A New Direction

I just returned from a very relaxing vacation on Edisto Island in South Carolina. It was nice, we were with friends and family. The biggest decision each day was the beach or the pool! What fun. The week before I left for vacation I got some heartbreaking news that a child I cared for so much passed away after a year and half of fighting. My heat breaks for the family who turned into being a great friend as they were in the hospital for over a year. Please pray for them.

I have officially started school again. Figures it started 3 days into my vacation. I'm taking online classes at Ohio University online. I am getting my Bachelor's Degree. I'm excited, however, I'm already feeling the work load. The classes are intense as they are just 5 short weeks long! I'm looking forward to this challenge!

My roommate offically moved out. I'm on my own here at the Jefferson Estate! In between running errands today I helped myself to the extra closet space! Anyone who knows me knows that I have WAY too many clothes! I returned to the shutters on my house being painted Ranch Red. Boy, it makes such a huge difference! With the new fence, landscaping and shutters it looks like a whole new home! I will be sure to post a before and after pic on my next post. I'm debating with myself if I should try to sell or not. At this point, I know I will not make a profit and will be lucky to break even. However, with the market the way it is, it may no even be worth the time and effort (especially for Kevin). We'll see?!

A Moment to Pray

Sometimes I just need some time to pause and to think......and really just to pray. God is good, I've said that a 1000 times before and truly believe that.....but sometimes, things happen that are just so heartbreaking, it hurts to think about. I can't say too much but there is a family whom I came to know and love who have now lost 2 children in 6 months....their only children. It's unbearable to even try to imagine what they are going through. It's amazing to read some of their journal posts because their faith in the Lord is unwaivering which is something I constantly pray for for them.....but geez....there are no words to even say, you just have to pray. And that is all you can do in situations such as these. It's been over a months since their last and final child passed and I still find them on my mind and in my prayers and on my heart daily. They are not the only ones I have witnessed go thru heartache....everyday I see heartbreaking story after heart-wrenching story. I suppose it makes me thankful for what I have and makes me realize life is short and can change in an instant. SO.....hug your kids and people you love a little closer and try to live each day to the fullest, because you never know which one could be the last one!

What it means to own a home....

What it means to own a home......is WORK! Constant work: yard work, cleaning, repairs, problems.....yuck! I'm tired of it! I have decided in the recent months that I will try to sell my home in July. With this decision has come a lot of work that I have been putting off for a while. Don't get me wrong, I have done a TON of work on my house over the years making some much needed improvements but just getting done with the little, pesky stuff I've been putting off is a pain! Especially when it is beautiful outside and I want to go to the pool instead. Currently, I'm working on my mud room (something that I've been working on for about 2 weeks!) I had a neighbor who is a great handy man come and put a new sticky tile floor down (which made a HUGE difference), I painted paneling which to my surprise looked great! Now I'm just finishing up painting the ceiling, base boards and doors white.....not fun! Next up, finish landscaping. It's been about a month or so since I cut down a hybrid japanese maple in my front yard and ripped up all the plants....so now, it is just a bed full of dirt that needs to be tilled and more stuff planted, so that is on the agenda for tomorrow! (with the help of my fav hunnie, Kevin....he rocks!) My handyman is scheduled to paint my shutters, fix some concrete on my porch and put some quarter-round up in two rooms. Then I have to paint my stairway going upstairs and the 2nd floor bathroom....THEN....I may be done....we'll see? Geez....now that it is all written down I have a lot of work to do by July! Today I was outside in the muggy heat trimming bushes, spraying round up and pruning my hybrid rose bush....hopefully it will make it, I really butchered it!! SO....for the wonderful world of homeowners....you know how I feel!!

My first blog!

So, I'm not quite sure what brought me to start a blog, but here I am none the less! I'm currently at work right now and it looks to be a long night ahead as my assignment is a light one! By the way....have I mentioned I LOVE my job? It is so rewarding. I feel like I have been running in circles for years chasing this, that and the other when all along I know God called me to be a nurse. I think it stemed my childhood struggle with cancer (which I beat the odds on, thanks to God). I thought then, 'I wanna be a nurse when I grow up'......but then I wanted to be a dolphin trainer, a singer/performer, a in-home daycare worker.....and a host of other things I am sure. It wasn't until just a few years ago I figured out that I had what it takes to persue nursing. I have been accused of 'having a bleeding heart' all my life. You could always find me giving the poor money, helping the local poor soul....everything, I always wanted to help people. I thought at one point while in college about joining the Peace Corp. So here I was: bartending at a local sports bar and being a nanny. Then Kevin comes along and questions what I wanted to do with my life. At the time, I thought I was content to stay put, but soon realized that it was probably better to do more with my life than that. However, Kevin believed in me, and in the beginning I'm not sure I believe in myself. He pushed and encouraged me and I'm so thankful for that. A few years later I am FINALLY where God called me and am loving every minute of it. I finally feel content like this is what I was supposed to do! I feel it in the tender moments when a parent is so broken and hurt and I am able to pray with them. Or when I'm there to just lend an ear, a shoulder, or just a 'normal' conversation. Yes, God has blessed me with being able to be where I need to be just at the right time. I cherish the relationships I have been able to make through my job. If it was just one night or many months, I am thankful for those God puts in my path. There is still not a day that goes by when I do not bow my head in prayer for some of the families and children I have met in this journey. Well.....that's all for now I guess?! (Not bad for my first blog, huh?!)