1st Anniversary

Today, Alan and I flew back today from our 1 year anniversary trip to New York/Canada to see Niagara Falls and a baseball game in Toronto. 

I am blessed to have married a wonderful man like Alan! :)

While we were visiting Niagara Falls (walking on planks that werebuilt near the bottom of one of the smaller falls), Alan took a video that I think shows a funny/good example of a wife hesitantly trying to submit to her husband ;)

Notice I did not wholeheartedly submit to that ;) This video was taken on what they call the "Hurricane Deck." As you can see the water is coming down pretty strong, but what you can't see is that the water is freezing too!!

A few other pictures from our trip:

Geared up for our "Maid of the Mist" boat tour of Niagara Falls...

...where we road a boat like this. :)

At a Blue Jays/White Sox game in Toronto, Canada.

All in all, it was a good trip, but it was definitely great to be home again!!

The Traveling Dave

Today, my younger brother David came over for the afternoon. We ate lunch, went over some of his college information, played ping pong (I'm not sure who we decided was finally "champion of the world"... it seemed to go back and forth), and explored our new neighborhood on the bicycles Alan's brother gave us. Good quality time with the bro! 

But it will be the last time I see David for about 2 months :( He is going to Austria for the summer to spend some time with a certain lady he knows over there ;) So another thing we did today was set up a blog for him while he's traveling. His new blog is here:  thetravelingdave.blogspot.com.

3 unrelated side notes:

1. I'm sad the Mavericks lost tonight, but at least the Nuggets didn't sweep the series.

2. At least the Rangers won, even though me, Alan, Jeremy & Sherry left that game early today.

3. Tomorrow is My & Alan's ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY! Woohoo. Unfortunately we are both working, but on Friday we will be flying out to New York. :)

Wendel the Kindle

My husband is one of the best gift-givers I know. He picks up on what people like/things that interest them. 

I love to read, and I had been reading a lot leading up to my birthday this year, but Alan was aware that I was frustrated I couldn't get anything done while reading. (When we can all get housework done while watching TV!)  

So, for my birthday this year, Alan bought be the new Amazon Kindle 2:

 http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Amazons-Wireless-Reading-Generation/dp/B00154JDAI/ref=amb_link_84345611_2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=0PXPHNPQFMN791G8W89G&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=477162311&pf_rd_i=507846

It's an e-book reader with e-ink that doesn't strain your eyes (and you can read outside, which you can't do if you download e-books to your computer), you can download books wirelessly, and my favorite feature... it will read your books to you, so I can get stuff done while I 'read'!! We thought it needed a name since it reads to us, so we named it Windel the Kindle ;)

I would never have bought this myself, because it's expensive, but I thought it was a very thoughtful gift from Alan! Thanks hubby <3 

Update

I am exhausted today, but I feel like blogging. It has been a few months since my last update, but it feels like more because of all of the changes we've been through! Here are some of the highlights that have happened over the last few months (in rough order).

• Someone broke into our apartment. They stole some money, checkbooks, passports and jewelry.
• I had a stressful, emotional week at work that involved some tears on my part.
• We started looking for a house before our apartment lease expired.
• We chose and closed on a home.
• Before we moved out, a fire destroyed a building in our apartment complex (our apartment was thankfully unharmed)
• We moved into the new house.
• Deep cleaned the apartment and turned in the keys.
• Set up the new house! (Still finishing up decorating, and one of the guest bedrooms is still full of boxes... it's a work in progress!)

And finally, yesterday we had a Mother's Day Lunch for my mom and Alan's mom. We had my family over and Alan's parents.  We ate, talked, and played pool/ping-pong. It was great having everyone over, enjoying themselves. After yestday, then staying up late watching Survivor (guilty pleasure), and then getting up early and working 12+ hours today, I am exhausted. Tomorrow, it's work again, and then one day off to pack for our one year anniversary trip to Buffalo, NY/ Canada! 

So a busy few months in the life of the Orr's! 

Sad Day

Today at work, one of the babies I was taking care of died :( 

She had begun to get really sick, so after several interventions we transported her to a higher-acuity hospital. She was coding when she got there, and died shortly thereafter.

It is emotionally draining to go through this. I am really glad I have at least 2 days off to cool down. I just feel bad for the family :(

Bible Reading Program

My family (brothers, sister-in-law, parents, husband) and I have decided to begin reading the Bible from cover to cover on a set schedule. We are planning to use the schedule and the commentary from the Bible Reading Program from our church, the United Church of God. Here's the link:

http://www.ucg.org/brp/brparchive.htm

I am really excited about starting this with my family! I have not been good about studying the Bible lately, and having a plan to read through it is exciting. My dad and I actually read through this program for about a year and a half, but that was 7 years ago, and I was interrupted with dating, college, etc. I don't think it will do any harm to re-read some of it :) My brother Daniel set up an online Google Spreadsheet for us, so we can check off when we have read that days' scripture & commentary -- and everyone can see that we've checked it off. That way we have some accountability to each other!

I am hoping this will be a great tool to help us learn a lot about the Bible, and be able to discuss the Bible together, since we will be reading the same parts at the same time.

New Year - 2009

Economy dampens celebrations for New Year's Eve

Fireworks, good cheer, but long shadows as world hails 2009

Most of the New Year's headlines were negative towards 2008 as being one of the worst economic years the country and the world has seen in decades. 

While this is true, 2008 was probably the best year of my life (and the most full of life-changing events). Here is a brief overview:

For the first 4 1/2 months of the year, I was engaged to a wonderful man <3

(One of our engagement pictures taken January, 2008 by Kami Flavin)

I was also finishing up Nursing School, which I graduated from on May 8, 2008. I was so glad to be done with college forever!! (Unless something possesses me to go back.) I went to the Pinning Ceremony instead of the Graduation Ceremony. The speakers played a short clip I had recorded thanking everyone for helping me get to that point. My parents pinned a Nursing pin on my on stage. It was really nice. 

(My future in-laws, my future husband, me and my parents at my Pinning Ceremony)

6 days later, on May 14, 2008 I got married to the best man ever. The wedding was beautiful and I loved sharing it with my closest friends & family. I was most excited about spending the rest of my life with Alan <3 

For our honeymoon we went up to Wyoming near The Yellowstone National Park. :) It was beautiful.

After the honeymoon, we started our life together in our apartment. We had most of our stuff set up before the wedding.

I had 3 weeks to be a housewife before I started my first "real" job as a Graduate Nurse at a Neonatal ICU. So I enjoyed setting up/decorating the kitchen and the rest of the apartment.  And of course spoiling my new husband with homemade meals when he got home. I had waited a long time to be a wife and have my own apartment, and it definitely lived up to my expectations ;)

(The first meal I made Alan after we got married. Isn't he adorable? <3)

On June 9th, I started my new job. I wasn't an RN yet though.. I still had to pass the licensing test.  So I stressed/studied over that until I took the test a few weeks later. When I finally took it, It was the worst experience of my life. I was sure I had failed it, and I knew the computer knew if I passed or not.. but I had to wait DAYS for the results.  I don't think I'll ever forget the feeling of dread I had waiting for those results.. but I PASSED. Thankfully! I became an official Registered Nurse on July 1, 2008! I was in orientation in the NICU until about 6 weeks ago.. and I have been on my own since then. I still love my job. I love helping the smallest and sickest babies "finish cooking" and getting them ready to go home with their families. 

Also in June, we adopted our two kitties, Hobbes and Lucy. Lucy is cuddling with me in my lap right now & being a sweetheart.  (As I was writing that, Hobbes got in my lap too, haha) No human babies in 2008 though ;)

(Me, our babies, and a book. I still have my work scrubs on. I thought I could stay awake long enough to get some reading in.. but I was wrong, lol)

(Lucy and Hobbes (younger) taking a nap on the couch... It's a hard life)

In October we went to Jamaica with Daniel & Virginia. Our first Feast together as a married couple.

(The four of us on the snorkel cruise)

All in all, it's been a great year filled with a lot of blessings. I am looking forward to what 2009 will bring. Unfortunately, Alan and I slept right through New Years this year because we are an old married couple ;) And because I had to be up at 5:20 for work! I did get my New Year's kiss later though ;)

***Correction*** Alan brought to my attention that he did wake me up at midnight to give me a kiss. I must have been out of it. So we didn't entirely sleep through New Year's after all ;)

Here's to everyone having a great 2009!