Birthday

My Birthday was yesterday. It was awesome! Thank you to all who helped make it such a special day.

What I have learned in 2006

Things I have learned in 2006.

-However tough it may be at times, I am able to be a successful and independent adult

-Sometimes people change as they grow, and that's okay

-I love the church I joined in Omaha (Rockbrook United Methodist)

-Kids are much smarter than adults about many things

-A good sense of humor is necessary and beneficial

-It's not scary to put nasogastric tubes in or start IVs anymore

-When a basketball team steals the ball from the opposing team, it's called a turnover, not an interception

-My body suffers from stress

-I am happy

-I have endless patience with children, but need to work on my patience with adults

-Getting my luggage lost can be a fairly entertaining experience

-Being a nurse has taught me so much, and it takes more emotional energy than I have ever expended before

-How exciting it is to hear Handel's Hallelujah Chorus live

-Having a budget is very important

-Dating my best friend is amazing

-Being sick for 6 weeks can make a girl depressed for a while, and it hurts the pocketbook too...

-True friends love you and stay by your side regardless of what is going on in your life. Sometimes, they even drive all the way from Minnesota to be with you in a time of great need.

-My Grandpa was a positive role model in my life

-I want to teach

-A road trip to Alabama with 2 friends is a great way to become refreshed

I am probably forgetting something, but that's all that comes to mind right now. I hope everyone is having a wonderful New Year. My resolutions are to:

1. Get in shape

2. Follow my budget

3. Attend grad school and be on my way to a career in nursing education

What are your resolutions for the new year?

Frustrated

Just for the record, I am usually a very happy and optimistic person. I tend to only journal when I'm sad and/or frustrated. Now that I've said that, here I go...

I'm frustrated with my job. I'm tired of watching kids suffer. I realize I'm there to help them and feel honored to help people through these times and coach the kids and families through times of need, but I'm so emotionally drained. Furthermore, I'm sad that some of our children die despite all of the efforts to make them healthy. It's not fair. I watched a child die last week. It's something I never want to happen again or ever see again. My logical side knows that children can die just like adults, but it's hard to tell my heart that.

I'm tired of coming home sad, angry, crying, and short-tempered. I'm tired of being the in-between for doctors, families, and other caregivers and getting blamed for everything that goes wrong and expected to be responsible for the entire scope of care.

I'm tired of empty promises---promises of working fewer weekends, etc. I'm tired of working weekends and hardly seeing Andrew. I don't like working holidays either.

Other than that, things are peachy. Hopefully you spared yourself and didn't read this entire venting session. I am done now and I feel better. Thank you.

Church

I unexpectantly got the day off of work today (I'm working tomorrow instead.) Anyhoo, I got to go to church today which is always awesome. I love our church. Also, to top it off, I was sitting next to a family I didn't know with a little girl who I would estimate to be about 1 1/2 years old. Randomly during the sermon, she reached her arms out to me, so I held her on my lap through much of the sermon. That made my day.

Church

I unexpectantly got the day off of work today (I'm working tomorrow instead.) Anyhoo, I got to go to church today which is always awesome. I love our church. Also, to top it off, I was sitting next to a family I didn't know with a little girl who I would estimate to be about 1 1/2 years old. Randomly during the sermon, she reached her arms out to me, so I held her on my lap through much of the sermon. That made my day.

Life in October and November of 2006

Life marches on...
Last month, I had my surgery. Both the procedure and the recovery were uneventful. Everything turned out normal which is a huge relief. I feel very blessed about the cards, messages, and calls I received from friends during this time and the time of my Grandfather's death. To be honest, I spent much of October feeling upset and cheated about my Grandfather's passing. However, I just returned from Florida where I spent several days with my Grandma. I felt that she and I had some healing times together as we shared memories, and laughed, and cried. We participated in the All Saints Sunday at their church where the church honors its members who have died in the past year. We carried a picture of Grandpa up to the altar. This was difficult, but healing at the same time. After that service, Grandma and I met my Aunt, Uncle, and 3 princesses for brunch at Disney. It was so refreshing to spend time with them. The timing was excellent. I love spending time in Orlando. It has always been my second home. When I went to leave this morning, my Grandma said "Bye, best friend." I responded with an enthusiastic "See ya later, best friend!" My Grandma is such an inspiration. I really hope she moves to Omaha.
As of this week, Andrew and I have been dating for a year. Wow. It still seems unreal to me. It seems unreal that it has already been a year, and it seems unreal that I am with him. I feel so honored and blessed. He has been there for me when I needed him the most. He can read my thoughts, he always knows the right things to say, and he shows me he loves me on a daily basis with the respect and care he demonstrates. Please pardon my being mushy, but I truely love him with all my heart.

WOOOOO!

I'm leaving for Oklahoma in a couple hours! I'm sooo excited! Oh, and next weekend, I'll be in Florida with Grandma! I'm helping my uncle get my 3 little cousins there to meet up with my aunt, then I'm going to Grandma's house. I can't wait.

Sleepy

I'm tired. Today was full of running errands, taking a 3 hour nap in our blanket-filled kiddie pool, doing laundry, going on a double date, and cleaning my room. Those aren't good reasons to be tired, but I am, so I'm going to say goodnight for now.

Sleepy

I'm tired. Today was full of running errands, taking a 3 hour nap in our blanket-filled kiddie pool, doing laundry, going on a double date, and cleaning my room. Those aren't good reasons to be tired, but I am, so I'm going to say goodnight for now.