Of Fangs and Things That Cause Great Pain

It's been a hectic week!
I started having a lot of pain in my breast and so I went to my primary care who did an assessment and gave me an antibiotic.  Unfortunately, the antibiotic didn't help. So after work on Friday, Taylor and I decided to go on a romantic date to the ER.
It really spiced things up!

It was funny being the one with the IV and infusion, instead of being the RN.
And dang, those antecubtal IVs!  Luckily, Taylor could distract me with Harry Potter and Sid the Science Kid.

This is right before the ultrasound.   They tried to aspirate the fluid, but didn't get anything.

We had a lot of good this past week too,  and celebrated Taylor's Spring Break a little bit when he wasn't studying for the MCAT. 

We went on a hike

Visited Wheeler Farm

Saw Betsy eat a slice of bread....

...In one bite.

Walked through the zoo and finally saw their huge tortoise!

Medium, small, and Monster

He was 5 feet long!

Protecting the baby-slash-really-a-normal-size-adult-tortoise.

The spider-monkey really liked his carrot.

Look at those tiger fangs!

WARNING to Taylor: He's eating the last person who pulled his tail.

Beware.

 Taylor just thinks he should've been faster...

 Photo bombed

Taylor and I have been enjoying face-time since his cell doesn't work in the library.

Foodies and Snoopies

In the last two weeks it finally decided to be winter for a while.  And right on cue for that bad weather, our Jetta's windshield wipers stopped working.  So we've been a one car family the last few weeks.

We got a smoking' deal on a new, fancy bedspread.  I'll have to re-finish our bedroom furniture to match this summer.  We also found a fun new movie place in Holliday that's cheap.  So we like to go on Saturday night when Taylor finally isn't studying.  Unfortunately, he accidentally hit me in the face with the hard plastic arm rest when he was trying to raise it to get close to me...Flirt fail.

 This is Taylor studying at the library on Saturday and skyping with Tannin.  She misses her daddy because Mom cleans and doesn't take her out enough to play.

Also, he looks so young in this picture!  Reminds me of when we were in high school with his big eyes and skinny face.

 We've been trying to get our picky eater Tannin new foods every now and then.  We tried nasty superworms (which of course she only would eat 1 and refuse the rest...)

I did not like holding it on the car ride home!  And I got no gratitude for doing it either from her!  I think we're raising a snob.

 Look at that chub!  Good thing she likes broccoli and purple lettuce!

We took a hike on the mountains next to our home and Taylor studied his flashcards on his phone at the same time.  No one sprained their ankle.  Phew!

 Nice thing with my earlier shift and the time change?  I get to see Taylor in the morning and the sunrise over the mountain!

We go through eating phases were we constantly crave a certain meal.  Lately it's been Ezekiel bread with easy over eggs in the middle!

I should've made a cool face in the pan.

Tannin loves to run behind the cupboards in the living room and look out the window.  She loves to people watch!  I just noticed today that people looking in our window can see her watch them too!

PS I think she plays nerf gun wars back there....

First you see the "love" Taylor spray painted on the back of our cupboard, then you look closer and think:  Who's little head is that?

"Who you calling' little?  I own this place!  I AM the boss!"  All she is missing is a backwards hat...Or maybe a tiara.

Tannin is Expert at Pilates

While we still can't camp due to the cold, Taylor found a new hobby...Making little stoves to cook food over when we get to finally camp!

Here's the making of...

The burning of...

and the grabbing a glass of water to douse in case of fire spreading of.....

And how it's suppose to look after we worked out the kinks....

Tannin loves napping in the natural sunlight so she always tries to get to the window....No matter what obstacle!

Finally at the sunniest spot in the entire apartment!

She was watching me to make sure I didn't pick her up and take her away from her favorite place after all that trouble she went through to get there.  Climbing walls, jumping huge books...I mean, how could I?

How we celebrated Valentine's Day:

Taylor got me some pilates and massage things for my back and neck.

 I bought soy cheese and made his favorite...wheat crust quiche!

And the pictures we tried to get on Valentine's Day....

Haha!  These are better than any actual picture of us looking good.

While serving at the branch one Sunday, I had to snap a similar photo of Taylor from my last blog post...

What a kind priesthood holder.

My parents came over on Lincoln's birthday and took us out to eat.  They also took Tannin out...out of her cage, because that's what she desires most...that and fat worms.

 They took us to Cafe Rio after I got off work!

 This crazy girl would like everyone to know she wants out so bad she's willing to do tricks like walk on the ceiling constantly to get our attention.  When she first started doing this, we would run towards  her to help her and make sure she didn't fall....then she would do a cool flip mid-air and land perfectly on her wood perch or hammock ready to jump into our hands to take her out...so we realized she was playing us to get our attention...Smart one.

We had my parents over for my Mom's birthday on Saturday.

Playing Mexican Train

We got my Mom the Hymns and Primary book she used when she was younger.

Dad had to try out my pilates video :)

The making of protocols, policies, and dinners

January has been a busy month, and so has the beginning of February.  Taylor has been studying for the MCAT a lot, and I have been doing a lot of "Nurse Supervisor" work. <--That's my new title at work:  Nurse Supervisor Kelsey Drake!   It's not that cool, it just means a lot more work and writing up protocols/policies and making sure everything is up to date, listening to everyone's complaints when something goes wrong in Infusion, trying to schedule meetings, and understand new infusion drugs coming out.  Never thought I'd spend a whole day of work on the computer writing things up/researching new drugs instead of patient care.

Look at that fun, huge Tysabri drug insert paper to help me type up our Pharmaceutical Waste and Destruction Policy.  This month I'm working a on protocol to infuse the new drug Lemtrada.  I spent all day Thursday typing up my stuff like a machine; I even got to use a computer on the second floor!  That view was really bright and hurt my eyes.  I'm use to working in dark cubbies, I guess.

Tannin doesn't like when we are busy.  We've felt bad she always wants out, but we don't have time to always take her out, so we've been putting on aquarium movies for her.

She's hooked.  She even manages to look horrified when she sees the waves come up on the shore and get things wet!  She hates baths.

Can't keep her eyes off the screen.
See how she bulges out her neck?  That's when she's mad.  She was mad at that water.

 Taylor and I went to the Jordan River Temple and decided he's going to Med School.  Studying for the MCAT is so time-consuming, he's been too distracted to notice anything else...like that he put his dirty socks in his desk drawer....and it was there for a while.

 Taylor got some new shoes.  While shopping, we saw these shoes he use to wear all the time in high school.  The big tongue flap always in front of his jeans...Yup, he was a cool kid back in the day.

Taylor managed to take a picture of me one Sunday when we were bringing the Sacrament around room to room.  I was getting dressed up to go into a precaution room.  Also, notice my new skirt!  Taylor said I could buy a new skirt since I just paid for his semester at school.  $4000 tuition = 1 cute new skirt, right?  Just kidding, I also got 2 new shirts.  So we're equal. ;)

When I'm at work, Taylor sends me pictures of him studying....or not studying, and playing with Tannin.

He used this as an excuse for studying "biology".

Also worth mentioning, on our third game of Monopoly I won...finally.  And so it was decided we'd play a new game:  Risk!  Which I've never played but totally creamed Taylor's armies and ruled the entire world!  Australia was the last to fall into my reign.

Taylor and I have been having fun making up new recipes.  Every so often we get tired of the same ole same ole (since we can no longer change it up as much now that we're cheese-less and ricotta-less....I miss you Manicotti).  We decided to make a lactose-free Chipotle-type burrito, and another dish, vegan-quinoa-lime-cilantro-black-bean-salad. <--Working on that name.

The chicken burrito.

Next new recipe I will be a "copy cat" is the yummy lemon, olive oil chicken I had at Apple Bees with my Mom.