Happy Thanksgiving

Our first year away from family :(  We managed well. I cooked and didn't burn the house down. There's something to be thankful for. Morgan and I decided to have a non-traditional Turkey day. I am not a big fan of touching the turkey, ask Mom and Chrissy. I've learned from a few past experiences that it is just not my forte'. So instead we settled on shepards pie. Just to keep in spirit with the day we did have mashed potatos and stuffing. Mom sent a sponge cake our way via snail mail which we enjoyed as dessert. Thanks Mom! Morgan thought our dinner was great and I'd have to agree. We may even have a guest show up post-shift for a little turkey day food. So all in all, I'd have to say our first Thanksgiving away from home was a success. It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without pondering about what we are thankful for. Every year as we sat around the table prior to our feasting Dad goes around the table and one by one asks each person to state one thing they are thankful for. This year I cannot state just one thing. So Morgan and I have concocted a small list. Things to be grateful/ thankful for in the year of 2010:

1) I am surrounded/ supported by loving Family and Friends

2) The fact the my family, children and friends are healthy

3) My new career and my Texas RN license

4) Our new begining in Texas

5) I'm no longer in the RN program and I can enjoy life again :)

Morgan's list;

1) Family and my Friends

2)Social Networking

3) Make-up and Awesome clothes

4) Food, water, shelter, etc...

5) School

I begin my first shift back in the ICU tomorrow night, night shift at that. I'm very excited! I have completed all 8weeks of critical care classes and am now twice over ACLS (advanced cardiac life support) certified. I will have six more weeks with a mentor then they let me go and I will be on my own. That is a terrifying thought to me today but in six weeks I know I will be ready for whatever comes my way. I will keep everyone posted along the way.              
                                                     Just a little more Thanksgiving humor:

For each new morning with its light, For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food, for love and friends, For everything Thy goodness sends.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Halloween fun

Halloween 2010 may very well be Morgan's last trick-or-treating experience. As she and her friend went door to door in search of the best sugar in town. I sat pondering to myself...where has all the time gone? It feels as though it was just yesterday that I had one stroller and the other in my arms. Watching Morgan with her friend this year had made me realized how grown up she really has become. It saddens me to watch her both grow and yet at the same time I'm excited to see what lies ahead as she matures. By the way she was the most beautiful hippie Princess in all of Lubbock.

A beautiful girl...a beautiful performance

Morgan's first Choir performance of the year. Ed Irons has a girls' and boys' choir groups all of which are separated by experience going as far as the Varsity level. This is her first year along with the other young woman she is singing with. Morgan did great and like her name she shown "bright!"  I am so proud of her :)

Little Treasures

We have discovered much in our short time here in Lubbock. Something tells me we have only begun to open the box of many treasures this town holds. A few blocks from the house we stumbled upon this memorial to local fallen Soldiers. Every brick holds a Soldiers name, branch served, sevice dates and town where each young man came from. It is amazing! A bit breathtaking as well!

 

Another little gem we have found a few blocks from the house. Memorial to Commander McCool. He was a Lubbock boy who became an Astronaut and was tragically killed the Columbia Shuttle disaster.

That is all she wrote for now. More to come soon...

Girls Day Out

McKenzie Park in Lubbock is the place to go to hike and fish; mostly just to get away from it all I guess. My friend Niki and I started out on the only trail head we could find and just started walking. I thought I would share with everyone some of the sights I experienced during our journey through the wilds of  Lubbock.We came across a hole that I imagine belonged to a tartantula, wicked trees, cacti and unidentified gord-like objects. A most pleasant spotted ground squirrel and the not so pleasant and apparently annoyed Praire Dogs. Neither of us had ever seen so many Praire Dogs in our lifetimes. As we continue to walk through the open field very aware of the surrounding vermin hositlity my friend calmly states "I'm begining to fear for our safety". I laugh it off and reply "remember they are more afraid of us, then we are of them". Then she adds, "yes, but there is power in numbers!" Enough said, one cannot argue with that and we walked briskfully through Verminville. Near the Park is this wonderful place with a large variety of windmills. I haven't figured out why I have such an infinity for them but I find them facsinating and for now it is all I need. I plan on visiting McKenzie Park often, next visit I will bring Morgan and maybe be so brave as to invite the canine.

Texas Football

So... as we soon found out around these parts football is serious business!!! It was the craziest thing. Raiderville was a new introduction to College student loyality or new excuse to party all week. Tech students gather on campus,  set up tents, couches, you think it I'm sure you'll find it there. Raiderville hit maxium capacity of something like 10,000 students by Thursday morning. These students had been camping out on the campus lawn since Monday!  On the day of the big game; Texas Tech Red Raiders versus University of Texas Longhorns the city was nothing but hussle and bustle. People of Lubbock were gathering supplies for BBQ's or getting ready to head to the AT&T stadium to cheer on their favorite team. It seemed as though every person (including infants) in Lubbock were sporting their team colors or supporting their teams with smack talkin' shirts or team jerseys. Us gals from Az had never seen anything like it before. Families split; Moms in burnt orange and Dads in red and black (or vice versa), kids were split too. Wild!!! In good spirit and new to town we jumped right in. With plans of  furthering my education and obtaining my BSN through Tech it was a no brainer where our loyality lies. So we purchased Tech gear and planned to watch the game in style. We went to my friends apartment that happened to be blocks away from the stadium and spent the evening watching the game. We were sorely disappointed in our Tech boys; longhorns "hooked us" winning 24-10. Better luck next time Raiders!

Update from Morgan

Hi everyone it is I, Morgan. My mom wanted me to give you all an update of how I'm doing in Lubbock.I've started my new school, Ed Irons Middle School. I have 7 classes and my own locker! All my teachers are nice but one. I have found her to be harder to get a long with. I've taken my first math test. I have my fingers crossed. I hope I aced it! The classes are a little different here in Lubbock than back home in Prescott Valley. I have started making friends at school and even found one that lives in our apartment complex. I am hoping to meet more kids my age in the complex soon. Overall I am enjoying school and loving Lubbock. Next weekend I am hoping to visit the Mall with my friend from Prescott Valley who is visiting her mother here in Lubbock. We may even talk mom into taking us to our first drive-in movie!!!

Officially a University Medical Center employee

I am so excited! This week I began "processing" as an employee, spent an entire day touring the ICU and the hospital itself. Friday will be my first day "observing" with my preceptor. Her name is Gina and for now that is all I know. I cannot wait to begin my career. I will have 8 weeks of critical care training on top of following my preceptor's schedule. For now I will be on day shift. After 6 weeks of day shift I will moved to night shift which is where I am hoping to stay for a long time.

The move was a success!

Oh the fantastic and beautiful Granite Dells. I had to have one last look the day before we left.An evening with Nathan that was ever so wonderful. I am hoping that he will come to visit very, very soon. Enjoying the site of the sunsetting of the San Francisco Peaks was breathe taking and a pleasant reminder of how much we will miss Arizona.Entering New Mexico...boy do they have long seemingless endless amounts of highway. I thought we would never make it to the next stop rest stop!We did encounter Indians oustide of Gallup, New Mexico. I did not however stop to ask what tribe they were from, we were on a mission to Clovis. Driving through Fort Sumner is always a good sign. Clovis is right around the next stretch of highway.Now where was Dave and his coffee shop during Nursing school. Boy would I have spent a few many nights studying there!!! Not much to say about the Westard-Ho Motel other than we did not stay there and it was too funny not to get a snap shot of. Who names a motel that? Really folks? we were fortunate enough to lay our weary heads down at a Comfort Inn there in Clovis. Yeah Clovis!Bright and early the next morning we loaded up for the 89 mile drive and headed into Lubbock.Let me just share how wonderful it was to see that we only had 11 miles to go before we were in our new hometown!!!Mom, Morgan and Lambeau all found their place in the car and thanks to Dad's walkie talkie's we all played a highway game. I think us girls are still ahead. Dad never found the red tractor! We enjoyed lunch at the park near the apartments while they were putting the finishing touches on for us to finally move in!

So here we are...the new place we call home! Our apartment is the one in the upper left corner. So far we enjoy being here alot. The complex is large and surprisingly quiet for the amount of College students that surround us. I find myself grateful that have worked out for us and we have begun our new adventure.