Dreams, Schemes, and Geocaching Machines.

{this moment}

2011-12-17T00:49:00.000-08:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

{this moment}

2011-10-07T19:45:00.000-07:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. -Amanda Blake Soule

I don't necessarily plan on doing this every Friday. I know this is probably not attainable for me but when the mood strikes I would like to give it a try.

Theodore's Birth Story

2011-08-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

3/31/2011
I woke up in the morning with some bloody show. I was told that usually after this happens the birth will occur within a few days. I went out shopping for some last minute baby supplies I needed before baby came. We went and got a few more diaper covers and a diaper pail. I went to work that night. It was my last night before maternity leave began. Once home I stayed up and waited for Craig to come home at about 11:45 pm.

4/1/11
Craig and I stayed up talking and watched some TV. I commented that I felt a little bit different. I began reading out of a birthing book to know what to look for when labor began.

0130
Craig and I went to bed. I was having some cramping down low. Similar to wear period cramps usually are. I didn't think much of it since it described this in the book, so I thought I was in "pre-labor". I didn't really fall asleep though I tried since I wanted to be rested in case I went into labor the next day. I was up and down to the bathroom. The cramps were becoming more painful but I still didn't think much of it.

0530
I was no longer able to be in bed comfortably so I went in the living room for a little bit and got down on my hands and knees. I went back in the bedroom and was on my hands and knees at the end of the bed. Craig got out of bed at this time. I threw up a couple of times and was feeling fairly nauseous. I decided to hang out in the bathroom mostly.

0810
Craig called my mom and our doula, Raina. My mom works very close so she headed over as soon as she was able. Raina had to drop off the kids she nannies and then was on her way over. At this point Craig had been timing my contractions and they were about 1 minute long and 3-5 minutes apart.

0830
My mom arrives and starts helping me through contractions. I comment, "This isn't even the real thing. It is just pre-labor." My mom replies, "This is the real thing!" Craig begins making phone calls to the midwives and also to our family to let them know I am starting labor.

0900
Raina arrives and begins helping Craig set up the house and our bedroom for labor. I am having contractions while in the bathroom with my mom. My puke bowl by my side since I have been throwing up off and on with contractions. The contractions are not too intense and I still believe I am in pre-labor.

1000
Emily, midwife apprentice arrives to check on me. I am sitting in Gizmoid's room on the rocking chair breathing through contractions. Raina is with me timing contractions based on my breathing patterns. I am able to breath through contractions fairly easily. The contractions pick up in intensity at this point. I even think to myself: I know why women get pain meds. If this is just early labor, I don't know if I can do it!
Raina and Emily try to get me to eat a banana but I have no appetite. I end up throwing up the one bite I do take. They get me drink water and Gatorade instead. I also heard Emily say that I was in active labor but I still did not believe her. I did think I would have the baby within the next day though.

1200
I am back in the bathroom laboring on the toilet. My mom is in the bathroom with me. Craig, Raina, and Emily have been working on getting the birthing tub ready. My contractions got much more intense and I wanted to be in the birthing tub right away. I also had requested my midwives be there and was kind of frustrated that they weren't there yet. At this point I understood that birth was going to happen that day. Most likely sooner than later.

1230

The midwives, Monica and Pamela, arrive. They had to cancel the rest of their appointments for the day. I wanted to get into the birthing tub badly at this point. Monica offered to do a vaginal exam before getting in the tub. If I wanted one later I would have to get out of the tub. I decided to do the vaginal exam because I wanted to know where I was at. I was told not to get discouraged if I wasn't as far along as I thought. I was also told that this doesn't determine how long the rest of my labor will last. Monica performed the vaginal exam and then Pamela asked to check also. They decided I was about 7 cm dilated and 100% effaced. I was told later that I was closer to 8 cm but Pamela was unable to feel behind the baby's head so she was unable to give an accurate measurement. Hearing 7 cm dilated surprised me. Alot.

Monica taking my pulse before I get in the pool. This is also right before I get my vaginal exam.

1300
I am in the tub. The water is kind of cold so the birth team is working on heating up more water on the stove to pour into the pool. I find this a little annoying but am dealing with it. I am on my knees and leaning on the edge of the pool in between contractions and then sit up straighter during contractions. My best friend, Michelle, pours warm water on my back for awhile. Then my mom takes over. I kind of lose track on what is going on around me and who is doing what. I am concentrating on what I am doing. Craig and my mom are sitting at the edge of the pool near my head and talk to me in between contractions. They give me water and gatorade. Craig has some sort of setup so he can put a cold washcloth on my face or neck.

In between contractions. Craig with the puke bowl. My mom pouring warm water on my back. Pamela monitoring me.

Cold clothes to my forehead. Michelle is now helping pour water on my back. Emily is monitoring at the back of the pool.

1400
My contractions are now 1-2 minutes long and are occurring every 2-4 min (that is timing from the beginning of one to the beginning of the next one). It is quite intense at this point. The midwives suggested I feel inside. I decided to and I was able to feel the head. Well, actually it was the amniotic sac with the head inside. I am moaning and breathing through my contractions. Inside my head I am counting my breaths to help distract me from the pain. I found it to be the one thing that helps me. This is becoming harder at this point because I am moaning a lot. My mom made the comment, "This mother-song is the most beautiful song that women can sing." Everyone agreed. (This is in my medical records of the birth! I love that!) In between contractions I began talking to the baby. I think this was more of a reassurance to myself that I could do this. I would say things like, "We can do this Gizmoid. Me and you. We can do this. You are doing great, Gizmoid."

1420
I begin bearing down with contractions. I am moaning and I remember thinking that it is time to work to get the baby out. I just knew that it was time. It felt right. It felt like that is what I needed to do. I begin pushing but I am not pushing very hard yet.

1428
I feel a "pop". I let the midwives know and they say it is probably my membranes rupturing (water breaking).

1449
The birth team is able to see the head by placing a mirror in the tub. I never looked into the mirror. I did have my hand down at my vagina supporting my perineum since this is supposed to help prevent tearing. I was able to feel the head myself.

1453
I give one final push and the baby's head is born. I am not sure exactly why, but I almost jump out of the pool. Craig places his hand on my back to keep me in the pool. I think it had to do with the surprise that the head came out. Maybe a reaction to the pain. I caught the baby in my hands. The body was born quickly after that. I think I had to push once more for the baby's body to be born. The umbilical cord was wrapped around the neck so they had to unwrap it. That hurt because my cord was kind of short. I had the baby on my chest for a few minutes while I caught my breath. The baby was crying. I kept kissing the baby's head and saying, "It's okay baby. It's okay baby." Over and over again. Craig said, "It's okay buddy." My mom said, "Do we know if it is a "buddy" yet?" Nope! I didn't want anyone else to find out the sex before Craig and I so Craig encouraged me to look. My response, "I'm too tired."

1456
The midwives have me sit down with my back against the side of the pool. Craig and I get ready to look between baby's legs. Craig is able to see before me and says, "It's a boy." I had to look for myself and say, "We have a boy!?!?" Once I see his little genitalia I begin crying. I was so happy to have a boy. This was the most emotional I was the entire labor. I was hoping for a boy.

My response when finding out it was a boy!

8 lb. 10 ounces, 20 inches long

Meeting my baby.

Papa time!

Most people think that having a baby at home is crazy. To me it was perfectly natural. Pun intended. I loved being able to get into my own bed afterwards. Nice and comfy. I like having my own food that I liked nearby. I feel that a woman's body is made to have children. That is what our physical attributes are for. I feel that women have been doing it for thousands of years and my body knows what to do. I understood that there were risks involved but I trusted my team to be able to catch things before they went wrong. I understood I might have to go to the hospital. I live minutes away from one so I felt safe. I wanted to trust in my body and let it do what it needed to do. I think this mindset allowed me to have a faster and easier birth. I didn't try to fight what was happening. I understood and excepted that my body was doing things perfectly. I know that a home birth is not for everyone, but I know if I get pregnant again I will be at home. I feel so lucky that I had the exact birth I wanted. I know that lots of women don't. I felt lucky to have a birth team with the same mindset as me and didn't try to rush me or tell me what to do. I wasn't pressured to take pain medication or labor laying on my back. My midwives weren't trying to hurry me up so they could go home. Craig was able to hold him skin to skin. It was just an overall amazing experience.

New Edition to the Family!!!

2011-05-31T10:40:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe it has been so long since I have written a blog post. Totally my fault. I was so busy finishing up school I put it aside. Then a trip to Europe. Moving. Getting my RN license. Working. Growing a baby. I honestly have been wanting to wait to blog until I could do my graduation blog. But my pictures are on my in-laws computer so I am going to continue on and do that one at a later date.

I feel bad I did absolutely no updates during my pregnancy but oh well. I can't change that. So here goes....

1/23/2011 (30 weeks)

2/6/2011 (32 weeks)

Gizmoid the Cheesehead, Superbowl Sunday 2/6/2011 (32 weeks)

2/26/2011 (35 weeks)

3/6/2011 (36 weeks)

3/21/11 (38 weeks)

3/31/11 (40 weeks)(1 day before birth!)

Our birth went wonderful as planned. We were able to have the baby at home as planned. The birth happened in a birthing tub in our bedroom. No pain medication. It was the most wonderful experience I have ever had!

About 1 1/2 hours after birth

In Papa's arms

Raina, our doula and friend

Boy or Girl??? Meet our new son, Theodore!We have been so busy getting to know our little man. Tomorrow he turns 2 months already! I am working on another post with the details of the labor...for those of you interested. I love reading birth stories!

Big News!

2010-10-24T15:05:00.000-07:00

Well, I have not been blogging much the last month or so. Mostly for lack of energy. This is to be expected though with my current condition.

I am pregnant!

The news was pretty unexpected. I have been having some medical problems and we thought it would take us a long time to get pregnant. Nope! My family history of being fertile seems to be strong in me also. We were able to get pregnant the first month we weren't using any protection!

I have not had many side effects yet. I am usually queasy throughout the day and I need to make sure that I eat at regular intervals. I have also been very exhausted. It has been hard to do anything extra that doesn't HAVE to get done. This includes blogging, crafting, and geocaching. I have been wanting to stay on the couch a lot lately. I could probably sleep 15 hours a day or more! I have always liked to sleep but never this much. I have also been having some mood swings or generally have "bitchy" moments really for no reason. I would know I was being irrational but I would still get upset over stupid things. That has been hard for both me and for Craig.

How I found out:
I have been taking medication to give myself a period. I know gross. Before I can take the medication though I have to take a pregnancy test. I can not take the medicine if I am pregnant. I could lose the baby if I did. So it was getting to be time to take the pills. I took a standard pregnancy test and the line was faint...I think I might be pregnant. Of course I had to take another pregnancy test to make sure. I was headed down to an appointment and do some errands in a nearby town. I stopped and got another pregnancy test. This time I picked out a digital test that will say pregnant or not pregnant. Just so I could be 100% sure. I went to my best friend's house and took the test. After about 1 minute, there it was: Pregnant.

I walked out of the bathroom in shock. Of course you could probably tell by the look on my face what the result was. All I could croak out was, "I'm pregnant." So my best friend and her husband were the first people to find out. I called Craig and asked him to come over so I could talk to him since he was in town also. He told me later he could hear the excitement in my voice. He said, "I think I know what you are going to say." He knew I was planning on taking a pregnancy test that morning. "You are pregnant aren't you?", he asked. Yep!

It has been a whirlwind since then. I went to the doctor to have a blood test just to double check. Yep, I am pregnant. We have told our immediate family by this point. I have also waited to tell the blog community and other friends until I have made past some of that scary time.

A lot has happened since I wrote the beginning of this post...we have been looking for midwives and we decided on one. That was stressful and time consuming to find the right person/people since Craig and I are back in school. Busy, busy, busy. This is the practice we decided on: Partera Midwifery. We are planning on having a home birth. I know that is not common practice nowadays but I think it is the best way to give birth.

We have also had an ultrasound:

Profile of Face.

Front of Face.

Head at top. Chest and abdomen with spinal column.

Profile of body. Arm and hand alongside of face.

We have decided not to find out the gender of the baby. We call it, Gizmoid, and no we do not plan on naming the child that! I am feeling back to normal now. I no longer have to eat like a crazy person. I am able to eat like I was prior to becoming pregnant. That is nice. I will try to keep my blog world updated and let me know if you have any questions whatsoever.

Yay for baby Gizmoid!!!!

Heidi's Birthday

2010-08-08T15:26:00.000-07:00

This last month an a half I have been a busy lady. I have been working on a major craft project as a present to a friend. I can not do a post about that until they receive it. Also, one of my very best friends had her birthday party on Saturday. So of course, I decided to make a special present for her. I decided to go with an apron.

It took me about a week, maybe two, to finish it. Once I finished I had about 2 days until her party so I decided to go ahead and make a potholder to go with the apron. There was plenty of left over fabric. Here are a few pictures...

Me trying on the final product.

Back of pot holder.

Front of pot holder.

How it works...

Helping Heidi try on her new apron.

I am happy to say that Heidi loved the apron! It feels so good to make something for someone else and know that they really like it. Now I just need to start working on Christmas presents!

New Cache in Town....

2010-07-21T01:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning (7/18) I came home from a party at a friends house. I got on the computer like I normally do in the AM and checked my email and the such. While on my facebook page I had a post from my friend CascadesClimber that went like this: "Katy!!!! Go get your cache!!!". What is he talking about?

I proceed to check my email and there it is...a new cache has published. Am I seeing things correctly? The name of the cache is Wheelers of Fortune. Wait a sec. That is our caching name. I check out the page and yell to my husband we have to go find this cache. Check out the cache page: Wheelers of Fortune

The cache was placed in our honor, by our friend, RatznKatz. It was awesome to see this. What was even cooler is that all of our other caching friends saved the FTF for us. This says a lot since they all have phone notification (we do not!) so we almost never get a FTF unless we happen to be checking our email when it posts.

I love that we have made friends through geocaching. It is amazing how great these people are. Thanks RatznKatz.

RatznKatz

Blog Hiatus

2010-07-13T19:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have been slacking so bad on my blog. I have good intentions but all my extra time has been going to a different project.

I have a huge crafty project that I am working on. I have a deadline so I am trying to get things done quickly without compromising quality. I have been slowly working on a few blogs and hope to have them up this week. I also forgot to take any pictures yesterday so no July 12 of 12 this month. :(

June 12 of 12.

2010-07-02T01:35:00.000-07:00

I finally have a more interesting day to document for my 12 of 12. Saturday June 12 was a very busy and fun day. It involved a road trip, geocaching, and even a concert. No boring pictures due to school obligations. I know these should be pictures that I personally take but I have decided to use a couple that Craig took because I think that they document a few things that I wasn't able to take pictures of. Plus, it is my blog and I can do what I want, right?

Yellow rose near the trail head of our first cache search.

Climbed up a big hill before checking logs. Cache was missing. Logged a DNF. (WWJD Part 2)

Glad we went to the top. This was the view.

Along the trail there were murals showing the event of Jesus' Crucifixion. We found the other cache on the trail, W.W.J.D.?

Craig near cache area for, Crystal Palisades.

At a cache location.....

Area near virtual cache, Winter Feeding.

Driving & Singing with the windows rolled down.

The Gorge Amphitheater

The Gorge Amphitheater @ Sunset

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers!

Funny Work Story

2010-06-30T20:04:00.000-07:00

I don't write much about work but a funny thing happened today. For those of you who have not read any previous posts about my job here is the background info. I am a nurse at a nursing home for people with dementia and Alzheimer's. So it can be quite interesting.

Today, a gentleman was walking around talking to himself. He sounds like an auctioneer. There was another resident sitting nearby with her spouse (who does not live there and does not have dementia). The gentleman came nearby and I said hello and gave him a hug. He said, "I won!" My response, "Oh you won? That's great!". He corrects me with, "No, I have WOOD!"

Totally, not what I was expecting to hear. I look over at the family member who was just looking over at me with a look of shock. Needless to say I was embarrassed. Oh well. That is live working with Alzheimer's residents.

Last Photo Sunday

2010-06-23T14:12:00.000-07:00

It is already Wednesday...but here is my last photo Sunday.

This is my friend. He decided to try on some glasses I got at a garage sale.

Postcrossing 14!

2010-06-16T11:33:00.000-07:00

From: Sylvia

Hsinchu City, Taiwan

Distance: 6,125 mi

(9,857 km)

Received: December 17, 2009

Travel Time: 9 days

The building in the picture is Taipei 101. It is the 2nd tallest building in the world. There are 101 floors above ground and 5 floors below ground.

Frisbee'r Roast.....Part Two

2010-06-15T22:45:00.000-07:00

The event took place at a local pizza parlor, Dirty Dave's Gay 90's Pizza Parlor. The pizza there was really good. If you happen to be in Olympia, WA it is worth a stop. I love going to events because you get to meet new friends and see old friends.

Frisbee'r and Hoppingcrow (with others surrounding)

The main man, Frisbee'r with his crown.

OlySidewinder (I think) telling an amazing story about Frisbee'r.

Our table. At the back W1370 and AngieandKris with kids.

GeoMimi55 and I.

Craig & I with Frisbee'r

GeoMimi55, Frisbee'r, and CascadesClimber.

After the event we went out caching in the area again with CascadesClimber and GeoMimi55. We decided to go after some more Unknown caches that I solved prior to the trip.

A college near one of the caches we found....not sure which one.

Oh my gosh, what is that????

Do You Measure Up #4

Do You Measure Up #2

A Micro for Musicians

Lacey Sudoku #1

FFJ's Top 30 movies of all-time

Spelling 101

After finding these caches we decided to head home. Craig had homework and studying to do so we wanted to get home. On the way home we got a phone call from a local cacher who told us that some new caches published in the approximate area that we were in. We decided to try to grab an FTF or two. We took the next exit and we were off. If you live in our area you know that GeoMimi and CascadesClimber are usually FTF on a lot of caches. There are a few other contenders. It was exciting to be going for an FTF with them.

We grabbed the first cache and we weren't FTF. Frisbee'r was! This is after he announced at his roast that he was retiring from the FTF hunt! So off we went to the next cache. We are walking up to the cache site, which is at a park in the woods, and we hear some kids. I knew it had to be cachers so I yelled out and asked them what they are doing. Out comes the culprits: AngieandKris, RJJones00, and Frisbee'r. We stood around for a while shooting the breeze when Angie's phone goes off. There is another new cache in the area.....

We all decide to go for it. We still hadn't found this cache so we run up the hill and make the find real fast and run back to our car. We all head out to the next one. We end up making a massive group FTF at the final cache of the night. It was very fun and very exciting. Here is our group FTF picture.

Beaver Pride

another park cache.

Howlin' Tornado

This was an extremely fun event and a great way to end the night. Needless to say Craig didn't get much studying done that night!

Last Photo Sunday

2010-06-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

What a horrible picture! Lounging after a long, long weekend. Leo missed us.

Last Photo Sunday

2010-06-09T10:46:00.000-07:00

My relaxed kitty, Leo. He got in this position himself and I couldn't help but snap a picture. Too cute.

My recent crafts....

2010-05-27T17:00:00.000-07:00

Making a pillow.

Floor pillow.

Floor pillow back.

Apron front.

Apron back.

Drawstring TB bag.

Padded drawstring bag version 2.0

Padded drawstring bag version 3.0 and a larger padded drawstring bag.

1/2 Apron.

Apron in use. Mmmmm, cookies!

Last Photo Sunday

2010-05-24T22:48:00.000-07:00

I spent Friday morning at my mom's house working on this apron. I finished it Friday night. I love it!

May 12 of 12.

2010-05-24T21:51:00.000-07:00

I need to send these out today!

Off to clinicals.

Craig and the new kitty, Leo.

How are the blind supposed to see this sign before they get in line?

Grocery shopping.

I got a postcard today!

Learning how to make drawstring bags.

Almost time to go to sleep....

I forgot about this assignment due tomorrow. Oops!

My semi-clean craft area.

Some of my newest fabric.

Another drawstring bag I made the other day to hold my TB's in my caching bag.

Another boring day full of school and chores. I think next month's 12 of 12 will be much more exciting cause I have a road trip and concert that day!

Last Photo Sunday

2010-05-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

Last shot at a cemetery cache find. Really awesome cemetery! (Picture taken by the Mr.)

Frisbee'r Roast.....Part One

2010-05-16T22:08:00.000-07:00

I want to start this blog out by saying one of the things I like the best about geocaching is that you make some wonderful friends that you might never have befriended otherwise. Craig and I have quite a few friends that we have made this way. This post is about one of those people, Frisbee'r.

Frisbee'r is an amazing cacher. I have never had the privilege of actually caching with him before. I hope to have that chance someday. Frisbee'r is one of only 3 cachers in the state of WA to have reached 10,000 cache find! Amazing right? So of course his very good friend and one of our friends, HoppingCrow put together an event to celebrate this momentous occasion. So of course we went and set up a caching trip with a few other cachers in the our local area. The event was up in the Olympia area so we planned on getting some caches in the area. I spent an entire morning prior to the tip solving some easier puzzle caches. Might as well get some of those knocked out.

We met up with GeoMimi55, CascadesClimber, Photoburpee and family, and The-Guide and we caravaned out to our first stop. We attempted a couple of FTF hunts in a town north of us but we didn't get them. They were already found by some local cachers.
The Kings Cache
Phoney Heights
Another quick cache....River(side) heights.
And another....Bottom of the bottle

We stopped at another cache, Tupps#6 Little Big Tree. This cache was a little bit longer of a walk but we had fun. Here are a few pictures.

The walk to the cache.

Some bird nests. Really cool.

Don't want to meet these muggles!

Back on the road for some caches. Watch out for the Peacocks!

At the next cache we were able to get out and stretch our legs a bit again. (much appreciated) Trail Marker

Photoburpee and daughter.

CascadesClimber

After this cache we started our hunt for some puzzle caches. I solved all the caches in a puzzle series in the Olympia area so we decided to go to these before The-Guide had to leave for a meeting.

Craig and The-Guide getting all the coords in the car GPS.

All of at the final cache of the series.

Here are the caches of the series (In the order we found them):

South Sound Boondoggle Series - Leg 4 (II)

South Sound Boondoggle Series - Leg 3 (II)

South Sound Boondoggle Series - Leg 1

South Sound Boondoggle Series - Leg 5

South Sound Boondoggle Series - Leg 6

South Sound Boondoggle Series - Final II

(Leg 2 is no longer there so we were given the info.) This was a really fun series. The-Guide left after this find and the rest of us went to the event.

I am going to post this in two parts since it is so long.... More soon.

10! Years

2010-05-11T14:38:00.000-07:00

Being the geonerd that I am.......I had to make sure that Craig and I went to an official 10 years event! Geocaching began 10 years ago outside of Portland, OR. (Go Pacific Northwest!). Living about an hour north of here it seemed the most logical place to go for a 10 year event. So that is what we did. We headed to Redland, OR for the local event, 10 Years! Redland, Oregon (GC23VJF).

The hosts of the event placed 10 caches in the area surrounding the cache site. If you found all 10 cache you got a special raffle ticket at the event. So of course I had to find all 10 of them. We drove down to Redland early so we could make the finds.

A group find on one of the 10x10 caches.

Yet another photo of thee group.

What a pretty view.

What a peaceful spot.

Another shot of this spot.

Looking into the culvert.

After finishing the 10x10 series we found a couple more caches. Had to stop in a cemetery right?

Why is there an umbrella over the grave site?

The spread at the event.

Will we win anything? (I won 2 things!)

Setting up the group photo.

Photoburpee and family.

A TB I picked up.

When we got down to Redland we ran into a couple of local cachers, Photoburpee and his family. We enjoyed hanging out with them from cache to cache. It was also nice to get to know each other a little better. We had a lot of fun!

.....Luke.....

2010-05-11T13:03:00.000-07:00

Today while I was posting my last post I realized I never wrote about what happened to Luke. On April 21st Craig and I took him to the vet to be put to sleep. We were very sad to do so but we felt that it was time. He had lost so much weight and was no longer eating. It felt cruel to try to keep him alive any longer. Craig and I went in together and the staff was very caring. They let me hold him. I thought that would put him more at ease than being on a hard metal exam table. I cried of course.

So here are some photos of my kitty, Luke. (They are of order but you get the point.)

Craig and Luke right before his deployment.

Luke playing.

Luke cleaning Leia. He actually began to like her.

A day at our house

Sleepy Luke

Just Luke.

Getting ready to fly to WA.

What is this white stuff? There was never snow in GA.

Hunting the bird outside.

Aww, how cute.

Luke, with a TB.

Luke with his kill.

Luke wants to help with Craig's calculus homework.

In the front yard. (About a week prior to death)

A few hours before the final trip to the vet.

At the vet.

I had some technical difficulties finding some of my pictures so here are a few more:

Luke loved to lay on my back.

This was the beginning of Luke's hatred for dogs.

Wow, he looks really fat here. Well, he used to be really fat!

Luke and Jazmyn. (Before he didn't much like other animals)

Last Photo Sunday

2010-05-10T15:10:00.000-07:00

We got a new cat on Saturday from our local Humane Society. I think we are going to name him, Leo. What do you guys think?

Last Photo Sunday

2010-05-04T11:03:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken at the end of a long caching day with 2 of our friends. This photo was taken via timer at a group FTF!

Craig and I had a caching full weekend that I need to write about but instead I am writing a paper for school. Yuck.

April 12 of 12.

2010-04-19T15:23:00.000-07:00

I didn't have much to take pictures of so here is what I have...

Had to give Luke his morning meds.

On break from class.

Finished another craft

Close up of Luke.

Luke took over my water.

Home from work....cooking dinner.

My hubby.

Reading my book. (self-timer)

Working on my scrub top.

Working on logging a lot of caches from a few days prior.

Folding laundry.

Jar of shells.

Not a lot of great pictures but this is documenting my daily life and things around me.

Last Photo Sunday

2010-04-19T14:19:00.000-07:00

Out caching and we had to cross this creek to make it to the cache spot This is on our way out. Fun times.

Luke's health condition...

2010-04-12T15:25:00.000-07:00

I thought since I posted the picture of Luke last week without an explanation of his sickness I will let you all in on the info.

Luke was feeling down for a few days. Not eating, barely going to the bathroom, and very lethargic. Just laying on the floor and not moving much. On Sunday night his breathing was very labored. Monday morning I called the vet and was able to get him in that afternoon. Craig went ahead and took him since I had to be at work.

The news was not good. Luke has cardiomyopathy. We are giving him 2 different medications to treat his symptoms and he seems to be doing a little bit better but we are unable to treat the heart condition. The vet gave a prognosis of 2 months while on medication. If we hadn't taken him to the vet he most likely would have died very soon. Craig and I are going to keep him on medication as long as he seems to be comfortable and not in any pain. If it gets to the point that he is in pain or sick even while on the medication we will have him put to sleep.

I am going to miss him a lot. Many people think he is mean but he is my kitty. I love him. I was not surprised by the diagnosis but I must say it still sucks. So that is my Lukas update.

Last Photo Sunday

2010-04-12T14:45:00.000-07:00

This is a good friend of mine, Amber. This picture was taken at her birthday party Saturday night.

Last Photo Sunday.

2010-04-08T00:11:00.000-07:00

This is my poor kitty, Luke. He is sick in this picture. Well, he is still sick but at least now we know what is wrong with him. He is so handsome don't you think?

Spring Break!!!!

2010-03-24T23:51:00.000-07:00

Monday was my final for my 1st quarter of the RN program!! 1 down 2 to go! I got an A- on the final and an A in the class!! Sweetness! I have been busy the last few days. I went on a short geocaching trip with a my friend, Kyle98632. I wanted to go geocaching today but Craig had a final this morning and I had to work tonight. We are trying to plan a hike for next week. I also have many crafts that I have been working on! I will keep you updated but I am taking much needed break!

Classics Challenge 2010

2010-03-19T15:53:00.000-07:00

I decided to participate in a reading challenge I found online. Check it out here.

I am going to do the Classic Snack plus the bonus. So I have to read 4 classic novels and a 5th future classic. The future classic is based on a list made by the participants. The time period to complete this challenge is April 1st-October 31st 2010.

I decided to go with books I already have on my bookshelf to save money and possible late fees at the library. Here is the list I have come up with:

1. Watership Down- Richard Adams

2. Sometimes a Great Notion- Ken Kesey

3. A Brave New World- Aldous Huxley

4. The Scarlet Letter- Nathaniel Hawthorne

For my bonus book I chose Princess Bride- William Goldman. I will either have to buy this book or get it from the library since I don't have it. When I saw this on the list I knew I had to read it!

Geocaching day trip.

2010-03-18T01:09:00.000-07:00

On February 20th we went on our first geocaching run since I finished the 200 day streak. I was so relieved that I no longer had to cache every day that I took a break. It was a much needed break because it was becoming pretty stressful since I was going to school full-time and working. But I digress.

I thought I would share some pictures and info on our finds.

Our first stop was Westside Smiley (GC2206N). This cache was a easy park and grab. Biggest obstacle was the cars passing by. I attempted to get this one while on my caching streak but it was getting dark and I had a flashlight on the side of the road. It was making me nervous so I left. It was nice to go and make the grab finally.

The next cache we grabbed was Uncle Cook Chinook (GC23X6K). You had to park in a parking lot and had to walk about 0.25 miles to get there. I like these much better than the park and grabs. You are able to enjoy the surroundings. The area was a dredge spoils after the Mt. St. Helens eruption. It was neat to see how the area is beginning to come back to life with new grass and bushes.

This is on our walk to the cache site. What awesome weather we had!

Then we were on to the next cache, Caseys Cache (GC1N7T). This cache a short drive up a gravel hunting road. We are always taking our cars in places we probably shouldn't for the sake of caching. The trees all around were great. There as moss everywhere!

Mossy Trees.

On to the next cache, Peter Cottontail (GC1HN7K). This cache was in horrible shape! There was a ton of water inside. I was able to sign 1/2 our name on the log. It was in really bad shape. Also in our area there are a lot of caches in the area that will have fake caches hidden near ground zero with funny notes inside saying to keep looking, etc.? It usually makes me groan but I find that fun sometimes.

Does this happen in your area also?

Me finding the "Cache". Nope not it.

The next cache was at a really neat place. The cache was Olequa Creek Trail and Overlook (GC1HN5G). We drove down to the end of a road that used to have a bridge to the other side of the river. The bridge isn't there anymore but here is it's remnants. We walked down a short trail to the cache. Really neat area. On the way out we snapped some pictures of some cows on the neighboring farm.

How do I get across??

Cows! I love how the black cow is staring me down.

On to the next cache, A Craftea Hide, (GC22ADI). This one was located on the outskirts of McMurphy Park. This cache was pretty good. We have seen quite a few of these types of finds so it wasn't too hard. While at the cache site we had to hurry because some people were coming up to the cache on horseback. It was a neat site to see.

The next cache was in the same park. McMurphy Park (GC1XYXJ) is a cache hidden by our friends, Footloose and Fancy Free so we were excited to find there cache. We looked and looked but just didn't find it. Based on the logs it looks like it is a really good hide so we will have to go back to find this one. The cache site was along a creek so it was a really neat spot.

Sign coming into the park.

The calming creek. Something about running water.

We had time for one more cache that day and we didn't want to end on a DNF so off we headed to, Bridge Over Untroubled Waters (GC1XYXR). The cache hide was simple enough and lucky for us it was located near a bridge over this lovely creek. Our day turned out to be near lots of water! Snapped a few pictures while we were there.

A look at the stream.

A different angle. So gorgeous!

It was a great day! We found 7 of 8 attempts. Not too bad. It felt great getting back to normal caching. Craig and I get to plan our trips together and it makes it so much more enjoyable. I look forward to warmer weather and no school this summer!

P.S. To my geocaching readers...sorry I haven't been blogging about my geocaching adventures but I haven't been on many adventures lately. :(

Last Photo Sunday

2010-03-15T00:11:00.000-07:00

This is the last photo on my camera. We went down to Portland for dinner with some friends that were in town visiting family. We haven't seen them in a few years!

I cropped the bottom of the picture out. I like the panoramic effect.

Postcrossing 13!

2010-03-14T15:17:00.000-07:00

This postcard comes from Marilia from the capital of Brazil, Brasilia. She is planning to study law. The picture on the front of the postcard shows the Central Bank building on the right. This is the South Bank Sector at night.

From: Marilia

Brasilia, Brazil

Distance: 6,304 mi (10,145 km)

Received: December 14, 2009

Travel Time: 16 days

March 12 of 12.

2010-03-14T01:24:00.000-08:00

Spent the morning with my mom crafting.

My completed Christmas napkins.

Had to go the hospital for my final clinical evaluation.

I need to update my Postsecret account and put these in the postcard album.

Lukus P. Bugtussle

Crafting.

Felt donut complete!

Old School Mario Party.

My turn!

Got bumped while taking this picture. I like it anyway.

Scary shot. Just a yawn though.

My finished felt food. A donut, egg, and ravioli.

Jacob's Quilt!

2010-03-10T01:01:00.000-08:00

My best friend, Michelle had her first child on October 22, 2009. I was lucky enough to be there with her and her family to experience the event. If you have been reading for awhile I have mentioned a few times that I want to be a midwife so that was an awesome opportunity for me. Prior to the birth I started working on a quilt for Jacob. I had no idea how to sew so my mom has helped me with this project every step of the way. Here are some pictures through the process.

The fabric.

My mom helping me cut my fabric.

Everything cut out.

Top is finished.

Mom putting on the binding

Sewing on the binding

Finished Quilt

Top of Quilt (finished)

Bottom of Quilt (finished)

Michelle, Ken, and Jacob with the new quilt.

Me and Jacob with the quilt.

I thought that I did a really great job considering that I just starting sewing last summer. I couldn't have done it without my mom though. She helped me every step of the way. I don't plan on doing any more quilts at the moment but I will probably do some more in the future. I definitely like to sew and am excited to make new things. I want to get a better sewing area setup though. Hopefully the next place we live I can set something up. I will put up some other craft projects as I go.

Anniversary Beach Trip

2010-03-09T00:21:00.000-08:00

Craig and I wanted to do something to celebrate our anniversary but we are trying to save some major cash for a big trip I will tell you about eventually (if it works out) so we didn't want to do anything major or expensive. We had talked about going on a short delorme trip on some of the islands in the Puget sound. Instead we decided to stay in a beach house owned by my best friend's parents.

We left Saturday morning fairly early. I had the GPS loaded up with some geocaches so I was ready to go.

Our first cache of the day was, STOP!! Just where do you think you are going?. This was a quick and easy cache to find. Next, on to a quick virtual cache, Are You A Keen Observer?. This was an interesting virtual. Too bad I can't give out the interesting tidbit of info I had to email the owner.

Our next stop takes us to an open field called Mickey Dietrick Memorial Field. It is a launch site for RC planes. We were lucky enough to see a few while searching for the cache, Mickey's Field. Craig took some pictures of the planes while I located the cache.

RC plane landing.

Another RC plane.

Walking towards the next cache, Room With A View, there were some great views.

This is an old gun battery site. Cape Disappointment (formerly Fort Canby) was armed with cannons to protect the mouth of the Columbia river against enemy attack.

Overgrown trail to the cache.

Picture of us at ground zero.

Our view from the room.

Windblown tree.

B&W photo from cache site of the North Head Lighthouse.

There wasn't a cache at the lighthouse but we decided to go visit it anyway.

This is the South Jetty as seen from the top of the lighthouse. We payed a few bucks to go to the top. Also, the volunteer taking money was from the same town as me, West Allis, WI.

A full view of the lighthouse.

We stopped at another cache, Mom and Girl, which was a fairly quick park and grab. Not the most exciting cache find but it wasn't bad. Then we were on to the next cache of the day. Our personal friend, Kyle98632, had taken a trip to Long Beach to hide a cache (World's Longest Beach Cache) so of course we had to find it.

I really like this picture for some reason. This is me looking at something wearing our geobag. This was somewhere close to ground zero.

Me with the cache.

That was the last cache for the day. We decided to head to the beach house and play some board games. We had a good time listening to records, playing games, and doing homework. Yes, I said homework. Craig and I both had a lot of homework so we had to bring it with. I had my first test of the quarter the following Monday. You will all be happy to know that I got an 88% on it though! Side note for anyone who is interested in board games. Craig and I played a game called Khet (I won!). Khet is a 2 player game similar to chess with lasers. Very fun. Check this out: http://www.khet.com/news.html. Scroll down and there is a picture of some soldiers holding the game. Craig is on the right!

The following morning we walked down to the beach and flew my kite. Gotta love a two string stunt kite.

Craig making the kite go in circles.

Me flying the kite.

We found 2 more caches before we went home:

Five Feet From Ground Zero

Elves Love Ocean Park

The weather was begin to get yucky and Craig doesn't like bad weather caching (I have gotten used to it) so we stopped at 2. It was a wonderful way to spend the weekend with my wonderful husband. 6 years and still going strong!

Last Photo Sunday

2010-03-01T09:17:00.001-08:00

This picture was at The C5 Streak Challenge cache final. We previously DNFed it in our attempt for 1000 geocache trip. See previous blogs. We were in the Seattle area Saturday so we went back to this one.

Crayon Roll

2010-02-22T21:01:00.000-08:00

I found this over on the blog, Make it and Love it. I decided to make it for my niece, Zaida. Here is how it turned out.

Partway rolled up filled with crayons.

Another shot of my handiwork.

Unrolled.

The back side.

All rolled up.

I made some slight modifications to the pattern to fit my needs which makes me proud since I am such a newbie sewer. Maybe someday I will be able to come up with my own designs.

Last Photo Sunday

2010-02-22T14:11:00.000-08:00

Here is my last photo on the camera from last night. This a sewing project I completed last night which I will do a post on. I love that fabric.

Check out Tracy's blog.

Postcrossing 12!

2010-02-18T14:20:00.000-08:00

I received this Christmas postcard 11 days before Christmas. Great timing!

From: Kristine

Riga, Latvia

Distance: 5,078 mi. (8,172 km)

Received: December 14, 2009

Travel Time: 13 days

Clinicals.

2010-02-17T17:15:00.000-08:00

Today was my last day of clinicals for the quarter! So the stress is decreased just a tad bit. I still have the lecture portion to worry about but no more researching patients Tuesday night and prep work before going to the hospital at the butt crack of dawn to take care of patients.

This hopefully means I can spend a little more time on my blog. I feel that it has been neglected recently and I want to post quite a bit more here in the near future. I have been relying on some staple post to keep the blog going but I think that my blog is becoming a bit stale. I want to shake things up a bit. I am still trying to figure out how to do this. I definitely want to log more about my geocaching. Hopefully now that I am done with my streak (which was pretty boring caching most of the time if you ask me) I will have some exciting caching days ahead to blog about.

Last Photo Sunday

2010-02-15T11:03:00.000-08:00

I spent the evening playing with Craig, Josh, and Amber. We built a bunch of lego stuff from all my old legos from when I was a kid. This was my favorite set. I wanted to take more pictures but my batteries died. So this is what was left.

Check out this blog. This is where I got the idea for this.

Febuary 12 of 12

2010-02-13T12:18:00.000-08:00

This is my 2nd month doing the 12 of 12 project. Enjoy!

Ran out of milk so had to use chocolate soy milk on my cereal. Yummy.

Going to make Christmas placemats and napkins.

My mom's African Grey parrot, Groucho.

My mom helping me with my quilt.

Cutting up my Xmas fabric. (self timer used)

Had to make a quick stop at the bank.

This little guy hangs from my rear view mirror. I got him from my secret santa at work.

Valentine's day card from a resident at work. The heart candies were inside.

Sewing the binding onto the quilt. Almost done!

Watched a movie with Craig. I told him I was going to post a picture of him but he still made this face.

Luke.

Can't reveal the entire quilt quite yet. Soon though.

I had a rough time with the pictures today. Hopefully next month it will be a better selection but this is my life as I saw it yesterday.

200 DAYS!!!!

2010-02-11T23:41:00.000-08:00

We made it! Today marked our 200th day straight of finding a geocache. Craig was able to make some time to go with me today.

Signing the log.

#200!!!!

I learned a few things about myself as a cacher....

I am able to cache in all types of weather. But I still don't like to cache in the rain.
I am definitely not a daily cacher.
I can accomplish any caching goal I want.

I have already been asked if we plan on continuing our streak. My answer....Heck No! I had fun but I am sick of caching every day. I am sick of trying to fit it into my busy scheduling and stressing over the fact that I HAVE to find a cache. I can go find the final to this cache one of these days. Good thing it isn't a far drive.

Last Photo Sunday.

2010-02-08T08:14:00.000-08:00

Here is something new that I am trying. This is the last photo on my camera.

This photo was taken by me 2/7 on the East Fork of the Lewis River. I took this after placing a geocache at my old swimming hole.

Here is my inspiration for this idea...

Postcrossing 11!

2010-02-04T17:15:00.000-08:00

This card come to me from Kadri in Estonia. Kadri informed me that in Estonia my name would also be Kadri! Kathryn=Kadri. I thought that was really cool. I think this is a very pretty postcard.

From: Kadri

Tallinn, Estonia

Distance: 4,929 mi. (7,933 km)

Received: December 12, 2009

Travel Time: 28 days

101 in 1001 List.

2010-02-03T11:52:00.000-08:00

I found another challenge to add to my life. I found Day Zero Project. Check it out. Basically you write out a list of 101 things you want to accomplish in 1001 days (approx. 2.75 years). It spreads it out in a time frame most people can accomplish. I want to post my list and keep an update on here.

Key:

In Progress

Completed

For Fun:
7. Have a spa day with mom.
9. Watch AFI's 10 top 10 movies (minus The Titanic) (15/99)
12. Go to a Green Bay Packers game.
19. Beat Rock Band 1
20. Finish all Challenges in Rock Band 2 (59/105)
36. Take trip to Europe.
Geocaching:
11. Find 3000 geocaches. (Reach 3000 finds) (1147/3000)
16. Finish 200 days of geocaching streak (200/200) Completed 2/11/10
26. Set up and host 3 geocaching food drive events.
27. Have a total of 15 geocache hides (not including events). (9/15)

31. Find a total of 100 Multi-caches. (59/100)

32. Find all caches within a 10 mile radius of our home cords.
33. Find 100 Unknown (mystery) caches. (36/100)
Reading:

6. Read 20 new books. (0/20)
13. Read 15 books off of my lists (0/15)
40. Read a book with authors from A-Z. (0/26)

41. Read books with titles A-Z. (0/26)

Just Cause:
1. Go Skinny Dipping
Projects:
2. Participate in NaBloPoMo
15. Complete 365 project. (0/365)
23. Complete 12 of 12 Challenge every month for a year. (2/12)
10. Send 150 postcards through Postcrossing. (26/150)
For the Earth:
5. Grow my own vegetables (for one summer)
14. Start a worm bin

25. Walk/Bike to work/school every day for a month.
Healthier Me:
17. Run a 10K.
18. Climb Mt. St. Helens (again)

37. Cook 2 freezer meals per month. (1/33)

38. Cook 2 new recipes per month. (1/33)

Crafty Me:

28. Sew a total of 15 felt food items for Zaida. (1/15)
29. Make a Christmas present every month for one year. (1/12)
Personal Enrichment:
3. Send in a postcard to PostSecret
4. Get Pregnant
8. Complete Nursing school (0/3 quarters)
21. Obtain life insurance

22. Get a second pet.
24. Write a letter to 3 people a month (0/33)

30. Complete monthly chore chart for an entire year. (0/12)
34. Visit 10 museums. (0/10)
35. Pass NCLEX-RN exam.

39. Visit Bodies Exhibit in Seattle. (2/27/10)

As you can see I haven't even finished my list of 101 things to do but I am trying to come up with some more goals for myself. I will update this periodically. Especially when I finish something. Feel free to start your own list. I love to see what other people's goals are.

Centralia/Chehalis Cache Machine!

2010-02-02T20:23:00.000-08:00

Wow, I didn't mean to take so long before writing this post but school comes before blogging. Even though most the time I would rather blog than do schoolwork. I went to my first cache machine Jan. 2nd with RatznKatz and Blue Crane.

In case you have never heard of a cache machine here is how it works. Someone sets up a cache machine in a high density cache area. They plan a route with scheduled cache finds along the way. You go from cache to cache with a group of people. It is pretty much a day about getting a large number of caches. I think there were about 65 or more caches on the planned itinerary. But there was a dinner event cache at a specific time so if you did not finish the cache run you were out of luck.

I have done a caching trip to the area with Craig several months ago and we found several of the caches on the list. I found 26 that day and Blue Crane and RatznKatz found around 33-35, depending on prior finds. It was a great experience and I recommend it to everyone.

Here are some pictures from our wonderful day.

Most of the group.

Very Large Stump.

Another view of the stump.

Cool old broken down and shot up truck.

Blurry picture but cool walk to this bridge to find the cache.

Another view of the bridge.

Cache at a park with baseball fields.

Clan MacLeod.

Blue Crane with a little gnome.

Interesting cacher with her interesting TB.

Last cache of the day (except for the event cache). This is me and Blue Crane.

Event Dinner

It was a wonderful day and I wish I would have gotten more pictures. I had so much fun and look forward to another cache machine in the future. Cache on!

Happy Anniversary, Baby!

2010-01-24T23:43:00.000-08:00

Craig and I celebrated our anniversary on the 20th. This marks 6 years we have been married. We have had our ups and downs, but it has been wonderful sharing my life with him thus far. We didn't do much since I had clinicals in the day and he had class, work, and then a night class. I made enchiladas for dinner (his favorite) and we relaxed a little bit.

I wanted to share a little video with you. I think it is hilarious that Craig posted this on his facebook page! This song is actually on his iPod! He claims he didn't know it was there but I'm not so sure. Enjoy!

Postcrossing 10!

2010-01-19T11:27:00.000-08:00

This postcard comes from Australia!! This is my first postcard from Australia. Hopefully not my last. On the back of the postcard Christine wrote some info about the lighthouse pictured (top right). The lighthouse is run by the coastal patrol which is run by volunteers. It is a old building (for Australia) and the lighthouse keeper lived there. The angled room on the left is actually where the lighthouse is. The windows were built at special angles so when the light hit a metal disk it reflected the light out the windows.

From: Christine

Nelson Bay, Australia

Distance: 7,581 mi.

(12,200 km)

Received: December 10, 2009

Travel Time: 8 days

My busy week.

2010-01-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

Sorry to my few readers that I haven't been posting very much as of late. This week I have been swamped! I am trying to keep up in the blogging world but I just can't.

Here is my week.

Monday: School, geocache, and work.
Tuesday: Surgical Follow through at the hospital, geocache, hospital to research patient, eat, clinical day prep.
Wednesday: Clincals, lunch with fellow students, geocache, homework
Thursday: Class, lunch with husband, meeting at work, clinical observation at a preschool, geocache, dinner, homework/ watch a movie.

I shouldn't have even watched the movie but I am so sick of homework right now. I am sick of reading textbooks. I have a paper I need to write, a test I need to study for, and a workbook to work on.

I will get it all done but I still hate it. At least it is a 3 day weekend! No class Monday!!!!!

January 2010: 12 of 12

2010-01-13T19:59:00.000-08:00

I read about the 12 of 12 project on P.J's blog (http://hoohaablog.com/). I decided to give it a try. Why not add something else onto my plate!!! Silly me. Basically, you take 12 pictures on the 12th day of the month to document your day/life. For more info and to look at other people's entries look here. On to the pictures.

My Nursing School uniform.

Fuzzy picture but these are my nursing shoes. Very comfortable.

My lunch....which I proceeded to forget at home!

My breakfast. I needed fuel to last me through the surgery I had to attend that day for school.

Self-portrait. My first clinical day: Surgical Follow Through.

View from my daily cache.

Craig with cache log.

Cold, dreary day to get a cache.

Who would actually cross here??? And is that a "man bag" he is carrying?

Got it! Day #170. The streak continues.

Researching my patient and getting ready for clinical day 2.

Cramps. Now I can go to sleep. Thanks advil.

That was my day yesterday. In case you are curious about my clinical experience yesterday, I had to do a surgical follow through. I went in and participated the pre-op stage. Then I scrubbed in and got to watch hernia repair and removal of an ovary. When they removed the ovary it was HUGE!!!! The size of a very large grapefruit. After surgery I went to recovery with the patient. Once she was on the normal floor my day ended. It was awesome! Now I have to write a paper about it. I hope you enjoyed my pictures. I didn't think I would even have enough time to take pictures yesterday so hopefully I can have a more stellar group of pictures next month.

Postcrossing 9!

2010-01-09T00:02:00.000-08:00

Another postcard for your enjoyment! I am sure you can probably guess what is written on the front of the postcard but just in case you don't come up with the right answer it says, "Merry Christmas!"

From: Corinna

Duisburg, Germany

Distance: 5,077 mi.

(8,170 km)

Received: December 9, 2009

Travel Time: 15 days

Stress...

2010-01-06T22:48:00.000-08:00

So week one has been very stressful so far. I just keep reminding myself to take it one step at a time. One day at a time. It will go fast and I just need to focus on one thing at a time instead of looking at the big picture. This is a picture of my niece, Zaida. I can't help but smile when I look at this picture. I have this picture on my fridge and I plan on looking at it whenever I get too stressed out. Maybe I will even take a copy with me to school and clinicals.

Does this make anyone else smile too??? Probably not but you have to admit she is adorable. Now listen to the aunt rave about her neice. Wow. That wasn't the plan.

Back to school....

2010-01-04T22:39:00.000-08:00

So....today was my first day back in the nursing program. I think that it went fairly well. I was very nervous last night but it seemed to go smoothly. The other students seemed really nice so I was happy about that. They made me feel very welcome to the class. I am not quite as nervous as I was yesterday. But I probably won't be blogging as much now that I am back in school. I am going to be a busy girl working part time and going to school full time. Not to mention a daily geocache.

Speaking of geocaching, I have now cached for 162 days straight!!!! I am almost to 200! I can not wait to be done. I went to a cache machine on Saturday and have plans for a blog about that coming up soon. (If I can find some free time!)

Hope all is stress free and wonderful in everyone else's lives.

Postcrossing 8!

2010-01-01T12:58:00.000-08:00

This is the National Science and Technology Museum in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. I love science museum and would love to visit this one. The sender of this postcard shared with me that his town is a port city in southern Taiwan and that it is always sunny there! They never get snow. He also said that there are about 10-15 caches in his city! I am not sure if he is a geocacher or not but maybe he will become one after looking up that info on the website.

From: Hong-Yi

Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Distance: 6,271 mi.

(10,092 km)

Received: December 3, 2009

Travel Time: 9 days

Christmas Eve

2009-12-31T00:33:00.000-08:00

Christmas was tight this year money-wise so it was pretty stressful. I thought it was one of my more favorite Christmas' though. I spend quality time with Craig, friends, family and went geocaching. I thought I would share some of my Christmas Eve with everyone.

Here is a picture of our "Christmas tree"!

I know, I know, we are so nerdy! I know you were all thinking that when you see a Han Solo cardboard cutout in my living room. And you are right. Craig and I could not afford a Christmas tree so we had to make do with what we have. I think he is a wonderful Christmas tree!

This is our fireplace lit up. A stocking for me, Craig and our kitty, Luke.

Lindsey and Phil came over for lunch. Lins and I made enchiladas. Yummy! Vegetarian Chili and cheese for me. Chicken and Cheese for everyone else. I gave Lins her wine charms and I got a awesome scarf that she knit for me! She loved her wine charms and I equally love the scarf she knit. I unfortunately did not take any pictures while they were over.

I had to go to work from 4-8 so I was able to get home in time to enjoy the rest of my Christmas Eve. Our friends, Amber and Josh stopped by to pick up their presents from us. Cookies, etc. and a Christmas ornament. They gave us our gifts a few days prior. I got an awesome beanie! Love it. Josh and Amber decided to go on a cache with us. This was their first cache. We have told them all about Geocaching but they have never gone with us. But before we went caching we decided to go to the local lake and check out the lights.

One of the islands at the local lake.

Craig and I.

Hi Frosty!

After the lake we looked at some lights on the way to the geocache. This time we just did a drive-by.

One of the houses.

The cache was another night cache. This time there is no scary story but we had an excellent time. Josh had the awesome idea to bring hot chocolate with us so that is what we did.

Amber, Josh, me, and Craig toasting at the cache site with our hot chocolate. Best idea EVER!!!

The lighting is bad but I wanted to try to show you what they used for this night cache. These are fire tacks that glow in light. So you go from one tree to the next shining your flashlight to see the next tree. This is the final tree and the cache is pretty much right there. I had a great Xmas eve with friends and especially at this fun cache. I hope everyone else had a great time also.

Postcrossing 7!

2009-12-27T23:01:00.000-08:00

This postcard has a personal connection to me. It is from Slovenia the country my Grandfather, Frank, was born. When he was born his birth city was in Poland but the borders changed after WWII. My grandpa has always said he was Slovenian. After some research I found out my grandfather was born in Novo Mesto.

The person that sent this postcard didn't write much on the back. What was there was in another language and it is messy so I wasn't able to use an online translator. I did some research on Koceje instead. From the middle of the 13th to the middle of the 20th century Kocevje was a German linguistic enclave. The language was a Bavarian dialect called Gottscheerish or Granish The language is now considered endangered with very few native speakers left. It is also the place where thousand of Nazi collaborators were executed by Tito and Partisans. They were thrown into pits and caves that were then sealed with explosives.

From: Darja

Kocevje, Slovenia

Distance: 5,610 mi

(9,029 km)

Received: November 27, 2009

Travel Time: 9 days

I'm on a streak....

2009-12-20T01:30:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to update everyone on my geocaching streak. I am up to 146 days in a row!!! It has been very difficult lately since I am running out of caches in the local area. I also don't drive the 35 miles to school a few times a week which was giving me to find some non-local caches. I am trying to get to 200 and then I am quitting! I need a break. There is a challenge cache that requires you to have 200 days before you grab the final. I am looking forward to that grab.

Loggin' Country Gift-and-Greet II

2009-12-19T01:38:00.000-08:00

It has taken me way too long to blog about my latest geocaching event. I meant to do it much sooner but life has gotten in the way...studying for finals, taking finals, getting ready to move to a new house, work, etc.

The event in question is Loggin' Country Gift-and-Greet II (GC1ZBTV). It involved exchanging geocaching related gifts via drawing and a cookie exchange. I was actually able to talk Craig into going by telling him about the cookie exchange. He got right on board once I mentioned that. I talked to some local cachers and decided to carpool and get some caches on the way.

We met CascadesClimber and GeoMimi55 in the morning and headed on out. We rode in their car since ours is always so messy!

This is Mt. St Helens. We are used to seeing the Mt. from the southern or western side so it is always an amazing sight to see from the north. You can really see the immense crater from the 1980 eruption.

Geomimi55 and Cascadesclimber posing for a picture near a cache site.

A few graves near a cache. The mother of this family outlived her entire family. Her husband and one of her kids actually died on the same day. How sad!

This a dam near one of the caches we stopped at.

I liked how the plants seem to be taking over this old school bus.

Geomimi and I looking at the swag.

GeoMimi working the greeting table.

The host, Hoppingcrow(in the santa hat) talking to some of the guests.

Don't forget to sign the LOG!

From the left: TBs, cookies, gifts, guess the # of beans.

Gift exchange drawing.

I got to meet OhJoy! I was very happy to finally meet her. I enjoyed talking with her.

Craig and I had a great time caching with CascadesClimber and GeoMimi55. When we moved to this area we found out very fast that they hide the most creative caches, they have the most found caches, and they get a lot of FTFs. Craig and I sort of look up to them. It was great to get out there and cache with them. Turns out they pretty much cache the same way as us. Not much of a surprise.

The event was a lot of fun. We got a nano cache, an unactivated geocoin, a groundspeak logbook, and a pelican container in the gift exchange. We also came home with some yummy chocolate chip cookies! I was very excited to meet OhJoy!. She is really nice. We got to meet many other cachers at the event and also out looking for the local caches. We also saw many familiar faces. All and all it was a great day!

Postcrossing 6!

2009-12-13T12:31:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile since I have posted one of my postcrossing postcards so here is the next postcard. Vilnius is not only the largest city in Lithuania but it is also the capital. There are more than 40 churches in Vilnius. In 1995, the world's first bronze cast of Frank Zappa was installed in one of the Vilnius neighborhoods.

From: Evelina

Vilnius, Lithuania

Distance: 5,240 mi.

(8,433 km)

Received: November 23, 2009

Travel Time: 13 days

Xmas Presents

2009-12-12T23:44:00.000-08:00

Like many other people this year, I don't have a lot of money to spend on Christmas presents. I have decided to make some presents this year. I know a lot of other people are doing the same thing. I thought that I would share some of my creations. I can't show everything until after Christmas....

This is a cute stuffed puppy that I made for my niece, Zaida. It is one of my first completed projects. The most complicated project that I have attempted. There are some mistakes but I think it turned out great anyway.

I made these wine charms for two of my friends. They both like to drink wine so I thought that I would make them something special for their wine glasses. I have not made these before but I think that they turned out well. I will probably make more of these in the future. They were super easy to make.

I am working on some more presents and hopefully I will have some more pictures soon.

Nursing Orientation

2009-12-10T18:09:00.000-08:00

Today I finished a two day orientation to the nursing program I am starting in January. Two long days but I am glad that the school provided this orientation. My situation is a little bit different than a lot of nursing students since I am an LPN and am reentering the nursing program partway through.

I think that I have written in a previous post that this is a stressful situation for me. I have been out of the nursing program since April 2007 so it is quite an adjustment to get back in there. I don't remember many skills or info that I haven't used since then.

The nursing orientation was pretty much a review session. We went over nursing care plans (which I hate!). We practiced IV skills, medication math problems, etc. This takes such a weight off of my shoulders. I am rusty on some of the math but overall it isn't bad. I also was worried that they might want care plans to be done differently but it was pretty much the same. I want to do some reading while on break to get back in the swing of things. I am getting more excited though. The light at the end of the tunnel is finally beginning to be visible.

My Creative Being

2009-12-04T23:23:00.000-08:00

Growing up my mom made a lot of clothes and things for us. She sewed pillowcases and outfits. I learned how to cross-stitch at a young age. I liked to draw and make things. Even if they weren't all that great. I have started a new endeavour.

My mom is teaching me to sew. I have wanted to learn for a long time. I sewed with my mom a little bit but since I don't have a sewing machine of my own all my knowledge disappeared since I never used it. My friend had a baby so I decided to make her son, Jacob, a baby quilt. What a project to choose as my first project. I have been working on it for a couple months and it is almost finished. I only work on it every other Friday when my mom has off so it has been slow going. I am excited to write a post with pictures once it is finished. It is turning out great.

I also have many other projects I am working on. I have a lot of pregnant/just given birth friends so I am making bibs and burp rags. I also am making a stuffed dog for my niece, Zaida. That is her Christmas present. Most of these projects are near completion so I will not post pictures quite yet but know there are pictures to come.

I am excited to finally feel comfortable knowing I can create something. My imagination is the limit.

Postcrossing 5!

2009-12-04T00:16:00.000-08:00

This is a view of cat-lover's hometown, Aachen, Germany. Aachen is a spa town along the border of Germany, Belgium, and Netherlands. The Aachen Cathedral was the coronation church of 30 German kings and 12 Queens. I imagine this is quite a tourist town.

From: cat-lover (no name given)

Aachen, Germany

Distance: 5,098 mi (8,205 km)

Received: November, 21, 2009

Travel Time: 5 days

Fall Quarter winding down....

2009-12-01T17:22:00.000-08:00

My fall quarter of school is winding down. In one week I have my Anatomy & Physiology final. I am nervous but at the same time I am very glad to have this quarter finished. I am ready for a quick break and then I start the LPN to RN nursing program at the local college. Which has me very nervous but excited at the same time. I am ready to finally finish my RN training.

I have a lot of things to get down before I start the nursing program but I am working on it. I need to get books and uniforms. I need to take a drug test. I am starting to get anxious. I need to just keep telling myself I can do it and take some deep breaths.

Sorry for the rant but I wanted to get it out of my system. Thanks for listening (reading)!

Celebrate 1000!

2009-11-30T23:08:00.000-08:00

I already wrote about finding my 1000th geocache but the next day (11/15/09) we had a Geocache event to celebrate (GC20C75). What better way to celebrate than with the friends you have made through geocaching and a few friends you introduced to geocaching?

We gathered at a local pizza parlor for great pizza and of course great conversation. We got to see some people we hadn't seen since the last caching event in our area and also meet some new people. Here are a few pictures of the people who were there.

We also had some delicious cake (carrot cake!) we ordered from a local bakery. Well worth the extra cost to go through a bakery.

We also had a drawing with some prizes donated by cachers and ourselves. Quite a few people left with a prize. I wish we had more to give out!

Like most events we had a table dedicated to the TB's. There were several for trade and a few coins for people to discover. Yes, those busts are TB's. Their goal is to travel from event to event.

This is Craig and I with the portion of the cake that came off. It is shaped like the Wheel of Fortune wheel and each space has a milestone # and the corresponding GC code for our milestone caches. Good thing we didn't DNF the cache we planned on finding for our 1000th!

Not only did we celebrate our 1000th find but we surprised one of our favorite cachers in the area (CascadesClimber) with a birthday cake. He told his wife not to tell anyone it was his birthday because it was our celebration but we had to get him a cake of his own. We sang him "Happy Birthday" and made him blow out his candles. He isn't 28 at all....not sure how old he is but we do know he has grandchildren.

Overall, it was an excellent time had by all. We are looking forward to the next event which is this weekend! I will post about that one next week.

Postcrossing 4!

2009-11-26T00:45:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite postcard so far. It is so adorable. Is there anything cuter than babies and puppies? I really like the black and white postcards so far.

From: Sara

Galicia, Spain

Distance: 5,134 mi (8,263 km)

Received: November 20, 2009

Travel Time: 10 days

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Update on Leia

2009-11-23T22:16:00.000-08:00

I called Craig while at work today and he told me that Leia's owner came and got her. :( Well, I am sad that she is gone but I am glad someone is very happy right now to have her cat back. Someday we will get another cat and hopefully it is as great a cat as Leia was.

Leia the Stray Cat

2009-11-23T15:00:00.000-08:00

In August, Craig found a stray cat outside of his work. The cat ran under the car and Craig called out to her, "Here Kitty." He didn't expect her to come but she ran straight to him! He picked her up and she started purring and climbed up onto his shoulders. We had been talking about getting a playmate for our cat, Luke, but hadn't gotten around to it. Craig decided to bring her home. We watched out for ads in Craigslist and the local paper without seeing anything. She also had no collar so we figured she either didn't have owners or she didn't have owners that cared very much. So she became our cat.

We talked about names for the kitty and being the nerds that we are we decided on Leia. Luke and Leia our two cats. Now we love Luke a lot but he just isn't a perfect cat. He pukes all the time, he isn't very nice to people (us included sometimes), and he has seizures on occasion (obviously not his fault but it is scary to deal with). Leia is not perfect either but she is very friendly to other people and us. One bad thing about her is that she misses the litter box a lot and we find poop next to it instead of in it. Very gross and annoying. Leia has found a spot in our hearts though.

Now that I told you all the wonderful things about her and how much we love her on to the sad part of the story. Last week, Craig was petting Leia as she was lounging on his chest and he noticed that Leia has a microchip. We decided to do the right thing and we took her into the local Humane Society on Saturday. We were hoping for the best (well, the best for us) since we wanted to keep her. When the woman working opened our carrier she said, "I know this cat." Uh-oh. " She took Leia out of the carrier and said, "Yep, this is Ricky Booby." Leia is a unique cat. She is all gray with a small amount of white on her neck, but what makes her really unique is the fact that she polydactyl. Polydactyly is have extra fingers or toes. Obviously, in Leia's case extra toes. Since not many animals have extra toes she is easy to recognize.

It turns out that Leia's owner moved from her neighborhood and Leia jumped out of the truck. We found her soon after this happened. The owner has been coming into the Humane Society and calling often to see if she was brought in. She actually used to work at the Humane Society and that is how she acquired Leia. We learned that Leia's name previously was Ricky Booby. I find this to be a very unfitting name for such a lovely cat. The woman at the Humane Society is actually friends with the owner. She called her up and gave her our phone number so she could call us and set up a time to pick up Leia Leia came home with us until the owner can get her.

We set up a time to have her picked up yesterday and I was very upset all morning. But low and behold the owner never showed up! We called and left her a message about rescheduling but have not heard back from her yet. Does the owner actually want her or not?

Craig called the Humane Society this morning to have them get a hold of the owner again. We will see what happens and I will update you when we know what will happen.

Postcrossing 3!

2009-11-22T12:33:00.000-08:00

I thought I would publish another postcard today. I don't plan on making a schedule of when I post since I never know when I will have the time. It has still been just as exciting to receive my postcards. I have two more postcards that I have received but I will upload on another day.

From: Lera

Mons, Belgium

Distance: 5,062 mi (8,147 km)

Received: November 16, 2009

Travel Time: 6 days

This postcard is very intriguing to me. It was built for the International Exhibition of Brussels in 1958. It is the major landmark of Brussels. Quite a unique site!

Seattle Geocaching Trip.....Our 1000th Geocache Find!

2009-11-18T12:02:00.000-08:00

Craig and I have been planning this trip for about 1 month. It seems like we never get time off together and especially not to go caching. Since we are both in school usually homework comes before caching (at least for him!). We both took Saturday and Sunday off to celebrate this occasion. We decided to go to the Seattle area to find our 1000th(!) geocache.

I worked Friday night but was able to get most of the stuff together to prepare for this trip. I made the required pocket queries and got fixings for food while on the road. PB&Js and a couscous salad. I filled our caching backpack with fresh swag items. I brought my notebook that I keep track of my challenges and other cache info in. I was ready to go.

Craig and I woke up at a decent time and actually made it out of the house by about 9 am. If you know us then you know this is a major accomplishment. We usually say we will leave at a certain time and then we won't leave until about 2 hours after that time. We really need to work on that. I thought we did well this time with as little sleep as we had.

Our plan for the trip was to find 3 challenge caches that we have completed but needed to make the final find. This included the following caches: Fool's Errand-A Washington Challenge Cache (GC1HPN3), Cache By Numbers-Challenge Cache of Washington (GC16R01), The C5 Streak Challenge (GC1E0RB). We figured we would find all of these on one day so we wouldn't have to make a second trip if we didn't need to. So off we went.

The first cache we went to was Tacoma Travel Bug Vault (GCHPR1). There was not much to this one but we were able to drop off a TB and grab a geocoin.

Then we went to canine cache (GCHTJY). This cache was located in a dog park. Craig and I don't have a dog but wish that we did. We are big lovers of dogs so we were happy we got to see some to pet and love on. Here are a few pics from this cache.

Craig near the cache location. Cool, hollow tree.

This is a mushroom near the cache. It was broken and red inside. I thought that was odd.

This a view looking down onto the dog open sand area for the dogs to run around in.

On to the next cache: Cache By Numbers- Challenge Cache of Washington (GC16R01). This is a cache I talked about previously in my Geocaching challenges blog post. We of course parked in the wrong area and ended up walking a little ways to the cache location. The cache itself was not a hard one to find. A classic hide in these neck of the woods.

As we were leaving this cache a car pulled up. I wondered out loud if they were cachers. We continued on our way and I kept looking back as we were walking away. We saw them go right to the cache and then get back in their car. Cachers! I wish we would have waited so we could have met them but we had to keep going.

Next cache was an easy drive up cache at a pizza place. The cache was called I Wanna Rock! (GCT5YN). Not much to say about this one.

The next cache was one that I was really looking forward to because I worked so hard to make the requirements to find it. The cache is The C5 Streak Challenge (GC1E0RB). It is an unknown/challenge cache and I had to cache for 65 days straight before I was eligible for the find. We got to the cache location with the printout emailed to us by the cache owner prior to our trip up there. We looked high and low and were unable to find the cache. We were at the cache location for about 45 minutes or even an hour. We made the decision to leave because we wanted to find our 1000th cache before it became dark. That was a very hard decision but it turned out to be the right one to make. It turns out that we were at the wrong coords and that we were looking in the wrong spot! Oh well we will get it next time we make a trip that way.

Since we spent so much time at the last cache we made the decision to go for some easy ones to make sure we had time to get the last cache before dark. We drove to the next cache which was in a park.

Selena's Letterbox (GC163RQ) is a letterbox hybrid cache which means it has a letterbox aspect and also a geocaching aspect. I enjoy these and have an account on 2 letterboxing websites but don't usually go unless out caching. We do have a stamp and a book that we put the letterbox stamps into. The park had really nice trails to walk on.

The next cache was in the same park. The cache was called Communitas Hortus Ortus (GCV5F0). This cache was in great need of maintenance because it was very wet and rusty. We also found a letterbox about 1 foot from the cache!

The next cache was The little White Gazebo (GC1C814). It was at a gazebo in a shopping center next to a Starbuck's. It was a nano cache so it had the potential to be difficult but Craig found it fairly fast.

The next cache was behind the very same shopping center. Altoids cache (GCWV26) was a camoed altoids tin (Which I don't recommend in the rainy state of WA!). It was a quick and easy find which is just what we needed. The container was wet and rusty though.

On to the next cache which was one of my favorite types of hide. Kirkyard #2 (GC173ZG) is located in a cemetery! I love finding cemetery caches. I know that some people get creeped out by cemetery caches but I love them. As long as the cache is respectful of the graves I think it is wonderful to have caches in cemeteries. Okay, enough of my rant. This cemetery was very interesting.

A few of the interesting grave sites. The headstones were in another language. Unsure of what language it was.

The next cache we went to was Brackett's Landing (GC1M52F). This cache was in a small little park on a river. It had picnic tables and a few benches. It looked like a great place to stop and sit during the summer. This cache was small and was easy to find.

The next cache we went to was Fool's Errand-A Washington Challenge Cache (GC1HPN3). This cache is the cache we planned to have be our 1000th cache find if all went well. When we arrived to the cache location it was starting to get dark so we knew we had to find it fast or else we were going to have a really hard time. It can be quite difficult find a cache in the forest when there are so many possible hiding spots. Craig took the lead with the flashlight and I followed behind with the camera. Luckily, Craig found it really easily. So we found 1000! I don't know how Craig felt about the moment but I felt a great sense of accomplishment with finding that many caches. Not everyone can say they have found 1000.

Craig right after he found the cache!

Our usual milestone picture. Cache is in bottom right corner.

To round out the day we found one more cache on our way home. Freddy's (GCHWYH) was just a quick stop and grab so we had 12 caches for the day. Since we found at least 1 puzzle cache that day and a total of 12 caches that made us eligible to find another challenge cache we had been working on: A Baker's Dozen Challenge Cache. We will find that final cache another day.

Overall it was a great day of caching. I got to spend some much needed time off with my hubby. We made the milestone that we were working on and the specific cache that we planned on finding. We did have the 1 DNF but that happens sometimes. Now we go for 2,000!

Postcrossing 2!

2009-11-17T20:32:00.000-08:00

I don't have much time to finish the post I am currently working on so I thought I would do this one real quick. I received a new postcard on Saturday and thought I would share it.

From: Gabriele

Kaisiadorys, Lithuania

Distance: 5,217 mi (8,396 km)

Received: November 14, 2009

Travel Time: 12 days

I like this postcard a lot and this was a pleasant surprise in the mailbox upon our return from Seattle. I think it is an interesting design. I was still just as excited to receive this one as I was for the first one. I received another one yesterday but will save that for a few more days. I should have 3 more in the mail to me. I think this new hobby of mine is rather addicting but it is so nice to get something in the mail other than bills!

Another quick work story...

2009-11-12T23:35:00.000-08:00

I had a pretty crappy day at work today but about half way through my shift a resident said something that made my night just a little bit better. For those of you that haven't read much of my blog yet I work in a nursing home for residents with dementia or Alzheimer's. That said here is my story.

I was pushing my med cart to the med room since I was finished giving out the evening pills. The residents had just finished dinner about 30 minutes prior so they were scattered around the dining/living room area (the court). Here is my conversation:

Res: HEY WAITRESS! (yes, he was yelling)

I walk over to him...

Me: Yes, _____ what do you need?

Res: There is a big piece of cake on the floor. (cake was dessert)

Me: Don't worry we will sweep it up. We won't leave it for the ants.

Res: What about the uncles?

This simple conversation had me laughing and made my night a little better.

Postcrossing

2009-11-10T19:56:00.000-08:00

So I have received my first postcard in the mail last night. I knew that I should have one on the way but I had no idea from where and how long it would take. My husband grabbed the mail and when he told me it came I got so excited. I thought I would post a picture of it and put up the info along with it.

From: Iza

Lomza, Poland

Received: Nov 10, 2009

Travel Time: 7 days

Distance: 8,506 km (5,285 mi)

I am so excited I finally got a postcard back. I bought a photo album to put my postcards from around the world in. I will keep you updated on my postcards. I should have 2 more in the mail to me!

My career path.

2009-11-04T19:07:00.000-08:00

As most of you know I am working on becoming a Registered Nurse (RN). I am currently a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). I have been working on this goal for a long time now. A long, hard 8 years!

I have been have second thoughts about what I truly want to be when I "grow-up". I know as an RN I want to work in Labor & Delivery. When I was in nursing school I had one day in L&D. Only 1 day! I was able to see a cesarean and a vaginal delivery. Seeing a vaginal delivery was probably one of the most amazing moments in my life. At that moment I knew that this was the path I would take with my nursing career. From that point on I knew my future.

When my mom had me 27 years ago she went an alternative route and had me at home. She also did this with my younger sister. She had a nurse and doctor to come to the house but I don't think I liked that idea and came out before they got there. I was caught by my mother's friend who was a midwife in training. She was there to take pictures!

I have known for a long time that I want to have a natural birth. And I mean all natural. No pain medication. I know that some people may find that crazy but that is what I want. I want to have my children on my terms. Women have been doing it for thousands of years and I plan on doing it also. I also have previously thought that I would want to have my children at a stand alone birthing center. I now think that I want to have my children at home. One thing I know for sure is that I don't want to have my children in a hospital.

For the last year or so I have been contemplating the idea of becoming a midwife. I still want to finish and get my RN degree but I think I want to continue on to become a nurse midwife. I don't know everything this involves but I am pretty sure that this is what I want to do with my life. I respect everyones decision to have whatever birth process that they want but I want to be able to support people in the type of birth that isn't quite standard.

I have so much that I need to learn about before I make my final decision but right now it is the way that I am headed. I am kind of excited.

My First Night Cache

2009-11-03T23:11:00.000-08:00

I have gone caching at night many times. It isn't that hard at this time of year since it is dark at 5 pm. Geocaching at night presents some problems and also some excitement. If you are like me then the likelihood of you dying or getting injured very bad goes up A LOT! I am very clumsy and trip over things easily. Which as you can imagine can be a pain in the butt at night.

If you are in the city caching at night you may get the cops called on you when you are looking around places with a flashlight.

Tonight, I went with Blue Crane and Kyle98632 (my best caching buddies!) to a real night cache (GC1Y1YW). It was the first one that I have found! What I mean by this is that the cache itself is designed to be found at night. The three of us got to the starting point since it is a mystery cache and we don't have the coordinates to the final cache location. We use our flashlights and search around for tacks on the trees to glow when the lights shine on them. They are a reflective material.

So we walked down the trail going from lit up tree to lit up tree. After a little bit we have to go off the trail into the woods. We were able to find the cache easily at the end because there is a large number of tacks on the tree the cache was hidden near. I really enjoyed this cache experience. I wish I had done one while I was living in Georgia.

Now to the exciting part! We were walking back to the car along the main trail when we hear a rustle in the woods. We shine our flashlights in the direction of the noise but we don't see anything. We proceeded to walk a little bit faster and we heard some more rustling in the woods so Kyle98632 (who is afraid of Sasquatch and other made up creatures!) started yelling and making noise so we didn't get attacked by this random animal. I got more freaked out because I kept hearing noises so we started running to the car. Once back to the car I had to get into the trunk and Kyle98632 kept an eye out for me. We all got in the car, caught our breath, and let our heartbeats slow down a little before we left.

Before we left Blue Crane started laughing and tells us that he was actually throwing things into the woods to scare us! All that fear for nothing! It was funny though. I still owe him one though. Blue Crane you better be scared!

Kyle98632, Mrs. Wheeler(me) of Wheelers of Fortune, and Blue Crane.

Blue Crane with the cache.

Geocaching update....

2009-11-02T02:29:00.000-08:00

I haven't said much about geocaching lately. If you read the page related to challenge caches you should remember I said I was working for 101 days in a row of caching. I am happy to announce that we are only 3 days away from reaching 101! I am very excited. It has been a tough 101 days. On most days I limit myself to just 1 cache at a time so I don't deplete the caches in the area. If I have time I go for a short drive to grab a cache that is a bit further away.

I have learned a few things during in this process:

I can accomplish something I want to as long as I make the effort and put the work in for it.
I still hate lamp post type caches, but on some days they are necessary.
Caching alone is not nearly as fun as when you are with others.
I love to cache but I am not that obsessive about it.

Since I was the one that wanted to try and achieve this goal most of the cache finding is left up to me. Wonderful hubby has bailed me out on a few occasions though. Plus, on some days we are able to actually cache together. Our work and school schedule is not condusive to any sort of time to spend together. I am looking forward to going caching when I feel like it and on my own terms. Not to make sure I get my daily cache. Some days it is just such a chore to find that daily cache. I don't remember what that feels like anymore. There is a challenge where you need 200 caching days in a row but I don't know if I am going to make it that far. We will see what my record becomes.

Postcrossing!

2009-10-28T13:38:00.000-07:00

So I found a new hobby. Who knows if I stick with it or not but it seems really fun so I am going to tell all of you about it. It is called postcrossing. (www.postcrossing.com) The general idea is that everyone loves to get mail so why not send some to someone. You request an address from the website and you mail that person a postcard. You can mail 5 at a time. Once someone receives the postcard they log it in (using a code you write on the card) as received. Once that happens your name is given to someone and you get a postcard from someone in the world. I have 5 ready to take to the post office today. I will post pictures and info from the postcards that I receive. I can't wait.

I am having problems uploading the pictures on my sent postcards so I will give you an update once I get that situation taken care of.

School Again!

2009-10-07T12:30:00.000-07:00

School started again a few weeks ago. Yuck! I am in Anatomy & Physiology 3. It is my last quarter before I am back in the nursing program working on my RN degree!!! My first tests are next week so I will try to post how I do. I know that I am not good at posting anything while in school but I will try better. I promise.

Geocaching Challenges

2009-10-06T08:56:00.000-07:00

When it comes to geocaching I am all about a challenge. I get bored doing the same type of micro caches all the time. I also love having a list of things to do so I can cross things off and feel like I accomplished something. I don't always get everything done but I like doing it anyways. That is part of the reason I read books on book lists. Okay sorry getting off-topic.

Luckily, other geocachers put out Challenge caches. The main idea is to complete a theme or a pre-req before you can find the actual cache container. So it is not as easy as just going out there and making a find.

Just to give everyone an idea of what types of challenges are out there I thought I would share some of the challenges Craig and I have completed and some of the ones we are currently working on.

The first challenge we finished was called the Georgia Delorme Challenge. A Delorme is a type of atlas that breaks the state into a grid. Each grid square corresponds to a page in the atlas. To complete the cache you must find a cache on every single page of the atlas. Thus, we traveled throughout all of Georgia finding caches. Once we found a cache on every page the cache owner gave us the coordinates to find the final geocache. That was an amazing adventure for us. We saw so much of Georgia that we never would have.

The only other challenge cache we have completed is called "The Alphabet Soup Cache of Washington". To complete this cache we had to find a geocache who's title begins with every letter of the alphabet. So we found a total of 26 caches to qualify to find the final cache. That was an interesting challenge since we would pick and choose caches as we went based on which letters we needed to find.

Here are some challenge caches that we have finished the requirements for but have not gone and found the final cache:

Cache by Numbers: Find caches with the numbers 0-9 in the title (3 of which must be spelled out)
Fool's Errand- A Washington Challenge Cache: Find 150 caches in one month (plus, a special requirement based on what month you begin the challenge. Our special requirement was to find a cache in another state.)
The Critter Cache: Find 25 caches with names of animals in the title (without repeating).
The C5 Challenge: Cache for 65 days straight (We are currently at 72 days).

Here are some Challenges that we are currently working on (slowly):

Washington State County Challenge: Find a cache (small size or larger) in every county in the state.
Washington Delorme Challenge: same as described above but with the Washington Delorme Atlas instead.
A Baker's Dozen Challenge Cache: On a given day find a certain # of caches 1-13. No more no less. To make it harder though at least one of the caches must be a mystery/unknown or multi cache. (We only have #12 left..so sometime when we have a chance we need to go out and find 12 caches in the day and have one be a multi or unknown.)
Challenge of the Century: Find 100 Multicaches
Challenge of the Century: Move (not discover) 100 travel bugs or geocoins
ABC Challenge: Same as the Alphabet soup challenge but this challenge is for Oregon and all the caches must be found in Oregon.
Color Challenge: Find 7 caches in Oregon with a color in the title. (2 of 7 completed)
Counting Counties in Oregon: Get a cache in every county of Oregon (haven't started working on this one yet).
Oregon Delorme Challenge: Same as above but in Oregon. (Haven't started this one yet either)
Oregon's "Well Rounded Cacher" aka Oregon's Fizzy: Find every single difficulty/ terrain combinations (81 possible) and you must include one of every cache type.
Oregon's Century Plus One Challenge: Cache for 101 days straight.
The Oregon History Challenge: Find all the caches placed in the first year of geocaching (still active) in the state of Oregon.
Washington History Challenge: Find all the caches placed in WA during the first year of geocaching (still active).
Well Rounded Washington Challenge (Fizzy Challenge): Find all D/T ratings (81) including all cache types but must be in the state of WA and placed before 11/30/08.
Washington's Double Century Challenge: Cache for 200 days straight (not sure if I am going to try for this one or not).

Many of these caches we are slowly working on. We usually just go geocaching and if we happen to find one that helps us complete the challenge then it makes it even better. The only one that we are truly working on is the 101 straight days of caching. I am the one that wanted to try and get this cache so it is mainly up to me to cache every day but Craig has helped out on a few occasions when I didn't have time. Since we are a team. I enjoy the work that we put into finding these challenges and completing them. It makes the final find that much sweeter. Craig and I felt a huge sense of accomplishment when we signed the log for the Georgia Delorme Challenge. Not many people can say they have done the same.

Maybe someday I will get burnt out on doing Challenge caches but I have a feeling I won't. Especially since we do them so slowly. I will try to keep you updated on whether we finish any of these.

Another Year of Reflection....

2009-09-10T21:55:00.000-07:00

I begin writing this at 11:55 p.m. in Milwaukee, WI on September 10, 2009. Today was my 27th birthday. I was asked if I feel any different and I sort of do. I am beginning to feel mature in age. Sounds crazy but I see 30 right around the corner and then time will fly. It is a mixed bag though because I still feel young. I don't feel like a total adult yet. Maybe once I finish nursing school I will feel like an adult but until then I am gonna stay young.

It has been a great year. I have been back in school working towards my nursing degree. I have done an excellent job grades wise. It has been tough working and going to school but not as bad as I thought it would be. I will be happy when it is over though.

I have a little brother through, Big Brother Big Sister, who is so much fun to be around. I look forward to hanging out with the little dude.

I have made some great friends lately. Shoutout to my homies.

I look at it this way though...I may feel old but I have such a wonderful life so it is worth it.

Summer is finishing.

2009-09-05T23:27:00.000-07:00

I have not posted anything in a long, long, long time. I have had the most busy and crazy summer! I had school Monday-Thursday at a school an hour away so I spent a lot of time on the road. Plus, I was still working 25 or so hours a week. I felt like I never got a break. On some days I would get home from school and then be at work an hour later. Those were some downright crappy days.

On the upside, I did wonderful in my class. I got an A in Anatomy & Physiology II. So that is my life as I know it.

The end is near.

2009-06-14T01:23:00.000-07:00

I haven't written a blog in a long time and think it is about time that I give people some sort of update. I have been extremely busy with school and work the last couple months. I have become somewhat of a hermit. I barely talk to my friends and family. My dad actually called me yesterday because he thought I was mad at him. That is how long I haven't talked to him. I usually talk to him at least every other week.

I am currently in Anatomy & Physiology and Microbiology. Whenever I tell another student I am in both classes they look at me like I am crazy. I am beginning to think the same thing. The thing I keep reminding myself is that I will only be taking Anatomy & Physiology next quarter. Not exactly something to look forward to.

I am surviving though. I am getting pretty good grades somehow. I just can't fail my finals. I worry more about Micro than A&P.

On to other news. I have feeling really good about life right now. I feel that I am in control of myself again. That doesn't make much sense but lately I have been feeling so off-track with my health. I hit a breaking point the other night and just told myself I need to get back on the bandwagon. I have been doing better and I feel so determined to get back to where I was when I first started losing weight and taking control of my habits. Trying to be healthy is hard work. Anyways that is all for now.

Why I love Clark College.

2009-05-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have been a student forever. Sometimes I feel as if I will never graduate college. Sometime school is a lot more bearable when you actually like the school you are attending. You may not like the schoolwork. You may not like the fact that there is never a parking spot. But hopefully you can find something about school that helps you through the days stuck in the classroom. For me I like the teachers at Clark. They are very helpful and knowledgable. But the main reason I love Clark College is the campus. It is relaxing and beautiful. It is a smoke-free atmosphere so I don't have to worry about breathing in nasty ciggerette smoke. I want to post a few pictures to demonstrate why I love the campus.

This is near Gaiser Hall. A large group of tulips.

Flowerbed outside Foster/Hanna Hall.

Pretty tree.

This is outside the greenhouse near my science labs.

More pretty flowers.

Even more pretty flowers.

This is the campus. How serene right?

Work Story.

2009-04-22T20:20:00.000-07:00

WARNING: THIS BLOG CONTAINS INFO THAT IS NOT SUITABLE FOR THE EASILY GROSSED OUT.

Okay now that I got that out I thought I would share a story of something that happened to me today at work. I switched shifts with a girl at work so I worked the day shift. It was my first time alone and on the side that I never work on. What could go wrong right?

Well, I was doing my med pass when and Aide told me the Shower Aide needed me in the bathroom. I figured that the resident had a bruise or cut that I needed to be notified of. I'm not lucky enough for that. The resident was actually impacted. Well, not quite but I won't give you the details of all that. Her crap was literally so big she couldn't get it out. So as a nurse sometimes you have to glove up and just help a girl out.

So I put gloves on and start doing my job. Everything is coming along okay when all of a sudden the fire alarm goes off. I have to stop what I am doing and go back out to the dayroom to make sure all the residents are there and accounted for. I also have never been involved in a fire drill at work so I am hoping I am doing a good job. Once the fire drill is over I am headed back to the bathroom. I continue what I was doing prior to the drill. When I think about it, it is kind of amazing that in a span of less than a minute I am manually taking poop out of someones butt and then I am in charge of making sure everyone is doing their job, residents are safe and accounted for. I am the person in charge. What a change of roles in such a short period of time. In case you are wondering my resident was much better after my help.

Earth Day!

2009-04-22T17:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth Day to everyone! I never got excited about Earth Day before this year. I have been learning so much more about this great planet that we live on in the last year. I have also learned a few things on how people are messing it up. So I have been trying to do better in small increments. Here are a few examples of what I have done in the last year:

I use less paper towels.
I take reusable grocery bags to the store with me.
I try to buy recycled paper.
I recycle everything the city lets me.
I reuse food jars for storage.
I bring a reusable water bottle vs. buying bottled water.
I use natural cleaners.

I am planning some changes over the next year also. I want to start a compost soon. I also have started a vegetarian diet. Right now it is a trial phase but I am very likely going to stick with it.

I challenge everyone to make a few changes in their life also to help the "Marble".

Officially Spring

2009-04-15T20:02:00.000-07:00

I have proof that it is spring and warm weather is on the way. How do I know this? I spent the afternoon weeding and I GOT A SUNBURN! Apparently my lower back was showing and I now have a strip of red. Dang. I even thought about putting sunblock on too. Oh well. What's a little skin cancer anyway?

Big Brother/ Big Sister

2009-04-15T17:51:00.000-07:00

When I was about 9 years old my parents had been divorced for 3 years and I was living with my dad, brother, and sister. I had some behavior problems at the time and was going to see a child therapist. The therapist recommended that my dad check out Big Brother/ Big Sister (BBBS) for me. My dad, being an awesome dad, signed both my me and my sister up for the program. BBBS is a mentoring program for at risk (sorta) children. Usually their parents are divorced, a parent is absent, or something like that.

I was matched with a woman named Vickie. We would go out to lunch, to the zoo, and basically spend time together. Vickie and I are not in contact anymore but I hope that she knows what a big impact she made on my life. I was very fortunate to have her in my life.

I have wanted to become a big sister for a few years but it wasn't compatable with Craig being in the military. I didn't want to move away after being matched. So now that Craig and I somewhat settled down in life I decided that it was time to finally time to become a big sister. I was hoping that Craig would also want to become a big brother since I believe in the program so much. He was kind of dubious since he has never been exposed to the program before. However, during my research I found that you are able to volunteer as a couple. I talked to Craig about it and he was willing to give it a chance.

A few months went by without us doing anything to sign up for the program. I went back to school in January . I was in just one class, Sociology. On the first day we were divided into groups and the group leader had to ask us a series of questions. One of the questions was, "What or what do you want to do to change society?" My answer of course was that I want to become a big sister. After a little while we had to present the answers to the class. One group went before us and one of the group members answer his question by saying that he works for BBBS! So it was fate. After class he gave me his card and answered some of my questions. Craig and I went through the process of becoming Bigs.

At the end of February we met our Little. His name is Josh and he is 6 years old. We usually see him every Saturday. He is a bundle of energy and keeps us busy. He is a lot of fun. He will tell you stories and you don't know what he might tell you. Craig enjoys himself a lot and I think he is really happy that he decided to become a Big. I think it is really awesome and I finally feel like I am giving back to a deserving child.

If you are interested in the program or want more information check it out:

http://www.bbbs.org/site/c.diJKKYPLJvH/b.1539751/k.BDB6/Home.htm

It is very rewarding and it is worth the time you put into it.