The End of Grad School!!

I have officially started my LAST class in Grad school.  I am beyond excited and nervous for what this means.  This class is all about finishing my project that I have been working on all year so far.  I have completed and revised my first three chapters and will now be working on my last two chapters, all the finishing touches, having it bound and handing it into the school's register!! I will be presenting my project to my professors and external readers on April 17th and walking in graduation on the 29th.  Man, it's getting really close now!! So what does this mean now?  It's scary and excited that I am looking for a different job.  I hate interviewing and all that comes with it, but I am ready to step away from bedside nursing and try a new paradigm.  I will miss bedside nursing, I know I will, but I am ready to step into new shoes and be a nurse leader!  I've applied to a few supervisor/manager positions- now it's the wait and see phase.  So cheers to finishing school!! I can't wait to read a book for fun that do NOT involve nursing theory or research!!

Healing Touch Modalities and Pediatric Patients

Axel turns 9

Axel celebrated his 9th birthday last week!!! He is such an amazing kid.  I can't believe how much I have learned by being his Mom.  Axel this year:
* always questioning things-even before you think he is old enough for the answers
*he is articulate and can carry a conversation with any adult
*he is in 3rd grade- he has learned the love of books- has finished 2 Harry Potter books. He does awesome at Math and pretty good at Spelling
*he has become a much better eater and actually likes to try new things- he has even started to cook a few things- like mac & cheese and peanut butter sandwiches :)
*he is the born leader of his brothers- this is good and bad-depends his mood :)
*he has a crazy amount of energy- some days we can tunnel this and other days are trickier!
*he helps around the house and with his brothers- some times I hold him to high standards but he tolerates me- most of the time
*he likes to be involved in sports- so far soccer and basketball
*he has lost a ton of teeth(I think like 8 or 10?) - he doesn't like his smile right now but also doesn't want braces yet
*he loves playing on his tablet- games and watching funny animal videos
*he has started to like his room clean and organized- I love this one- the littlest brother makes this one hard some days
*favorite shows- Gumball, We Bare Bears, Nova, Mars and Building in the Yukon
*what he wants to be when he grows up- a scientist or work at NASA or he said there are a lots of things he wants to do
*he was picked to be a part of the school newspaper, called the Candle.  He needed a teachers recommendation to be on the team, The group meets on Thursdays, they learn each part of the newspaper- he has done an interview and is writing his first article. I can't wait to see the first issue :)

I know there is more I should write about this crazy awesome oldest son of mine.  He has grown and changed so much in the last 9 years!  He loves to hear his birth story and how I held him for days straight counting every freckle on his body.  I'm so proud and stressed out by him every day.  Please keep being the awe-inspiring person you are Axel.  I can't wait to see what this year will be like.  Remember your my first and each phase you hit is new for me too!  I'm still trying to figure out this being a Mom thing and I really try my best.  I love you SO much. 

Birthday dinner and cake at Buca's!

Waiting for the B-day song!
Buca's is our favorite place to celebrate!!

Axel was afraid the one piece of cake wouldn't be enough for all of us
Not a Buca sized cake!

We did eat food first- just did the cake pictures ahead of the food

Happy Birthday Axel!!!

Eating with his brothers!

Kitchen table is the best
Fried Cheese app's from the chef!

Eating spaghetti like Men

My little Axel- not so little any more

Coins from Grandpa- he was SO excited

When asked what he wanted for his b-day:
A human heart or body to study from.
Right up my ally but figured dad could deal with this one too!

More body and skeleton learning

This book is SO cool! He said this is the best B-day gifts ever!
Coins and human body stuff!!

Put together and on his shelf

Brownies to celebrate the day after school

                                                      Happy Happy Birthday Axel!!!

Vegas Baby

Where we stayed- The Monte Carlo

 Brian and I went to Vegas over New Year's weekend.  It was our first time for longer then a night with out the kids. It was much needed! But we totally missed the kids and found out Vegas isn't really the place for us.  We don't really drink much or gamble.  It was still really fun to see the crazy city, do some good people watching and enjoy a little bit of adult time.  The thing I hate about vacations is there is so much time planning and all the anticipation then boom it's here and gone.  It was a wonderful time just the two of us but we were happy to get back to our boring square lives :)  Thanks a TON to Ann for watching the boys for us.  You are amazing! (it's nice to remember the reason we started our crazy busy family- the two of us- just me and Brian)

Playing the slots- just a little

Brian's first choice- the Heart attack grill
You had to wear hospital gown to eat here :)

 There is so much food in Vegas!  It was hard to decide what and where to eat.  I love new food on vacations :)

Huge burgers and if you weigh more then 350 lbs you eat for free

 Once we were done eating and neither of us finished our meal the waitress- who all dressed as nurses- told us that if you didn't finish your meal you had to get spanked- 3 times!  What?! Umm..yea I didn't read that in the fine print.  But sure as heck, they took us out to the strip and spanked us with a wooden paddle!! HARD!! My ass was red after this meal!  Great Choice Brian!

My turn

Brian's turn

All dressed up and out for the night

Night club with DJ Steve Aoki

View from our room

 On New Year's eve the whole strip was closed off and we got to walk in the street.  It was fun to skip all the steps and walk right on the street.  We made it way far down the strip on each side.  All the lights are so amazing!  It's crazy how big and amazing each hotel/casino is.  It was really cool to see.

The water show at the Bellagio fountains

More of the strip lights

Birthday meal at Buca's of course!!

What a way to ring in the New Year.  We were in our room before midnight (we definitely can't hang like some people)  but heard and saw some of the firecrackers from our windows.  We ate a ton of food, walked way to much, did a tiny bit of gambling and enjoyed time with just me and Brian.  Happy to be home with the boys.  Thanks again Ann for letting us escape for a weekend!!

Christmas part 3

Ansel & Grandma Ann

Hamann's

Abel & Grandpa

Ansel

Abel was a little excited for his silver coin!

Ethan

Rapp family Christmas!!

Selfie with Axel

The annual hunt...

Grandpa trying o open his crate

Beth :)

All the boys got a personal piggy bank- they loved it!
Thanks Tracy :)

Santa filled the stockings!

Ansel's paw patrol mobile

The older two go shelves! They were VERY excited

Axel's room- all organized

Abel's room- all organized

Another Christmas is here and gone!  That means another year is almost gone too!! I know I say it all the time but this year has gone by way too fast.  We had a really good Christmas and got to see each of our families.  The weather was rainy and cold but it's nice we never have to far to drive.  (I have to remind myself that every time I get the itch to move some where crazy again!)  Today we spent the day building shelves, trying not to eat all day and just enjoyed the day at home.  (I unfortunately had to spend most of my day writing/revising my thesis- I've taken a whole week off- it was wonderful but back to the grind again for me until it's done!  I'm getting SO close I just have to stay focused and keeping revising- deep breaths-revise-deep breaths again....)  Merry Christmas everyone!!! 
Brian and I are leaving for Las Vegas on Thursday for the New Years weekend!!  This will be our first weekend with no kids since we starting having babies!  It has been too long.  I can't wait to check out a new city and just be grown ups!