingredients for the dish soap. On top of all of that, I called the vet and found out that Zara is over due for her vaccinations.

I realize I don't need to do quite all of it on Saturday, but I figure if I do all that on Saturday, Sunday should be a breeze, right?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to all of our friends and family! Hopefully all is well and you are enjoying your day. Jason and I had lunch at a Chinese buffet, then went to Borders to buy some books for my gift. Jason received Hancock on blu-ray, a box of chocolates, and a six pack of his favorite beer. Of course he got all of his earlier in the week since he was sick. We also rented Ice Age:3 and watched that this afternoon. It's been a very pleasant day.

My trip to Bethany's was very fun. Her house is very cute, her animals are very nice, and she gave me some samples of her domesticity. Her place has a small orchard and she is planning on having a fairly large garden and growing her own herbs. I told her if she needed any help, I'd be more than happy to take some of her produce off her hands! I'll just have to settle for the preserves she sent home instead.

Cooking Fool

This morning I baked some bread, cut up apples to dehydrate, bake some chicken breasts for lunch, made an apple pie, and cooked fried cabbage. And it's not even 1:30! After Jason and I have lunch, I'm going to visit my friend Bethany. Bethany and I usually quilt, or at least try to quilt. Normally we just gab the whole time while we try to focus on quilting.

After visiting Bethany, I'm hoping to have a quiet night at home. I do have some other things I would like to get done, but we'll have to see how things go. It's supposed to snow again tonight. Who knows, maybe Jason and I will be snowed in for the rest of the weekend!

Snow

Jason made me a chocolate cake for helping put his computer desk together. He made it all by himself, by scratch. It was absolutely delicious!

I also bought Zara a new toy. It's a fabric cube with holes on three sides and some strings to play with on the inside. She likes to hide in it and has even moved it while she's in it to "sneak up" on us. Of course whenever I try to get some video, she walks away from it.

This last weekend, Jason and I went to Independence to game. We had a very good time and a lot of laughs. Of course, on our ride home, it snowed. The whole way. And it didn't stop. At all. It's still snowing. And it isn't supposed to stop until Wednesday. Night. We've already gotten about a foot. I'm starting to get tired of snow. What I'm really tired of is having to scrap all of the snow off the car. I had blood drawn for some thyroid testing and I had to scrape the Pacifica after being at the clinic for ten minutes. Schools and businesses have already cancelled for tomorrow.

New Desk

Our friend Pete gave a his old computer desk. He was able to take it completely apart so we could get it out of his house. However, Jason and I had to put it back together. It was quite the adventure. We didn't have any directions, so we ended up having to take some of it apart to put it together better. It took a good two hours, but we got it done and stabilized. Jason did a nice job putting his stuff back. Of course what's in the picture isn't all of his stuff. He still has a couple of boxes to go through yet. We moved his old "desk" downstairs. We're going to use it as a folding table. Hopefully, we'll be able to find a good place for it.

New Picture Site

I have added a new picture website. I haven't downloaded any pictures to it yet, but will soon. I have also signed up for lifeblob.com which is another picture site. Apparently, you have to be invited and one of my "friends" to see those pictures. The same as mejuba.com. I have signed up for that website, but you have to be my "friend". Good news is I can put up as many pictures as I like while Dropshots and Flicker only let you download 200 pictures. Flickr will let you put more on than that, but they only show the newest 200. So just wait! Let me know if you would like an invite to either mejuba or lifeblob. You could share your photos too!

Surgery

I am having my wisdom teeth pulled on February 26th at 9:15 AM. I'm hoping all will go well. Jason will be there, and so will my mom. Mom's gonna buy me a chocolate malt after the surgery. The oral surgeon says it should be pretty quick. The way the roots of my wisdom teeth are will make it easier to pull and should be fairly minimal damage to my gums. The surgeon said it should be about an hour and a half or so. It sure will be interesting.

What I Know

Friday morning I had a meeting with Human Resources. They told me about my bumping options. The first one is to bump into a position in the same position I am in, as long as someone is lower in seniority than me. Doesn't work for me since I am the lowest. The second option is to take the voluntary layoff. With this, I can be put on a recall list that they will call me if any position is available for the positions I am qualified for that I list for them. It lasts for two years, but if I refuse a position, I'm off the list. My third option is to bump into a position with an equal or lower pay grade that I currently hold. This is a tricky one because I have to be qualified for the position, and there needs to be someone lower in seniority than me. HR gave me the paperwork for this last bump option, which I have five days to fill out. Five days, not five working days. So, by Wednesday at 5:00pm, I have to decide what positions I would like to bump into and hope that there is someone with lower seniority than me. If there isn't, I automatically have to take the "voluntary" layoff. However, through all of this, no one is bumping into my position. They just want me to know about the very likelihood of it happening, and want to get the paperwork out of the way. They hope I can be patient with the process as it is still ongoing. Needless to say, I took a half sick day on Friday because I was getting a migraine.

Saturday, I went and picked up our Angel Food Ministries food. It is an organization that has what I call box specials each month. The different "boxes" you can choose from range from pre-made frozen meals, to fruits and veggies, to meat. We bought a signature box and the fruit and veggie box. Anyone can order and they can order as much as they like. Jason and I had the frozen meal (beef macaroni) and the rolls. They were pretty good. When I went to pick up the food, the people there were really nice. A guy came to my vehicle to walk me in under an umbrella, then they helped load the food into our Pacifica after they let me go to drive it up so the food didn't get rained on too much. (Yes, it rained all day yesterday.) I'm pretty sure we will be ordering again. Most everything comes frozen, and you get milk, eggs and dessert from the signature box. This month we got two pumpkin pies! I encourage everyone to go to the Angel Food Ministries website and try it for yourself. (Any food not picked up is donated to those in need!)

Jason and I also found out yesterday that kitties become lactose intolerant once they are adults. We gave Zara a bowl of milk, which she loved! Unfortunately, she proceeded to throw up the milk shortly after. The poor thing, she never saw it coming. I think she was embarrassed by it. She was her spazzy little self afterwards and Jason and I have decided that we'll just have to give her teaspoons of milk with her food if we want to give her an extra special treat. It sure doesn't stop her from trying!

Mousies Galore

So, I am the best kitty mommy. I got on the floor and fished mousies out from under the kitchen cabinet and the entertainment center. This is what I found.

I also moved the refrigerator.

All together, there were a lot of mousies.

Of course I went to feed Zara, and found three more in the closet. Go figure.

On a different note, I was supposed to have an appointment with HR yesterday, but with the weather, it was rescheduled to tomorrow morning. They said something about discussing a third option with the bumping. I'm not sure what the first two were. I guess I'll find out tomorrow, I guess.

Ice

Jason and I woke up to about 1/4 inch of ice in our driveway. And the best part....it was just starting to rain. Iowa State did not close, so I went into work. CyRide ran, so Jason went to work. I've had a somewhat boring day. We started the day in the lab with six people. A few more came in by the afternoon, but we didn't get much for samples. I'm sure Jason has had an extremely busy day. No one wants to drive in weather like this, and CyRide is the safest vehicle on the road.

The major factor for me going to work today was that I was supposed to have a meeting with the HR department. It's been moved to Friday morning, and I guess they're going to tell me my third option in the bumping process. I don't know what that means because I don't think they ever told me what the first two options were. Regardless, it's been such a long, drawn out process that I just want to see end.

A Couple of Busy Days

Today is the last day of my "mandatory unpaid leave". I spent most of yesterday at Mercy East in Des Moines. My friend, Kim, (she used to work in the chemistry/toxicology department with me) and her fiance, Ryan, had their baby new year's day. She went into labor the day Jason was released from the hospital. She originally started at Mary Greeley (she works there part time), but she was only 32 weeks along. (Normal is 39.) They sent her by ambulance to Mercy East, after giving her Magnesium sulfate to stop the contractions. She finally convinced the doctors to stop giving her the Magnesium sulfate around 11:00 pm new year's eve. Nolan was born new year's day at 8:48 pm. He was born at 8 pounds and 19 inches long. However, he was born with fluid in his body, all over. As the days went on, they discovered bleeding on both sides of his brain and he was possibly having mini strokes. They put him on an anticoagulant which was the less invasive course of action, but still could have been fatal. Nolan is to be in the hospital until his due date. He is on a respirator and is stable, but still considered critical. He is awfully cute though. He even opened his eyes for a little bit while I was there. Kim is staying optimistic and she's gotten to change Nolan. She takes things day by day and says that the prognosis changes everyday. Unfortunately, while friends and family can visit, no one under 14 is allowed in the NICU. Nolan's brother, Neil, hasn't been able to see him except in pictures. They do have a family waiting room, so at least Neil gets to be near.

This ordeal has made me very thankful that our nephews have been born, and continue to be, healthy. We pray for Kim and her family. Nolan continues to get stronger, but he's got a long way to go. I'm going to visit again next Saturday with another co-worker of mine.

On a happier note, I had a second interview with the company Caremoli today. I'll know for sure next Friday. I think it went pretty well. I also started another quilt today. I don't think I had enough of one of the fabrics, but I'll adjust. I also went to the quilt store where they have started a block of the month. If you purchase something, you get the pattern for free, otherwise it's a dollar. I bought a neat book on how to make Slouchy Bags. Once I get done with this quilt, I think I'll try making one of them. The block of the month is paper pieced and they have a class once a month on how to paper piece. The class focuses on the particular block for that month. I'm not taking the class this month, but hope to in the next few.

Jason has been back at work full time and is already frustrated on how people can't figure out what schedule it is. I'm sure he's glad to be back at work and get back to a "normal" schedule.

Appointment

We went to the doctor again today and I am happy to say that Jason was finally able to get his PICC line removed. I watched and it wasn't bad. Jason said he didn't feel anything when they pulled it out. He still has to wear the compression sock for a while (I hate that part the most), but he can go back to work with no restrictions. He can also not get gloved up to shower! I think he was most excited that he could go to the chiropractor and get a normal adjustment. He goes back in a month for another check up. He did have to hold Zara before we left though.

I'm on day two of my mandatory unpaid leave. I got a massage and went to the dentist for a cleaning yesterday. I have one cavity in a wisdom tooth. I was referred to one of the oral surgeons in town to get all my wisdom teeth pulled. I haven't called them yet, so we'll see what happens. Today was Jason's doctors appointment and we sort of took it easy. I did start reorganizing the living room since we were woken up by a large bang. Zara had gotten up on our entertainment center and knocked a sign over. That's the biggest reason the living room is being reorganized. Tomorrow I'm going to try to work on the kitchen and computer room. Maybe I'll get the main floor done before I go back to work on Tuesday. (Monday is a holiday.)

Appointment

Jason had his doctors appointment today. The doctor said he could be done with his antibiotic, but he needs to keep the PICC line in. They want to see how Jason will react without being on antibiotics. He has another appointment next week to see how he's doing. He's really tired of having his PICC line. Since he has an extension on his PICC line, he has to keep it wrapped so he doesn't catch it on something. He thinks the wrap is giving him a rash. Jason is allowed to go to work. He can't drive a bus, and can only work four hour shifts, but he can go to work. We'll see how he does at work tomorrow.

Busy Weekend

This weekend we had some friends come over. It really made Jason feel better. We've had a lot of visitors these past couple of weeks, and we appreciate every one of them. It's been a tough time with Jason in the hospital, and my job status not being very secure. It's wonderful to know we have family and friends who are there for us in our times of trial. It's so much easier to get through those times when you know how much you are loved!

While our friends were only here for a brief amount of time, Zara was glad to see them go. Especially the dog. She moped around all weekend and hid in the bathroom closet, or downstairs. She's not much of a people person.

Things are starting to get back to normal. I'm back at work. Jason isn't scheduled until Wednesday, but has a doctor's appointment Tuesday afternoon. Right now he's restricted to office work only and only four hours at a time. Since they had already scheduled him to be gone, they just told him to wait until after the appointment. Hopefully Jason will be able to get his PICC line out and go back to work. I think he's staring to get tired of just sitting at home.

Happy 2010!

Happy new year to all of our friends and family! We hope that the new year brings everyone happiness, joy, and peace of mind.