Enjoying my Boys!

I want to start off by paying my respects to Garrison White. He passed away early Sunday morning and we attended his funeral today. He is now in Heaven with his wife Ella! Nick has lost both of his maternal grandparents in the last month, so he is pretty upset with their loss. We know they had a long and fruitful life, and they are not suffering anymore! Garrison made it possible for Nick to go to college, and was always so proud of how he turned out. Bradley is his only great-grandson.

After the funeral, we all came home and took a nap. The weather turned out very nice today so we took little man to the park! He had a great time, and really loves the slides.

Tomorrow I am going to work early so that I can get off early and go to an Irving Berlin concert downtown! I am very excited about it, and it worked out perfect since this is one of the few nights that I am not working at OU! At my other hospital I work during the day, so that gives me free time at night. I can't wait! I will be working the next several days to get ready for our big trip! It is coming up soon and we can't wait!!

I trimmed little man's hair tonight with the big boy clippers. He wasn't a big fan of them, but daddy held him close and we got through it in no time! But now he looks about 10 years old, so that makes for a sad momma! I didn't get a chance to get pics b/c afterward I bathed him then put him down for bed. Maybe next time!

A Cookout and a Craft Show

I know I haven't posted in over a week--believe me, I wish I had the time to! I have worked about 50 hours each of the last two weeks, and will again next week. My Spring craft show was today and it went great! But first, here are some cute pics of Brad enjoying the great outdoors!

Yesterday a coworker had a big cookout/gender reveal party at her acreage in Shawnee. There were lots of people and lots of great food. She has horses, cows, and goats that we all got to see and pet. Brad loved it, and we couldn't have asked for better weather!

I guess Brad thought since the goats were liking the oats so much that he should take a bite! It didn't turn out so well....

We all had a great time and stayed until dark. It was so nice to spend a good evening with my two boys and good friends!

Now for the craft show! This was my 5th show, and second at this venue. I love this venue and will definitely be signing up for more to come! Mumsy and I got there early this morning and set our booth up beautifully.

^These are the bunny hats that I've been making, and they went like hotcakes at the show! I also sold several pair of cloth baby shoes, and of course the other hats and coasters were a hit.

As always, we enjoy browsing the other booths before the show starts. I can't believe how many booths have the same thing! Bows, jewelry, shirts, and purses are everywhere! I'm glad I have found a niche that hardly any other vendor does. And the prices...wow! Let's just say that I keep my prices low because I know I wouldn't pay how much some people are asking for their stuff! I just do these for fun, and because it's nice to see other people like your stuff. My next shows will be in the fall.

Right now I'm gearing up for another long work week, and looking forward to our New York trip coming up!

****PS**** Did I mention that just THREE months from today my little one will be 2?? Here he is one year ago....

Temporary Roommate

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I wonder how many of those who "celebrate" actually know the history behind this day? I bet 95% of them just think it's all about wearing green and getting plastered. Well fellow Christians, here is a bit of back story via wikipedia:

"...It commemorates Saint Patrick (c. AD 387–461), the most commonly recognized of the patron saints of Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland... has gradually become a celebration of Irish culture in general...Originally, the color associated with Saint Patrick was blue. Over the years the color green and its association with Saint Patrick's day grew. He is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish."

And now for my favorite part:

"Christian leaders in Ireland have expressed concern about the secularization of St Patrick's Day. In The Word magazine's March 2007 issue, Fr. Vincent Twomey wrote, "It is time to reclaim St Patrick's Day as a church festival." He questioned the need for "mindless alcohol-fueled revelry" and concluded that "it is time to bring the piety and the fun together"."

Now I'll get off of my soapbox and talk about updates! Today I officially started orienting in the recovery room and let me say--I love it! Sorry recovery nurses, but it is so freaking easy compared to ICU. I think I am going to really get along good there. I can only work there one day next week b/c next week is CRAZY for me, but after that I'll do 2-3 days/week there when I can.

I ended my shift on a sour note though...I called my hubby right before I clocked out to leave and he informed me that my dad was being taken to our local hospital by my brother for a pulled back. I finished up then rushed there to be with him. Unfortunately all they can do is try to relieve his pain until his can arrange for surgery. It has been about 15yrs since his last "episode".

I took over care from my brother and took dad to my house where he assumed the only comfortable position he could find--lying on his back on the floor--while I took Brad with me to the store to fill his prescriptions. I bought his pills and headed home to cook dinner. He took all of his meds around 9pm, and thankfully by 10pm he was getting tired and feeling some relief. We headed upstairs so he could sleep! He will bunk here with us until we figure out how well he can manage at home alone with this drugs. I just hate to see him hurting so much.

I am trying to find extra time to crank out a few more things for my craft show next week. I have definitely overbooked myself, but what do you do? Most of my stock is ready, I am just working on a few more props. I work the next three nights, so enjoy your weekend!

Starting New Things

Such a busy week, but what fun it has been! Sunday evening I took Brad with me to mumsy's house for a few hours. He had a great time seeing his Nonni and Papa, and of course playing with the dogs. There was one snafu where the boy dog bit Brad's finger so we will have to watch him closer!

Brad got to sit at the table like a big boy eating snacks while he watched us play Scrabble! Not just any Scrabble, but the vintage one that I grew up with my parents playing. It is all fancy-like on a turntable and everything! It's our new favorite thing! So to all of the kids playing "Words with Friends" on your high-tech phone--this is the real thing! Reminds me of wannabe's who are "masters" of Guitar Hero but they can't do anything with a real guitar, ha! My hubby plays the real thing, and I'm his biggest fan.

Monday was my first day of orientation at my new job. I got up at the butt crack of dawn (not easy to do for a night-shifter) and sat on my rear for 10 hours watching videos and listening to speakers. Got my badge, parking decal, etc....took tests, made friends...and was very glad for the day to be done! I didn't have plans for dinner since I knew it would be a late night.

We decided to go out to dinner but instead of bringing our little one, we fed him at home then dropped him off at his new daycare for the very first time! He was the only child there (it was around 7pm) but I think that was a good thing so that he didn't get sensory overload on his first visit. He had two awesome girls playing with him the whole time. After an hour we picked him up and he threw his puzzle pieces down then ran to us! They said he did great, and we got a "Daily Activity" form that they filled out for what he ate and when they changed his diaper!

Today was day 2 of orientation for me, but it was only 2 hours of lecture thankfully! I stopped by mom's for some midday coffee (and Scrabble) then came home and made lunch for the fam. Little boy was very happy to see his momma after he got up from his nap! In a bit we are all going to the store, then to the city for some errands.

Tomorrow I have NO plans! Except that it is my dear father's birthday and we are taking him out to a new Italian restaurant here in Norman. Little Brad will get to go to his daycare (or "school" as everyone else calls it) for a short bit again. Thursday I have 4 more hrs of orientation, then will begin orienting in my unit for 4 hours. And of course, I work Friday and Saturday nights as usual! Let the madness commence!

A Long-Overdue Reunion!

Before I get to the reunion, I wanted to show you the hat I custom made for a newborn's first photo shoot! Hopefully I'll be able to get some pics from it and see it in action.

On to the reunion...

Many moons ago, my parents attended a church called Walker Avenue Baptist church on the south side of OKC. After I was born, I basically grew up going to that church with the same group of people. This was a very small church--maybe 50 members every Sunday--that started my love of small churches.

When I was still pretty young my parents and brothers quit going, but I continued to go until the day the church closed in about 1997 and became a Mexican church. I have a lot of great memories there and I am happy to see that it is at least still in use, albeit a tad broken down.

The pastor that I grew up with there--Brother James--left in the mid 90's but I tracked him down in 2004 for our vow renewal ceremony. He and his wife are moving next week to Colorado so it was very nice to see them one last time! Several of my childhood friends were there, and now everyone is all grown up! We had a great time.

(Keep in mind the walls were white when I went there...)

^My childhood best friend Damon

^The nursery where I used to play

^The altar where I took my first communion

^The board where my dad ran the sound system

^The best pastor ever, Bro. James and his wife Barbara!

Tomorrow I was going to have a garage sale but I am just exhausted from everything I've been doing and my lack of sleep. So I'm postponing it until later on, and I am going to RELAX tomorrow. Of course, I'm sure I'll still do grocery shopping, crocheting, dishes....

Whew!

This week has been crazy busy! Do you recall when I interviewed at another hospital last week? Well by the weekend I still hadn't heard anything, so when Monday came and went I just figured it wasn't meant to be. But when I headed over to my mom's house Monday night for our weekly shebang, Nick called that evening and said that a woman from HR had called about my interview and for me to call her back!

After a couple days of phone tag I finally got in touch with her and evidently I got the job! I went up there Wednesday to sign a million papers, do drug test, get blood drawn, etc. If everything comes in by Friday then I can go to orientation on Monday...but if not then I think they said the next orientation is the middle of next month. I'd rather get it out of the way now but they are the ones who took their time calling me, so we'll see!

I think this will be a really good {and easy} job to have on the side, and the extra money will go right into savings! The new job pays as much per hour as overtime at my old job! Yes I am keeping both jobs--I'm not quitting OU. It will also look fabulous on my resume ;)

Nick got a call from his *potential* government job on Monday confirming some details for his security clearance. We are still praying it turns out to be the real thing next month! He is still substitute teaching at a Christian school down the street in his free time, plus of course watching little man when I am out!

Speaking of little man, we signed him up for an awesome looking hourly daycare this week! It is just a few miles from us, and we were very impressed with the quality and setup. It is a drop in/out daycare (or "playcare" as they call it) that charges by the hour. All staff have clean backgrounds and are CPR certified. There are usually only a few kids there at one time, and there are different play areas for the different age groups. The baby room is set up with cribs and a diaper changing area, and they turn the lights down for napping babies. There are TVs with cartoons, and several play areas with tons of toys. I think he will love it!

I had thought about signing him up for MDO somewhere, but it was a bit overwhelming to figure out where. This new place will work out perfectly for when we want to just have a date night or if something unexpected comes up. It is also just in time to have available for when Nick and I start our new jobs! We definitely did not want a traditional daycare for him. Most of them have a ton of rowdy kids, and you have to pay for so many hours per week whether you need that much or not (for those who have to pay...).

In other news...my seeds are starting to sprout! The salad sprouts came up first, and now the marigolds are showing. I have been cranking out several ADORABLE bunny-eared hats for my craft show, and finished up a custom newborn hat today for photography. This Saturday we are going to a reunion for our old church, and Sunday I am *planning* on having a big garage sale at my house. Then we've got more birthdays, parties, a craft show....

Time for me to go take a nap!

Cooking and Crocheting

Yesterday I spent the morning with my dad helping him remember how to make our family spaghetti sauce! He hasn't made it in many years, and now that I have mastered it I knew it was time for a refresher course! We had a good time together cooking, talking, and drinking coffee at his house. Man did that sauce smell good! I took some home for us and we all ate it for lunch. Yum!

Later on last night Nick and I played one our favorite games outside--badminton! Our culdesac is perfect for it and Brad gets such a kick out of picking up the birdie when it flies off to the side. Nick gets upset because my little angel always brings it to me!! After I put Brad to bed I proceeded in making us some delicious treats--homemade donuts!

I lost my makeshift "hole puncher" so I had to get creative, but they still tasted so good!

I coated some with powdered sugar, and some with sugar/cinnamon. Yes there were even donut holes!

My 5th craft show is coming up in just 3 short weeks so I have been staying busy crafting away. Throughout my previous shows I have learned what sells good so I am trying to make more of that. I try to stay away from making things that 20 other booths will already have! One of my best-sellers is crocheted hats of all sizes. Since Easter is coming up, I am adding this one to my inventory! (Click the link on the top right ---> for my craft store to place an order)

That's it for now! Tonight is weekly girls night at my mom's house, and we have lots to do!

Reconnected

After two non-stop shifts at work, I am happy to be enjoying my first day off! After a few hours of sleep I got prettied up then headed out to have dinner with an old friend! We haven't seen each other in 3 or 4 years but we had a blast reconnecting over yummy food. I caught her up on my New York plans, Brad, and family. She caught me up on her published novel, boyfriend, and weight loss.

It was just such a nice change to have a fun conversation with another girlfriend and we will definitely be doing more of it! She has a very large fan base on the internet for doing makeup tutorials, and also does event makeup on the side. I told her over and over how awesome it is that she has gotten out there and pursued her interests of writing and makeup. I always support people going for their dreams, but get frustrated when some just talk big and never follow thru. It is refreshing to see another person with drive!

After a couple of hours and a couple of hugs, we parted ways and I went to check on my mumsy. She is doing well after her knee surgery, but is still in a good amount of pain. I know she is very ready to get life back to normal and not be so dependent on help. She is getting there slowly, and has been very appreciative of all of our sweet friends who have checked on her and gone to see her during this time! We are praying for a quick recovery.

Hubby is off playing guitar with his buddy right now, and tomorrow morning I am meeting my dad for breakfast then helping him make a big batch of our family spaghetti sauce! Yum!

Unexpected

Today was supposed to be my "Monday" where I go back to work the next three nights...but that all changed when I got a call from them asking if I wanted to be furloughed tonight! Um, sure! Tonight was an extra shift for me anywho, plus I can use my vacation time and still get paid. Everybody wins!

Thinking that I was going to be busy for a few days, we used today to really enjoy the weather! Once again, it's in the 70s here. Our old TV finally gave up the ghost--yes it was one of the mammoth old ones--so after breakfast this morning we all three headed out the store and got one of them newfangled flat screen LCD TVs! It's nothing fancy or pretentious--just your basic TV so that Brad can watch his cartoons and we can watch our Netflix movies. It is a few inches bigger than our other one, and the picture is really nice. I guess this will be our "splurge" buy with our tax return!

When we got done at the store, we ran home to unload the car then picked up a smorgasbord of KFC goodness and went to the park! We were the only ones there, and the food was so delish. Brad loved it too of course, and he ate a ton! After we all got full, we bagged up the leftovers then let our little one play on the slides (his new fave at the playground) for a bit before heading home for naptime.

I laid down for a nap too since I thought I was going to work, but right when I woke up they called to cancel me! I usually don't volunteer to stay home, but every once in awhile it's a nice surprise.

Coincidentally, tonight was also a coworker's birthday party at 7pm! We fixed ourselves up then headed into the city so my mom could watch Brad while we went to see my friend. It was a fun little shindig and I talked with the girls while Nick talked with the man of the house about guy stuff. Before we knew it, it was almost 9pm and we headed back to my mom's. Brad loved spending some time with them and was all tuckered out for bed when we got home.

I cherish this kinds of days with my family of three! There is nothing like it.

Happiness can not be "flaunted";
true happiness deserves to be shouted
from the highest mountaintop for all to hear.
Only those with bitterness in their heart
will try to make it seem malicious.
May God heal their soul.

A Fresh Face!

Happy March 1st everyone! Notice anything different? Just a few things...title, layout, colors, signature...basically a much-needed facelift for my little blog here. The notorious poll for my new blog name had an OBVIOUS winner--by 68% in fact--so here you have it! I hope it's not too big of a change, and easy to get used to! I think it matches our life as a family of three much better.

Now for some pictures! Here are a couple of hats I made recently for my upcoming craft show this month:

A week or so ago we took burgers over to my dad's house then hung outside playing badminton and walking around his field.

And here is my little angel acting like a big boy and sitting at the table! About a month ago we moved his highchair up to the end of the dining table so that we could start having family mealtime together! He loves sitting closer to us, and we all know how important eating together as a family is these days. Too many people just scarf their food down in front of the TV without spending quality time together.

Before we know it, we will be asking him how his day at school was!

Remember the seeds I spoke of? Well before I could plant them I {had} to make cute labels for the pods! Here is all of my stuff ready to be planted:

They are now happily planted and outside enjoying the warm weather. Don't worry--I bring them in when it gets below freezing ;) I can't wait to start seeing sprouts! I don't have a very good history with plants so wish me luck.

Time for me to go snuggle with my love while we read our nightly chapter aloud. We are currently reading "Hannibal" and love this special time together! It's our 3rd book so far that we are reading to each other and it's a great way to wind down after a busy day. Tomorrow is my interview so I need my beauty sleep!