Sorry for a break in posts

Last week messed me up.

Wednesday April 27th was mine and John's one year anniversary!!!  But our plans were ruined and we ended up celebrating under the crawl space praying we would live.  After that we both went into work like dogs mode.  I worked at the hospital for 4 days straight and he worked in PG all weekend with the recovery effort and helping his cousins.  Didn't get to see each other much, except when I stayed at his Mom's for two days because of no power... I have been so drained and so depressed about all of this.  Just made me feel so small and so silly.

Anyways.  Enough of that.  We ended up celebrating for real last night and it was just perfection.  We ate at Mccormick and Schmidts and had our own room! and nice music and lighting and the food was wow!  we had sushi and fish and chocolate cake!  I got him (us) a waterproof videocamera so that we can save our adventures and he got me a BEAUTIFUL diamond necklace and jewelry box he knows me so well! its a simple single diamond and the box is hand painted with butterflies :)

Gosh I am a happy gal!

They Finally Met!

Mine and John's parents met today!!!  We got pizza after church and had such a good time we decided we needed ice cream as well!  My mom and his mom hit it off of course :)  And John's brother and my sister were there and made the whole group complete.  We shared stories of growing up and where everyone was from and of course football and the usual ridicule of John's Auburn fan-dom.  Sigh.  What a great day!

Another plus was going to church again for the first time in a while.  I actually really enjoyed it and didn't mind the fact that it was a Baptist church, or the fact that it was an overflow of alot of college acquaintances.  The fact is that it is just good to be in a good environment with people our age from similar backgrounds that are all trying like we are to have a Christ centered life and stay relevant at the same time.  not an easy task thats for sure.

How do you serve God completely while at the same time not becoming a stick in the mud?  

Thank goodness for an outdoorsy boyfriend!

Yesterday I was bored and contemplating going to the mall just to have something to do, when John called me up to see if i wanted to canoe a creek by his work.  Of course I answered a resounding YES and in half an hour there we were!  We fished and floated and paddled and saw a beautiful and tranquil setting.  I was at peace.  When I am old and can't leave my hospital bed I will think of days like yesterday.  I can't say it enough; everyone should have a love for the outdoors and adventure, and be with someone that does the same!

All photos are courtesy of John :)

A Beautiful Wonderful Place

Yesterday I miraculously got cancelled from work!  So my parents and me and John went fishing! John and I canoed to the waterfall while mom and dad hiked it.  We even took a pitstop to jump off a rope swing!  My heart is reawakened from being in the hot weather and being able to jump in the water! 

We didn't catch any fish, but still basked in the sun, got good exercise, and got to enjoy a spectacle of drunk rednecks tubing and canoeing past us!

The next few pictures are not from yesterday, but capture the day pretty well.

 My fish friend from last trip!

 Daddio looking all cool fishing in his G.I. Boots :)

John doing all the hard work of canoeing while I take pictures

I hope everyone else had a good weekend as well!  Looking forward to a wonderful spring/summer!

Consistency

A word that I lack.  Here's to my new goal of writing at least weekly.  Here goes!

One thing I have been consistently doing is a running program called couch to 5k.  I love it!  I am trying to spread the word to everyone I know.  I am just as bad as the rest at making myself follow an exercise routine, especially running, but something about this approach and its corresponding iphone app has gotten me going.  I usually run every other day now, or at least 2-3 times a week.  It is a 9 week program and I am finishing week 5 today! And I feel great!  I have more energy at work already and am not so ashamed and guilty about eating.  My goal is to be running 30 minutes at a time by May to be beach body ready for weddings, vacations, and picturespicturespictures!

What are some goals you are consistently working towards?  How do you stay on task?

November.
My arch nemesis, second only to December, maybe third, because January is always lurking... anyways.  Here's to hoping.  For fires in fireplaces, kayaks in little river canyon, smores, ironbowl, turkey, deals on extra secret christmas presents, and actually having someone to share all the above with this year.  I look back and can't recall having a significant other at christmas, my birthday, or valentines day. ever.



maybe this chart i found explains why:

how funny is that! mostly, i believe the trends are due to the majority of facebookers being college coeds and not wanting to be "tied down" on breaks like christmas and spring break, and there is to much pressure to plan meeting family on the holidays, and where to go together on spring break.  

Oh, I pray the trend does not hold true for my life this winter, because that warm sunny face of someone special sure does keep me going when its cold and dreary :)

Cooking together is one of the sweetest parts of community, friendship, and love.

Last night, me and nine of my friends got together and made tacos, mexican pasta, fajitas and all sorts of delicious things. True, the kitchen was crowded, and the divvying up of funds made me stressed but sitting down with everyone was the most heartwarming time to just look at the friends that have withstood the test of time and distance.

I am starting my book Eat, Pray, Love, mostly just because I want to see Julia Roberts in the movie based on the book!

All this to say, I feel so feminine in my cooking adventures and yet so accomplished. I definitely can understand women who feel like that is how to show love. Such a thoughtful process. Cooking for my boy is a whole different kind of fun. Its nice to help each other we sometimes cook for the other after a long day at work or school and its just a sweet gesture. I think boys are just hardwired to be smitten with a girl in an apron and reflexively make profound realizations of "You're awesome, AND you can cook!? How lucky am I?" haha So endearing!

I will plug my favorite cooking website here. Allrecipes is a great resource and you can even insert the ingredients you want in the recipe finder and it will find one with the ingredients you have in your pantry!

Heres to cooking and eating with friends!

been a long time

o this weekend was lonely because dana and amy went to mobile for mardi gras and i stayed home because of the weather :( BUT i had a nice snow day on friday with abby and went to lunch and coffee. it was nice to drive through town and see everything transformed by the fluff. friday night was lonely but not bad i watched movies and saturday i cooked and cleaned and danced around the house and it was nice too. then abby came over and ate pot roast with me it was good! first time to use the crock pot was a success! then today i actually went to CHURCH! gasp. it was nice in fact. the girls are back and all is well. and it may snow again. tonight!

also this weekend gave me time to think about possibilities for my career in the future, think i am going to take the gre this summer! just for options...

cant wait until spring.

how to get pretty letters for your blog!

http://dailydropcap.com

t is a good sign, I believe when it is difficult to update a blog, if that reason is that you are enjoying real life. I am happy this week, haha. Work continues to change and challenge which is great. Obviously there are personalities and patients that are difficult to be happy about, but overall, its not to shabby. I think I am finally accepting what a loyal soul I am. If I am happy somewhere, I think its just as good to invest in what you already have and people you know as it is to start afresh somewhere new. Not sure if I want to risk sacrificing my current state of affairs. I am so luck to have a sweet roomate as well. I hate the days we go through without bumping into each other due to conflicting shifts. She deserves the most happiness and I hope she continues to actively pursue it. I have really really been missing my dear friends who are far away from me. Mainly because I suck at keeping up. But when I talk about yall to people I just gush over your beauty and intelligence and general awesomeness, and it makes me teary.

come back home soon

ere I am at work, working another night shift. I like night shift, but I love day shift as well. What to do? I have too much going on during day shift (students, orientees, meetings,etc) but it's so nice to have quiet and solitude like I do right now. I can see my patients and actually know what is going on with them right now.

I have had a nagging thought in my head today. Why am I so hurried to leave Birmingham? Is it that I am bored, lonely, and feel stagnant? I think I am immovably convinced that the only way to progress is movement. Maybe I should sit on it for a while. Why would I leave my family? My sweet roomate? My wonderful friends? I have seen how distance can ruin solid friendships and I am not sure I want to place it all on the line for the sake of adventure.

For now, I think I will look for adventure in my own neighborhood. Maybe even go a blind date. That's enough adventure right there. Yikes.

feeling one year older

his week has been a solitary one. Coming from a busy and exciting birthday weekend with family and friends to this week of work and lonely nights.

The detoxing is coming along swimmingly dont want caffeine at all! and have had much, MUCH better energy. Made more healthy eating options this week of fruits, salads, chicken, etc.

Most shocking revelation of this week was when I learned of another married friend starting her family and again when I saw a video at work involving a young mother giving birth to triplets: I want a family of my own, I want a husband and a baby. I am not desperate for it, but I can picture it, and I want it. So, just waiting and watching now haha.

well, I was filling out a profile on a travel nursing website and the recruiter was calling me BEFORE I was even finished. I haven't even made a resume or cover letter! I'm not ready for this! I feel like I need to study and take nclex reviews or something. I really don't know how to prepare. College feels so distant and I feel like I have forgotten everything other than 3 West.

The hospital was funny yesterday. The scrambling and constant checking of the radar for the threat of snow. Several people ended up staying the night in order to play it safe and it ended up being the easiest day of work ever. I only had 3 and then 2 patients the rest of the day!

Tonight is birthday with friends and tomorrow is with family. I hope it is fun even though it is artic temperatures!

made some good cupcakes for amy's bday:

Not-So-Plain Vanilla Cake
1 box vanilla cake mix (or white if you can't find vanilla)
1 box vanilla instant pudding
1 cup (8 oz) vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup vegetable oil1/2 cup water or milk
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional, but I'd definitely add it if you're using a plain white cake mix)

Mix it all up and bake it in whatever size pans you please. Frost with any favorite vanilla frosting.

(i used applesauce for the oil and it worked great!)

so far, so good

Well, I haven't had a coke in 4 days! I did have a sprite zero two days ago, but I count it as progress!

I also go a wii!!! Man, I am already sore!

As for resolutions: I read on Don Miller's blog how he thinks that it is easier to envision a story or narrative that you would hope to achieve in the coming year rather than make vague numerical goals.

So. The story I want to weave this year: adventure. Travel. I see myself standing at a waterfall in a mountain stream with towering mountains and fields of flowers. Long car rides to state parks. Someone to teach me how to flyfish in previously mentioned stream. Large apartment with large windows overlooking the city and mountains in the distance. A job where I feel challenged and encouraged daily. New friends to go to coffee shops with and talk about life and love and the excitement of being young and independent.

I hope to see some of these scenes in the near future. In the meantime, certainly enjoying the Birmingam story that I continue to write.

Back to life

Well, the holidays were wonderful, but now back in work mode. I got the chance to see friends visiting from all around the world and nothing is better than seeing those you love at christmas time. I also have enjoyed time at home with my parents and sister. Just a good Christmas all around!

BUT.
Getting a jump start on the resolutions after the haze of ham and candy has worn off.

I am doing a bit of a detox. Not going to cut out dairy and all meat, but going to focus more on greenery!

Week One: aka, right now, cut out all sodas. (so far, had to buy some bc powder do to withdrawal.) still having coffee, but I have heard that its not as bad as sodas because of their carbonation effect on your bones eek!

Week Two: cut out all caffeine, dreading this one...

Week Three: (post birthday of course) cut out alcohol.

Week Four: All Processed sweets and frozen dinners. This includes candy, store bought sweets, i can however bake some good vegetarian desserts, or organic desserts, or just lick some cane sugar packets.

Week Five:Cut out Dark meat: ham, beef, processed meat, duck, (damn, gonna be hard to let go of the calf brains that J. Childs wants me to cook in the new cookbook I got of hers)

Week Six: Fried food. of any kind.


We will see how this goes, let me know of any suggestions for how to go about it, I am tired of being worn out in the middle of the day and feeling sick after I eat and having the grease of my food feeling like its seeping through my skin. Maybe this will make me feel better, heres hoping!

For all the twilight fans :)

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Photo Friday

"The best ammunition against lies is the truth, there is no ammunition against gossip. It is like a fog and the clear wind blows it away and the sun burns it off."

~Ernest Hemmingway

"The yellow fog that rubs its back on windowpanes."
~T.S. Eliot

"Living without faith is like driving in a fog."

“It is not the clear-sighted who rule the world. Great achievements are accomplished in a blessed, warm fog.”
~Joseph Conrad

"Let us go in, the fog is rising"
~Emily Dickinson

Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing
Servings: 12

I made this with pecans instead of cashews and feta instead of swiss, its a pretty and delicious salad!

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons diced onion
1 teaspoon Dijon-style prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size
pieces
4 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup cashews
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 apple - peeled, cored and diced
1 pears - peeled, cored and diced

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a blender or food processor, combine sugar, lemon juice, onion, mustard and salt. Process until well blended. With machine still running add oil in a slow steady stream until mixture is thick and smooth. Add poppy seeds and process just a few seconds more to mix.
2. In a large serving bowl combine the romaine lettuce, shredded Swiss cheese, cashews, dried cranberries, cubed apple and cubed pear. Toss to mix then pour dressing over salad just before serving and toss to coat.

or a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin- real life. but there was always some obstacle in the way, some unfinished business. at last it dawned on me that this was my life. there is no way to happiness, happiness is the way."
-souza



Life is happening and I am starting to realize that I must jump up and go with it. That may mean leaving all that is familiar and pleasant, but I am beginning to realize that I do not risk much and therefore gain little.

Here's to hoping.

As for nursing stories:
Yesterday, I took care of an old man who was sweet but thought he saw ants in his bed and there was no convincing him otherwise. I did the only thing I could think of and sat down in his bed and said "look they aren't biting, so please lay down and if they bite you I promise I will get you out of this bed." and guess what! He laid down and took a nice long nap! small victories people. I love the old people, I really do, who knows where that came from. But, they always have great stories and humor and if they are crazy, we seem to have a good time then too. I am reminded daily that without love and laughter you will wither away.

I also am shown daily that faith plays a larger part in health than I realized. It seems that believing that your fears and prayers are heard boost spirits so much more than any medicine. The people that truly have speedy recoveries and miraculous healings, more often than not, are very strong believers and have a strong network of praying loved ones.

I spoke to my boss about Travel nursing in the future and she said that if she had it to do again before she had a family she would have gone everywhere. She is the best boss in the world, truly. She suggested ways to make myself more marketable and even suggested some classes to take at the hospital and travel nurses I should talk to. How awesome is she!?

Well I am about to go eat lunch with my wonderful parents. Will work more on this blog later.

Love.
Leah