road trip! (and turkey day!)

After my final on Wednesday, Jeremy and I took off to St. George to meet the Newman's for Thanksgiving weekend!

Here's what our trip looked like from my point of view...I love, love, LOVE Chick-fil-A! But I don't get it very often, so Jeremy made that our first stop! He's so sweet!

Just kickin' back, enjoying the pretty views (with no traffic!) but it didn't last very long.

About an hour later we drove through some stormy weather.

And then we hit some traffic. (Jeremy wasn't thrilled.) Luckily it didn't last too long!

{Can you see the rainbow? You have to look close!}

Boredom may lead to knitting!

Almost through the storms!

On our way to St. George we stopped in Las Vegas to visit the family I used to nanny for. I've missed them so much! It was so nice to spend some time with them and they were kind enough to feed us a very yummy dinner! {Thanks Sonia!}

I hadn't seen the kids for over a year so I knew they wouldn't remember me, but Arianne warmed up to me really quick! Her mom shows her pictures of me often, so I think that helped. (She still remembers Mr. Wilson though!)

I made some hair clips for her and she was so excited! She carried them around with her and wanted to try all of them on. Before I left she thanked me for the "flowers" without any prompting from her mom. It was so sweet!

What a pretty girl! And smart too! She's fluent in French and English, and knows a little bit of Spanish (from school). Here's a video of her counting to ten in all three languages!

And boy had Sammy gotten big! He was still a baby when I saw him last. :(

(He's such a handsome boy!)

After a couple wrong turns, we finally got back on track (thanks to the iPhones!). We arrived in St. George around 10:30 and spent some time with family before heading off to bed.

Thursday morning I made some yummy Pumpkin Waffles. I'm pretty sure that's going to be a new tradition for Jeremy and I - no matter where we are!

Jeremy did a great job of carving the turkey...

Then we all sat down to have a delicious Thanksgiving dinner!

Jeremy may have eaten too much...

(He broke the chair!)

After dinner we relaxed, played some games and, of course, watched college football. {I was knitting.} It was a nice, relaxing day!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

{I missed you family!}

The Fat Lady Has Sung

I just took my very LAST final EVER for nursing school!

HALLELUJAH!

(I feel like I've been saying that a lot lately!)

...

Next up... the NCLEX. dun dun dun.

I GOT THE JOB!!!

I can't even being to describe how shocked and excited I am!!! The nurse recruiter called me this afternoon and asked how I thought the interview went. (Even though she was there.) I told her I thought it went well and that I really enjoyed our meeting. Then she told me they would like to "officially extend the offer" to me. I was ecstatic! (to say the least) It is a night shift position, which will be difficult, but I knew I would have to pay my dues if I wanted to work in L&D. I'm pretty sure Diet Coke is going to become my new best friend. :)

Anyway, I'm beyond relieved that I don't have to worry about finding a job anymore. The past few weeks have been really difficult. (Just ask Jeremy - he's been dealing with quite the emotions around here. I think he deserves the Hubby of the Year Award.) And I've been really stressed out. Especially since I felt like the only one in my class who didn't have a job yet. Yesterday, my teacher asked the class who had jobs. About 99% of the class raised their hands. I felt really dumb...

But I don't anymore! I am just so unbelievably blessed. I'm so grateful to my Father in Heaven who continues to bless me each and every day. He has helped me every single step of the way and I wouldn't have been able to get where I am today without His help.

I would like to thank ALL of you who have helped me along the way. (You know who you are) And I want you to know that I appreciate all you've done for me.

In conclusion:

HOORAY!!! WAHOO!!! HALLELUJAH!!!

2 interviews in 2 days!

This has been quite the productive week as far as the job search goes! Let's start from the top...

Yesterday I had an interview at a midwifery center! (That might sound odd to some of you, but I've always been curious about midwifery and ever since I read the Baby Catcher I've been hooked.) As an RN, I would be a first birth assistant. Basically, I would assist the midwives with births - pretty much my total dream job. I've even thought about possibly becoming a midwife one day. Maybe. Anyway, the interview went really well and I start in a couple weeks. At first, they'll just train me and we'll see if it's a good fit. If it all works out, this will be an ideal second job. I would tell them which days I'm available (as many or as little as I like) and they call me if a woman goes into labor. It's just perfect! I'm so excited to help bring cute babies like these into the world...

(picture stolen from Lisa's photo blog)

Interview #2 was this morning, for a Labor and Delivery position at a somewhat nearby hospital. It's a little farther than I'd prefer, but hey - it's Labor and Delivery, right? Anyway, the interview went really well. All three interviewers were really nice. They smiled a lot and were happy with all of my answers. At one point we were even laughing together! One of the women even said it was "refreshing" to hear me talk about my passion for L&D. It was awesome! I should hear back from them sometime next week. I'm really hopeful, but I'm also really scared. I don't want to get my hopes up and get disappointed again. Cross your fingers for me!

one month from today

i will finally be done with school!

...

hip

hip

hooray!

To my dear nephew Jake:

I saw the video clip of you playing football on ksl.com and I'm concerned for your safety. Don't get me wrong, you are an excellent quarterback.

BUT YOU ARE GOING TO GET KILLED! They showed that one play of you getting sacked...

and I just about wet my pants. Ten more of those and you'll be in a hospital bed for sure. I'm serious here Jake. Do you really have to play football? We're pretty fond of you around here and would really appreciate it if you stuck around. I'm sure there are other people who would agree with me. Just do me (and your sweet mother) a favor and consider not playing. Or better yet, why don't you pray about it?

By the way -- how's that elbow?

I love you. Please be safe.

Your Auntie,

Mikelle

P.S. If you'd like to see the video clip, just click HERE. You will see the aforementioned QB sack at 1:29 and your interview starts at 4:39. You're famous! (But don't let that get to your head.) Love ya!

{Click on the pictures for details.}

Will it ever end?

The prop 8 protest continues...FOX NEWS video clip here

I just don't get it. What do they think they're going to accomplish? We already voted! And I really don't understand why they're targeting us (the LDS church).

Here are a few (okay, ten) interesting facts for those people who blame us for the passage of Prop 8:

1. Mormons make up about 2% of the population of California. There are approximately 800,000 Mormons out of a total population of approximately 34 million.

2. Mormon voters were less than 5% of the "yes" vote. If one estimates that 250,000 Mormons are registered voters (the rest being children). If every single Mormon voter in California votes yes, they made up approximately 4.4% of the Yes vote and 2.2% of the total Proposition 8 vote. PROP 8's MARGIN OF VICTORY WAS OVER 500,000 VOTES. IF EVERY MORMON VOTER HAD STAYED HOME FROM THE POLLS, PROP 8 STILL WOULD HAVE PASSED EASILY.

3. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) donated not one dime to the Yes on 8 campaign. Individual members of the Church were encouraged to support the Yes on 8 efforts and, exercising their constitutional right, donated whatever they felt like donating.

4. The No on 8 campaign raised more money than the Yes on 8 campaign. Unofficial estimates put No on 8 at $38 million and Yes on 8 at $32 million. The No campaign enjoyed a substantial money advantage.

5. African Americans in California overwhelmingly supported Yes on 8. Exit polls show that 70% of Black voters chose Yes on 8. Haven't read about any protests at the NAACP offices.

6. The majority of Latino voters voted Yes on 8. Exit polls show that the majority of Latinos supported Yes on 8. Are protesters headed to the MALDEF offices next?

7. The Yes on 8 coalition was a broad spectrum of religious organizations. Catholics, Evangelicals, Protestants, Orthodox Jews, Muslims – all supported Yes on 8. It is estimated that there are 10 million Catholics and 10 million Protestants in California. Mormons were a tiny fraction of the population represented by Yes on 8 coalition members. The Knights of Columbus were primary contributors to the Yes campaign. Are the protesters planning to send a delegation to the Vatican to let Pope know how they feel?

8. Not all Mormons voted in favor of Proposition 8. Our faith accords that each person be allowed to choose for him or her self. Church leaders have repeatedly asked members to treat others with "civility, respect and love," despite their differing views.

9. The Mormon church is under no obligation to refrain from participating in the political process to the extent permitted by law. U.S. election law is very clear that Churches may not endorse candidates, but may support issues. The Church as always been very careful on this matter and occasionally (not often) chooses to support causes that it judges to be moral issues.

10. Supporters of Proposition 8 did exactly what the Constitution provides for all citizens: they exercised their First Amendment rights to speak out on an issue that concerned them, make contributions to a cause that they support, and then vote in the regular electoral process. For the most part, this seems to have been done in an open, fair, and civil way. Opponents of 8 have accused supporters of being bigots, liars, and worse.

The fact is, we simply did what Americans do – we spoke up, we campaigned, and we voted.

Just listen to what Elton John has to say:

USA TODAY article Nov 15, 2008

In December 2005, John and Furnish tied the knot in a civil partnership ceremony in Windsor, England. But, clarified the singer, "We're not married. Let's get that right. We have a civil partnership. What is wrong with Proposition 8 is that they went for marriage. Marriage is going to put a lot of people off, the word marriage."

John and Furnish, and their two cocker spaniels, Marilyn and Arthur, were in town for Tuesday's annual benefit for the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

"I don't want to be married. I'm very happy with a civil partnership. If gay people want to get married, or get together, they should have a civil partnership," John says. "The word 'marriage,' I think, puts a lot of people off.

"You get the same equal rights that we do when we have a civil partnership. Heterosexual people get married. We can have civil partnerships."

http://www.usatoday.com%20article/

Creative Cookie

My ward is chock-full of some seriously talented people. And my friend, Lori, is definitely one of them! She started a new blog shop called "Creative Cookie" and it's adorable! She has tons of cute ideas that are really well priced. Go check it out - you won't regret it!

http://creativecookiesheets.blogspot.com/

P.S. I didn't want to tell you (since it lowers my chances of winning) but she's having a:{I hope I win!}

just venting...

I didn't get the job. And I'm really disappointed. I've been looking for other jobs but there aren't any positions open. I'm getting really frustrated because people in my class are getting jobs left and right. Are there even going to be any jobs left? I mean, for as long as I can remember I've heard about the "nursing shortage" and been told that I will have no trouble at all finding a job as a nurse. But here's the problem: hospitals want nurses with experience. Not new grads, like me. (That's because new grads have to be trained, which costs more money). On top of that, I want to work in Labor and Delivery, which is hard to get into because there's hardly ever any open positions. I've called just about every hospital in a 50 mile radius but I haven't had much luck. I'm getting really discouraged. I wish I could just forget about all this job hunting, have a baby and be a stay-at-home mom. Is that too much to ask?

...

My Christmas wish list:

a good laugh!

This scene from last week's episode of The Office made me laugh so hard it hurt!

That just doesn't get old.

Oh, how I love The Office.

Good News and Bad News

I'll give you the good news first -- Prop 8 passed!!! It was really close: 52% to 48%! To be honest, I had doubts that it wouldn't pass but I'm so glad it did. Our hard work paid off!

The bad news -- I now fear for my life. Here's why: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=80220

Here are some highlights for those who don't want to read the whole article:

On a blog website, "Tread" wrote, "I hope the No on 8 people have a long list and long knives."

A contributor identifying himself as "Joe" said, "I swear, I'd murder people with my bare hands this morning."

On the "Queerty" website, "Stenar" asked, "Can someone in CA please go burn down the Mormon temples there, PLEASE. I mean seriously. DO IT."

"I'm going to give them something to be f---ing scared of. … I'm a radical who is now on a mission to make them all pay for what they've done," wrote "Jonathan."

On yet another site, "Americablog," "scottinsf" wrote, "Trust me. I've got a big list of names of mormons and catholics that were big supporters of Prop 8. … As far as mormons and catholics … I warn them to watch their backs."

"I do not openly advocate firebombing or vandalism. What you do with the information is your own choice," wrote Jeremy.

Below is a picture from a rally at the LA Temple.

(http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-141504)

I have a feeling this isn't going to end anytime soon...

visiting family...

I got back from visiting my family on Sunday and now I finally have some free time to blog about it! Here are a few highlights from the trip...

Friday morning I went to the elementary school to watch two of my niece's in their costume parade.

Paige and I waiting for the girls.

Bailey as a beautiful snow fairy!

And Rachel as a surgeon!

That afternoon I went to lunch with a handful of the fam including my dad and Grandma. (Dad - could you email me some pictures?)

After getting everything ready for the big Halloween party, my mom and I went to (my nephew) Jake's football game. He's the star quarterback and I don't like it. (Football is too rough.)

Jake is right in the middle, #5. During the 1st quarter of the game he fell on his arm and injured his elbow but he's tough and finished out the rest of the game.
Emery sure enjoyed the game! What a cutie!

After the game (well, half time) it was time to party!!! There was lots of yummy food...Funny, cute and scary costumes...

And a super fun candy hunt!

Then it was time for trick-or-treating!

(Yes, I did go trick-or-treating with the kids! You're never too old for free candy!)

The next morning my mom and I went to (my nephew) Derek's football game...

He did a great job! (Still not a big fan of my nephews playing football though.)

Later on that afternoon I went to lunch with Jeremy's sister and two of his brothers. They were nice enough to drive up from Provo to see me! It was sure fun hanging out with them!

That evening I got to watch Emery! She is such a sweet, happy and beautiful baby! I'm so sad that I'm not around to watch her grow up. The next time I see her she'll be crawling. :(

Of course I had to get a picture of her playing with the blanket I made!

(The helmet she's wearing is used to reshape her head. I was surprised to see how well she did with it on. It doesn't even bother her!)

She LOVES to clap her hands...

and play peek-a-boo!

And this is by far her favorite expression:

So cute!

Later on that night everyone came over for pizza, wings and the Utah game! It was so fun to hang out with everyone one last time before I had to go.

Oh and we can't forget about cute Allyssa. Here she is with her adorable self portraits...

Just precious.

The next morning my mom and I went to Simone's church and then she had us over for a yummy lunch! Fortunately, Lance, Adri and Emery came too!

Time for last goodbyes and then off to the airport...Thanks to my wonderful family for making my trip so great! And a huge thanks to my mom for all her generosity and love! You're the best!