Why do I have two when he can't find one?

Well, it's Feb. and I'm still neglecting the blog. 

Mike continues the job hunt.

I am loving my part time job. 
It absolutely amazes me that as much as I love time at home I would say I love a second job.
God has been so faithful to provide at every turn for us in this unemployment adventure and I fully believe me finding this job was a little reward for having to work so much.
I am working with Intellectually Disabled individuals in group homes and foster care. 
I never ever ever dreamed I would like working in this type of nursing.
I HATED psych. nursing rotation in nursing school and when I found out that some of these people are not just "intellectually" disabled but have some pretty severe mental illness I was pretty sure I would quit not enjoy this. 
I have to tell you that I have some of the sweetest patients I've ever met.
One man looked so scary to me but after the bear hug I got when I met him I knew he was just a sweet guy who looked a little rough.
One little lady is such a joy I would go see her everyday if I could. 
I've also learned that when patients depend on the government or state for their care it is a game of how to get paid for things and the wait for things is unbelievable.
Seeing teenagers who are disabled living in a group home is heartbreaking. 
I am always thankful for my healthy children but this is a reminder once again.

I am little mad that we've had some serious cold weather but not a single snow day.  We've had snow but it's never quite enough.
I need one.  Just a day at home with all my people.

I've spent a little too much time on Pinterest lately looking at graduation party ideas.  Plan on coming, it will be cute! 

Tonight is unusual.  No work I need to do.  No where I have to go.  Kellie's not feeling good so we're sitting by the fire listening to a snoring dog.  God is good.

Hello 2014, I know you are going to be great

Well, life has been life and the blog seemed to not be in it for a while.

Life has been so different this past year.
Mike still looking for a job.
Me working more than one job.
Mike has been doing all the at home jobs. 
He seems to like laundry best.
Mopping is not his strongest area.
Or dusting.
But laundry, he's got that one down.
I've had to try to not complain about anything he does (or doesn't do) and try not to complain about me working so much.  
I've done pretty good I believe.  Minus the weight I've re-gained of course.
I have learned to let go of some things.
I've valued family time even more than I did before.

I've watched God be so faithful and provide in unexpected ways.
I've seen His hand in this whole "season".
I quit the part time job and we are praying Mike gets an offer in the next week. 
I'm looking at another part time job that would be much more flexible and not with the crazy environment I was in at the last one.
We are working on things like scholarship applications and talking of graduation for the big girl.

Life continues even if it looks a little different right now.

Here's to 2014 and all the new it brings.

 

 

 

Fall is here, fall is here!!!

I love this time of year.
 It's been cool in the mornings

 but still in the 80's during the day.

But today, the high is in the 60's and the low tonight is in the low 40's.

I have all the windows open. 
The windows with an inch of dirt in the area between the window and the screen and the thick layer of dust on the blinds...but that is for another day, I had to pretend it wasn't there today.  I had to enjoy the fall day.

 

I went to breakfast with friends this morning when it was cool and beautiful out minus the always present gusting winds...

Then I ran many errands since I worked last weekend.

 

Speaking of last weekend...

I am working a private duty job and there is a family member there that is, how should I say this, odd, wacky, different...

I really thought nothing surprised me anymore.

But last weekend. 

I was surprised.

Surprised when the family member walked into my patients room carrying a cat.

a DEAD cat. 

yep...there I was just working away and I look up and there is someone with a dead cat carrying it like a baby, having it say goodbye to the patient before they buried it.  A more than 24 hr dead cat.

Craziest thing ever.

And as hard as I tried I couldn't sneak a picture of it. 

 

This seemed to set the tone for my week...

There were kids with crazy complaints, rock in an ear, and a little drama at the school.  But no dead cats...

 

And tell me all parents get texts like this.  Please.  So much for not texting during school.

 

My poor deadly sick kid just has the common cold I believe.  We opted to wait on the Dr after I could see her throat in person.

 

She is at the Corn Maize as we speak in the wind and cool weather even though I reminded her she was 'deadly' sick...
And the oldest is headed to the drive in to freeze tonight. 

Enjoy the fall weekend!

I've got nothing

So, a month later I've found my way back to blog...
There have been a few things keeping from it.
The main one is I never get to use my laptop.  Both girls use it for school so much that I never get a turn.  It's time for more than one computer in the house I believe.
Not that I've had pressing things I need to discuss.
Nope.  Nothing.

Mike is busy reffing football while stilllll looking for job.
The girls are busy with the usual school, work, friends, etc.
I'm still working an extra job.
And we are enjoying some fall weather off and on.  60's a few days last week, 90's again this week.  But, it's coming, I know it is.
I have the fall decorations out.
High school football

 I made homemade pumpkin creamer.
I pulled out some crocheting (which my kids say makes me a granny untill they want something)

That means it has to be coming right?

It's December

I can't believe it is December already.  I love this time of year and it is going way too fast!
And since we reached a record high on Dec. 1st it doesn't feel like a Dec.  Nothing says Christmas like shorts and and sweating.

I have the house decorated and the girls and I have watched Christmas movies all afternoon. 
I can't share that with you yet though because blogger says I have reached my picture limit.  I'm researching what to do about this.  It looks like they need some money to let me put up more pictures...

So, out for now.  Hopefully I'll be back soon with the millions of  pictures I know you've been missing.

Thanksgiving

I love this time of year. 
I love that it's fall. 
I love that it's a time for family and good friends.
I love that we think a little more about everything we have to be thankful for.  I am so blessed and very aware of it this time of year.

Today I got to spend the day cooking.
You know that's my favorite kind of day.... home and cooking.
I was grateful for good girlfriends that dropped in today to visit for a few minutes.
I was grateful for a little package of Trader Joe's goodies that Jennifer sent me.

 

Among all the usual dishes I cooked for tomorrow I also made a new recipe.  I made it for a treat to take to my neighbor and I I saved a little for us. 

 

 

Spiced Apple Cider Bourbon Caramel

 

2 cups Apple Cider
1 whole Vanilla Bean, Seeds scrapped out and pod reserved
1 whole Cinnamon Stick
1/2 tsp grated Nutmeg
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
1/4 cup Brown sugar
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
6 Tbsp butter, cut into tablespoon sized pieces
1/2 cup Heavy cream
3 Tbsp Bourbon

In a large sauce pan combine the apple cider, vanilla bean seeds, pod and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer and let reduce to approx 3/4 cup.  It should be syrupy.
Add in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt.  Clip on a candy thermometer and cook without stirring until it reaches 240 degrees.  Add in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time and stir till melted .  Remove the vanilla bean and the cinnamon stick.
Remove from heat and add in the heavy cream and bourbon.  Heat on low again and stir until it starts to slightly thicken back up, about 5 min.
Let cool in pan 10 minutes and transfer to a glass jar.  It will firm up as it cools.  Keep refrigerated.  This sauce will last several weeks in the refrigerator.
(if I don't eat it all with a spoon)

I plan on serving it over pies or ice cream.  And I am thankful that I tried this recipe.  This was easy and will make great gifts.

I hope your Thanksgiving is full of great food and people you are thankful for.

Where is my prarie?

I was given several pink pumpkins. 
I was excited about putting them on the porch until....
 Someone told me they are really good for cooking.

I have a new pressure cooker that was just waiting on some pumpkin.

It was a lot of work but I have some really good pumpkin in the freezer now...

 

 

 Look sideways at my new new pressure cooker because that is the only way these pictures would load...

 

It made a great pie

 

My sweet friend Madelyn taught me all about the "jelly roll" quilt and gave me a jelly roll to try.
I made my first quilt top this past weekend...I love the Christmas prints.

 

 

Ellie the dog who thinks she is a cat loved the long long quilt pieces

 

And last night I worked on a bucket list

 

 

I'm going to frame it as a check list for the holiday season

 

I felt like I needed a craft / activity that didn't make me feel like a grandmother living on a prarie somewhere...

 

Zombies? Maybe...

Katie got home from her week working at Student Life camp yesterday.  She had a great time and spent a couple of hours before bed telling me all about it... I was glad to have her home.

Until...
At 2:30 this morning she bolts into my room, turns the over head light on and is screaming...
She goes on to explain that her friend called and woke her up to tell her there had been a "bright light that filled the sky... and now all of the electricity in town is out..."
The friend then went on to explain that she was pretty sure it was aliens or the zombie apocalypse.
So this is what sent Katie is crying, scared and shivering into my room...
I assured her I knew it wasn't zombies since they weren't real and her reply was "oh yeah"...And we have electricity...
Kellie was up and taking this opportunity to try to scare her big sister more by continuing to talk about zombies.  Her friends were calling her to tell her about it too.   (Why don't 13 year olds ever sleep during the night?)

I told Katie I knew how we could find out exactly what happened...
Facebook.
And I was correct... everyone seemed to be up and have inside information to what was going on...and to her relief it was an electric explosion and not zombies or the end of the world.

Katie eventually made her little sister sleep with her and I went back to bed.
This morning I had to keep her dad from running into her room screaming about getting out of town before the zombies come.
I left to run an errand and within minutes I had a phone call that Mike and Kellie had put ketchup on their face and acted like zombies to try and scare her...

I thought the zombie threat was over till this afternoon when Mike told me he might "lay out and get some sun"... I do believe he might be a zombie after all...

Never a dull moment here. 

This should be fun

Tomorrow I am heading to youth camp with our church.

They have gone to Colorado every summer till I offered to go.  We'll be headed to San Angelo.   Where I'm sure it will be very non Colorado like...
I offered to go as a nurse.  That turned into counselor/nurse. 

I am going to be with eleven middle school girls and my middle school girl isn't even getting to go.

I am the only 'old' person going or as the youth ministers wife said "you are the person with the most 'wisdom' going"...
That just means old...
 The rest of the people going are either college or twenty to thirty year olds.  But they are really good group and I'm excited to see what God has for me this week and all of the youth going.

I did hear that there is coffee and Diet Coke there and the leaders share a room... with no kids in it...

I can do. 

I think I can. I think can.  I think I can....

A taste of spring

Remember my donkey friends?

My kids ask to go see them from time to time.  Today they had a couple of friends with them that had not met the donkeys and they wanted to show them off...

We gathered up the produce in the fridge for a treat for them....

I think they remembered us. 

 A mini horse was in the same area today. 

She might need her thyroid checked...

she liked corn better than broccoli

she really really liked corn

I took some kid friend pics just for something to do on a beautiful day

it was fun riding around with the teens

Why do beautiful days fly by?

I'll be wearing a gold swimsuit, how bout you?

We had friends come visit this weekend.  We had a good time but they had some work to do while they were here.
They were here cleaning out his mother's house here that she hasn't lived in the house in for10 plus years but wouldn't get rid of it...
They found some interesting things.
There were enough women's shoes for 3 people.  Shoes from every era.  Hats of every size and shape and more random items than you can imagine.  She seemed to be a mom who saved everything. 
I would have loved to gone through every bit of the junk! 
He brougth me a full set of  very old Samsonite luggage.  It contained lots of treasures, too.
We found an envelope with various papers from the 50's including a love letter from his dad to his mom that was precious.  What a sweet thing! 
The next suitcase was full of lingerie and 2 swimsuits that are probably from the 50's...

This may be my swimsuit this summer.  Let me know if you want the green one...

The gift that keeps on giving

Katie has had a bad cold for over a week...
I knew she had shared it with me a couple of days ago when I woke up with a sore throat... today however, I have the rest of the goodies she gave me... I'm enjoying the full package...
Luckily we have day/nighttime medicine left over from her...
And I'm having a little get together this afternoon...
hope they can all leave without this gift!


I had a birthday yesterday...
It took me awhile to decide how old I am when Katie asked me...
How the heck did I get to be the age I remember my mom from????
I am glad to be here, glad to be healthy minus the lovely cold symptoms Katie gave me for my birthday, and extremely blessed with family and good friends. 
However, Katie did mention picking out my nursing home... I do remember thinking my mom was ancient at this age...
I hope all my friends will join me there!  Think of the fun we can have...

So, come by for cookies this afternoon and if you leave with my cold, it's just a bonus!

What a Treat!

Three of my best friends came to visit for a couple of days...
It was the best treat ever...
I didn't take many pictures like I meant to...I never even got all of us in one picture...
We stayed up all night and talked...
We ate a lot of good food...

We dug through a box of random items Mike brought back from a trade show...

He had some bras we needed to try on...

And the last day we never took off our pj's...
That was my favorite day...

Tomorrow we are leaving on a short vacation... both girls are bringing two friends... wish me luck...
I may need another vacation when I get back...

but I don't love days I can't even account for

My few days of productivity came to halt...
I have sweet sweet family member who went to meet Jesus and I went from productive to how can I get all of this done in a day or two...
Kellie and I have to be at Kamp Kanakuk in a week and now we are throwing in an extra trip to pack for on the way....
It has been a packing frenzy, at least for me...
My poky girl has done a lot of other things in between the serious packing I was trying to lead her to do...
I have washed everything we own, ironed a lot, done the last minute shopping for kamp (because we can't seem to ever have a summer that we still have everything from last year)
and last night at midnight, Kellie came in wearing what used to be a dress but is more of shirt fit now...
she was excited she had grown, I just saw the need to go last min. dress shopping or my kid will be the one at the funeral in jeans...
good times.
So, all that to say, I'll be m.i.a for a couple of weeks...
I'm sure the family portion of the trip will be worth several stories upon my return....

I love to be productive

I forgot how much I enjoy being home for a few days with no schedule!
I get so much done...
the little dog had an 8:00 groomer appointment and as much as I was a little sad to have to be somewhere that early it made for some good early morning, beat the heat,chores I had been putting off time...
Since the 'runner' dog was getting a new hair do I decided to use that time to paint the front door...

I bought the paint about two years ago... wish I had done it sooner!
In between coats of paint I cleaned out the junk drawers...
Did a million loads of laundry
I have cleaned, and cleaned and still have so much more to do... I see cobwebs way up high I need to tackle this week!
Having spent a little time on Pintrest this week, I found several crafty things I wanted to copy...

I had seen this saying on there and it was in a craft room...I decided I needed it in my kitchen since I am always wanting to cook things no one else in the family likes and thought it looked good on one of the Italy food photos...

I copied this idea, adding some of my own words... Fun Have was the mistake I found after I was completely done!  Oh, well...
I'm working on my list of the rest of things I want to do this summer... I need some drop cloths and a sander... want to come play???

Summer is here

School got out for the kids over a week ago but I had to work a few extra days to finish up since the trip was right in the middle of school ending...
Since the kids have been out it has been the usual beginning of summer fun...
Anytime Katie is home there seems to be extra teens here... and they eat A LOT....
She did go out of town with her bestie and Kellie was thrilled to be an only child for a week... the house was much more peaceful that week I have to say...

I may have a sligth addiction to Bahama Bucks snow cones... Where can I get the ice shaver they use???

I may also be developing a little Lemoncello addiction... I brought a bottle back from Italy and have sipped it, poured it in and over things and looked up recipes with it...

I saw a cute flip flop idea on Tracy's Trinkets and Treasures  and decided we needed to make them...
We went to Hobby Lobby for the trim and then went and got the flip flops themselves...

A little E6000 and it was all done

cute, cute...
I need a new project now...
And speaking of addictions and new projects...
have you found Pintrest.com?  I did this week and love it!

School nurse....the best job ever

A hundred years ago when I graduated from nursing school, I never pictured myself as ever going into school nursing... I had always done adult nursing and loved it. But, after having kids and wanting to be off when they were it seemed a perfect fit in terms of schedule.
God placed a job I didn't really know I wanted right in my lap at just the right time!
I have been doing this for years now and now can't imagine ever doing anything else.

When we had to move to Lubbock I was sick about leaving my school but again, God put me in a great school a lot like the one I had been in before.  My office even looks the same!
Every year since I've been there, the staff has worn scrubs on Nurse's day in honor of me...

I don't have any scrubs anymore but I am sporting a lovely nurse's hat a student made for me...

The best part about Nurse's day every year is the cards I get from the kids

This one is pretty self explanatory - I safe lifes...

and as you can see from this one where it spells out "nurse Cara rocks" that I am really healthy and the king of nurses....

This is a kid I see all the time but, he simply thinks the Texas Rangers rock...

                                        and as you can see it's time to party for nurse's week

This might be my favorite this year...I was a little relieved that he doesn't love me in a bad way, no crushes here!!!

This is a little hard to read but he said "if it wasn't for you I would be sick"... his teacher pointed out the erased area because he first said he would be "screwed" without me...

I love my job!