More Park City and Some Disneyland Pictures

Here are some more pictures from PC and from D-land. These are off my big camera. I don't like to take it all around and I always forget to get my pictures off it. So that is why there is a delay.





This was the day that we drove home from Park City. It had snowed during the night. My van does not have snow tires or four wheel drive. I wanted to drive up to a place where we had taken pictures before but I got scared because my van started slipping all over the place. So we stopped on the side of the road for this family picture.






Savannah with the "hocapelli" aka the cocapelli at the foot of the driveway






Sledding down the driveway in Park City.





Christmas morning.









Cinderella!





Mulan. Savannah had no idea who she was, because this is probably the only Disney movie that she has never seen.





Savannah with Belle!

The Beginning of the End

School started this week and I am less stressed out about this semester than any other. Perhaps it is because there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Or maybe it is because I know what to expect, finally. I don't know! It is kind of freaking me out. I should be totally stressed out but I just am not. Our final is April 21, so in 3 months and 1 week I will officially be done with school and will be an interim permitee RN. I will take the NCLEX hopefully in June and then all of this will be behind me. I have to be quite honest, I am nervous about finishing school and getting a job. It makes me stressed! The unknown of it all, competing against my classmates for the precious few new grad positions out there. Yes, the economy has hit even the nursing field. There are plenty of nursing positions available but hardly any for new grads. It stinks. Hopefully things will turn around and it will be like it was 2 years ago, where a person could get multiple job offers from multiple hospitals. We'll see...

We went to Park City, UT after Christmas, and stayed until New Year's Day. We had such a good time. Our Christmas was great as well, just super low key. We went to my mom's house after we did our thing at our house in the morning, the kids loved their gifts, and that was about all. Park City was relaxing and cold!!! Super cold! But it was a nice change from the groundhog day weather of Southern California. Jacob and I were lucky enough to be able to enjoy the fantastic snow that Utah is famous for, and went skiing at Park City Mountain Resort. I have been snowboarding for so long that I was nervous about skiing again but it was just like riding a bike. I have posted some pictures below from Christmas and Park City.

A Protest to a Violation of My Constitutional Right

Yesterday I blogged about Bryan's company Christmas party. Today, I got an email from Bryan that someone from his company called him today and asked him to delete the post or take the company name out of it. What really makes me weirded out is that first of all, someone found the blog. Then I got mad because whatever happened to freedom of speech? What does this particular company do when someone writes something that is not in favor of the company? Ask them to edit the post? I didn't write anything bad, just stated that we had a good time. Nothing wrong with that, right?

So I took the company name out of my previous post. Hopefully that is good enough.

Oh and I'm going to go private. Email me your blogger address if you want to be included on the read list--tarapoulsen@gmail.com.

Christmas Has Snuck Up on Me!

Crazy how that happens. I can't believe it's the end of the year already. So, I'm just going to give a quick recap with lots of pictures of what we've been up to.

San Francisco--Thanksgiving 2009
















Me with my 3rd semester clinical group at Hoag Hospital. I loved OB and I hope I can get a job on labor and delivery when I graduate in MAY!!!! I can't believe I'm almost done.










We went to Bryan's work Christmas party (this is what I had to change), just Bryan and I. It was a lot of fun to have a date night, no kids. This is our 6th Christmas party together! I miss the days of having it at the St. Regis or Montage, but this was amazing also. It was in this huge tent at the Newport Dunes Resort. There was a fantasy seafood buffet with lobster tails, king crab, and jumbo prawns, then prime rib, turkey, tons of salads, and yummy desserts. I had to dance A LOT with Bryan's co-workers to get rid of that meal. My feet were so sore at the end of the night, from dancing in 4 inch heels. I think it was the first year that we stayed until the end of the party.


Savannah and I have been spending almost every Friday at Disneyland, enjoying our passes. On Savannah's birthday, we took Bryan with us. Savannah was so excited to go on her favorite rides with Bryan. She definitely has favorites, too. She mostly enjoys the fantasyland rides, but she has been on the Matterhorn once, and she also likes the train, the Finding Nemo ride, the haunted house (she calls it the dark house), and the Pirates of the Carribean. She sings the pirate song but instead says "yo ho yo ho a princess life for me". It is really to cute. Savannah also likes to see the princesses when we are there, but not every time because the line is just way too long. So here are some pictures from Disneyland.









Last week, I took Savannah to Disneyland at night to see the holiday fireworks. We got to Disneyland about 8pm. I should have let where we had to park be my guide to leave, but I could not disappoint Savannah. We had to park so far away, there was no shuttle and I didn't want to take my enormous stroller, so I had to carry her and walk all the way to Downtown Disney where we could catch the monorail. When we got off the monorail, there was a 45 minute line to get back on, which meant that we would have to walk back to the parking lot. The lines were super long for everything, I could not believe how many people were there with their kids on a school night. We rode like two rides, then went to get a spot for the fireworks. After the fireworks show, which was so amazing--both Savannah and I were so in awe!--the lines were a lot shorter for most of the rides in Fantasyland so we went on a couple more. Savannah was completely falling apart by then, so we had to leave. I had to buy some gift cards to give as gifts, and by then time we walked back to our car it was after 11. Savannah was asleep in her car seat before I left the parking lot. Our passes are blocked out until after January 1, so we won't be back again until all the kids are back in school. I can't wait to start walking on the rides!


I think that's about it. I hope everyone has a fantastic Christmas and a Happy and Safe New Year!

Thanksgiving, and A Quick Update

We went to San Francisco for Thanksgiving weekend with all three kids. My step-dad's brother and wife, and their kids live there and every other year, we go there. It was so nice not to have to worry about making a huge Thanksgiving feast, although I must say that I did miss cooking, and I especially miss all the leftovers!

After a lovely test at school on Wednesday, I hurried home. Bryan had already packed up the car and all the kids were ready to go. It took us 3 hours to make it from our house to Magic Mountain, 80 miles away. I was ready to turn around because San Francisco is 420 miles away! Well, after we passed MM, the traffic lightened up and we made it to our hotel by 9:30pm on Wednesday night.

I had already located the closest 24 hour fitness, so bright and early Thursday morning I was at the gym for an hour and a half. After that, we went to this awesome place, the Millbrae pancake house for breakfast. The pancakes were as big as the plate and they weren't shy with the butter. So good! Then we went to the Nor Cal Katz's to hang out for the day, and get ready for Thanksgiving. Bryan was in heaven, they just turned their spare bedroom into a "man cave", complete with a 52 inch Sony flat panel and sound system. I don't think I saw him for much of the day. Thanksgiving dinner was yummy, the usual stuff, nothing too exciting.

Friday I was up bright and early to go to the gym again, and there is a little shopping area right next to the gym, so I hit Children's Place for some bargains for Savannah. That was the only place I went, she didn't really need anything, I just wanted to get some basics. They had awesome deals! We talked about going to the movies but it was kind of cold and rainy and no one really wanted to go anywhere.

Saturday, we wanted to take the kids to see Cal Berkeley, but Jacob wanted to stay with my mom and go to downtown San Francisco. So, Bryan, Loryn, Savannah, and I headed over to see the Cal campus, which is so cool, and then we hit my favorite pizza place in Rockridge, a throwback from my Mills days, Zachary's. The pizza is so good there, I have yet to find a place that even comes close to as good. Bryan and I shared the stuffed pizza with spinach and mushrooms in it. I was so stuffed but I think I could have had more. So, so delish. After Berkeley, we attempted to go into downtown SF but the traffic was so incredibly hideous that we just went back to our hotel and took a nap. A little while later I got a call from my mom that Jacob had left his cell phone in one of the stores that they had been in in Downtown SF. So absentminded. Good thing we have an old crappy phone that he can use.

Sunday, we had to leave bright and early to get back home in time for school on Monday (for me and the kids), and work for Bryan. The traffic was a little clogged in places, but we made it home by 5pm (and we left around 930 am), and we stopped 4 times too. Not too shabby. But now it's back to the grind. 3 more weeks of school for the kids, and 2 more weeks for me, and I can feel their pain and I can't wait for school to be over either!

Pictures to follow. They are all hostage on my camera....and I have to study...yet another test tomorrow and tons of homework due on Thursday.

I'm Sad Today

Today was the first day during this semester at school where I have had a really hard time. We were talking about fetal demise during lecture. I was already upset, just reliving the whole experience in my mind, and some of my classmates starting making remarks that really showed a lack of sensitivity and unprofessionalism. Some of my classmates know what happened to me, but a lot of them do not. My professor, however, does know, and did nothing to reign in the discussion or direct the discussion in a better way. Several of my friends came up to me after class and were asking me if I was ok. That sucked. To add insult, we had a test today that was so hard. I couldn't believe how bad this test sucked! Why do the teachers have to make tests so hard!!! And of course we haven't gotten our grades yet.

Anyways, a lot of people have said that the holidays are going to be hard. Working on L&D and mother baby is HARD. It is so hard seeing those babies. I would be about 33 weeks pregnant right now, and I should be getting excited about having him, but instead I have this obsessive desire to get pregnant again. Every time that it doesn't happen makes it even harder. I am excited for people who do have their new babies but I guess it is kind of bittersweet. That was supposed to be me! But I love the sweetness of a new baby. They are so innocent, so dependent on someone for every need, and I love seeing that every time I am at the hospital. Working on that unit has got to be the best job ever, and I can't wait.

Starting over with another pregnancy is frustrating. Having to experience all the junk that goes with pregnancy without a reward at the end this time around really is hard. No baby to hold, etc. I do want to try again. And I'm totally rambling. I just needed to get this out.

The Wrong Side of 30

Monday was my birthday. Suffice it to say that I am on the wrong side of 30. I am old. It was a pretty good birthday, all things considered. I had school on Monday as well, so I chose to celebrate with my family on Sunday. I made my own birthday dinner of spaghetti with turkey meatballs and turkey sausage, rolls, and salad. We had pumpkin pie and rice krispy squares with candy corn on top for dessert. All of my favorites.

My mom decided to treat me, big time...







I love Coach, I love all purses actually, so this was really excellent for me!


On Monday I had a skills lab day at school and then Bryan, Savannah, and I headed up to Disneyland. Disneyland has this special deal this year where you can get in free to one park on your birthday. Well, I have been wanting an annual pass for awhile now, and if you go on your birthday and sign up for an annual pass, it ends up being super cheap for the pass! I was already planning on going to Disneyland this Friday with one of my friends, and it is $72 to get in for the day. Well, the pass is like $5 more (the cheapest one, which has a ton of black out days). I got that pass, and since I still don't work on Fridays, Savannah and I are going to go and have a ton of fun there. She is so super excited to go. She has been talking about going there since the summer. Bryan and I told her she could go to meet the princesses when she was potty trained. She definitely is totally potty trained, so she deserves it. Monday night I took Savannah into the park with me to get my picture taken for the pass, and we went in Sleeping Beauty's castle. She is obsessed with Sleeping Beauty. Anyways, they have a part where you can walk through the castle. She was absolutely terrified. She keeps talking about the spinning wheels, and how she didn't prick her finger at Disneyland. Every morning she tells me she wants to go to Disneyland. We are super excited for Friday, and if any of you have passes and want to meet up for a mom's day that would be totally fun!

After Disneyland, we went to Outback for dinner. We actually were going to go to ESPN zone in Downtown Disney but man, that place is so expensive. So we headed over to Outback, so yummy. After a yummy dinner and a Disneyland pass, and for putting up with my crap in general all year long, I have decided that I have the best husband ever!

It was such a great birthday!