Daisypath Anniversary tickers

Daisypath Anniversary tickers

Lilypie Second Birthday tickers

Lilypie Second Birthday tickers

Tuesday, June 27, 2006


We're so CUTE! These girls are all from the floor I work on...and one of them is one of my favorite transplant kiddos!

Amanda, Tammy, and I at Camp Moss, a camp for kids with heart disease.

Camp Moss

Every year, about 1/4 of our staff tromps down to Meridian, Texas (in the middle of absolute nowhere) to enjoy Camp Moss. It's a week long camp for kids with heart disease. They could be anything from a simple heart defect, to a complex one, to funky heart rhythms, or even a transplant. It gives the kids an opportunity to feel normal and enjoy camp in a safe environment. The camp facility was donated by parents of a little boy who died of leukemia. It has all the same stuff as regular camp...but it's so clean! No mold at this camp! Everything is air conditioned, the food is yummy, and the lake isn't even that gross! I wanted to be a counselor this year, but everyone else beat me to it..so I wasn't able to go. Two girls from my work and I decided we were going to visit yesterday. We drove the two hours down there (on tiny, windy roads) to join the festivities. It was an absolute blast! We walked in, and everyone we knew just came up and hugged us like they haven't seen us in 10 years! I got hugs from people I'd never hugged before! It was so fun! We sat down with one of the nurse practitioners who had her campers go get us food...and just joined on in. It was hilarious. We picked a really great night because the older kids were having a dance and the younger ones were at the pool party. We just went in between both parties. It was an amazing experience to see doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, and medical students be on a first name basis with all these kids that I'm sure they've physically hurt at one time or another! We had a great time! We danced, we played, and came home...tired, but exhilerated. All of us decided we wanted to be there next year...now we just have to convince our boss that we can! :)

One of the kids we saw was my precious transplant from Christmas time. She looks AMAZING! She was walking around, dancing, and laughing. I could tell she was having a great time! It was hilarious to see some of those kids...scars and all, having a fabulous time.

This morning, Becca and I weighed in. I really need to be better about weighing in every week...it's gotten rather sporatic lately. I still lost 1.2lbs and am now the lightest I've been in quite some time. I think my grand total is 78.4lbs gone. INSANE!

Well, hopefully, today will be a low key day. I have to work the next two days, and would really benefit from a good night's sleep beforehand. We'll see if that will actually happen!

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Oliver VS Star

Well, it's happened. Our first big brawl. Oliver and Star decided that last night would be the night they come to terms with each other. Here's the scene. We've got a baby gate that blocks the way to Nathen and Kerrie's room so the puppies aren't tempted to sneak through the kitty door to the food. (Okay, I'll say it. So LIBERTY isn't tempted) Oliver can jump over the gate, but rarely does. Star had become brave yesterday and was sitting on the other side of the gate, just staring out. Oliver was sitting on the opposite side...just checking things out. I guess Star got REALLY brave and jumped over the gate to come and visit..or torment (not sure what!) They were then locked in a death grip until I grabbed Oliver and Star was actually still attached to him when I pulled him away. It was sad. Both creatures are fine. Star got a little poopy excited...and required a bath later. Oliver had bite marks on his wee haunch, but he's also fine. Hopefully, this was the interaction that was needed...and I'm wishing it won't happen again. Who knows!

Today has been busy, but not busy enough to make the day go faster. I feel like I've been here forever, and still it's only 11:17. YAWN. I've got good patients today, and that is always helpful! :) So far, everyone is behaving themselves! :) I'd really like them to stay that way!

I have the next two days OFF! :) I'm so happy! :) I was spoiled the last couple of weeks because I've had a lot of three and four days off in a row. Having just Friday off really wasn't enough for me. It seemed a little short. I've got some things to do around the house, now that the house is really coming together. I think there's about 10 or so random boxes that need to be unpacked...and the stuff put somewhere. We've got a few boxes of kitchen stuff...and some other random boxes. It's anyone's guess as to where it will actually end up. My guess would be our linen closet...once it is completely cleared out! I just don't think there is room in the kitchen, even with all the beautiful new cabinets! :)

I'm excited for time off...have I mentioned that? I've got a big chunk of time off in July...just trying to figure out what I'm going to do. I'd love to go visit my sister, but I'm not sure I can afford the airfare right now. Besides, it's pretty short notice...and she has to do that work thing.

Well, I guess I should get back to doing something. I'm busily blogging and reading my Cooking Light. Later, we might play My Little Pony Memory...that's a good time right there! :)

Friday, June 23, 2006

Yikes...if only there was a "real woman" version....

You Should Go On The Bachelorette!

You're a marriage minded girl, and only interested in serious guys.
Finding your future husband takes meeting a lot of men.
And you are up to the task - as long as there is a ring on your finger at the end.
The Bachelorette is the perfect show for finding that lifelong match.

A comfortable madness...

Things here at the new domain are never boring. I haven't actually been around much the last few days because of my work schedule. Today is the first day I actually have off! Hooray! I've got a big day of sitting around and unpacking planned! :) The house is looking FABULOUS...and I'm so excited about it! :) The new countertops are in, the sinks and faucets are installed, and we're beginning to unpack some of the kitchenesque boxes. We're starting to rid the house of all the dust and it looks beautiful! :)

The puppies are doing so well...and really starting to relax in their new home. Just last night, Oliver started tearing around the yard with his sisters. He's also started running around with his ears perky, instead of droopy. Everyone is sleeping and happy. The puppies REALLY love Nathen and Kerrie! :)

I have to work this weekend, then hopefully I'll have some time to finish getting things done around here. I really want to get my pictures up...maybe I'll do that today! I'll try to take some pictures after they get up...if I can find the camera. I did find the connectors, though!

Anyways, I suppose I should get on with my day. I have to go to the bank today..and the office supply store. This should be a grand fun time. Hooray! :)

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Goodbye money pit!

Hooray! It's done! All the boxes are moved, and I do not live in that horrid dump anymore! I'm moving up in the world! I actually have a bed that is not on the floor and clothes mostly out of boxes! I've still got unpacked suitcases, but I don't have anything to unpack the clothes into! The bathroom is a disaster because the countertops aren't in...so we are brushing our teeth and hand washing from the tub...but it's okay! The counters go in Thursday...so HOORAY! :) We have cable and internet..and we are happy campers.

The puppies are staying away from the cats, but they are very interested in the contents of Nathen and Kerrie's room...mostly because of the cat food inside! We keep reinforcing that they need to stay out of there. One day, it will click!

Liberty Grace is on my bad side right now! :( She was SUCH a pain last night...and I wanted to strangle her and make her sleep outside. She was so interested in what was going on outside my bedroom door, that she would not get in the bed and go to sleep. She kept sniffing around the room, and sitting at the door, waiting to be let out. I was pretty sure the cats were out frolicking and she definately wasn't going to be going out to play with them. I kept throwing her back in bed..and she kept getting out. I think I woke up at 12:46, then 2:29, then 4:00. Finally, at 4, I just held her like a stuffed animal, and thankfully she didn't wake up again until my alarm went off this morning. I am beyond tired at this point...and all I want to do is take a nap. I can not...seeing how I am at work. If Grace tries this garbage again, I will throw her out to the mercy of the cats. I'm thinking she was just too excited last night, since we didn't get home until 9:45 and then I went to bed 30 minutes later. Who knows.

I'll have to post pictures of the house once I find my camera connecty cables. It's really coming along! Hooray!

I have to work tomorrow, then go to a class the next day. YAWN. I am in no mood to sit in class when I know I only have one day off before I have to work the weekend. This schedule isn't very fun..and I end up with 44 hours instead of 36...which is not welcome. I'd much rather be sleeping and unpacking, instead of spending my time at work, in class. YUCK. I need a better attitude. IT's just disheartening to know that out of the next 6 days, I'll be here for 5. ICK. I guess I'll just be unpacking slowly. Stupid boxes.

Anyways. I'd better be off. I have to go work...or something. :)

Sunday, June 18, 2006

Countdown to the big day....

Well, tomorrow is FINALLY almost here. I have done everything I can do to get ready for this move. I'm hoping that tomorrow comes and goes quickly and I don't have to worry about it anymore. Actually, by this time next week, we'll be completely out of the house that air conditioning forgot....

Friday night, we moved everything that was to go to storage over to our unit in Plano. That was drama in itself. Let's just say, the company didn't take the lock off like they were supposed to and we were left with a locked unit, a van full of stuff, and a bunch of friends willing to help us unload it. Not so good. I knocked on the door of the property manager, who lives onsite, only to be met with the nastiest, meanest man I have evern encountered in real life. I proceeded to be verbally pummeled, but kept my composure and got the unit unlocked. There's a whole bunch of drama associated with that situation, but rehashing it only makes me angry.

Back to today...we're very much on target to move tomorrow. Both our bedrooms are painted (Becca's is "Promanade", a sage greeny color and mine is "Spiced Cocoa", a purply, brown, chocolatey color) and our ceiling fans are in. Our closets have shelves and bars. The Ikea furniture is assembled and waiting for clothes and mattresses. Our cable and entertainment centers are set up. Pretty much the only thing that isn't done in the house is the counter tops and sinks. There was a scandal with the company that installs them, and they won't be in until Thursday. This means we'll be brushing our teeth in the shower...and there's only one sink in the house...in Nathen and Kerrie's bathroom! :) At least we have a shower! :)

The puppies are going through their own dramas as well. Sadie's stress mechanism is shredding. She shredded a bunch of pictures and some random trash. Liberty's stress buster is pooping. She's pooped on the floor twice, even though she's been outside plenty. I've recently decided that Oliver's coping technique involves howling. He's been howling worse today than even when he was a puppy and crated. It's really pitiful. They will be spending the day at the vet. The girls are having teeth cleanings, and Oliver will be having a check up. The desk attendant at the vet called yesterday to confirm, and she was so excited they were coming. Our puppies are a hit.

I am just so ready to be out of this money pit. I'm excited to have my bedframe back...and my cable. The Mavs are playing tonight..at home..and I'm forced to check the scores online. I'm also interested to see how the puppies do with the cats. They've each met the cats, and no one really had a good experience. I'm sure they will adjust, but it won't be a fun couple of weeks.

Well, I'd better be going. I'm sure there's something that needs to be packed...or maybe I'll just save it for tomorrow....

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Is this really me?

You Are Big Bird

Talented, smart, and friendly... you're also one of the sanest people around.

You are usually feeling: Happy. From riding a unicycle to writing poetry, you have plenty of hobbies to keep you busy.

You are famous for: Being a friend to everyone. Even the grumpiest person gets along with you.

How you life your life: Joyfully. "Super. Duper. Flooper."

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

I've been tagged!

Okay, Kris. You tagged me...now I will respond. I'm at work and have nothing else to do. Shockingly.

What is your favorite word?
I say "fabulous!!" a lot. It's such a good and descriptive word! I love it! It's fabulous!

What is your least favorite word?
I don't really like crevice. It just sounds bizarre.

What turns you on spiritually, emotionally, creatively?
Spiritually - singing praise and worship
Emotionally - a sense of humor and a compassionate heart
Creatively - usually something in my surroundings

What turns you off?
Spiritually - those off the wall Christians who ruin Jesus for the masses (like that crazy lady in Kansas who pickets at funerals)
Emotionally - people who don't express their feelings
Creatively - BOREDOM!

What is your favorite curse word?
Well, since my mother's probably reading this, I'll plead the 5th on this one.

What sound or noises to you love to hear?
Oliver's pitiful howl or play with me bark. Babies laughing. Almost any type of music.

What noise to you hate?
The sound of my alarm clock.

What profession, other than your own, would you like to try?
I would like to be one of those people who gets paid to test new products. So maybe that's not a career...but I can dream! :)

What profession would you not like to do?
I wouldn't like to be a lawyer...or a public relations person.


ANYWAYS. Just a wee insight into my tons o' fun life.

I have so much stuff to do this week, and I really don't want to even think about it. I have to finish packing for both storage and the house, paint my room, move to storage, take the TV's to the house for the Directv guy, get the dogs to the vet for their day of pampering (HA!), figure out what to eat the next few days, find an organization to donate my computer to, and attempt not to lose my mind in the process. I'm sure that I've forgotten all the things I really should be worried about this week. I wish it was over.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

I don't want to go back to work!

I've had a very fabulous five days off, and I don't want to go back. Do I really have to? I work tomorrow and Thursday, then back Saturday. I really wish, if I had to do it over again, I would have taken some time off to get ready for the move. I've only got a few days...plus I have to work. Today, I really should get moving and get everything ready to go to storage. Our friends are coming on Friday night to help. AAAHH!!!

Becca and I painted her bedroom last night. I hate to paint. I don't mind the big walls, but it's all the wee spaces that I can absolutely do without. I don't like window frames, the ceiling, and pretty much anything that involves my being careful with the paint. Hopefully I'll have lots of help on my room. Our move is less than a week away...Scary! I think Nathen and Kerrie are moving all their furniture back into the house in the next couple days. There's a current fiasco going on with the countertops, so hopefully that will all be figured out!

Things are going well with my surgery appeal. I've already received letters from my primary care doctor and my chiropractor. I am going to have a meeting with my girl doctor this week...and hopefully I will get a letter from her as well. PLEASE keep praying for this situation.

A whole bunch of crazy stuff is going on at work, too. Apparently, the chief nursing, financial, and operating officers all got the boot yesterday...and that's major drama! This opens up extremely exciting things for my unit! The lady who was in charge of the nurses decided almost 2 years ago that my unit would be part of the general pediatrics floors, even though there is SO much more critical care on my unit! Now, we can go back to being a critical care unit and have good nurse to patient ratios! It's a celebration! :) (Probably doesn't really matter to you...but it's WAY exciting to me!)

Well, I'm absolutely positive there's some work to be done. Excitement.

Saturday, June 10, 2006

$908

That's how much we made in our 10 hours of moving sale. YIKES! I'm still in shock!

We will be able to more than pay for our move, as well as have a lot left over to decorate our own rooms...or do whatever we want to! Hooray! I'm so glad it's over with. It would take a lot for me to want to do one again, but I'm so glad I did it instead of just giving it all away. Our back yard won't look the same for a week or so..hopefully the trampled grass will be back to normal. There is an absolute line where our tables were sitting. Sad lawn.

The puppies have been absolutely manic the last two days. They don't seem to understand why people are roaming around our yard. They usually sleep a lot during the day, but haven't slept a bit the last two. This means that they are absolutely sacked out now. I'm currently poking Oliver and he's not even batting an eye. Now I grabbed his extra back skin. Nothing. He's so tired!

Alright. After two days of having to be up early on my days off, I'm ready to go SLEEP IN! I'm sure that sleeping in will consist of 8:30, but I'll take it!

Friday, June 09, 2006

Garage sale madness.

Oh the madness, the sheer madness. At 6:00AM when I woke up to get ready for this fabulous, yet stressful event, I said to myself.... "Self? Why did I think this was a good idea?" It took 45 minutes to put the signs up, 30 minutes to make the signs, about 2 hours to actually set the sale up, and another hour to price it all. I was still unsure about the whole endeavor. I was especially unsure this morning when my very first customer spent $17.00 and gave me a hundred dollar bill. Needless to say, there was scrambling for change...even though we had gotten some at the store the night before! AAHH! It was a crazy and hot 6 hours, but the worse is over. We endured heat, bugs, pushy people, and people who wanted to buy stuff cheap to send to Mexico. We sold crap that we didn't think we would...and didn't sell stuff we thought would go fast! It was absolute madness. Our neighbor even came over at 8am and asked if we would sell her bags of clothes that she had been meaning to sell but didn't have the time. By the end of the 6 hours, we were hot, tired, and ready to quit. We came in to count our dollars...and found out we made just over $750! That's more than enough for our move/cleaning/etc with extra for us to spend on our rooms! What a delight! :) We still have enough to open the doors tomorrow, but I think we're only going to be there for 4 hours, instead of 6. We'll see what happens. At 12 noon, we may just start throwing it in the street for people to take. I've blogged before about the people who take the bulk trash in the middle of the night...they are crazy.

On top of all of that, our hot water heater started leaking. We turned off the hot water, and it still leaks. After all those hours of being hot, we all got to take cold showers. We're now sitting around the house, waiting for "Alfredo" to come and look at the model we have so our landlord can replace it. I'm sure she's very excited to do that right before we leave! :) Ah well, she already has to replace most of the flooring...this should be nothing.

My mom is in town, and she is currently sacked out on the bed with all four dogs. No, for those of you panicking, we did not get another dog...the fourth dog is Jack, my parents' dachshund. It's a sad, sad sight.

Anyways...hopefully Alfredo will come soon. Mom wants to go to Ikea...that is, if she wakes up! :)

Monday, June 05, 2006

Places I've been.

Apparently, I need to visit the FAR north east and mid west more.


create your own personalized map of the USA
or check out ourCalifornia travel guide
I stole this idea off Becca's blog..and really liked it. So I decided to do some thinking of my own...and some discovering.


1. Seven Things to Do Before I Die

Live on the East Coast again
Visit a former concentration camp
Travel throughout Europe
Ride all the roller coasters at Cedar Point
Find the love of my life and spend our lives together
Have or adopt a child
Spend New Year's Eve in Times Square


2. Seven Things I Cannot Do

Tolerate parents who intentionally hurt their children.
Let my aging family members go uncared for
Keep my opinion to myself (a horrid habit)
Listen to people who continually whine about how bad their lives are
Be pessimistic
Experience life without my family, friends, and puppies
Live in a small town

3. Seven Things That Attract Me to Guys

Sense of Humor
Committment to his family
Smile
Eyes
Dedication to his faith
Ability to look past the physical to the inner beauty of people
An enjoyment of the arts

4. Seven Things I Say Most Often

Fabulous!
Business is business
LIBERTY GRACE and/or OLIVER CONSTANTINE! (usually followed by cowering puppy)
What it is is what it is. (Quote from Friends!)
Oh dear
I have NO idea
How exciting!

5. Seven Books (or series) I Love
Much ado about Nothing, William Shakespeare
Anything by Edgar Allen Poe
Annie's People/Abram's Daughters by Beverly Lewis
Pretty much all Janette Oke books
If you give a pig a pancake, mouse a cookie, pig a party...etc...
Jane Austen books (Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Sense and Sensibility)
Caddie Woodlawn (I just rediscovered this fabulous book!)

6. Seven Movies I Watch Over and Over

A Mighty Wind
Best in Show
Waiting for Guffman
Miss Congeniality
Anchor Man
Napoleon Dynamite
Scrubs seasons 1-3

Confounded mutt.

Oh Oliver. He's currently whining because he's been placed in solitary darkened confinement in my bathroom. Why, you may ask? WELL. He's very recently decided that it's okay to mark things in the house. Normally, we only find the result of the marking. Today, I was putting some dvd's away in the closet, when he decided to mark the air mattress....right next to me. What a retard. He immediately was chased down and beaten...then thrown into the bathroom. I then spent the next 20 minutes cleaning up the air mattress. Exciting evening! All this after I was hit on by some foreign weirdo in the restaurant I stopped at for dinner! CRAZINESS!

Right now, I'm watching Emma. I absolutely love these period pieces. Pride and Prejudice...Emma...Sense and Sensibility. Maybe it's just a Jane Austen thing? Who knows. I love her characters because they are always strong, but still fall head over their heels in love whether they realize it or not.

I have had a busy couple of days at work, but really not as bad as it could have been! :) I don't work again until Thursday. My mom is coming on Wednesday. YEAH! :) I haven't had my mom to myself in quite sometime. I'm very excited for her to come and visit me...and to help with the daunting task of garage sales.

Well, I caved and bought a fabulous chair at Ikea. It's called a Poang Chair. It's wonderfully comfortable and beautiful. I'm very excited about it. It's taking all of my willpower not to open the box and assemble it! I've wanted it for about a year..and now it can go to my new bedroom. At least I'll have a chair...not much furniture, but at least a chair! :)

Oliver update: He's now throwing himself at the door. What a big baby!

Anyways, I must get going. I'm sure there's something more productive I could be doing...but I'm tired...and so I shall watch this glorious movie.

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Sick Puppy

Poor Liberty. Last night, while we were at Walmart, she decided to help herself to some peppermint gum and ramen noodles. She paid the consequences of her behavior over and over last night. Let's just say I was awakened at 3:44am with a vomiting friend. EW. She ended up being sick off and on until about 8:15am. Her ween nose is warm and dry, and she's a little pitiful. I decided to extend compassion on her this morning, and give her something bland to eat for breakfast. I made her (and Sadie and Oliver) some rice. Liberty eats everything. Crap off the floor, her food, everyone else's food, bugs...you name it. She would not eat the rice. She looked at it, sniffed it, and walked out of the room. Yikes. That's usually a big sign that she doesn't feel well. Sadie took full advantage of the situation by eating her rice, her sister's rice, and part of her brother's. She now weighs 7lbs and is so fat she can hardly move. That will be a fun potty time later. Needless to say, no one got much sleep last night, or no one in my room that is. Becca and Sadie are well rested. Why is it that I never get good sleep when I know I have to work the next day? It's craziness. Sadie is now fighting with Oliver, but she's so fat, that she's just laying on her back and baring her teeth. She's too big to play..she's just rolling from side to side. It's pathetic.

Friday, June 02, 2006

Blasted insurance.

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I had been to a plastic surgeon's office for a certain problem I wanted fixed. I had submitted it to insurance, but wasn't sure whether or not they were going to accept it. I got their response today. Apparently, they believe that it is "cosmetic". I knew that it was a possibility, but nothing is so crushing than to get that rejection letter in the mail. Now, I have to make an appeal..and drag this thing out. NOT what I wanted to do. Please pray for my attitude during this! I want so much to get this fixed, and quickly...but perhaps I'm supposed to learn to be patient. Who knows! I'm just now trying not to get to upset that I've been rejected, and stay optimistic for an approval.

The packing continues. Today, I took all the furniture that is going away and moved it into the living room. I also got the wild idea that maybe I could put some furniture oil on it to make it look better. It worked! I got oil all over my hands, but the furniture looks so much better! My room is pretty pitiful though. I've got my bed, the TV, a chair, and some boxes. Oh well, it's less than 3 weeks till the move, and less than a week until the garage sale. I just wish things would go a bit quicker and this could be behind me. I don't like the living out of boxes thing.

Oliver has found a new McDonald's toy to destroy, just like Hello Kitty. He's been carrying it around the house all day. Sometimes he runs with it, sometimes he throws it to himself...he's an absolute nut.

EW EW EW! Okay, maybe I am alone...but the new Kentucky Fried Chicken bowls look DISGUSTING! Potatoes, Chicken, Corn, Gravy, and Cheese? All in one? Nasty. I don't mind if my food touches on the plate, but I'm not going to mix it all up in one bowl.

Anyways. Must get back to sitting around and not packing. If anyone is inspired, they are more than welcome to come over and help! It's SO FUN!