It's been six years. Six years since the last time Josh and I went to a football game at our dear old alma mater. Six years ago he was playing football for the Generals, leading the team, and a star on the field. I was on the sidelines as a cheerleader, mainly just there to be closer to him. Six years later we came back to that same field that we had stood on years before. Things had changed and things had stayed exactly the same all at the same time. We saw our old high school friends there. We picked up some of the same conversations that I could swear we had six years ago.
Things were different too. What really aged us was the way we identified people. It wasn't anymore of who is this or who is that and how do I know them. No, now we have come to a point in our lives where we were asking who is his mama and daddy, what do his parents do. It was the sad realization that we are now old. We are adults. We work for a living, and we are done with that zero responsibility lifestyle.
It was the Homecoming game. Sadly, the home team lost. We laughed about what would have happened on that field six years ago. We would get lost in moments envisioning what our Homecoming game was like six years ago. And then we would snap back to reality. We are happy, settled, thriving. We wouldn't go back. Ok, ok maybe we would trade in a day or two of work to go back to that carefree high school lifestyle, but we wouldn't let that change our present.
We spent the whole weekend last weekend in Mississippi. Drove in late after I got off work Thursday night. Talked the whole ride there over tacos about life and our thoughts and concerns. Enjoyed Homecoming Friday. Had the opportunity to visit with family and friends that we hadn't seen in ages. Some things seem as if they haven't changed a bit. Some people don't change. Saturday night was my birthday dinner at our favorite hometown restaurant. It is nice to go back where everyone knows your name.
After dinner was what we had been waiting for. A late night four wheeler ride with friends. It. Has. Been. Ages. This fact was obvious when I forgot to pack appropriate clothing. Let's just say midnight four wheeler ride in October + no socks = can hardly get my feet warm enough for hours after! Despite freezing cold feet, it was bliss. Three four wheelers, six friends, red dirt roads, and a star lit path...it took me back to a place that I miss. At one point we all parked on a bridge and just sat and talked and enjoyed each other. It was peaceful. It was perfect.
The weekend ended much faster than seemed possible. Typical.
We took it easy on the way home Sunday. Drove slow, stopped where we wanted, had lunch with our favorite Brandon resident, and worked our way back down south. The weekend in Mississippi...at home...was everything I hoped, everything I expected. It was perfect. My birthday weekend, and it was all the gift I needed. Spending time with my husband at home, in our roots, back in the place that brought Josh and me together was surreal. It reminded me how truly lucky I am to have him in my life. And while we miss our roots and our friends so much, we were reminded how blessed we are in our life here in Louisiana.
You may not always end up where you thought you would be, but you will always end up where you were suppose to be...right where God intended you to be all along!
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
The Fifth of October
Man. A tough word to say when you are describing your "little" brother. As much as I try to deny it, a man he truly is.
Twenty-two years. For twenty-two years we have been bonded. Siblings by birth, friends by choice. And today the big day has come around again. Happy birthday to my Jefie. Happy birthday to my brother, to my friend. Happy birthday to the one who has always been wise beyond his years. Happy birthday to the one who has always been there for me, guided me, and laughed with me.
Happy birthday to one of the greatest men I know.
Twenty-two years seem like they have come and gone in the blink of the eye, but I wouldn't trade them for anything! I can't wait to see what you make out of your next twenty-two years!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
It's all in His hands
In my short nine months as a nurse I have really seen a lot. I have seen a lot of hard things happen to my patients, and I have been through a lot of hard times with my patients. I try not to think of my patients as just sick people I am caring for over the next 12 hours. No, to me that patient in room 9 is my Mimi or that patient down the hall is my little brother. I try to do for all my patients what I would want done for me and my family if the situation were reversed. They call it compassion I guess. I call it "will get you in trouble real fast". It's a hospital..people are sick..things happen..and it is very hard to see bad things happen to people you feel close to. I have seen people get devastating diagnoses, and I have seen the toll it takes on their families. I have seen people come so close to death and have been their to help save their life. And I have seen people be taken to Heaven no matter how hard we tried to keep them here. The first time I saw a patient, someone who I felt close to, die in front of me was a day that no matter how hard I try I can never forget. It is a day that I still replay in my head over and over. It is a day that I walked out of a room and cried in the middle of the hall of the hospital. It is a day that I cannot forget. Until now, that day was the worst day of my nursing career so far.
Sadly I have had a new worst day of my nursing career. Except this time it didn't involve my patient. In fact, I wasn't even at work that day. I was sitting at home agonizing over something vain and insignificant in the greater scheme of things when my phone rang. It had just happened and already the news was spreading fast. Baby Charlotte Rae Lyon, born just two days ago by one of my best friends, was being airlifted to a children's hospital. Ok, sometimes hospitals do that in haste I'm sure, I tried not to worry. I had a million things to do, but I just sat...waiting on more information and praying for whatever was going on. The news kept getting worse and worse. "She has hypoplastic left heart syndrome, in other words the left side of her heart isn't working. She may be a candidate for a series of open heart surgeries in order to fix the problem. Just pray. Surgery is not an option, our only hope is a heart transplant. We know this wont' be easy to find, all we can do is keep her comfortable. Just pray. Pray, pray, pray, and pray."
I am no specialist on newborns, nor am I a cardiac nurse. But Baby Charlotte translates over to my nursing career because you don't have to be a neonatal cardiologist to know when something is bad. Intubated, extubated, reintubated, catheterized, PICC line, incubator...that's all I need to hear to know it's bad. But no matter how bad it is or how bad it sounds, we cannot give up hope. We cannot give up faith in God. That is something that is sometimes hard to remember as a nurse. I know the science, I know what could happen or what the body does when it is in situations like this. But I try to keep reminding myself every day with this and with my work, God is not science. God can and does work miracles. I have had patients that are a living proof of that. The power of prayer is an amazing thing.
I have never seen a more Godly person than Sally. She is always who I turn to when I need my faith revived. She always has everything in God's hands. Now I should be the strong one for her, and she is still telling me that they gave it completely to God. She trusts His will will be done. She has come to terms with the reality, she doesn't like it and hasn't stopped praying for a miracle, but she knows God has a plan for everything. It takes someone really special to be that strong.
A little less than nine months ago, I posted my first ever blog. In my first blog I ended with my excitement over Baby Lyon. I was the first to find out she was pregnant. I was the first to know Baby Lyon was coming. And now I need prayers for Baby Charlotte Rae Lyon. I hope that there is a miracle out there for her, but if that isn't God's will then I just pray for peace and comfort for Charlotte and her family. It's all in His hands.
Sadly I have had a new worst day of my nursing career. Except this time it didn't involve my patient. In fact, I wasn't even at work that day. I was sitting at home agonizing over something vain and insignificant in the greater scheme of things when my phone rang. It had just happened and already the news was spreading fast. Baby Charlotte Rae Lyon, born just two days ago by one of my best friends, was being airlifted to a children's hospital. Ok, sometimes hospitals do that in haste I'm sure, I tried not to worry. I had a million things to do, but I just sat...waiting on more information and praying for whatever was going on. The news kept getting worse and worse. "She has hypoplastic left heart syndrome, in other words the left side of her heart isn't working. She may be a candidate for a series of open heart surgeries in order to fix the problem. Just pray. Surgery is not an option, our only hope is a heart transplant. We know this wont' be easy to find, all we can do is keep her comfortable. Just pray. Pray, pray, pray, and pray."
I am no specialist on newborns, nor am I a cardiac nurse. But Baby Charlotte translates over to my nursing career because you don't have to be a neonatal cardiologist to know when something is bad. Intubated, extubated, reintubated, catheterized, PICC line, incubator...that's all I need to hear to know it's bad. But no matter how bad it is or how bad it sounds, we cannot give up hope. We cannot give up faith in God. That is something that is sometimes hard to remember as a nurse. I know the science, I know what could happen or what the body does when it is in situations like this. But I try to keep reminding myself every day with this and with my work, God is not science. God can and does work miracles. I have had patients that are a living proof of that. The power of prayer is an amazing thing.
I have never seen a more Godly person than Sally. She is always who I turn to when I need my faith revived. She always has everything in God's hands. Now I should be the strong one for her, and she is still telling me that they gave it completely to God. She trusts His will will be done. She has come to terms with the reality, she doesn't like it and hasn't stopped praying for a miracle, but she knows God has a plan for everything. It takes someone really special to be that strong.
A little less than nine months ago, I posted my first ever blog. In my first blog I ended with my excitement over Baby Lyon. I was the first to find out she was pregnant. I was the first to know Baby Lyon was coming. And now I need prayers for Baby Charlotte Rae Lyon. I hope that there is a miracle out there for her, but if that isn't God's will then I just pray for peace and comfort for Charlotte and her family. It's all in His hands.
Such a perfect, beautiful baby at birth.
Still perfect and beautiful in all of our hearts.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Thank you
"Be a best friend, tell the truth, and over-use I love you. Go to work, do your best, don't outsmart your common sense. Never let your praying knees get lazy. And love like crazy."
Josh and I were driving home from fishing last night when I heard this song. It's a song that I have heard many times, but it has never rang more true to me before now. I have learned many things in my past 24 years. One of the most important things that I have learned I think is to tell people how you really feel about them and about situations. I am not saying be mean. I am not saying go up to every person with a opposing opinion from your own and challenge them; and I am not saying that just because you don't like a person you can cut them down by telling them so. There's a thin line between speaking the truth for everyone's benefit and speaking what you think is the truth to make yourself seem like the bigger man.
I am still in the beginning stages of this mindset. I still have a hard time deciphering between the two some days, so if I am ever in doubt about my intentions I refrain from saying anything. But I am getting better every day.
I have gotten to the point in my life where if someone says something or does something that bothers me or makes me feel uncomfortable, I tell them. I used to let everything slide, and then I would run home and cry and fuss at Josh about it ultimately taking it out on him when he had no part in it. Standing up for yourself can be liberating, and I am kind of liking it!
But it's not all about that you know. This whole "telling people how you really feel" thing can go two ways. At work I get the greatest satisfaction when my patients call back to the hospital or write in their survey that I did a great job as their nurse or whatever their compliment may be. People can benefit so much by just a little thank you or sometimes a big thank you when it's warranted. More so than confronting people when I feel the situation is just, I am focusing more in life on thanking the people who do a great job in life or at work or where ever the opportunity presents itself.
It's the silent do-gooders that get me the most. I am sure there are more people out there than I know who do good deeds and expect nor want any recognition. It's the ones who make the hard decisions and actually carry out the hard choices for the greater good of someone else. For those people it sometimes seems like a simple thank you isn't enough. But sometimes it is all you can say.
I have said my thank you, and while I wish that I could some how express it more I know I may not be able to. Sometimes a little thank you can go a long way.
Thank you for everything, for all that you do, now and before this ever happened. Thank you just for being you. Thank you!
Josh and I were driving home from fishing last night when I heard this song. It's a song that I have heard many times, but it has never rang more true to me before now. I have learned many things in my past 24 years. One of the most important things that I have learned I think is to tell people how you really feel about them and about situations. I am not saying be mean. I am not saying go up to every person with a opposing opinion from your own and challenge them; and I am not saying that just because you don't like a person you can cut them down by telling them so. There's a thin line between speaking the truth for everyone's benefit and speaking what you think is the truth to make yourself seem like the bigger man.
I am still in the beginning stages of this mindset. I still have a hard time deciphering between the two some days, so if I am ever in doubt about my intentions I refrain from saying anything. But I am getting better every day.
I have gotten to the point in my life where if someone says something or does something that bothers me or makes me feel uncomfortable, I tell them. I used to let everything slide, and then I would run home and cry and fuss at Josh about it ultimately taking it out on him when he had no part in it. Standing up for yourself can be liberating, and I am kind of liking it!
But it's not all about that you know. This whole "telling people how you really feel" thing can go two ways. At work I get the greatest satisfaction when my patients call back to the hospital or write in their survey that I did a great job as their nurse or whatever their compliment may be. People can benefit so much by just a little thank you or sometimes a big thank you when it's warranted. More so than confronting people when I feel the situation is just, I am focusing more in life on thanking the people who do a great job in life or at work or where ever the opportunity presents itself.
It's the silent do-gooders that get me the most. I am sure there are more people out there than I know who do good deeds and expect nor want any recognition. It's the ones who make the hard decisions and actually carry out the hard choices for the greater good of someone else. For those people it sometimes seems like a simple thank you isn't enough. But sometimes it is all you can say.
I have said my thank you, and while I wish that I could some how express it more I know I may not be able to. Sometimes a little thank you can go a long way.
Thank you for everything, for all that you do, now and before this ever happened. Thank you just for being you. Thank you!
Friday, September 16, 2011
Geaux Saints!
It's been a while since I have blogged. Shame, shame I know! Sadly,today won't be much different. Life is great and work has been really going well and is absolutely fulfilling! Tons of things to report..just no time to put it all down! It will come out one day in one big ole blog of randomness...sooner rather than later. Promise!
But for now..I have a new hobby!! It's kind of pricey, but I am proud to say I have mastered (err..AM mastering) the art of wreath making!!
GEAUX SAINTS!
But for now..I have a new hobby!! It's kind of pricey, but I am proud to say I have mastered (err..AM mastering) the art of wreath making!!
GEAUX SAINTS!
Monday, August 22, 2011
LTL
I have a new love in life. A little 9lb bundle of joy! Baby Landon, you are going to be a really great and special man some day. It's crazy how you can only know someone for a couple minutes and love them so completely in an instant! I love you, Baby Landon!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
It was bliss
Campers. This is what Josh and I have become. True blue campers. I'm regretting that I didn't latch onto this past time sooner. I guess it was all in due time.
Josh and I acquired a new camper a few weeks ago. It needed a little work and a lot of cleaning. Josh logged all the man hours after work pretty much every day for the past two weeks...fighting the suffocating heat after he was already tired from a long day of work. In the end it was all worth it. This past weekend we loaded up and took our maiden voyage in our new camper.
We stayed relatively close to home since it was our first time out in the camper. We didn't want to be far away if we ran into any issues and needed to retreat back to the comfort of our cozy home. We brought the boat and the dogs and headed out for a weekend in the wilderness (ok it was actually in a camp ground with electricity, water, and sewage but wilderness just sounds so much better).
The weekend was bliss...absolutely perfect. We slept in, grilled out, spent a day out on the water, found a bar in the middle of lake that served the most delicious frozen drinks (that couldn't have been the heat talking), fished, swam, watched movies, and were just absolutely content with life. It was the best feeling in the most perfect environment. Even Sunday, the day of our departure, was good. We woke up early and cooked breakfast. Then it started to rain and it sounded so peaceful in the camper. We were full and it was still early, so we decided to just lounge around a read and play games for a while. We ended up falling asleep, and it was the best nap ever. I am not a nap taker...there just isn't enough time in the day...but that day it was perfect.
The best part of going camping in the camper is the clean up. When we got ready to go we put just a few things in the truck to bring in the house. Everything else stayed in the camper. We got home and unhooked the camper and that was it...we were done. The next day, when I had time, I just turned the camper on to cool it off and cleaned it on my schedule. It was great and so easy!
Now we have been researching different campsites to visit. We know the camper is in tip-top shape, so our next trip can be somewhere a little farther from home. I don't know if I can really describe what makes camping so great. It is never really something that I thought I would have any interest in. But going camping just Josh and me is such good bonding time. The camper is so cozy, and it is so nice to just be able to get away and not have to worry about anything. Anything we could possibly need to eat or cook is in the camper. We can watch movies and lounge around or go out on the water for the day or whatever we want. My most disturbing revelation this past weekend was that I am not the Manacala Queen I had prided myself as being. Sure I was a little rusty because it's been awhile since I have played the game, but Josh has never played and I used to be great at it. Sadly, he beat me at every game we played figuring out the strategies and working the board as I never thought he could. It was a sad day for me.
Now we are back in reality and working, cooking, cleaning, and living by a schedule is dominating our lives once again. We don't mind it so much because we know as soon as we can, we will go camping again. I guess I should get on with the duties of every day life. I think I hear the washing machine calling my name now!
Josh and I acquired a new camper a few weeks ago. It needed a little work and a lot of cleaning. Josh logged all the man hours after work pretty much every day for the past two weeks...fighting the suffocating heat after he was already tired from a long day of work. In the end it was all worth it. This past weekend we loaded up and took our maiden voyage in our new camper.
We stayed relatively close to home since it was our first time out in the camper. We didn't want to be far away if we ran into any issues and needed to retreat back to the comfort of our cozy home. We brought the boat and the dogs and headed out for a weekend in the wilderness (ok it was actually in a camp ground with electricity, water, and sewage but wilderness just sounds so much better).
The weekend was bliss...absolutely perfect. We slept in, grilled out, spent a day out on the water, found a bar in the middle of lake that served the most delicious frozen drinks (that couldn't have been the heat talking), fished, swam, watched movies, and were just absolutely content with life. It was the best feeling in the most perfect environment. Even Sunday, the day of our departure, was good. We woke up early and cooked breakfast. Then it started to rain and it sounded so peaceful in the camper. We were full and it was still early, so we decided to just lounge around a read and play games for a while. We ended up falling asleep, and it was the best nap ever. I am not a nap taker...there just isn't enough time in the day...but that day it was perfect.
The best part of going camping in the camper is the clean up. When we got ready to go we put just a few things in the truck to bring in the house. Everything else stayed in the camper. We got home and unhooked the camper and that was it...we were done. The next day, when I had time, I just turned the camper on to cool it off and cleaned it on my schedule. It was great and so easy!
Now we have been researching different campsites to visit. We know the camper is in tip-top shape, so our next trip can be somewhere a little farther from home. I don't know if I can really describe what makes camping so great. It is never really something that I thought I would have any interest in. But going camping just Josh and me is such good bonding time. The camper is so cozy, and it is so nice to just be able to get away and not have to worry about anything. Anything we could possibly need to eat or cook is in the camper. We can watch movies and lounge around or go out on the water for the day or whatever we want. My most disturbing revelation this past weekend was that I am not the Manacala Queen I had prided myself as being. Sure I was a little rusty because it's been awhile since I have played the game, but Josh has never played and I used to be great at it. Sadly, he beat me at every game we played figuring out the strategies and working the board as I never thought he could. It was a sad day for me.
Now we are back in reality and working, cooking, cleaning, and living by a schedule is dominating our lives once again. We don't mind it so much because we know as soon as we can, we will go camping again. I guess I should get on with the duties of every day life. I think I hear the washing machine calling my name now!
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