New Shift for me...

I am now working the graveyard shift at work 11pm-7am, and let me tell you it is A LOT slower than working swings. During swings I would get on average at least 60 calls a night. On graves I am lucky to get 20. Not that I am complaining, I still LOVE it and am so happy to be here, its just a big adjustment. Needless to say there is a lot of down time and not much else to do besides email, read, talk and think; so with that being said here are some of my thoughts on what I've learned from this job thus far:

• Parents were right when they said nothing good happens after midnight.
• After working on New Years Eve I never want to go out to a bar on nye in downtown again.
• Excessive alcohol and family lead to not good things.
• You'd be amazed all the stuff that happens that does not make the paper or the news.
• Spokane is a relatively quiet town, I can't imagine what other cities are like.
• There are lots of crazies in this town.
• I love my job!

There is a lot more but these are the ones that stand out the most at the moment. I will try to add to this as time goes on and I discover new and fun facts at this crazy/amazing/awesome job :)

Tis the season...

...to look back on the year and think of all the we have done, all that we have learned, all the we could have done better and all the great new things that are on the horizon in the new year.


To be quite honest, I could not be happier this year is over. It just seemed like one thing after another but regardless of murphys law rearing his ugly head there were still some great things that happened: I went on a random cross-country road trip with the Jay and Kevin show, I saw some great concerts here in spokane and at the gorge, I got to spend some quality time with tons of family and friend, I made a few new friends, and I finally found a job that I am fulfilled in, challenged by , and most importantly love going to every single day!

So to make this post short and sweet...Merry Christmas to you and yours and may the new year bring new adventures and many blessings!

All our Love,

Jim, Theresa, Beasley and Bledsoe :)

The thanks of giving...

Hi All,
I got this prayer forwarded to me the other day because I am named after Saint Theresa, however I thought it might be a good one to share with you all this week what with the upcoming holidays. I hope you all have time to relax with family and friends this week and remember all that we have to be thankful for, and all that we can share and pass along to those around us.

*************
Saint Theresa's Prayer

May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that
has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to
sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us..
*************

My oh My...

As anyone who reads this knows I am a huge baseball fan, and more importantly a huge mariners fan. So I was very sad to hear about the passing of Dave Niehaus last week. I was thinking about what to write about him but I found this article instead and it pretty much summed up everything for me, and in a way better way than I ever could.

I was sent this linkof Junior talking about his passing and thought I'd pass it along to anyone who may have missed it.

And for when you really miss the voice come baseball season, here are some of his famous calls

been awhile...

Sorry again for the lack of updates the past few months, with my new job time is not really my own much anymore. There really is not much going on for either myself or Jim, as of late. I am usually at work, thinking about work, studying for work, or sleeping to recover from work; amd Jim has been so busy with school and football that there is barely time for anything else. Not that I'm complaining I honestly love it and would not have it any other way!

Jim's football team just finished up their season Friday; hopefully he will have some availability to be social again soon. I am still with a trainer at work but hope to be testing off on my own in the next couple weeks (fingers crossed)! When that happens I hope to have more of a set schedule and can plan my life/social events accordingly.

Clearly, work has pretty much been my our lives since August but we did manage to squeeze in two Seattle weddings, a concert at the gorge, and some pumpkin carving though. A few of those pics are below:

these are the pumpkins Megs,Jamie, and I carved this year :)

these are pics of my oldest brother Sean's wedding which took place on 10.10.10 in the Dominican Republic

Happy fall to all!

PS: I mentioned a long time ago about our 3rd annual mclasnyd camping trip and promised pics. Clearly that did not happen but if you want a quick recap on it, you can read about it here or here:)

my grandma...

My grandma died today. She was 97.

My Grandma...was proudly raised in Butte, Montana. If any of you have been to or know of Butte, Montana you know that proud is NOT a term I use loosely. Butte people are strong willed, stong minded, and just plain strong. They have a mind of their own and are not afraid to express thier opinions. I know this first hand because not only is my Grandma from Butte, my Dad is as well. This is something that I think has bonded them from the time they met.

Not only that it is something I will PROUDLY claim as my heritage till the day I die...(If you dont believe me just ask Megan and Chris Snyder, as they can attest to my proud Butte heritage. I HAVE BUTTE BLOOD IN ME:) !!!

My Grandma...is the proudest woman I have ever met. She never gave an inch, always spoke her mind, and forever lived life to the fullest. She is someone I aspire to be. I have seen first hand that that her determination, will power, and power to live has been passed on to her children. My ONLY hope is that somewhere in the genetic pool I picked up some those same attributes.

My Grandma is the strongest woman...I have ever known (both literally and figuratively). Knowing her makes me realize where my mom gets her determination and competitiveness. I can only hope those attributes are genetic and not something acquired. God knows I got my father's genetic code so I can only hope some how I have acquired the indestructible schulz longevity to stand the test of time.

My Grandma is an extraordinary woman...For as long as I have known her she has been a writer. She has written everything from poems, to short stories, to journals. My most vivid memory of her is of spending the day at Whitworth college for a writing seminar. At the time i was mortified but now I am proud to have shared with her something that she loved so much.

My grandma lived many lives...one for her husband, one for her children, one for her grandchildren, and finally one for herself...if only we could all be so lucky...

ch-ch-ch-changes...

So sorry I have been M.I.A in the blog world lately things have been crazy busy for us as of late. First and foremost has been my new job...which I LOVE!!!

I have been working for county 911 for about 7 weeks now, and while it has been one of the most challenging things I have ever done, I could not be happier with my decision to pursue this career. The people I work with are A-MAZING and there is something new with every call. It keeps me on my toes and more importantly it keeps me interested. I am one week in on taking calls, and while I still have SO MUCH to learn and figure it out I think it will be something I am happy doing everyday. The first 6 weeks of training was in a classroom, where they really have the system set up for your success. This journey has not been a solo journey...I have had a study Buddy, a counselor, and a partner in crime throughout this whole thing...Tasha. I honestly don't know if I would have gotten thru the classroom and onto the floor without her. She has been phenomenal and just one of those people that you immediately click with. I am so lucky to have somebody that I get along with, can joke with and who understands how stressful this entire experience has been. Even though she is a duck fan (and an eastern eag), I really love this girl and don't know what I would do without her! (You can learn more about her on her blog)

Things are in full swing, in the McCollum household. With Jim is back in school, and coaching football full time and my new job there isn't much time for anything else. Our schedules are pretty much the exact opposite of each other now... when he is going to bed, I am getting home and trying to unwind. We are both so busy I'm not sure either of us have really noticed yet but I am sure that will come when things start to slow down a bit. We (I) have managed to squeeze in a Brad Paisley concert at the gorge and a few more promising events coming up in October but besides that work is pretty much all encompassing. I promise to blog more about our camping trip in August, and the concert last weekend but for now I just wanted to fill you in on why I haven't been around so much. I will try my best to keep you updated, but if you need to get a hold of me, my new number is 911 :)