Thankful Thursday

It's been a while since I did one of these ... probably since last fall (sadly). As I wasn't sleeping this afternoon, I was thinking about the hymn "Count Your Blessings". I was reminded of my principal from Kindergarten, Bro. Godwin. Every Friday morning during chapel, he would lead us in this hymn. I can't exactly remember what he looked like, but I remember his smile and the sheer joy on his face as he'd sing the words to this wonderful hymn. Each week he'd tell us how important it was to thank God for what He's blessed us with. Well, maybe we didn't really sing it every week, but I remember singing it frequently.

Count Your Blessing

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Refrain

Count your blessings,
name them one by one, Count your blessings,
see what God hath done! Count your blessings,
name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

Refrain

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings.
Wealth can never buy your reward in heaven,
nor your home on high.

Refrain

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be disheartened, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Refrain

So, here's a small list of things I'm thankful for on this Thursday:

1. Faithful friends
2. Loving parents
3. Marshall
4. Cooler weather - fun times wearing "fall clothes"
5. COFFEE
6. Seeing a baby get well when none of us thought she would (love God's surprises!)
7. Lots of laughing
8. Pretty fall colors appearing
9. Beautiful sunset tonight
10. Schedule change ... I get OFF on Christmas!! :)

Have a WONDERFUL weekend, and let the Holiday Season begin!!

2:30 AM Good Times

Trying to mend a very sore throat before I head back to work tonight, I decided to make some mashed potatoes for my "dinner". (or whatever the 2-3 AM meal is called before crashing for the day) =) I didn't have any real potatoes - besides, that would be way too much work at this time of day - but I did have a package of potato flakes and just enough milk for the recipe. YEA!! I first needed to boil the liquid stuff before I added the flakes and stirred like a mad-woman. (Can you guess where this is headed?!?) Yep . . . I let it completely boil over the side of the pot. Thankfully, I have a glass top stove so the mess was somewhat contained. Unfortunately, milk & water & butter make a LOT of smoke when poured on a really hot burner. OOPS!! I quickly ran around turning on every vent in my apartment and then shut off my alarm so I could open some windows before the smoke detectors went off. Wouldn't that have made me the most popular neighbor in the building?!? =) It only took about 10 minutes for the majority of the smoke to dissipate so I could finish making the mashed potato concoction. So, here I sit in a slightly hazy apartment with a full belly of mashed potatoes and a throat that isn't much better than before the saga ... who knows whether it's the original problem or from smoke inhalation! Perhaps, in the future, I should leave the more complicated cooking (like boiling liquids) to my "pre-midnight" cooking adventures.

As Martha would say, "Good Times." :~)

Redeemed

According to my dictionary, not Webster because I don't have his :), to redeem is to recover ownership of by paying a specific sum.



I've always loved the story of Ruth in the Bible. I'm sure partly due to the fact that it's a beautiful love story, and I'm a SUCKER for a good love story. But even more, I love the fact that it's an allegory for what Christ has done for me and everyone else who trusts in Him. Boaz was Ruth's kinsman redeemer, which basically means that after her husband passed away, he was someone in the family to take her as his wife so that her husband's name could continue. (Yeah, the official Jewish law is quite a bit more complicated than that, but that's the gist.) =) The cool part comes in the New Testament, though. Before Christ came, we were held under the law, which no one could live up to being sinful humans. But, when Jesus died for us, he payed the specific sum for our lives so that we could live in eternity with Him.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Galatians 3:13-14

To be redeemed, all we have to do is come to Him, broken, and accept His gift of life. This fact still amazes me!

There's a Christian singing group called Selah that is incredible!! If you've never heard any of their music, I highly recommend that you take a listen. (I promise this will all tie together eventually.) The lead male singer and his wife went through an excruciating experience with their 4th daughter in 2008. About halfway through the pregnancy, they found out that their daughter's condition wasn't compatible with life outside of the womb. To read the full story, you can go to Angie's Blog. One of my good friends told me about the blog in March of last year. I sat down one day, and I literally read the whole story up to that point in one sitting. Let me warn you, though, that you'll need at least one box of tissues to get through it! It was an encouragement to see their walk of faith through this time of unspeakable darkness.

What really hit home with me was how similar their story was to the stories of so many of my families at work. I work on the sickest of the sick babies for a living, and I can't even begin to imagine what goes through the families' minds as they walk that road not knowing if their baby will be alive tomorrow ... or later this afternoon. Some days are awesome, and others are absolutely heart wrenching. Reading through Angie's blog really opened my eyes to some of the thoughts of parents going through this type of tragedy. I will never forget what a mom told a group of us in a class up in DC: "My son may not be your sickest patient, but he's my sickest kid." WOW! What to us, as healthcare professionals, seems normal and everyday is terrifying to the parents. That has stuck with me, and I hope it makes me a better nurse because of it!

Not to be Debbie Downer ... we do have happy endings in the NICU, and we ALL rejoice when the so very sick babies survive and get to go home with their parents!! At the same time, though, not all of our little darlings make it to their earthly home. We see brokenness in our unit - parents and family members at the lowest point of their lives. It is in these times that I wish I was allowed to share more of my faith with these families to let them know there is a Great Healer who can and would love to heal their brokenness while carrying them through this horrible tragedy. Our chaplains do an amazing job with the families at the hospital, and I can never thank them enough! But, they are also limited on what they can say unless the families ask a specific question. Red tape/laws really stink sometimes!!

All this to say, Selah recently released a new cd that has a beautiful song entitled "Unredeemed". Here are the lyrics:

The cruelest world

The coldest heart

The deepest wound

The endless dark

The lonely ache

The burning tears

The bitter nights

The wasted years

Life breaks and falls apart

But we know these are



Places where grace is soon to be so amazing

It may be unfulfilled

It may be unrestored

But when anything that's shattered is laid before the Lord

Just watch and see

It will not be unredeemed



For every choice that led to shame

And all the love that never came

For every vow that someone broke

And every lie that gave up hope

We live in the shadow of the fall

But the cross says these are all



Places where grace is soon to be so amazing

It may be unfulfilled

It may be unrestored

But when anything that's shattered is laid before the Lord

Just watch and see

It will not be unredeemed



Places where grace is soon to be so amazing

It may be unfulfilled

It may be unrestored

But you never know the miracle the Father has in store

Just watch and see

It will not be

Just watch and see

It will not be unredeemed



This song says it all. No matter the circumstance, bring it to Jesus, and He WILL redeem! He takes the shattered pieces of our lives that we lay before Him, and He uses them to bring about His glory. What an encouraging message! I don't know how many times I've listened to this song - sometimes singing along, sometimes praying, sometimes crying - since I bought the cd. And, this isn't the only good song on it! It's really a great time of worship to listen and sing along with all the songs!

I tried to upload it to the list of songs playing on here, but it's not yet available. So, you can click here to hear them sing it. Enjoy! =)

A Collective "Ahhh...."

WOW! What a beautiful day we're having here! It's sun-shiny & cool(er) with a wonderful breeze. It doesn't get much better than this! It makes me just give a happy, contented sigh. :) I woke up this afternoon still tired from a stressful night at work last night, and then I looked outside. Talk about a mood-lifter!! I immediately got ready and went out to run some errands. If I wasn't COMPLETELY out of food here, I would have just gone to the park. But, instead I enjoyed a leisurely drive around town as I picked up some essentials. When I got to the grocery store, I picked up a cup of coffee & a slice of pumpkin bread - another fall favorite! Speaking of, I think it's time to start the 'fall baking rituals' again. This weather makes me just want to bake all kinds of yummies!! I hope you are having a happy, fall Monday! =)

Disappointing Display of Disrespect

Hmmm...It's now 2:30AM, and I'm awake again. Just another perk of working night shift for a year now. Either that, or I took too many naps Wednesday. =) Anyways, that's not what this post is about.

I'm the FIRST to admit that I'm NOT a political person. Case in point: About two years ago (while living in the DC area), I was sitting in Reagan National Airport waiting to come back to Texas. I was reading my book & minding my own business when this guy sitting by me nudged me & said, "Isn't that John McCain sitting over there?" Sitting about 5 feet from where we were was a familiar looking man, but I said, "I don't think so." And I continued to read my book. In my defense :), I didn't really think someone important would be sitting in an airport like the rest of us, AND the election hadn't really kicked off so much. (I know, I know ... I still should have recognized him!) So, a minute or two passes, and this guy next to me said it again. He asked me if I'd take his picture shaking the man's hand. A little irritated at this point that he wouldn't leave me alone, I agreed. I was secretly thinking that he was about to make a fool of himself by asking this poor man for his picture. Well, guess who the fool was! Turns out that John McCain actually did have to sit in the airport like the rest of us. Now do you believe me that I'm not a political person?!? :)

Well, tonight I watched President Obama's speech on health care reform. Obviously, being a health care worker, this subject is pretty important to me. I didn't vote for Obama, and I don't agree with most his policies that I know of, but I listened tonight to hear his proposal. It's the first of his speeches that I've watched. I have to say that I was disappointed in the disrespect that was shown by the Republicans - particularly the one who yelled out "liar" during the speech. What happened to taking the high road in a disagreement? Has ALL maturity left our government completely? I know ... very naive of me to think that people in government would act their age. I listened to the nationalized insurance proposal, and I honestly don't believe that this "best of both worlds utopia" plan is even possible. But, all that aside, he is the President of the United States of America, and as such deserves a certain amount of respect. God allowed him to have this office for the next four years. Because of this, I'm committed to pray for him. I respect the Office of the President, and I was disappointed that some of our elected officials disrespected it tonight. No matter what happens with all of this, we can have confidence that God is still in control.

"being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you

will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

-Philippians 1:6

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

-Hebrews 13:8

I'm now stepping off of my soapbox . . . =) Have a wonderful weekend!!

Seems like it's been a while . . .

And it really has! It's been a full, exciting, fun, busy, stressful, happy, (add your own adjective, and it will probably apply!) couple of months. I'll try to catch up:

Fathers' Day weekend, I was excited to be off of work so that I could go to my parents' & visit with everyone. They were hosting a cookout for the dads that Saturday night, so I got to see two grandpas and other relatives - not to mention getting to spend some quality time with my own dad! Here, he's displaying a set of cuff links. There's a funny story behind these...

For Christmas, dad asked for a new, white dress shirt. (a Christmas 'staple') Well, wanting to get him what he asked for, I went out in search of a nice shirt. I was excited to find one for a great price AND in his size, so I grabbed it and ran to the cash register. As I was checking out, the sales associate asked if I would be needing any cuff links that day. In my head, I was thinking, "What a strange thing to ask someone!" Audibly, though, I just smiled and said, "No, thank you." (In my defense, I work night shift and am sleep deprived most days. So, I often miss putting 2 & 2 together to come up with 4!) =) I'm sure you see where this is going. Christmas morning, he opens the shirt and says, "Great! I'll have a shirt to wear with my cuff links." Hmmm...again with mentioning cuff links? Then he explained to me that the shirt required them. I guess the sales associate wasn't so strange for asking me that after all!! A few months later, as dad's birthday & Fathers' Day were approaching, he told me that he didn't have his cuff links anymore. So ... Happy Fathers' Day to you! Here's part 2 of your Christmas gift! =) (hooray for the special kid!) It was a fun weekend.

While I was home, my dad noticed that my car had been hit & had a nice dent in the rear. He asked when that had happened, and I had NO idea. Good times. So, I got to have a rental car for a couple of weeks while Roony (my car) had some work done. The back looks as good as new, so that made me very happy! Also during this time, my long awaited furniture arrived!!!! It is BEAUTIFUL and exactly what I wanted. The man in charge of the delivery was just laughing at me because I was SO EXCITED with each piece that was brought in. There may have been a little squealing and clapping, but I'm proud to say that the jumping up & down while squealing & clapping was contained until they were gone! :-) At one point, he looked at me and asked if this was my "first big girl bedroom furniture". I asked him, "Is it obvious?" I was just so happy to see the right stuff in perfect condition sitting in my apartment! It took a lot for this to happen.

I was lucky enough to get July 4th off this year! After sleeping for a while, (I worked the night of the 3rd) Marshall and I went to a carnival in downtown Fort Worth that he had read about online. It was pretty fun. They had huge pieces of cardboard & plastic that we could use to ride down a big hill. It was like sledding . . . but on grass when it's hot outside. =) We did this for a while. It was fun and challenging. The challenging part was trying to dodge all the little kids climbing the hill we were sledding down. Good times! We walked around for a while, and then had our picnic while we waited for the fireworks to start. And, I don't use the term "waited" loosely! The fireworks were to start once the baseball game finished. Well, that game went LONG, and the fireworks didn't get started until around 11:30!! They were well worth the wait, though. Beautiful, and not too loud for the most part. There were a couple that made me jump, but it was fun. It was a fun evening celebrating our Great Nation's freedom!!

Next thing I knew, it was my birthday weekend. I'd requested days off and made trades with people at work so that I could have several days off at that time. I think I ended up being off 5 or 6 days!! WHOOP!! :) Friday night, Marshall took me to dinner & surprised me with a bouquet of tulips and a dozen long stem, white roses! WOW!! When we got back to my apartment, my parents had arrived in from Tyler, and we got to visit with them a little while. Saturday morning, I met my parents for breakfast at IHOP. YUMMY pancakes!! =) We went to Target to get a couple things that they had forgotten to pack. What better way to start my birthday?!? IHOP & Target!! We came back to my apartment, and I put them to work . . . hanging heavy stuff on my walls. :~) That evening, Amy & Ronnie joined us for supper. It was a great time joking around with each other. After we finished eating, we went to see the musical "Little Shop of Horrors" in downtown Fort Worth. I love the music in it! I've always been a sucker for tight harmonies, and this performance was NOT a disappointment!! They did a phenomenal job. =) I had a spectacular birthday! Mom & Dad went home Sunday evening after we went to church, had a big lunch, and all had a nice Sunday afternoon nap. What an amazing weekend!!

A couple weeks later, we went to visit Sam and his foster parents. I don't think I've been out there since before Christmas, and WOW!, what a difference 7-8 months can make!! =) A couple of years ago, he started trying to talk & babble. Then, he got really sick, and that was the end of talking. Recently, though, he's just come alive with words, and it was so precious to hear that sweet little (sometimes "growly") voice! Honestly, it made me get a little teary at one point. He's such a miracle, and God has given us so much more time than we ever thought we'd have to enjoy Sam. I'm so grateful that I get to watch him grow up, and I praise God for providing such incredible foster parents! What a privilege to be able to sit back and watch God perform miracle after miracle!!

My Papa Art had his 80th birthday last week, and his party was last Saturday night at my parents' house. We went out there Saturday evening for the celebration. It was so much fun to visit with everyone again - especially since some of my cousins who I haven't seen in close to a year (or more?) were able to come. I didn't get my camera out because my dad was snapping pictures. So, I don't have any to post yet. We came back to the DFW area Sunday night after a day of playing in Tyler with my parents.

Yesterday, I met a good friend of mine & her 2 boys for lunch. We used to do stuff together all the time, but with the hour + commute between our homes now, we don't get to see each other much anymore. It was so much fun to catch up with her and play with the boys for a few hours this afternoon!! After lunch, we went to the Rangers' Ballpark & took the tour. It was a lot of fun, and we got to go in places that I'd never get to see otherwise.

Rangers' Locker Room

View from the dugout

Great president & lover of baseball!!

So, that's my life for the past two months in a nut shell. (Anyone else having an "Austin Powers" flashback?!?)

I hope you have a wonderful day!!

A Work in Progress

Well, it's been 2 weeks since I moved to my new apartment, and I'm still not completely unpacked. This is unusual for me. I DO NOT like to live with boxes & clutter, so I'm usually unpacked & settled within the 1st week. This move has been a little different since I'm working full time nights and since some of my furniture hasn't arrived yet. It's been promised by the end of this month, and I'm really hoping that they come through with this latest "guarantee". Until then, I'm learning to deal with the clutter - or at least to avert my eyes from the piles. :) By the way, I LOVE my new place!!!! It's very nice and doesn't seem to have the problems my old place had. I've uploaded a few pictures of the uncluttered & decorated areas. It's been a lot of fun to decorate. This is definitely my favorite part of moving! Hopefully I'll be able to post some "completed apartment" pictures in the next few weeks. :)

Baseball Paraphernalia (seems to be growing with time) :)
Musical Jazz Cats (look closely)

Bookshelf in hallway

Office/Craft Room (Aggie Shrine) :)

Dining Area (with easel ready for painting from Dad)

Living room

. . . some gave all

Boxes, Boxes, and MORE Boxes!

What a whirlwind couple of weeks! I've been busy, but it's been fun. . . well, as much fun as packing can be. :-) On my apartment hunt a few weeks ago, I found a cute one that would be ready when I was ready to move. It's a in a huge apartment complex, and it's a little closer to work - a wonderful thing when it comes to the morning commute back home after a long night at work! The weird thing is I can't remember much about the inside. I looked at seven or eight different apartments that day, and then I picked this one. I know the layout because I have the paper that the leasing agent gave me, but that's about it. So, I'm PUMPED about getting the keys on Wednesday so I can go have another look at my new home!! :-) Over the next two weeks, I'll be moving some of my more precious things into the new place and putting them away where they can't get hurt by movers & furniture. Then, I'll have some movers come move everything else the last week of May. I'm very excited, but I still have a bit to do. My kitchen, for example, still needs to be packed . . . YIKES! The best part of this move is that I've been making myself clean out stuff. I found a couple of boxes the other day that I'd never even unpacked when I moved in here. Hmmm . . . perhaps I don't need that stuff as much as I'd once thought. It's been good for me to go through & get rid of a bunch of stuff that I'm tired of storing for that "day when I might possibly think I need/want it again". (For all of my pack-rat buddies, you know what I'm talking about!)

But, it's not been all work & no play . . .

Two weekends ago, we celebrated my mom's birthday. She & dad drove in to Dallas from Tyler, and my sister & I met them there. We saw a great play at the Dallas Contemporary Theater called "The Cemetery Club." It sounds a bit sad/odd/depressing, but it was really funny. If you have the opportunity (and you like live theater), I'd highly recommend this play! We all stayed over at a hotel, and had a nice big breakfast that Saturday morning. It was great to visit with them for a while. Who knew that I'd see so little of them even when I'm living just a couple hours away?!? Sometimes I guess I just lose control of my schedule and let time slip away. I need to work on this! (My dad took the pictures that weekend, so I don't have any fun family pictures to share right now.)

Last week, I went to visit my first college roommate up in Virginia. She had her 3rd little angel in December, and Aunt Jenn had not yet met her! This was simply unacceptable!! :-) I had scheduled my nights to work so that I had a long stretch of time off just for this trip. It was a very short & fast trip, but it was wonderful! I got to play Candy Land & Lucky Ducks until I couldn't stand anymore! :) E wasn't too sure about me when I first got there. He's 3 and didn't really remember me, but he eventually warmed up. We played with puzzles & cuddled on the couch while watching TV. Good times! S & I had some color time Tuesday night. That was so much fun! I haven't colored in years, and now I'm wondering why I haven't!! It's something I still really enjoy doing. (might have to rearrange some things in my life to make more time for crayons!) :-) We looked through books to find pictures for me to color, and then she picked a picture she could color for me. Priceless memories! After coloring, we all went up to their room for story time before everyone went to bed. And, then there's D . . . the newest. As I'm sure you can tell by my line of work, I have a special place in my heart for babies! She is so adorable!! At 4 1/2 months, I had a great time making her smile & trying to get a giggle from her. Turns out that her brother & sister are the masters at this trick! And what a precious thing to observe - the three of them playing together. I could go on & on, but I won't. =) My friend there is one of my closest friends. It was completely a "God thing" how we met & became roommates. A&M had run out of dorm rooms my freshman year, so I went to the Off Campus Aggies office to look for a roommate or roommate/apartment combo. She had done the same thing being a graduate student & not wanting to live on campus. We each ended up pulling the same girl's name from the file, but she already had found a roommate. So, she gave Camille my name & number. I like to think of it as God handpicking my first college roommate for me. He knew exactly what I needed! It was wonderful to get to visit with her again this past week.

I guess it's back to the real world for me now. (Or at least as real as my world ever gets) :-) For all of the mothers out there, I hope you had a terrific day yesterday! I'm off to pack some more boxes. YIPPEE!!!!

Seasons

This past weekend, I was invited to a women's retreat by one of my good friends. I was very excited, and a little nervous, to go. I was excited to see what God would teach me, but I was nervous about being around so many people I'd never met before. God did not disappoint! Our speaker, Pat Harley, gave four amazing messages. And, I got to know some amazing women over the 2 days.

These are the women of Numazawa . . . Room 4: (L-R) Nancy, Julie, Jennifer, Marcy, Melodie, Melissa, Kerri, & me. I had registered to ride the zip line a couple of times, but the weather didn't cooperate. Instead, we all gathered in our room & played games. :-)

The theme of the weekend was I will praise Him in every season. Sunday morning, the sun came out! It was beautiful!! It allowed everyone to participate in the "prayer mosaic". In case you don't know what that is (I didn't either until Sunday morning), it's where you go to several "stations" and have a time of prayer. For example, one of them was Laying your burdens at the foot of Jesus. So, at this station, we wrote a burden on a rock, prayed to give it over to Jesus, and threw the rock in the lake to symbolize its release. They had set up 7 different stations, and we each went through them. It was such an intimate time with my Savior! By far, that hour was the highlight of the retreat for me!! :)

Sunday morning, before breakfast, I walked around for a little while enjoying the sunshine. Of course, I had to get a picture of the lighthouse near the dining hall. Just because I'm living further from the ocean doesn't mean I've stopped looking for lighthouses! :) I sat out on the dock for a little while, too, until the wind got to be too strong.

It was a wonderful weekend, and I'm so glad that I got to go!

On a completely different note, it's April 21st today . . . which means it's Aggie Muster. For those of you who aren't Aggies, this is a day to remember those lost this past year and to celebrate the life that they had. I'm working tonight, so I won't be able to attend a local gathering, but hopefully I'll find a local group before next year. I'm sure there's an Aggie Family here in Fort Worth! :)

Where has the time gone?

I just looked at my last post date, and it's been a month. I'm sure you've been waiting with bated breath to find out what I've been up to. Or, you hadn't noticed it's been a while. =)

So, let's play catch up. . .

The past 6 months I've been working a contract at a children's hospital in the DFW area. With the end of that job rapidly coming to a close, I've spent a LOT of time praying for direction about what God wanted me to do. Amazingly enough, I've had so much peace (that can only come from Him) as the days ticked by and the paychecks were coming to a close. I looked around the area for NICU jobs, and I talked to a couple of NICU's in NC hospitals. Most every NICU is fully staffed at the moment. . . great for the nurses who aren't being overworked, but not so great for me. :) Even still, God had calmed my spirit about it all. So, I didn't let this consume me. I continued to enjoy my days off. (I know that's surprising . . . ha ha ha)

A few Saturdays ago, I spent a very busy yet very fun day in the Dallas area. One of my oldest friends (not by age, but because we've now been friends for 25 years . . . WOW!) had a surprise sprinkle for her 3rd little boy who will soon grace us with his presence. For those of you who have never heard of this, it's basically a baby shower & a surprise party mixed together. It was wonderful to get to visit with some people I haven't seen in 10+ years.

After the shower, I had planned to go to the Dallas Arboretum to see the tulips. It was smack dab in the middle of Dallas Blooms, so I was expecting greatness!! =) My sweet parents drove in from Tyler to meet me there. We were NOT disappointed!! We got to walk around there for a few hours before I needed to head off to my next activity for that day. It was an absolutely perfect afternoon for being in a garden!! =) Apparently, most of the people in Dallas felt the same way because it was pretty crowded. The past couple of springs, I've been further north & east from where I am this spring, so I've been blessed to get to enjoy all the beautiful cherry blossom trees. They are just gorgeous. Last Easter, I was in NC, and I spent most of the afternoon at the Duke Gardens. They had some amazing cherry blossom trees there. Well, I was missing getting to see them this year, so you can imagine how excited I was to see them at the Arboretum!! They were in full bloom - some still the pink & some were already turning more white. They are beautiful. What more could I ask for than tulips with cherry blossoms?!? Throw in some fun times with my parents & it's the trifecta. :) Not to discount the tulips, though. They were amazing. I can't even imagine how many THOUSAND bulbs had been planted there this year. All colors, sizes, & varieties. It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon.

So, after enjoying creation for a while, I went over to some wonderful friends' house for a Red Envelope Party. Don't worry if you don't know what that is because I didn't know about it until my friend explained it to me. Basically, it was people from all across the country preparing & sending empty red envelopes to the White House with a message written on the back about abortion. Each envelope represented a child killed by an abortion. The envelope was purposely left empty because the child will never be able to participate in this life. It's kind of a grass roots effort to let our new President know that we don't agree with his recent decisions to fund & support abortions. I'm not usually a political activist, but this issue is very important to me. I spend HOURS & HOURS each week trying to save sick babies trying to make it for parents who so desperately want a child. It's so hard to hear of people killing their babies. Okay . . . I'm stepping down off of my soap box now. =)

That Sunday, I left on a long & exciting road trip. Well, at least the 2nd day of driving was exciting. :) For those of you who have never had the pleasure of driving across West Texas, let me just tell you - it's not all that exciting! Don't get me wrong, I'm a Texan through & through, and yes, I do believe it's a GREAT place to live. I just don't want to spend another 8 1/2 hours in a truck driving through that part again anytime soon. That evening, as the sun was setting, God really made it all worthwhile! The camera just can't capture the true colors of that sunset. It was gorgeous. Once I hit the state line that night, I only had about 20 minutes left until I reached my hotel. The next morning, after a much needed night of sleep, I got up refreshed & ready to finish my journey. I was heading to Twentynine Palms, CA, for a Marine Homecoming Celebration. Now those of you who have known me for years know that I don't have any brothers . . . officially. But, sometimes you have the family you were borne into & then the family you choose as you walk through life. Well, that is the type of brother I was going to welcome back to the States. Such dear friends don't come around everyday, and I was SO honored & excited to get to join in this celebration. Sean, my little brother, was getting back late that Monday night from Iraq (his 2nd tour). It was wonderful to see him home & safe again. God is doing amazing things in the lives of his parents. His mom is like a sister to me - someone who helped me get through the move from city to country back in highschool. This last picture is one of my favorites from that trip - Sean hugging his dad. It was such a wonderful . . . and VERY COLD . . . night. I'd always heard that the desert gets cold at night, but I was NOT prepared for that. Thankfully, Bea had planned for me & packed extra sweatshirts/sweaters for me. I'm lucky to have people looking out for me!! =) That Wednesday, I had to head back home so that I could go back to work. It was a short trip, but SO VERY WORTH IT!! I will always remember that night.

Now, that 18+ hour road trip left a lot of time for me to think. The saying is very true - An idle mind is the devil's workshop!! I have to admit that during part of that trip I started to get a little panicky about the job situation. I only had 3 weeks left, and then I didn't know what I was going to do. As a contract worker over the past couple of years, I've been able to set aside money, so I wasn't worried so much about the money issue. It's the control/planning issue that always creeps back into my thoughts and causes worry. Something I've been working on during the past few years is patience. If you know me at all, you know this is NOT my strongest character quality. (some might even say it doesn't exist on a regular basis in my life). =) But, as a contract nurse, it's something that MUST be learned! Clearly I haven't learned my lesson yet, because I was getting a little impatient with God about the job situation during those quiet hours in west Texas. I even considered calling a nurse manager of a hospital where I used to work to get a job. I knew they had an opening, and I felt pretty confident that I could just go back there & have a job. The problem was that I didn't have peace about doing that. I knew that it would be me taking control of the situation again instead of waiting on God. So, every time these thoughts would come to mind, I'd try to remember to pray. Each time, God brought one of the following 3 verses to my mind:

"'For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord.

'As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.'"

-Isaiah 55: 8-9

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord,

'plans to prosper you & not to harm you,

plans to give you hope & a future.'"

-Jeremiah 29:11

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything,

by prayer & petition, with thanksgiving,

present your requests to God.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts & your minds in Christ Jesus."

-Philippians 4:4-7

These promises would calm me down again. I ended up not calling that hospital on the trip. When I went back to work after my little trip, one of the night managers came rushing up to my patient's bedside while I was working with him, and she said "I haven't gotten a reply to my email!" I didn't have a clue what she was talking about, and was honestly a little worried that something bad had happened while I was away. I explained that I'd been out of town and that I hadn't yet had time to check my email since getting to work that night. She then explained that they were offering me a position to stay permanently, but they needed to know my answer ASAP since there's a list of people waiting to get hired there.

Talk about an answer to prayers! I'm sure (if you've been reading my blog over the past year) you're wondering why I'm not heading back to the east coast. It is what I've been planning and looking forward to for a while now. But, the more I thought & prayed about it, the more I realized that it's not where God wants me . . . at least right now. I'll just have to take little vacations out there so I can return to my favorite beaches! =) I'm excited because I've made some great friends at work here, and I think that God may use me to witness to some of my coworkers here. That would be awesome! Not to mention the fact that now I won't have to sit through another rah-rah-sis-boom-bah orientation week or two, and I won't have to learn another hospital's way of doing things. BOTH a bonus in my thinking! So, to say the obvious, I'm staying here in Fort Worth permanently. (or at least that's the plan right now) :) I'm actually more & more excited about this with each new day. No, it's not a perfect hospital & NICU. But, as I've learned over the past couple of years, that does NOT exist. I've been here long enough for the rose colored glasses to be removed, and I am still more than happy to stay.

Another bonus is that I'll be close to family & friends . . . something I've missed while traveling. Also, I get to stay at my church here. I'm so looking forward to getting involved in a ministry there! I'm not saying that the change back to "staff" from "contract" isn't scary & a bit intimidating at times. But, it's really what I feel I should be doing. So, with all that said, I'm off on an apartment hunt today. The whole lizard incident last December, along with a few other issues, has made me want a new apartment.

Well, that pretty much sums up my life for the past month. I'm going to try to be better at updating here this month. I hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend celebrating our Risen Savior!!

Celebration & Renewal

So, this morning's service was so amazing that I wanted to share it with you. It was unlike any other that I've been to. Today was "Baptism Sunday". Now, growing up, our church didn't just set aside one service for people to be baptised. Then again, we always had a built in baptistery. =) So, this morning, the entire service was a celebration of people who have chosen Jesus to lead their lives and wanted to make it public.

I go to a Bible church near here. In case you've never visited one, these churches (at least the one's I've visited) are based on the church in Acts. Meaning that a huge emphasis is placed on small community groups that meet during the week and then with other groups on Sunday for corporate worship. (this will be important later) They often have several pastors with one 'senior pastor', and they have an elder board to minister to both the congregation as well as to the pastors. This particular church has 'area pastors'. These men are pastors to specific areas in the community and all the small groups in that area. All this to say, your community/small groups become like a family.

For the past several weeks, our senior pastor has been preaching about ministering to the 'down & out' people of our community. (i.e. the homeless & destitute population) As a community of believers, we've read the book "Same Kind of Different as Me".

Don't worry, I'm not going to give you a book report or even a synopsis. I'm just going to say it's worth the read! I feel like I've had a big change in how I view the world around me. . . my own little renewal. On this note, please pray with me to know God's will about someone who I'll call "B-man". It's exciting to see God at work in a new way like I have over the past few weeks!

Back to this morning ...

After a time of worship, we watched a video of the people being baptised telling about their salvation experience. It was so personal - like family - getting to hear the background story. As the different people went into the water, the members of their family/community groups went up to the stage to be a part of this exciting day. There were cheers & tears of joy everywhere in the auditorium. What a blessing to get to be a part of this celebration Sunday. I don't feel like I'm able to adequately describe this morning, but it's the type of celebration I imagine the angels have each time someone accepts Christ - or at least as close as we can get to that as humans.

God is doing amazing things in this area!!

Thankful Thursday

1. I'm thankful for COFFEE!!!!
2. I'm thankful for forgiveness: given & received.
3. I'm thankful for the moments when medical experts sit dumbfounded by a miracle only God could have given.
4. I'm thankful for tulips - short lived but beautiful! (Well worth the wait each year!)
5. I'm thankful for spring - reminder of fresh beginnings.
6. I'm thankful for my fun scrapbooking toys . . . hours of fun!
7. I'm thankful for music. I always have a song in my heart & head.
8. I'm thankful for my "smiley" Roony. =)
9. I'm thankful for getting to see "Sam" turn 4 - relatively healthy - after so many days thinking he wouldn't make it through my 12 hour shift.
10. I'm thankful for jammy days!!!!

I hope you have a wonderful and 'thanks-ful' Thursday!!

Boys of Summer

I love baseball! With each spring comes the joy of baseball games and the hopes that one of our Texas teams (preferable the Astros, but either would be awesome!!) will do something exciting! =) After I woke up this evening (that's right . . . I actually slept today! YAY!!), I was flipping through the channels and came across a spring training game between the Cubs & the White Sox. It's my 1st game to see in 2009, and I've already gotten to see a triple! (my favorite & in my opinion, the MOST exciting play of baseball!!) Good times.

People have asked me why I like baseball so much, and really, it's not to just see the players - although I definitely have my favorites! :~) I love to see the teamwork. For example, when an outfielder is eyeing a ball to catch, the other players around him come around him in support: either to high five him for a good catch & throw back or to catch the ball if he misses. When players are crossing home plate, their teammates are standing there to cheer for them. And, if the other team's pitcher hits one of your teammates with the baseball on purpose, you can pretty much rest assured that your team's pitcher is going to return the favor the next time he's on the mound. (NOT that I'm supporting bad sportsmanship, but I do support the camaraderie!)

It reminds me of working in the NICU. Maybe a stretch to everyone else, but it fits perfectly in my mind. For example, when your patient suddenly starts crashing, people seem to come out of the woodwork to help & give support. When all is said & done, those people are there to help get your patient settled again after the excitement; or, they are there for support & to help after "the ball wasn't caught". Another interesting thing (possibly weird to some) is that each thing you learn to do to the babies (i.e. assess for different problems in the babies, insert tubes or IV's, etc.) is exciting to the person learning. I honestly remember most of my firsts at work . . . first IV, first good catch that prevented something bad from happening to the baby, first mistake, first baby going to surgery, first baby under 1kg, first code, first death . . . I could go on. As someone who is certainly NOT an expert in the field but who has been privileged to have many different experiences, it's so exciting to see the new nursing school graduates entering into the world of NICU having their firsts. It's even more fun to help them with whatever the task is and get to celebrate/sympathize with them. I realize this sounds morbid to most people, but there's a certain bond between people that go through stressful situations together. It's unlike any other. Which leads me to the camaraderie comparison between baseball & nursing. For the most part, NICU nurses want to work with babies (the smaller the better!) and not much else. We are often very similar in our personalities. So, when we get sent to work in another unit, it's so nice to see someone from the NICU coming to say hi & check on you during that 12 hours in a foreign land. .

So, sitting here enjoying this game (which is turning out to be a pretty close game) and thinking way TOO much for 11:30PM :), some random thoughts have come to mind:

• I'm not a fan of the sidewinder or submarine delivery pitcher. I think it just looks jerky & sloppy.
• Sports commentators should stick to just that - sports. Now I'm the first to admit I'm not a fashionable person! If it's comfortable, I'll most likely buy it in multiple colors!! :) But, when these guys are announcing pitches and then throw in a comment about someone's new hairstyle, different shave, different way of wearing their pants, it's just amusing (and a bit disturbing!!).
• Speaking of fashion, I wish they'd have the players wear their pants the same way. I honestly don't have a preference: ending at the knees with the color coordinated knee socks or at the ankles with no socks showing. It really doesn't matter, but I wish they would all match!!!! I'm a fan of symmetry, and the different pant lengths are disturbing to this OCD fan! :)
• The "new" catchers' masks. Admittedly, I'm a traditionalist - not too surprising since I went to A&M! :) And, I've heard the arguments about how the new hockey mask like catchers' masks (does that even make sense?!?) are safer and easier to use, but I'm just not a fan. I like the old school version where they can remove the front mask part and leave the "baseball cap" part on while chasing a pop up.
• I appreciate the guys that run full speed out of the batters' box no matter what. I like that sold out approach. Biggio, when he played for the 'stros, was like that. Even when everyone in the ballpark knew that it would be caught, he went full speed ahead towards 1st base. I like that kind of commitment.
• As mentioned earlier, a triple is the most exciting thing for me to see in a baseball game. Sure, I enjoy seeing home runs and pretty swings, but the excitement of someone racing around 270 feet as fast as he can while someone else has gotten the ball and is throwing it to the third baseman is just too much fun!
• I'm sad that some of the players decided to ruin it by abusing steroids.
• I do not think the players should be paid millions of dollars for a God given talent when America's teachers (helping to form our future leaders) are typically on such a low pay scale. Our priorities have gotten off.
• My love for baseball comes honestly . . . I grew up watching it with my grandparents (baseball & Wheel of Fortune - another favorite) when I'd spend time at their houses.
• Aggie baseball games are by far the most fun baseball games in the world!!!! If you haven't been yet, you've missed out and should remedy this ASAP. =)
• I have a signed baseball from my FAVORITE player sitting on a shelf by his baseball card. He wasn't the best by baseball standards, but he was by far the best in my little world!

Week of Music

This past week was highlighted with musical events! Last Monday, I got to meet up with my cousin & his family for supper. It's always so much fun visiting with them! :~) While playing with my hair after we'd finished eating, Jenna (the 6 yr old) told me about her performance the next night at the PTA meeting for her school. Then, she told me I could come cheer for/watch her if I wanted to. (How could I say no to that?!?) Thankfully, I was off Tuesday night, so I headed east to see the show. I must admit, I was amazed (& brought to tears a couple times) at the talent these kiddos displayed! Her elementary school - a public school - teaches '6 pillars of character' to the children. How wonderful that they are learning how to live lives of character at such a young age!! Another impressive program at this school is the stringed instrument lessons for each student. Community members have either donated money or donated a stringed instrument to the school . . . enough so that each student in the school gets to learn how to play during the school day. Being a music lover, this touched my heart! The program was about America's "living history". So, the kids told of different influential people from our history throughout the program. It was really entertaining! I forgot to ask her mom if I could post a picture, so I won't. But, suffice it to say she was adorable up there singing her heart out! =) The show/PTA meeting ended with the coach getting several pies in the face - a reward to the kids who sold the most cookie dough last semester. Good times! As my cousin so aptly stated as we left the school - "Anything that ends with someone getting a pie to the face is a good time!" We decided that this should be the conclusion to many more activities in life!

Saturday night, I met up with a friend of mine from Galveston & a couple of her friends to go to the opera. We went to see La Boheme at Fair Park in Dallas, but we actually missed the first half of the opera because of traffic. We sat on MLK Blvd. in downtown Dallas (not the safest place in the area for a car full of girls) for close to an hour trying to get into the gate. As we looked around at the people in the cars sitting beside us, we started noticing that many of the people weren't the opera type. (I know - wrong to judge a book by the cover.) At one point, the girl driving us rolled her window down and asked where the carload next to us was going. Turns out, one of the big country stations for the Metroplex was having a Country Mardi Gras at the Cotton Bowl - also at Fair Park for those of you not familiar with Dallas. All the traffic was beginning to make sense. We did finally get inside. Don't get me wrong, I love the opera & the talented musicians! But, as we sat there, I was wondering a few things: 1) How did these people sing about chickens & eggs with a straight face? 2) Would it sound as pretty if they were singing these words in English? 3) Do the people who speak that language find it odd hearing people sing chicken & eggs, or do they think it sounds pretty & elegant like we do? Hmmm . . .

The other day, one of my friends from the hospital I used to work at in Dallas posted pictures of her beautiful tulips blooming. So, I decided that they must be in bloom here at the botanical gardens. After all, Fort Worth is only about 35 minutes west of Plano - not really a big climate difference! Well, much to my dismay, they weren't blooming in Fort Worth, but there were pretty daffodils EVERYWHERE you looked! Go figure. I enjoyed my walk in the garden anyway, though. For me, you pretty much can't go wrong walking among beautiful flowers on a sunny day!

So, you may be wondering what daffodils have to do with music. Well, they're forever connected in my little mind thanks to Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (the good version with Gene Wilder). After the 5 golden tickets have been redeemed, the kids have signed the contract, and everyone has piled into that little elevator, Wonka opens the door to the magical candy field with the chocolate river. "Everything you see is eatable . . . edible!" (Yes, I know it's scary that I know the movie so well!) =) Moving on - As Wonka is singing about this paradise, he sits down and plucks a daffodil off of its stem. He then proceeds to remove the cup part of the flower from the saucer part and drinks from it. I've always imagined it to be some super sweet juice. Anyways, when I see a daffodil, that song immediately comes to my mind & gets stuck. It's still playing in my head . . . hours later. :)

The 'tulip trees' were also in full bloom. I'm almost positive they aren't really called that, but the blooms remind me a little of tulips, so that's what I call them. :) I love that the blooms are different colors on the inside from what they are on the outside. The contrast is amazing!

Undaunted by the lack of tulips in the gardens, I decided to pick some up at the grocery store on my way home. I was determined to enjoy some tulips this week! If I were a flower, I'm pretty sure I'd be a tulip. I always forget how bulky they are at the base, so the two bundles I got took up two vases. NOT a problem, though. I'll just get to enjoy them in my bedroom and my living room! Good times!!

Have a great week!

Farewell Faithful Friend . . . For Now

Yes, that's a picture of my trash. :-) I'm mourning the end of my Starbuck's Christmas Blend coffee streak. This elixir of life has once again served me well as I struggle to stay out of a coma with my crazy hours. I always stock up on this particular flavor during the brief time that it's sold. I frequently ask them to sell it year round for those of us who are more addicted to it than the normal stuff - to no avail as of yet. But, as anyone who's ever met me can testify, I'm much too stubborn to give up that easily on something so important! =) I've also suggested a "Christmas in July" reprise of this flavor. After all, Christmas is not a date but a state of mind!! I put the last of it into the coffee grinder the other evening before work, so I only have one, maybe two, cups left until it comes back to the shelves in NINE LONG MONTHS! So, I'm off to savor one of my last cups...

'Special' Moments

(a.k.a. times you wish you could crawl under a rock for a few minutes & hide.)

I seem to be having more of these lately. Most recently was this morning. Yesterday, after a fun breakfast with my sister & sending her off to the airport to pick up her husband, I decided to take my car in for its "60 Thousand Mile Checkup" . . . just a few thousand miles late. (but, better late than never, right?!?) So, off I go. After sitting in the waiting area for a couple of hours, the man I was working with came to find me. At that point, it was going to be at least another 3-4 hours. Then, (my favorite question of the day) he asked if I wanted to wait or if I'd like a loaner car and to pick up mine tomorrow (this) morning. Hmmm . . . not a hard decision! When I checked my car in yesterday morning, he told me that all service comes with a free car wash. YEA!! Roony was filthy (to put it lightly).

This brings me to this morning ...

I went to pick up my baby, and was handed a coupon for a local car wash. No problem. I took my car, stopped for some BOLD coffee, and went to the car wash. Here's the embarrassing part. I was sitting in the waiting area, and the Rachel Ray show was on the TV. No biggy, right? Her shows are typically funny. Well, NOT today's! She'd sponsored a mass wedding for 40 couples in & around Houston whose weddings were postponed due to Hurricane Ike. It was SO sweet! Needless to say, I started tearing up . . . in public. (rolling eyes) I was sitting in the waiting area with some man, and tears started running down my cheeks thinking about how much these people had been through. Thankfully, they finished my car before the show ended, so I could leave before I'd lost all control of my emotions. :~)

Good times . . .

The good news in all of this is that my car is ready for another 30,000 miles, shiny & clean, and still has a little of my NC sand in the back. I'm thinking it's time for some more ROAD TRIPS!!

Just Playing

As I've mentioned before, I LOVE clocks! The 'tick-tock' sound is so soothing to me for some reason. Knowing this, my Papa Joe told me about a friend of his that is a clock collector & dealer. So, we went out to this friend's house one day the week before last. OH MY GOODNESS!!!! Never in my life have I seen such a diverse & wonderful collection!! They were all antiques and varied in size and shape. Some were American made, but most were from overseas - mostly Europe. He has a shop beside his house where he repairs and sells the clocks, but his personal collection is inside his house. He graciously allowed me & Papa Joe in to see these masterpieces. WOW! So pretty! I had planned on buying one from him . . . having no idea what the average price was. (again . . . WOW) I found one in his shop that he was going to give me an amazing deal on, but I just can't spend that type of money right now. Someday!

While I was visiting in Canton, we went to 1st Monday. I always try to make it out of there without spending money, but I haven't reached that goal yet. It never seems to fail - I see something I need, and the downward spiral starts. =) It's almost as bad as Target! And just for the record, I am a LOYAL TARGET SHOPPER, but the "One Spot" is deceptive!! Granted, most everything in it is $1, but let's be real - who can get out of there spending only $1?!? I get caught up there and finally make my way out 10-15 minutes and $10-20 later. But I digress . . . We had a great time visiting, and the Canton trip was a success in at least one respect - I did not buy a dog!! They have this section called "DOG ALLEY" (very dangerous!) where they allow breeders to come with all the adorable little creatures. Before we entered, I told my Papa Joe that I was under NO circumstances allowed to buy a dog that day!! Thankfully, he held me to that deal, and I left Canton later that evening without a dog. :~)

So, then I worked a few more days so I could have more play time!

This past Tuesday was a great day! I went over to some friends' house to hang out most of the afternoon. (Their little boys are two of my 'nephews'.) She was keeping a friends' 6 month old, so she invited me to come play with the baby, too! What fun! She was laughing and 'talking' and sitting up and smiling - none of which my babies at work can do. What a great way to spend the afternoon! Her husband asked about my choice of "day off of work activities" that night a supper. "You spend your days off playing with babies?!?" Well, yes I do. Only it's a different kind of play. I love what I do at work, but it's so much fun to have some play time with babies that respond. =) After the little girl's mom picked her up, we all (two kiddos, my friend, and I) settled down for calm time in front of "Snow White". Her youngest crawled up in my lap and we had snuggle time during the movie. Priceless times!

Then, I worked a few more days. . .

Yesterday, I met up with a friend of mine for lunch. I was thinking about it today, and we've been friends since we were 5 years old! Now, I'm not going to say how old we are, but suffice it to say we've stayed friends for a LONG TIME. It is such a blessing to have friends like that - where we just pick up where we left off the last time. Honestly, I'm blessed to have a few of these friends, and I can't imagine my life without each of them. God has blessed me greatly! After lunch, she had to get back home, so I went "comfort shopping" (lots of bad news this past week - but that's a story for another time). I found a new shopping center on the north side of Fort Worth . . . shopping and exploring! Good times. After getting some fun new shirts and my bonus (Clinique shoppers - it's bonus days at Belk's!), I headed home. It was such a gorgeous day, I hated to go lock myself in my apartment to finish cleaning it, so I stopped at the Botanical Gardens to walk around. I'd never gone to the Japanese Gardens there, but I went yesterday. It was kinda strange to see so much lush greenery in February. =) Here are a few pictures. . .

See what I mean about all the green?!? Beautiful - even in winter! (Well, the Texas Winter at least!) :~) So, after walking around for a little while, I found a bench and decided to play with my new camera a little bit. Now, I'm not a complete believer in the thought that "reading instructions is only for the weak", but I do adopt this belief partially. For example, when I got my new camera at Christmas, I did read some of the owner's manual to find out what the different letters and knobs/buttons/dials meant. But, beyond that, I like to adopt the "learn by doing" principle. Usually not the most efficient way to learn something, and I often can't remember what I did to get the cool feature, but it's definitely more fun!! Yesterday, I learned about the manual focus and the black & white features of the camera. Good times! I think I ended up taking about 15 pictures of the same pagoda (or whatever they're called) before I got things figured out, but I was having fun. I think black & white pictures are beautiful, so I was so excited to figure out how to use this feature!

Well, I guess that pretty much catches you up on my life over the past couple of weeks. I hope you have a terrific day!

Some things just don't mix

For example . . . winter weather & Texas driving! :) Tuesday morning, as the 'terrible winter weather' was approaching, I was trying to get home. Now, to be perfectly fair, there was sleet/ice on the roads about 30-45 miles north of here as I was leaving work. Fort Worth, however, was just getting some really cold rain. This didn't hinder people from driving 20 miles below the speed limit, though. How happy did that make me?!? :) So, yesterday evening, thinking it would be bad outside, I left for work early. It really wasn't bad until the middle of the night, which made my evening commute easy. The fear started to set in at about 2 or 3 this morning when most of the day shift workers were calling in 'sick' or 'bad weather'. :) One of the drawbacks of my job is that we can't just leave . . . someone has to be there when I leave or else bad things happen. (to put it lightly) So, needless to say, I was overjoyed when my replacement showed up close to on time!! The drive home wasn't too bad, and because of the late caffeine shot (thinking I was going to be at the hospital for a while), I had plenty of energy when I got home. :) I walked around outside to get some pictures of the pretty white ice . . . looks a lot like snow, but it's very slippery.

You can't see it very well, but there's steam coming up from the water fountain. It was really cold this morning!!!! :) I hope you're warm & safe wherever you are!

"Shoot me a Waco!"

Long overdue, but I finally went on an exploration/road trip today. Hard to believe, but I haven't really gone exploring outside of Fort Worth proper since moving here. Several years ago, my sister went with a friend to the Dr Pepper bottling plant in Dublin, TX. For those of you who aren't Dr Pepper fans or experts, this is the oldest bottling plant in the world and it's the only one that still uses pure cane sugar instead of the corn syrup that the corporate bottling companies use. Ever since she told me about it, I've wanted to go, and today I did! :) Turns out, it's only a couple hours from my apartment - no big deal for me!

Dublin . . . The Irish Capital of Texas . . . is also home to this Dr Pepper heaven. I wasn't sure exactly where I was going (other than the city name), but it wasn't really a problem. Dr Pepper

was located on the corner of main street. YEA!!

Unfortunately, they weren't actually bottling the sweet nectar today, but I did get to take the tour. By the way, if you're thinking about taking the tour:

• it's VERY inexpensive!
• free parking
• free Dr Pepper with your tour
• they only bottle drinks on a couple of Wednesdays each month . . . call ahead!!

This is Kenny, our tour guide, explaining part of the bottling process. :) I didn't realize it, but Dr Pepper was created in a pharmacy in Waco. The inventor combined 23 flavors of soda to make this little piece of heaven. At the time, you could only get it in his drug store, and to order it, you said "Shoot me a Waco!" He had it on tap, so you could only get it in a glass, and had to finish it in his store . . . no 'to go cups'. (a little paranoid? . . . maybe!) :) So, long story short, the next generation started bottling it in Dublin, it went corporate, went to the corn syrup recipe, and is now available all over the country.

After touring the bottling factory, we went into the Dr Pepper Museum. No pictures are allowed in that part, but it does have some fun Dr Pepper memorabilia! Especially the last room of the tour . . . HUNDREDS of Dr Pepper clocks!!!! Needless to say, this was my favorite part of the tour. :~)

Then, it was time for the after tour fun . . . lunch! And yes, I did have some real food, but the real reason for eating there is their floats. . . Dr Pepper (with sugar cane) and Blue Bell ice cream . . . does it get any better?!?!?!? Talk about a SUGAR RUSH!!!! happiness :) After lunch, I walked around Dublin for a little while. Another little fun fact, the 2nd week of June each year, Dublin officially becomes 'Dr Pepper, TX'. They actually switch out the city limit signs. On the bottling company's birthday (or close to it . . . the 2nd Saturday of June), they throw a big party. Apparently thousands of people come to celebrate . . . and possibly for the free Dr Pepper! Good times. Gotta make sure I'm free (& in Texas) for that weekend!!!!

On my way back home, I decided to stop at a few of the interesting places I'd seen along the way. The first stop was at a family farm where they make their own cheeses. (And no, I don't have a clue on how to pronounce that name.) :) The woman in the shop was a fellow Aggie, so we visited for a little while. It still amazes me how just seeing someones ring can create an instant bond. . . but I digress. She showed me around where the cheese is actually made and explained the process. I had no idea that you could "make different cheeses". The man who actually makes the cheese at this dairy has created some different flavors of cheese. Now I'm the first to admit that my palate isn't good at distinguishing different ingredients in foods, but I tried a couple of his cheeses. I really liked the 'Texas Star' cheese. So much so that I brought some home and had it with dinner! :)

After we finished talking, I hopped back in my car . . . on to Stephenville. This is the home of Tarleton State University - my dad's alma mater.

Stephenville is a nice size city, with a beautiful town square. The courthouse is amazing! And, to top it off, 'Moolah' (a statue of a cow made from what appears to be fiberglass ) is right in front of said courthouse. My dad said that it's been there as long as he can remember. hmmm Sadly, I didn't get it in any of my pictures.

The final stop on my journey today was at a winery in Dale Bluff. I really enjoy visiting small, family owned shops!! The lady at the counter told me about their vineyard and the different special activities at the restaurant.

The coolest part is that they have picnic tables all around the vineyards. She said that people often bring a picnic there. They obviously serve food there if you don't want to pack your own, but picnics are always fun! :) She said that the vines would be in full bloom by April, so I'm thinking there will definitely need to be a return trip for that . . .

So, I'm finally back home after a very long and very fun day. I hope you enjoyed the 'mini-tour' of Midwest Texas. :~)