Getting ready to prep meals

I am now a nurse.  I work in Step down ICU or also called progressive  care.  I work 12 hour night shifts and it is tough to adjust to a schedule that does not coincide with any one else in my family.  My son is almost out of the Navy, he has a baby due in a couple of weeks.  Time flies.  I have gone through a ton of changes this last year, mostly good.  I am getting ready to start the new year off with a bang.  I have to lose some weight, but more important, I have got to change my eating habits and get my butt moving on my days off.  I am exhausted all of the time, andmy sleep schedule is just ridiculous.  Right now I am in the planning stages.  Looking through different options but the big thing I am most interested in doing and making a commitment to is meal prepping and not buying anything from the hospital at night and not stopping on my way in to pick up food.  Due to my wacky schedule, I sometimes work three in a row with four off, sometimes four in a row and two off and then one, and so on.  It changes every month too so I don't ever have a set schedule.  That probably will be the case for the next 8 months untl I change units or jobs. 

I have been on pinterest and created a couple boards to help with this.  I would like to post my meal planning and prepping here so I can keep track, keep accountable and share this with anyone who is interested.  Any nurses that work night shift know the struggle with eating and sleeping when working 12 hour night shifts.  I am at the hospital for 13 hours a day actually when I work.  I don't always get a traditional lunch break either.  Most of the time I am eating while catching up on charting.  Most of our patients are pretty acute so I don't go to far away. 

I have a variety of containers and have access to a fridge and microwave at work.  All of my meals will need to be either eaten cold or reheated in the microwave. Also, I am leaning towards a lower carb and minimal gluten meal plan.  I grew up with tons of food allergies and recieved shots twice a week, every week for 15 years.  I still have a pretty high sensitivy to wheat and dairy.  I get rashes, stuffed up, stomach issues and feel pretty icky if I eat them together.  It makes me very sad as I love Pizza and mac and cheese. 

I am off for a couple days, so I am going to finish gathering some recipes and ideas and post my first meal prep (hopefully with pictures) on Sunday afternoon. 

I keep coming back to this place after not writing for a very very long time.  My life is so far removed from when I posted last.

The quick and dirty.... Oldest son is doing fantastic, Youngest son is serving in the US Navy and is deployed.  I am proud and happy for him, and gutted because he is the baby and is so very far away.  I miss the daily contact with him.  nineteen is an adult, but I wish he were here.

I am about 6 weeks from a finalized divorce.  I just got my first apartment since I was in my 20's and it is in the ghetto.. since I am a full time nursing student and work also, It is what I can afford, and it is a place that would accept my dog.  I only get the Bassett Hound, he took my jack and the beagle.  I am devastated at the situation with the pups, but the jack is bonded to the beagle and I know he will take good care of them.

I am in this weird place where I feel free, and mostly at peace, but I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around the failure of my marriage.  I knew that we were not happy for a long time, and I knew I needed to move on from it, but it is still so very sad.  I am also feeling excited for my future.  I have worked so dang hard to get to where I am at with school and my future as an RN that I can't stop now.  I have 18 months left of that journey and I intend to graduate and pass my NCLEX first try.

I have met some amazing new people through school that I feel I will know for the rest of my life.  Nursing school is a weird kind of dichotomy.  Your cohort is thrown into situations where you have to constantly work together and support one another (at least in small groups) to get through it.  You bond really fast.  It can either be very competitive or very supportive.  I am lucky.  I landed in a supportive, hold hands around the fire, sing Kumbaya and pass the fireball  kind of cohort.

Nursing school is teaching me so much about Science, Math, English, Medicine but one of the most important lessons I am learning is Compassion and lessons about myself.  I am learning what triggers my sadness, how I think, why I have made the decisions I have made, and also I am learning to create boundaries for myself that I have not ever had before.. I was the yes girl.. Yep.. I can help, Yes, I can drive, Yes, I can give you money, help, babysit, cook, clean, stay up.. all at the expense of myself.

Those lessons are hard to learn, and more importantly, hard to put into consistent practice.  It is a work in progress for sure, but I find I do better after a slip up... this last couple of weeks is a good example.  I am still doing the house chores at his house and mowing because the house is up for sale and he does not feel like doing them.  This has been a constant battle for me.. so Labor Day weekend I am visiting family and friends and I explained that he would have to start doing these things because I was no longer going to be available as I was out of town and then would be moving out for good.  I was happy to help out occasionally, but the daily grind would not be happening.  He is not happy, but he agreed to take over.

I have run myself a little ragged and have been working full time this summer.  I am scared about finances, juggling work, school, friends, family and a dog on my own, but I think it will actually be good for me.

This Labor Day weekend marks the beginning of the Year Of ME!  I would say that I will keep up with this thing, but who am I kidding?

Many things have happened since I posted last.  I never really thought I would pick this back up or that I would be where I am right now.

The positives... The youngest has graduated high school and is leaving for the Navy in 5 days.. that last bit is bittersweet. 

I went to Minnesota and attended a semester of nursing school.. and got a 4.0 in that semester!

My husband got a fantastic job... for a local school district.

My oldest is doing incredibly well.

I am still married.

I have a part time job at a hospital, in the lab.

The challenges...

My husband got a job at a local school district so I moved back home and am now still trying to get into a nursing program here.

I am retaking Chemistry to improve my chances of getting into a nursing school

My precious Coco, whom I named this blog after has passed away.

My baby is leaving for the Navy in 5 days.

We are selling the house in 6 months to move closer to the city and I am still not settled into a program and may have to wait 9 more months to start.

I have not been on a horse since my horse passed away.  I keep saying that I will go and ride, and something keeps stopping me.

The other stuff:

Chemistry is better this time around and on Monday I am taking the Standardized final for Chem 121 and I think it will be okay.  Right now I have an A in the class, so I am hoping to maintain that or at the very least, come out with a B+ depending on the test.

Then the studying begins to retake my TEAS test. 

Retaking the TEAS test for Nursing school is a big deal for me.  I did well the first time, but not well enough.  One of the schools I am applying for used to take grades into account.. well not anymore.. now it is all about the TEAS.. and a good deal of the schools in my area use this test to determine the entrance of students into the program.  What used to be a great score is barely passing anymore.

I need to make an 84 or better to ensure a spot in the spring quarter class.  I currently have a 78.  You can only take the test twice in two years, and they use the last score to determine entrance.  So this next chance is my last chance for another year and I have to do much better than I did before.

I am optimistic because the last time I took it, I was not strong in Chemistry or in math like I am now.  I do think that if I focus a bit more, I can do well. 

The last bit.. since my oldest and I are both working Christmas and my youngest will be at boot camp, I am skipping Christmas. I am not decorating, not cooking Christmas dinner or doing any cookie baking.  I did buy presents and I will take presents to the granddaughter, but otherwise, not even going to be able to muster up the Christmas spirit.

I just can't get into it this year.  My husband is a good guy, but is not at all sentimental, romantic or spiritual in any way.  I often wonder how we stay together at times.  He is not into holidays at all, and really doesn't get excited by much.  I think some of his scrooginess has worn off on me.

In spite of skipping the holidays this year, I truly do wish everyone else a fabulous holiday season.  It used to be my favorite time of the year, and hopefully someday it will be again.  Now I have to go and finish my last lab and study for that exam!

Spring Quarter Blues

Pre-nursing Hump

I am in Spring Quarter.. and I officially have the pre-nursing blues.  I have one more pre requisite course after this quarter for my sciences and then I am done.. ready to apply to Nursing school.  2 years have almost passed since I began and it will be one quarter more than two years from starting pre-reqs before I will get in.  If I get in.. and I still have many miles to travel to get in.  Once I get in, IF I get in, then I have three more years until my BSN is completed.  I will be 46 when that happens.  What was I thinking? 

Things have changed, I was supposed to be able to apply for Fall, but they changed the rules.. just last week, so now I am having to do a “dead” quarter.  The up side.. it won’t really be a dead quarter since I have Honors course work I can do and I can study for the TEAS exam, and I can maybe breathe a little more.. and look for a job that I can do really, really part time, and I can catch up on some housework that won’t get done for 3 years.  I can spend some time with the kid since he will be a Senior in high school.  I could do my laundry that quarter, that might be cool.

I joke.. a bit, but this quarter has me acting like a Wanker a bit.  I have slacked in my studying, I bombed a math test, and I have even not studied at all for one test and got a B.. and I am ashamed of myself, but yet, I continue to act like a wanker.  I have however, vowed to stop being a wanker and to turn over a fresh leaf before it is too late.  I am two exams down in Physiology and Stats, so it is not too late.  I have three left.  I did get an A on my first Physiology exam.. but I care about that class since it is the one that counts for nursing school.  Honors nutrition and Statistics aren’t really giving me any excitement, so I will have to make up some.  This blog is about to transition into a blog about Physiology, and then Microbiology, and then some more Chemistry and a little Sociology for good measure.  I may throw in a bit of World Music over the summer as well.

After Fall quarter.. I  really hope that this blog turns into the adventures of a non- traditional nursing student.

This was taken last Sunday on my first hike of the season with a very good friend of mine.  It was a fabulous day and reminded me of why I live where I live!

RIP My beautiful horse

The beautiful Beau.. who is now with my family in heaven and our dog Jake.

Hello everyone.. I have been absent for two reasons.  One very sad, and the other very important.  I finished up last quarter with Anatomy, and I am now in Physiology.  Unfortunately, the night before finals, my beautiful Beau horse was presenting with colic like symptoms.  We opted for surgery, but it was not colic, it was a cyst that had lodged just right in his gut.  They couldn't save him so I lost my beautiful horse.  It has been a very very sad time for me and I have pretty much thrown myself into school now.  This quarter it is Honors Nutrition, Statistics, Weightlifting, and Physiology.  If I can't ride, I can at least focus on school.

I really enjoy weightlifting and nutrition.  I just learned today that Palm oil is mostly grown on plantations in tropical climates that are not being sustained.  Only 6% of Palm oil is grown sustainably.  Palm oil is in 50% of all processed foods.. makes you think. 

Honors nutrition class has really opened my eyes.  I may even start posting some stuff from that class and my weightlifting class.

I just miss my horse though, and I am doing everything I can to not dwell too much.  I have cried and cried.    I cry even though I believe that my father is looking after my horse.

My husband though is building a beautiful box to put his ashes in.  We had him privately cremated so that he can be with me wherever I go.. I know to some it is a little creepy, but for me, I needed to do that, so that he wasn't just gone.

If anyone is still reading this... have a fabulous rest of the week!

Day 5 and counting

So far, So interesting.

So today marks the fifth day of my not eating any dairy or wheat or gluten or chocolate or well anything that I used to eat on a regular basis.  It has been.. well surprisingly okay for this first five days.  Only two headaches and they weren’t intolerable and the gut is better.  Not great yet, but definitely better.

A side effect.. I am down three pounds.  Now I know it is water weight and it is nothing to get all crazy excited about.. yet.. except that I am a little.  I stuck to my three Zumba classes and one Yoga class.  I am going to try and hit a Zumba class this morning, but I have study group, so It will all depend on the timing.

I am looking at new recipes this weekend in between studying for my first Anatomy Exam and Practical.  I purchased some Gluten Free Bisquick and I hope to try it out tomorrow.  The thing I really want to eat?  A brownie.. Because it is chocolate, gooey and yummy.  So I have to figure our a solution for that one. 

I do have a new favorite fruit at night.  The Asian Pear.  Wow.  Crispy, light and packed with water.  It’s texture to me is like really good watermelon.  That helps a great deal for me at night when I just have to have something sweet. 

I am loving Zumba so much and Yoga was good.  I hope that I can get much better in Yoga.. it is hard for me.. and I am much stiffer on the left than the right.  I will keep at it though, as this is the year for me.  I figured out my goal weight.. 135lbs.  That gives me 5 lbs either way.

I am 70 lbs away now.. so I have a very long way to go.. but it is only 7 lbs a month on average that I need to lose.. that I can totally do.. especially if I can do the two a week that is my goal.

More important.. I think I want to do something this year that scares the living daylights out of me.  I would like to run a race and bike the Seattle to Vancouver Bike ride. Why would these things scare me?  I don't like to run because I am scared I will fall down and embarress myself.. and because I can't run very well yet, I feel like a total goober when I run.  The bike ride.. totally up my ally except all I have for a bike right now is a beach cruiser.. no gears, and no way can I ride it from here to the store let alone from Seattle to Portland or Seattle to Vancouver.. but those are things I am tossing around in my brain to keep me focused on my goals.

Happy Weekend.. I am now off to study group for the next 8 hours!

New Year and some revelations

I had severe food allergies growing up.  As in, I ate nothing with Wheat, Gluten, Dairy, Chocolate or much refined sugar in it until I was 17.  Seriously.  I had my first taste of ice cream when I was 17 as I was introducing foods into my diet to test my tolerances.  It was weird.  I had never tasted ice cream (real ice cream) before.  The kicker?  My dad worked at a dairy.. how fun was that?  He would bring home cheese, butter and cases of yogurt and ice cream that I could not eat.. nice.  Except that I don't remember caring much because I had never had it.

I was the kid who had a fruit cup at birthday parties, or my mom would make gluten free cupcake with carob chips.. ackkkkk.. gaaggg..

I had allergy shots each week, one in each arm on a Tuesday after school and again on Friday after school.  Twice a week for 14 years.  I developed some tolerances to food and now those tolerances have again eroded.  I have given up these foods several times in my adult life, only to succumb back to their siren song and pretend I can live with the effects. 

This last week, it has gotten nearly intolerable.  The itchy is back, I am completely bloated and my gut is in tatters.  My skin is so dry and flaky and horrible, I almost can't stand it. 

What to do??? well research of course.  I am thinking that I need to do another elimination diet and will probably have to give up wheat, dairy, gluten and chocolate.  I am hoping that I can still tolerate soy and corn though, but I will most likely have to moderate those.  This blog will probably change focus just a little bit, and I am going to really try and document this process as I will need to keep track of how I feel each day and what foods do what.  Who knows?  maybe someone else somewhere will find it helpful.  Stay tuned, as I have to plan a little for this.  Hope everyone is having a lovely year of the dragon so far.

Summer Quarter is Ending.. Finally

I am excited that this is the last week of school, however I am feeling so overwhelmed by the amount of stuff I have to get done in the next 36 hours.  I had to really take a break this morning and just kind of veg for a couple of hours.  I am going to get back to the books now, but I hope to post more on my school break.

Cody’s Graduation

This is from my oldest sons graduation from Massage therapy school this summer.

Chemistry Summer Term.. what was I thinking

So I have been overly consumed with school since last fall.  Like taking 17 credits last quarter.. and now.. I am really seriously crazy.

I am in the middle of.. as in tomorrow is my mid term of Chemistry and Intermediate Algebra.. I am a glutton for punishment...

On the horse front.. all is well at our house.. Beau has turned into a Western Pleasure/ Trail Pony.. and it is lovely.. absolutley lovely. 

We were going to show this August, but I have my Chemistry final on the Monday after the show.. so that is not going to happen.  Instead.. we are going to take a Griswold style vacation.

Macgyver.. Paco and myself are all driving to Minnesota.. Yep.. Driving.. to Minnesota from Wa in August.. in a small car.. with no cruise control..straight through.. Macgyver doesn't want to stop.  He just wants to drive all the way there, taking turns... how fun will that be.

Like I said.. I am a glutton.. but oh.. the pictures I will take.. and the fun we will have when we get there.  We are going to visit my bestest friend in the entire world.. and some family and some other very good friends.  It is going to be great to go to my other home!!!  I cannot wait!

In other news.. dogs are wonderful, my #1 son has graduated from Massage therapy school and is moving North about an hour in a couple of months to continue his education and to spread his wings a little.. I have a small tear in my eye.. a small one.. because when he moves.. I am taking over his room and turning it into my study cave...

I also have to open my file at school to declare my intent to apply to the nursing program.. and I hear that they are changing up the pre reqs and the admission criteria.. in which case I will cry a little and get on with it.


So back to Chem.. I Heart it.. I really do.. especially Lab.. but OMG is 12 weeks crammed into 7.5 weeks and the norm is going 5 days a week.. we only go 2 and have to do the rest on our own.. it is a little brutal in the amount of work department.. but so far.. I have an A- in Chem.. in Summer.. so I am going to sign off here and get back to my studying for the midterm.. and hopefully be better about updating this..

Ciao for now..

A whole lotta School going on right now

I think I mentioned that this quarter in school I am crazy.. I have decided to carry 17 credits because well, I need to keep on with the pre-reqs for my program and I wanted to get a new skill as well.

That new skill is Phlebotomy.  I love it.  This is week two of class and I have drawn blood several times already.  All of the fear I had of poking someone with a needle is going away.

I cannot express enough how wonderful my class is.  We have the best group of students and amazing instructors.  I can honestly say that each and every person in my class will make an excellent health care provider.  I am also taking an intermediate algebra class and intro to psych.

Both of these classes are pretty great.  I am thinking that I like psych even more than I thought I did.  We have a pretty great professor, which always helps and the subject matter is more physiological in nature at this point, so my earlier Anatomy and Physiology classes are helping.  I really enjoy learning about the human brain and about cause and effect, modeling and sensory/perception. 

Math for me has always been a struggle.  I fought the math and the math won almost all the way through school.  Going back to school after twenty years, I was fearful of my math history, and I didn't think I would ever get to a place where I would actually love math.  I am a linguistic lover, not a number lover.  That said... wow.. I sure wish I felt this way about math 20 years ago...  I can honestly say, something clicked for me last quarter and I started to get it... really get it... and now?  Now I Lurrrvvee math.  I really like it.  There is something about the order and rules of it that appeal to my 40 something brain that didn't appeal to my younger self.  Weird, I know. 

I actually look forward to math homework now.. Absolutely CRAZY! 

Being a non-traditional student is an adventure in itself, but the thing I love most?  I love the connections I have made at college.  I have told both of my boys.. college is so different from high school.. even when you are older... It is very interesting.  My first go round with college I met some people, some of which I still know, but this time?  I cannot believe how many friendships I am making.  How many wonderful people there are out there who are trying to better themselves through education and new career choices.  How many lovely people who have had amazing life experiences who share the same classrooms.  And to my girls in my communication class group.. Super cool, overachievers, fabulous women, and I still talk with them..

College the second time around is one of the best things I have ever done for myself.. EVER.  I am so happy I did this!

Spring Break

So right now, I am in the middle of my spring break.
This next quarter will be the third full time quarter of my back to school to become a nurse journey.  This blog will probably change a bit, as I am a full time student now and that is really what is on my mind most of the time.
Studying, studying and a little more of that studying.

It is interesting going back to college at this point of my life.  I find that I adore school in a way I never have before.  Even the classes I used to dread, are not so scary.  I have been taking refresher math courses since starting last fall and this next quarter will be my first real math pre-req for nursing.  I am so excited.

More than that, I finally am taking a class where I get to practice a real skill.  I have finished my pre-requisites for Phlebotomy and will be taking the technician and externship class this quarter.  It will be crazy busy as I am also taking a psych class and math.. so I will have 17 credits in all, but I am really happy that I am moving along in this journey.

I also find it frustrating too.  There is so much competition for nursing school here in Washington, and most other states I would think as well.  I talk with my Best friend all the time as she is also going through this journey and we keep each other motivated as this is the toughest road I have been on. 

This road is not for everyone I know.  I want to do this because I have a burning desire to take care of people and to be in a position to help others.  I know I can do it, it is just something I wish I could have done 15 years ago.
As I prepare for school to start again, I find that I am enjoying the break, but wish school would hurry up and start.  Now in two weeks, I will probably be wishing for a break again as the work load intensifies.

Has anyone else gone back to school in their 40's and loved it as well?  Any one else make a career change that was so different from what you had been doing?  Was it fantastic or horrible?

I get my stack of books for next quarter on Monday, so I can't wait to see what I will be reading.. lol.. and I keep doing math everyday, so I will not lose the momentum of my new found math skills.

Update on Hurley and online classes?

So Hurley had the second surgery and we went to see him yesterday.  My sister, the baby, my youngest son and I drove down to visit.  He is doing so much better than he was.  I am so relieved.  After speaking to the vet this morning, I am even more encouraged, as she said he is putting weight on the back legs and they are much more optimistic that he is going in the right direction.  Fingers crossed, he will come home in the next couple of days.

He still has quite a long road and recovery ahead, but I am optimistic that we will stay going in the right direction.  Hubby and I are going to see him later today after I ride.

Here is a pic we took yesterday:

He has quite the fan club at the vet.

As for other things... I am taking online classes this quarter and I can't really decide if I really dislike online classes or if I just miss going to campus more than two days a week.  I have two online classes this quarter and one regular class.  I think that after this quarter, I will not take any more online classes if I can help it.  I don't find them nearly as engaging and I don't like not being able to see the instructor when I have a question..and it could just be my age talking.. I am just not as "comfortable" in the online classroom as I am in a traditional class.

Any one else try online classes and find them more difficult?

Happy Sunday everyone...

More Hurley

We are having a set back day.  He is not coming home as planned today.  I am a little worried as they said he will probably need another scan and possibly more surgery today.  Poor Poor Basset.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that he is just being his lazy self, but the doc said he will check on him this afternoon and call us back.

I will update later...

Keeping my fingers crossed.....

Basset update

I went to visit Hurley yesterday with the hubby.  He is doing fairly well so far, and this morning the doc called and said he can stand and has voluntary movement in both back legs.  This is excellent news.  Although he is not "correcting" yet, the vet said not to worry, he is progressing normally and is doing exactly as they would want him to and expect him to.

Because of his cuteness factor, the vet also told me that he is getting a massive amount of attention.  He laughed and said that every time he walks by Hurley's enclosure, there is a tech in with him loving on him.  That makes me happy and they said we can bring his stuffed animals and rope toy in for him.  We hope to have him home by Friday, as long as he is going potty by himself and standing and walking with help, that may just happen.

Mcgyver has built him an enclosure in the living room and I will take some pics of that later today.  It will be a long recovery, but we are very optimistic.

The incision is pretty long, and it was a little bit of a shock to see him all shaved with all the staples, but he seems to be comfortable.. of course he had the pain patch on still yesterday.

Today, he is on all oral meds and is doing well.  I will be visiting today after class, and will take a couple more pics.  I hope he will be a bit more happy today than he was yesterday.

Our Basset is Broken

This beautiful creature who is only three years old, herniated his disk yesterday.  Right now as I type this, he is in surgery to repair it and hopefully he will walk again.

He lost his ability to use his back legs yesterday and we took him to the emergency vet.  After three steroid shots and a round of prednisone, no improvement, we took him to the neurologist this afternoon, and they did an MRI, and called to let us know the result.


His disk material was protruding about 2/3 of the way into the spinal cord.  Surgery was our only real option for him to reach a good outcome.  So we bit the bullet and now are just awaiting news that he is awake and in recovery.

My sweet McGyver has built him a recovery area in our house as it will be a long recovery for him... 4 to 6 weeks.. poor Basset.. I will update later this week 

Take care

If you stop blogging and then start again

I could make a gazillion excuses, but I won't.  I will just say that working full time, going to school full time, and fixing up a POS piece of property with two kids and a hubby and a horse and 4 dogs is cause for being busy.

However, I now find myself unemployed, on a break from school, and a bunch a time on my hands.  It is the end of a year, and we all like to set goals, reflect and think that next year will be very different.  I am hoping for different, and for a little better.

I hope that any and all who happen to read this had a joyful and peaceful Christmas and holiday season. Even with financial constraints, we had a wonderful time with family and friends and played some great games, watched some wonderful movies and ate WAY to much!   I still have a gazillion projects to do, but we got a big one off of the list.....

We have central heat in the house now.  We have heat in every room thanks to McGyver and it is very very nice.

I start classes again on Monday and I cannot wait.  Fall quarter was amazing and I ended up with straight A's!  I worked very hard for them, but I was thrilled when I got my grades!  I made a pretty fabulous Apple Cake this morning and will probably post the recipe soon.  We have some big plans this next year for our "farm" and I will probably talk about those here in the next couple of days as well.


We leave for Maui in 3 weeks, and my oldest is turning 21.  2011 is going to be starting out pretty fabulous!  Happy New Year!!

Catching up with life

So it has been awhile.. and I disappeared completely. I wish I could say it was all accidental, but it was a bit intentional. I started a new position within my company which has kept me too busy, and we have been doing a little of this and a little of that around the property.

I haven't had much to say on the riding front except that now.. I am taking lessons with someone new, we have been going across the street for trail lessons now for about two months and I love it, the horse loves it and it is less expensive than my other trainer and friend, trail really has helped to improve my riding and my dressage work actually.

We are working on the property this summer, although the weather will have to cooperate before we can do much more.

I have tons of pictures to upload, but I will try and post a few here and a few in the coming weeks.

The big news... I am going back to school! Full time.. To be a nurse.. something I have always wanted to finish! I start my nursing assistant courses this evening, and I will be going to school in the fall and only working part time.. and not at my current place of employment. My last day is August 6th and I cannot wait! I will have 4 weeks of time off to get ready for this new adventure!

This is my new trailer, and I love it... I went to the show with this.. and we won:

and did lots of this at the show:

Beau.. the real star of the show:

He won his Dressage training 2, and we won Ladies Hunter Pleasure.. and we won the Amigo Binson High Point award for the show for adult amateur!  That was pretty cool!








That was in May.. and we have just been chillin with Trail since then and working on the house.. I hope to do at least two trail rides in July and two in August and two in September before the weather and school engulfs my life!

This is a very very scary transition, as we have been used to two good incomes, and me working part time will put a bit of a cramp on our lifestyle.  This blog is where I will probably document the good the bad, and the ugly.

catch up

I have tons of pictures I want to share, but with a new position at work and some other things going on this week.. I am just SLAMMED.

The update:

Beau is HOME! Whoo Hoo! Last Saturday I was a bit nervous as he was having a hard time settling down, but by Sunday afternoon it was much better.

I don't think having him alone is a long term solution, he will have to have a friend sooner than later.

I have ridden him twice at home and once was last night.. it was interesting.. and went okay.. but it will be a couple of weeks I think until he settles down.

I have a new position at work, so I am a bit swamped.. and I will have to write and catch up later... Happy week..

Mack and Bella Cuddle

Mack and Bella Cuddle, originally uploaded by mysticfish.

These two are so in love with each other.. they are.. well.. peas and carrots.. Jenny and Forrest..