On July 31st 2003 we piled into the Uhual and our car and taking Karey (Mike's brother) and Nick (Mike's best friend at the time) with us we set out for our new life, a life that we knew was temporary but essential. We moved to Las Cruces New Mexico, a little town on the New Mexico, Texas, Mexico border. We loved it there. The boys were enrolled in pre-school (where all Mik did was paint and draw). After a year there we had to move as Mike couldn't get a job, and I wanted to go back to school. so we moved to Albuquerque.
Albuquerque was an adventure for us in that we did our most struggling there. I went back to school and was working on getting my teaching degree, the boys were in school, and Mike was still struggling to get a job.
Mike was finally able to get into the field that he has always wanted to be in. He spent 2 years commuting to Santa Fe for the Sheriff's dept there, and then moved down to Sandoval Co (the county just north of Albuquerque), where he spent another 2 years. He loved it, and having to quit that dept was one of the hardest things that he ever had to do.
I graduated from UNM with a degree in Foreign Languages and Literature, and started my Masters Degree. I was able to teach both Italian and Spanish for APS, and I loved it. I loved my students, and constant changes that happen in a classroom. Leaving that school district was very hard for me.
Both boys started school, they had the same kindergarten teacher (Mrs. Zuniga the best k teacher in the world). They had amazing teachers at Sierra Vista Mrs. Zuniga, Ms. Lokken, Mrs. Burschardt, Ms. Chavez, Ms. Lamkin, Mrs. Hampel, Ms. Bowers, Ms. Hannah. The support staff at the school was amazing also, Leigh the school nurse who took Mat's disease in hand, and who knew Mik and when he was faking it and when he was really sick. Ms. Sharon the boys therapist from kindergarten till we left, who gave us so much insight into Mik and his struggles. Both boys loved them all, and are struggling with a new school.
Both boys were also baptized there. One of the best days of our lives as parents was when they decided to become members of the church.
From earlier posts you all know how hard the decision to leave NM was for us, we had so many wonderful friends and memories there. We spent most of our married life there. We discovered who we are as individuals and we we are as a couple. For all the struggles that we had I cannot regret our decision to move there when we did.
We are now onto a new adventure back in Las Vegas, so keep tuning in to see what adventures await us here.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Birthday Memories
34 years ago today I made my entrance into this world. As I reflect back on the life that I have lived and the many birthdays that I have had, I have to say that there have been great birthdays and not so great birthdays.
Here are some of my more memorable birthdays.
5th birthday - okay so this wasn't my birthday but my best friends birthday that took place 6 days after mine. We were at the old city park in town (Cedar City) and I fell off the top of a twenty foot slide, was rushed to emergency room and ended up with 20 stitches.
8th birthday - this was a huge birthday for me for obvious reasons, for a month before my birthday I stalked my bishop for my baptismal interview. I had a Pete's Dragon birthday party and finally had my interview.
12th birthday - I went into young womens on my birthday.
16th birthday - this is suppose to be the best birthday ever for a girl, the sweet sixteen, however I didn't think that I would have a birthday party. My brother Daniel had just died, and I wasn't really good friends with anyone in my ward at the time, we were friends just not friends that would invite me to many things, however that night when I didn't think that anyone had even remembered my birthday I went for a walk by myself to my friends house and all the kids my age from the ward were at her house, I remember feeling very left out, however when I knocked on the door I discovered that it was a surprise party for me. For a little while that day I was able to forget that my family had just been torn apart.
18th birthday - I shaved my head, and celebrated my birthday at a family reunion.
21st birthday - My best friends Kristen, Cherry and Aspen took me out to the Hard Rock Cafe and then we went to Sam's Town to gamble my first dollar, three weeks later I entered the MTC.
24th birthday - Mike will never let me live this one down. It was my first birthday with Mike and he took me to see Mystere and to a five star restaurant that cost a lot of money. After dinner I got a ache in my back. After we got home a couple of hours later I start throwing up, I proceeded to throw up my five star all night long. Mike vowed to never take me to a five star restaurant again.
30th birthday - I asked to have a birthday party, however half of the family refused to go, and when we got there it turned out to be a party for Mikhail as his birthday is 3 days after mine.
34th birthday - We went to breakfast, went and saw Transformers, went to lunch, and saw Harry Potter. Came home and Kim had left me message on the phone wishing me a Happy Birthday, the only person in the family besides Melanie and John and Jeanne to wish me a happy birthday.
So another year has come and gone. Here's to the next year in my life.
Here are some of my more memorable birthdays.
5th birthday - okay so this wasn't my birthday but my best friends birthday that took place 6 days after mine. We were at the old city park in town (Cedar City) and I fell off the top of a twenty foot slide, was rushed to emergency room and ended up with 20 stitches.
8th birthday - this was a huge birthday for me for obvious reasons, for a month before my birthday I stalked my bishop for my baptismal interview. I had a Pete's Dragon birthday party and finally had my interview.
12th birthday - I went into young womens on my birthday.
16th birthday - this is suppose to be the best birthday ever for a girl, the sweet sixteen, however I didn't think that I would have a birthday party. My brother Daniel had just died, and I wasn't really good friends with anyone in my ward at the time, we were friends just not friends that would invite me to many things, however that night when I didn't think that anyone had even remembered my birthday I went for a walk by myself to my friends house and all the kids my age from the ward were at her house, I remember feeling very left out, however when I knocked on the door I discovered that it was a surprise party for me. For a little while that day I was able to forget that my family had just been torn apart.
18th birthday - I shaved my head, and celebrated my birthday at a family reunion.
21st birthday - My best friends Kristen, Cherry and Aspen took me out to the Hard Rock Cafe and then we went to Sam's Town to gamble my first dollar, three weeks later I entered the MTC.
24th birthday - Mike will never let me live this one down. It was my first birthday with Mike and he took me to see Mystere and to a five star restaurant that cost a lot of money. After dinner I got a ache in my back. After we got home a couple of hours later I start throwing up, I proceeded to throw up my five star all night long. Mike vowed to never take me to a five star restaurant again.
30th birthday - I asked to have a birthday party, however half of the family refused to go, and when we got there it turned out to be a party for Mikhail as his birthday is 3 days after mine.
34th birthday - We went to breakfast, went and saw Transformers, went to lunch, and saw Harry Potter. Came home and Kim had left me message on the phone wishing me a Happy Birthday, the only person in the family besides Melanie and John and Jeanne to wish me a happy birthday.
So another year has come and gone. Here's to the next year in my life.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Laman and Lemuel vs Nephi
Have you ever wondered why it was so important to have the story of Laman and Lemuel and Nephi in the Book of Mormon? Until this week I have never wondered this or applied this to my life.
I have made no bones about the fact that I have suffered occasions of extreme doubt over our move to Vegas and why we have to move there, instead of New England where we really wanted to go and where Mike had some amazing opportunities career wise.
However I have gone along with it, applied to be a teacher (was hired however my license doesn't transfer and so I have to sub for one more year), got an apartment (and got an amazing deal on it also), and have begun the look for new doctors for Mat (he still needs to see a team of doctors for the next several years).
I have done all this with a definite Laman and Lemuel attitude. They left Jerusalem with the family and went into the wilderness, when the opportunity presented itself not once but twice to return to Jerusalem, they never once considered staying. They knew that their father was a prphet of God, they had faith in him, however they also murmered because they didn't want to go. I have become my version of Laman and Lemuel, wanting to know why we had to move back to Vegas, why it was so important. Doing the things that I needed to do, however not willingly, and with much procrastination.
On Friday, while I was talking to a friend about the move and doing my normal cripping about it, she mentioned the scripture in Ether about faith (we all know which one I am talking about), and I light bulb went off in my head, I have been acting like Laman and Lemuel instead of acting like Nephi. At that moment I decided that I need to change my attitude, I needed to stop acting like Laman and Lemuel and start acting like Nephi, I need to have the attitude that I will go and do.
It hasn't been easy, when people ask me about the move I have to say in my mind I will go and do. This has made all the difference.
At church today a sister was asking me about the move and how I felt about it, so I told her and she asked how I am dealing with it, and so I told her about my new attitude. She then told me that one of her daughters and her husband are having the same thing happen to them, however in the opposite. They have just finished school and want to leave the state that they are living in desperately, however every time that they pray about leaving they are told no they are to remain where they are. She told me that when she got home from church today she was going to call her and tell her about my thougths on the matter.
Back to my original thought, the conclusion that I came to was that the reason that Laman and Lemuel and their murmuring was in the Book of Mormon, as well as the fact that they did do what was asked of them, was because the Lord knew that there would come a time in each of our lives where we would have Laman anf Lemuel moments.
So from here on out my new creed is I will go and do and trust in the Lord, no matter what happens.
I have made no bones about the fact that I have suffered occasions of extreme doubt over our move to Vegas and why we have to move there, instead of New England where we really wanted to go and where Mike had some amazing opportunities career wise.
However I have gone along with it, applied to be a teacher (was hired however my license doesn't transfer and so I have to sub for one more year), got an apartment (and got an amazing deal on it also), and have begun the look for new doctors for Mat (he still needs to see a team of doctors for the next several years).
I have done all this with a definite Laman and Lemuel attitude. They left Jerusalem with the family and went into the wilderness, when the opportunity presented itself not once but twice to return to Jerusalem, they never once considered staying. They knew that their father was a prphet of God, they had faith in him, however they also murmered because they didn't want to go. I have become my version of Laman and Lemuel, wanting to know why we had to move back to Vegas, why it was so important. Doing the things that I needed to do, however not willingly, and with much procrastination.
On Friday, while I was talking to a friend about the move and doing my normal cripping about it, she mentioned the scripture in Ether about faith (we all know which one I am talking about), and I light bulb went off in my head, I have been acting like Laman and Lemuel instead of acting like Nephi. At that moment I decided that I need to change my attitude, I needed to stop acting like Laman and Lemuel and start acting like Nephi, I need to have the attitude that I will go and do.
It hasn't been easy, when people ask me about the move I have to say in my mind I will go and do. This has made all the difference.
At church today a sister was asking me about the move and how I felt about it, so I told her and she asked how I am dealing with it, and so I told her about my new attitude. She then told me that one of her daughters and her husband are having the same thing happen to them, however in the opposite. They have just finished school and want to leave the state that they are living in desperately, however every time that they pray about leaving they are told no they are to remain where they are. She told me that when she got home from church today she was going to call her and tell her about my thougths on the matter.
Back to my original thought, the conclusion that I came to was that the reason that Laman and Lemuel and their murmuring was in the Book of Mormon, as well as the fact that they did do what was asked of them, was because the Lord knew that there would come a time in each of our lives where we would have Laman anf Lemuel moments.
So from here on out my new creed is I will go and do and trust in the Lord, no matter what happens.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
4th of July 2009
Yesterday we had a great day. We went to the Corrales Parade. I loved this parade because it was an old fashioned 4th of July parade, like I went to as a kid in Cedar City. It had everything, men wearing revolutionary war era uniforms, horses, cars, floats, and fire trucks.
After the parade we went to a co-workers of Mike's place in Bosque Farms. He was kind enough to invite us to his families 4th party. We were welcomed as if we were a part of the family. It was like when I was kid I have to say, with the whole family together, the trash talking, the food, and the sports. However instead of playing basketball we played volleyball.
We also rode horses, because I am considered a seasoned rider, I rode the former championship rodeo horse, it took me a bit to use to being back in the saddle but eventually I did. Both boys rode the gentler horse by themselves (sorry that there are no pictures, Mike was in charge of the camera and didn't take any). Both boys loved it, and wanted to try our Truck (the rodeo horse), Mat rode him with Cox (Mike's buddy), and later I took Mik up, I sat behind him and let him guide him (with my help of course).
Just as we were getting ready for the fireworks the wind kicked up and a storm blew in, which delayed the foreworks for about an hour, it was a typical New Mexico storm, it blew in hard, stayed long enough to cool the temp and wet the dirt.
When we were finally able to do the fireworks, the pyro's that are Mik and Mat were right in the thick of things. They were able to light of most of the fireworks that were lite and had a blast doing them.
On the hour drive home Mike and decided that this was the best 4th of July that we have ever had, and that we want every 4th to be just like this one from here on out.
After the parade we went to a co-workers of Mike's place in Bosque Farms. He was kind enough to invite us to his families 4th party. We were welcomed as if we were a part of the family. It was like when I was kid I have to say, with the whole family together, the trash talking, the food, and the sports. However instead of playing basketball we played volleyball.
We also rode horses, because I am considered a seasoned rider, I rode the former championship rodeo horse, it took me a bit to use to being back in the saddle but eventually I did. Both boys rode the gentler horse by themselves (sorry that there are no pictures, Mike was in charge of the camera and didn't take any). Both boys loved it, and wanted to try our Truck (the rodeo horse), Mat rode him with Cox (Mike's buddy), and later I took Mik up, I sat behind him and let him guide him (with my help of course).
Just as we were getting ready for the fireworks the wind kicked up and a storm blew in, which delayed the foreworks for about an hour, it was a typical New Mexico storm, it blew in hard, stayed long enough to cool the temp and wet the dirt.
When we were finally able to do the fireworks, the pyro's that are Mik and Mat were right in the thick of things. They were able to light of most of the fireworks that were lite and had a blast doing them.
On the hour drive home Mike and decided that this was the best 4th of July that we have ever had, and that we want every 4th to be just like this one from here on out.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
It is official
Well it is official, we are moving to Vegas. We got our apartment this week, we are moving into the same apt that we lived in when first got married. I also received confirmation that I will be working for the school district as a sub while I work on getting my Nevada Teaching License.
So on July 31st we are loading the U-Haul and leaving here. 6 years to the day from the time we left Vegas for NM we are returning.
So on July 31st we are loading the U-Haul and leaving here. 6 years to the day from the time we left Vegas for NM we are returning.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Mat Update
After all the drama Mat finally had his surgery on June 10th. The alarm clock didn't go off and we woke up at 5:50, we had to be at the hospital at 5:30 so we were a little rushed. It was raining that morning and when it rains here well people are idiots. We got to the hospital in 20 minutes, without any accidents which was a miracle.
The good thing about that was that by the time we got down to the surgery we didn't have that much of a wait. The anesthesiologist that we had requested wasn't able to be there, however we got an amazing doctor in his stead.
The surgery took and an hour and a half. When the doctor came out he told us that there was damage to the bladder that they weren't expecting. It boiled down to if we had waited any longer we would have lost him.
He will have to have another surgery in about 5 years, and hopefully that will be the end of it.
After three days in the hospital we got an early release, and he was able to come home.
He is now doing great, however bored to tears. However we aren't letting him do much.
The good thing about that was that by the time we got down to the surgery we didn't have that much of a wait. The anesthesiologist that we had requested wasn't able to be there, however we got an amazing doctor in his stead.
The surgery took and an hour and a half. When the doctor came out he told us that there was damage to the bladder that they weren't expecting. It boiled down to if we had waited any longer we would have lost him.
He will have to have another surgery in about 5 years, and hopefully that will be the end of it.
After three days in the hospital we got an early release, and he was able to come home.
He is now doing great, however bored to tears. However we aren't letting him do much.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Surgery is Finally happening
So after two cancellations Mat is finally having his surgery on Wed. After three cancellations we aren't even hoping that this one actually happens but in the even that it does here is the information for the hospital once again.
Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque on Central
The phone number is 505-841-1234
for peds it is 505-841-1819
My cell number is 505-515-5071
Mike's cell number is 505-340-6973
The surgery is suppose to start at 7:30am our time and last 1 1/2 hours. He should be up in his room by no later than 11:00am barring any complications.
We have allowed for friends and family to be able to call the hospital and receive info on Mat. We will try and update as soon as we can.
Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque on Central
The phone number is 505-841-1234
for peds it is 505-841-1819
My cell number is 505-515-5071
Mike's cell number is 505-340-6973
The surgery is suppose to start at 7:30am our time and last 1 1/2 hours. He should be up in his room by no later than 11:00am barring any complications.
We have allowed for friends and family to be able to call the hospital and receive info on Mat. We will try and update as soon as we can.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Mike's Father's Day present
For Father's Day Mike got a Blu Ray Surround System. He has been going through all of our movies one by one to see which ones he wants to get in Blu Ray. In the last four days we have seen 300, Two Towers, Troy, X Men. The only movie that he hasn't watched is Transformers because we went to 5 stores on the day he got the system just to get that one.
Monday, June 1, 2009
So pissed off.....
Just got a phone call that we have to reschedule Mat's surgery. I am so mad right now. When I called the doctors office to reschedule it the lady was upset at me like it was MY fault.
Okay so I stepped away from this for a bit as I was so upset. The surgery has been rescheduled for next Tuesday at 10:40.
Okay so I stepped away from this for a bit as I was so upset. The surgery has been rescheduled for next Tuesday at 10:40.
Hospital Info
Here is the information for the hospital...
Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque on Central
The phone number is 505-841-1234
for peds it is 505-841-1819
My cell number is 505-515-5071
Mike's cell number is 505-340-6973
The surgery is suppose to start at 7:30am our time and last 1 1/2 hours. He should be up in his room by no later than 11:00am barring any complications.
We have allowed for friends and family to be able to call the hospital and receive info on Mat. We will try and update as soon as we can.
Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque on Central
The phone number is 505-841-1234
for peds it is 505-841-1819
My cell number is 505-515-5071
Mike's cell number is 505-340-6973
The surgery is suppose to start at 7:30am our time and last 1 1/2 hours. He should be up in his room by no later than 11:00am barring any complications.
We have allowed for friends and family to be able to call the hospital and receive info on Mat. We will try and update as soon as we can.
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