The weather has been cool since school started. It's been really nice for a quick change but I'm not saying I'm ready for the fall or anything. Fall is lovely in Boise, it really is but it doesn't last very long and then fall turns in to winter. And winter lasts forever.

Anyway, I have been busting out a few classic fall recipes. Wait, real quick, does anyone else think cookies are kind of a fall thing? They remind me of back to school - you know? Cookies for school lunches? Maybe it's just me. I did make pumpkin bread last week (unquestionably fall) and we had chicken pot pie for lunch today. I usually skip the bottom crust, really just to cut out a few calories but I went for it today and it was totally worth it. When I asked Russell if it's the best chicken pot pie I've ever made he said yes.


Doesn't Otis look very contemplative here? Fat, too. Fat and contemplative.

We packed up for a camping trip on Tuesday. Otis gets very anxious when we start getting ready. It's like he never knows if we're bringing him along or not. We've never left him! Anyway, note the panting - cardinal sign of dog anxiety.

We didn't leave until Tuesday afternoon so all we really did on night one is find our camp spot and eat dinner. But really, dinner is the best part of camping anyway. We had pizza for dinner one night last week so all I needed for calzones was the dough. I put them all together and par-baked them at home so really they just need to be heated up - don't they look so good. They were.

I was just fooling around a little with the camera while Russell was prospecting. Yes, prospecting- panning for gold. He didn't know it and that's the only way I got this picture of him. He said I was only allowed to post it on the internets if I didn't disclose our super secret camping/prospecting location. Deal.

A summer trip to Las Vegas. What were we thinking? Blame Bride. I couldn't possibly wait any longer to see her. 10 days after she'd been home was long enough!!

A day trip to St. George to see Grandma who turned 90 on Saturday!

How come everyone in the world can take those "turn the camera around" pictures except for me?

These are seriously all the pictures I took while I was there. Sad, huh? It's just that I feel totally silly about taking pictures with my dumb camera when my sister in law is totally ready to go pro (if you can name that movie, we just became best friends). Check out her pictures...

I should probably issue a public apology for how much I complained about how hot it was. That was annoying, wasn't it? It was so bad that I couldn't think about anything else (wait, am I still complaining)! Anyway, really sorry about that. I'll do better next time. When it's winter.

I started looking at awkwardfamilypetphotos.com. It is so hilariously bad - I cannot stop laughing! Go there.

As usual, I was a total slacker and didn't get enough pictures, but my sister and her family came up to Boise and stayed with us for a couple days. We picked cherries, went to the zoo and we floated the river. We pretty much had a total blast, complete with two trips to the snow cone shack. It was so much fun and I can't even say how glad I am that they could come and stay at my house and hang out. Really. Can't even say.

I got a package in the mail today and I almost waited an entire hour before I gave it the first test run. The result? Peach hand pies. Come on now, how cute are these things? That lattice top? Thanks, Meliss! A hand pie mold - another kitchen gadget that I didn't know I couldn't live without. Next up? Empañadas!!

I'm so glad Bridgie is home.

Everyone had Thursday off this week. Russell, Ryan and I went to Emmett, Idaho to pick cherries. Can you see all the cherries on those trees? It took 5 minutes and we had 5 pounds of cherries - forget about what we ate while we picked. Now I just have to worry about the potential problem that 3 adults, 1 bathroom and 5 pounds of cherries could equal.

Russell likes to eat them right off the tree.

After that, we made our way over to Weiser, Idaho for the Fiddle Festival. Let me tell you something about these little Idaho towns - excellent people watching. I do have photographic evidence but feel too guilty posting it, the poor guy...

Doesn't this picture make you want to start a family band? It totally makes me want to.

This week I:

- fell down the stairs

- made a white texas sheet cake

- got a scholarship

- tried 3 new recipes for dinner

- burned myself making strawberry jam

- got new summer sandals

- made blueberry scones

- danced in the basement because it was raining too hard to go for a run

At the risk of sounding completely insensitive, I just have to tell you - every time Russell and I saw this sign, we laughed so hard. There is something about the way the little stick figure is running away that made us laugh. It's probably totally messed up but it made the driving a lot more fun - this sign is everywhere!

Haystack rock on Cannon Beach. I think this was the only picture of me the whole trip.

This was one of the first glimpses of the ocean that we got. I always get the same feeling the first time I see the ocean on a trip. I wish I was a good writer so I could describe it.

How crazy is this tree? I was taking a bunch of pictures but you couldn't tell how big it really was until Russell got up there to give us a point of reference. They estimate it is over 850 years old! Insane, huh?

Otis ate my leftover sandwich (an entire half) and slept the entire way home.

My keys were lost forever. A friend broke in to the house and fedex'd us our spare. We still had a most excellent time at this hat store. Russell didn't ask why there were no pictures of me in any silly hats until after we left.

So, I haven't started on the porch project yet - but like I said before, I'm trying to take my time and slowly gather up just the right assortment of things. Anyway, I was too busy on the Oregon coast (!) to think about decorating the porch.

It was different than any beach I've ever been to. Russell just kept saying, "I guess the forest goes right up to the ocean" over and over again. It rained the entire time we were there but we ate a lot of seafood and it was awesome (I ate clam chowder at 3 different places). I did manage to lose my keys. On the beach. Minutes before we were supposed to be headed back home. I had to miss work. But as long as we're looking on the bright side, we got to stay for an extra day...

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It's starting to get nice out. Wait. Let me re-phrase. It's starting to get sunny out. Well, except for today. And yesterday. Whatever! I know it's coming (it HAS to be coming) and I don't want to waste one lovely Spring evening. When Russell and I moved in to the house, we ate dinner outside on the camp chairs every night. In the summer, we would wait until it was cool enough outside and eat dinner late. This year, I am decorating the porch - I think we can do better than camp chairs. I got my Sunset magazine this week and of course they have some awesome outside porch decoration ideas. I'll try to keep you informed on the progress. I have a hard time doing this kind of project because I just want to hurry up and have it be done. I'm going to try to take my time and get it just right. Wish me luck!

Especially you, Cm.

I am going to tell you a story so cute, you might just want to throw up. My neighbor came over in his scout uniform last Monday with an invitation to the Blue & Gold dinner. I told him that I already planned on going and that I was really excited (I really love Costco cake). He whispered that the invite wasn't for me, it was for Russell. His Mom said it was totally his idea; to put on his scout shirt, come over, and hand deliver an invitation. For Russell. Go ahead. You can throw up now. Pretty much the cutest thing I've ever heard.

I thought that when you got old, you didn't care about sleeping in anymore. I just realized this very moment why I have that misconception. I never once heard my parents complain about getting out of bed and getting to it. You guys either deserve a big high five or I am so much lazier than I think I am.

I have to say, it's been especially bad lately. I started working nights AND I got a new memory foam mattress pad. New schedule = extra sleepy, new mattress pad = super comfy bed. Bad combo. I don't want to do anything else. But I'm old...

So, I'm trying to get used to working nights on the weekends and still doing daytime stuff (you know, school) during the week. Thursday I have class from 8am-3pm and I work from 11pm-7am. Tricky. I decided this week to stay up late on Wednesday night so I would be ready to nap/sleep Thursday afternoon. I gave myself a little project so that I wouldn't be tempted to crawl in to bed. I ripped out all the seams of a scrub top and used it as a pattern and made my own (right now I'm doing the arm pump thing and yelling whoomp, whoomp, whoomp)! I bought the cheapest fabric that I could find (because I was sure it wouldn't turn out) and got to it. I think I will totally do it again. And next time I'm sure I could bust it out in half the time - maybe 5 hours instead of 10...

Tonight is my first night working as a real nurse. I had class this morning so I came home and tried to take a little bit of a nap. I had a dream that I was walking down the isle at Target and there was a man in distress on the floor. I rushed over and knelt down next to him and told him not to worry, I'm a nurse.

It's completely official.

I have some news...

I don't officially have a license number but I took the NCLEX on Tuesday and got my results this afternoon - I passed!

Let's hear it for Mondays off!!

We went for a drive up to where things are snowy and then we went for a hike (with Russell's trusty new handheld GPS) and then, heaven. A hot spring. And it wasn't all gross and slimy. We saw TONS of deer. Russell said I must be some kind of good luck, that I might have to come along for next years hunt. He wishes.

Now, you should be ashamed of yourselves! Making me blog at a time like this. I am supposed to be studying...

There is something that feels so good about getting everything all cleaned up after Christmas. (Or is it just me?) Hope yours was as lovely as mine.

It seems like we've had so much going on around here lately. First (and totally most exciting) I graduated! I am practically officially a nurse. I have to take board exams which is still kind of a big thing, but the school part? Check. My pinning was on Thursday and this picture is courtesy Gramps who made a special trip up just to attend.

Next, I was released as a primary worker and, today, sustained as a counselor in the primary. I realized today that I accepted this calling without knowing what it entails at all. Seriously. No idea. But I think it'll be fun (right?). I think so because the prez said we would have primary presidency girls nights out except we wouldn't call it that because that was too dorky.

Okay, what else? I totally got a job already!! They offered me a job on the telemetry floor at the same hospital I work at now. I am really excited and really nervous. I am feeling more pressure to study up than I ever felt as a student. Okay real quick, let me tell you. One weekend they were short staffed and I had to float to that floor (as a nurse apprentice) and this guy totally passed out in the bathroom and he just had open heart surgery so I couldn't do the "sternal rub" which was my first instinct so I just stood there like an idiot. I really hope the charge nurse doesn't remember me...

One other thing. I started an etsy shop. Duly Noted. Any advice? Input? Suggestions? I'm open.

This and another picture very similar to this one are the only two that I took the entire Thanksgiving break. I really don't know what these "exercises" are all about but they are absolutely hilarious to me and I am just going to go with it.

Thanksgiving was so much fun. Mom and Dad and Patrick came to hang out in Boise. I didn't get to set a fancy table, which I wanted to do, but it really had more to do with logistical problems than anything else (I don't have a lot in the way of counter space). We ate caramel corn, pie, strudel, cookies, donuts. We ate real food too but everyone eats that stuff so who cares, right?

Now. I have about two weeks left of school. I am looking for a real grown up graduated from college job. That's it.

P.S. Wanna ask me your weird health related questions? I like it when people do that. If you need a reason, I think it would really help prepare me for board exams...

$20 bucks says I get drug tested before the semester's over...

The conclusion to my research paper:

Supporting the advancement of research into the use of marijuana to relieve cancer pain and other associated symptoms is advocating for a vulnerable population and the duty of the oncology nurse.

Some totally random (and totally awesome) stuff to tell you:

- I did a clinical day in the ER last week and got all my IV's on the first poke. YAY me! (Seriously, that's pretty hardcore)

- One of the Sunbeams said to me, right out of the blue, "my dad used to have earrings but he doesn't anymore but he still has holes in his ears." Hilarious, no? In just 2 1/2 short months those Sunbeams will be mine.

- Russell killed a deer again this year. I'm going to go ahead and apologize once now for the complaining that will now commence for the following year until the deer has been completely consumed. Or given away. Anyone want some venison?

- I made Ina's tzatziki again. I had to do it secretly while Russell was at ninja because he swore that the last time I made it, everything in the refrigerator tasted like cucumbers. He hates cucumbers. Anyway, it's good enough to score one of the pages in my recipe book and I don't just give those things away...

This is me wondering if Russell's attachment to old articles of clothing is his way at getting back at me for something.

Case in point. Shoe

This is Otis wondering why I am on the ground taking a picture of Russell's shoe.