Christmas Time Is Here

We enjoyed another magical Christmas this year. We stayed close to home this year for Christmas. Eric spoiled me rotten as usual, and I had fun spoiling him to. We went and got our tree for a local tree farm down the road from our home. It is probably my favorite tree thus far. It is huge and fat, full of pine needles, and smells amazing. Eric and I had fun decorating it. We went for a more rustic Christmas tree this year. Burlap and white lights. Every Christmas Eric and I exchange ornaments. Something meaningful that represents an event that occurred over the last year. This year the ornament was a turtle dove, signifying peace and joy. We have had such a remarkable 2013; Full of accomplishments and memories. We enjoyed celebrating with the family Christmas day, eating Christmas dinner, and enjoying the company of loved ones. Dad spent Christmas in the hospital sedated and on the ventilator following complications from a surgery. We missed him dearly, and pray for him daily. He is now out of ICU and making progress to a full recovery.

Eric Christmas morning

Me Christmas Morning

My niece Allie at Nanny's house

Thomas and Allie

Thomas, he always lets me take pictures of him...such a good sport.

Mom and ED

My brother Eric and Rebecca with Thomas..Allie MIA

Allie has more fun playing with my phone than her toys.

The newest addition to the family. Aiden Lawrence Winberg!

Uncle Eric is gonna be such a good daddy one day.

The proud new parents made it home from the hospital Christmas day!!

Thanksgiving Dinner

This year for Thanksgiving Both Eric and I had to work. So we celebrated Thanksgiving this year the day before Thanksgiving. Eric and I invited my dad over to our place to share Thanksgiving with. We did it right and had all the Thanksgiving goodies: ham, turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, rolls, green bean casserole, and dad brought the sweet potato casserole. And Thanksgiving would not be Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie for dessert. Yumm!!! I didn't take many pictures this year, but when I find them I'll attach them. :)

Halloween

Well, it's been far too long since I updated this blog. Mostly I've been putting it off and finding excuse after excuse, but it is time to fill the world in to what the Hale family has been up to the last few months. Starting with Halloween, Eric and I were invited to several Halloween parties this year, but due to our work schedules we weren't able to make it to any parties. However we did make it to the ward Halloween party. I've been waiting for the opportunity to dress up like a character from one of my favorite TV shows. This year I dressed up as "A" from the ABC Family show Pretty Little Liars. I'm kinda obsessed with the show really. I have the theme song to the show as my ring tone, the same text tone as "A" (yes I'm really this obsessed), and our fish is named Fitz (you kinda have to watch the show to understand). I probably spent way too much money on the red coat for my costume, but it has actually been a nice addition to add my to my other obsession, jackets, hahahah. Eric went as a pirate this year. He has had the costume sitting in his closet since college and has never worn it. So he finally put it to good use this year and dressed up. He even let me put some makeup (eyeliner) on him, Johnny Depp style to had some drama to the costume. We had a blast with the youth at the party, and enjoyed dinner and the trunk or treat.

Moving…Again

Eric and I are moving out of my mom's house we've been renting over the last year. She is getting married and preparing to sell the house. Plus, Eric and I's belongings have been sitting in storage over the last year and it's time to pull them out again and be among our own stuff again! We didn't want to buy a house just yet because we really don't know how much longer we want to stay living in Alabama and are trying to keep our options open. Ideally Eric and I would like to move back to Idaho…so if the opportunity presents itself we'll take it. In the mean time found a super nice 2 bedroom 2 bath apartment in Spanish Fort, AL. that we are moving into next weekend. We have quite a bit of purchases that will need to be made because we sold most of our larger items before we moved cross country from SLC, Ut. to Daphne, AL. We need a new TV, Chairs for our dining table, and a washer and dryer. We also want to sell our couch and buy a larger one…thinking a nice comfy sectional. We also are in need of a second car, so we've been car shopping too. Eric has been driving my dad's car for the last few months and we are ready to return the car he so graciously lent us and get Eric a good reliable car. He has his heart set on a truck or SUV, which I would love too! Since we already have a smaller compact Toyota corolla that gets great gas mileage, and Eric could literally walk to work from where we will be living. Plus having an SUV would be good for our outdoorsy lifestyle. We need a larger vehicle to toe bikes, kayaks, and whatever else. We are looking for a good deal so if you know of any let us know. Other than that my new job is going well, other than the complete information overload I have been experiencing. Eric is always busy with work as well, and works a lot off the clock at home now too. We are looking forward to listening to General Conference next weekend. We listening to a prophet's voice.

I have attached some pictures of the model apartment that we will be moving into. The apartment is beautiful. We will be on the 3rd floor over looking the pool and will be steps away from the awesome fitness room, wifi internet bar, and beautiful clubhouse. We can't have our own grill there due to safety code so its good we will also be right next to the pool area where the brand new gas grills are for us to use.

This is a picture of the pool, which is amazing and has one of the beach walk ins. I also like this picture because our apartment we are moving into is the one on the top floor overlooking the pool. I'm also excited to be on the top floor because we get to have vaulted ceilings. 

This is a view of the living room if you are standing in the sunrrom…yes we have sunroom!!! How cool is that!!! It is just an extension off the living room but it has lots of windows and a lot of natural light!

A glimpse of the opposite side of the living room and sunroom

The kitchen and dining room isn't as big as some of the other apartments we looked at, but it is still a good size, and since we get a discount on rent because of where Eric works, we get this brand new beautiful apartment for the cheapest price in the entire area of 2 bdrms available.

The Master bdrm! You have the beautiful on-suite bathroom, super high ceilings which I love and huge walk-in closets!

The guest bathroom! excited to have 2 full baths. In our last apartment we only had a 1 bdrm and 1 bath…and you had to walk through the master to get to the bathroom which was awkward when we had guest. So we are happy with the extra full bath.

The 2nd bdrm is massive and almost bigger than the master!!!!! I love it!!!!! It also has huge windows, high ceilings and a walk in closet as well. It also has an on-suite bathroom! Ooo la la!

We are excited to move!!! With a second bdrm we will be ready for visitors in no time…that reminds me…hahaha we need to buy a second bed hahaha…oh man!!! If furniture wasn't so expensive!!! hahaha

Keep Calm & Nurse On

It's official!!!! Lesley Nicole Hale, RN, BSN! That's right….I have initials after my name now!!!! I took my NCLEX last Tuesday, which is the National certification test for all nurses! The very next day I think I checked the website every 5 minutes. I kept checking but the results had not posted by 9 AM like I heard they would be. I walked from my bedroom to the kitchen to get a glass of water and then back to the bedroom. In a matter of a minute or two, I already had 2 missed phone calls and a text message from a friend congratulating me! I freaked out called my friend and she told me she just checked the website and saw my name pulled up as a registered nurse!!!! I just screamed I was soooooo excited! $25,000 dollars for one year of school all relied on me passing this test! It was such a relief to know it had all been worth it! I will never have to experience the stress of studying for and taking the NCLEX again because its a National Cert. If we move back out west eventually like we want to, I just have to send in paperwork and pay to be licensed in that state.

I also really need to pass this test because I recently just landed a job at the only Trauma 1 hospital in our area, The University of South Alabama Medical Center. I was hired as an RN for the 3rd floor, which is a "VIP" Med/Surge floor, but basically we get all the post-op cardiac patients, post-op Bariatric patients, and all other different patients. The staff on that floor are GREAT! Lucky for me while performing my practicum at this same hospital in the Burn Center, I was pulled to the 3rd floor one day to work, and I got to experience what this floor had to offer! My nurse manager is wonderful and I am so excited to be working for someone I like so much. I have completed all my drug and background checks, and filled out lots of paperwork and just got my badge made on Thursday. I start orientation tomorrow and will spend the rest of the week in it. The following week I will begin orienting on the floor I'll be working on, and get to start working with patients again! I am so excited to get to improve all my nursing skills!

I am so grateful to my husband and family who made it all possible for me to go back to school to advance my education! I never thought I would end up going the nursing route but I have been so blessed throughout the last year, and I am so excited to start bringing in the big bucks hahaha… well big bucks to me! Going from two incomes to one income the last year was very hard and a huge sacrifice for the two of us, but we are definitely seeing our hard work and sacrifice turn into things that are honorable. I am so grateful to a Father in Heaven who has been watching out for me and guiding me down this path! He definitely knows whats best for me and my little family, and I hope now that school is finished Eric and I can begin the next chapter of our lives and be able to expand our family by two feet soon! :)

Graduation and Hale Visit

Well by now you all know, I graduated from the University of South Alabama with my Bachelor's in Nursing on July 26!!!! It was a surreal day to be walking across that stage again, but it was exciting to have Eric by my side. I was so blessed to have my in-laws Van and Susan fly in for my graduation. They also got to stay for a whole week with us!

We did so many fun things while they were here. We ate at some of our favorite local southern spots, went to the movies and saw Wolverine, went for morning runs, went shopping in Fairhope at the boutiques tasting every flavor olive oil and vinegar there is, fishing, delta airboat ride, tour of the USS Alabama Battleship, and spent a full day in Gulf Shores at the beach and farmer's market. We were sad for Van and Susan to leave but are trying to plan a trip for us to see then around Christmas time! 

Eric escorting me across the stage

With Van and Susan

With the Winberg Family

With my biggest cheerleader! I would not have made it through without him!

My Graduating Class of Accelerated BSN students! Many long days and nights spent with these friends! So happy we all graduated together! I'm really going to miss seeing some of them every day!

On the pier in Daphne looking at crabs with Van

Eric and I on our very early morning delta airboat tour!

Susan and Van on the tour! Wind blown and all!

One of the many alligators we spotted on the tour! This was a 10 footer. We got a very detailed education on alligators and birds in the delta! It was awesome!

The view on the way back to the dock. Not a bad way to start the morning.

On the tip top of the Battleship. By this point I think we were all melting it was so hot and humid that day, and we had just climbed what seemed to be 40 flights of stairs

, and Susan had bonked her head on a tiny metal doorway, but we all have our smiles on.

Van and Susan in Gulf Shores

Outside Mary Anne's where we had lunch in Fairhope

Downtown Fairhope

The men fishing off the pier in Fairhope. We got caught in a bad thunderstorm and got drenched, but we had a fun night drying off eating pizza and watching movies.

We already miss mama Susan and Papa Van!!!!! Hope we see you soon!

He's 31 & Some Family Fun

Summer has been busy, busy, and full of activities. If it' not girls camp and youth conference, it's birthdays and vacations. My sister Nina and her hubby Taylor came down to celebrate my nephew Gabe's 5th Birthday with all the family. It is hard to believe that my little baby is 5 now!!! I was so glad they were able to come in town for a week to visit! We can't wait to have Nina and Gabe back in town next week along with my wonderful in-laws, and Uncle and cousins for my nursing school graduation.

My younger brother Aaron's 23rd Birthday Party at the house. We had the best steak ever and lots of yummy food to celebrate! We missed Eric though cause he was working. Ended up having to save him a plate.

With mom

My sister Nina, Taylor and Gabe…not their best photo ever bahaha

Nanny and Allie

Bowling fun!

We've spent days at the pool, and I'm glad to see Allie's bathing suit we bought her for her Birthday has been put to good use this summer.

Eric also Had a big day on July 10th! He turned the BIG 3-1!!!!! Can't believe I met him when he was only 24. It has been a great 7 years of birthday celebrations! I had planned to take him to Destin, FL. to the best water park EVER!!!! But the weather wasn't good so we took a rain check and instead spent the day going to the movies and to dinner. After the movie all my family met us at Chill, for some yummy birthday yogurt! We have had a wonderful summer and after next week, I plan to enjoy it  a lot more!

 This cute little baby has now grown into the most wonderful friend & husband anyone could ask for. I can't wait to have little ones just like him!

The day before his birthday I got this pic text from him bahaha. What a Goobe! I love him! 

Birthday date!