A Scrapbook Page, a Picture (or Two) and a Rundown

I've been a little MIA lately... no excuse, except undeniable busy-ness. In an attempt to giving it to you in a nutshell, here goes:

- We totally enjoyed the snow! (see below for what happens to poor old Thomas)

- Jeff finally got his NCLEX scheduled for March 29. I never dreamed one person could have so many things go wrong in trying to get a two-year degree! (Okay, so the night program is 2 1/2 years, but who's counting?) In the meantime, he's doing sixteen weeks of training at Memorial. Tonight he goes back to the night shift, and I can't say he's disappointed about not getting up at 4am to go to work. :)

- Speaking of school... I'm in full-blown basketcase mode. I enjoy being back in the classroom, but juggling school, work and family is a lot harder than I'd dreamed. I don't get much "me time," but I did decide today to throw together a quick scrapbook layout. I've used the design several times now, and I think I will make an entire book out of it - it's quick, easy, and looks pretty nice (even if it was my idea!). :)

- Braeden is, at the ripe old age of almost-seven, burned out on school. It's frustrating to me, because I was the little nerd who absolutely loved school. . . but really, I think they're just pushing too much too soon. He is still doing pretty well - all A's & B's - though I think if he really tried, he'd be a straight-A student.

- Braeden will be seven in a little over a month... I can't fathom where the time has gone. Jeff & I are seriously considering getting him a Wii for his birthday, though in reality it would be for the whole family. I also procured tickets for a fifth visit to see Thomas at the railroad museum later this spring.

- Also coming up... it's time for the annual mother-daughter weekend with Mom. We'll be going to Gatlinburg, renting a condo, and mostly just chilling for the weekend. We're both too tired to get very excited about shopping. lol I'm very much looking forward to the break, and crossing my fingers that the weather warms up considerably in the next two weeks.

I suppose that's all. Jeff will go to work soon and I want to spend some time with him before he goes. Hopefully it won't be two more months before I post again.

My Apologies

I know I don't exactly have a huge readership, but I have been somewhat inundated with an increasing amout of spam comments lately. To combat that, I've switched to approving comments and requiring word verification.

I'm sorry - I know it's obnoxious.

Lately I've found myself with the urge to make cards - not for the church, for once, but just for myself. Of course, I have to pretend I don't know how notoriously bad I am about forgetting special occasions... :)

Anyway, here are two I've recently made. The first is a Valentine's card for my nieces & nephews, the second is my Christmas thank-you (which, obviously, I still need to send out. Note to self: add this to today's to-do list!)

I am still trying to make some for church, but I am restricted somewhat in my creative license, since the cards have to be totally flat. I can't put a lot of stuff on them, or it becomes difficult for people to sign their names to the cards. Sometimes it is fun to simply do whatever I want, and not worry so much about bulk.

But alas! - no card making for now - I have housework and homework, and the shower is seductively whispering my name. :)

2010 Calendar

It's been so long since I scrapbooked... long enough that I'm even desiring to get glue on my fingers and little scraps of paper in my hair. Since Christmas with the in-laws didn't pan out for me (long story - Jeff & Braeden went and I stayed here), I'd thought that I would have a chance to do a little catching up, but - well, let's just say there have been complications.

I did, however, get started on Mom's yearly calendar. Yes, I know it's late. I think I'll just start the dang thing with February, if Shutterfly will let me do that. This year I opted to keep the design very simple, and I think I like the results so far. At least having a somewhat cohesive theme makes the actual scrap work much faster, right?

So... here ya go. June, May, and July (in that order).

Oh, and Mom already knows, so it's no surprise. In fact, I was so busy at the end of last semester that I barely had time to make her an IOU!

Joy to the World

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Decor

I've had the best time decorating this year. :) I love the turquoise-red-white combo, and since it works so well with my multitude of snowmen, I went with it!

The centerpiece on our table

A wreath I made using a styrofoam base, ribbon, and my Sixxiz Big Shot and Cricut (Winter Wonderland & When It's Cold Outiside carts)

Another view of the wreath

My many Snow Buddies - sadly, they are now discontinued. :(

More snowmen

Puppy Chow! YUM!

A music box... Frosty skates around the pond. Braeden will sit and stare at it forever!

Bummed

*sigh*

I am trying to be thankful. Really I am.

Unfortunately, I am doing a rotten job.

My Thanksgiving plans are a bust. Every year I go to Mom's. We have our big T-giving dinner, and on Black Friday Mom & I load up and hit the craft stores for the latest & greatest. It's one of my favorite things to do all year - and Mom, Gabe & Katie are all sick. Worse, Jeff is working two 12-hour shifts that day. Oh yes, 'tis true - he'll work 7a-7p at Grandview and 7p-7a at Memorial. So it's just me and Bebo, with no time to get & thaw a turkey (something else I was really looking forward to). I have no idea what we will do.

Worse... it looks like our time in this little house is limited. Our landlords want to sell and there's not a snowball's chance in you-know-where that we will qualify for a loan to buy it ourselves. Guess we should have signed a lease. I'm just heartbroken. I love this little place. We were so lucky to get it, and now we'll likely have to move into some crappy little duplex or apartment because that's about all there is in this county.

I just want to cry. :(

Rip-Roarin' Good News

Wait for it...


Wait for it...








Wait for it...







JEFF PASSED NURSING SCHOOL!!!!!

AND HE HAS A JOB WAITING FOR HIM IN CARDIAC ICU!



Can you tell I'm excited? :)

Leap of Faith?

I freely admit that I am not good at discerning God's will for me. Jeff tells me that it's silly to even try, because God can work with whatever direction I choose. On the other hand, I read verses like Jeremiah 29:11, which make me think that my husband might be off base a little. Whatever the case, I am at one of those crossroads... but it isn't necessarily an either/or situation. I could theoretically choose Path A, Path B, or both.

Before I lose your interest, allow me to explain...

It's not secret that I love photography. I've been dabbling in it for a few years now, but with my recent purchase, I've taken that dabbling to a much higher level. I truly love taking pictures, and with each shot I take, I get a little better. My parents are encouraging me to pursue it - so much so that Dad even suggested I drop out of nursing school and start my own photog business! I brushed it off... for a while.

The thought has been niggling at me ever since. Now I'm questioning whether I'm doing the right thing in continuing school. I love photography, but I don't know if I can make a serious living at it, especially if something was to happen to Jeff and it was up to me to support Braeden alone.

Then there's the question of whether or not I am really truly good enough. I'm getting better all the time, and I'm on the verge of saying "Yes!" - but it's a scary jump to make. I am my own worst critic, you know.

The most logical choice seems to be to pursue both. However, I can't quit my day job just yet, so that means juggling a budding business, nursing school, and work. Can I realistically do that? I just don't know.

For now, I am taking it one day at a time. I'm putting myself out there, waiting patiently to see if God nudges people my direction. In this small town, word-of-mouth could be my greatest advertising. It's just a waiting game now. Perhaps someday I can quit my other job and spend more time taking pictures. For now, though, I have a test to study for. Pray for me, please? I'm really not sure what to do...

Creative Therapy

Yay! I actually scrapbooked something!!!

Okay... so it was a digital page and didn't use my new goodies, but still... I was in serious need of some creative therapy. :)


Should you be bored enough, you might want to peek at my photo blog. I've uploaded some new pics there from the weekend.

Oh, and guess what? I have my first paying photo session Saturday! woot!

Today... 10/27/09

I've sat here five minutes at least, arms crossed, debating whether to gripe, update, or attempt to say something funny. Alas.... I'm not feeling especially comical this morning.

I'm tired. And grumpy. And I don't feel good, either. I have an incredible amount of stuff to do, and not enough time to get it all done.

Tonight I have clinical at a nursing home, and I'd like to take this opportunity to share with you that I am not especially thrilled at the prospect. Nothing against the elderly - but nursing homes weird me out just a little. I can remember as a little kid being flat-out afraid of them. Perhaps it is the poor care that seems to be standard in such places, but the overwhelming smell of stale urine and the awkwardness of attempting to converse with someone when I really can't understand a word that is spoken puts me in a serious state of uncomfortable. My great-aunt had MS, and while I always felt pity for her, I felt so uncomfortable - I knew she was trying to communicate but I didn't see her often enough to distinguish her words into something I could respond to. All that to say this - I'm nervous about tonight. We are just taking vital signs (probably including a rectal temp or two... ew), and maybe changing a tube feeding... but still.

It doesn't help that I am losing my hearing. I've known for years (since I was in first grade or so) that my ability to distinguish sounds was less than perfect, but until now, it hasn't interfered with daily living. Now I'm in the search for an amplified stethoscope because I simply cannot hear a pulse or respiration. I find myself having to say "What? Could you repeat that?" entirely too often. After the first of the year, I think it's time for an appointment with an ENT specialist... and maybe even a hearing aid. *sigh*

Last night I totally busted my tail picking up the house, but it finally got done. Well, except for the mopping and bathrooms. I only had time to do so much, but the laundry is caught up, rugs vacuumed, beds made, etc.

I also put together the cutest treat bags for Bebo's class. Should've taken a picture... didn't have time. But I think I will steal Mom's Sizzix die for the bags for Christmas. I have some brilliantly cute ideas for party favors. :)

Gotta go...

Update

There's not much (new) to tell... I run around most days like a chicken with its head cut off. :) I'd love to scrapbook, but can't fathom finding the time right now. "Fall break" was this week, but there was no real break involved - instead, we got slapped with even more work than usual.

However...

I'm going to Mom's this weekend to take family pictures. She has lots of goodies waiting for me - some Estee Lauder makeup freebies, a Stampin' Up order with lots of Halloween goodness, a new Cricut cartridge, and some new Sizzix dies - to go with the Big Shot she got for me! Woot! I have no idea when I'll get to play, but I sure hope I can find time somewhere!!!

Welcome Back, Autumn!

Words cannot express how thrilled I am that autumn has finally showed her beautiful face! The sky is crisp and clear for the first time in a month, the air is clean and cool, and the breeze is positively delightful. I can wear winter clothes again (I love sweatshirt weather!), and it's not unbearable to simply be outdoors. The windows are open - well, at least until the skunk visited last night - and I can hear the birds and the wind and I am just plain happy.

Some people experience depression when the cold air returns. Not me - I thrive on it. I feel lighter and happier and alive.

So far it's been a good week. I turned down fast food and made generally good choices (though I need to work a little harder at getting enough water). I've stayed entirely too busy to exercise, though, between class, a project, studying for a test, and year-end inventory at work. Lots of overtime and long, late nights are the norm this week. Saturday I'm having a yard sale (if the weather continues to cooperate). One entire room of the old house is packed with junk to get rid of. Here's to hoping someone finds treasure in my trash!

Hellooooooooooooo, fall!

Just because I'm not a Democrat...

...it does not mean that I am illiterate.

Neither am I uneducated. I hold a bachelor's degree in business and am working toward a nursing degree. I know many more who think like me and hold doctorate degrees in a variety of fields.

I am not a racist because I disagree with the President. I do not care that he is biracial - that makes no difference in my opinion of his time in office.

Owning guns does not make me a violent person.

Just because I express my opinion - sometimes emphatically - it does not mean I am a hate-mongering, un-American, riotous person who does not deserve to be a citizen.

I watch Glenn Beck's show on FOX. That does not make me one of the "sheeple." I am inundated with liberal media everywhere I go - media that shows only one side of the story. To be entirely fair in my assessment, I need both sides of the issue.

I do not believe global warming is the issue the media has made it out to be. That does not mean that I am careless with my resources or that I am unwilling to treat the planet and its inhabitants responsibly.

I believe the best way to "fix" the ails of our society is for government to get its nose out of every single aspect of our lives. This includes health care reform - if you want to improve it, keep the government out. This does not mean I am above caring that people do not have insurance.

I believe marriage should be between a man and a woman. That does not mean I am homophobic.

I am tired of being singled out by the media and other liberal Democrats. I am tired of being called illiterate, inconsiderate, un-American, ultra-right-wing, and terroristic. I am tired of constantly being accosted for daring to speak up in favor of less government and a closer adherence the Constitution.

Enough is enough! If you can't find anything better to do than call me names, then shut up! For eight years I have listened to the media and Democrats rant and rave about how awful President Bush was. Yes, he made mistakes. No, I did not agree with everything he did. But he was never afforded the respect his office demanded. Now the tables have turned, and President Obama can apparently do no wrong. To dare to call him out is be deemed a racist pig. When conservatives stand up and refute the ideas and laws and bills that are being shoved down our throats, the best the liberal media can do is call us names and make fun of us! There is no honest debate; no refutation of our arguments. It's nothing more than belittlement and name-calling.

And I'm sick of it.

Just Gotta Share

I gave my friends the files for the photos from the engagement shoot... and they had trouble getting them printed. Wal-Mart said the pictures looked professional and thought they had scanned them or something.

Hee hee... they thought the pictures looked professional!

Weekend Recap

I wanna scrapbook!!!

No time. Must do homework. :) This weekend was soooo busy! Both of the photo sessions went beautifully. Pics of the first are already up on my photo blog, but it will be a couple of days before I get to start processing the second session. I also baked cookies (yum!), and managed to get most of the data for the medical interview entered into the form. A few finishing touches and it will be ready to turn in - five days early, I might add! lol

Tonight is my first clinical skills test. I have to prove I can wash my hands. It's not difficult, but it definitely isn't as obvious as you might think. Pretty sure I can pass, though. (wink, wink)

Gotta go now. It's time to wake up my boys for the day. Maybe I'll get to scrapbook later this week. Cross your fingers for me!

Thirsty Cat

Some things are oh-so-tempting....

It's here, it's here!!

I have a new camera... woot!

Check out my photo blog for some pics: First Photos. We're going to the fair tonight, and I'm looking forward to playing there, too. (Assuming, of course, that it does not rain.)

Itchy, Excited, and a Wee Bit Tired

Ever had a bug bite the inside of your nose? Seriously... how do you politely scratch that?

...

The weekend wasn't terrible, though the kids fought a good bit and were, on schedule, up at the very crack of dawn each morning. Gabe & Katie were beside themselves with excitement that their Aunt Amanda was coming for a visit. I let them wear their pajamas all day Saturday, which won me the Cool Aunt of the Year award. (Or is that big sister?)

While I was there, my scrapbook order from Scrapbook Pictures came in. They are hands-down the best developer on the web. I'd been accumulating digital pages for more than a year, b/c I usually wait for a sale to place an order. Mom usually likes duplicates of anything with Gabe & Katie, so I just had the order shipped to her house. Right on cue, it arrived Saturday afternoon. I love seeing my pages printed... it's so different from looking at them on the computer.

Oh, and guess what? Jeff & I got an early Christmas present - a really nice Brinkmann gas grill! Woot! It's one of those things we have been putting off for years... at the beginning of every summer, we swear we'll get one, but there never seems to be money for it. Since Mom & Dad are coming to my house for Christmas this year, and it would not be Christmas without grilled filet mignon, they just had to get us a grill that would do the steak justice. :)

Got lots done today - worked at the old house for a while, got grocery shopping done, and am slowly catching up on laundry. Going to try to pick up this evening before bedtime.

One more guess what? - Thursday I get my new Nikon D90!!!! WOOOT!!!! And - I have an engagement photo shoot on Saturday and a family shoot on Sunday. (I might be the slightest bit crazy for doing those with a camera I've had for 24 hours, but I'm crossing my fingers there time Friday to practice with it.) I am really excited at the prospect of taking pictures again. I've missed having the camera be a permanent extension of my right arm. :)

Okay, gotta go. Much left to do before bedtime. Hope you enjoyed your Labor Day weekend!

Seriously Questioning My Sanity

I. Am. So. Tired.

Class days absolutely wear me out! My workday starts at 6am, and I have to rush from here straight to class. It's 10:30 or later before I get home, and I still have to do my nightly posting before I can go to bed. That much thinking is utterly exhausting!

This weekend, instead of resting, what am I doing? I'm going to watch my niece/sister & nephew/brother so my parents can have a break. Thing is, those two heathens are up at the butt-crack of dawn - and worse, they're an hour ahead of me! So instead of sleeping in, I can look forward to being out of bed by 5am my time.

There is no rest in sight for today, either. I have assignments to turn in (since internet access is iffy at Mom's), grocery shopping, laundry, and packing - not to mention that Jeff will almost certainly ask me to clean the house before I leave.

I'm so tired I can't keep my eyes open!!!

Okay... enough complaining. I have my coffee, after all. [insert weak smile here]

School is interesting. I am not as socially challenged as I thought I might be. I like the instructors, and there are several of my classmates I find quite agreeable. So far the homework isn't difficult, just time-consuming. The amount of reading required in a 48-hour period is almost unbelievable, and so far the topics are not overwhelmingly fascinating - but give it time and I think it will be. I really enjoy seeing Jeff during my breaks, even if it is just briefly.

Braeden seems to be adjusting well to school and the new routine. I do think we are going to have to correct some attitude problems, though. He was a bit of a monster when I talked to him on the phone last night. I'm not sure what's going on with him, exactly, but it's going to have to be curbed quickly!

I must go now. It's shaping up to be a horrendous day of work, and I have much to do.