Job Search

I had an interview today to St. Davids Round Rock Medical Center. There were three positions available, one in med/surg, one in tele, and one in ortho. I wanted the one in med/surg. It is a smaller hospital. They can hold 160 patients. The med/surg floor is a 36 bed unit. The floor seems like a very nice floor to work on. Anyway the interview went well. After the interview Derek and I stopped for lunch and when I got home they called and offered me the job!

Happy Holidays!

Myspace Graphics at WishAFriend.com

Updates

So we made it to Texas! We got in late Tuesday night. It took a lot longer than we were wanting but the rent-a-truck would only go so fast and then trying to get it up some of the hills was very slow going. Our friend Crystal flew out to drive with us. It was very nice to have someone with us that was not as stressed out as much as we were. The cars all made it until Wednesday when our Scion popped a leak in the front tire. As frustrating as that is we are blessed that we made it all the way here with that being our biggest problem. So as Derek and I were unloading the truck Crystal took the car into get a new tire.

We went to look at our house yesterday! It is slowly coming along. They have the drywall up and they were painting when we were there. It is so fun to see the process. For now we are staying at Derek's sisters house!

So in the mean time we have to start looking for jobs. Derek has been looking at several banks around here. I have an interview set up for the 28th and I am going to start looking into another hospital that is close to here.

We are very excited for a new chapter in our life!

Just playing

This is what moving to another state will do to you.















The new cover of the Next Blair Witch Project.










So this is what Derek and I do when we have time to spare before going out and all of our games are packed.

Getting ready

We are now two weeks away from moving to Texas. Things are coming together... and some things are not...

There are so many emotions all rolled into one huge event. It is sad to be leaving our family and friends and the life that we have started here. I hate saying goodbye. At the same time we are so excited to be closer to Derek's family and to be moving into our first home! Derek's Mom sent pictures of how the house it right now and it is just fun to think that they are making that house for us. We got to pick out the colors and so many things in that house to make it ours.


These a just a couple of what she sent to us!

Lessons Learned

This last week I have been in California helping my sister with her new baby. Not having children of my own there have been a few lessons that I have learned from helping watch a 2year old and a brand new baby...

- Always cover the pee pee
- Never give a two year old a credit card
- The way to Ben's heart is Lighting McQueen
- Two year olds fall often and it is ok
- Two year olds love the word "NO"
- Everyone is nicer after naps

Happy Birthday!

Happy birhtday to the new Stanley! A good 9 lbs 10 oz! Pictures to come!

Pumpkin Recipes

We are trying to find recipes for Thanksgiving. I love pumpkin so we started there. We found two pumpkin pie recipes that turned out pretty good.

Fluffy Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie
12 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 graham pie crust

In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese on medium speed of electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and spice. Beat until combined.
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until just combined after each addition. Stir in pumpkin.
Pour into crust. Bake 350 for 30 to 35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool for 1 hour on wire rack. Refrigerate at least 3 hours.
Garnish as desired. Store in refrigerator.

So this is not the best cheesecake that I have ever made but it is pretty good with some whip cream on top!


Streusel Topped Creamy Pumpkin Pie
1 1/4 cup cold milk
2 packages (4-servings size) cheesecake flavor instant pudding & pie filling
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tub (8 oz) whipped topping, thawed
1 gram pie crust

Streusel Topping
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter or margarine

In a large bowl beat milk, pudding mix and spice with wire whisk for one minute. Whisk in pumpkin. (Mixture will be thick). Fold in half of whipped topping.
Spread in crust. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

In a small microwave-safe bowl combine walnuts, brown sugar and butter. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes or until bubbly, stirring once. Spread on foil to cool.
Crumble walnut mixture over pie. Serve with remaining whipped topping. Store in refrigerator.

This last one was very simple to make and the topping is fun to make and pretty good.

Tortilla Soup

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 package frozen peppers
1 package frozen onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried cilantro
1/2 cup lime juice
3 (14oz) cans died tomatoes, Hunts fire roasted with garlic
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chili peppers, drained
4 (14oz) cans broth (vegetable or chicken)
salt and pepper to taste
1 (11oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 (14oz) cans black beans, drained
12 oz tortilla chips, or strips
1 cup shredded cheese
1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced
sour cream to dollop on top

the recipe does not call for it but we added chicken!

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the peppers and onions, garlic, cumin, cilantro and lime juice cook 5 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Mix in the remaining vegetables, Pour in the broth, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes.

Serve in bowls over equal amounts, top with cheese, avocado, sour cream and tortilla chips or strips.


Derek made this a few weeks ago and it was amazing!

Our New Car

So I have been pretty busy and Derek and I have not taken pictures of our new car yet but I found this picture. This is a 2006 Scion xB. This is exactly what our car looks like. Derek really enjoys driving it!

Nursing pictures

I love these pictures!

Adventures in Nursing

Well yesterday I survived my first rapid response. I came on and I had a patient that the blood pressure was not very good and the things that we were trying were not helping. My patient was just not looking very good and started going even more down hill so I called a rapid response. With in maybe 15 seconds that room was full of people. My team lead was in there helping me out along with a few other nurses, the doctor, the code team, and a bunch of interns and residents. Outside the room there was even more people. Then they transferred my patient to the CV-ICU. After everything was all over and I called report to the ICU I had to step off the floor and take a break and regain my composure. I talked to Megan on the phone until I calmed down. After taking a deep breath I went back to work. The great thing about working at the hospital is that there is always someone else there to help you. There was another nurse that stepped up and helped me get caught up even though she was busy with patients of her own. Never a boring day!

Updates

Just a few updates. They have started work on our house! So now instead of a big plot of dirt we own a big whole in the ground! They are working on the foundation right now! The house will be done sometime between December and February.

We are also going to be getting a car this week! Derek has found a 2006 metallic black Scion that he really likes. He found a great deal through a private owner.

Next month will be a busy month. I get to go help Megan when she has her baby for a week! I am excited to see my sisters again! After that I will be taking a class to learn how to do CAPD (continual abdominal peritoneal dialysis). One of the things that I love about nursing is there is so much to learn and do!

My Mom

I love you Mom!

Our New Adventure!

Saturday was a very big day for us! Derek and I started the process of building a new home! We started by walking through a model of the home that we liked. It is a one story, 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 2 car garage home. Next we looked at lots that we liked. (This is a picture of the lot that we decided to build on!) After that we talked a lot, said a few more prayers, got some input from Derek's Mom and decided this is what we wanted. So we sat for a lot time signing paperwork. Then the fun part came! We got to pick out everything that we wanted in the house! We had a lot of fun! We are building through Centex homes. The deals that they were offering was 40% off on upgrades and they upgraded the floors in the kitchen, bathrooms, and entry to tile for free! It will take about 6 months to build. So another adventure begins!

Almost Done

So this is my last week of orientation. With orientation they pair you up with a nurse and you work the same schedule they do. It is great because school can only prepare you so much. The goal is to make an easier transition into being a nurse. Well this Saturday is my last day. After that I am on my own. I am a little nervous about this. There is so much to know and learn. The good thing is that I work with some pretty good nurses that I know will help me. I was talking to Ron (the guy that has been training me) and he said that he has seen nurses the first day off of orientation standing at the PIXIS (the machine that hold the medication) with trembling hands. I am going to laugh if that is me.

I found a great poem about being a nurse.

Being a nurse means...
You will never be bored.
You will always be frustrated.
You will always be surrounded by challenges.
So much to do and so little time.
You will carry immense responsibility and very little authority.
You will step into people's lives and you will make a difference.
Some will bless you. Some will curse you.
You will see people at their worst and at their best.
You will never cease to be amazed at people's capacity for
Love, courage, and endurance.
You will see life begin and end.
You will experience resounding triumphs and devastating failures.
You will cry a lot. You will laugh a lot.
You will know what it is to be human and to be humane.
~ Melodie Chenevert

Our Trip to Hawaii!

So I can't add all of the pictures that we took because I took about 250 and Derek took over 500... so that would be a lot to add. We we went to Maui and the big Island.



Derek and I both love Mustangs so we had to rent one when we were on Maui. This is outside the hotel that we stayed in.










We took a bus tour of the Hana Highway. It was so beautiful. We stopped at several waterfalls, Oheo Gulch, some black sand beaches where we walked through a lava tube, some white sand beaches, and a few more stops. There was one cove that if you looked down into the water you could see the outline of a car that had fallen in.








The next day we woke up early and went up the mountain to do a zip line tour! There were 5 lines each one getting longer and better. Starting at the third one you could start running to get more speed. The last one was over 700 feet long! This was our favorite activity! We also went to the Maui Ocean Center and went to the beach to watch the sunset.






Then we went to Lanaina. We walked around and did a lot of shopping. We saw a tree that took up one entire city block, the old Banyan tree. We also went to see a show called Ulalena. It was a musical production about the myths and history of Hawaii. It was amazing!








The last day in Maui we did a lot! First we work up early to see the Iao Valley and hike around. Then we went to Twin Falls. Now the name of that made me think that there were two waterfalls in the same area... not so they did have two waterfalls but in not very close to each other. It was still a beautiful walk. These were very small waterfalls compared to the other ones that we saw. After that we went to the Maui Tropical Plantation and had lunch before we flew over to the Big Island!!





We got to the Big Island got our car and started to 2 1/2 drive to our hotel. By the time that we got there it was pretty dark but in the morning this was the view from our room!! It was such an amazing hotel!







We went to the Place of Refuge. Derek loved the Tiki's! We really enjoyed learning some history about Hawaii here.













We also went to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. This was right outside the Thurston Lava tubes. We also saw steam vents and Halema'umu'u crater. Still have no clue how to say it.









That night we went to a Luau. Derek got some pretty cool pictures of the Fire Dancer. We watched them did up the pig from the Imu. We had some poi, neither of us were big fans of that, but overall they had good food.










This is Akaka Falls. It is a 420 foot drop! It is at Akaka Falls State Park. There is also another waterfall that is a 400 foot drop but it is hidden a bit by all of the trees.
We also went to Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens. We learned that when they actually sell mosquito repellent before you go into the park there is a good reason why. We were eaten alive! We had so many bites when we came out. It took about two hours to walk all the way through it. It has amazing flowers though!


So if we had to do it all over again I don't think that we would hop around to the different islands. There is just so much to do! We had so much fun!

Happy Birthday Derek!!!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband and best friend! Derek you are so amazing! You are such a kind, thoughtful, and generous man. You have shown me by your example what it means to really love someone.


I love that you are so comfortable with who you are. That you will have fun no matter where you are. I am so excited that I get to spend this life and the eternities with you by my side. You are my superman! I hope that you enjoy your birthday! I love you with all my heart!!

Newfoundland dogs

So I fell in love with this breed of dog. They can grow up to 27 to 29 inches tall and 100 to 150 lbs. So not small dogs but they remind me of a great big teddy bear. Their nickname is gentle giant. They are so massive but so cute!

An Early Birthday Present for Derek

So I know that Derek's birthday is not until the 21st but I gave in to Derek and let him have his birthday present early.
















I got him a Wii.
Right after he opened it he just stared at it for a while.


















When it finally hit him what it was his eyes got so big! It was so much fun watching him open it!


After I asked him why he just sat there for so long and his response was, "I thought if I touched it it would go away." I love this picture! There is no hiding his emotions.

The Last Step

So Thursday I took the state boards (NCLEX-RN) to become an RN. The test is a computer adaptive test. The test is very different for everyone. You can have a minimum of 75 questions or a max of 265 questions. I had 75 questions and the computer screen went blank. I walked out of there got in my car and thought that all of the years of work towards this point and it is over in 75 questions. Well this morning at 9:00 I looked on the state board website and found that...


I PASSED!!!!!!!!!

I am officially an RN!!!!!!!!
I am all done! I now sign my name J.Schey RN!

Father's Day

The First Man I Loved

I remember standing on your feet as you taught me to dance
And walking along side of you as a little girl
I remember sitting on the counter as you fixed my many bumps and bruises
And the way you stayed so calm.
I remember being so happy when you came home from work
And running into your arms

Dad you were the first man I danced with
The first man who loved me
And the first man I loved

I remember the quiet ways you would show your love
And the joy in your eyes when I succeed
I remember the way you love my Mother
And knowing I wanted a man that loved me the same way
I remember seeing the smile on your face as we danced at my wedding
And seeing that you were proud of your little girl

Dad you were the first man to show me how to love
The first man I looked up to
And the first man I loved

I am so grateful for all of the wonderful men in my life. My wonderful Dad, you have taught me so much. My Father in-law, I love hearing all of your great stories and thank you for always making me feel welcome. My Grandfather, I love your jokes, stories and old cars! My wonderful Grandpa's that have passed away, I love you dearly! I am so grateful for you examples. My uncles who helped me so much so many times! My Derek, you are not yet a father but I look forward to seeing you with our children! Derek you have already taught me so much about love you are going to be a wonderful father! I have had so many example of great men in my life! I wish you all wonderful Father's Day!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy Birthday Dad! I know I am a little late loading this up. Dad came over and had pizza and cake with us! Dad I love you so much! I hope that your birthday was great!

Tomorrow

Tomorrow Is a Gift From God

~By Amanda Bradley

Tomorrow is a gift from God

another day to grow,

a chance to learn the wondrous things

God feels that we should know.

Tomorrow's an adventure,

full of places not yet seen,

full of people we can meet

and dreams we've yet to dream...

Tomorrow is another chance

to search for who we are,

and if we seek in earnest,

our discoveries take us far.

And when we give our best

to each tomorrow that we live,

then we are truly giving God

the best thanks we can give.

Graduation Weekend Pictures

Pinning Ceremony May 10th 2007


My wonderful husband Derek

My Twin Sister Megan

My Dad

Grandma Cacy and Mom Schey

Uncle Larry, Mitch,
Aunt Shannon, Katie
Bates.

Aunt Kristen Morrison

Uncle Don, Aunt Mary,
Grandma Czarnecki

Crystal!
(I have known her
since 6th grade!)

The Friends that suffered with me :)

Julie, Amy, Mindy, and Allison.

I dont have a picture of Allison
but this was the best study group!

May 11th Derek and Katie threw me a party!


My cousin Katie
helped Derek put

all this together!

My second cousin Leslie

Grandma and
Grandfather
Morrison

May 12th
We taught Megan how to play Curses!
This made for some great laughs!

There were tears
but that was only
because she was
laughing so hard!

Katie had to copy
everything that
I did!

Derek had to play
with his wrists
super glued to his
head! That did not last long.

Every time that Megan talked

she had to swat at mosquitoes
talk like a vampire and a witch
and act like a gorilla!
I love this Game!

A Few More Pictures!

Ben Stanley!
We had so much
fun playing with
my nephew!

Ben liked to fly, jump, run,
anything to be active!

Crystal and Matt
I am so glad that you
were here!