Moving....again.

I apologize for the very large gap in blogging. I had promised myself (and others) that I would write more....but, then life happened. We have had a couple of very exciting things happen in the last several months. Here is the low down:

-While we were visiting one of our besties in WI, a job opportunity came up for Scott. He put in an application.

-A few days after arriving back to CO from our winter trip we headed to Wyoming with Scott's job. It was a wonderful opportunity that gave us a free trip to the Grand Tetons (and Scott only had to work about 2 hours).

We were the only people in the park. That is why I had to take this picture of the three of us....I think I did pretty well!

-While in WY I got a call from a hospital in Colorado Springs (Penrose Main) that I had put an application in for. They wanted to interview me. 

-That same day, Scott got a call from Realtime Utility Engineers (in Madison, WI) wanting to interview him.

-We went back to CO.

-I interviewed for the RN position at Penrose. I GOT THE JOB!

-Knowing that we had to make a decision quickly, Scott and I decided to drive to WI the next day so that he could meet with Realtime. HE GOT THE JOB!

-After a lot of discussion, we decided that the best move for our family would be to move to WI. The job will pay significantly more (and he will work only 40 hours a week compared to 80). Also, the job has great benefits and a retirement plan. Another perk is that he will be doing much more engineering and much less of the crappy/busy/playonyourcellphone type of work. We are very excited to be close enough to home to be able to make a weekend trip to see either of our families. We are hoping that it will not be too hard for me to find a job, especially now that I have some experience...I am currently waiting for my nursing license to transfer to WI.

Although we are both very, VERY excited about this move for our family, moving is an absolute pain in the rear. We have spent countless hours on the phone and internet trying to find a place to live, a job, a moving company, packing etc...

We will be renting a house in Sauk City. It is about 20 minutes outside of Madison. It is a cute little town right on the WI River. There is a hospital in the town and I am really hoping to get a job there. 

At this point pretty much everything that can be packed at this point is. 

Yes, that whole box is dog toys (not counting the dozen I left out for him).

We do have some dishes and cookware left out. Along with a some clothes and toiletries. Everything else is packed. All of the furniture remains in place. We do have movers coming, so Scott and I will not have to move things like the couches and washer and dryer by ourselves. So, we are basically playing the waiting games at this point.

I am worried about how Gunnison will do with the move. WI is significantly colder than CO (and he can hardly handle it here). It will be so nice to be in a house with him rather than an apartment. I do pride myself that he is very adaptable...he has traveled more in the last year that a lot of people do in a lifetime (including CO, NM, TX, OK, NE, WY, IA, WI, MN, MI, KS), he has stayed in numerous hotel rooms, tents and other people's houses. He didn't seem to mind the packing until yesterday....I PACKED HIS TOYS. How dare I?!?! He has been very stressed out yesterday and today he even napped in the spot where his toy box used to be. 

It is definitely an exciting time in our lives. It will be so nice to be back in the Midwest and closer to our families. 

Great End To 2011 And Lots To Look Forward To In 2012

I know, I know.....it has been WAY too long!

I feel like my life has just been GO, GO, GO since Thanksgiving. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with lots of friends, a huge turkey, wine...the usual. Plus, Lacey and her dog Phil were here for several days. We went to Garden of the Gods, a trip along Gold Camp Road and went to a tree lighting ceremony at the Broadmoor.

At the Broadmoor.

Thanksgiving dinner (Scott looks short because he is in a lawn chair)!

Then just a couple weeks later Scott and I left for our Christmas  vacation. We got to see his sister, Megan, graduate from college. Then we spent a week with the McLain family. Highlights included: graduation party, staying at Tom's camp, playing SkipBo, shopping, seeing great friends, a baby shower, a wonderful Christmas and just getting quality time with eachother and our family.

I was expecting Elliott to be big, but he was huge! Last time I saw him he was 5ish pounds!

Enjoying some much needed Tarika Time!

Gunnison loved running on the beach!

Family picture in front of the fire.

The McLain Clan

Then we were off again. This time to Apple Valley, MN to spend Christmas with almost all of the Boleman family. It was wonderful. After the festivities we went to my parents house. We had a nice Christmas dinner (on the 26th). We also enjoyed a couple of bonfires (in Dec?), a trip to global market and all around St. Paul, games, family movies, and so much more.

Family portrait on the Mississippi

Me with Sawyer!

I got the Santa suit the day after Christmas, he HATED it!

Proof that we really did enjoy a campfire in December without needing snowpants!

Niebler family!

As if we hadn't put enough miles on our car already, we left for WI. We were able to see the Niebler grandparents as well as a couple of my aunts and a cousin. We stayed with our friends Suzanne and Justine in Madison for a couple of nights. We enjoyed seeing the zoo and town. We also had a fondu party and Harry Potter marathon for New Years Eve.

Visiting the Niebler Grandparents.

Just a bunch of monkeys!

Scott, Justine and Suzanne!

Fondue party and Harry Potter marathon!

They are adorable!

Midnight kiss!

Speaking of New Years Eve, here are my resolutions:

1. Lose weight. I am on the downside of day 2 on this one, and so far I am doing really well! I found an app for my phone that I really like to keep track of diet and exercise. I will see if this will work for me. It is significantly cheaper than Weight Watchers...However, if I lose my motivation, I may go back to the tried and true WW.

2. Use reusable garbage bags instead of plastic ones most of the time.

3. Update my blog more (hopefully 2 times a month)!

4. Limit my soda intake to only when we are at restaurants or I need the caffeine (like through the night car trips and night shifts). On the same note, I want to drink 8 glasses of water a day in addition to milk, juice, soda, etc.

I think that those are all doable goals for the year. I will keep you posted on how I do!

10 Things (OK, so maybe 11)

I know what you are thinking...two blog posts in one day from the girl who hasn't posted in almost 2 months. Well, it's true! I figure being I haven't posted in a while it is time to catch you up on some things! So, once again I am going to steal and idea from Lacey and just fill you in on 10 things!

1. It is finally fall in Colorado!!! I love fall (although I would love it more if it didn't mean that winter was right around the corner-although winter here is nothing like the UP)! I miss the bright red colors of the upper peninsula, but I love the Aspen trees out here! BEAUTIFUL!!!

2. Scott is out of town...again! He has not been traveling nearly as much as he used to, but it is harder when he leaves because for so many months now I have been spoiled, getting to see him everyday. I feel so silly complaining....living in a military town, most of the gals that I work with have husbands that have deployed several times. At least I know that my man is safe in Oklahoma and will probably be home within a couple of weeks!

3. I got the GREATEST thing EVER the other day from Goodwill--$2.00!! Check it out:

What is it, you ask?!?!?! It is a bowl with a divider so that your cereal doesn't get soggy! For me, this is a BIG deal. I HATE soggy cereal! Before this little invention changed my life, I used to pour myself a bowl of milk and then sit by the box of cereal and add a bite of cereal at a time to the milk. The only downside is that it is a pain to store as it doesn't stack with my other bowls....but I use it every day, so it rarely even makes it to the point of being put away!

4. I went to MN about a month ago for the annual Labor Day Boogie and the Little Falls Craft Show. While I was there I canned 10 quart jars of applesauce with apples from my parents trees. I just finished the first jar and went to get a second one and to my DISMAY I cannot open any of them! The rings are stuck to the jars, and of course Scott is out of town! Now, I am craving homemade applesauce and have 9 jars to eat, I may have to buy a jar just to hold me over....or make friends with one of my big-strong-army-guy neighbors!

5. Gunnison and I have been doing agility together! He is a natural! Check out the video:

6. I am in the midst of making a quilt! I started it several weeks ago. I have taken a break for the last couple of weeks. It is hard to lay it all out with the two dogs running around. I am going to get back to it as soon as I am done with this blog post! Here is the top half of it laid out and ready to be sewed together, the bottom half is already put together!

7. I have been working quite a bit lately. The next couple of days I am going in to give flu shots to residents. Should be a nice change of pace from passing meds. The doggies love it when I work because then they get to go to daycare! 

8. The other day I almost hit a black bear (with my car). Then two days later Scott called me and said that he almost hit a brown bear. It must be the time of year when they come down from the mountains or something!

9. Scott and I successfully cut Gunnison's toenails the other day! This has been an ongoing struggle since we got him. Just a reminder of what I looked like last time we cut his nails-and this was with a professional...I still have scars:

We gave up on the Xanax because that only seemed to make the problem worse. Instead we worked intensely with a trainer...and last week Scott and I were able to cut them by OURSELVES!!!!

10. Speaking of Gunnison, I really hope he doesn't need hip/knee surgery, but he is still limping around. I am continuing to ice it and try to monitor its usage. Unfortunately I think that when Arielle finds her forever home, we will have to take him to the vet.

11. I honestly cannot wait for Lacey and Phil to visit us for Thanksgiving! I am already planning a bunch of activities to do! I love Lacey and I love Phil and we are going to have a GREAT time! Hopefully Phil, Arielle and Gunnison will all get along!

Well, I know that was 11 things, but it has been so long, there was so much to catch up on! I will try to be more regular about posting! Sending love your way from Colorado!

Foster Dog Fun!

So, as many of you have figured out from my facebook....Scott and I are providing a foster home for a dog until she can get adopted! We have had her for about 3 weeks now and boy is she a sweetheart!

Her name is Arielle and she is being fostered through Lucky Dog Rescue. At first having her was really difficult. She clearly came from an abuse situation and had a lot of issues with stranger anxiety. She would bark and growl at anybody who passes us. We have worked intensely with her and she is pretty much over that. She still gets nervous, but can now control herself.

Arielle and Gunnison are the best of friends. He is teaching her a lot about the world...like how to walk up steps and where the sunny spot on the porch is! I think that they can relate to eachother having come from similar situations. I know that Gunnison will be crushed when she finds her forever home.

I am working on training her, and boy, is she ever a fast learner! She already knows SIT and DOWN! We are working hard on WAIT (which is difficult for her because she is basically attached to my leg all the time)! 

We went up to the reservoir the other day and they both splashed around in the water. Hopefully one day they will both get up the confidence to swim...but for now they will only splash!

Although they sometimes bicker like siblings, at the end of the day they love to cuddle up together! She is a wonderful dog, and I pray that she can find the most perfect forever home! She will need somebody who is patient and understands that she has had a rough life....and when she finds them she will shower them with love!

In a Jam...BLUEBERRY JAM!!!

I had a bunch of blueberries and decided to make some jam!

First I had to sterilize the jars.

There was a lot of sugar in this recipe. Next time I will definitely try to find a recipe with less!

The blueberries ready to go!

Blueberries are surprisingly red when mashed up!

The final product...DELICIOUS!

10 Things

Here are 10 things that are new with us:

1. I have an interview next Tuesday! I am so excited. I have been working PRN at Namaste and applying for other jobs. This morning I got a call to schedule an interview. It is at a hospital on the Rehab floor. I hope that it works out!
2. Scott is in Idaho! He has been able to get together with our best man and it sounds like he is having a good time an enjoying it.
3. Scott is supposed to be going to South Padre Island sometime in September. I really, really hope that it works out for me to go with him. It would be even cooler if I could meet up with Lacey while I am there.
4. Gunnison and I walked a couple of miles at the dog park today...I love the dog park!
5. Last weekend we went on a trip with the Mile High Bug Club. We saw a Coach Whip, a toad, lots of tarantulas and 2 rattlesnakes fighting!
6. I am going to re-teach myself how to crochet.
7. I am currently reading the book "The Help". I have heard wonderful things about it, but I just cannot get into it. I think that I might put it down, start another book and wait for the movie.
8. I am making a commitment to myself to workout every day. Either I will go for a really good walk and then do sit-ups and stuff at the apartment, or go to the workout room. 
9. I am either getting sick or my allergies are acting up. I am so tired and I am sneezing so, so much! Today I sneezed 11 times in a row. I think it was a record for me!
10. When Stephanie stayed at my apartment she brought us 5 pounds of blueberries. I still have about 3 pounds of blueberries in my freezer. I put them in cereal and pancakes. I am open to other ideas of what to do with them!

Summer Vacation 2011

So sorry that I have been slacking in the updating-my-blog department. We have just been so crazy busy, and it is honestly hard to believe that it is mid-August already! 

We had a wonderful trip to Wisconsin and the UP! I really, really wish that it could have been a little bit longer so that we could do more things and see more people. I think that it teased us and made us a bit more homesick for our families and the water! Here are some pictures from our trip:

Gunnison enjoying the boat ride!

Scott and Shawn on the boat.

The cottage is famous for its beautiful sunsets!

Beating the heat!

Scott relaxing.

Gunnison and I relaxing on the inner tube.

Gunnison and Bella playing on the shores of Lake Superior.

Tara and I at Lattitudes.

We got to see Suzanne and Justine too!

Megan and I on the boat!

Family picture time!

With the McLains!

The dogs finally wore each other out!