Whoops! It's been almost a week since my last post. So much for me being on top of things. :-)
Anyway, life has been super crazy. Wednesday we spent in Utah hanging out with Jeanne and her family. They were wonderful to be around and we appreciated the relaxing moments before jumping into the adventure of Las Vegas. We even got to have a bbq picnic in Jeanne's backyard.
Thursday we got up and headed out on the road again. We had a six hour leg of the trip left in order to make it to LV. It was hot and we were trying not to push Samson too hard so we kept the heater on and windows open. The drive was fine but we were pretty wiped from the past couple of days so we mostly just listened to music.
We did get to stop in St. George and met up with Reed's brother Rex. He showed us his fire station and all the fun bells and whistles on the trucks. I felt like I was a five year old because I was getting all excited about the Jaws of Life and all that. haha After the station then we headed to lunch at Chick-Fil-A. Rebekah has told me so much about that restaurant and I've been dying to try it. Oh my goodness....it lived up to the hype! I devoured that sandwich in no time at all and then ate more than my share of fries. YUM!
Once we get back on the road again we realized that maybe we shouldn't have stopped in St. George because now we had only two hours to drive the 110 miles to Vegas so that we could get there in time to rent our storage unit. Oops! So we drove efficiently. haha Nearing Vegas we realized we'd hit traffic so I called the storage place and the guy was super nice and was just like "I'll stay open until you guys get here". How nice!
We did end up getting there at 4:59. Ha! Time to spare! ;-) We got all checked in and then the guy closed up shop and we unloaded our stuff. We took one look at the 4x8 locker and just about died. We had a 6x12 trailer almost full! Then we realized we that the ceilings were 10 feet tall and so Reed did his tetris magic and built up and up and up. It was blazing hot out and not at all fun to do that portion of the move but we managed to fit everything in and have room to spare. Thank goodness Reed is so good at puzzles!
At Sharlet's house we crashed in bed after eating a quick dinner.
Friday we got up and had a plan! We were going to take care of Samson's registration (which was expiring on Memorial Day) and get us some new Nevada licenses. I can't abide hideous ID pics so I got all prettied up. We got to the DMV and my jaw dropped to the floor. The place was PACKED with hundreds of people! We took our number and discovered there were 300+ people ahead of us!!!! That did not make us happy. So Reed went to go take care of his smog check and also bought us a Port of Subs lunch since we had forgotten to eat. And then we waited 3.5 hours. We get to the desk triumphantly and the lady tell us that we don't have enough forms of ID to do our licenses and that we cannot register our truck until the Nevada insurance becomes valid....tomorrow! I felt like barfing. All that waiting and nothing!
To cheer ourselves up we went and looked at my new workplace and then walked through a few apartments. The one we really wanted to see wasn't taking any new tours through until tomorrow so we went across the street and really liked the one we toured. There was another one that we just didn't like so much. It was tiny, dark, and expensive. We did meet some Mormons there which was a plus. They were super nice!
The next day, Saturday, we went back to the DMV. It was still insanely busy but this time we only had to wait for 1.5 hours. And we had brought entertainment. But really we just talked about apartments and all the things we need to take care of. It's a long list. *sigh* Moving is tough! Once we got our turn at the counter then the lady told us that everything was in order to register Samson. Hooray! So now Samson has shiny, new plates. In the parking lot Reed helped a really fun lady who was super friendly and talkative. My first Nevada friend! ;-)
Then we walked through the apartments that we really wanted to see and were surprisingly disappointed in them. So we drove around the one we liked and sat in the parking lot to think, talk, and scope out the residents. We continued to like the place and decided to rent it. So we talked with the leasing lady and she told us that there is an apartment opening up and ready for us on June 6. Yay! We submitted our application and she told us that we will be notified on Tuesday afternoon if our credit check clears. I felt a lot less stressed after we got that step done.
Sunday was an enjoyable and relaxing day spent hanging out with Sharlet and her family. We went to church and it was super weird to be going to the big kid classes. I've been in primary for so long that I've forgotten what it's like to hear big kid lessons and hear actual thought put into the answers that people supply. haha I even made a friend in Relief Society. She mentioned she is a nurse so I went up to her afterwards and we had a great time talking.
The nieces and I played a lot of foursquare, pet salon, and Barbies. They were also surprised to find out that I play the piano so we did a lot of singing....they even have a Frozen songbook so we did a lot of Frozen songs. Later on I was able to steal an hour for phone calls to Kandace and Mom. It was great to chat with them and hear all the goings on. :-)
Monday was Memorial Day and since government offices were closed, we took a break from our major to-do list. Instead I went to the nearest shopping center and purchased a few pairs of shorts and sandals. Long pants are killing me here! Today was 104 degrees. Then we spent the afternoon quietly reading books, watching Survivor and napping.
So now today is my first day of work. Wish me luck!
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Not Our Favorite Road Trip Experience
Words just do not describe the events of yesterday. It was crazy. Reed and I had a lot of things to process after it was all said and done.
We woke up at 6am and quickly got ready to head out on the road. Our goal was to take the trip from Olympia, WA to Provo, UT. It's typically a 14 hour drive but we knew that hauling a trailer meant it would probably take closer to 18 hours. We said goodbye to Mom, Dad, Sacagawea, and Kandace...tears were shed, of course, and it all felt very surreal. As we left, we said a prayer together asking for safety on our trip. I drove Vuong and Reed drove the truck and trailer.
The first two hour leg went super well. I was bored already so I ended up talking back to the radio hosts and laughing uproariously at their cheesy jokes. We filled up on gas in Vancouver and headed out. Going through Oregon was all well and good except I was super freaked that I'd get a speeding ticket....like the last time I drove through OR. haha Just as we were 80 miles away from Pendleton, OR and about to stop for gas I noticed my heat gauge starting to creep up. I called Reed (who was leading) and said to pull over. He did and I pulled up behind him. Deep in my heart, I knew that Vuong was very sick so I started sobbing because I love him. Reed was very calm and we let the car cool down and added more coolant to the system. We called my sister who has family in Pendleton and they recommended a certain automotive repair shop. Reed and I discussed things and tried to think of our best option. We knew we were coming up on some very difficult mountain passes and we were concerned that Vuong wouldn't make it. A sheriff pulled up behind us and checked to make sure we were okay....he was very nice. After about an hour we headed back on the road, determined to make it to Pendleton.
In the car I prayed that if Vuong was supposed to make it to Vegas then we would need him not to overheat at all before Pendleton and that if we were to leave him in Pendleton then we would need him to overheat before Pendleton. Things went fine and I drove 50 mph not allowing Vuong to get above 2500 rpms. 7 miles out of Pendleton, Vuong overheated fast. We pulled over into THE SKETCHIEST motel parking lot I have EVER seen! I think I contracted hepatitis just by being in the parking lot. While waiting, Reed and I discussed our options again. Both of us were very reluctant to call it quits on Vuong. But we prayed again and decided to push on to Pendleton.
We made it to Pendleton and went to the automotive shop where we met some of the coolest auto mechanics ever. They were cheerful and honest and realistic. After they squeezed Vuong into their busy day, they came back with the diagnosis of a blown head gasket. Reed and I looked at each other and knew we were going to need to leave Vuong behind. We called our brother Joe (well, he's my brother-in-law's brother but we claim him as a brother) and he said that he'd be down from Walla Walla to pick up the car and sell him for us. Then the auto place said we could park Vuong there for free until we got somebody to pick him up. So we emptied Vuong out into the back of the trailer (which miraculously had just enough space for the stuff) and I said goodbye. I cried a lot and felt awful as I saw Vuong fade away in our rearview mirror. My only comfort is that he's in good hands and that Pendleton and Walla Walla are places where he will be happy.
Finally, we were back on the road at about 4pm. We weren't even halfway there. *sigh* Now we were SUPER paranoid about Samson (Reed's truck) so we stopped a lot in order to let him cool down. Just as we were resting him after the big mountain pass then some state patrol troopers stopped and asked if we were okay. We told them the situation and then those nice fellows stayed and chatted with us for like 5 minutes. Everybody we encountered exhibited such friendliness and we felt super fortunate to meet them all!
As things were getting late, Reed and I decided to push onward to Provo because we just didn't want to stop overnight in a strange city. So we stopped at the gas station and bought Mountain Dew. I have never had that kind of soda before and I thought it tasted like battery acid. But man did I feel absolutely jacked from the caffeine!!! At first, I thought I could see sounds but then I realized that it was just a distant lightning storm. haha So Reed drove and I chatted with him to help him stay awake. We finally reached Provo at 6:30am...exactly 24 hours since we woke up and left for Provo. We hugged Jeanne and then collapsed into bed for a few hours.
Reed and I were talking about the whole experience and we agreed that the whole experience went better because we were together and focused on being supportive and calm. It's one of Reed's most fantastic qualities...his patience. I'm lucky to be married to him and I feel privileged to be going on this new adventure with him. The whole experience would have sucked without him!
So, now we have 6 more hours from Provo to Vegas and we'll do that tomorrow. For now, relaxing and hanging out with Jeanne and her family!
 |
| Bye Saccy |
The first two hour leg went super well. I was bored already so I ended up talking back to the radio hosts and laughing uproariously at their cheesy jokes. We filled up on gas in Vancouver and headed out. Going through Oregon was all well and good except I was super freaked that I'd get a speeding ticket....like the last time I drove through OR. haha Just as we were 80 miles away from Pendleton, OR and about to stop for gas I noticed my heat gauge starting to creep up. I called Reed (who was leading) and said to pull over. He did and I pulled up behind him. Deep in my heart, I knew that Vuong was very sick so I started sobbing because I love him. Reed was very calm and we let the car cool down and added more coolant to the system. We called my sister who has family in Pendleton and they recommended a certain automotive repair shop. Reed and I discussed things and tried to think of our best option. We knew we were coming up on some very difficult mountain passes and we were concerned that Vuong wouldn't make it. A sheriff pulled up behind us and checked to make sure we were okay....he was very nice. After about an hour we headed back on the road, determined to make it to Pendleton.
 |
| SKETCHY!!!!! |
We made it to Pendleton and went to the automotive shop where we met some of the coolest auto mechanics ever. They were cheerful and honest and realistic. After they squeezed Vuong into their busy day, they came back with the diagnosis of a blown head gasket. Reed and I looked at each other and knew we were going to need to leave Vuong behind. We called our brother Joe (well, he's my brother-in-law's brother but we claim him as a brother) and he said that he'd be down from Walla Walla to pick up the car and sell him for us. Then the auto place said we could park Vuong there for free until we got somebody to pick him up. So we emptied Vuong out into the back of the trailer (which miraculously had just enough space for the stuff) and I said goodbye. I cried a lot and felt awful as I saw Vuong fade away in our rearview mirror. My only comfort is that he's in good hands and that Pendleton and Walla Walla are places where he will be happy.
Finally, we were back on the road at about 4pm. We weren't even halfway there. *sigh* Now we were SUPER paranoid about Samson (Reed's truck) so we stopped a lot in order to let him cool down. Just as we were resting him after the big mountain pass then some state patrol troopers stopped and asked if we were okay. We told them the situation and then those nice fellows stayed and chatted with us for like 5 minutes. Everybody we encountered exhibited such friendliness and we felt super fortunate to meet them all!
As things were getting late, Reed and I decided to push onward to Provo because we just didn't want to stop overnight in a strange city. So we stopped at the gas station and bought Mountain Dew. I have never had that kind of soda before and I thought it tasted like battery acid. But man did I feel absolutely jacked from the caffeine!!! At first, I thought I could see sounds but then I realized that it was just a distant lightning storm. haha So Reed drove and I chatted with him to help him stay awake. We finally reached Provo at 6:30am...exactly 24 hours since we woke up and left for Provo. We hugged Jeanne and then collapsed into bed for a few hours.
 |
| Finally in Provo with my sis |
Reed and I were talking about the whole experience and we agreed that the whole experience went better because we were together and focused on being supportive and calm. It's one of Reed's most fantastic qualities...his patience. I'm lucky to be married to him and I feel privileged to be going on this new adventure with him. The whole experience would have sucked without him!
So, now we have 6 more hours from Provo to Vegas and we'll do that tomorrow. For now, relaxing and hanging out with Jeanne and her family!
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Sunday Shenanigans
I'm taking a quick break from last minute packing....I despise the last minute stuff. We're worried that not everything will fit in the trailer, truck, and Vuong but only time will tell. So, in the meantime we are just moving right along.
We had a nice day at church and at the Bahrtzoo. I kept crying whenever kids that I used to babysit would come up to say goodbye. Fortunately, Reed was very good at helping me to keep calm because every time I got sad, I looked over at me and he would wink and I would think to myself "everything will be alright, he's coming with me!". My primary kids were super sweet and gave me handmade cards and were especially well-behaved. Reed felt bummed to say goodbye to the young men's group that he's been working with. They're such a good group of guys and it will be fun keeping tabs on them as they get older.
Our afternoon at the Bahrtzoo was very pleasant. Kandace is in town and we had a great time talking and laughing. Michael and his family also came over and they brought delicious smoked turkey boobs. Yum! Mom made her delicious rolls and Daddy had fun telling us about all the trouble he caused at church. (He really doesn't cause trouble. haha) After dinner, Mom read us children's books from our childhood (Mabel the Whale and Curious George Goes To The Hospital) and we looked through old photo albums.
We also did some personal visits with a few of the families that we will miss the most. Reed has an uncanny ability to make friends with everybody of every age and there was a little boy who we knew would be extremely sad if we didn't say goodbye. We brought him a balloon and he showed us his new baby kittens. Then we dropped by a family that we have done a few long-term babysitting jobs for. Three of the nicest, most well-behaved children we've ever met! We will miss all of our friends here!!!
And now, here we are packing. Poor Reed is feeling like poop because he just started into another cold. :-(
We had a nice day at church and at the Bahrtzoo. I kept crying whenever kids that I used to babysit would come up to say goodbye. Fortunately, Reed was very good at helping me to keep calm because every time I got sad, I looked over at me and he would wink and I would think to myself "everything will be alright, he's coming with me!". My primary kids were super sweet and gave me handmade cards and were especially well-behaved. Reed felt bummed to say goodbye to the young men's group that he's been working with. They're such a good group of guys and it will be fun keeping tabs on them as they get older. Our afternoon at the Bahrtzoo was very pleasant. Kandace is in town and we had a great time talking and laughing. Michael and his family also came over and they brought delicious smoked turkey boobs. Yum! Mom made her delicious rolls and Daddy had fun telling us about all the trouble he caused at church. (He really doesn't cause trouble. haha) After dinner, Mom read us children's books from our childhood (Mabel the Whale and Curious George Goes To The Hospital) and we looked through old photo albums. We also did some personal visits with a few of the families that we will miss the most. Reed has an uncanny ability to make friends with everybody of every age and there was a little boy who we knew would be extremely sad if we didn't say goodbye. We brought him a balloon and he showed us his new baby kittens. Then we dropped by a family that we have done a few long-term babysitting jobs for. Three of the nicest, most well-behaved children we've ever met! We will miss all of our friends here!!!
And now, here we are packing. Poor Reed is feeling like poop because he just started into another cold. :-(
Friday, May 16, 2014
Retirement Party
Throughout my time at Capital Medical Center I had the pleasure of working with a wonderful nurse named Chris. She was always so easy to talk to and I always felt comfortable around her. We both share a great love of Heavenly Father as well as a love for nursing. Well she retired last week and it was time to throw her a party! So we all met up at El Sarape yesterday in order to bid her a proper farewell from the workforce. So many people came that we ended up having to add more tables! It is clear that everybody just loves her. :-) And I do just want to take a moment to say....the serving sizes at El Sarape are ridiculous! Reed and I could easily have shared one plate and been plenty full. But instead we decided to go big or go home and ended up with a buttload of leftovers. haha Congratulations on retirement, Chris!!!
 |
| Holy Nachos Batman! |
 |
| My favorite....quasadillias (yes, I know how it's actually spelled and pronounced) |
 |
| Some of my favorite people |
 |
| Chris and Me |
Mr. Fix-It
Reed is definitely a Mr. Fix-It type of guy. He spent a few evenings recently working to fix a TV that burned out. So while he and his buddy Andrew worked with soldering irons and capacitors and things like that, Maureen and I chatted. Then we looked over and saw how focused they were on the TV fixing. They ended up not being able to fix it but last night we bought the TV from Andrew and will be toting it to Vegas where we will continue fixing it. And for the record....holy COW that bugger is hefty! We carried it from Vuong to the apartment and I thought I was going to die. I told Reed that if we are moving that thing with us then he has to get a man to carry it with him. haha
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Reed's Packing Adventure
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Our 2nd Anniversary
Yesterday was Cinco De Mayo....which means that it was also the 2nd Anniversary of Reed and Meghan!!!
Reed took part of the day off of work to spend time with me and we worked together on planning things for our move to Vegas and getting things in order for that shenanigan. I signed my employment offer acceptance and sent it to the management group. Then we made pizza together for our anniversary lunch and Reed even walked to the store in the pouring rain to get mozzarella cheese for the pizza. In the evening we went to Ramblin' Jacks for dinner. We've never been and it has good, hearty food. We split the smoked meat sampler and it filled us up thoroughly! I loooove eating ribs...it makes me feel very carnivorous. haha During dinner we discussed highlights of our 2nd year of marriage. For Reed it was graduating from WGU with his Bachelors in IT. He said that the completion of that degree put him exactly where he wants to be right now. I thought one of the highlights was when we spent some time in Las Vegas while Reed's dad recovered from surgery. We finished up the evening at my Mom and Dad's house chatting and discussing future plans. The future can be so uncertain but we know Heavenly Father is carefully orchestrating a plan for all of us and everything will be alright.
I consider myself so blessed to have Reed as my husband. He is my perfect companion and I know that the perfect day 2 years ago was only the start of a wonderful adventure together. Happy Anniversary, Reed!!!
Reed took part of the day off of work to spend time with me and we worked together on planning things for our move to Vegas and getting things in order for that shenanigan. I signed my employment offer acceptance and sent it to the management group. Then we made pizza together for our anniversary lunch and Reed even walked to the store in the pouring rain to get mozzarella cheese for the pizza. In the evening we went to Ramblin' Jacks for dinner. We've never been and it has good, hearty food. We split the smoked meat sampler and it filled us up thoroughly! I loooove eating ribs...it makes me feel very carnivorous. haha During dinner we discussed highlights of our 2nd year of marriage. For Reed it was graduating from WGU with his Bachelors in IT. He said that the completion of that degree put him exactly where he wants to be right now. I thought one of the highlights was when we spent some time in Las Vegas while Reed's dad recovered from surgery. We finished up the evening at my Mom and Dad's house chatting and discussing future plans. The future can be so uncertain but we know Heavenly Father is carefully orchestrating a plan for all of us and everything will be alright.I consider myself so blessed to have Reed as my husband. He is my perfect companion and I know that the perfect day 2 years ago was only the start of a wonderful adventure together. Happy Anniversary, Reed!!!
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Moving Right Along
Moving is getting to be a little bit too real. I was looking for something and realized I'd already packed it. Next time I see it will be in Vegas. *gasp* We're making progress in packing up. All the really unnecessary stuff is packed and now I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to pack kitchen appliances. Those suck! Oh and I finally talked with the doctor who's on the management team for the surgery center. We had a great conversation and he's very nice and personable. He apparently liked what he heard also because he said that he agreed with Joanne and wants to hire me. Now I'm waiting for an offer to appear in my email. Waiting is so hard!!!!
Reed is working at super double speed in order to finish his work project before leaving Oly so that he can just jump right into stock trading when we arrive in Vegas. I think he put 10 hours of work in yesterday!!!! He's such a hard worker. :-)
Easter Blobs Activity
For our Easter treat, Mom had us help her make peanut butter chocolate easter eggs. Reed and I will NEVER say no to anything that is a combination of chocolate and peanut butter. :-) She had pre-formed a peanut butter mixture into egg shapes and then we were going to dip the "eggs" into a chocolate mixture. Well, the chocolate mixture didn't turn out exactly right so the resulting eggs were a little wonky. But looks didn't matter because they were rich and delightful! Thanks Mom!
 |
| I made an Oompa Loompa |
 |
| Rebekahs creations actually resemble egg blobs |
 |
| Mom's quite the artist |
 |
| Reed made an easter turtle |
 |
| Easter Reed |
My Kiddos
Every week my kiddos and I do fun activities while we wait for their parents to pick them up. Well, at least I think they're fun. haha They're a good group of kids and most weeks are quite enjoyable. :-) A couple of weeks ago, two of my boys were helping a younger boy who wasn't being reverent. They showed him how to sit and reminded him that he needed to be reverent too. They're learning!
 |
| He doesn't like being "girl trapped" |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)