Happy New Year!

Hahaha...I guess I'm a little late. What can I say, I got caught up with all the fun holiday and family times. It has been a super busy past month or so since I last blogged. I don't even know where to start! Well, maybe I'll just work backwards. Some exciting news...my cousin Janelle was called to the New Zealand Auckland mission! And...Rojohn and Merilee found out they're having a precious baby girl! Poor Ro broke his finger on Saturday when helping my dad at the shop...I kept him company at Kaiser Hayward's ER for hmmm...4 hours! He asked me how I knew all these people we would see in the hallways when going back and forth to x-ray, and I said I work here of course I know these people! Haha...I haven't been to work since last week, and I don't miss it. Unfortunately, the budget mongrels of regional Kaiser stationed in Oakland have decided to take away our break RNs, and would like to take away our charge RNs. Now, in TCU, we have a patient ration of 3:1. That means if we have 15 patients in the unit, we need 5 nurses. However, when we take breaks, there has to be an RN to cover for us. This is where the charge and break nurse come in. The monitor tech also needs a break, and the charge nurse still needs to fulfill charge nurse duties, i.e. taking report on incoming pts, going to huddle with the supervisors and other charge RNs of the hospital, making the assignment, getting report on all the pts. in the unit, etc. Busy role! So...for example last week I happened to work day shift. I didn't take my lunch break until 2:30 in the afternoon...and I was off at 4:30. Sadly, I was the first person to take a lunch break. It's difficult to not have a break nurse because they are a valuable resource, they help us transport patients to procedures, to other units, help us take care of our pts when we get busy, and biggest thing of all, give us breaks! Anyhow...I just had to vent. I love my job and I've loved Kaiser from day 1, but I'm getting frustrated. They want to take away our lift team too, who help us turn our often huge (I've had pts over 3-400 pounds quite a few times already) pts, especially when they poop! I don't know...I'm grateful to have a stable job, I really am, but it's getting more stressful by the day. And TCU is known as the revolving door of the hospital, so we're already busy as it is.
So on to better news...Christmas and New Years was tons of fun. We spent Christmas with both families - first half of the day with Rigo's side, second half with my side. I got Guitar Hero from Doug, Rigo's lil bro! Hahaha that was the one thing I wanted. I think our parents got the best gifts though. Jubie and James came up with the kiddies for New Years, and that was cool. Even though half the family was sick, it was sooooo good to see them all and create more memories together. Ysella is the cutest baby girl ever! It'll be fun to have another baby girl around with Ro & Merilee. I haven't even downloaded the pictures from my camera, so I guess those will wait until later. With the new year, I'm just really grateful for all the blessings Heavenly Father has given me. I have an amazing husband who pampers me and is continually showing his love and affection for me. He works hard and lives worthily as the Patriarch of our family. I have awesome in-laws who have taken me in as their own daughter. I have great parents and the best siblings in the whole world. We may not be perfect, but we keep each other going through the good times and the bad, and I love them with all my heart. I just can't imagine having a better family, and not having any one of them in my life, including my brothers and sister-in-laws. I just love you guys!
That reminds me, we officially moved into our new ward, Castro Valley 1st ward, and it's been awesome. The first Sunday we came we were so welcomed, and the Bishopric asked us to speak the following Sunday. So last week Rigo and I spoke on living a Christ-centered life. I thought it would be the easiest topic ever, but it was actually more difficult than I initially thought because there were so many things that I wanted to say and I really had to narrow it down for those 12-15 minutes. But, I guess they were good because a lot of people came up to us afterwards and said they really enjoyed our words and were very touched. I'm just grateful we're able to be instruments of the Lord. I've been trying harder to read the Joseph Smith manual before the lessons, and I am really enjoying it. I am more and more amazed by Joseph Smith and every time I read his words, I know even more surely that he was taught by God. Rigo and I get so excited when we talk about gospel truths and principles, I love that he still has that same passion and fire that he had when he was serving his mission in Venezuela. When I talk to him about what I read, he says "Of course babe! Who were the first missionaries?" And I reply "Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ!" Hehehe...and then we discuss and always learn something new. I'm sure we're going to love our new ward, everyone has been really warm and I can tell the members work hard and love to serve, so that's exciting. We'll see what the Lord has in store for us here!