SNICE

I missed the December blizzard and God didn't want me to feel left out so he has blessed me with a few day of thick ice masked by tons of fluffy, beautiful, pure white makes my white car look brown, SNOW. B likes to call this beautiful mess... SNICE!
I am spending the next few days at J & C's apt with frequent visits across the apartment lake to M & D's apt. I love this good excuse to crash my married best friend's houses!

Last first week of school, check!

After finishing my last first week of school, I'm tired.

Highlights:

Monday- my brave nursing class practiced starting IV's on each other. I got stuck with no blood return. Ash, you stuck with confidence, good job and sorry my vein got shy! I stuck with blood return but the catheter got kinked in the vein. Katie suffers from a lingering major bruise measuring about 4 inches in length and 1.2 inches in width. Katie, sorry but thank you! Pictures to come.

Tuesday- first day of ICU clinical. Wonderful experience. A day FULL of learning life lessons along with nursing skills. Didn't feel like the first day. Was able to assist a family in letting their mother/daughter/wife/best friend leave this world. STORY: I was giving my patient morning meds through a "tummy tube". As I was using all my muscle to push the thick substance into my patient, the force I was putting into it made the tube separate from the medicine giving device and the orange mixture sprayed EVERY WHERE. My nice and patient nurse taught me how to not ever do that again.

Wednesday- successfully got bombarded with assignments and endless reading leaving me only one option after class: a nap. Research is going to call for an extra level of understanding which I don't currently own. Thank goodness I'm in a good research group!

Thursday- endless reading which I didn't understand.

Friday- 1 class on my level of comprehension and the other way over my head (research). Success with my group on Part 1 of our research paper... until we get feedback from the Fly Master.

Right now, I look forward to a night eating gourmet food at McDonald's (who doesn't love clogging the big A's... arteries... every once in a while!?!?!), exchanging christmas gifts at the mall (who doesn't love picking out the perfect fitting shirt with someone else's money?!?!), and book-looking at B&N (who doesn't love skimming expensive books w/o spending money then buying them on half.com for $1 ?!?!) with B (who doesn't love a best friend by your side to enjoy the simple things in life!?!?!). Motto for TONIGHT: live life inexpensively.

Good Bye Christmas Break, Hello School

My Christmas Break is officially over today. I go back to Edmond to spend some time babysitting 2/3 of my favorite munchkins, work a 12 tomorrow, and start my LAST semester of school with the best nursing friends I could ask for. Studying like i've never known it, here I come!

But for now, here are some pictures of my relaxing break.

Brian and I before 12AM Christmas Morning Carolers in PA

Beautiful Duncan Christmas Tree

Fire Place and Stockings waiting for Santa

(excuse the underline and blue...no clue)

All together again!!!

Christmas Day in PA

The cute dogs clothes matched my shoes

The Jacoby crew at 3D Avitar

Neat and very warm fire place

Day after Christmas rain-melting snow scene in PA

Christmas Night

Hair Decoration

3 sisters got crafty. We started making these hair clips

and couldn't stop. They are super cute and can be designed

and made for any outfit within 5 minutes-ish.

All "hair pieces" created

Close-ups of the

photogenic "hair pieces"

4th of July "piece"

2 1/2 hrs

Anxious to get to my Christmas decorated and full of love home in Duncan, I was on the phone scheming some Christmas plans with brother. With my eyes focused on the final destination ahead, I took a second to observe my right and left when I realize I was passing right over my exit for HOME! Ugggg, am I the only one that has "adventures" like this? I managed to laughed knowing that I just added another hour to my trip. Brother got me on the right track to the wonderful town of Lawton and told me to "screw my head on". Ha! Instead of thinking, "Seriously Amy?!?! Again?" (Yes, i've done it before but that time I was in deep thought.), I focused on the surrounding God-given landscape. It's flat, brown, dead, and beautiful. The Oklahoma kind of beautiful. Cows living their lives (have you ever wondered what goes through a cows head on a daily basis?), peaceful waters, and "mountains" in the horizon. I had a realization that in the midst of what appears ugly and no good, God has placed wonderful blessings at the tip of my nose waiting for me to stop looking past it in worry and is begging me to discover his creation. What curve balls has God placed in your day to help you see the simple?

What I Like About December

Family

Senior Fall Nursing Semester COMPLETE!

Apple Cider made with apple juice and red hots (warms my insides)

Driving around and getting caught up in the Christmas lights

Lots of blankets on my bed

Learning how to cook and decorate from my mom

The energy of children

Dreaming of the day of dressing up a house in garland, red ornaments, lights, and candles

Home Alone 1 & 2

Mom being older than Dad for 1 week

Dad catching up to mom's age after that week

Fun coats

Planning and celebrating Brian's birthday

Wonderful food (pumpkin roll, honey-cured ham, cream corn, rollies, pecan pie, 1 tiny bit of cranberry salad, green salad... yum!)

Shopping days and laughing at the crazies out there

Christmas PJ's

Elf

Changing my mind a million times trying to figure out the perfect gifts to give

Watching my breath in the cold

Eating ice cream in a warm car while looking at the sparkling lights

Christmas music

Odd and delicious flavors of candy canes

Cute warm hats and scarfs

A specific set of big arms that give big hugs

(these are year around thank goodness)

Holidays courtesies such as "you were in line before me" and free holiday food samples at the mall and Sam's Club

Purchasing the perfect gift that was originally $84 for $6 after credit card us and coupons

etc, etc, etc...

Don't Tell Me Anything

Ok, you can tell me some things. I can keep other people's secrets pretty well but my own... yeah right! My "secret blog" is slowly becoming, well, not a secret.

Highlights from Thanksgiving

My little sister is the best rollie maker!





The products of Mom's 101 Wreath making class. Mine is on the left.

Sisters... by blood and marriage... love them the same!

Fact of the week: God's faithfulness had been incredibly evident in my life and the lives of those closest to me this week (and always). Psalm 18
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Gift of the Day:
Explanation: My creative momma creates "The Days Until You Come Home for Christmas Break" presents for her college kids to open as encouragement to get through the last few weeks of the semester (the killer days). With each gift, she includes a little riddle and a scripture. I have never received duplicate riddles or scriptures... she's on top of it!

Today I opened a pair of... panties (definitely a first). The cleaver riddle read, "Don't get ants in your pants- stay in your seat (and study) 'til it's time to eat! Colossians 3:23, "Whatever you do, work at it with all yoru heart, as working for the Lord, not for men..."
I have the best mom ever!

Happy Frigid Cold Day!