Couch to 5K

Just completed week 2 workout 2 of the Couch to 5K training program. I am shocked that I am enjoying this. LOL! I use the C25K app on my phone and it tells me when to jog or walk all while I am listening to my music. Wonder if I will still like the program when I have to jog longer next week. :-)

I have lost 10.8 pounds since 6/13. That is when I started counting calories.

2 Years Worth of Updates

Wow, cannot believe I haven't blogged for over two years!

Quick updates since last post:
Jameson Patrick was born 5/26/09 and is now a wonderfully happy 2 year old
Zander turns 4 next month and has a ton of energy
Cassie is 5 and will start kindergarten next month
I graduated with a BSN from Grand Canyon University in May 2011, passed my NCLEX, and just got my first job offer this week. I will be working in the Emergency Department at a local hospital and will start next month in their new grad RN program.
David is still at Intuit and I am so thankful that he supported me through nursing school! We recently celebrated our 12-year wedding anniversary.

I have been researching blog sites for new grad RNs and decided that I want to record my feelings as I start working as a RN. I will also continue to update regarding my personal life too. It will be therapeutic to review this blog over time as my first year as a nurse is going to be intense but I am so excited about starting!!!

Will try to enjoy the next few weeks with my family before I start working.

Countdown On!

It is Saturday and I am going to go up to my parent's house and finish my last online class. I go in Wednesday to get an epidural, get the stitch out, and be induced so Jameson should be here Wednesday!!! I am so excited to be done being pregnant although I will miss feeling him move. I just want to be able to run around again. It is hard taking care of the kids when they can outrun me! LOL!

My mom flies in tomorrow night so she will be here to help us out which is really cool. She said she will take the older kids up to her house so me and the baby can get some rest!

Cassie and Zander start Parks & Rec classes the following week so our summer is going to be pretty busy but my goal is to enjoy every minute with the kids and David since everything will change once I start nursing school Aug. 31st!!!!

Well, the next update will be of the new baby!!!!

Need to update more...

Can't believe it has been so long since I have posted anything! I have been really busy with the 5 classes I am taking right now and finals are next week. I found out a couple of days ago that I got accepted into the Fast Track Nursing Program through Grand Canyon University here in Tucson. The program was supposed to be sponsored by different hospitals but because of the econony, the hospitals are not sponsoring in the Fall so we need to figure out how to pay for it and will need to put the kids in daycare. I am really excited though! It is a 20 month program and very intensive but all the hard work will be worth it in the long run. I cannot wait until I am working since we will be able to pay off our debt and get a bigger house. Thank God David has a good job but we need more income especially with another baby coming in 4 weeks.

Yep, 4 weeks!!! Our little boy will be here the last week of May. I am 33 weeks today and will get my stitch out that last week of May!!! If things go as they previously did with C and Z, we will have him the same day. I had an appointment on Thursday and the little guy is estimated to weigh 5 lbs already. We could even see all the hair on his head via the ultrasound! I have a feeling it is going to be bright red or black. Cassie's hair was really dark when she was born and now it is brown with red highlights and Zander's hair was really light when he was born and it is blond with red highlights now. Can't wait to see what the new baby looks like!

David has been great taking care of the kids so I can get my studying done! I am so lucky to have him!!! It sucks that we don't get to spend a lot of time alone and it is only going to get harder with the new baby and me starting nursing school in the fall. Once my parents come back to AZ for the winter, maybe we will be able to get in some date nights.

Well, off to do some more homework....at least I have 3 months off before nursing school starts!!!

A Much Needed Update

Wow, it has been a long time since I have blogged...

To update my previous post, our family flew back to SD at the end of July to attend my aunt's funeral (she had lung cancer that had spread throughout her body). While we were there my children and I got to see my grandpa in the nursing home and spend time with family. My son turned one on August 15th so we were going to have a little party at my parent's house at the lake and after eating lunch, I had to be taken to the hospital and had my gall bladder removed the next day. No party for him! A day after my surgery, my grandpa fell and broke a bone in his face and some ribs. His cancer medicine was no longer working and he was about to start Hospice care but it was too hard for him to mend after this and a week later he died. My husband and daugther flew home because they were getting sick and my son and I stayed a few more days to attend the funeral. The only good thing out of this horrible summer is that we got to spend a lot of time with family and took pontoon rides on the lake after every funeral which was a good bonding experience. 2008 was not a fun year...

Now on to current news....

My dad's sister who had the tumor on her liver has another tumor and needs more tests run at the end of this month. We are all praying that the doctors can help her beat this cancer.

Some good news is that any day my sister-in-law will be having her first baby and we are so excited to meet the little girl!

And...I am almost 19 weeks pregant and should find out next week what we are having hopefully if the baby cooperates. LOL! I was pretty sick the first trimester so have a lot more energy now in the second trimester. We are pretty excited and are trying to figure out where to put all the baby stuff when we bring it out. My daughter is really excited too but wants a little sister - I totally think we are having a boy - so that is why we are going to find out what we are having so the kids can have a few months to adjust to the idea.

I just applied to an accelerated nursing program through University of Arizona and if chosen will have an interview next month. I am also finishing up the pre-reqs for the nursing program through Grand Canyon University so I can apply to that program to start in the Fall. I am excited but nervous because the kids have never been in day care, I have always been home with them. I know that becoming a nurse will be a wonderful thing for myself and for them in the future. It will be great to have an income so that with both our incomes we can get a bigger house! Anyway, I will try to do my best in class and know that God will take care of our future.

Well, I hope to update this more often. And add some pictures.

M

It is strange but I only seem to update this when something bad happens. I tried to update this a while back and couldn't find the words. I received bad news today so now it is time to update. I guess updating this blog is a means of healing for me?

Anyway, my Grandma died from a heart attack on June 3rd. I took my 10-month old son and flew back to South Dakota for the funeral. I forgot how much I hate the humidity and was longing to get back to the dry heat of Arizona. The funeral was really emotional and I was really glad to see my family but am worried about my Grandpa. He moved into a nursing home and is getting adjusted to life there but losing his wife of almost 69 years has to be really tough on him. A part of me wanted to stay although I was missing my husband and daughter terribly.

Today, I have been biting my nails off almost to the point of bleeding. They are throbbing as I type this. I told David something is bothering me but I don't know really what it is. Is it that I am worried about my Grandpa, or my Aunt in Montana that is going through radiation therapy, or my Aunt who is in the hospital with cancer in South Dakota? Well, when we got back to the car after enjoying swimming lessons with our children, my phone rang and I saw that I missed a call from my cousin and my mom.....I knew something was wrong.

I called my mom to find out that my Aunt Carol who has lung cancer and tumors in her brain and neck was told today that the cancer has spread through out her lungs and bones and she has only days to live. I wanted to get into the car and drive all night and day to see her but that is hard to do with two small children. We had just booked plane tickets to fly back to South Dakota in August for a two-week vacation. Well, now it looks like my son and I are going to be flying there again real soon. I pray to God that her pain is controlled and she can somewhat enjoy her last days with her husband, children, family, and friends.

Weird but my husband compared life to poker today...you can only make decisions regarding the cards you are dealt and you can only be certain that more cards will be dealt and then you can make decisions after they have been dealt. No wonder I hate poker! LOL! I hate the not knowing, the uncertainty, the wait and see what happens!!!! That is why I had such an awful time dealing with our six year trip down the infertility road. Thank God we were blessed with two beautiful children. But I still want another - maybe I am too competitive and feel like I still need to control the outcome of having another child....this topic should be dedicated to a separate post.

I guess what all of this craziness has done to me is open my eyes and heart to the fact that I want to be around for my family as long as I can so I need to start taking better care of myself instead of only focusing on them. I need to exercise and eat healthy and study life and spend time with family and friends and be stronger in my faith.

I wish we didn't live so far away from my family in South Dakota and could be there while my Aunt is living her last days. I am thankful that although I traveled back recently for my Grandma's funeral, I was able to see my Aunt three more times after I had already said goodbye to her in Arizona.

Here's to Life........

Ahhh, how I miss the Peacemakers ten years ago...

Craziness

Well, I think it is about time for me to join in the blogging craze so here it goes.

This isn't the best time in my life to start sharing as everything is pretty gloomy right now. Everytime the phone rings I don't want to answer since bad news is at the other end.

So a few weeks ago I found out, pretty much all with in a day or two, that my dad's sister has liver cancer, my mom's sister has lung cancer, my grandpa was admitted to the hospital, and my cousin's husband killed himself. WOW! How does one comprehend all of this at once?

So two weeks later, my cousin and her family have a lifetime of questions and sadness to come. My grandpa is still kicking and doing rather well for a soon-to-be 94 year old. My aunt with the liver cancer had the tumor removed and gets to go home to start radiation treatment. And my other aunt has a tumor in her brain and neck and the cancer has spread throughout her body. She is continuing radiation treatment and not sure what will be next. I just hope her doctors can manage her pain and keep her comfortable. I am in shock that this sweet woman has to suffer so much!

Also a month ago, our friends in CA found out that their daughter has lymphona. How does that happen to a 6 year old? I wish my husband and I lived closer to them to provide real support instead of the support we are giving via the internet.

Upon all of this, I am going to have my 4th miscarriage. At least this made my husband and I realize that we do want another child eventually.

Not sure how the next few days, weeks, months are going to play out...

On a good note, my daughter turned 2 and is talking like crazy. I can't always determine what she is trying to say but she is just adorable! My son is almost 8 months old and is crawling all over the place. My daughter never truly crawled, just kind of pulled herself across the floor until she reached some piece of furniture to pull herself up on and cruise around. Needless to say, I really need to clean the floors better around here!

I also found out during this craziness that my friend is having trouble getting pregnant and it reminds me of the beginning our 6 year ordeal to have our first child. I really hope they don't have to go through what we had to but more about that later...

I guess the past weeks have made me realize how precious life really is and that we should cherish every moment we have with our family and friends. I need to remember to tell my husband, children, family, and friends how much I love them each and every day!

Well, I think this is enough for my first ever blog post.

Welcome to crazylearyland!