Sunday getting to know you

1.  Have you ever snooped around someone else's house?
Most definitely, I usually start in the bathroom with their cabinets, I am super stealth and can open doors with no one hearing me! :)
 
2. Can guys and girls be friends?
Yes, I am married and have guy friends...why wouldn't they be able to? ;)
 
3. Can you curl your tongue?
As a matter of fact, I can, it's a dominant trait. :)
 
4. Have you ever stolen anything?
Besides my hubby's heart, nope :D
 
5. Would you rather talk on the phone or text?
It depends on the situation, I like to do both. 
 
6. Memorial Day plans?
Hanging here at my sister's house in Katy, nothing special I don't think, in fact, we may be driving home tomorrow.
 
7. What do you do to relax?
Read a book, read blogs, play video games, watch tv with the hubs...lots of stuff :)
 
8. Do you do anything to honor those that have died fighting for our freedom?
I usually post a thank you on my facebook and twitter but no specific ritual or anything.
 

Today is a new day!!!

Ok...sorry about such a short post yesterday. I had to catch up on my blogroll and it took several hours because I think it was at least a week's worth that I hadn't read. I'm trying to be good and read for my class so I've tried to stay off the computer as much as I can make myself, sometimes I'm successful, sometimes not. However, I am on vacation so I felt like I should catch up. I got a lot of good reading in and added a couple more blogs to my blogroll. I have to be careful because I tend to get completely sucked into the blogsphere to the point that I neglect what's going on around me. I'm getting better though. I try to get on every few days but that puts me really behind on my blogroll and I try to read them all! :)

Anyway, things are good here in Katy, Miss Deborah is growing by the second and is already very opinionated about her world at 2 weeks old. She is a very good baby though and doesn't really fuss unless she's hungry or wet. She is extremely active though and she and I have had several talks about her letting herself be a baby and stop trying to sit up!!! She's also very picky about the position of her head! I was trying to burp her this morning and she kept picking her head up and turning it to the side so I gave up and just held her head. I don't want to have to leave her but I know that I will have to. I will see her again in July for Joseph's first birthday so that will be fun, but she'll be a whole new baby since they change so much!!! 

I am not ready to go back to school...I am enjoying this break. However, I love my class and have learned so much about myself and the people around me, it's amazing. I have also learned to have more compassion towards people with mental illnesses and not to assume that it's something that they can just fix. They can be helped though, and the best way to help them is to teach them to help themselves whether that be through medicine, therapy or a combination. Learned behaviors can be unlearned but it may take a lifetime. Sometimes, the anxiety that underlies the behavior cannot be changed and the person is going to forever have those feelings, but they can learn to control them and how to live with them. People with mental illnesses who have a good support system tend to do better than those who don't. It's very sad to me that some people don't have a good support system although I can see how it would be frustrating to deal with someone with a mental illness on a daily basis, especially when they're in crisis. 

On a more positive note, it rained and stormed last night, which I love!!! I love thunder and lightning, they're my favorite weather, just not all the time or I would live in Washington or Oregon. I have to have a little sunshine. That's why I like the mountains, they have the perfect balance for me. It's cool, but sunny with some storms. 

I think we're gonna go to Galveston here in a little bit so I'm going to go get ready!!! Have a great Memorial weekend everyone!!! I hope yours is blessed and safe!!!

Whew!

Holy smokes!!! I had a heck of a blog roll to get caught up on. I think I haven't been on here since last week. I've been busy, as usual, with school. I am sitting here at 11:38pm in Houston visiting my middle sister who had her baby 2 weeks ago. Let me just say that Miss Deborah is the cutest baby girl around (and I am in no way biased)! Anyway, I really enjoyed all the blog reading, I read some amazing stories. They inspire me. However, it's nearly midnight and I'm tired so this is going to be a short post. I will try to post again tomorrow so that I can set all these thoughts in my head free. Right now, I just can't, my fingers aren't really working...g'nite!

DUH!!!!!

http://purseblogger.blogspot.com/2010/05/prayers-for-daffy-mission-monkey-day.html
Today is Mission Monkey Day! Please see the above link for information on this sweet baby girl! Link up, donate or do whatever your heart tells you. This family needs support and prayers!!!

On a lighter note, I think my computer is trying to drive me crazy. I admit that some of this is due to operator error but some of it is just the idiosyncrasies of a computer. To start with, I was trying to leave a comment on Michelle's (Monkey's mom) blog so I decided to create a new email strictly for the blogsphere and...I thought my computer was freezing on the create screen. I tried 4 or 5 times before I saw that it wanted my WHOLE birthday, year included!!! I thought the year was optional, apparently, I was wrong. I even tried to "sneak" around that page and come from a different one to create my new account before I realized that was the problem!!! Wow!!! I thought this was going to be a simple process, sit down, read the blogs, then write my blog. Nope, nothing's ever simple for me! LOL...I do it to myself but still, it perpetuates without my consent!!! I sat down to start this blog about 7:45ish this morning and it is now 9:55am. What happened???? Well, between the hell that is Windows Vista and my incompetence, time got away from me. I've noticed this is a recurrent theme in my life. Part of it is, I have no sense of time whatsoever!!! I tend to think I have FAR more time than I actually do so when I actually get around to looking at the clock, I panic!!! This is perpetual, I have been this way my entire life so you'd think it would be an easy fix...but that's just not the case!!! I have attempted to fix it by getting up earlier or giving myself longer to get ready than is necessary and yet somehow, I still end up rushing. I happen to think that I have adult ADHD but as I've never been officially diagnosed...it's just my opinion. I am in my mental health class for nursing right now and I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night so obviously, it's ADHD. I don't need a doctor to tell me that! ;) I actually think that I just have ADD because I don't have the hyperactivity part...that would be helpful, either that or a little bipolar mania. (Disclaimer: Bipolar is a real disease and I don't take it lightly) I just need a little motivation and that energy that they have would help me, but it could be a hinderance since I can't seem to concentrate on just one thing...it's a vicious cycle. It's one that I'm working on but there are days that I think I would just like to be on Adderall so that I don't have to think about it!!! I debate that in my mind a lot. (As you read this I'm sure that you see why I think I have ADD, I can't stay on one subject!) Anyway, I have said all of this to say that I wasted 2 hours trying to figure out something very simple. I did do some studying while I was trying to set up my new email though so the time wasn't wasted...I just wish that so much of it hadn't passed. Oh well, on with the day!!! Have a great Friday and a super weekend!!!

Frustration!!!!!

Those of you who know me well, know how much I love my dogs. They are my furry children who don't speak clearly. I love them, more than some people love their human children and yet, today, I wanted to take Bruce to the pound!!! Bobby and I went to Burger King for lunch today. They have started serving ribs and since Bobby is a rib afficionado, we decided to go try them. Anyway, Bobby usually takes the trash in with him and puts it in their trashcan. He didn't do that today, said it was full. So I decided to go look at the purple Challenger SRT-8 that's on their lot. Of course, a salesman came out there so I explained to him that I was just dreaming because there's no way we can afford it. It's a $47,000 car!!!! That absolutely blows my mind, Bobby said that the sticker price was $42,000 so I went to look, well, salivate really but that's beside the point! I'm not really a car girl but this car is just, well, sexy!!!  It's metallic purple with carbon fiber looking stripes down the hood and a black fin on the back...it's just unbelievable...leather seats, tinted windows, the whole 9 yards. If you know me well, you know that I generally am not into cars, I'm tall, and I tend to hit my head getting in and out of them because I have to contort myself into a pretzel to get in and out so I said I would NEVER buy another one, after the last car that we had. Anyway, I digress.

I drove back across the lot to Bobby's office to tell him the price difference and try to beg for the car. I know I can't have it and don't need it but...I WANT IT!!!! It will become my new obsession, that eventually I'll get over because I just can't have it. I can't trade my durango in on it, I owe too dang much money on the durango, not only that, but the cops would probably burn my license after a while. I tend to be a speed demon and well, that car is damn fast...so, it's not something I need but that doesn't matter, I just want it. In a few days, or weeks perhaps, I'll get over it and go back to wanting a rubicon, maybe...LOL!!! Anyway, in the few minutes that I was in discussing the car with Bobby, Bruce got into the Burger King bag and ate ALL 6 bones!!! Not only that but he got barbecue sauce on my front seat and was licking the seat so there's a big wet, sloppy spot on the driver's seat. I was livid, to say the least, but at least this blog is helping me calm down. I feel much better just having gotten this off my chest, I'm still irritated at him, but he went straight to my room to bed so I don't have to deal with it now. I'm afraid that I would completely lose my mind if I were to have to deal with him right now. I still get somewhat incensed as I sit here and think about it...so, I'll leave it at that. 

As for school, it's fast and furious, but I am really enjoying it. I am taking mental health, which is something that has always interested me. I'm all about finding out what makes people tick. I get totally sucked into true crime shows and Criminal Minds....but again, I digress. We have studied anxiety disorders and somatoform disorders and therapeutic nurse-patient relationships and how to communicate therapeutically. Therapeutic communication is something that I think I do very well. I find it fairly easy, generally, to relate to people and talk to them on their level. I tend to be the "counselor" of my friends, usually so I like to talk to people. I love to help people problem solve and figure out how to "fix" themselves or their situation. I'm pretty realistic though, knowing that some things can't be "fixed". I think grief is that way, I don't think you ever truly "get over it" but that you learn to live with it. It's a process and just because you think something is dealt with, doesn't mean that there won't be a situation that brings up all of those feelings again. I just think that it's perpetual. I am also learning a lot about myself, all of it good, so far. There are obviously things about myself that I would like to "fix" but this class has helped me to see that some things can't be "fixed" and that as long as it doesn't control me or inhibit my daily activities, then I'm "good to go". My husband said that he knew that I would start diagnosing myself with all kinds of things, but I've actually not diagnosed myself with anything. I have fears, I have anxiety, but I don't have any "disorder" because none of them stop me from living my life. I've  actually figured out that I am much better off than I thought I was...LOL!!!! Obviously, I'm far from perfect but at least now I know what's going on in my head and am able to deal with it. I know that every one has issues and that we all deal with them differently but sometimes it's just nice to have a name for things. 

Anyway, I have to get back to studying, I have my first test Monday and I am shooting for an "A"! Wish me luck, cross your fingers, say a prayer or do whatever it is that you do!!! Have a great Thursday and a great weekend!!!

I'm an aunt again!!!

Miss Deborah Lucille Oliver made her appearance today!!! I am so excited!!! I'm an aunt times two! My other sister had our first nephew, Joseph Howard Sparhawk last July! She is due to have another little boy this July! Becoming an aunt is exciting, scary and a bunch of other feelings all wrapped up in each other.

There was a time in my life when I would have been completely jealous and unable to be happy for my sisters because I was too caught up in my own grief. I am beyond that, emotionally. That's not to say that I don't still have some sadness attached to not having babies of my own yet but I am happy for them. I am working on becoming that person who is happy regardless of what is going on around me. The hardest part is that I want everything to be fixed permanently and quickly, and our emotions don't work that way.

This became more evident to me than ever this semester. I had my OB class, which I was honestly not looking forward to at all, I was truly afraid that I would be unable to handle it, emotionally. However, I did very well. I did tear up at all the births that I saw, but I wasn't the only one. However, they were all tears of joy, not tears of anger or envy. I am proud of that. I actually handled this whole semester much better than I thought I would be able to. It's amazing what we can handle and it's always much more than we think. I keep finding that I am much stronger emotinally than I think I am even though I still have the breakdowns.

Ok, enough with the deep emotions. I am just ecstatic, I have a healthy niece and nephew and we have another nephew on the way. Now if I can just get pictures of Miss Dee, things will be better!!! Happy Birthday Deborah!!!

Extraordinary

I find it sad that I have been waiting for my life to become extraordinary, when, if I had just been paying attention, I would have realized that it has been extraordinary all along. Granted, I'm not famous and I don't have tons of money, which might be what I was waiting for, but still, my life is awesome. I have some great friends and family that support me in my every endeavor. They lift me up when I fall and pat me on the back when I do well. I couldn't ask for greater people to surround me.

I have a husband that is awesome too. He puts up with my insanity, this is the most important thing that he does. I understand completely now why couples break up during nursing school! It turns you into a monster at times, I don't know that I could put up with me, but he does, without batting an eye. He also encourages me when I am in the depths of despair over a test grade or a class, he knows exactly what to say to lift my spirits. I am so grateful for him!!! I wouldn't trade him for anything!!!

I sat outside today and watched my dogs. They were cracking me up. Kylee was running all over the yard like she was looking for something. Every once in a while, she'd look over at me, just to make sure that I hadn't snuck inside while she wasn't looking, but then, she continued on. I don't have a clue what she was looking for, but, she seemed content and she sleeps on the floor next to me. Bruce did his peeing routine and then went and sat in the shade. He came up to be petted pretty often because that's what he does. I tried to take a picture so that I could show you his sweet face but he put his head in my lap or would get too close to the phone so I couldn't snap a picture. He's so funny. All he wants is to please me and I love that.

I finished level 2 today, I am SO relieved. I would have rather sat for the NCLEX yesterday than take the med surg test and yet, I passed. I didn't ace it but I passed which is all I needed. Plus, I made a better grade than I have on any of the other tests so I was happy. However, I was in tears yesterday morning because I was so afraid that I wasn't going to pass that class. However, I sent a text to all my friends and family to pray for me, and they did. I also put a prayer request up on facebook and got several responses there. It was awesome. I didn't do all that hot on my ob final but I was far better off in that class so it didn't matter. I would have had to bomb it and I knew that wouldn't happen! I should have studied harder, but ob is not where I'll end up so it's all good.

I just wanted to put this out there to say thanks to all my friends and family. I am really grateful for all the wonderful people in my life!!! It is an extraordinary life!!!!