And it is....

A sever allergy to milk proteins.

After years (since high school, about 7 years), I have had this horrible gross intestinal problem. I have seen 4 different doctors, one specialist, countless CT scans, and ultra sounds. To finally have some one say, "Hey could you be lactose intolerant? 30% of the people I see with this that is what it is."

Well... let me think MY DAD is lactose intolerant...

I saw my regular doctor today for a follow up from my appointment with the GI specialist. I asked her some questions about things and with just a few questions; we decided no more milk AT ALL!

It is a sad day, but at least it isn't wheat also!

(Well that I have to go get prick tested for and am waiting to do that....)

A New Year. An Organized Life.

A couple of weeks ago I decided I need to organize my life. I am horrible at keeping our house clean, dishes done, floors swept or vacuumed, washing and folding the laundry... The list of every day tasks grows! Some days I feel so overwhelmed that I do not do ANYTHING I probably should do.

So last Monday, I had this brilliant idea to make a list of 5 things to do every day that week. The 5 things went into these categories:

dinner

laundry

cleaning task

craft/yarn project

something for me

Let me explain a bit. I don't think like most women, I have learned. I think it has to do with a) having and engineering degree b) learning how to think like all those guys in my engineering classes and c) growing up hating men. (I have problems I know, just talk to my high school friends, they have great stories!)

Dinner: I learned that if there was no plan for dinner, we don't eat. For most of B and I's marriage I have made a meal calendar, gone grocery shopping, and then decided we were going to eat other meals. Therefore spending more money and throwing away lots of food and money! So I am going to change the way I do our meal calendar, not sure but more on that in another post.

Laundry: I am very particular about how my clothes get washed. No sure where/why I developed this. I run enough loads of laundry that I figured out a plan for washing all our clothes, towels, and bedding on a 2 week rotation. With this plan of mine I only do laundry 3 days a week! It opens up time for other things, I like doing more.

Cleaning Task: Yes, laundry is not a cleaning task. This is not one of those every day things, like dishes. More of things you need to do once a week, like mopping, vacuuming, dusting, deep cleaning rooms (kitchen and bathroom), and changing bedding.

Craft/Yarn Project: I have a lists of 20+ projects I want to finish one day... I need to schedule time for myself to do them. With this little daily list do-dab I have finished 2 projects for Christmas!!

Something for Me: We always need down time for ourselves. This is my one thing I really want to get done thing for me. It varies, some days it is organize the closet other days it is go to project group. It is just something that I want done that I know will make me happy.

Since this little list do-dab work fairly well last week, I decided I am going to make being organized my New Year Resolution. It is the only one I have this time. No, list of 50 billion things I want to change. No, crazy goals that even know I can't keep. Something simple, and that is going to make my life and every one around me more pleasant.

No one ever says you have to wait until New Years to make those, so I decided to start now.

A Trial of My Own...

I think a lot about things that more than likely will never happen. When I was young it was about what would happen when one of my parents left. In high school it was about what if was one of my siblings died. Now it is about what if we never have children...

Right now my trial is almost too hard for me to carry. I am working on accepting and moving on. One of the hardest parts is the waiting game. Pullman is small, and trying to see a specialist is like waiting for a blue moon!

Then to top it off, I am in a point in my life, where most of the people I associate with have young children. I love babies, and being told that maybe I can't have any, is completely devastating.

Every time I go to the doctor, and nothing has changed I get depressed. Every month, I get to put a big red dot on the calendar, I get depressed. Every time someone else announces they are expecting, I get angry.

I don't understand, and maybe never will.

Most of us do not understand God's timing or why he gives us the trials he does.

So how are we supposed to cope when everyone else is having what you desired most, and you might never experience...

You take it one day at a time. I am trying to be more open about the situation, not to make anyone feel bad, but to let it out so I am not so down on myself.

Many know about my sister-in-law and how they are expecting and how it sent me to a very dark place. I am slowly getting out of it. It is hard. There are so many things I do not understand, and really should just let it go. It is not my problem. I live 300 plus miles away. I only have to hear about it if I really want to. Well I don't. I want to just pretend like she doesn't exist right now, while I deal with my fertility issues.

I have an appointment Monday for the doctor to start looking for what could be wrong. I haven't even gone in yet, and am scare of what the results are going to be, what crazy tests they are going to do, and all the emotions that come with it.

I try to play this off like B and I haven't been trying, or we haven't decided it is time yet, but really those are just lies. I don't know what to say to people. I don't want pity. I want understanding. I want some one to say, "hey, I am dealing with that too," or "you know, we had some road blocks too." I want people to be a support or a friend to lend that listening ear.

I am Full of Thanks for...

a home

a warm bed

my job

my degree

my talents

my friends, near and far

the internet so I can be close to those for

our fat brat cat

my fishies

my sewing machine

B's job

our car and truck

Phyllis the Philodendron

our washing machine and dryer

shoes

clothes

hand knitted socks

food

non-dairy foods that actually taste good

my wonderful husband who works so hard both at work and at school

A To Finish List...

I have many 'to do lists' but things never seems to get done.... Maybe because they arent really things that need to be 'to do'ed but more of things that need to be finished. Things that need to be 'to do'ed are things like getting up, showering, and eating. If you don't do those things eventually you wont be able to do anything! So I am changing my every growing list to a to finish list... And here they are...

Christmas to finish list
Steve's hat and gloves from last year...
Brody's finger-less gloves
Mary's elephant
Twins monster hats
Washcloths for: mom, Terrie, Alex
Mittens for Cora
Earwarmers for Aarra and Lilli
Herringbone cowl and scarf

General crafts to finish
Doc who scarf
Tumbling block afghan
Granny square afghan
Tree of life afghan
Apron and matching hot pads
Lullaby cross-stitch
Scrapbooking: Wedding, Anniversaries
Lining the curtains
Halloween costumes

Refurbishing to finish
Sewing cupboard
3 chairs: one wooden one to paint, two wooden ones to re-upholster and paint
picture frames

Now if only I could get paid to finish these items and not have to work...

Well, I just must be...

*Witch* then!

The other day, someone (random person out in the town) called me a *witch*. I was so shocked that I responded, "Well, I guess I am!" I was at a store and was mad that this person had cut in front of my while I was waiting.

But I have been thinking... maybe I am...

I do not like to make friends. I have a hard time with the friends that come and go. I want a friend who is there for the long haul!

I do not like to say nice things. Really, it is hard for me, and hard for me to take complements. Also, I HATE it when people say something nice, but then back talk you behind your back...

I do not like how everyone is preggers! I am not drinking anything at church that I don't bring! I am joking there, but seriously. I am a really hurt with how some of them are 'dealing' with it. I really appreciated the high council member on Sunday who, talked about the elephant in the room that no one will acknowledge.

But maybe I am not...

I might not want to be in our ward right now, but I feel appreciated by the very few friends we have.

I love to help people with things. Sewing, knitting or crocheting, babysitting, hair for something important, or even just someone to talk to who can actually understand and talk back.

I love to make food for people! Even more that there is only a few things I can eat right now, I want to give people I know my food, before I take it to the food bank.

I love to laugh with you. I love project group, mainly because I get a good laugh in there, but also because I feel like I can impress people with my not so good 'yarning' skills.

I love to clean. Yes, I love my house clean, the dishes done, the laundry all folded and put away, house vacuumed and dusted... But I know that life doesn't always let the happen, so I love my shinny sink in the mean time.


I have been a little depressed that last few months dealing with some things, and I don't know how to talk to people about it. So, I have decided to take some time and make a list of things that make me happy, after a list of what makes me sad, always having more happy than sad.

Goals, Goals, and Goals!

I wish this was a post about soccer, but sadly it is not.

Most of you readers know about my 25 by 25 list, and as January gets closer I start to wonder what really is going to be achieved on that list...

Right now, I have done 4 of 25 Now some of the goals are a year one thing so I am on track to have almost half of the list done!

I have been work hard this last week on actually sitting down and reading my scriptures! I am so proud of myself! This last week I started reading in Moroni and am now in the middle of Mormon (I like to the BoM backwards, so that way when I get to 2 Nephi I don't quit!) Goal here: Finish BoM by New Years!!

Another goal, of mine, which sounds totally selfish, is I want some more really close good friends in Pullman! Seriously, B has 4-5 years left of school and I don't feel like people want to be friends with us because they are leaving before us. OR they think that because B is from here we have local friends-- NOT TRUE!! We actually know more students than residents of Pullman, or the 'local' people we know are students who will one day leave just like us!

Lastly, I want to turn our very unorganized basement into a functional storage room/workout area/study area for B. Today I spent some time trying to find a space to put all of the apple stuff we canned and the food I got from the cannery on Saturday... I think the basement is a never ending pit of stuff... Slowly I will beat it!

Happy Birthday to... No Body?

Tonight we stole some kids, well actually we were asked to babysit. When I was talking to the kids what we should do, they decided to have a birthday party! Well naturally I couldn't turn down the cutest three kids that I know so, I threw a last minute birthday party for No body!

So here are our pictures from our party!

Don't mind how ugly this cake is... It was a last minute, horrible frosting job...

Our party guests

Singing Happy Birthday

Oh, aren't they the cutest!!

YUUMMY CAKE!

Summer Recap # 2: ...and on the eighth day, god created TEXAS!

I am supposed to pay bills on the first Thursday of the month, but I don't want too. So I thought it was time for another summer recap, because I am lame and did not do them after they happened.

I LOVE Texas! I love the people, the weather, and places to see. I also love that a lot of my extended family lives there. When I grew up in Florida almost every other year we would travel to see family there. Now that we live in Washington, it never happens.

So as a graduation present to myself I went and visited my Grandma and Poppa who live in San Antonio. Poppa took me to the river walk that has opened up more of the river recently. We also went to the Tower of the America's, which is taller than the Space needle by about 500 feet, and you can see so much more!

Me at the River Walk

A one legged pigeon. It was so gross I had to take a picture!

Poppa, and the entering the locks! 

the Locks filling so we can go up.

I got to steady the boat while we were in the lock. It was only Poppa , the  driver and I on the boat,

Locks opening. The locks were really cool, have learned about them in school, but had never seen a real one in action!

The Tower of the Americas

The view. The joke is that Texas is so flat you can see the to Mexico...

The Alamo!

Fall...

Fall always brings about the change of the leaves, and the cool crisp air. But this year is brought something sad!! Our beloved tree swing and climbing tree was felled in the beginning of the fall. It was a very sad day as that tree is was sold us on renting our place. So here are a few pictures...

Our poor ca was very distraught, and now sits and looks out the window all day long...

Mixed Feelings About Leaving

We are more than likely going to change wards. Nothing is set in stone, and there are a couple of people in our current ward who would really like us to stay. But after two and a half years, enough is enough.

I am not sure how to tell people, so I thought I would be impersonal.

Maybe I feel like people don't notice us is because we don't fit the "stereotype" of our ward. It isn't really that they don't notice us as much as most do not seem to want to get to know us.

It is sad when your home teachers come over and basically say, if it wasn't for this assignment we wouldn't of had tried to get to know you.

Even though I am done trying to make friends in the ward, and I am done with the cliques and the looks. I am sad we won't be seeing those few close friend we do have every week.

Friendship is important to me, honestly it is what brought me back to church, but no one wants to be some place they know they aren't welcome.

What am I thinking!?!--An expression of fears...

*We are not expecting*

We have decide to grow our family... 

And I am scared! 

Over a year ago, I though it was time and it has taken this long for us both to agree. 

But now...

 I am worried about everything!! Honestly, one worry is that I must be crazy! Seriously, I met Brody in December of 2008 and we got married in May 2009!!! And now I want to have a baby with him. I know people have kids sooner than we are planning but... I still worry.

Of course I am worried about all the 'normal' things:

Can we easily conceive?

When/how will I know?

Will I be good at well, everything?

Will I be able to breastfeed?

Am I ready?

Summer Recap #1: Graduation!!

Well, my last few posts have NO pictures in them, but I have tons of pictures to post! So, I am going to start with the beginning of summer and work my way to now.

Graduation, was in May! I am so glad to be done with school! I graduated with a degree in Material Science and Engineering with a Minor in German and Mathematics! Man, when you put it like that the 6 years seems reasonable. I still haven't mailed out announcements... I probably should do that. Maybe that will be my goal Christmas cards and Graduations announcements.

Here are some pictures from graduation.

Engineering Arch with my parents.

Just a little bit of sisterly love...

My Best friend came to visit!

25 By 25 Revisit--8 Months

Well, it has been 8 months since I posted my 25 by 25 list. I thought I would take a moment to reflect on it and make change a few things to be more realistic!

25 by 25

Lose 50 lbs--So the semester was harsh, then I took a vacation to Texas. If you have never been to Texas, expect to gain a few pounds!! Well, this goal really comes down to good ole' will power... I think I am just going to see if I can go down a pant size or two by January

Graduate--DONE!! 

Finish 4 of the 12 knitting/crocheting projects I have started... I finished ONE!!! And am working on number two. After this one is finished, I am going to finish things for B and some unfinished Christmas presents from last year...

Publish a research paper--This one is not possible, although I am helping B with some stuff at work for a paper

Go 10 days with out spending any money-- This is my goal for October.

Go on a date with Brody once a month (4/12)--This one is easy! I have even be trying to come up with "free dates"... Any Ideas?

Read my scriptures more regularly-- This is actually a challenge for me, that was extended to those I visit teach.

Run a 5K in 30 minutes (in Nov I did one in 46 mins, March 47...) I think there is one coming up in Nov...

Work out 3 times a week for 10 weeks straight--I am really good at working out once a week... If I do this then I will be ready for the 5K...

Attend the temple 10 times (4/10)--I need to be more committed to this and my scriptures.

Have 100% visiting teach for the year (8/12) 

Organize and keep organized my office--work in progress... I had it clean, then work picked up. It is more organized than it normally is.

Take a box to Goodwill monthly (2/12)--um... We have a box, but getting B to agree on what needs to go is the challenge.

Save $1500 (have $1500 in savings)-- My second job is helping with this. Except, student loans are coming due...

Deep clean the kitchen bi-monthly (3/6)--I hate cleaning the kitchen, but a clean kitchen makes me happy!

Dust monthly (it is so dusty in Pullman!!)

Finish Tree of Life Afghan

Make a habit of getting up and out of bed for the day with the first alarm-- Does 8 am count as getting up early...

Have a baby/get pregnant-- I guess I can only get pregnant now...

Ski a Black slope (currently a moderate blue skier)

Put pictures in our picture frames--This one is going well! Until I hung a bunch of new ones...

Finish our wedding/honeymoon/anniversaries scrapbook

Keep the living/family room clean for a month--Done!! now to keep it clean!

Keep a weekly journal--I should probably get a journal... 

Kiss and tell Brody I love him, and a reason why DAILY--A lot harder than it sounds...

3/25... I have a lot to do before January!

Summer is over...

And it is a very sad fact for us. Brody took the summer off from school, which was wonderful for me during the summer, not it is not! School started a few weeks ago, and he is taking two classes again. Honors Calculus two and Honors English. He hates being the oldest person in his classes of mostly freshmen.

Other than School starting nothing new has happened in our lives. Although we have been doing a little bit of "home improvements"!

We recently sold our hideous floral couches we have had (we got them for free so convincing B to sell them and purchase new ones has taken some time). We had a full set; seven-foot couch, love seat, and a winged back chair. They did not fit in our living room, and I was done with them. I had dreams of covering them, but the thought of actually doing it, overwhelmed me!

Isn't that floral print lovey....

After selling our couches we got brand new black faux leather with a white detail stitching on it. Since I now spend more time at home, I couldn't stand that the curtains did not match the couches. So then began the redecorating. We got new curtains and curtain rods and rearranged a bit. I am working on the last few details and when I am done pictures will be up!

I haven't been the only one with a little 'home improvement' project. B has been working on a bike shed! He got all the lumber free from work, it was a GIANT pallet. He broke it down to make a floor, and three walls. He now has plans to make a roof and a door. I am excited because we really do not have room in our house for bikes!

Feeling left out, angry, and coping!

In the last 6 months I have felt like EVERYONE and their dog was announcing they are pregnant. It has been SUPER HARD on me, for many reasons. I had been handling it alright until June, when I had a major break down and went into a slight depression over the whole issue of when to have a baby.
I would get mad at people who couldn't keep their mouths shut about how they just found out, or how they were not sure they wanted a baby yet, or better yet the 'It was an accident!'. I tried to busy myself with projects and a much need long vacation away.
Things got much better, especially when we finally decided we were ready, but had to wait until school started! Then came the 'slap in the face'... My brother, who he and his wife had to move in with my parents for various reasons, announced of FACEBOOK, they are expecting! Yes! On facebook, not in a phone call to his family. They had just taking the home pregnancy tests and were 'so excited, we weren't thinking'!!!
I wanted to jump through the computer and punch his wife in the stomach, I still do but more of a b**** slap for being so stupid!
This last weekend I went to Oly, to see some friends and to go blueberry picking with my sister, as with our tradition since she started high school.  I was so made about the whole situation that I refused to stay at the house for longer than and hour because I couldn't handle running into them. Mainly because I, was to tempted to do something irrational. Now my brother thinks I hate him, and I do, to a point, but it really does hurt to find out your sister-in-law is pregnant over facebook, especially when you have been off birth control since January and 'flying by the seat of your pants' since March. But I am more mad at his wife for being stupid enough to want a baby while they are living with my parents!

But in the last few days, I have been able to see that I am coping and moving on! Which is HUGE for me! (Brody is just really glad I didn't get sucked into another depression with the news, me too! Our house can not handle me not cleaning for an undisclosed amount of time...) I noticed that when I saw my friends announcement on facebook of he and his wife excepting, I was excited. I have also been frantically knitting and making hats for all the people I know expecting. Although, I am feeling a little over whelmed by the sheer number of people I know who are having babies, or just had! Last time I looked my list was 24 or so... Well I guess I better get back to my hat making!

Vacation!

I was FINALLY able to take a nice long VACATION! I do not remember the last vacation I took. I guess six years of college will do that!

This year I decided to take one. I was heading to Dallas, TX for a convention for work (Which was REMARKABLE!! I LOVE MY JOB!!!) Since, I was headed south I decided to see my Grandparents (my mom's parents) for a few days. I wish to be able to do that yearly now! They are so great! My Poppa took me to the 'new' river walk in San Antonio. We had a great time walking around and riding on the river. We also went up into The Tower of the America's and had lunch. I have lots of pictures, but this post isn't about pictures. It is about what I learned on vacation.

Being away from home and worries about life, opened my eyes to some trees I couldn't see through the forest.

I have the BEST Husband EVER

Fort Walton Beach has not changed in 12 years...

Some people are just rude as sin!

Some people are nice as pie!

My mom needs to tell us more about her childhood

My Poppa still believes!

Some people are blinded by love

When sealing/closing a water bottle at a low pressure (sea level) and opening at a high pressure (not sea level or on a plane...) will lead you spraying your self and the person asleep next to you on the plane...

Getting picked up from the airport by some one in full police uniform it REALLY fun! Especially when it is a cousin you haven't seen in years!

Traveling alone with 2 heavy carry on's is HORRIBLE!

I hate automated toilets, faucets, and towel dispensers!

Try to save $100 and not checking any bags was NOT worth my SANITY!

You shouldn't try to shift an automatic while trying to pass... as if you were driving a manual...

Some people should not have offspring

Some people should worry less about their children

Some people should have thought more about the changes procreating would create...

I do not like long flights in bad weather.

I HATE airport security.

I actually like small towns!

My Husband is THE BEST husband EVER!!!

So vacation was good, but I am glad to be home!

Summer Reading!

I recently got a job as a nanny, where we go to the library one day and I read a TON of children books. That is all I do basically, oh and change diapers.... But when the kidos are asleep I can do almost what ever I want (well after tidying the front room and play room). Since I am done with school I thought maybe I could start reading some books out of my own free will and choice, not because I am going to be tested on it. Having just finished my first book of the summer yesterday, I decided to read more of, if not all, of the books on our bookshelf that I have not read or have started but never finished. So here is my list:

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicholas Sparks
The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
The Wrong Stuff by Phil Scott
Supersonic Saints Compiled by John Bythway
Famous First Flights That Changed History by Lowell Thomas and Lowell Thomas Jr.
The Flyers by Noah Adam

It isn't too long but I already started a new one today, but then decided not to finish it because it was about this women who is trying to decided whether or not to leave her husband... I guess I should have read the back before I got it...

Blogs!

This is just an FYI post... I have a craft blog and a rant blog. Feel free to follow if you wish. I have also updated my craft blog recently!

Cheers!

Inadequacies

For the last couple of weeks I have been feeling inadequate in everything. I started listing to B about all of them. I will list a few here; I could list forever, but let’s not make me look horrible!

This I do not do on a regular basis which, make me feel inadequate:

Dishes

Laundry

Dusting

General tidying

Cleaning the bathroom

Cleaning up after dinner

Folding laundry

Cooking

Exercising

Active participation in activities

B tried to help me feel better by telling me about all that I really do. It didn’t help much. So then he tried to compare me, like I have been doing, to others, but of course that didn’t work.

Then we went to church, and I was able to see a lot the people I have been comparing myself to and it made me feel like I needed to make all these changes to fit in with the ‘crowd’. But WHY do I have to change? Why do I feel like I need to make all kinds of changes? What is so wrong with me not being perfect?

NOTHING!

Absolutely nothing!

I do a lot, and my good friend pointed it out to me. We became friends my sophomore year of college when we lived on the same floor. She was the only one who was honest and truly a friend as my boyfriend was breaking up with me and started to hang out with, and eventually was dating her.  We fell out of contact for a while, I was finding myself and started going back to church, and she was finding herself. It wasn’t until after I was married did we really get in to contact with one another again.

She came over the other day, we were supposed to sew a dress, but just ended up talking. We started talking about friends and how we have friends and then those who we are ‘friends’ with but we can’t stand them, but they are friends with our good friends so we put up with it.

Then she says this, “You know why we are still friends? It is because you didn’t change.” She went on to explain, how on the floor I was the one people went to for help, whether homework or other and how I still do things like that. How I am always willing to help others, and how my craft stash, has a ton of projects for me, but how I am always working on something for someone else.

Little did she know that is what I needed. I needed someone to tell me everything that I know. I don’t need to become one of those women who have immaculate house, has two kids with a bun in the oven, or the perfect body. I do the best that I can. I have been working so that B can go to school full time, and so that we will be able afford it. I might to have the perfect house or everything that some of the others might have, but I am happy, and that is what matters.

25 by 25 revisit!

Well, it has been 4 months since I posted my 25 by 25 list. I thought I would take a moment to reflect on it and maybe change a few things to be more realistic!

25 by 25

1. Lose 50 lbs--well this semester was harsh and I am back to where I was when I started, but I am still going to do it!
2. Graduate--DONE!!
3. Finish 4 of the 12 knitting/crocheting projects I have started... um... ya...
4. Publish a research paper--I don't know if this is possible, but I will try. Not being in school is going to make it harder...
5. Go 10 days with out spending any money-- I need to track this one, I am sure I have done it though...
6. Go on a date with Brody once a month (4/12)--This one is easy!
7. Read my scriptures more regularly
8. Run a 5K in 30 minutes (in Nov I did one in 46 mins, March 47...)
9. Work out 3 times a week for 10 weeks straight--I am really good at working out once a week...
10. Attend the temple 10 times (1/10)--I need to be more committed to this and my scriptures
11. Have 100% visiting teach for the year (5/12)
12. Organize and keep organized my office--work in progress...
13. Take a box to Goodwill monthly (0/12)--um... We decided to have a garage sale instead...
14. Save $1500 (have $1500 in savings)
15. Deep clean the kitchen bi-monthly (0/6)--I hate cleaning the kitchen, but I love to bake...
16. Dust monthly (it is so dusty in Pullman!!) 
17. Finish Tree of Life afghan
18. Make a habit of getting up and out of bed for the day with the first alarm
19. Have a baby/get pregnant
20. Ski a Black slope (currently a moderate blue skier)
21. Put pictures in our picture frames--This one is going well! I only have 5 left!
22. Finish our wedding/honeymoon/anniversaries scrapbook
23. Keep the living/family room clean for a month--On the 7 of June this is done!
24. Keep a weekly journal--I should probably get a journal...
25. Kiss and tell Brody I love him, and a reason why DAILY--A lot harder than it sounds

Well, honestly I thought I would have completed more... But I have realigned my priorities and maybe in the next 4 months will cross off more!!

I thought it would be nice to post a post on what it is I have been doing with my life for my last 6 years in school... Then I realized I hadn't really done much, but some of the stuff I have done in my last semester is interesting, to me at least.

All students who want to graduate from WSU with a BS in Material Science and Engineering MUST complete a Senior Thesis project. We get to chose and advisor, a project, and then are let loose to figure it out on our own. I choose to work for my current advisor, and he asked if I was interesting in participating in the new big thing with Magnesium. Now, you all think Magnesium (Mg) is a highly volatile metal, and well it is. I caught some on fire, which is actually hard to do when it is solid....

My research goal was to increase the ductility, or to make it more malleable. I did not achieve that goal. It is the big new thing people want to replace Aluminum with Mg because it will decrease weight, and save fuel, and use consumers money! It is really hard to improve the ductility of Mg, which why it is the bug deal it is.

I though I would include some of the images and tell you about them. I like to talk about what I do, but it is a specific thing and I have a hard time explain it.

This image above is the internal structure of the as-received magnesium specimen I was working with. The different colors correspond to different grains, kind of like the grains in a piece of wood. The colors also signify which way the grain is oriented.

 This image is of one of the specimens after I completed my experiment. You can see that it looks very different from the previous one. There are different grains but they are all oriented the same way, and the grains are a lot smaller here. The orientation of this piece is good and bad. My experiment failed to do what I had planned but interesting phenomena was recorded, and new things about magnesium was learned.

Punishment...

Our cat has a problem... A peeing problem... She likes to pee on towels. Now, she will only pee on them in a box/basket/crate, but nonetheless she pees on them! Lucky for her they have been our old towels not not our nice bath towels. This will be the last time she pees on anything! I was cleaning, and moving some of my business stuff around, and unknowingly left a bag next to the crate of towels... Yesterday, I discovered she had on it! So as punishment, she is not allowed to sleep on our bed for a week, her favorite spot to hide away. And we put her outside for a bit. As an indoor cat, this must have been torture. Brody was kind enough to record her moment of agony in the tree... We do love our cat, but I can not stand cat pee!

*I am not sure why there is two, but it would not work unless there are two... Pick one!

The Games Doctors Play...

Oh it is great to know what has been plaguing my since mid February! But before I give the final diagnosis, here is what has been happening!

About a week before my period in February, I was nauseated all the time, crazy super fatigued, and peeing all the time! So after a few negative home pregnancy test, and now being a few days late we went in thinking either I was pregnant or had mono. The doctor drew blood for the mono test, and tested urine. NOTHING. Not pregnant, no mono. So she told me to drink more fluids and reduce my stress levels? Not quite sure how to reduce my stress levels as a graduating engineering student... But, intaking more fluids seemed to help.

That is until, mid-March, when the same thing started again, but with a few different symptoms, I now had a pain in my lower back on the right side, and was having problems holding my pee. I would go at a moments notice. It was horrible! So back in I went. No blood draw, just urine this time. No UTI, not pregnant. So she does a physical exam and concludes that I am 4 week pregnant, and orders an Ultra sound to confirm. Have the ultra sound, and the tech asks why my doctor order an Ultra Sound, if I wasn't pregnant... And she told us, we were not pregnant, no ectopic pregnancy, nothing wrong, including no large cysts! So my doctor calls the next day to tell me this and that, I had somehow consumed enough fluids to enlarge my bladder at some point, and then had some how stop intaking the amount of fluids to keep the bladder enlarged, therefore shrinking my bladder and dropping my uterus into my badder... I never believed this...

Then last Saturday my lowerback pain started again... I just took some drugs and called it good, until Monday after grocery shopping and I couldn't walk! So first thing Monday I walked into the student health centers urgent care, asking to be seen A.S.A.P! They got me right in and the doctor I saw, said I didn't drop my uterus, and that I see a specialist. She thought I had urge incontinence--in other words: not being able to control urges to pee... Not to keen on that over night I forgot how to control my urges to pee, I scheduled an appointment to see the specialist the next day.

The appointment went like a breeze, peed in the cup. He said there was a little bit of an indication of a UTI. So he did a physical exam to check, well, I am not sure what. Then he concludes, possible UTI and possible kidney stone. So he gives me some antibiotics, and tells me to come back in a week.

Well it has been a week, and I have also been seeing a Chiropractor, I believe in more than one cause. The pain is mostly gone. It flares up every so often, but drinking lots of fluids helps.

Wednesday, I went in for my follow up... He said the antibiotics cleared up the infection, but was concerned about the pain. So he scheduled a CT. I went in today for it, and also had a follow-up with the specialist. His conclusion: Nothing... That is right, NOTHING! He did say that I might have another ovarian cyst, but couldn't really tell from all the other "garply-gook" (Yes! he did say 'garply-gook' as he showed me the CT and pointed to things...)

We are not to excited to see all the bills from this, and really hope that what ever was wrong is gone! I also hope it is not a cyst because that was a completely horrendous experience, that I hope to never encounter again!

Mystery Squash...

I have started my garden!!! The first plants were peppers, followed by onions... The onions are growing alright. I  took too long to move them from the water force start to soil... But they are slowly recovering. The soil I used was, compost. It was too cold to dig some from outside. This morning I noticed I had more than just onions growing...

Now I will have to wait until more mature leaves grow and possible a fruit before we know if it is a pumpkin or a zucchini...

Spring has Sprung!!!

I love spring on the Palouse! It has the most interesting weather patterns of all the seasons here. Plus it brings the SUN, FLOWERS, and lots and lots of ANIMALS!!! I am counting down the days to being able to plant our garden! Monday after graduation, I will be weeding and planing where I want to put our peppers, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, zucchini, and pumpkins!!!

We have been taking some long hard thought into moving. We want to upgrade our one bedroom apartment to a three bedroom. I wanted Brody to have a room to study in especially after we have a baby. But with us not expecting a baby in the next 9 months and not having a budget to cover more rent, baby costs, and Brody going to school full time... We decided we have MORE than enough space, so lets get creative! Brody has grand plans for the basement, he wants to turn it into his study. I think it is a great idea, our basement is creepy! Well I guess all basements are...Since we aren't moving we are going to be able to plant our in the garden not in pots, and this years get to have some space in my mother-in-law's garden! I am so excited to be able to have lots of time on my hands!

With spring and the increase of sun, our cat, KiKi, is very much enjoying her life! And since we do not have children yet, we have a funny cat we like to laugh at, so for your enjoyment!

She loves paper bags and cardboard boxes. Here are some pictures of her playing with some bags.

We did not put anything in those bags. I was actually getting ready to toss them when Brody notice KiKi's attachment...


Today, I was working on some thing in my office (which is a re-purposed half room area...) and she found the sun! The only problem... it was shinning right onto on of my bags of jewelry stuff. That did not stop her! She wanted the sun, and a table mirror wasn't going to stop her...