Encouraging Others

It is winter in Valparaiso. It is cold outside. I have found myself closer to the refrigerator and longing for sunshine! So I tend to look to things that make me happy...people!

I love people, all kinds! I think I love people because I do get so much encouragement and inspiration from all walks of life! I like to watch people interact with each other, their families and my kids!

I love real people, honest people and believe their individuality makes them unique. I want to teach my kids to respect all people.

I love to see people doing kind things for others and want to practice more kindness in my own life.

Because, ultimately, He has called us to be disciples and who could forget the GOLDEN RULE?

Sometimes, it is just enough to let someone know you are thinking of them, praying for them and everything will be okay!

(Props to Flickr)

Feeling Lovey!

Okay, I guess I have Valentine's on the mind! I saw this collection of Vintage Valentine's on my friend Peggy's facebook album and fell in love with the Collection! I picked out my very favorite so you could all see it!I love this sweetheart playing the accordion! And I love what she says even more!!!

Aren't these precious?? And what classic pictures!

What a fun collection! Man, her husband has to search hard this year to find something new!

I love it!

Okay, here is one I could actually make!

My husband does love Scrabble...but his name is not Helen!

Wouldn't this be fun garland???

How simple is just a plate of hearts??

You could always make your very own monogram!

Fun birds in love!! Think of this framed...cute!

Imagine hearts coming out of the chimney instead of smoke!

Patchwork Valentine

Love these!

These are the Marlene Suitcases I saw on a blog entitled Oh Joy.

I love them!! I am not sure when I would use them...but I love the colors and fabric choices! You can look around on the following website...



http://www.smallable.com/



Some of the other things that I liked were...


Aren't these the cutest bird stickers ever?

And what great bookends for the kids' books?

More birds in blue!

I am so excited to look at the new pillows for sale at the Red Shoes Store...I am wishing my house looked like the store! Here is the link to the shopping...

http://www.redshoeshomegoods.com/sale.cfm

The Blowing Lake Effect!

Seriously...it just keeps snowing! I have to say that every day for the past two weeks, I get up, look outside and then check the Duneland School System Website! We have had more delays then ever lately! And delay to most is a 2 hour late start; however, a delay to my family means NO AM Kindergarten!

This is my husband using the snow blower yesterday to find the driveway!

I love this picture! Here is my sweet baby after the hour in the snow!

He claims to have had a 20 foot rooster tail! I am not sure if it was quite that high, but it was impressive!

The Kissing Hand

These are my most precious boys! I can not imagine life without them! Thank you Lord for the two joys of my heart! Parker started kindergarten this year and came home with the story called "The Kissing Hand" by Audrey Penn.

In this story, the mother raccoon tells the child how much she will miss him when he goes to school. They, in turn, create the idea of the "kissing hand" and each day the baby raccoon kisses the mama's palm of her hand. Then throughout the day, if mama misses the baby, she places her palm on her cheek and gives herself one of the kisses! I love this concept!!

Each and every morning, we have created our own 'kissing hand' time...and mom and dad each get kisses from the boys. Last night at work around 10 pm, I knew the boys were asleep and I missed them. So guess what I did, I used one of my kisses from the kissing hand and placed it on my cheek. What a simple idea that has brought so much joy to my heart!

What I do.

Remind me again...why do I do what I do??

Let's see...last night, I took care of....

• 55yo m; non-responsive, craniotomy, trached, hypotensive 70/30 (I spent all night correcting)

• 78yo f; gi bleed, hemoglobin 6; transfused 3 units of blood and started pressors for pressure.

• 68yo m; noncompliant diabetic, all toes amputated yesterday, gangrene bilateral lower extremities, first dressing change, my responsibility (that was fun)

• 82yo f; paraplegic from spinal cord tumor; constipated, enemas til clear (more fun)

• 85yo m; severe dementia, rectal bleed, end stage renal failure, pulled ng tube out twice, had to replace, run of vtach 14 beats, started drip, uses strong curse words.
  
  
  

Yes, I work an 8 hour shift that soon turns into ten. And charting???? What is that...that seems to start around 11pm.

Okay, YES i am Called to be a nurse. And YES, some days are better than others. Overall, it still remains to be the true definition of 'work'...

And I continue because deep, deep, deep down I would miss it, and deep down, a part of me enjoys helping people (I think)...sometimes I just need to remind myself of that. And someday, God forbid, I am hospitalized, the sweet nurse who takes care of me will look into my eyes like she/he is looking into the eyes of someone they genuinely care about.

Confessions of a Geek.

Yesterday, we received a wonderful package in the mail! It was from Grandpa McClellan addressed to the boys. Inside were two full 50 state quarter collections! I loved it! We spent the afternoon filing the quarters away inside the appropraite circle. Not to mention that TWICE, the entire collection fell to the floor, compliments of my two year old! We then decided which ones were our favorites! My son loved IDAHO! Thank you Grandpa!

I know...THIMBLES? Yes, I have a collection of thimbles! When my Grandma Dryer went to the assisted living, she decided to give each of her grandchildren one of her collections. I actually picked the thimbles! They are very unique and I now possess TONS of them! There are Presidents, States...you name it, I have it!

Not only that, but I do also have a FULL collection of all of the OWLS! Bless grandma's heart, I also now receive the 'Thimble Guild' magazine that she signed me up for. I almost feel bad if I do not keep buying them!

BUTTONS! Yes, at my parents house is a few jars and boxes of buttons...also from Grandma Dryer! Someday, I will find a project for them!

Jars and jars of buttons! Divided by colors!

And yes, I am collecting my coke rewards!

My junk drawer will barely open because it is full of these things!

The sad thing is that I can only enter 10 codes a day! But the good thing is, I have many products from my point exchange! My favorite being a free snapfish album! (Which I gave to my sweet sister and future brother-in-law.)

Living in the Pasture

I loved our anointing service yesterday. Pastor Shawn Evans explained how the shepard would place oil around the eyes and ears of the sheep as a type of repellent in order to keep the bugs and disease away from the sheep. The oil had Healing Properties! As he asked if anyone would want to be anointed to come forward, the aisles were lined with people. I sat in my seat and thought of all of the hurts we all are carrying daily. My heart was touched by the longing for just His touch!

Psalm 100:3 .."we are the sheep of His pasture"

He is the Defender of the Weak! We are His!

Our disappointments and hurts do shape us.

In our discomfort, may we find joy!

He is the Defender of the Weak! We are His!

Mrs. Arthur's Homemade Treasures

I love visiting my friends, the Arthur's. I also love just looking around their house at the pieces of artwork that tell stories. Grandmother Arthur has created these homemade treasures for the kids' rooms out of colored fabric.

This is my favorite piece! It is hanging in the little girl's room above her bed. The reason this is so special is because it was a combined effort of design by the child and seamstress. The colors of the clothing and the order of the family are all part of the child's story shared by grandmother.

What an amazing idea! It reminds me of a framed quilt. I want one for my family!