3 Reasons

To give my best self each and every day...

To continue to improve...

To remember to breathe and stay calm...









In less than 12 hours a whole new chapter starts.  To say I am excited and nervous doesn't begin to describe the butterflies I have, but I have 3 of the best reasons in the world to conquer tomorrow.  There aren't any better reasons that these 3 smiles.  They have given me strength to persevere through some of the toughest and darkest days I have encountered to date.  They are my reason to continue to smile through the lakes of poo, the politics, and the heartache.

These will be the silly faces that will help me get through my nerves tomorrow, hopefully with grace and smiles of my own.

Time to Dust Off the Keys

It's a little embarrassing the amount of time that has passed since the last blog post.  What has happened since then?

Nursing school has come to an end.  WooHoo!!

I have been surrounded by some of the greatest people TN has to offer for the past couple of years.  I miss all of these people on a daily basis.  We shared silliness (especially when it came to trying to remember key facts and rationales), frustration (either due to technology or lack of understanding), and anxiety (especially due to numbers 75 and below and the letter U).  It is hard to find a bond like we all share anywhere but nursing school.  They are family because I saw more of them then my own family over the course of school.

I always thought that I would feel a sense of relief and joy once school ended.  Don't get me wrong, I am super proud of graduating (with honors too!), but I just don't know what to do with the extra time.  I have gotten used to having so much on my plate that it is hard to come back down and manage less.  I can do a whole lot of nothing in a day.  I have enjoyed reading and keeping the house clean.  I have even enjoyed keeping up with laundry (super weird!).  I love being dog piled by the kids.  They fight over who gets to sit next to me anywhere we go.  We have been spending crazy amounts of time together.  I have rekindled my love of horses and am hoping to be able to pass this along to the kids.

I should probably  be studying for NCLEX (the nursing boards), but I feel no sense of real urgency because I have yet to receive the approval to test from the state of TN (this is another whole rant that is better saved for later).

The Fondest Memories

On May 12th, our family received a devastating blow; my grandfather had passed away.  It was very quick and mostly painless; this was the way he wanted to leave the world.

The picture of the rainbow was taken on May 12th as I was driving back home.  This is how I pictured him leaving the world and entering heaven.  It would be a slow and steady rise.  If there were any signs along the way, he read them in entirety.  I know his many beloved cats and dogs were waiting excitedly to sit in his lap and feel his gentle touch again.

Grandpa was a deeply religious man.  He knew his God and had a personal relationship with Him.  Grandpa was the leader of our family blessings before meals.

He was a family man.  He was proud of each and every member of the family.  I think he was the happiest surrounded by his family.  He always wanted everyone to follow their dreams.  He offered quiet support that never wavered, even when our resolve about the right choice did.

Grandpa was always expanding his knowledge.  There are many pictures where Grandpa is holding a book.  He would read for pleasure - mostly science fiction.  Although, I'm not sure Grandpa ever met a book he didn't like.  He researched his purchases.  He would read every sign and posting when he went to a museum. He read the newspaper from front to back each day.  Reading was how he kept his "mind sharp."

Grandpa believed in service to others.  He built his career off of this belief in the National Park Service.  He believed that natural resources should be preserved for upcoming generations.  He spent countless hours in his churches doing the books and keeping the business office organized.  He happily gave to others.

This was my meager attempt to pay homage to a simple man that led our family with grace and strength.  He will be missed.  He has left his mark on the world and will not be forgotten.

"The Lord is my shepherd.  I lack nothing.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul.  He guides me along the right paths for His name's sake.  Even thought I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
~ Psalm 23:1-6

My Soap Box

I am seeing more and more just how fragile life is. It can be broken so easily, usually by some of the most mundane daily tasks. Live life to the fullest and appreciate each and every day because you never know when it will be taken away.

I think everyone needs to have a heart to heart talk with their ENTIRE family to make a living will. Express what your wishes are and be very specific. Do you want to be on a machine breathing for you? Do you want to have a tube placed to keep your body to feed you while you are unconscious? Think of every possible situation and talk about your wishes and write them down. And families, please be brave enough to uphold your loved one's wishes. It's hard, but this is the final show of respect you can give them.

One more thing to think about. Please consider being an organ donor. This one choice can save at least 15 lives. Lives that are impacted by one checkmark on your driver's license form. 15 people given another chance to live their lives as normally as they can. The chance for them to walk their daughter down the aisle, to see their grandchild born, or the chance to see their son graduate from high school. That is one powerful checkmark!

Ok, I'm stepping off the box now. Have a great weekend all!

This Semester in 10 Points

1. Cherish the wins and the losses equally.  They both make you stronger and more confident.  
2. Never, EVER leave bubbles in the syringe with a former insulin educator checking your syringe!
3. Enjoy the people you are surrounded by.  Life is much better when shared.
4. We all freak out, but the true measure is being able to take a deep breath, recover, and move forward.
5. Laugh at yourself.
6. Your timeline is not God's timeline.  You have to move along His schedule.  He knows the best for you, despite what you may think.
7. Remember to say thank you.  
8. SMILE
9. Do not wear red thongs underneath white pants.  Panty-gate 2010.
10. I am truly thankful to have supportive instructors, friends, and family to walk beside me on this journey.  I know that none of this would be possible without any of them.

Need to Share This!

The need for festive desserts that are not super time consuming is great, at least in my book.  Today, I put together a really simple cake that turned out pretty well.  It's a pretty white cake playing peek-a-boo with red cranberries.  Here's the recipe:

Cake:
3T butter
1c sugar
2c flour
1/4t salt
1c milk
3t baking powder
3c fresh cranberries

Mix first 6 ingredients until well incorporated.  Gently fold in cranberries.  Bake for 35 minutes at 350.

Butter Glaze:
1c butter
2c sugar
2T flour
1c milk
2T vinegar
2t vanilla

Bring all ingredients to a boil.  Drizzle over cake and serve.
**Just as a side note, I thought the amount of glaze was too much.  I like sweets, but not overly sweet sweets (if that makes any sense).  This could easily be taken down 1/2 and still have plenty to cover the cake.

Better Late Than Never

8 years ago (and 10 days) this little guy came into our lives.  It is hard to remember the time when Xavier was only 9lbs 6oz.  The time slips away so fast.

He was the serious one, always watching.  His smiles were few and far between.  He was especially concerned when his sister came around.

When those smiles did happen, they were enough to melt your heart.  Happy, smiling, chubby baby.  What could be better?

The blond curls do me in!  The End.

The bigger he got, the sillier he got.  It probably doesn't help that he runs from the heart and will do anything anyone asks, especially his big sister.

Again with the curls!  Gulp!  The smile!  I could eat him up!

Then he started getting more grown up.  He asked for a mohawk.  Then he wanted a red mohawk.  As a side note, I'm pretty sure the bird was in love.

And then he had wheels of his.  He was almost unstoppable.  He must have been saving the smiles when he was a baby.  There is hardly a day that goes by that this boy does not smile.

  Sometimes he can hardly contain himself.  Asking him to be a serious ninja is almost too much for him to bear.  Asking Xavier not to smile is like taking away the caffeine from a nursing student, it just doesn't work!

8 years later we have a silly, smiling boy.  He has all the potential in the world.  He loves science.  He can barely contain himself, especially if he knows the answer to your question.  He is growing by leaps and bounds.  One of his favorite gifts was a watch, and it seems to add 10 years to him.  I am proud of who he is and who he will become.  This is one amazing kid.

 Happy birthday, Xavier!