What I do with my new spare time

Since Levi started working nights tonight, I decided it's time to finish up the crib bed skirt I'm making for a friend who just had a baby:

I really love sewing, but my impatience gets the best of me sometimes. I can usually only do one section of a project per night or else my impatience and frustration at every mistake I make gets out of control. So far, I've gotten the two ends finished! That means I have two more sides and (at the rate of one side per night to avoid frustration) I should finish by Wednesday!

Pomp & Circumstance

Levi graduated from EMSA's training academy today! Unfortunately, my camera's battery was dead when I pulled it out to use it, so I have no pictures from the ceremony (and I couldn't get Levi to pose when we got home). An exciting surprise was that Levi recieved the "Top Gun" award for having the highest test average of all the EMT-Bs in his class! He got a special lapel pin that he gets to wear on his uniform so everyone will know of his honor.

Next week, Levi starts his shifts out on the streets with a Field Training Officer. He'll work 6 p.m.- 6 a.m. M-Th, which will be hard for both of us to get used to. But, if you want someone to hang out with on weeknights, you know I'll be free!

Nesting

The highlight of last week: a new area rug for the living room

Bubble Fun

This afternoon, Levi and I played taxi driver and transported our nephew, Grayson, to my parents' house to spend the night. My sister's in the middle of a six-day work trip, so my mom offered to give my brother-in-law a break. Levi and I thought we'd get in on the fun, too!

                                         

Finally Friday

Wow, the last two weeks have been quite a whirlwind! Levi started his new job at EMSA on the first, and I've been working overtime trying to keep up with all the demands of my own job.

Levi's in training for the month of March, which means not only has he been he been working 8-5, but he's also been commuting to the city and back on either end of the day AND been studying for tests in the evenings. I've had my own busy schedule traveling all over the state filming teachers who are finalists for merit awards (I can now add videographer to my resume) and keeping up with what may be the biggest piece of legislation my organization has ever pursued.

Two fun facts from today:

When I began writing this I started right into the meat of the post and then realized the necessity of a "lead." Clearly my online and professional personas are already mixing as my sister says will happen more and more....

Levi said today that he realizes now why everyone longs for Fridays and weekends. When he worked at coffee shops, the weekend just meant more work for him. With his new schedule, he's starting to understand the feeling of "I can't possibly work one more full day in a row...."

What a beautiful day

Last Saturday, Levi and I went to the Wichita Mountains near Lawton, Okla. to enjoy the sunshine and warm weather. Our adventure mostly consisted of figuring out how to cross the 8-foot-wide "creek" that is usually only about two feet across.  Nevertheless, it was a great day!

I was more than tired at the end of the day

Happy Belated Valentine's Day

Unfortunately, Levi had the stomach virus on Valentine's Day, so we had to celebrate Monday night, but it was just as special as if it had been on the actual holiday. Levi cooked up quite an adventure this year and I must say he's gotten really good at planning for special occasions in the last year or two. 

I had told him that this year instead of a gift, I wanted us to take pictures of different things that could look like letters (fences, trees, etc.) and spell our last name with them. I saw these done at An Affair of the Heart and they're really neat (but expensive!). Well, somehow Levi thought I meant different actual letters around town, so he planned the following surprise that turned out to be great.

Levi told me we'd be going to a different location to get each letter's picture and at each location, I would get something having to do with Valentine's Day. Here's where we went:

W - Betty Lou's FloWer Shop where he gave me a rose

I - MIchelangelo's where he was going to get me chocolates but I wanted chai :)

L - The Spirit Shop (the L is for liquor on their sign) where we got wine

K - HallmarK where he had me open the glovebox in the car to find a card

I - HastIngs where he got me a book for a gift 

N - Sweet Basil Thai CuisiNe for dinner

S - We went home where we watched one of my favorite movies MuSic and Lyrics (but took an S picture at Native Roots Market just because the one on their sign was cool)

I've got a keeper :)