The Latest and Greatest

So...family and friends. It has once again been a long time since I have given you an update on what is going on in our neck of the woods. SO to recap! I quit my job at the CDC and currently am working at Kleber Health Clinic. The people there are amazing and I couldn't ask for a better job, all the clouds have lifted and it is all clear skies as far as I can see. I LOVE my job! That is the first time I have EVER been able to say that. The people there are so patient, laid back and understanding. I intend on staying there till we PSC from Germany (why fix what isn't broke). I am currently under the job description of nurse tech but the request to change my position to Registered Nurse has been put in and I should find out if it was accepted at the end of the month. As for Dyllon he has been informed that he will get the opportunity to retake the Computer Programming test and put in a package to cross train into Computer Programming in March 2012. If this happens....he would extend his contract two years and attend tech school in the states, this means we would be PSCing back to the states. So here is what that means for all those who intend on coming to visit. We can only say for sure that we will be here till March 2012, if you want to visit us please do so before that time. If he doesn't get it, it will be January 2013 before we PCS but we won't know that till around April 2012. As for the future. We hope to come back here either with the military or with GS jobs. We love it here and have so much to see that we haven't seen nor will we have the time/money/resources to see everything this round. If you get the chance to come here, take it, it is truly AMAZING! Lastly, I have one more class and I will have my Bachelors in Nursing!!! So excited! Can't wait to continue my education and get more experience, one day I hope to be super nurse! :) Well that pretty much sums everything up, if you any questions, FB me or if you don't have FB ask it on here. XOXOXO-Kristen & Dyllon

Sorry it's been so long

Hey all! Sorry it has been so long since I have posted a blogger update. Dyllon and I are doing well. We are enjoying our three day weekend by doing nothing at all. Dyllon is busy taking German and begins German II Tuesday. He is trying to figure out where he can go to take classes online towards his Bachelor's Degree through Penn State. TA does not cover classes directly through Penn State and most of UMUC's credits will not transfer. We are going to be moving to Erie, Pennsylvania upon return to the states. It is only 4 1/2 hours away so we will be close enough for frequent visits. I believe I have finally figured everything out so that I can be a nurse here and still remain with Dyllon after he possibly goes guard through the Air Force. I am going to join the Army Active Duty or Reserve (haven't decided) sign on for a three year contract and at the end of my contract switch to Air Force. The Air Force has pretty much phased out for now signing on New Graduates, they are now requiring for Fiscal Year 2011 at least 6 months of experience (can't seem to catch a break) but good news the Army doesn't care! There is a guard base in Pennsylvania and on the guard base is a mental health clinic so I would be able to continue working there and Dyllon would be able to work on the flight line. Dyllon wants charged instate tuition through Penn State so it would be likely if he were in the Air Guard to get that. If this were to all go as planned I would be continuing my education through Penn State as well (I am waiting to hear back from them) I would like to pursue a degree in Mental Health, leaning more towards becoming a psychologist right now. In the meantime I am also exploring the possibility of getting a job off base. I am not sure how all of this works I have emailed a German Doctor and I am waiting to hear a response back. I imagine that it isn't possible since there are several new graduate nurses here in the same predicament as I am and they haven't gotten a job on the economy. But in case this is an option I would like to to take advantage of it. Well that is all for now. Looking forward to seeing Mom and the family here in June and Grandma Sturgill here in September. Hoping to see the rest of you as well! XOXOXOX- Kristen and Dyllon

Busy, Busy, Busy

Hello everyone, how are you? We are doing great! Dyllon is on 12 hour shifts now and is still doing some training exercises the real exercise will be soon and we will be able to do more then. He is almost done with all his training for his job too, he only has a test left to take and then he will be starting back in school too. I am still job hunting. I am in the process of restoring the guest bed, I will post pics of the house after that because that was essentially the only thing I was waiting on. I just started making baked goods and selling them and I think this will be good for the little extra money that we need in order to do a little traveling. I am still working at the Pampered Chef thing and I am hoping someone reading this will step up and be my next party so that I can stay "in the business" (you do know I will guilt each one of you into helping me at one point or another right?) I am getting ready to double up on my classes in September so I will be taking 20 credit hours for the next semester so I should stay pretty busy then. Chloe is getting big fast and she sure makes for interesting days. About coupons, if you see any baking coupons please make sure to send them to me, I have been running low on these and I buy about 6 bags of chocolate chips a week and about 3 bags of sugar, flour, brown sugar and confectioners sugar a month. So these would be greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone, love you all! XOXOXOOXOXO

Sorry I am so bad at making posts!

Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing great! I will give you the quick overview on the life of the Dekok's. I am still jobless, I posted a link today to try to find a nursing job. I am currently back in school to get my Bachelor's Degree, so I am keeping busy with that. I hope all were able to see the pictures of the puppy we just got, her name is Chloe, she is a hand full but I love her very much. I am glad that I have the time to give her the attention she needs right now, so that she will be trained. She currently knows sit, lay down, ring your bell (she rings her bell to go potty), stay and it is safe to say she is potty trained now. Spaz is doing okay with the dog, she is still not to fond of the idea. Dyllon is still working odd hours but he still manages to make time for his games and we are enjoying a over all stress free life. It is nice to know the bills will be paid every month. It will be great though if I can get a job so that we can sight see. I have given up on the volunteer nurse thing, they have jerked me around for four months, so I am trying another route and looking to get a job on the economy. Dyllon and I should be taking a little German as soon as his CDC's are done (this is his training at work). As we visit places I want to start making slide shows to make it a little more fun to view. We have a bed in Guest Room #1 now (aka Morgan's room), and we just got a King German bed for the other guest room, and we have a futon in the Office. I have to sand the German King Bed and stain it and I plan on doing that within the next week. Then I will post pictures of the place all decorated since each room will actually have something in it now. The German King bed was a dekok deal at $40.00, just needed a little TLC. Can't wait to post pictures. I am hoping to get a patio set before summer ends and a sideboard then I should be set! Well I love you all! If I have left anything out please let me know! XOXOXOX

Hello Again!

Well I have been pretty bad about blogging to you guys. I cannot say I will promise to be better, but I will try :) Dyllon is doing better about the whole Air Force thing I think, but he is still absolutely sure that nothing will convince him to resign. We went out with his friends from his shop this weekend and we had a good time. He is still addicted to the video games. Battlefield is his game of choosing at the moment. He wants to go get Rock Band Green Day this week. I am not sure where I stopped with what I was doing with my degree, so I will start from the beginning. I have not been able to find a job here yet, they want someone with experience as a RN, so I am trying to get into Landstuhl Hospital as a volunteer nurse which is proving to be a lot more work than what it sounds. It has taken me since April to get as far as I have and I still have 3 more meetings to attend I believe before I can start volunteering and those are next month. Then after I volunteer for so long I can start putting my application and hopefully get a job. I would have been through all this about a month earlier but the muffler strap on the car broke and it was more of a mess than it needed to be, but we didn't know someone welded the wrong muffler to the car till way later and the car wasn't is operation for the dates I had class and those classes aren't held again till the following month. But all is well, Wednesday we get the car fixed it will only rack us $150.00 total to get everything fixed which is quite a bit less than anticipated. We also get the dog, Dyllon pick out on Wednesday too. We are getting a Golden Retriever. I am not sure I am as ready as I thought I would be for all of this since I wanted to get a dog that was already trained and Dyllon wanted a puppy (even though I will be the one training it), we will see how this goes......I like my stuff unchewed, but Dyllon's smart ass said how can I be ready for a child if I don't even want to take care of a puppy. Well he has a point....maybe I don't want a kid or a puppy now, lol. I know I will love the dog though, I just hope my furniture stays intact, since you are not allowed to kennel your dogs here. I think we may get fencing or a electric fence in the future so that he can be outside while we are gone. Well that is the latest and greatest on Dyllon and I. Love you all-Kristen

I PASSED!

Hello all, I am happy to announce I PASSED my boards. It was a long journey but I am officially Kristen Ann Kay Dekok RN. I studied everyday for 8 hours a day for the past month and a half and many of you know I have been very grouchy about that being that I am in Europe and I was still tied down. But the hard work paid off. Literally! It was $75 to Ohio, $200 to get a Authorization to Test Letter, and another $200 to take the test $50 to make the phone call to schedule the test, $200 for the hotel to stay in before the test, $10 to park while I took the test, you get the picture, I was figuring I would have to hold my tax returns back just to take the test again. I got there early Saturday, Dyllon and I scoped out where the building was, which is a good thing because it was above a Japanese resturant and at first I was like what the heck!!! I swear this is the address, it was, it was just above the restaurant, then we scoped out all the possible parking spots near the facility, so I thought we had it covered, Sunday we spent all day exploring Frankfurt, I will have pictures to post soon on facebook, those of you who don't have facebook, hit up a family member to see the pictures. Sunday night, I was relaxing watching T.V. with Dyllon but I still couldn't stop thinking about the test, if anyone knows me they know I am a extremely anxious and nervous person, my heart was racing, I was holding back the puke (did good all day), running to the bathroom every 5 mins. and then I broke out in hives on my legs and stomach. But I stayed strong and refused to take my Xanax. Dyllon being the awesome husband he is rubbed my back and calmed me down. Then went to bed, couldn't sleep all night, not because I wasn't tired because I was, no we picked a hotel right in front of a freaking train track no joke, I swear a train went by every 5 mins. but it didn't bother someone else because they were snoring logs! So I got up at 6:30 am even though I didn't plan on getting up till 7:30, got ready, ate breakfast, and realized it was a hour before I needed to leave, so that just lead up for more time to be nervous, left at 10:00 am for my 11:30 appointment, got to the testing center at 10:25, mind you it is only 2 miles away, that is how backed up traffic was, went all around all blocks around the building NO PARKING! Seriously!?!? Fine, I decided it was 10 mins. till 11:00 and I needed to find something because you are suppose to check in 20 mins. early, so I went to the nearest parking garage, 3 blocks from the testing center, and now decided there was only one way to make it there in time, I had to run. Well my past anatomy and physiology teacher was right, if you want to get rid of nervous energy EXERCISE before the test, because when I walked in I felt ready to take on the world, BRING IT ON! I went up to the building and the door is locked, WHAT, what is going on? Oh I have to call up to Pearson Vue, they have to look at me with a camera then let me in, okay, next I go to the 4th floor, try to open the door again, no go, they have to verify me again, open the door, walk in to hand in my paperwork, now they need to scan my finger and palm to make sure I am who I say I am, CRAZY, but someone has mastered cheating or they wouldn't do this. Anyways, sit for my test and the first question that comes up is a rhythm strip, really!?!? I decided I was going to be okay, just make the best guess possible, question after question seemed impossible, I felt as though I had never even taken nursing school, I kept telling myself calm down 15 of these questions are Guinea Pig questions anyways for future tests, finally I get to question 75, oh please, I prayed, don't let the test end here, I know if it does I failed, just give me a chance I promise I know SOMETHING. I submit the answer, and it says processing test, WHAT!?!? are you kidding? I walked out, disoriented and upset, I thought the whole way home, I didn't even get a chance. I am so glad you find out so soon, because I tell you what, it has been driving me crazy and I have never hit a refresh button so much in my life. I am befuddled that I passed and I am pretty sure that the NCLEX is a form of hazing because that by far was worse than any of Eric Mason's tests (awesome instructor who gives VERY hard tests). I will tell you though Nursing School was the hardest thing I have ever went through, it was a love hate relationship the whole way through, the NCLEX was icing on the cake, but passing was the experience of eating the whole cake by myself. I don't even care if this sounds conceded I am so proud of myself, there were so many times I didn't think I could go on anymore, but I made it and now I am ready to pursue my dreams as a Air Force RN, so I am hear to announce the Air Force is now excepting RN's with a Associate's as a Officer, they are giving medical waivers and if I can make it in the H2 hearing block and I finish a few extra college courses I will be accepted. THIS IS THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!!
Love you ALL
XOXOXOXOX
Kristen Ann Kay Dekok RN!!!!

Study, Study, Study

Hello all, how are you? We are doing great, I have been studying everyday, Dyllon has been telling me everyday that I am overstudying, that he wants to have people over, and that we never go anywhere, I swear I have a little boy, just kidding, Dyllon is working on being a little more patient :) Speaking of Dyllon, he is almost 22 now!!!! I am so excited for his birthday, I cannot wait to get him his birthday gift, that is my favorite part! Hopefully by that time I will have job, because it just isn't quite the same buying a gift for Dyllon with Dyllon's money. Anyways, other than that not much going on, Dyllon is still waiting for his Guitar Hero Band Kit, he is not very happy it is taking so long, but on the up side Final Fantasy 13 should be here soon, so that should make him happy until the Guitar Hero gets here. Everything still sits waiting to be hung up, can not wait till I am done with studying, the downstairs is pretty much done (this is where everyone can see), just waiting on my awesome mom to send me the curtains I ordered, and for Dyllio to put up the curtain bar for me (I may have to be a little pro-active on this one). Anyways, as soon as I get the house together I will post pics. The main reason for this email was to remind everyone that Dyllon's birthday is just around the corner, if you need any ideas on what to get him shoot me a private message, either e-mail or via FB and I will give you ideas! Keep in mind depending on what you get it can take up to 6 weeks to get here. I can wrap the gifts if you want to buy them online and have them shipped here, I found it is cheaper in shipping cost this way, if they ship APO. Hoping to give him a really nice birthday since last year he was at basic and couldn't enjoy the 21st. Also, it is almost his 1 year mark! YEA!!! I am so proud of him, he is a very intellegent and sweet man, and although I pick at him sometimes I have no clue what I would do without him. I am a VERY lucky girl.
XOXOXO to everyone!
Kristen