Last Hoorah Trip to Utah

At the beginning of the year, Jason and I talked about taking a trip--a last-hoorah-before-baby-comes trip.  We talked about different places we could go--Chicago, St. Louis, San Antonio, and other cities within driving distance. Finally, we decided that a trip to Utah was in order. We wanted to see our friends the Perkins, our siblings who are at BYU, and other friends and family. So, we bought our plane tickets and planned our trip!  

(p.s. I was 34 weeks pregnant on this trip. Talk about cutting it close! Thanks, Dr. Steinbis, for letting me go :))

Day #1

Flew into Salt Lake, Brenna picked us up from the airport and took us to Provo. When Jason and I got to Provo, we picked up Halley's car, stopped to see Howard Gonzales, and then went to the Provo City Center Temple open house tour. 

The temple was incredibly beautiful. It was amazing to feel a special spirit there because my ancestor, William Harrison Folsom, was the architect of the Provo Tabernacle. 

I'm thankful for temples. I'm thankful that I can be with my family forever because of the ordinances that are performed inside temples. 

Holiness to the Lord. 

After we left the temple open house, we grabbed lunch at the Cougar Eat at BYU and walked around campus. We had planned on walking around for several hours, but after about 30 minutes we had seen everything that we wanted to see. The next thing we had planned was dinner with our younger siblings at 7:00 and it was 4:00. We had nowhere to spend the next few hours, so we sat in the periodicals section of the library and then decided to take a drive up Provo Canyon to Sundance. It was the perfect way to pass the time before dinner.

Then, once Logan and Halley were done with their classes, we picked up Brenna, Logan, and Halley and took them to Zupas for dinner. After dinner, Jason and I headed to Draper, where we would stay with the Perkins for the next few days.

Day #2

Jason and Tyler went skiing/snowboarding at Snowbird and Taylor and I did some shopping, got lunch at Paradise Bakery, and got pedicures. It was the perfect day.

When the boys got home, we went to Cafe Rio for dinner and drove by the mansions up by the Draper Temple. Then we played Bezzer Wizzer and ate Swig sugar cookies. It was all pure joy. 

(Also, the Perkins gave us a Solly Baby Wrap as a gift for our baby. Such a kind, thoughtful gift. We had fun practicing the wrap technique and racing the clock as we practiced. We have the best friends)

Day #3

We headed back up to Provo on Friday morning to spend the day with Halley and Emily and Nate and their family, who were also in Utah while we were there. We met up with them, ate breakfast at the cannon center (thanks, Hal!) and walked around the MOA and the Bean Museum. 

Then Nate and Emily took Henry and Lily to the Provo City Center Temple open house while Jason and I stayed with Caroline at the hotel and took a nap. When they all got back, we went to Brick Oven for dinner and got Swig sugar cookies and creamery ice cream for dessert. Yum!

Day #4 (our last day in Utah)

First thing in the morning, Emily, Lily and I got manicures. Such a fun girls date! We loved choosing different color combinations and deciding whether to get our ring fingernail sparkly or not. Emily and I went for neutral grays and pale purples with gold sparkly ring fingernails and Lily went all out sparkly blue--it was perfect for her! We had the best time. 

After getting our nails done, I met up with Jason and the Perkins at the BYU Women's Basketball game. It was the first time any of us had ever gone to a women's basketball game before, and it was fun! We loved any time that we got to spend with the Perkins. After the game, we stopped at J Dawgs and headed for the airport. 

From my instagram post about our trip: We had the best time. I'm so grateful Jason is on my team and by my side. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about our twosome becoming a threesome. We're happy and content and have such a great life together. And the thought of changing that and venturing into the unknown of parenthood makes me, well, nervous. All that aside, I'm glad we took this trip. It was a great last hoorah. Next big thing on our horizon: Baby Brase in 5 short weeks! 

New Years Trip to Oregon

While we were in Oregon, my family went snow shoeing at Crater Lake. This was one of the highlights of the entire trip for Jason and me. Honestly, it was one of the highlights of our entire life. 

I love trees. I love mountains. I love Oregon. I love the earth. I love Crater Lake blue. I love nature. 

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Another highlight of our Oregon trip was a baby shower for Baby Brase that my mom, sisters, and sister-in-law threw for me. The shower was such a hit. I felt so blessed and so loved. We can't wait to meet our little one!

Lately...

Well, it's been quite a while since I wrote here. I've decided that I need to write about what is happening currently, otherwise I will never get caught up. So, this is what has been going on lately...

I officially started working on my own on October 15th! I was definitely nervous to be on my own and not have a preceptor to verify everything I was doing, but I've been on my own for about a month now and things are going great! I am learning so much every shift and I have met some of the sweetest, kindest people. Some patients are frustrating and not very thankful for what nurses do for them, but the patients that are gracious and kind and appreciative make being a nurse really worth it.  I work three 12 hour night shifts per week, and then I get four-ish days off (which really doesn't end up to be four at all, because I have to sleep the day after my shifts and nap to prepare for each shift). Working three in a row is the best way to do it so I can have my sleep schedule off for three days and then get it back to sleeping during the night for several days. 

On the one hand, I love working nights. I like the slower pace--work just feels a lot less stressful with less light, noise, stimulation and commotion. The slower pace and less stressful atmosphere is good for a beginner, like me :) I feel like I am getting comfortable with the basic elements of each shift and learning how to manage my time and prioritize, so I'm grateful for the night shift in that regard. 

I get paid more for working nights, which is also really nice. They have to incentivize people to work the night shift somehow, right? 

When I work Friday night shifts, Jason and I have started a little tradition where we meet for breakfast at Einstein's Bros Bagels on Saturday morning. I really like this tradition. Mostly because I really love Jason and I really love Einsteins. 

I also love that work doesn't interfere with church. If I worked days and got scheduled for a Sunday shift, there would be no way for me to get to church. Granted, working Saturday night, sleeping for two hours before going to church, and then trying to be patient with five 7 & 8 year olds for two hours can really try my patience, but it is still worth it to be at church and be spiritually rejuvenated.  

And now for some of the things that make working nights difficult. I feel tired basically all the time. And then I feel like I am at my wits end and I cry more. I didn't really used to cry very much. But now I do.

 I feel like all I do is work and sleep, and the days I have off of work go by so fast. Why does it always work that way?

I don't really love sleeping during the day--I feel like I miss the sunshine and opportunities to spend whole days being productive or doing things I enjoy. 

And most of all, I feel like Jason and I don't get to spend as much time together or see each other as much. He usually comes to school early and we see each other for 20 minutes or so as I am leaving the hospital. Then he typically comes home in the late afternoon when I've woken up, we have dinner together, and then it's time for me to head back to the hospital for my next shift. So that isn't really my favorite thing either. 

BUT. I am grateful to have a job. I am grateful that I have a skill set that will be beneficial in my life and in my family. I am grateful to have intellect and a mind that can learn and grow. I'm grateful to be saving money so we can chip away at medical school loans. And I am grateful to be earning money so we can have everything that we need in our lives right now. I truly am blessed, even if I feel tired a lot and cry more than I used to. 

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On a happier note, we have been doing some fun things lately. A few weeks ago, Jason and I went to a Sporting Kansas City (Sporting KC) MLS game. It was such a blast. Jason was able to get the tickets at discounted price because he's a medical student. We thought the tickets were going to be for  bleacher seats and that we would have to stand the whole time, but when we got there, we went to our seats and they were actual seats! And directly behind the goal! 

So apparently Sporting KC is actually good. They won the MLS championship in 2013--we had no idea. But we are totally fans now. We had the best time. And Sporting KC beat the Chicago Fire 2-0. 

The Kansas City Royals were also playing that night, so on the drive home we turned the game on the radio. When we got home, we turned on the game and watched the Royals beat the Orioles. It was a great night of sports for KC. I have to say, living in a state that actually has good sports teams is REALLY fun. Now we're ready for KU Basketball! We have tickets for the December 5th game against the Florida Gators and we are PUMPED. 

Here are some more photos of us at Royals games this past season. We love the Royals!

Us with our best buds, the Terry's (Lauren and Ross). We really love them.

A pretty large storm came through during this game, so the game was paused for about an hour

Then a bunch of the rich people with close seats left, so we sneaked down and watched the last few innings with a better view :) 

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A few weeks ago, I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to go home and visit my family for a week. As soon as I saw my holiday work schedule (where I am scheduled to work the night before Thanksgiving (so basically Thanksgiving), Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year's Eve), I decided I wanted to make a quick trip home since I knew we wouldn't make it to Oregon during the holidays. 

Getting there was pretty long and frustrating. I worked the Tuesday night before I left on Wednesday afternoon, so I slept for about 4 hours before waking up and getting ready to go. J and I stopped and ate at Chipotle and then headed for the airport. I had a long layover in Minneapolis/St. Paul and then flew to Salt Lake City, where I barely made it to my flight to Medford. Minutes after we all got in our seats, the oxygen masks fell from the ceiling. 

I thought it was a little sketchy, but I didn't care. Just stuff them back up there and let's go! Then the flight attendant's voice boomed over the speakers and told us that we needed to deplane and that they would have to find another plane for us to fly to Medford in. My heart sank. I was so tired and wanted so badly to get home. At this point, I was ready to find a flight back to KC and bag the whole trip. 

About an hour and a half later, they had a new plane for us and we were able to fly to Medford. 

I am so glad I didn't find a flight back to KC. I missed Jason madly, but it was so worth it to go. Here are some things that made it the best week:

-TJ (tired jollies) laughs with Halley and my mom in the kitchen when I got home

-walking up to Ashley and Rob's in drizzling rain with my mom the next morning

-meeting baby Lucy

Let's just say that little person made my ovaries ache

-Meeting Halley for lunch at the church and playing with Mackie while my mom chaperoned the seminary kids

-Kaleidoscope potato soup for lunch. Mmmmmm :)

-Playing with Mack, Henry, Lily, Caroline and Lucy basically every day

-Watching every Royals vs. Giants game at Rob and Ashley's

-Eating little smokies and tuna and crackers while watching the Royals games

-Baking pumpkin muffins for an after school snack with Em

-Making green chile enchiladas with Em

-This tree

-Driving up to Wilamette with my mom and grandma to watch Halley play soccer (wearing my Royals shirt, of course) 

-Exercising on the front porch and then being still to enjoy the quiet morning with this view

-Hiking my favorite mountain (Roxyann, the one in the photo above) with my mom and Emily

-Walking, talking, crying, with my mom and Emily. Reminding and being reminded to think positively, have faith and hope, live in the present, and repeat positive affirmations always. 

-Late sister's night at Em's house, looking at wedding rings and dresses and painting our nails and laughing and loving being together

-Seeing the movie "Meet the Mormons" (I really loved that movie) 

-Pillow talk with Halley, laughing til we had tears streaming down our cheeks

-Spending whole days and nights with my people--people I love, people who truly love me. It was one of the best trips home I have had in a long time. 

Summer Fun 2014 // Caribbean Cruise

Jason and I didn't really go on a honeymoon after we got married. (Well, the fact that I was leaving for a nursing study abroad in Ghana, Africa two weeks after we got married didn't help with honeymoon plans) We agreed when we got married that we would save our money for a big trip after we graduated a year later. So this trip was a celebration of our marriage, our one-year anniversary, graduation, and it was our last hurrah before medical school. So we went all out. We went on a Royal Caribbean cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. 

It was really amazing. 

Our cruise started in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Then over the next week we stopped in the Bahamas, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten. 

Bahamas

The Bahamas was...okay. We stopped there on a Sunday, which was a bummer. So we didn't really do much. We walked around the city and played around on one of the beaches. It was cloudy. Then it rained. 

Then we dressed up fancy for dinner on the ship. 

I ate the entire thing.

St. Thomas

Pulling into St. Thomas

 Once we docked in St. Thomas, we got onto a little ferry and went to a nearby island called St. John. We could have stayed there for the rest of our trip. It was quiet, not crowded with tourists, and incredibly beautiful. 

We snorkeled on this beach for almost an hour. It was fun to see all sorts of little fish swimming around us. The two hours we had at Trunk Bay on St. John went by way too fast. After we finished snorkeling, our time on the beach was almost up. We were wishing we could stay there for the rest of the day, relax on the beach, and watch the sunset from the soft sand on Trunk Bay. We'll definitely go back there in a few decades, you know, maybe as a celebration of getting out of medical school debt and all that. 

When we got back from St. John, we still had a few hours to kill before we had to be back on the ship. So we made a spur-of-the-moment decision and decided to take a cab to Magen's Bay on St. Thomas. This is one of the most popular beaches in the entire world. The timing of everything worked out perfectly; we got to Magen's Bay in the evening after the rush of people on the cruise ship had left. We basically had the beach to ourselves! 

Lovebirds. 

St. Maarten

Our next stop was St. Maarten. This day was really fun as well. Months before we went on our cruise, we looked into some excursions on the islands where we were stopping. Jason saw that there was an excursion on St. Maarten called "The Extreme," and he really wanted to do it. It involved ziplining through the jungle, obstacle courses, and rope walks. He then proceeded to tell me that he is "really good at obstacle courses, honey. One time when I was in high school, I did an obstacle course and I got second place in the whole school...and I even had to run back and finish the last obstacle that I had forgotten, which added like 10 seconds to my time!" How could I say no after that story? We signed up for the The Extreme. 

And it turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. 

We rode up this huge hill to the highest point on the island in the back of a jankity truck and got all hooked up and strapped in for the ziplining. Then we ziplined and walked on ropes all the way down the mountain back to the lodge where we started. The ziplines progressively got longer and longer as we went down--one of the last ones we rode was 1200 feet long! I had ziplined before in Ecuador and done some pretty crazy positions, so I asked the instructor if we could go down backwards on the long line. He was hesitant at first, but then he said that we could. So on the 1200 foot zipline above the treetops, I rode with my back parallel to the trees, my head hanging backwards, rushing toward the next platform. Jason followed suit right after me. It was such a rush.

After ziplining we still had several hours before we needed to head back to the ship, so we decided to check out Maho Beach. We had heard about this beach and had looked at pictures online, but were skeptical about it (okay I was the skeptical one). This beach is located directly behind an airport runway, so planes take off and land right over the beach where all the people are. The planes get so low, it's amazing. So we went to check it out for ourselves. 

Well, the pictures we saw online were real. 

 It was pretty amazing to see the planes landing and taking off so close to us. The landing was really cool and fun. But the taking off. Oh my. The thrust from the airplane send sand flying everywhere. And fast. It felt like we were in a horrible sand storm. The sand was burning our skin as it was being blown from the airplane thrust. It was awful. But still worth it. I'm glad we went and checked it out.

Here are some highlights from our days on the ship

Watched sunsets 

Took a cha cha class. Don't worry, mom, the instructors told us to do that pose ;)

Our favorite thing to do on the ship was the flow rider. We would get there at like 9:00 am when it opened. We mostly boogie boarded, but we also tried the stand up surfing, too. SO. HARD. We wiped out big time and had bruises on our bums to prove it. By the end of the week we were hopping up on our knees, jumping to our bums, and attempting 360s (never succeeded. Guess we need to go on another cruise to keep practicing ;))

climbed some rocks

Watched some water/diving performances

Won the doubles ping pong tournament and got some rad Royal Caribbean medals. 

fell deeper in love and savored every moment we had together. 

I'm so grateful that we did this. We had the best time. It was the perfect celebration of life and love and achievement. It felt good to do something that made us feel like we are living the life we imagine now. Cause that life is really, really good.