October Resolution

It's been too long since I have written. So much has happened since my last post. I will not even attempt to catch up everything, but I will give a quick update and then promise to keep this blog more updated.
Chris and I have been studying our butts off trying to get degrees. Chris is at the "U" with a graduation date of Spring 2012. I have a graduation date of December 2011 for my nursing degree. We still both plan on doing much more school, but these will be major milestones for both of us. We are really excited to get through these and move up and on!!
I am currently working at McKay Dee on the Surgical floor as a nurse's aide and Chris is working at the seismology lab at the university. Both of us really enjoy the direction our lives are going.

Reagan is in 4th grade and gave us our first broken bone in our little family. She jumped off the swing set of our friends and landed on her arm. She spent a few weeks in a cast and just had it removed on Friday.
Lincoln is in 3rd grade and has made vast improvements in attending school. He still loves bugs and airplanes.
Jefferson is in 1st grade. He seems to be the most girl crazy of our bunch. We may have to really watch him as he gets older.
Benjamin started kindergarten this year. He really loves school. He is my first experience with afternoon kindergarten and I would highly recommend it!
We have a fifth baby. A little girl name Eisa Fey Elsie Volk. She was born May 18th. What a wonderful addition she has been to our family. She brings out the best in all of us and we can't even imagine our lives without her.
We were not alone in baby land this year. We were excited to welcome 5 little cousins this year. My sister, Amie, had a little boy (Tanner) the 24th of February. Chris's sister, Natalie, had a baby girl (Claire) 3 weeks before Eisa was born. My sister Natalie had twin girls
(Isabelle and Olivia) 10 days before Eisa was born. We had "adopted" cousins from our friends also recently. Brandi had twin boys in November (Joshua and Jackson); Mandee had a little boy (Tyson) in March; and Jodi had a little boy (Tyler) in April.
Here's in hopes of doing better in updating this blog. (:

Needed: One Padded Room

This picture should say it all. I don't even remember adding the last blog. I think I should be locked up in a padded room for the safety of all.

The Volk family had a great Christmas. To Chris's dismay, we did the traditional christmas things...Chris wants to try new Christmas traditions and I agree to a point, but I have a traditionalist personality and change is hard for me. As usual, the kids received too many toys from Santa and our basement took a few days to recover.

I started my CNA job at Apple Village Assisted Living, and to my surprise, I actually really love it. Chris and I are both back in school full time after our winter break. Chris is studying Chemistry, Anatomy, and Math and I am in a aseptic and surgical procedures class. Medalius has picked up after a few slow months. All of this is keeping us extremely busy (hence the need for the straight jacket and padded room!)

Reagan just celebrated her 7th!!!! birthday on the 14th of January. I can hardly believe it. She is growing up so fast.

Merry Christmas from a Total Loser

Sorry my blog has not been updated in while. I guess that is what happens when you get so busy you don't know what day it is or what is going on in your life!!!!

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and I will get some updated posts completed!!!

What a September 2008

Wow! I look backed and realized I haven't updated my blog for a long time. September was a crazy, busy month.

I had two classes in the month of September in school and that kept me busy. I had Pschology and Anatomy. I learned a lot in both, but I felt that I was never home!

Chris and Greg rode Lotoja the second Saturday in September. That turned out to be quite an event. The race started out a little bumpy. They had a few crashes in the first miles of the race and both came to the first "feed zone" a little upset. They were riding with a few inexperienced riders that caused some problems and a few minor injuries. The race continued, and I think Brandi and I felt more prepared this year than the past year. Chris and Greg finished not far off from the pace they were aiming for.

The drama didn't start until after the race ended. Chris had not been feeling well for the few days leading up to the race. After the race, he was having a hard time catching his breath. We got back to the condo we were staying in and Chris got showered and settled down for the night. It didn't take long for him to realize that he was not doing well. Brandi's mom was in Jackson with us, and after feeling his pulse and listening to his respiration, decided that we should head to the ER. Because of our experience last year, we knew just how to get there!! We were admitted and the tests and blood work were taken. The doctor returned telling us that Chris's troponin levels and EKG were abnormal and this may be an indicator of a heart attack. WHAT!!! After some more tests and a stay in the ICU, Chris was released the next morning with instructions to follow up with a doctor when we returned to Utah. Fortunately, the doctors here think Chris is ok. It was just a little bit of a scare that I'm glad turned out to be ok.

We're Americans!

We have been letting Lincoln watch the HBO series "Band of Brothers"(whether we should or not). He really likes it. A few days ago, he was watching it. Taking it as a time to teach the kids something, I told Lincoln that the generation that fought in World War II was old and most were already dead. I told him that they had saved the world. Lincoln told me he knew that; and they had saved the world from the Germans. To teach him even more, I asked him if he knew that "Volk" is German?". Jefferson was also in the room, and as serious as he could, turned to me and said, "No, Mom. We're Americans." Jefferson, you're right. We are Americans. I still need to teach them that we don't need to hate the Germans anymore!!!

God Bless the United States of America.....

Wow!! What a week at the DNC. We got to hear from Michelle Obama, Teddy Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Bill "Bubba" Clinton, and Joe Biden. Can it get any better? Finally... the much awaited speach of the "Messiah", the "Great One": Barack Obama. I was on the edge of my seat and could hardly contain my cries of "Yes, we can...Yes, we can...." I believe.

Our First Grader!!!

Reagan also headed off to school last Monday. She started first grade and was so excited. We picked out the perfect "1st day of school" outfit. She is really enjoying all of the aspects of 1st grade. She is not even deterred by the length of school. She claims she likes 1st grade more than she liked Kindergarten. She has had her first experiences with school lunch and really likes the pizza-which, I guess, is served every Wednesday. I can't believe how grown up she is getting. I just drop her off and she heads right in. Little Miss Independent!