Sweet TWOth

As you know, I was able to join the Iowa CIty Farmers Market and introduce Sweet TWOth to Iowa :) Since it wouldn't be practical to sell full on decorated fondant cakes, I decided on something more Iowa-ish and transport friendly ---- CAKE JARS! Ready-to-eat cake layered with frosting and toppings, in a pretty, little Mason Jar! For my first day, I made 4 flavors: Birthday Cake, Chocolate Overload, Smores and Cookies&Cream. I also made some fondant sugar cookies in lips and mustache shapes, and some white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. People have never seen a cake jar, so it was something very new to the Farmers Market. One shopper said the idea was "Genius!" LOL. I got tons of kudos for my display :)

(Pictures are not the best. The Farmers Market is located on the first floor of a parking structure, so the lighting is not the best)

I will be at the Farmers Market every Saturday through October. It only runs from May-Oct every year. We'll see how it goes. 

Work. Work. Work.

Fortunately, I was able to transfer to a new role in Iowa instead of move and search for a new job. I have been training to be a Patient Care Tech for the Cedar Rapids DaVita clinic for about 3 weeks now.  The techs do a lot at the clinics. They are not only constantly checking up on the dialysis patients during treatments, but they are also in charge of testing the water throughout the day, mixing bicarb, checking in patients, setting up and cleaning dialysis machines, etc, all while on your feet, with little time for breaks, working anywhere from 8 to 14 hours! My feet and back hated me after my first 12 hour shift on the floor. 

(First 2 weeks was book and online training)

(in my scrubs)

I don't know what it is about scrubs, but I actually like wearing scrubs. No fuss, takes no thought, just put them on and bounce. LOL. Black is my go-to color and I purchased all dark colors. Little did I know that we would be working with lots of bleach... LOL. One patient said, "It'd be kinda scary being married to someone who works here, you know how to clean up a bloody mess". LOL.

I've met some great people already, both teammates and patients. 

I do miss my MP peeps though. I was glued to my Outlook during online training, trying to hold on to what was left that connected me to my team back home. Being on the floor, I rarely have a need to be on the computer, so have been absent on work e-mail. :( 

1800

1800.

That's the # of miles that separate this new life from the one I left behind. Crazy me (and for those that know me, certainly not surprising), I decided to get married, graduate school, move my entire life across the country, start a new job, and sell my car in a span of 4 months! 

Crazy. I think so. 

I promised a large group of people that I'd start a blog, to keep everyone in the know. It's been almost a month since the big move and I am barely getting situated enough to start it up. Many things have happened in the past month. Here's a cliff notes version and I promise.. i'll try to keep this up as best I can :)

First off, Rog and I have some really great people in our lives. My BFF Michelle and cousin Jen braved the 24+ hour drive from Cali to Iowa with me and the babies. I love them to death for doing this with us. 

(Us in our jam packed vehicle)

(Our first photo all together, finally in Iowa)

More great people flew into Iowa in the next few days. Chase flew in a few days after we arrived, and Steph and Adell flew in and surprised Rog :) Rog thought the knock on the door was the pizza we fake ordered, when it fact, it was Steph and Adell. Rog was speechless when he opened that door. 

Contrary to what many people think, we did a lot in Iowa the first week and half of the big move since it was Michelle, CHase, Steph and Adell's first time in Hawkeye nation. 

We were on a mission to take pictures with any Herky we saw in town. For those that don't know, Herky the Hawkeye is University of Iowa's mascot. 

We also went to WIlson's Orchard (best apple cider EVER!)

(Apple cider slushies, apple cider donut, apple turnover with cinnamon vanilla ice cream, and freshly picked Honeycrisp apple)

Also visited Herbert Hoover's birthplace.

We hope Iowa treated our guests well :) We already miss these people, plus all our family and friends back home.. TONS! Love you guys! 

(Iowa well-represented! Missing Jen! LOL)

Time needs to fly so that we can all be reunited once again. Iowa misses you guys, LOL. For the first time, Iowa had 4.5 Filipinos roaming the streets all together. LOL.