The Brothers Comatose

Here is another band that I discovered while at the Eugene Saturday Market and farmers market this last Saturday! I was walking around downtown on my way to my mom's booth, and I came across a giant crowd that was gathered around this band. I decided to stop and take a look myself. I loved them! If you like bluegrass, I bet you would to. Lots of hippie dancers were dancing around freely, without a care in the world. It was refreshing to stand in such a happy crowd enjoying the warm sunshine beating down our backs, the bright blue sky above us, the bright green grass around us, good food, and some good ol' bluegrass :)

Sometimes I wish I could be like the hippie dancers, out dancing without a care in the world, but I worry too much about what other people think. Why should I care so much? I don't know, but I do. I need to let go, not be so reserved sometimes. I think that I would enjoy life a lot more if I stopped keeping myself in my own cage of restrictions. Sometimes I think I miss some of the important fun little aspects of life because I don't let myself be free. That's what has been on my mind lately. I'm going to be working on that. Here is the link to the band at some bluegrass festival in 2009 if you want to check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a01kZnasFA

Project Half Marathon!

I've always talked about wanting to become a runner, but alas I have not taken any steps towards that goal.

Well folks, it's going to finally happen (I hope)! I'm on day two of running, and although I can barely run 2 miles without stopping and feeling like I'm going to die, I'm pretty proud of myself! My goal is to run the Eugene half marathon in May. At this point I can't imagine myself running 13 miles, but I have faith that by the time May rolls around, I will be ready for it. Of course I'm allowing myself lots of time to prepare for it, because God knows I need it :)

I'll keep you all posted on my progress!

Nurse Julie

Boy it's been a long time since I've blogged. I feel like it's time that I catch some of you up about what's been going on in my life!


On June 21st I began my adventure to becoming a CNA. Fast forward nine weeks later, and I am about to graduate from the CNA program at LCC :) I only have two more days of clinicals, and 2 more days of class to complete! It has sure been a tiring, yet rewarding experience.

CNA work is nothing like I expected. I knew that CNA's do all of the grunt work, but I don't think that I fully realized to what extent that grunt work would be. CNA work is both emotionally and physically draining. Through this experience I have learned more about what it means to really love others, how to be brave during times when I am outside of my comfort zone, and how to truly be patient.

My first day in clincals was probably the hardest day of them all. I had never set foot inside of a nursing home, so I had no idea what to expect. My teacher told us a little about them, but nothing could really prepare me for what I was about to experience. The first thing that I noticed when entering the nursing home was the distinct smell of must, cheap orange air freshener, and all sorts of human bodily fluids. Not a good smell as you might guess. It was dark inside and had an immediate feeling of gloom. I remember standing at the nurses station looking down the four long crowded hallways. People were rushing up and down the hallways with faces of shear exhaustion. Several extremely disabled elderly people sitting in their wheelchairs, some yelling, while others sat in silence. Inside I was panicking. Could I really do this? I had never been around so many sick people who looked so hopeless. Many of you who know me know that I am easy to get emotional, so it is to no surprise that the tears started rolling once I got into my car and headed home. I was not emotionally ready for this. This was a side of aging and sickness that I had never experienced before, and I think that many of us have not seen. A lot of the elderly in this nursing home are hardly ever visited by family or friends, and feel as though they have just been left there to die. It just absolutely breaks my heart. They feel as though they are invisible to society, and that nobody but the caregivers really care about them. I met one elderly woman who is one-hundred years old and is completely blind. She is still able to walk with a walker which is amazing! She is not diagnosed with dementia, so she is well aware with what is going on around her. She is one of the sweetest ladies I have ever met, and one of the saddest. She is completely embarrassed with the fact that she cannot take care of herself anymore. She hardly gets visitors, and she has lost everything she has ever owned. She repeatedly tells me that she wishes that she had friends, and that she just wants to go home and die. Gosh what do you say to that? She has every right to be extremely sad. I think most of all, this woman needs a friend that she can talk to. Someone that will take the time to sit down with her, hear her stories, and talk about life. This is something that so many of the residents need, and I suppose something that we all need in every stage of our lives.

I have been working at the nursing home now for 3 weeks and I feel much more comfortable with my job. I absolutely love the residents, especially the 18 pound orange tabby cat named Morris who snorts :) I will tell you a little bit about some of my favorite residents.

There is a woman who is 98 years old who thinks that she is 23 years old. I absolutely adore her. She has severe dementia and is very dependent on others for care. She loves to hold your hand over her heart, and she will just hold it for as long as you'll let her. One of the things that she loves to do is to drum the table and clap. She used to be a music teacher, so she can keep a good beat. I think that somebody should get her some bongos!

Another one of my favorites is a Ukrainian woman in her 90's. She loves her accessories. She wears her sunglasses pretty much anywhere she goes, and she wears a hat quite often too. She will just sit there and smile at you all day long :)

There are also some really cute old men as well. One of the men that I usually feed daily loves his grapes! He also winks at me quite often, and tells me that he loves me haha. There is also an old man that gives all of the CNA's little back scratches while they are caring for him. That is his way of thanking us for what we do. He's also one that will just sit there and smile at you all day.

It is these people, and knowing that what I am doing is bringing some sunshine into these people's lives that have helped get me through my clinicals. Seeing the impact that you are making on others is so rewarding. I absolutely love what I do. It feels right, and for the first time in awhile I feel like I am in my element, and it is so exciting!

I also had the opportunity to work for two days at the hospital with my class, and it was probably the coolest thing ever! I loved it there, and I am so excited to work at a hospital someday. It is extremely clean, organized, and there is a lot of light! I got to work on the surgical floor with all sorts of different people of all ages. It was nice to have a little break from the nursing home. I am definitely signing up for the next CNA 2 class which will allow me to work in the hospital!

Friday August 20th is my graduation. The nursing home is hosting the celebration for my class to show their appreciation of our work. There will be lots of food, and the best part is that I'll be getting my certification for completing my class, and will be ready to take the state board of nursing exam later this month! I'm ecstatic!


THE BUSKIRKS ARE COMING TO TOWN!!!! Every time that I get to see them is such a treat. My sister will be arriving August 16th, and will be here for 6 days. My brother-in-law will be here for 2 days and will fly in at the end of that week. It should be a fun week of spending time with the whole Adams family clan. I can't wait!

Another exciting event happening next week is my grandma's surprise 80th birthday party on August 21st! The whole family will be there, plus some of her closest friends. I'm really excited to see her face when she walks into our house. She thinks that she is just coming to a small lunch to celebrate my graduation, but little does she know we are celebrating her! Her real birthday is on September 17th, but this was the only time that the whole family could be there. It's going to be wonderful!

Today I have the day off from clinicals, and it has been refreshing! I woke up just before 10 am, ate my cinnamon toast crunch, and then went to run errands with my mother. We got all sorts of delicious fruits and vegetables from the local farm, and I have been downing the blackberries ever since we got home. Tonight my parents and I are going to the annual Scandinavian festival in Junction City. It is an outdoor festival that has AMAZING food, crafts, Scandinavian dances, and vikings walking around. You can't get much better than that!
Here's a picture from two years ago.


Now I am off to help the parents wash all of our windows, inside and out, and after I think I'm going to take Zoe to a dog park and let her play with some other dogs for a bit. I love summer days! Kind of reminds me of the song by Jerry Mungo "In the Summertime" minus the part about the Women haha.

These are the lyrics I love-

"We're no threat, people
We're not dirty, we're not mean
We love everybody but we do as we please
When the weather's fine
We go fishin' or go swimmin' in the sea
We're always happy
Life's for livin' yeah, that's our philosophy

Sing along with us
Dee dee dee-dee dee
Dah dah dah-dah dah
Yeah we're hap-happy
Dah dah-dah
Dee-dah-do dee-dah-do dah-do-dah
Dah-do-dah-dah-dah
Dah-dah-dah do-dah-dah "

Good song :)



Me and my fabulous hammock!
This is summer living at it's finest :)

Yesterday

Yesterday was a very eventful day for me, and not in a good way...

I fainted in the middle of class. I couldn't believe it! We were about halfway through class, and we were all standing by the hospital beds getting a demonstration on how to lift people from their beds and to a wheelchair. I had been feeling fine the whole day up until one point when I started to feel light headed. I thought that maybe it would go away, but it just got worse. I decided that I better sit down, so I sat down on one of the hospital beds. I started to feel nauseous and really dizzy, so I closed my eyes. Next thing I knew I was on the ground and my teacher was trying to wake me up. They said that I was out for a little more than 10 seconds. At first I thought I was dreaming, and then I realized, nope I'm definitely on the floor right now.

My classmates told me that I smacked the left side of my face on the concrete floor pretty hard, and man do I feel it. I bit my cheek really bad, and had a headache for the rest of the day. Luckily I didn't break anything or have a head injury. I'm not bruised either which I'm thankful for. I just have a really sore face =/ How embarrassing! My classmates were really nice though. A girl named Shelby sat beside me while I was laying on the the bed during our break, and another girl went and bought a cold soda to put on my face. They all were telling me their fainting stories, and that made me feel better. They also told me that I was the most calm and graceful fainter they've ever seen. I guess that's a compliment? Haha :)

We've concluded that the cause for my fall was probably a lack of water and protein. I think that I picked the best time to pass out. I was in a room with lots of hospital beds, and there were two nurses. God was sure watching out for me! I could have potentially gotten extremely hurt with all of the equipment that I happened to not hit when I fell.

On the bright side, everyone in class knows who I am now :) Hopefully class today will be less eventful!

AHHH!!!!!

Today it happened folks...

My middle toenail officially fell off while in class...

I first noticed that it was falling off about a week and a half ago, and it has kind of been freaking me out ever since. I just don't like the idea of my whole toenail separating from my skin. Today during the last hour of class I went to scratch my foot with my other foot, and I felt this sharp pain for only a second. I looked down, and yep sure enough my nail was loose except for at one corner where it was still attached. It was sick! I pulled the last corner off and after holding my whole toenail for a split second, I quickly threw it in the trash. There was a nail growing underneath the dead one, so now I have a really short nail that only goes halfway up my nail bed. It is colorless which now really sticks out since my toenails are hot pink. Our body sure knows how to take care of itself! Thank you God for creating our bodies to be so intricate and cool :)

New Bangs :)

Here they are! I can actually see :) Boy has my hair has gotten outrageously long! It's time for a trim, but that will have to be at the end of June...

I also got to talk with Alicia for 3 hours today :) It was wonderful!

Have you ever sorted through hundreds of moldy onions?

I hadn't until tonight. I didn't even know that onions could become moldy! Needless to say it was a pretty disgusting sight.

Every last Monday of the month, a couple of us from my home church volunteer at Food For Lane County which is an organization that gets food donations from surrounding restaurants, cafeterias, and businesses from all over the county. I absolutely love volunteering here. You meet some pretty cool people, and it's actually really fun! When you arrive you have to sign in, wash your hands, and put on an apron. I love any excuse to wear an apron. I don't know why I have a thing for them, but I do :) There are dozens of carts full of food items that need to be packaged into smaller containers that will feed families of four. There are people that get the bags ready, pack the food, and then people who write out labels for the packages. Tonight my duty was labeling which I love! There are several categories that the food is separated into and put into crates where it is then put into the freezer.

As you can probably tell from my other posts, I absolutely adore elderly couples! I think they are so stinkin' cute :) Well there is another elderly couple that I absolutely adore who volunteers the same time as me. I don't remember their names because I didn't get to talk to them today, and I met them probably 5 months ago, but they must be in their mid 80's. They are absolute sweethearts. They come out to volunteer together every week. Isn't that the coolest? I hope that my future husband and I do the same someday.

After we finished packaging all of the food items, it was time to sort the onions! Oh my! I've never seen so many rotten onions. We were given crates of them, and we had to decide whether they were salvageable and peel away the bad parts, or decide that they were too far-gone. I did cry a bit. Too bad I didn't have any onion goggles. Those would have been handy!

At the end, Dan who is head of the organization took some of us outside to the back of the building to look at their compost piles. Super cool! When I have my own house and garden I definitely want to start one. Back by the compost piles we saw a deer. It was probably only 10 feet away from us. Surprisingly it wasn't scared of us at all, and continued to eat grass even while we moved around. Once we came back in we had dessert. Food For Lane County doesn't give away dessert items, so any donations of dessert go to the volunteers who are helping :) Score! Tonight there were rice krispy treats and brownies. Yum!

Today has been both good, and frustrating. Registering for LCC has been extremely complicated and confusing. I've had to re-apply twice now, and they still aren't allowing me to register. The orientation class that I have to take before I can sign up to be in my CNA class is filling up, but since they keep miss communicating with me, I'm still unable to sign up which creates a dilemma. Hopefully they will have everything figured out by Wednesday. Another issue is that I can't sign up for my CNA class until the 15th of June. The class starts the 21st and I am afraid that I won't get in. My mom keeps telling me to stop stressing myself out about it. She says if I don't get in then I'll just take the class fall term, which is ok, but I wanted to do it this summer. If I don't get into my class, hopefully I will be able to take some of the classes I need to take this summer instead of the fall. We'll see. For now I just need to calm down and trust that everything will work out how it is supposed to.

Tomorrow I am going to call the college in Colorado that I am going to apply to, and learn more about their nursing program and see if I am on track. I'm pretty sure I only have Microbiology left, and I am going to re-take anatomy 1 and 2 and try to get an A. I also need to contact the school in Idaho that I plan to apply to and see if I am on track for applying there as well.

Today my mom booked my airline tickets! Idaho here I come :) I am so excited to get to spend a week with one of my favorite people in the whole world. My sister Jen is somebody that I look up to a lot. Her poise, grace, intelligence, encouragement, and loving spirit just amazes me. I don't ever remember a time where Jen and I fought. We've always had a close relationship, and an even closer one now that we have both grown up. I wish that I could see her more than every 6 months. The last time that I saw her was at Thanksgiving. That is why I wouldn't mind going to nursing school in Idaho. I would be living in the same town as her for once :). I am also excited to get to spend more time with my brother-in-law Jake, and of course their yellow lab, Samson. I love him!

My flight leaves June 1st at 3:05 pm to the land of potatoes, and I will be returning June 8th at 11:20 am. One thing you may or may not know about me is that I absolutely LOVE flying! If nursing doesn’t work out, I would seriously consider becoming a flight attendant. Airports fascinate me. I love watching the people. I always want to know where they are going, and where they have been in life. I have also always secretly hoped that I would run into a famous person while at the airport. Seeing Chris Martin or Guy Berryman would be just swell :).

Tomorrow I am getting my bangs cut and styled. I am way long overdue. My bangs are OUT OF CONTROL! Lately I have just been pinning them back because they are not cooperating. I am going to go for a different style than I have done in the past so I am a little wary, but excited. I don't know how to explain it, so I'll just have to post a picture. I am also going to skype with Miss Alicia Jean Keithley at 4:00 pm :D I suggested that we skype at 5, and she agreed. Luckily she reminded me that she is an hour ahead. I totally spaced that fact. I would have been late to our skype date haha. We have texted a lot since school got out, but we have yet to have a long conversation, so tomorrow we are going to catch up and it is going to be wonderful! While I am in Idaho, hopefully Alicia will make it down to Boise one day and we can hang out. After we skype, I am going to go to my church's college group which will be nice. I have been lacking in spending time with God lately. That needs to change.

This last week I was up in Newberg, and it was so wonderful! I got to spend time with and see some more of my favorite people; Margaret, Karina, Nick, Brandon, Heather, Carter, Lissa, and Mandee! Coming back to Newberg and helping out with Genesis reminded me of how much I love Fox and kind of rekindled my sadness of leaving such an amazing place. The students would ask me what year I was, and I told them that I was going to be a Junior at Fox, although it was not true. I just decided that instead of having to go through and explain the long story of why I am leaving fox, it would be easier just to not tell people.

So much of my life is up in Newberg, and it is hard to adjust to living back where I grew up, and not by my close friends. I just keep reminding myself that my goal in life is to become a Nurse, and in order for me to accomplish that goal I am going in the direction that will get me there. I also remind myself that in two years I would have experienced the same separation from my close friends. I am just going through the transition a little earlier. I also realize how my leaving Fox also affects the lives of my friends. Not only am I adjusting, but they have to adjust as well. No longer will they get to see me on a daily basis, but what is good is that I am only a short car ride and phone call away. I still want to be a big part of their lives, as will they always be a big part of mine.

This whole past year I have been praying to God asking him to direct me and show me the path to take, and he delivered. My last semester at Fox was by far the hardest one, and I’ve come to realize that God has something else in store. Although I love Fox so much, I feel that he is leading me in another direction to a whole new adventure. I wasn't feeling like Fox's nursing program was the right fit for me. I just couldn't see myself there, which surprised me since it had been my plan ever since my sophomore year of High School. I'm still unsure of where God's leading me, but I have complete faith that whatever it is, it is going to be awesome. Maybe he will take me to Colorado, or Idaho, or maybe he's got something entirely different in mind. For now, I am here in Eugene, listening and waiting and being present, here and now. I pray to God everyday that he will bring me a community of people here in Eugene that I can grow close with, I haven't found them yet, but I know they are here. I
just need to discover them!

Oh life... you are harder than I ever imagined. Sometimes I think to myself, “you’re an adult, when did that happen?” It sure sneaks up on you!

Silver Creek Falls

Would have been a cute one, but it's blurry. Bummer!

Bridal Shower

Operation bridal shower complete!!! It's done, and I am so happy with how it turned out. At first I was afraid that nobody was going to show up since it was 7 o'clock and nobody had arrived yet, but there ended up being twelve of us! The decorations came together beautifully which was a relief. The vision I had in my head when I was planning it looked good, and the end product ended up looking just like I wanted it to :) Everyone was impressed with my hand made flower lanterns. They didn't believe me when I told them that I made them. I am pretty crafty if I must say so myself :) Laura was very excited, and I could tell that this shower meant a lot to her. She was so happy, and that made all of the hard work worth it. I think for a first timer I planned a pretty fantastic party! Now with one bridal shower under my wing, I'm prepared for the next one. Hopefully that will not be for awhile! Here are some photos from the party~

Kudana

So I found this video online of the Marimba band from Eugene that was playing at Saturday market last weekend, and I felt that you all needed to see what I experienced haha. I particularly like the dancers in this video :) Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJJDAANiAVc&feature=related

The Bavarian Haus

I have finally returned from a day with the parents and Zoe! First off, wasn't it the most beautiful day ever? It was absolutely perfect hiking weather. At 11 am, my parents, my dog, and I headed to Silver Creek Falls near Silverton. Zoe sat in the backseat with me. She seemed excited about the occasion. I think at first she thought she was going to the dog park because that is where we usually take her, but she soon realized she was on a day trip with the Adams!



Once we arrived, we parked and found a nice picnic bench in the sun and ate our lunch. There was a wedding reception taking place not too far from where we were, so it was interesting to listen to their conversations. The groom had an English accent which was fabulous. I think accents are wonderful! I also heard some interesting music. There was a lot of Enrique Iglesias, "I can be your hero baby." It still rings in my head 9 hours later...

Once we finished lunch, we headed for the trails. We weren't able to go on the Canyon trail with Zoe, but there were still some trails in the surrounding area that we were able to hike. We saw the North Falls, the South falls, and lots of little creeks. It was beautiful! We definitely want to go back without Zoe and hike the full trail. It was fun having her with us though :)

After our little trek, we went and explored Silverton, and Mt. Angel. I showed mom and dad where the Mt. Angel Abbey was that I went to one time, and we had fun looking at all of the old beautiful houses in Silverton. When we were driving around in Mt. Angel, we came upon this restaurant called "The Bavarian Haus." It was this cute little German restaurant. They had patio seating, so we sat outside. German music was playing the whole time which was fun! There was quite a variety of tunes. It started out with Om pa pa music, and then it went to upbeat German pop. My mom and I shared the fondue appetizer. It came with apples, bread, and German sausage that we dipped in a cheese fondue made from beer, wine, and Swiss cheese. It was DELICIOUS! My dad ordered a steak sandwich which was also really tasty. Then we all shared an apple strudel :) Super fun! Once we were finished eating, it was back to Eugene.

Currently my father is mowing the lawn at 8:35 pm. I think this is a random time to do it considering that it is almost dark. Haha oh well. Hopefully none of our neighbors are in bed yet! Tomorrow's agenda entails going jogging in the morning, trying on my brides maid dress and doing some fittings, baking a cake for the bridal shower, and making sure that everything is ready for the bridal shower on Saturday. My mom and I will also be cleaning the house, and my car desperately needs a bath!

I will be posting more pictures from today's adventure soon!

Fruit Nut Medley Mix

Currently I am sitting at my dinning room table eating my fruit nut medley trail mix from Costco. Most of you probably know already, but besides being addicted to cereal, I am addicted to the fruit nut medley mix. It has dried apples, kiwi, mangoes, papaya, pineapple, strawberries, bananas, cherries, raisins, and then peanuts, almonds, and walnuts. Can you get any more delicious and healthier than that? The dried apples are my favorite and usually the first to disappear from the bag. Usually I scavenger around everything in the bag in hopes of finding the apple chunks. It's tricky though because the apples and the pineapples look very similar. I'm a pro at distinguishing between them now, but it was difficult at first. Last year in Hob 3, all of the girls on the floor loved the mix too, especially Miss Amy Jackson. We would both sit in the hallway, and eat all of the apples in my trail mix instead of doing our homework. Every time I would come back to school from being home for the weekend, one of the first questions that was asked of me was, "did you get more fruit nut medley mix?" The answer was always yes. The bag that my mom has recently purchased is probably the best bag I have ever had. There are apple chunks up the wazoo! Amy Jackson is missing out! If you haven't had the opportunity to experience this delicious medley, you need to go to Costco and get a bag right now! You won't be disappointed. I hope :)

It's been awhile since I've written a new post, so I have a lot to catch you all up on. We'll start with last Friday.

At around 2 o'clock, Zoe and I headed over to Springfield to pick up Laura. Our first destination was the dog park. This was my first time taking Zoe to the park without my sister so I was a little nervous, but I had faith that Zoe would be safe. I always get nervous at dog parks. You never know what dogs will be nice, and what dogs will be dangerous. Zoe loves everyone, so you have to watch her and make sure that other dogs aren't getting angry. When we arrived, there were probably about 7 or so dogs in the park with their owners. Zoe ran around and said hello to probably every dog in the park, and they all were having fun playing. While Zoe was off running around, Laura and I just sat at a picnic table and talked while we watched Zoe. It had been awhile since Laura and I have gotten to talk in person. I love being able to sit and talk with her, but it also makes me sad because I've come to realize how different we both are now. I used to think that there was change in her personality and behavior, but lately I have been thinking that there has been more of a change in me rather than her. I think that quite possibly the reason why we have grown so far apart is that I have grown up while she has stayed the same.

Laura is getting married in less than a month, which worries me, and blows my mind. I don't think that her and Ryan are ready to get married, and I am not the only one who thinks this way. She knows that I don't think that this wedding is a good idea, so there's nothing more that I can say or do except to pray and be there for her. I feel like you should be excited when one of your best friends is getting married, but I can't be excited with her, which is hard. I put on a smile for her though, because she means a lot to me. June 12th is going to be a tough day. I have to walk down that isle, hold my flowers, smile, and watch her make this life changing decision that I wish she wasn't making.

After we had been talking for a while, we noticed this big German Sheppard getting kind of aggressive with another dog, so I grabbed Zoe and we headed to Skinners Butte Park. Skinners Butte Park is one of my favorite parks to visit. It has a concrete whale structure and another structure that we have no clue what it is. We think it is a turtle, but it would have to be an extremely abstract turtle. Usually the whale and turtle are either gray or blue, but recently it has been painted several different colors. So we hung out there for a little bit, and then we went to the post office so that she could mail off her wedding invitations. After we finished there, I took her back to her house and headed home.







That evening, my parents and I went on an art walk in downtown Eugene. Every first Thursday of the month all of the art gallery's downtown stay open late and have community art displayed. Every gallery has a live band playing inside, lots of snacks, and LOTS of wine. There were many tipsy grown ups! It was pretty fun for a while, but soon everything started looking the same and I was ready to go. My parent's still wanted to look though, so we didn't leave for a while. One thing I did not enjoy about the night was that in one of the gallery's I was hit on by this gross man. Of course that would happen to me! I got rid of him fast though thank goodness! After we were done downtown, my parents and I met up with my sister Shelley and her friend Pariz at Chapala’s Mexican restaurant at the Oakway mall for dinner. It was soooo good! I hadn't had Mexican food in a long time. It was nice to get to go out and spend time with my family, but I wish that Jen and Jake could have been there too!

The next day was Saturday market! My mom had to be there by 8 am, but I didn't end up going until around 1 pm. Finding a place to park was a nightmare! I have never driven around in circles in Eugene so much in my life. Finally I found a spot, but it wasn't very close to the market unfortunately. There were so many people there that day, and the weather was beautiful! I hadn't had lunch yet, so I got some phad thai, which was AMAZING, and I got a fruit salad. There were not as many hippies at the market as there usually are, but I did get to see some hippie dancers! There was a marimba band that played called Kudana, and they were super good. There were about 12 musicians in the band all ranging in different ages. They were super entertaining to watch. While I was watching the band, someone tapped on my shoulder and asked me if the band had just started. I recognized the voice and turned around and realized that it was Diana Koekkoek my friend and old small group leader. She was surprised to see me too! Out of all the people she could have asked, she tapped on my shoulder. What a coincidence. We talked for a while, and then she invited me to go with her and her family to see the Springfield High School play Cinderella. I hadn't been to a high school play in ages, so I was super excited to go. It was really good, I was pleasantly surprised! It was great getting to hang out with the Koekkoeks again. In high school, Laura and I used to go over to their house every Tuesday night to hang out with them. I miss those days.

After the play, Diana and I went and got a chocolate crème pie from Marie Calanders and then we headed over to our friend Claire's house. It was so great to get to visit with Claire. She graduated from nursing school a year ago, and understands the stress and frustrations that I am dealing with. She tried getting into nursing schools for five years, and it's taken her a long time to get to where she is. She was telling me about the program that she did in Colorado, and I am seriously considering it. She absolutely loved her education there and highly recommended it to me. She only ended up paying about $2,000 for each year that she was in school. It is only a two-year degree, but you are able to get your RN and she has a friend who was in the same program as her who is now getting her bachelors degree online, and the hospital she works for is paying for it! Sounds pretty fabulous to me! She gave me the number of a lady that would help me with any questions that I have, so I'm going to call her tomorrow. The application isn't due until March, and the program doesn't start until next fall. Colorado seems so far away, but if it gets me to my goal of becoming a nurse, then I'm willing to go anywhere that will get me to that goal. Plus it's only for two years. We'll see what path God leads me on!

Mother’s day was very low key, which was nice! My sisters and I got my mother a beautiful Orchid, and she was very excited about it. We had lasagna for lunch, and then we all took our Sunday afternoon naps :) Then at 4 o'clock, my mom, sister Shelley, and I went to the movies and saw the movie Valentines Day. It was really entertaining! I don't know if I would buy it, but I would definitely see it again. Then at 8 o'clock pm my mom and I watched the finale of the Amazing Race. The cowboys didn't end up winning like I had hoped, but at least the models didn't win. I didn't like them very much. The rest of the evening consisted of watching some episodes of the Office, and then looking at failblog online. Pretty low key. Today I didn't wake up until 11 am. I had plans of going running this morning, but at 7am I looked outside and saw that it was raining, and that finalized that decision. It's supposed to clear up tomorrow, so my plan is to go tomorrow morning. We'll see if that ends up happening.

Once I got up, I organized and cleaned the bathroom. That was quite the job. I threw away a lot of things, but I still have so much. With my sister and I combined that bathroom is completely full. I can't even imagine how everything fit when all three of us girls were living at home. I finally got things cleaned up though. Next I am going to take a shower and pick up my room a bit. My friend Karly is coming over tonight to hang out. I'm super excited because I haven't seen her since Christmas break. We've both been super busy, so it will be nice to get to sit and chat. I'm so glad that I have her here in Eugene. Even though we both have grown up so much, we still get along so well and it feels like nothing has changed. That is what I love about hanging out with her. It reminds me that even in the midst of our ever-changing lives, some things do remain the same.

Currently is it pouring outside, but I love it. I love the sound of the rain trickling down the drainpipe. Although I do wish it were sunny out, I'm kind of enjoying this typical Oregon weather :)

Well I'm going to go watch my dad on TV. The TV station is revealing a new set that they have been remodeling for quite some time now. My dad says that it looks really nice, so I'm excited to see it!

Fly Me to the Moon

After spending 3 days in the house without leaving once I might add, the room is finally complete! The only things left to do is hang up my lantern, curtains, and pictures. It feels so good to have all of my belongings put away and in their places. I found that it is way more fun to clean your room and unpack when you've got newly painted walls! I love the colors I chose. Thank you Margaret for helping me decide :)

Ever since retirement, my mom has become quite the craft guru, especially with beading. She's even taken beading classes at the local community college. I always love it when I'm talking with her and then she says, "oh it's time for my class, I've got to go." It sounds pretty similar to what I usually end up saying to her :) My mom has started selling her jewelry at the Eugene Saturday market with my friend Laura’s mom who crochets hats. I'm really excited to get to spend most of my Saturday’s downtown outside in the sunshine helping them at their booth. I absolutely love people watching, and in Eugene we've got some great people to watch. My favorites are the hippie dancers. It would not be Eugene if we didn't have the hippie dancers and their crazy outfits. Tomorrow will be the first Saturday for me, and I'm excited!

My mom and some ladies at our church want to start up a website where they can sell their crafts and things. They meet every 3rd Thursday of the month to discuss things. Yesterdays’ meeting was at our house. Goodness gracious do those women talk up a storm! I was sitting at the bar in the kitchen while they were in the dining room, and it was exhausting just listening to them. They spent about 20 minutes talking about diets. The food that they love to eat, and absolutely cannot stand. Then they switched and talked about the weather for another 20 minutes or so. Just lots of funny conversations like that. I was highly amused. I was glad that my mother was not involved in those crazy conversations. She was in the kitchen with me getting snacks together for everyone.


At 3 o' clock my parents and I headed over to Yachats on the coast. My dad was subbing for a saxophone player in the Yachats Big Band. Throughout my childhood and much of high school, my dad played in a big band. It was always so much fun getting to go to his concerts, hear him play and watch the dancers. Before last night, it had probably been 4 years since I've heard my dad play in a band. I didn't realize how much I missed it until watching him last night. He was so happy. He misses being able to play every weekend like he used to. He substitutes for different bands in the surrounding areas occasionally, but he just doesn't have the time to be a constant member of a band.

Typically these concerts attract many elderly, and this concert was no different. I love seeing all of the elderly couples get out there and dance. It's probably the sweetest thing you ever saw. Just warms your heart :) There was one couple in particular that caught my eye. They looked to be in their mid to late 80's. She had on a black dress that had tan colored outlines of flowers, and she wore this sparkly green and purple jacket over top. He was wearing black slacks, and a black western style button up shirt. They were so adorable. As frail as they looked, this couple danced to practically every song. The concert was 2 hours long, so you can only imagine how tiring that would be! It just amazed me how much stamina they had. They were out there more than a lot of the younger couples were. They danced so fluidly together. You could tell they had been dancing with each other for years. After the concert was over, my mom and I talked with the couple for a bit. We asked them how they had the energy to dance every song for 2 hours, because we knew for a fact that we would have needed a break. They said, "Well we just love dancing, so we just dance as much as we can." They have been each other’s life partners and dance partners for 59 years! That's love right there :) We ended up not getting back to Eugene until about 11:30, and instead of going to bed right away, I decided to watch Robin Hood. Oh how I love that movie, although it is much better when I watch it with Margaret because she laughs at and enjoys the movie just as much as I do.

Today after I eat breakfast and get ready for the day I'm going to go hang out with my friend Laura. I think we'll take Zoe to a dog park, and visit all of our favorite Eugene sites like we used to do. I also need to be measured for my bride’s maid dress and then send out invitations for Laura's bridal shower.

Some exciting news! I might be able to spend a week with my oldest sister Jen in Idaho in early June! I would fly, and I absolutely love flying! I only get to see my sister about every 6 months, so this would be a special treat. My parents are going to Idaho in late June, but I will be in my CNA class. I am also going to Idaho in August with Nick and Brandon for 4 days to see Alicia, but we'll only be spending the night with my sister, and I want to be able to spend more time with her. So hopefully this works out! Well it's a beautiful day and a busy day, so I better get started!

And The Final Colors Are...

Tree house and dried hydrangea!

I am on day 2 of painting, and it's still a work in progress. I thought I was getting pretty close to being done, but then this morning I found several spots that needed to be touched up which resulted in realizing that the whole wall needs another coat. Who knew that light yellow was going to be so difficult to cover? So I sit here on my bed with my glass of 1% milk (don't worry it's on a table this time) and eating my chips and tuna fish sandwich taking a mini break from my paint brush and paint roller. I don't think I want to paint again for a while. It so much more work then I remember!

After I finish doing a second coat of the dried hydrangea, (I really could just say beige, but dried hydrangea is much more fun) then I can vacuum and start to move all of my stuff back in which will be another big chore in itself.

Well I've finished my lunch, so there are no more distractions keeping me from painting. I'd better go finish it. Wish me luck...

Back In The Adams Household Again

So lesson learned just a few seconds ago...
Do not decide that you "think" your mattress can balance a cup while you are typing because it will result in disaster. Yes I admit that I stupidly placed my hot cup of peppermint tea on the wobbly mattress, and yes it did spill. Now my bed smells like peppermint, which isn't a terrible thing, but it was hot and made a mess, not to mention that I wasted my delicious tea!

This is day 3 of being back at the folks place. It feels weird to be done with school and to be back home. I feel like I'm just home for the weekend and that tomorrow I have to head back up to Newberg for school. Being home for the summer is usually easy to transition into to, but this summer I think will be different for me. I'm not returning to Fox in the fall, so I'm not just home for the summer, but for at least the next year. The way I like to look at it is that even though I'm leaving a place of familiarity, at least I'm moving back to a familiar place as well. It's just going to take some getting used to.

These past few days at home have been very relaxing and wonderful. I came home early Saturday evening to find the pantry stocked with LOTS of delicious cereal. I have a cereal addiction, so this was a big deal! I soon found myself lounging on the couch in our family room flipping through movies on-demand. Oh how I love on-demand! There is so much you can do. You can watch movies, listen to music, watch TV shows without commercials, exercise, sing karaoke, and play games. After spending about 15 minutes trying to decide what to watch, my mom and I decided on "The Little Lady." I don't remember much of it because before too long I was passed out. There's nothing better than falling asleep to a movie. Finally I found enough energy to move myself from the couch to my bed at midnight.

I woke up the next morning at 11 am feeling the most rested I have felt in a long time. When noontime arrived, my sister Shelley who just moved back home as well, and I decided to take our dog Zoe to the dog park. This was my first time at a dog park, so I didn't really know what to expect, but I loved it! I've never seen my dog so happy, just roaming free and playing with other dogs. We were out there for about an hour or so until Zoe finally ran out of steam. I LOVE riding in the car with my sister, because she is just like me. She dances and sings really loud. My friends always find me amusing when we are riding in the car, but they never join in on the fun. I'm glad that my sister will dance in the car with me. I bet I got it from her.

When we got back to the house, my parents had bought us cafe yumm for lunch. Soooo good! I always feel very Eugenian when I eat Cafe Yumm. Then it was time to tackle my room. Can you say DISASTER! Since my sister is moving back home, she has a load of stuff in my room. I don't have any of my belongings from school in there, but with the combo of her stuff and the things I already had in my room, it is chaotic! Luckily I was able to go through my stuff and I got rid of a lot of things. I probably threw away about 50 old birthday cards that I have had since I was 7 years old. I kept some, but I decided that it was time to get rid of most of them. I'm such a pack rat, but I'm working on changing that.

Today was a pretty low-key day. I woke up around noon, ate life cereal, read the comics, and then got ready for the day. My mom and I went to Jerry's to look at paint for my room. Before I can move any of my stuff back into my room, we have to paint. Right now I am deciding between having either one wall red with the rest beige, or one wall green with the rest beige. We got color samples and I like them both. I'm leaning more towards red because it is exciting and more exotic, but I'm still not sure. Do I choose caliente, or tree house? I've decided that I love paint color names! Melon Popsicle, hint of mint, franks fire, khaki shorts. Who thinks of these names anyway?

I have a lot I need to accomplish tomorrow, which means that I probably shouldn't sleep in as much as I have been lately. Bummer. I need to call LCC and ask about my CNA class, plan a bridal shower, hopefully decide on a paint color and start painting my room, and best of all I get to skype with Margaret, my room mate and one of my best friends! Now it is time for some life cereal and some more tea! Hopefully I don't spill it this time :)

Here We Go!

After much contemplation on whether or not I should start a blog, I finally made the decision! Throughout my childhood I always had the grand idea to keep a journal. I thought, how fantastic would it be to write about all of the exciting adventures I experience and to be able to go back and read about them later. I seemed to get a new journal every year for Christmas, so the idea of starting a journal kept becoming this "grand" idea of mine. Yet, year after year I would fail to write in it. Sure I had written a few entries, but the problem was that the entries were four months apart.

This idea of keeping a journal kept resurfacing itself throughout middle school and high school, but it never found itself to be a lasting routine. That is why I was hesitant to start a blog, knowing my tendencies to not stay up to date on things. With all of that said, I figured that in this time of drastic change in my life, it would be helpful to write about the things I'm feeling, the things I experience, and the things that I learn along the way. I'm not much of a writer, but I decided to not let that stop me. So I'm doing this, and I'm excited for those of you who plan to follow me as I write about my life adventures!