Keeping busy

Since school is now a distant memory, I have moved on to new and fun things!

Don't ask me where I got the idea to start making headbands and clips, but I did. And boy, did I!

I will slip into my "office/craft room" and easily make 5 clips in less than an hour. It's been fun to wear them and give a few away.

I did this with beading jewelry a few years ago and made TONS of earrings and bracelets. I tried to sell some but after the obsession came to an end, I just donated most of what I made to Goodwill. Then I ended up going to total opposite direction and decided I would no longer wear any bead jewelry and only wear pearl stud or real (fake) diamond stud earrings. I have been wearing the same 5 pair of earrings for over a year now. I just love the simplicity and sophistication of it.

I can't say how or when this current obsession will end. I'm just enjoying the ride.

I've been doing a little cooking and not as much picture taking.

Frustrating how life sucks up most of your energy and your day.

We want to get out and play more but we have to .....work.

You, too?! So, you know how I feel.

We really need a vacation but I have this little distraction that takes me away for a week at a time.....

I got a nice visit with her when she was 3 weeks old and now I'm returning to see her at the end of September. She will be 3 months. My husband understands this obsession and the fact that THIS ONE will never end. Love her :)

So, one day, my husband and I will take a vacay together....soon, we hope. I still haven't been to the beach but having a new niece kind makes up for that. :)

I sort of lied earlier.

School isn't a distant memory. I have sorta been getting more education.

I took ACLS and am certified now! That's Advanced Cardiac Life Support. Means I now know what's going on during a code and (gulp) may help out! I am starting a class on Identifying Cardiac Dysrhythmias. It's just a few hours a week for a month. I can't help it. I love learning about the medical field. Someday I will work in the hospital setting again, I just know it. Once this darn economy bummer thing gets better and hospitals decide to start hiring us "new" Registered Nurses. Since I've been working full time now, I've been getting alot of great feedback from people. I feel like I'm pretty darn special and I have alot to give as an employee. I am becoming more and more motivated in my thoughts on where this career can take me. Only UP! I do not want to stay in the same place in life or in my career. I don't mean place as in location. I mean, as in hierarchy. Is that bad? I have big ideas about what I can become. And now that I have my RN, I can achieve those goals. Bring it on!

I will be 35 this month. I love it. I have so much energy and excitement and confidence right now. I think all that was tempered in my 20's by fear. Fear of what I knew or didn't know. Fear of what people thought. Fear that I didn't know what I thought. Fear of being single the rest of my life.

But now, life is full and complete. And where it isn't, I know how to make it that way.

I was watching the movie "Yes!" Man today. I LOVE it! I totally feel like that right now. Bring it on! Korean lessons, guitar lessons, flying lessons, bunji jumping.....I want it all.

Patience. My husband has it. I am learning it. I'm still pretty spontaneous but he is helping me be more level-headed. We research and think through alot of my big ideas or my big "I want this now!" moments. We are perfect together. We are so very different. He catches my enthusiasm and is up for my many ideas and plans. But he is a very slow rolling rock. I think that's what I need though. (although, sometimes when he is at work, I suddenly decide to paint the bathroom and buy new bathroom fixtures!)

I also keep busy by watching my friends lives and kids via Facebook. What would I do without it? (I'd have to get out and make new friends! Yikes!)

And then, of course, there is Delilah. She is a year old now. She's still barely 5 lbs despite all the soft food we feed her. That's fine though. She's perfect. Here she is wearing (tolerating) a teal duct tape bow I made for her.

This is just too funny. It's a mirror image app on my cell phone. She's holding her fluffy green frog in her mouth.

This is getting long. I should blog more often. I just have to add one ironic part to it all.

Despite all the energy that I write about having.....I have dust on my shelves and clothes that have been waiting weeks to be hung up!

There ya have it! Now you know how I've been keeping busy.

Why I love Skype

Flower power

I saw how to make these on a blog but I guess I didn't save the blog so I can't link back to it. Bummer. But I am so happy about how they turned out. So easy and so cute. I wear headbands all the time and have WAY, WAY too many of them. I consciously stopped buying earrings and other jewlery about a year ago and seemed to have (unconsciously) replaced my obsession with headbands.

The pink one is really red felt. The others are satin. I utilized some ribbon and beads I had around the house.

These were made on my first attempt. I only allowed myself to buy 3 different fabrics at the store but now, of course, I want to go back and get ten more!

Canyon Lake

Arizona is beautiful.
We went to Canyon Lake.
This is Canyon Lake. Just 2 hour drive from our home.

This is Delilah. She didn't want to pose for this picture until I said the magic words..."Are you hungry?" Little stinker.

Isn't she cute?

Look, Mom! I can swim!

It was his birthday so I took him camping and gave him a kiss. Happy Birthday, Honey!

Just what he wanted...to hang out with his cute wife and wet dog at the lake.




Here's the lake again.

Here's his cute wife and wet dog.

It was a great setting. Enough people but still pretty quiet. People actually spoke to us! That's a change from our previous trips where we have been in pretty isolated areas.

The water was nice and refreshing. Well, it was dirty lake water, but it was refreshing.

I just loved being so close to the water. I did alot of reading. We didn't have cell service so no wasting time online. We ate well. Spaghetti. Chicken & rice. Hamburgers with mac & cheese. Swimming....er, floating in the lake makes you hungry!

We tried hard to remember when our last camping trip was when we realized our holding tank was full on the second night. (it was just the grey tank (dirty water). not the black tank, thank goodness!)

It was a nice trip. The weather was fun. Clouds the first day. Lots of hot sunshine the next day and even rained that night. It was our first time using electric hook-ups and we ran the A/C the entire time. It was 90-100 degrees so it was great to be able to sleep comfortably. Even if the sound of the a/c unit was so loud we had to speak loudly while inside the camper. Price we paid for comfort.

I can't wait to go back with a canoe and some lifevests so we can explore the lake. Delilah does well with the water. She actually walked out into the lake and swam to me a few times. She quickly figured out which way was the shore when I put her back down in the water. She's not crazy about being wet and chilly but she doesn't hate it. We need to get her a life vest too. Of course she will come with us on the canoe! I can't wait.

We had a fairly easy time emptying the tanks before arriving home. It was only 103 outside so we weren't so irritable like we were back when it was 113 degrees. Actually knowing what we are doing helps alot, too. :)

High School Poem

I was looking for a story I wrote back in high school that has always been special to me. Unfortunately, I can't find it. I will keep looking in my stuff. Until then, I found a high school book of poems that we published in 1992. My poem was selected and is found on page 65-66.

My Life and Me

I was conceived and the journey that is my life began
Inside the womb we swam
Together as one, waiting, waiting....

On my birthday I let out a wail announcing our arrival
The world revolved around my new life and me

My life stayed close to me in those early years,
Keeping me content,
Although I never realized it was there

Through childhood I controlled my life
The only way I knew how,
Moment by moment

Then one day, years later,
The hours in a day didn't seem so long,
And summers passed before my eyes....
I knew my life was passing me by

Now, at the age where I know it all,
All I know is that fiver years in time isn't that long anymore
The events of my life are now in control,
Pressing on, leaving me behind
Where are we going? I don't understand.
What about ME, I cry out.

I look forward to another year
I can't wait to see what is in store for me
If I close my eyes and turn around,
It will be gone

Oh, Life!
Why do you run ahead?
Let's go back to where we first began
Remember all the fun we had?
The memories that were made and kept are what keep me going

Yes, I accept that onward is the only way for my life to go
Yet, I find no peace in this understanding.


I was one serious little kid. Don't worry, I'm alot more lighthearted as an adult.
I distinctly remember thinking as a little 7yr old child that I did NOT enjoy being a child. I could not wait to be an adult so people would stop treating me like a kid and let me make up my own mind! Apparently, my control issues began at birth? The thing is, I was right, being an adult is great! I sometimes will have ice cream for dinner just because I can! I'm starting to talk my husband over to my side, too. He still follows certain rules so deeply instilled in him as a child.
Life is too short! Did you read the poem?! Hello!

Now, go eat ice cream for dinner. Or breakfast!

To Colorado and back

I drove my mom back to Pagosa Springs, Colorado last weekend. It's a long, nine hour drive but the beauty of it makes it go by fast. I love getting home and looking at beautiful photos that I've managed to snap along the way.

Don't the colors just take your breath away?

I guess that's enough pictures. I took a ton more, but these should give you a good idea. I highly recommend taking Hwy 160 from Flagstaff to Pagosa Springs anytime you have a spare 9 hours.

Getting stuff done

I am. Yes, I am!
Remember when I "exposed" myself on this blog post?

Well, despite life keeping me VERY occupied outside the home, I've still managed to get somethings done.

SEE!

Things are looking better. Still so much to be done but at least this little bit helps.

Back in June....

I just realized my posts went from camping to baby and I totally left out stuff that happened in June.
I got the matching wedding band to my ring. I love it and wear them all the time now.

Delilah got her hair cut (by me) and that saved money for her to get a new dress. :)

I wanted to capture my feelings of utter panic and apprehension before I went to take my nursing board exam on June 14. SO glad that is over!

Here I am, 30 hours later, calling my family to tell them I AM A RN FINALLY!

I was at work when I found out I passed the boards. I had been checking the website for results about every half hour since I finished my exam. Yes, very ridiculous, but I couldn't help it!

It was the end of the shift and I was exhausted with anxiety. Then the results popped up on my screen (love the droid internet access!). Immediately the room began to spin and I lost all the air in my body. My coworkers cheered me on as I gasped, "Oh, MY GOD! It's over! I'm a RN!" When the feeling came back to my legs, I walked outside to call my husband and cry. You'd think I was waiting to find out if I had cancer or not. I am NOT a fan of anticipation. I can't even watch t.v. or movies that have suspense. It physically hurts me.

In perfect timing, my shift was over and I raced home so we could go out and celebrate! Shrimp lettuce wraps and a martini! It was an awesome moment in time. I couldn't stop smiling.

Here I am at the Cheesecake Factory after taking the exam. I put on my pearls and I tried to drown my anxiety in cheesecake and a martini. I had a horrible feeling that I had failed. It was not a fun time but I tried to think positive.

It has been so fun at work, signing RN after my name. Coworkers have been so great, supportive and excited for me.

At the end of this exciting week, my neice was born. I became a RN and my brother became a DAD on the same week. Long-awaited dreams come true for both of us. His dream will cost him money, my dream makes me money. But we can share, like good siblings do!

Just had to mention what happened...back in June.

exposing myself....

Clutter.

Some may feel ashamed of such exposure but I do not!

We all have dirty little areas like these (I think, I hope!).

I'm not afraid to show it.

My desire to have these areas of my home to be purged and organized rises above any feelings of shame that these areas actually exist.

Don't get me wrong, my house is mostly CLEAN, but organized and tidy....not so much.
I am just not that kind of person who is overly motivated to keep the perfect house. Couple that with my addiction to shopping and surfing the internet....thus the following evidence.

BUT!

My desire to feel proud and accomplished is deep and needy. I want to feel peace and order when I gaze about my home. And now that : 1)I am out of nursing school (automatic more time, less stress) 2)it's too hot outside to go do anything 3)we want to simplify our lifes so we can travel more....I have more than enough motivation to get some things done!

Halfway through my cup of coffee this morning, I grabbed my camera and took pics of the areas in my house that need purging and returned to their originally intended purposes.

This is what has become of my lovely office table. I don't even really use my "office". I used it some during nursing school. We spend all of our time in the living room. I have "my" chair and my laptop fits nicely on the arm of the big stuffed chair. That's all I need as an "office" these days. What do people do in their offices? Please, tell me. Maybe I'm missing out on some pertinent "office" activities.

Can you tell this cool basket was ment to hold remote controls ? Sort of ?? Shoot, you can't even tell the basket is really cool! :(

This is a shelf in my closet. It's not the most usable space but it's where I stuff items I just don't want to deal with at the moment. If it was clear, the closet would look alot better. I enjoy an organized closet. I've always separated clothes ....long sleeve from short sleeve....dresses from skirts....scrubs have their own section...ect. I MUST have an organized closet! So this shelf is an eyesore.

This is on top of the dresser next to my side of the bed. It's actually out of my view since the dresser is really high. I had to take this pic to really see what was going on up there. It's the closest thing I have to a bedside table so it collects stuff...earplugs, sleep mask, water bottles. It's the only clutter in the room (besides the baskets of clothes awaiting to be hung up in the closet).

This is in my office. Most of this stuff I need to store in the closet or give away. Most of it is stuff from nursing school.

Before you get all excited...this is INSIDE the green cabinet in the dining room. Can you say "catch-all"? There's some really good, important stuff in there. Just don't know where else to put it. This is a project for sure.

This IS sad. This shelf sits right in the entry way of the front door. It's been like this for a long time. Another catch-all area. I can't blame this on anyone but myself. Brian never uses the front door. I'm starting to think we need to have company over more often so I can keep on top of this stuff! Sunscreen, alcohol swabs, dog dress and CD's??? Those are all my hats. I have no idea where else to put them. I love my hats and use them all the time. They may just have to stay there.

Under the living room table. I never touch this stuff except Delilah gets a Cheerio treat sometimes.

I am motivated even more now. I will post new pics after I clean up these areas. Actually, I had one area, the electronics area, cluttered with CD's (even though we have a lovely wood CD cabinet for that!) that I was going to photograph but I ended up cleaning it right away! Dusted, CD's put away. Looks great now. See, I've already started! It feels good already.

Should I have a goal for when this all should be done? Oh, that's asking a bit too much for me right now. I'm not THAT intense! (I wanted to write anal but that's such a rude word).

I'm not too worried. I know myself and that I will get this done ASAP.

Come back in a few days and see my results!