Goodbye job, project apartment redecoration round 2, and scrub a dub, dub!

This morning I worked my final shift as a phlebotomist at UVRMC. It was surprisingly bitter-sweet. I have really enjoyed my job, it has been such a good and growing experience for me, I have had the opportunity to work with some really great, fun people, and yet, I am so very excited to not have to worry about working "on-call" anymore, AND, the greatest part is I now get to be home with Keaton again ALL THE TIME. :) It's very exciting.

My tray. All stocked up and ready to go. Tubes, needles, syringes, bags, tourniquets, transfer devices, gauze, alcohol wipes, and tape, etc.- the works.

If ya look closely you will see a repeated symbol on many of the products on my tray- BD! Yep, Justin has been an intern for and will soon be a full-time employee at BD Medical, which ironically makes most of the products I have used as a phlebotomist for the past [almost] 8 years (8 years!? Can you believe that? Never thought that would happen- my college job becoming my somewhat "career" for the past 8 years?! Weird. And, a little sad? ish?)!

And, since I was once again up all night my only tactic for staying awake during the day to take care of Keaton was to clean- clean like a mad woman! The perfect sleep deprived activity. Ha, ha. And, I gave our apartment redecoration a 2nd shot. So, after some creative thinking I was able to find a much more realistic set-up for our family room. Don't ya think?

Justin still hasn't seen it yet, but I think he will be pleased. Plus, since we will be having family over the next few days for graduation I thought it was a good idea to have not only a clean apartment, but a normal looking one as well? Ha, ha.

And, well, I normally don't scrub the tub each time I clean, but since there is a good chance Justin's parents will be staying the night with us tomorrow night and using our bathroom to get ready Friday morning, I decided it was high time to do some deeper cleaning in the bathroom. The tub/shower was NASTY. Sadly, and honestly it's the truth.

And, even more sadly, after taking these pictures and uploading them to the computer I have realized that they make the tub look even dirtier than before! (If that is even possible?!) So, out of the irony of how much I scrub-a-dubbed our tub I decided to post these pictures anyway. I was thinking it would be fun to post how proud I was of how clean our tub and shower looked... oh, well! Such is life.

Like always, it feels AMAZING to have a nice, clean home. I LOVE it. (Probably a little too much, actually... Shh, don't tell!)

Anywho... Justin has big graduation events both tomorrow and Friday. Super exciting! I can't say enough how excited and proud I am of my most amazing husband!!!


So, Ani, (probably the only person out there that might actually read this ENTIRE crazy, silly, most likely to most people- incredibly boring post) thank you for being THAT kind of friend. :) And, can we please get together multiple times a week now that I no longer have to worry about work and especially since Justin will be gone for a WHOLE week starting next Friday for the hybrid race car "stuff," pretty please??? I am feeling like I am going to have loads of free time! Oh, and p.s. when is your final theatrical presentation for school? I want sooo badly to be there!




[It's 1 a.m. now. Keaton has been asleep for hours and I am exhausted. AND, Justin is still at the school. Of course. Wow. Wow. Wow. I REALLY need to get some sleep. I think I am going C.R.A.Z.Y.! Will this post even make any sense in the morning? Ha, ha. Goodnight!]  

12 on 12: April

01. One of Keaton's (very few) latest staples- cereal. He mostly eats it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
02. The "thank-you" cards I have been working on for co-workers and friends- my last day of work is on Tuesday, April 17th, and we move in just a little over a month from now. (I guess it is my way of saying good-bye?)
03. My new temporary drivers license. Horrible picture.
04. Cash from the bank. The only way we have money until we get our new debit cards.
05. A fun present for our wonderful babysitter. She has done such a great job watching Keaton! Thanks Aubrey!
06. Another of Keaton's staples- fruit snacks. He would eat the whole box in 2 seconds flat if I would only let him!
07. For Keaton's hair? His scalp is so very dry and I am not sure what to do about it!
08. The spot on our carpet that smells HORRIBLY of throw up! Keaton threw up milk there almost 2 weeks ago and I still can't get the smell out! Justin came home and asked if I was trying sugar to get the smell out. Ha, ha. It's an odor remover carpet cleaner that I left on over night.
09. I love my new wallflower from Bath and Body Works. :) Mmm, it smells sooo good.
10. What I do once Keaton is asleep and while Justin stays at the school till 2 am- get out my purse and my electronics and work on our budget, look at blogs, and make "to-do" lists. :) I know- I'm a fun girl.
11. My ipad! Justin surprised me for Valentine's day. I love, love, love it! I use it ALL. THE. TIME.
12. Oh, and look what I found- chewy, giant Nerds! (I'm hoping they taste the same as the Nerds jelly beans I love so much!) (I'll have to let you know, Ryka!)

P.S. Don't ask what happened to my 12 on 12 for March. I am really not altogether sure. It just didn't happen.

1 fire-breathing dragon PLUS 5 witches EQUALS

 a very fun Halloween weekend. :)

1st- On Saturday, October 29th, we went to the annual Norman family barn party! It was a lot of fun and, of course, my very favorite thing about the party this year was seeing Keaton all dressed up in his costume! We also had a great time eating yummy food, playing some really fun games, and just visiting with family that we haven'ts seen for a bit. Thanks Grandma Norman for always making this party so great!

Isn't he the cutest fire-breathing dragon ever?! :)

This is the best picture we got together as a family before our camera died...

Then, yesterday, October 30th, our fun-filled Halloween weekend continued at Justin's parent's house where we had the annual Witch-A-Leena dinner, which never disappoints. We listened to some fun Halloween music, ate lots of fun Halloween-themed foods, and just mostly had fun playing with Keaton. :)

It was a really good weekend. And I am super sad that it is over. Especially since tonight I have to work. I am so sad to be working on Halloween! It feels wrong to me to have to work on my very most favorite holiday of the year! :( Alas, that's just how it goes when you are on-call. I'm trying to make the best of it. :) At least we were able to have a super great Halloween weekend spent together with family!

Yup, we bleed BLUE!

The past couple of months have been sorta busy for us to say the least. Fall has passed us by in what feels like the blink of an eye. In fact, I have been a little sad the past week or so because I wanted to do all these fun fall activities and such during the months of September and October, but it seems all I have really accomplished these past couple of months is working, working, and more working while in between trying to catch up on sleep, not feel too stressed, and be a somewhat good wife and mom. (Sadly, I feel like I have failed miserably at doing all 3 of those things well- work, wife, and mom...Long story short, it has been a lot harder of an adjustment than I thought it would be to be back at work.)

Justin has also been super busy lately, (Here's another failing area... I have not done as well as I should at supporting Justin and being there for him during his busy time... MY GOAL: Remember Justin and Keaton before myself and my hard things.) not only with school, but he has also had quite a few job interviews with all sorts of different companies for jobs that will start in April of next year once Justin is all graduated. It's so crazy to think that Justin is that close to graduating and could possibly be starting his career soon! It's exciting and kinda scary all at the same time. A lot of real big decisions coming our way within the months ahead, that's for sure. I am so proud of Justin and all his hard work to support our family and make sure we have all that we need. He always is so willing to help me out, especially lately when I have been super stressed about work, and he never complains about all the things he has to do himself. I love my wonderful husband. He is truly such a great guy in so, so many ways!

But, one thing we haven't missed out on is cheering for our team at almost all the home football games. Go BYU! It has been so super fun to go to the games as a family this year- Justin, me, and Keaton. :) And, of course, Keaton has been a real trooper. He wasn't sure what to think of the first game, it made him cry for a little bit from all the noise, but since that first game he hasn't seemed at all bugged by the noise and just loves watching all the things going on around him.

A new season.

"Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn." 
-Elizabeth Lawrence

I think it is safe to say that fall has begun. School has started, the air is cooler, the nights are shorter, and I can even smell it- fall- more and more every day as September is quickly turning into October. My 2 very most favorite months of the year.


Fall means a lot of really fun things for us... school is back in (Yep, Justin really does look forward to and enjoy school, and I love the back to school season, even if I am not in school anymore.), BYU football games!!!, lots of pee-wee football games for the young boys in my family, hunting season is here for both my family and Justin's family, we no longer have to run our window unit ac's 24/7 :), and  it is the perfect weather to enjoy all kinds of outdoor activities (like taking long walks, and Justin would really like it if we hiked the Y... but I keep putting it off...). 


I love the fall.

And this year, as we watch the seasons change, we also have experienced quite a few changes in our small family recently...

*Justin started his final undergraduate year studying Mechanical Engineering at BYU. He is studying hard for school, the GRE, and the GMAT. And, by the end of the year will be starting applications for a graduate program that is a Mechanical Engineering/MBA all-in-one 3 year program that BYU offers. I am so proud of my amazingly ambitious, amazingly smart husband!

*Justin has also been busy working part-time at BD Medical since school started, but thinks he will  probably give his 2 weeks notice tomorrow? Because, well...

*I got hired as an on-call/prn phlebotomist at the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. This hospital is right down the street from our house. (It's the hospital where we had Keaton, and where Keaton lived for the 1st 8 weeks of his life.) I won't lie, it's a little scary to think about going back to work. I have absolutely loved being a stay-at-home mom for the past year, and although I shouldn't have to leave Keaton with a babysitter too much... it is still not my favorite idea and it is going to be kinda hard for me.

So, as much as I love the change of seasons from summer to fall I have a little bit harder of a time adjusting to changes in my life. But, these changes feel like good changes. (Once I get adjusted to them anyway. :) )