Saints

Is Nausea a Probable Sign of Pregnancy?

So, just a few boring updates….since we moved to Utah, we are renting a house about five blocks from my in-laws. It has been great to be close to them, especially for Stephanie as I prepare for a 4-month absence to Alabama and Ohio. Our house is wonderful; it is an “elderly” home, with an orange and green theme throughout, decorated with flowery wallpaper and adorned with ancient applicances (the refrigerator and stove are the same ones seen in the black-and-white Andy Griffeth Show episodes). It’s great.

                I rebuilt a desk from our basement, putting new trim and a new top on it. We gave talks last Sunday in church, and we have been working as substitute teachers in the primary (every Sunday, pretty much). I got to teach Priesthood once, also, which I enjoyed. Our ward is full of very nice, sociable folks.

                I took the NCLEX….hence the title of this blog, since I was so nauseas before taking the exam that I worried I might be pregnant or something.  After 75 questions, it shut off, and the very next day my Utah RN license was posted online. I am still working as a CNA in an assisted living center in Monroe, Utah, but very soon I will be finishing up there and entering the Air Force as a nurse.

                My commission as a 2^nd lieutenant begins with four and a half weeks of officer training in Montgomery, Alabama, focusing on studies (not physical training, unfortunately, like they do in Basic). Because of this lack of physical training focus, I’ve been trying to get into the best shape possible before I leave. I still need to lose about three pounds or so to be completely comfortable with their weight requirement, so I have been running a few times per week, anywhere between four and eleven miles at a time. I had to stop working out my upper body, because every time I do I start gaining muscle weight pretty fast so if I can’t match it with my aerobic weight loss then it becomes counterproductive.  I’m just a stocky guy, so even though I feel like I’m in very good shape I am right on the edge of their weight requirement for officers. It’s a fun topic around here.

                Braeden keeps very busy, and has recently begun to inconsistently say a word here and there, such as “bye” and “uh-oh” and other simple things like that. He is so much fun to play with, and his aunts enjoy playing with him as much as he enjoys playing with them.

                Stephanie is working very hard in school, hurrying to finish as much as possible before I leave. She sends off her application for graduation today; she will graduate at the end of the summer with her Associate of Arts (general studies), and she is excited to finish her time at Snow College.

                Life unwinds a little more each day for us, each twist revealing a different pattern in the fibers. Sometimes I feel like it unravels too fast for me to keep up, and other times I feel like a frustrating knot is keeping us from progressing. In the end, something always knocks it loose and it keeps going. Here's to a  new week!