Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone!!!!

Unemployed

This entry has NOTHING to do with the picture above but I thought my mother, who is the most avid reader of my blog, would love it. It's the documentary of what Washingtonites do in the rain. Lovely.

Well, here I am unemployed again and by choice. I got my CNA2 certificate and want desperately to work in a hospital, preferably Silverton or Salem, where I can widen my work experience. I've already applied to 5 position in multiple locations. Found out I wasn't picked for 2 positions I'd applied for awhile back. I'd even gotten a call from one hospital for one of the positions. . . wondering if I answered on the questions wrong, to not get a personal interview. Booo! ;)

I hate the feeling of not generating an income. . . the employed have no idea what a luxury it is to have a job, insurance, and safety. I definitely don't take my last job for granted but I know this is a good step in the right direction, it's just scary and could be very hard. I will cast my pole many times into the lake of hospital positions out there. I will think positively and pray that the perfect position finds me and I find it.

Tattoo

Hey Mom! j/k. . . well, kind of :) For all of you who don't know it already, I have a new tattoo. And. . . I love it! Here are some pics of it and some other one's to make my mom not be sad after the tattoo ones.

Here are those cute ones :)

Beach day

Last weekend Dylan and I went to the coast because one of his guys was fighting at Chinook Winds. In the end the guy missed weigh ins so was ineligible to fight. But the next day we were able to go to the Oregon Coast Aquarium for the day which was great!!! Here are some pics from our weekend.

Katy Perry Concernt

Last night I got to go to the Katy Perry Concert and it was AMAZING! Bubbles, foam sprayed at us, glitter and glitz fell on us, and there were fireworks too!! My friend, Becky, knows Katy and is good friends with her sister. We got tickets in the pit (the area right around the stage) and tickets to the meet and greet afterwards! Katy said she loved how my nails matched my dress! Yes, a bit silly but in all honesty, she is the best concert I've EVER gone too. . . not because her lyrics rock or her music is life revealing but SHE'S a GREAT ENTERTAINER! She road in a cotton candy cloud that took her around the auditorium (Rosegarden) which was packed. She changed clothes a million times. She had great back up dancers. The show had a story/ movie that went a long with her songs. . . kinda. It was a fun bit. I totally would recommend going. It was worth paying nothing to go to it :)

At the meet a greet they had a little photo booth that you could take your pictures and send them to yourself. Here is one of them. I'll post more later.

Hail to the V

Mom, I hope you laugh at this. . . I did :)

Why does it always sound better in Chinese?

Texas Folk Visit

So, last month my brother's family came and visited us all in Oregon. I thought I'd post some pics of our time at the Silver Falls Park.

Happy 40th Mom and Dad

I know it's a little late coming but I just wanted to say, "Happy Anniversary" to my mom and dad who celebrated their 40th June 19, 2011. I am soo thankful for them both and hope I can bless them as much as they have blessed me these past 28 years.

Blessings mom and dad!!

Elijah Laughing

Here is my amazing nephew laughing!!

Becky

I have this wonderful friend, Becky, who just moved up here from California. She is probably one of the most interesting, nice, and beautiful friends I have. We were at the park the other day and I took some nice portraits of her. Here they are.

The Saturday Market

For all of you who don't know, this is Dylan and he's amazing. I know, not much of a blog update but he is what is newest in my life. We met online, which most of you I'm sure know. He lives in Portland currently but is moving back to Molalla, where he grew up. Actually, we both grew up on the same road, MGR.

Portrait of Me

I hung out with a friend of a friend who is a photographer up here in Oregon. He had a really fun old school camera and his fancy new 5D Mark II which we played around with. Here are some photos from hanging out.

A barrel of Rabbits

So, I've decided that I really suck at communicating. I speak before I think, I say things and don't remember saying it, and I speak out of emotion and not out of a steady mind. Talk about a triple whammy. (Katie, there are only 3 sentences!)

I'd always thought that I was good at communicating because I'm good at talking. Talking and communicating are sooooooooooo very different. I don't know why I thought that because in Japan I was able to communicate a lot through not talking. Hand gestures, facial expressions, and body language. But being back in America I guess I dumbed down the facts of how to truly communicate. Not really, I've always kind of sucked at this.

Part of the issues is that I'm A. Impulsive and B. I don't hear what people really are saying because I'm so quick to hear what they are saying, instead of slowly listening to the whole thing. (Sorry mom. Had to use the "A" and "B" structure.) You know, I'm one of those annoying friends who tries to finish your sentence. Well, not all the time but often enough.

I think I get this from my dad. My mom is really good at listening, my dad and I hear what we want to hear. We get offended easily over things that aren't offensive. How does one learn to hear the correct translation?

It's odd. . . in Japan I spoke a very simple Japanese and they spoke very simple Japanese or English to me. Usually, there wasn't a lot of hidden words, or mistaken explanations because everything had to be spoken so plainly. I don't think I'm fluent in English. I get lost in what I think people are saying but they aren't really. Then again a lot of my conversations in Japanese were very shallow and never really got very deep.

It's all a barrel of Rabbits. I don't know why Rabbits but when I was thinking about this issue, I thoughts, "this is all a barrel of Rabbits". Again, lost in translation.

Buy her bag and not her body

My friend, Diana Mao, started Nomi Network when she was in grad school. Nomi Network is a leading non-profit organization bridging the private, public, and non-profit sectors through enterprise and education to end human trafficking. Check out their website.

Buy her bag and not her body.

http://nominetwork.org/

My heart is lost have you seen it?

My heart is lost have you seen it?

It's big, soft, and full of dreams.

If you do, please tread lightly.

Don't make any sudden moves to startle it.

Speak, softly, sweetly, and with care.

My heart is lost have you seen it?

It's incomparable to the rest.

How delicate yet strong my heart is.

The beauty within and the love it wants to give.

Be patient with my heart when you find it.

My heart is lost have you seen it?

Gently sooth it, for it's likely to be scared.

Pick it up and hold it but not too tightly.

Cradle my heart with your arms.

Let it's fears disappear as you comfort it.

My heart is lost have you seen it?

It's big, soft, and full of dreams.

The Elderly Say the Darnedest Things

Most of my friends and family now a days are quoting their cute little kids. Most people think of children saying the funniest things but working in an adult foster home I hear some of the funniest things.

I have one gentleman who always asks me, "when are we getting married?" and then starts saying, "My father was a drunk. Me mother was a wench. My brother was a bastard. And my sister was a Mr." Don't ask me. hahahhahha.

New Job

I started my new job on Monday and so far so good. I am working at an adult foster care home. It's not a foster home for adults. The house has 5 residents and I stay over night for 4 days and basically do cooking, cleaning, and caregiving like at an assisted living facility. I love my residents. It's hard work and a lot to remember but I'm getting the hang of it. I'm sure the first couple months will be a lot to get use to but it's nice to have a steady job. I'm thankful for the stability of a good job, good bosses, the ability to have health insurance in the near future, and so much more.

yayayyayyaya for a job!!!!

Lent

So I've decided to give up refined sugar ( and try to stay away from sugar substatutes in general) and anything with sugar within the first 3 ingredients. It's a lot harder then most people think. Oh, I'm doing this for lent. I've never really done lent and to be honest. . . I'm not 100% sure what the purpose of lent is. . . to imagine what Jesus went through to give his life for us? Not really comparable. . . sugar. . . life. . . hmm. . . but I thought I'd do Lent more for myself in the thought of sacrificing something to realize how thankful for all the things I have been blessed with. I have a roof over my head, an amazing family, amazing friends, food in my belly (sugar free food), and have my health. I'm am so blessed and I need to keep reminding myself that. So . . . sugar. . begone for I am a blessed lady :)

Baby Elijah

I can't keep from posting pictures of my beautiful nephew.

going home

The Edmundsons have left the building

Elijah Erik Edmundson

Born: 7:05pm, February 10, 2011
5 lbs 11 oz
18.5 inches
Miracle

I want to first say how amazing my sister is. . .I'm going to "geek" out on how amazing she is and how she is soooo very strong.

Today, she was induced for safety reasons and she started to labor in the morning. By 1 ish when I got there she was in pretty active labor. I was allowed to stay in until the end and I was so thankful to be a part of it as long as I was allowed.

When I walked in my sister was laying by the window and having level 3 (pain wise) contractions. She smiled up at me and I smiled down at my beautiful sister. We chit chatted but she'd had a rough night and needed sleep. And Erik was watching over her lovingly. Nothing much was happening so after an hour or so I went down to do some homework.

I went back up around 5pm and she was pacing the floor and the contractions had increased. The room's mood had changed. There was a seriousness in the room but at the same time a peace that came with the "hee hee whooo" of my mother, Erik, and Bethany as they all breathed through her pains. My eyes teared up as I watched my sister painfully lean against the bed.

I'd never thought about wanting to be in the room or needing to be there for any of the births in my family. But I am SOOO glad I got to be there this time, even if I didn't see the actual birth. Just being there to share in the process. I got to give my hair thing up for my sister, run and get a spoon for her so she could eat some ice, and I got to warm up her Penicillin drip :). I got to observe such a miraculous process.

I have to say that it was very hard to watch her in pain and later to hear her in pain. As Jasmine said, "That sounds funny".

Bethany took it sooo well. Breathing, moving, and relaxing. And she did it all drug free. Not that she didn't want it but the team who was with her today helped her get through it without it. Amen! Even as a nurse studying and learning about these things. . . I am so proud that she didn't use an epidural. And I have to say this. . . the doctor and nurse who you are with makes the difference. Bethany felt like she was at the end of her ability. At this point she was about to have Elijah but she felt so far off still. The doctor kind of encouraged her take the epidural but when he left the nurse told Beth she didn't need it. She could tell, after 20+ years, that Beth was almost there. So when the Anesthesiologist came in she said she'd be there if needed but they all gave Beth the time. And Beth did. No tears. No Epidural. All her and Erik (and my mom). Amazing.

It does frighten me though. . . my sister's pain tolerance is like . . . mountains higher then mine.

Birth, labor, pregnancy, mothers, fathers, sisters, life... it amazes me. I am in awe of it all.

Thank you Lord for this healthy new creation and thank you for watching over my sister.

I love you Bethany Faith Edmundson. You amaze me and I am so glad you're my older sister. I hope I can be as strong as you someday. May the Lord bless you and your family.