Whoa!

So I don't know if it made the news out west but a medical helicopter crashed at a hospital yeserday in Grand Rapids (an hour west of here). Crazy story but everyone was okay. But I had a crazy ridiculous emergency of my own last night! (FYI, this is a long story, sorry)...

So I was the triage nurse last night at work. That means I check people into the ER then tell them repeatedly how "no we still don't have a room for you and no I don't know how much longer it will be." Anyway so around midnight a BIG (6'3" 300lbs) man in his 40's I'm guessing walked in the doors and sat down without checking in. A Lansing police officer happened to be standing at my desk with a patient of her own she brought to get checked out from jail (also known as "jailitis" ). The big guy walks up to my desk and says, "I need to go to the 10th floor where my dad was in a coma and to the 7th floor where he died." Apart from the hospital not having a 10th floor there is no way I'm letting him anywhere besides the ER. (Did I mention I took care of him earlier this week and found that he is mentally ill and has a drinking problem?) So after we told him no, he got a bit upset and the officer asked if he had stopped drinking after she busted him earlier in the day. He says "not particularly." Well that just set him off then he started yelling at the top of his lungs and I knew somethin was going to go down. Then he starts talking about the cop's gun and the last straw was when he moved in on her. It all happened so fast then and he was behind our desk and I'm waiting for my security guard next to me to do something and the LPD cop is trying to call on her radio. She happened to hit her emergency button and I kid you not, no more than 30 seconds later we have 15 LPD officers running at us and we are evacuating our waiting room of patients!! I sneaked my way out of danger and watched from the desk as the cops crowded him into the corner. It got scary when he talked about pulling out his "switchblade" and then they clobered him. We were just waiting for them to taser him! It was pretty sad though cuz once they got a hold of him and were cuffing him he started saying his Catholic prayers!

I really do feel for the mentally ill and unfortunately they get lost in the system and society and end up with problems like this. Long story short, he spent another hour or two in our ER to cool down then the cops took him to a mental health treatment center. I really do feel for the guy cuz he has gone through a lot of crap in his life and I think just seeing the officer again after she busted him earlier set him off. But boy am I thankful for the LPD officers!! I will gladly pay my taxes to support them cuz they saved my as* today! Thanks guys!

Memorial Day Fun

So I have never been one to do anything on holidays like Memorial Day and Labor Day but since we have been in Michigan we have made so many good friends from the ward and actually do things outside of church! So on Saturday we met at Lake Lansing for a picnic. Michigan is seriously so cool and it's green and lush and lots of cool places to see. Lake Lansing is kind of in the middle of a neighborhood but then all the sudden it looks like your in a canyon then this big lake pops out. Anyway, we had a great time and are lucky to have such cool friends!

Walking with Eve

Eve and Porter LOVED the water!

Ryan's dorkalicioius pose
(he believes it's humanly impossible for him not to squint in pictures)

One of our possibilites for future beach houses

Here's a long one

Well it's about time I catch up and post my husband tag. Ryan is gone tonight on his first scout camping trip (as a leader anyway). He is our Young Men's President and doing a fine job if I say so myself. The kids and I just got back from the park and I have a few days off to catch up on things so here goes...

-What is his name? Ryan Charles West, soon to be Ryan Charles West Esquire if he gets his way :)

-How long did we date? We met the night before my 21st birthday at a dance in 2004 and spent literally every day after that together until we were married May 7, 2005. Your typical mormom dating period I guess.

-How long have we been together? Roughly 1,275 days or 3 1/2 years to be exact, although we kinda think we hung out in heaven before this life :)

-How old is he?

-Who eats more? We both have really bad eating habits and don't eat regularly because of my schedule and such but Ryan probably eats more except for 1 week out of the month...

-Who said I love you first? Ryan did within the first week we met. He was driving me home in the 4Runner and told me he loved me. Awww, good times.

-Who is taller? Umm I'd have to go with Ryan on that one. He is 6'6" and I'm 5'4". I've always loved tall guys and I remember telling my sister after we met that he was "almost ridiculously tall."

-Who can sing better? Ryan. He cracks me up when he tries to opera sing hymns at church.

-Who is smarter? We're both pretty smart in our respective fields but I don't give Ryan enough credit. He comes up with some of the weirdest facts (most of which are true).

-Who does the laundry? I do unless I'm in dire straights then I ask him to. He still has the bad bachelor habit of throwing everything in one load. "It saves time" he says :)

-Who does the dishes? Norris and Baby.

-Who sleeps on the left side of the bed? If your looking at the bed, he does until I roll him off :)

-Who mows the lawn? Ryan. I'd be happy to since my parents made us mow their lawn for years but he is pretty controlling of the lawnmower.

-Who cooks dinner? Mcdonalds, Wendy's, Taco Bell. No when we eat at home I usually do but he is great to make me something for work or bring me something.

-Who drives? We split it except when we drive Elias, then only Ryan does.

-Who kissed who first? Ryan kissed me. So here is the timeline. We met Friday night, went to lunch on Monday then hung out Monday night. We were watching a movie at his apartment (who knows what) and he kissed me on the head then I turned around and kissed him back.

-Who proposed? Of course Mr Ryan Charles West did. I knew it was coming and thought he might do it on Valentines Day at dinner. He pulled out my gift which was in a small box but that turned out to be a camera. Then I thought it would be a week or two later when we went to Vegas for the weekend. I guess he had talked to my parents and was going to but my ring didn't come in so that didn't happen. We were one of those silly couples who had most of the wedding planned before we were officially engaged so I knew it had to happen soon. Another week or so later (March 3rd or 6th) my boss let me off early after I transferred a call to her from some weird lady who wanted to talk to the charge nurse (that "weird lady" was my mother-in-law getting me out of work). So I went to my car to leave and there was a note on it that said to go to this address and tell them my name. It was a day spa where there was a massage waiting for me. Then when I left the lady gave me a note that said "hope you enjoyed that now hurry home." On my bed was a dozen roses and another note that said "put on your favorite black dress and be ready at 6." K it was 545 when I got the note! So I hurried then he picked me up and we drove up to Park City. We got to the Stein Erickson lodge after being thouroughly lost. There was a horse drawn sleigh waiting for us. It was dark by now and they took us on a ski slope that looked over the summit. We stopped after awhile to look at the view and thats when he got down, in the snow and asked me. It was so cool! After the ride we got back into the valley and he pulled into the stadium parking lot at the U. I could tell there was a dance going on and I seriously thought he was taking me to some high school's prom but it was a dance for the U up in the box. After a few dances we went to dinner at Flemmings then home to show my parents! Whew, what a story but he went into so much work and detail for me that I couldn't have imagined more. I joke with him now that he put all the romance he had into that night :)

-Who is more stubborn? Me hands down. Except when it comes to the bushes and trees in our backyard. I demand that he leave them full and every day I come home there is another branch missing...he blames it on the dogs! I know I have smart dogs but I've never caught them holding a pair of pruning shears.

-Who is more sensitive? Me. Ryan lets anything negative slide right past him.

-Who wears the pants? Sadly me but thats cuz I'm a control freak and perfectionist. He is always there when I need him though and never critisizes when my ideas don't work out.

K here's the mushy part. I seriously have the best husband in the whole world! He is so tall and handsome and the best daddy to our babies. I love when he talks about his "baby Nathan" which is what we would like to name our first human baby boy. He would do anything for our family and work any job it took to take care of me. I know he loves me and we are blessed to have a fabulous relationship and we appreciate that after having gone through bad ones. Ryan has every trait I could have wished for and treats me like gold. He puts up with all the hormonal and non-hormonal crap I give him and never complains. He makes me want to be a better wife and I know he has made me a better person. I love you big guy!!

P.S. I had to go old school to find this song. This song makes me laugh, i guess persistance does pay off. You go girl!

A Rough Night

I watched a baby die this morning. We tried to save her but I think she was gone before she even got to us. When her mom entered the room I witnessed a grief reaction so intense and unlike anything I've ever seen in my 6 years in health care. My heart ached for them and I couldn't help but say a little prayer as I stood helplessly unable to give them comfort. These are challenging cases but I'm so grateful for my knowledge of the gospel and eternal families. Even with that knowledge I hope I never have to face that kind of sorrow in my lifetime.
Needless to say I needed some cheering up when I got home. I found just that while admiring my little attempt at a flower garden. We absolutely love our house and feel blessed to live here and I had a great time beautifying it last Saturday. I sure did have a "miss my mommy moment" though when I was picking out flowers alone. Enjoy the pictures and do me a favor and hug your babies/husbands a little tighter today!

Introducing... Kaitlyn Elisabeth Howlett

I know there are lots of mommies out there but is this not the cutest baby you have ever seen!! I understand if you are partial to your own but right now I'm in LOVE with this sweet face! This is my new niece who is 3 weeks old now and according to my sister, a very easy baby. I'm so sad that I don't get to hold her and cuddle her while she is so little but at least I have pictures to drool over :)

Cancun!!

So we just got back from the best vacation ever! We celebrated our 3 year anniversary by taking a much needed trip to Cancun. It's been different not seeing each other much since Ryan has been in law school and I work 5 out of 7 nights in the week. He kept telling people it was our "get to know you again trip." Anyway, it was fabulous and I feel so lucky and blessed to be married to Ryan. He even out did himself and suprised me with pearls which was so sweet and unexpected. Here is a brief synopsis of our trip...

Wednesday- left the house super early but got to Cancun around noon. Checked in and when we got to the room they were waiting to pour us champagne or wine. You should have seen their faces when we told them we didn't drink. We seriously must have been the first and only people to tell them no. We spent the rest of the day at the beach.
Thursday- Room service breakfast on our balcony then shopping. Of course, more time at the pool and beach.
Friday- Spent the day at Xel-ha which is an eco-park (natural inlet of the ocean). There is tons of snorkeling to do in the warm, clear water with tons of fish. We also rode bikes through the jungle, floated down a river, cliff jumped, and got sunburned on our own private beach. The place is AMAZING and I can't wait to go back. Oh yeah, and Ryan got pulled over by the Mexican Police who we had to pay off to avoid a ticket.
Saturday- More pool/beach time in between much needed naps. Plus we got to try out our private jacuzzi under the stars.
Sunday- A long 3 plane rides home.

This was such a fun trip that of course went by too fast. It's nice to be home with our babies but I can't wait to plan the next one!

Happy Nurses Day!!

This is for all my fellow nurses and "almost nurses" out there. That includes my mom, the St Mark's 4South and ER crew, my girls who survived nursing school with me, and now my Sparrow nurses (especially Becky and Nicole). Love you guys!

 

Return to the Dog Beach

We finally made it out to Lake Michigan after a long cold winter! We were the only ones on the beach and the dogs had a blast. It's still pretty early in the season to be on the beach- we could tell cuz there were fish skeletons all over the place! It sure was a nice trip though, complete with yummy Whoppers for everyone- including Norris and Baby. I can't wait till August or so when the water finally gets warm!

Norris is sure he's 3rd in command

Poor Baby's attempt to fit in a sedan

So excited for the beach!

Best Buds

Awww, our family walk on the beach

Norris was freaked out by this log, he even barked at Ryan when he went near it

Thanks Nicole!

The ABC Tag
A-Attatched or single: Attatched...pretty much the luckiest girl ever
B-Best friends : Ryan...most of the time
C-Cake or pie: Cake- cheesecake or white
D-Day of choice: Saturday cuz it usually means shopping or at the beach with the dogs
E-Essential item: Debit card :)
F-Favorite color(s): Pink
G-Gummy bears or worms: Worms
H-Hometown: West Jordan
I-Indulgences: Getting my hair done and pedicures
J-January or July: July- it means camping/traveling although January is Ryan BDay
K-Kids: Furry airedale and sweet mastiff
L-Life is incomplete without: Love
M-Marriage date: May 7, 2005
N-Number of siblings: Twin sister, 2 younger brothers
O-Oranges or apples: Oranges- I absolutely can't stand to listen to people eat apples
P-Phobias or fears: My family dying and taking the plunge into parenthood
Q-Quote: "I won't lower my standards to raise yours" Not my favorite-just one I could think of :)
R-Ring size: 4 or 5
S-Season: Spring
T-Tag 3 friends: Ashly, Karly, Kate
U-Unknown fact about me: I get SO excited about pulling my luggage through the airport, so excited its probably not healthy
V-Very favorite stores: Charlotte Ruse, Banana Republic, Ross, unfortunately the scrub store
W-Worst Habbit: Perfectionism which leads to critism and grumpiness
X-X-ray or ultrasound: X-rays, they make my job a lot easier
Y-Your favorite foods: Pink & White animal cookies, a yummy tender steak
Z-Zodiac: Sagitarius