Tree house

We went out to G-ville on Sunday for Father's Day. We are always excited to go there because we get to see our family especially our grandchildren. My mother-in-law has a friend who has been working on a tree house in her backyard for the grandchildren. Years ago there was, well as my children put it, a pathetic tree house in the same place as the new on that is being built. Well this new treehouse is ginormous. It is still a work in progress, but as you can see it is every child's dream of what a tree house should be. The roof is still under construction and the barn red paint needs to applied. We all had fun exploring it.

Landon enjoying the slide. You gotta love that his shoes are on the wrong feet.

My Life, Lately

My life lately has been really busy and somewhat stressful. After we returned from our wonderful trip, I had to start studying for my National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX). This is the licensure test that officially confirms that you are ready to begin practicing as a registered nurse. I have to admit I was so tired of studying, but the fear of failing the NCLEX was enough to keep me motivated. I also had some good friends from school who wanted to study together which helped keep us all motivated. You need to understand that all during nursing school you are being prepped for this exam. The instructors are drilling into your minds ways to study for it and they are constantly giving insightful hints to help you answer questions that you may have no earthly idea of what the answer might be. There are practice questions that are similiar to the real questions, 3,500-4,000 to be exact, that you are encouraged to work on, that will help you with the exam. It is highly suggested that you do all of the practice questions before you take the test because it will further your knowledge. Alot of weight is put on this exam, not only the fact that you have to pass to work as an RN, but also the nursing school you attend is judged on how well their students do on the exam. Now you can fail this test and retake it, but come on who wants to at $200 a pop. So needless to say, this test is a big deal!

In between study sessions I have tried to get my flowers and vegetable garden planted. We had are sweet grandchildren for a weekend. So much fun and so much work!

Isn't he adorable! He is showing off his Batman pjs.

Addy loves wearing her hat. She gets cuter by the day.

Then the dreaded day of the exam arrived. I felt prepared because I did about 10-12 hours of studying a week, but it is one of those tests that you just really do not know how well you did. You feel comfortable half of the time that you know the answers, but the other half of the time you are thinking that you have no earthly idea what the answer is and you take an educated guess.

Well the good news is that I passed the test and I can finally start to enjoy my summer. I do need to find a job eventually, but for now, I am going to enjoy summer as much as I can. However, we do have a daughter getting married at the end of August that we need to finish planning. So who actually has time to find a job with all of the other things happening in one's life. By the way, I do love my life!

I can't believe my little bubba is 4!

I can't believe that our Landon is 4 years-old. He is the cutest and smartest little boy. He wanted a skateboard for his birthday and despite my begging and pleading to his parents, they got him one.

Ever since Landon taught himself to ride his bicycle, I have been stressing to him to wear a helmet. I bought him a helmet and I constantly remind him to wear it. So when I was talking to him and trying to help him understand that a skateboard was not a good idea because it is dangerous, his reply was, "But Mimi I will wear my helmet". I wasn't goimg to win this battle.

Here Landon is poising by the pinata. It is almost as big as he is.

What a swing that little guy has. He was doing some serious damage.

Go Bubba go!

Opening presents

Addie enjoying the candy from the pinata. Unfortuantely she lllllloooovvvveeeesss candy.


Happy birthday to our sweet little boy. We love you!

LONDON - DAY 7

This is our last day in London. We took in some more sights and we did a little browsing in Harrods. There is actually a designated time set a side for those who want to browse and not buy. I had the crazy idea that I could actully purchase some scarves for my daughters. It was crazy how expensive things were in that store. I saw some beautiful scarves which were priced at around $700. I DON'T THINK SO! Needless to say we got the heck out of there, but before we left I did take some pictures of the inside.

Inside Harrods on the floor that expensive scarves and purses are sold.

Here I am standing outside of Harrods.

To top off our wonderful time in London went to the broadway show "Wicked". Bret and I both agreed that it was fabulous. The theatre that the show was performed in had some fabulous architecture. It was a great night. (Please excuse the horrible picture of myself. The sun was so bright I could not help but squint. I did not take very many good pictures while on our trip).

We really packed in alot of sightseeing and activities while we were in London. But I think the greatest part of my vacation was spending every minute with my sweetheart. Thank you sweetie you planned a great trip. I love you!

LONDON - DAY 6

Today we decided to take a trip outside of London. We took a tour that visited Leeds Castle near Maidstone, Kent, England, the quaint town of Canterbury where Canterbury Cathedral is located, and the White Cliffs of Dover.

The castle is built on an island. It was originally built by Henry VIII for his wife Catherine of Aragon. It was purchased in 1926 by Lady Baillie who redecorated and donated it to the Leeds Castle foundation when she died.

One of the rooms inside the castle.

A sweets shop in the middle of the shopping square in Canterbury. There were some amazing candies found here. Some I recognized and some I did not.

The Canterbury Catherdral

Inside the Catherdral, it was amazing and this picture does not do it justice.

The White Cliffs of Dover which face the Strait of Dover and France. They are symbolic to Britain because they face towards Continental Europe across the narrowest part of the English Channel, where invasions have historically threatened and against which the cliffs form a symbolic guard. They are white in color because are calcium carbonate with streaks of black flint.

A resort on the beach near the cliffs.

Here I am about to touch the Atlantic Ocean and you can see the pebble beach. There is not any sand found on this beach!

At the end of our tour we boarded a boat that took us on a scenic drive along the Thames River for several miles. We drove under the Tower Brige (below). It was a fun day.

LONDON - DAY 5

Yes, I am finally sometime to complete our London experience. Today is Sunday, so we are going to take it easy. We went to church. The church is located on a street that is mostly office buildings. Across the street from the church is the Natural history and a Science museum. If you are not careful you could pass the church without knowing it was there.

The ward that we attended was the Hyde Park Ward. The members were really friendly and the membership in the ward consists of many different nationalities. There were many visitors in attendance along with students from BYU and their professors who are studying in London for about 6 weeks. There are several American families who are working there and going to school. There was a special spirit there. I loved it. I tried to convince Bret to find a job here in London for a couple of years so that we could travel Europe and be in the mission field again. He wouldn't have it.

After church we went to Hyde Park because we wanted to witness Speakers' Corner. Speakers' Corner is where people get on stepladders and speak their mind on religion. See the photo below. President Hinckley mentions this corner in his book and some experiences he had when he was on his church mission here in London. It was quite entertaining. There were a lot of people in the park. The park is close to a lot of nice shopping like Harrods. It was Sunday so we didn't do any of the shopping though. We plan on shopping a little on Tuesday.

After a much needed nap we were hoping to take in a concert at Westminster Abbey. We thought that there was a concert around 5 pm, but no such luck. So we walked around the grounds of the Abbey and walked around St. James Park where there is a memorial walk dedicated to Princess Diana. It was nice relaxing day which included a much needed nap.

LONDON - DAY 4

Today we ventured out of London and visited Wimbledon Lawn, Tennis, and Croquet club.  Yes, that is the correct name as we were told today during our tour.  If you are not familiar with Wimbledon, it is where one of the major professional tennis tournaments of the year is played. This was a must see due to the fact that Bret loves to play and watch the game of tennis.  We took a tour of the grounds and saw court one and other side courts, as well as the every famous center court.  The center court stadium is not that big and while we were seated in there we didn't think that there would be a bad seat. Too bad that tickets are so hard to get. We also toured the media room where all of the players are brought for interviews.  Bret is sitting in that seat below.  Doesn't he make a great tennis star!

Here we are at center court.

While we were out in the country, we also went to see Henry VIII's Hampton Court Palace.  All of the palaces have tapestries, paintings and architecture that are outstanding.  Sorry for the nudity in the pictures.  I am not up on the history of art around this time, but you see a lot of art with bare chests and scantily clad women.  The gardens are really pretty and very spectacular.  They put my flower garden to shame.  Below are pictures of an outside front view of the palace and one of the murals that is painted on the ceiling and wall of one of the stairways. 

They have the best soft serve ice cream here.  It is a lot thicker and almost like a custard in a cone.  They top it off with a stick of chocolate. It is so good!

Both of these sites were out near the town of Richmond which was a neat area.  It is in the country, but it had a lot of shopping available and many cafe's and pubs.  We traveled by Tube and bus and were surprised how easy it was to get there, that is after Bret did a lot of research.  

LONDON - DAY 3

Today was another busy day sightseeing. We to Buckingham Palace to witness the ever so famous changing of the guards. That is a very pomp and circumstance event which Bret had a much better view of than I did. We have one of those sightseeing books about London which mentioned that the better part of the changing of the guards was done before the soldiers arrived at the palace at a different location. So he wanted to see that, but I didn't really want to, so I joined the hundreds of people who were waiting at the palace.

Changing of the Guards

Buckingham Palace

While Bret and a few other tour groups were waiting for the soldiers to come out of the specific area mentioned in the book, a policeman came out and told them that the soldiers would not be coming out this way today. So Bret decided to walk around towards the palace and happen to fall into an area where he had a great view of the ceremony. I was able to see it, but not as well as he did. I was in front of the palace up on the center fountain area and my view was sort of blocked by the gate and other people.  It was still fun and it is one of those sights you need to see when in London. 

We visited the Queen's Gallery, which is a museum that houses the royal treasures (art and furniture) that has been purchased through the years by the royal family. I found that very interesting and was glad that we stumbled upon it because that was not on our to do list. 

We wanted to visit Kensington Palace where Princess Diane lived while married to Prince Charles, but it was closed for the day. We hope to visit that on another day. The Kensington area is a very nice area, with a lot of shopping. I tasted my first gelato while shopping and forgot to take a picture of it. It was sooo good. Bret even liked it because it and he does not like many sweet tasting things. We didn't have time to go to Harrod's shopping, but we will before we leave. I hope to pick a scarf or something like that in my price range to bring home to my daughters.

In front of Kensington Palace

We are getting comfortable with the Tube and I wish we had something like that in Utah.  It is definitely the way to get around London.  Tomorrow will be an adventure.  We are heading to Wimbledon and Hampton Court and  will travel by the Tube and by bus.  

LONDON - Day 2

Today was a full day of sight-seeing. We left the hotel at 8:30 am and returned at 9:30 pm. We probably walked over 7 miles and rode the Tube (subway) multiple times to see all that we wanted to today. We visited the Tower of London, The Tower Bridge, took in a display on The British Wartime, went to London Bridge, The Globe ( a replica of the Shakespearean Theatre that existed when Shakespeare's plays were first performed), St. Paul's Cathedral (which was amazing), and toured the London Museum. We are so tired right now all we want to do is go to bed, but I wanted to give an update on our travels. Here are a couple of pictures of our day.

This is at the Tower Bridge.  

This is Bret with one of the soldiers at the Tower of London.

LONDON - Day 1

We are finally here after the long, cramped, and sleepless flights. We flew out of SLC to NY and then on to London. That equals 11 hours in a plane with a 3 hour layover in NY, ughh. We arrive at Heathrow airport in London and had to wait an hour for our transportation to our hotel, yeah we were a little annoyed by that, but once we arrived at our hotel (which is great by the way) we took a much needed nap. After the nap and a shower we headed out to get transportation and tour passes and to take in a little of the city. We went to Piccadilly Circus which reminds me of New York's Times Square and also to Trafalgar Square. We wanted to go into the the National gallery which is an art museum that has many works of art by famous artist, but it was closed, so we ate at the first restaurant we came upon which happened to be Italian and it was excellent. We hadn't planned on it, but we were so close to the London Eye that we bought a ticket and got on it. What a fabulous way to see London! It is the world's largest observation wheel. It is a gigantic ferris wheel and you are inside a capsule like apparatus ( there are 30 capsules all together) which rotates slowly, 30 minutes to be exact, allowing you a unique view of the city. I really enjoyed that. The photo is of Mr. Bret and myself while we are on the London Eye. You can see Big Ben in the background on the right. It started to get dark so we walked back to our hotel, passing Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. These buildings have fabulous architecture and history. We are planning to tour them later in the week.

That is an update of our travels here in London, not bad for being here 12 hours and functioning on only a 2 hour nap. Oh, by the way I did fry my hair straightener when I misunderstood that the converter plug was not the volt converter plug, oh well that is not going to ruin my vacation!

Last Day of Class!

Today I had my last day of class. I can't believe this day has finally arrived. It is such a good feeling. However, I am sad that I won't be able see my nursing friends on a regular basis. Oh, we have plans to get together every three months to catch up, but it will be different not spending time with them as often as I have the last two years.

When I started this journey, we had been living here in Utah a little over a year. My babies (twin daughters) had graduated from high school and had left home and were off to college. For the first time in twenty-seven years, I did not have children at home to keep me busy. I didn't realize that my life would change so drastically and so suddenly. Not only were our children moving out and on with their lives, but I had left behind a life that I had built for fourteen years full of friends and familiarity in Memphis. Don't get me wrong, I am happy to be living here. I just needed something productive to keep me busy, shopping and lunch dates are fun for only so long.

Through the years I had been going to school off and on working towards a nursing degree. So when I came to the realization that I needed a life, I knew that I needed to apply to a nursing program to see if I would be accepted. I think I had resigned to the fact that I would not be accepted because when I got my acceptance letter I was excited, but I thought, "Oh, I guess I have to do this now". Well, I am so glad that I did. It has been one of the hardest things I have done, but also one of the most rewarding.

So here is to no more case studies, service hours, clinical journals, clinical hours, group presentations, ugly green scrubs, etc, etc. But, I only get a short reprieve of a couple of weeks, and then I must begin to prepare for my state board exam. If I don't pass that exam I will not be able to practice as a nurse.

I haven't heard back from the residency positions that I applied to. I heard through the grapevine that for one of the positions that I applied, there were over 100 applicants for only 16 available positions. Yeah, I am going to need more than fingers crossed, I am going to need a miracle. Oh well, I am sure something will work out.

Here are some pictures compliments of my great friend Wendy. The first photo is our group photo. The last picture is a few of us celebrating by going out to lunch. To my fellow nursing students I say, thank you it has been alot of fun!

I'm finished :(

Last night was my last clinical for my preceptorship in labor and delivery. I never thought I would say this, but I am so sad. If you have ever been a nursing student, the usual response when you finish a clinical rotation is, "YES I'M finished!". Clinicals are usually really stressful because of all of the dos and don'ts and learning that goes on. You don't want to contaminate your sterile field, you hope and pray that you do have a flash of blood when you are placing your IV, (that means you are in the right place), and the list goes on and on. There is so much to learn and depending on your clinical instructor or nurse that you follow, it can be a good experience or a down right bad experience. This clinical experience was amazing! I am really going to miss the nurses I worked with. My preceptor (the nure I followed) was wonderful. I learned so much and have definitely decided that I want to practice in Women and Children's services.

This is my wonderful preceptor who taught me so much.

Some of the great nurses that I got to spend alot of time with. You guys are awesome!

The new project is finding a job. To work for an IHC hospital (which are most of the hospitals in Utah) as a new graduate, you must apply and get accepted to their Residency program that opens up about three times a year. There are limited openings and as you can imagine very competitive because most of the new graduates are applying. So join me in crossing your fingers, hoping that I can get into a Residency program. I have applied to two different programs. One at IMC in the NICU and the other is at one of the three Utah county hospitals.

Farewell to the lovely (not) green scrubs that I have had to wear the last two years. I am so tired of wearing them. I 'm thinking of having a "burn the scrubs" party to celebrate not having to wear them anymore.

I only have 2 tests and 1 paper to write and I will be finished with my schooling. I can hardly believe it. I'm looking forward to this new and exciting chapter in my life.

Can you guess where I'm going?

That's right. London here we come! You might remember in a previous blog, that I mentioned I was in much need of a vacation. Well it has been decided that London it is. I am so excited. So if you have been there and have any suggestions of places to see and visit, please post them. We will be there the last week of May. He did good didn't he!

Snowshoeing To Donut Falls

A few of us from our church group went snowshoeing the other day. We had to postpone the adventure a couple of times due to inclement weather. It was worth the wait. We could not have picked a more beautiful day. I had never been showshoeing before and really enjoyed it. It was a really fun way to get in some exercise and spend time with some really great ladies. Thanks to Heather and Rachel for putting it together.