Birmingham . . .

After a busy but great two weeks back home visiting lots of friends & family, I've started my new assignment in Alabama. Birmingham has proven to not be as warm as I was hoping! :) This morning, as I left for work, it was 18 degrees outside!! Other than that, it's been great. I visited a wonderful church yesterday and met some very sweet people. The pastor is doing a series on the Names of Jesus, which I'm very excited to hear! Today was the first of two days of hospital orientation. It wasn't that bad, just a day full of "group work" tests. Tomorrow, we'll be learning their computer systems - yea. Then, I will finally get back to my babies at the end of the week!! I always forget how much I miss playing/working with them when I schedule the occasional but much needed break. I've attached a couple pictures of my apartment here. It's a nice place with a beautiful view out the back door. Who knew Alabama has mountains?!? I certainly didn't, and now I'm living among them. :) Go figure!

I love irony!!

Well, after several quality hours at Reagan National Airport on Sunday, I was able to get on a plane headed to Dallas. The majority of the flights into DFW were being cancelled due to the ice storm expected. So, I got to sit in terminal C for about 5 1/2 hours with some really nice strangers as we all watched the Seattle/Chicago playoff game. It was kinda fun - until Seattle lost. I landed in Dallas a little after 8PM, welcomed by my mom (who had just driven a couple hours to get me) and FREEZING weather!! As I bundled up to walk outside of the terminal, I had to laugh. "How ironic!", I thought. I just left the DC area to come back to the south for warmer weather!! :) Well, I left almost 70 degree weather on Sunday afternoon to come to 30 degree weather Sunday night! It just makes me chuckle. I had bought a heated ice scraper for my time up in the north country, completely expecting to need it for the past month. Well, I used it once while in DC, and it's been used twice since being back in Texas. As you can see above, poor Roony needed some scraping this morning. :) You have to love the twists in life that keep you on your toes. I'm looking forward to what Birmingham holds in store. Who knows?!?

Home Again, Home Again . . .

Well, my stint in the DC area has officially come to a close. I fly back home tomorrow for a couple weeks. I have thoroughly enjoyed the area and will readily recommend it to anyone. I feel that I've learned a lot while here both in my life and in my career. I have grown closer to my Lord while here. He has taught me more about patience and relying more on His timing for decisions. My prayer life has also grown - I'm sure due in large part to frequently getting lost in some of the lesser of the law abiding areas! As for my career, I've seen & worked with some very interesting & difficult patients. I was "allowed" (or more appropriately "forced") to work with babies on the heart/lung bypass pump. It was truly a challenge, but God took care of us. Both my patient & I lived through those days - I wasn't always sure about the latter! :) I've had the opportunity to meet & work with some exceptional nurses, doctors, & therapists at this hospital. Their knowledge was an inspiration! I plan to return to this hospital, most likely later this year. So, if you wanted to come visit the area but were unable during the past 6 months, don't worry because "Hotel Jenn" will reopen once it warms back up!! I hope you have a terrific week, and I look forward to visiting with all my Texas people very soon!

Winds of Change

All the forecasts for this area said that this was going to be a horrible winter. Well, I'm happy to say that it hasn't been too bad. That's DEFINITELY an answer to prayer. :) Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous! I took a mini-road trip up to Pennsylvania. I stopped at Gettysburg, but it was a little too chilly to walk around outside. So, I got back in my car & went on to Hershey, PA - the home of Hershey's Chocolate! They have an amusement park, a hockey team, and "Chocolate World", which is what I visited. They still had most of their Christmas decorations up when I got there. From there, I went to Lancaster County - where the Amish live It was interesting, but it smelled like horse poop! I expected the whole area to look like Little House on the Prairie. Well, it looked just like any other small town except for the fact that people were occasionally driving by in a horse & buggy. The tree above is one of the little street decorations there. I'll have to go back another time when I can spend more time there & maybe get a carriage ride. So, on to the big news . . . My next assignment will be in Birmingham, Alabama! I'll be in a HUGE NICU there (a total of around 100 patients). I'm excited to see a new area, but I'm also sad to leave here. I've grown to really like the DC area and have made some great friends. I'll look forward to returning here later this year. If you've been to Birmingham, let me know what I should be sure not to miss!! I hope your first week of 2007 has been great so far!

Happy New Year!

WOW! What a whirlwind couple of weeks! Between my days at work a week ago & this past week, I was able to steal away a few days to go home for Christmas. I had a wonderful time touring East Texas. :) I got to see some friends (who are more like part of my family) and a lot of family. It was so nice to see everyone again, since I had to miss the Thanksgiving get togethers. I can't believe it's already December 31st!?! Where did this year go? Well, I guess that means I'm officially old now, since time goes by so quickly! :) So, the plan for today is to set my goals for 2007. I think goal #1 should be that I actually stick to my goals this year! :) I know it's not officially the new year yet, but since I work the next couple of days, I thought I'd wish you a happy new year a little early. Watch the big ball drop for me since I'll have to go to bed early to get ready for work tomorrow - not that I've ever been a night owl who could stay up long enough to watch it anyway. :) I hope & pray that this new year brings happiness to you!

Pictures

I know what you're thinking . . . an entry TWO days in a row?!? Shocking! :) I went back to the city today to tour the Capitol. It was nice to see, but there were NO Christmas decorations!! What in the world?!? The paintings & murals were beautiful. I can't imagine being that talented & creative. After I left the Capitol, I walked around downtown for a few hours - until my feet could take no more. A word to the wise, when you come up here to visit/tour, go for COMFORTABLE shoes as opposed to cute shoes!! :) I did get some pictures of the Capitol Christmas Tree, which stands on the side of the building facing the Mall. I then walked down Pennsylvania Ave. to get pictures of the outside of the White House & the National Christmas Trees. I hope you enjoy the pictures. :) The top picture is self explanatory. The second picture is of the "Texas Tree", which is one of 50+ little trees surrounding the National Christmas Tree - one for every state & some provinces. The last picture is the National Christmas Tree. If you look closely, you can see the train tracks circling the bottom of the tree. There are also about 5 little villages on the ground all around the tree with trains that run. As you visit this area, which is located between the White House & the Washington Monument, you get to listen to the continuously playing Christmas music! Also, they constantly have a "Yule Log" burning so you not only get the smell of pine, but also the smell of a fire burning. All you need to finish the scene off is a cup of apple cider! :)

Christmas Dream

Today, I had a Christmas dream come true. I was allowed to tour the White House during the holiday season! From the HUGE nutcrackers at the entrance to the smell of pine & Christmas throughout, I was enthralled! As we walked in, we walked down a corridor with a wall of windows (I think overlooking the rose garden) on one side and a wall of old & new presidential photos on the other. Each of the windows had a beautiful, fresh wreath hanging in the center. We were only allowed to look through doors into the library & yellow room (with Jackie Kennedy's protrait), but they were both elegantly decorated. We then went up some stairs & into the East Room (where the original painting of George Washington hangs), which had a wonderful nativity scene and a couple of gorgeous trees. From there, we entered the Green room. It had some pretty antiques, as well as cute table center pieces with huge candy canes. They made me think of my mom & her pepermint bark! :) The next room was the infamous Blue room - always my favorite since I LOVE blue! It had the official White House Christmas Tree, and it was unbelievable! The decorations, along with the cotton on the limbs to look like snow, just sparkled in the sunlight coming through the floor length windows. In the front, center of the tree hung this year's White House ornament - which I'm very proud to say is also hanging on my Charlie Brown Tree. :) After the Blue room, we went through the Red room. This room was also decorated with huge strands of garland and the large candy canes/peperment sticks. The one common ground in the rooms that I noticed was the incredibly ornate clocks on each of the fire place mantles. All the clocks that I could see were set to the correct time, which must be a huge undertaking every 6 months when the time changes!! After the Red room, we were allowed into the State Dining room, which is were the huge painting of Lincoln hangs. This also houses the gigantic Ginger Bread White House, with Barney & Mrs. Beazley driving Santa's sleigh off the roof. It was truly amazing. As we left that room, on the right was the famous painting of JFK hanging on the wall. With one last look from the hallway, through the door with the presidential seal above it, into the blue room with that magnificent tree, I left the White House. What a treat to be allowed into the Christmas celebration there! I'm forever grateful to Representative Gohmert & his staff for getting me in.

Charlie Brown Christmas

I finally found a little Christmas tree for my apartment today. I know . . . ONLY 20 days until the BIG DAY, and I'm just now putting up a tree. (I feel a little like Scrooge!) :) The ornaments on the tree are souveniers I've collected while here. One of my favorite Christmas movies is the Charlie Brown Christmas. I think Charles Schwartz is a genius (I hope that's how you spell his name!). I love the part where the kid with the blanket (I forgot his name) stands center stage & quotes the Christmas story from Luke 2! This tree reminds me of Charlie's in the movie, which makes me smile! This has been a different year, but it hasn't changed my passion for Christmas at all. It's been a great day!

TOURS!!

Well, I just received notice that I'll get to tour BOTH the Whitehouse & the Capitol next month!! I'm SO EXCITED to see both decorated for Christmas! :) I'm pretty sure I'm allowed a camera in the Capitol, so I'll be sure to get a lot of pictures there. As for the Whitehouse, I don't think I can take a camera, so I'll just make a mental note of what I see & describe it for you later. I did get to see the "Whitehouse Christmas Tree" (totally by accident!) today on my scenic tour/way home from the mall. I got on 395 headed the wrong way - I know, completely SHOCKING! - and ended up Downtown. Anyway, I wound my way around SouthWest until I found the road that takes me home. In doing this, though, I passed in front of the Whitehouse and saw the tree with decorations on it already. I believe the lighting ceremony is in a week or two, but the tickets were sold out before I realized you needed a ticket to go! Oh, well. :) Live & learn, right?!? Have a super day!!

How 'bout them Ags?!?!?!

12-7 . . . Need I say more? :) What a wonderful

Thanksgiving gift from my Ags to the 12th Man, winning THE most important game of the year. AT t.u., no less!! I'm so proud of our boys in Maroon & White I could just bust. Gig'em!

9500 Turkeys!

What do you do with 9500 turkeys, you may ask?!? Well, you feed 95,000 people! :) Yesterday morning, I met with several hundred of my fellow church members from 8-11 to help prepare 9500 Thanksgiving Dinners "In A Box". Each box contained a meal that will feed approximately 10 people and small brochures that shared Christ's love for them & the plan of salvation. I can't imagine the organization & planning that went into this huge undertaking. At one point, while the table at the end of my assembly line was being repaired (again - it kept breaking), I took the time to look around the bottom floor of the parking garage at the church. There were literally hundreds of people - ALL ages - feverishly working to get the boxes packed & ready for delivery. (And I use the word "feverishly" VERY loosely as it was in the upper 30's - lower 40's the whole time we were out there!) What a testimony to the heart of ministry shared by the church family! It was such a blessing & encouragement to me to see & be a part of. I hope you have a wonderful time with your family this Thanksgiving!! :)

Autumn Days

This past Saturday was absolutely gorgeous! When I checked the weather & realized the following few days were going to be cold & gloomy, I decided to take advantage of the day instead of doing laundry & running the errands I needed to. :) I went to the closest bookstore & picked up the latest book in my favorite series. Karen Kingsbury is a great author and had just released the 4th of 5 books in the Firstborn series. (a beautiful love story between two people and Christ's love for us!) After I got the book, I went next door to pick up a coffee & breakfast before I headed to a park. Every morning on the way to work, I pass a small park near the Pentagon that I thought would be fun to visit. Well, I went on Saturday. It is beautiful, but a little too secluded for me to sit in by myself. (Once again, Safety First!!) :) So, I went to a neighborhood park near my apartment that felt more safe. I enjoyed the next several hours alternating between reading my new book and watching the children playing in the park around me. Since the sun starts setting around 5pm now, I headed home around dinner time to finish my book there. My friend, Camille, introduced me to a series by another author, Dee Henderson. WOW! Just as good of a love story as in Karen Kingsbury, but WITH A MYSTERY!! What more could you ask for?!? :) It was nice to have a distraction at home through the nast few days of weather. I'm very happy to report, though, that the sun made a reappearance today. I guess you really have to have the dark clouds to make you enjoy the sunlight more! :)

Sight-Seeing

A friend of mine was up from Texas this past weekend, so we went to do some sight seeing around the City. The first picture is from a "scenic overlook" off of GW Pkwy, overlooking the Potomac. Aren't the colors beautiful? The second is me (sporting my new DC "hoodie") in front of the White House. I'm really hoping to get in to the White House once it's decorated for Christmas. We'll see. All the streets around the big house were closed that afternoon because the President was coming from or going somewhere. We saw Marine One flying over. We got some good pictures of the monuments, and I finally found the Vietnam Wall. I've been to the Mall 3 or 4 times since I moved up here in July, and I have never seen it. Although, in my defense, I didn't really go wandering off the beaten path in that area while I was by myself - "Safety First", right?!? I'm doing my best not to get on the news while here. :)

Beautiful Day

I have to say that I've been repeatedly inspired by another blog on this website: http://threebeautifulthings.blogspot.com. On that page, a lady from across the big pond writes about 3 beautiful things she experiences everyday. What a great way to look at the world around you - constantly searching for the everyday beauty we so often overlook. Well, some days at work, this is harder than others. Looking out the window at work the last 2 days, I had quite a view - the Capitol & Washington Monument were in clear site. Inside the window was a little different story. To the casual observer, & me for the majority of the two days (I hate to admit), the patient line up was nowhere near as pretty (two severely brain damaged infants - one whose brain activity consisted of multiple seizures each day, and the other who cannot even control his own body temperature). Now to the happy ending . . . I'm ever amazed at the way parents can so frequently find joy in such sad situations. Just watching these parents interact with their children in such difficult circumstances is one of the most beautiful things I can imagine. So, long story short, even though some days you may have to look harder than others, there's ALWAYS beauty around to enjoy. Just keep your eyes (& perspective!) open! :)

Joy Riding

What a beautiful day we had today. Instead of watching (or napping through) an afternoon of football, which often happens on a Sunday afternoon, today I decided to take a little drive. About a month ago, I was reading a David Baldacci book - a great author, by the way - and it mentioned a drive down Route 29 in Virginia. The lady talking about it said that it was a beautiful drive in the fall with all the changing leaves. Well, today I thought I'd give it a look. :) So, I headed out - with my cell phone and map of Virginia for when I got lost! This path takes you through lots of small towns & TONS of single lane roads lined with gorgeous fall trees. It also runs through the Bull Run Battlefield, which brings me to the picture above. When I saw the sign, I thought "why not?" and got out for a walk. There's not a whole lot to see there (at least in the part I visited). I walked around & took some pictures of the pretty scenery. When I got to a muddy patch, I turned around & started driving again. :) (I didn't want to ruin my cute brown shoes!) I continued on until I hit Charlottesville - home of UVA. I wanted to get out & walk around the campus, but I was running out of time. Church starts at 7:30, and I knew I was at least 2 1/2 hours away from there, so I just turned around. Wanting to see different views on my way back, I pulled off at Culpepper. Desperately in need of some coffee since I overslept and didn't have time for any this morning, I used my trusty map and searched for a Starbucks while winding my way through the countryside back to McLean. I did make it back for church, just about 10 minutes late due to a couple of traffic jams on 66. What a wonderful day, and my thought throughout the 6 1/2 hour car joy ride was "What an imagination our Creator has!"

Joys of Travelling

Well, I'm back home now after a wonderful visit back home. For those of you I got to see, it was wonderful to catch up. For those of you I missed seeing this trip, I'm hoping to see you in December when I return for a few more days! :) It was so nice to be back in warmer weather - near 90 today when I left. Let's just say it was NO WHERE NEAR 90 when I arrived (my apartment was ~60 when I got home!!). The only flaw in my trip was that my luggage got to take the scenic route to DC. (which means that they haven't yet located it or gotten it to me - now almost 2 hours after I landed) They changed our gate about 10 minutes befor we started boarding & apparently forgot to inform the ground crew of the change. So, everyone's luggage from that flight is MIA. The silver lining to this is that they are supposed to deliver it to my apartment. I guess God didn't want me to have to carry the heavy suitcases up all those stairs!! Just one more "blessing in disguise" for me. Have a great day!! :)

I'm Coming Home!

Well, I'm getting to go home tomorrow morning. I haven't been back since I left in July - which is a long time for me. :) It will be nice to see everyone again. As usual, the day (at work) before a vacation starts is always CRAZY! Well, today was no different. I had three different assignments before 10:30 this morning. And that was just the beginning. In case you didn't know, I'm a NICU nurse - which means I get to "play" with babies for 36-48 hours each week in the ICU. The last two days were busy with "healthy" (or at least healthy for being in an ICU) babies. :) The patient I ended up with most of today was very sick - so sick, in fact, that she was on a heart/lung bypass machine. Needless to say, this assignment brought great fear! Let's just say I reached my target heart rate SEVERAL times today! :) As my friend at work, Renee, said "You always go out with a bang before a vacation", and boy was she right. All my terror aside (& honestly, at some points, I'm not sure terror was a strong enough word!), I realized what a miracle this is. More importantly, what a miracle life is itself. (Hence the title of my blog.) :) As I studied & tried to learn about the machine, I was amazed at how big it had to be to do the work of the baby's heart (about the size of her balled up fist) and both of her lungs. As I thought about all of this, I was again in awe at the Great God that is my Creator & Savior. He is so amazing in His creations that even the best science/technology comes up with can't even hold a candle to what He created thousands of years ago! Just something to think about. : )

Whoop!

How 'bout them Ags?!? What a come back! :) In case you missed it, the Ags beat Kansas University 21-18 in the last 3 1/2 minutes of the 4th quarter - in spite of 7 or 8 large penalties throughout the game. Well, this Aggie is now officially the queen of technology. Why? Because I got an iPod yesterday AND figured out how to work it. It was a busy day for this technologically challenged person! :) Well, back to college football. Let's all cheer for OU tonight. As we say in Aggieland . . . "BTHO t.u.!!" Gig 'em!

Lazy Days!

I love lazy days. I typically try to have one after a long stretch of days at work - it rejuvinates me. : ) A friend of mine from Dallas refers to them as "jammy days", meaning you just rest ALL day. I grew up calling them "Me Days" - just ask my family. Sounds wonderful, doesn't it?!? Well, today was one of those days. I had planned to be out all day since the water in my apartment was going to be off & on throughout the day as they replaced the boiler in the building - don't even get me started on the flashbacks to "The Shining" (probably the MOST terrifying movie I've ever seen!). But, I had to wait for a phone call from a place in Dallas that didn't actually come until about a quarter til 7, my time. So by then, it was too late to leave because I couldn't miss Grey's Anatomy. Long story short, I had a great day today resting. I guess God wanted me to rest today since yesterday was pretty high on the "stress scale". Well, I guess that's all I have to say today. Have a Terrific Thursday!!

Changing leaves

Well, I looked out my kitchen window the other day, and I noticed that some of the leaves on the tree had started changing. So, I got out my camera & took a couple of pictures. The bright red really stands out against the green. I'm hoping to get lots more pictures of the colors of fall over the next few weeks.