A CROOK?!?! A middle name???

So I had another interesting episode in life today!!

Did you know in the state of Nevada you can't use your maiden name as your middle name. . . even if you didn't have a middle name EVER??? Or if the name change happened in another state??
And by the way, why would you ever want the middle name Crook!?!?!

Today Kyle and I went to get our Nevada drivers licenses and cars registered and license plates. Kyle went in and there was quite a few people who arrived between the two of us, so Kyle was done before I even got called up. Kyle left to run errands, and I waited what seemed like forever. Luckily the woman in front of me had two boys 7 & 10 years old that I harassed to pass the time. Finally about 30 minutes later I was called up. I handed the woman my papers, and she started doing her thing with the computer, then suddenly she stood up, took my papers (California drivers license, social security card, marriage license, and birth certificate) and disappeared down a hallway, without even saying a word to me. About a minute later she came back having a discussion with another woman, and they came up and told me that I can't use my maiden name as my middle name.
I asked, "Even if I didn't have a middle name before I was married, and that is now my middle name legally. Look at my social security card."
"Mam, we don't take names from social security cards here."
"What about my California drivers license, my bank statement (which I brought in case they needed proof of address), and my marriage license?"
"MAM!! You can't use your maiden name as your middle name in Nevada!!!"
After more discussion and confusion, along with them trying to convince me to hyphenate my name to Crook-Hansen on my drivers license (which I was told was illegal to do with out a name change with a hyphen with the government when I got my social security card) I said, "Ok so put my name as Suzanne Hansen on my drivers license."
So they started filling out more information in the computer. A couple of minutes later the woman said, "Ms. Hansen, I can't register your car. Your California registration lists you as Suzanne Crook. You have no proof that you are Suzanne Crook." (California had my name changed in the system, but had never issued a new registration after my name change.)
My jaw dropped!!! What more did she want?? She had my birth certificate, my social security card, my marriage license, and picture ID (I had given her my ID from when I was teaching at the deaf school as a second form of picture ID during the previous discussion which had my name listed as Suzanne Crook).
The discussion ensued for about another 15-20 minutes. I was taken back to the supervisors office, a police officer and immigration officer were brought back, and I heard a very interesting discussion going on with the staff about why in the world anyone would want to have Crook as a middle name. Very irritated at this point, I stood up, walked to the doorway, interrupted their conversation and said, something to the effect of I can't see why anyone would want a name like Smith, Gomez, or Fox (Looking at their last names on the badges). It's what was given to me, and I've made something of it!! I like having a middle name for the first time in my life. I was then eyed by the police officer and sat back down. (We had already had a discussion with the police officer, because he thought it was some kind of a joke that they were having a problem with someone's name being Crook. I quickly clarified that it wasn't a joke.)
After a period of time and A LOT more detail to the story, along with phone calls from the supervisor of the supervisor to me after I had left the DMV . . . I now have a Nevada drivers license that states I am Suzanne Hansen, a Social Security Card and marriage license that say I am Suzanne Crook Hansen, and my car is still registered in California not Nevada. I have to contact California, pay to have my registration changed in California, and bring the paperwork back within the next 30 days or go to Reno and see a specific judge and get a letter stating that my name change is an exception in the state of Nevada and all my records can be listed as Suzanne Crook Hansen. If my plates on my car are not Nevada plates within 30 days of change of residence to Nevada, I can be fined $500. I've already been here 22 days!!
I DON'T GET IT!!! but no matter what Nevada says. . . I'll always be a Crook!!! (and as of March 30, 2007 a Hansen!!)
Why can you get married so easily in Nevada, but you can't have your maiden name as your middle name?? Am I the first person to have this problem??
And to think. . . the Journalist I am married to left right before all the action started!!! Once again action happening when I'm around and he misses it!! :)

Exciting News!! A new teacher!!

So I just got a "News Flash" from several of my former students at California School for the Deaf Fremont, that there has been a new teacher hired to continue the Health Careers program!! I am excited for the students and yet at the same time wish it were me there teaching the program. I loved teaching. I didn't like the politics. I miss teaching. I miss the inquisitive minds. But I know where I am right now is best for my family and the future I have always dreamed of having!
When I left the school to go to Washington DC with Kyle for his job, I felt really bad that I had spent so much money for supplies that would just get put in a storage shed. I felt bad that I had built these kids up with hopes that I was now dashing because I was leaving. Setting up the program had been a lot of hard work, but the "ah ha" looks on the students faces when they learned something new was well worth it!! Students, after I left, had sent me emails telling me that they had covered the manikins in the beds with sheets, but they knew what was there and they knew what to do with it. I'm glad that the sheets can now come off, to teach these kids a better way of life, and even if they don't become health care professionals, at least they will be able to apply the information in becoming more educated and self sufficient people!! I hope my time there made an impact, and has made starting off easier for the new teacher to keep things rolling!!

Pictures of my time @ CSDF

New Ward

Today was our first Sunday in our new ward.
Last week we went to church and arrived an hour early for Stake Conference, which we didn't know was happening, because we are new to the area. There was a family sitting behind us at Stake Conference with four or five children under the age of ten. I was sitting on the end of the row, so their kids kept coming around the end of the row and looking at me. Of coarse I started playing back with the kids and folding origami animals out of paper to give to them. As we were leaving the building after conference, I made a comment to Kyle that I hoped that family was in our new ward.
Sure enough when we went to church today, there they were!! The wife is an awesome woman that I chatted with for a few minutes, and hope to get to know better.
During Sunday school today, I made a comment about a translation of a phrase from Sign Language to English. As Relief Society started, I have several women all excited to meet me. As a few minutes went by, I realized the reason they were so excited to meet me or talk to me, is because there is a ten year old boy in primary who is deaf. His parents don't sign very well, so he doesn't really know what is going on. There has not been anyone to sign or interpret for him. There are a couple of people in the ward who have taken a class or two of sign language, but not enough to explain what the gospel subjects mean.
Kyle and I had/have been praying that Kyle would get a job and that we will find a home that would put us where the Lord needs us to build His kingdom. Is this an answer to part of that prayer? Where we are looking at houses wouldn't keep us in this ward very long. Something to ponder. . . .

I'm spending the rest of a beautiful Sunday afternoon harassing Kyle, writing letters, catching up in my journal, and very possibly taking a Sunday afternoon nap. Maybe I'll convince Kyle to go with me down the street to say hello to his Grandfather. Happy Sunday.

Orientation FINISHED!!!

It's been a long but good week. Four eight hour days sitting in a chair for orientation and tests. . . not my cup of tea. I'm glad that part is done!! I start back into patient care on Monday!!!

So today during lunch I went to a local Cafe' to eat with some of the other new nurses and noticed a friend of mine from Utah who is Deaf. I ended up having lunch with him instead of the nurses. It was great to catch up! He told me about some new technology that is hopefully going to be available ASAP. . . I'm excited for it!!! Check out the website I found about it. . .

Opportunities to share my beliefs. . .

Today during orientation at work I was chatting with another nurse who just moved here from New York. We were talking about where we were born and where we have traveled. . . I ran into the typical conversation of. . .
"So where were you born?"
"Salt Lake City"
"Really?!? So are you one of them?"
"One of what?"
"You know, one of them. . . one of the Mormons?"
"Yes I am!! Why do you ask?? Do you know other Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints??"
The conversation ensued with lots of questions. . . .
Through the course of the conversation I shared quite a few of the basics of our beliefs. During our lunch break I took her to the computer lab and showed her the Mormon.org website. As she was looking through it and asking questions, I ran into another awesome website about Jesus Christ (http://jesus.christ.org/index.php) not necessarily sanctioned by the church, but has some really amazing videos and photography! Go check it out!!

Our Latest Adventures!!!

So a little update on our lives. . .
We arrived in Las Vegas with all of our stuff late Thursday August 7th. We unloaded the truck, and packed ourselves back in the car and headed to a Tilton (Kyle's mom's family) get together in St David AZ. As we entered AZ it started pouring rain, but we decided to stop by the south rim of the Grand Canyon anyway. As we arrived it stopped raining long enough for us to do some walking (on what they call "hiking trails" that are graded and paved) get some of the attached pictures and be on our way.
As we were leaving it started pouring again. We arrived around 1 am in St David, slept for a couple of hours and then headed off to the family festivities. We played with family for 2 days and headed back to Vegas early Monday morning.
We made it back to Las Vegas in one piece. Tired but ready for our new adventure!!!
I finally have enough of the essentials unpacked from the kitchen to be able to cook a meal. I have enough clothes unpacked that I can go to work or go out in the town wearing more than what everyone thinks people in Las Vegas wear all the time.
Kyle started work last Wednesday, at the LasVegasSun.com and is loving it!!!! He comes home with exciting things to tell me every day!!
I start orientation tomorrow and will been doing the typical 2 days of hospital orientation and 2 days of tests and paperwork prior to getting back into patient care. My job is basically the same thing I was doing before. I am a float nurse. I tell them when I am available and they tell me which of three hospitals they need me at and which floor. I will be staffed in the ER and ICUs first and then wherever they need me after that. They said I might even get the opportunity to get some time in the Life Flight choppers because they just had one person quit and one out on maternity. My job gave me a sign on bonus (A little more towards a down payment on a house!!!!) and is reimbursing us for our relocation fees!!!
Koko (our dog) is not sure what to think. It takes her 5-10 minutes in the evening to go out and do her business because she is so busy chasing cockroaches through the grass. (Las Vegas has HUGE cockroaches that come out of the ground and the cinder block walls at dusk. Everyone sprays the perimeter of the houses to keep the roaches outside.) The nice thing about the roaches is that Koko tends to poop in the evenings. By the time I get out to clean it up in the morning the roaches have already taken care of it for me!! Koko knows we have moved, but she is not sure what to think of everything. When she goes out in the back yard she keeps looking up in the tree for squirrels (I assume) She won't find any of those here it's too hot!!! When we get up it's around 80 degrees and gets hotter from there through the day. It usually is back down to about 80 when we go to bed around 10 pm. Koko and I plan on my first day off to head up toward Blue Diamond to see what hiking trails we can find where people tell me there are more trees and it's cooler :).
We have contacted a friend of a friend of mine who is a real estate agent to start looking at houses. We are excited to get into a place and settled permanently. We are looking down in the Henderson (south of Las Vegas, closer to Kyle's job).
Our current address is
1898 Balboa Ave
Las Vegas NV 89169

We are just using our cell phones for now. . . so no new phone # yet.

And that is our story for now :)