Hitting the books...

It's offical...I am now a student again and will be hitting the books in January!  I have learned the hard way that it isn't a good idea to go to a small school that requires the bare minimal for the program you are in.  I have soooo many prereqs to take for PA school and I am to say the least not very happy about it.  I have had to put my big girl pants on and enroll in classes that I have already taken because nothing transfered.  So, needless to say I feel like I am a freshman enrolling in classes that I took almost 10 years ago.  The difference is I am going to be sitting in classes with students that are true freshman while I am 28 years old and have a bachelor's degree!!!  Oh the joy of attending class with 18-20 yr. olds, all while they stero-type me as the "non-traditional" student!!!  Help me hold back the excitement!!!  You won't find much excitement in my voice or heart of starting school again until I am accepted into PA school...then I will be jumping for joy!!!  I just gotta get through these prereqs!!!!  I CAN DO IT!!!! 

O Christmas Tree

Last Friday, one of my friends came over and helped me decorate my Christmas tree and put out my other Christmas decorations!!!  I bought a new tree this year because the one I have had previous years was small and not very full! I choose the color scheme of black and silver and it looks great!!  The tree is even complete with my stocking and Mia's stocking under the tree!  Mia doesn't seemed bothered by it, but when we are playing catch and a bone goes under the tree, you can bet that she doesn't even think about going under there to get it!!! 

Chiefs vs. Steelers

My dad and I headed out of Oakley on Saturday morning in route for the casino in Topeka!!!  Yes, we had to leave a whole day and a half before the Chiefs game (the real reason we were headed to eastern KS), so my dad could gamble!!!  I spent the afternoon with my aunt and uncle and it was great catching up with them!
On Sunday, Dad and I drove over to KC, leaving way early so he could stop at Harrah's and gamble some more!!!  Then we were finally off the Chiefs game!!  We met up with my cousins, Derek, Linsdey, Jenny, and Scottie and tailgated before going into the stadium!!!  Let me tell you it was a FREEZING game!!!  But we had fun!!! Despite the outcome of them game it was great to see my cousins and spend some quality time with my dad!!!

My nephew and brother-in-law Lee are a house divided!!!

Thanksgiving 2011

This year Mia and I headed back to Kansas for Thanksgiving with my family!!  It was a sooo good to be home for 5 days!!  The only people missing where my sister Jera, her husband Lee, and my nephew Nick...they were unable to travel the 8 hours home because Jera is close to her due date and her doctor wouldn't let her travel that far!!  They were with us in spirit!!!  But we missed them dearly!
Thanksgiving Day  Mom, Tori, and I got up bri
ght and early, turned on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and the baking began!!!  We made an apple pie and a pumpkin pie, while mom got other things ready for the rest of the guests to arrive!!!  Before we sknew it my mom's brother and sister showed up with their families and the chaos began!!!  We had a blast and Mia and Gia were the highlight of the day with all the kids!!  Mia even turned into an airplane at one point!  Those girls were tired pups by the end of the day!!!

With Mia and Gia shortly after they were reunited! 

Aren't they the cutest little pups you ever did see???

All tuckered out!!!

Mia and Gia got spayed the day after Thanksgiving...they looked pitiful when they got home!!  Neither one of them was the least bit happy that they had to wear those collars!

Friday night after Thanksgiving...we went to the Oakley light parade and it was actually pretty good!!  After the parade Tori and I went to the bowling alley with my friend Amande...now of course we told my dad that we were just going to have a couple beers and come home...well after several beers we finally arrived home at 2:00 am...as I walked into the house I went looking for Mia...and where did I find her....IN MY PARENT'S BED!!!  I was SHOCKED!!!!  My mom is slowly becoming a puppy lover...well a Mia and Gia lover!!!!

Amanda and I at the bowling alley in Oakley!

Amanda, Tori, and I

Debut of the new name!!

Well, after reading blog names after blog names, there is one that always comes back to me and was suggested by a friend that I met while traveling in Corpus Christi.  He suggested..."small tales of a not-so-little hearted Kansas girl".  I wanted to keep a little bit of nursing in the title, so instead of "code blog: tales of a travel nurse", I decided to go with "code blog: small tales of a NOT-SO-LITTLE hearted kansas girl"  So there you have it, my new blog name that describes me well!!!  I try not to bore anyone with long posts, so small tales works great, and I feel like I have a big heart so NOT-SO-LITTLE hearted" fits right in there, and of course I'm from Kansas while living in Colorado, so that suits me as well!!!  Hope you all will find that this new name suits my blog as well!!!