Ward Halloween Party

Last night was the annual Yakima 3rd Ward Halloween party. This year is was co-labeled "Apple Festival." That just means they made Apple Cider.

Steve and I dressed up as Thing 1 and Thing 2 from Cat in the Hat. I made our one-piece sleeper pajamas.

We also decorated our trunk for the "Trunk or Treat." It rocked. I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but we connected a black light back there and had jack-o lanterns and all. We rock, its true.

Irony

I really love my job. And I'm not just saying that because it is Friday, I really love it here. The people are soooo nice, and fun, and the patients all seem so much nicer overall than I'm used to, its just a happy clinic! I've never really worked with pediatrics before, and I was nervous about it, but kids lift your spirits in a way that adults can't.

How sad that I won't be able to stay here very long... We are (hopefully) moving to Bellingham in January, assuming Steve's admission letter arrives soon. Sigh...

Halloween Baking

Steve and I had a lot of fun last night baking Halloween goodies. We made brownies and cut them to look like bats and coffins before frosting them. We also melted chocolate in some molds and made little ghosts, pumpkins, and witches. Steve is SO talented when it comes to writing with frosting, it blew my mind! Perfect little R.I.P.'s on each coffin. He is amazing.

On a side note, I had my hair chopped off on Monday, so here is my new 'do! It is a lot easier to take care of this way, even though I hate to follow the pattern of women who get married and then immediately chop all their hair off. It is a weird pattern. It will grow back fast, though.

Day in the Park

Steve and I got to baby-sit today. We went to the park and the leaves were so lovely and the boys were having so much fun that I just had to post this fun picture. The Cate boys are a lot of fun, and we are glad we got to play with them. We also went to Kid's Castle and McDonalds, we made cookies and watched some movies. It was a fun-filled day!

What to Do at Work When There Isn't Any

I now work for a clinic in Yakima as a Medical Assistant. I love it. The only problem is.. what do you do when the phone calls are answered, the patients are taken care of, and even the doctors have left for the day? I guess you blog!

When I was hired, I was offered the job on a per diem basis to find out if this was a good fit or not. Unfortunatly, the Human Resources department forgot to tell the clinic that I accepted the position, so they also had someone else start working here on a per diem basis while I was completing my training. So, there are 2 of us here to to the job of only one person. It works out well when people are out sick, but on days like today with only one person out sick and all 3 doctors not in the office it just means lots of waiting for patients to call with questions you hope you can answer without needing the doctor here.

I'll tell you what else you do- you read the wikipedia article of the day, text your husband, read Google News, and you look up the recipe that comes closest to Starbuck's Pumpkin Loaf.

General Conference

I love General Conference weekend!! Not only is great to listen to the speakers and feel the spirit, but it is the most relaxing time of the year, in my book. I can sit down in front of the television and listen to the speakers while I sort through my pictures that I've been neglecting, I can sew or cross-stitch, and I can meditate on the things of the spirit. Steve made us some amazing nachos between sessions, and I am sitting here very full and very happy.
Conference weekend is also about family. My family has often gotten together to have Sunday dinners, but conference weekend always feels special when we have those dinners. I'm excited that Cory and his family have come down and we'll see them. Unfortunately, we weren't thinking ahead and we are both working tonight, so Steve will miss the Priesthood session, but I am grateful that we have a worldwide church with recorded messages that we can re-watch, re-listen to, and re-read.
I hope everyone is enjoying Conference weekend like we are!!

Record 7% Drop

I'm musing. It is interesting to read that the Dow Jones had a history making record drop of 777.68 points today. My 401k has dropped over $800 since May. Life is changing all around us. Today I was excited gas was down to $3.42 at Costco, but it took more than 30 dollars for half of a tank's worth. I just started a new job and I've been really excited to think I'll finally be able to really pay off debt and stop living paycheck to paycheck. But for how long?

Speaking of jobs, I'm very frustrated by Domino's. Last night they made me stay late and shorted me $20. When I came home my husband was already asleep and this morning he had to work again at 5 am. Tonight I was looking forward to being with him but we found out he has to close. I asked him to wake me up when he gets home, probably between 12:30 and 1 am, but brief half-asleep hellos just aren't the same. I miss him already, but look forward to the weekend we can spend together.