The Winter Blues

When is summer coming? I can't stand looking outside and everything is ugly brown. Really ugly. I want to wear shorts, and flip flops, and eat slurpees while floating around in my pool. I want to feel the grass under my feet and feel the breeze across my face while reading under my dads tree. I want to get a pedicure at least once a month with every color under the rainbow painted on my nails. I want to go on trips, even if that means going camping every once in a while. I'm ready to drink margaritas at sunset, and remember how beautiful life really is.

When is summer coming?

Dear Mom,

Yesterday would have been your 47th birthday. Even though that day is really hard for the entire family, we try to make the best of it. It was really windy and rainy. The kind of weather you like actually.

The fam went to your grave to sing happy birthday. Of course this meant releasing some balloons, and a ton of Pepsi. You sure are a sucker for that drink.





I am not sure how exactly we all got to this point, and I hope some day it will be worth the heartache.

You are my very favorite person, and I miss you terribly.

Happy Birthday

Love,

Rachel

P.S. I hope you got the letter Brandon sent you

Valentine's Day Extravaganza

Since Brandon works nights, we decided to celebrate Valentine's day the Saturday before. I think Valentine's day should always be on the weekend, who has time to celebrate it on a Monday?

Brandon left me some beautiful calla lilies (sorry for the lack of picture) on Friday night with a little note getting me excited for the next day when our date was.

Before we go on, lets mention I am not very good with surprises. I am sort of a control freak, and don't like it when I don't know where we are going. But alas, I must trust the Husband sooner or later right? I woke up the next morning and we set off for our date... which ended up being at the ZOO!



Going to the zoo always gets my blood pumping. I can't help it that I love animals so much! When we get there a lady meets up with us and says "You are both here for the Giraffe feeding, right?" I am sure my eyes were very wide with surprise. What? I get to touch and feed a giraffe? O.M.G.

And people, we did meet the giraffes, and it was spectacular. At first we fed them treats so they would get use to us.



After that, we went down with the trainer, and helped her with training them. There is this big frisbee attached to a stick. We simply walked around the cage area and the giraffes would follow and touch there nose to the frisbee. Of course they got a lot of treats, and some lovin from the both of us.







They are so big and lovely, I think I'll add them to my list of future pets.

We also had lunch at The Garden downtown. I always love going there, great food, with a great view.




The rest of the day was filled with reading and napping, some of my favorite things to do. Brandon made dinner, which was also amazing.


It really was the perfect Valentine's day. And just when I thought it was all over, I got some beautiful flowers delivered to my work on Valentine's day.


What can I say? I was completely spoiled this year. All thanks to my wonderful Valentine, who pulled out all the stops. I am completely in love with him.

♥♥

Dear Brandon,

Awesomeness

I spent this morning doing anesthesia on a five month old puppy named Trapper. I was nervous, but even more excited to take all that information shoved into my head to good use. The little guy was neutered and for the day I was in charge of the following...

Pre-drug the animal and figure out the right calculations

Place a catheter

Set up IV fluids

Intubate (which is a little more tricky on an alive animal, just sayin')

Hook up to anesthesia

Monitor and write down stats every five minutes during the surgery

Once the surgery is over, I take away the gas

Wait for him to wake up

Extubate

and then watch and monitor his vitals while he starts to recover

That was a lot of things for me to do, but I got a good pat on the back from the Doctor and my instructor. I wasn't able to see the actual surgery this time because I was so focused on making sure Trapper was doing well. I mostly starred at this the entire time

But at least I got to give him some good attention after the surgery was over.


Isn't he adorable? It was so much fun, I'm looking forward to a lot more surgeries - but Trapper will always be my first!

Trapper is awesome

I am awesome

Today is freaking awesome.