lately, lately

life has felt down-right crazy lately. i love my internship placement site more & more each day, but i feel like the rest of my life is spiraling out of control with busy-ness. for the record, i can't stand that feeling. it makes me have minor breakdowns on a regular basis. i have encountered some emotionally difficult situations at the hospital that i can't post about {HIPPA regulations rule my life these days}. the situations that involve babies & kids are the hardest, but also the richest. i am so happy i love my internship & that even on the worst of days i joyfully look forward to going back to work.

school on the other hand has been a royal pain. perhaps i am just checked out & experiencing a bout of "short-timer's syndrome" but i am over it. sadly, it doesn't look like i will have my thesis done on time. i hope i can be done by the end of may. fingers crossed.

i have been sewing a bit when i can. recently i recovered our old {read: disgusting} ironing board. i don't dread ironing near as much now that it looks fancy & new. i am in a 20-somethings quilt club so i think that ironing board & i are going be be close friends as i work on my newest project. 

i also recovered the boring strap on my camera with some fun fabric. i am hoping the whimsical, girly print will dissuade would-be thieves {including brandon}. 

two days after we got the legitimate check from domino's to cover harvey's vet bill we had another "harvey incident". brandon took him skiing in the backcountry, which he has done regularly all winter, & the two of them collided. the impact of brandon's skis on harvey's leg resulted in a severed achilles tendon for poor harvey boy. brandon & his friends had to fashion a dog splint & stretcher so they could carry him out. apparently the evac took over 4 hours. 

 

 

harvey had surgery to reattach the tendon & has to be in a full-length hard cast for 2 months. we are 3 weeks in & it is rough keeping him mellow. we got directions from the vet that said "no running, jumping, playing, or running free for minimum of 12 weeks." obviously the vet doesn't know our dog or his never-stop-playing-for-1/2-a-second personality. 

 

in other news... we are staying in laramie! brandon accepted an offer to do his PhD in watershed resource sciences {i think that is the right name...} so we will be living in laramie for the next 3-5 years. we are both excited about staying here for the next bit as we {mostly} adore our charming little town & love the friends we have made here. the only concern we have is about me finding a job here so i don't have to commute. we have been looking at homes for sale & plan to buy next fall/winter, depending on my job situation.

i hope to be able to post more regularly, but it is hard to get around to updating this blog when i should be doing homework or working on my thesis. my favorite professor would tell me to "stop shoulding on myself" though. :)

looking forward

i recall talking with friends about adopting children even when i was a child. it has always been something i planned to do & luckily brandon resonated with that desire. 

recently our reasons & hopes to adopt have grown deeper & greater. we talk about it frequently & it seems like a natural, & solidified, part of our plan for the life we share. i can't say exactly what our "future family" will look like, but i am certain that adoption is in the path we have ahead. 

i had a talk with a professor on campus today, who recently adopted her son. our conversation confirmed & re-ignited my desire to adopt a child. although it is many years off, i look forward to the day that our family grows from the outside in.

... and the envelope please

brandon's trip was eventful, particularly on the tail-end as getting out of laramie can be harder than anticipated. however, it was also eventful in the most positive way and while the ballots for us were cast last week, the envelope containing our decision has only recently been opened. we have accepted the offer at the university of wyoming and we will begin making our life in southeast wyoming late this summer.

were are excited about this in many ways, including some of the following: being close(er) to rowan as he goes through the toddler years, having the chance to climb with doug and liz, thickening our blood with the cold laramie winters, going to school for free (make that get paid to go to school!), letting harvey chase antelope, and for me to avoid taking on a minnesotan accent with my overly mailable language. indeed, life in this true wild west town will be good for us.

brandon also verified that there is a store selling gluten-free food and a thai restaurant. these two bits are essential criteria for our success in any town. therefore, in laramie, it's bound to be good. visitors welcome...

the ballots are in...

and we are both into graduate school--at the same places to boot!  we have known for a couple of weeks that we both got into university of minnesota duluth.  brandon got a sweet financial package (full ride!) and i got an in-state tuition waiver, with the possibility of more funding through a fellowship.  we were all amped up to go to duluth, where neither of us have even been near and try out a new adventure.  i wasn't thrilled with the program, but then again i was accepted into grad school so i was content with that.

and then, we heard from wyoming.  on monday i found out that i was accepted, which lead to an interesting domino effect that tumbled in over the course of 3 minutes.  that's right, i went to the bathroom and when i emerged, brandon told me life just got really crazy.  i'm thinking, "no way, i was hardly out of the room!"  anyhow, the news he got was that he got a full-ride to wyoming (with even more of a living stipend than minnesota offered).  the catch was that they HAD to meet him in person before this offer was "official".  however, we have to let minnesota know our intentions by april 1; this my friends is why brandon will board a plane tomorrow morning, bound for laramie, wyoming.  the geology department is paying for the whole thing (including the last minute airfare from small airport to small airport)! 

after the flight was booked for him, i got a call from the director of the social work program--the director of the whole department!!!  anyhow, she called and let me know i was one of their top 5 students and that they really want me there.  they will cover all my tuition, most of my student fees and insurance, and pay me a monthly stipend (which happens to be more money than i make working two jobs now!).  

so it all comes down to brandon's trip if we go to wyoming.  we were stoked about duluth and the charm of a new city and an unfamiliar part of the country.  however, free has a beautiful ring to it, don't you think?  all we asked for was that we both get into the same place and now the grace is pouring in and we are being so taken care of.  

here are the two places, neither a bad choice i don't think:

duluth waterfront, reminds me of magnolia or ballard in seattle.

and the amazing rocks and mountain ranges that surround laramie

i am especially proud of brandon for the way that these two places are pursuing him.  it is obvious that he is very much wanted by each program!  he knows i think he is brilliant and gifted, but to have people he hasn't even met confirm that makes me happy.  he deserves this big time!

can there be a "new tradition"?

each sunday i eagerly await the weekly posting of new cards on post secret (see link on sidebar).  some weeks they seriously let me down with their themes of vengeance and adultery as people share their "big secrets".  but almost every week i come across one that resonates with me and makes me smile.  so i am going to start a new blog tradition: to post my favorite secret each week.  for those of you who follow post secret, i hope you will share your favorite card too.

and here is the first secret i share with the anonymous postcard sending people of the world:

when i was in middle school i remember thinking that when i was old i wanted to have fleshy arms to hug all the people i loved with.  i always thought that meaty arms were a sign of a capable, conquering, loving woman.  well, i am currently less-than-thrilled with the fact that my "triceps" jiggle when i wave to people, so my desire for fleshy arms has diminished substantially.  

my desire for laugh lines has surely replaced it!  brandon makes me so incredibly happy and each day he is to blame for the deepening of my laugh lines.  not a bad thing to cause at all...

peace abounds

we found out the news while we were out in black butte with friends. it didn't seem real at the time, but then again there was that concession speech from mccain. we drove home in the snow and ice, still not quite willing to admit that this was real. that our america would forever be a different, albeit better, country because of this day and because of what these election results signify. it just seemed too scary to admit because surely it was too good to be true.

i have believed in obama, in his grassroots movement, and in the power of our democracy for over a year (prior to that i was pretty disgusted and embarrassed by what the u.s. had become). and yet, i didn't expect a freaking landslide! this tells me so much about my fellow americans and that the future we have in store for us as this country is revived and healed. as we work towards peace. oh, let it abound!

wow. i can't wait to wake up tomorrow morning and be a citizen of the united states of america--and to be damn proud of it too!

welcome to the white house mr. commander-in-chief!

all that matters now

GO VOTE!!!

i have made no attempts to hide my support for barack obama as the next president of the united states. i endorse him as the candidate who can redirect this country from the course of certain demise are are currently on.

however, regardless of who you vote for, please just vote. don't throw it away. don't be apathetic about our country. it is a privilege many people fought for so that we can direct the winds of our nation. so as i said above, i don't care if we disagree politically, i want your vote to count just as much as mine!

big purchase, bigger adventure

we just bought tickets for the two of us to spend one month in the wonderful country of costa rica. we planned to go to south america, but the expense of the flights there was just too much for our pocketbook. we have both wanted to go to costa rica for a long time and so we decided to postpone south america in favor of a month in costa rica. we are thrilled!

so the purchase of our tickets may only equate to a couple of long nights of travel and some airport food, but they do bring us here:and that spot in the hammock is looking pretty dang nice. what a wonderful adventure to look forward to. with the confirmation code in hand we can now being the joyous experience of planning this unforgettable trip! (with the advent of e-tickets, you can no longer say "with tickets in hand" which has a much nicer ring than "confirmation code", but alas these are the technological ages, are they not?)

help us choose: a or b?

this weekend we have been talking over our options for the next year and thus far have the following scenarios:

option a:
1) work in jackson until end of august
2) travel through europe september through october (places on list: spain, italy, austria, greece, turkey, & possibly albania)
3) come back to central oregon and try to find work in mid-october, living in bend
4) get a dog

option b:
1) work in jackson through october
2) retake GRE (the worst part of this plan)
3) spend november and december living in central oregon, preparing graduate applications and being with family (work???)
4) post-christmas pack up for a month+ in south america (places on list: peru, chile, & argentina)
or the carribean (places on list: st. lucia, jamaica, wherever will & andrea are placed with the peace corps...)
5) return to an abundance of graduate admissions letters :)

either way, things are looking pretty fun for us this coming year. we are trying to embrace the opportunity to travel and live the young, irresponsible life. in the comments section of this post, leave your vote about which option we should choose!

going nowhere

the title of this post might be a bit dramatic, but it mirrors the way both brandon and i are feeling at this point. we found out for sure today that neither of us got in to any of the graduate schools we applied to. hmm. where did we go wrong? both of us heard from a couple of the schools that we were top choices but because of money or advisor complications they couldn't admit us. at this point, those condolences aren't feeling too warm and fuzzy.
while the news restricts us from the original plans we had of going to graduate school, it also opens the possibilities to nearly limitless. this is equally exciting and overwhelming. if you have ideas for how we should spend our next year, please don't hesitate to share them!
thanks also for being understanding of our potential grumpiness as we sort through these unfun feelings of rejection. it will all work out and we know that, but we would just like to know where to begin.

good news... finally!

we haven't had a lot of good news these past few months, but today we both heard great things. each of us got jobs in jackson, wyoming for the summer! i will be a river ranger (aka: low-level, non-weapon packing cop) and brandon will also be working for the forest service maintaining campsites, doing trail clearing, enforcing campground regulations, etc.
we are both eagerly looking forward to a summer in the tetons.
they have us set up in "rustic cabin" along the river (includes running water, electricity, and potentially a bat family) which is great. we start on may 27 so we will get some time at home with the family before we take off for the rocky mountain range.
if any of you decide to come visit, be sure to check the events calendar for concerts and other exciting things. we would love to have visitors!
if things go according to plan, this will be our view:we have this requirement that we have framed art/photos from each place we have lived up around our house. this won't be a hard location to take stunning photos from!
in other news, brandon had a wonderful birthday (the news of the jobs coming through was a great gift!). he got a zero degree sleeping bag and was able to share a nice steak and potatoes dinner with some of our best friends. to top it off we got to see erik and kayla last night. we are a blessed couple indeed!
i also broke down and went to the doctor this afternoon: sinus infection! wohoo! i am on antibiotics right now and eager to begin feeling better. brandon is being really patient, but i have been whining for the past five days.

the countdown has begun

...may 5th is the day when i finish up at my job. the remaining 26 work days will be jam-packed with candidates on campus interviewing for my position, the family housing carnival, the community yard sale, and saying goodbyes.

i have had a lot of unpleasant feelings about living here these past two years, but just as we are about to leave the tides have shifted. now we have a thai restaurant! that really changes everything for this asian-food-loving-girl! i think i could be happy here for a bit longer, but the time has come for us to move on.

still not a lot of news in the way of graduate school. i called CSU this afternoon to see where they are at in the process, but only reached voicemails. grrr. more waiting is in store it seems.

in other news, i now have permission to look on petfinder.com and checkout possible additions to our little clan. we are really hoping to find an australian shepherd-poodle mix. i know, i know, 'a poodle?' you say, but the lack of (or limited) shedding factor is huge. plus, i love the curly hair look--it just makes dogs look a little more scruffy. by the way, 'scruffy' is the primary characteristic we will be basing the pet selection on. so if you hear of any aussiedoodle puppies in need of a great home, please let us know!

long few weeks

so much has happened recently that i debated even posting as there is just too much to cover.  first off, my trip to spartanburg was incredible and i am missing the warm weather, wonderful people, and rewarding work that made up our trip.  the people who planned all the alternative breaks warned me that there would be drama and that i should anticipate major team issues.  i experienced neither and instead got to work with a dream team.  go team Haba-Tat!

while on the trip i found out that my grandma warner passed away.  it was for the best but it was still devastating.  she hasn't had much in the way of quality of life and i am glad to know she isn't suffering any longer.  none-the-less, i am sad and i mourn her.  growing up papa always made me say "i love you and i miss you" as i got off the phone.  that sums up how i feel now.  it has been a rough month losing papa overstreet and now grandma warner.  

just last night my bike was stolen from in front of our house.  i finished giving the police report a few minutes ago and don't have much hope for its return.  hopefully the renter's insurance will come through! :)

in other news here is how grad schools are stacking up for us:

• university of washington--no news
  
• university of oregon--rejected lindsey
  
• university of vermont--no news
  
• university of arizona--rejected brandon
  
• colorado state university--no news
  
• arizona state university--no news

we hope to know something soon, but are coming to terms with the idea of not getting in anywhere, as impossible as that is to swallow.  

see, so much to post that i debated the worth of putting it all up.  it is good to have it all said and hopefully to update each of you.  don't take our lack of phone calls or emails personal--life has just been busy.  

my anti-hillary campaign

i am an avid obama supporter, which most of you know. his desire to breakdown the partisan system, restore hope to the american people, and end the war are among some of the reasons i see him being the best candidate. (for more reasons check out his site.)
anyhow, despite my being a democrat, i would not vote as one were hillary to be the candidate. frankly, the idea of hillary in office scares me--for many reasons i don't want to delve into at this point.
i realized this week that were hillary to become our next president we would enter into 24 years of a bush-clinton regime, possilbly 28 years were she to then be reelected. i haven't been alive that long, but doesn't it seem that by the time someone reaches the ripe age of 24, there should have been more than three families in the white house?
if you haven't seen it yet, check out the video below. and by the way, yes we can restore america and be proud to call this country our own. yes we can.

thankfulness

as many of you know, i have not been grateful to live here for the past year and a half. i have complained about my job, about the climate, about the scenery, and the activities available. but today i got to thinking about what our time here has really looked like and i realized i have much to be thankful for. i suppose this post would have been more appropriate for thanksgiving, but it is one of my pseudo-resolutions to practice the art of gratitude, so here goes:

1. i realized i didn't want to pursue marriage and family therapy.
2. i realized that the human brain fascinated me and that i may be smart enough to pursue neuropsych.
3. i tried yoga. and loved it. it has changed my life and will forever be a part of who i am.
4. i found out i was celiacs and got healthy.
5. i tried quinoa, which may be my most favorite thing to eat.
6. we bought our beloved outback.
7. we were blessed with a wonderful godson, rowan.
8. brandon and i grew closer and found out what being married to your best friend is all about.
9. i have made amazing new friends: amber and afton, andrea and will, leah, jen and liam, sara, cori, tim... the list goes on. they are all so different and great.
10. i got my combat roll (kayaking).

our time here is drawing to a close and i am eagerly anticipating what is around the river bend (pocahontas anyone?), but we still have a few months left here so i am going to try to live out our blog title by living in the current moment and being thankful for all we have been blessed with.

another thing to be grateful for: all my applications are finally ready to submit. the UVM application will be in the mail tomorrow and then the waiting game can get into full swing. pray for the readers of our applications. pray they like us and want to offer us all kinds of assistantships and fellowships!

wallowa lala

brandon joined his folks in NE oregon for the weekend. he is now convinced this is where we should live, forgoing graduate school to buy property there. i am game for living there...eventually. we shall see!

(i had to be on-call for work, otherwise i would have lived it up this weekend also.)(more photos on our flickr sight--you can just click on the rob & becky photo to go there.)