NCLEX

feb 1st. It's almost here... SO nervous but i can't wait for it to be over. it makes it really feel like i'm graduated since this is the test I have spent the last 4 and 1/2 years preparing for...and it's the last test i'm going to take for a LONG time (that is if i pass). I have literally done thousands of practice questions the last few months. hopefully it all pays off and I will be a licensed RN by this time next week! i'm still interviewing and looking for jobs in the area which is tedious and tiring but things should get easier once I have my license. For now I'm just going to review some last essential things and then try to relax a bit before the test! wish me luck!

egg rolls, conan, and job interviews

made egg rolls last night for dinner... I got the recipe HERE. they were YUMMY and easy.

Get yourself some of these egg roll wrappers in the produce aisle.

add ginger and garlic and asian spices if you have them to ground pork/chicken. more ginger and garlic the better..


when the meat is cooked, mix with shredded cabbage and carrots. you can buy a package of coleslaw instead. Also i sauteed the veggies in water and soy sauce for a minute before mixing with the meat.

put the mixture in the wrapper... fold the bottom corner up first then right, left... then roll!

cute right? fry in peanut oil... I know they aren't the healthiest!
lay out to dry on rack or paper towels..

eat with soy sauce or sweet and sour sauce.. mmm... use more or less meat depending on what your family likes. Parker always wants more meat and I always want less...

Also...Made this shirt for myself from a template found HERE. SO sad that Conan is leaving the tonight show! seriously I really enjoy watching his show... I'll miss it on those nights I can't sleep! Also.. Had an interview yesterday... It went well but I seriously just hate interviewing.. I get so nervous but this note of encouragement from parker on my way out the door calmed my nerves a bit!

christmas

parker generously bought me a new camera for christmas since i broke my last one (oops)... Of course, as i was learning how to use it, i took a billion pictures and video which i subsequently erased when i "formatted" my memory card which actually erased everything!! So i have no pictures of christmas or my family.. just these few to share... I will have to wait until my sisters send me some pics --hint, hint-- These are a few I took the last day in st george at Elijah's blessing... Don't think I am horrible for taking pictures in church. It was a rare occasion to have my entire family on one pew and I couldn't resist a couple shots. sorry they are blurry.

We are all so infatuated with Eli. He is the coolest baby. and Jon and Jen are the best parents. it is no wonder that he is so calm and well adjusted to life already.

As for me... I'm trying to figure out what I am supposed to do with myself while everyone is starting back up school. I'm not completely nostalgic yet although I did watch the Samuelsons devotional this morning. Comforting to know they will always be going on tuesdays at 11 just in case I need a pick-me-up. Still looking for a job and anticipating taking THE test. Wish me luck... I hope to take it within the next couple of weeks!

naan

tried to make naan bread tonight to go along with our indian menu and was defeated. will try again when my courage is up. I am getting bored with cooking but really enjoy it when I find something new to make. what have you tried making lately? no, this is not my naan bread, but mine may look like this with a few more tries.

In Sickness and Health

I love this video. Have I mentioned how much I love my job at a nursing home? This video reminds me of the residents there.

Go Cougs!

BFFs..except for maybe one day of the year. Dubs put on some amazing tailgate meals this year. Sad they are over.

Beautiful Day for a ball game

Smiling Ute fans... This was obviously taken at the beginning of the game...

The picture I snapped after I was mauled and almost killed by some very happy cougs... and literally snapped on the go as I was being drug out of the stadium by a very distraught husband. :) too bad about Max and his comments huh? They have sort overshadowed the sweet victory.

happy thanksgiving

We had a great thanksgiving at the Davidsons with lots of food and playing the Wii. I managed to get a picture of the pies. Kelli and everyone managed to put out an awesome spread and of course we stuffed ourselves. and the stuffed ourselves again with leftovers. The girls stayed up late and went out to see all the fuss at midnight for black friday. It was quite ridiculous. We rode horses over at the mabey farm too. The views from the farm are so breathtaking with the mountains in the background. So beautiful. It was a great weekend. Finished off perfectly with a win from the Cougs!

i forgot

I forgot how much I like music. I don't know if it has been since I started college; started being more productive when not listening to it. Or was it when my car CD player started acting shotty. Or was it when I forgot I had an ipod and NEVER use it. on one of these recent nights i spent avoiding a very important assignment, i was wandering around the blog world like I so often do these days when wanting to avoid more tedious tasks such as school...

I came across some music I really liked... I forgot about music.. besides the hymns at church every week, or the same old songs I hear on the radio that i sort of, half way enjoy...

Music puts me in so many different moods. It brings back memories and conjures up all sorts of feelings and emotions. tonight it's making me nostalgic... for a time I had preferences and knew what kind of music I liked. I have no idea now.

So with a new vow to listen to more GOOD music.... what do you love?? please share. I need a new playlist

kayaking in moab

Instead of doing my homework like i should be doing, i'm posting old pictures from this summer. Wishing I was baking in the southern utah sun instead huddled in my apartment watching bounty hunters and blogging while avoiding school. Kasey and emily
Joe and LoriBrian and Ashley

Cruise.. Finally!!

So I know it has been over a month since our cruise but better late then never, right? Seriously this cruise was my dream vacation. The weather was awesome, so much rest and relaxation, and SO much food. I want to go back!

Taking off with the Bennionsfirst stop: Grand Cayman Island. found the best deal out to sting ray city. Our husbands are shameless bargainers. Standing in front of about 30 island people all trying to get us to come on their sting ray tour and buddy yells : CAN ANYONE BEAT $25? of course one woman could/would and everyone else was ticked... Here we are getting ready to take off from the harbor.Jen and Bud. Great great traveling friends.Can you beleive the color of the water? I was in awe the whole time.
Sting Ray City

Seven years good luck for kissing a sting ray! These pics were taken on a water proof disposable camera. I was pretty pleased with how they turned out BFF's
We stopped at a beach on our way back to the cruise ship. Does this picture look familiar? (refer back to the last post) ..... So nice Hondoras!!! Despite the hoards of people attacking us, the chain link fence, the little kids begging for money, and the many guards supervising, hondoras was beautiful!

Carlos... Our dependable driver. It took us a while to get to the beach but we finally made it. Oh Gary, we liked you so much more before we actually met you Beliz City. It was rainy and drab the day we were there so we decided to forgo the beach and see the city. Parker and Henry.We went on a horse-buggy ride around the city.oh don't worry, thats just some people breaking into a car in the middle of the day..A little tienda we stopped at to get treats.Our driver, Ryan. He loves Obama. He also likes to play basketball and smoke pot. ONe of the days at sea we went on a tour of the kitchen which was actaully really cool because it is HUGE... but this was my favorite picture from the tour...like seriously who makes this? we really dressed up for formal night...
mmmm... drinking our well earned pina colada's on deck. :)

Last stop: Cozumel Mexico.We cruised arouned the entire island on this little scooter. One of the highlights of the trip: watching buddy trying to get on this floating platform. He literally tried for 10 minutes. of course parker didn't help.Jenny's cute baby belly.Pretty rocks that water would splash up against and come up through little holes in the rock.
George and BANCHA!!! the best waiters on the cruise.mmm... the sushi bar you could find me at almost every night.
The mini golf course we played at least 5 times.

Shuffle board at dusk...

The cruise was amazing. It was absolutely ideal. So fun. So beautiful. Such a great time. It is amazing to see different places on this earth and how beautiful and diverse different places are. I love the desert and the mountains but I think the carribean takes the cake!