Blogging Breann

Balanced Rock

2011-01-30T20:19:00.001-08:00

Jed and I went out to explore the Twin Falls area Saturday. I had seen a picture of balanced rock at Shoshone Falls, so we went to check it out. It was a pretty neat place. We hiked up pretty close to the rock and I was excited to have Jed as my photography assistant while I got to use the new lens that he got me for my birthday. We had some fun, then went to get ice cream at a local dairy in Buhl, ID. I look forward to going again in the spring when things will be greening up!

Collective Soul

2010-10-26T18:17:00.000-07:00

Jed and I saw Collective Soul in Wendover last weekend. What a great show! We had such great seats and the music was great as well. I would recommend if you get the chance to see these guys live. They are classic.

Big Springs

2010-10-26T18:12:00.000-07:00

I've kept meaning to post these pictures. Jed and I went to Big Springs in September and had a great time. It's a lot of fun: we rowed our way down stream and saw some great wildlife while at it. If you look closely, you can see a moose (or two) behind Jed.

Our Trip, Part II

2010-10-26T17:58:00.000-07:00

You might just think that all we did when we were in Florida was fish. It may appear that way from my last post. Well, we did other things too. We went to River Street in Savannah, which is a really beautiful city. We also went by Paula Deen's restaurant there too. We spent time on the beach (however, we're both pretty white, and don't dare bare our whiteness there.) Good times!

Amelia Island, FL

2010-10-18T17:07:00.000-07:00

Jed and I recently visited Amelia Island, Florida for the annual APAO (Association of Physician Assistants in Oncology) conference. I went along for the ride. Before the conference, we went up to Moncks Corner, SC for some great cat fishing. Then, we spent some time in Savannah, GA - where we met up with one of my old roommates from Ricks College - also, Jed served in Savannah on his mission. In Fernandina Beach, (the city we spent time in on Amelia Island) we did a little bit more fishing - where we each caught some great big fish (Jed caught a huge stingray and I caught a great big shark.) During Jed's conference, I spent some time on the beach, in the historic downtown, and at Fort Clinch State Park. It was a beautiful place to visit and we had a great time there!

My First Airshow

2010-07-24T21:12:00.000-07:00

Today, Jed and I went to the Blue Thunder airshow in Idaho Falls. Wow! I've never been to something like this before. The Blue Angels were pretty amazing. They do some insane aerobatics. Here are some fun pictures from the show. Impressive, huh?!

Just Moved In!

2010-07-20T14:37:00.000-07:00

We just had a new little friend move in with us! (Well, not really WITH us, but very NEAR us.) Our new little neighbor is of the hummingbird variety. Her nest is just outside our back door above the patio. I've been snapping pictures like crazy. I've never seen a hummingbird nest before and this one is pretty cool - it's built on a hook in the eave of the house out of spiderwebs and egg shells and other goods. I put out two feeders in the hopes that she'll spend more time here. (Hopefully I can get pictures of her eating.) Hopefully we'll see a baby soon. I'm afraid to try to look up in the nest - I don't want to disturb it, you know?

2010-06-26T19:56:00.000-07:00

Jed and I went out on our first four-wheeling (two for Jed) adventure. We had a great time! Southeast of Twin Falls are a number of great ATV trails - which we went crazy on! I'm a bit of a wimp, but we made it around a pretty good-sized loop. There were some pretty beautiful views from up there. We have a number of maps for trails in the area, so come on over to visit and we'll take you out.

If you didn't already see them, here they are: Jed's '72 Honda 125 and my Honda Recon. What do you think!?

Pounding the Pavement

2010-04-21T15:05:00.001-07:00

It's hard looking for a job. Jed and I have been in Twin Falls for about three weeks now and it's time I get a job. I've been out taking resumes around to all of the dentists in town. I just always feel so vulnerable when putting myself out there like that, you know? Hopefully a great opportunity will come up soon at a fun, easy-going office. I look forward to getting to work!

Fun Purse

2010-04-21T14:54:00.000-07:00

Check out this fun purse that I made in Boise with Dani the other day! We spent the afternoon making these super-cute felted wool purses. (As you can see, I was channeling Mary Engelbriet.) Now all I can think about are the many cute little projects that I could do with my new-found skill!

Idaho's Capital

2010-04-21T14:49:00.000-07:00

Jed and I have been traveling back and forth to Boise for some training and orientation for his new job at St. Luke's. It's been a lot of fun for me to hang out with Dani (not so much fun for Jed - job shadowing and such.) This last week we went and checked out the Idaho state capital building. (After a great dinner at Spaghetti Factory!)

You bought a WHAT?!

2010-04-17T15:38:00.000-07:00

We bought a truck. A little crazy, I know. Jed's been looking for a while for something. We finally found it and got it today. It's a 97 Ford F-250 XLT. It has pretty low miles and runs really well. Now, hopefully we can do some recreational activities - four-wheeling, biking, etc. It should be great!

New Diggs

2010-04-17T15:29:00.000-07:00

So, it's been a little over two weeks since we moved to Twin Falls, ID. Here's a picture of the house that we're renting for the time being. So far, it's been pretty good. (It makes wierd sounds at night!) The kitchen is tiny, but it has a lot of natural light (our last rental felt like a cave) and a pretty nice established yard. There is apparently a peach tree and a cherry tree in the back yard. It's always fun moving to a new place a figuring out what all you need and spending $$ on things to get all situated. So far, it's been pretty good. We'll see how the next 5 1/2 months goes. Wish us luck!

The Big Oak

2010-03-15T19:59:00.000-07:00

So, when Jed and I went to Thomasville, we visited "the big oak." It is amazing! (I had forgotten that I had pictures of it until I was looking for the pics of Hunter's baptism.) Words cannot describe how huge this thing is. Hopefully I got some perspective on it for you. (The sign gives some info on the tree.) Check it out!

30 Nerdy

2010-01-17T16:38:00.000-08:00

The other day, my mom said that soon I'd be in my "thirties." I said "thirty, not thirties!" So, I turned thirty today. I remember turning twenty not so long ago. It was traumatic! But thirty? Wow! It doesn't seem like the biggest deal anymore. What do you do? Another year older. It's just a little bit weird, I guess. Thirty candles is a LOT!

(Hopefully, you can't see all the wrinkles in the pic!)

Sold!

2009-12-12T20:26:00.001-08:00

Well, we sold our house! It's a bittersweet feeling. We'd lived there for almost three years and really have loved it. We had a great ward and great neighbors. It's a little bit sad leaving the house empty, but a bit of a relief too. This will allow us to decide where we're going to be and what we're going to do in the future. We feel so blessed that we were able to sell it in this crummy time, but we're really happy for the family that bought it. I'm sure there's another house out there just waiting for us.

So, I couldn't find a picture of the house, but here's a picture of the kitchen - we'll miss that nice big kitchen!

David Gray

2009-11-03T14:06:00.000-08:00

Well, last night Jed and I went to the David Gray concert. It was at Kingsbury Hall on the U of U campus. We drove there and back last night. (I think that we both realized just how old we really are now!) It was a great concert. What an entertainer! I would definitely recommend seeing him if you have the chance sometime!

Holy Cutthroat-oly!

2009-10-17T18:49:00.000-07:00

Jed, his brother Jason, and I went fishing at Henry's Lake today. On my second cast, I caught a good-sized fish. Kept it. On my fourth cast I caught another good-sized fish (about 2 1/2 lbs.) I considered keeping it, but obviously luck was with me so we tossed it back. We fished for a little but without any luck, so we moved. I cast and caught the humdinger of all fish! Look at this thing! Pictures do NOT do this fish justice. How awesome is this! Needless to say, Jed didn't catch anything, Jason got one, and not another bite the rest of the day. All fish were probably caught within the first hour of our fishing adventure. What a day!

Fresh Garden Tomato, Anyone?

2009-10-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

I hope these are as delicious as they look! Of course, I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing, but today's canning experience went a little more smoothly than last time. I felt a little bit more prepared today. I must not have done much of the work when we canned when I was growing up. This takes more organization than anything. I have a TON of tomatoes from the garden than are now ripening up rapidly. It looks like I have a lot of work to do coming up! What a blast!

I Can Can

2009-10-08T10:22:00.000-07:00

So I attempted to can something. I always thought that canning was lame, but I have found that it's all the rage in my ward - so of course I have to do it! Well, I heard about something called "dilly beans" - it's a pickled bean. Since I grew about a million beans, I thought that I'd attempt these. (I also froze some, but that picture would be pretty boring.) After the (lengthy) processing, I think it's a success - only I haven't tasted them yet. But they LOOK good, right? I may also do some tomatoes, we'll see if they ripen up enough.

General Conference

2009-10-03T13:24:00.000-07:00

I desperately need something to do while listening to conference! I'm usually asleep by now (2:25pm.) It's usually once a year that I bust out my cross stitch or other such craft and work on it during this time. I guess I'll have to do that because I don't have any other amazing project to do (still need a sewing machine.)

The Hook-Up

2009-08-30T17:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I go in for surgery again this week. It's my take-down. Hopefully it will all go well and I will see some major improvements afterword. I will be glad to be rid of my bag, however. I do know now that I could continue with a bag if necessary. It's really convenient in some way, but an inconvenience in many others. Well, wish me luck! (Hopefully my hospital stay is a bit shorter than last time.)

Reaping the Rewards

2009-08-22T10:19:00.001-07:00

Look at all the beans that my little garden has produced! Wow! I went out and picked them this morning and was totally surprised by the bounty. They're HUGE too! I also have a LOT of tomatoes on my tomato plants. I'm not sure, but the neighbor has a FEW, but they're really big. I have a LOT, but not so big at this point. Will mine be okay? I hope so! I love tomatoes! I had thought that all but two of my cucumbers had died, but luckily I planted a few seed elsewhere. Those seem to be doing okay. Also, I think I'll be able to pluck some zucchini from the (vine?) soon. They're getting big. I never knew that I could have so much satisfaction from gardening.

This morning, I went ahead and pulled out most of the Morning Glory that I'd planted. Let's face it; it was strangling everything! The Nasturtiums also seemed to be doing the same thing, plus, they were much larger than I'd anticipated and you couldn't see anything else. (I filled up a huge black garbage bag with both!) I think things look a lot better in the front flower beds. (However, I do think that that Morning Glory just might end up being the bain of my existence!)

Look at my garden grow!

2009-08-13T17:54:00.000-07:00

Look! I've got veggies! I went out to water today and saw that my peas are still very productive, my tomatoes have a few more forming and they're getting bigger too. The zucchini are also quite productive. I finally saw some beans that have sprouted - it's about time! And last, there are actually blossoms on my cucumbers. It's great! I have a green thumb (maybe?!)

Bag Lady

2009-08-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

I tell you what; I must be the biggest idiot ever! So I have an ileostomy (bag.) It's been a bit of a problem lately. Sunday morning I changed it. Due to unfortunate circumstances, I had to change it Sunday night at about 10:30. Monday morning it looked pretty good. I was off to work. It didn't feel "quite right" on my way to work. Had to change it (at work) at 9:00. Got home from work (miraculously made it through work) and had to change it again, about 6:00. What? Another change that night at about 9:30! Can you believe it? The poor skin is so raw! The humiliation of it all! What to do? I've GOT to get help! So far, things are okay today, BUT the day has just begun. Cross your fingers for me!

French Fry, Anyone?

2009-08-08T19:42:00.001-07:00

Something that Jed and I like to do in the summer is go out and get something to eat and take it to a park to eat. One of our favorite meals is sharing a DQ chicken strips basket. Yum! Other times we may get a shake or a shaved ice and enjoy it at the park. Here I am at South tourist park in Idaho Falls enjoying a French Fry (of which I am a connoisseur, of course.) We don't have too many more days of summer to enjoy this past time. I suggest you try it!

Check it out!

2009-07-24T16:03:00.000-07:00

So, last night I was admiring my garden and I noticed a little something on the peas!

Garden update

2009-07-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

Once again, I need to give a garden update. After I got home from Salt Lake, everything had just blown up since I'd been gone! It's amazing! Things were teeny-tiny before we left and now they look so HUGE to me! Check 'em out!

Post-Surgery

2009-07-20T17:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally made it home and am post-surgery. I don't really know how I survived the Hospital stay. Mom and dad visited regularly (and sent everyone else to visit to keep me sane!) It was tough! My mental state while there was definitely that of "emotional basket case." After a full week at St. Marks, I stayed in Salt Lake until Friday so that I could have my post-op appt. with my doctor. It feels great to be home! I'm trying to manage all of my new "appliances." We'll see how that goes. I think I've already had an adverse reaction to one of the stoma products. Hopefully I can figure out which one works best for me - until I go in for another round of surgery. Thanks again for the flowers, prayers, and especially visits!

Sidenote: Please disregard how scary I look in this picture (unfortunately, there are way worse pictures!) Look how swollen I was!

Happy 4th!

2009-07-05T12:01:00.001-07:00

Well, we had a pretty exciting 4th of July. We started the day by working in the front yard a little bit. We had a BBQ at the Bartschi's - Jed's brothers are in town. I made my rocket and we spent some time shooting the rockets off. That was great! My "Sky Writer" was great! It flew so high and we had great success with all of our landings. We also went to the "greatest fireworks show in the West" - that Melaleuca puts on every year. These were followed by our own show put on at home. All in all, it was a pretty great day!

Yard Update ... Again

2009-07-03T15:24:00.000-07:00

So, here are some updated pictures of the flowerbeds. I weeded the other day, but can't tell what are weeds in some cases. I planted a few different flowers by seed and now I can't tell what's what! I left some things (potential weeds) until I know flowers vs. weeds. As you can see in the pics, the flowers have grown a bit. Some of my plants appear to be dying, but I'm going to keep trying to revive them. Here's another picture of my "garden." The peas look great so far!

New 'Doo

2009-07-03T15:07:00.000-07:00

So, I got my hair cut today! Last week I decided that with all the (prednisone-induced) hair loss, I needed to chop some of it off so that it wouldn't look so thin and stringy. It's definitely going to be a change that's for sure!

The Date is Set

2009-06-06T19:44:00.000-07:00

July 8th. I called and set the date. For my colectomy, that is. Of course, I'm not looking forward to it, but it has to be. Jed keeps telling me that my colon doesn't want to be there. (Otherwise, it'd behave, don't you think?) I guess it's time to part with it. I do look forward to no meds - especially the prednisone (and accompanying fat face!) I hope the J-pouch will be my friend.

Garden update

2009-06-06T19:38:00.000-07:00

So far, nothing has sprouted, germinated, etc. Most of the seed packets said that it'd be 7-10 (some said 5-7) days until germination. (Doesn't that mean the same thing as sprouting?) It's been a week and a day today. I was hoping to see something today. It would have been so exciting! Nothing so far! Am I watering too much, not enough? What to do? I guess I'll just have to watch and wait - give it a couple more days and hope for the best (sprouting, that is.) Well, I'll keep you updated!

yard work mania!

2009-05-31T16:38:00.000-07:00

I finally got everything planted in my flower beds. I hope that it will look great when everything grow in and thickens up. The backyard flower beds are going to be our "garden" this year - with peas, beans, tomatoes, zucchini, lemon cucumbers, and strawberries. We will see how it goes. In the front yard, I planted a bunch of new bushes and some flowers. However, I realized that everything I got so far have been annuals, so I've got to add some perennials. Here's a picture of Post-planting. I'll update as things grow (hopefully!)

Easter Greetings

2009-04-14T14:24:00.000-07:00

We had a pretty eventful weekend full of fun activities for Easter. Here is a picture of Jed. I got him this rocket for Christmas. We finally finished it so we could launch it last Saturday. This is just before the virgin flight. Incidentally, as it came down, it landed in a huge tree in Jed's parent's backyard. His brother, Jason, climbed higher in the tree than I thought was possible and tried to reach it with a 20 ft. window washing pole. No such luck. It held too fast to the branches. Jed's dad took matters into his own hands to do a little "pruning" if you will. He got out the shotgun to remove some branches - never mind the fact that his son was in the tree. We did, eventually get it down and launched two more times - more successfully, of course.
Here i am with the (aforementioned) shotgun. We did a little clay-pigeon shooting. I used to have mad skills with a gun. They're slipping.

We also did a little kite-flying. I got Jed a $1 Ironman kite at Walmart. This kept us entertained for a while. We (meaning Jed, me, and two Jed's nieces and a nephew) would let go of the string and chase after it. For fun. Until we didn't get it in time and it landed on the roof.

accident in the backyard

2009-03-13T11:22:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday, I was sitting at the kitchen table preparing for my Sunday School Lesson. Behind me, on Ammon Road, I heard this loud banging sound. At first, I thought that it was a garbage truck hitting some big bumps, but it went on longer than you'd expect. I turned in time to see a pick up truck rolling off the road and approaching the canal bank. Many cars stopped as witnesses ans such and then the police came. I walked out to the edge of the backyard to see the commotion. It was crazy! I've never seen an accident before. I think the guy hit the edge of the barrier that crosses the canal and then rolled a number of times before stopping in the field just on the other side of the canal from our yard. I think the everyone was okay, but it made for quite the exciting afternoon - right in my backyard!

21 Memories of Our House

2009-02-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that this month, 21 years ago, we moved into our house. I figured I could think of 21 memories of growing up there. Here it goes (in no particular order):
1. Digging up rocks on the farm for the retaining wall.
2. Jennifer not wanting to go to Flaming Gorge river rafting, and dad hauling her and some clothing to the car.
3. Breaking into the house when we got back from California late the night before I started eighth grade.
4. Making mud pies and other concoctions in the lower basement.
5. Falling down the stairs while riding piggy-back on dad for early morning scripture study.
6. Having to put grass clippings on the budding front lawn in freezing early morning.
7. Watching for the bus from the kitchen window.
8. Riding our bikes around the block: to 90th, up to Redwood (usually stopping a Becca's grandma's house) down to 106th, back to 13th and home. This included me, Alicia, Emily, Becca, Jenni, and JaNae.
9. Climbing onto and off of the deck like monkeys.
10. Riding our bikes up and down and up and down the street.
11. Jory and Jeff getting into a fight in the front driveway.
12. "Collecting" knobs from the knob shop.
13. Alicia tying me up in mom and dad's room and falling and hitting my head on the wall.
14. Throwing stuff at Edward's house from Bangerter's driveway.
15. Dad cutting the radio power cord with a circular saw while building the house.
16. Jory transferring and sharing bedrooms on a regular basis until Jennifer moved out and he got his own room.
17. Stepping on a mouse in the basement; Alicia and Dave catching a snake in their hobo spider trap.
18. Mormon tea bush. Need I say more?
19. Hitting a bike (or something) with my accord because I didn't know it was in first gear.
20. Building and staining the fence. Scraping and repainting the white fence in front.
21. Our dog, buddy, having been hit by a car - however I don't really remember having him before that event.

10 Things I Remember About the Pink House

2009-02-20T08:51:00.000-08:00

1. I remember jumping out of the kitchen window onto the trampoline.
2. I remember being scared to death of the German Shepherd on the corner.
3. I remember the minivan almost taking out the LeGrande's new fence thanks to Brandon.
4. I remember stepping on the fish that commit suicide on the stairs.
5. I remember jennifer having a Michael jackson poster.
6. I remember performing "Rags to Riches" in the front yard.
7. I remember having a patch of garden, but not necessarily plants in the garden. (It doesn't mean they weren't there though!)
8. I remember walking to the gas station for candy - frequently.
9. I remember tea pot wallpaper in the kitchen.
10. I remember playing in the long jump sand at West Jordan High.

Five Things I Remember About the Yellow House

2009-02-20T08:40:00.000-08:00

1. I remember a white couch that was great for making forts in.

2. I remember the wood-burning stove (for obvious reasons: see above picture)

3. I remember patchwork carpet in the family room and peach walls in the living room.

4. I remember walking to grandma's along the canal road.

5. I remember racing back and forth down the hall. (Do I really remember that or do I just have the scar to prove it happened?)

Okay, so there's six:

6. I remember making mud pies at the doctor's offices next door.

Give Kids a Smile Day

2009-02-10T10:21:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to participate in Give Kids a Smile Day. I am really lucky to work with a group of people that are generous with time and supplies. At the office that I work at, we provided x-rays, child prophies, fluoride, sealants, fillings and more to children in the community the are in need of dental care. I'll admit, I was a little stressed about so many kids at the same place and same time, but the day went really well and I felt great being able to provide such a great service to these kids. It was a great day!

Lazy, lazy

2008-12-10T15:51:00.000-08:00

Well, I've obviously neglected to post ANYthing lately! A bit has happened though. I spent a marvelous week and a half sick as a dog - I seriously thought that I was knocking on Death's door. I spent a night in the hospital - hated every minute of that! This, of course, all took place when Jed and I were supposed to go to Spokane, (yeah, I missed that trip.) I started prednisone yet again - lucky fat-faced me! We had a great Thanksgiving visiting my family in Salt Lake. We hit a few early morning after Thanksgiving sales; all electronics purchases. (Oh, wait! I bought a cute purse - actually 2 - but I am still recovering from sticker shock on one before I actually put it to use if you know what I mean!) Jed and I went and saw Australia with Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman. It was excellent! I really, really liked it. (I must say that before this film, I thought that Hugh Jackman was good looking, but I didn't go ga-ga over him. Now I know why he's sexiest man alive this year.) I had a biopsy on a mole in my belly button. Surprise, surprise! I have to have it excised because it's what? Abnormal? What a shocker. Good thing that I've met my deductible, and quite possibly my out of pocket max for insurance this year! I don't want this post to sound like a downer, because it's not! I'm so excited for Christmas! We haven't put our lights up, and they probably won't make it. We still need to go get a tree. I can't wait to decorate it! Either way, I'll post some pictures of last years lights and tree. They're pretty great!

Trick-or-treat

2008-11-04T11:26:00.000-08:00

Halloween has come and gone. What happened to the good old days when people went trick-or-treating to neighbors' houses instead of the (lame) trunk-or-treat? Is it really safer? I say "NO!" While trick-or-treating, I can go to those houses of friends, ward members, etc. - basically, people that I know won't poison anyone. Or I could go to a trunk-or-treat where there can be just as many people that I don't know. I personally think that it's a poor excuse for a lazy parent. It has it's place, but I don't think it's necessary for most communities.

Next on my agenda of complaining is the bratty trick-or-treaters themselves. Many that came to my house didn't even say "trick-or-treat!" Next, on offering them what I considered pretty good treats - fun size (not mini, mind you) - Snickers and Reese's peanut butter cups, I was asked "How many?" Are you joking me? Are kids not taught manners these days? If I wanted you to take, say, four candies, I would say so wouldn't I? Many kids had to be prompted by there parents to say "thank you." Even then, they did it half-hearted. That's if the parents even said anything! Come, on parents. Get it together! Teach your kids some manners. (I guess this only helps if you have manners yourself.)

Now, I must admit that there were probably SOME that didn't act this way, and to you kids, I say thank you. Halloween used to be such a fun day. Everyone used to get in on the fun. Now, it just doesn't seem the same. Sorry to sound so grumpy, but I just had to get that off my chest.

Next year, we may just turn off the lights.

2 Days and counting...

2008-10-28T14:55:00.000-07:00

Jed and I love 30 Rock. We've even prepped ourselves for the new season (which starts in 2 days, Thursday the 30th) by re-watching last season. We finished it last night. (Jed: "one more episode?" Me: "yes" Jed: "one more?" Me: "Of course! Must watch more...") Anyway, it's a great show. So great, in fact, when I was in New York last month, I HAD to visit 30 Rock. Every episode is fantastic, every character is hilarious, and you just can't help but laugh - a lot. Anyway, watch it. 2 days. Do it. You'll wonder what you ever did without it.

infliximab and I are tight

2008-10-27T14:01:00.001-07:00

It has finally happened! I had my first infusion of Remicade on Friday. So far, I feel the same. A little sore, maybe. Hopefully this will do all that it needs to do so that I can feel normal again. At least so that I have flares less often. I was at the IV home health office for about three and a half hours for the first infusion. The first hour of that was paperwork and consent forms, etc. Usually, it will take about two hours. The scary thing is, they gave me two Benadryl and I didn't fall asleep - and I drove myself home! (However, I went to bed at about 8:00 pm) By the way, infliximab is the generic name for Remicade.

Dental Dreaming Dilemma

2008-10-24T09:21:00.000-07:00

The past few nights, I have dreamt about my ISU dental hygiene days. The fact that I graduated THREE years ago doesn't seem to make any difference on my REM sleep.

Two nights ago, I dreamt that one of the faculty members came to tell me that my grade had been calculated incorrectly and that I got a D instead of what they thought I got. This meant that I would have to retake the class. They also wanted me to retake my clinical boards. I told them that I PASSED my boards and I would NOT retake them. What a nightmare!

Last night, I dreamt that I was at work and I had bleach trays in my mouth, as well as fluoride trays, and I was drooling all over the place and one of the faculty members was there judging me and giving me the evil eye.

We'll just have to see what tonight will bring!

Jerky, anyone?

2008-10-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

Jed and I went on our (semi)-annual hunting trip. Jed, the mega-shot, hit this deer about ten minutes after we left the truck. He spotted it, shot it, and then we headed towards it. We were prepared in case it took off, wounded, but then a HUGE guy took off towards the ridge. It was moving too fast for both of us, neither of us got a shot off. Jed was freeking out because he was sure that he'd hit the deer in his first shot. We decided to see if he'd hit it and we could track it and, low and behold, there was this guy sitting there. Jed had hit it in the head. I gutted it (or attempted to) and it took us the rest of the day to skin it and all other required things before we could take it to be processed into jerkey (Mmm. Mmm.) After all the work, we were both so tired and sore that we aren't ready to do any hunting again anytime soon. (We'll probably forget this all by next year though) The last deer we got was six years ago. We decided that every six years is enough!

(I originally posted this in the Schmidt family blog, but Jed wanted me to post it here as well. We have recieved our jerky - and tons of it! Jed said when he picked it up he got a BIG box as well as a grocery bag full of jerky. Everyone else that was picking theirs up at the same time had much smaller boxes. I kind of had to laugh about that!)

Fantastic Fishing Fanatic!

2008-10-20T17:54:00.000-07:00

Jed and I went fishing this weekend with the Bartschis. (Correction: Jed went fishing. I sat in the boat and read - quite a bit actually!) Because in years past, we never have very much luck with the fishing at Henry's Lake, I decided that I would bow out of the experience this year and I didn't get my license. Well, well, well. If the fishing wasn't the best EVER! Jed caught four or five and his brother, Jason, caught four or five as well. We actually lost count! Jed was determined that we should run into the gas station and get me my license so that I could get in on the action. They also decided that next year, Jed's nephew, Ethan would have to come so that the limit (in total) would increase.

It was beautiful weather (probably the last we'll have until next July!) All in all, it was a fun and eventful fishing day. Plus, look at the surprise we found when we got home!

Snowy Sunday

2008-10-12T18:15:00.001-07:00

We woke up this morning to snow - a lot of it! It's October for crying out loud. (The picture shown is last night's snowstrom - before all the "sticking" of the snow.) I also got a new calling this morning. Let me just mention that on my way to the church to get this calling, I got pulled over. Yes, I was apparently going 52 in a 40 mph zone. I did NOT get a ticket though (thank the heavens!) I'll be team teaching with another sister in the ward. Sunday School; 14-17 year olds. Jed made me go today (I was planning on one last Sunday of leisurely listening and not really having to contribute to a lesson). Low and behold, there wasn't a teacher there, so I randomly had to teach! I didn't know where to start, what they'd been learning, who they even were! Let's just say I'm not so good on me feet like that! I'm not even good WITH preparation time!

Eight is great

2008-10-12T17:58:00.000-07:00

Jed and I celebrated our eight year anniversary on Monday (October 6th). Wow! Time flies. I went to this cupcake place in Rexburg after work because we've been wanting to try them for a while now. My plan was to get eight cupcakes - one for every year we've been married. It just ended up being cheaper to get a dozen (I thought about eating four all by myself and giving Jed the eight still, but that would have been bad!) We celebrated that night by going to dinner together - and we've been enjoying cupcakes all week! The flavors I got included: red velvet, chocolate cheesecake, ultimate brownie, pumpkin chocolate chip, oreo, and coconut-lime. Mmm! They've been delicious! Happy anniversary to us!

New York, New York

2008-10-12T11:22:00.000-07:00

Well, I spent (10?) days in New York with Alicia, Sarah, Zach, and Dave. They took me to see almost everything there is to see in the big apple. Poor Sarah had to walk everywhere while Zach got to ride in style. We went to the Museum of Natural History (I didn't see the Relic for those of you that read Preston - Child novels), we went to Central Park, Wall Street, China Town, Little Italy, the Empire State Building, 5th Avenue, 30 Rock (the greatest show ever!), Times Square, Grand Central Station, walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, and more I'm sure. While there, Alicia and I caught a live filming of the Martha Stewart Show (with very exciting surprises: see Alicia's blog) and we also made it to the Today Show, which is my favorite morning news show. That was a PACKED week and a half! I'm positive that the Vawdrey's were pretty sick of me at the end of it.

A New Yorkers life is definately different from an Idahoans: you MUST have a purse that will hold at least three gallons of milk. You MUST have an ipod (you couldn't possible ride the subway or bus without one). It is absolutely NECESSARY to wear leggings or a scarf - if you're a woman, of course. 1$ bills are a MUST of you ride the bus. Umbrellas need to be on your person at all times. You need to be able to understand multiple languages (well, at least the accents - I sat by this guy on the bus and he kept talking to me but I didn't understand a word -0 even though it was English - I THINK!

Anyway, I had a great time there thanks to my great tour guides. I would love to visit again sometime! (With all that I saw, there actually is still MORE to see. Can youbelieve it?)

With one accord

2008-09-18T10:41:00.000-07:00

If there is one car that I would definitely love to have. it's a new accord. Can you get anything better? My old '88 accord lasted me throughout many a troubled times and lasted FOREVER! In the time that Jed and I had old snowflake, we replaced an axle and the belts - that's it! No alternators, no (whatever else you may need to replace in the life of a car). We maintained it and it was great up until we sold it. Even though you needed to keep your foot on the gas (and clutch) as you braked, and it make a wonderful screeching sound, it was a great car. If the new accords are anywhere remotely as reliable as that thing was, I'd take one in a heartbeat. I just have to be able to afford it first.

Humira out: Remicade in?

2008-09-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

So, I got the letter from Blue Cross today denying me in the use of Humira injections for my ulcerative colitis. It is listed as "Experimental and Investigational," therefore not covered under my plan. What a surprise, my insurance company not coming through. I did actually have hope after I had spoken with someone on the phone about it, but no guarantees, right? Next, I'll have to see if they'll authorize me for Remicade. It's going to be much more spendy, but if it does the trick, it does the trick.

Additions to the top ten

2008-09-05T15:39:00.001-07:00

Here are some additions that I'd like to make to the top ten, or some funny new shows to look for this fall:

Miss Guided

Eureka

Chuck

The Windy City

2008-08-26T11:49:00.000-07:00

I must say, the wind in Idaho Falls has to compete with that of Chicago. I have never lived anywhere so windy. Personally, I'm sick and tired of it. Seriously, how many places can you live and experience wind (regularly) at 15-25 mph (yes, this is from today's weather report.) Let me repeat that: fifteen to twenty miles per hour! This being the case, you just can't get anything done! Just walking to the mailbox is a test of strength (or weight for that matter)! And it never lets down. I parked my car earlier today and was just sitting in it for a minute and the whole thing was jiggling and vibrating like it just might take off! There's no point in doing your hair. The garbage can blows across the street. All I can say is I hope that our house is properly built and the roof remains intact.

Reno or bust!

2008-08-19T15:39:00.000-07:00

Jed and I drove to Reno, NV last weekend. Nine hours of fun-filled driving bliss (one way)! I had a good friend, Trista, from hygiene school who was having a wedding reception there. We had a pretty good time. Reno is a lot bigger than I had expected. We shopped, went to a movie, shopped some more, had pulled pork (from best in the west ribs winner BJ's BBQ). We hoped to catch them filming an episode of Reno 911 (is it really filmed there?) We had good intentions to maybe play the slots or something, but it never happened. We also discovered a truly great invention: the portable DVD player. We borrowed one from Jed's sister, Melissa, for the drive. Of course, we thought that it was so great that we bought one while we were there! (Sweet! Now I can take it to entertain me for my future travels to NYC next month!) Any future road trips will require movies and popcorn now!

Tomatoes, Anyone?

2008-08-13T18:57:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg. It was a great book! Now, I need to rewatch the movie. It also is pretty cool because Jed and I ate at the Whistle Stop Cafe in Georgia. (Of course, we had grilled cheese instead of the fried green tomatoes!)

I also reread one of my favorite books of all time: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. This was brought on by the fact the Jed and I just watched the movie with Johnny Depp. When I first saw the movie, I thought that Willy Wonka was a bit too weird. (Although I do love Johnny Depp!) The second time around, he was still a little bit weird, but I could appreciate it. The movie follows the book really closely - (With the exception of the additional traumatic dental scenes, of course.) I think I need to reread (and PURCHASE) all of Roald Dahl's books. He is still my favorite childhood author. How can you not love his books?

It's a JUNGLE out there!

2008-08-12T11:11:00.000-07:00

Literally, a jungle. Today, for the first time, I mowed the lawn in its entirety. It took me two hours. There are sooo many weeds. This picture doesn't do it justice. Our lawn is HUGE! (Why did we think that MORE property was better, again?) Surprisingly, the grass is quite a bit taller where there are more weeds. I think I mowed a thousand ladybugs down this morning. To the untrained eye, it may not look like the undertaking that it has been. We brought in three dump truck loads of dirt, one (or two?) loads of road base. Two rentals worth of a bobcat, one ditch witch - pipe puller, a grater, the purchase of a landscape rake, probably over a thousand feet of polypipe, hundreds of feet of funnypipe, over twenty additional sprinkler heads, over nine thousand square feet of hydroseed and lots of waterings later, we do have the semblance of a lawn! I think it'll be worth it!

Top 10

2008-08-05T21:00:00.000-07:00

I don't really care for TV Drama. No CSI, SVU or 24 for me. I prefer comedies. These are what I consider the top 10 Comedy series of all time. (In no particular order) However, some you must see from the first season. They just get better and better.

Psych

30 Rock

How I Met Your Mother

Freaks and Geeks

Arrested Development

The Office

Rules of Engagement

Pushing Daisies

Scrubs

The Simpsons

Dexter (Okay, this is probably a Drama, but it's also number 11, so who cares right? It also MUST be edited)

10 Years

2008-07-31T20:40:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago at work I had a patient that I was talking to about school. (I work in Rexburg, therefore I have a lot of BYU-I students that I see.) He asked me if I was going to school. I informed him that I was done with school - "I went to school here when it was Ricks college, then I graduated from ISU," I said. "Oh, well then you're QUITE a bit older" was his response! Holy cow! I'm still not sure on how I should take this - does this mean that I don't look quite THAT old yet, or what? Anyway, I thought it was pretty dang funny.

Speaking of old, my ten year high school reunion is coming up next month. Wow! This makes me feel old. I got onto the website for it and saw what a lot of people have been up to. It's a bit weird seeing who married who and what they're doing now. Hopefully Jed and I will make it to the reunion!

Back In the Saddle again

2008-07-25T09:48:00.000-07:00

So, I'm on prednisone yet AGAIN! Not even off for two weeks and already having problems. I'm almost at my wits end! I will be having an appointment with a nurse practitioner on Tuesday, but who knows what the result of THAT will be. I'm almost to the point of considering the double wham-o expensive infusion Remicade. We'll see how my appointment goes and then go from there, I guess.

The Girl With No Shadow

2008-07-25T09:37:00.000-07:00

The Girl With No Shadow by Joanne Harris was a pretty entertaining read. It is a follow-up to Chocolat. I will admit that when I first began reading, I was somewhat confused: the story is narrated by three different characters - no way of differentiating who with each chapter until you've read some ways into it sometimes. Because I didn't read Chocolat, (I've only seen the movie) I think that I missed a few things there as well: this story is in modern day; there must have been some differences in the ending as well. Overall, I really did like the book. It was really interesting and it definately kept me turning the page. Character development was really great, but also an important key to the story. I would recommend this book, but now I think that I have to go back and read Chocolat as well!

A Great Read

2008-07-17T17:03:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading The Island by Victoria Hislop. It was a great read! It's about a leper colony on an island off of Crete. I would highly recommend it. I'm looking forward to reading this author's next book called The Return - however, I have to wait to read it because our library here doesn't have it! Next, I'm going to start The Girl With No Shadow by Joanne Harris. This is a sequel to Chocolat. I'll let you all know how it is.

In the "ZONE"

2008-05-18T15:25:00.000-07:00

(Prednisone, that is) So, I started it: 40 mg on April 26th. Still on 40 mg, what? Three weeks later? It's going okay at this point. I'm keeping track, weekly photos to moniter the progress of the fattening face. It's already a little fuller, but I'm managing my cravings (somewhat) and really exercising so that I don't go crazy and fatten up.
Jed and I have been working in the yard. We had road base brought in and built up an RV pad in the back by the shed. We got a landscape rake and I raked out half the yard. It's a lot of work! I have no memory of helping in our yard other then collecting rocks up at the farm for the retaining wall - oh, and putting grass clippings on the front lawn in the bitter morning before school. Landscaping? No go. I'm convinced that the next yard we get will either be smaller or complete!
I've also been thinking of attempting to put togeter a family recipe book, you know, that includes all the family greats (grandma Crane's green jell-o, grandma Schmidt's English toffee, Mauri's caramel brownies, etc. I think I'll send out a e-mail to you all to gather and collect these, then compile them as best I can. SOund good?

Breann, Gamer

2007-10-01T14:47:00.000-07:00

So, Jed and I are having our 7-year anniversary (yes, count them, that's SEVEN) this Saturday. It's pretty exciting I'd say. We're getting pretty old! For that anniversary, we are going to a Collective Soul concert in Salt Lake. We're pretty excited because we're going to the "meet n' greet" the hour before the show. I get to meet these guys! How fantastic is that!
We're also hoping to get our yard excavated a little bit - hopefully we won't have an olympic-size skating rink in our backyard this winter!
Also, Jed has turned me into a video-game junkie! He convinced me to play a computer game online with him - called Battlefield 2142 (totally a guy game!) I'll admit, that I was dreaming about the game last night. I was driving tanks and taking over the other team's posts. Pretty exciting, huh!? Have you ever seen that Simpsons episode where Marge becomes a gamer?

bienvenidos a la blog!

2007-09-23T17:51:00.000-07:00

Hola! Welcome to the blog of Breann. I have no idea what I'm doing, but it seems that everyone else is doing it so I might as well give it a try, right?
Not much is going on in good old Idaho Falls. Jed and I are trying to work on the house - improvements all the time. We're hoping to finish off the family room (theater room) in the basement this Fall/Winter. Do we have our priorities straight or what?
Jed and I are currently taking a Spanish class (hence the title of this blog.) We both thought that we could really benefit at work by being able to better communicate in this way. It's a lot of fun so far. In two classes, we feel like we've already learned more than we did in middle (or high) school.
We've also discovered a great past t.v. series that we really missed out on in the past: Freaks and Geeks. I would definitely recommend it to anyone!