Early Christmas!!!!

Shawna, Jeff, and Brayden are in town this weekend for the Maguffee Christmas (cousin works on a river boat, so we schedule the get-together around his schedule). We went out to visit with them tonight and were suprised by some early gifts. Shawn and I exchange ornaments with Jeff and Shawna every year. This year, we both gave razorback ornaments. I love mine and I hope she loves hers too. (I really don't think Shawn or Jeff care too much one way or another!)
Meme gave me my present early tonight too. Funny thing is that the UPS guy came while we were there and brought it. Yes, I am officially a small town resident! I have my very own scanner. We've already had it on tonight listening to see who is getting stopped by the local law enforcement!

Priceless

My nephew, Brayden, will be a year old this month. My sis-in-law sent this picture with his birthday party invitation a few days ago. Isn't he the cutest little miracle you've ever seen?

Priceless!!!

Why is it so hard to write a paper?

I love writing in a blog. It's not hard. I sit down and just let whatever is in my mind flow out through my fingers, so to speak...or type.
Today I've been sitting at this desk for a couple of hours with all of this research in front of me. I've got quotes from every angle expressing the benefits of school uniforms but it just doesn't seem to be coming together on paper. Maybe it's because I'm too worried about my grammar.
I had a highschool boyfriend who corrected me constantly for using double negatives. No, I no longer use them. I've learned to emulate others' speech. When writing something for myself (which is really what a blog is, right?), I don't worry about puctuation, grammar, citing sources, or any of that nonsense.
Maybe I don't believe what I'm suppose to be arguing. Would that be the problem? No, I think that school uniforms would be great. I see the benefits.
Hmm, maybe short timers. Isn't that what they call it when you are almost finished with something and loose all motivation to complete what has been started? Could be, a little.
Whatever it is, I better get over it. I've got this week, next week, then finals left of this semester. I'll have a break for a few weeks. Thank goodness.

Should have been studying...

I spent the afternoon painting the brass and metal on my fireplace. Of coarse, I should have done it during better weather so I could open a few windows. I'm feeling a little dizzy at this point. There's nothing like taking a picture of your fireplace to show you how much the glass needs to be cleaned! The new black looks great in person, the pictures really don't do it justice. I should be studying today but I always get so excited right before Christmas! Only 2 weeks and finals for this semester! I really can't wait for the break!

The "after" picture.

"During"
"Before." I forgot to take a picture before I started painting.

The Tree is Up!

Polly has taken up sleeping under the tree on the tree skirt. I thought this was a sweet picture.

Thanksgiving was nice. It's rough trying to get over to see family and get back so quickly. We didn't get to stay very long because Shawn had to work Friday morning and I had to work Friday night. I put up the tree Saturday before going in to work and we decorated it when I woke up this afternoon. I haven't decorated the mantle yet. I had Shawn pick up some high temperature black spray paint. I'm going to paint the bronze around the fireplace with it. I can't wait. I've been meaning to do it all summer and fall but never got around to it. So now I'm down to the wire but I'll get it done. I'll post pictures when I get it done.

One of My Favorite Things!

We went to Sam's this morning and I found these two Aromatique candles for $14! Amaretto Nog is my very favorite Christmas candle! I love it, love it! It was nice finding it. They're really hard to come by around here.
Last week my husband called my mom and asked if she would watch the kids Saturday night. He suprised me with a night away. We went to the hotel and he had gotten a honeymoon suite. I was so excited to see the jacuzzi! I told Shawn as we walked through the lobby of the hotel that the girl at the counter was grinning at me like the cat that ate the mouse. I wondered what she was up to. Shawn never let on that he knew anything, just kinda shrugged it off. We went to dinner then came back and there was a bottle of champagne chilled and rose petals spread on the floor and the bed. It was so sweet and just what I needed! We didn't drink the champagne, we saved it. The hotel staff was great. They slid a hand written thank you card under the door durning the night and were very attentive to us while we were there. It was great. The day and night was amazing! I have the best husband in the world!

Brayden Ponder

Brayden is almost a year old. He is so cute. He's walking now! I love his shirt in this picture!
Oh, Brittney...Thanks for the tag. As soon as I figure out how to names on the links on my posts, I'll do it!

New Camera

Finally replaced my camera today. I looked at a lot of different ones but decided to stick with Kodak.
The kids had fun. I let them all take a few pictures. I only put a few on here but that is the reason that one is missing in each picture with me.
I cut the boys hair when they got home from school. Needless to say, Caleb wasn't too happy about it but the greasy mop head look is gone! Thank goodness!
Jake being silly, laying on the floor.
Caleb and Polly.
Pretty Poly. Sometimes I love her so much and others...SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY!!

All of my babies!
Again...
Pre-haircut.
Pre-haircut.

From the Mouths of Babes

The kids and I have had a pretty good night. I gave Bailey a french manicure. She felt so grown up and couldn't quit looking at her nails. While we were doing nails, we watched Extreme Home Makeover. It was about a single dad with 5 boys in New Jersey. They talked about having to sleep on the floor and not having heat. Then they told the story about one night when it was so cold that they all cuddled up together on the hard floor and piled what little blankets they had on top of them. Bailey got huge tears in her eyes (remember, she's only 8) and said, "That makes me feel so bad. We always want a better house and more things but we already have everything that we need. Those boys and their dad don't have beds. They don't even have real windows, only cardboard and they only had mashed potatoes to eat." I was so incredibly humbled.
It seems like everyone that I know is trying to do as well as others around them. Nothing is ever enough. If a friend or family member gets something new, then you've gotta have it too. I'm so proud that my daughter bright enough to see the truth. We have everything that we need. Our needs are met. We are blessed.

Family Ties

This is a picture of Bethany and I on my wedding day. Bethany and Alex are a year apart and have always been close even though we don't get to see them much anymore. They've both grown up so much. It seems like time has flown the last 8 years. It kinda scares me to think that Caleb and Alex will be going off to school in 5 years. It's only 11 days until Thanksgiving and we'll get to see the family. Yea!!!
Shawn is going to St. Louis today. The census was low and ER was really slow so I got to come home early last night and spend the night w/ my hubby before he left town.

I'm doing what I'm supposed to!

Saturday night I began questioning my career choice. I was having such a hard time dealing with what I had seen and done. I've been praying for God to renew my mind and help me to get everything back under control. Today I came to realize that there was a reason that I was there. I gave "him" (the pt) the best care possible. When that care wasn't enough to bring him back, I treated him with the love and respect that I would want my child treated with. I will never forget his face and I'll continue to pray for his family. I know now that I am right where I should be. I'm sure that I will encounter other disturbing things in the future but now I will be able to face them with boldness and without fear. I'm OK.

Dirty Dancing

"Nobody puts Baby in a corner!"

Oh the fantasies provoked by Dirty Dancing and Patrick Swayze. I watched Oprah tonight when I got home from class, just so that I could see Patrick Swayze. There is a couple who did the "final dance" from Dirty Dancing at their wedding reception. Then they posted it on youtube. While reinacting their dance for Oprah, Patrick Swayze walks out on the stage. The wife's face was priceless. Although, I have to say, I'm not sure that I wouldn't have fainted!

Don't read if you are easily upset!

Last night I worked the ER. At 1009, the ambulance brought in a 16 year old male who was stomped in the chest by a bull. He was a bull rider that had ridden in the buck off in Ash Flat. He was intubated, CPR was started, and he had received 3 amps of epi and 2 of atropine in route. His pupils were fixed on arrival. He had been on the ground for 7 minutes before being picked up by the ambulance. His ambulance ride took 18 minutes. We continued CPR, gave more epi and atropine, and poured fluid into his lifeless body for 10 minutes. He was just a baby, only 2 years older than Caleb.
During a code, the staff tends to disconnect themselves from the person. It becomes surreal. Everyone has a job, and tasks to accomplish. Things run in a rhythm with one person in charge (usually the doctor or charge nurse). It isn't until after, when preparing the body for the family to see, that you realize this is a son, brother, friend.
I gently washed the blood from his face and out of his hair, cleaned the blood from the gurney, and tried to hide the bloody sheets by gently tucking them under his shoulders. The mother wouldn't come in to see her baby (not that I blame her; seeing would force believing) but his daddy did. He layed over the body of his son as he cried and railed at the world.
I held it together until everyone left. A hip pain came in at midnight. As I was asking the requisite question "And what happened to make you come in at this time?" when I lost it. I was a blubbering idiot. At which point the guy and his wife are looking at me like I'm crazy. "No sir, you haven't upset me." I felt so stupid.
I keep seeing the young bull rider when I close my eyes. I wonder how his family is doing, especially his momma. I am so down today and I don't know how to get over it.

Bambie's (a little) older brother

Caleb, Shawn, Uncle Jack, and Bambie's older brother.

Caleb got his first deer this morning. I was sleeping so I didn't get to be with them when they brought it out of the woods. Shawn said that he was so excited. He skinned it with an arrowhead that uncle Jack flintknapped. That was pretty cool for him and uncle Jack both. George told Caleb to call Memaw and tell her that he was learning the ways of her Cherokee people. She thought that was pretty funny.