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!

Battle to the DEATH, part 138.

SO fierce...aren't you afraid?

Oliver on the treadmill. He actually walks!

Teenie and his friend, Jack. He misses Jack because the girls won't play with him! :)

I love chinese food...umm...the grand buffet...

You Are Chinese Food

Exotic yet ordinary. People think they've had enough of you, but they're back for more in an hour.

What Kind of Food Are You?

Busy doing NOTHING! :)

I love when I have an extended time off from work. It's even more fun when I'm not actually going anywhere or doing anything. It's very relaxing. I wish I'd been able to find a reasonable fare to see Kimberly, but those blasted airlines don't want to seem to help me out any. Oh well...such is life. I'll get up there eventually.

Tuesday and Wednesday I did a lot of nothing! I did end up buying some curtains for my room (a pretty rust color) and hung them myself! It's pretty shocking since I am usually a complete failure at home projects. Yesterday, I had an asthma class at work that was a complete waste of my time. It was really a repeat of everything we'd learned in orientation and nursing school! Afterwards, I went over to UTA and dropped off my paperwork and picked up some of my textbooks. Then, I went and hung out with Tammy all day! What a blast! We got our nails done, had a margarita (or half in my case!), and walked around Grapevine mills for a long time. The only damper on our day was the news that our precious friend Amanda lost her grandma yesterday. She was supposed to come to the movies and have fun with us, but had to rush to see her grandma, and was able to see her before she passed (thankfully). We decided to postpone going to the movies until Amanda could go with us. Now, she's having to deal with all the family stuff, so please keep her and her family in your prayers. Manda leaves for Mexico in 6 days for a comprehensive Spanish class...and this isn't a good start to vacation, especially when she's been jumping out of her skin to go!

I don't really know what I'm going to do today, but I'm sure it will involve reading. I've already read one of the books I picked up at the library on Tuesday...and I've got about 7 more! When I start reading a book, I usually can't put it down until it's finished! The puppies are currently sacked out on my bed. They are SO sad. I signed Oliver up for basic dog education at Petsmart today. He starts in a month or so. I had to find a class that was on Wednesday evenings so that I could go too. He's so cute...and a big lug!

Well, I'm gonna get moving for the day. I'm sure there is something profitable I should be doing...maybe I should go to the outlet mall today...hmmm....

Lobster fun

Oh, the sunscreen has failed me. I reapplied so many times...and it rebelled against me. Stupid SPF 50. Just think what it would have looked like if I had used a less SPF! I wouldn't be able to move! I'm sore and my legs hurt. Oh well, I had a great time yesterday, so I'm not going to complain anymore.

I got a fabulous gift at 5AM! I got a call from work, asking me if I wanted to stay home today. Of COURSE I did! I was trying to catch up on sleep and didn't want to go to work...but was ready to do it! Becca rushed into my room at 6:30ish, panicked because I wasn't up yet. It's nice to have a human alarm clock too! I have yet to sleep through work...but everyone does it eventually!

I finally got my last letter from a doctor regarding my need for surgery today! I faxed it to the plastic surgeon...and the waiting game begins. Thankfully, once the appeal is prepared (by the doctor's office..how nice are they?), the insurance company has 15 days to decide and let me know. SO I will hopefully know before the summer is out. Unfortunatly, this means my surgery will now be sometime in the fall, and my mom won't be able to help me. SAD! Everyone in my house will be at work...and I'll be here...taking all the pain pills I can find! (Did ya hear that Bec? ALL I can find!) I just talked to the woman who files the appeals, and she said the letters look good! Hopefully that is all they need, and I won't have to bother with getting copies of chart notes and all that business.

Oliver and Jack are currently fighting over a santa hat that came from a toy that Oliver shredded. The hat is also seconds from the trash can, but that doesn't mean they can't have a fight to the death over it. I wish I knew where my camera had escaped to...

Anyways..not much going on this week. I'm going to the movies Thursday afternoon with some friends from work, and that's pretty much the extent of my plans. How thrilling is my life!! Have a great day!

Jet Ski DIVA!

I have never been on a jet ski...until today. I really wish I had pictures. It was an absolute blast...just me and the waters of Lake Cherokee. A friend invited me and another mutual friend of hers to the family lake house Sunday night/Monday. I wasn't going to go, but then I decided what the heck. I'd never done anything like that before. I've been to the lake...but not on a jet ski. First of all, this lake is about 15 minutes from LeTourneau...so hello and goodbye to all you Longview people! I was there today! :) The lake house was FABULOUS and beautiful...and I didn't want to leave. I put sunscreen on multiple times today, and still the sun chose to bless me with its evil rays. My legs are the worst...and I'm so excited to wear scrub pants tomorrow. EW. and OUCH.

Now, I am attempting to stay awake. It's not a precious event. I want to curl up right now and go to sleep, especially since I only slept about 5 hours last night. Too much giggling was going on for me to sleep well. I'm telling you, it's nice to have friends that you're able to act like you're 12 with. I think most of my friends are like that, actually. Maybe we're all just crazy.


K. Now I'm gonna go sleep...and hopefully make it to the bed first!

YAWN

Tired. Tired Tired Tired. Eyes falling shut..or maybe slamming shut. BUT IT WAS WORTH IT! Last night, I saw Pirates of the Caribbean 2...and what a fabulous time! It was long, but I never once thought to myself "Self, maybe I'll just take a wee nap". I reallly enjoyed it, especially after I found out that a lot of it was filmed in Dominica, one of the stops on our cruise last year. While we were in the Caribbean, they kept telling us that the movie crew was there at the same time. How fun is that?

Today, I hope to take a nap so that I'm not a wreck at work tomorrow. I'm praying for a typical weekend...not necessarily slow, but not CRAZY either. I've got some errands to do today, and hopefully that will keep me busy enough to stay awake. I think I went to sleep around 3:45AM and promptly was awakened at 9:46AM by Oliver's crying or yapping around my bedroom door. Pitiful thing, just wanted to play with his sister.

Yesterday, I bought an ottoman that matches my precious Poang chair from Ikea. It's so nice to have! I really love to prop up my feet, and this is the perfect height and softness! Hooray for spending garage sale money!

Well, I probably should get going on some errands...no matter how trivial or meaningless they may be. I also need to get organized for SCHOOL! :) But definately not until the Target school supplies sale...

Puppy fun.

Life in our new house never seems to be boring...never boring when you have four dogs, three cats, and four humans living in one three bedroom house. I'm currently sitting in my bedroom, in my new fancy chair from Ikea, and Jack and Oliver are embroiled in their latest fight to the death. There's growling, fighting, snuffing, snorting, and the occasional screeching. It's quite a lot of noise. Jack just jumped up on his hind legs and put both his paws on Oliver's nose. Crazy beasts. At least they have been very good with the cats...not a lot of chasing. And very little barking.

Last night, I went and had a great time with friends down in this fabulously fun area of Dallas called Oak Lawn. It's got lots of great restaurants...and lots of gay men. I have no idea why they are drawn to this area...but I guess it's like San Francisco's Haight/Asbury...that's just where they hang out. We were there for about 2 hours, just laughing and talking about stuff that for once, didn't involve work.

Tonight, I'm going to see Pirates of the Caribbean at midnight! It's going to be a fabulous movie....no doubt due to the large amounts of Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp! :) We'll no doubt have to wait in line for a couple of hours before being let in...so I'd better find something to do while I wait! I wanted to go tomorrow, but all the theaters were sold out of tickets already!! That's nutty! :) Anyways, this way, I can sleep in late tomorrow and not have to worry about it interfering with working this weekend.

Well, I'm sure I'm supposed to be getting ready for the day. I'm going to Ikea today to get the ottoman that goes with the chair and a table for my room. FUN! I LOVE IKEA! :)

OH! I forgot the biggest news! I got accepted to UT Arlington's BSN program! HOORAY! I have orientation on August 4! TA DA! :) The program goes through May...so hopefully I'll be able to handle it all! :) Yeah!

K. That's all the news.

No freedom from chaos!

Isn't it sad that of all the freedoms we have, we don't have freedom from chaos? We absolutely should! I would have had a much happier day if it was free from chaos! I thought it was going to be a nice and easy day...but it wasn't. CRAZINESS! If it wasn't one thing...it was another. Kids in pain, kids itching, kids needing chest tubes, kids coming to the floor. ALL AT ONCE! :) I normally handle this fine, but I had a new nurse with me, and she just wasn't keeping up with my fast pace today! My fellow nurses were so helpful...but they couldn't chart for me! :( The time just flew by, and before I knew it, the day was over...but not without a lot of stress on my part. ARG! SO glad to be at home. I was supposed to go to a 4th of July party, but I was so tired, I didn't want to do anything except come home and relax. I'm such a party pooper. Anyways, so right now, I'm watching the dogs play and the Boston Pops fireworks show on TV. It's a grand old time. Meanwhile, my sister is actually at the Capitol in DC...watching the fireworks over the mall. SO jealous. I hope she's having a good time.

As you can see from the pictures, I've acquired a new friend! Jack Ryan, my parents' dachshund, is staying with me for 10 days while my parents go on vacation. He's so cute, and a wee bit rotten! He's been pretty sad without my parents, but I think he's doing better tonight. He really loves to chase and play with Oliver...so they fight and cry and throw each other around. I'm hoping they tire each other out. Currently, Oliver is mad because I won't let him play with Jack's special green bear. I know that Teenie will shred it...and then Jack wouldn't have his toy.

I'm so excited to have the next three days off. :) Tomorrow, some girls from work and I are going for drinks and hang out time that we've been planning for a couple of weeks...and has never materialized! :) (Jack is now laying in a pile of laundry. I think he's feeling at home.) So, after the girls get off work tomorrow, we'll meet down there for some fun and laughs...always laughs! :)

Well, I'd better go find out where Oliver went to...he seems to have disappeared.

Jack and Oliver at play.

Puppies asleep...but you can see my wall color here! Hooray for "Spiced Cocoa".

The Devil Wears Prada

So, we obviously went to the movies tonight. It really cemented the fact that I really enjoy watching Anne Hathaway act. I really REALLY love the Princess Diaries...and this movie was good too. I only heard maybe a couple icky words...and only an occasional "sensual" situation. We went to the Studio Movie Grill, where you can eat real dinner while you watch movies. We'd already eaten though, so we just had snack...and lots of Diet Dr Pepper. The early show was sold out, so we went to the 9:15 show. It was a fabulous good time. Before hand, I'd found this FABULOUSLY cute outfit 40% off at Lane Bryant. It's really not going to be too long before I can't shop there anymore. I'm now in the smallest size on tops and almost there on bottom.

As I was parking my car, I noticed that two of our neighbors were outside. The girl was getting something out of her car. The guy was attacking a nearby tree with a WHIP. Oh yeah, a WHIP. Like an Indiana Jones one. SCARY! Why was he doing this at 11:50pm? The questions were flying...and all I wanted to do was get inside and away from whip boy.

I was supposed to go out with a friend tonight as a "welcome back from a week of being with 10 year olds" thing. Sadly, her grandma had a stroke and she wasn't able to meet me. Keep Manda's grandma in your prayers...don't know all the details, but I do know it's hard to be a medically minded person in a situation that you have no control over.

Tomorrow, my parents are coming up to start their vacation. They'll leave here on Sunday (leaving Jack Ryan in my care) and head towards the east coast. I think Becca's gonna make me go to "Aqua Moves" in the morning, and they should be here sometime after we get home. I'm hoping the cats leave Jack alone...and that he leaves them alone. I think our dogs have kind-of adjusted to the cats and pretty much just ignore them.

K. I'm tired. Must find sleep.

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!

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! :)

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.

What Dating Show Should You Go On?

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! :)

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. :)

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....

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."

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

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.

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.

$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!

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! :)

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.

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.

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!