Happy Halloween!

I wanted to post pictures of the three Halloweens Cam and I have had together. We have thrown a Halloween Party each year and all have been fun. The first year we were together was when we were only dating and we had a singles ward party. Then the last two we were married of course and had our friends from the ward and school come to the party. It is just fun to do something festive for Halloween since we can't go trick or treating (Halloween discriminates against age).

We had been dating for only about two months. He was road kill and I was a cat.

First Halloween married! Captain America and his cheerleader.

Second Halloween married. Cruella Devil and a dalmation.

Bonsai Trees, Work, Board Exams, Church...the things of life.

SCHOOL IS OUT, WORK IS ON
So, school is out. I did well on my finals. I thought the pace of busy work would slow down once school ended, but it actually has not. Between my job at Parkland, and doing orientation for a new job I got at JPS hospital, I have been busy. I am glad to have these two jobs though, especially the JPS one because it is closer!!!! To get to Parkland, I take the train and it ends up being an hour and a half commute into Dallas. Whereas, I can just drive 20 minutes to JPS because it is here in Fort Worth. And the JPS job is working with mother and babies, which hopefully I will like.

LEISURE VS. WORKING
I thought I would be able to paint, sew, relax, work out, etc. However, there is still time in the summer left and the pace of things should slow down after the next two weeks. I will be working four 12-hour shifts between the two jobs within Mon-Fri next week and the week after. So I am trying to prepare myself for that. It should not be too bad, because I won't have to go into Dallas all four days.

CHURCH CALLINGS
My additional calling, on top of teaching 12 and 13 year olds Sunday school, is ward choir pianist. It is a challenge, as I do not have a piano at my apartment. I caught the free pianos on TCU campus whenever possible to practice, and use the stake center as well. O and also I use mom and dad's house when I go over there. Anyhow, though it is a challenge, I like it because it forces me to keep up my talents on the piano. I do enjoy playing the piano, always have :). I recorded a few songs of me playing around on the piano. I am playing an arrangement of "I stand All Amazed" with the ward singing along on Sunday upcoming.

CAMERON AND OUR LOANS
Cam is studying for his boards in June. He is nervous! But he will do just great, like he always does. Sometimes we wish we could have no loans in our life, but I figure it will keep us mindful of our finances and teach us to live frugally. It is pretty fun to learn about all the little things one can do to save money here and there. I pinned some tips on pinterest.

BIRTHDAY AND PLANTS
I bought Cameron a Ficus Ginseng bonsai tree for his birthday. It is cool looking. We treat out plants like our babies. Some people have dogs they treat as their children, we have plants.

PLAN AFTER GRADUATION
I will graduate from TCU on December 14, 2013. It will be a great day! I am so very blessed to have been given the opportunity to continue my education, as my patriarchal blessing said I would. Nursing is a great career and it has been fun learning about. I am excited to put it into practice. My two nursing assistant jobs will be great preparation I'm sure. The goal is to work right when I graduate and pay off my loans ASAP!!! 

TO DO OR NOT TO DO
I am glad I have things to do because I get bored easily. It is ironic, when I have a lot to do, I complain of having too much to do. But then, when I have nothing to do, I complain of not having something to do. So, I realize I need to be glad to have things to do. I once thought to myself, there more things you do the better, because we are here to do things! But of course, there is a benefit to having simplicity in life in order to focus on the most important things and have time for them.

DENTAL NEEDS
I need to get my wisdom teeth pulled soon. They started popping up about two or three years ago. I can add dental to my school insurance plan for 29$ a year and pay 120$ per tooth at a local surgeon. I was thinking of possibly waiting until I am a nurse and get different insurance, possibly better coverage. However, I figured, why wait to do something later, when you can do it now.

Update

    We went to Utah for Christmas and it was a blast. I love hanging out with Cameron's family. They are so nice and cheerful. We played games, made cookies, went to a Tai restaurante,Siam Orchid

(4410 South 900 East Salt Lake City, UT 84124) which was so so goood! The workers were all from Tailand, so we learned a few words in Tai. "Jack talk tai, Jack talk tai very good" (what movie is that from?). So, when we skyped with Cameron's brother, Landon, who is serving a mission in Tailand, we said our few Tai words to him and he understood them. It was fun to skype with Landon. He is a strong, funny, sweet guy. He wrote us great Christmas letters and he has a strong spirit. 

   I love how close Cameron's family is to one another. I especially enjoy watching their old home videos. They are so funny. 

We saw some movies. Especially liked Les Miserables. We sled a few times. We made a sweet jump that we made Cameron's parents go off-that was funny. They are such good sports. It was a pretty big jump! 

   Cameron and I also went skiing. He is such a good skier. I am so so, beginner. But he stayed with me on the easy tracks and helped me. I would have just rather watched him ski all day because he is so good. Christmas day was fun. It's especially fun to be around Cameron's niece, Kira. She says my name, but not Cameorn's. She said Cameorn's name only a few times, so she can say it she just teases him or something. We skyped with them from here in Texas and she said my name again. It is cute.

    So, we got a lot of great things for Christmas. Yesterday we used the mixer that Cameron's parents gave us and the BBQ that my parents gave us. YUMMM! I put together a little video of me making chocolate cake with the mixer for fun. I also really love the big book of pictures from our wedding that my mom and dad got us. It made me cry when I looked through it.

   Altogether, it was an amazing first Christmas together. I can't imagine where I'd be without Cameron. He makes my life so happy. ‎