Ray, Rachel, & Baby Ray (Michael)

Christmas in Utah

2012-01-15T16:33:00.001-06:00

So we had a fun time going there over the holiday. It had been two years since I've seen my family over that holiday, so I enjoyed being there. We watched BYU win their bowl game, went to the zoo to see an incredible display of Christmas lights, saw some movies, played tons of games of Telestrations which we'll have to play with everyone here, ate way too much (yes, I broke my protein diet while being there...ate basically sugar instead), and saw several movies. I took Rachel up for a ride in the canyon. My how we've missed the mountains. Michael liked playing with a box of oranges than anything else. It was hard to come back, but we were ready to face life again. We enjoy coming home, but there are pluses of living 1000 miles away. Overall we had a great time!

Michael's new skill

2011-10-18T20:39:00.002-05:00

We are fully aware the blog has not been updated in forever. We created a Facebook account for him and I've been posting most of his stuff there. We'll have more updates later.

Michael is a healthy, very happy boy. He's 14 months now and so full of life. We could not ask for a better son and he's one of the cutest anywhere in our area. Everywhere we go people tell us how cute he is. I sometimes just take him to stores to show him off. We love him, in case you can't tell.

Here is a video of him playing on a box on Sunday. He is proud of the things he does. I had to post it.

Going to the Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-22T21:49:00.004-05:00

Yes, we finally made it to one of the most popular things to do around here, and that is called Vala's Pumpkin Patch. It's a place that charges an arm and a leg to walk around a very well done Autumn/Halloween setup. There was a lot to see and do. There are shops, little rides, etc. Some call it a very mini Disneyland. My overall impression was that it was for kids. I enjoyed it, but I would not go back unless a bunch of kids were with us. It has its moments of fun such as an apple sling shot where I catapulted apples towards a target, which I proudly hit! There were some fun cars you could drive around too. Most everything else was for kids. The jokes were terrible. They need to improve the humor at that place. For instance, we went to a pig race and left 5 minutes into it because they kept telling jokes that were embarrassingly bad, and no one even laughed at the jokes. Overall, we did have a good time and it was so relaxing for me. I doubt Michael will be old enough next year to appreciate it, so we likely won't go again. I LOVED the Fall atmosphere, and that is what I enjoyed the most. Fall is my favorite season, and I was happy to be able to enjoy it for a change.

Rachel found some more desirable men, it appears.

Hardly worth $6. The ones in Minnesota were twice this size. Oh well, tasted good.

This was a fun ride! We drove this little cart about 5 times around the track!

Corn maze.

One of my favorite pictures with me and my boy!

Becoming Nebraska Fans

2010-10-22T21:32:00.004-05:00

So, one thing I sort of expected before I moved out here was how nuts everyone is for Nebraska football. It is the thing to do and cheer for here. I will be honest and say that I'm not sure how I would become a fan...I mean, they wear red. Cheering for red is like cheering my rival. It's just too weird. Add that to their mascot of the Cornhuskers and it just isn't the easiest thing for me to cheer for. I love football as much as anyone, but I knew I had a huge hill to climb. After 1.5 years, I'm still not a fan....yet. I do want to be though. Last week, they had a monsterous game against Texas. Texas was looking pitiful and was unranked for the first time in a decade. There are a few teams I can't stand, and Texas is one of them. If Nebraska could beat them, I would have become a fan. Slowly, one at a time, all 3 of us ended up with Nebraska gear. I got a shirt, Rachel got a sweatshirt, and last Saturday we found a killer deal on onesies and bought Michael two for $13. He put it on right before we went to our friends to watch the game.

Sadly, Nebraska played terribly and lost. I was sad because I wanted to be a fan, but the state of Nebraska was devastated. I guess there is always Ohio State next year!

The three of us after the game. I even look a little sad.

Michael in his first Nebraska outfit.

Ray's Grad school update

2010-10-22T21:28:00.002-05:00

So, taking care of a baby is far more work than I ever imagined. School is important, but so is taking care of my family and keeping sane. I got off to a rocky start to this semester. I got behind in some classes and it was more than I thought it was going to be. To make the story short, I withdrew from a class. I have never done this and am so proud I've never done it, but it was needed. Sadly, it was the class I couldn't wait to get over with because the teacher is the worst teacher I've ever encountered. You wouldn't believe her. What else is new in my program, right? I'll take the class next year as I finish my last practicum. Life seems much more manageable now, and that is making me happy.

Month Two and Three, Better I Agree

2010-10-15T20:30:00.004-05:00

So September and October have and are treating us well. Michael is smiling and cooing and holding up his head and kicking his little feet. We are getting more of a routine established and have figured each other out and how to comfort, console, and get a little wee one to sleep. There have been so many tender in these months and they are still continuing. My favorites are napping with Michael (he is the best cuddler and he fits from my shoulder to my waist... he's like a little package), taking showers with him - (he holds on to us for dear life, likes warm water, and just snuggles against us while he clean him with soap and water), and the cooing and chatting he does usually after feeding, he likes holding conversations - it is really sweet! These are some of my favs! :)

We've traveled to Wisconsin together twice already and he has been in many hands that love him including grandparents, grandma great (G-ma Jefferson), aunts, uncles, friends, and even some strangers (thanks mom.... j/k). He's just a very special kid and very loved... what can I say, I think we'll keep him :)

Michael is also a mother's helper, I can put him in the front pack and he helps while I cook, clean, do laundry, grocery shop, and the like. He is a happy and healthy boy and we are loving life with him. Halloween is around the corner and we already have a costume for him.... I'd share but you'll have to wait for pics :) Speaking of pictures, here are some more pictures of our babe:

First Month of Motherhood

2010-09-05T23:14:00.004-05:00

Well the first month had its ups and downs. I had some bursts of energy but for the most part was physically tired - maybe not mentally but my body took about a month to recover to feel more normal. I had not expected that but I can probably attribute it to the traumatic effects it felt after hours of pushing. Then there were some other trials I had not expected... learning to nurse - the baby and I had everything to make it work but he needed some extra help latching on and heck if I knew how to help him.... those times (it was about one to two weeks) were the most emotionally challenging times I had ever experienced. I would never get mad at my baby but I was very sad and felt helpless, it practically drained the life out of me at times. But I knew I had to be strong and I tell you I demonstrated the most perfect amount of patience I have ever had for anything in my entire life; in that instance it was a confidence booster. Also when things weren't working and he was crying which, by the way is the most heart-wrenching experience to be felt, I would allow myself to be sad but I never gave up. I continued to try to make things work, to seek help and guidance if needed, and in time baby Michael learned to nurse successfully. Also, who knew how physically draining nursing would be..... if I didn't eat much before hand, after nursing I would feel wiped out. It took a month to get over that. Also, nursing is time consuming; most times it would take one hour at each setting for him to finish nursing (that would also include burping and a diaper change). Then an hour or two (sometimes more) and time to repeat. Oh the revelations to the new mother.

And with the challenges there were also so many happy moments. The many sounds and noises he makes. His facial expressions. The smiling and chuckling in his sleep. The cuddling and taking naps together. The feel of his hands and feet. Holding the precious being in my arms and getting him to fall asleep. Being able to comfort my baby. I have never laughed or found so much joy in another being's facial expressions, sounds, and noises - it was a hoot to be around the babe. These and so many more made the first month fly by, memorable, and special.

Also I haven't mentioned much of daddy Ray (although can't blame me too much with the post title); I did want to say that he has been such a life-saver to me during this time. After nursing he would help burp the baby if I asked. If I was tired and needed to sleep he was play with and spend time with baby Michael. He would help get him to sleep and help comfort him. He also changed his share of diapers and helped me bathe him. He never complained and has been so helpful to me during the most difficult and also blessed month of our life.

Here are some pics of the happy family and baby Michael:

Labor.... A Hard Process but Great Reward

2010-09-05T22:33:00.007-05:00

We had a new arrival on August 1st at 8:30pm after hours of labor and pushing to get him into this world. It all started at 12:30am with amniotic fluid leaking.... it wasn't too apparent though that my water broke and when I told Ray that I "think" my water broke.... well let's just say he didn't wake up for it and I wasn't sure myself so I went back to sleep for about an hour but worrying got the best of me and I was up for an hour and then tried to get some sleep. It was around 4:30am I told say, I really think my water broke and want to get it checked out in the hospital. His response, "Do I need to come?" My response, "..... I guess not...." But he begrudgingly decided to take me in although he wasn't convinced of my intuition or symptoms. At the hospital the hooked my up to monitors including baby heartbeat, contractions, and blood pressure. Then a nurse did the litmus test so-to-speak and it was Positive that my 'membranes have ruptured.' So with that I was admitted and we were going to have this baby. Other stats at that time: 3 cm dilated, 80% effaced(?), and position of the head was 0- -1. I hadn't really had hard contractions yet so I thought I had pretty good stats for the lack of contractions.

With the thumbs up of staying in the hospital, we called our parents and my mom and Rich sent out to come for the delivery along with my sister Amy and Kotone. During the next two hours Ray went home to prep some things, have breakfast, and get some sleep before an eventful afternoon/evening. He came back around 8:30-9:30am to stay. In the meantime, true labor contractions weren't kicking in on their own so my doc said to have Potocin help move the process along but by 1pm there was relatively small progress and at that point I was nearly maxed out on Potocin. Since the baby's head was so low, the nurse pushed it back to let more amniotic fluids flow out and when that happened labor definitely changed. I could then feel labor contractions a little to real and painful for my liking and also I began to dilate more. After feeling 20 minutes worth of true labor contractions being maxed out on Potocin (take my word for it.... it's painful that now my tolerance for pain has been scewed) I decided to get an epidural. And after 20 more minutes of waiting and then about another 10-15 minutes to put it in and another 10-15 to feel the effects of it working.... it was heavenly. I was able to rest, relax, and conserve energy for the delivery.

Within two hours I went from a 3 to a 10. Then two more hours for complete efacing. During this time my mom and Rich easily made it from Wisconsin to Omaha. It was great to have them there. The baby did well with each contraction, he hung in there patiently. When it was time to push, since I was on the epidural the nurse coached me how to push and we practiced for about 1/2 hour or so until my doc came and she took over. Then the nurse and my mom assisted me. I didn't know what to expect with labor and deliver - the contractions changed my pain perspective and pushing.... well it was the hardest and worst part of the entire pregnancy, labor, and delivery. It definitely made me a stronger person. It took over two hours of pushing for the baby to come out. And while it was the most strainful and energy-consuming activity I have ever participated in I didn't want to give up, and every time they asked if I wanted to give one more push during a contraction I did because I wanted my baby and he was so close in reach. It was hard to watch Ray and my mom watch my struggle during this time and I could tell on their faces it was hard to watch me go through this. But the end result, the birth of Ray Michael LeBaron Jr. was priceless.

When his head came out and then his body it was the most exhilarating feeling of accomplishment. And within seconds they put him into my arms and I got to stare into those beautiful eyes of my son. It was a surreal feeling that what I carried for 9 months was now in front of me, that I get to keep him, and hold him, and take care of him. It was the most memorable day of my life for sure.

After holding him, he was cleaned and checked and bathed and clothed. Then he was given to daddy (Ray) and also grandma. I got to hold him again for a while then grandpa. It was a very spiritual moment. My body was so tired but my soul was so happy. And to top it off my sisters Amy and Kotone arrived around that time and were able to share the baby bliss with us.

We were in the hospital for two days and I used that time to help recover - I was definitely tired and sore. I also had some energy from some unknown source that helped me take care of the baby and to enjoy those moments. We also had some nice friends visit us during our stay. After such an eventful time, our baby was surely a blessing to us.

Baby profession

2010-07-25T20:38:00.003-05:00

Since we just changed our blog to reflect a baby, I decided to write about something baby related. I am taking a class called Dysphagia, meaning swallowing disorders. I find it to be a fascinating subject and it's something I've considered focusing on because it targets some of the muscles that first got me interested in speech therapy. We've spent all month discussing adult issues, and we just switched to Pediatric Dysphagia. We began talking only about babies, their normal swallowing, and what to look for. Of course this excited me because I can compare these notes to my child soon. The main thing is that this is the second time I've felt like I would really enjoy working with babies as a job. The first time I was interested in this was when a teacher mentioned that speech-language pathologists can have jobs only dealing with newborns. That intrigued me so I asked her more questions about it later.

The whole first class discussing this just had me completely captivated. It was all clear and extremely interesting. There has not been a lot we've discussed in class that has made me feel this way, so I am for sure pursuing it. I don't know much about what we do for treatment, but I'd be around poopie diapers, crying, many of the babies would have disabilities/syndromes, and I'd probably have to observe many mothers nursing (not that all of these are 'bad'). The sides that are more interesting are I'd get to do some neat tests on babies, see babies of all cultures and backgrounds, would not have do actual speech therapy but focus on swallowing issues, get to work with rarely seen nurses like nutritionists, and writing reports would be fairly similar. We have one more week to learn more about all this, but I seriously can't wait to get up early in the morning to read my textbook about this.

Having a baby will for sure help me realize if this is something I'd want to pursue more. I observed a swallow study at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, which was a 1st class facility, last week and that helped me to realize I could actually enjoy doing speech in a hospital, which is contrary to how I grew up (which is never, ever wanting to work in a hospital). So far, my major interests with this field come from working with other cultures and babies. They are two VERY unique fields within a VERY broad field, and little is taught about them in school. I have my work cut out for me.

We are ready for this baby

2010-07-18T18:55:00.005-05:00

This weekend, we went over all the things we need for the baby. Today, Rachel is 37 weeks along and officially full-term. She could have it any day now. She is ready to pop! Hey, she says it, not me. We've gotten so many clothes and gifts, and what we may need we have gift cards, so we're set. We have a car seat, diaper bag, diapers, and a bouncer. We're going over the material we got at the hospital to review what we've learned. I think if the baby came tomorrow we'd pretty much be ready. There is a couple at church who just had a baby boy and it's about the perfect little boy. I'm just hoping mine is just like theirs. Seeing their baby really makes me want mine to come soon. However, I have 2 weeks left of school. All I ask is that he wait 11 more days then I'm fine. I'll have several weeks off of no school after that.
Here are some pictures of me setting up the crib:

Here is the box it came in.

Putting the skeleton together

Almost done

Holding the baby in his first outfit we bought for him about 2 years ago

Some of the gifts we got and plan to use right away. I'm still on the hunt to get him some BYU and Nebraska gear.

Another Update

2010-07-11T21:40:00.002-05:00

Hey all, Rachel here! :) I don't post as often but what can I say, either I feel I have nothing to say or I'm too tired to type. Well it is the last stages of pregnancy and things are going well. However now the fatigue, back pain, and uncomfortableness are taking its toll. And there are a lot of people saying how many more days... well actually it's weeks, a little under 4 weeks to be exact. I know everyone else who was going to have a baby around this time has had theirs and I'm just a little further behind on my delivery and due date... soon enough I can be in their club. ;) Ray and I are really excited to be parents and I really can't wait to hold my baby and be a mom. I love newborns and am very stoked. More updates to come! For now, it's R & R before bedtime.

A little update

2010-07-11T21:08:00.005-05:00

Hey all, Ray here! I decided to do a quick update. Many big events have come and gone and we've not posted anything. We decided to start from scratch and start now to update a bit better. The biggest event coming up is Rachel will be giving birth within one month to our first baby! He will have my name and will be named Ray Michael LeBaron Jr. He will go by Michael. I've always loved that name, plus it was too confusing growing up with two Ray's in the house. I've always wanted to name my first boy after me, and soon my dream is about to come true. We are excited for him to come. We have most everything and by next weekend we plan to be as prepared as we can for his arrival, in case it comes early. Pray he doesn't come until August 1, because I have two classes in July and I just can't miss any class.

Rachel has a new calling as a Sunday School teacher for the 14-17 year olds. It's convenient because I teach the 12-13 year olds, so we can coordinate teaching the youth if we want. She is out of the Primary now. I still have a calling as the ward organist, which I'm getting better at and feeling more comfortable playing. I dodged a bullet as a new Elder's Quorum president was named today. No early morning meetings for me again just yet!

I finished my second semester of clinic and it was challenging. I really had no idea there so much to being a speech therapist. I have had times when I wonder if it's what I really want to be doing, but I also have moments of great excitement for certain aspects of the field, so I just need to follow and pursue those. My client was a 4 year old with a submucous cleft palate and Childhood Apraxia of Speech. Therapy consisted of working on articulation (articulation is actually a small part of speech therapy). This semester was far better than the last one and I no longer want to shoot myself for being in this program. I currently take a class called Dysphagia, where we learn about swallowing disorders. I love studying the anatomy of that part of the body. It's very spiritual to me. I one day hope I can help improve this field by making a connection about the physiology of the body through the Spirit that scientists could never discover without it. It's amazing how something as simple as a swallow really is extremely complex, and if one muscle doesn't work as it should, there could be some big issues.

Ray's Research

2010-06-05T22:07:00.002-05:00

So, some of you may know I do enjoy doing research. I held many of those jobs at BYU and I'm doing some now with a professor. She is a professor of science dealing with the brain, and I really enjoy her classes. She is also the nicest and easiest to talk to. She is the only professor to ask for help with her research, so I've been helping her for 6 months now. She is working on a project with folks in Physical Education that looks at talking and walking and the capabilities of the young and old. Not really what I'm into, but it is something. I'm posting this because I just learned that I will have my name published on their poster they will present in New Orleans! I may be invited to attend the conference, but I doubt I will attend. I was recognized in the departments newsletter for my help with research. It's enjoyable to be involved with more than just classes. I'd post the abstract, but it won't upload on here.

About clinic, I start again next week, and I'm not looking forward to it. I am looking forward to working with a group who I like and who actually talks to me. Although I don't want it to start again, I'm ready to dive in and do it for only one short month.

Ray Grows a Beard!

2010-06-02T22:01:00.011-05:00

Yes, over Spring Break (way back in March), I was feeling very lazy and the last thing I wanted to do was to shave. I loved having a beard so much that I shaved it so I had a goatee, which I had for a week during school. I will admit I really loved growing one. It was such a change and I enjoyed it. Few people really mentioned it, but I didn't care and I didn't do it for attention. The day came where I had to shave it off, so I decided to shave it in spurts, to see what I looked like.
Below is how I looked with it in full force...

Then I went on to the Fu Man Chops, something I've always thought would be cool to have...

Then I went on the the mustache. The last one is my favorite. It reminds me of the Frenchman I am...

Then, I had to shave it all off and I went back to looking like young, baby Ray again...

Any favorite look?

For My Darling Irish Girl

2010-03-17T09:05:00.006-05:00

Rachel is so proud to be Irish. One of our favorite movies we like to watch is Darby O'Gill and the Little People. I admit, I mocked it a little when I saw she owned it because my dad would watch it when I grew up and I thought it was so obnoxious. Now that I'm older, I appreciate it and actually really like it. There is a song about a darling irish girl, so I dedicate this post to her on this St. Patrick's Day!

(You'll have to pause the music to the right)

2 Year Anniversary Getaway

2010-03-14T15:15:00.005-05:00

So, Rachel decided to plan a small vacation for us as Ray started his Spring Break. We drove down to Nebraska City (abt 45 minutes south of Omaha) to stay in a place called Lied Lodge. It was a very nice lodge, and everything was made out of wood. Oak wood is more comfortable to sleep on than you'd think. It had quite the natural setting. It even required the use of leaves and no TP. J/k. The lodge had a very nice smell, and soft bird/stream/wind/trees/wind music playing softly in the background in many places. It was all about protecting trees and using them appropriately. Of course, not all of it was made out of wood, but the message they send is that wood is very economically and environmentally friendly. We learned that Arbor Day started in that city by one man. He was big into trees and later proposed the first holiday dedicated to trees. So, now we see why Nebraska is all about Arbor Day. It really was quite impressive.

Ray was proud they listed Swedish, French, Arabic, and Greek.

Rachel created a date at the Arbor Day Farm. It involved going on an outdoor walk through a forest on a trail. We had to look for little green gnomes hidden along the walk, but we got a pencil and candy for our efforts. It was the Great Green Gnome Hunt--nothing you'd ever want to skip! We went up, down, in tree houses, over bridges, near some dormant apple trees, and by a nice, calm, brown stream. Part of the walk had some neat imprints of nature such as animal prints and leaves, like below.

There was so much to see on our walk, Ray filled his pocket with brochures so he wouldn't miss a thing....just like good ol' dad does. He's also holding a free tree we get to plant at home!

Rachel enjoyed the Gnome Hunt. There is a gnome just below her. Here is a bird's eye view of her hunt.

Ray's favorite part were the birds. Here are the best pictures he took with his little camera. It's his favorite bird: Cedar Waxwing.

We did go explore the city Sat. night, but there was little to see. We ate at a Hong Kong Restaurant. Ray gives it 2 stars. He ordered Orange juice, and many minutes later, out comes a cup of Tang. We also ate a ton of food at the lodge restaurant. Breakfast twice and dinner once--all-you-could-eat. It was very good!

It was a very rejuvenating weekend! Lots of relaxation in the woods. Here is a picture of us right before the gnome hunt.....er, right when we're leaving and we took a picture with our door. Mary Louise Chace was quite the hostess! Actually, we really were sad to go and we do feel really relaxed. It's a fantastic place to stay and we want to take friends with us this summer to maybe pick some apples or watch a movie in a barn (seriously, they have that), but sorry, no gnome hunt during that time of the year.

We really do appreciate trees and nature more after that visit. Arbor Day is April 30th, or whenever the last Friday of April falls each year. Happy Arbor Day next month!

Oh Gnome you didn't!

Ray's Thoughts on His Schooling

2010-02-28T16:57:00.002-06:00

Overall, I am thankful that the school has offered me the amazing blessings that I've seen. My job as a graduate assistant pays my expensive out of state tuition and gives me a nice paycheck on top of that. It's giving me excellent experience as well in counseling students and learning a lot about myself and other people. This has been the brightest spot of my schooling.

The school itself isn't what I'd recommend to anyone, especially coming from such a large, and on-top-of-things school like BYU. This school is not with it at all. I won't go into it much, but they lack in so many areas. I compare everything to BYU so that doesn't help. It seems most areas aren't thought through very carefully and it can be hard to get answers you're looking for. My program is no exception.

I'm in my first semester of all grad classes, and I can't understand why things have to be so hard. Everything is so confusing, and nothing is spelled out for students. We all scramble to figure out what the heck we are supposed to do, even in classes. My plan for my entire time year has errors in it, and I constantly monitor it so I make sure I'm taking what I need to. Faculty changes things all the time, and they tell no one of any changes. Example...I went to register for a class this semester, and it said I couldn't. I found out a week before I could register, they changed two times of two classes. I had to take something else and luckily it worked out.

I could truly write about all that has happened, but no one wants to read something so long. Let me mention the local chapter of the professional organization for speech-language pathology....so, look how wacked out it is. So, we have to pay to be a member of the UNO group. It's all voluntary and we don't have to be a member. If you're a member, you are required to buy things like bags of candy and tickets to a pancake party. They've hounded us all week to buy tickets, but few did. I didn't because it was on a Sunday so there was no point for me. For everything we do, we get points. Those who have few points (like me) are considered bad members, and the faculty in charge docks you on your tests and grades. She is insane, as is her little program. She only talks to others who are officers. You aren't talked to by officers if you aren't a good member who does things. It's totally ridiculous. A faculty member from my job told me I should go and talk to the Dean with some other students about it. Things truly need to change. I think 4 people left the program this semester.

This semester, I'm starting clinic. This means that I have my first client for whom I'm responsible. When this began, we got our assignments, had a very small tour of the clinic, were told where to get our papers, and told us good luck! We had no idea where to begin nor what to do. I got put with two other students who both have experience with therapy. One is in her 3rd semester and one works with kids for a job. The one with experience has not been helpful. She only gives me feedback if I ask her. Her responses often have a sensation of "this isn't that hard, why don't you know what you're doing?" I can't go to my own team member for help, so I've learned to go to other student clinicians. My supervisor is the biggest help, and if it wasn't for her, I probably would have completely quit clinic this semester. They make nothing clear. They expect you to figure it all out. They provide no extra help for first time students and don't walk us through the process. I can now see why I saw so many students walking around that area angry and upset. I am in their boat now and we all suffer together. They push us to learn, but they throw us in a shark's cave without any advice on how to survive. I know I am very inexperienced sitting with a child and giving therapy. I admit I am making mistakes, but the other girls in my group never admit they make mistake nor do anything wrong, so it makes me look so foolish. They've become friends now and they come and go together and speak to me as little as possible. One of the girls was a good friend last semester and I sat next to her and her other friends last semester. We had fun and laughed. Now, none of them even acknowledge me and they are so stuck up. The best therapy to all this was an evaluation we had to give on everyone. Amazingly, it was very therapeutic to write a professional review on someone and explain how I see things. I felt so calm after writing them and we'll see how it helps in the future.

What I wrote was about 30% of things that are really going on. It's super hard to make good friends at school. Most of them are single girls, and the few guys are very hard to talk to and they don't go out of their way to make friends. I just talk to anyone next to me and some people I am friends with now. Those girls are so clicky, it's amazing.

If anyone says I can pour everything out to them about this, I'd probably love you forever. Rachel has seen me come home, throw my stuff down, rip off my name tag, and let out everything that happened that day. I swear, if life wasn't so good for me with my job, Rachel's job, a fantastic ward, a safe place to live, great LDS friends, and a good city, I would seriously consider leaving this place. The truth is, we are happy here, and I just have to manage through all this schooling. Our lives are blessed, and I need to realize that instead of complaining about mt school.

I just wanted others to see what my experience has been with my school so far. I'd do anything to return to BYU...

I am published!

2010-02-07T20:00:00.002-06:00

So, a few weeks ago I got a journal in the mail. It was from the Dean of Linguistics and English Language at BYU. I did some research with him at BYU and we actually published a publication in an online journal with another student. We presented the research and everything at a state symposium called the Deseret Language and Linguistics Symposium. He took a lot of my research I completed, worked with some other students, and produced a new publication. This one was published in a very formal journal called Utah Historical Quarterly. It's very exciting! Now I have two articles to my claim to fame in the publishing world.

In addition, I recently agreed to do research with a professor at school now. She is my favorite professor. She is funny and always smiles. She teaches everything to do with Neurophysiology and the brain, and how it relates to speech. I'm in my second class with her now called Motor Speech. We learn all about speech disorders and how they impact speaking, and how to treat them. Anyway, she is doing research with the Physical Education department, and needs help looking at graphs that show wave frequencies in your voice. I LOVE looking at those, so it's a great project I do. I probably want her to be my advisor for my graduate thesis, so I figure this is a way to learn more about what I could possibly do.

I will likely begin my thesis as early as this summer, around the time the baby is due. I still have no clue what to write about, so working with this teacher should help me.

Stork Dropped a Package and I Said, "For Me?"

2010-02-04T19:44:00.003-06:00

We found out shortly after Thanksgiving that we were expecting.... it was a surprise but one we feel grateful for so we are excited! Due date 8-9-2010... not only a really cool date to be born on but also my Grandpa Mann's birthday. I'm 14 weeks (over 3 months) and I already feel my stomach expanding a little... he/she is the size of a lime this week.... and in about 2-4 weeks I will feel him/her move! We'll keep you updated when we find out the gender of the baby. I've been blessed not to have morning sickness that much, hopefully that will continue throughout. The best sound to my ears was the sound of the baby's heartbeat. It was a mix between a washing machine and fluttering butterfly wings :) Magical...

Christmas

2010-02-04T19:39:00.003-06:00

We had an adventure flying to Salt Lake and visiting with many family and friends for a week and a half. Good times, great food, wonderful company, and many memories to remember. Watched movies like 'Avatar' and 'Up,' went sledding, skiing, opened Christmas presents and enjoyed the season with the season with many of our loved ones. We got to share the news of our first ultrasound, (yep, we're expecting!!!), it was a lot of fun!

Snow Days

2009-12-08T18:28:00.002-06:00

A Winter Storm Advisory and Blizzard Warning has been over the Omaha area today and tomorrow. It just keeps snowing. Ray had to attend one morning class prior to UNO closing for two days and Rachel spent 1/2 day at the office. We had fun walking to lunch at Pepperjax Grill. And we'll see what tomorrow brings. For now, it time for R & R.

Thanksgiving

2009-12-08T18:23:00.002-06:00

We took a road trip to Monroe Center, Wisconsin and visited some of Rachel's side of the family. We had a really good time, had some good food, spent it with good company, and got to enjoy the nature around the area. We were also put to work to help stack wood in the basement for the firestove and we helped to locate deer and help carry them out of the woods that Rachel's stepdad had shot for meat for their family. It seemed like a short visit but we had a wonderful time : )

Winter in Early October

2009-10-11T20:29:00.004-05:00

It snowed Friday night. We had a good 5 inches! Our cars were totally covered. Fall did not come to Omaha. It may still come if this snow melts and the leaves don't quickly all fall off. However, leaves are falling like crazy, and many of them are still green. We went to the temple that morning, and here are some of the pictures we took. Remember, this is early October.

Meeting Elder Quentin L. Cook

2009-10-11T20:01:00.003-05:00

On Friday, Oct. 9th, we got to listen to Elder Cook speak! BYU began a chapter of their Business Management in Omaha and they had a meeting to begin it all. I'm not in Business, but they keep sending me information and it paid off! The meeting was in a small, local community building, and about 100 people were there. He didn't have a main topic to speak about, but mentioned being a leader in business and being a good person and doing what you should. It was a nice little speech. After, we got to shake his hand and say hello. I was going to ask him about a BYU quarterback he mentioned, but when it came time to say hello, asking an apostle about a quarterback didn't seem right and I couldn't think of anything else to ask. Rachel couldn't think of anything either. We did want a picture with him, so we waited for everyone to finish saying hi, then Rachel went and asked if we could get a picture with him. They are below.

Us with his brother and some of our friends from our ward.

Rachel was lucky to be right by him.

Standing where an apostle just stood.

Sitting when an apostle just sat. We had fun, could you tell?

Ray is now a Graduate Assistant!

2009-09-13T10:40:00.002-05:00

'Tis true, I have a new job! Many years ago, and I can't remember when, but I wanted to get a job as a graduate assistant because I learned how incredible of a job it is. Anyway, Rachel was a graduate assistant at her school and it came with many pluses, including health insurance that paid for everything! I wasn't going to let my own wife alone have my dream graduate school job.

I've been working in the graduate office at school, hoping that working there would get my foot in the door to a much better job. The only jobs I've been looking at have been GA positions. One came up, I applied, and got it, beating out 34 other applicants. So how did this amazing event happen?

I applied and interviewed the day before leaving for Utah. The interview went so well and I felt like I was another person in that interview. I felt so proud of myself as I began to drive to Utah. The day after returning home, I got a message from the lady who interviewed me and to call her back. Needless to say, she said I got it, and that I basically blew the other candidates out of the water. I was the first to interview, and apparently I set the standard very high. What got me the job was my missionary experience and how I talked to people one on one all the time. My experience with other cultures also helped, as well as my substitute teaching that I've done. I knew I was perfectly qualified, and my boss has reminded me many times of why I got the job.

Susan Buffet, daughter of Warren Buffet, a famous billionaire in Omaha, was given I think a billion dollars, as were all his kids, to use for good in the community. She helped to organize a scholarship program for college freshmen who have financial need and whose parents perhaps didn't even go to college. It started last year, but expanded a lot this year, so they needed another graduate assistant and we just hired a full-time office assistant. My job is to take care of these new students and help them succeed. I teach 4 sections of a seminar class where they learn skills to survive in college. I have many meetings with students, including probation meetings for those who get under a 2.0. It's great!

It pays my out-of-state tuition and I get paid double what I was making previously. I must work 20 hours a week, but a lot of it is just hanging out with the kids. I get to go to the zoo for several hours on Friday and get paid for it! I'm in charge of the student leadership organization and there is some drama there because many students don't want to come to meetings. I really enjoy it and I feel so blessed!

Home for a wedding and family reunion

2009-09-13T10:04:00.007-05:00

We originally went out to Utah to attend Rachel's family reunion. My little 19 year old sister decided she wanted to get married while we were out there, so had to juggle to major family events over 3 days. What more can we say other than we visited Rachel's family for one day, then did wedding events with my family the next day. We did have a good time, but I think we were ready to drive through Colorado and stay in Vail for one night! I've always, always wanted to do this drive, and stay in either Vail or Aspen. It was so worth it! It's 9 hours from Omaha, but we'd go there again just for a night or two if we could. We'll let some pictures do the talking.

We stayed in a little hotel on the NE/WY border on the way in the only hotel in town, and there was this 70's tanning bed in there! So ghetto!

Some of Rachel's family.

Rachel's brother, Shintaro, who is a star football player in his city league.

Oh, the talents of her family!

I attended the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house with her family. Draper, UT now has the only city in the world with two temples. Those people have NO excuse to not be doing temple work.

3 of my sisters and Rachelle's husband and child.

We are going to try to take a picture at each temple we visit, just one that hopefully looks better. This is the Mt. Timp temple where Jennie was married and where I helped clear ground to prepare for its buidling way back in about 1994.

My sister Jennie and her new man. They live in Rexburg, ID now.

I had to steal some cake.

Cookies to match the colors families were wearing. I admit, I had maybe 6!

Look at this wild woman!

Alas, we find our way to Vail, CO! Our lodge was the Manor Vail, on the right side. Most amazing place!

A hike we went on.

Ah, I felt like I was at home in the Utah mountains!

We stayed in a Bed and Breakfast, and they had an omlette station there. The food was seriously very good!

Here's a virtual tour of our pad. I always hate seeing myself in these and I'm not sure why I keep doing them. Oh well. It's fun to see what it looked like!

Hershey, NE for the 4th

2009-07-17T20:01:00.007-05:00

Our friends the Blomstedts invited us to Jeff's home in Western Nebraska for the 4th of July. We were there for about 3 days.

We went fishing for our first time together. Rachel caught the first fish after having it the water for maybe 20 seconds. She caught another one about 5 minutes later.

I was trying to catch a much bigger fish out there, but Jeff, who is a master of fishing in that lake, said it was a bad day because it rained earlier and fish just weren't biting right then. We had really good live bait and everything. I finally decided I had to catch at least one little guy, so I put on a worm and very quickly I caught this little guy. We later cut it up and fed it to some kittens. We later went swimming in this same lake!

We went to eat at A & W, and I ordered a pulled pork burger. It came in a big fried mess, and they said that is how it's cooked. It looked disgusting, and honestly wasn't that great.

Jeff and Tasha trying to be cool. Maybe next time guys! haha!

Racing these cars. Ray's on the left, and Rachel's on the right.

People who have visited

2009-07-17T19:24:00.005-05:00

We had Rachel's mother come with her husband a few weeks ago. They were only here a few days and I had a major test to do, but I did spend part of the weekend with them. They treated us to a buffet at AmericInn in Council Bluffs. It is probably our second favorite place to eat in the area. We went for a walk at one of the few places to see in the city. It was a nice visit and we're glad they came.

Mom with a statue that had someone on it she knew.

Rachel, dinner wasn't THAT bad!

On Tuesday night, my cousin drove from WI to UT and stayed the night with us on their way home. His fiance is from WI, so that was kind of fun to talk to her about Wisconsin and all. We fed them dinner and breakfast, and it was nice have more visitors!

Devon and Brittney.

Ray's Birthday

2009-06-14T18:59:00.006-05:00

I turned the big 2-! It was the second year in a row my family came out to celebrate with me, and it really meant a lot. Last time they came to visit in Elk Mound, WI when we were living in a house in the country. I don't see them more than max twice a year, so I enjoy every moment when they are around. We went to the zoo of course, ate at HuHut Mongolian Grill (my favorite place in town), played tennis, and mainly hung out. I planned it so we wouldn't be rushed to go anywhere. My sister came from St. Louis with her family, a sister came from Idaho, and the rest from Utah. That's quite the dedication isn't it?!

"Oh, it's the fam!"

That's my BIL Ron and his boy Jace. Having them in the family has given me the chance to see what it's like to have brothers. I'm so thankful they are in the family.

First niece, who will be learning how to play tennis properly by her uncle at age 2.

Mom, Sis-Rachelle, Dad, Cupcake, and Baby Becca.

Tina in front, then Salon Selectives Jennie, then Ron, Ronnie, and Jace.

Ray's thoughts on his school

2009-06-14T18:25:00.002-05:00

So, I completed my first semester of graduate school. It felt good to get that first one out of the way. It was my first time attending a school that wasn't nearly all LDS, and it was quite the change. I don't think I'll ever get used to the gross smoking on campus. That should seriously be banned from all educational settings. But the school.....it's way easier than BYU. I put in half the effort and got the best grades of my life. If I don't come out of this school with a 3.9 or better, I'll cry. Most of my classes met once a week, and some of them only had a chapter to read, or maybe a few pages if we wanted to. It was not demanding and there plenty of time to get work done. I was actually a little dissapointed there wasn't more work, but I suppose I'm not complaining so I can have a very good GPA.

My program. The latest ranking had it right in the middle of all ranked schools in my program, which is about 84th of 150 or so. That seems about right I'd say. I was NOT impressed with the program at first, and they even had wrong classes for me to take, and I had to go in and point out the error to my advisor. We then re-did (I'm coining that word) much of my graduate schedule and it looks better now. I just can't believe they don't go over all this with you either in writing or a one-on-one. I've had to be aggressive and talk to the right people to figure how it all worked. I was not too happy with it when I started, but now that I went out and figured it out, it's better. I can tell that they will not track anything for me, so I'll be on my own to make sure things happen.

The school. I will admit, it's kind of boring. They NEVER advertise any clubs, groups, plays, movies, events, or anything on campus. They don't even put something on tables in the eating area. Once they offered free hot cocoa, and another time some religious people tried to give away some bibles, but other than that the campus has been very quiet. I don't like that part of it. You have to go find something if you want to be involved, because it will not come to you.

My job. I work across the hall from the chancellor of the university in the Graduate Studies office. I didn't like it a whole lot at first, but it's better now. All I do is filing, scanning, mailings, and odds and ends jobs. I got this job to put my foot in the door on campus, and now that I've done that I'm ready to move on. I really, really want a Graduate Assistanship position. It's what Rachel was the whole time we were married in WI. They give you great insurance, pay for your tuition to a certain amount, and pay you on top of it, but you have to work 20 hours a week. Still, it's worth it for all that, so I constantly look for jobs to try to get one of those, because frankly, I'm ready to move on from filing folders all day. I have seen the chancellor, but I'm not too impressed with him. My back is to the front door, and he has never stopped to say hi or introduce himself to me, but talks to everyone else around me. He also will sit and swear every other sentence with other workers when they talk. I'm not impressed with him one bit.

Basically, this school isn't my favorite, but I'm just glad I'm in a program. I am meeting some very nice people, so that is making it more worth it all. It's slowly getting better, but I'm afraid BYU has set very high expectations for me, and this school isn't even half of what BYU is.

What do I think of Omaha? It's slowly growing on me. It's a very hilly place with loads of trees, and people are so great here. It's a larger city with a country feel to it, just without the hicks! I think I can make a better judgement after one year.

Rachels' Quilting Project

2009-06-13T21:08:00.007-05:00

It's just the beginning. I've picked out the pattern, the fabric (mostly), and am still in the cutting stage. Here is a glimpse of my quilt project. I'll be buying a mat and ruler to use to cut the fabric and once I do that then the project will more along more ;)

The Pattern: (I'll be using different colors)

The Fabrics/Colors:

The FIRST square:

MORE to come :)

Rachel's Taggie Blanket Project

2009-06-13T21:03:00.003-05:00

Tasha Blomstedt and I picked out the fabric and the ribbons - we started the project together and here is the finished product.

And here it is in use by a co-worker's daughter... she sure is cute!

Life Updates

2009-05-22T22:04:00.002-05:00

Well, it's almost been a month since I graduated... and now that school is done I am trying to decide what to do with my time.... my extra time I should say because I do work full-time as an Employment Specialist - Vocational Evaluator. I work with some of the best co-workers and supervisors I could imagine. They had a birthday/graduation party for me recently, and I enjoy to be a part of their team. Go South Team! South Side - Strong Side.

Tasha and I are starting a sewing project. And even to surprise myself, I have laid off the books... the fiction books I have previously been caught up in from time-to-time. I have realized that fiction stories are fun to read but currently I want to focus on participating in life and I am trying to decide what to do with my time, not that I have a lot of 'extra' time, but I want to keep busy in a productive way. So this weekend it's cleaning and hopefully starting the sewing project. Next week will bring more news.

My M.S. Graduation

2009-05-22T21:34:00.004-05:00

That's right! May 9, 2009 I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a Master's of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling and Vocational Evaluation. It has been a long haul filled with intense courses, practicums, and the culminating internship at NE VR. 600 hours! Yep, on May 7th at 4:30 I completed internship hours, each week for 15 weeks I wrote two weekly reports, a professional development paper, and wrote on the online discussion board. And then like all good things, it came to an end. Not my job but my schooling. I completed what I was required to do. I finished with an 'A' too! :D

Ray and I took a rental car, packed up and headed on Friday May 8th to Menomonie, Wisconsin. I had some housekeeping items to complete... was suppose to have lunch with my 'boss' (former) - John Lui... but the wheather was too good for him to stay indoors, off to the golf course he went. But I got to see him morning of graduation, and the reunion was sweet. I also saw former professors: Deb Homa, Kathleen Deery, Michelle Hamilton, DeLeana Strohl, Susie Eberhart, and also people I worked with at SVRI and the Rehab and Counseling Dept. I will miss them.

I've been attending UW-Stout since fall of 2004 and have done a lot of hard work there. Two degrees later and hopefully more educated and wiser, I will miss that place that laid my educational foundation. It helped shape who I am and has given me the drive to pursue my dreams.

Did I mention my cohort? You know those people I had classes with? Well, I must say they are some of the best people I have ever met and definately find them to be kindred spirits. They will be one of the aspects I will miss most since I live in Nebraska and will not have often occasions to see them as I did in classes. I guess I cannot express in words how much they mean to me and how much I will miss them!

What's graduation without a ceremony and party? Well, I had both and felt very fortunate indeed! Twink Hanson hosted the party and it was nice to meet with family and friends. What a wonderful way to celebrate this fine achievement. Monday morning is back to the world of work but it was enjoyable to celebrate while it lasted.

My Birthday SURPRISE

2009-05-22T20:57:00.004-05:00

On April 27th I turned 23! Yep, I'm ancient now ; ) Ray volunteered to drive me to work and said he had the evening 'planned.' Work was well, but since I was at a training the previous week, no one really remembered it was my birthday... I didn't even have lunch plans so I asked one of my co-workers if they would be my lunch date. the evening was much better. Ray picked me up from work, saw my office and met my co-workers. When we got in the car there was a piece of paper on the dashboard with a clue about a family going to go have fun in the center of the city. Put it all together and what do you get... Family Fun Center! That's right, he took me to Family Fun Center where some of our friends were there to greet us. There was so many activities to do there, we played some air hockey, we all ate pizza together, and played mini golf. It was tons-o-fun!

The fun was NOT yet over, Ray invited everyone back to our place where he had baked a cake, yes, baked a cake, frosted it, and had Lifesaver icecream waiting for us. then there were some gifts. I got my very own potted plant from Christen and Zach's grandiose plant I believe they got when they got married. I also got a Canning Book from the Guymon's, and a box of Birthday Cereal from Ray. Very thoughtful! : ) Oh wait, but what is this.... there's more? That's right, there was one rather large box wrapped with blankets. Layer, after layer removed, and it was a sewing machine!!!! A birthday/graduation combo from Ray and his family Poptart, Momtart, Tina, Jennie... you know, the gang.

I also received some special cards including from Grandma Jefferson, Grandma Parkin, the LeBaron's... and last, but not least, a card and package from my Mom and Rich. It was filled with chocolates and some anti-stress and peticure materials. It was a wonderful day!!!

Tornado Survival

2009-03-24T11:09:00.003-05:00

We experienced our first tornado threat together! It came last night. I picked Rachel up from work and while I waited, the car would shake when powerful gusts of winds came. It almost felt like a kiddie ride at an amusement park. We heard an official tornado warning in the car and went inside and watched the news. (There were also sirens going off) They said a tornado had touched down between Omaha and Lincoln and was heading right towards Omaha. I was waiting for some huge winds to come, trees to be flying through the air, and dogs flying all through the air with girls in blue dresses and red shoes looking for them, but it was a weak tornado threat and the heart of it didn't even touch us. It did hit our ward/stake boundaries, and produced hail about golf-sized, but the trees just swayed and there was no damage near us. We heard reports that it came as close as 108th St., and we live on 78th St., so you can see just how close it got to us. The tornado hit again north of us on the way to where the temple is, but it was very minor.

The sun was shining and all was still shortly after it all passed. It was like nothing had even happened-so calm and almost eerily silent. I was going to take pictures or video, but there was nothing significant to film. Some people had cool pictures of the hail and lightning, but it missed us entirely.

Rachel asked if I was scared, and I told her I wasn't one bit. She wasn't either. I was actually hoping the heart of the storm would hit us, just to see what it was like because I knew it wouldn't cause severe damage.

We have coverage for our cars and ourselves for things like this, and that gave me great comfort. Insurance really is a good thing to have, because it makes you feel....assured! If I would have been eaten by the whirlwind, Rachel would have added $10,000 to her pocket, so it was a win-win situation!!! haha!

Ok, so I had to post at least one photo. This is sort of what we saw on the news, but the funnels weren't quite so defined, but this is the general gist of it. After reading some of the news, it turns out the storm did cause some major damage, so I should treat this more seriously. Maybe next time. But I do want to get Rachel in a photo like this one.....

A Wicked Temptation

2009-03-22T11:32:00.006-05:00

So, Rachel and I decided to stop by a store I had never been to. It's called Whole Foods Market, and I couldn't believe this place! It was your typical grocery store, but they prided themselves on being very healthy. It was much more expensive, and that sadly didn't stop us from buying a few things. There were so many good things to choose from, and everything looked so good! We splurged and bought a few temptations.

This was one of them. This reminded me a fruit tart I ate a lot in France. They had different sizes too. I asked if they could put more glaze on it and they did, and they also put more berries on this one because they were sparse. Great service and great dessert! So good! We're for sure getting this again.

Their French bread looked almost better than any I've seen in the states. It was perfect! I was in heaven!

I had to make sandwiches that resembled as close to baguettes as I could. They usually don't have lettuce, but I put it in to make it healthier. That cheese is Gouda cheese, a Scandinavian cheese that I crave often, but rarely buy because of the price and it's hard to find. It was a perfect fit with this sandwich! Rachel said I was like a little kid in a candy store!

This store is our new favorite place!

Sping Break

2009-03-22T11:03:00.007-05:00

So I went to St. Louis to visit my sister Rachelle and her amazing family! It was a great break from everything and we had a good time.

We had boy's weekend out while Rachelle was with my family for a few days. This is a video of us launching a rocket. This was our first launch with the rocket we built from a kit. We were pleased it worked perfectly. The boys somehow fooled themselves into thinking it was scary after about the 3rd launch, so they ran away to a baseball mound while Ron and I finished launching. So fun!

We bought some root beer and played video games on Friday night. Ronnie, the four-year old, was amazingly good and could beat the computer!

We went to a butterfly conservatory and it was something else! Both of the boys were scared to death of them, so I walked through myself. It did look like they were going to attack you, but always flew away at the last instant. I saw and just enjoyed it and many landed on me, including this one that landed on my head. Strangely, only one species ever landed on me.

We also went on a Carousel, which they said was one of the fastest in the nation. You can judge for yourself. They played some Christmas music too, which I didn't mind one bit.

It was a change of pace to be around 3 kids under age 5, but it was well worth it! I love this family, and I'm glad Rachel allowed me to be gone so long to visit my closest family. You're the best hun!

Rachel took a test for her graduate degree while I was gone. She said she did well. She is such a good student, and I know she did great!

Financial Life

2009-03-05T19:27:00.003-06:00

We have been very blessed lately. A week ago, I got into work and found out the secretary had been fired. I don't know the incident, but it was very sudden. I get into work on Monday, and my boss sits me down for 30 minutes and tells me about changes in the office. They want me to help out in the office and do some duties she did, such as helping people at the front desk and answering phones. This of course means more work, so they are going to give me a raise! I've only been there a month, but they like the work I'm doing and want to reward me. This involves a little training, which I started today. It won't be a whole lot, but they want to have me have a more active role in the office. They are also allowing me to work the maximum 20 hours if I want! I don't think I will, because schooling comes first. I'm treated fairly well there.

Today, in the same office, I found out great news about tuition. The lady who makes the decision for residency issues works in my office. I can see into her office from where I sit. She and others were discussing residency issues, so when they finished I gave them a hypothetical situation (mine), and after a few questions, they said that would qualify as a resident. So, because Rachel was recruited to work here, and I am her spouse, I automatically qualify as a resident. So, for tuition purposes, I am a resident! This means, I pay about $200 per credit instead of about $600. I did the math and this will save us nearly $20,000! What's even better is that this will start summer semester! Total tuition from now on will only cost about $12,000. We would love to have a plan to be able to pay for all of it.

Rachel is really liked at her job. They see great potential in her. It's like her home away from home.

We just feel very blessed right now.

Happy 1/4 Anniversary!!!

2009-03-01T21:56:00.001-06:00

It's officially one year since our wedding... which is our 1/4th wedding anniversary. Happy day!

Nepali Hindu Wedding

2009-02-22T20:33:00.005-06:00

Rachel graduated with her undergraduate degree at UW-Stout a year ago. She graduated with Rachana, from Nepal. Soon after moving to Omaha, we realized she moved here too to get married to a guy also from Nepal. They now live about a 5 minute walk from us. What are the chances? They are both great people--both nice and friendly. They invited us to their wedding yesterday. It was in a Hindu Temple in Omaha. If I could use one word to describe it, it would be nonsensical. It really made no sense why they carried fruit around, sprinkled oil over each other randomly, walked around in various ways, lit a fire, drank water from washed feet etc. It was all in other languages too, so that didn't help. We were there for 4 hours in the morning, and the ceremony we saw lasted 3 hours. They did feed us and insist we be among the first to eat. It was totally different from US weddings. Still, I love other cultures and it was very educational for me. I love just seeing what they wear.

This was during the part with the fire they lit. You could take all the pictures you wanted during it. I felt we and them were celebrities getting married. They could have taken a picture of me picking my nose and I wouldn't know it--that's how many cameras there were.

This was at the reception that night. It was a more traditional American reception. More food, and again they had us go first to eat food and the cake. We got to talk to their families there and that was so nice. The culture is filled with very nice, calm voiced, and happy people.

This was just plain cool!

Learning about Omaha Culture

2009-02-13T21:40:00.006-06:00

We learned something today about the culture of our new land. Omahanians appear to not know what to do with a lot of snow at one time. Today, I, Ray, went to work with snow on my car. It had been warm (50's - 60's) for a few days, then today it snows. It was still rather warm (~25 it seemed) but it was fun to see the snow again, since almost all was melted. When I got into the office (yes, I got a job in the Graduate Studies office on campus!) all they could talk about was that the campus might and should close down. The university had a meeting at 10, and about 10:45, a loud message came across the intercom saying..."Due to inclement weather, the univers i y will close a' twelve pm." It was a computer's voice that wasn't very good. It repeated way too many times. Everyone was so happy to leave, and I was amazed they'd shut down the entire school. My boss told me I could leave early and probably get paid for work I couldn't do, and left at noon. I helped two girls push their cars up a hill because they couldn't figure out how to get up it.

My school is on the main road that goes to downtown, and cars were flooding away from downtown, which means downtown was also shutting down. Rachel was also able to leave early, so we played in the snow when she got home. We turned on the TV that evening and were amazed to see cities officially declaring snow emergencies. The worst part were the roads. All day the roads were not plowed. It was quite a mess considering we got about a foot of snow today.

It's amazing how different every culture is. Having just moved from below zero tundra of MN/WI, this is really quite different from what we're used to.

None of these cars left all day. We're guessing many businesses/schools just canceled to begin with.

The cutest woman, who later became quite a cute snow angel after a bunch of snow inadvertantly slipped onto her boddess.

Yes, I was exhaling, not inhaling, FYI. ;] A lot of snow was stuck in my hair too.

Owl

2009-02-13T21:36:00.002-06:00

A few nights ago, as we were in bed having some down time, we heard an owl in the trees just outside our apt. bedroom window. We got out the binocs to see if we could see it, but a bright lamp post was right in our way, and it was too dark. A car soon pulled up into its garage and we never heard it again. It was so fun to hear an owl in a city!

School and Sickness

2009-02-01T14:49:00.000-06:00

I've been in school for 3 weeks now. I have many mixed feelings about what I think about it. I have 3 undergrad classes and one grad class. Amazingly, my hardest glass is intro to Biology. One girl told me that classes would be much easier than BYU, and she was right. I'm not pushed at all, and I feel I can waste time each day doing something and I won't get behind. Campus basically shuts down around 4 and few students are around. I never see anyone posting events going on around campus or people trying to get you to join their club. I don't feel like part of the school yet. This week, someone told me that the school is designed as a community school. That really disappointed me. I was hoping and expecting a big environment like at BYU. If I'm going to be involved, I have to go find involvement, because it won't be offered anywhere on campus. I do have plans to get active in student organizations for my major, but I'm not sure what else.

There are too many girls in my program, and all are so young and fairly immature. I've tried to joke around and make friends with some of them, but most act like they don't know how to react when a guy tries to kid with them. All but one class is once a week--almost all at night in 3 hour chunks, so I feel I never get to really know anyone because I never see them. I'm going to keep trying and not give up. There are some mature people there, I just need to find them.

As for sickness, poor Rachel has been sick for over a week with a constant cough. We were up late last night and Rachel discovered that her insurance started the next day (today), so she decided she wanted to go somewhere at midnight to try to find out what's wrong with her. We drove the emergency room and were admitted and sat down for a doctor to see us. After an hour (yes, an HOUR!), I finally left the room and asked if anyone was going to come talk to us. Apparently, they didn't communicate well with each other so who knows if anyone would have come. Doesn't emergency mean pronto? After checking Rachel out, the doc said she was fine. She said she'd do some tube test or something, then left the room and went next door to see another patient. We had no clue what was going on, so we packed up and were ready to leave when the nurse came in with some equipment.

Needless to say, we weren't impressed with their service, but got a prescription, filled it at Walgreens at 2:30 AM, and fell asleep around 3-4. Her lungs are clear and nothing was abnormal, so we're trying other things to help her feel better.

Other than this, we are doing okay, making some friends, and are off to a fine start here in Omaha.

Minnesota/Wisconsin Nature Video

2009-02-01T12:34:00.001-06:00

I put this together as a memory of the beauty of that part of the country. Note that this is my first video like this, and most of this footage I never intended for something like this, so sorry for the choppiness. I just wanted show everyone how amazing that country is.
Ray

Nebraska Plates, Nebraska Football, and Nebraska Guests

2009-01-02T12:25:00.000-06:00

Rachel was dying to become a Nebraksan local right away. Within a week, she already has her NE license and plates. She couldn't get plates to come off, so I took a whirl at it. It took me about 20 minutes, but I realized her screws were rusted to the plates. I had to pry the screw from the plate, and I finally was able to use special pliers to unscrew the screw.

On Sunday, we were invited to go to the EQ's house and watch Nebraska play in their bowl game. Football is a religion here, and you don't miss a "service." The game was quite boring as it was punt after punt, and then NE was down 14-3 at halftime, but then NE tired down Clemson's defense and won a great game 26-21. That is my first experience with Cornhusker football. They said it would be a Manrichment, but Rachel came anyway, and we had a good time. I will say I'm not a fan of all the farming items used when cheering on the team.

We had to leave the game at halftime, because Rachel's sister and cousins were driving to Utah that day and we had to have them see our new home. They stayed longer than I'm sure they wanted to, and our failings to get them to stay all night failed, but we enjoyed our hour with them.

We also realized one of Rachel's friends from UW-Stout moved here to marry her boyfriend. They are a 5 minute walk from us. We saw them on New Year's and we've already made plans for the future. They invited us to spend the whole day on their wedding day. It's nice to have some instant friends.

After one week, we are doing great and just loving Omaha! Rachel's first day of work is today, and I'm sure she'll post about it.

FHE at Winter Quarters

2008-12-29T21:19:00.000-06:00

For our first Family Home Evening (FHE) in Omaha, we decided to go to the Mormon Trail Historical Center in Omaha formerly known as Winter Quarters. Around Christmas time, every year, people around the area make a variety of ginger bread houses and they are displayed at this Visitor's Center. The displays were so fun, creative, and decorative. They captured many different climates, environments, and cultures. Ray and I had so much fun looking at them!

After looking at the ginger bread display, we took a tour of the Visitor's Center. It turns out the sister missionary giving the tour, Sister Fairbanks, is a distant cousin with Ray from the Benjamin & Joseph Johnson brothers. It was pretty neat. There was a lot of history with the Johnson brothers in the pioneer history and at Winter Quarters. We learned a lot of interesting things about that time period and got to see a short clip of journal entries from the pioneers at that time. It was a very delightful evening!

~Rachel

OMAHA.... Here We Are!!

2008-12-29T20:52:00.000-06:00

Well, we made it to Omaha, NE! We are out of the land of the skin-numbing blizzards and in the land of run-for-your-life tornados!

The ride out was pretty crazy. We drove through mist all through WI, and had a pretty thick fog most of MN and IA. It didn’t really let up until about an hour from Omaha. It was a very warm day, so the roads weren’t frozen, which was a big blessing. We began the day at 7AM and the last car didn’t get there until 10:30 PM. Rachel ended up waiting for her mother to get off of work so she could drive with her and they were the last to arrive. My dad got us a hotel and it was nice to stay in a soft, warm bed after a long day of traveling.

On Saturday, we got the keys to our new place. There was a package waiting for us from the complex. There were small, brown pieces mixed with a powder, which was included with a note, so I thought they gave us some hot chocolate to mix together, but upon reading the note, it was rock salt we could use for the “frozen” roads and walkways. It was thoughtful for them to do that, but we’d rather have the chocolate mix. They painted a wall for us from Sherwan-Williams and the color we chose was Pool Blue. We have brand new carpet too. It’s really nice and we don’t pay much for rent. We also went to the (what they tell us) 2^nd largest furniture chain in the world and got a bed, a table, and a sofa. All very nice and much needed. We love our apartment. We’re told our complex and school is in a rich area, and we admit it is nice, so we should be safe here. In fact, we went to church today and there were older mansions on the road leading up to it. We only met a few ward members but all were nice to us. There are about 110 active members and many younger couples. There seems to be a generation of elderly couples and a generation of couples our age, with few teenagers and youth. We were already invited to watch Nebraska in their bowl game on Jan. 1^st at the Elder Quorum Prez's house. Of course we’re going to that! How can I pass up a bowl game on a huge TV!??

The ward plays ward basketball on Saturdays, so I may start to do that. We are starting a Omaha Stake Fantasy Basketball league and Rachel is going to have me on her roster!

We have loads of businesses all around us. Everything we need is walking distance. We have Verizon, Sprint, a large mall, Bed Bath & Beyond, HuHut Mongolian Grill, gas stations, BestBuy, Lithuanian Bakery & Kafe, Kohl's, and many more, including a top facial surgery office so Rachel and I can have matching eyelids. Oh, and we visited Pepper Jax Grill, a Omaha Magazine top-rated restaurant like a Chipotle or Durango's. So, we're literally in business where we live!

That's all for now.

New Job... Oh Yeah...

2008-12-11T23:33:00.000-06:00

So within a week, I land a job... a really good one. Check out the time line:

Thursday December 4th
I make a a long journey to Omaha (via car)

Friday December 5th
I have THE job interview for the Service Specialist - Vocational Evaluator position for the Nebraska Vocational Rehabilitation Program at the Omaha Office. I interview with an Office Manager, Area Administer, and the NE Voc Eval Program Director... sounds intimidating but I have previous contact with all of them so I was actually glad to meet and interview with them. The interview lasted almost two hours - the position and the agency was discussed, along with my experience in voc rehab and voc eval, and many situational questions to see if I know what I'm doing.... I must of passed.. but at the time I was nervous and hoped I did okay.

They said the interview process had just begun at that point and that after all the interviews they would call back one candidate which would be the leading candidate - I wasn't sure what my chances were but I was mostly confident and hoped for the best.

Monday December 8th
I e-mail 'Thank Yous' to the individuals that interviewed me. That day was sort of a long day for me because my car wouldn't start so I walked to school and I ended up not having to have practicum so that freed up my work time to complete other school tasks (a nice blessing). Ray picked me up from school and we did some shopping and didn't get home until 5:45pm. I checked my e-mail when I got home and I got an e-mail at 5:42pm from the Office Manager entitled '2nd Interview.' She identified me as the leading candidate and wanted to set up a second interview. That was GREAT news!!!

Thursday December 11th
10:00am - The second interview takes place and while I didn't know what to expect or who would be on the phone along with the Office Manager, I was relieved when the interview time came. There was only one person on the phone, the Office Manager, and I loved the interview because it was more of a conversation. She went into greater lengths about the agency, their services, roles, responsibilities, and opportunities. Believe me, this is a fantastic organization to work with and has wonderful people, so I am very excited. She discussed the job position I was applying for as me having ownership of the position (aka I got the job). There was background and reference check pending and afterwards the offer would be official. At this point I am very psyched but anxious until I officially would get the offer...

2:13pm - I get an e-mail from the Office Manager entitled, 'Start date.' We had discussed in the interview a possible start date for me and she said to plan to start on the date we agreed upon and welcome to employment at Vocational Rehabilitation and Happy Holidays! This was the culmination of my day!

I feel very blessed. I didn't expect this internship consideration to have a job opportunity available and available immediately or that I would be able to fulfill the job requirements along with the requirements of my internship... so this is not what I had planned for but it is all working out. The agency and staff are very supportive and look forward to having me as a part of their team. This is a dream come true opportunity for me... I can go on about the agency and how I look forward to working there.. but you probably get the gist by now. Feel free to contact me and I can tell you more if you are interested. There are a lot of other key components like internship objectives, reference checks, one-year reviews, did I mention I had school work going on at the same time?... along with key people who helped me through and during this including Twink Hanson, Casey Lubinsky, Kathleen Deery, John Lui, Michelle Hamilton, Cheryl Fine, Ray, my Dad, my Mom, my awesome cohort, and strength from above...

What a whirlwind week?! But I couldn't have asked for more... Ray and I are moving to Omaha, and now I have a job in place that includes financial and health benefits... work, diligence, trying to do my best, and taking initiative really can pay off. I am filled with gratitude, hope, and optimism!

~Rachel

The Miracle of Forgiveness

2008-12-06T22:06:00.000-06:00

I recently listened to a book on tape entitled, The Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball. It was very inspiring and worked a real transformation within me. I saw myself more clearly and had a greater desire to live better, forgive others, and be forgiven. I feel really humbled. Many times when events occur in my life I get frustrated which is a natural reaction to what happens; but although that may be a natural reaction, I want to learn to overcome that and find peace and tranquility with whatever may come in my life and not hold onto the negative events or emotions. And I also realized what a wonderful person and example Ray is because he is always so forgiving of any wrongs that come to him. I am glad I have growth and growing pains ahead for me in this process because in the end, when I master the natural reactions, I have more power within myself to determine who I am and my own destiny and I look forward to this experience.

Sincerely,

Rachel

A Day of Thanksgiving

2008-12-01T21:18:00.000-06:00

While Thanksgiving was wonderful, today, December 1st seems like a day of Thanksgiving. It seems like Ray and I were showered with blessings today. Our apartment situation in Omaha came through and things are progressing forward with the move date on December 26th (as we had hoped). I contacted my lovely cousins in Omaha and I am able to stay there when I am there Thursday night. It was nice to talk to them again; they are wonderful people. When I was searching some websites about Nebraska voc rehab jobs, I could not find the one I was interviewing for so I became somewhat fearful that the position was already taken before my interview (on Friday) so I e-mailed to touch base if the interview time was correct and still on, and it was... What a relief! My heart is swollen with joy.

Also, it seemed for a long time I have been in a mental rut and today was the first day I didn't feel like that... I was able to be fully productive, optimistic, and have a truer sense of well-being. It makes me hope that I can have that continuous sense of well-being and that also fills my heart with joy. To top the day off, Ray received notice that he was granted funds for his upcoming semester of school. I can hardly express how I feel at the end of this day, I'm not sure if there is anything adequate. I am just truly thankful.

~Rachel

Thanksgiving in Wisconsin

2008-12-01T19:12:00.000-06:00

We spent Thanksgiving with Rachel's family smack dab in the middle of Wisconsin in a place called Monroe Center. The family lives right off a large and beautiful lake. In fact, you can see the sunset over the lake each night. The day we got there it just so happened that the lake froze for the first time, much earlier than it usually does. So much for the global warming theory! Ray had to go see this lake, so he went on Thanksgiving morning to check it out. Below is what he saw.

The hightlight of our trip, besides seeing family, was cutting down a Christmas tree! Yes, we went to the forest and cut one down. What a great memory. We took it home and decorated it. The whole room smelled like pine! It was a great experience.

When the night came, we were able to rest. Canada Geese are flocking constanlty by the thousands each day. They often stop at large places of water to drink and rest.

Enjoy the serenade and splendor of nature!

World's BEST Boss

2008-11-26T09:18:00.000-06:00

I am very fortunate to work at a great rehabilitation facility, the Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute (SVRI), for Executive Director, John Lui, as his graduate assistant. His optimistic presence creates a work environment that fosters learning and creativity. I call him the 'World's BEST Boss' and will miss working for him and for SVRI. If I could, I would keep this job forever, it has many perks of collaborating with professionals, serving on committees, and having a flexible work schedule without the responsibilities of management... what a life! I really enjoy what I do and will always remember the opportunity I had to work at SVRI and with the World's BEST Boss, John Lui.

~Rachel

Wonderful Bread Recipe

2008-11-26T08:51:00.000-06:00

My wonderful mother-in-law, Susan, gave me top-notch equipment and recipe books to make homemade bread. There is a bread recipe that I use that has won the hearts of many of my family members. I share it with you so that you can have a great bread recipe. It is called '12 Grain Bread' and it is from a Bosch Recipe booklet compiled by Elizabeth Craven that includes all their classes.

Ingredients:
6 cups hot tap water
2 cups 9-grain cracked cereal (uncooked)
1/3 cup millet
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1/3 flax seed
1 cup sunflower seeds (cracked if desired)
1 1/2 cups high gluten flour or 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
2/3 cup honey or molasses
2/3 Tbsp. oil
2 Tbsp. salt
3 Tbsp. yeast
3 Tbsp. dough enhancer
Whole wheat flour - approximately 15 cups total (I use hard white wheat berries and and grind it in my Nutri Mill to make fresh flour.)

Directions
Measure first seven ingredients into Bosch bowl (other mixers may be sufficient...?). Mix gently to fold ingredients together. Add yeast and enough flour to make a pancake consistency. Let sit until mixture has risen about 2 inches away from the top of the bowl. About 15-20 minutes. Add honey, oil, salt, and mix together. Add whole wheat flour 1 cup at a time until mixture cleans sides of the bowl. (Approximately 15 cups total). Knead 7 minutes (on Bosch mixer you can put the power level on 1 or 2, this does not have to be by hand). Add dough enhancer. Knead another 2 minutes or until mixed through. Form into 6 large loads (you can also use some of the dough to make patties, busciuts, etc). Let rise until about two inches above the pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

I really enjoy this recipe. There is nothing like homemade bread. Since I live in rural Wisconsin I have the opportunity to get all of these ingredients/materials from an Omish food store. I will go there today to stock up because I'm not sure I can get the same opportunities/ingredients in Omaha. My mom loves this recipe so much she is paying me by the loaf. Needless to say I will make at least two batches when I visit her during Thanksgiving which will gross 12 loaves : ) Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the holidays!

Adventure to Omaha, NE

2008-11-24T18:24:00.000-06:00

August 13-18, 2008
We are moving to Omaha in December so Ray can begin graduate school in Communication Disorders, so we needed to go early and check out jobs, housing, and Ray's school. We turned it into a nice vacation. Here is a video of some of our adventures.
We were fortunate enough to get upgraded to a suite in our hotel, just because I asked if they had rooms with a fridge or a microwave. It was a suite deal!
(Oh, on the tiger part it should say, "I'd.")

Trip to Misery...er, Missouri!

2008-11-23T20:20:00.000-06:00

Rachel decided at the last minute that she wanted to attend a national conference for Vocational Rehabilitation, and it just so happen to be in St. Louis, where Rachelle, Ray's brother, and her family live. They are the closest family on Ray's side, so we decided it would be worth the trip. We went to the zoo, walked around an amazing garden park, saw the science center, bought a bunch of root beer and played ATV and unlocked some new levels, and had a great time seeing their new house and new home, and just spent some great time with them! Ray loves making videos, so he made one of our trip! Enjoy!

Bobbin'

2008-10-02T21:22:00.000-05:00

Ray cut the hair... it's bobbin' now!

Season of Change

2008-09-09T13:47:00.000-05:00

Things are going well for us, we are enjoying getting to know each other more and having fun in all we do. We are preparing for many changes in our life... we will be moving in January to Omaha, Nebraska. Ray will begin graduate school and Rachel will be finishing her graduate degree with an intership (that means work). It will be an adventure. And we look forward to it! More to come...