The Lamb and Wool Festival

Yesterday, we went to the Lamb and Wool Festival at

The event that most made me want to go was the DUCK HERDING!!

We saw duck herding once on The Amazing Race. And I got soooo excited! Because I love ducks!

The duck herding on the show was done by people holding sticks with flags on the ends... This duck herding was done by dogs cued by whistles!

Jake and I went with Jake's cousin Josh and my friend Sydney from work.

On the whole, the event was slightly less than exciting. After watching duck herding, we made wool bracelets and wandered around looking at the different animals.

I like that sign! haha.

I have seen many peacocks in my days - they let them run loose in the Omaha Zoo. But I've never seen a pure white peacock!!

We probably sat the longest looking at the turkeys. They are quite ugly. They kept all bursting into gobbles together, and they would puff themselves up like this.

We took some pictures at the little jailhouse while waiting to go on our wagon ride.

On our way back to Provo, we stopped by The Berkshire. I wanted Jake and Josh to meet one of my patients. He used to be in Josh's home ward and (like Jake) he speaks Russian. Turns out my patient was a Russian interrogator in Germany in the 1940s and 1950s. Wow!!

Balcony Garden

After a trip to Walmart, we finally started our balcony garden tonight!!

Here is the vegetable portion of our garden. We both thought that we remembered this box to be bigger than it is... so we will CERTAINLY wind up re-potting the vegetables as they grow. But this will do for a start. The back row has red and yellow bell peppers, the front row has "patio" tomatoes and pink banana squash.

Here is what I am most excited about!!! Our herb garden!!! From left to right we have Sage, Chives, Basil, Cilantro, Rosemary, and Oregano. The two pots that look like just soil have Spearmint seeds.

The whole garden! Herbs, Geranium, Aloe, and Veggies! YAY!

FIRST ANNIVERSARY!!!

One year ago.... things were crazy!!! Busy, stressful, the whole deal!

But it culminated in this happy day:

Our REAL anniversary is on May 16th. However, this year the 16th fell on a Sunday. So We did most of our celebrating on Saturday the 15th.

I am quite proud of my thriftiness and how I used it to plan a cheap yet awesome anniversary! I had a coupon for two tickets to a performance by the Utah Symphony or Utah Opera for $20.

So, I introduced Jake to the opera!

Utah Opera was performing two one acts by Puccini - Suor Angelica (a tragedy) and Gianni Schicchi (a comedy). So we got to get all dressed up and head to the Capitol Theater in Salt Lake.

I LOVED the opera! Jake wasn't as big a fan of the tragedy, but really enjoyed the comedy.

Oh, and it was the opening night of the show. And the tickets for where we sat were $43 a piece. We got ours for $10 each!!! What a steal!

We got some nice people to take a picture of us with the set after the show.

After the show, we headed over to The Cheesecake Factory for a late night supper. We had the funnest waiter ever! He was bald, and also the bartender. And he agreed to take our picture! The lighting wasn't the best... so this is the best that we got. But oh well!

We put our $50 gift card to good use. The portion sizes were ENORMOUS! So we brought home leftovers and a few slices of cheesecake.

As we pulled into the apartment after our night out, we noticed that Sasha's odometer had just reached exactly 150,000 miles! So, we decided to document this moment!

Anniversary Weekend Kick-Off

This weekend (Sunday, to be exact) is our first anniversary! We have exciting things planned for Saturday and Sunday. Since we both had the day off today, we decided to kick things off with a spur of the moment hike in Rock Canyon!

It was a beautiful day! Around 60 F, a little cloudy, a light breeze... PERFECT!

We found this little cave like area. I wanted a picture in it, so Jake told me to pose!

TA DAH!

While I wanted to pose in the cave, Jake was more interested in climbing up the rocks above it.

There is tiny Jake WAY on the top of the rocks! The climb took him a while, so I occupied myself by checking out the rocks themselves. My dad would have been proud!

It was a lot of fun walking along with Jake and enjoying the day. We're hoping to try to do some more walking/hiking this summer... maybe even throw in some camping! Not until after our awesome anniversary weekend though!

How To Train Your Dragon

Monday for FHE/Date Night/whatever you wish to call it, Jake and I went to go see....

HOW TO TRAN YOUR DRAGON!

IN 3-D!!

It was the first time either of us had seen a movie in 3-D. That was a pretty cool experience, although much more subtle than I expected. But fun. It was a splurge for us, usually we only see movies in the dollar theater. But the dollar theater doesn't do 3-D.

Here we are before the show in our adorable 3-D glasses. We were both surprised that they weren't the old school blue and red ones that used to come in the cereal boxes.

But anyways.... CUTEST MOVIE EVER!!! It was so stinking good! If you haven't gone to see it yet, I DEFINITELY recommend it! We both loved it. And I'm pretty sure I want to buy it when it comes out.

Mother's Day

This Sunday was Mother's Day!

No, I am not a mother. Nor am I expecting to become one anytime in the next nine months. But, here is my theory. If I am 45 or so and never had kids, I am still going to want Jake to acknowledge Mother's Day. But... where do we draw the line and suddenly say "Well... we don't have kids still, but I guess its time to start celebrating!"? So... I told him that we will just start off celebrating it and then we are never in that situation!

So, Jake made me a yummy dinner! Broiled salmon with a citrus glaze! It was quite scrumptious!

And he got me some daisies!! Because they are my favorite! And they are a potted plant so they will last longer than just a week! I can enjoy them all summer!

And... as often happens, the ward had flowers for all of the women. So I got another daisy.

It was a very enjoyable weekend. Hopefully this weekend will be just as awesome for our anniversary!

A Job, GPA, the Aquarium, and a Graveyard Shift

Well, Dear Readers of the Herrington Blog, it has been a while since I've updated here. Sorry I have failed you. In an attempt to make it up to you, here are A BUNCH of updates from the last month/few weeks! Enjoy!

#1 A(nother) New Job for Mary!

Since I'm not taking classes this summer (waiting to find out if I'm accepted to start the Nursing Program in the fall), I have been keeping an eye out for job openings online/in the paper and such. One day I found an ad for flexible part-time weekend work that paid A DOLLAR MORE AN HOUR THAN MY CNA JOB!! When I got home that night, I got online to apply and I am now an employee of:

I am a "Product Demonstrator". I'm the person on the weekends that hands you samples of yummy foods! Tonight, I even got to come home early. I did such an awesome job promoting the product I was assigned that the store COMPLETELY sold out of it an hour and a half before my shift was over! Hopefully this will earn me more shifts!

#2 End of Mary's 4.0 Semester

I finished my first semester at Provo College this week! Despite having a cold through finals week, I managed A's in both of my classes! Which made this my FIRST 4.0 SEMESTER in my college history! HOORAY! It also bodes well for my Nursing Application! (To be turned in next week.)

#3 Visit from Jake's Parents and Trip to the Aquarium

Last week, Jake's parents came out for a visit from Minnesota. Jake's brother, Mike, took Friday off of work and we all went on a fun trip to...

Although I've been spoiled by Omaha's Zoo, it was great fun! Especially to see Ethan and Emma!

The only camera we had was my phone. And the lighting was not so awesome in the aquarium. But here is Jake and I next to a penguin.

We got to touch a Sting Ray!!! So awesome!!! It was squishier than I expected! Although their tails are really stiff!

Jake and I at the end of the trip!

#4 Mary's First Graveyard Shift

I worked my first graveyard shift a few weeks ago. It was a rather impromptu thing - I was filling in at the last minute for another CNA. Which normally wouldn't be too much of an issue, except that I had never worked or trained on a graveyard.

It was definitely a night I won't forget.

We had several patients with moderate-severe dementia that required one-on-one attention almost all night long. Which made the evening busy enough.

One of those patients was a blind Hungarian woman who fled Hungary when the Soviets invaded. Unfortunately, due to her dementia we relived the Soviet invasion all night long... Which alternated between sad, amusing, and frustrating.

Around 3:30 AM, one of our patients passed away. This was another first for me. I'd had patients who died, but never before on my shift.

It was an expected death, and quite peaceful. I felt really privileged to be able to be a part of that experience for that family. To be in the room, providing post mortem care for their loved one and listening to their memories and sadness and joy. It was a humbling and sacred experience that I hopefully won't forget.

Validation

Useful Life Lesson

When wanting to make hard-boiled eggs.... the proper sequence is as follows:

1. Put eggs in water.

2. Boil them.

Should you decide to switch these steps and try to add the eggs to water that is ALREADY boiling... this is what happens...

Not quite the same thing.

Lesson learned!

TEAS Examination

I'm getting closer and closer to turning in my Nursing Application!! Which is also tricky... because I'm trying to find a balance between being excited for maybe getting in and not so excited that I entirely fall apart if I'm not accepted...

But anyways! Today I'm going to complete two of the remaining three pieces of the application process.

From 12 PM - 4 PM today I will be taking the TEAS - or Test of Essential Academic Skills. Its a standardized ability test (think ACT/SAT type of thing) that covers Verbal Ability, Mathematics, and Science. I'm inclined to brush it off and not worry about it, as I have NEVER had a problem with standardized tests. But it's been 3-4 years since I've taken one!

After the test is complete, I will spend from 4 PM - 5 PM writing an impromptu timed essay. Which... again... I used to be AWESOME at. But AP English Junior year of high school is looking pretty far away right now.

These are two of the five or so things that are actually scored to rank me amongst the other applicants and determine who will be admitted. So here's hoping they go well!!

New Acquisitions!

We are beginning to experience the wonderful sales that happen at the end of the school year as people move out of Wymount and can't/don't want to take everything with them!

Thanks to these opportunities we have added two new pieces of furniture to our apartment!!

The first is an old yellow rocking chair.

Which Jake was manly enough to carry home. I helped... by carrying the seat cushion!

Here is the new chair at home in our apartment. We are still working on exactly where we want to put it in the apartment. We have a few ideas... but we might just move it back and forth depending on where we want to have it at that time.

Personally, I'm planning on setting it out on the balcony some mornings this summer to read/work on cross stitch/etc. How fun!

Here is the before picture of Jake's "Desk" space....

He has been using our card table.

NOW!! The after picture!!

A cute, little, REAL desk! With shelves for books, the printer, and office supplies! And I don't have to worry about the weight of the massive monitor warping our nice card table!

AND it even matches the rest of our living room stuff well.

All in all...$40 well spent.

Spring Cleaning

The weather is getting nice! The semester is drawing to a close! Any other year, it'd be time to start packing and cleaning to move out. BUT NOT THIS YEAR!!!

I am excited that we don't have to move out immediately after the last final! We get to stay in our apartment! That really helps lessen the stress!!

However... I think the cleaning needs to stay. :-)

So today I'm starting on Spring Cleaning. It may not be a one day thing. It may get spread out over a week, or even two. But today I start!

Right now, I'm working on the kitchen. I won't make too much progress on the deep cleaning stuff until I catch up on the dishes though... Which is one of my least favorite chores. But I'm working on it! With the help of Pandora and 80s music, progress will be made!

I think my reward for when I finish cleaning will be starting my balcony garden.

Jake's Last Day of School!!!

Today was Jake's last day of classes for the semester!! He is pretty excited! And I'm proud of him for working so hard! He has had some hard classes - Organic Chemistry, Physics, Human Biology, and Pearl of Great Price. He has two days off before he starts finals on Friday.

We are going to go to lunch at Olive Garden tomorrow after my Physiology Test (I don't finish the semester until the first week of May) to celebrate! Unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks for $7 a person! YUM!

Is Spring Finally Here??

I'm ready for Spring to get here already!!! It seems like Spring today, but Mother Nature keeps teasing us!! We've had 2-3 snowstorms this week! But there have also been days where it has been in the 50s and 60s! I want the weather to even out so I can enjoy it!

Of course, with spring comes the end of the semester! Jake finishes his final exams up in two weeks. Butch and Patty (Jake's parents) are coming out to visit for a week at the end of this month. Jake starts his Spring Term classes April 27th (I think). I finish my finals on May 6th, and my Nursing Application is due the end of May. So there are some sources of stress coming up.

NOT THAT JAKE'S PARENTS COMING IS A SOURCE OF STRESS!! HaHa. I just realized what that could sound like. We look forward to their visit! :-) It will be the break from our stress.

But I want to be able to sit on our balcony in the evenings! I want to be able to go for walks! And drives and hikes in the mountains! I want to go tubing down the river and go camping!!

MOTHER NATURE!! PLEASE LET SPRING STAY THIS TIME!!!

Today I Appreciate My Job

So... there have been times over the last few months that I have REALLY wanted to quit my job. For real. But, today was not one of those days. For a few reasons.

First, we had THREE people come in wanting to fill out job applications. Two CNAs and one RN. We aren't hiring. But it just reminds me how much it sucks to be looking for a job right now. I already knew this, as I've been keeping an eye out for a Phlebotomy position. But... I'm so glad that I have a job! It's really hard. Especially in this valley where there are 3+ colleges/universities with students who will work for tiny wages, etc. I'm SUPER glad since Jake hasn't been able to find a job since we moved back here last June. So at least one of us is able to bring in some moneys to offset the student loans.

Secondly, I had a little bit of time at the end of my shift that reminded me that I really do enjoy what I get to do. We got a new patient today and right before my shift ended (my TWELVE HOUR shift, I'd like to add), her husband came down to our desk and asked if we could come help with some stuff. As I was walking down to her room, I saw the girl who was arriving for the next shift come through the front door. Because I knew they weren't short handed or anything, I was able to take my time working with this patient and getting to talk with her and her husband for a few minutes. It reminded me why I'm in this business after all. :-)

Festival of Colors

Last weekend, Jake and I went down to Spanish Fork for the Festival of Colors at the Krishna Temple. Last year was our first year going and we had a blast! We rode the bus down for an afternoon of fun and excitement! And the weather was great!

The festival is about spreading love and cleansing the air of evil spirits for the year. They burn a straw effigy of a witch goddess and then everyone throws colored powder into the air/at each other which is supposed to chase away demons. It makes for some pretty good pictures!

I brought some isolation masks from works so that we'd still be able to breathe as the air clouded up with the chalk.

While we waited for the throwing of the colors, we visited the llamas that they raise on the temple grounds. This one had already gotten some color!

Here's the two of us after we were covered in powder!! Remember, that both of our shirts are actually black! That's how much we have on us!

This is maybe one of my favorite pictures of Jake from the day! He looks like the villain out of some post-apocalyptic horror movie!

The mass exodus of people leaving the temple after the festival was over. We were in that crowd too. Parking gets backed up along the road for miles. So we hiked several miles (at least it seemed like several miles... I'm not sure how far it actually was), into Spanish Fork. A restaurant - Lon's Barbeque - was having a special for people returning from the festival. They were right across the street from the bus stop, so we decided to have dinner while we waited to return to Provo.

We tried FRIED CAULIFLOWER! I was really skeptical about it, but Jake wanted to try it so we did. It was DELICIOUS!!!

The two of us after dinner, ready to go home and get cleaned up.