May 14, 2008

Bad hair day. Just went jogging. Oh well...




Today's the anniversary of my birthday. Ok. It's my birthday. Now I know why the ladies don't tell their ages. I'm getting up there, too.

But we did celebrate. Just not tonight. Tonight, all three older kids had activities and work, so we went out last night as a whole family--which in itself is rate. We went to the Beach House and watched a lovely sunset while eating on the outside deck with a guitarist playing in the background. (And yes, Lauren is inspecting a bruise Jonathan gave her earlier in the day. Just like old times...)

Nice to be with my family.

Natalie's MCC Nursing Pinning

She did it!! These are pictures from Natalie's nursing dept. pinning. We're skipping the graduation. (The girl has a graduation every 2 years, anyway.) Instead, this pinning included just the 100 nurses from Natalie's class. The professor that introduced each graduate varied from the script for Natalie and introduced her as the youngest nurse in the history of their program. (And probably in the US!!) Her professors only had great things to say about her and her bright future. One said they expected to see Natalie come back to MCC as a professor!

I am indeed proud of Natalie. I remember back four years ago, plotting out Natalie's coursework at MCC when she was only 14 years old. Here's a testimony to the advantage of homeschooling. Thanks, Connie Cutler, for suggesting it.

Grandma and Grandpa Briggs made it over and we enjoyed Natalie's favorite meal--Japanese. She had sushi while we had the usual.

So...in 2 years, we hope to attend a BSN graduation at ORU. Then in 2 more years, we hope to see her MSN graduation as a pediatric nurse practitioner.

Love you, Natalie!

Just got this from Eyal...

I just got this family picture from Eyal. Almost everyone is in the picture except for Efrat and Orna's husbands.

I'm not posting much these days because life is keeping me so busy. I have a final exam on Monday for my college class, plus a field trip with some student council kids to St. Petersburg tomorrow, Friday. Then off to a District Student Council meeting Saturday. If I feel like it, I'll jog in a 5K race on Saturday late afternoon. It's a really fun race, because it's right before a parade through town, so it's on the main roads with lots of people cheering us on.

Busy, busy!

Natalie's first official nursing job!

She got it! Natalie went to the job interview today for a nursing position at Pinnacle Urgent Care (like an emergency room) and was offered the job! She'll begin in 2 weeks, after giving her notice to the hospital where she works as a student nurse now. Perfect timing, with her studies ending in 2 weeks also.

She'll work full-time, which consists of 3 12 hour shifts. She is accustomed to working this much plus doing clinicals and taking classes, so she's game for plenty of overtime.

Since the age of 3, Natalie has wanted to be a nurse. Goal realized. Good job, Natalie!

Easter lunch

Same street corner in Afula 30 years later...

Here it is in 1977, on a postcard.

And then again in 2008.

Same painting in the background...

Here's a picture of Efrat and me in her/our home in the summer of 1977. A friend, Aviveet, is on the right.

Then look at the picture of us taken last month. (Sorry, Efrat, I'm pulling up this one of you, first.) Look in the far left background and you will see the same picture on the wall, even though it's in a different house.

Ok, now here's the better shot of us both.

Eyal and Amir's careers

I haven't been very fast on blogging about this, but let me do so now. My 2 Israeli brothers, Eyal and Amir, both have jobs that are affecting our American lives. They are both doing high tech stuff, and both are industruial engineers. Let me try to explain.

Eyal runs a small factory that makes the hardware side of the computer technology for international companies such as Intel (did I get it right, Eyal, or am I making this one up?). He describes the technology that they are commissioned to create as the security systems seen in the movie Oceans Twelve.

Amir is on the software side of the technology. He is commissioned to produce the technology that allows cell phone companies to create your monthly bill matching the special plans they offer consumers (Favorite Five for T-Mobile, etc.)

Both guys are experts in their field and will soon run the country, I'm sure.

So do you understand what they do? I hope! I had to ask lots of questions to understand it myself.

Small world that their work affects our lives.