Summer is leeeaaaving....

Bah, the sun is setting so much earlier...the wading pools are closing down...some trees are actually starting to turn yellows and reds...I'M NOT READY FOR SUMMER TO END. Usually I am pumped for Fall...I'm ready to bring the sweaters out, start planning crock pot meals, pumpkin spice everything, and hello-apple spice donuts at Mighty-O (I'm not bitter that they messed up my wedding donut order and DIDN'T make the apple spice donuts I especially requested). But no...I'm not there yet. This summer has been beautiful and I have spent more time outside than any past summer I can remember (nannying...parks every day)...but there are so many things I still want to do. Like camping...we never went camping this summer. And hiking- not a single hike happened! And the West Seattle pool with salt water- never went there. Alki- hardly spent any time at the best beach we have in our city and is a few minutes away. I actually don't think I even put a swim suit on once this summer. Etc. Etc. Etc. Please September...take your time transitioning into Fall.

With Summer quarter being done, I have finally found some time to read. I just finished the third book in the Ender's Game series. I have zipped through all three of those books- I don't know how I hadn't ever read Ender's Game before...I just started my new book club book yesterday and am already almost halfway done- Where'd You Go Bernadette. It is based in Seattle, and while I think it might be a little over the top with the Seattle references...it is pretty funny and spot on with some of the jokes.

Brian and I spent some time last night working on our Honeymoon itinerary. I think we are going to do four days in Paris, and then Rome, Venice, and probably a smaller(ish) city in Tuscany...maybe we will go to Florence, but I am hoping to decide on one of the smaller ones. We sent in our request for midnight mass at the Vatican with the Pope. Hopefully that will work out...it sounds like we should be able to get in since there are only two of us. Trying to figure out what we want to do for accommodations...hotel? hostel? airbnb? It is that balance between wanting to stay in a somewhat decent place, but also- we will be out exploring most of the time...how much do we really want to spend? It didn't even occur to me today, but of course we will go to Disneyland Paris! We have been craving a Disney trip for quite a while, and checking flights...ultimately deciding each time that we can't do Disney before Italy...but now we will get both!

Oh my goodness, the twins are growing up so fast! They are 7 months old now, and Lily is already starting

to crawl (not the actual crawl, but the push and scoot). They don't look like infants anymore...they are actual babies. Sitting up and playing.

To further the point from my first paragraph...this morning (afternoon, really), Brian and I went over to Alki, grabbed a drink from Starbucks and walked for about an hour up Alki, and along Beach Dr. We went down onto the rocky beach and slid our way along the seaweed. Admired the homes, read about the sea animal sightings. We made our way back to the main strip of Alki, and had lunch at Cactus- YUM. Why haven't we been doing this all summer?

Tomorrow night is the HUGE Sounders vs Portland match, with Clint Dempsey's home debut. The match is sold out...neeeervous!!

That's all- have a fantastic week! (And Labor Day weekend!)

One year

Yesterday afternoon, about an hour before I was leaving to pick him up from work, Brian sent me a text that said 'before you leave, will you: feed the cats, leave a light on for the cats, dress nicely."

I picked him up and he drove us up north, we caught the Whidbey Island ferry, and went to dinner at the restaurant we ate at a year ago when he proposed! What a guy.

It was so crazy to reflect on the past year...so much happened! We both left our jobs and started new ones. We planned a wedding. And got married. We moved into a house. We have kittens. I have completed a full year of school. My goodness.

I love that we get to celebrate on Whidbey Island every year!

A Friday Five

I have the day off today, Friday...and while I have a huge list of To-Dos for the day, I figured I would take a second to write an actual Friday Five.

1. Summer quarter is OVER. My goodness, this class was tough! I don't know if it was the teacher, if it was the fact that the quarter was 3 weeks shorter than a normal quarter, if the material was especially difficult...probably a nice mix of all three...but this class really took up much more time and effort than any of the other classes I have taken. I really have no idea where I am as far as my grade goes because 100 points were completed in the last week (out of 400 for the whole quarter), and 2 out of the 3 homework assignments hadn't been graded yet. We'll see...whatever the grade ends up being, I certainly learned! Next quarter is microbiology and hopefully an online math class (I still have to take the placement test, and I'm so annoyed by that- it's a 100 level math class- why do I have to take a placement test?- that I've been putting it off.)...and then I will start applying to programs in November.

2. Speaking of school- I just made my final student loan payment today. The last $117. I didn't have a HUGE loan to payoff in the first place, thankfully...I hear about the amounts that kids are leaving school with and it just about gives me a panic attack. How does college cost that much?! I have always been a HUGE advocate for college- you'll never regret having an education...but sometimes I'm not so sure anymore. Maybe you would regret $60,000 of debt. Anyway...mine is paid off...just in time to start accumulating some more. Woo.

3. Brian and I got a new bed this week. We never set up the bed frame I had when we moved into the new house- Brian didn't like the bed, and figured if we set it up then we would never get a new one. So we have been sleeping on a mattress on the floor. I have been trying to put off buying a new bed, but Brian hasn't been sleeping very well, and feeling sore every day...so it was time. We found a good deal for a latex mattress on Amazon- hundreds of 5-star reviews. And we went to Ikea and picked out a new bed frame. I know it is a well known thing...but for the love, putting Ikea furniture together couldn't be a bigger pain. After several hours over two evenings, we finally completed the project last night. And then discovered that none of our sheets fit the new bed. Bah (that is something on my to-do list today).

4. My mom turned 50 this summer (I know, she is so young)...and she was out of town on her birthday in

June...so the huge birthday kind of went unacknowledged. Then about a month ago, one of my mom's awesome friends emailed me and said she wanted to have a surprise party for my mom. Each summer they do a progressive dinner with a few couples, and it would be a perfect way to get everybody in one place without my mom being suspicious at all. Katie's house was the final stop on the progressive dinner agenda, so she had dessert, and themed the stop Disney (obviously)...so the guests arrived while they were having dinner at another house
(all the stops were houses on the lake, so they drove from place to place by boat- and did I mention that each course of the meal is themed- including costumes?)...it was awesome. My mom was totally surprised- cried and everything- in her awesome construction costume. And here is the cake that one of her friends made- amazing! The whole thing was so great!

5. The kittens go in for their last round of shots tomorrow. Frank still has diarrhea- it has been about a month now. They are currently teething. Did you know that happens to kittens? They are losing their baby teeth and their grown up teeth are coming in. Last night Millie had a loose tooth hanging out the side of her mouth, and this morning, it was gone. Frank has a big tooth coming in right next to his baby tooth- we can see the crazy

size difference (big tooth is about twice as big as the baby tooth). Apparently their gums are sore just like a teething baby...and is why they are chewing on things more. They love our new bed, and hung out in the bedroom with us the whole time we were building it. They are enjoying playing on the old mattress- it is their new favorite obstacle course. Millie nearly escaped this week...when I got home from work and opened the front door, she was RIGHT there, and snuck out onto the porch. She didn't run, so I was able to grab her easily, but yikes! I'm not going to do it, because I know it is silly, but I want to get them leashes so I can take them outside...I know they want to go out!

That's all for this week. Have a super weekend...I'm off to get stuff DONE!

Class, kickball, and diarrhea

Yup...that is pretty much been all that has been happening in my life this last month. Class is mine, kickball is mine and Brian's, and the diarrhea is Frank the cat.

Class is pretty crazy. We have had 5 weeks straight that included tests. A Monday, Monday, Monday, Wednesday, and next week is a test on Monday and the final on Wednesday. An 8 week quarter to get 11 weeks worth of information into. I constantly feel like I am playing catch up. She starts the lecture on the the next set of chapters before we have taken the test on the previous set of chapters, and then asks if there are any questions. NO, no questions yet because I am still wrapping my brain around the last set of chapters. I usually feel like I am at mediocre understanding by test day. BUT, I still feel like I have learned SO much more than I did last quarter. I do like this professor quite a bit...she is very fair. And thank goodness, she does lots of partial credit on tests. One week left to go. Lecture and lab is over. Just an exam and the final. Study, study, study.

And right in the middle of the crazy school load is the period of time in kickball where we have playoffs for summer season, and have already started fall season. For example, on Tuesday- the night before my final- we have a summer playoff game...if we win that, we play the championship game immediately following. Then we head over to Greenlake for a 9:30pm fall season game. I'll probably have to keep my notes in the dugout.

Then there is Frank- the biggest kitten I have ever seen in my life, despite three weeks of diarrhea. The cat just keeps on eating. He has had an antibiotic, which didn't do anything. We were given parasite medicine, even though all of his tests have come back negative for parasites. And currently we have him on a probiotic...hoping that maybe he just needs some good bacteria back in his system. Though he threw up a couple of times earlier this week. I have been worried off and on...but considering he literally just FLEW through the air in front of my face- about three feet off the ground- in pursuit of Millie...I think he is probably doing okay.

I don't know how cats age compared to people...but I think Frank might be going through either a 3 yr old or a 13 yr old stage...he is testing us on EVERYTHING. We carry a spray bottle of water with us around the house...he climbs on the table and just looks at us. Stays up there as we grab the spray bottle, watches, watches...and just as we get close enough for the spray, he jumps down. Little monster. Meanwhile, little Millie has just been a champ. She is still tiny- getting longer (I think she looks like a mongoose...I would have called her Riki Tiki Tavi if I had noticed when we first got her)...and so, so sweet. She is so well behaved (and is currently curled up on my stomach, purring as I type- probably for protection from Frank)...

And in other non-cat, non-school, non-kickball news...man, haven't we had an amazing summer?! What a fantastic summer to be a nanny...sorry to brag. Any time those kids start pressing my patience (which happens a lot- they are 3 and 1), I think about how I get to spend my day at the zoo or the park...looking into the newest spray park, which kid band is playing at which library or park...it could be so much worse!

The Mariners continue to disappoint (still managing to make it to a game here and there), the Sounders just signed Clint Dempsey...a HUGE deal. Brian just wrote a blog regarding these two loves of his and how different the organizations are run...pretty interesting- http://bterreson.wordpress.com

Brian and I are making an attempt to get healthier...thus far food is the only aspect we have made an effort with, but we are discussing options for working out. Because we are so busy, we find ourselves eating at restaurants a lot- which usually isn't particularly healthy, not to mention expensive. I don't want to get too ambitious right away, so right now we are just making an effort with our dinners to fill as much of our plate with vegetables, make healthy protein choices, and keep the carbs to a minimum.We have done pretty well this week. We'll see how next week goes.

Busy weekend ahead...I'm getting my hair cut today- finally...my last haircut was in March. I have book club this afternoon- which I haven't been able to go to in probably 6 months. Babysitting tonight. Tomorrow one of my college roommates is in town and is coming over to visit (SO excited!), Mariners game in the evening. And, of course, lots of studying in there.

Aaaand some pics...

Frank the part-dog

Greetings upon arriving home

Nap time for everyone

Play time

Another Week!

Brian was away at camp all last week. I had intentions of making plans with friends and happy hours and Greenlake walks...until I realized that between school and kickball, I only had one available evening...and the poor kittens needed some attention. This is the first year that he has gone away for the week that I felt like the week went by pretty quickly. I thought I would be a little nervous about being at the house by myself, but the kitties kept me company. It all went a-okay. Brian had fun at camp- great group of kids, weather couldn't have been better...I know he probably would have liked to stay a little longer. BUT, it is awesome to have him home. I know Frank missed playing with the laser pointer with him!

Speaking of Frank...ugh, kitty is sick. Really unsure about taking him to the vet. Without getting graphic, he clearly has an upset stomach. Also, his 'third eyelid' has been out on both eyes. I hadn't ever heard of this or seen it before- I noticed he had a white film covering half of both eyes- freaked me out!, so looked it up. Basically, it is an extra layer of protection to the cats eyes, but can also make an appearance when they are sick or stressed out. He has had the stomach issue and eyelid thing now for almost a week, but everything else seems fine. He runs around and plays with Millie, he continues eating and drinking fine...he has been a little more snuggly (usually he sprawls out next to us, but he has been curling up more). I have called the vet, made multiple appointments, but then keep cancelling them. I keep thinking I am overreacting...you can't take them to the vet every time something comes up...if he was an outdoor cat and didn't use a litter box, I wouldn't even know anything is wrong. The vet doesn't seem overly concerned...as long as he isn't getting dehydrated. But I keep having moments of panic. Millie keeps checking on him- they bump noses. I just made a trip to the grocery store to get him some rice and chicken...something mellow for his stomach. I'm sure we will end up taking him in early this week. Hopefully it isn't any big thing...Maybe he was just stressed about Brian being gone all week.

I spent half of my last blog post complaining about school and being certain I was going to fail my exam on Monday...and I ended up getting the best test grade I've had so far. Go figure. I keep having these moments (or days) of doubt about whether I am doing the right thing, back in school, nursing. Could it possibly just be fear? In church today they talked about God continuing to challenge us with that THING- our personal crux...how we can't just stop, you have to push through it. My crux has been- for quite some time- when things get difficult, I assume it is because I'm doing the wrong thing. If it isn't working, then I should probably do something else...I am a big believer in getting yourself out of a bad situation...the whole 'definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result'...don't sit still if you are unhappy, DO something, make a change. BUT, I also think that is sometimes a copout for me. Sometimes you have to push through. I feel pretty confident that God has pushed me to where I am...He wants me in school. He has put me in the right situation to be able to make this happen. And I knew from the beginning that this wasn't going to be something I could just do on my own. Of course I have to trust that God will help me out. He has to- I can't do this myself. I was feeling pretty defeated by school last week...and then got just the bump I needed to remind me that I am right where I should be. Who knows if I will get into nursing school in the first round of applications. If I don't, then that gives Brian and I a little more time to live a newly married, normal life before the craziness of full time school and worrying about tuition with a part time work schedule, etc. And I will apply again. If I do get in, then I will be able to get this whole thing moving a little sooner. Faith, Faith, Faith. It'll be fine. Just keep going. I'm glad I am currently feeling that way, because I have another test tomorrow, and another the following Monday...three Mondays in a row. Gulp.

Brian left camp early on Friday, and I went and picked him up at the ferry- because we had the opportunity to see Paul McCartney at Safeco on Friday night!! Brian's parents got tickets for us, and the four of us went- it was SO AMAZING. I mean, that guy...what a rock star. Not only is he who he is, hello Beatles...but he is 71 years old and played for THREE HOURS! The last hour he played with the three living members of Nirvana! I mean, they were doing the rockier/harder Beatles stuff, and he was yelling and sounded incredible...after already playing for two hours. It was so impressive. And what an entertainer- telling jokes, fist pumping, thumb up giving. We both felt so grateful that we had the opportunity to see him...definitely a once in a lifetime kind of thing!

And as if Friday could get any better after the show...but Jimmy Fallon had Jesse & the Rippers on his show! Whaaaa?! Yes, as in Uncle Jesse's band on Full House. And after they played a four song medley, including their #1 in Japan hit song "Forever", Becky- Uncle Jesse's wife, came out and gave him a kiss. It was so great.

We were up late, and got up bright and early to make it back up to camp for breakfast on Saturday. We spent the morning there, and then headed over to Langley for the Useless Bay coffee stop. And then into the long ferry line back home. I wish we could have stayed in Langley all day...the sun had just burned through the clouds about 30 minutes before we left. BUT, you never know how long that ferry line is going to be and I had to babysit Saturday night.

Alright, I am off to study for my test.

But look- they are snuggling with each other (and me)...

The last couple of weeks

I am in a phase of hating school. Ugh. I know that this is because I have an exam tomorrow and feel totally unprepared. But I hate that it takes up 10 hours of my evenings IN class (let alone the preparing, reading, studying- which the professor said to expect to spend 20 hours a week doing that…20 hours a week studying for ONE class), and it is beautiful outside. I hate having to say no to plans with Brian. But mostly I hate that it makes me feel stupid. School used to make me feel smart…this class makes me feel stupid. And makes me think ‘what the heck am I thinking?’. But then I think about how lucky I am to even be able to take classes- to have the time, to have the money, to have a goal. 

Okay, got that rant out. I should be studying for said unprepared test, but I’m blogging, because I’m tired of studying and I think it’s a little hopeless at this point. 

An evening that I do look forward to each week is kickball. Spring league is over- we made it all through some very dramatic playoff games- rain outs, delays…in the game before the final, we got 2 innings in (up by 8) and the lights on the field went out. We were told we would start the game back up where we left off. Well…when the game was finally rescheduled, the league made us start over AND the team showed up with completely different players…they loaded their team…for kickball. And after the end of 2 innings, we were, once again, up by 8. Immediately following that game, we played the championship. It was such a great game, back and forth…tied going into the bottom of the 7^th (we only play 7 innings), and literally three seconds after they scored a run, all the lights on the field went out. It was very dramatic. Summer season is in full swing. 

Fourth of July weekend was busy and great. I missed the Sounders game on the Wednesday because of class (to see how I feel about that, re-read the first paragraph of this entry)…then Thursday we went over to some friends for bbq and fireworks. Such a fun group of people, awesome food, aaaand some malfunctioning fireworks. Oh well. On Friday the little girl I watch had her birthday party, so we stopped in at that before heading down to Olympia for my aunt and uncle's house. They always have a big 4^th party weekend with people coming and going. There was a fire breather (picture)…didn’t think we’d be seeing that when we left the house that day. On Sunday morning Olga came over to meet the kitties. She and I went up to Bakery Nouveau for some delicious treats. She snuggled with the cats and noticed that Millie’s ears were filthy. She requested some Q-tips and went to town. I think she used like 15 Q-tips on little Millie. And then informed us that she probably had ear mites. Great. Then Sunday evening we headed up to Brian’s parents house for little Scarlett’s first birthday party.

I bought a huge half flat of strawberries the week before the 4^th (the berries were overflowing…it was probably enough to fill a full flat)…they were so sweet and yummy. I was trying to think of something to make with them with all of the activities we had going on and decided on strawberry salsa. Brian loved it, so I made three batches of it (super easy- pint of strawberries, 4 roma tomatoes, 1 jalepeno, couple cloves of garlic, juice of a lime, T of olive oil, and some cilantro). 

When Olga mentioned that Millie might have ear mites, I called the vet and changed the appointment we had scheduled for the following week (to get their booster shots). Unfortunately I had class when they were available to see the cats (paragraph one, again), so Brian had to take them by himself. I wrote up a list of questions for the vet about each one, along with their personality traits, etc…I got them all packed up in their box and sent Brian on his way. He said that Frank did great, just sat there and let the vet do his thing. Millie scratched and fought, and he said she looked sad. And she did have ear mites AND an ear infection, poor girl. So we have ear drops to give her every 12 hours…first couple of times that was rough, but she has gotten pretty used to it now. And her ears are much cleaner.Other than that, the vet said they are very healthy kittens, and that Frank probably won't be THAT gigantic. He is big, but also seems much bigger because Millie is actually a very small kitten. Frank is literally more than twice her size- she is 2.5 lbs and he is almost 6lbs. 

grandma with my little cousins

This weekend I went over to Ocean Shores with my fam. Brian had plans, so couldn’t make it, but I always love the ocean trips with everyone, so I was going…despite the test I have tomorrow. The weather at the ocean is usually freezing and windy and overcast, but the sun actually came out every day, and it was SO PRETTY. My aunt and I went running on the beach in the morning…it is so amazing how much I enjoy running on the beach…I haven’t been running much lately, but I wasn’t checking the time, wasn’t tired, my breathing was slow and easy, my legs felt great…ahhh, I wish I could run barefoot every day at the beach…I would be in such great shape! Brian text me that Millie missed me while I was gone and kept sitting in my spot. 

And because they are just so darn cute and I love them to pieces…here are a few kitten photos. Brian let me know that he bought a new remote control car 'for the cats'...

playing with the car

Size difference

Frank update

I feel like Frank needs an introduction- now that he has come out of hiding, we are seeing lots of his personality.

This is Frank. As previously mentioned, he is huge. His mom is Maine Coon (though when doing some research I found that purebred Main Coon owners are kind of snotty about people using the name- that true Maine Coons are very rare, and how dare you think that your simple large tabby cat is one of these greats...so, I am ignorantly claiming the name). Maine Coons are known as 'gentle giants', are very smart and rainable- they can be taught tricks. They are supposed to be very loyal and great companion cats.

Frank is cautious- still a little skittish. He prefers me to Brian right now, mostly because Brian tends to make quick or abrupt movement...I'm slower when Frank is around, so he trusts me a little more, plus Brian vacuums. But he loves playing with Brian- they play with a baseball, a laser pointer (Frank goes crazy for that). He licks our hands and fingers all the time. He also nips and bats at our hands- his bites are always gentle, and he never scratches us. I read that the licking and gentle biting is what mom cats do to their kittens, and is how he learned to show care- and that he is claiming us. Sounds so sweet...we are probably creating bad habits. He doesn't like being picked up, but he does love to sprawl out on our laps. He 'holds' things with his paws, like our arm when he wants us to pet him. He has round eyes, which I have never noticed on a cat before...it gives his face a very innocent look. He has a big raccoon tail...when you only see him from behind, you could mistake him for a small raccoon.

He is teaching Millie some habits. Here, Millie is watching Frank eat out of the bowl...she just sat there and

watched. Millie has been much better with the litter boxes. She also doesn't use her claws hardly at all anymore...that might have just been her figuring it out, but I like to think Frank helped her. Millie has also started biting a little bit- she isn't as gentle with her teeth as Frank, but it seems like she is trying to do it like Frank does. The two of them play together now- though sometimes I worry about Millie because Frank is SO much bigger, and seems like he is a little bit rougher when they play...Millie meows sometimes, but there isn't any hissing...that means she is okay, right? We are also a little worried that maybe Frank is a bit

of a bully. Whenever Millie is sitting on one of our laps, Frank squeezes his way in between, and gives Millie a little shoulder push away. When Millie starts eating, Frank will start eating out of her bowl, even though he was just eating out of his own bowl. Normal or concern?

They are no longer locked into rooms when we leave...they have free reign of the downstairs- they aren't allowed upstairs at night or during the day when we aren't here. They are much happier being free (obviously), and it makes me feel better when we are gone for a long time. 

I have to say, they are REALLY good kittens- very sweet and easy. They are super distracting to my studying!