funnin on a sunday

im hanging with my little girls. med-surge clinicals start tomorrow. but that just means i am one day closer to the end of another semester. woo

Giveaways...

here is another fantastic awesome pretty cool giveaway. check it out @ I believe in UNICORNS

and you could win this snazzy necklace!!

weekend RECAP

friday: my buddy had a pumpkin carving party. WE HAD A BLAST!

 this last one was the centerpiece. we had wood and hay around it to make it look like a bon-fire!

saturday: I went back to my buddies and we hung out, watched football, road on a hay ride, and had lots of fun!

sunday: Today I went to the fall festival with ryleigh, my sister, and my mama. It was a lot of fun!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!
Hope everyone had a spooky time!!

Fill in the blank friday Saturday

HALLOWEEN EDITION.

 

brought to you by lauren 

My Halloween plans this year will include    hanging out with my friends. We carved pumpkins last night!!

2.  My most memorable Halloween costume was  when I was living in Tuscaloosa, I was Minnie Mouse, really it was just my FAVORITE!!!

3.  For Halloween this year I'm going to be       probably a Teen Mom, from the show Teen Mom...Farrah! 

4.  I've always wanted to dress up as   Cinderella, but I can't ever find one that isn't skank-ta-fied.

5.  Halloween free association!     I LOVE CANDYCORN!!

6.  The worst thing about Halloween is    the weather, it is always so cold.

7.  The best thing about Halloween is      dressing up, and the candy of course! But I love dressing up and playing a character!!

favorite thing about today #15

MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT TODAY IS...

 

getting the new taylor swift cd... thanks to my boy.

OMG I LOVE IT!

I can't even begin to pick my favorite.

As we speak, I am listening to "Never grow up"

It is a song I would write to Ryleigh 

if I could write a song, 

and sing it to her. 

It is too sweet. I am just giddy

over this cd.

Taylor Swift,

YOU ARE AMAZING!

Celebrate good times, Cmon

okay this might not be a celebration to you or you. however, 

it is a mini celebration for 

me.

why?

Because today I check blackboard, you know, the 

life-line to my nursing school, and what does it say?

WRITE AND SUBMIT YOUR TOP 3 CHOICES FOR
YOUR CLINICAL PRECEPTORSHIP.

and do you know what this means? 

I AM ALMOST TO 5th SEMESTER, ALMOST 

FINISHED WITH NURSING SCHOOL!!
my top 3 choices are:
PEDIATRICS
Surgical Intensive Care Unit (I think)
Labor & Delivery

I'm dreaming of you

miss Becca over @ LifeinTechnicolor shared her wish list... so I decided to share mine. Now, this is just a, if money were never a problem, maybe one day it would be nice to have, christmas is right around the corner, let us not forget I graduate in may, WISH list.

pumpkins pumpkins everywhere

before pumpkins

after number 1.

and number 2.

Blogger Award: Happy 101

RULES:

post who gave you this award. check.

state ten things you like. check.

give this award to ten other bloggers. check.

[but i just tagged 9]

& notify them with a comment.

I was tagged by the sweet little soon to be mother of a beautiful little girl named selah, miss Becca over @ Life in Technicolor.

10 things I like.

the color pink

butterfinger blast by sonic

summer

dr. pepper

text messages

over sized sweaters

cinderella

sleeping in

brownies

candy corn

im tagging.

kat,the nelson's,baily,melissa,jessica,christi,kate,amy,laura....

If I could write a letter to me...

I would say you should have studied a little bit harder the first go around. Maybe if you would have logged out of facebook, stayed home that night, and cleared your mind, maybe you would be a real working girl now. But I would also say, you can't look back. Should-a, could-a, would-a is a thing of the past. And we are already in today. You must suck it up and move on. Because you will get through it. You will sacrifice, you will miss out, you will lose some people you thought you would have had forever. And the end goal is worth far more than any of that. The end goal is your entire life. So don't give up.

Please don't let what people say bother you. I know you do more than anything else. But remember, they don't know you. They have no idea who you really are, and obviously don't care to try. But neither do you. The past might haunt you, but you made those decisions so you must learn to live with them. People will always say what they wish. But its up to you to be a bigger person. Never forget who you are, and those who matter most will always be at your side. Don't give up.

Step back and look at each and every situation. Think before you speak, and try to see every side of the story.  Because not everyone tells the truth, and not everyone has your best interest at heart. But try and not listen to all of those outside voices. They just get in the way, cause unnecessary drama, and mean nothing to you.

Let it go. You made a decision to say goodbye and felt the consequences. If you must look back, just look at the positive. And believe me, you will have no one on your side with this dilemma. In other words, you would never go into anything by yourself. Give it up. What happened will never be changed, and you have become a stronger person because of it.

Just remember, the sun will rise each and every morning, and God's plans are far better than we could imagine. Never stop praying.

image by blissfullydomestic.

Fill in the blank Friday

brought to you by Lauren @ The Little Things We Do... 

it's "short and sweet"

1.   I am       hanging with my niece.

2.  I wish   I was finished with school.

3.  I like      holidays, the beach, and butterfinger blasts from sonic .

4.  I can   hardly wait until april 2011, so I can meet the newest addition .

5.  I hope     these next few weeks fly on by

6.  I think       I am pretty pumped up about this week's sunday funday! pumpkin carving.

7.  I was        really cold this morning   .

nothing to do.

but blog. maybe ill have something more interesting to talk about later. for now, this is what you get.

happy BIRTHDAY

 

to the one on the left (lauren). happy birthday buddy. love you. 

4.

day seven [4 turn offs]

one: people who think they are better than someone else.
two: when someone breaks a promise//lies//doesn't follow through.
three: excuses
four: RUDEness

THREE WEEKS...

and counting. Baby #2 update. That is 3 weeks until we find out if miss 

Ryleigh is going to have a little brother or little sister. 

Also, against some who might disagree, 

we did not find out today,

although I wanted to so very badly.

It will be much sweeter for J&J to go together. 

I can't wait to find out. 

I can't wait to see their sweet little feet, fingers, face, lips, etc. 

And I can't wait to see Ryleigh as a big sister. 

It will be here before we know it, and I will be the proudest aunt around, again.

***** Ryleigh's outfit was made by sister, you can check her out right here or here!!

5.

day six [5 people who mean a lot to you]

in no particular order of course. oh did it say just 5? seriously.

my daddy, my number one man

 my best friend, my right hand man, my brother Daniel.

 um this sweet little stinker, the niece, Ryleigh.

 this sweet little trio.... my brother Bill, sister in law, Melissa, and the most handsome little man around, Will

 and this awesome duo. My sister and her husband, Jessica and Jeromy.

my number one lady. my mama

the best FRAND...miss ashley 

can't forget my little girl, Tallulah

 and the boy, Kyle.

my roommates, Lauren & Whitney. Check out the old school picture

6.

day five [6 things you wish you'd never done]

but first... check out this sweet ring.

well what happens in our past makes us who we are today, with that being said

I wish I would have never [done]

this

that

spent money I didn't have

failed nursing .... but I could have done MORE to prevent that

wore that

facebook. ha. yeah right, maybe if I would just do it a little less. 

I sure would have studied a whole lot more.

Fill in the blank Friday

brought to you by lauren @ thelittlethingswedo

 1.   Blogging is  an outlet for me. It is another de-stressor!

2.  A current fashion trend I wish I was brave enough to wear is  sequins, without it looking to "happy new year-ish," or fun eye makeup and red lips, but I look a mess. Also, most trends I will atleast try if I have the money to do so. I think it is just the attitude you need in order to pull it off.

3.  My greatest accomplishment in life thus far is   getting into nursing school. the next will actually be to graduate from thus program!

4.  If I had to choose between a mountain or a beach vacation I'd choose    beach, FOR SURE! I love the beach, live for the summers, and can't wait to put my toes in the sand!

5.  A talent I wish I had is     being able to sing. I try really really hard, but it just doesn't work, at all. 

6.  A talent I do have is        writing, or so i like to think :) .

7.  This week       is over?? ALREADY, it can't be, I have a test Monday!!! 

favorite thing about today #14

my favorite thing about today is...

hanging with my girls.

7.

day four [7 things that cross my mind alot]

school

money

the future
relationships
family
school
work
****yep i think about school way
more than i should. WAY MORE.

are we there yet?

I had my first psych rotation monday night. I guess I shouldn't have gone in their with the mind set that all these people are bad, drug users, or attention seekers. No, I was completely wrong. Sure, there were probably a few of each but there were also some that had a chronic illness, family troubles, and no job. Now, that would throw me over the edge too. Its amazing that they are strong enough to know something isn't right, and take the necessary actions to make a change. My heart and my mind just weren't ready to talk to such patients. I ramble, lose my train of thought, and all I really want to do is encourage. That is just not what psych clinicals are all about. We probe into these people's lives, change the questions around, and don't stop until we like what we hear. My favorite, "well how does that make you feel." If someone asked me that, I would politely say, "how do you think it makes me feel, like poo!" It goes back to not knowing these people's stories. We only know what we see in the charts. These patients don't have a specific look, color, or feel. They are people, they are you and I, and they have just reached a point that they can't escape alone. I just don't think I am qualified to do that just yet.
On the other hand, I'm naïve. Way to naïve for this. I believe everything, show too much compassion, and cross the boundaries. So back to those attention seeking, substance abusers, I would get played over and over again. Because I believe way too much, try to see the good, and really believe you if you tell me you'll do better next time. But some of these people, their next time is everyday, and they're way to deep in the hole they have dug. Sure I have sympathy, but I also don't feel that part of psych is right for me. I'm a talker but I am nurturer. Ill stick with the littles.

8.

Day three [8 ways to win my heart]

8. no BIG surprises. im just not a fan. because if i don't like it, my facial expression will let you know
7. cupcakes for any occasion is amazing. >>> which was actually a little surprise i received the other day. although i know i just said i don't care for big surprises (like parties and such), this was rather lovely. thanks K.
6. remember that actions speak louder than words.
5. just be yourself, because im pretty goofy.
4. DATE nights. not all the time, just every now and then.
3. be nice to the pup. she can be bothersome at times, but i love her dearly.
2. i love to Laugh.
1. i love cards, adore them, save them, keep them in a special place.

9.

day two. [ 9 things about me ]

9. Odd numbers make me feel OFF balance
8. I'm a little goofy at times, and have a few little quirks
7. I'm super shy around a crowd of new people
6. I eat and write with my left hand, but almost everything else I do is right dominant.
5. I hit the snooze at least 3x every morning, and love my sleep
4. Car washes freak me out, the way your car shakes and moves. I always feel like someone is going to jump out at me.
3. I want a big family with a lot of kids and a lot of dogs.
2. I'm in dyer need of a turquoise over the shoulder purse... any suggestions?
1. I don't like long sleeves. Once you push them up around you forearm, they are done-zo, and too stretched out to wear for the rest day. And I just don't like that.

Fill in the blank Friday Saturday

***brought to you by Lauren at The Little Things We Do

1. The first thing I do in the morning to start my day is: hit the snooze atleast 5 times, then get a shower.

2. Today I wish I was: doing what I am doing. not working, and watching Alabama football.


3. If I had an extra $100 in my bank account today I'd: go buy some awesome new shoes.

4. Tomorrow I will be: going to work, and if I don't, I will be having lunch with the family. Oh, and studying my booty off!


5. Two things that don't go together are: me and cold weather clothes. my body just wasn't made for them.
6. Something I can never pass up at the grocery store is: for sure a magazine. I am such a celebrity stalker. eeek.


7. The last time I tried something new was: my new shoes today. they are these awesome little black booties with a ruffle. i will upload a picture later!

10.

day one. [ ten things i would say to 10 different people ]

thank you doesn't even come close to expressing how grateful i am for everything that you have done. you are the greatest man i know. thanks daddy for everything. i love you big.

your tunes guide my soul, and sends chills to my heart. i have been jammin' out lately to some of your older music. comfortable is for sure one of my favorites, ever. i promise that next time you come to birmingham, i will be there. some would say i am a bit obsessive, i just think you are fantastic. and pretty cute. dear john mayer, i kindof love you.

i can't believe it has been almost 6 years since i have seen you last. i would give anything to see you one more day. i took the days for granted and they will never be replaced. but i can't wait to see you again. i miss you dearly. i love you granddaddy.

as much as we would want to, we can't question what God has in store for us, and why He has chosen you for this journey. but i know more than anyone, you will take this battle with grace and dignity. you are strong, caring, compassionate, and mean the world to me. you will not fight this alone. i love you aunt lynn, with all my heart.

i never met you. always wondered who you would be like, or who would be most like you. im sure you would have curly brown hair like the rest of us, and a little quirky too. one day i will meet you, and i think about it often. i can't wait to meet the big sister i have never met. her name was kristen.

i know right now you are just a little pea pod growing in my sister's belly. and as much as i would like you to grow, i can't wait for your arrival. if meeting you is half as good as the first two than i am already head over heels in love you. your big sister is pretty funny, and i know you two will be great friends. see ya in april Baby Hall #2.

i think you are fabulous, fun, and delightful. minnie mouse, you are my number one.

to you. thank you for always being there, no matter what. you are amazing and strong, and i don't tell you enough how much you mean to me. you always see the glass half full. i love you mom, more than you will ever know.

you three are pretty darn near amazing. i am beyond lucky God chose me to be your little sister. Bill, Jessica, Daniel, I love you.

you make my day brighter every day. i would be lost without you my little Lula bug.

TEN.

I know, I know. I just got finished with a 30 day challenge from miss Becca over at Life in Technicolor. But I found another one. I found it over at Baily's Blog, so I tracked it all the way back to its original owner. Or I think. She didn't put where she received it, so I will say it is from her. From Michelle, it is the TEN DAY CHALLENGE.

It goes a little something like this....

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.
Day Two: Nine things about yourself.
Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.
Day Four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot.
Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.
Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever)
Day Seven: Four turn offs.
Day Eight: Three turn ons.
Day Nine: Two smileys that describe your life right now.
Day Ten: One confession

Play along!!! 
*** this was about as close to pink as I could get. It is breast cancer awareness month!! be aware, and support whenever you can.

Dear Fall,

Although your leaves may change into beautiful and vibrant shades of orange, red, and yellow, I still can't place you in my number one spot. 

Sure, my heart lights up every Saturday because football takes over our world down here. 

And I have even more excuses to eat chili, although I could eat it every season. 

My favorite of course is Thanksgiving, and it is right around of the corner. Now that is my favorite holiday. The food is superb, family time, even better. However, fall, you just aren't my favorite. Of course, I love the breeze in the air, smell of fire places lighting their first match, and the thought of no more sweltering heat strokes is rather lovely. But no, that just doesn't do it for me.

Why? Because this morning I woke up to an a/c set on a total face drying out 66 degrees, although thermostat was safely put on 72. I do not, cannot stand, with out doubt, do not like waking up cold. I do not like trembling in bed, searching for more covers, and wrapping myself in a cocoon. I will sleep in sweat pants and a sweatshirt, and if I must, the flannel snowman sheets will make an early appearance. 

See, summertime, I always know what to wear. Shorts. I can wear comfy shorts, blue jean shorts, linen shorts, because the weather is either going to be hot or hotter. There isn't much of an in between, and I do not mind that at all. I love my summer. However, with the fall, the weather is a guessing game. Although it might be hot with a breeze in the afternoon, the mornings are cold. So cold in fact, that I feel some mornings I must break out the snow suit. And I just do not like having to guess what I am going to wear. 

I am shorts loving, flip flop wearing, swim suit sportin', 

 laying out by the beach craver, summer lovin' gal.

SO LONG SUMMER, I WILL MISS YOU.

Lean on Me

"Sometimes in our lives we all have pain, We all have sorrow, But if we are wise, We know that there's always tomorrow, Lean on me, when you're not strong, And I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long, 'Til I'm gonna need, Somebody to lean on..."

False reassurance is a big No No in the nursing world. You will most definitely get that answer wrong. It just means false hope, and we aren't allowed to give it. No everything might not be okay, and I don't know if they will make it out to see another day. The correct response? Tell me more about your feelings, or maybe you would like to talk to the surgeon? And we state facts. Plain and simple. Yeah plain and simple on the tests, but when it comes to real life, that books goes out the window. I am not a nurse yet, so false reassurance is what the world knows. I'm sure everything will be okay. You'll be fine. Now, if only it were like that. Only if we knew everything would be okay, then the reassurance wouldn't be false. It would just be reassurance, and it would be the truth.

I can say 100% false assurance feels better than no reassurance at all. Surely people know everything might not be okay, but just hearing that it might, seeing that small glimpse of hope, makes them feel a whole lot better. I think. I can kind of say that from experience. And I can know, and say I know. But I don't really know. I know that I need the facts, and in this world, the facts are buried too far down in the dirt.

Some things are not very assuring. Because the facts are plain and simple. The diagnoses are black and white. It is good or it is bad. Well sometimes at least. Its an evil world with evil lurking at the next turn. So I suppose if you are on the good side, the it is assuring. But most of us aren't. That dreaded C word I spoke about yesterday is most definitely in the grey area. Doctor says 5 months, it could be 5 years. Doctor says 5 years, it could be a long and grueling 5 months. We just don't know. But no one wants to hear that. We can't walk out of a room, and say sorry, I just don't know. Better luck next time. The outcome could either be really good or really bad, but everyone is different. And that is not false reassurance, that is just the truth.

Also a truth, God has it under control. No matter what happens. He never leaves our side, and is fighting the battle with us. His assurance is never false. His assurance is just what we need when no one else has an answer. So we give it to Him, and let Him do the work. This is His journey too. Its all just easier said than done isn't it?

Just keep a special family member in your prayers as they start a journey to regain what is rightfully their's.

Dear Diary,

My one wish for the day, week, month? To have a remote control for life. A rewind would be good, pause pretty cool, and fast forward would be pretty freakin awesome. I know we shouldn't wish our days away, and we should let go of our past, but if I could just get a little glimpse into the future, I think life would be a little easier to understand. I would fast forward it just enough, then rewind it right back to right here. However, I would know just what to do, which path to choose, and which instinct to follow. My gut and my heart are both talking over each other, so it is getting a little fuzzy. I don't know which to listen to. I finally was able to push out all of the outside voices, now I must listen really hard and make my next move. I have a great big life in front of me, and I just don't want to make the wrong choices. Of course, ill fall down every now and then, but in the end, it would all be worth it. Just need to figure out the IT.

I have had a lot going on here lately.

School is going good, I surely can't complain when I only have class one day a week. It is definitely hard to stay motivated, but I passed my first test, so fifth semester is closer than ever. It will be even closer tomorrow. I'm so thankful for this chance.

I have been working a lot lately. I try to start each day with a smile because I know I would rather be the PCA (patient care assistant) and not Pt (patient). But some days are just plain hard. But I never forget that this is just my job, and being a nurse will come faster than I know. So I am holding on tight.

A few weeks ago I blogged about a family member who was admitted to the hospital with hyponatremia (low sodium). Well God worked wonders and they are home, getting healthier by the day, and looking forward to staying out of the hospital. However, another family member was recently diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer. Yeah, that dreaded word. Cancer. It is scary just to type out. It is scary to talk about, think about, read about. Because even if you get rid of it, there is always a chance of it coming back, stronger and with more a vengeance than the time before. I just don't like the idea of it. But they are strong, stronger than I could be, and a rock to our family. They will prevail, no matter the outcome.

I sure felt like I have cried a lot lately. Maybe because I am just a crier. Maybe because my heart has just been super heavy. But I have nothing to complain about. The tragedy that occurred this past week really has taken an emotional toll on me. I know I spoke about it earlier, and I know I didn't know them personally, but I can't help but feel the emotional tornado that it has caused. I feel deeply saddened and haven't stopped praying for the people that were personally attached to this devastation. Its just that life gets put into such a perspective when accidents like this happen. And all of sudden your heart is torn. What if today was our last? Did I make the right decisions? Did I do the right thing? Did they know how much I loved them?

So that's how I have been feeling. Just drained. But I haven't stopped praying, and sooner or later the roller coaster will stop. But my chin is up, and I'm looking forward to today. Today is all we have.