We headed to the Apple Orchard/Pumpkin Patch on Sunday to pick out Kendall's first pumpkin!!  Of course since we were a little late in the season getting there, most of the pumpkins had been picked over but we managed to find the three most perfect ones!  Derek's sure is a true "JACK-o-lantern."

Derek started his first week of true wrestling practice.  He has been working hard to get back into "wrestling shape" and comes home quite exhausted.  I joked with him and told him he is getting too old and can't keep up with the youngsters anymore! 

I'm headed back to Eau Claire this weekend to work Fri/Sat night shift at the hospital so Derek gets to enjoy some quality time with Kendall.  She sure loves to look at her daddy...he was dancing goofy in the kitchen tonight and she was belly laughing the entire time.  It was pretty cute  :) 

Even after feeling the way I did when I was pregnant, I cannot imagine my life without Kendall.  She truly is a gift from God and Derek and I are so blessed to have her in our lives.
   
                              Besides, could she BE any cuter?

Last weekend we went to Neillsville for Derek's family reunion. It was good to see everyone and spend time with them since we don't see the extended family very often. Each family organized a "Minute to Win It" game and we had a competition to see who could complete each game with the fastest time. Derek took home the prize for the rubber band shooting game...go figure!! I've posted some pictures of some of the games that we played.







Kendall started daycare this week. She was sleeping in her high chair by 6:00 the first night I picked her up! She was spent for the day :) We've been lucky because she has been sleeping through the night since she was about 9 weeks old. At least she inherited one of my traits...the love of sleep!!!

We're going to the pumpkin patch this weekend to get Kendall's first pumpkin. Oh how I love fall!! Hope everyone is enjoying the BEAUTIFUL weather we've been having!!

Sorry for the hiatus in blogging; we finally got our internet set up today! This past month has been quite eventful. We finally moved into and got settled into our house in Sartell, have spent the last 5 out of 6 weekends traveling and I have been looking and interviewing for a daycare/job!!

Kendall starts daycare on Monday since I got a job on the Neuroscience Spine Unit at the St. Cloud Hospital. That should be interesting (mostly for me since she has not been with anyone other than family) but I think it will be good for her to grow and develop with other kids around. I am looking forward to learning the ropes of the new hospital, although it will be different considering I was at Luther Midelfort for just over 3 years! I am excited though :)

Kendall is now smiling and laughing on a regular basis. It is so fun to see the changes in her every day. She is able to hold her head up steadily when lying on her stomach and even rolled over to her back a few times! She'll be crawling before we know it! We're having her baptism at the end of October at a very nice church that we found here in St. Cloud. The people are all very welcoming and Kendall sure is a hit with them!!

Derek is loving his new job and comes home with a smile on his face every night. I am glad that everything worked out...Steve (the head coach at SCSU) seems like a really nice guy. He and Derek really hit it off and seem to have a great coaching partnership building. Hopefully we'll see a championship in the near future! GO HUSKIES!!!

I was presented with a nice surprise last month when I returned to Luther Hospital for a staff meeting (I am still working there casual). Derek and Kendall made the trip with me and were also in on the scheme along with the Supervisors and Director of the floor that I work on. A patient's daughter that I took care of a few times over the past year nominated me for the DAISY award for Extraordinary Nurses. I was greatly honored and presented with the award at the meeting. Check out the link here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDATORD8gc4

What an honor it was to receive such an award! The nurses that I work with on Neuro/Trauma/Peds are all deserving of the same award because they are all truly angels!!

This weekend we are headed on the road again...to Neillsville for Derek's family reunion. Check back next week for pics!!

Derek spent some good quality time with Kendall this weekend while I was working. I'll post a video of her laughing and smiling once I figure out how to do it. This week is busy because we're finally moving our stuff out of storage and into our new home in Sartell on Thursday! It will be nice to be settled into our new place. We are looking forward to beginning our new life in a new city :)

I have a job interview at a pain clinic in Sartell on Friday, so wish me luck! It sounds like the perfect opportunity because it is no nights, holidays or weekends which would be perfect with Derek's schedule. I also talked to the nurse recruiter for the St. Cloud Hospital and there are some opportunities available on the Neuroscience and spine unit at the hospital. He was going to talk to the director to find out her availability for interviews and get back to me. The only downfall about that would be that they only have part time available, but the pay is better than at a clinic. I guess we'll have to weigh our options!

Happy 32nd Wedding Anniversary to my parents tomorrow! We're taking them out to eat tonight to say thank you for the hospitality the past few weeks. We really appreciate them letting us stay with them while we were waiting to move into our house.

Derek, Kendall and I made the trip to Neillsville this last weekend for Derek's buddy's wedding. The wedding was beautiful and the weather was perfect! On Sunday I worked at the hospital for the first time in 7 weeks. It was nice to give my brain a workout for once considering I haven't used any critical thinking skills in two months! I sure did miss Kendall although Derek got to spend some nice quality time with her. I will continue to work casual (which means one weekend a month) at the hospital in Eau Claire until I either find a job in St. Cloud or it gets to be too much for our family. Traveling back and forth really takes a toll even though I love the people I work with there and would hate to give it up. Once the wrestling season starts, Derek will be busy most weekends so it may end up being too much. I guess only time will tell.

This weekend we are making the trek back to Eau Claire again so that I can work the holiday weekend. Hopefully this will be enough traveling for awhile as Derek and I have learned that traveling with a baby is not as easy as it seems! Hope everyone enjoys the holiday weekend!