Happy Father's Day!

First, I want to say Happy Father's Day to my Dad, the best dad in the world! He sacrificed so much for me to always have what I wanted and for me to be able to go to college. I would not be where I am today without him. I love you Dad!

We had a BUSY weekend! Friday night we went out to celebrate Michael's new job and our latest new beginning (we are getting good at celebrating that! ha!). We got up and went to Knoxville early yesterday morning to spend time with Michael's dad for Father's Day. We went out to the lake with his dad and stepmom and had a great time! Here are some pictures.

Enjoying actually having a Saturday off! I'm sure it will be the last for a while!

Michael enjoying his day off!

Michael and Jeff having fun for Father's Day together

(this is Jeff holding up the windshield after Michael broke it! Long story!)

Joy and I floating in the lake. Fun times!

Neyland Stadium from the Tennessee River. We can't wait to go there this fall!!!!!

It won't be long now!!!!!!

We left Knoxville around 9:00 this morning to have brunch with Michael's Granddad. After that we went to my parents to have dessert and pick up Spencer. We eventually made it home just in time to change clothes and head to the next event. This weekend was graduation for the residents in our surgery program and every year on the Sunday of graduation weekend, Dr. Barker hosts a party to honor the graduating chief residents. It just happened to fall on Father's Day this year. Everyone had a great time as always and we can't wait until next year!!!!! However, it was a BUSY day and we are worn out!!!!

Also one last thing, please keep one of our trauma surgeons and his family in your prayers this week. Dr. Mejia's mother was killed in a car accident in Atlanta yesterday afternoon. They are from Columbia, so I'm sure they will be traveling back there this week.

Answered Prayers

EDIT NOTE: Michael is still in the car business, just this time he is managing his own department instead of just sales. He will still be working Monday-Saturday :-( but it will be a much better situation.

______________________________________

For the past month or so we've been praying at our house for Michael to make some decisions regarding work. Some things changed at his job and he was not as happy as he once was and felt that maybe the time had come to try to advance himself in the car business. This week God gave us the answer we had been praying for and on Wednesday Michael left his job for a better opportunity. Until today I could not post about this because we were waiting on some final details to be worked out, but Michael has accomplished his dream of managing his own internet department!!!!!

I am so proud of him!!!!! It took a lot for him to leave his old job. It is where he got his start and he really liked the people he worked with and the product he sold. However, in his heart he has known for a while that the time was coming to move on. He will be starting his new job on Monday and is so excited. It was definitely the best decision for our family and one that he made on his own in the end. Please pray for him that he will enjoy his new job and that everything will continue work out.

So, that was our big news! We have a jam packed weekend lined up which worked out great since Michael doesn't have to work for the first Saturday in almost 2 years!!!!! Tomorrow we are going up to Knoxville to spend the day on the lake and night with his dad for Father's Day. Sunday we will hurry back early so I can spend lunch with my dad. Then, late that afternoon we will go to an annual party at Dr. Barker's house honoring the outgoing chief residents (which freaked me out the the other day when I realized they were interns when I met them 6 years ago!!!!! I have been in nursing longer than I thought!). I'll try to post some pictures of our weekend Sunday night if I am not completely wiped out! Have a great weekend!!!!!

Where I Live Friday...Laundry Room

Since I have been up since 4am and you can only stare at the ceiling so long, I thought I would go ahead and do my post for this week's tour. I do not have a playroom or a bonus room, so I did my laundry room. I do not have any before pics of it (because, really, who randomly takes a pic of their laundry room! Ha!), but the only difference between the before and after is the color and the front loaders.

I begged Michael since we moved into this house almost 2 years ago for a set of front loaders. When we had the fire it was one of the few appliances that got fried, so guess what I got! I love, love, love them! They are wonderful!!!!!!

My shelf of cleaning supplies. I am a marketer's dream! I buy any new product I hear about! (You may notice two of a few things, that is because when we moved back in we bought all new cleaning supplies and much to our surprise, the movers saved all of our old stuff, so there is a lot of duplicates in the laundry room. Oops!

This is my favorite thing about my "new" laundry room. I am the proud owner of more shelving and now I am able to hang up my clothes as I pull them out of the dryer!

Thanks for coming to tour my laundry room! It is just so fascinating I almost didn't bother this week! Ha! Hope everyone has a good day and I should be back this afternoon with some news (and no, I am not pregnant, but it is some big news for us!), so come back tonight!

Real Housewives of New Jersey

Be honest, I know that at least one of you had to have been watching too.  It is like a bad car wreck.  You can't help but stop and stare at this fiasco.  You've just had to have seen at least one episode!  Well, if you have, tell me what you thought about last night's finale?  

I have my opinion of these women.  I love Dina, Jacqueline, and Teresa (she is my favorite), and I am on the fence about Caroline.  She needs to expand a little beyond "the family".  However, I just cannot like Danielle.  I decided I didn't care for her long before I knew of "the book".  I wish Jacqueline could see that she is just bad news.  I mean HELLO, she BROUGHT the book to the dinner and started WWIII right there at Teresa's dinner (which, ok, Teresa was a little over the top and showed ANYTHING but class).  And, seriously did we have to talk about Teresa's new "bubbies" for 10 minutes????  

Back to "the book" (does it drive anyone else crazy how Danielle always makes air quotes when she refers to "the book"?).  I don't believe Caroline and Dina.  I do feel that Caroline is just covering for Dina (which I still like BTW).  I also think I love Chris (Jacqueline's husband).  He knows how to handle his sisters and Lord knows someone needs to!

I CANNOT wait for the "Last Supper" episode tomorrow night and the Reunion next week.  I am going to miss these girls until season 2.  They have made me laugh so hard over the last 6 weeks!  It is like they live in such a different world than I do, it is insane.

So, what did you think?

Catch Up Post and A Product Rave!

Sorry I've been MIA for a few days.  Just as I was doing better on my blogging, my kidney stone decided to make its encore performance.  We never really knew if I passed it or if it was kind of hiding in a duct somewhere, but we now know...it was in hiding!  Starting Wednesday and Thursday, I just didn't feel quite right and my back was bothering me quite a bit.  By the time Friday rolled around I was sitting on a heating pad and almost in tears at work.  My urologist wouldn't even let me make an appointment to see him this week until Monday (apparently they "configure the schedule" or something crazy on Friday, which I find fascinating considering I have already made an appointment for AUGUST!).  Dr. Smith came by to see a patient and when I told him what was going on and that I had been blown off by the urologist, he ordered a IVP (an xray with dye that looks at your urinary track, I've had about 15 of these in the past 10 years, I'm a pro!) and sent me home with pain meds, antibiotic, and to rest.  

Now comes the TMI part, sorry, but this is my blog that I use as an online scrapbook, so bear with me.  Starting on Saturday afternoon I started seeing a lot of sandlike granules in my strainer when I would pee so I knew that it must be breaking up.  By Sunday evening I had passed multiple small black rock looking pieces which looked exactly like the "big one" as I called it.  It was about 5mm (almost too big, and would have been too big to pass if it had not broken up) and I finally passed it around 6:00 Sunday night.  I will spare you and not post a pic of it.  :-)

I still had some pain on Sunday night and Monday morning, so I went ahead and had to IVP, which hurts BTW, and it showed that all was clear!!!!  I had actually passed a stone, which has never happened in the 10 years I've been having them.  They always have to go get it in surgery, so yay for no surgery!!!!!!  

Today was the first day I actually felt myself and I can tell my energy is really starting to come back.  It has been a LONG seven weeks since all this started and I am happy to be feeling a little better.  

I do have a product RAVE!  I am in LOVE!  My blog and facebook friends were right, my life changed this morning when I opened this and used it for the first time...

I FINALLY have salon hair everyday!  I don't know how I've managed all these years without one!!!!  Anyway, if you haven't splurged and bought one and you have crazy curly, frizzy hair like mine, hurry and buy one!!!!  My hair is almost flat today!!!  I've never said that before!

Where You Live Friday...Bathrooms

This week on Where I Live Friday we are showing our bathrooms.  I actually didn't do anything too drastic on my bathrooms in the rebuild, so you'll just get the latest pics instead of before, fire pics, and after.  :-)  

Also, while I am thinking about it, I had a few comments and emails when I posted the pics of the bathrooms during the rebuild about the color.  It is Sherwin Williams Brevity Brown, a very true chocolate brown.

Our Master Bathroom

View from our bedroom

Pictures I had framed to hang over my bathtub on the empty wall...one of these days (yes, they are a little different!)!  I am also going to replace the bamboo shade with a white roman shade, very soon.

The vanity which is the view from the shower

Our shower.  One of the improvements we plan to make one day is to tile the shower to match the travertine backsplash in our kitchen.  This is the view from the water closet.

The Guest Bath

The view from the hallway

This is the monogram on the towels in the bathroom.  I LOVE my towels!

My shower curtain that I got from Ballard Design.  It matched the towels really well!

I just got the single "L" so that one day I could continue to use it for a while when this bathroom converts to a baby's bathroom.

Six Months Ago Today...

My life changed forever.  At 4:30 am on Wednesday, December 10, 2008 we heard a noise that we will never forget.  Lightning struck dead center in the front of our house and caught our attic on fire.  There are times in your life that you can vividly remember from start to finish and that morning was definitely one of them.  I can remember sitting in my car after moving it out of our driveway and thinking I don't think it can get any worse than this.  My hope had sunk to a new level.  For months since my miscarriage in July, I spent an unbelievable amount of time eating ice cream, crying, and feeling sorry for myself.  I was constantly trying to keep from falling into a deep depression or losing hope.  However, in that instant, I had a feeling comfort that I had not had in a long time and in the next three months, I never stopped to ask why.  I think it is because I knew.  God had a purpose for all that I had been through.  I just needed to slow down and notice it.

Everyone always jokes around that you'll know when God is trying to tell you something because lightning will strike.  God was trying to tell me something that morning, and in the next three months while we waited on our home to be repaired, I learned that I needed to trust Him a little more.  After a year of TTC, a miscarriage, and now a fire, God wanted me to finally put all my trust in Him and not spend so much time worrying and crying, but more time praying and trusting.

I immediately felt blessed that we still had most of our belongings, each other, and our dog, however, I knew there were bigger lessons to be learned from this experience.  Michael and I came out of this day stronger, both individually and as a couple.  We learned to lean on each other more and that we could survive just about anything.  (trust me, if you ever take on a major renovation or homebuilding project, you'll understand! ha!)  

I feel that I came out of this experience a new person.  It showed me the amount of time I spent obsessing about TTC and that it was hurting our relationship (and several other relationships in my life).  I realized I had changed, and not for the good.  I have always been a happy, upbeat, positive person and I had to make a decision during this time, I could either move on and give my struggle with infertility and depression to God, or I could continue on and continue to alienate myself and live a 24/7 pitty party with myself.  

When we got back in our house, I made a decision, I would take a 6 month break from TTC and let whatever happens happen.  We are three months into that decision and it was the best decision I've ever made.  I've spent so much more time with Michael just having fun and not worrying about what tomorrow will bring and I've spent a lot more time with God and not as much time blogging or watching trashy reality TV (which I LOVE!).  I haven't cried when I started yet another cycle (in case you were wondering, no I am not pregnant, but just started cycle 15 last week) and I am ok with not checking my temperature, using ovulations predictor kits, or any of the other crazy OCD things I used to get upset and stress about.  I actually can't even remember the last time I cried because I was not pregnant or had a baby.

So, yes, God was trying to tell me something that morning.  He was teaching me patience, to be prayerful, and to have a more faith.  I am still working on those things, but now I am a believer in the saying, "what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger."  Stronger with my faith, marriage, and overall self confidence.

Pitiful Puppy

This is poor pitiful Spencer tonight.  He isn't feeling too good and is just lying around in his bed.  My poor little baby dog had a traumatic day today.  For the past few months I've noticed that he had a small knot on his back, but didn't think too much about it because he had one as a puppy and the vet said it would go away on it's own.  Well, over the weekend it seemed to get much larger and last night it opened up.  I see this sort of thing on adult surgery patients ALL THE TIME, but it is much different when it is your dog!  So, I immediately called the vet and they could see him this afternoon.

Michael said he did great, even when they had to open up his abscess and squeeze it to get all the infection out.  Poor baby will have to take an antibiotic twice a day for a week and we have to clean it twice a day until it closes up.  Here is a picture of the area tonight after they opened it and drained it today.

ABCs of Me

These are the ABCs of Me!

A - Age: 28

B - Bed size: Queen (but would LOVE a king size if we had more room)

C - Chore you hate: folding laundry

D - Dog's names: Spencer and Beasley, lives with my parents :-(

E - Essential start your day : COFFEE!

F - Favorite color: Purple or Brown (odd combo, I know!)

G - Gold or Silver: White Gold

H - Height: 5'3 with shoes on, so honestly, 5'2

I - Instruments you play(ed): piano for 6 years

J - Job title: RN for two trauma surgeons

K - Kid(s): Praying daily for God to bless us with a baby.

L - Living arrangements: with Michael and Spencer in a single family home

M - Mom's name: Amy

N - Nicknames: Banana, Princess (it is a joke, I am really not this bratty!)

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: RSV as a baby, kidney stone at 17

P - Pet Peeve: Hearing someone eat or smack gum.

Q - Quote from a movie: "Soon it will be something really depressing. Like a Baby Gap." -You've Got Mail  and  "Look, you have a baby, in a bar" - Sweet Home Alabama

R - Right or left handed: right

S- Siblings: none, see nicknames. :-)

T - Time you wake up: as late as possible!  6:30-7 weekdays, 8-9:00 weekends

U- Underwear: I don't think that is any of your business, but I do wear it, everyday! 

V - Vegetable you dislike: turnip

W - Ways you run late: traffic, alarm didn't go off.  I despise being late and freak out when I am, so I am usually a few minutes early.

X - X-rays you've had: several; teeth, arm, ankle, chest, kidneys, abdomen/pelvis, head/face.  The latest one, CT a month ago for a kidney stone

Y - Yummy food you make: spinach dip, desserts

Z - Zoo favorite: Big Cats, which is weird because I am scared to death of cats!  I am just fascinated with lions, tigers, and etc!

I tag Anna, Lauren Fletcher, Brittney, and anyone else who wants to play along!

Answers

Between email and comments, some of you had questions to yesterday post, so I thought I would post a question and answer post here.

You can grill okra?

YES! and it is awesome!!!  It is my new favorite summer veggie!  Here is the recipe.

EDIT: It isn't slimmy at all!  Actually kind of crunchy!

Where did you get your bona?

I found it at Lowe's awhile back, but finally got the mop system at Kohl's on Friday.  I really cannot say enough good things about it!

What is your salsa recipe?

This is a good question because I honestly just made this up as I went along yesterday!  Michael LOVES homemade salsa, but I have struggled for 5 years to come up with a good recipe.  Well, he ate the whole bowl, so I hope that means it was good!  I am posting it here.

Hope everyone has a good day!  I am off to pack the bag and cooler and get ready for the lake!

I Love The Weekend!

This summer Michael and I decided we were going to concentrate on having fun, relaxing, and not worry so much about TTC or stress about other things going on.  Well, that sure was a good plan!  

We are having so much fun this summer.  I've spent the past two Saturdays cleaning the house, planting flowers and tomatoes, and hanging out with friends.  Today, I met Brittney for coffee, a quick tour of her house that is being built down the street from me, and a trip to the farmer's market.  I got some yummy tomatoes, peaches, okra, onion, squash, and cucumbers to eat this week.  Then I came home and cleaned the house.  

I am in LOVE with this floor cleaning system!  I have such dark hardwood that it is virtually impossible to keep it clean and everything I have used has shown either a film or water spots on the floor.  So, I have now discovered Bona.  It is a natural, non-toxic cleaner that made my floors the cleanest and prettiest I've ever seen them!!!!  I HIGHLY recommend this product to anyone!  The best part is that it is non-toxic and environmentally friendly, so it is safe around dogs, babies, and those with allergies!

I also have a PRAISE!  Michael has been struggling at work, as has everyone in car sales.  Well, today God gave him a wonderful confidence booster, he sold 2 cars to the same person!!!!!!  I am so proud of him and they open their new dealership on Monday, so we hope this is a great sign of things to come!!!!

Now, I am off to make some homemade salsa with the tomatoes I bought and get ready to cookout to celebrate his great day at work with some lemon pepper chicken, grilled okra, and corn on the cob!  Oh, and of course, some tasty wine!

And the best part of the summer...LAKE TOMORROW!!!!!!! 

Busy Saturday

It is such a beautiful summer day outside!  Yay for no rain!!!!  My neighbor Andrea and I each had a garage sale this morning and did really well.  I had a couple of friends from work stop by and I met a fellow blogger, Anna, that I've become friends with through blogging!  Anna brought her adorable Scottie, Sadie over to meet Spencer and I.  We loved them both and look forward to seeing them again soon!

After I cleaned up and loaded the few things I didn't sell in my mom's car, I headed over to Holcomb's to buy some impatiens to plant in my planters in the driveway.  While I was there I decided to attempt to grow tomatoes this year.  I have no idea how that will turn out!  I do NOT have a green thumb by any imagination!  Ha!  If they turn out well, I may just plant a garden next year!  Ha!

Tonight we are grilling out with our neighbors; Jonathan and Andrea, and Nate and Jamie.  It should be a lot of fun.  Now, I am headed to the store to get baked beans, lunch for tomorrow on the lake, and take a shower.  Have a great rest of the weekend!

Happy Birthday Spencer!

Today is this adorable little guy's 4th birthday!!!!  

He came to live with us on Sunday, September 18, 2005.  We love him so much!  Honestly, probably too much!  Ha!   This is a picture of us the day after we adopted him.  He was almost 4 months old and so tiny!!!!

I also just HAD to show you this one, it is my very most favorite from that weekend!  He just looks so cute in his bed!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUDDY!  Mommy and Daddy love you! 

(and yes, we know we have a problem! Ha!)

What a Difference A Year Makes

One year ago last Sunday, on May 24, 2008, this is what happened at our house!  It was the best day of our lives.  

I will never forget how happy and thankful I was that day that after *gasp* only 6 months we were pregnant.   Little did we know it would be the beginning of the most difficult year we've been through together, that this was just the beginning of our journey.  We have grown so much over the past year of heartache and despair.  There has also been times of joy, but it seems they have all been few and far between.  It seems like everytime we pick back up, something knocks us back down, but everytime we've become stronger than before.  I have a friend that has told me many, many, many times when I would get down that what doesn't kill us will make us stronger.  He was right, I am much stronger now than I was then.

I pray everyday that I can experience another day like that one soon (third times the charm, right?).  However, after all we've been through, I have a hard time believing that everything will be ok then.  I also get sad sometimes when others around me get to announce their pregnancy early or start planning everything in their first trimester.  I don't have the luxury of that innocence anymore and that makes me sad.  I miss the way I felt on May 24, 2008.  I had such hope and not a doubt in the world that I would have a baby around February 4, 2009.  

Well, much has changed over the last year, and most notably is the change in me.  I am no longer as positive and happy as I used to be (just ask my close friends and a few coworkers, they'll be the first to tell you), I live in a constant fear of storms and lightning, and most importantly and not as negative, I have become closer to God.  A lot of people have asked me how I can still have such a strong faith after all that Michael and I have been through over the past 12 months.  I honestly don't know, other than I know we have a lot of people praying for us and I think it is all part of God's plan that I have some suffering in order to strengthen my relationship with Him.  

With that said, most days I have a confidence that things will be ok, one day we will have a biological child of our own (not that there is ANYTHING wrong with adoption, it is just not for us at this time).  However, there are still days when out of nowhere I start to feel sad and wish for the way I was prior to last June when it all started to come crashing in around me.  On days like that I always remember the words to this song (and it took on a whole new meaning after our lightning strike and fire).

I can count a million times

People asking me how I

Can praise You with all that 

I've gone through

The question just amazes me

Can circumstances possibly

Change who I forever am in You

Maybe since my life was changed

Long before these rainy days

It's never really ever crossed my mind

To turn my back on you, oh Lord

My only shelter from the storm

But instead I draw closer through these times

So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace

Bring the chance to be free

Bring me anything that brings 

You glory And I know there'll 

be days When this life brings me pain

But if that's what it takes to 

praise You Jesus, bring the rain

I am yours regardless of the clouds that may 

loom above because you are much greater than 

my pain you who made a way for me suffering 

your destiny so tell me whats a little rain

Four Day Weekend Recap!

This has been a great weekend!  First, I want to thank all of you for your prayers for our pastor.  He is doing much better and will be returning home tonight!  You can get updates here.  Saturday, my mom and I did some shopping and I did the dreaded annual purchase of a bathing suit.  Then Michael and I made a homemade pizza and just hung out at home.  Yesterday, we went to the lake!  Yay for the sun that FINALLY came out around 3!!!!  This is a picture I got with my phone (hence the crappy quality!). 

Michael's family all came out and it was a great day!  After they left we stayed out until about 6:30 then headed back to the marina for dinner and drinks where we ran into two of Michael's best friends.  It was a great day and we even got a little sun!!!!

Today Michael had to work  :-(  but my mom, aunt, cousin, and I took my Nana to Cracker Barrel for lunch for her 79th Birthday (which is actually tomorrow).  Unfortunately, I forgot my camera.  :-(

Back to work tomorrow, booo!  It will be a busy couple of days, then I get a little break to get caught up on paperwork and prepare for next week.  I am also looking into buying a CHI flat iron.  Any suggestions where to get one CHEAP and is it REALLY worth the big money?

Quiz Time! Being A Nurse

I did this quiz on Facebook awhile back, but someone tagged me to do it again, so I thought I would do it on here this time.

1) Ever ran a code? 
sadly, I had to run a few when I worked in the hospital. Although, I have to say, quite a few of those turned out ok! :-)

2) Where did you go to nursing school?
UT- Chattanooga

3) Fight with a doctor? Over what? 
I work for two trauma surgeons, what do you think? :-)

4) Fight with a patient? Over what? 
it usually involves a patient wanting pain meds even though they 1. don't have a problem that requires main meds at that point, or 2. they are getting them for more than one source and we've found out about it.

5) Ever get attached to a patient? 
not to the point that I became friends or it was more than a professional relationship, but I have a patient right now that I have seen for almost 3 years that both myself and the dr are attached to.

6) What does code brown mean to you? 
poop! and lots of it!

7) Most memorable moment with a patient was when...
I've had a lot over the last 6 years

8) Favorite doctor?
the two I work for now, Dr. Barker and Dr. Smith. I love them both! They are great to work with and take good care of me, what more could I ask for?

9) Least favorite doctor? 
a cardiologist I used to work with in the unit.

10) How many places have you worked as a nurse? 
2 as a nurse and 1 place as a tech

11) Preferred area? L&D, Postpartum, Med Surg., Private practice..WHY? 
Where I am now. I LOVE my job! Really, I couldn't work for a better place!

12) You ideal job would be...
work at my job now just 2-3 days a week

13) Least favorite procedure to perform? 
incision and drainage of a nasty abscess, yes, it can be as disgusting as it sounds!

14) Anything turn your stomach? 
see #13, although there has only been one that did that and it bothered the surgeon too (that NEVER happens, so it was pretty funny)! :-)

15) Discuss nasty stuff at the table when eating? 
of course, I am a nurse, remember!

16) Ever gross out your friends, family or significant other with stories from work? 
yeah, same as #15

17) Should nurses be paid more? 
DEFINITELY

18) Funniest moment as a nurse? 
too many to remember 

19) Have you ever had a crush on a doctor? 
no

20) If you knew all of this before you became a nurse would you have still went to nursing school? 
Yes, i love being a nurse

Where I Live...Living Room, Better Late Than Never!

To continue on with my catch up game...the better late than never, living room!  When we were doing our renovation, this was Michael's baby.  He knew EXACTLY what color, theme, hardwood, EVERYTHING, that he wanted.  I pretty much let him have it.  It is the room we spend 90% of our time in.  As you will see it is almost one large room with the foyer and kitchen, so it is very open (which is what sold the house for us).  

As with every room, here is a before and day the fire pic...

December 10, 2008

After everything was moved out, but not yet torn out

And the AFTER...

Welcome to our home!  This is the view from the foyer

The view of the living room from the kitchen

Living Room from the garage entrance to the house

Our favorite feature of the house, the open floorplan.  Here you can see how the living room, foyer, kitchen, and dining room all flow in one room.  We LOVE it!

This is our rug that I found at Lowe's right after we moved in...the first time.  It made had a lot of smoke and water damage, but the insurance people got it clean and it looks great in the green room with the dark hardwoods.  I LOVE how it brought the colors together!

This is our new ceiling fan.  I just wanted to show it because it is a little different.

The centerpiece to our living room is definitely the corner fireplace.

The foyer

This is my curio cabinet FULL of Precious Moments.  The cabinet was my high school graduation gift from my parents.

I have our wedding invitation and our favorite portrait framed in the foyer.  This is the same picture I am having remade into a 16x20!

Hope you enjoyed the tour of our living room!  Please come back soon and spend a night in the guest room!  I am hoping to have it posted later today!

Four Day Weekend and URGENT PRAYER REQUEST!!!!

Have I mentioned how much I love my job?!  I was able to take today as a vacation day and have a FOUR day weekend!!!!  WOOHOO!  I had so much to do and I was able to get it all done in one day and then have a fun, relaxing weekend from here on out.

First, I had my hair CUT last night.  Here is a before pic from Easter with my cousin (I am thinking that shirt looks too cute against my bright green wall! Ha!)

And then last night (it had been a LONG day, excuse the no makeup look! Ha) after a 4 inch cut and a lot more blonde highlights for summer!

Then today, I got up early, started some laundry, did some dishes and then told Spencer it was time for a ride!  I just thought this was PRECIOUS, so I had to take a pic...

This is what he does when you put him on his leash and he knows he is going for ride.  Just sits there until you open the door!  PRECIOUS!  If it is just me and him, he can be 99% sure he is going to the groomers.  Maybe this is why he was so excited...

My little shaggy, dirty dog!  I'm sure he feels better now...

On my way back from taking him, my work called and a patient's family brought by box of pastries from the best bakery in downtown to thank me for helping them.  I am so touched when things like that happen!!!!  Most patients don't take the time to even say thank you, so it is extra special when one does something for you! Since I wasn't going to be back to work until Tuesday, I had to pick them up.  So, I took a little detour and ran by the office.  I finally made it back home and did some major cleaning.  My house was DESPERATE for a good, deep clean!

I feel so accomplished today.  House is clean, laundry is all washed and dry (although I guess I should hang it up!), and Spencer is ready for summer!

And now for an URGENT PRAYER REQUEST...Just found out that our pastor is at my hospital with major burns to his lower extremities.  I'm sure one of my surgeons are taking care of him.  I am trying to get details, but what I do know is that he was burning some brush and it got out of control and in the process of trying to control it, got 2nd degree burns.  Please pray for him and his family.  It will be a LONG, PAINFUL road back.