5 Things Friday

This week has been relaxing and wonderful, yet scary at the same time leaving me thankful.

Here is a picture of one of my favorite snowmen decorations

My dining room table, all set for Christmas

 My Black Friday score, it may look cheap but sure works great!

 See what it can do...fixed my blanket just.like.that

 The proof that teenage drivers aren't invincible

Look how awful crazy my daughter's car looks after her car accident last night.  Had her license for two months, and only after having the vehicle for a month and a half, she had her first accident.

She's okay but had the scare of her life.  She's not interested in driving anytime soon.  She ran a stop sign and hit head-on into another car at 25-30 mph.  Both drivers were okay.  

I've not experienced anything more scary than walking up to the accident scene with police cars, a fire truck, and ambulance (not to forget to mention both banged up cars) with their lights flashing and all I wanted to see was my daughter.  I would have pulled a car off of her if I had to at that point with all the adrenaline pumping, but thankfully it wasn't that bad.  My hubby and I followed her into the ambulance to get checked out.  Because the airbag went off she had gun powder on her and scratches and bruises all over.  Overall no LOC and all extremities had good blood flow with full ROM.  We opted to drive her to the ER to make sure no broken bones.  Later that night after the kids went to bed my hubby and I just looked at each other astonished and thankful.  

Thankful the Lord protected our daughter and kept her as safe as possible given the circumstances.

Here's hoping all of your Thanksgivings were just as thankful and blessed.

Excitement in November

Okay so you haven’t heard from me in a while because I was in studying hell!  Two huge exams this week…all done…in the books…sigh…relax time.

I cannot tell you how much agony the body goes through under the mountains of stress we add to it.  Coupled with inadequate sleep = weakening my immune system = wow tears and stuff.

Let me add in here how incredibly amazing my hubby is!!  He is supportive by making me and the kids dinner when I can’t see past my mammoth of a text book because I’m too busy studying. Even while he's a snotty mess full of sickness.

What’s even better than this, you ask??  Why a dozen roses of course J  Why would such a hardworking father, fulltime provider, amazing, and wonderful hubby do such a thing??  To remind me that he is extremely proud of my efforts and amazing talent and that he wanted to let me know how much he cares.  Awww people, isn’t that the sweetest thing you’ve ever heard?  I received the flowers right before my toughest exam today and they brought me to tears.  I don’t deserve my hubby, because he is so kind.  Okay really I do, but I’m just grateful for him.  He’s a keeper!

Anyway as of 4pm today I am much better in mind and spirit!  I aced my Thursday exam and passed today’s exam.  All in all I feel good.  Soon as I left the school building I took 3 deep breaths and enjoyed the moment.  All thanks to God for listening to my much rambling, many whines, and muffled cries for help and bringing me through with peace and passing grades.

I jumped in my vehicle and cranked up the Christmas music…that’s right you heard right Christmas music.  My 16 yo daughter tries to remind me it isn’t even Thanksgiving yet, and that she thinks I’m jumping the gun on my excitement for winter break.  I THINK NOT!  In fact, I asked my hubby to pull the Christmas tree out and that sucker’s going up on Sunday.   I’ve even downloaded a free live wallpaper for my cell phone so I can watch people ice-skating across my screen.   Super CHEESE I know (-;

Shoot if our plan goes off without any problems, we’ll be moving to Texas in the summer and this will officially be our last winter in Wisconsin.  Sniff sniff, so I’m going to make the most of it.

As soon as Winter break begins, besides getting back to the gym (to lose the couple #s of stress weight), I’ve got a long list of things to accomplish.  Here are just a few things:

Build a snowman

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Go sledding

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Go Ice-skating

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Sit in my living room and watch the huge snowflakes fall for hours

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Attend church on Sundays and any other mid-week event if I so choose

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Make hot cocoa

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Bake lots of different bakes goods ranging from sugar cookie cutouts, to my hubby’s favorite (molasses cookies), and even a few Pinterest recipes I’ve had my eyes on including homemade butter bread.  Yumm@

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I’m going to help out with volunteer opportunities collecting canned goods with my nursing school organization.

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I’ll probably have to shovel here and there, as well as, practice like a mad woman some NCLEX questions, but overall I just can’t wait to enjoy my family again.  AMEN!

Mini-get-away

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The very first minute I stepped out of the airport terminal while my hubby was securing us a rental car, the afternoon breeze smacked me in the face reminding me what it feels like to be human again.  I was “in love” with the warm temperature and thought if there was a lounge chair I probably would have sat down and taken a nap.  I had only been to Georgia one other time but didn’t really appreciate the experience like I did this last weekend. The weather of course was wonderful.  The people I came in contact with were lovely, friendly, and hospitable.  The family we stayed with was awesome, our kids and their kids had such a fun time playing together and running around the house enjoying each other.  There was lots of eating to our hearts content and “dance-offs” in the evenings before bed.  Shopping on Saturday where I scored a pair of brown leather boots to add to my collection was only a small highlight.  Unfortunately the mini-vaca ended all too quickly and I was headed back to Wisconsin by Sunday afternoon, while the hubby and kids stayed to go to the Cowboys/Falcons game later that night. 

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Even though I came back earlier than the rest of my family I was happy once again to sleep in my own bed.  And I had to crank up the heat seeing as though the temperature difference was at least 30 degrees from where I had been.  Geez, next summer can’t come soon enough for when we move to a warmer state.

Monday, yesterday, I had clinical in the PICU.  I helped a new orientating grad nurse take care of an infant with Prader-willi along with many other difficulties leaving him, vent dependent, trach dependent, and peg dependent.  What stood out to me the most was how the mom doted on him and sang to him, talked to him even if he didn’t respond to her, she continued.  She did all of his trach suctioning, cleaning and was involved when RT had to percuss his chest to break up the fluid in his lungs.  I thought this woman has so much more strength than I’ll ever know, and the amount of love and devotion is endless.  This is what you sign up for when you become a parent, the unconditional and endless love for the baby God has placed in your care.  Each day I come home from clinical I’m so grateful that my kids are healthy and smart and beautiful.  I love them with all of my heart!

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