5 months later...

Hmm.. where has the time gone? Dad asked me when I was going to post again and informed me that JULY was the last time I updated the page. So I will try to recap the last half of the year in a few sentences. #1. I GRADUATE FROM NURSING SCHOOL ON FRIDAY!
Woo hoo!! I can't believe that almost 4 years of schooling is about to come to an end. And being the glutton I am, I have already registered for a Christmas mini semester and 12 hrs in the Spring to pursue my BSN. #2. Family is doing well. Kids are growing as fast as ever. Alli is getting close to having #4. Please do not ask me about when we will be having another. There will be no more births from my womb. #3. I have a full time job waiting for me after graduation at a local ER. I am so excited to start my career and look forward to all the blessings that God has in store for us.


So here are some recent pics of the girls. Teagan got her hair cut (Thanks, Leslie!) and it is just precious! Keek got a trim, too!

23 days

...that's how many more days of Med-Surg 2 we have left. Not that anyone is counting~

I had seen the makeup brand EyesLipsFace advertised in several of the magazines and finally decided to check it out. E.L.F. has got to be one of the best kept secrets and I'm sharing it with you. ALMOST EVERYTHING IS A DOLLAR! A buck. Four quarters. That's it!

I got 11 items. Total, including shipping, was $28. I am hooked! The lipglosses are about the same size that you would find in any drugstore, only the ones at Walgreen's are $5-7 dollars. I let the girls pick out some nail polish and they were thrilled. So check it out, you'll be hooked too~

Sis and the kids will be in tonight from Houston... my girls are so excited. They love spending time with their cousins, and I adore watching them play and interact. We are planning several fun outings for the gang while they are here, and I'll post some pictures of their escapades.

We are also planning to take the girls to Gulf Shores in August. I have a week long break between classes, and the girls really want to go back to the beach. Once you have been to Gulf Shores, Galveston just does not cut it anymore. There is simply no comparison!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. xoxo

Update...

Teagan modeling the suit Gran got her.
@ "Up" w/ our 3D glasses

At the zoo w/ Daddy on Father's Day. The girls had so much fun. I haven't had much time to post lately; finishing up OB (finals/presentations/etc.) and orientation all last week for my NEW JOB! My first day in the ER is a week from today, and I'm soooo excited! Ready to put all of this schoolin' to good use!!

The girls have a new BFF. Her name is Mary, she is 5, and our backyards are right next to each other. She and her family recently moved here from the Dallas area, and the girls have really enjoyed having a new friend to play with.. As soon as I get some pics of them together I'll be sure and share.

Irony

I have begun to notice, more recently in the past few weeks, how much my girls uncannily mirror my sister and I growing up. Teagan is just like her momma, Kaylan so much like her Aunt Alli it's scary! T: loves bugs, wants to play outside, legs are all beat up w/ scrapes and bug bites, has ADB1's attitude, and LOVES to be the boss. K: wants to play dress up everyday; the Snow White costume is her fave, can create a conversation w/ her toys and herself (see video), hates for her face to be wet in the bathtub, and has the most innocent, angelic face you will ever lay eyes on. Black and White... night and day... yin and yang. I am constantly reminded of how wonderfully blessed I am. (Having some tech probs... will try to upload video later)

Today...

...Teagan at the splash pad
Swimming at Mel-Mel's house w/ Gran and Uncle Andy


Keek at the splash pad play ground.

Playing catch-up

Memorial Day weekend
Lake Bob Sandlin
Teagan caught her first fish! It was too small to keep, but she reeled it in herself and wanted to throw him back. Kaylan loved riding in the boat. Thanks Uncle Boone for letting us borrow it!
Dalan pulled us around in the tube for awhile until it started to rain... so we packed up and headed home. On the way back we stopped at Efurd Orchards where we purchased some fresh peaches, onions, potatoes and tomatoes. At home we peeled, pitted and chopped the peaches and made a from-scratch peach cobbler.... yum-o!



On Monday I took the girls to watch the motorcycle parade. There were approximately 300 bikes that rode... the girls had a ball!

My inner rock star is beginning to emerge...

Got a little trim today...

I tried to get some shots of the back but none turned out very well. I love it!

Correction...

I seem to have confused a couple of you with my last post. NO, I am not pregnant....nor do I plan to become with child. I meant "having been pregnant"... my bad~

Ummmm, Shonda Rimes, you are evil. I can not believe the season finale of Grey's. GAH!! First of all, I did not even suspect that the hero hit by the bus was George. Bailey sobbing to the chief, Alex yelling at Izzie, Christina actually doling out hugs and "I love you's", Little Grey shooting Mark down. Where do I begin? You should know that I will be on a Gatorade binge for the rest of the week trying to restore my electrolyte balance that was lost due to the copious amount of tears that fell from my eyes. I can't remember the last time I cried that hard for so long.

So long, Pampers! I can officially say that Kaylan is in panties now... what an accomplishment! She has not worn a diaper in two days (except for at night) and has not had one accident! I am so proud of her!

Bring the rain

Wow, have I been tested the past couple of weeks. A stolen laptop, dealing with the insurance company, and today the microwave decided it would take a vacay along with my DESKTOP computer. First of all, I don't think anyone realizes how much they use your microwave until it craps out on you... heat up leftovers, oops. "Girls, want some popcorn?... Uh, nevermind! Forget I said that." And not to mention my ever so slight addiction to the internet.. I think maybe God is trying to tell me to 86 the virtual surfing. But enough of Debbie Downer, let's play the Glad Game.

The other morning Teagan told me she was "trying to grow up." She said she wanted to be a mommy and perform Gran's magic trick for them (the one where Mom pretends to pull her finger off. Ask her, she'll show you.)

Kaylan is in a princess stage again, and really puts up a fight when I try to get her to take off her tutu.

I made an A on my first OB test.....woohoo! Being pregnant and a mommy really does have many advantages. I am very excited about our first clinical day tomorrow in L&D, even if I have to get up at 5 to be there by 5.45.

My children are healthy, fed, and loved. So am I.

I have so so much to be grateful for.

For those of you who know my friend, T.H., please keep her in your prayers. This person has been through so much.. her husband was murdered when their son was less than a year old, her house has been broken into, she lost her mother, and now she will be having surgery June 1st to remove a tumor from her pituitary gland. She says these are usually benign, but she is incredibly anxious and scared. Ask that the Lord will give her peace and comfort during her treatment.

Baby Soup

http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mVEGfH4s5g

Watch this first to understand what Teagan and Kaylan are doing in the next video.





The pictures up there are from the lake this weekend. When I asked the girls if they could stand together and say "cheese" for a picture, Teagan said, " I can say mozzerella."

Kaylan calls her bathing suit her "baby soup"
Teagan asking my friend about her 3 kids (who are all older than 10) " Are they potty trained?"
Teagan on me making her go to bed: "My feelings are hurting."

I have no clue where these come from, but I adore their way with words.

And I finally caved and took the girls to Chuck E. Cheese's. I am always a little hesitant to take them there because it seems like everytime we venture in, the girls end up getting sick. TayTay danced w/ Chuck E. , and Kaylan rode this ride with "Belle" about 78 times!!

Rainy day fun

The girls love to play in the rain! After it stopped, we started to find a lot of worms.... I think they found about 15!! Who knew earthworms were such cheap entertainment??






Some of the fruits of our labor are beginning to show....

Give me back my filet of fish

So it has been a pretty eventful few days... All four of our vehicles were broken into sometime early Tuesday morning. At first I thought they had just taken my wallet and the change in the ashtray, but after I went through everything I realized my laptop was gone, too. I was so upset; not only at the thieves, but at myself for not being more vigilant about keeping valuables out of my car. I got the insurance claim filed today, so hopefully I will at least be able to replace my computer.

Our last MS1 clinical was today!! I am beginning to sorta see the light at the end of a very loooooooooong tunnel. Finals will be next week, then we start OB... bring on the babies! It will be a welcome change of scenery.

Teagan making Kiki laugh...

I know you all need a good laugh....

TGIF

Kaylan likes to sit in the recliner with her feet up; and she loves to answer and talk on the phone. She went through a short phase where she would not leave the house with out her fairy costume on.

Teagan found a Sharpie and decided that she would make herself a "scary monster". And one of her first day at preschool. She was so excited she didn't really want to take many pictures!

And last, but not least, just a little evidence as to why my house is always a disaster. This is what a 3 year old and her 2 year old little sister can do to their room in less than 20 minutes. Notice they were even able to take the mattress off of Teagan's bed.

Kids are awesome!

Too many irons in the fire

Needless to say, I have been super busy lately! Last week was our Spring Break and I worked 3 12-hr shifts at the hospital. I also had an extra week to study for my test on Monday, and that took up a lot of my free time as well. It has been storming here the past couple of days, so I hope to get some pictures of the girls up soon. We also made a trip to Wally World for our annual spring gardening tour. The girls and I planted strawberries, tomatoes, 3 kinds of jalapeno peppers, zinnia and sunflowers. I am hoping that our recent showers will help them grow quickly. Here is a picture of the lot we have a contract on. It is 3/4 of an acre; we are really excited about starting to build and being able to move! The girls had fun playing with their cousins last week, who made the trip up from Houston. They are such great entertainment!

A work in progress...

is how I would describe myself. I will be the first to admit that I am not the most positive person. In fact, I tend to lean more toward the negative side; a character trait that I am not very proud of. When my cousin's husband, fellow MHS class of '97 alum and friend, sent me this email, it really made me stop and think of all that you and I have to be thankful for, so I am passing it on for you. Please stop for a moment, wherever you are, whatever your situation, and make your own list of things that you take for granted. It will certainly change your thoughts on many everyday, mundane tasks that could all be gone in an instant.

So read it, be glad, and pass it on. You may just make someone's day completely different, just like Michael did for me.


I AM THANKFUL:
FOR THE WIFE
WHO SAYS IT'S HOT DOGS TONIGHT, BECAUSE SHE IS HOME WITH ME, AND NOT OUT WITH SOMEONE ELSE.

FOR THE HUSBAND
WHO IS ON THE SOFA BEING A COUCH POTATO, BECAUSE HE IS HOME WITH ME AND NOT OUT AT THE BARS.

FOR THE TEENAGER
WHO IS COMPLAINING ABOUT DOING DISHES BECAUSE IT MEANS SHE IS AT HOME, NOT ON THE STREETS.

FOR THE TAXES I PAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM EMPLOYED .


FOR THE MESS TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS.

FOR THE CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT.


FOR MY SHADOW THAT WATCHES ME WORK
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE

FOR A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING,
WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING,
AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE A HOME
FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING
I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT
BECAUSE IT MEANS WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH. ....

FOR THE PARKING SPOT
I FIND AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM CAPABLE OF WALKING AND I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION .

FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM WARM.

FOR THE LADY BEHIND ME IN CHURCH
WHO SINGS OFF KEY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I CAN HEAR.


FOR THE PILE OF LAUNDRY AND IRONING
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR.


FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES
AT THE END OF THE DAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN CAPABLE OF WORKING HARD.


FOR THE ALARM THAT GOES OFF
IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM ALIVE.

AND I AM THANKFUL:
FOR THE crazy people I work with BECAUSE they make work interesting and fun!

AND FINALLY, FOR TOO MUCH E-MAIL
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I HAVE FRIENDS WHO ARE THINKING OF ME.

PUH!

I DON'T DO POOP! I feel for the elderly, I really do. And I know that aging sucks. And someone has to do it, right? Yeah. That person should not be me.

My patient today was a sweet little 87 y/o female. She told me that she thought she needed to go to the restroom, so as I am helping her get her tiny stockinged feet to the floor, I discovered what I really, honestly start gagging at... poop.

It's not the process of cleaning them up; that does not bother me at all. It's the smell. And I have a bit of a cold, so I can only imagine what I would've whiffed with air flow working at 100%. Seriously. And I know they can't help it.... who would want to have to have someone to help you accomplish what most 3 year olds can do by themselves? It's sad. It is. But it makes my stomach jump into my mouth. Literally.

Puke, puss, blood, guts, bring it on. I'll pass the Code Brown to my fellow nurses.

That's just how I roll. And I am really thankful that I didn't have time to eat breakfast this morning. God continually reminds me that He knows what He's doing.

Blah...

Had a pretty rough day today. Keek had 101.8 temperature, though she didn't act like she felt bad. She was my saving grace today and kept me from beating the snot out of Tay... she was TERRIBLE today. Talking back, not doing what I asked her to, being mean to her sister.... AHHH! CALGON TAKE ME AWAY! I am not feeling great myself; sore throat, achy, sneezy. So that, combined with a defiant 3 year old, made for one very long Saturday. So I am humbly asking anyone who reads this to please ask God to send me some patience and compassion. Two things I desperately need assisstance with. I am learning daily that I have a long way to go to being a Proverbs 31 woman.

So I popped a couple of Benadryl and am about to crash. I am hoping that we are able to make it to church in the a.m., but we'll have to see how everyone is feeling. I called the sis and begged her to pack up and move back to East Texas STAT! 1) Because 4 hrs apart is just too far and 2) we could trade out free babysitting. The kids play great together and they don't get to see each other often enough. I really could've used that today!

I hope you all have a great relaxing Sunday and a fabulous week. Don't forget to "spring forward" tonight!

xoxo

Our crazy week

The girls and I have been staying with Mom and Dad since I am having clinicals in M-town. Tay started going to school there and she loves it! I will post pics soon. And Keek is adoring the one-on-one attention she gets while Tay is at school!

I got a call today that I got the ER job! I am so excited! I love working where I am now, but I am so much closer to this hospital and the pay is the same, so it's definitely a win-win. Can't wait to post some sweet trauma pics!! :)

I'm freezing

Friday we had the A/C on. Today we switched back to the heater. Friday 80 degrees... today I don't think it broke 40. And the wind was what made it so unbearable! Brrrrr is the only way to describe today!

We had a great day today.. I kind of threw together a last minute garage sale so we did that until about 11. Lunch. Naps. Took a trip to M-town to check on Gran and Big Daddy's pups while they are out of town. Teagan helped me clean their box out and kept them busy while I changed out the newspaper. Keek was chillin inside watching Wow!Wow! Wubbzy! Hung out there for a bit, stopped at the store for some milk and came back home. A friend came over and we ordered sushi to go and made ourselves a carpet picnic of California and Crunch rolls... yum~

Oh!! I almost forgot! I had an interview Friday w/ a local hospital for the E.R.!! I think it went really well; they said I should know by next week if I got it. So keep your fingers crossed for me! And give me a shout out next time you have a little convo with Jesus... Hope you all had a great weekend and I'll keep you posted on school/job/kids.

xoxo

Fun in the February sun

We had so much fun outside in the 80 degree weather! Kaylan

Teagan

I LOVE these pictures of our friends baby, Claire. She had fun outside with the girls while her mom got to run a few errands. I think the one of her in the swing is my favorite... check out that 'do!

Momma's wishlist

Neapolitan mastiff... approx $1200.00
Le Creuset dutch oven.. retail $230.00
Canon 24-105 mm lens... retail $999.00

If you have either of these items that you would like to donate to a very grateful recipient, let me know!! *sigh*

A week of firsts

OK, posting these pictures is driving me crazy because I want them to go in certain places and they aren't cooperating. So Teagan had her first dance class today; she was so excited! And you know she was the cutest one there! I posted some pictures of the blinged out leotard I made her, and a fabric covered corkboard that now hangs over our computer. I also made her dance bag... sort of. Iron on appliques are ingenious! So while Tay was at dance, Kaylan and I took a trip to the pet store.. after she cried for 10 minutes because she wanted her sister. It was so sweet~ She LOVED the fish, and one of the cockatoos said "Hello" to her and she thought that was amazing! Everything she saw she would point to and say, "Mom, look!" She told me she was scared of the tarantulas and that the mice were "cute".




If I ever had any doubts that my children were exceptional, I now have the pictures to prove it. They ask, no.. BEG for SALAD!!! And no lame iceburg will do... Teagan calls it "twigs", but it's the spring mix of arugula and radichio lettuce. They also want broccoli and carrots when we are perusing the produce. I am so thankful that they like foods that are good for them.