Thanksgiving Pictures

We got a few pictures taken during our Thanksgiving vacation to St. George....yay!

The Jacobsen Family

Dying of cuteness right now!

Almost all there...

True Art: Pipe Cleaners and Marshmallows

 To my knowledge I have never been considered artistic...in the sense of drawing, scultping, or whatever.  For my biochemistry class I am required to construct models of molecules, proteins, etc.  The following is photographic evidence of my "artistic" skills.  Enjoy.  (PS.  My grader deemed the labeled triglycerides that I made as "fantastic"....I think it's because Reed helped with the photoshopped letters)

Saturated Triglyceride

Glycerol Backbone of a triglyceride

Unsaturated Triglyceride

Hemoglobin (heme groups are in orange)

Our Thanksgiving Vacation

As I write this I am sitting next to my sleeping husband who is crunched up in the backseat of a GMC Yukon.  We're in the middle of Idaho and we can sure smell it….cows.  Yuck!  On the 17th we embarked at 2:30 in the morning from Elma headed to St. George.  17 hours of driving.  Fortunately we had a big car and plenty of movies and snacks.  We love snacks!  It took us until 11:00 at night and nobody really slept much on the drive except for me.  Reed's mom joked that I am narcoleptic and I can't say I disagree! 

Sunday we went to church at the ward that the Simister family goes to.  Brad's the bishop there which is pretty cool.  The ward was FULL of children.  I mean a ton of kids.  When we went to Relief Society there were maybe 20 women there because they were all serving in callings in primary and nursery.  Back at home we had Sunday dinner and Reed spent the evening wrestling and playing soccer while I played pretty princess and other such games.

Monday was Emery's birthday.  She turned 5 and had a "destination" birthday party at a place called Jumping Jacks.  Basically it's a warehouse filled with all kinds of bounce houses and slides.  Super fun!  One of the boys started a game of tag and we all got involved.  It was totally wild and a few less fortunate children got knocked down when they got in the way of a tag pursuit.  Todd and I bonded over his sliding skills...he wanted somebody to cheer for him and I was more than happy to do that.  Then Reed and I tried to get a picture together on the slides but they never really turned out right.  So Reed had the idea of laying down on a flat slide and using camera angles to make it look like we were sliding.  All good pictures are staged anyway, right?  Back at home we had pizza and the birthday girl threw a huge tantrum.  Todd proclaimed he hates dolls because they're for girls but spent the whole evening absolutely enchanted by the Rapunzel doll that Emery got from Mommy and Daddy. 

Tuesday was a free day but I was crampy and disgusting so we decided to stick around local.  We went to Deseret Book and looked around but found that the prices were hugely inflated compared to online prices.  Whatever we buy from there will most likely be online.  Then we spent time with Sondra and the younger kids. Emery and I played with her new toys (Disney princess Squinkies which are tiny little dolls that get lost easily) while Todd beat Reed at soccer.  Todd would grab the pillow that was Reed's "goal" and carry it around so that Reed couldn't hit it.  :-)   I also got the news that one of my favorite patient's died on Friday….Arlena was a very sweet woman who will be missed on our unit.  I'm glad that she did not suffer long from her disease though and I know her sweet spirit is much happier now. 

Wednesday I woke up with a sore throat and headache.  I decided to try and shrug it off.  The kids all were off from school so we had a great time playing with them.  They're a ton of fun to be around.  Around noon we went to go meet with some of Reed's mom's friends that used to live in Elma.  The Bell's were very very nice and we enjoyed our visit.  As soon as Dick discovered I am a nurse then he started telling stories of his heart surgery and whatnot. Joyce fed us delicious soup, bread, and ice cream and cookies.  Yum!  Sharlet and her family had made the trip from Vegas and we had to hurry back home after our lunch appointment because it was time for family pictures.  This is a momentous event for me because it's the first time I've been in Reed's family pictures.  Yay!  We were supposed to dress in fall colors but Reed and I both are lacking in the fall colors of our wardrobes….we tend to go straight from spring and summer to winter. We both survived and didn't stick out from the group.  The photographer lady was really nice and did well with the kids.  She got a few pics of Reed and I which look super good and I can't wait to share them with you all. 

Thursday night I had a weird dream.  I dreamt that I had to pick up all the Squinkies that were laying around the house and every time I'd finish the job then Emery would come and throw the Squinkies around the room and I'd have to start over.  I woke up and discovered that I was feeling even worse than yesterday!  I had fever, chills, aches, nausea, sore throat, sinus headache, stiff neck...etc.  I felt terrrrible because it's our First Thanksgiving and we were surrounded by little kids who I certainly didn't want to get sick.  Reed said he also felt kind of sick.  Oh no!  I slept in and took my time getting ready.  We all went to the park with Reed's mom and the kids had fun playing on the play equipment while I sat and watched.  Then Brad and Tommy picked us all up and we went to the theatre to see Wreck-It Ralph.  Such a good movie!  My favorite joke from it (and you'll have to see the movie to really appreciate it) was when Vanellope asked Ralph "Why did the hero flush the toilet? Because it was his doody!" hahaha  A play on words from Hero's Duty.  We all know I love a good poop joke!  After the movie we went home and had dinner.  Sondra and the other ladies had a done a fantastic job and the food all tasted delicious. The girls (and Reed) all made me the cutest Get Well Soon cards which boosted my spirits a lot. Then we watched episodes of Wipeout until Reed and I were wiped out.   I felt like poop and dreaded the next day's drive so I couldn't go to sleep because I was having a pity party with myself. 

Friday we woke up at 7:00, packed the car, and left.  We met with family in Ogden which was fun.  They're very sweet and welcoming ladies and it was nice to meet some more of the Jacobsen side of the family.  Back on the road now and I'm just blogging, texting, and sleeping when I can. 

So, it's been a good week and we had a lot of fun. I'm counting my blessings and I feel very lucky to have married into such a nice and fun family. And I'm very fortunate to have been born into the Bahrtzoo….my sisters, brother-in-law, and Mom kept in touch all week and made me feel very loved.  

Addendum: We made it home safe and are working on recovering from the week.   Yay!  :-) 

What's Cooking? Wednesday

My mom likes to put recipes on her blog (http://momcoach.hopali.com/)...it's called "What's Cooking? Wednesday".  I have decided that today I will also do a "What's Cooking? Wednesday" special. 

Recipe Name:  Waffle House

Step 1: Make waffles. Lots of them.  The more the better.  Happiness is directly related to the amount of waffles you eat. 
Step 2:  Put them on a plate.
Step 3:  Arrange them (see picture)
Step 4:  Eat the waffles.
Step 5: Smile and be happy.

Waffle Happiness

Vuong's Sick Day

Sickness never happens at good times.  Like three days after you get married and you spend a week throwing up.  Or when you're headed to an amazing date!  This is the story of just such an occasion.  It's a story of drama, danger, blessings and miracles.  And poor Vuong is at the center of it. 

It was a beautiful Saturday morning and we were going to the midday showing of Disney On Ice.  It's the perfect combination of two of my favorite things and since it was my day to plan our weekly date then Reed got stuck with the prospect of a two hour ice show in Kent, WA.   I woke up early and spent hours doing my hair, makeup, outfit and making a delicious breakfast for my agreeable husband. 

As we were leaving the house Reed says "eh, we might get thirsty, I think I'll bring some water bottles".  We get on the freeway and settle in the fast lane on cruise control.  Not speeding.  I promise.  As we pass an exit for Dupont then Vuong shifts funny.  Reed looks at the rpm gauge and is trying to figure out what's going on.  Then the check engine light comes on.  That light is typically accompanied by bad words but not from Reed...he's got the self control of ....well, I don't know who or what else has self control so I'll say he has the self control of a Reed.  haha  Anyway, he looks below the check engine light and wouldn't ya know it.  Vuong's running a fever!  His heat dial is off the charts!  Reed quickly and carefully merges three lanes and pulls over to the shoulder.  I thought we were going to die in a car engulfed in flames.  Either that or we'd be bug splatter on the front of a semi. 

Anyway, we survived and poor Vuong continued to run a fever.  And that's how the water bottles came in handy!  We used the water to help refill the engine coolant.  (We all know that keeping hydrated helps prevent damage during states of fever)  When that wasn't sufficient then the kind Jiffy Lube man named Barry came to our rescue and fixed Vuong.  He (Vuong) had a kinked radiator hose causing his elevated temperature.  Poor Vuong! 

By that time our date attempt was ruined and we ditched the Disney On Ice show.  Was Meghan bummed?  Extremely!  Basically it felt like Christmas was cancelled.  BUT!  Look at the blessings and miracles! 
 - We didn't fry the car and blow a head gasket
 - We did not get struck by trucks or cars
 - We were still close to home
 - We had extra water
 - Reed knows everything about cars (at least it sure seems like everything)
 - The kind man named Barry from Jiffy Lube came to our rescue
 - The kind man named Barry didn't charge us (he deserves a raise)
 -  The solution was simple
 - Vuong didn't die
 - We didn't die

When frustrating things happen then sometimes it seems to take the edge off if you look for the good things.  And make sure to schedule early for next year's run of Disney On Ice.  ;-) 

Truck Adventures

I come from a family of people who do not drive trucks.  Not for lack of love for trucks but because they are not fuel efficient and as poor struggling college students then it is not an economical decision for a first car.  However, my mom always drove a bigger car (such as a 15 passenger Dodge Ram van or a Ford Windstar minivan) and she utilized the cargo space with frequent trips to Home Depot, hauling children to various places, etc.  Then, one unfortunate day, the Windstar broke down and Mom and Dad no longer had access to a vehicle that could haul large loads. 

Enter Reed.  I married a handsome man who happens to drive a nice, big Dodge Ram pickup truck named Samson.  Samson is a good, strong, and reliable truck and I think he's a very good addition to the family of Reed and Meghan Jacobsen.  (Technically, I'm the addition to the family of Reed and Samson Jacobsen because I came after Samson...haha)

Last night, we received a call from my mom who needed access to Samson to haul some wood for a home improvement project.  Samson just loves being called upon to help!  He spent the night having dreams where he hauled impossibly large loads of lumber and cement while throngs of cars screamed his name in adoration.  Just kidding....Samson's a man truck and he probably doesn't dream like that. 

Anyway, the next morning we went to Home Depot and met up with my parents.  Reed and Dad did their manly business and hemmed and hawed over which type of lumber would be the best for the project.  Mom and I did our womanly business and kept watch over the cart while discussing the latest news.  I also admired the miniature Home Depot aprons on the kids who had come to Home Depot's Kid Workshop.  I want one!   Reed said I should just go and do the workshop but I was too shy.  ;-) 

After the purchase was made, we went and loaded up the truck where Reed impressed my daddy with his knot-tying skills and admirable strength.  My dad's knot-tying skills are also impressive and deserve mention.  Once the cargo had been adequately secured (that load was not going to budge an inch!) we headed off down the road and that is when I proved my photography prowess and captured a rare photo of Samson in action.  Enjoy! 

Heavenly Pizza

Today's lunchtime conversation.

Reed:  Meghan, you make the best pizza ever.  Even better than restaurants. 

Meghan:  Thanks!  Sometimes I think I should do something a little different like a chicken and ranch pizza...

Reed:  No!  Your pizza is perfect. We could eat this same pepperoni pizza for the rest of our lives and I'd be happy.

Meghan:  Then after we die they'd tell us "sorry, your body doesn't need pizza anymore". 

Reed:  Then I'd reply "What?!?  You're telling me I didn't make it into heaven?!?"