Janet

At least somebody's in love....

2011-05-24T23:54:00.000-07:00

My next Brokeback Adventure was being in my friends wedding. I was privileged to be the Maid of Honor in my childhood friend Carrie's wedding. It was a really neat ceremony that combined Catholic and Jewish traditions. All in all it was a beautiful day.

Final touch ups. How gorgeous is this bride.

Here comes the bride!

During the ceremony

My favorite part was when they called for the "ring girl" and their dog Roxy ran down the isle with the rings around her neck. It was so cute.

I now pronounce you man and wife

The bridal party (including the ring girl)

This is my favorite one of the bridal party.

One last pic of the group. Such a fun day that I was lucky to be a part of.

I just can't wimp out!

2011-05-22T15:12:00.000-07:00

My next Brokeback Adventure was a trip to Orlando, Florida for Disneyworld's Princess Half Marathon. I had registered for this race in October and was REALLY looking forward to it. I even told the emergency room doc that he needed to look at my CT scan again because I was doing a 1/2 marathon in Florida in less than 3 weeks and couldn't have a broken back. His response, "Still go to Florida, but I don't think you'll be doing any running." Then when I went to see my spinal orthopedic surgeon, I told him the same thing. He told me "No running." That is easier said than done. I have never in my life registered for an event and not finished it. Plus this was a Disney race and they are always super fun. I decided I didn't have to compete, just complete it. So I did just that, while making lots of new friends along the way.

One of the many reasons I love Disney races, they know how to properly spell my name.

Denise and I pre-race. We might have worn tiaras. It was the Princess 1/2 marathon, we had to.

So I basically 'jogged' with Denise for the first mile until we entered the magic kingdom.

I'm a little competitive, so walking during a race, especially early in a race, was very humbling. I saw these weeping willows and knew that they understood how I felt.

Just what I needed to cheer me up. I'll take them both please!

The castle! We may have ran (walked) right through it.

Alice and the Queen of Hearts were there to cheer us on.

So were the Toy Story characters.

Of course Belle and her entourage attended the event.

And Sleeping Beauty with her Prince.

I've always been just one of the guys. (My personal favorite minus the shadow)

The Pirates of the Caribbean. I swear that really was Johnny Depp I'm linking arms with.

Epcot! This means I am almost done!!!!!

The Hallelujah choir! They sing when the finish line is in sight. My favorite part about a Disney race.

I finished! It was ugly, but I completed it.

Denise and I with our metals. Poor girl had to wait a while for me at the finish line.

I think it's pretty clear that I achieved my PW (personal worst). But I just couldn't not do it. Plus I really wasn't breaking any doctors orders, only the first mile. He said I could walk, so I did. And look at all of the great pics I got! My new motto "Who needs T12 anyway!"

What's a girl to do with a broken back???

2011-05-20T22:25:00.000-07:00

So it's been a while.... a long while. I haven't updated because I feel like the last couple months have been pretty blah. Boo hoo, I know it's annoying. But.... as I was looking through some pictures of the last couple months (meaning post obtaining the nickname 'Brokeback Mountain'), I realized I made breaking my back look good! So I decided I will document my Brokeback Adventures. While I did have to slow down, my life didn't stop. I followed through, the best I could, with all of my plans that I had made previously. The first adventure/ event was a girls trip to New Orleans with my friend Carrie. Carrie is my childhood BFF who I have literally known for 20+ years. She got married and this was our "Bachelorette/ Last single girls trip". In no particular order, here was our trip in a nutshell.

Mmmmm, I love me some charbroiled oysters. We had all the best southern food.

The Transformer!!! As seen on American Idol. He really does roam the streets!

This picture makes me crack up! We were just walking around the French Quarter and this crazy was standing there. Perfect photo op of course. We sent this pic to her fiance letting him know what the two of us were up to.

But really we were just walking around enjoying the scenery.

And listening to some bluesy street jazz!

And finding my next boyfriend! If only I had brought my tambourine in my suitcase. Dang it!

And checking out St Anne's Cathedral.

And we took a stroll down the Mississippi River.

And went to a Voodoo Museum. Did you know Voodoo was invented in New Orleans?

And listened to more music and people watched. It really was people watching at it's best.

And of course we had a night out on the town! Carrie didn't wear any of that out. Funny though because I think New Orleans is the only place where she wouldn't have stood out!

Did I mention it was the first weekend of Marti Gras season??? This was Bourbon street. We were literally shoulder to shoulder! I may have gone through a whole thing of hand sanitizer in one night.

Luckily we found a balcony to hang out on for a bit. The humidity loves my hair, it's a Love/Hate relationship.

But this place ended up being our hangout for the night. AKA "The Cat's Meow". Best karaoke spot around. And probably the cleanest place on Bourbon.

Happy Marti Gras 2011

So that was my trip in a nutshell. It really was a great time all things considered. Had great food, great scenery, great company, and great music. The only thing that would have made it better is if I could have danced to that great music, but another time.

A bit of bad luck

2011-02-22T18:11:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I feel like if I didn't have bad luck, I wouldn't have luck at all! The last 2 weeks have been ridiculously humbling and discouraging for one girl in particular..... ME. That is because 2 weeks ago.... I broke my back, sprained my elbow and chipped 2 teeth! It sounds a lot worse than it actually is, but that doesn't mean that it isn't crummy. I have a T12 compression fracture, which is one of the best types of breaks and places to have a break in your back. I know I should be grateful that it's not worse and that I can walk, which I am, but I'm still frustrated. It seems like almost as soon as I heal from one injury, I get another. This one has me pretty limited and I basically can't do anything besides walk. Good thing, because it's my name! I couldn't imagine becoming paralyzed and still having to introduce myself to people as Janet Walker.

So..... it happened in the terrain park while snowboarding in some awful arizona snow. I wish it was because I attempted a quadruple, double backflip, on a half-pipe, because that's how it happened in my dreams. But I just hit a jump too hard and overshot a landing, resulting in me landing pretty hard on my back. It was one of the most painful/ scary experiences of my life. I can proudly say that I did get some of the best air of the day though. Not that it really matters, I guess. I'm sad to say that I'm out for the season, especially after all the storms last weekend. So until next season, I just get to remember what it was like.

I had to add this because it's funny. Clearly I've fallen before.

But it's mostly about spending quality time with your friends

And in case you were wondering, my new nickname is "Brokeback Mountain". I'm so lucky to have funny friends that make me laugh. Here's to snowboarding season 2012 coming soon!

He's Back!!!!

2011-01-25T13:47:00.001-08:00

On January 6, my cute little brother returned home from a 2 year mission. He served in the Ogden, Utah mission and spent the majority of his time in Northern Utah and Southern Idaho. I love this kid so much and have missed him everyday the last 2 years and 7 days that he was gone. He was an awesome missionary and I was so concerned that he would come home and be a big weirdo. But.... much to my surprise he's not! He grew up, but he's perfect and not too weird. Relieved is an understatement.

We see him!

Andrew was on the same flight as 2 Tongan missionaries from his home ward. The Tongan men did the "Haka" (a traditional Tongan dance) in the airport. It was one of the neatest things I have ever seen. I have seen the Haka numerous times before, but as these men started dancing and chanting, the airport fell silent. It was really neat.

All of the Walker boys. I love this.

But I love this even more! Andrew and me. Andrew continues to introduce me to everyone as his "little" sister. Crazy thing is, I'm 5 years older than the kid.

The Walker family all together again. With the new addition of Holden. No such luck of getting a brother-in-law when you got home. Haha. Maybe in the next 2 years.

All of the people at the airport to see Andrew! It's so good to have you home buddy!

Finishing up 2010

2011-01-22T13:13:00.001-08:00

Just for history's sake, I have to document the final months of 2010.

Roadtrip to Idaho

I was home from San Diego for 2 days before heading to Idaho. Heidi, Kirsten, Dad, and I drove to Idaho for the funeral of my cousins daughter. It was so nice to see my Walker cousins whom I haven't seen in so long, I just wish it was under different circumstances. I always love spending time with family, but came home with a greater appreciation for the family that I am a part of. I am so blessed to be a part of an amazing extended family. It was also fun to visit my dad's home town of Idaho Falls. This cute town holds a very special place in my heart. We joke that we are "half a 'ho".

(Kirsten, me, and Heidi freezing in Idaho)

Muddy Buddy

Two days after returning home from Idaho, I participated in a partner race known as the "Muddy Buddy". It's an offroad Mountain Bike/ Trail run race that is full of obstacles. Basically you have a partner and one of you is Mtn biking and the other is running, and you switch back and forth, with obstacles at each transition area. You finish the race by crawling thru a giant mudpit with your buddy. I can see this being an annual event. Except hopefully next year I won't get a jumping cactus in my leg during the fourth transition. Nothing like finishing a race with cactus needles sticking out of your shin. I love AZ!

Denise and I running to the finish line after crawling thru the mudpit. Got to love an action photo!

Muddy Buddies 2010!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays! 2010 did not disappoint either. I started the day by running a 10K, then enjoyed lots of delicious food while spending time with the fam, then went and worked that night.

Turkey Trot 2010. Denise and I ran the 10K and Julie and Kirsten did the 2 miler.

My pies! This year I made strawberry rhubarb and oatmeal. I think they were the first ones gone.

Holden loving his Aunt Janet! I swear he really does like me though.

Carson loving on his Grandma!

I love this man! But seriously, could my dad be any cuter??? I don't think so.

Christmas 2010

This was the first time in four years that I didn't have to work Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. I had such a nice time not having to run off to work and was simply able to enjoy spending time with the ones that mean the most to me.

My white elephant gift at the Anderson family Christmas party! If you can't read the label it says John Wayne Toilet Paper "It's rough, it's tough and doesn't take crap off anyone". Thought it was funny enough to post.

Dad and Holden Clause on Christmas Eve.

Sisters! Heidi, Kirsten, Me, Lindsay, and Julie on Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning! Every year I get a present that I can take outside to play with the neighbor kids. This year I got a ripstick! Random, so did the eight year old neighbor! We had a great time riding together all morning.

Conclusion

What a great year 2010 ended up being. I feel like I have so much that I want to accomplish in 2011, but I am satisfied with how 2010 presented itself. After I do a race/ event, I put my bib on my fridge. Not all events give you a number, but the majority do. This is what my fridge accumulated in 2010. Hopefully 2011 will be a little more impressive. Happy 2011!!

Too close to home.....

2011-01-13T09:20:00.000-08:00

I'm sure everyone has heard about the shooting in Tucson last Saturday. It's gotten national coverage so it's been kind of hard to miss. It's just crazy to think that such a tragedy occurred in my old neighborhood. I lived only a mile from the Safeway where the shooting happened. It was not only "my" grocery store, but the parking lot was also home to "my" bank and "my" favorite mexican take-out restaurant. Needless to say I frequently visited this exact place. It's all been pretty surreal to me. My heart breaks for the families who lost their loved ones on this day, but I'm hopeful that those injured will have a swift recovery. Keep Tucson in your prayers.

Oregon to Cali

2010-11-22T19:07:00.000-08:00

Straight from Portland I flew to San Diego. My favorite rowdy bunch from Michigan was visiting San Diego and I was desperately needing to see them!

Nicole, Cam, Gage, and Carter. This picture basically sums them up. Oh how I've missed them.

It also might have helped that my bestie Adam moved to San Diego too, so I couldn't let him have all the fun with my cousins without me.

(Adam is my ex-boyfriend whom I'm still really close with and so is my whole extended family. Adam had already spent 2 days with my cousin Nicole and her gang. It's weird, but it works.)

Nicole and I decided to take the boys to Coronado Island. And we had a blast! We got our workout in by riding this bike around the island.

Then we walked across the island to go to the beach. And played and played. The weather was perfect beach weather. High 80's to low 90's.

You can't spend a day at Coronado without getting icecream! Actually it was the only way we could bribe the boys to leave the beach. Gage really enjoyed his "silly vanilly" icecream.

Then we rode home on the ferry. It was a perfect day filled with great company, bikes, beach, icecream, ferry's, and perfect weather- what could be better? I love that even though Nicole lives far away she still lets me be a part of these kiddos lives. My adventures with the Robbins family was short, but much needed. But since I was already in San Diego..... I stayed a few extra days to play with my friend Adam.

Adam was jealous of my day on Coronado Island with the boys. So because I'm such a sport..... I did another beach day at Coronado with Adam. Nothing like boogie boarding in November.

Then the next day we went up to one of our favorite longboarding spots, Encinitas. Note my cute little "longboard". It's basically a skateboard with longboarding trucks. So it's still great for cruising but not such a hassle to carry. Love it!

My view longboarding. Isn't that georgous! I literally grabbed my camera out of my bag while I was cruising. I was literally cruising down the coast. It's kind of how I roll :)

Then because the weather continued to be amazing, we went down and played on the beach again. We didn't have our boogie boards with us, but for some reason chasing the waves never gets old.

Then we stared at this on the drive home. Nothing like a San Diego sunset (although Arizona sunsets do come pretty close).

I had a great time in San Diego. Adam said he hadn't seen so many sunny days in a row since he had moved there in June. Everyone was telling me that I had brought the sunshine with me. I thought that was pretty cool. (But then I went to Idaho the next week, and realized the sunshine didn't really follow me.) It was a great time shared with great people accompanied by great weather. I mean how often do you get 3 perfect beach days in November?? It was perfect!

Portland

2010-11-20T07:20:00.000-08:00

This last month has been a blur to me. So much to document. It started by going to Portland with my friend Carrie. We both love the town and love the singer Kate Nash. Kate is really popular in Europe, but not so much in the states. She did a mini tour in the States and we knew we had to go. So to Portland we went.

Carrie and I riding the street car to dinner. We kept calling it the trolley, but kept getting corrected.

Fall? I'm from Arizona and so I am fascinated by the changing color of the leaves.

Kate Nash. It was at a really small venue and was basically amazing!

Carrie and I at Kate Nash. It was the end to a perfect day of urban shopping and excellent eating.

Then we stayed at this place called "Kennedy School," an old school reconstructed into a hotel and restaurants. Each room had a chalkboard in it. Carrie said I always attracted the "interesting" characters, so I had to write this on the board.

Our bookcase in our room.

The huge old school windows.

The drinking fountain. Are you dying over the cuteness of this place??? I'm definately going back and staying there again.

Portland was a quick but perfect trip.

Anniversary

2010-10-22T09:07:00.000-07:00

I just had my 1 year anniversary at the hospital I work at. It's still hard to believe that I moved here a whole year ago. When I lived in Tucson I was always planning my next departure. But I genuinely miss the crazy old place. So here I am reminiscing about some of my favorite things from the place I lived for 4 years but never called home......

This is typically what I looked like. Riding my bike to go lifeguard.

Now you can really see that beauty (my bike, not the apt, it's classy living in T-town). I didn't have a car my first 6 months living down there. I literally rode that bike everywhere! The basket came in really handy.

A mountain, or as I now refer to it as freakin' A mtn! This one might deserve it's own post. One day I will return....... maybe.

Hanging with my bestie Adam. Enjoying music on the patio at the Frog n' Firkin. Probably my favorite local spot.

Getting called to sing back up vocals to "Sweet Caroline". Good times.

My best friend from nursing school Carolyn. I wouldn't have made it through school without her.

My water aerobics ladies! These ladies were my Tucson family and some of my biggest supporters all the way thru school and my first year as a nurse. I miss teaching water aerobics but know it wouldn't be the same without my ladies.

UofA's pool is one of my top 3 pools. I loved swimming there.

You become a little loco when you've been there for a while. Tasha came down to visit and she got the T-town fever right away!

Tash was probably my most frequent visitor. Oh the random times we had.....

And my most favorite thing about Tucson: HIKING

Carrie and I at Sabino Canyon

Adam and I at Sabino Canyon

Aaaah Mt Lemmon. Yes this is in Tucson!

Al and me hiking the lemmon

Another one of Aly and me on Mt Lemmon

Singing and driving all the way back down. We don't talk on this drive. Nope, we just turn on a rockin' playlist, roll the windows down, and sing our hearts out!

Tucson is definately unique and unlike any other. But it is home to some of the greatest people I know. Tucson I may miss you, but I still won't ever claim you. Just know there is a special place for you in my tiny little heart.

2 Years Old!

2010-10-11T13:59:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that my little Paris is 2! And because my feline is absolutely fabulous, we had a spectacular party in her honor. It was a ladybug party and had a great turnout, I think there 22 guests total. Here are some of the pics.

The cake

The favors

(all of the guests with animals got a goody bag to take home for their pet and the kiddos got something special from Paris)

Paris was having a little meltdown when all of the guests started arriving. I guess she's starting her terrible two's!

The birthday girl! Are you dying over her red tutu? She looked absolutely amazing on her big day.

Some of the guests.

Aunt Myrna and me

Kirst and Tash

Holden and me

Linds, Carson, and me

(Notice the ladybug antennas that everyone wore?)

Some of my friends that supported the event!

Mom and Holders!

Paris hiding behind her pinata.

So the pinata was super heavy!

Carson trying to crack the pinata

Roddy cracking it open

Candy!

Because we couldn't resist!

Kirst and I. Turning the pinata into party hats.

So everyone joined in on the fun!

Time for cake!

Because Paris had a meltdown..... Carson helped open her presents.

Paris' presents! I think she got more presents than me.

After everyone left, Paris came out and we 'sort of' got a picture of her with her cake.

As you can see the party was amazing! I couldn't ask for a better bunch to call friends and family. I can't believe the lengths people will go to humor me. Good times. Already coming up for ideas for next year. This has become a tradition that can't be broken.

What the fall!!!

2010-09-27T17:44:00.000-07:00

So where in the heck did the summer go? Unfortunately for me, I got to be a bum for couple months this summer. I had a serious wakeboarding wipeout that gave me a chest wall contusion and dislocated my fourth rib. It only hurt to breathe for a couple weeks, but I couldn't do much while the cartilage was healing. It was crazy obnoxious. But the worst part was that it was literally sticking out of my chest. I know, super cute. Even cuter, the pic that my dear sister Kirsten posted on facebook while we were in the emergency room. It was supposed to be just Kirsten coming and she showed up with an entourage for me.

Julie and Natasha were trying to share how sad they were that I was hurting, and I... well I looked like I hadn't slept in a week. Basically the day after the wipeout it hurt really bad to breathe or talk or move, so I went to urgent care to get an xray. They said I just had a chest wall contusion (bad bruise) and gave me some meds and told me to rest. Well, it got lots worse, and I ended up with a painful lump (right where my hair is covering). So I ended up going to the ER and that's when they told me that the lump was my rib, literally sticking out of my chest. Thankfully, it's finally back in place and I can wakeboard and run and swim again. I only have a little lump (scar tissue) left as a souvenir.

Cruisin' Mexico

2010-06-07T17:17:00.000-07:00

I just recently got back from a 7 day Mexican Riviera Cruise. It was literally the time of my life. One of my most fun vacations to date. Our stops were Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta. There were adventures at every port. Here are some of the highlights:

Mariner of the Seas. Our ride for the week.

All aboard! Little did we know the adventures we had in store for us.

Getting to know the boat. The first day we ran around the boat and took stupid pics. This is some of my group I went with. (I'm the tan girl in front.... Thank you airbrush tanning! However, I was the only person that got whiter on the trip)

My amigo Allison and me laying out on the deck. Days at sea were a lot like this.

And our nights were a lot like this! We danced and danced and danced just about everywhere we went. We were known as the "dancing girls". People would come up to us left and right saying they saw us dancing. One man told me that we entertained him for 3 hours one day! Well, I don't know if it was quite that long but we did have fun getting down. We didn't discriminate either, whether it was to elevator music, karaoke singers, lounge singers, or the deck band, we danced to it all!

First stop Cabo San Lucas. Probably my favorite stop. Our group went on a tour of the city and well, we wanted to be a bit more adventurous!

Lifejackets on.... we're ready!

Parasailing! This was so much. This is how we toured the area. From on high.

Then we kayaked over to "Lover's Beach"

Took lots of crazy pics! Everyone loves a good jumping photo.

While we kayaked back we ran past the rest of our group on a boat. They took this pic of us. Funny, funny moment.

The next day was Mazatlan. We attempted surfing.

But the highlight was this boat ride with Pancho!

This was our taxi back to the port. Fun, fun, fun would be the only way I can describe it.

The next day was Puerto Vallarta. We ziplined in the middle of the jungle then played in this waterfall. Another fun, fun day!

We also had lots of hot tubbin' time. My favorite moment in the hot tub was when we played Hot Tub Telephone. You know the classic game of telephone. It's way better when you play it with strangers in a hot tub. Just sayin, you should try it sometime.

So that was my cruise in a nutshell. It was a well needed vacation. I couldn't have asked for a better crew to go with either. My friend Allison is a serious rockstar and we had a blast together as well as with the whole group. Fun, fun, fun!!!

Sherox Triathlon

2010-05-12T11:08:00.001-07:00

This past weekend I participated in the Sherox Triathlon in Tempe. It was an all women's sprint triathlon in honor of Mother's day weekend. It was a 0.5 mile swim in Tempe Town Lake, 13 mile bike, and 5K run around Tempe Town Lake and ASU. All in all it was a good time. There were about 600 competitors and I placed 169 overall and 23/72 in my age group. My break down of events and place that I stood in each individual event:

Swim: 15:12 (32 place overall)

Bike: 49:21 (276 overall) *Obviously not my best event!

Run: 29:52 (191 overall)

I put my times not because they are good or a bit competitive, but a reminder of where I'm coming from. The only person I'm competitive with is myself and my past times (and I have to beat my friend Denise, which I did... haha). Here are some of the photos after the race.

(Our signature pose, we think we're tough)

Showing off our finisher metals.

"You've just got to be responsible... and be nice!"

2010-04-25T23:30:00.000-07:00

Arizona springs are amazing. The desert is super colorful and everything is in bloom. My #1 sister Julie and I went and hiked the wind caves and this hike did not disappoint.

The view from the bottom. And yes, we made it to the top.

Colorful cacti

#1!

I don't know if you can see all the wildflowers behind me but they are insanely pretty!

Scared of the bees! Funny story. There are always bees at the top of the wind caves, but one year a bunch of people were messing with a hive and shockingly got stung. Then other people were running away from the bees and falling and getting injured, just basically making a big fuss. Such a fuss that when we got to the bottom there was a news crew. Hence my infamous title/ statement/ family joke. "You just have to be responsible..... and be nice!" Yes, I am directly quoting myself from my interview that was on the news. But I really do think if you are nice to the bees and responsible when you are out in nature, then you won't get hurt. However, it reads and dumb as it sounds.

Julie at the top!

The two of us at the top. Julie is an awesome hiking buddy. We will be going again soon before it gets blazing hot outside.

It works!

2010-04-25T23:20:00.001-07:00

I moved into my apartment on October 31 and I used my oven for the first time 2 weeks ago. (I figured I better make sure it works halfway into my lease.) So.... I had bought some strawberry's and was craving some fresh strawberry pie. I was randomly feeling ambitious one night at like 2 am and decided to go for it. It turned out delish and 100% homemade by J!

Unfortunately most of it went to waste because I never made it to my parents to share and one girl can't eat a whole pie alone. The two pieces I had though were fantastic!

Lake Havasu Triathlon!

2010-03-26T09:37:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I did a triathlon in Lake Havasu. I had been planning on doing this event for months, but put off one key factor..... purchasing a road bike. This is the second triathlon that I have done and it went a LOT better this time. Last time I borrowed a bike and didn't ride until the day of the race. I didn't know how to switch gears and was getting passed by a bunch of grandmas (seriously!). I even had someone yell out at me "Switch to a lower gear," when I was struggling up a hill against the wind. With my response being "I don't know how!" This time, however, I was prepared. I purchased a bike 5 days before the race and learned how to switch gears and clip in and out of the pedals (which was super scary at first). The bike was by far my worst event because the ride was super hilly, but I survived and didn't get passed by too many grandmas!

My friend from work and I did the race together and then went back and took some pictures and sort of did some reinactments of the race. Here they are.

Before the race getting everything set up in the transition area.

My bike. It's a Scott, so I named him Scotty. (Obviously this is after the race due to the absence of clutter).

These are the ridiculous stairs that we had to climb, after running thru sand! Good thing I take the stairs at work every night.

Reinactment. This is me making fun of myself running.

Posing with my bike after the race.

Whoohoo! I'm finished!

Yes, blood was shed! My chip rubbed a little too hard on my ankle. I think next time I'll wear it a little higher, ya think?!

The London Bridge. We ran across and then back again.

In front of the water, showing off our numbers.

Basically... we swam a 500 Lake swim (in wetsuits, the water was in the 60's) against a current. Then changed, did a 12 mile bike ride in the hills of havasu. Then changed our shoes (and in my case my shorts- bike shorts are NOT cute) and ran through sand, sidewalk, up stairs, over bridges and back to the finish. I ended up 4th in my age group for the sprint. At first I was excited about this them became super bummed because I was only 1.5 minutes behind 2nd place! I was so close to placing I can taste it. Already working towards the next one, they are getting addicting. Now if only I was as addicted to serious training, maybe after snowboard season is offically over.

Snow much fun!!!

2010-02-24T14:09:00.001-08:00

I don't know if I've ever stated before that I loooove Arizona, but I do. It is beautiful, especially during the winter time. Living in Phoenix, you can be at a nice 70 degrees then drive a few hours to a mtn, snowboard for the day, then drive back to a lovely 70 degrees. That's what I have been doing lately. It seems like any chance I get, I go to either Flagstaff or Pinetop. The other day I did just that and drove up with my friend Denise to Snowbowl in Flagstaff. I had worked the night before and didn't know how snowboarding on no sleep would be, but it was fabulous. Here's some pics that we took that day.

Denise and I on the lift. First run of the day.

Getting colder as we got higher.

Denise riding

Oh no! A storms coming! (It started snowing while we were there)

I think I'm pretending that the wind was blowing me off the lift. Things are just funnier when you haven't slept.

Getting ready to ride

Again, things are funnier on no sleep.

At the end of the day. I love this time of year!

Polar Splash & Dash (ummmm literally)

2010-02-16T12:26:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I did my first duathlon or "Splash & Dash". It's a race where you swim then run. I was really excited because I am doing a triathlon in March and it's a good way to practice my transitions from event to another. This particular event was in Tucson and is known as the Polar Splash & Dash and it was. I was really excited for this event until that morning when I awoke to rain, not just any rain, but pouring rain! One thing I always hated about Tucson was that when it rains, it floods. No really, streets get closed frequently during monsoon season. Anyways, I sucked it up and swam then splashed through some puddles. It was a good time, and I'm glad that I did it.

The swim. The water was actually 80 degrees and felt amazing. It was an 825 meter swim.

Transitioning from the swim to run. Don't ask me why I kept my shoes and clothes in the locker room, because they didn't stay dry for long.

Finishing the 5K run just as the wind and rain started picking up again. I was freezing!!! It's a good thing it was only a 5K run. My legs were bright red and wind burn, it was a lovely sight.

Holy crap! This weather is ridiculous. That's what the nose flarage translates into. Hahaha.

Me and my bestie Adam the night before the race. He hosted my friend and me from Phoenix and then was our photographer for the race. He's such a good kid, one of the main things I miss about living down in Tucson. He always ends up being my photographer, rain or shine. Maybe one of these days he'll actually be in an event with me. More events to come this year.

Golden

2010-02-05T08:18:00.000-08:00

So I have to make a belated shout out to my sister Julie. Last Friday she turned 29 on the 29th! It is officially her golden year. There's not much to say about Julie except she is one-in-a-million and I couldn't ask for a better sister or friend. This girl truly has a heart of platinum, which means it is better than gold.

The sisters all got pedicures and took Julie out for a birthday lunch (they then continued the day o' fun while I had to head to my side of town to take a nap before work, boo!). Here are a few of the pics I got.

The birthday girl! Whoohoo!

Trying to fit all of us in the picture...... almost!

Kirst and Jules

Paris loves her Aunt Julie. I had to add this because this is what Paris does when she sees Julie, jumps on her back. (Some people Paris will hide from when she hears there voice, not Julie). Julie is such a trooper and lets her. Julie doesn't even like animals, but likes Paris simply because I love her and she's mine. Like I stated earlier, heart of platinum this one.

I love you Julie! Hope this year is the best yet.

Quarter Of A Century

2010-02-01T16:33:00.000-08:00

Wow! January sure flew by fast. Which is unfortunate because January is my favorite month of the year. Not just because it's the start of a new year or a new beginning, but because it's my birthday month. I always consider my birthday a holiday, but this year my birthday really was a holiday because it was Martin Luther King day. Unfortunately I had to go to a class for work on my birthday, so while other people didn't have to work...... I did. While I did spend the day in class, my sister Julie thought of a fun activity to do before dinner that night. We had one hour and our goal was to see how much free stuff I could get. It was sooo funny. I went into places I've never been and said "It's my birthday" and they'd just hand me over food. I didn't even like half of it, but it didn't matter. Julie thought we should document our little game.

Joe's BBQ. In that bag is lemon cake, potatoes, bbq brisquit sandwich, and homemade rootbeer. For the record, I hate bbq sauce. If body odor had a taste, it would be bbq sauce.

Liberty Market. In this bag was red velvet cake and a big tasty brownie!

Joe's Farm Grill. This was my favorite stop because it had some really tasty pizza.

Krispy Kreme. A dozen free donuts.

Me and all my free junk food. Not bad in an hour. Thanks Jules for the fun game.

I then had birthday dinner with the fam (funeral potatoes and broccoli... mmmmh) and then the infamous family birthday party. It was all in all a good day.

Happy 2010!

2010-01-09T14:43:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I am so excited for 2010 and so far it has been absolutely fabulous. While the first half of 2009 was great, the second half was pretty much rotten. And to be perfectly honest, I don't remember much, because I slept most of it. However, no more headaches, no more neck pain (maybe a little), no more complaining, and no more car accidents in 2010!

I was able to spend the New Year snowboarding up at Sunrise with a bunch of my buddies and we had a blast! It was the perfect sunny, Arizona-snowboarding kind of day.

Oh and I'm excited to say that I have a really exciting schedule of events for this Winter and Spring. I'm so happy to be able to be my active self again and just be able to have fun. So those are basically my goals for 2010. Be Active. Have Fun. Don't sleep for more hours in a day than you are awake. Hooray for 2010!

Oh Brother!

2009-12-31T14:56:00.001-08:00

Happy New Years Eve/ Andrew's 1 year on the mish mark! Yes, Andrew left last year for the MTC on December 31. What a kid! It was so nice to talk to him on Christmas, and what was weirder was how weird he was at first. I never thought it would happen to my goofy little brother. But he eventually warmed up, and we had a good little chat.

As I was unpacking my new apartment last month I found a bunch of old pictures of Andrew and plastered them all over fridge. So although Andrew wasn't here, I got to spend the holidays with him (I know, I'm a cheeseball). Here are a few of my favs:

I just miss this kid so much. 1 year down, 1 more to go. Can't wait until next year when we can celebrate together!

Grateful

2009-11-28T12:28:00.000-08:00

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. I have been reading what everyone is grateful for and soon became overwhelmed with gratitude. I am one lucky lady. Here is pretty much my top 5.

I am Thankful for Great:

1. Family (couldn't get any better)

2. Friends (they're the best)

3. Cat (Paris is fabulous in every way)

4. Job (I love that I am always continually learning and serving others)

5. Flat Iron (it has changed my life)

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Pictures to come.

New job, new town, new place

2009-11-19T00:50:00.001-08:00

These last few months have been huge for me! The first change is that I got offered and accepted a job in Phoenix. It's a really exciting job opportunity and I am even more excited to further my professional development. On that note, it was surprisingly hard to say goodbye to T-town (or Tucson). I left the hospital where I started as a student extern, moved on to be a patient tech, and then fulfilled my first year as an RN. Not to mention, it was my first job that a swimsuit wasn't part of my uniform (which is a big deal for me, the water is my comfort zone). I'm really excited about my new job, but I'm even more excited to be closer to family. I'm enjoying my 30 minute drive to the parents and I'm happy to say I haven't driven the I-10 in a month (those that know the 10, know that it's a horrible drive!). Here are a few pics from the move from T-town.

Saying goodbye to apartment 89204. This was my first, very own apartment. This was also Paris' first home.

The stairwell! Talk about a lower body workout. Unfortunately I have a bad neck/ back, so I couldn't do much of the lifting. Thank goodness for Dad and Adam!

Pretending to drive the Uhaul! It doesn't matter how old I get, I still like to play in the big truck. There's no way I would really drive that thing.

Dad and Adam. Bless their souls. This is the 4th time they've moved me together. They've got it down practically to an art. Oh and dad's comment about the truck, "Hey Janet, the truck can't be half bad." Me "Why? Because it has a zebra on it?" Dad "No! Because it says Idaho on it! (insert chuckle)" Those that know my dad, know how loyal he is to his home state.

Dad and the Idaho truck. My dad is seriously the best! Even at 60, he's the buffest, toughest man around.

They grow up so fast......

2009-10-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

Last week Paris turned 1! Can you believe it? They really do grow up fast. She is such a character and unlike any cat that I know. She's more dog than cat, and probably even more human than cat. She suffers from anxiety (seriously) and gets depressed when I'm gone. When I'm home she's attached to my hip and follows me everywhere. She loves to dress up and seriously thinks of herself as royalty. So of course I had to throw her a princess party for her 1st birthday.

Paris at 2 months on her adoption day.

I had to post this because she rarely looks at the camera. I think this was the second pic I ever tried to take of her and she covered her face. She has now learned to love the spotlight.

The invites. Yes this party was official.

The favors. Pets weren't invited, but favors were sent home to all who came with animals. Paris doesn't do well with other pets, I'm hoping she'll grow out of it.

Her tutu. My mom made her this tutu and she wore it the whole night. I love it.

She wasn't a fan of the party hat, so it only stayed on for a few pics.

Some of the party goers.

My disaster cake!!! I had every intention of this being spectacular and in my head it was. My first attempt at building a cake, I guess it can only get better from here. Oh, and it's supposed to be a crown.

Clint lighting the candle.

So my family actually started singing Happy Birthday to my cat and that was my breaking point. I could not stop laughing. They are all such good sports for going along with this.

I literally had tears. Too funny. I was just so happy!

So some people were better sports than others, haha. So glad you came Clint.

Aunt Heidi got Paris a leopard tunnel. She loves it!

My mom got Paris the book If You Give A Cat A Cupcake and the stuffed animal that goes with it. Or course my mom, the educator, would get her a book. She loves it.

Of course there was a pinata! She only turns 1 once!

Aunt Patrice and Jensen, giving it a whack!

Natasha in action!

So there were no trees to hang it from, my dad found the solution!

Paris wanted a try.

"Somebody open it already!" Dad was getting tired.

Kirsten

She did it!

The pinata parts became fabulous favors!

The ladies!

Thanks to all of my fam for being such good sports. But it really was a fun party. I couldn't ask for a better bunch to call my fam.

My Boyfriends Are Back!!!

2009-08-02T15:01:00.000-07:00

Well they are back for a week. My favorite boys came into town this last weekend. Unfortunately I only got to spend a few days with them because I supposedly live in Tucson and had to get back to work, but a few days is better than no days. They got into town on Thursday and of course we jumped straight into the pool.

Me, Natasha, Carter, and Gage

Oh Gagers! How I've missed that smile. I don't know if they truly appreciate all of you're cuteness in Michigan like we do in AZ.

Paris was the lifeguard. She supervised from inside.

Then Friday night we had a bbq, did some night swimming, and had a sleepover!

Saturday morning we had french toast with berries and whip cream. We might have had a little fun with the whip cream. Carter started it!

Then Gage joined in.

I couldn't let the boys have all the fun!

We ate breakfast outside. It was very bright. This was before my dad put up the umbrella. Poor Gagers!

Julie and Gage

Carter and me. I seriously can't believe how grown up this boy is- it's insane! I still remember when he was in the womb, can't believe he's now 6. Amazing how time flies.

They both had private swimming lessons with me, then we played for a while and ate popsicles.

Gage had popsicle all over! We made him jump back in the pool because he was sooo sticky.

And bachelor #3 Camden. How cute is this one, seriously. I just want to fold him up and put him in my pocket. Oh and don't you love the after swimming hair? You might wonder where did this come from? Apparently it comes from my dad's side because my mom's hair is straight as a board. Walker cousins, does anyone else have to deal with these unruly locks?

Gotta get the momma in there. Nicole is the mother to these insanely cute kids and I love her just as much as her boys.

Nicole, me, and my Robbins boys. Like I've said before, I'm so lucky that I get to call this gang family. These boys are so funny, smart, and just plain cool. I would rather hang out with these kids than people my own age (that might explain a lot). I'm so glad that I got to see them even if it was real fast. Love you guys!

Like a Rhinestone Cowboy

2009-07-08T16:44:00.000-07:00

My 4th of July was just how I like it, Southwestern style. Every year as much as the fam that can, goes up to Prescott for the Frontier Days 4th of July Festivities. The festivities start by going to the Oldest Rodeo on Friday night.
I dare someone to tell me that their dad is cuter than mine! He wore my Grampa Walker's stetson the whole weekend. He is looking just like my Grampa, I love it!

My cousin Brett and 3 of his kids, all cowboyed up and ready to watch the rodeo.

Noelle wanted to pose. So did Camille (in the background).

Tiff, Josh and Turner. They traveled all the way from Salt Lake. Yes it's worth a 12 hour drive.

My dad and the girls. We were supposed to be posing, every other person got the memo.

Sisters.

She thinks my tractors sexy! There was a vendor selling tractors and we asked if we could ride them. We may have gotten a little carried away!

How you make a John Deere sexy!

We had to let the vendor get in on the action. He gave us his card and wants us to email him copies of the pics. Too funny!

Close up. Did I mention that he even talked cowboy! Too fun.

Watching the rodeo.

Dad, Jules, Ashlee, and Amber. Some more of our crew watching the rodeo.

Next event: The Parade

Now this is not you're typical parade that we watch every year. It has horses, horses, trucks, cars, horses, did I mention horses? Could be classified as the most boring parade ever! Every year the men go and set up shade and reserve our same spot on the corner. The girls then bring all the children after the parade has already started. We usually see just over half. Well this year, someone took our spot on the corner! I guess the fam has been sitting on that corner 20+ years. The boys found another good spot and we actually had a lot of fun. John McCain was even in the parade this year.

Dad and Carson. Carson loves his Papa.

Apparently Carson didn't know the parade was supposed to be boring because he was totally into it. So was dad. It was funny, everyone that was passing out flyers ALWAYS gave one to my dad. He even got a coupon for a free pregnancy test! Yeah, he gave that one to Tasha.

Some of our crew. Check out my fro. I was the last one to shower and left with my hair wet. My hair got bigger as the day went on. This pic is still early!

Next Event: The Boot Race

Only in Prescott, Arizona is there the Annual Whiskey Row Boot Race. You wear cowboy boots and race 100m down the street known as Whiskey Row (aka: street o' bars).

These are the 3 and unders all lined, ready to race.

And they're off! This is my favorite age group to watch. They are either super intent on running fast or they are crying.

Carson had more fun running around after the race.

Turner joined in. I think they had more fun running around in their boots after the race than actually during the race. They ran around forever!

Roddy after the race. So check out his boots. You duck tape them to keep them tight on your feet and then duck tape the bottom for some traction. Roddy needed a little more traction because he slipped twice at the starting line! He's a champ though and ended up 5th!
All of our crew who ran this year. No one placed but we all had a lot of fun. Don't tell my doc I ran (I'm still not supposed to be running, I figured I could get away with a 100m). The prizes/ trophies are unlike any other. 3rd place: Outback giftcard and a single Budweiser beer can trophy. 2nd place: wranglers and double decker Budweiser trophy. 1st place: Justin boots and that's right, triple decker Budweiser trophy. One year I took 2nd, so yes I have wranglers (they still have the tags on them. They are one pair of pants that are NEVER attractive on females!) and a sweet double decker budweiser trophy. It sat in the living room all that summer, the comments my mom got, priceless.

We then head back to Aunt Carole's and Uncle Dick's and make indian frybread! It's not bad for you if you only eat in once a year!

Carson still full of energy after a busy day! Isn't he the cutest!

Unfortunately I didn't get to stay and watch the fireworks because I had to work Sunday night and didn't want to make a 4 hour drive back to Tucson on Sunday, then go work for 12 hours. So I went back to Mesa that night. I was telling my mom that I wanted to watch fireworks, but was so tired that I didn't want to drive anywhere to meet friends and deal with all of the traffic. I love fireworks! I got my first kiss on the 4th of July after fireworks when I was 16, so of course I love them. Well, I was sitting in my parents family room and heard some popping, ran outside, and was so excited because there was a random fireworks show only miles from my parents. So I watched, barefoot, by myself, and loved it! Hope everyone's fourth was just as fab!

6 months down, 18 to go!

2009-07-01T08:31:00.001-07:00

It is ridiculous to think that my baby brother is ONLY 1/4 done with his mission. It seriously feels like he has been gone FOREVER! It just seems like he's missed so much in the last 6 months. Letters, emails, and the 20 min conversation on Mother's Day just doesn't give me my fill of Andrew. I was just walking down memory lane and I wanted to share some of the reasons why I miss this kid so much.

He seriously is my best friend. And look how cute he is ladies. I don't know anyone who can rock aviators quite like him.

Ok I just laugh when I look at this one. It is so Andrew, such a goofball!

This is not an attractive picture of anyone but it is so my fam on a summer Saturday afternoon. I love how everyone is laughing and attempting to wear goggles (Julie). When we're in the pool, Andrew always feels like he has to lift me up and throw me around. Actually, he does it out of the pool too, and I really don't like it.
Andrew and his yukalaylee. There is nothing cuter than watching a big guy sing and play a tiny guitar. This melts my heart. As annoying as it was to listen to him play the same songs over and over and over, I miss it.
Andrew and his all-time favorite ladies. How could he not turn out great when he has four fabulous older sisters.
Again just goofing off. We try to think that we're too cool for school. We know we're not.

Andrew sneaking into mine and Kirsts pic. He always did that.

Andrew always knew how to get the ladies attention. Oh and did I mention he's not shy. He went up to these ladies and asked for a photo. I think the one on the left grabbed his butt. Can you blame her?
My hiking buddy! We love to go hiking. We have a tradition when we get to the top of Camelback to take a "yeah, we're tough" pic. Andrew is almost scary in this one. But he really is just a big teddy bear. He was also my running buddy. You wouldn't think that a kid of his stature could continuously run 3+ miles. Even when I started training for marathons and doing longer runs, he would go with me to the track or meet me in the middle of my runs. I think my favorite thing was our talks that we had walking to and from the track. Actually I miss our talks in general. We could tell each other anything. He was always a good listener, non-judgemental listener.
I love this sibling photo. It's just too funny. Julie and Kirst are like "take one more pic, this is fun!" Roddy and Heidi are like "ok, sure we'll smile". And Andrew and I are like "sooooo over it". Plus I love how Andrew is the big one in the middle. We do all revolve around him. I just miss him so much but I'm so glad that he's doing fabulous on the mission. Not that I'm surprised, but he is an insane missionary. He's such an example to me and I don't think he knows how much I truly look up to him. But the countdown starts now! 1/4 down, 3/4 to go. Miss you buddy!

Sedentary Living

2009-06-24T23:59:00.001-07:00

Update:

This is my couch. This is where I have spent the majority of the past 3 weeks (that is, when I wasn't laying on my parent's couch). My doc gave me work restrictions after the accident and I had to take 3 weeks off from work. I usually enjoy my days off, but these were not so much fun. I pretty much woke up, ate, slept, watched tv, slept, had dinner, talked to my mom, slept, you get the picture. I slept a lot! It seems as though the neck is used to do pretty much EVERYTHING! I know.... shocker.

My car was totaled, these are the remains:
My grampa UofA hat used to rest in the back window of my Toyota Corolla.
The shoes that no longer have matches. My trunk probably housed 15 or so pairs of shoes. I drive back and forth to Mesa so much that I always leave at least 2 pairs of every type of shoe in my trunk, just in case. Since my trunk no longer exists, somewhere in the streets of Tucson lie the matches to these five pairs of shoes. (Luckily my favorites still had the matches)

Because I couldn't be physically active I:
Updated my magnet board calendar.
Busted out the sewing machine and started to get crafty! Unfortunately the position of looking down at the machine gave me a killer headache and I never finished anything that I started. I will have to post my projects when I finally complete them.

And then there is Paris. My cute cat is quite the nurse. She must take after her mama. I don't know if I mentioned that she was in the car with me when the accident occurred. (I'm crazy like that, she loves to drive in the car!) Well she never left my side...... literally. She supervised everything.

And the biggest thing that I got to do:
Go to the airport and say goodbye to my Aunt Carole and Uncle Dick who are now missionaries in the Germany/Austria mission. Above is the fam that made it to the PHX airport to bid farewell.
Waving bye as they head off through security. They are going to be amazing missionaries. But we all are going to miss them.

I now have gotten medical clearance to go back to work and was so excited to actually be able to start returning to normal life. Well, it was a lot harder than I thought. I just finished 3 nights at work and I am wiped out. I drove home this morning and was relieved to have made it. My neck/ back/ shoulders feel like how my legs felt after the marathon. My doctor told me it would probably take 6 months to fully recover, I kind of laughed at him, thinking "You obviously don't know that I'm a soldier". Being back to work is like a reality check. On the positive side, I have become friends with my physical therapist and massage therapist, who I get to see a couple times a week. And I got a wicked cool new car! I'll have to save that for another post.

Too much in 2 days!!

2009-06-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, myself and 20000 other idiots, ran the San Diego marathon. Again I am not a runner. I keep hoping that I will start to love it and lose that 10lbs that I am beginning to think will always haunt me. However, I didn't lose any weight (ps, I don't care about the muscle factor) and it still was ridiculously hard!! Not to mention, I'm an asthmatic and had a difficult time training during spring (allergy season=dyspneic Janet) and my foot had been sore after my last long run. My bro (the newly graduated PT) said all the bones in my foot are loose, to tape it for support, and be cautious. I know.... excuses, I hate them too. So I went for it anyway. For the non-marathoner, let me give you my pictoral play-by-play of how it went.

Before the race! You're pumped, excited, nervous, and ready to run. You're perfect playlist is all set up and you can't wait to beat you're previous time. I have to add that the weather was perfect! It was low 60's to start, ending in the low 70's, overcast the whole time.

Here I am at mile 12. (In the white hat and lime green top). Still smiling. I feel good because I just finished miles 5-10, which were all up hill, and know there is very little up hill left. My foot hurts, but it's tolerable. I'm almost halfway there, making descent time.

Here I am with the finish line finally in site. (Check out everyone else's facial expressions.. priceless). I have been in extreme pain for the last 8-miles and don't even know how I'm still standing. Not only does my foot hurt, but both hips, both knees, and my traps and neck.

Pulling strength from places I didn't know existed, I run with everything I got to the finish.

Post-race, for about 30 minutes.

The bruising just as it's beginning. It spread all the way across my foot and got darker. I'm sure you're also digging the cankles, aka bilateral lower extremity edema.

Me and my cheerleader/ photographer Adam. I was supposed to run this race with a buddy who backed out 1.5 weeks before the race. My bestie Adam stepped in and drove with me to California and all but carried me to the car.

All of that for this!? Really though. It is the craziest feeling when you finish. It is the most painful feeling of accomplishment. You're mind completely takes over. You know you CAN do anything, if you believe in yourself. It's ridiculous the emotions that you go through and the conversations that occur in your head. It sounds crazy, but that's because you have to be to run 26.2 miles at one time! Oh and in case you're wondering, I beat my time. Yes I beat my previous time by a whoppin' 1 minute and 3 seconds! If I go at this rate, it will take me 87 marathons to accomplish my goal time.

Then this was me the next day! I returned to Tucson safely from San Diego. But that evening went to say goodbye to a friend who is moving to Utah. On my way home I got hit and won myself an ambulance ride. Really, on my day off! This is the pic from my phone that I sent to all of my siblings at 4am. I got a few frantic phone calls.

Then my photographer from the marathon, again came to my rescue, and sat with me in the ER all night. This is after they took me off from the backboard that I was duck taped to, yes duck taped!! They kept on asking me if things were hurting and my response was, "Everything hurts, I just ran a marathon yesterday!" The neck was the most painful though. In a nutshell, I was stopped and got rear-ended by a car going 45-50ish miles an hour. The impact knocked my hat off as well as everything in my entire console, even the clock! My car is probably totaled. Nothing is broken, I'm just really sore. My poor body has had enough!

Canyoneering!

2009-05-20T15:36:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was my amigo Carrie's birthday. Because her birthday is usually right around the time that school gets out we typically head out of town for her big day. This year we went Canyoneering and it was incredible. Canyoneering is when you hike, swim, and repel through a canyon. It took us about 6 hours total and was sooo much fun.

So you start out hiking looking at this. The hike down to the Canyon was somewhere around 2 miles.

Then you get to some of this

And swim through some of this. It was truly breathtaking. I think this is right after we repelled down a waterfall! Unfortunately you have to hike some serious switchbacks to finish it off, but it was worth it. Who knew that this was in Arizona, only 1.5 hours out of Phoenix.

Has it really been a whole year???

2009-05-16T08:02:00.000-07:00

I'm going through a short walk down memory lane this morning. Last year on May 16, I received my BSN from UofA. I seriously can't believe that I have been a college graduate for an entire year! I was looking through the pictures and it seems soooo long ago, but just like yesterday at the same time. As weird as it is, I totally miss it. This real world/ career junk is garbage. Some of the things I miss are the University atmosphere, exams (I do miss them, weird, I know), all-nighters at the library, energy drinks for breakfast, 15 page papers you start the night before, my walks/ bike rides to school, and the satisfaction you get at the end of the semester when you look back at all of the useless information that you have attained (as well as the useful).

Me and the Dean

This is my bff from nursing school Carolyn. We made sure we were always in the same clinicals together every semester. It was so weird the last semester when we did our preceptorships and had to be solo. You can't tell, but she had a c-section exactly one week prior to our graduation and she still attended. This girl is a serious rock star.

Waiting for the graduation to start so we can be official! These are some of the people that I saw everyday that I will never see again, and I'm ok with that.

Me and the parents.

So I just graduated and what did I do next??? I had to study for NCLEX, the test to get my nursing license. I studied hard in school, but never as hard as I did for the NCLEX. My degree literally meant nothing unless I passed that exam, so I know that's why it was so stressful. Obviously I passed and the studying paid off. I don't miss studying for the NCLEX.

HH, Savannah, & Flo rida!

2009-05-08T22:52:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pics from my trip to the south. You may be astonished that they were narrowed down. Have fun, we did!

Just landed in the Jacksonville airport. (I think this one is funny!)

On our way to Hilton Head, South Carolina. This was Julie.

This was Kirsten

And this was me...... sleeping. I'm nocturnal and the sun was out, this is what I do.

Exactly what I needed to wake me up! This was the view from the hotel.

We didn't stay in our room long. We had to run down to the beach!

Sisters (we were missing Heidi)

Playing in the water

Can you guess which one of us got a spray tan?

So this is a working sun dial. Check out Julie grasping his thigh!

Kirst and me. Oh the humidity! My hair was straight when I started this day. No curling was done.

Eating tasty seafood! I LOVE seafood and it was so nice to have it fresh. We also had key lime pie, they don't make it out west like they do in the south!

The next morning we woke up only to chillax on some hammocks and watch the waves.

Then we went on a walk

Relaxed in the hot tub, while still enjoying the ocean view.

Then soaked up some sun.

So long Hilton Head (aka Heaven!), on our way to Savannah, Georgia.

The reason why we stopped in Savannah..... Salt Water Taffy!!

So my sisters are beautiful!

The River Walk

Having a moment with my Taffy.

In St. Augustine, Florida now. Mom and dad met up with us. Mom giving Carson a lemon. The kid loved it.

Carson loves sitting on Papa's lap. Poor dad was just trying to eat.

This picture is priceless. So dad finally looks, but his mouth is full of food, and this is what we got! We were laughing so hard.

First thing we did when we got to St. Augustine was go to the beach with Carson. It's his favorite place, so he showed us the way.

Kirst and Cars. Got to love the cleave Kirst. I say, If you got it, flaunt it! (Don't worry, like 4 people read this)

Jules and Cars

Carson calls this his beach, so we made his mark on it.

(That is toe writing, I might add. Oh the talents I've been blessed with)

Splashing in the bubbles!

Of course Carson turned his head right when the picture was taken.

I love this kid

I went for a run on the beach and this is how I returned. Windy is an understatement. Kirsten was laughing so hard, she took a picture before I even knew what was going on.

We went to the beach to play and it was still windy! I didn't do much playing.

Isn't this the cutest thing you've ever seen? Roddy and dad boogy boarding. Check out Roddy's sick raspberry, it's a rough sport!

I take that back, this is the cutest thing I've ever seen!

Oh Carson, you're too cute!

Now come with me to a fabulous place known as "Shell Beach!"

No one would take a pic of Kirst, so she took one of herself. I don't know if you can see, but that's not sand, they are all shells.

Leaving shell beach with lots of cool shells. Roddy and I showing off our ass-ets!

So tired of pictures! Check out the jungle though. This place is beautiful.

We also went for a train ride. Carson and the train.

Mom and dad

Lindsay and me.

Salt Water Cowboy! Our favorite restaurant in St. Augustine (and believe me, there's lots of delicious places to choose from). This place is right on a swamp and has the most amazing food.

Jules and me

Mom and dad

And the real reason we went on this trip..... Roddy's graduation!

Mom, Roddy, and Dad.

Roddy and his cute son

This is a horrible pic, but it's the only one of the sisters with Roddy.

Whew! I know that was a lot.

Gatoriffic

2009-04-29T13:12:00.000-07:00

Last week I got back from a fabulous vacay to Florida. Everyone asks me if I saw an alligator, and my answer is YES! In fact I saw hundreds!

My proof!

Random info, alligators like to cuddle.

Getting a little lip action. I bet you didn't know gators were so friendly.

Look how stinkin' long this one is!

Isn't that crazy!

This one literally sat there with his mouth wide open, ready to chomp!

More alligators.

I also saw ancient turtles,

and tropical birds,

and cute little monkeys,

and crocodiles.

(crocodiles mouths are pointy and alligators are round)

I even saw an albino gator! Apparently seeing one will grant you good luck.

Roddy and Carson.

Linds, Kirst, and I with a revealing statue. Lindsey is pointing it out/ covering her up.

This is why we love Julie!

The tree of life! All of those white birds are at their nests. You can't see but their eggs are a really pretty blue color.

Ok, so I went to an alligator farm to see the gators, I didn't see one just roaming around. But apparently it does happen. This place had pretty much every species of alligator and crocodile. I had no idea there were so many kinds. It was also fun to see the different wildlife. Good times. Will post later with more pics from the trip.

Any Reason To Celebrate

2009-04-13T17:52:00.000-07:00

First of all I need to add a disclaimer. I love to celebrate..... anything. The past couple years I have realized that one does not only have one birthday, but also a half birthday (even a 1/4 and 3/4 birthday if you pay attention). My half birthday is in the summer and so I usually invite people over to my parents (I don't celebrate it in Tucson) for a pool party and bbq. It's always a good time. Well, on April 7, my cat turned 6 months and officially got to a celebratory stage. So of course I had to throw her a party, she's all I got! I had to do it on the 9th because that was when I was going up to Mesa. My dad worked the grill, Julie & Heidi made the cupcakes, mom and I prepared the food, and then I made goodie bags for those who came that had cats. It was a great time.

Paris on her actually 1/2 birthday. She's not so good at looking at the camera. However, I've found that if she's concentrating on something, she doesn't turn her head. Hence the photo/ position/ task.

Carson helping with the cupcakes. Carson says "I like cat-cakes!"

Julie and Carson decorating the cupcakes.

The finished product. 1/2 bunny, 1/2 cat. We had to laugh because they were so ugly. Nicole, we may need you're help when Paris turns 1. These were funny for a 1/2 birthday, but at 1 year you're serious.

So I invited Paris' brother over for the party and this was her reaction. So she's not so much a fan of other animals, related or not. She ran into the back room and wouldn't come out until he left. Paris likes to think she's the only feline.....ever. But isn't she adorable in her little party dress?

Paris' brother Furby and my amigo Carrie. Furby was so sad that Paris wouldn't play with him.

Natasha brought her out after Furby left and she was still a little grumpy. It was her party and she cried because she wanted to.

Natasha, Clint and Paris. Aaaaw, this is what their family will look like soon. Tash and Clint are adopting. Can't wait guys! (fyi, in case you're not following, they are adopting a cat)

Aunt Julie and Paris. Paris says thanks Jules for helping with my party.

Aunt Myrna and Paris. Thanks for coming over last minute, even though you're allergic.

I made multiple attempts at getting Paris to look at the camera. Almost.

Another almost. She had to look down at the last second.

As close as it gets, even though I look like a goober.

Tash, Jules and me.

Paris was exhausted by the end of the evening. As you can probably tell, she has a hard life. Thanks everyone who came and pretty much humored me. Gotta love good friends and family. Happy 1/2 Birthday Paris.

So I forgot to add that Paris had her first trip to the vet the day before her party. Paris is totally healthy, except she has one problem. She has separation anxiety. When she's at my parent's, she will sometimes whine and cry when I'm not there. Then at my place if I go in the other room she'll do the same thing until I call her and then she's totally content. The diagnosis, separation anxiety. I didn't know animals could get that! Oh and then the poor girl had a sore bum for 2 days after having her temp checked. It was so sad because she couldn't sit down, I was getting worried that they perforated something up there. But alas, she can sit, and is feeling lots better. I contribute her sore bum to why she was so grumpy when her brother showed up to her party. Who knows.

Random: First real sunburn of the season. This is what happens when you go for a 2-hour run at noon! I was wanting to get some sun because I'm a whitey and I have an upcoming trip to Florida. I got what I wanted and more. Gotta love AZ!

Fun for the kids.....and me!

2009-04-08T02:28:00.000-07:00

So last week I went to the Olson family reunion. My mom and her cousin organized the whole event, so of course I went to support the mother. But in reality I had a lot of fun. This year they really wanted to keep the kids entertained and boy was I. They had a petting zoo, a bounce house, and lots of fun games. I LOVE animals and had so much fun at the petting zoo.

How cute is this little piggy?

Look at it's tail! Isn't that adorable. I want one! I don't know how much Paris would like her though.

The duck

There I am trying to fight off the kids to hold the animals. They're like fourth cousins, I don't know them, I might have used an elbow or two. Just kidding!

This chicken isn't so cute, but it reminds me of chocolate chip icecream w/ a cherry on top...no?

Just playin'

My favorite pic of me and Uncle Joe. Oh wait, I mean the donkey, my bad. Heehee.

My nephew Carson and cousin Brody joining in on the fun.

My cousin Rick showing his little one, Brody, the icecream chick

Cars and me with the baby goat.

Jules, Cars and the donkey

Kirsten and Carson

(I had to post this K. I love Carson's face. I think he wants Aunt Janet)

Slam dunking in the bounce house

So much fun!

Finishing up the bounce house fun by going down the slide.

Another seriously fun times with the fam. I love going home. Thanks mom for making sure all the kids would be entertained. Like I've stated before, you're the bomb!

Slushalicious!

2009-03-29T22:37:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, some friends and I were supposed to go on a super fun ski trip to Colorado! Last season I was able to go to 3 different mountains and had a really good season. This was going to be my first time out this season and I was really excited to board on a new mountain. Well, almost everyone bailed, leaving only my bff Carrie and her boyfriend (Jeff) still attending. I wasn't too keen on road trippin' it being the third wheel and was relieved when they brought up just going up to Sunrise. While the snow was super slushy, we weren't quite swimming in it and I ended up having a blast and met a lot of people. Carrie and Jeff both are on ski patrol at Sunrise, so not only was it a shorter drive but it was free! Oh and Carrie's family has a cabin in sholow and her mom was going to be up there too, so I knew I wouldn't be the third wheel the whole time. Here are some pics, they're somewhat random.

Carrie and Jeff (note Jeff's ugly spring skiing shirt....hideous!)

Me and my board.

Goofing off because I was the third wheel.

Making friends.... no longer the third wheel. Heehee!

Anyone who knows me, knows I love to cuddle. Especially on a ski lift, it gets cold!

Myself, Jeff, and Carrie on the lift.

Carrie and I

All ready to go on Day 1.

Jeff setting us all up.

Oh look, I made another friend! In case you're curious, he has an english accent.

Still goofing off. Carrie, me, and one of her friends from ski patrol.

Buddy shot 2009. Carrie and I have a picture in this same pose 12 years ago in 7th grade. Does anyone remember buddy shots? They're classic.

Riding. I know it's small, but that's me. I know I lean back too much, but it was my first day on the mtn this season.

So it ended up being a blast. I made friends with a few really good boarders (they're not all photographed) and got some really good pointers on how to improve my game. Too bad it was the last ski trip of the season. As much as I love the sunshine it made me really want it to stay cold. But then I came home, saw the pool, and wished for it to get hotter. I guess I'm hard to please!

Happy Birthday Mother!

2009-03-26T17:20:00.001-07:00

Mom and me at her birthday lunch

Heidi, mom, and Jules

All of us!

Last Friday was my moms birthday so Julie, Heidi, and myself took my mom out to lunch (Kirsten had to do something called work???). As always we had a good time.

Anyone who knows my mom knows that she is the bomb. She is an incredible teacher and has taught me so much. I'm so grateful for a mother that loves me more than anything, I know this because of her constant worrying. She has spent her life serving and always thinks of others first, especially her kids. Thanks for everything you do and continue to do. I love you mom.

Rainy Days and Mondays

2009-03-10T10:01:00.000-07:00

(Adam and I at Sabino)

So I absolutely LOVE Arizona! Especially in the spring time. Lately the weather has been absolutely fabulous. I'm talking 70-80, I think we once even got to 90! I just want to be outside all the time. I was bummed that I had to work all last weekend and couldn't just be enjoying the weather, but was looking forward to my day off Monday (yesterday) to spend an afternoon outside. The previous weekend my friend and I had an awesome afternoon at Sabino Canyon. So I was all pumped to go hiking Monday and what does it do......... rain all night Sunday and into Monday! Don't get me wrong, I live in the desert and I enjoy a rainy day, but really why not on a day that I have to work. Rainy/ overcast days make me want to stay inside, sit under a blanket, read a book or watch a movie, and drink hot chocolate. Karen Carpenter put it perfectly when she said Rainy days and Mondays always get me down. Because they do, they really, really do. Maybe it's better that I didn't spend my afternoon hiking by myself. I have the weekend off, so here's hoping that the weather stays perfect til then.

Wisconsin!

2009-02-24T13:41:00.000-08:00

Exactly why I went to Wisconsin in the winter. Three names: Gage, Carter, & Camden. (I also love Nicole and Jared :) These boys are not only cute but they are stinkin' fun. I don't know anyone else that I would rather spend a weekend with.

I was so sad when my cousin Nicole announced that she and fam would be moving to Milwaukee last spring. Her husband is doing his residency and the whole family was hoping that he would match in Tucson, well at least I was. I remember the conversation vividly. Myself, "So are you coming back to Tucson?" Nicole "No, Milwaukee." Myself "You're going to Minnesota!". Nicole "No Wisconsin!". Myself "That's just as bad!" I was so sad when they left. I had asked Nicole when Carter was still in the womb if I could be his Aunt (since none of my siblings were married at the time). She said I could as long as I spoiled him as if he were my own. Now Nicole has 3 little ones! Baby Camden was born January 20. I was sad that I wasn't able to be there when this one was brand new, but I figured I would come out for one of the boys birthdays. I wasn't courageous enough to visit 2 weeks later for Carter's birthday (still too cold), but decided I could brave the cold for Gage's. Here are some of the pics from Gage's birthday weekend and my time in Wisconsin.

The beach at Lake Michigan. I don't know if you can tell but Jared is holding Cam in his Jacket.

We went for a treasure hunt, and guess what Carter found?

Lake Michigan. Never have I seen snow at the beach! Such an interesting concept. While it was beautiful, I'm not a polar bear and prefer my beaches sunny.

Since the scenery was so beautiful and odd, I thought that I would take my America's Next Top Model audition photos. I might send them in to another really cool modeling reality show too. I don't know if anyone else is as intrigued by reality tv as myself, but am I the only on that has realized that you don't have to be cute to be a model?

Only in Wisconsin! That is really a sign that was hanging out there. We were laughing so hard.

All of the snow for Gager's birthday! And yes, all of that is fresh! We awoke on Saturday to a winter wonderland! (meanwhile in the AZ it was 76 degrees). I didn't know that it could be too cold to make a snowball. We attempted having a snowball fight, but it turned into a powder toss. So fun, and freezing. I think I wore 3 layers for the rest of the night.

Carter and Gage with all of their tickets! We went to pizza for Gager's birthday and then played all the games. We had sooo much fun. Carter has mad skills. He beat me at air hockey and Mario Kart (he could

barely even reach the pedal). Carter also can play ski ball w/ the

best of them. Gage was amazing too. He could go up to a machine and push a button and tons of tickets would come pouring out.

Baby Cam. How can I not love him? I told Nicole before I left that I wasn't making any promises, he just might not be as loved as Carter and Gage. But really, he is perfect! I loved just holding him. Aunt Janet will love and spoil you just like your brothers! Just as long as you don't become a long lost cousin.

Look at those big blues! I love his smile. He really is the most precious thing. Can't you tell how much he loves me too!

Me and the birthday boy right before I had to say goodbye. I had so much fun visiting these guys. They really are the bomb. I'm so grateful that I get to call them family. Nicole you really are the best for letting me be more than a cousin to you're boys. I love being Aunt Janet. I'm so sad that you are going to continue to be far for the next couple years and probably forever. I love the Robbins clan, thanks for having me!

10 days without the 10!

2009-02-08T19:26:00.000-08:00

This is my poor cat at least every week since I got her. That's because since September, I have gone home at least once every week. However, it has been 10 days since I have last driven the 10. I have to admit that I absolutely hate the I-10, but I love to go home and see my family and friends. However, the past 2 weeks my work schedule has been lame, so I haven't had more than 2 days off in a row. Not so good, when you work nights to be on, off, on, off. So since I haven't driven home, I must be terribly home sick.....wrong! I actually had visitors. My sister Kirsten came down for work one day, so we met up for a couple of hours. Then my cousin Natasha's husband went out of town, so she came down to Tucson too.

Hooray for visitors! Natasha came down to Tucson for a crafty weekend. We decided we wanted to make magnet board calendars, which are a big project, but we got a pretty good start on them. We had soooo much fun. Tash and I seem to have fun all the time, even when we are running errands for 4 hours! That's right, it took us 4 hours and we still didn't get all of the supplies we needed. I added some pics on how we stay entertained.

Here's my BFF Adam. He ran all of our errands with us, yes all 4 hours! Trooper. He went w/ us to 3 Michael's, Home Depot (ok so he liked that one), Scrapbook store, Joanne's, and Target. Maybe it took us 4 hours because we like to play.

Here we are, the 3 amigos. We couldn't let Adam be the only one framed. Bless Adam's heart for putting up with us. But he loves us, how could he not?

So we have way too much fun together. And probably shouldn't be allowed in Michael's anymore. But if you can't tell, I'm a pirate, Tasha is a princess, and Adam is a cowgirl! Adam then bought us dinner, just like old times. (We used to go on double dates, Tash and I were the double, Adam was the date. Doesn't happen so much anymore since Tash got married.)

Here I am w/ what I got complete this weekend. Like I said, they are a big project. I don't really think a photo can do it justice, because it's really cute in real life.

Natasha with her magnet calendar. She did a big one because her refrigerator isn't magnetic. Clever.

Had to get a picture w/ Paris in there. I'll show a close up when it's finished. Hopefully I can at least have February done by this weekend. Thanks Tash for coming. Paris and I had so much fun!

It's All About Julie!

2009-02-02T21:21:00.000-08:00

This past Thursday was my sister Julie's birthday. So I'm just going to do a little ode to her and share about the birthday festivities. First off, Julie is probably the funniest person you will ever meet! You never know what's going to come out of her mouth. One of her most recent Julism's,

(just sitting on the couch at the parents w/ Julie, she says) "I was looking down at my big

toe the other day and thought 'Wow, that's a biig toe!'"

Seriously! Those that know her can probably picture her saying that, but it was so unexpected and hilarious. I also love how you can tickle her without even touching her. That's right, this girl is so tickalish (how the heck do you spell that?) that all you have to do is move you're fingers in front of her face and she breaks down! It's one of our favorite ways to torture the poor girl. Julie is the the third child but was meant to be the oldest. She's kind of bossy. She always takes care of everyone. She's the only one of my sister's that will touch my cat (she even bought me a Christmas present and said that it was from Paris). She is always thinking about other's. If it's important to you, then it is important to her. For example, when Lindsay and I were doing our marathon, she looked it up on line and found out that you can track runner's progress. When Lindsay and I were finished, we had multiple text messages from her, telling us congrats because we just made it to the 10-mile, 20-mile, and finish line with our time. She goes way above and beyond in everything. She is a play therapist, so every kid loves her, especially because she has lots of cool toys. She loves flowers. She doesn't leave the house without lipstick on (even if she's going to the gym). Her extra chore growing up was always to clean the shower. When I fall asleep on the couch she always re-directs me to my bed (and if I'm grumpy in my sleep she'll bring me a pillow and a blanket to wherever I am). Whenever she visit's me in Tucson, she takes me grocery shopping. She's apologetic (one time she asked me to forgive her because she had been saying bad things about me behind my back, but she wouldn't tell me what they were). She speaks her mind. She took a belly dancing class and did a recital to Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie". Did I mention that she's funny! I could probably go on forever, I just love her so much. She is truly the most beautiful person I know both inside and out. I think everyone should have a Julie in their life. But until then, I can be the lucky one.

On her birthday! I had the day off, so I woke up at 4:30 so that I could meet her and Kirsten for breakfast at 7:30. We ate at Kirsten's favorite restaurant! Kirsten and Julie

then had to go to work. Julie was able to get off work early so we went and got pedicures. (funny side note: the chinese man kept laughing at me, first because of all the blisters still on my feet, second because of the scratches on my legs from my dear cat, and third because of the bruises that I had acquired from my afternoon hike! I guess I looked like a wreck, but I didn't know that he would laugh out loud at me). We then came home

and had birthday dinner at the parent's. Then we went to see an improv show that my Uncle Joe was in. That's right, Uncle Joe is taking an

improv class and they had a little show. Julie asked that everyone go to that then meet back at the parent's for cake and icecream. Everyone did and we had a blast. It was so funny! Especially because it was Uncle Joe up there. Then we had excellent dessert and sat around and visited. Some of us 'til midnight. It was all around a super fun day. I always have fun when I'm home but this time was especially fun. Happy Birthday Jules! I love you.

Birthday Week!!!

2009-01-26T20:40:00.000-08:00

I turned the big 24 last week! Wow, right? I don't know about anyone else, but 24 sounds a lot older than 23. Not that I care about my age or birthdays, because I absolutely love birthdays, it just sounds a lot older. Patients at work always tell me that I don't look old enough to be their nurse. This week, like many times before, I had a few patients ask me how old I was, and I responded with a confident 24. It does sound a lot older than 23. Anyways, the birthday was fabulous. I love my birthday so much, that I don't just celebrate one day but all week. I had an odd schedule with work so I had to spend a lot of my time in Tucson instead of with the fam. However, I was home on the birthday and had a great family birthday bash filled with icecream cake, presents, cousins, and even Andrew's buddies (I miss Andrew!). I am not so good at taking pictures but here are a few pics and highlights of the week.

Paris wore a crown. It was so funny because she kept it on for like 10 minutes. My kitty thinks she's royalty already, and hey the crown fits!

Another highlight of the family bday bash was when I was looking through the few pics that were taken that night. Someone took a booty shot of me! It made me laugh! I almost deleted it from my camera, but changed my mind. I thought I'd save it for the grandkids someday. That is what grandma's booty looked like the day she turned 24!

I got to play with my sisters! My sisters are some of my very best friends and it is always fun to spend time with them. Kirsten and Heidi had MLK day off (we missed Julie) and so we spent the afternoon shopping at the cute little stores in downtown Mesa. Julie then met us at home that evening for the Bachelor. (Love him!)

I ran a half-marathon. I was a little concerned about this one because I had ran my first full marathon just a week prior, but it ended up being excellent. I didn't push myself very hard, but kept a steady pace and was able to finish strong.

( This pic is funny because I ran this race by myself. I wasn't going to do this race but my friend had really wanted me to do it with her, so I went ahead and signed up knowing it was a week after the marathon. However, my friend backed out 2 days before and so I ended up doing it solo, hence the solo pic. Luckily it was in phx so there was no traveling involved.)

Unfortunately I had to work the last day of my birthday week. The hospital is not a fun place to be the last night of my celebratory week. But oddly enough I'm grateful that I was working at the hospital. The same time last year I also spent in the hospital, except I wasn't working... Empathy, is a hard lesson to learn.

The rest of my time in Florida

2009-01-21T23:13:00.000-08:00

I already posted about the marathon, but I had to add a little something about the rest of my time in Florida. I was able to work my schedule out so that I got a week off without having to take any PTO (one of the perks of long nursing shifts), so I was able to spend 6 days in Florida. Roddy and Lindsay (my bro and his wife) have a beach house in St. Augustine and I stayed with them for the rest of the time. I hung out with Lindsay and Carson while Roddy was super busy with school. And to sum it all up, it was a blast! My nephew is absolutely adorable and just overall a fun kid! He loves the beach, ice cream, and jamming out to tunes in the car (also my favs). He is only 18-months yet can sing along to his tunes, it is the funniest thing. He is super animated and entertaining to watch. Lindsay and I would just run around with him and laugh at the funny things he did (Actually, we ran around with him the first few days I was there. The post marathon days we waddled after him). I've only been home for a week and I already miss the little guy like crazy! We got on skype on Sunday and he kept on saying my name (it's usually Papa or Heidi, even when they're not there), I felt like such a proud Auntie. I added a few pics of the little guy. I seriously had so much fun. I don't think I have ever returned from a trip and felt so relaxed. Not only did I accomplish something that I didn't know I could (run a stinkin marathon!) but I was able to relax with family. It was a blast!

Too Legit To Quit

2009-01-15T16:25:00.000-08:00

I've titled this post after the song on my playlist that inspired me the most. That's right, if it wasn't for M.C. Hammer I just might not have been able to finish my first marathon. I still can't believe that I did it. It was the hardest, most painful, amazing experience. First of all I need to mention that I am not really a runner at all, however when I saw that Disney World had a marathon, I had to do it. My sister-in-law, Lindsay, did it with me and we really just had a blast. We ran through all of the parks and there were characters all along the way to cheer you on, all 26.2 miles! I think my favorite part was running through Cinderella's castle, I felt like a real princess -a really sweaty princess. They even had a gospel hallelujah chorus singing at the 26 mile mark. It was hysterical! It was as if the soundtrack in my head came to life as the finish line was finally in site. At that point, I ignored the 5 blisters on my feet, my achy legs, extreme fatigue and sprinted to the finish line. After it was over, I realized that it wasn't only my legs and feet that were hurting, but also my back and traps, or just everywhere! I pretty much had generalized edema. I wish I had video to share of Lindsay and me trying to walk after the race, we looked like we were 70! Thankfully we are recovering nicely and are ecstatic to really train and do another one......maybe.

Note: You're eyes are not deceiving you, we are wearing spandex! The New Year's Resolution is to actually look good in them.

It's Been One Week...

2009-01-04T14:44:00.000-08:00

It's crazy that it's been one week since Andrew's mission farewell. This is the last family picture with Andrew for the next 2 years. Nuts right, I know. Andrew's farewell was well attended and was pretty much amazing. The meeting was running late, and Andrew was the last speaker. I don't think he even looked at his talk that he prepared but he bore his testimony and I am positive that every person in the congregation could feel it. I have to say that I was blown away. He is going to be an incredible missionary and I am so proud of the not so little guy.

I'll be home for Christmas....if only in my dreams!

2008-12-25T13:52:00.001-08:00

Lucky me! I entered into a profession that doesn't have a closing time and doesn't take holidays! That's why I spent Christmas Eve and now will be spending Christmas night working! Bummer, I know! I went into work last night and someone told me "Merry Christmas" and I started crying, seriously I had tears. They asked me if I was ok and I could only reply "It's my first Christmas away from home", sniff sniff. So not only do I look too young to job , I now act like it. I have the best family with some of the dumbest traditions (like who has a family talent show on Christmas Eve, really?), but that is what makes the holidays great. So after a busy night filled with dressing changes for necrotic ulcers, chemotherapy, blood product transfusions, blood draws, and everyone needing a little extra TLC, I had planned on coming home and skyping with the fam. I thought atleast I could watch them, maybe feel like I was there. However, I was so beat after running around all night, that I passed out on my dining room floor (don't know why I even sat down there) in my scrubs, contacts in and all. Hopefully, with all of my running around I was able to make someone's crummy hospitalized Christmas a little bit better. Oh.. here is a pic of me on Santa's lap. I first asked him for world peace, then I asked if he could make people not sick so that I didn't have to work. So much for that! Merry Christmas!

So it begins....

2008-12-12T06:40:00.000-08:00

I got the first addition to my little family last week and thought I needed to start a blog. Actually, I got a kitten, and simply thought it would be a good way to keep in touch with family and friends. My sisters think I'm going to go crazy living alone with just me and my cat, but I guess you can be the judge!