Playing The "Pregnancy" Card

Yesterday Drew and I flew to Colorado for the Christmas holiday. A friend from the ward drove us to the airport and since Reno/Tahoe in such a small airport we had about an hour to wait for our plane. On top of that our plane was also delayed 40min. So while we are waiting we both pulled out our books and started to read. Drew got up after a while and said he was going to the bathroom (making a small detour on the way). He comes back and pulls out a special blue pre-boarding pass.

Drew had walked up to the customer service desk and had told them his wife was pregnant and wanted to get her a seat close to the bathroom:) so they gave him a pre-broading pass. I felt SO embarrassed at first. First of all on the pass it says "for disability" and I just kept shaking my head and kinda laughing at the same time, but truly insisting to Drew that I was just like any other normal person and I could still board in the "A" group after all. I was a little frustrated that I was getting "special treatment" just for being pregnant and I was embarrassed because everyone who would be watching me board ahead of everyone else would obviously see that I was healthy and normal.

But... as we sat there waiting for our plane my heart started to melt a little. I thought of the reasons that Drew did that for me and it wasn't to embarrass me, but rather he was truly thinking of my comfort. The more I thought about this as we flew I felt special and very touched by his actions. It was a very nice thing for him to do and I was happy in the end to be close to the bathroom in the front with easy access to get out too. It was especially smart that he did it without my knowledge because I probably would have objected. What a great guy. I love him and am completely enamored with him.

18 weeks and growing

I had my 17 week appointment last week and then at the beginning of week 18 Drew went in with me for my ultrasound (last Wednesday)! I must admit that I've been so anxious for this appointment and it did not disappoint! Our sonographer was the nicest man and was very friendly and funny. He kept making me laugh during the ultrasound as we were able to see our little baby. I think this was also special for Drew to be there with me and he was able to "see" baby. Ever since the ultrasound he now says good night to baby each night and talks to my belly now. I guess it helped him visualized better and I've seen a definite change in him. We received several pictures and we were also told that our baby was very "photogenic". I am happy that he/she was cooperative during the whole session. Good baby!

We specifically asked the sonographer to not tell us the gender... yet. He took the pictures and typed the results on the ultrasound then printed out three copies and put them in an envelope and sealed it up. One copy for us and a copy for each of our parents. We are going to open up the results on Christmas morning! Needless to say we are looking forward to Christmas morning like anxious little kids! We can hardly wait to find out the results. As of right now the envelope is sitting on our table and we are exhibiting as much restraint as possible not to rip it open. Discovering the sex of our baby is the only Christmas gift we are giving each other this year and I think it is going to be the most meaningful Christmas present we can give. I love Drew so much and giving me the power to become a mother is the most precious gift he could give me.

In other very big news Drew decided to continue his education at UNR and work towards a second Masters Degree is Marriage and Family Therapy. Which is... coincidental because my dad received his BS in Psychology from BYU just as Drew did and then went on the get a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy (eventually going back to school and getting a second Masters in Engineering). I never imagined that Drew would go down the same educational path as my father minus the engineering part. Drew just presented this idea to me a few weeks ago and the more we have talked through it the more we have attached ourselves to this outcome. This degree will allow Drew the opportunity to go into private practice without attaining a PhD and going to school for another 5 years. In reality it is the most economical and efficient to reach his educational goals and do something he will love (and be phenomenal at). The really wonderful thing is that the credits he has attained with his current degree will also double count towards a MFT degree. He will only have to do one more year of classes and then an additional internship. Starting this spring he will take additional credits and apply for counseling jobs in Reno. Assuming he receives a position in Reno he will work full time while taking credits at UNR and night classes. His professor has been very supportive and also has student who is in the same situation who is working full time as a counselor and currently doing his internship hours at the same time. Of course I am very concerned that he may be overwhelming himself, but he is a hard worker and the sooner he completes the work the faster and sooner it will be over. We are a team and it will take extreme effort on both of our parts to raise a brand new baby during this time, but we are willing and committed to making it work! If he were to try and get a second degree anywhere else (i.e. if we were to move) then he would have to start over from square one taking another three years to complete!

The only frustrating part of this plan is my plans to return to school. I had a very good feeling about returning to school about a year ago but knowing that we were moving in a year I denied any of this feelings and decided to focus on work since I couldn't start a education program that may take more than 2 years when we were planning to move could I? Then all of a sudden we are planning to be here for -at least- two more years and it turns out I could have been working towards my own goals (even if just part time) this whole time! I feel I've turned my back on promptings or inspiration I may have had and now returning to school seems even more impossible since I am due to have a child in May! However, I am extremely motivated and I know that school will eventually make a comeback as an important part of my life. My patriarchal blessing speaks of school in a way that I know I will attain more education as long as I am willing to work.

For Christmas we are going to Colorado :) Drew and I have not spent a Christmas in CO since we were married as hard as that is to believe and I am excited to partake in some of our own Taysom traditions :) I love the spirit that this time of year brings and the love and peace it brings. This Christmas has been very special as we have been especially able to focus on family and intangible gifts instead of monetary ones. I hope you all have a wonderful warm fuzzy holiday season!

Giving Thanks

We spent Thanksgiving in Gardnerville this year. It was wonderful and delicious, the company was amazing, and are still having a blast. I've never been so excited to eat! Second Thanksgiving (day after) was equally good and I savored more turkey and potatoes and stuffing. We've been relaxing, eating, watching football, and even had a gingerbread construction contest.

Anyway, I wanted to share a recipe with all of you. First, I made broccoli salad for Thanksgiving which could start a new tradition because I made it last year as well and it is a family favorite already. It's simple and takes no time to cook. Just assembly and serve. Secondly, I made a recipe today for the first time called Breakfast Bread Pudding with Peaches and Vanilla-Buttermilk Syrup. It's from Oprah's website and the Vanilla-Buttermilk Syrup is amazing! You could really use it with other recipes as well.

Broccoli Salad
- 1 or 2 heads broccoli (I just add how much broccoli I want and slowly add dressing until the salad is the right consistency I like)
- 1/4 c. red onion
- 1/2 lb. bacon (personally I never use bacon in my salad)
- 1/2 c. raisins (or craisins)
- sunflower seeds
- 1/2 c. sugar
- 1 c. mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
Cream sugar, mayonnaise, and vinegar together until smooth. Stir into salad. eNjOY!


Now, let me also add that when I first tried the bread-pudding recipe that a co-worker made it opened my eyes to how many amazing recipes are out there that I don't know about. It made me want to be a gourmet cook and cook amazing meals all day. So follow the link for the recipe:

Breakfast Bread Pudding with Peaches and Vanilla-Buttermilk Syrup

Some recipe notes: I used 1 tsp. vanilla in place of vanilla bean. My co-worker made her recipe with mangoes (1/2 frozen and 1/2 puree which saves time and completely gets rid of the food processing step) and it was way better. Instead of challah or brioche she used ciabatta bread which I did as well. If you go this route then I would also recommend cutting off the top crust.

Baby News: I'm now 15 1/2 weeks and it's getting hard to hide! I feel like I've popped out just a little all of a sudden, but not enough for anyone to tell yet. I feel so incredibly fat. I still feel there is a stigma for pregnant women to look skinny, and some have this talent, but just grow a cute baby bump. It makes me feel horrible about myself. On a good note I haven't had to throw up recently which makes me wonder if I'm really over morning sickness for now.

Word of the day: "tumbleweed onions"

Playing "Just Dance" on the Wii: Drew was really good!

Our Gingerbread house that we really lost steam on

Matching "I Believe" shirts that Julie got from Target
To all the Unbelievers
We had to "stick it to the man": we all know who you are

The busy life I never write about...

Ok, I give already! After not writing a single post in two months it's about time I write :) I feel as though I never have anything to write, but that simply is not true! We have had many wonderful developments in our lives in the last two or three months.

First of all, we are expecting a baby in May! Yes, I'm pregnant!

The first baby Hines and the start of this new chapter in our lives is expected May 18th! We are so excited and most of all Drew is elated and can hardly contain his excitement or keep his hands off my belly without saying hello to baby. It's a new side of him I've never seen and I couldn't be happier or feel more special that he is so happy. He is wonderfully tender, sweet, and has been helpful during the hard months of morning sickness, headaches, and tireless nights. Pregnancy for me is miserable. I don't believe I will be quite happy about all these bodily discomforts until I can feel the baby move. I can't wait!

We find out the sex of the baby in one month. I am now 14 1/2 weeks along and maybe not "showing", but I feel very thick and jeans are getting tighter :)

I found out I was pregnant like most other gals I suppose when I didn't receive my monthly gift from mother nature. Drew and I felt very strongly about starting a family at this time in our lives. It's one decision I felt completely ready and prepared for and inspired about so we had been trying for about 3 months at this point. I took a pregnancy test and asked Drew to look at it for me. That was September 15th just two days after I submitted my official two weeks notice to Center for Hope (my second job, a home for women with eating disorders). That must have been inspired as well because I know that my body could not handle all the work and stress.

Initially there were a few clues I could have picked up on I guess that I was pregnant. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but thinking back on them now makes sense. One, I was exhausted of course, but I attributed this to working two jobs and the sometimes putting in 60 hours of work in the week. Believe me I'm so happy to be working one job, but I do miss the money flow :) Two, on a particular day at the dental office I was helping in the back and cleaning a room after a horrendously messy and difficult extraction. I was cleaning the filters in the suctions and all the blood and tissue made me picture a brief moment of weakness and I felt queasy and I almost went to throw up. But that moment passed and I collected myself, but I remember thinking to myself how odd it was b/c I am never affected by blood or tissue or extractions like that! That was really weird. Three, before I found out I was pregnant one night I was particularly emotional and cried for about an hour over something frustrating (not being pregnant yet in fact) when all along I was pregnant and I'm attributing that to fluctuating hormones. Also, I was woken up early in the morning by extreme thirst. I've never had to get up in the middle of the night to drink water so this was odd as well. Had I been smarter I might have linked all these little clues together, but I didn't want to let my imagination run wild with  false signs of pregnancy.

At first we kept it secret of course. I was very cautious about miscarriage. At my first appointment at 9 weeks however my doctor located the heartbeat and assured me that the chance of miscarriage was less than 5%. That is the time we told family and few close friends. Now that I am 14 weeks I feel comfortable to spread the news.

Triggering foods have been:
BBQ sauce (which normally I love!) ... at the mere mention of BBQ sauce by Drew has made me run to the bathroom and vomit. And the worst offender is the Kinder's brand.
Hamburgers
Super Burrito or burritos in general.
I've never had a McRib from McDonalds, but just watching the commercial has made me want to vomit.

Cravings: I'm not sure if these are cravings or just foods that sound good all the time
Bangkok Cuisine Thai Restaurant
Berries and frozen fruit/anything cold
Yogurt
Cereals
Pasta
Chocolate
Pickles
Chicken
Pizza


Other happenings in our lives:
Drew got eye glasses for the first time in his life!
I resigned from my second job
Drew got a new job
We went to Apple Hill (post coming soon...)
Drew's 28th Birthday (post coming soon...)


Ok, so my goal is to post more regularly! So there will be more posts soon.

Quarter of the Century Birthday!

Last weekend I turned a quarter of a century!
As my birthday present I decided I wanted to go camping
Get away from it all and just spend time with Drew

We saw some beautiful lakes
and did a little off-roading!

We ended up camping off a little dirt road
past Packer Lake in California
Once we found a camping site we just spread out and
relaxed, hiked, and read books.
Also we used our brand new tent for the first time
It worked like a champ.
We know this because it rained the all night!
We ate empanadas for dinner and
Eggs, bacon, and pancakes for breakfast!

After packing up we hiked up to Tamarack Lakessnapped a few pictures and then
doused some irresponsible campers abandoned yet
blazing campfire! We're amazing, but it was frustrating.
It was a good birthday aside from
sleeping on the hard ground!

On the down side, our car started making some weird noises
and shortly upon returning and taking our car to the
shop it required a costly repair!
Thankfully nothing happened while we were up in the mountains!

Drew's Trip to Utah

Since Christina had her own trip to D.C.
Drew took his own trip to Utah
Naturally I would have loved to go,
but had work as usual.
With a couple of good buddies Drew went to Flaming Gorge
on a fantastic fishing trip

They had a lot of fun and Drew was able to
visit old favorites in Utah and siblings!

D.C. Trip

I got to go to D.C. this summer for the first time in July.
Unfortunately, I had to leave Drew behind.
He has school and it was a last minute family reunion so money was a issue too.
I wasn't about to miss out so off I went
D.C. is the farthest east I've been and it did not disappoint!
It was a blast to spend time with my family and
see a lot of sites in Washington D.C.
Here are some highlights of my wicked awesome trip!:
With my sisters Natasha, Erika, and their daughters Tatjana, and Maya
we visited the Jefferson MemorialToured the CapitolMet Senator Reid and Ensign

Library of CongressSmithsonian: Art Museum, Natural History Museum
Washington Memorial
Meeting my new nieceMount Vernon with the whole family
and
Water Park fun!

It went by so fast and thankfully no jet lag whatsoever
thanks to earplugs(thanks Natasha) and Benadryl!
It was so hard to leave Drew behind, but being busy at every hour helps
and when you are surrounded by family.

San Fran Anniversary!

We've been married four years!
We decided to celebrate this year by going to somewhere new (at least to Christina)
San Francisco!!
Just a quick day trip, but we really packed it in
Our day included Ghiardelli SquareLunch at the Buena Vista Cafe
Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39
On the way home we stopped at IKEA
and ate at
CHEESECAKE FACTORY!
Ok, so there are so many things we would still like to do,
but we'll just have to wait til next time.
Next time we want to take a tour of
Alcatraz and
Ride Bikes across the bridge.

Drew's turn again

Read it and weep suckers! Drew's back, so that can mean only ONE thing. It's Cougar football time again!! Some things remain uncertain- will BYU have a home in the Mountain West for at least the near future?; who will be the go-to QB, or will there be a 2 QB offense?; will the highly-touted recruiting class have an impact this year?; can BYU win 10 games again this season? These are great questions that can only be answered once the season begins. So Rise and Shout, it's football time!
On another note, Nevada has been invited to join the Mountain West conference. Should BYU chose to stay in that conference, that would mean the two schools would meet regularly in all sports. This means I would have the chance to see the Cougars much more frequently than I do now (never, for those keeping tabs). A great reason to stay in Reno....
Just a quick note on myself for those interested. I am currently in my final year of the school counseling masters program here at UNR, I am about to begin my first of two internships working at McQueen high school. My last two classes wrap up this semester, thank goodness. I'm all schooled-out. After these 7 years of college, I'll be very ready to enter the job market and put my skills to use. I love the student life, but one can only tolerate being so poor for so long.

How to be Alone

This is how I am feeling this week. I miss Drew, but being alone is healthy too :)

Jumping Jellyfish :)

The month of June could not have been any crazier! Here's just a few things that made June the busiest month of my life:

Started training at the Center for Hope-

Training for second job (added 30-40/hrs per week in addition to my full time schedule)

Traveled to Roseville for a dental continuing education class

Worked the Whole Foods Health Fair

Drew's Family Reunion/Memorial for Grandpa Buz

Drew's cousin Pat stayed with us for a week.

Activity Days

and
Prepared a lesson to teach in Relief Society

The main reason I survived working 60-70 hours per week for those two weeks was just doing and not stopping to think about what I was doing. My life has been so unhealthily unbalanced. I have working nonstop so I have neglected Drew, housework, our cats, etc... All work and no play makes Christina a dull girl. Isn't that the truth? Some days I go to work at 8 am and only get to see Drew as I am putting myself to bed at 11:30pm. At times I felt numb to everything in the outside world. Drew has been amazing and he completely organized his sleeping cycles to mine to be awake when I get home which is has been so touching and amazingly important to me. I am so thankful for his support and comfort and reassurances.

Thankfully I am only working two nights a week now that my training is over. It is a good learning experience and I am learning about myself in these stressful times. I feel so much better about my second job now and I am so happy that I never quit because it crossed my mind several times! I am most thankful for this blessing and it is truly amazing to me that Heavenly Father just dropped this job in my lap. It's funny because just a week before this opportunity presented itself Drew and I learned we would not have a second income by July. Then by no effort at all on my part to find a second job, a second job opportunity actually sought me out. And it is by and only by this additional job that we are able to pay for Drew's summer tuition and start saving up for fall tuition (Drew is no long getting grants).

I had a nervous breakdown the week after my training, but I know Heavenly Father knows us and although it was hard and there were many tears and tireless nights we did manage to push through. I think that I will have a greater appreciation for the time when Drew will work so I can stay home and raise our family and great perspective when I become a mother. And honestly I cannot wait to be in that position. I am so ready to stop working. Thankfully I have all of next week off! Yeah! Much needed vacation!

Disneyland

This past two months have the craziest and fasted months ever. In May we drove down to Anaheim with Drew's parents to go to Disneyland and also for me to attend the CDA (Dental) Convention. We got a free entry to Disneyland for volunteering and then Julie scored 3 free hopper passes on Friday. We spent ALL day Thursday and all day Friday in the parks, ate at Cheesecake Factory twice, and stayed at the Ramada Inn. It was SO much fun and it was a great time to go because there were hardly any lines. We rode everything we anted to at least 2 times, sometimes 3. On Saturday I attended a class at the convention involving nutrition in dentistry and then we drove home. It was quick, but we packed every moment with activity.

First of all, my favorite ride to go on (esp. for the first time) was Indiana Jones! I was laughing so hard I was crying! But it was definitely more fun the first time when I didn't know what it was going to be like. My second favorite would be Tower of Tower or Matterhorn which just kept getting better the more we rode it! I really liked, Monsters Inc, Mr. Toad, California Screamin', the Haunted House, Buzz Light Year etc. a lot! I can't think of everything we went on, but I genuinely had a wonderful time on everything we rode except Star Tours. Unfortunately this is Drew's favorite ride and my least favorite ride since it gives me such horrible vertigo.

I learned a few things while I was there. I think that Drew and his family's experience at Disneyland is amplified by the fact that they all grew up in southern California so they have a lot of childhood memories linked to Disneyland and "magical" moments if you will. For me however, I grew up going to southern Utah or Idaho in all of our vacations and much of those times I remember spending time on the farm or hiking. Although I was young I still remember hiking Comb Reef, The Citadel, The Procession, Bullseye, Bali, etc... in Utah. I'm a naturalist at heart and when I am in nature it doesn't take much to keep me occupied. All of my cherished childhood and teenage memories are surrounded around hiking to Indian ruins or mountaintops. Mostly when my family gets together....we go hiking! It's just about my favorite thing to do.

Disneyland was so genuinely fun, but in such a different way. I learned that I would rather go see places, hiking to the top of a fourteener over going to Disneyland any day. Although my memories of Disneyland are fonder the more I think back on it. But I loved going because Drew did and I enjoyed being with the company!

As soon as we got back from Disneyland I hit the ground running. That next week I was super stressed about planning the Mother Daughter activity for Activity Days. That Monday we returned is when I got a call (at work) and was invited to interview for my second job. I was interviewed on Wednesday and an hour after that interview I was offered the job. My life since that time has been a blur... Here are just a few pics!

Second Job

You may have noticed a lack of blog updates recently. It's probably due to the fact that I've been working in all of my spare time. I'm still working at Aland Family Dentistry, but I got a second job at a center for women with eating disorders.


This week I am working over 65 hours..... need I say more?

I feel like I am at on the verge of a nervous breakdown or maybe I'm going insane?! :O

There's nothing like...

... a Reno Aces baseball game to give you the first taste of summer! Tuesday night Drew and I spent the night at the Reno Aces vs. the Salt Lake Bees game in the most amazing seats. One of our patients came in right before closing on Tuesday and offered Dr Aland tickets for the nights game and not just any tickets, but box seat tickets! Dr Aland wasn't able to go without more advance notice so I called Drew and told him to cancel all his plans b/c I couldn't pass this opportunity up and we zipped off to the game!
The box seats were amazing! We sat outside for the first three innings. Only two other couples were using the box as well but by the fourth inning they both left and we had balcony seats, box, couches, kitchen (no it wasn't stocked) and amazing home plate views all to ourselves! Since we didn't have to pay for the amazing seats we splurged on completely ridiculously expensive ball game food! We talked, watched the game, and giggled like little kids in our posh box. Since the last 2-4 weeks we've both been taking turns being sick or getting over being sick we have not done a single thing together and it was an awesome last minute date that was spectacular and made me really appreciate our marriage/friendship better. I totally love all the things to do in Reno during summer. We plan on going to a lot more baseball games and in a couple of weeks is the Reno River Festival. We went last year with Drew's parents last year and I am so excited to go again!
So we previously thought we would move away from Reno right away, but the more summers we stay here the more we love it here. It's official that we will be staying in Reno until at least December. Drew turned in his papers for his internship and he is officially doing his internship here in Reno at McQueen High School. It will be an awesome experience for him and after December he'll have to find another internship at an elementary school.
Even though we will be staying in Reno we are definitely moving out of our apartment come August when our contract is up and we are going to be in a much cheaper apartment wherever that takes us. There are so many awesome deals out there right now we are hoping to cut down on costs which may mean we will sacrifice location. I feel good about it though and I am so anxious to move and get out of our current apartment!

Deja Vu

Ok, so maybe the reason I haven't blogged is because I've been feeling awful lately. Whatever Drew had two weeks ago.... well I developed the same symptoms and respiratory problems. I've never felt so sore and bruised from coughing. At times my sternum and ribs felt like they might break. Luckily I wasn't sick for as long as Drew and I still went to work. I'm pretty sure this is due to the fact that instead of starving myself (Drew) I still ate plenty of nutrients and healthy foods. I know when you are sick you lose your appetite, but starving your body isn't going to help you recover. Okay, so I missed one day of work, but I had a doctor's note too. Turns out I'm a little psychic. So I made this doctor's appointment over a month ago (well, it was for my yearly exam) but it just so happened to land on Wednesday and I called ahead and said I had more important things to address at my doctor's appt than my woman parts. Come Wednesday I was able to go to the doctor and get my illness addressed. She prescribed me the same inhaler, codeine, and antibiotics Drew got. And then she did the exam anyways... I guess I wasn't getting out of that one. Anyhow, at least I got two things done with only one appointment. So Thursday I was able to stay home and rest and Friday I felt better than ever. One a good note, I was able to get some reading done :) but on a bad note... being sick is incredibly boring!

Places to Visit

As some of you might know my current calling is Activity Days Leader and I have 27 girls in all (don't get me started). I just wanted to share some sites that you might love AND help out with your current calling whatever that may be. I've become a recent follower myself and thought I should share.

1.) Sugardoodle: First of all I am sure a lot of you have already found or seen Sugardoodle and if you haven't it's probably most widely used for a broad spectrum of callings. You can find everything, music, clip art, handouts, activities for everything from scouts, activity days, sunday school, young men/women, and relief society. Yup, almost everything. Not my favorite site due to format, but it's a collaborative site so many postings and handouts from many different people.

2.) LDS Activity Day Ideas: A good comprehensive blog for activity days. What is nice is that activity ideas are broken down into categories, arts and crafts, family history, etc.

3.) Wendy's Activities**: My personal favorite! Wendy just started this blog so the down side is that it really doesn't have a lot of content yet, but wow! what she has is great. I love her style and that she goes all out. This site would be perfect for small groups (making all the handouts and crafts for 27 girls would be horrendous!) I could do anything with a nice small group of girls.

4.) Emma's Place: Another one of my favorite sites and on the top for most useful. Emma's Place has the most amazing helps and handouts for lessons, enrichment and even visiting teaching messages. Downloads are super easy and fast! All the work is done and you just need to print!

5.) LDS Nursery : Color pages, crafts and ideas. Church babies! OK, so this site really isn't helpful to me right now, I just think that they have the cutest and most adorable coloring pages and would really be helpful if you are in primary or nursery.

6.) A Pleasant Sunday: Just another cool site that is great for families and awesome ideas. I don't have children, but this would probably be up on the top of most useful when I do.

So that's pretty much it for my list, but don't worry it doesn't end there for cute fun stuff to look at and use. Once you plug into one of these sites look for links from their blog (blog stalking) to find some other random fun stuff like Hot Pink Pansy, LDS Primary Posters (helps for singing leaders) , and Family Home Evening Planner. Have fun, hopefully this is useful!

Pneumonia

Last Wednesday Drew began to feel very ill. He began with feeling very tired, fatigued, a cough that turned into a high fever, aches, and chills. I felt so bad for him, but for the most part I thought he just had the flu and needed fluid and rest. I was so thankful that Drew did not have any work (he had already worked his max hours Mon, Tues, and Wed) and no school because of spring break. I know that Drew thought this was a huge bummer, but I couldn't think of a better time to get sick. You can stay home with time to recuperate without worrying about school or work. I went Thursday and Friday and when I would come home his condition was not getting better and he had such a high fever. His fever broke Saturday morning... I thought this was great, he's getting better. No dice. Later that day his fever returned and he was taking so much medicine with no results. Same thing happened on Sunday. We finally came to the realization that this wasn't going to go away without some help and we decided to take Drew to the student health center. We would have gone earlier, but the health center was closed over the weekend, just bad timing :( On Monday Drew did not sleep all that night, his fever never broke and by this time he had had a fever for 4-5 days. I dropped him off before work at 7:45am. I made it to work just in time and I went and picked him back up at 9:30am when Lisa could take over the front desk for me. While the doctor was not able to do any official tests they started Drew on antibiotics for Pneumonia. He also got some codeine and an inhaler. After reading about Pneumonia here all of his symptoms were spot on. He still did not go to classes or work for the next week, but he is much much better although he still has a lingering cough.

I really wish we could have gotten him to the doctor on Friday afternoon and maybe he wouldn't have been sick for so long. Anyhow... the most frustrating and sad part of this ordeal is how much I wanted to baby and take care of Drew, but he really did not want much. He was so fatigued and had absolutely no appetite. I was trying to make meals and soup, but when Drew is sick he really just wants nothing and he seriously did not eat for a week. All he could keep down was a banana a day. I am such the opposite when I am sick because I want to be babied. And now I realize why I don't get babied when I am sick because Drew is just the opposite. Anyway, I am just glad that he is interacting with his environment again!

By the way, we finally bought a new laptop! We've had the money set aside for some time we just didn't find a deal we liked. Our last laptop lasted almost 4 1/2 years! That's pretty good in my book! Also, our taxes are officially done and I'm starting to realize (after two years of owing the government money) that you don't get refunds without children.

Spring

It's the first day of spring
I am so happy!
I've finally shaken my winter blues
First fishing of the year earlier this week
We didn't get a single bite, but met up with friends
Drew is sicker than a dog
Poor Guy
He's looking a bit better
Fever broke
I'm trying to tend to a reluctant patient
Wish we were outside enjoying the beautiful 71 degree weather!
I am so excited for spring and summer to finally be here!

Economy Blues

Drew and I received some bad news today which really made us re-evaluate our future. As most of you may know Drew is working on his Masters in Counseling Psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno. As Nevada has continued to attempt to create solutions for the present budget crisis they have continued to cut education funds. Nevada is currently 49th in the nation for education (or some such abhorrent figure).

When Drew went to class today he was met with some very disgruntled professors who spared no emotion in telling everyone that the whole CEP (Counseling & Educational Psychology) program is being cut. The professors were so upset they told the students the news and sent everyone home. They just didn't have the energy to lecture. I know that other college departments are being cut, but we are particularly frustrated with the news since Drew is projected to graduate as of May 2011. The program/department will cease to exist June 2011. We are hopeful that he will be one of the lucky ones to finish his degree. This mainly depends on the professors continuing the classes required for him to graduate. However, many of his classmates are not as far along as he is and will never finish a degree they have invested several semesters in. There will be no reimbursement for these students, their graduate credits will not transfer, the program will simply cease to exist.

Drew is very mad, and I am as well. We really feel that we made the right decision in coming to Nevada for graduate studies, but with the present cuts and situations in Nevada I keep doubting our judgment. All in all, we have felt right about being in the region, but Nevada's priority on education and UNR's standards of excellence is becoming a common source of frustration (even before this news).

This also affects our future. While we once spoke of settling down in Nevada Drew is sure that as soon as he receives his graduate degree (existing courses pending) that we will look to get out of Nevada as soon as possible. Nevada just seems to be this sinkhole...lacking in educational excellence and jobs. I know everywhere is suffering, but some states are doing worse than others. Nevada, I believe, is one of those states since the majority of income comes from the casinos and gambling.

We will sorely miss being so close to family and the amazing people here if we move away from Nevada, but we'll just have to see where the opportunities take us.

Drew will literally be the LAST generation of students in Educational Counseling Psychology to graduate from Nevada. And just as in the movie, The Last of Mohicans, he is a dying breed.

How to make a quilt

Today was my day off and though Drew had class at 4pm we were able to sleep in and then go out and play a bit. On our way home from Winco and Best Buy I asked Drew to stop at JoAnn's because I wanted to get fabric. He asked me why I wanted fabric and I told him that I wanted to make a blanket. After looking a different fabrics and being an indecisive as I am he turned to me and said, "Do you even know how to make a quilt?"

Ouch! That was such a blow! I just laughed and said, "I think my mother would have taught me better than that!" After all, she is the most accomplished quilter I know! Although I can't blame Drew. How would be know? Sometimes though I feel that quilting is in my blood. How could I fail with a little persistence?

However, I've never really taken a keen interest in sewing and quilting my whole life until recently. My mom taught me how to use the sewing machine, how to thread, and walked me through some of my own tedious projects. I went to countless fabric stores and I couldn't quite understand why all mom wanted for gifts were fabric store gift cards. Mom spent every spare moment sewing and now I can more fully understand that it was more than her passion, but also her legacy. Quilting was such a prominent hobby in my home growing up that I was proud to stay away. I didn't take the initiative to learn and I didn't have the patience for quilting, all the work, and slow progress. Now I can't think of anything else but wanting to own my own sewing machine and think of all the years I wasted when I lived with my mom and could have learned so much. SO much knowledge and experience at my finger tips and tools galore too.

Anyways, I'm starting my first independent project! A blanket. Someday I'll have a machine of my own and I am so much more interested than I've ever been before. Growing up a little more I want to have something to pass on to my children and I want to have a hobby and talent that I'm proud of. I have a lot to learn, but I hope one day I can attempt to make a quilt as beautiful as the ones my mom produces!

Each Day, Month, and Year

Each day I find myself saying out loud, "That made my day!" Smiling and laughing to myself how such insignificant things during your day can make you smile and be the highlight of that day. Now that I work full time and have no school or homework to occupy my free time I find life a gets a little redundant and that's when I'm at work and I find these insignificant things that are brighten my day!

Each month I live and breath for book club. Book club is my redemption and it lifts my spirit for the next two weeks. Unlike other social gatherings I never have to worry about socializing with strangers and introducing myself and getting to know other people. At book club I fall into an instant comfort zone and thus able to be myself-outgoing and engaging. I do best in small groups. Each time I go to a meeting I find myself laughing harder than I've ever laughed all month. I laugh myself to tears. Sometimes I go to book club at 7 and Drew asks, "So should I expect you home at 10pm or 10:30pm?" It's my girls night out. I read books I fall in love with that I might not otherwise ever picked up. If ever you need to bond with me just bring up books... I could speak forever about books.

Just this last meeting the book we discussed was "Endurance" of Shackleton's expedition in Antarctica and the host said this was the first book that taught her to love reading simply for enjoyment sometime in college. I thought how odd it was that for high school reading materials to turn off students from reading (perhaps they know no other material alternatives than "The Old Man and The Sea"?). I can remember growing up and all I wanted was to be like my sisters and so I read what they read. I read mostly Science Fiction/Fantasy, but also went to the library at school often in search of different books. I can't remember a time when I haven't enjoyed reading for pleasure. I suppose I have my parents to thank for building and keeping a library down in the basement where I could get books. Every night I would read before I went to bed. And even today it is so bad that I can't go to bed without reading my body's so well trained. We've also discussed the many different reasons people read. I read to escape. That's probably why I like fiction and sci-fi and fantasy so much and reading in general... to escape into a different world and setting.

Each year I am more and more appreciative of the new year. Without a new semester starting fall/winter/spring/summer I look forward to January to start something new. Last new year I posted a blurb of my year in review and what I was looking forward to. I know that 2009 wasn't quite as busy as 2008, but it felt like it just flew by. I like to refer to 2009 as the year of travel...and weddings. It seems like we were all over the place. Both of Drew's siblings were married in Utah so we took two trips out there within a month of each other. My best friend was also married in Idaho so we went up to Rexburg in November. For our anniversary we stayed local, but our brightest highlight was our trip to Italy. I love to travel with Drew. I can't imagine having more fun with any one person, he is still my best friend. It turned into much more than we hoped for. It was utterly romantic and refreshed our marriage. Last year was also our first whole year in Reno and we are so happy to live close to his parents and grandparents. We are constantly hanging out with them enjoying summer activities, the Reno River Festival, baseball games, and I couldn't forget Vikingsholm.

When you travel you get antsy to get on the road again. This year it seems like our calendar is already rapidly filling up with trips we need to save for. In May we are going to Anaheim for 4 days and we'll be going to Disneyland. It will be my first time and I'm anxious to see what all the hub bub is about. It looks like I'll also be able to go to Washington D.C. this year in the summer. We are also going camping in Tahoe and a trip to San Fransisco (it's only 3 hours away after all). I've never done any of these things so it will be a year of firsts for me! :) Again I am so excited for another year I can hardly wait to see everything and I can't wait for another year together. Marriage to Drew just keeps getting better. Even though sometimes I find myself scared of what the future might bring and what new trials await us around the bend... it is hope that keeps me looking forward for the future. It's going to be another exciting day/month/year!

Congratulations Papi!

There is a new addition to our family today as of 1:38pm(ish) as my brother's wife, Amanda, gave birth today to a healthy baby boy! They named him Derek Joseph Taysom although they haven't signed a birth certificate yet so it's not set in stone.

He was 6 lbs. 14oz. and the happy father declared to me that he "watched the whole thing and didn't throw up or faint!"

Ha ha ha

I am so proud and happy for my brother. This officially makes me the only sibling of 5 that doesn't have a child. I told Natasha today that we were thinking about trying to get pregnant by the end of the year (wishful thinking at least) to which she replied, "Why?" "I thought you were going to wait?" and "How old are you?"

Ya know, it seems funny to me that everyone always tells me they get a lot of "When are you having children?" pressure from church members or family after they get married. Drew and I on the other hand have never felt an ounce of pressure. Exactly the opposite. We only seem to come in contact with the "anti-children" advocates. Or "wait until you're 30" advocates. I'm hardly close to 30 and that was an exaggeration, but you know who you are.

I am very confident about the decisions Drew and I have made up to this point. I am so grateful for the Spirit and the confirmations I have had in my life. We have not rushed any portion of our lives and I don't think we are rushing this part of our lives either. We have had the most amazing 3 1/2 years together and I know we haven't missed out on anything. We lived our lives to the fullest. We'll have children when we are ready, that I know. Maybe not now, but sometime.

Welcome to the world Derek. I hope I get to see you soon! I am envious of the happy mother and father who have just brought their very first son into the world. You have a very loving family and I know I will be blessed to watch you grow into a strong and faithful servant. :)