This is the Day

Fairy garden

2012-01-30T18:16:00.001-05:00

A friend of mine had a fairy garden on her patio last year, and Isabel and I fell in love with the idea.

On this sunny and almost-warm January day, we browsed through Pinterest and Google looking for accessories and examples to whet our appetite for a fun spring project. Aren't these just adorable?

Have you ever planted a fairy garden? Any tips? I'd love to hear your suggestions!

(ps. I can't wait for spring!)

Am I mad?

2012-01-26T18:34:00.000-05:00

Why, yes; yes, I am.

Thanks to Netflix, I am simply mad for Don Draper and the magic that is Mad Men. I have watched the first three seasons over the past month (commercial-free, one episode after another, praise be!).

I am completely and utterly hooked.

The world of the 60's has come alive for me, and even more so after reading Stephen King's 11/22/63.

And even though he is a philandering executive who smokes more cigarettes and drinks more whiskey than seems humanly possible, I'm pretty sure I'm in love...

They have even invaded my dreams!

Have you seen this show? Do you love it? Do you have the loveliness that is Netflix streaming through your TV?

Surrounded

2012-01-22T13:36:00.002-05:00

It might be the lack of sunshine and vitamin D.

It might be the snow and ice surrounding me, making my hands and feet cold and numb.

It might be the fact that we are only halfway through winter.

Whatever it is, this time of year almost always sends me searching for "beach photos" on Google.

Dream with me:

warm sand...

soft waves lapping at our toes...

hot rays of sun bronzing our skin...

well, it makes me feel a little bit better, at least.

How about you?

The only good thing about these dreary winter days is how much they make you appreciate the sun and warmth when they finally return!

RWOP: Camera strap cover

2012-01-19T06:41:00.004-05:00

Since getting my new baby, er...camera, for Christmas, I have been wanting a strap cover. However, spending another $40 or $50 just wasn't feasible, so I decided I would have to wait.

Then along comes Pinterest. With a tutorial of how to make your own. Add that to a wonderful mother-in-law with sewing prowess and a love of her daughter-in-law (that's me) and you have a recipe for a Real Women of Pinterest post and a happy girl with a fancy camera strap cover!

http://www.priddycreations.com/blog/2011/06/01/camera-strap-slipcover-padded-lined-tutorial/

Notice the details of the added Initial charms..."H" for Heather, and "M" for Michelle. Yep, she even made one for my big sis. Told you she was awesome.

I can't wait to get out and do some mad photo-taking sessions...once this bear of a class is over, that is.

That's my mother-in-law, Kay, in the white shirt. She went shopping for the fabric with me, told me how much to get (although I got WAY too much of the fusable fleece despite her guidance), then went home and whipped them up in less than three hours. Seriously, she rocks.

Visit the tutorial in the caption of the first pic if you want to make your own. As much as I love you all, I'm not willing to share my mother-in-law. She's one in a million.

Beauty

2012-01-15T21:33:00.002-05:00

It's everywhere, if only we open our eyes and truly see.

Beauty.

Although winter is my least favorite season, I can still see the stark beauty in the bare trees...

And the wonder of the first good snow of the season...

And the way you can almost taste the bitter cold just looking at this picture...

And the beauty of your "baby" boy, growing up before your very eyes? Leaves me speechless...

Where are you finding beauty these days?

Resolution: Part One

2012-01-14T15:29:00.000-05:00

Every year, my employer (The Christ Hospital) takes part in the American Heart Association's Mini-Marathon. I ran in this race two years ago, and this year I decided to be the team leader for Nursing Administration. I am busily recruiting my fellow administrators to step away from their desks and run with me...I already have one other nursing supervisor who has encouraged me to do the 15K with her. Our goal is to get twenty members on our team and raise $1000 for the AHA...we're on our way!

Running this race not only helps me in my 2012 resolution to get fit; it pays tribute to the doctors, nurses and therapists who helped my father-in-law get through a terrible year of heart disease, congestive heart failure and subsequent open heart surgery.

If you are inspired to grab your running shoes and join me in this race, I'd love to see you there! If running or walking isn't possible, please consider visiting our team page and helping with a donation:

http://cincinnati.kintera.org/heartmini/wearensgadmin

There have been so many advances in the medical treatment of the heart patient in the past decade...races like this one help ensure that more advances will be made in the future. I'm looking forward to seeing you there!

Scared.

2012-01-10T14:15:00.002-05:00

My sister, Michelle, posted this picture of my niece on her Facebook page the other day. Danielle starts her first nursing clinicals this Thursday. Per Danielle, she is "scared sh*&less". (She may be scared, but oh my word, she is adorable!)

Thinking about how she was feeling made me remember my own first day of clinicals, at the ripe old age of eighteen. Having to give someone a bedbath and learn how to make a bed with a patient still in it were the first tasks I learned. A kind touch, an attentive ear and a gentle spirit when caring for a hurting soul were skills that took a bit longer to master. I was very worried about learning the technical aspects of nursing. It was later that I realized that anyone can give a bath or change a bed, but it takes a special kind of nurse to connect with a patient and show them that they are cared for. You don't make that connection with every patient you meet, but the ones you do, you remember forever.

Danielle already has these traits. She is kind and gentle, and especially loves caring for the elderly population. She is incredibly smart (can you say 4.0?!) but also knows that she has a lot to learn to become a great nurse. I told her I would be worried if she wasn't scared; as nurses, our patients' lives are in our hands. We need to take that responsibility seriously if we are to make a difference.

I'm so stinkin' proud of this girl. I can't wait to see the kind of nurse she grows up to be!

A Wedding

2012-01-08T18:25:00.000-05:00

A good friend of mine was married last night. I have helped her with some of the planning along the way, making her invitations and offering money-saving advice here and there. Since my own wedding was fifteen years ago, I had such fun tagging along on her journey to the aisle.

Boots to a wedding? Apparently it's okay when said wedding is in January!

Tiffany was a beautiful bride.

I love Caleb's expression here :)

While waiting for the bridal party to finish up their group photo shoot, a co-worker played around with my new camera's "action mode", making Joe and me strike a pose or two or ten :)

After a dinner of the best wedding food I've ever tasted, we headed to the dance floor to burn off those calories. I haven't danced like that in years! It was so much fun!

Joe had worked all day, then had to meet me at the wedding/reception, then work again in the morning. He never complained, not once, just had a good time right alongside of me. It wasn't our wedding, but it was certainly a night to remember. Thanks for sharing your special day with us, Tiff and Caleb. Although, I have to say that I would've liked to tag along on the honeymoon, too...so jealous of the fact that I'm sitting here freezing and you're soaking up the sun on a Jamaican beach...sigh :)

Just sweat it.

2012-01-06T20:35:00.001-05:00

Since I started back to school two years ago, I have packed on 15 pounds.

15 pounds may not sound like a lot, but when you're trying to squeeze it into the same size pants because you refuse to buy the next size up, it is. Believe me.

January always marks the start of weight-loss programs across the country, it seems. My goal isn't just weight loss, though. It's to get fit and be healthy. Yes, I do want to lose those college-pounds, but mostly I want to feel good in my own skin.

And while I wish my skin looked more like this:

I have to be grateful that at least it doesn't look like this:

Seriously? All I can say is ouch.

Thankfully, I have a husband and two good friends to help inspire me to get back into an exercise routine, not to mention a daughter who wants to get back into running after a long break.

Who knows, Victoria's Secret might just change their minds about the sex appeal of varicose veins, spider veins and stretch marks...then I could have a chance at that cover model spot ;)

2012 is...

2011-12-31T17:38:00.001-05:00

the year to LEARN.

I will graduate in March with my Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN). It's been over a two year process, and I will be SO HAPPY to be finished!

For Christmas, I bought myself the Canon Rebel camera that I have been lusting after for a long time. I am determined to LEARN everything I can to master it and take some rocking pictures.

Since I got the camera, I also bought Photoshop Elements 10, along with the "Classroom in a Book" guide to help LEARN the program. I will conquer my computer-ignorance and figure this out in 2012.

My sister, Michelle, and I are talking about taking a photography class together this summer, but even better than that, we are planning a road trip to visit with Rebecca Jo in Indiana, so she can teach us a thing or two that she has learned since starting her own photography business. We can't wait!

Another goal for 2012 (other than the typical "lose 15 pounds") is to vacation at a "new to us" spot and LEARN all about it. Not sure where or when we'll go, but an adventure it is sure to be.

Do you have a word of the year for 2012? Any goals or dreams? Secrets to losing weight (other than exercise and diet...sigh)?

Happy New Year, blog friends! May 2012 be the best year yet!

Twelve

2011-12-27T19:07:00.001-05:00

The holiday rush is over.

The tree is down, ornaments packed away, another Christmas has come and gone and a new year is upon us.

In the midst of the shopping/hiding/wrapping/baking/celebrating/eating madness that defined December 2011, one special day stands out in my mind.

December 21st.

The day Isabel turned twelve.

My once non-sleeping/fashionista/determined baby girl has become this amazing pre-teen wonder, seemingly overnight:

Her spirit is just as beautiful as her face...she is kind, optimistic, loving, sweet, fun and intelligent, artistically and musically talented beyond words...simply incredible.

Our family is blessed. I can't wait to see how the world is changed, just by her being in it.

Isabel, I hope being 12 in 2012 is your best experience yet!

Getting lost in the past

2011-12-20T07:17:00.002-05:00

I got my love of reading from my parents, especially my dad. We loved a lot of the same authors (Dean Koontz, John Sandford, Nevada Barr) but none more than Stephen King. We would discuss the merits of The Stand or The Shining; we watched Christine and Cat's Eye together at the theater; Dad marveled at the fact that I got to stand outside of Stephen's house in Maine on a vacation I took after I graduated high school.

I've been fairly disappointed in the last few books that he has published...they lacked the character development and serious scary-ness that I had come to love. Under the Dome was not great, just okay, and I really thought maybe he had used up all of his good ideas.

Until now.

I am almost halfway through his new book, listening to it on CD while I scrapbook. Oh.My.Word. I listen to it in my craft room, then I take it in my van and listen to it while I drive to/from work. I literally sat in Target parking lot and SOBBED at certain parts...it's that good.

There's not too much scary in it, but lots of freaky. References to a previous book (IT), time travel, amazing characters that you love by the second chapter...I can't say enough about what an engrossing read it is. I think about what's happening to the characters when I'm not listening to the book, like they're living people. I love when an author makes that happen!

Over and over again, I have wanted to talk to my dad about this book. He would've loved it, too...and it makes me wonder if maybe he already is; curled up in a big cozy library in Heaven, having a good old time and thinking that this is a book that we'll have to discuss when I get to where he is...

Cookies and then some...

2011-12-12T07:04:00.000-05:00

Holiday traditions are the best, especially when they involve daughters and sisters and baked goods and homemade Chex mix. Throw in a couple of novice photographers, and you have a well-preserved cookie-baking day!

The three bakers.

Cream cheese cut-outs, chocolate chip with whole wheat flour, chocolate-covered toffee. YUM.

Isabel helping me roll out dough...a comical moment, for sure!

Me and my new baby, er, I mean camera :)

Elijah and Joe spent the day enjoying their Christmas present: tickets to the Bengals/Texans game. Gabe was our official taster and decorator, but really he kept busy building forts and Lego cities in the living room. By the end of the afternoon, Isabel was passed out on my bed, and I was stuffed full of all the samples from each new batch :)

I'm not sharing my Chex mix, but I may let you try the toffee. It was Kay's favorite :)

RWOP (finally!)

2011-12-07T11:59:00.002-05:00

I have been wanting to participate in MEP's and E's Real Women of Pinterest (RWOP) for some time now, but Wednesdays always seem to get away from me. Finally, I have a bit of free time on my hands (shhh, don't tell my husband), and I wanted to share an idea I originally got from Becky Higgins (scrapbooking guru) and recently saw again on Pinterest: the floating ornament.

The idea is easy. Get some screw-in hooks from Target, Wal-mart, or Lowes. Measure the area you plan to hang the hooks, then divide by three or five to space them evenly (if desired). Screw in the hooks (easy to do by hand). Get some fishing line or other clear string, and use it in different lenghts to suspend the ornaments of your choice. I'm telling you, this project took all of 20 minutes, and I love the results. The challenge was getting a good photo...they're much more impressive in person.

I chose a combination of ornaments and snowflakes.

And there you have it, my first RWOP post!

Holiday plans

2011-12-06T06:56:00.000-05:00

Christmas is such an exciting time full of shopping for gifts, making and sending of cards, baking of cookies, and celebrating with traditions. Kids, especially, thrive on the continuity of tradition. This past Saturday, Kay and I took the kids to see the horse-drawn carriage Christmas parade in town. Over one hundred carriages participated, with horses of all shapes and sizes and colors leading the way. Although Gabe was a bit bored by the 50th carriage, we girls were mesmerized by the Victorian costumes and the creative ways each group decorated their horse and carriage.

One thing Isabel and I hope to do this month is visit the local historic mansion with its halls decked for the holidays. We have lived here for ten years, and every year we say this is something we want to do...this is the year for a new tradition, I say!

Gabe wants to go to Cincinnati to see the holiday train exhibit at the Museum Center and we already went to the local nursery to get our real Christmas tree this past Sunday. Michelle is coming to bake cookies this weekend, and our family get-togethers are planned and on the calendar. A month full of planning, spending time with family, and truly "getting" the meaning of Christmas...that's what I'm looking forward to.

How do you celebrate this month? Any traditions you do every year, or hope to start this year?

Sappy mom

2011-12-02T15:53:00.000-05:00

Three years ago, a moment was captured that I will treasure forever. It embodies the magic and wonder of Christmas as seen through a four year old boy's eyes:

It still brings a tear to my eye.

I'm such a sap.

Do you have a favorite Christmas picture, of yourself or your own kids? Do share!

Home stretch (almost)

2011-11-29T06:42:00.000-05:00

I take my next-to-last final exam today.

After this, I am off of school for the month of December.

When I go back in January, it will be my last quarter.

(Can you hear the Hallelujah chorus, 'cause I sure can?!)

After today, I will officially let myself focus on the Christmas season. And my family. And my home.

I can't wait for tomorrow!

Kids live here

2011-11-22T08:43:00.000-05:00

My refrigerator is covered with pictures, lunch menus, homework assignments and magnets made in Sunday School.

There are Legos in every single room of the house, I'm certain. I've stepped on them more times than I can count.

Alongside of the books on the living room bookcase are stacks of videogames and DVDs, such as Hot Wheels and Home Alone and Twilight.

As soon as my kids walk in the door after school, at least three more kids are sure to be ringing the doorbell, wanting to play.

There is toothpaste smeared on the bathroom counter. In two of our bathrooms. I didn't do it. (I'm pretty sure Joe didn't, either.)

The television is most often tuned to Sportscenter (Elijah), Cartoon Network (Gabe), or Say Yes to the Dress (Isabel). I have to DVR my shows and watch them after the kids are in bed.

For people who don't have kids, this post may sound horrible.

But I wouldn't have it any other way.

When you walk into my house (and step over the shoes/coats/backpacks strewn on the floor), you know instantly that kids live here.

And that's the way I like it.

winner winner chicken dinner

2011-11-20T18:17:00.002-05:00

and the winner of the Christmas cards giveaway is:

comment number 8

E. from It's a Small World!

E, let me know what type of cards you want (religious, santa-fied, assorted) and I'll mail them to you soon!

Thanks for playing everyone! Michelle, you know you'll have a chance at our Christmas party!

Christmas card sneak peek, or...

2011-11-17T10:21:00.001-05:00

what I've been doing while holed up in my craft room these past few weeks (you know, in between work and school and kids and cooking and cleaning and doing laundry. A girl has GOT to have some craft time, I tell you!)

I love coming up with new creations for Christmas cards. I get inspiration from idea books, splitcoaststampers.com and even Pinterest (another new obsession...oh my word, the ideas!).

I usually only make six or eight cards of any one design; the fun for me is coming up with a new card, not making fifty copies of the same one. Here are just a few of the cards I've made:

Any favorites? Do you still mail Christmas cards? Want to win a set of Christmas cards from me? Leave a comment and I'll pick one at random sometime between now and Sunday...good luck!

Did I Ever Tell You About the Time I...

2011-11-12T17:34:00.000-05:00

got a big surprise for my birthday and dared to do something I never dreamed in a thousand years I'd have the guts to do?

Photos courtesy of Hocking Hills Canopy Tours

Yup, Joe planned a zipline tour for the four of us for my birthday, and we did it! (I may or may not have screamed. I may or may not have peed in my pants just a little. I may or may not do this again with my kids when they're old enough.)

Seriously, it was awesome. Unbelievable that I actually did it, lived to tell about it, and am willing and excited to do it again.

Have you ever ziplined? Would you ever? What's the most exciting gift you've ever received for your birthday?

Spoiled rotten

2011-11-09T07:27:00.001-05:00

I've mentioned before that I am the "baby" of my family.

My older sisters may or may not have called me a spoiled brat back in the day, but time has passed, and we are now the best of friends.

We don't talk on the phone every day, we don't see each other nearly as often as we would like, but we know that, if needed, we would be there for each other, no questions asked.

I'm so grateful for a sister who will take time out of her own weekend to drive north and spend the afternoon photographing my little family, then act modest when the developer asks if the professional photographer has given me permission to print these pictures on my own...

Thanks, Michelle.

I'm also grateful that this same sister loves to scrapbook with me, and will go away on weekend retreats, or spend hours at weekend crops at Archivers, or in my craft room making Christmas cards. She makes me feel like a million bucks when she raves over my latest creation, and fusses over how cute the cards are this year. She loves my babies like her own, and since her babies are almost grown, she offers lots of sage advice for how to survive the teenage years :)

And since God decided that I needed an adventurous sister to go along with my crafty one, he blessed me with Rhonda. Rhonda rides roller coasters and spends the day at King's Island with me, on the front seat of the Beast, in the dark. She goes to Halloween Haunts with me, and doesn't laugh too hard when I pee my pants in fright. She helps plan surprise birthday getaways to Hocking Hills and has the courage to get on the zipline with me (although we both would've backed out if they had offered a refund).

She points out double rainbows that God sent just for me to celebrate turning 38...

Two different sisters, two different personalities, one great love I have for both of them.

Being the baby sister is still the best; I am spoiled rotten by both Michelle and Rhonda, and I love every minute of it!

Spelling Bee and a Sweet Sis

2011-11-06T07:36:00.000-05:00

Early in October, my sister and I loaded up our kids and drove east to "Old West Fest" in Williamsburg, Ohio. It was a cute little town all done up in Western themed attire, complete with a shoot out in the street, a jail for the "bad guys", a medicine show, a magic show, and an old-fashioned spelling bee in the one-room schoolhouse/church.

My nieces were too shy to enter the spelling bee, but Isabel and Gabe clambered onto that platform and gave it their best shot. Gabe got out on the first word (he was off by one letter, poor guy), but Isabel hung in til the end.

She won with the word "medicine". (I've taught her well, eh?)

The "teacher" presented Isabel with the choice of two prizes: a girlie pair of boot spurs or a cool rifle that made sounds when the trigger was pulled. She chose the rifle.

Then walked right down those steps and handed it to Gabe, without a second thought.

He was so excited, she was glad to make him happy, and I had tears in my eyes at her generosity and innate kindness.

I don't know how I deserve to be this blessed, but I am. My daughter is beautiful, inside and out, and I love watching the amazing woman she is going to be unfold before my very eyes.

The Hike

2011-11-03T16:18:00.000-04:00

It was a gorgeous autumn evening in October. Cool enough to wear a jacket and jeans. Perfect weather for a hike.

Joe and I loaded the somewhat reluctant kids of ours into the van and drove over to the YMCA, where they have a perfect wooded trail filled with deer, owls, rabbits and other bits of wildlife.

I say "somewhat reluctant", because while Elijah and Isabel were not crazy about the idea of a family hike, Gabe was in his glory. He filled his backpack up with binoculars, magnifying glass, a flashlight and a snack, donned his safari hat, and was ready to explore! This picture says it all:

Just before we started out on the trail, Elijah looked at the clouds in the horizon and predicted rain.

"Not gonna rain til tonight", I said.

We found giant mushrooms, deer tracks, a group of deer, two rabbits, a gorgeous owl and gobs of acorns and walnuts before the first drops fell on our faces.

The sky grew dark, we started to walk faster, the wind picked up, we picked up our pace, the storm moved in and we broke into a run. Gabe was convinced that we were in the middle of a tornado. By the time we found our way back to the van, we were completely drenched.

What started out as the "best hike ever" quickly became "the WORST idea, Mom!".

It was a pretty memorable hike, though, one they're never gonna let me forget :)

Career vs Home

2011-11-02T09:49:00.000-04:00

It's a tough decision to make.

As a young teenager deciding on a college and a career path, girls don't often look down the road at how well their chosen job will coincide with a family life. Once that stick turns pink and a baby is in the picture, however, thoughts of staying-at-home vs working-and-child-care quickly come to the surface.

Fortunately, I had older sisters and great mentors who encouraged me to think of these issues when deciding on a career. Being a mom was the most important thing to me, even at the age of eighteen. My babies were only a figment of my imagination at the time, but finding a job that would be flexible with good pay while allowing me to be a mom the majority of the time was my goal. I knew a few nurses who raved about how well their jobs fit that bill, so I signed up for nursing school. It was the best thing I've ever done. Not only do I love my job (most of the time), but I love that I only have to work two nights a week, leaving me five nights to be what I most wanted to be: a good mom.

Now that Elijah and Isabel are older, I am no longer called to volunteer as often as I used to be...but I still have Gabe, and I am having a great time volunteering in his class and for various school events. It's so much fun to see him with his many (girl) friends:

and getting to have lunch with the first grade crew is always an experience (and reminds to be glad that I am not one of the crabby lunchladies...they need you, Aunt Chelle!):

Getting to go to events like Vehicle Day, where different careers are displayed along with their various vehicles (police, Army, truck drivers, farmers, hot air balloonists, and more!)...this is what I love about the choice I made for my own career over 20 years ago.

There are plenty of careers other than nursing that allow for moms to blend family life and work successfully. I am finally at the point where I am not envious of stay-at-home moms; it was hard when my kids were little, and I felt like I was being pulled in so many different directions every time I left the house to work my shift at the hospital. They would cry when I put on my scrubs, and I would feel like crying from sadness and fatigue. Now that they're older, they appreciate that I am working for our family, and I try to make the most of our time together.

Do you have a career that meshes well with motherhood? If not, what is your dream job? And would you ever want to be a lunchlady for a room full of 1st and 2nd graders?!

Future therapy?

2011-10-24T11:21:00.000-04:00

I may have previously mentioned my love for all things scary. Stephen King books, a good scary movie (Paranormal Activity, anyone?), haunted houses...I love it all.

And so do my kids. I limit what I let them watch (Isabel does NOT like scary movies; Gabe has seen The Village, Signs, and Ghost Adventures and loves them equally). But when they wanted to go with us to King's Island's Fear Fest, I happily obliged.

My niece, Katlyn, who is eight years old, fits right in with the rest of us, and she and Rhonda joined us for a very scary night of haunted train rides, freaky haunted carnivals and stalkers in a corn field.

It was so much fun, I literally peed my pants (darn lack of bladder control). Gabe kept his eyes closed for the first two attractions, but then he got into the spirit of the night and braved it with eyes wide open.

Isabel held onto her dad the entire night, but she claims that she had a lot of fun :)

It may cost me hundreds in therapy sessions at some later date, but boy, it was worth it!

Do you like scary stuff? Would your kids love a good haunted house? Ever read The Shining?

Bits and pieces

2011-10-18T07:06:00.000-04:00

My dreams have improved recently, thankyouverymuch. I guess returning to work and getting a handle on my to-do list helped, not to mention spending time with my family and friends and drinking a bottle (or two) of wine in the process. Tried a new wine called "Middle Sister", a sweet white Moscato. It went very well with my homemade chicken and rice soup on Saturday night...yum.

I finished the wedding invitation project (see Saturday night) for my friend, Tiffany. She and her high school sweetheart are getting married on January 7th, and we came up with the most elegant snowflake-embossed invitations I've ever made...I can't wait to show you the finished project (when she mails them; don't want to ruin the surprise).

I (reluctantly) got my flu shot, a mandatory thing at the hospital. My arm feels like it was punched with an iron hand, but at least there's another item I can check off of my list.

My birthday is coming up fast. For some reason, this past year I had it in my head that I was 38, when really I was only 37. So I get another year of being 38...that's a bonus!

After a busy night at work on Sunday, I was super tired on Monday, even after a good day's sleep. My best-mother-in-law-in-the-world, Kay, made a delicious ham dinner for me and my family...I didn't have to cook or clean up and it was absolutely wonderful.

Sweater weather has officially arrived this morning, with the forecast calling for a high in the 50's today. I'm sitting here, sipping coffee and pondering which sweater and boots combination I will wear...love that.

What's going on in your life this week? Do you get a flu shot? Love sweaters and boots? Have a great mom-in-law?

Anxiety

2011-10-14T06:46:00.000-04:00

Lately, I have been having dreams that can only be described as "anxiety dreams", or nightmares, as the case may be.

I dreamt about hosting Thanksgiving dinner (one of my favorite things to do), but in the dream, nothing went right. Joe put out an Easter egg tablecloth, the rolls were burnt, the vegetables were rotten, an unexpected guest showed up, Isabel was giving me grief, and when I went to get the turkey out of the oven, I realized I had forgotten to get it out of the refrigerator, and I was going to have to serve leftover pork roast, instead.

The very next night, I dreamt about going to work and spending the entire shift doing everything but my work, only to realize that the day shift was about to arrive and I hadn't done a thing all night long.

Both mornings, my heart was pounding to beat the band, and I had a very hard time shaking that anxious feeling. I knew these were typical anxiety dreams, but making my body settle down and realize that dreams they were, and not reality, was a tough thing to do.

I tried to identify the source of my anxiety...returning to work after being off for ten days? Joe starting a new job? Elijah preparing to leave for Washington, D.C. soon? Gabe being covered in poison ivy? My mom moving to Indiana? Starting a new quarter of school?

Okay, the list became rather long. No wonder I'm having such weird dreams. Now I just need to figure out how to deal with it all. I am not a worrier by nature, but clearly my subconscious is lately. Hopefully just writing a blog post about it will make my conscious self take the bull by the horns and tell my subconscious to knock it off. I'd really rather dream about a beach, the ocean, a beach and ocean with Daniel Craig...

How do you handle anxiety? Does it give you nightmares? What's your dream dream?

So many decisions...

2011-10-09T22:45:00.001-04:00

Saturday was meant to be the perfect day for a photo shoot, and thanks to my incredibly talented big sis, Michelle, it turned out to be just that. She loaded up her camera, new lenses and her photography prowess and headed north to capture our little family in our fall finest.

Seriously, Michelle, you rock!

We got pictures of each kid, from the oldest...

to the youngest...

to the beauty in between...

Fifteen years together, and we can still manage some smiles :)

My family means everything to me, and I am going to love hanging these pictures up around our home so I can see the love and smiles glowing back at me every day.

After two hours of posing and smiling and laying in leaves and throwing leaves in the air, Gabe (and the rest of the kids) were happy to be done. And the grown-ups couldn't wait to get to the nearest computer to admire Michelle's work!

Also, a big thanks to my friend, Chelle, who let us "borrow" her family's old schoolhouse for the photo shoot. We couldn't have asked for a better location!

Now, the decision as to what-pictures-to-hang-where comes next...help!

Witches and herbs and mums, oh, my!

2011-10-06T08:12:00.000-04:00

I love decorating for fall, almost as much as for Christmas. Isabel and I had a great time pulling out all of the boxes of pumpkins and witches and ghosts and setting them up carefully inside and out of the house.

Welcome to our little corner of the pumpkin patch:

This spring, you may remember that Isabel planted an herb garden of her own. We recently started drying some of the lavender, rosemary and sage in the kitchen; I think we may freeze a bit of it, too, to use this Thanksgiving.

We have yet to visit a real pumpkin patch this fall, but are hoping to next week. I'm looking forward to getting our family pictures done on Saturday...we haven't had a family picture in over five years, and it's time!

What are you looking forward to this fall?

Decade and a half

2011-10-05T07:23:00.000-04:00

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

This has long been one of my favorite Bible verses, one that gives me comfort when my life doesn't seem to be going according to my plan...it's good to know that someone around here has a plan (thanks, God).

Fifteen years ago, when our 22-year-old selves stood at the front of the First Church of God and said our vows in front of God and everybody, we had no idea what was in store for us. Sure, we had a plan, but you know what they say about the best-laid plans (you don't know what they say? just google it :)

Anyway, Joe and I had lots of plans. Work hard, make lots of money, travel the world, have a few kids (I said four, he said two), maybe move to the beaches of South Carolina and live happily ever after.

We have definitely worked hard. We don't make lots of money, but we have enough to pay the bills and travel a bit and still save some, and you all know we ended up with three kids (marriage is all about compromise, is it not?). And though we have struggled through some times when we didn't like each other all that much; when money was tight and patience was scarce; those times are few and far between.

Fifteen years ago, I chose this guy to be my husband:

and we ended up with an amazing family:

We may have had our plans, but I have to say that God's plan has been even better.

Happy marriages begin when we marry the ones we love, and they blossom when we love the ones we marry.

-- Tom Mullen

Busy bee

2011-10-03T07:02:00.001-04:00

As a toddler, Gabe was what I lovingly referred to as my "busy bee". The boy was always getting into something, going somewhere, or making a mess...and often all three.

As he got older, he calmed down quite a bit. By the age of five, I had hope that he might survive into his teen years, after all (without driving his exhausted momma into an early grave, that is).

Now that he's seven (yes, my baby is seven...I have no idea how that happened!), Gabe can sit and read a book, build an entire Lego set all by himself, and contentedly watch a movie in the theater without getting up twenty-five times to get popcorn, go to the bathroom, explore the row in back of us, check out the toys in the lobby...you get the picture.

Despite the level of maturity that he has achieved, I have to say that Gabe is still my busy bee...

On any given day, you can find him building dominos, watching domino videos on Youtube, finding cool domino sets to buy on Amazon.com (domino-building is his newest passion):

or you might find him laying paver stones out back (his favorite part was hammering them in place with Dad's rubber mallet):

He still loves doing crafts, and it was no trouble at all to convince him to write out his thank-you cards for his birthday gifts:

Another favorite thing is to grab my camera and take pictures. I had no idea he was using my pj-clad self along with my naked foot as a back-drop for the "many faces of Isabel photo shoot":

Isabel Happy

Isabel Sad

His greatest love is still Legos. He loves to build his own creations, then make videos or take pictures of them, always requesting that I "put them on Youtube, Mom!":

Needless to say, my boy is still my busy bee, and probably always will be. At least now, he's old enough to clean up his messes :)

Now, can somebody please tell me how to slow down the clock, because in another seven years, my baby will be a teenager, and his siblings will be grown adults. I just can't wrap my mind around that!

Talent

2011-09-27T10:55:00.000-04:00

One of the things I admire most about my husband is his awesome talent to be able to look at a picture in a book and turn it into a real-life work of art.

Late this summer, we had to tear down our slightly dangerous playset that was slowly falling apart. Joe and I had discussed our plans for the backyard, and we thought we wanted a gazebo-type structure. I found this pergola patio in a book at the library, and Joe thought he could build it.

He drew up some plans, we headed to Lowes and bought the lumber and lattice, ordered the paver stones and gravel, and he got to work...(with a little help from Gabe).

I helped a little, handing screws and holding the ladder, on occasion. Mostly, I watched and took pictures :)

He still has to finish putting the little frames up on the sides, which will be perfect for hanging baskets of flowers from in the spring. We are still undecided on the patio furniture, but this setup is working just fine for now. I am loving sitting out here in the evenings, listening to the wind chimes and reading a book, or just visiting with my family.

Thanks, Joe, for working so hard to make our home beautiful! You are amazing!

one more reason...

2011-09-24T19:11:00.000-04:00

Sometimes living in the midwest seems boring...

No oceanside beaches, no mountains to climb, no famous monuments to pose next to on vacation...

Then, the seasons change. The heat of summer relents and gives way to fall forecasts like this one:

and living in a place with four distinct seasons (and a most beautiful autumn) seems pretty darn great, after all.

Nothing says fall like...

2011-09-23T07:13:00.000-04:00

leaves drifting down from the trees in our backyard.

chilly mornings which require jackets that are sure to be shed by the warm(er) afternoons.

the scent of woodsmoke in the air (man, I wish I had a wood-burning stove).

Applefest in our local hometown, complete with apple fritters, apple cider and apple spice donuts.

gorgeous mums from the local nursery (yep, I try to spend my dollars locally whenever I can).

pumpkin-flavored everything, especially this gem:

Pumpkin spice latte, I love you. (courtesy of Starbucks)

It was a great summer, but I am more than ready to say hello to fall (my favorite season of them all). On this rainy morning, I am sipping coffee and baking apple spice muffins and debating about which homemade soup to make to usher in the season...

What's your favorite thing about fall?

Frustration

2011-09-21T17:49:00.001-04:00

I took my van into the shop last week to get my sometimes-functioning/sometimes-NOT-functioning headlights and NO-LONGER-functioning-power-door-locks fixed. After having the van for a whole day, the headlight problem "couldn't be duplicated" and therefore couldn't be fixed, but the power door locks were made functional for the bargain price of $285 (including a transmission flush).

That lasted for two days.

Now only some of the doors unlock, the hatch/trunk doesn't open at all, and after having my van for yet another day, it looks like it will cost $800 for the parts/labor to really fix the problem. Oh, and even though the problem wasn't fixed the first time, there will be no refund on the money already spent.

Big, grumpy sigh over here...did you hear it?

I'm trying so hard to look on the bright side of things, but my mood matches the weather today: gloomy and gray. And I don't know how to make it better, other than burying my head under the covers and hoping for a brighter day tomorrow.

Pinching pennies

2011-09-15T08:37:00.000-04:00

I really don't want to go back to "frugal year", but in this economy of late, I would like to find some new ways to pinch pennies and stretch out our hard-earned dollars. I already coupon, make meal plans based on what's on sale, and pack my kids' lunches nearly every day. I shop at second-hand thrift stores and boutiques (scored a brand new Liz Claiborne purse for $3 last week!), and NEVER buy any article of clothing unless it's on sale.

After reading MckMama's blog post about making her own laundry detergent, I was inspired to try yet one more thing to save some moolah. I made a list of the ingredients and headed over to Walmart, where I easily found most everything (except the essential oils, which aren't really essential at all). I may try to order those online, if I decide to keep this up. The detergent was easy to make, and my test run of towels last night turned out great. For 1/10th of the cost of Tide, I do believe it's worth the effort!

Have you ever made your own detergent? Inspired to give it a try? What's your best tip to save money?

Plans

2011-09-09T06:52:00.000-04:00

I have a month-long break from my BSN program, which is already halfway over (I start classes on the 27th).

When the break began at the end of August, I had BIG PLANS to get my kitchen, my house, my life organized. With the kids being back in school, I would have all sorts of time on my hands to get back into a regular exercise routine, plan an assortment of delicious home-cooked meals, dry my herbs in the garden, catch up on my scrapbooking, ~~learn a new language~~...you get the idea.

So far, I have run around the block a couple of times, cooked a few meals, read a couple of good books, and thought about doing the rest.

Instead, I have reveled in the silence of my house once the kids are on the bus. I have had breakfasts and lunches with friends, got hired to help a friend with her wedding invitations, surfed the blogs and facebook posts of more friends...you get the idea: clearly, I missed my friends! All of the time I have spent this past two years working and going to school has deprived me of what I love most: connecting with friends, family and my kids.

Rather than feel guilty of all that I am not accomplishing, I'm just going to enjoy these next two weeks. The weather here is cool and fall-ish, and perfect for curling up with my laptop or a good book. I have lots of volunteering to do at Gabe's school, and a levy to support for our entire community, and 120 wedding invitations to make for a winter wedding. That other stuff can wait til March, when I will be finished with school for good!

Do you make to-do lists? Do you finish them? What book are you reading?

Heartache

2011-09-05T16:50:00.004-04:00

The other night, I received a call from the senior resident doctor, needing an intensive care bed for a patient on the oncology unit.

One of my jobs is coordinating the placement of patients onto the appropriate unit for their needed level of care. The doctor explains what is going on with the patient, and we decide on the best place together. We have three ICU's and a variety of other units. We care for the occasional child who comes through the ER doors, but mostly take care of adults.

When the R-3 (third year resident doctor) needs a different bed for a patient, it almost always means their health is declining rapidly and they need a spot in the ICU right now.

I've done this job for two years now, and have gotten this call many times. I take down the name, find the right bed, coordinate the transfer between the two units, and follow-up to make sure the patient gets to where they need to go in the least amount of time. Often, I help with notifying the patient's family of their status and helping them find the new unit.

This is my job, and I do it almost automatically now. Sometimes, though, a particular situation stops me in my tracks.

This night, the patient who needed an ICU bed was a 42 year old woman with breast cancer which had spread to her liver and lungs. She weighs 90 pounds. She is a wife. She is a mother to a 2 year old. A 2 year old who will probably never remember his mom, as her body is not responding to the chemotherapy and she will most likely not live to see the end of this year, and maybe not even the end of this week.

Although she is at the end of her battle, she refuses to stop fighting. She is still a "full code", meaning we will try everything in our medical arsenal when her body gives in. As a nurse, this is so hard to do; as a mother, I understand completely why she's not ready to give up.

And these conflicting emotions make my heart ache.

Why I love Ohio

2011-09-02T06:50:00.000-04:00

Could you ask for a better weather forecast to usher in September?

Seriously, this is why I love Ohio. Some days in the 90s to get you good and hot and tired of summer; followed by a good thunderstorm (and hopefully rain) which will bring those gorgeous fall-like days in the 70s (perfect for the planting of my mums, by the way).

Joe and I were discussing our "dream retirement location" yesterday...but I have to say the changing of the seasons of our current home are hard to beat.

What's the weather like where you are? What's your dream retirement location?

What, it's over?!

2011-08-28T18:53:00.002-04:00

It won't officially be autumn for another month, but it already feels like the fun part of summer is over...

And though I was crazy-insane-tothebreakingpoint-busy with school and work these past few months, we did manage to make plenty of great memories in between the madness.

We celebrated Mamaw Kay's birthday with food and euchre and the love of her grandbabies...

We watched the Reds beat the Giants with Elijah's baseball team...

(I'm gonna miss my fellow baseball mom, Chelle, like crazy...our boys won't be playing together next year :(

I squeezed in a short overnight trip to Chicago for my friend, Monica's, 40th birthday. We drank and laughed and talked and laughed until our abs were sore and our cheeks hurt from all of that smiling!

Diane and I before our night out on the town.

Visit with the cow at Fair Oaks Farm on our long drive home.

The birthday girl with our hilarious waitress.

And all of a sudden, my clinicals were finished, teachers were announced, and the kids went back to school (Elijah is too cool for the annual "first day" pics...so sad).

However, look at this girl of mine, eleven years old and entering sixth grade. Sigh...

And this boy, who turned seven on the 27th and celebrated with a Lego birthday party full of gifts from our wonderful friends and family. I love the picture that Joe captured at just the right moment!

I just looked at my calendar for the week, and it is completely blank until work on Friday. Did you read that? BLANK. Exactly what I need to recover from an over-the-top summer.

Do you consider summer to be over on September 22nd, after Labor Day, or when school starts? What do you do when your calendar is blank?

The night-shift debate

2011-08-12T14:52:00.001-04:00

Staying up all night...

it's cool when you're a kid, a rite of passage to be able to stay awake til morning at the sleepover party.

it's no big deal when you're in college, having to pull an all-nighter to study for that final exam.

it's a necessary evil when you're a new mom, getting up all night long with your new baby for feedings and diaper changes and lullabies.

it's a due you have to pay as a new nurse, working the shift that no one else wants.

Being a part of the "night-shift club" at the hospital was something I never thought I would enjoy. The disturbance to my Circadian rhythm, working from 7pm to 7:30am then driving my tired self home to attempt to sleep while the sun was shining did not sound appealing, but the $4/hour shift differential helped ease the pain when I was young. Every single night was a struggle back then (I was twenty years old), and I often dreamed of "graduating" to day shift.

After several years, I finally achieved that goal. I worked a few day shifts, then quickly realized that night shift suited my life much more. Sounds crazy, but here's why:

When I worked days, I left my house before the kids woke up. I didn't get home until 8 or 8:30pm (on a good day), and they were getting ready for bed at that point. Yes, we got to be in the same house while we were sleeping, but I missed an entire day of their lives. Not worth it.

When I worked days, I missed my "night shift peeps" so much! There is a camaraderie on nights that you just don't find on days. Having to rely on each other in a crisis because there are fewer staff around, bonding over coffee during the witching hour of 3am, going out for breakfast in the morning to decompress after a particularly bad night...these were things I just didn't experience when working that "normal" shift.

Last night, during the 3am witching hour when our bodies told us to sleep but our bosses said we couldn't, some of my fellow night shift nurses and I discussed this night shift debate. Is it worth it to leave the extra pay and the great people, just to get a full nights' sleep? Most all of us (the moms, especially) answered a resounding NO.

I may be crazy, but I think I just may be a night-shifter for life.

What about you? Ever pulled an all-nighter? Worked the "graveyard shift"? What would you give up for a full nights' sleep?

Today, I...

2011-08-07T22:17:00.001-04:00

Today, I went to a new church with Joe and the kids. I think we may have found a new church home.

Today, I spent time with a friend who needed a kind ear and a creative eye. She's planning a wedding, going to school for her Master's, and working full-time. Overwhelmed much? We poured over invitation books and brainstormed some ideas. I love being blessed with so many great friends.

Today, I went back-to-school shopping with this girl. She is such a pleasure to be around, and I am proud to be her mom. I thank God for my daughter.

Today, I walked for miles with my mother-in-law, talking and listening and laughing out loud. I am blessed.

Today, I felt happy and grateful for my life, full of kids and work and school and friends and family. What was your today like?

A shout-out

2011-08-03T18:35:00.000-04:00

Giving a little shout out to Joe, who just finished the kids' bathroom remodel.

Head over to his blog, Vista Tile and Remodel for a sneak peek. Leave him some love, would you?

(And if you're in the need for some remodeling or tiling work, give him a shout!)

August Already?

2011-08-02T21:51:00.000-04:00

Here it is, the last month of summer vacation. In less than three weeks, Elijah will be starting school, and Isabel and Gabe will be right behind him.

It's bittersweet. I will miss them, but I will be glad for the return of a routine and the end of "I'm bored" mutterings. I will tire quickly of packing three lunches a day, but I will be grateful for a quiet house in the middle of the day when I am trying to sleep after a night shift.

We still have lots of plans to get us through the month. Birthdays for Joe and Gabe. End of season baseball party for Elijah, and the beginning of fall baseball practices. End of clinicals for me, with a month-long break before my second-to-last quarter begins. A trip to Chicago to celebrate a friend's 40th birthday. Lots to cram in to three short weeks; sure hope it all works out as planned!

How's your August shaping up?

The Much-needed Overnight

2011-07-27T12:02:00.002-04:00

"Marriage is not a noun; it's a verb. It isn't something you get. It's something you do. It's the way you love your partner every day."

-Barbara De Angelis

It has been over eighteen months since I have started the juggling act of going to school, working at least twenty-four hours a week, being a mom to our three kids and still trying to maintain some sort of semblance of a marriage with Joe.

I won't lie and say it's been easy. It hasn't. I'm tired. He's tired. We annoy each other with our different expectations and our different ways of taking care of the house and the kids.

This October, we will celebrate our fifteenth wedding anniversary. Fifteen years is certainly worthy of celebrating, in this day where do-it-yourself divorces and friends-with-benefits-relationships abound.

Marriage certainly isn't easy, and it definitely requires work. Like my pots of flowers which need daily watering; so, too, does my marriage. To that end, last month I planned an overnight getaway to a bed-and-breakfast in Kentucky. For just the two of us. To reconnect. To "water" our marriage, so to speak.

The place was gorgeous. A ten-acre farm with alpacas and chickens and a well-stocked pond.

And a pool. Where we swam and lounged and even napped while our dinner was cooking on the grill...

The chickens made us laugh as they followed us along the fence-line during an evening stroll...

The owners told us of a beautiful path that ran near the river, where we had fun taking pictures of our shadows, and the wildlife, and some waterfalls...

and the remnants of the sunset on the shores of the Ohio River.

We enjoyed a bottle of wine after taking a leisurely (without interruptions!) bath in the whirlpool tub attached to our suite.

In the morning, after a made-to-order delicious breakfast, we headed over to the pond to try our hand at catching some fish. I caught one, Joe caught more, then we threw them all back and headed for home.

It was a short twenty-four hours, but we managed to fill it with laughter, smiles and lots of hand-holding (etc...). We came home feeling refreshed and happy, recharged and reconnected. Getaways like this will help us last another fifteen years and more, I pray!

The Daredevil

2011-07-23T16:46:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure if it's birth order (being the third kid and trying to keep up with older siblings).

Or if it's God's way of teaching me that sometimes you need to throw caution to the wind, trust in Him and enjoy all that life has to give.

Either way, my youngest boy is responsible for showing this once-nervous momma the joy that can be had by being a daredevil.

Whether it's throwing a pointy dart for the first time ever and winning a prize on that very first try:

Or sticking your hand through the bars of a kangaroo's cage and letting it eat right out of your hand:

Or riding a "whip-it" ride at the county fair with your big sis, forwards AND backwards:

Or refusing to be talked out of riding the "Lose your Skittles" ride that your older siblings are even afraid to ride:

And LOVING it:

Sometimes caution is good, but sometimes being a daredevil is even better. Just ask Gabe :)

When you're happy and you know it...

2011-07-20T15:53:00.003-04:00

Downloading the last month's worth of pictures from my camera made me reflect on certain things.

1. I sure do take a LOT of pictures. (157 in the last month, to be exact.)

2. I love having so many things in my life worthy of photographing.

3. I love sharing these pictures with you, my sweet bloggy friends :)

These pictures brought a smile to my face when I took them, again when I edited them, and yet again when I posted them here...

Elijah is having a great summer with his friends, especially our neighbor, Andrew.

Long hikes with my husband on a warm summer's evening.

Hand-feeding an alpaca on our bed-and-breakfast getaway in Kentucky.

Eating tomatoes and basil fresh from my own garden.

Finally getting to see TobyMac at SpiritSong at King's Island with Isabel, with fifth row seats, even!

Family hikes with Mamaw Kay at a nearby park.

Seeing my kids get along so well...

Taking the time on these hikes to just enjoy God's creations with my own little creation :)

So many reasons to be happy, so many ways to smile and enjoy this summer, making lots of memories along the way.

What's making you happy these days?

Just words

2011-07-10T13:47:00.000-04:00

Seriously, it's already been a week since I posted anything?

What is it about the "lazy days of summer" that make them seem anything but lazy?

Between work and clinicals and school work and taking kids to concerts (hello, Newsboys and Toby Mac!) and trips to Kings Island and going to baby showers for friends and seeing Bridesmaids with more friends (still haven't stopped chuckling to myself over that movie)...this summer hasn't stopped.

I have finally been able to cut back down to working only two 12-hr nights a week, which helps a lot.

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel with school. I'll be off for a whole month in September, then finished with my BSN in March! Hallelujah!

I am so blessed with kids who help their momma so darn much (laundry, dishes, watching their brother, being understanding when I'm forced to be away from them) and friends who make this load easier to bear.

Life may be busy right now, but it's my life, and I love it.

What have you been doing this summer?

The Cure for what ails you

2011-07-03T09:14:00.000-04:00

When your heart is heavy from a horrible week at work.

When you miss your kids more than you can express with mere words.

When your spirit craves joy and laughter and the roar of a t-rex...

Load up whatever kids are willing and head to the local amusement park with its new Dinosaur exhibit; it worked for me and if you have a dinosaur fanatic at your house, I guarantee it will work for you!

Well worth the extra $5/person to get in!

They move, they roar, they look amazingly real.

Gabe was in 7th heaven, and so was I, just watching him.

Isabel is such a good sport, even if she isn't a dinosaur-lover :)

The 3-D film was interesting, but not as cute as these two in their glasses!

Gabe is always begging to play a game at King's Island, and the answer is usually NO. Today wasn't a crowded day, though, and with just him and Isabel playing against each other, we were guaranteed to win a prize. Can you believe the Smurfs are making a comeback?

I thank God for my kids. Their sweet nature and enthusiasm for life are always the cure for what ails me, no matter how bad my day has been.

Close to home

2011-06-26T14:20:00.001-04:00

I just finished up a long four-night stretch at the hospital.

It was exhausting - mentally, physically and emotionally.

I spent most of yesterday in tears.

We lost a patient to a heart condition in an unexpected moment. She was less than fifty years old. She left behind a husband and two daughters who are still in their teens.

Their wails of anguish when they learned of their mother's death broke our hearts. Their feelings of guilt for not being there when she died made my heart ache for their suffering in the days to come.

It was horrible to have to witness this death, this raw grief.

It was even worse to imagine my own children being the ones left behind, should something this awful happen to me.

I held it together and gave as much emotional support as I could to these girls, until my shift was over and the next supervisor took my place.

I went to my office and teared up a little, but managed to give report, gather my things, and head for home.

But when I crawled into my bed next to my soundly-sleeping warm husband, my walls crumbled and I sobbed myself to sleep.

Nightmares invaded my six hours of restless sleep, until I finally gave up and got up out of bed, having to get ready for another night of work.

Isabel wanted to know what was wrong. Gabe asked me why I was crying, then proceeded to tell me to "stop thinking about sad stuff". I tried.

All the way into the hospital, I listened to a good worship CD full of TobyMac and Newsboys and Kutless. I tried to keep a positive perspective, but all I could imagine was what those girls were going through at that moment.

The hospital kept me busy, I visited with co-workers who are blessed friends, I shared the story of the patient when asked "what happened with that code last night?". I talked to two of the nurses that were with me, one of them being the patient's nurse that night. We cried and talked and shared our feelings, which were exactly the same, wondering about the girls and thinking about the horror of leaving our own babies behind.

I couldn't follow Gabe's advice, but talking and processing the events of the night before started the healing process for us. As much as our hearts ache, we have to go on and keep giving the same care (if not better) to our new patients. Some patients and codes and sad events hit us closer to home than others, but as nurses we have to find a way to deal with our own grief and use it to make us even better at what we do.

This was one of those times.

Unique artist promo!

2011-06-23T22:07:00.001-04:00

While in Michigan, we were lucky enough to visit a craft fair in town featuring local artists selling their wares. There were so many different booths, filled with the friendliest people...we had a great time visiting each and every one. (I think Gabe made at least three new friends with his exclamations of how "awesome" their creations were!).

One of my favorite artists was a woman named Jude McConkey, who featured beautiful and somewhat haunting photographs, in addition to the most amazing jewelry which contained pieces of her work. Jude was originally from Ohio (like me) and has since transplanted to Michigan. She has a couple of websites where you can buy her jewelry and her photographs, and I just wanted to share it with you all...seriously, she is crazy-talented!

photo by jude mcconkey

not my necklace, but another one just as pretty

Jude's photography site is: http://www.etsy.com/shop/judemcconkey .
Her jewelry site is : http://wearableartbyjude.etsy.com .

(I'm not getting compensated in any way by posting this...just helping out a fellow crafter and sharing a place for beautiful and unique gifts for my sweet blog friends :)

A much needed vacation...

2011-06-20T22:28:00.003-04:00

Over the past several months, I have worked and studied until I couldn't work or study anymore. I ended up with a B in Nursing Research and Theory, which bummed me out for a second; then I packed the kids and our bags into my van and drove up north to the lakeside town of Frankfort, Michigan.

It was a much needed break from the fast-paced life we'd been living...we stayed with friends and had the time of our life.

We visited art galleries and craft fairs and the local Solstice festival (which was QUITE the experience).

We had fun at the beach (even though the water in Lake Michigan was FREEZING).

Emily and Isabel got along famously!

We enjoyed the beautiful weather...60's to 70's every single day.

Sometimes we ate at the local restaurants, sometimes we stayed in our "Birdhouse" and cooked...

Remember, I said it was an "artsy" town. The kids LOVED the mermaid :)

I held the sunset in the palm of my hand.

And then captured at least one hundred shots of that same sunset on my camera...

We had many firsts: boating, kayaking, fishing, water trampolining...

and even fireworks right on the beach.

Watch out for the "Fancy Locomotive"!

The little lighthouse in the bay made a great photo op...

Elijah turned thirteen while we were there, and celebrated with a steak dinner with his buddy, Sam.

These two girls are the next in line for teenager-hood...sigh.

Thanks so much to my sweet friend, Diane, for inviting us along on this trip and helping to make so many great memories for our family.

If only vacation could last just a little bit longer...

A new love.

2011-05-19T11:00:00.000-04:00

I recently discovered the joy of the "playaway" MP3 books at our library.

Pop in a AAA battery, plug in your earbuds, and listen away (makes the commute down to Cincinnati so much more enjoyable).

My favorite book so far has been "Water for Elephants". I was determined to read the book before seeing the movie, but every copy was checked out, except for the playaway version.

This was, by far, one of the best narrated books I have ever listened to. I was literally laughing out loud while driving down the highway, to the amusement of other drivers, I am sure.

And though I loved Robert Pattinson in the Twilight movies, I cannot wait to see how he portrays Jacob in this movie (ironic that his name is Jacob, isn't it?).

I have heard that there isn't as much chemistry between the two actors as there was in the book, but we all know the movie is never as good as the book, right? I still want to see it, and compare the images in my head with those on the screen.

Do you enjoy listening to books on tape/CD/playaway? Any favorites? Another one of mine is "My Name is Memory"...very well narrated and an awesome love story. I'm so ready to make my summer reading list, can you tell?

How many more days?

2011-05-17T13:14:00.001-04:00

For those of you with kids in school, you know what this time of year means...

The countdown is on!

Which countdown? Why, the one that tells you exactly how many more days are left til summer vacation!

Making up for extra snow days means we have twelve days left of school...June 3rd is the goal, for all of us.

Summer vacation equals lazy mornings. No lunches to pack. No running Isabel to school on band mornings. No volunteering days to cram into my already crazy schedule. Most important: NO HOMEWORK!

It also means our annual "TOP 5 THINGS WISH LIST" for each family member activity. I can't wait to see what they put on their lists this year.

I'm really hoping Mother Nature will get her act in gear and bring some summer weather in time for summer vacation. Today, I have the heat back on to fight the chilly 45 degrees outside (brrr...).

What are you looking forward to this summer?

Photo op (three fun kids)

2011-05-15T20:11:00.000-04:00

I don't know why, but I have always loved candid shots with my personal camera much more than formally posed studio shots with a photographer. Maybe because their personalities show through more...maybe because they're more relaxed...(maybe because they're much cheaper?).

Anyway, before we took the kids to Portrait Innovations for a "grandkid photo shoot" for Mamaw Kay, I took them out in the backyard for a practice run.

Sweet brothers...

Loving siblings...

Calm and cool...

Happy and carefree...

Torturing the baby brother...

Three kids who are growing up way too fast...

Being a mom is the one thing I wanted most out of life. I am blessed with three kids who have made that dream come true in such a wonderful way. I hope they always know how much I love them!

Daredevil!

2011-05-14T10:26:00.000-04:00

Gabe has been waiting "his whole life" for this:

To be tall enough to ride The Beast at King's Island.

The Beast is one of the world's longest wooden roller coasters, and my favorite ride ever.

Now that he is over 51 inches tall, the time has come...

Yesterday, he and I went on a "date" and made his dreams come true. Although his eyes were closed for at least 50% of the ride, he did it (front seat and all!).

As we pulled back into the loading station, I gave him a high-five and asked him what he thought of The Beast...

Gabe: "It was good, but I almost said a bad word!"

Me: "What bad word?"

Gabe: "The S-word."

Me (thinking sh*t): "Tell me."

Gabe: "Can I say it? Okay...(whispering), it was son of a b*tch."

Me (laughing uncontrollably): "Um, well, let's not say that again, okay?"

After braving the big ride, we headed over to kiddie land, where he was equally thrilled with riding the tiny roller coasters. I love this age!

Although I always say NO to spending money on the games-that-no-one-ever-wins, today was a "yes day" for Gabe. He won a ball toss game and was thrilled with his tiny prize. And as a reward for his bravery, I even let him get a souvenir (shot glasses with the different roller coasters).

"This was a WONDERFUL day, Mom!"

Words that sing to my heart. I had a wonderful day, too, Gabe. In the middle of days and weeks and months that pass too quickly, these two hours spent with my youngest boy were a balm to my soul.

Today

2011-05-10T15:24:00.001-04:00

Today, the sound of a ringing phone woke me up out of a deep sleep.

It was our local school, calling with a two-hour delay due to road closures.

The road closures were related to a fatal car-chase which ended with the death of a sheriff's deputy. The suspect was still at large, just miles away from our home.

By the time the kids caught their buses, the suspect was apprehended, and the deputy killed was identified.

He was a 36 year old husband and father of three children, ages 4, 7 and 10. What started as a routine traffic stop turned into tragedy within minutes.

During a press conference, the sheriff and other deputies could barely hold back their tears. It was heart wrenching to watch.

This afternoon, another call from the schools came through, saying our kids were being held due to a second suspect at large, believed to be in the vicinity of our high school and junior high. Elijah texted me in fear, wondering why all the police, why the delay (no information was given to the kids).

He just got home, safe but scared. The second suspect is still loose, and I have been hearing sirens outside for the past two hours.

You read about this on the news often, but today the reality has come to my hometown, and I hate it. Fear, despair, tragedy...all the result of a stupid decision and most likely related to drugs/alcohol.

Today, my heart aches for the wife and children and co-workers of this deputy who gave his life for the protection of his community.

Today, I will hold my own husband and kids tightly, and thank God for another day of being together.

Today, I will remember to be thankful for those who don't think twice about protecting families like mine from criminals who would harm us.

Early Mom's Day

2011-05-06T08:08:00.000-04:00

I wanted to be a mom ever since I was eleven years old.

Thankfully, I waited until I was twenty-four.

I've been a mom for nearly thirteen years now. And as much as I've taught my kids in that time, they have taught me even more. I have learned the importance of patience and a sense of humor, along with learning that things like sleep and keeping a spotless house are overrated.

For this Mother's day post, I vacillated between sappy:

"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new."

~Rajneesh

And funny:

"Most children threaten at times to run away from home. This is the only thing that keeps some parents going."

~ Phyllis Diller

And even political:

Whether you're a novice mom of a newborn, or an experienced mom with grown kids out of the house (what is that like?), or a mom like me, right in the middle...

Happy Mother's Day to you!

(And remember, that sense of humor will help when the only gift you get is a burnt waffle in bed and a hastily-made card scribbled lovingly by your offspring.)

Test blues

2011-05-03T07:17:00.001-04:00

This week is standardized testing week for Elijah and Isabel.

They came home with notes reminding parents to feed their kids breakfast.

Really?

Being good test takers, they are not nervous at all (thank goodness). I hate the pressure put on these kids at such a young age about these tests. It's not the ACT or SAT, for heaven's sake.

I do have some sympathy for the kids, though, seeing as how today is my midterm for Nursing Theory and Research. This class is taught by a professor who has her PhD in Research, and thinks we should, too.

Um, no thanks.

I have been on the Dean's list with a 4.0 so far. This quarter will be the end of that. And to be honest, I'm not stressing too much about it. If I get a B in this class, it will be okay. Not great, but okay.

I am still dreading this exam today. I'd much rather build forts and spaceships out of the empty boxes downstairs with Gabe. Instead, I'll be studying (insert big pouty face here).

Sigh.

June 7 can't come soon enough (that's the end of this horrible quarter).

Do your kids stress out over testing? What was your least favorite class in school?

A few favorite fotos...

2011-04-24T20:53:00.000-04:00

Despite the rainy days of April, this spring has been full of joy.

My sweet niece, Mayla, is visiting for three weeks from California. She is 3 1/2 months old and such a darling girl. We are in love!

The sun came out for a short while on Easter Sunday, giving us the chance to pose for a family photo with the girls.

Kay, Isabel, me, mom, Jill and Reiko (my sister-in-laws)

This has been the best year ever for my tulips. I finally cut a bouquet to enjoy inside the house today.

Joe and Isabel moved our strawberries up to the garden near the deck, to avoid a total washout like we suffered last year. And I finally bought a lilac bush after nine years of wanting one...

I don't know about you, but when I was eleven years old, I didn't know the first thing about fashion. Somehow, Isabel has turned into this gorgeous fashionista that I sit in awe of. Just look at this girl:

Seriously, she was just 3 1/2 months old yesterday! These kids have got to slow down on this growing up business!

What are your favorite moments from April? Did you catch them on film (or SD card, as the case may be)?

Perspective

2011-04-19T09:52:00.001-04:00

Lately, I have been bogged down by never-ending to-do lists, a tough quarter at school, working too many night shifts, not getting enough sleep...all of which has given me a bad case of Eeyore-style gloom.

I've had a horrible headache on and off for the past two days (stress and barometric changes, go away!).

I woke up at 2:30am to a clap of lightning that shook the whole house and reverberated through my tender skull, ensuring that sleep would be elusive for the rest of the night.

I had to drive Isabel to band practice at 7:30am, in the storm, with my head throbbing to the beat of the windshield wipers.

Can you hear the gloominess?

However, on the way home from her school, I took the scenic route through the historic part of town. Not much traffic, lots of old houses with gorgeous spring gardens, the rain slowing to a drizzle that brought out the green lawns and the bright colors of the tulips, daffodils and weeping cherry trees lining the street. I thought about blessed we are to live in such a great town, with good schools and awesome people and hundreds of opportunities for our family.

At that moment, God opened my eyes to a new perspective.

The rain will nourish my flowers, making for a beautiful garden.

Having ten minutes alone with Isabel in the morning is a gift, even if we're just singing along to Sugarland's "Stuck like Glue" (we love that catchy song!).

When ten kids who aren't even mine are shouting and jumping and running through our yard, I know that I am blessed that my own kids make friends so easily.

When I complain about the amount of homework this professor is assigning, I know that I am blessed to be going to college on my employer's dime.

When I am exhausted from working nights, I know that this sacrifice enables me to spend more time with my kids. They will not be little for much longer, and I will have time to catch up on all that sleep I am missing.

When I worry about Joe quitting his stable job, I know that I am blessed to have a husband who has a dream and is willing to work hard to chase it.

When I miss my dad, and wish that he were still here to watch Elijah's ballgames and fuss over their excellent report cards, I know that having my mom close by is a blessing.

I am shaking off the gloom of the past month and embracing this new perspective. How about you?

The power of praise.

2011-04-11T18:41:00.000-04:00

A

4.0

"Excellent work.

Pleasure to have in class.

Doing a great job reading...you should be very proud."

The kids brought home their report cards today.

Through my exhaustion, I beamed with pride as I read their teachers' comments.

They work hard in school, and always strive to do their best. Their teachers love them and appreciate their consistent good effort in class.

Elijah, Isabel and Gabe: your dad and I are proud of your achievements, your hard work, and your grades!

We're also very glad that we never instituted the "dollar for each A" incentive; otherwise, we'd be broke by now.

We love you!

What's for dinner?

2011-04-06T15:11:00.000-04:00

Finding healthy dinners that everyone likes is next to impossible in this house (please tell me you have the same problem...).

Homemade chicken rice soup is always a hit, but now that warmer weather is (almost) here, I need some new ideas.

A new favorite lately is brown rice, steamed broccoli and broiled salmon. Isabel is the only one who isn't crazy about the fish, so she substitutes cottage cheese for her protein.

I have about ten pounds that I am dying to lose, so I need some new recipes to help me accomplish that goal.

That's where you all come in. Do you have any favorite recipes, that your whole family eats, and that can be modified to be low-calorie? Tall order, I know, but a girl can try, right? Help!

Tennessee Getaway

2011-03-31T18:01:00.000-04:00

I got an email today from my friend, Suzann, wondering where I'd been and making sure I was okay (thanks again, sista-chicka...glad to know I'm missed :).

So for anyone else who may have missed my presence in blogland, this post is for you. It's also for my friends who joined Joe and me on our spring break vacay to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Diane and Monica, I am blessed to have such fun and wonderful friends...and I can't wait to do it again someday!

Despite the gloomy, rainy and chilly weather, we managed to have a great time.

We hiked to Laurel Falls...

We rode the Sky Lift in town, where Gabe made me smile with his comment:

"This is the life, Mom. I feel rich!".

We competed against our daughters at Just Dance 2 on the Wii (and though we thought we had the moves, the Wii was biased and gave the girls the winning scores).

We escaped the rain and explored the wonders of Ripley's Aquarium.

And we finally got to see the sun as we packed up the vehicles and prepared to head back home.

Although the drive up to the cabin was treacherous to say the least (yes, I got our van stuck on the way up, making Joe back us halfway down and striking fear into all of our hearts until we were safely on the mountain top); it was worth it. Gorgeous, only two years old, and full of every amenity a group of thirteen adults and kids could ask for.

We did make a pitstop at the Nascar go-kart speedway, in order to fulfill Gabe's vacation dream. ("I'm a BIG FAN of Car Number 9, Mom!").

The van is unpacked, the laundry done, and now I am deeply ensconced in my crazy work/school schedule. If I'm absent for the next month, that is why...

Thank God for vacation. When I'm exhausted and weary in the weeks to come, I will come back and visit this post and see that it was all worthwhile!

No wonder...

2011-03-24T16:00:00.000-04:00

our generation turned out like it did.

Look at the advice our moms were getting from advertisers...

And I knew there was a reason I've never felt the need to limit my kids' screen time:

It's also no wonder that there were such conflicting emotions about staying at home versus going back to work, not to mention "looking good for your man":

Wonder what current ads will have our kids scratching their heads someday...

Now I need to go eat some Total, drink some beer and watch some TV with the kids. Mom of the Year award coming right up :)

Laughing out loud

2011-03-22T10:49:00.000-04:00

Thanks to the joy that is Netflix, I had a new movie waiting for me when I finished my 3 night stretch (and oh, what a stretch it was). I was sorely in need of a good laugh, and this show totally fit the bill.

Joe and I were literally laughing out loud through most of the movie. We could identify with this married couple (although we're not nearly as funny as Tina and Steve). Being the girl who usually falls asleep while watching any movie, I was wide awake through the entire thing.

Isabel asked me this morning what movie we were watching, because she could hear us laughing all the way upstairs. (Can you imagine what a great sound that must be for a kid...the sound of her parents laughing together?)

Have you seen Date Night? Seen any other great comedies lately? Do you routinely fall asleep before the end of the show?

Self-scheduling

2011-03-18T10:55:00.000-04:00

I usually work two night shifts a week.

One of our fellow night shift supervisors took a day shift position in another department, so that leaves two of us to cover seven nights.

Against my will (although good for the paycheck), I have picked up extra these past few weeks.

Our department is small (only ten nursing supervisors), and we make our own schedules, allowing for switches if someone can't work a certain shift.

Why, then, am I working three nights in a row over a full moon weekend AGAIN this month?

I did it to myself; clearly, I need to consult the lunar calendar before I decide what shifts I am going to work...

That full moon over Cincinnati is bound to bring the crazies out in full force. At least it will make for some good blog fodder, right?

Go ahead and pinch me.

2011-03-17T06:37:00.000-04:00

Green may be the color of the day (well, hello there, St. Patty), but I only have eyes for these spring-y yellow pieces today...

all pieces from Ruche

The forecast is 60's to 70's with sunshine and blue skies. Exactly what the doctor ordered to cure the winter blues. And this Sunday is the official beginning of spring! I can hear the hallelujah chorus now :)

What is your favorite thing about spring? Will you be drinking green beer today?

Questions

2011-03-16T10:53:00.000-04:00

Family drama.

Nearly everyone has it at one point or another.

My family's drama has almost always centered around one of my older sisters. I don't have any pictures of her, because she doesn't come to family events and hasn't for years.

She has had abortions, given up a baby for adoption, relinquished custody of three of her kids, then proceeded to have two more babies (whom I have never seen). She lives off of the government, never taking any responsibility for herself or her actions. She does drugs, gets clean, then gets back on drugs. She has put her children in unmentionable circumstances, and she breaks my mom's heart on a daily basis.

Yet, she is my sister.

I am the baby of four girls. My other two sisters and I are very close, getting together for holidays and scrapbooking and days at Kings Island. Getting hooked on Twilight and swooning over Edward and Jacob together. Loving each other's kids and just loving each other.

I am sad that our other sister misses out on this love. She has driven all of us away, and everytime we even begin to consider to letting her back in, she does something horrible. We don't want drugs around our kids, we don't want any more drama in our lives, and we don't want to be doormats to her needs. She only knows how to take, take, take; never how to give. It's a crying shame, but I have no idea what to do about it other than to pray. For her, for her children, for our mom.

I have to admit, though, that I find it easier to pray for the injured, lost and dying in Japan right now than for my sister. All of the hurt, the anger, and other ugly feelings rear up their heads everytime I get down on my knees. I wish I had the heart of Jesus, to take her in my arms and forgive her and let her back in.

But I don't.

I only hope I can be forgiven for that when I make it to the other side.

Weekend plans

2011-03-09T15:48:00.000-05:00

Starting tomorrow, I will be working a marathon stretch of three 12-hour nights in a row (hopefully with a bit of sleep in between).

Walking miles around the hospital, putting out "fires", dealing with staffing issues, placing ICU patients in the appropriate location, handling disgruntled patients/families/doctors/nurses...you know, the usual.

If only this guy worked there, it would make the job much more enjoyable. Just sayin'...

Who's your dream co-worker?

Just because...

2011-03-08T21:30:00.000-05:00

sometimes we all need a little bit of protection from the bad guys.

This boy always knows how to make me feel happy.

And safe.

On my mind...a rant.

2011-03-08T08:48:00.001-05:00

Imagine if I drove my car for ten or twenty years, and never did one bit of maintenance.

No oil changes, no new tires or tire rotations, no new air filters. Only the cheapest gas, maybe the occasional car wash or new headlight, but nothing more.

Imagine me pulling this car, on its last leg, into the mechanic's garage and demanding that he make it "good as new", because that's his job.

Ridiculous, right?

Here is my rant: people do this ALL THE TIME, with their bodies.

They abuse their bodies for years. Poor diet, no exercise, noncompliant with medications or treatments ordered by their doctors. When their organs start to fail, and they can't even perform simple daily tasks, they drive to the hospital and demand for us to make them "good as new". And when we can't, when the damage is too far gone, they can't understand why.

Medicine has come a long way. There are many things we can do to prolong life and even improve quality of life for some. But we can only work with what we have. If a patient has mistreated their body for forty years, we cannot erase that damage. We can only treat the symptoms. And when they have an attitude about the "incompetence" of the health care professionals, that really only ticks us off. Would they be cussing out the mechanic who can't fix their mistreated car? (Well, maybe they would...)

I don't know when responsibility for taking care of our bodies went by the wayside, but it's time to bring it back into style. And stop blaming the doctors and nurses for failing their patients, when they're only failing themselves.

Thus ends my rant.

She's 19!

2011-03-07T10:10:00.000-05:00

Danielle, there are many things we love about you.

Your sweet nature.

Your intelligence.

Your kindness.

Your beauty (just ask Gabe!).

The way you love your momma.

The fact that even as an adult, you still blend right in with your little cousins...

(maybe you need some higher heels?).

Hope your nineteenth birthday is your best one yet. We are SO PROUD of you!

Love,
Aunt Heddy

A new start.

2011-03-04T11:40:00.000-05:00

For years, Joe has had a dream of owning his own business. He is extremely talented at home improvement, and has done so much to our own house over the past decade. From fixing a leaky sink to building a new deck to finishing our basement...he has done it all.

Finally, we have reached a point where we could afford for him to take the chance and make a new start. He is now the owner/operator of Vista Tile and Remodel, and is already hard at work on his first job: a basement remodel for a former teacher of Elijah's. He has a Facebook page (and even his own blog!). If you want to check it out, the link is www.vistatileremodel.blogspot.com .

I am so excited for my husband as he starts this new journey. (Though I must admit to being a tad nervous, as well). I have been blessed to have a career that I love; I hope this new opportunity gives Joe that same satisfaction.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as he embarks on this new endeavor...

The hope of March

2011-03-01T06:50:00.000-05:00

It may be chilly outside, and gloves/hats/winter coats still necessary, but the mere fact that March is here warms my heart.

Tulips and hyacinths are bravely poking up through the mulch in my flower beds.

The pear tree has fuzzy little buds all over the top.

The sky is light when I go to work in the evening (this is a HUGE mood-lifter).

The air even smells different, full of things growing and changing and coming back to life. I am counting down the days til we can plant our garden and dig up earthworms and boost up our compost bin and design our flowerpots for the year. (The rule of thumb around these parts is no planting in the ground until after Mother's Day).

Does March bring you hope? What are you itching to do this spring?

Girly girl

2011-02-28T10:21:00.000-05:00

A birthday wish to our sweet niece (and cousin), Kylee. She is such an adorable girly girl, and she worships the ground that Isabel walks on, much like I used to do with her momma (my big sissy, Rhonda).

Five years ago today, she entered this world with her blond curls, blue eyes and gorgeous smile. Her infectious giggle lights up our days, and her sing-song-y voice brings joy to everyone who hears it.

We love you, Kylee. Happy Birthday!

Love, Auntie Heather and Uncle Joe, Elijah, Isabel, Gabe, Ellie and Autumn

Refreshed...kind of.

2011-02-23T16:02:00.000-05:00

Amazing what a little sleep will do for you...

Especially a nap taken poolside while on vacation at the beach.

(Can you tell I am CRAVING a vacation? 'Cause I am. Aren't you?)

My point is, Gabe let me sleep in until 10:30 this morning, and that little bit of extra sleep was exactly what I needed to get me through the rest of this week.

It enabled me to clean up the kitchen, start some laundry, do some homework, and plan dinner...all with a smile on my face.

I have been a nice mommy, wife and friend today, and it feels good.

Sleep...it does the body good.

le sigh

2011-02-22T09:01:00.000-05:00

I am normally a very positive person. It's one thing that the people around me can count on.

But today, I am tired.

The hospital has been filled to the brim with so many critically ill patients that we don't have room for them all. I have never seen it this busy, in the 19 years that I have worked there. I worked three nights this weekend, and each night was more exhausting than the last. I'm off until Thursday, and I am praying that it eases up by then. I'm not sure how much more we (myself and the other overworked nurses) can take.

In between all those hours spent at the hospital, I had to finish a ten page paper about my philosophy of nursing. Talk about bad timing. I was not feeling inspired in any way, shape or form. The good news is, I got it done on Sunday, thirty minutes before I had to get ready for work. The bad news is, my paper was only seven pages long. The professor has praised me for my concise use of words on previous papers...hope she remembers that on this one.

Because I spent very little time with the kids over the weekend, my mommy guilt kicked in full force yesterday, and I only slept a couple of hours after working, so I could spend time with them. We did have a great day with each other, but boy am I paying for it now. Woke up tired and cranky and not feeling like doing a thing. My house is a mess, I have class this afternoon, and I don't think there's enough coffee in the world to get me going this morning.

BIG le sigh...

The one bright spot in my day? Gabe. Having him home in the mornings is such a blessing. His hugs ease my crankiness, and his enthusiasm gives me more energy than caffeine ever could. Thank God for giving me such a happy boy. He knew exactly what I was going to need, didn't He?

What helps you feel better when you have a bad day (or week)?

Boys and their toys

2011-02-17T08:40:00.002-05:00

Now that the snow has melted and the temperatures are above frigid, I can look at these pictures fondly and remember what fun Gabe and I had while we were snowbound for a couple of days.

Gabe was quite sad to be left out when Elijah and Isabel were picked up and taken to a friend's house to spend the snowdays doing big-kid stuff. To help ease the pain, I let him spread blankets all over the living room floor and leave them out for two days (luckily, God eased my own OCD pain to allow this to happen).

Elijah used to be a big fan of toy figures, of any kind. Spiderman, Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, and especially Star Wars. Gabe has always preferred Legos and Hot Wheels, but the figures won out this time.

He played for hours on his own, with occasional help from me ("make this one stand up, Mom").

Then we had the idea to build a battlescene for the Star Wars guys and have a big war:

Gabe's dream was to make a video and post it on Youtube, but we couldn't get the figures to move and talk on their own, much to his chagrin.

Made for some great pictures, though, and it was a good way to get through yet another set of snowdays during a very long and seemingly endless winter.

Anni Planning

2011-02-16T09:48:00.000-05:00

In October, Joe and I will celebrate our 15 year anniversary (wow!).

For our 10 year anni, I had really wanted a diamond anniversary band. After looking at the prices, however, I decided I'd rather have a vacation with my man. We celebrated with a 7-day Mexican cruise, which was incredibly romantic and awesome and everything I had dreamed.

This year, we need to plan on a slightly smaller scale. With Joe starting his own business, and me in school, time (and money) are precious commodities.

Our main requirement is a nice place on a warm beach.

We can't decide between Florida:

Southern California:

or the Caribbean...

October is hurricane season, so that is a factor. We can only spare four nights, so that's a factor, too. Joe would love an all-inclusive place, but there aren't many of those in the U.S.

What about you? Do you plan big trips for big anniversaries? Which would you pick? Any suggestions, blog friends?

Printer's Tray

2011-02-14T16:38:00.001-05:00

A few years ago, I was at a scrapbooking crop night and saw a woman working on a wooden tray, putting photos and trinkets into little sections of the tray.

It was gorgeous. I wanted one. It was called a "printer's tray", and it quickly moved up to the top of my wish list.

This past Christmas, Kay found some on eBay, and got one for me (and one for her, too).

I couldn't wait to fill those little cubbies up! But wait I did, what with school and snow days and life's general busy-ness.

Just today, I finalized my little dream project and with Joe's help, hung it up on the living room wall.

Look closely, and you will discover old photos of my grandparents, my parents, my sisters...and even me.

In the next picture, you can see my dad (on the left), right next to Gabe.

There are old skeleton keys, buttons, vintage postage stamps from my grandmother, pieces of ribbon and wooden letters along with metal charms.

I knew just the right spot for it, and I found a couple of cute little accents on clearance at Hobby Lobby to accompany it.

Thanks to Kay and Joe, for helping me cross this off of my "wish list". I love it!

Who do you love?

2011-02-14T07:01:00.000-05:00

Walmart was packed last night with people looking for the perfect card/flowers/box of chocolates for their Valentine.

Me? I was there for cinnamon rolls and lunchmeat.

I'm not much for flowers, unless I can plant them in my garden.

I don't want chocolate (hard enough to lose my "winter weight").

I do love a good card, especially handmade ones (hint, hint).

But on this Valentine's day, I already have everything I need. I hold the love for these silly kids deep in my heart:

and the guy responsible for giving me these silly kids, too:

Hope your day is filled with love, both sent and received.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Do you TGIF?

2011-02-11T10:22:00.000-05:00

Most people in the workaday world rejoice the arrival of Friday.

Since having kids, I have usually worked the weekend shifts in some fashion, mainly so we don't need a sitter during the week.

I have been off all week, and now that Friday is here, it's time for Joe to be off and me to go to work.

I will work 12 hours Friday night, sleep a few hours Saturday, work Saturday night, sleep a bit on Sunday, and then the weekend will be over. Come Monday, I'll be saying TGIM :)

I love the way this system works for our family. I don't work every single weekend; it's just the way it turned out this week. I like being able to get up in the mornings and make breakfast and pack lunches, and be home in the evenings to cook dinner and help with school stuff. It's really the best of both worlds.

How many of you TGIF? Is there anyone else with me, who will be happy when Monday arrives?

Return to Sender...

2011-02-08T08:08:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we (finally) got to have a playdate with a blog friend, Erin from It's a Small World. We met through Cara from Land of Bean, who lives in Baltimore. How they met I can't remember, I only know that Erin and I discovered our close proximity sometime last year and only now managed to get together.

If you haven't met your blog friends in real life yet, you don't know what you're missing. We had a great breakfast playdate; her babies are adorable, Gabe hit it off wonderfully with everyone, and we spent three hours sipping coffee, eating bagels, nursing babies (well, Erin did, not me), reading books (I loved how Erin's daughter snuggled up next to me on the couch, bringing one book after another to be read) and generally having a wonderful visit.

The only thing missing was our other friends, Cara and Mep from Not to Brag. Methinks we need to plan a midwest get-together, girls!

Like all good things, the playdate came to an end and I had to get Gabe to school. He was in tears, and not very cooperative about the leaving part. I finally wrangled him into his coat and shoes and we said our goodbyes and thank yous and nice to finally meet yous and headed north.

Halfway home, through the tears, Gabe asked for his blankie.

Which was still at Erin's house.

Sigh.

I texted Erin, who found the blankie and offered to mail it, sweet soul that she is. The weather was getting slushy, and I did not have the time to run all the way back to her town to get it, so the mailing of it was a great idea.

Gabe checked the mailbox as soon as he got home from school. Three hours later. And couldn't understand why his blankie wasn't in there yet :)

He made do just fine with our "backup blankies" that I keep in the hall closet, which I thought he would.

Thanks, Erin, for a great morning, and for being the savior of the blankie for Gabe! Can't wait to do it again (minus the extra trip to the post office for you).

A memory date

2011-02-07T07:03:00.000-05:00

Dear Dad,

I'm not sure if you still celebrate this day where you are, but down here, we still do.

You would've been 66 years old today. You have a gaggle of grandkids who would love to bake you your favorite yellow cake with chocolate icing and sing Happy Birthday, watching you blow out candles and open your gifts of Coca-cola or Nascar memorabilia. You have a wife who still misses you like crazy.

And you have two daughters who miss their annual lunch/movie birthday date with their dad.

We still dream about you. We still talk about you. We look at old pictures and reminisce about all the memories we made while you were with us, and the things you would say if you were alive (about a particular book, or movie, or things like Facebook and blogs :)

Yesterday, Mom and Rhonda and I went to Panera for lunch, then the cinema to see The Rite. Your favorite kind of movie...scary and intense. I remember when you introduced me to Stephen King...when I was 10 years old! The scarier, the better, in our opinion, right? We had a great time together, us three girls. But you were on our minds, and on our hearts. You were missed, but you know what? We felt your presence. Your love still binds us together. And I know that someday we will get to wrap our arms around you again, laying our heads on your chest and feeling the security of being held by you.

You are loved, more than ever. You are missed, every day. The pain of your absence is a bit less each year, as time has its way with us. But you will never be forgotten.

Your "little tiger",

Heather

(Excerpt from my 2005 scrapbook, the year Dad died)

Favorite kid sport?

2011-02-05T18:22:00.000-05:00

Today was the first official day of baseball practice for Elijah.

It was 30 degrees and snowing, but it didn't matter.

Our boys are tough.

It may have helped that they were practicing indoors.

In a huge gym, where they will continue to practice until spring decides to grace us with her presence.

I like kids' basketball. And gymnastics. And even soccer.

But I LOVE Little League baseball.

I am so excited for Elijah to have the chance to play on a competitive league, to showcase his mad pitching skills and first baseman prowess. I can't wait to bask in the sun on the bleachers with the other moms, cheering our boys on as they give it their all.

Even on this cold, snowy day, the hope of a baseball-filled spring is just around the corner, and it makes this momma very happy.

Are your kids in sports? What's your favorite one to be a part of? Are you lusting for spring as much as I am?

Month of Love

2011-02-02T14:17:00.000-05:00

It may not be any warmer outside, but January is over, February is the shortest month, and then it's March. With its promise of warmth, and sunshine, and spring. (And vacation during spring break...even better!)

There is nothing that brings more warmth to my heart than the love of my families.

God surely blessed me when He put Joe into my life. His family is amazing, and I love all the time we get to spend together. Joe's dad is coming home from the hospital today (again), hopefully cured of his a-fib and on his way to effectively dealing with his chronic congestive heart failure. Thanks for the prayers!

Being the baby of three older sisters had its occasional disadvantage, but for the most part, I have been surrounded by love and affection since the day I was born. I still have sister dates with Rhonda (usually lunch/movies/King's Island) and Michelle (scrapbooking nights at Archiver's), and I talk to them regularly. I adore my big sisters! And it's nice having my mom close by, able to see her grandbabies and come over for dinner whenever. After living an hour away for the past 10 years, the 5 minute drive to her place is awesome.

Being blessed with adorable nieces and nephews is pretty great, too. My kids love playing with their cousins!

What are some of the things that warm your heart during this month of love?

Broken record

2011-02-01T16:49:00.000-05:00

Another snow day.

Another day of hearing "I'm so bored".

Another day of needing to write a paper for my class, but feeling pulled to play with the kids, instead.

I am seriously thanking God that February is a short month. And I'm praying for a break from all this snow and ice and cold weather. I desperately need a day of sunshine and temperatures above freezing.

My whining kids have turned me into a whiner. What's a girl to do?

(Other than pack up my house and move to warmer parts. Stephanie, your so-cal location is looking better every day!)

Bring on the heat

2011-01-31T07:42:00.000-05:00

There are literally thousands of pictures saved on my computer and scrapbooked into many books in my house. My family loves to look at all those pictures and pages and reminisce about the memories they bring.

On this cold January day, as the forecasters call for yet another winter storm (ice this time), I ~~wanted~~ needed to remember warmer times.

On this day last July, we went to a Cincinnati Reds game as a family (one of the things on our "Summer To-Do List"). The game started at 1:10pm.

It was 100 degrees.

We sat in the sun, soaking up the rays and sweating them back out, only to soak them up again.

Looking at this picture makes me feel warm again. I can almost taste the heat. Almost. And it makes this cold day tolerable. Until tomorrow, when I may have to drag out every summer picture I own to erase the effects of the ice storm headed this way...

In three months, winter will be but a memory.

I can't wait.

What do you do with your photos? How do you survive the winter months? Which do you prefer-summer or winter?

Mean mom, fun mom

2011-01-28T09:51:00.000-05:00

Put away your laundry.

Do your homework.

Be nice to your sister.

Don't wrestle your brother.

Do NOT talk to me in that tone of voice!

Brush your teeth.

Wash your hands.

(Repeat on endless loop.)

Some days, it seems that the Mean Mom role is all I play.

So when the kids brought home straight A's on their report cards, I decided to let Fun Mom come out to play. When I found a great deal for day passes to Coco Key's Indoor Waterpark, the idea was born.

I called the kids off sick, packed our bags, and surprised them with our tickets to a day of Fun.

Gabe is currently on the couch, "vibrating" with excitement in anticipation of our adventure. Despite the snow, we are getting on our bathing suits and heading out in an hour or so.

Sometimes I like being Fun Mom. It's, well, fun!

That's what (blog) friends are for...

2011-01-26T16:13:00.001-05:00

Life has been pretty hectic around these parts.

Yesterday, I had to take Joe's dad back to the hospital on my way to class. He is back in atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, and is extremely short of breath and symptomatic with it all. Once he was settled into his room and I was able to discuss his plan of care with the cardiac nurse practitioner, I had to head downstairs to take a quiz in my community nursing class, then sit through hours of (very boring) lecture.

All this to say that by the time I got home, I was ready for dinner (beer and pizza...no diet today) and bed. The fact that I had a paper due at midnight the next night did nothing to deter me from falling asleep to Obama's State of the Union.

When I awoke this morning, the anxiety kicked in. Wednesdays are early release days, which means the kids' schedules are wacked, which means MY schedule is also wacked. Instead of sitting down and just getting the darn thing done, I checked my email, started some laundry, visited some blogs and whined on Facebook about my plight.

Wearing my crown as the Queen of Procrastination, I dillied and dallied until MEP from Not to Brag chimed in on my status with a suggestion:

"Here's one of my tricks. Pretend the paper is due in one hour. Sit at the keyboard and type your brains out without editing yourself. Then, when the hour is up, take a look at what you have. It's usually better than you think and you can revise, add, and edit from there."

I took her suggestion and got to it.

90 minutes later, it was written and submitted to my professor via the digital dropbox on our school's website.

I thankfully breathed a huge sigh of relief, took off my crown and prepared to enjoy the rest of my day.

Thanks, Mep! You have reinforced my belief in the power of blog friends!

I try

2011-01-23T16:07:00.000-05:00

January: the month where we evaluate where we are, and where we want to be.

The planning of vacations. The losing of weight. The earning of money. The bettering of our bodies.

I have planned our vacations.

I have thought about losing weight.

I checked a few books out from the library about both. Books about Tennessee and Michigan. A book about becoming a "Skinny Bitch", losing weight and eating healthier.

I didn't make it past the first chapter of that one. When they talked about giving up caffeine and only drinking water, they lost me.

I'm a night shift girl. Caffeine is seriously my savior, at the beginning of my 12-hour night shift, in the middle, and most definitely at the end, when I am trying to drive home after being awake for >24 hours.

I'm going to have to find another book. Or maybe write one. "How to lose weight on the night shift".

It might just be a winner.

2011-01-17T19:44:00.001-05:00

Vacation: A period of time devoted to pleasure, rest, or relaxation.

One of my favorite things to do in January is plan our vacation for that year.

This year we are planning a couple of small trips, rather than one big one.

We are doing a friends-and-family getaway to Tennessee over spring break.

And the kids and I were invited to go to Michigan with a girlfriend and her kids. I have never been to Michigan, and haven't done a girls/kids trip since I was the designated vacation babysitter in my teens.

I cannot wait!

Planning vacations just makes me happy. And makes the pain of surviving January much more tolerable.

Are you taking any trips this year? Do you love to plan ahead? Have you ever been to Michigan?

Snow day survival

2011-01-12T21:35:00.000-05:00

Sleep in.

If the kids' internal alarm clocks won't let you hit snooze, go ahead and fix breakfast and get some coffee in your veins...it'll help.

When you're tired of watching the oldest kid play hours worth of video games, kick him outside and watch him shovel the driveway from inside your cozy kitchen. Smile and be glad you're not twelve years old.

Send at least one kid up to Mamaw's house, to lessen the number of quarreling siblings in your own house.

Make peace with the decision that NOTHING is going to get done today. Go ahead and have "art class" with your youngest kid at the kitchen table, complete with that chipboard that you still haven't used and LOTS of glitter glue. Get crazy! Admire your creations, and acknowledge that your kid may indeed have more talent than you...

Decide to go ahead and organize the five thousand Legos in your son's room, only to have him bail after ten minutes to go sledding in the snow with the neighbors.

Approximately 6.2 minutes after spending double that time bundling him up, help said son shed his snowy clothes and get warm. (Baby, it really is cold out there!).

Spend the rest of the evening at your in-laws' house, eating a turkey dinner, visiting, and kicking some husband bootay at euchre; say a prayer of thanks for the blessings of family, food and fun.

Tuck the kids in, drink a glass of wine and snuggle up with your husband. Don't forget to say one more prayer before nodding off:

Please, God, let there be school tomorrow!

The answer is yes.

2011-01-11T20:56:00.000-05:00

Elijah asked.

We pondered.

We investigated and inquired, hemmed and hawed, but we finally came up with an answer.

Yes, son, you can go to Washington, D.C. in the fall.

(But no, I cannot chaperone...only teachers can go. I know he'll have a great time, just like I did when I went with my class back in 1992, just after they had invented the wheel :)

Proud Mommy Moment

2011-01-09T11:24:00.000-05:00

It wasn't that long ago that Elijah started playing basketball and Gabe had to tag along to every game.

Now, after years of waiting (not so patiently), it's finally his turn.

Saturday was Gabe's very first basketball game. It was quite the family affair, with Joe coaching, Elijah refereeing and Isabel and me cheering.

Although he didn't get any slam dunks (much to his chagrin), he did score four points and did an amazing job at both offense and defense. I had this image of both kindergarten teams just standing there, not knowing what to do, but we were all pleasantly surprised at how well they actually played the game. It was adorable!

I wish I had a video of Gabe jumping up and down, guarding his "man" (who was sometimes a girl), calling out, "I'm open, pass it to me!". The lighting in the gym is not the best, so these pics will just have to do. If you ever need to put a smile on your face, though, I strongly suggest watching a kindergarten basketball game :)

Gabe and his classmate, Cian

Striking a pose for Mom

The ref, explaining the rules

Elijah, the big brother ref (and some cheerleaders)

Coach Daddy/Joe, passing out game stars

Upward is an organization that emphasizes learning a sport in a Christian environment. Every practice involves a scripture lesson, and after each game, the boys are given special stars according to best effort, best defense, best offense, most Christ-like and best sportsmanship. The boys all made it through the game without tears, without a fight and with a good attitude the whole time. Joe did a great job as coach, keeping a smile on his face and encouraging the little guys on a game well-played. Saturday mornings are going to be a blast for the next two months, for sure!

Where I'll Be...

2011-01-07T15:15:00.000-05:00

This quarter of school has the potential to really kick my boo-tay.

I am taking seven credit hours of Community Health Nursing and Transitions to Professional Nursing. Both of which require lots of weekly assignments, group projects and pages upon pages of papers written in APA format.

Doesn't the mere thought of that make you cringe?

I don't mind the work, the professors are actually very interesting and nice, but combining college with work and home life is going to be a challenge, I can already tell.

So, if you don't see me much around these parts these next 10 weeks, you know where I'll be...

That makes one of us.

2011-01-06T10:52:00.000-05:00

Every winter, this hawk (or one of his relatives, perhaps) returns to our neighborhood, soaring above the houses and yards, coming to perch in our trees or on our rooftop.

He is beautiful. He is magnificent. He is clearly not taking advantage of his abilities.

Me? If I could fly anywhere in the land, it would NOT be to Ohio in the winter. I'd be in Texas, or Arizona, or California. Somewhere warm. Somewhere without snow and ice.

Just sayin'.

Where would you fly? Or do you like winter in your neck of the woods? What do you do to survive a season that you can't stand?

New Year's Recap

2011-01-05T13:31:00.000-05:00

I love hosting New Year's Eve.

This year there was plenty of yummy appetizers (thanks for the recipes, Julia!),

plenty of new cocktails to try...(Rock Lobster and Royal Flush were the favorites),

plenty of grown-up friends for us,

and younger friends for these guys,

old friends and new,

lots of noise while watching the ball drop (look at Gabe in the center...cracking me up!)

a new drink every hour had us feeling good and tipsy,

and lots of sugar had these guys wild and crazy!

All in all, a great way to end one year and start off another.

Any New Year traditions you have to share? Did you make it til midnight? Can you believe Dick Clark is still alive?!