Our little terror

When Dustin and I moved in together, I instantly wanted a dog.  I have always had a dog around since I was  a baby.  We always had a German Sheppard or a Siberian Husky.  I wanted to get a small dog but Dustin wanted a big dog.  Our house isn't that big so a little dog would be perfect but instead we got this mutt.

This is the first day we had him.  I know what your thinking, "he is so cute."  Yes he is cute, but such a pain in the butt.  You never realize how much work getting a dog is until you have your own place and your own dog.  He was only 3 months old when we got him.  We had been looking for a dog for a while at the APL but nothing had shown up that we clicked with.  We were on our way to Bed Bath and Beyond when I saw a sign that said onsite adoption at Petsco.  Oh I just had to go look, I told Dustin.  He snapped back "Oh god here we go again."  He parked and looked at me and said "We are not getting a dog today."  I was smiling inside because I knew if I found one I wanted I was getting a dog that day.  We went inside and looked at the first row of dogs, they were cute.  Second row of dogs, there he was.  I asked if I could get him out and play with him.  Out he came to play and he instantly clicked with us.  I WANT HIM, I WANT HIM.  Dustin said no AGAIN.  I went up to the lady and asked about him.  She told me that him and his 2 other siblings were found on the highway, someone just dumped them there.  His siblings had been adopted already and said a lady was interested in him and might come back.  I said well I want to adopt him!!! Dustin was rolling his eyes in the back but playing with him as well.  That day we added a new member to our family, Bentley.

Oh and what a journey we have been on with him.  He is almost a year and half .  He did really well with potty training but that's about it.  He has been a terror.  Within the first couple of months he tore up my camera and stethoscope.  He needed to be kenneled up when we were gone but lets just say he doesn't like to be kenneled.

I came home after running errands to this.  Who knows how long he had been stuck like this.  He chewed a hole in the side of it.  He is a terror.  He has been threw 2 other kennels since then.  The kennel he is in now is a 4 foot kennel that is usually outside.  It worked well for a while until he realized he could jump out of it.  Yes you read that right, he jumps out of his 4 foot kennel.  He would jump out and tear up other things.  We put a tarp on the top of it and he somehow ate a hole threw it.  We now put fence on the top of it, he isn't escaping it now.
Even though he is a big dog, he thinks he is a lap dog.

             

Oh Benny!                                                    

There is a first for everything :)

Before I met Dustin I really wasn't an outdoorsy type.  I was a girly girl who didn't like to get dirty or even get sweaty.  Oh how I was missing out on things.  I experienced my first camping trip with the Powells.  I camped my first time going to my first rodeo.  I love rodeos and camping now!  I never drove a four wheeler before either.  And now I couldn't imagine not four wheeling.  We enjoy doing it and getting muddy :)
But this post is all about my first time fishing.  I even got a fishing license.

See I even have proof! We went to walmart and got ourselves some fishing poles and our license.  I went with the 12 dollar pole that was purple.  I don't need anything too crazy.  So we went home and lined the fishing pole (don't think that's the right term) and when I say we I mean Dustin and  Todd did.  I just watched.  Todd gave me a quick lesson on how to cast the line and then we were on our way.  We went out near the power plant and gosh it was windy. At first we used this stink bait stuff but none of us liked it so Dustin left to go get some worms.  We fished a little bit and decided we needed to go somewhere else.  It was too windy there.  So we got our stuff ready and went to the parking lot to wait for Dustin to come back.  I made some friends on the way.

We went somewhere else and it had no wind.  I even hooked my own worms. :))  Dustin was very impressed that I did it all by myself.  We fished until about 1:30 am and decided to go home.  Unfortunately we were unlucky and didn't catch anything but that's okay because we had a great time!

Silly little habits

Everyone has things they do on a daily basis without thinking twice about it.  Silly little rituals that make up your days.  Somethings you do, you may not even realize it because it just has become a habit.  One thing I do that I only noticed when Dustin and I moved in together is that I set my alarms to odd numbers like 6:11 or 5:13.  Dustin thinks its funny to change it when I fall asleep to 6:12 or to any even number.  I never even realized that I did this or what the reasoning behind it was.
When I get ready in the morning after I have showered, I wash my face again then clean it with toner and then brush my teeth then put lotion on.  I can't do it out of order.  It always happens in this order.  The last thing I do to get ready is put my earnings and check that I have my wedding ring on.
When I get to work and get on my floor I always grab an assignment paper and head to Module C no matter what my assignment is because I have to say hi to all my friends :)
When I wake up I make sure Dustin is right next to me and then I go find every single animal and say good morning to them.  I know it is silly but I just love them :)  Usually if Dustin has gone to work Benny is cuddling with me taking up all the bed and Jeffrey and Trixie are also on the bed.
I probably do a lot more little things but I worked 12 hours and my brain is fried!!

Vacation Time :)

Planning a vacation takes time and organization.  Well not for the Powell's it doesn't!  We leave for Panama City Beach in like 16 days!  They just booked the trip this morning, talk about short notice.  We had been talking about planning a vacation since Friday, but the dates we were looking at were in the middle of July.  Then we talked about going to Jamaica at the end of June, but I don't have a passport and we didn't want to cut it to close.  So once again we went back to planning for Panama City Beach but this time June 8.  Deena asked if there was anyway I could get off then and I was thinking to my self "Oh god there is no way."  I text one girl that was off the days I worked through out the vacation and she said YES!!!! I was so stinking excited.  Thanks again Michelle, I owe you big time!!! 

Why am I so excited you ask?  Well that is because I have never been to a beach.  My mom says I saw a beach when I was a baby but that doesn't count because I have no recollection of it.  Deena & Randy found the perfect place to stay across the street from the beach.  The pictures of the house is so stinking cute.  It was the only time that this house was available, that's why we are going so soon.  I have never been to Florida so it is going to be so much fun.  I hope we can see some dolphins  .  I feel like a nerd because Dustin has already gone so many places and he is making fun of me because I am so excited.  Another cool thing about going on this vacation at this time is that Dustin and I's one year anniversary of being married is June 11.  What a great way to spend it!  Thanks Deena and Randy for planning such a great trip :)

Dustin and I have other mini vacations planned as well.  We are going on a float trip with our neighbors in July.  Neither one of us has ever been on a float trip, so we will probably be made fun of a lot.  I am not the most coordinated person, poor dusty!   Tonya and Micah have gone a handful of times, so they are pros!  

Another mini vacation is in August with my parents.  We are going up to Chicago for a weekend for watch the White Sox play the Angels.  My dad's cousin is the pitching coach for the Angels, so that will be fun!  Chicago is always a good time especially with people you love :)

Labor Land, Labor Land

When people think of going to work they think of working 0800-1700, a lunch break, no holidays, and no weekends.  When I think of a normal job it kind of makes me laugh.  When you choose to work as a nurse or a tech at a hospital you don't have that normalness of a job.  Nurses & techs work 12 hours, sometimes have to work through lunch, work holidays and weekends.  Why would anyone want to pick something like that?  I really couldn't imagine my life not wanting to be a nurse.  When I first thought about becoming a nurse my loved ones kind of made a joke of it.  I used to be a girly girl and they couldn't imagine me dealing with blood and poop.  I took my CNA course about 4 years ago to see maybe if I wanted to continue into nursing school.  I loved helping people even though sometimes it was a smelly task!  After I finished my CNA class, I got a job at Wyndcrest Assisted Living home.  I loved working there, the elderly people there became my family and I knew nursing was my nitch.  I then quit working there after a year, because I got a job at St. John's Hospital at the Birth Center.  Who would have known that this is where I belonged?  I thought I loved working with elderly but I LOVE labor and babies, of course!!  When I first started working at the Birth Center it was definitely something I had to get used to.  I had never seen a vaginal or Cesarean delivery but now I don't even know how many times I have seen one.  After about 6 months-year I got into the nursing program at LLCC and I graduate in December and I will be a RN.  I can't believe that I will be a Labor Nurse and not just the tech.  Sometimes I am afraid that all my nursey friends at work will expect too much from me when I graduate and then disappoint them.  I definitely know who I want to be my mentors.  From working at the Birth Center I have gained another family.  I couldn't imagine not having all of them in my life.  They have definitely gotten me through some tough times. I can't wait to be a nurse in Labor Land :)  

Who wouldn't want to help bring a bundle of joy to a family?

  

Bumpy Road

Having a parent with cancer is one of the hardest things to deal with in life.  It hurts so badly to see someone you love feel so sick and hurt so bad from it.  My dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer with metastasis to his liver in 2009.  Cancer is a mean and ugly thing in life.  You never realize what hardships it brings in someones life until you live it.  I know I still don't fully understand how my dad feels.  What I do know is that he is strongest man I know.  He still somehow has a smile on his face everyday and can cheer anybody up.

I mean look at that goofy face.  You're welcome Dad for putting this picture up :) This week he had a CT scan done on Monday to see how the chemotherapy has been working.  We got the results back on Wednesday and lets just say it wasn't the results we were hoping for.  The cancer in his liver and the nodules in his lungs have grown.  Which means the chemo regimen he has been doing isn't effective anymore.  He was supposed to have his chemo Thursday but his doctor said there was no point of him being sick all weekend if it wasn't working anymore.  We are looking into my dad doing a clinical trial in Jefferson City, MO.  It will be every week and it is pill form.  My dad has been so strong throughout this whole journey and he deals with the bumps in the road as they come about.  I love you Dad!

Where to start?

I am not sure where to start.  I have always been a big blog reader.  I favor reading health blogs because I try to find ideas that I end up never using :)  I titled this blog: Life as a Simple Girl, because that's exactly what I am.  I am very simple and I am okay with that. 

So here are some things you may want to know about me:

>well duh, my name is Elodie.

>My birthday is April 2 and I love birthdays!!! Every year is another year to celebrate.

>I am a nursing student with one semester to go and I will be an RN. EEEEKKKK!

>I have the best family anyone could ask for.  Daddy's girl and mommy's princess even if I am 22. :)

>best husband ever, Dustin with our little zoo of animals whom I refer to as my kids.

>3 kitties- Jeffery, Riley, and Trixie

>super hyper dog Bentley (don't worry I will post LOTS of pictures of my kids)

>I work in Labor and Delivery as a tech and I wouldn't want it any other way.  I belong in Labor Land.

Well that is all for now. :)))