Bull Down.....

This all started last June with one phone call from my dad I will never forget.. He told me I had drawn for a big bull elk tag!!! I started to cry I was so excited.... I have been dreaming of this tag since I was little. I have hunted with my dad since I remember so this was HUGE! My dad was so excited... it has been so cute watching how excited he has gotten all over this hunt. So my tag was on a CWMU tag on the Fish Lake unit called the BAR J. It is an awesome place! One of the most beautiful places ever. ( no lie)
So my hunt was September 27th-October 1st. During the rut... perfect time! My dad and Nate and gone up every morning they could for weeks to scout. It drove them nuts being on the out side of the fence and not hunting, but patience men!!! So trying to fit this hunt in with nursing school was crazy... but it all just fell into place. I was supposed to have a Pharmacy test the second day of the hunt, but turned out it got moved to the next week, then the rest of the week was really slow so it was perfect.
The opening morning of the hunt Nate woke up countless times asking if it was time yet... it was pretty funny! But see I had Pass Off's that day... go in pass off a skill and chart and all this. So I didn't hunt opening morning. But I finished early and we headed up at about noon. I got home to change and Nate had me packed , my back pack ready, camelback filled, camo out, he was like a little boy! So we got up there and hiked down into the ranch, as soon as we stepped into the ranch elk were all around us non- stop. I thought we were going to get trampled, they were seriously running all around us, bugling non-stop, fighting, all sorts of action going on. We saw about 30 bulls that night, but nothing we loved! It was so awesome... Nate now LOVES elk hunting! He can't believe how awesome it is...
The second day.... We got up on the hill about 3 due to school and got ready to hunt that night. Once again the elk were going crazy.. we didn't know which bugle to follow there were so many. We finally just started walking. We got into a bunch of elk and trying to catch up with a group we heard. We had seen a quick glimpse of a big one, but couldn't ever keep up with them... Those things can move!! It was all up hill.... Then we were walking and I saw a bull feeding and I told my dad, we got down on the shooting sticks, My dad and Nate looked down in the bino's and said it's not the big one, but he's a good one so shoot if you can. Well I shot.. he just stood there... so my dad said shoot again, so I did, and he dropped!! I remember seeing it in the scope and it was so awesome! I fell to the ground shaking!! I can not believe the adrenaline rush, and of course again started crying! It was such an awesome moment. My dad and Nate were so excited, my dad gave me the biggest hug. He was so happy! I loved it.
It is something I will never forget... I will never get over the adrenaline rush it was. I loved every minute of it. I love hunting because of all the memories I have. My dad has told me so many stories while we have been hunting. I have been my dad's hunting buddy since I can remember. When Nate asked to marry me, my dad made him promise to keep me hunting and to come back and hunt with him. Awwww.... Cute! So sharing this moment with my two favorite men was priceless. Thanks DAD!! I love you!! I am so sad me and my dad didn't get a picture up on the hill... we were in such a hurry to get it out we totally spaced it! Something I regret! We got one at the truck, but just not the same.
PS... getting a full sized bull elk out of the back country... not recommended! longest night of my life!!!

The Best Time of The Year!!

It's finally fall!!!!! This is our favorite time of the year... although Nate says it means winter is around the corner and he HATES winter, but I told him to just enjoy right now! We are in Richfield now and we love it. Every weekend we have been either fishing, hunting, riding horses, or riding four wheelers so it has been great living back home and close to the mountains. Nursing school is going great!! I love it... although it is so busy and non- stop homework. I have already learned so much and just can't to get it finished. We have learned how to draw and give immunizations, how to pass medications, how to scrub in for surgery and LOTS of charting and I am sure more I have forgotten... But I love it all!!!
We also love the fall because of Nate's birthday!! His birthday is on September 24th, the perfect time of the year! For his birthday I wanted to really do something fun and surprise him. So I knew he had wanted to go fishing and go looking for elk so I just combined it all :) On Friday night I made Nate a fish cake! With only a few hours to do it, I was happy with it! Nursing school takes up every minute of my life so I wasn't able to spend much time on the cake....and I am not very creative, but he loved it and I was happy with it. Then me and my family gave him him presents... some camo and then I got him new binoculars that he loved! So the day of his birthday we went up and listened to elk and got all excited about the hunt, then that afternoon my family and Nate headed up to Fish Lake! I had rented a platoon boat all day to go fishing on... it was the best day! We caught lots of fish and had such a great time! So his birthday was a great success!! :) HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATE!! I love you!!

Summer Time....

Well I have to admit I am pretty bad at this blogging... We are now out of school and in Kanab for the summer both working. Nate is working for the BLM again and loving it, and I am at Shilo Inn just doing front desk again! We both work full time and I swear opposite hours so we don't get as much time together as we hope, but we somehow find time for each other! :)

We will be going up to live in Richfield next year, I got into the Snow's nursing program up there so I am excited for a new change. I don't know how excited Nate is about it..... :) I drew out for a big bull elk tag and we both drew out for deer so that should keep us busy!
We celebrated our 1 year anniversary also! We stayed down in St. George in my grandparents condo and had a great time. We had many great meals, swimming, and lots of fun at fiesta fun surprisingly! It doesn't take much to entertain us!!

We also were able to go to Phoenix to the Braves and Diamondbacks baseball games! Nate was in heaven... His parents, little brother, and Nate and I all went and had a great time!!
Well I will try to keep this updated a little better, so for now I will just post some pics of the the last few months to catch ya up!! Little Nixon and me!! :) Deployment of the 222nd!!! My brother in law Dustin left!! God Bless the Troops!

The 2 new BoYs in our lives.....

March is a great month for Nate and I!! I am applying to nursing school, we get taxes back, but the best thing about this March is the 2 new little boys that we get to be an aunt and uncle too.

Krista and Brock just had their first today on March 10th weighing in 7ilbs 11 oz and 19.5 inches long. He is a big boy!They named him Kash Brock Rasmussen. Dark hair, and chubby cheeks!

THEN.... In a few weeks if she makes it that long, Brittney and Danny are going to be the 2 proud parents of Nixon!

We are so excited to have these 2 little boys in our lives and can't wait to watch them grow up. They are such blessings to have!! We are now just waiting on little Nix to get here :) We have a few exciting weeks ahead of us.

Diagnosis: Atrial Septal Defect

Well the surgery is finally done and I am getting back to normal. I had surgery on December 21st up in Murray and can I just say thank goodness it is over.
We went up to Salina the day before surgery and of course all that night it snowed and we had 20 inches of snow. Luckily my procedure wasn't until 3 so we had plenty of time to get up there. Can I just say how much I love my amazing in- laws? They drove all the way up from Kanab that morning in all that snow to come up and be there for me. I love them so much, I am so lucky to have such great in-laws. They truly are a blessing.
I got up there checked in, got my cute robe on, I've started and I was just ready to get it over with. They took me back about 5 or so and the procedure took an hour. I remember talking to the guys wheeling my bed back and I kept telling him, " Please make sure I am out" I was so nervous. I got in the room and my heart started racing. They sterilized me, covered me with all blue sterile sheets and started pushin the drugs haha! The man said I am going to give you the Sedatives and I told him please give me a lot. Well I wasn't going down with out a fight. Ten minutes later he asked so are you feeling the medicine, and to be honest I wasn't so I remember him putting more in my IV and that's about it. I love it!! I swear I remember waking up and asking it was done and seeing everything, but all very blurry. Then the next thing I remember was waking up in the room and it was all over.
So I guess the problem all along was called an Atrial Septal Defect. We thought it was a PFO, but they couldn't tell until they got it there. An Atrial septal defect is a congenital birth defect and is very uncommon. My cardiologist said he doesn't know how I did sports and never passed out. He said I was running with oxygen stats of 70's when they should be higher 90's. So I guess i got lucky there!!! :) He also said that about 1/3 of my blood was flowing through the opening unoxygenized. So he said we were very lucky to find it. So instead of there being a hole all that all of us have and closes, my actual septum in my atrium never grew. So it was wide open. They had never detected it because he said they wouldn't hear a murmur because the opening was too big and to much blood was going through the opened septum so you wouldn't be able to hear it. So I had a wonderful stay overnight up in the hospital and the longest ride home the next day to Salina.
It took me about 4-5 days to finally feel like myself and get back to normal. My leg where they went in was the worse part, just sore and very bruised! I am now on Plavix, a blood thinner, and 2 aspirin a day for 3 months. So I am getting better!! I am just so blessed for technology, they said 6 years ago it was open heart surgery, so if they would have found it when I was born I would have had open heart surgery. So I feel so blessed to have the amazing technology we have now.
Nate and I went down to Kanab on the 29th and of course when I was down there I had a complication. On New Years Eve I got up and was in the shower I all of a sudden I got dizzy and my aura I get when I get my normal migraines. I went a laid down and thinking I could rest, but I was wrong. I layed there a few hours and it was only getting worse. I finally got 1/2 a loratab in me and that usually fixes it with a good nap, but nope!! I finally got to the point I could barley say the right words, my head was hurting worse than ever, and sick to my stomach. After calling my cardiologist and primary physician we headed to the Kanab ER. We got in there did some blood work, CAT scan, and tons of morphine and nausea medicine and 3 hours later I was feeling better. I went back home and slept 6 hours!! I am so grateful for medicine and once again my in-laws and my wonderful husband for helping me. I had never been so sick. It was horrible.
So we had to go back up to my cardiologist because of this uncommon migraine, get more blood work and an echo. But I am ok. He thinks a platelet got attached to the device in my heart and it triggered the migraine. My body is not use to it yet. I was on shots twice a day for 5 days in my stomach, but everything is looking good and we are all hoping I don't get another migraine!! Now I just have monthly check ups up north! Lots of driving, but so worth not having a stroke. I am just being careful, no lifting over 30lbs, and no sports, but only for a month.
I am so thankful for Nate, he has helped me so much through all this. I am so lucky to have him and and so grateful for everything he does. :) Also my wonderful parents and all their help. They are truly so good to Nate and I. My mom worries a lot now and rides my back about my pills, but I can't help, but love that motherly love. Also mom and dad thanks for the insurance!! haha :)