Where have the last 10+ days gone?

6th work day out of the week (25-31st). I will be updating soon. We have a lot of pictures to document the holidays....more to come!

8 year anniversary! 8 is great!

8 years ago today at one o'clock in the afternoon we made a holy covenant to spend the rest of our life together and we have learned a lot about love, life, and adventure!

Thank you to our friends and family for all your love and support! Thank you my love for such an amazing adventure over the years!



For the full effect of the wedding album you can click here

December 11, 2009 @ 1300! Dr. Matt Skillen was hooded

Early Friday Matt, his mom, and myself drove from Wtown to the tundra of Manhattan, KS. There was so much snow it reminded me of our two winters in Manhappiness! It was so beautiful! This view is from the top of the hill where the country club is.

The graduate brunch was held at the country club. The views were so beautiful!

I am so proud of my hubby!

Sorry about some of the stability issues; my arm got a little tired at times trying to be a tripod.

2nd snow of the season!! Pics at 0200 in the AM!

Had an awesome night at work and my charge nurse let me go early so I can head out of town early so I can get to Philly so we can get on a plane and head to KANSAS!!! I hope the airways and the roadways are kind to us today!!!

This is what my car looked like this morning. I am so glad to have made sure all my snow gear was ready come October!!! I had my snow brush and my down covered ice scraper ready! Only had to use the snow brush!!! YEA! No ice.....yet!

I could not resist taking some photos when I got home. I love snow pictures! Sorry some of them are a little blurry...it was 0200 in the morning!

The road crews started heading toward the highway as soon as I got home....figures :) The life of an evening shift nurse :)

Make a point to wash your hands regularly!!!

Don't forget to wash your hands! As people we should always be washing our hands. As a nursing professional I make an effort to be diligent about handwashing and I know my coworkers are too!

If you ever become a patient or ever go visit a doctor/nurse at an office-speak up...If you don't see them rubbing their hands like they just sanitized them or they don't wash their hands at the sink, SPEAK UP! Politely ask him/her if s/he might wash their hands before your exam.

Here's an awesome video -it is for educational purposes; not a documentary. There was no hidden cameras, this is an educational tool!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Our first Snow in Etown!

Our first snow in Etown, PA! We had a beautiful first snow on Saturday!

So the snow looked better in real life, the snow flakes where the big puffy kind!

Regan loves the snow!

The kittens love the lights, Christmas tree, and the space heater!

The "We are K-State" purple ceramic Christmas tree!

Saw my first deer of the season this AM at approx 0330!

November 30 is the first day of deer season in PA. The Etown public school system celebrates this "holiday" with a teacher inservice day so as not to fight with the parents about their children missing a day of school. It truly is a holiday. Matt informed me that many of his college students said their public school districts "back home" don't have school on the first day of deer season! Who knew!?!?!?

When I drive home around 0330 ish from work I have my own version of deer hunting....This week: Wednesday morning was a full moon on a very clear, early morning...should have seen deer, no deer. Thursday morning is was raining like crazy no expectation of deer, no deer seen.

This morning after a wonderful, non-eventful shift at work I headed home around 0323. The morning was perfect-calm, still, no rain or wind....As I headed out of Hershey and into what I call the twilight zone between Hershey and Etown I was on the lookout for deer. I passed a few trees and then an opening ready to catch the glimpse of four legs or a flash of light from two black eyes....there it is...a very, very large deer. I can tell she is thinking about crossing the road and I see her soon enough to slow down. She stays on the shoulder and turns to run back into the field. "Smart little (big) deer!" I say to myself.

Little voice in my head..."It's not the first one that gets you, it's the second one." I take what feels like forever, but was really only seconds to look "for the second one." No second one, so I continue home safely.

I arrive home safe and sound thankful for good brakes, great car headlights, and for the invention of contacts that keep my eyesight keen! Oh- and thanks dad for always being that "little voice" when it comes to deer season!

I have seen many deer run across the road in front of me and I have seen the second one that "can get ya." It's always the first one of the season that takes my breath away-even when I am ready for it. I am so grateful to have never met the fate of impact; but working in the ER I have seen the result. It can be devastating!

Please be diligent as you travel during "the rut." The deer are out there, luckily I saw a smart one today- but there are others out there that don't look both ways before crossing the roads!

What did we do on Black Friday???

I have been to many different places in my life, but I have never been to:

I have never been to New York! Matt has been, once as a child and then 2 yrs ago. Matt did such an awesome job giving me a tour of the city! It was a cool day, but it didn't RAIN!!! It was such a fantastic day!

Black Friday started at 0400 and on the Keystone train at 0515 and into NYC before 0900! We literally had the whole city to ourselves for the morning because everyone was in Macy's

And in Toy's R Us!

Santa...um Santas were in NYC!

M&M World....HEAVEN!!!

We headed down to a walk down 5th Avenue!

Rockefellar Center

St.Patrick's Cathedral

Diamond's are a girl's best friend!

The Met

Central Park!

The Apple Store

A carriage ride in Central Park!! How Romantic!

All the lights of the city!!!

Miracles!

Penn Station NYC awaiting to get on the train to go home after a wonderful day in NYC!!!

It was so amazing to be able to have Thanksgiving with family on Thanksgiving and then NYC the next day. Then, Saturday I was back at work. Living in the mid-atlantic and being near to the Northeast is amazing!