HEAT WAVE!!!

Currently we are experiencing a huge heat wave... Our house is holding still at a cool 88 degrees and according to my little weather station it is 91 degrees at 9pm!!! We're gonna break some record highs tonight at midnight... CRAZY! I have a ton of pics to post but the study is one of the hottest rooms so I only sit in here for a few seconds. I hope all you other moms out there are able to keep your kiddos cool!

Blog Stalkers

I absolutely loved going to my 10 year High School Reunion and having people come up to me and tell me that they 'stalk my blog'.

Thanks for following me and my family and for all of you out there... I swear I will post pics soon...

just not on this very HOT night.

It was my 1st day in my new position.

There is so much to learn, but I love my new team!

Farewell Med/Surg

Today was my last day as a floor RN on the Medical/Surgical unit. I started there on June 4th, 2001 and it has been an amazing 8 years! I have grown and learned and experienced so much. I have made lifetime friends and have so many memories that I will remember for a lifetime.

A few words to describe the past 8 years...

autonomy, annual leave, attitude, and agency

caring, call lights, coffee, cafeteria food, courtyard and on call

chocolate, chaplains, charting and charge nurses

drama, drug seekers, doubles, dues and differentials

empowerment and evaluations

FIT, flatus and FAST

good-bye's, graduations, gossip, Grad school, growth and giving

friendships, frequent flyers and floating

helping, humor and hand washing

low census, loud patients, leadership, laughter and Lake Chelan
MRSA, meetings and medicine

precepting, potlucks, pregnancys, PCA's and pill poppers

rest between shifts, really tired, and retirements

scrubs, SWAT, staff meetings and sick calls

values and Vegas

working out, working over and weekends

*****

I'm sure I could go on forever and even though I was floated to another unit on my very last day...

I wouldn't have changed a thing in these past years ;)

Thank you to all my very good friends and coworkers...

you all have helped me become the nurse that I am today.

This Monday, I will return to work, but in my new role as,

Erin Riggs RN, Care Manager

Yipee!

Birthdays!!!

Happy 27th birthday to Ksavera!!!

We love you tons and tons!Happy Sweet 3 Months to My Little Man, Ashton!

He smiles,

he giggles,

he goo's and ga's,

he watches his big sister like a hawk,

he loves to eat,

he enjoys being upright sitting in my lap,

He's a total sweetie pie

and of course we love him tons too!!

Nobody Believed...

...that we would rock the lightening scar to the

Harry Potter premier..... so we totally did!!!

A Day for the Record Books

Caitlyn AND Ashton have BOTH slept through the night...

and they're STILL sleeping!

Hallelujah!

Budgie Buddies

Caitlyn, Ashton, and I ventured out to the Pt. Defiance Zoo today where Caitlyn made some new feathered friends... Budgies, or budgerigars (brightly-colored Australian birds that eat seeds). We bought a few seed sticks for a buck and they flew right up to us!!! Now picture this- there were no strollers allowed in this exhibit and it was the main reason I wanted to take the kiddos to the zoo, so I unpacked Ashton from the stroller, wrapped the diaper bag around my neck, had Ashton in one arm with my camera phone in that hand, the seed stick in the other, trying to get Caitlyn to stand still so that the budgies would approach us... and low and behold, despite the motherly mess I was... they did! Caitlyn absolutely loved it and she told me (in sign) about a thousand times throughout the day that she fed the hungry birds.

We are for sure going back and you should go too!

Caitlyn's most favorite animal there has always been the elephant. When we first arrived both elephants were on the ground napping. When the other children came up to the elephants, Caitlyn would politely tell them (in sign) to 'sh' cause they are sleeping. We returned later in the day, and they were both awake, swaying their boddies back and forth while shaking their heads. Caitlyn imitated them over and over again until it was time to go home.

We LOVE LOVE LOVE the zoo!

Our Fantastic 4th!

Family***Friends***Fireworks***Food***Fun***

Those 5 words basically sum up our 4th of july!

Oh... and maybe also...

bacon hot dogs

motorized scooter cooler

tequila shots

sparkler bombs

beer pong

badmitten

Forest Gump quotes

and more tequila shots!

Happy Birthday, Steve!

Thanks for always having the best birthday party ever!

Something Sweet

Caitlyn is so totally sweet.

This morning after our breakfast, I began cleaning the kitchen. Ashton was already down for one of his many naps in his room. Caitlyn started walking upstairs and I was near finished with the kitchen cleaning so I just let her go. Just a few moments later I tiptoed upstairs to see what kind of trouble she got into. I searched in all the rooms and I couldn't find her. I had already made my bed this morning and I noticed the pillows were a little outta place so I went to straighten them and there she was asleep underneath the covers at the top of my bed... so sleepy and sweet.

I then went back downstairs to finish gathering the clean laundry to be brought upstairs and heard Ashton cry so I rushed back upstairs only to find Caitlyn IN Ashton's crib trying to calm him down (by rubbing his head)... so sensitive and sweet.

It took me a while to calm Ashton down and while I was trying to do so Caitlyn began taking all of the clean, folded laundry and putting them into mine and Ashley's drawers... I now have Ashtons sleepers in my drawers and my socks are in Ashley's T'shirt drawer... so helpful and sweet.

During all of this, Dziadzia called and wanted to talk to Caitlyn... I listenend to her talk her baby language for a full five minutes or so on the phone... so social and sweet.

Seriously... Caitlyn is the sweetest little girl I have ever known...

I love her!

First Curl Cut!

Before... ...During......After!

Thanks to our longtime friend, Leslie...

(Ash has known her since kindergarten)

Caitlyn's curls look absolutely adorable!

Congratulations, JON!!!

Last night we all drove up to support our brother, Jon as he graduated from the

Snohomish County Fire and Rescue Recruit Class.

We are so proud of you Jon...

We love you tons...

and keep working hard!

Two New Things...

... for my BIG GIRL!!!

1.) A BIG GIRL BED.

We've transitioned her crib into a day bed seeing as she was climbing out of her crib with ease. She absolutely loved it. She stayed in it the entire night... and slept in today til 1030am.

2.) SWIM LESSONS!

We started last night at the Aquatic Center and Caitlyn was by far the best little swimmer there! She kicked and paddled, blew bubbles in the water and even sang a song! It sure was neat watching her swim and learn in the water with her Daddy!

Daddy's Day

Happy Father's Day, Ashley!!!

You are an amazing Father to Caitlyn and Ashton...

and a great Partner in Parenthood to me.

We love you tons!

Dad... I hope you have a wonderfully relaxing day...

you deserve it being the 'working man' you are!

Thanks for being one of my best friends and a great Dad

I love you!

Steve, Dad, and Ashley

Best Dads on Earth!
Happy Fathers' Day to all the Dads out there...
including Grandpa in Wisconsin & Dziadzia in heaven.

Another Going Away

Our dearest friend, Alicia Dawn has ventured to Cali with her boyfriend for work... We went out a few Saturdays ago to say good bye. We have known and absolutely loved Alicia for at least 15 years now where she has been Ksavera's BFF... my workout partner and very good friend... the person to have at any party... karaoke queen... and like a sister to all of us!

Alicia and Joey... you two better keep in touch!

xoxoxoxoxo

She promised me she'd keep up a blog while she was away, so we could follow along with this next chapter in her life... so here's her site...Alicia's Blog.

2 Months

Seriously?!?!

I feel like I JUST posted about his 1st month!

My maternity leave comes to an end in a week and I feel like time has flown by (except for those really hard days when I just held the kids watching the clock waiting for Dad to get home). It's absolutely amazing how fast Ashton is growing... and he is still so sweet and easy... eats and sleeps... and gets the occasional upset stomach and cries for just a little. He still loves to be bundled in blankets and almost every time I rub his hair he falls asleep. He is slowly beginning to have a voice, Ashley and I both love listening to him 'ooh' and 'ah'. We love him dearly... Happy 2 months!