Free at last :)

It was so nice to turn in my final essay on Friday and head home knowing it was all over. Unfortunately there hasn't been much celebrating yet because Friday night I came down with a horrible cold...ugh! At least it waited until the term was over with I guess. The sad part is that I am sitting here on the couch by myself hacking my head off when I should be at a Christmas party with Dustin. I even had a cute little black dress to wear....so sad....maybe next year.

Looking on the bright side though, Dustin and I weren't the last ones to go get our Christmas tree this year. We went last weekend, lol the one weekend I said I didn't want to go because it was the weekend before finals....but Dustin had the weekend off and so did our friends Matt and Andrea. They both work at the hospital so its not easy catching up with them between all of our crazy schedules. We got rained on but it was fun. Here are a few pictures.After much searching, we found the perfect tree

Ahh....my very own Hercules :)Where did Matt go? At least they were fragrant firs....lol
And then it was my turn to do a little work....can you see the Starbucks ornaments?

Finals....

3 down, 1 to go. Friday after 3PM I'm a free woman!!

Oh so busy!!

Ok so once again I've been slacking on posting my blogs....sorry. I misplaced my camera for a while...and I know you hate postings without pictures....so that was my excuse for a while. But then I usually only do my postings at work on my down time.....and who remembers to bring their camera to work.....so again no photos. Classes have been keeping me busy but there are 4 weeks left in the term before Christmas break...HURRAY!! I'm enjoying school and all but my house just isn't getting cleaned or decorated because there is not time for that....so sad. I did get around to carving a pumpkin but that was the extent of my fall decorations...and Dustin didn't even get to take part in the carving. He has been working a lot of overnights lately so he's not around much when I'm home. I did manage to drag him to the pumpkin patch though. (I am planning on posting those pictures). He was rather resistant to going this year because he didn't think he was going to be able to carry my pumpkin.....because of his recent shoulder surgery. So he said we weren't going if he couldn't carry it....because what kind of husband would he be if he made his wife carry her own pumpkin. Whatever I knew he was injured....I think he was more worried about what other people would think of him if he wasn't being a gentleman....lol I love him!!! I think next year though we are going to have to find a new pumpkin patch though. The one we went to wasn't much fun and I want to make a day of it....maybe have a picnic and some apple cider or something.

The Road to Recovery

The road to recovery has been slow going and exhausting so far. Its been 3 weeks since Dustin had surgery and he's still sleeping in a recliner in the living room (how sad). The exhausting part is that I no longer have my partner in crime to help me out with much of anything.....the one armed bandit can't do too much :) Its rather frustrating for both of us, but at least he's hack to being able to dress himself......that was kind of a requirement before going back to work. I guess you just take things for granted and then when their gone you realize how lucky you were to have whatever it was in the first place (like a fully functioning arm and a very helpful husband).

Its been tough getting everything done for school along with everything else but I'm hanging in there and God's working everything out. I definitely can't be as anal and dedicated as I once was.....but maybe that's a good thing :) I guess I'll find out next week when I have my first anatomy exam.

The Adventures of Surgery

Dustin's surgery Monday morning went fairly well. It was longer and more extensive than first expected but he was sent home a couple hours after the surgery. They had given him a local block on his shoulder to basically numb it before he left the hospital and they warned us that it would be wearing off in about 10-12 hours so not to hesitate taking some pain medication at the first sign of pain. I was poking pain pills down Dustin's throat as frequently as was allowed but nothing was helping curb the pain after the block had worn off. He finally slept for about two hours but then woke up in even more intense pain. Dustin doesn't take pain medication...ever...not even when he got his wisdom teeth taken out so I know he was in a lot of pain. I called his surgeon and he advised us to head to the emergency room. So off we went to the hospital at 1AM. It was a painful drive in for Dustin. Every bump, turn and jostle was painful. He was admitted to the hospital and pumped full of pain killers. I watch the relief spread over his pale face as they injected the drugs lol he could never be a drug user and get away with it. He was instantly out for a couple hours. I stayed for the first couple hours until the nurse came to give him his second dose and then headed home to get a few hours of sleep. I was supposed to be back to work on Tuesday for a few hours because we had a lab meeting but I was at the hospital instead. My boss understood, thankfully. I didn't sleep much Monday night and it sure was hard seeing my strong able bodied husband laying there in bed in so much pain...and worst of all not being able to do anything for him so my nerves were shot. They insisted that it was ok to bring him home yesterday after a full day in the hospital on pain meds. I really didn't want to risk it but apparently once its documented that the pain is stabilized the insurance stops paying for things. He had his color back and was talking in between his comatose states from the drugs so they finally convinced me that they would prescribe him strong strong strong drugs, the strongest they could and send us on our way. We got home and everything was going ok for a few hours but the drugs they prescribed were a generic of what they were giving him in the hospital and for some reason they weren't working....ugh! At this point it became rather hilarious to me. I was delirious from lack of sleep and really felt like a zombie. I got dressed again and prepared to head back to the hospital again, thinking I should find his nurse and doctor and strangle them. We called the doctor's office and talked to the on call doc. He was appalled at the amount of pain killers that Dustin was on and really had no explanation why they weren't working now that we were home....he said it couldn't be because they were the generic brand...anyway he said that Dustin could take 3 ib-profen and 2 Tylenol at once to get him through to his next dose of pain meds. Thankfully that was the secret and it worked wonders because he has been feeling much better since. He even has his sarcasm back so I know he's more himself :) So that's the Landreth adventures for the past few days. I'm just glad its over with....well the surgery part anyway but there is still a long way to recovery.

New Purchases

I'm excited about my new purchases!! Lol I know they are only shoes and sun glasses but hey its a treat to have some new stuff so I'm excited. My shoes are of course skechers but the most exciting part was that I ordered them online for 25% off and free shipping. My hubby prides himeself on never paying full price for anything (an annoying trait at times) anyway so I've learned a few tricks from him. I googled skechers coupons and.... walla.... I found a promotional code for free shipping and 25% off. Very nice.
As for my sun glasses, Dustin picked them out. Sometimes I think he has more style than I do :) They are from this new store that just came into town White House| Black Market. I love it!! But oh so expensive!! Dustin's a sweety....he caught my not so subtle hints that it would be awesome if he bought me a gift once in a while. Perhaps that sounds rude but what can I say, I feel loved when he gives me little gifts....and he said he wanted to be educated on such things (how to show me he loves me that is).

Backpacking

This past weekend I went backpacking in the wilderness with my dad and a youth group from Prineville. I had a little trouble finding my way to the trailhead...I'm much more educated on the backroads of Eastern Oregon....but the important thing is that I made it. It was a 6 mile hike in but I know I hiked more than that because by the time I had arrived almost all of the kids had headed up the trail, with the exception of the three oldest that were helping get the pack horses packed up. When I arrived I headed in with the three others in front of the pack horses that were carrying all the food in [but not the rest of our gear:(]. The four of us caught up with the rest of the group about 3/4 of the way in...or so I thought...four of them were missing. So being the only couselor on foot, I turned around to find the camp leader who was on horse back to let them know 4 of the kids had most likely taken a wrong turn somewhere on the trail. This was our conclusion since we were supposed to turn off at one junction somewhere along the trail and the group I was with should have seen the other 4 along the trail somewhere if they were heading the right direction. Thankfully they were found by the camp leader as they were coming in with the horses. They had stopped at a lake along the trail and had lunch.
The mosquitoes weren't bad at all this year....I didn't even have to wear bug spray :)
My feet froze the first night so I was wishing Dustin was there to keep me warm :) but he had to work over the weekend, but the second night I broke out my fleece sleeping bag liner and I was toasty toasty....a poor replacement for Dustin though.
The second day I was there my dad and I went on a hike together. Everyone else decided they wanted to stay around camp and swim and let their feet recoup from the day before. It was nice to spend a little time with my dad. We used to be really close and do a lot before I got married.....but sadly we rarely spend anytime together these days. I know its part of growing up but its sad none the less. Anyway we had great conversations and decided to find our own way through the forest instead of going on the trails. I love how adventurous my dad is! And yet I always feel safe with him.
I headed out on horseback on Sunday morning to return to reality :( Although I was thankful to return to a shower and a toilet. My dad rode out with me so I wouldn't have to make the hike alone, still being my protective dad :). It had been years since I had been on horse back. I had forgotten how much fun it was! But ugh! I was sore the next day :)

Surgery and things......

or it could be more extensive....we will know on the 17Dustin is having shoulder surgery on the 17th of September. It could be a very simple surgery or it could be more extensive, I guess we'll know on the 17th when the surgery is over.
He dislocated his shoulder about 5 years ago and it has dislocated it about 10 times since then.....not such a good thing. The doctor was appalled when Dustin mentioned that. So its finally getting taken care of...HURRAY! We are both very releaved and pleased that the surgery is finally taking place because it keeps Dustin and us from doing a lot of things like white water rafting (we tried and his arm dislocated in a rapid.....scary!), skiing, snowboarding (we tried snowboarding too and that wasn't pretty either). So Dustin has promised to try snowboarding/skiing again next winter after his shoulder is all healed up. We will be adventurous yet!

Speaking of being adventurous, I am going on a backpacking camp this weekend with a youth group from Eastern Oregon( A family friend is putting on the camp). I am going as a councilor which is kind of funny because I remember going as a camper too. I went two years ago as a counselor but not last year since Dustin and I had just gotten married. Apparently the kids have been asking if I'm coming this year and at first I wasn't going to go again this year because the camp is from Friday until next Wednesday and I can't take that much time off from work. But I settled on just going in for Friday through Sunday. My dad is going as well and he really wanted me to come and bring my nephew Cody(12). It worked out great because Cody has some classes he has to be back for next week so he'll be hiking in and out with me. He's a lot of fun when he's not picking on his sister so I'm sure we are going to enjoy our trip.

Time Off!

Only two more days of work until my vacation :) I am definitely looking forward to a few days off. Dustin and I are hoping to go camping sometime during our week off but the top priority is to once and for all get the lawn planted.....and then you won't have to hear about it anymore in my blogs :) I looked at the weather forecast....and its supposed to rain next week....ugh...its always something. I'm trying to be positive though, it will get done this summer...one way or another.
OK OK enough about the yard. I'm going back to school this Fall. I know this may sound a little weird but I miss the mental stimulation so I'm going to take a few classes here and there. I was really enjoying my anatomy & physiology class that I was taking last Fall so I'm going to finish up the series. There are 3 classes total so I have 2 to go.

Updates

I am absolutely loving the weather these days. Its been in the mid 80s, which in my opinion is the perfect temperature. Its supposed to get in the 90s or low 100s tomorrow but I'll be at work in my air conditioned building for part of the day anyway so it shouldn't be so bad. And there is always our new neighbors pool I can invade if its unbearable when I get home. Brad and Melissa moved in next door. Its been fun to have them near by and especially nice to finally have a neighbor that is really neighborly.

Dustin and I have been working away on our yard....it will be planted next week.....at least that's the plan. Dustin and I are taking next week off to work on the yard. Hopefully we will have time to get it done and go camping too. I'll be sure to post pictures when it is finally done. I've joked that I'm going to make a whole photo album for our yard to celebrate each step of its growth since its been such an ordeal to get the darn thing done. Its been a year long project (time and $ holding up progress) and I am looking forward to it finally being done. I have enjoyed the work for the most part though. Its been a great way to unwind and be productive around the house.

4 Day Weekend

I was a lazy bum and decided to take last Friday off to extend my 3 day weekend to 4 days. I am still dreaming of haveing a green lawn some day in place of the dirt that is still sitting there from last year when we moved in :( We made a few attempts last year to get the lawn in but did not have any success because we need to bring in a lot of dirt to level out the yard and make it suitable for growing grass. Our soil is mostly clay so not much will grow in it. Time and money did not allow us to get everything done that needed to be last year so we are continuing our efforts this year. Since it was a holiday weekend, Dustin had to work every day....got to love retail.....but I decided to make myself useful regardless. I spent all day Saturday outside moving wheelbarrels of dirt from the high spots in the yard to the low spots. I had the genious idea to wear my bikini top while I worked on this beautiful sunny day so I could get a little color. I had not intended to stay outside all day, so I got some color all right......before I knew it the day was gone and needless to say I am EXTREMELY sun burnt on my back. I haven't had a decent night's sleep since Saturday...lol...its not most ingenious idea.....but I am dreading the itchy/pealing stage the most.

Fallen off the wagon

I've done it again....I'm slackin on the postings. So much has happened since the last time that I posted, I don't even know where to begin :)

Dustin and I celebrated our one year anniversaryat the end of April. We spent a day at the beach, which I had been dying to do for months but the weather never really cooperated. It was a nice sunny day and we enjoyed a little hiking, a picnic and some great conversations. We tried to walk on the beach but the wind was blowing so bad that the sand was coming up in our faces.....so we abaondoned that idea. We started reading a book together, "His Needs, Her Needs". Its a great book and I would highly recommend it to any married couple!!! I know not every husband will join in the reading of such a book, but you can always pray them right into it. I don't know about you but I have found that to be my most effective tool......then there is no fighting and they don't feel nagged at....who can complain about that? :)

Lets see what else?

Have you heard about the Bitten clothing line from Sarah Jessica Parker? I saw it on Oprah the other day. If you haven't heard about it, I'm sure you will. Everything in her line is under $20!! The pieces will be sold exclusively at all Steve & Barry’s shopping mall locations across the country beginning June 7. I wish there was a Steve & Barry's near me! I guess I'll have to do some on-line shopping :)

Shooting :)

That's right....my husband talked me into going shooting with him last weekend. Well actually I was trying to be supportive in his rekindled hobby. He has been talking about how much fun it would be for the two of us to go shooting together. I grew up around guns but they still freak me out. It could be because the first time I ever shot a rifle it kicked and since I didn't know better I wasn't holding onto it securely enough and the scope smacked me in the eye. Not exactly a pleasant experience. Anyway, Dustin insisted that I pose for this picture :) I guess he wanted to capture it on film just in case it never happened again. But I actually enjoyed myself so I could see myself going again.

I Love Orchids

One of my favorite flower are orchids. I only wish they were easier to grow :) The first one that I ever owned kicked the bucket a few months after I brought it home :( It was very sad but I think I know why the poor thing died. I lived in a cave.....I mean an apartment so it didn't get much light and it was in a pot that didn't allow it to drain very well. Dustin bought me two beautiful orchids for Valentines Day. Both very unique like the first picture. One is yellow with pink lines in the petals and the other white with pink lines. I was a little afraid that I might kill them like I did the last one so I was sure to read the instructions that came with them. Lol Dustin got a whole booklet when he bought them for me because I had told him how much I loved them and about my previous experience. So far so good. They are still looking healthy and happy. I guess I passed the test because I came home yesterday and Dustin had bought me another one. This one is spotted like the picture below. My hubby is so good to me :)

Jace Timothy Harris

Jace Timothy Harris arrived early yesterday morning. He weighed in at 6 lbs 6.6 ounces and was 20.5 inches long. He is a little cutie and he even has hair, but I can't decide if it is blonde or red. Kelly and Joel are very proud parents but poor Kelly didn't fair the C-section too well. The poor girl was sick all day yesterday. I stayed and took care of her for a few hours after the birth while Joel and the rest of the family went out for breakfast. I guess you could say we were having a bonding moment, while she painfully threw up (can't imagine how horrible that felt with all her ab muscles cut from the C-section) and I held her puke pan for her as she was try to feed little Jace. Poor girl! Thankfully I hear she is feeling better today.
Big sister Kloee wasn't too sure she appreciated all the crying Jace was doing when he first arrived. She didn't even want to touch him but after a little coaxing and bribing she decided she would hold him and then decided it was time to take him home and teach him to walk. After all what are big sisters for! :)

Snow Shoeing

I went snow shoeing with my friend Claire from work and a couple of her friends this past Saturday. I went expecting to freeze but it was such a warm day I was boiling in all my layers of clothes. There was about 4 feet of snow and it was quite a work out, especially when I was blazing the trail. I thought for sure I was going to be sore since I haven't really been faithful in my workouts lately but thankfully we stopped at and sat in a hot tub on the way home and that cured the stiff muscles. We built two huge snow men and buried Andy, Claire's boyfriend in the snow. It sure was a lot of fun but I hope Dustin gets to go next time. He had to work....stupid Home Depot....we are throwing a party when he no longer works there. We are thankful for his job, it pays the bills, but the constantly changing schedule is obnoxious to say the least. I look forward to the day that he gets to do what he is passionate about, preaching, teaching and mentoring. We can both see that God is preparing us for those days. Dustin graduates from seminary in June 2008. I never thought I would look forward to the day that we would have our own church but I do now. How God does change us!

My grandma died this past week. She changed her address from Lowell, OR to Heaven. It is comforting to know that she has gone to be with the Lord but she will be greatly missed. She was a very sweet and gentle person. I only wish I knew her better than I did.

Happy Valentine's Day

I have been wondering lately where Valentine's Day came from. I have been hearing a lot of grumbling...especially from the men around me. I keep hearing about how horrible Valentine's Day is. "It is just a stupid Hallmark Holiday" they say. Why is it that they hate Valentine's Day so much? Is it because they feel forced to do something nice and romantic? It is because they don't know how to so they feel out of their element or is it a combination of the two?

So anyway I did a little research to figure out just where it all started.

Apparently the holiday is named after two men, both Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. Valentine's Day started out as a mutual exchange of Valentines but in North America it has become more typical for a man to give a gift to a woman....how sad...it should be mutual. No wonder there is so much grumbling. Although it is also sad to think that for some people Valentine's Day is one of the very few days that people do special things for the special people in their life. Thank goodness this does not have to be true in my life so HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!

Happy Birthday Dustin

Monday was my honey's birthday....he turned the big 29. Next year its black balloons and a graveyard cake :)
If you can't tell I made the cake, it was peanut butter and chocolate (the best combination in the world) and thankfully it tasted better than it looked :)
Just ask Beuden:

I know I am a slacker

I know what you are thinking....its about time there is a new post :) I could come up with lots of excuses but whats the point, they are all lame :) Except that someone......but I won't mention any name...... demanded pictures and I never have a chance to post my blogs at home where my camera is so its either few pictures or few blogs....so there is my lame excuse.