Merry Christmas!

Wow, guess it's been quite awhile since I decided to post something on here. I wish I could say that I'd been busy, but that's just not really the case. I've really REALLY been enjoying myself, now that school is out for the semester. I ended up with 2 A's and 2 B's...which is good considering I worked full time as well! I really need to get cracking on my reading for next semester, but I just don't want to. I'll probably start after the year...gotta get my books, but right now, I don't have any money to get them. Hopefully, I'll have some money set aside after the new year! :) It's all good! :)

My parents are coming into town tonight, which is always good. It's nice to see at least some family over the holiday. Our holiday schedule here at work absolutely disgusts me, and hopefully it's about to change. Right now, I have to work one day of every major holiday...so I can never really go anywhere. I'm working today...then new year's eve. I'd love to be sitting at my grandma's house, stuffing myself full of turkey and dressing, but I also had to work the 23rd...which doesn't leave me any time to go anywhere. Oh well...

Right now, since Becca's on vacation in South Carolina, I have all the puppies. Sadie, Liberty, and Oliver are absolutely driving me up the wall with their zaniness! :) Yesterday, while I was in the middle of massive bedroom cleaning, Oliver decided to mark everything in the house. He NEVER does this at my house, which is how I know he's stressed. He marked the floor by the tree, the couch, my bedroom floor, and my BED. Beast. At least my house is clean now...after all the scrubbing. Crazy pups.

The biggest thing going on this week, besides the lovely holiday, is my newest bout of steroids for my hand. Since the nerve test didn't show any nerve damage, the doctor wanted to try and see if steroids would help reduce some of the pain. The bad thing is that steroids make me CRAZY. I'm hot, hungry, and tired. I'm not sleeping well...and that doesn't help me have good holiday spirit...but I am trying! :)

Well, I suppose I should get back to work. I just saw Santa walking around, distributing presents...so maybe he has one for me!

Stupid nerve test.

Ow OW OWIE! Stupid nerve test has scarred me for life. Okay, so that may be a slight exaggeration...but it was not the most fun thing I've ever done in my life! :) Right at the end, after the doctor had been putting needles into my arm for 10 minutes all the while I am tearing, she says "Don't worry, this one is the last one..but oh, it does hurt." And the others weren't supposed to hurt? YIKES! Guess I had tears rolling down my face for no reason! :) The good news is there's nothing wrong with my nerves. They are still just angry from the initial agitation and it will get better with time and some occupational therapy that I'm supposed to start after Christmas/New Years. Lovely. :)

Today, I got most of my presents wrapped, and I have to tell you, it wasn't fun. Normally, I just get the biggest kick of picking the perfect paper, bows, and tags...but not so much this year. Who knows. Maybe I'm just going a little crazy...or it could have been all the volts they shocked my sad hand with today! Maybe some escaped and went to my brain. :)

Both dogs are completely passed out right now. They spent the day at the vet for their annual check up, and it always wears them out. Oliver apparently spent a lot of time howling, so much in fact that they put him all the way in the back because he was bothering others! Oh well, he has to learn that his shrieking is bothersome to many!

I have to work tomorrow. I don't really love just working one day, but at least if I have a bad day, it's over quick! The weekend wasn't too bad, and it was made better by dinner with an old friend! That's always entertaining!

I think that's all that's going on right now. If I think of anything else, I'll let you know! :)

75 degrees in December

That's right. That's the temperature, here in the great state of Texas. For crying out loud, will the weather just make up its mind? I really love the cold, and wish it would come back. It's much more comfortable to snuggle up in blankets! There's a slight breeze, but in the sun, it's downright uncomfy! It's just so ironic...staring at the blazing hot sun through my patio door, right next to my Christmas tree...it just doesn't fit!

Beyond that, things here are just trouncing along. It's been really nice not having school, although I really need to get working on my next semester's school stuff. Apparently, it's a wretched one, and not really something I'm looking forward to. I am REALLY looking forward to my grades all being in so I can get my money back from Childrens...only to turn around and give it back to UTA for next semester! I really wish they would cover books too! Perhaps I need to ask for those for Christmas!

Speaking of Christmas, I have NO idea why I'm not more excited about it this year. Maybe I need to sit down and watch a bunch of Christmas movies...or listen to Christmas music...or something. I usually have already bought all my presents by this point...and I've only bought 5. This is not good. I need to get cracking, but don't really have any desire to do it! It could stem from not having any money...but I don't really know. This is odd because I LOVE to buy people presents. I really get a kick out of buying someone the perfect present...and this year I haven't really wanted to. I might need therapy! I did get my Christmas cards out today, though! That's impressive! :)

Oliver's back at the house now, and making Liberty's life fun again. Last night, he ran around with the carcass of a skunk toy for at least 10 minutes...and Liberty wasn't even playing. She was just sitting there watching him, no doubt thinking he was crazy. He's really going nuts anytime I leave him, so I am looking into one of those dog pheromone things. My friend Lorin says that you just plug it in and it really helps to calm the puppies...and I think Oliver would benefit from that. So, I'll be attempting to get my hands on one of those!

Well, I guess that's all that's going on here. Lots of working. Lots of puppies. That's it! :)

Laying low....

SO, I have three days off...and I will not be doing much. I really REALLY need to go Christmas shopping, but that requires money, and I have none! Oh well, I have things I need to do around here, like folding and hanging the most amazing pile of laundry that's been accumulating for about a week! :( I also need to send my Christmas cards...and the list goes on. Right now, Liberty and I are hanging out, waiting for the cable guy to come and switch out my cable box.

This morning, I went to the doctor about my hand. I knew she wasn't going to really be able to give me any answers, but I did need her to direct me to the next step...which she gladly did because she's wonderful! She's going to schedule me an appointment with a neurologist for an EMG, which will test the nerve function in the hand and arm. I don't know when I'll go in, but hopefully, it won't be too long. The guy she's sending me to supposedly gets people in pretty fast...and that would be most appreciated. She called it "Left hand parasthesia"...which is just a fancy word for funky numbness and weakness. She did say I waited the appropriate amount of time to come in. If I had come in any earlier, she would have just advised me to wait longer and see if it resolved on its own.

Other than that, I'd say my life is pretty unremarkable. I wish there was something more interesting to say...but not so much! :) I'm sure my day tomorrow will be alot of sitting around the house...mostly so I can't be out spending money! I think I have to go into work Friday for a skills check off...but that's it. So, thrilling times are ahead for me! :)

After the chopping....




A motley crew....




Mid decorating...still got more decorations to go!

Christmas tree hunt!

Well, the search for the perfect Christmas tree is over! Michael, Jennifer, and I drove up almost to Oklahoma to the same Christmas tree farm I went to last year. Last year, I came away with a tree and a new puppy (Oh, Oliver!). This year, just a cute little 6 foot pine tree that smells amazing!

I was in the Neiman Marcus Adolphus parade yesterday. This year, I actually got to be in the parade...not just helping out behind the scenes. I walked with "Jack the Rabbit" who is the new mascot for Children's. I was actually televised, per my mother, who called me screeching today that she saw me on TV in Houston. It's actually supposed to be telecast throughout the US...so check out www.childrensparade.com and see if it's going to be on your stations!

Anyways...that's all that's going on. I've got to work Monday and Tuesday this week...then off until Saturday. Hopefully, I'm going to get my Christmas shopping done, especially since I have to send presents to Virginia.

I'll attach some pictures from the day....wish I had some from the parade, but I couldn't take any!

SNOW!

Winter is HERE! FINALLY! :) It has been snowing/sleeting all day, and I am SO absolutely excited about it! It's freezing cold out (last weather.com check said 29 degrees with wind chill to 17 degrees) and I am very happy. For once, I do not have to work on a great weather day! I have the freedom to sit at home, decorate my house for Christmas, and stay warm! Unfortunately, I have discovered that I have the most pitiful collection of Christmas decorations! Guess I either got rid of them or sold them in the amazing garage sale. At last count, I have my Willow Tree nativity, a Veggie tales nativity, 3 stockings, and 3 votive holders....plus a tablecloth and some placemats. And a stuffed Santa Tigger and 2 Christmas pillows. This is sad. I don't even have something to hang on my door! I really need to go to Garden Ridge (cause Target has NOTHING!) for more decorations, but I don't really want to go that far today. Especially when there's so much sitting around and staying warm time to be had!

I took some pictures of the snow at the apartment...isn't it just BEAUTIFUL outside?




Tonight, I'm supposed to go downtown to a parade meeting at the Adolphus. This is sad for multiple reasons. It is SO cold outside, but I'm sure it's 10 degrees colder downtown with all the wind shear and stuff. Also, there's no good way to get down there. If I take the DART, I have to walk multiple blocks to the hotel. If I drive, I end up getting stuck in Valet traffic and not getting to eat or buy my sweatshirt! It's also Thursday...and having a meeting tonight means I have to miss part of Grey's Anatomy. This is TERRIBLE! :( Much reason for sadness.

Guess I'll be going...It's the perfect day for a nap! I also took a picture of my beautiful nativity scene...I just think it's fabulous! :) SO glad I don't have to buy any more of the pieces this year! Whoopee! :)

FREE FROM CLASS!

I am SO excited. Today, I turned in my last 2 papers of the semester and took my last test. It was a truly exciting experience. I still have to stick around for the rest of the class day (something about a participation grade), but I have no more grades to turn in! Ta DA! :) This afternoon, we are watching "Outbreak" and I am completely freaked about it. I started to watch that movie at LeTourneau, and only could get through about 20 minutes of it. I ended up dreaming about monkey bites for the rest of the month. It was not a good time, and I'm really not interested in watching it....and I wouldn't, if I didn't have to be fabulous for a participation grade. So here I sit, dreading my afternoon!

I'm finished with work for the week after working three in a row. ICK. I have a skills check off on Friday, but otherwise, I'm free until Monday. I think I am taking my car into be apparaised on Thursday. Hopefully they will tell me they can fix it...so my poor Nessie doesn't have to be ugly anymore! One would hope...that is. I'm also watching my friend baby Samuel this week while his mom goes on a job interview. How fun is that? I love babies!

Yesterday, I got a very welcome surprise! A friend of mine flew into Dallas for the night for work, and he and I got to go catch up! It was great seeing him, and sadly he had to get to bed so he could go fly a plane at 5ish this morning...so he needed to be well rested! But we had a great time, as we always do, and both of us wished we would have had more time! Stupid jobs. They really seem to get in the way, you know? :)

Besides work and school, nothing is going on. And I mean, absolutely nothing. I've been having some hand numbness related to a choice I made a couple weeks ago, and I'm gonna have to go get it seen. Apparently, having a numb spot on the top of my hand isn't normal...and I should probably do something about it. I'm just REALLY praying there isn't anything that needs to be surgically fixed, because I really can't do that right now! But, knowing my luck, something will be drastically wrong and I'll lose function of my hand if I don't have surgery...but let's not think that! :) Let's think happy thoughts! :)

Anyways, my school break is almost over, and I'd better get back into the classroom. Tons of fun! :)

Holiday fun!

Well, the lovely Thanksgiving has come and gone...and I didn't even get any leftovers! How sad is that? My family came into town late Tuesday night. Mom brought Kim over to my side of town Wednesday for fun and games. We ran around town, grabbed Jennifer, and met my friend Tammy over at Grapevine Mills for shopping and movie fun. It was good to hang out with her again...especially since it's been so long! :(

Thursday was spent with my family at my aunt and uncle's house in Saginaw. We stuffed ourselves and laid around to watch the Cowboy game! I even weasled out of having to do dishes! I RULE! :) I came home last night, watched Grey's Anatomy, and fell asleep REALLY early. I'm such a weenie!

I'm at work today, and it's really not too bad. It's very quiet here, mostly because no one is here today. Apparently our floor is staffing the whole hospital, so even though we only have about 12 kids, we had to send three of our nurses to other floors in the hospital...cause they don't get their own staff. Retards.

The only BAD part of the whole week was my own stupidity on Wednesday night. After dropping Kim at Grandma's house, I really thought it would be fun to back up into a parked car on Grandma's street. Needless to say, Nessie HATED it...and now has a beautifully scratched up bumper and dented back end. I'm goign to get it appraised next week...cause I just can't life with a pitiful looking car! :(

Anyways, that's pretty much all that is going on. Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful...and just remember...there are only 30 days until CHRISTMAS! :)

Busy, BUSY life!

I've been so busy lately, but it's been a good thing! I did work this weekend, of course...seeing as I work EVERY Sunday in November. ICK! Just when I'm getting into a church I love, I get pulled away to make life better for children. I was busy, but not too bad.

I did get to go to this fabulous concert with Crash on Saturday night. It was the Dallas Symphony Orchestra with this jazz chick. I haven't gotten that fancy dressed up in quite awhile...and it was nice to be all cute! :) The Meyerson Symphony Center downtown is so beautiful inside and the acoustics are amazing! Anyways, we had a great time, and it was such a great concert! I should have gotten pictures...but I'm such a retard...I forgot. :(

Tomorrow, my family drives into town...and I get to see them Wednesday! Hooray for
fun! :) I do have to work Friday, but that shouldn't be too bad.

The puppies are in a ball on the chaise lounge. They have both burrowed under this amazing blanket I have...and are quite happily sleeping, with the occasional licking outburst.

Anyways, I should probably get going. Things here are fading fast...and I think my heated bed is calling me! Good night! :)

Hooray for days off!

Well, I think I'm pretty much recovered. I've spent a lot of time relaxing and sleeping the last two days. It's been a welcome change from the busyness of work! Today, Jennifer and I went shopping for a winter coat, which I still haven't found. I'm at a completely frustrating point in my weight loss. I'm exactly between plus size and misses sizes! Plus sizes are too big, and misses don't exactly fit just yet. What on earth amd I supposed to wear? This is SO frustrating!

Besides that, I haven't really done anything noteworthy. I had school yesterday, and now only have one more class day in the semester! I'm SO excited about that! I'm not quite sure what I'll be doing with myself when I don't have school for 6 weeks...but I know it will be SO much less stress!

My sister and her husband (and dog!) are flying to Texas on Saturday. I haven't seen Kim for a year, so it's going to be really exciting to see her. I know she'll be in Houston first, then come here to the metroplex mid next week. I think she wants to meet all the people I've been talking to her about...we'll see if she gets a chance to meet all my crazy friends.

Oliver and Liberty are chasing each other around the house. Oliver hasn't been here for 2 weeks, and he's trying to get all that play time he missed in the first 24 hours. He's a nut.

Well, I must be going. I have things to do...people to see...

Meltdown alert!

WOW. The five days is over. It's been a really REALLY long couple of days, and now I'm glad to be through with it. I thought I was going to make it through without having a big meltdown...but it didn't happen.

The meltdown occurred this evening, at approximately 8:15pm. All I wanted tonight was sleep and turkey from Dickies. All I wanted in the world. I got my yummy food, put it in the car (in the way back) and went to CVS. Liberty came with me for the car trip because I felt bad leaving her alone at home again. SO, I came back from the store only to find Liberty nose deep into my food. She had eaten the entire thing...and chewed through the hard plastic container to get it. My delicious turkey, potatoes, and black eyed peas....sitting happily in my dog's stomach. That did it. I completely burst into tears and proceeded to cry, right there in the CVS parking lot. I even had a woman come up to me and see if I was okay. Tears EVERYWHERE!

Well, I'm okay now. I'm planning to do a lot of relaxing over the next few days...so feel free to visit and hang out...cause that's all I'll be doing! :)

Is the end near?

I am TIRED. It is taking every single effort in my body to stay positive...and some of the time, it's still not happening! :) I really feel okay, it's just long and draining...but I knew it would be. Right now, I've just eaten lunch after one of my more busy afternoons. BUT, the end is near! :) I'm more than half way through! For never even having done four in a row, I think that I feel good! Normally, by the end of the third day, I am dead...but not so much yet today! I'm counting on a certain someone to make my day later on so that I can know that all does not revolve around the hospital. Without that, I seriously think I might hurt myself...or at least Liberty! :)

I really don't have anything else to say! What else have I done? NOTHING but work! :) I'm hoping for a quiet afternoon, but at this place, who knows?

COLD!

No, not the weather outside! It's supposed to be in the 80's today! I'm sitting in class today, freezing my rear off! It's HOT outside and below 60 in this classroom! I need to start bringing my own space heater.

I'm soaking up every spare minute of non work time this week. Yesterday, I did have to go into work and do skills day. This is where they set up all the equipment we are already supposed to know how to use and quiz us on it. It takes just over 2 hours, mostly because there's always that one stupid nurse who doesn't know how change a tube dressing. My personal favorite station is the defibrilator station. Now, as a cardiac nurse, I really know how to use this fabulous machine. If my child is coding, I better darn know how to shock them. BUT, it's SO important for every nurse to know how to use it because codes happen on every floor. Nurses don't know how to use it! They sit there, and flounder over how to how to even turn it on! RETARDED! THis frustrates me, because I hope that in a code situation, my child will have a nurse that actually knows how to turn the darn thing on.

Tomorrow, I have to finish a paper during the day, go to a class at work (only an hour long! EW!), and then go to Crash's house for my standing Grey's Anatomy date.
Hopefully it will be relaxing...with no stress...as I prepare for the five days of work! :) I'm going to need lots of people being sweet and encouraging in order to ward off the evil attitudes that will no doubt surface by the end of day 2!

Tonight is Teenie's graduation from puppy class! It is going to be so sweet...and I hope he behaves! He's been with Becca this week, and they've been working on his trick to show the class. He and I worked on it last week. He's going to do a spin. We got one spin down, hopefully he's going to spin around more than once. He'll do anything for meat paste. I'll make sure to take pictures of him with his mortar board on. He'll be fabulous!

Anyways, seeing how I am currently IN class, and not paying attention, I should probably get back to that. The study of old people nursing has absolutely no bearing on my job, but I guess I should maybe pay attention? NAH. No thank you! This class is horrid! Today, we got our schedules for next semester. I will have class every Thursday and will be taking 16 hours. ICK ICK and TRIPLE ICK! At least I get a month an a half off! From Nov 29 to Jan 18 is free time! Hooray!

K. I'm done here. I'm sure I'll have a frantic post around Sunday, requesting urgent happy thoughts to come my way before I hurt someone! Just keep me in mind!

Gracie's styling...and apparently stripping!

Cold and dreary!

I really don't mind the cloudy skies, but I'd rather it be cold and GORGEOUS out there! It's really nice weather out! I can still have my back door open, and I'm not frozen!

Today, I'm behaving myself...which is rare. I went grocery shopping this morning, and am now currently involved in laundry, house cleaning, and book report writing (am I in grade school again?) all at one time. I figured I needed to be productive on my days off...for reasons I am about to divulge! :)

SO, this next schedule is absolutely horrible for me. I have to work every Sunday, which I hate, no Saturdays (which I'd rather work than Sunday!), and 2 weeks, I have to work three in a row! I hate that! :( So, here comes the upcoming dilemma. A friend of mine has tickets to a college football game this weekend. I willingly switched to work Saturday for her...cause I know how much she wanted to go, and I really don't mind switching with people I know will help me out later. SO, I switched off Thursday and on to Saturday...no big deal. I didn't even think about looking at the next schedule (which was on the next page) because I figured I worked Sunday..and Fri/Sat/Sun isn't that bad, even though I hate three in a row. Well, my schedule next week is Sun/Mon/Tues....so that means I'm now working Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues. I'm going to be such a nice person after it's all over with! :) I do not mind helping out a friend, so I'm just going to work, and try REALLY hard not to complain. Well, maybe I'll just complain only to myself. Needless to say, no one will be hearing from me over those five days...cause I'm going to be only working and sleeping. I probably won't even eat!

Today, I bought Liberty a new sweater. She hates it, but at least she is staying warm. I'll post some pictures of her in it...she's so cute! :) She can still sneak her way out of it...but at least this one is long enough! I also bought her a new sheep to shred. Teenie did a great job of shredding her squirrel and hedgehog to absolute bits...and I ended up throwing the carcasses away last week, so she didn't have anything to play with. Today, in the couple of hours she's had the sheep, she's already managed to rip its face open and start removing fluff.

Well, I had better get back to being productive. Tons of fun for me!

Cause for celebration!

I'm so excited! My brother passed the bar exam! He's now officially a lawyer! SO FANCY!

Other than that exciting news, it's been a pretty low-key day. I cleaned my apartment, which was in desperate need of attention. I also went shopping with Jennifer and bought some new sheets! I love flannel! :) I didn't have any that fit, on account of the new sized bed...so this was a very exciting experience. I also bathed Liberty...mostly cause she really REALLY smelled...and needed to not smell like Fritos. Do any of you have dogs? Smell their feet! They actually do smell just like Fritos! It's nasty!

Today, I finished my Grey's Anatomy marathon. It was a bittersweet ending, mostly because now I'll have to find something else to amuse myself with. Perhaps my assigned school book? Nah. Definately not that. What else can I do? Hmmmmmm.....

Tomorrow, I'll probably do laundry and finish the clean sweep. It's a wonderous life I lead! I work this weekend, so I'm sure I'll be just having SO much fun. I am excited because my friend Ashley is back to work after her wedding, and I am so excited to see her! :) Okay, so I just used the word excited a lot, but that's okay...cause it's a fabulous word! :)

Anyways, I'd better get going. I have somewhere to be....and a show to watch! :)

Addiction

I am so completely addicted. I really REALLY tried not to be. I resisted for almost 2 years. I said to myself, "Self, we will not watch that show. We will not become completely entangled in the plot lines. We did it with Friends and Will and Grace...and now we will have a break!" Sadly, this is not the case. Now, I go to work every week and discuss the wonders of my addiction. I love Grey's Anatomy.

My dogs are possessed! Oliver is currenlty rolling around the floor, howling and growling at Liberty, attempting to entice her to play. She is NOT interested. I'm absolutely tired of them shrieking and throwing themselves at me. I've separated them for the moment...both of them are sitting now in their cages, having some rest time. No one is shrieking now! Hooray!

I'm really not wanting to go to school tomorrow....but it does mean that after tomorrow, I only have three class periods left in the semester, and then I'm half done! Isn't that absolutely NUTS? I can't believe it's gone by so fast! Soon, I'll have my grades...and then Children's can pay me back that giant wad of money I paid for tuition! Hooray!

By the way, my pie turned out FABULOUSLY...and the evening was pretty wonderful too. BUT, I'm sure ya'll don't want to know all those details...especially since my parents read this. They really don't NEED to know those! :) (Love you, Mom and Dad!)

Anyways, It is exactly 11:42pm...and I have school tomorrow. Guess I should go to sleep now. I've turned off the addiction for the night...I'm sure it will be back tomorrow! :)

Sunshine, glorious sunshine! :)

I love the sunshine! Today, it's around 80 degrees and wonderfully sunny! There's not a cloud in the sky, and I don't have to work! It usually ends up that I have to work on gorgeous days like this...and today I don't! It's such a happy time!

I've had a wonderful weekend! I did not have to work, and I've definately taken advantage of the time off! Yesterday, I did absolutely no school work! It was a blessed change! I read non school books and watched Grey's Anatomy all day! Last night, Becca and I ate lots of mexican food, ice cream, and injured both our wrists bowling like champs at Main Event. I guess taking bowling in college doesn't really help 8 years later. I don't think I scored over 80 either game. I'm so sad. Oh well...such is life!

Today, I'm currently in the middle of attempting to bake! I'm having dinner with a friend, and promised to bring dessert. SO, I'm making a chocolate buttermilk pie thingy. I'm wretched at cooking, but since he's making the rest of the dinner, I figured I could at least attempt. I am really hoping this doesn't end up in a complete flop and force me to bring store bought cookies. That would be horrid. Think very good thoughts for my pie! :)

Now the pie is smelling REALLY good. I like pie crust.

Other than my pie making and watching HOURS of Grey's Anatomy, I really don't have much going on. I'm still really happy with the way things are going in life...and keep a prayer going for what is coming up! School is only four more weeks this semester! HOORAY!

DRAMA

I'm sitting here, on my beautiful chaise lounge, watching the rain. It's at this absolutely freaky angle, almost sideways! It almost never rains onto my porch, which is good, seeing as I have a papizan chair with fabric cushion out there! It's the perfect temperature outside, with just a little bit of wind. It's really beautiful outside.

Aside from the beautiful weather, I've been doing a lot of uninteresting things today. I finished one paper for school, and got halfway through another. I don't have any tests this week, so that was a nice change. I have school tomorrow, then work on Thursday and Friday, YIPPEE! :) Today, I also went and surprised Jennifer after work. We went to the Grand Lux Cafe (SO YUM) for a really late lunch. I also got some fabulous wine glasses at Pottery Barn, and some delicious olive oil at Oil and Vinegar! Hooray! :)

I'm really sleepy now....maybe I should go to bed. I slept really REALLY well last night, which is surprising. Hopefully, I'll have another night like that tonight!

Samuel loves BOPPY TIME!

We're chilling....

He's either yawning...or talking...

A precious start...and wretched end! :)

I had a great day today....irregardless of what the subject heading says. I spent the morning with precious baby Samuel! He is such a cutie, and already such a little heart breaker! He's got his parents completely head over heels for him, and I can absolutely see why. I'll post some pictures of the little guy before this post. I brought Kris "Babywise" so hopefully, she and Joe can get some much needed sleep.

After baby time, I went and got a massage with Jennifer. She had a perfectly wonderful time, while mine was rather interesting. Let's just say that I don't REALLY enjoy having my rear massaged. It was quite a freakish experience.

I picked up Sadie and Oliver at Becca's house, since she's out of town this weekend on a retreat. The three are all happily coexisting again...Sadie's hiding in my bed, Liberty is begging for food, and Oliver is shredding a toy. Lovely.

Tonight, Tammy and I were going to go see the Guardian. When we got there, Tam changed her mind and we ended up going to see Marie Antoinette....a perfectly wretched movie. There were some funny parts, and some sweet parts, but the movie was wholly disappointing. I had looked forward to seeing it, and I really didn't enjoy it. That was the sad ending to my day!

Tomorrow, I'm going to the fair! :) I love the fair! It will be a fun day...and I'm excited! Enjoy the pics of Samuel!

SO sweet!

I love CAKE! :)

Amanda and I...we're SO good at taking our own pictures!

The fabulous women I work with! :)

And the days fly by...

Can you believe it is already past the middle of October? Halloween will be here soon...then Thanksgiving, and my personal favorite...CHRISTMAS! :) I love decorating for Christmas! :) It's also exciting to note that I only have five classes left in the semester! Five weeks more of stressing, although my stress level has drastically dropped since my 2 ickiest classes are over. I have one more paper to turn in for the 2nd one, but they are both basically done. Now I move on to more interesting teachers, although not really more interesting content. I worry so much about my papers and tests, and I am consistantly getting wonderful grades! I am so blessed! :)

I'm in the midst of a bunch of days off...which is SO good for me! I originally was upset that I was scheduled to work Sun, Mon, Tues...but I don't regret it now! I was a little nasty for a couple of those days, but my outlook is much better now! I have a paper to write for next week, and I've already started the research...shocking! I had a class today, and then Jennifer and I went to the Allen outlet mall. I have no winter/fall clothes...and needed some! Let's just say I am SO addicted to brown right now! I think everything I bought was some fabulous shade of it. It's insane. Oh well, at least this season, brown is REALLY in...and since I look good in it, I can find a lot of it! Now, I'm just hanging out with Gracie, who is viciously eating a Diet Dr Pepper bottle. Her brother isn't here to steal it...so she's pretty darn happy about that.

Tomorrow, I'm going over to play Mommy relief to my friend Kris. Her son is 2 weeks old, and when I talked to her today, she seemed WAY frazzled! :) I'm so glad to be able to help her out! In the afternoon, Jennifer and I are going to get massages. Jen's never had one at a massage school, mostly because a friend of hers told her she had to be half naked and walk around in front of lots of people. I don't know what kind of crack pot school of massage that girl went to, but that's SO not the way it is at mine! Scary! Saturday, some girls from work and I are going to the fair, which is ALWAYS exciting. I haven't been back since the very beginning, so it will be good to go watch the pig races and all! Other than that, it will be a lot of doing nothing with all the puppies, Sadie included.

I'm gonna find some pics from the wedding to post on here...that way you can see just how pretty it was! East Texas really is lovely! :)

I think Friday the 13th is retarded...usually. I don't get into the whole superstitious thing, mostly cause I think it's crap! Yesterday, it was just not my day! It started out awful! For some unknown reason, I am sleeping terribly the last month or so. I think it really has something to do with my level of school stress...but I could be wrong. I just wake up several times a night with the major inability to go back to sleep. Anyways, so I woke up not very well rested. I get to work, all ready to actually take patients...and I had to sit in the telemetry room. Yes...that tiny little room that has nothing but heart monitors and incessant BEEPING. It was absolutely the WORST thing! :( It did turn out to be not a bad day after all...the most fabulous charge nurse called someone in and sprung me out of that horrid land. I ended up being the transport nurse for the rest of the day, which doesn't really bother me. I really like helping my friends, even when I am busy with my own kids...so it was all okay. I DID have a good ending to the day! The charge nurse let me go home early! I FINALLY got my grocery shopping done, and Amanda and I went to the dollar movie. Hooray! :)

Right now, I'm all dressed up and ready to go to East Texas for Ashley's wedding. I found a dress in my sister-in-law's closet, which really looks CUTE on me! :) I did have to buy shoes, which I did this morning. I think I ended up paying more for the shoes than she paid for the dress! Oh well, I probably needed to expand my cute shoe collection. Amanda and Tammy are headed over here, so we can all be cute together. I am really excited to see Ashley get married! :) I am sad, though, that it falls on the same day as my friend Cat's daughter's first birthday. Cat was my preceptor at the hospital. I got to be around for the very beginning of her pregnancy, since I was stuck to her hip for the first 4 months I was there! I saw Kate soon after she was born, and she's just so stinking cute! Her birthday party is today...but I'm sure that she's not going to remember any of it! I made sure to get her a fabulously loud present and sent it over with her uncle, who I have been hanging out with a lot lately...hence the perpetual happiness. BUT, I get yelled at when I start out on the happy tangent...so I'll move on!

I have to work the next three days, so I'm sure I'll be a bundle of joy early next week. I have a test this week, with almost no time to study, but my grade in that class is pretty stable, so I'm not worried. I did have my GIANT practicum assessment this past Thursday, and ended up not getting any points taken off! Just think, I spent all that time stressing for absolutely no reason! My instructor does say that good stress is healthy, but I don't think that sleep deprivation is healthy...so we'll just forget about that.

Well, I should probably get moving, seeing as I have to go finish getting ready. :) Have fun today...in whatever you do!

Happy times! :)

It's been SUCH a good weekend! I didn't think that it was going to start out that way because I felt kinda rotten last week towards the end. I was just feeling exhausted and my chest was hurting from all the weather changes and stuff. I finally got my asthma under control and now I'm HEALED! :) Let's see...what have I done this weekend. Well, I had a date :), went shopping with Michael and Jen, went to a pajama party at Becca's, went to church, worked on my paper, went to go watch the football game (stupid STUPID game!), and just had a great time NOT at work! :) It's been quite awhile since I had that much time off, and let me tell you, it has done wonders for me! :) I'm back at work today and tomorrow, then off to school the next two days. I've got a huge check off this week, so keep the prayers coming!

My house is actually starting to look like a home now. I'm getting more and more pictures put out, but still nothing on the walls. I'm working up to that. I put up curtains in the bedroom, and that's pretty impressive for me! I'm not a big interior decorator, so I usually need lots of assistance...and prompting to get it done!

I guess there's not really anything else going on. I'm happy right now...we'll just leave it at that.

The end is not near...but I'm still hanging on! :)

OH heavens. Why did someone not sit me down at the beginning of the semester and attempt to talk me out of this madness? This is probably the silliest thing I have ever done, and that includes working and going to nursing school together the first time! I don't know why it is so crazy, except for the mountains of paperwork and tests to study for. But I'm hanging on, so I really can't complain too much. I'm close to finishing 2 of my 4 classes for the semester. I think that will really make a big difference in how my stress level is. I'm not too sure what to expect from the second 2, but I do know it can't be as bad as this! :)

I took a test this morning, and am not waiting for the rest of my classmates to finish their tests. I think I have until 10AM to sit and just play on the computer, which is shocking. I never get a chance to do that anymore! :)

Work is going well. It's been relatively quiet the last couple of days, which is shocking. I've had so many bad days in a row, that the nice days are a little hard to believe. I am starting to feel the physical drain of school and work, though. I'm not really feeling that great today...and I don't know how to stop the progressive illness that is no doubt coming on because of the lack of sleep and high stress level I'm subjecting my body to. I'm taking lots of vitamins...but I don't really know if it's helping or not. I think it just makes me hyper. :)

Oliver goes back to stay with Becca this week. It's so fun having him around because Liberty always has a playmate, even if she doesn't want one. Yesterday, I was right in the middle of talking to Jennifer, and Oliver let out the most pitiful howl I've ever heard. He REALLY wanted Grace to play with him, and she wasn't ready yet. Ironically, she became ready about 15 seconds later...but she still let him howl. They've been really good about going outside and not barking at strangers. I'm glad, because it was starting to get really old!

My friend Ashley is getting married next weekend! :) I'm so excited, yet panicked because I have no idea what to wear. It's probably going to involve a shopping trip, which only stresses me. I'm at a horrid predicament right now, that plus size clothes are getting to be too big, and regular sizes just don't quite fit right yet. What am I supposed to wear? I'd really love just to wear pajamas all the time, since that's pretty much the only thing that fits right now...but apparently that's not acceptable. Retarded.

Anyways, I suppose I should go mosey upstairs and see if anyone else is done with their tests. Or not. I'm really not bonded with any of the people in my class...and maybe I should be. Oh well, I'm not going to stress about it! :) I'm sure I'll blog again some other day...hopefully before the end of the month... :)

Going quietly mad....

I can't believe it's been almost a week since I blogged. That is so unlike me! It's mostly due to the fact that I have absolutely no free time. My time is very precious to me right now, seeing that it's disappearing before my very eyes! :) When I think I've finally finished a paper or taken a test, there is always something looming. It's either another test, another paper, or heaven forbid, WORK! I'm wearing myself out, and it's not even October! I have a major check off for my assessment class in 2 weeks, and hopefully, once that is over with, my school year will start to slow down. It's just a mile a minute these first couple of weeks. I've been in school a month, and already I've done 3 months worth of work! :)

Today, on a precious day off, I had to go practice for my check off all the way over at UTA. I did find a quicker way to get there though, and it only took me 45 minutes instead of the normal hour. Hooray! :) I guess all my hard work is paying off. I did great on my first test and paper. I just took another test this past wednesday and turned in another paper, so we'll see how that goes.

Tonight, I am absolutely not doing work or school. I'm going to hang out at a friend's house for some much needed time off! Sometimes, I just have to forgo working and school for some sanity time.

Oliver is doing really well at obedience school. He's a lot less agitated when he sees other dogs, and more times than not, wants to play with them instead of rip them apart...or just make them think he will. He's letting all kinds of people pet him, including men, which have freaked him out before. They are really enjoying the beautiful weather because they can sit out on the patio all morning and guard it. They are truly ferocious.

Not much else is going on. Work School Work School Work. That's pretty much it. Hopefully, I'll find something else to take up my time that's more interesting!

Settling in...

It's been a great week of CRAZINESS, but I'm enjoying it for the most part. I'm all moved in, most of my boxes are gone (thank you Lorin!), and there's only a wee bit of disaster still present. I've just got a lot of those finishing touches to do...the picture hanging (which reminds me, my pictures are still at Nathen and Kerrie's!), the cute little candle holder placing, and the picture frames on counters. I think I just need some time to do it, time which I really don't have! Being in school is really cramping my style, but it's completely worth it..I hope!

This week, I've got a test and a paper due, as well as three days of work, and a day of practicing for my major assessment practicum in 2 1/2 weeks. I'm sure that there is more looming in the schedule, but that's all I can think of right now!

Liberty is finally adjusting to the apartment, and she's doing great! She's pottying outside instead of inside (I know you're thrilled to know that!), and is barking less at every little noise she hears. I do need to work on her random barking when we go walking, but it's a work in progress. I've figured out why Oliver gets so upset when he sees people/other dogs. He's trying to protect his sister! How sweet is that! Earlier this week, I had friends over to watch the Gray's Anatomy premiere. When they each got here, of course, Oliver barked like he was going to rip them to shreds. Once they both picked up Grace and loved on her, his attitude completely changed and he wanted love too. It's an interesting habit I hope to discuss with the trainer this week at his class.

I really should be studying for my test right now, and I guess I should get back to it. How much do I really need to learn about male/female parts anyways? Keep me in your prayers this week as have the test and paper due...with not much time for either.

Home sweet home...sleeping angels.

Bedroom, complete with sleeping Oliver.

From front door, to bedroom...

Dining room/Kitchen from in the living room.

Here's the living room from the front door...

NO MORE MOVING! :)

I'm so happy to be all moved! I despise moving...and now it's done! I live in a new place...that's all mine. It's very bizarre. It's been an exciting 48 hours, but hopefully things are going to settle down. Oliver's having an interesting time...especially starting this morning when he chased someone! HE IS VERY SWEET, but gets scared with people he doesn't know. That's why we're working with him and taking him to school. He's a little confused, but he'll get it. Liberty is doing fine. She's adjusting well. I think she remembers apartment life.

I have school this week..and then some more work. LOVELY! It seems like the last couple of weeks, I've just been working weekends. I don't really like that, but my schedule is just too crazy right now with school. I've got this enormous paper due on Thursday as well as a big assessment project! Hooray for papers! :(

Anyways. PLEASE pray for me, as I'm starting to get sick. I've got some sort of chest cold, which does not need to develop into anything more serious. I'm already hacking up a storm and not sleeping. That doesn't do well for the whole stress school/work/moving complex!

I'm gonna post some preliminary pics of the apartment. I'll post more once it gets more decorated and stuff...but figured people might like to see it! Enjoy!

My birthday cake at work! :)

363 days and counting...

Friday, I turned 29 years old. Hooray! :) On one hand, it was a sad day. Sad to think that this is the last year I can put a 2 in the front of my age. Sad because my 20's have been wonderful....crazy, but wonderful! Sad because there's a lot of things I have left to do...and sometimes, it doesn't seem like I'm going to get them all done! :) It was also a happy day. Happy because I only have one more year in my twenties...and I've heard the 30's are better. Happy because I am really content with what's going on in my life right now. Happy because I have friends and family who love me! :)

I did have a good day on Friday. I got my hair cut! Hooray for haircuts! :) I love them. I also went and hung out in my bare apartment with Tammy and Manda. They brought me a plant and chocolate. I love chocolate...and I'm going to try not to kill the plant. I can't promise anything... Then I went out to dinner with Michael, Jennifer, and Becca. Afterwards, we went and played board games...something I dearly love to do. My mom flew into town really late, and so I went to bed late...but it was all okay. Saturday, I was getting report when Whitney brought me a flashing princess crown and a birthday girl button and instructed me that I was to wear them all day. She'd also brought CAKE and strawberry shortcake! :) Hooray for us! :) So, I got to wear a tiara all day...and feel fancy. After work, my mom and Michael and Jen picked me up and we went to eat Indian food. YUMMY. Today, I went to work...and got a phone call from Tammy around lunch time, volunteering to come in for me so I could go spend time with mom before she flew out. Hooray for friends! :)

Tomorrow is the big move. I've got a lot of stuff done already, thanks to my wonderful family who slaved away while I was at work. Tonight, I've been getting all the last minute stuff done, so that when the movers get here and packed, I can just throw Gracie into the car and go with them. I don't really want to have to come back over here to pick up little stuff if I can help it. I'd rather do it all in one trip. My movers come from 12-2, Cable/Internet from 2-5, and furniture from 2-6. Hooray! :) Tomorrow night, I'll hopefully be on my way to the land of unpacking. Oliver will come over and join the madness...it will be quite the adventure. Moving stresses him out, so I'm going to try my hardest to have a lot of the boxes gone so he doesn't stress out. Liberty has been doing really well. So far, her only sign of stress has been that she's extra clingy...but I can deal with that. I love it when she's in snuggle phase.

So, since I should really be finishing the packing, I'll be off...Somewhere amidst the packing, I have to finish a HUGE paper for school. I'm 75% done..so that's always a relief! Anyways. I'm off....to return later from a new destination...

Stress revisited!!!

The weeks of stress are continuing! I've gotten through the bachelorette party (WAY FUN!), 2 days of work (ABSOLUTE TORTURE), and the test (not too bad!). I've also started writing my major paper that's due next week. Tomorrow, I'm going to sign my lease and get my keys. Friday (a completely uneventful day!), my mom is coming into town to help me pack. I work Saturday/Sunday...then the movers come Monday. I'm holding up okay right now, mostly due to lots of prayers and very supportive friends and family!

I am still into the Friends marathon (now Season 4, Disc 1) since I have no cable. I'm really sad about it too...especially since I'm starting to miss some of the season premieres! I did not get to see Dancing with the Stars...with the likes of Joey Lawrence, Mario Lopez, Jerry Springer, and Emmitt Smith...but I heard it was good. I like to live vicariously through my friends!

Well, I'd better get going. I'm absolutely certain there's something else I should be doing...like packing...or studying...or working on my paper...

What happens at the lake house....

It is Sunday morning, 7:21AM...and I can not go back to sleep for the life of me! ARG! I'm in rustic Longview, Texas, sitting on the most beautiful back porch I've ever seen...wishing I was still asleep. Why does my internal alarm clock just HAVE to go off at this time? I don't really have any idea what time I went to bed, seeing as how there are absolutely no clocks here. I've got the best view, facing the lake with the sun rising over my left side. It's so pretty! :)

I'm the only one up right now, as everyone else is happily sleeping away. We've been having a great time, and I'm not ready to go back to the reality of mi vida loca at this point. It's kinda nice just being here and pretending it doesn't exist...

So, that aside, I'm going to have a pretty crazy couple of weeks. I have to work Mon/Tues, take a test Wed, practice with my lab partner and sign my least/get my keys on Thursday, try to have fun on my birthday and pick up my mom on Friday, then work Sat/Sun, and move on Monday. EW EW EW! :( My mom is coming into town this weekend, in attempts to destress my life, and I am SO thankful for that. Other than the boxes that Becca and I packed while we were splitting stuff up, I haven't packed a single one....I just have no time. I've already decided that I need a couple more days in the week...just so I can find my sanity. The next couple of days are going to be spent with my textbook and notes, frantically studying for my looming test. I haven't done tests in almost 2 years, so I'm sure it will be interesting. All the former students of this teacher say the 1st test is the hardest....yippee for me. I think they might just say that because you have to get used to how to take tests again, and stuff like that...but I really have no idea. It will be interesting, to say the least, and I would HOPE that there'd be lots of prayers headed my way...not only for the test, but the rest of the crazy stuff going on.

It's now 7:29...and no one is up. I don't really anticipate seeing anyone for awhile, so I guess I'll have lots of study time. EW! At least I have a pretty backdrop...

Love the rain BUT....

Oh heavens. The rain is fabulous. The mud, however, is NOT. It probably wouldn't be such a big deal if I didn't have 3 dogs traipsing in and out of the house. What makes it even worse is I have hardwood floors. There's really nothing for the mud and dirt to get wiped on. Even if I am very careful to wipe all 12 paws, something still gets tracked in. My bed is SO disgusting right now. I have mud streaks and dirt clumps all over everything! EW! I spent a lot of time wiping down the floors and door this afternoon, but I know in several hours, it really won't have mattered.

Tomorrow, I have school again. I'm really excited because I transferred to the Presbyterian Dallas campus and it's going to cut my commute by about 45 minutes! :) Instead of having to drive to Arlington, I just have to drive down Greenville Avenue and I'm there! :) I still have to go over to UTA 3 Thursdays for labs, but that is SO much better for myself and Nessie.

This weekend, I'm going to my friend Whitney's lake house in Longview. She, Tammy, and I are hosting a bachelorette party for our friend Ashley. It's going to be SO much fun! :) I love that house, and I really enjoy playing out on the lake! There's going to be a lot of my friends from work there, so it will be tons of fun! I'm sure I'll wind up with a fabulous sunburn, no matter how much sunscreen I lather on myself. Maybe I'll just try hanging out under the canopy of the boat. HA! :)

Anyways. My cable's out until I move...so I'm at the beginning of a mega Friends 10 season marathon. Right now, I'm on Season 2, disc 1. I've got a lot more discs to go....Hooray for me! :)

No labor on labor day!

I don't have to work! I know the thought that me not working on a holiday is a foreign concept...but it's true! HOORAY!: ) I'm actually going to see part of my family today! My parents have been visiting my grandma in Fort Worth this weekend, and are coming on over here today to see me (but mostly the puppies!). Again, Hooray! :)

This past weekend was one of the most quiet I've had while working at Children's. Now, don't get me wrong, I will really REALLY miss those days in the next coming months when RSV is running rampant and our beds are never empty. It was, a little monotonous this weekend...but still okay. I worked with great people, and that always makes it better. We didn't crack out any board games, but the talking and laughing was enough to make the time go by...

The puppies are being very needy this morning. They are all trying to jump into my lap at one time, and keep putting their noses against my leg as if to say "PLEASE LOVE ME!". Liberty's now laying on the ottoman, licking her paws and staring at me because I've got the computer in my lap and not her. Big baby. Now she's just licking the fabric. Disgusting.

Well, guess I should get ready for the day. There's not really much point in getting fancy, especially with the lovely rain that's drizzling down. I will NOT complain about it, since we haven't had much at all this summer. I will be thankful! Hooray for rain! :)

End of an era...

When I moved to Dallas in 1999, I was scared, yet excited about starting a new life. I assumed I'd get teaching, get involved in a church, and teach for awhile. A year went by...and I was still happy. Loved my job...loved my apartment...and I was loving life. I'd even picked up a second job on a labor/delivery floor of a local hospital. It was a great life. Then, something started to prod at my heart..."This isn't what you're supposed to be doing. Don't be satisified with the ordinary...go for the extrordinary" The summer before what would end up being my last year of teaching, I decided that teaching wasn't going to be a long term career. I wanted to be a nurse. I knew I couldn't afford to do it on my own, especially since I was going to have to quit teaching. I needed a rescue. That rescue came in the form of one of my friends from college deciding to move to Dallas and go to school. At the time, she wanted to be a nurse, too...or so she thought. We poured over the apartment guidebooks and the internet, scouring for that perfect dual apartment. I was excited because I was getting a roommate, she was excited to be out of East Texas. We found jobs at the same hospital, only 1/2 mile away from our apartment. She moved to Dallas...and the fun began. She had a dog, I got a dog. The next years were filled with LOTS of school, lots of vacations, and generally a lot of laughter. Some of the time my sister joined us...sometimes my brother. We even rescued a couple of dogs...Heidi went to live with my grandma and Oliver stayed around here. We changed apartments twice, went to live in the duplex with the worst insulation, and finally moved to the absolute suburbs to another house. 10 years I have known this woman. We've seen each other through the hatred of our first year of acquaintance...straight through to this growing up part where we move apart and open another part of our lives. She has always been there for me, and I know that even though she's in a separate place, she'll always be there for me...whenever I need her. Our dogs, which are like our kids, have grown up together and will always need to see the other. I'll always stay in contact with her, even though she sometimes not-so-secretly fears that I won't. We'll get our own places, our own new sets of friends, and at a point hopefully sooner than later, our own families. Things will change...separation always does that to people. BUT...to you, oh wonderous friend, some things will never change. I'll always remember that you were there for me through all the boy heartaches. We'll still travel and our puppies will still see each other. You'll always be one of the first people I call when good things happen...when I get that elusive ring or have that even more elusive offspring. You can't disappear...and I won't let you.

Let's add to the fun! :)

School has started. The days of laying around at home because I'm not at work have ended. From the sounds of everything I've heard so far, I'm gonna be crazy busy...but that's okay. Today, I've had to face my age and be SO thankful I'm not 18 anymore! :) It was so nice to say "No, I don't wish to go Greek" and not have to look through endless booths full of people enticing me to join their honor societies and stuff like that. I did not enjoy wading through HUNDREDS of people trying to get their food all at the same time. Let's just say I'll be brown bagging it from now on. In order to get my lunch in less than 5 minutes (I have absolutely no patience), I had to settle for things I could grab without a line...such as baked lays, a granola bar, and a banana. Hopefully, these things will tide me over until I can get home. I'm now sitting in a teenie tiny lounge, waiting for my class to start. There's a girl next to me, talking on the pay phone. This may not seem abnormal...except that she has TWO cell phones. How weird is that?

Other than that, not much is going on. I had to park REALLY far away and I'm carrying a lot of bags...computer bag, book bag, and purse.....I looked like a bag lady..traipsing across campus. Lovely picture, right? Anyways...probably should get back to class. Hooray for me!

This is HILARIOUS!

'What will your obituary say?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Madness revisited...

Oh it continues....the crazy unorganized land of packing and boxes. Becca actually has most of her stuff packed up and sitting around the house. This evening, we'll go empty out our storage room (BLECH) into the dining room and start the rearranging of the goods process. It's really not going to be fun going through all the Pampered Chef boxes and deciding who actually bought it or who uses it the most. I'm sure it will be an adventure. We went through the movies last night, and I was surprised how many movies I actually own. It is sad that some of my favorites are Becca's and went in her boxes! So, it will have to be awhile before I watch A Mighty Wind, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, and Drop Dead Gorgeous....I just love mockumentories! :) They're the best! :)

Beyond that, things are crazy. I've been working the last couple days, and am very glad to be done with that until Saturday. I actually start school tomorrow, so I'm sure that will be a grand adventure.


****Slight interjection here. I'm watching Extreme Makeover, Home Edition. I cry every time I watch this TV show. It's only 8:54AM and I'm already tearing up. This is sad. I am sad. ************

Back to the subject at hand. School. I'm really not ready for it to start (is anyone ever ready?), but I'm ready to get it over with. It's going to be such a difficult 9 months, trying to juggle school and work, but I know I need to do this. Just keep me in your prayers, as I attempt to balance work, school, and an actual life. I'm hoping to still hang out with friends, and do that kind of stuff....but I'm gonna need lots of prayers to do so! :)

Right now, there are 4 dogs running around my house. No, I didn't get another dog, but I am dogsitting for Michael and Jen's precious angel while they take a much needed "I'm done with law school" trip to IRELAND. Sickening, I know. Michael starts work sometime in September and at that point, there's no telling when he'll be able to do vacations, and so they went on this trip. I think they are gone for 10 days or so...living it up, while the puppies stay here, bothering each other. Already this morning, Oliver has found a stick, growled at Sam when he got too close, abandoned it, had it picked up by Sam, then Sam peed on the spot where Oliver was chewing it. It's a big happy family around here. They are actually playing together well, but it's just so funny seeing them. Oliver still believes he weighs the same as his sisters, and he's so careful when he plays with them. The same thing goes with Sam...Oliver's really gentle, even when he appears to be ripping someone to shreds. Oliver actually starts obedience training tomorrow...he's growing up so fast. He's really a great dog, he just gets nervous around stranger and jumps up and barks. So, we're going to fix that.

***I just heard Oliver's "Play with me!" bark from the other room. Liberty's in here with me, so I know he must be attempting to entice Sam to play. He's still howling...and it's really sad. Maybe Sam took his toy...maybe Sam's just trying to have some alone time...it's anyone's guess. I'm gonna go investigate. Sam's sitting in his blanket, under the desk, not wishing to play with Oliver. Oliver keeps nose butting his blanket, in hopes that he will play...but he's just not in the mood. It's a sad life for Oliver. *****

Okay, this teeny short update has turned monumental. On that note, I'm gonna get moving....

Still looking for volunteers to help in the storage room fiasco...thankfully we have Nathen and Bentley...and us...but if anyone else feels bored or wants to help, we're gonna meet here at the Barton's around 6ish or so. We'd LOVE to see you (and your helping spirit!). If not, just knowing that you're praying for the move to go smoothly will be a help. MY FRIENDS RULE! :)

Fabulous Furniture!

This is the new chaise lounge thingy I bought. CUTE, huh?

This is the sofa...I didn't buy the love seat...not quite that much room in my new living room! :) I'm hoping that by choosing such a neutral color, I can have FUN with accent colors! Hooray for throw pillows!

Moving right along...

Things are going well in the 2nd move of the year. AAHH! Moving itself is stressful...moving twice in 2 months is torture. Oh well...such is life. Today I bought furniture! I'm so excited about it! :) I got a cocoa microsuede couch and chaise lounge. It's so beautiful. I almost bought a coffee table, until I realized that I already had one. I didn't know why I didn't choose to sell it at the garage sale, but it worked out! That's one less piece of furniture I have to buy! I also didn't get rid of my dining room table...but the chairs are long gone. I'm going to have to buy some chairs...somewhere. Probably Ikea. Oh, I love Ikea.

I'm sure the packing will soon commence...which will begin to freak out the puppies. Tuesday, we're renting a truck to clean out our storage room...so if you live in the DFW area, we really need HELP! It's hopefully just going to be a couple of hours...and we'll bring the pile of crap back to our house to sort through before the move. We'll have to designate sides of the dining room so we can tell it apart when the movers come! :) Please help us! We're desperate! :)

Anyways. Must be off now. It's late and I'm sleepy. And so are the puppies.

On the road again....

Well, it's official. I'm moving again. EW! I hate moving. There's nothing not to hate. It's hot, it's sticky, and it's chaos! This will be the fastest I've ever moved...so it's a little daunting. My move in date is September 18. Yesterday, Jennifer and I went back to the new place to see the actual floor plan and let me decide if that's what I wanted. It was an easy decision after I saw the inside. It's so cute! :) It's really the perfect size for me and my lack of furniture! :)

Afterwards, we went and looked at living room furniture. Becca found this great deal at Ashley furniture on Friday that allows us to get everything at 50% off list price, which takes the 2 pieces I like down from about 850 to 630. That's a much better deal...combined with the almost 4 years of financing! :) Hooray for furniture! :) I actually liked it better than the ikea stuff...which is shocking and amazing. I love ikea! :)

Now, I'm having to figure out how to get all my stuff from 2 different places to there. I think Becca and I decided that we'd just load up all the stuff that's in the storage room and move it to here so we can sort through all the joint boxes. I'm sure we'll still be finding each other's stuff...but at least that would give us a head start. Some of the things will have to be stored in Becca's garage...until I decide what I want done with them...like the twin bed and a bookcase we were keeping. I'm sure I'll probably just find someone who needs them...and give them away.

The puppies are oblivious to changes as of yet...mostly because the boxes haven't come out yet. It won't be long, especially since Becca only has 2 weeks to move. I'll be out of town at a bachelorette party that weekend, so I'll just come home to no her or Sadie. And maybe Teenie. SAD!

Anyways...that's the big news at present. 4 weeks from yesterday, I'll be typing i a new place, alone...something I haven't done since 2002. WEIRD!

Must finish work...then SLEEP!

I think I'm going to fall asleep sitting here. I wish I had more sleep, but that's my own dumb fault! :) We had a baby shower at the house last night. I guess that our friends haven't ever been to one...so they don't know that they usually don't last for four hours! :) But, this one did! :) I finally poured myself into bed around 11:20 and still couldn't sleep because of all the merrymaking in the rest of the house. I don't know what time everyone else left, but I think I probably finally fell asleep around midnight or so. So, needless to say, I'm sleepy today! :)

This week, I'm going to have to make some housing decisions, and I'm not sure I'm ready yet! The apartment that I'm interested in, if I wait a couple more weeks (which is what I would prefer), then the price jumps up by $50. I don't like that. I was told that they would hold a place for 30 days, once I apply and stuff...so we'll see. There are 2 apts that open up at the end of this month, so I could potentially have to move before the end of Sept...but we'll see. I'd rather not have my rent jump up. Not for the same exact unit! :) Becca's decided that she's not ready to buy yet, and now she's apartment hunting too. She's looking in the Beltline/Montfort area of town, right in the same complex that Michael and Jen just moved to. I will probably settle about 10 minutes from there, at the Tollway/Bush Turnpike. I really like the area up there, and it's a chance to start somewhere completely new. Anyways. Enough about that.

The puppies have been so good the last couple of days...with the exception of Oliver eating a pack of gum then vomiting it on my bed. (EW!) They stayed mostly quiet during the shower last night, and no one attempted escape. They didn't bark or misbehave. Such angels. It's going to be quite the transition, splitting them up. I'm the most concerned for Liberty and Sadie, since they've been together for Liberty's whole life. Not sure what Liberty will do without her sister...but I guess we're about to see.

OH HEAVENS. I am so tired. I'm sitting here thinking to myself "Wouldn't a nap be nice!"....but no naps for me. Oh well...only 6.5 more hours....

Comings and Goings...

Yikes! There's been a lot going on...and I haven't even had time to sit down, let alone blog about it. Let's see if I can get this in some random order in order not to confuse everyone...

On Monday, Jennifer and I went shopping! Hooray for shopping! :) It's so nice to have her in town so we can just pick up and go without worrying about her having to get back to Austin! They've done a lot of work in the apartment already because I know they hate living out of boxes. Their apartment is so big that when I came to get Jen, they didn't even hear me knocking at the door! And I was knocking hard! Sam didn't even hear me, and he would normally be barking crazily! :) It's nice for them to have so much space.

Tuesday and Wednesday were spent at work. I really feel like I just show up at work to sit there. My fabulous intern, Colette, does all the work, and rarely needs me. It's good to see someone go from that point where they feel they don't know anything to where they've started answering parent (and my) questions with confidence! Go Colette! :)

Last night, after a long day at work, we went to our favorite after work hangout to celebrate the return of my friend Amanda! She's been in Mexico, learning Spanish, for three weeks! Before that, she wasn't at work because her grandma passed away...so it's been a long time since we've been around her! :) We had a great time, and it was really wonderful to see her. She tolerates even less alcohol than I do, so we did a lot of giggling! :) It was a great time.

Nathen and Kerrie are home, and I'm sure that kitties are so happy to see them! They are not happy, however, to eat the homemade cat food that Kerrie made for them. I guess I don't understand picky eating from anyone..people or animals. In my house, you had to eat all your food. As far as animals go, Liberty eats absolutely everything, including things that aren't edible....so I have no concept of not wanting to eat. If she doesn't eat, I know she's sick...and that always scares me!

The biggest thing that's occured recently is a joint decision made by Becca and I. I think we both decided on our own that it was probably time for us to live apart. We've lived together for 4 years and had a great time, but it's just time to move on. Becca's never lived by herself and I think she's decided she's finally ready to do so. She's interested in buying a house or a townhouse. I'm not quite there at this point, I'm still not ready for the responsibility and would rather rent right now. I have no idea when this will occur...but we both came to the realization on our own, and just recently shared it with the other. Interesting, huh? The biggest concern to both of us is the puppies. Liberty has never lived by herself and she's probably going to have the biggest issue with it. I'm sure she'll poop on the floor every day for awhile. YIPPEE! :( Oliver will be the go between dog...time with sister Sadie and time with sister Liberty. Not quite sure how he'll work into it, but at least one sister will be happy at a time if both can't be.

Anyways, Kerrie and I are going to look at cakes this morning for the baby shower this weekend. I love cake! :) Other than that, not sure what I'll be doing....

Terror for the lobster....

Oliver is currently running around the house, shredding a toy lobster that I bought for him not 8 hours ago. It has no stuffing, no claws, and no squeakers. He's systematically shredding its legs, which are finding their way all over the house. I'm so glad he's found enjoyment out of that 3 dollars. This is why we don't buy him nice things. He just eats it. He's been carrying around a rabbit leg for one solid week...chewing it to bits piece by piece. Earlier today, he fought a battle with a wasp outside and lost. He got stung in the mouth, but he's okay. He also fought a battle with a lizard, which he won. Becca found him chewing on a headless body. He's so disgusting.

It's been a busy weekend! Michael and Jen are all moved in! Hooray! It was so weird to drop them off last night, and know they weren't going to be sleeping at my house on an air mattress! Yesterday and today were filled with a lot of unpacking and rearranging. Their new places is about 400 square feet bigger, and it's really nice for Jennifer to have too many places to put things! They have this gigantic couch (I think it's like 105 inches long) and it actually looks small in their living room.

I work Tuesday/Wednesday/Saturday this week. It's been nice to have this 4 day off break! I guess Nathen and Kerrie aren't coming back today...or else they are driving really late. Their kitties are getting really pitiful. When I walk into the bedroom, I'm always greeted with a symphony of meows. They are almost out of food...so I hope that N/K resurface soon...

Not much excitement going on this week. We're throwing a baby shower on Saturday, of course, I have to work. LOVELY. I'll just be zooming back home after the shower. Other than that, it's gonna be a slow one...which should be nice. I'm going to be so thankful for those weeks in a few, once the school madness begins. Anyways...must be going. Oliver has now proceeded to shred the toy all over my new bed. That will be fun to sleep on.

It's a beautiful day in my neighborhood!

I'm so glad to be off of work! I'm sure that you as the average reader says to him/herself "My heavens, Stephanie really seems to hate her job...she's always SO excited to be off!" On the contrary, I love my job, and I think people can see that if they talk to me. It's just really nice to not be there. I love having a job where I only work three days a week, even though they are long ones.

Today, I did a lot of random stuff. I waited with baited breath for my new mattress to arrive! It's a beautiful sight, with pillowtop and so high that Liberty can't jump up on it. I have been uncomfortable for awhile on my old one, so I took the plunge and got a great deal with amazing financing! Hooray for me! I have a queen size now, and hopefully the extra room will leave me less crowded when Oliver decides to stretch out his paws in every direction. I also went around buying housewarming gifts for Michael and Jennifer. I should have picked up something for Sam, too....I guess I'll have to do that tomorrow before the fun begins.

Tomorrow, early in the AM, Jen and Michael will start their long awaited voyage to Dallas. I really can't believe that it's finally HERE! I'm so excited for them to live so close to me! I think Jen will head out first, with plans to sign all the lease stuff before Michael gets there with the movers. I will be over there with her, once she gets into the apt, to help with whatever...cleaning, rummaging, sitting in the empty space...and bonding! :) Hooray for fun times!

Not really anything else going on. I am feeling less dizzy, although I do still have the spells. I'm hoping they go away with the continued taking of my medicine. I also hope this new bed lets me sleep better! :) Nathen and Kerrie return sometime this week from their long, long vacation. I don't really know what day they return, but hopefully the house will be clean when they get here. It's not really bad, I just need to do some straightening and junk mail removal! :)

Now I'm tired. My new bed is calling me! Hooray!

Brighter day

Today is a better day. I do feel better today for some reason. The doctor called this morning and said that all my lab results were completely normal. She really thinks it might be an equilibrium thing and a decongestant might just do the trick. I feel a wee bit less dizzy, so maybe that was the problem. Who knows. I'm supposed to hang out, taking the decongestant for a week. If I'm not better, I'm supposed to go back.

A couple of weeks ago, I was diagnosed with Factor Five Leiden. It's a blood clotting disorder that is hereditary. I'm heterozygous for the trait, which means my blood loves to clot too much and I'm 20 times as likely as the next person to clot. GREAT! Today, I talked to the doctor about how this affects me. I'm supposed to stay away from things that would increase my chances of having a clot, such as prolonged sitting and laying down (like after surgery), smoking (oh, this one will be hard!), and medicines with estrogen (like birth control and hormone replacement therapy). LOVELY! I also found out that when I'm pregnant, I'm going to have to take aspirin and probably heparin shots to prevent clotting that would cause a miscarriage. Again...LOVELY! So, not only will I have 10 children...but I'll also have to shoot myself up during all of those pregnancies! What an exciting time! I'm sure the men will be lining up after they find that out... :) Especially when they find out I'll be doing menopause without medicine. I'll be a treasure.

Aside from those exciting things, I've just been goofing off today. I went and bought some books to read. I also watched the dogs be absolutely idiotic. They are nutty. Not much else. Whoopee!

I have to work the next two days, then off for four. Hooray! I'd better do something productive...

Fun with video....

So, I learned how to do videos on my camera....

This may not be funny to you, but I think it's hilarious...

Notice, I do pop my dog...just like my own children! :)

Oliver being retarded.

Sadie's new friend...her bright pink cast!

Grace and her new toy....a stuffed weenie dog!

I'm gonna have to win the lottery...

INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE EVIL!

Well, apart from winning the lottery, I won't be able to have my needed procedure any time soon. The powers that be have determined that it is cosmetic, not medically necessary. THIS STINKS. I wish they could walk one hour in my shoes...then they'd know. This really wasn't the day to find out this precious information, either. I've been to the doctor today, where she had lots of thoughts, but not much solid information on what is going on. I didn't expect there to be an easy answer. I had a bunch of labs drawn, so hopefully one of those will be able to shed some light on the situation.

I tried to take a nap, but was too upset about the aformentioned information to sleep...so now I sit and blog. Sometimes, it's therapeutic...sometimes not. I think crying is more therapeutic...which is what's happening now. I'm a weenie.
Today was also the day I forked over my tuition money for the fall...Good heavens..the bad things are all on one day, aren't they? :)

I think I just need to curl up in a ball and sleep...until the bad thoughts go away!

Fun in the sun...or RAIN! :)

It's finally raining! I can not begin to tell you how excited I am to see this phenomenon. The radar is all green, red, and yellow and I can't even see outside! I LOVE IT! It hasn't rained this hard in a long time, definately not this summer! The backyard has actual cracks in the ground from the dryness. Hopefully not now...now that we have rain! :)

Today, I have been really dizzy and it's starting to scare me. I don't like this feeling, and I've felt pretty rotten for most of the afternoon. THANKFULLY, I have a new nurse with me today and she's getting pretty independent. She did 90% of the work today, so I was able to sit and feel dizzy by myself. I go to the doctor tomorrow morning at 1015, so I am hoping that she has some insight for me.

I have two days off after today, then back Wed/Thurs, then off until Monday, I think. Michael and Jennifer are moving this weekend. I'm hoping to be able to be of some help to them...but I won't be doing any lifting! :) They've hired the extremely reliable, yet funny named "Abracadabra Movers". Just the name makes me laugh. It will be nice to pick up the phone and just go do stuff with Jennifer. I do love my sister in law. Almost more than my real sister! (HA KIMSIE!)

Anyways, I have 2 more hours to slave away here, so I suppose I could find something to do. I know I have to do some sort of preceptor paperwork...and that could take me the rest of the day! :)

State traveler

I'm in Houston right now. My parents wireless internet hates my computer, so I haven't been able to use mine. It's always weird using a computer that you aren't used to. Thankfully, my mom's laptop is always available so I've been able to surf away to my heart's content. My plane ride was uneventful. I did have some retard ask me if I worked somewhere medical. "Um, no..RETARD...I'm just wearing scrubs for fun. Scrubs with puppies!" Moron. I tried to nicely answer his questions, but you just don't pump complete strangers for information about their lives! No, of course, I do this, but at work...not randomly out in public!

It's always so much easier to leave my puppies when I have one to go to. Jack's here and filling Liberty's shoes well. He even slept with me last night. He's so rotton. He's a great sleeper, but my dad doesn't want him in the bed because I think he thinks Jack will bother him. Jack didn't even touch me all night! This morning, my mom and I went shopping. I finally bought a new wallet! Mine has been slowly falling apart for a couple of months and now it doesn't even close. So, out with the old, in with the new! :) Hooray!

Not much else going on. We're watching Food Network and watching Jack be retarded. It's a quiet life, here in Friendswood! :)

Anyways...must be off. Have fun!

Tired for no reason!

I have no idea why I am so tired. I have been getting enough sleep, not too much, not too little. Maybe my red blood cells are too low...who knows. That would definately explain the dizziness... Hopefully, I'll be able to get into the doctor this week to see what's going on. I've got to work the next two days, so maybe I can get in Wednesday morning.

Sadie's limping around the house, giving evil eyes to everyone she sees. She wouldn't even kiss her mom until late last night...tiny punk. She's still real sleepy and won't put that leg down, but she'll get over it. Last time, she just woke up one day and thought to herself "Maybe I'll walk on my leg today". We should expect that around Tuesday or so. Her pain killer is starting to kick in...so she's a wee bit dazed right now.

I've been busy this weekend! Thankfully, I didn't have to work, so I've been running around doing other stuff (but still not enough to make me this tired! Weird!) Yesterday, Tammy and I went to church over in Grapevine. We were going to go eat, but some previous plans that I thought were cancelled were suddenly uncancelled. Another friend from work and I went to a concert last night. It was my very first rock concert...'cause I've been told that Chicago and the Beach Boys don't count. I really enjoyed myself, and actually knew more of the songs than I though I would. Today, Becca and I went to the circus...where we were amazed and shocked at the amount of spandex and sequins we saw. Tonight, I'm going out for dinner/drinks with friends from work...and then on to work in the morning. I'm sure it's not going to help the tired, but it doesn't seem to help if I get more sleep...so maybe I just should keep working and not worry about it.

Anyways...not really anything else to report. This week, I'll be going to my parents house to help my mom after she has a procedure. Then back on Friday for UTA orientation...then working over the weekend...then freedom! Crazy...guess I won't be going to the doctor this week! :)

Well, must be off...trying to take a nap before I go out tonight. Maybe that will help....

YAWN

Even though I had to be at work this morning at basically the same time, I didn't go to bed when I should have. I decided that staying up an extra hour and half was more important than sleep. Unfortunately, the class I went to today was SO boring that I almost fell asleep about 10 times. Thankfully, the class wasn't as long as I was anticipating, so I was done early! I went up to my floor and helped out while the secretary went to lunch...it was a crazy day up there! I came home and felt like I'd been working for 12 hours!

The house is very quiet right now. Nathen and Kerrie left for 2 weeks on vacation, so it's just Becca and I. And the dogs. And the cats. But you get the idea. I've already fallen asleep on my bed with a pile o' dogs and awakened to a crazy cooking lady making the same crazy party drinks she always makes. That's a nightmare!

I think we're going to the circus on Sunday. I haven't been to the circus since I was about 17, so I'm sure it will be interesting, especially on a Sunday. ***Side note, Rachael Ray just left a spatula ON THE FLAME OF A HEATED STOVE. I wonder if she'll be using that one later in the episode, only the top will be black instead of blue. I've seen flame broiled silicone...it's not pretty*** Back to the story...guess it wasn't really a story, just a statement. Anyways...I need sleep.

Okay, here's my guilty confession. I am addicted to the new Nick Lachey CD. I have no idea why. I heard one of the songs while crashing the dance at Camp Moss a couple of weeks ago (Oh, Amanda...remember the dancing?). I listened to a couple of the songs and really liked the melodies...and now I'm addicted. It literally has been one of 2 CD's in my car for like three weeks straight. This is a problem I need to remedy. Perhaps I sympathize with Nick's sad laments over his pitiful life. Perhaps I'm just ready to join Team Nick. Perhaps I need a life. HELP!

My brother is finished with the bar exam!! Hooray! I'm sure he's absolutely numb...as I certainly would be after such a mind blowing event. At least he can concentrate on moving and starting a new job!

Alright. This crazy blog has gone on long enough. Guess there's really nothing else interesting to share. Sad!

Days off...

It's finally over! My three in a row! I win! :) Okay, so it's not such a big deal, but I'm very excited that it's over. I actually think I have to do it again at the beginning of next month, but oh well. At least this one is past! It actually wasn't too terrible since I had great people to work with. The last day was especially fun. Let's just say I had a really hilarious dream, and that fueled enough laughter to get us through the day. I was still exhausted when I left, but at least my stomach hurt from so much laughing!

Today has already been filled with adventure. I took Sadie to the vet surgeon this morning to get her scheduloed for her other knee surgery. She's scheduled for Friday morning. Becca's not looking forward to pitiful Sadie, especially after learning her childhood kitty passed away. She's having a hard animal week. :(

Liberty has been quite the beast lately. I'm absolutely convinced that she's eaten her brother and sister's food this morning as her stomach is now the size of a basketball. She's waddling around the house more prominantly than usual. Now she's carrying a plastic bottle around the house so Oliver can't chew on it. She's nuts.

Well, must get busy doing something. Hooray for a day off!

Sunday Happenings...

Today is day 2 out of 3, and so far, it isn't that horrible. I have a new nurse with me today, so she's doing most of the running around work while I help whenever she needs me. I really do enjoy training these new nurses. I'm not looking forward to having to be back here tomorrow, but thankfully, one of my friends has the same schedule I do..so she's been here all the days as I have this week! Hooray! :)

I have to work tomorrow, then I'm off until Thursday when I have a horrid 10 hour class to go to. It's on a subject that I think is disgusting, so I'm sure I'll just LOVE having to go there and learn it. Who knew that people could get dialysis through their stomachs? ICK!

When you think of it, PLEASE say a great big prayer for my little brother Michael this week. Tuesday through Thursday, he will be taking the bar exam, and he is WAY stressed out about it. The bad part is, after he finishes taking the test, he won't find out until November if he passed! I couldn't imagine waiting that long...then again, I couldn't handle 48 hours waiting for my nursing license to come through! I'm just too darn impatient. But anyways, I know he's going to pass it like a champ...but everyone self doubts, especially when your years and years of training culminate in one test. He's going to Houston for the test, so please keep him in your prayers.

Not much going on at home...just a lot of crazy puppies. They were banned from the main part of the house last night because there was company and were just so pitiful! I ended up eating my dinner in my room so they would at least have someone to love on them! Hopefully, they won't be in the same predicament when I get home.

Guess I should go find something to do now. LOVELY.

Crazy happenings

I finally got Oliver on camera...doing something absolutely stupid. Here's the situation. He's sitting on my bed, chewing this plastic bone thing that his cousin, Sam bought for him. Sitting next to him, is a pile of clothes I just got from Jennifer (thank you! LOVE them!). He's taken part of one of the sashes and started chewing it right along side his bone. He's nuts. I always knew it was bad news to put a boy dog in a house full of girls. Thankfully, we've moved him in with some testosterone...so perhaps the sash playing was a throwback to days of old....or last month! :)
My dogs are crazy, that's just all there is to it.

I've been working the last two days. It wasn't too bad. I was the transport nurse one day and then took patients yesterday. Well, I just got a phone call from work that shows what a retard I was yesterday. Apparently, I forgot to chart what one of my babies ate and drank all day! That looks good! I feel efficient! :( Okay, so beyond that complete lapse in brain activity, I had an okay day. I'm still getting used to training a new nurse, and I'm having to remember that she needs to learn, just like I did. The only way to learn..is to do! :) I just found out that I can chart from home...so I was able to fix my retardedness of yesterday! I RULE! :) Well, not really, since I didn't do it right the first time..but oh well.

Last night, my friends and I had a mini going away party for Amanda. Whitney and I went after work and Tammy met us at Amanda's for a night of LOTS of giggling, bonding, and eating! We watched movies and had some good quality time together, especially since Amanda's been out on funeral leave and is now going to be gone until August 14th! SAD! I think I got home at 1:30am...to Liberty doing her retarded Nessie neck craning pose in my bed. She's a nut.

I don't have any idea what I'll be doing today. I know laundry will be involved, but NO SHOPPING! Thankfully, I have to work all weekend...so that will cut down on my ability to go and spend money. I'm pretty much out of money, and I don't get paid for another week! That is why I don't usually let myself have these big spaces between when I work...I just spend money! I have to save money because I'm about to spend a couple thousand dollars on school. No fun, but thankfully, Children's will pay for it. I don't get the money until after I finish the class, but at least they pay in in full! :)

Guess I should go get started on my day. See you later!