Thursday, February 26, 2009

Wow home for Lunch!

What kind of new job is this? I have a morning at the office, which is 6 minutes away, come home for lunch, head back in this afternoon for some other meeting. This home care seems a little top heavy on the meetings and paperwork so far. But home for lunch! Those days at the hospital where I don't even get lunch are looking not so good :)

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Funny


You need something to make you smile after that last post :) He slept in there for an hour or more. I think my boy might be in the pile too!

When my Body is Empty so is my Mind

Hey ~ how's everyone out there in blogging land? What a week! We're into another illness and my body is tired. The in-laws were here and have gone, the laundry is in the machines and Erin has come home sick, so a girl is on the couch- but YES I am on the treadmill- walking slowly! I remind myself how much I need time to focus and regroup- actually what really I need and have been lacking is spiritual food. Prayer and meditation. It makes it so much harder to get through things when my focus is on the tasks and not on the relationships. You know how you just feel like you can't do it- the sitting and being quiet, reading the Words of life- they seem kind of dry. I just want something encouraging to just drop out of the sky without any effort on my own behalf. That's what I want. I want Jesus to do it for me rather than having to be disciplined to pray, and stop and think about the hope I have. I don't want to have perserverance and character, I just want Him to make Himself known to me without me having to go looking. Does He ever do that? Or do I always have to stop and look? Make my mind aware of His presence, so I can know? I know in my mind, that the pursuit is the growth, that the following is the loving, but sometimes I just don't want to. Oh my stubborn heart!

Then when I take even a few seconds, I can list the blessings and the gifts I've been given, even a quick vanilla tea latte this morning with a good friend. We women need our women! They can always lift us up! Keep on girls! (oh ya and the few men that might read this).

Another anticipated blessing... coming up in May... a weekend away with my sister friends!

And KARI, I love you over the miles! See you really soon, the passports are in the mail apparently!

PS. the treadmill says I've walked 1.05 miles and burned 129 calories just wandering through my blogs (good thing since I had a cookie at coffee this morning too)

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Re-orienting

Heading into Day 3 of orienting myself. It's good to orient oneself every now and then... find out where you are in the grand scheme of things, look at your personal goals, see if you're anywhere closer to reaching them... Oh right, this is orienting to my new job, it's kind of a mix of boring information overload, and total information overload--- like AHHHH am I ever going to know what I'm doing?? And wondering why am I doing this to myself? I just was starting to feel not NEW at my other job and here I'm going to be NEW again. I must be a sucker for punishment. I do hate being bored, so this'll keep me on my toes! At least I can keep my same ID card, which I actually don't mind the photo of, not like most mug shots ie. driver's licence, passports with the "neutral expression" (mine looks like I'm going to cry). One more day in the "classroom" and then I get to follow some home care nurses around for 10 shifts. One reason for my apparent lack and upcoming lack of blog.... I'm hoping to push through and get them all done before spring break. Could be a little busy, but then 2 weeks off :)

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Lazy?

I was asked since there is an obvious lack of blogging if it means I am sitting around this week, not treadmilling! Well I guess this week has been a little hectic. A lack of interesting blog material that's for sure. I did clean quite a bit in preparation for the inlaws coming early next week. I also sorted juice boxes at the school one afternoon. I know that's really exciting! I had coffee with some friends on Wednesday. Knitting night was Thursday from a long hiatus since way before Christmas. I think I knit about 4 rows only!! And well I just woke up from a 15 hour sleep! Yesterday I started my new job, I was in a class all day orienting to the computer system. After a little dizzy spell at around 2:30, I almost asked the instructor if I could go home. I have only ever called in sick once! We were supposed to go til 4:30. At around 2:45, she said, well I think we're done here for the day! I could have kissed her! I quickly gathered my things, probably rudely avoiding the chit chat, and headed home straight to bed. I slept for 3 1/2 hours, woke up to my sweet husband who had taken Erin to riding lessons and picked up supper on the way home. I stayed up for maybe 2 hours and then crawled back into my hole for another 12 hours waking several times in the night smokin' hot. I can't remember the last time I had a fever. That's sort of a kid thing isn't it? This day is lookin' pretty slow... don't know that there'll be any special Valentine's brunch from this Mommy. I'm hoping that no one else gets it!! It sucks, I know we're not supposed to use that word in the house :) By the way I am laying down typing this. Maybe tomorrow I'll be back to the computer treadmill :) I am thankful for a nice warm bed, for a cloudy day to do nothing and that most normal days I don't have to deal with body aches and pains like a lot of people do. I'll be keeping my eyes and ears peeled for something interesting to tell you next time.

By the way, Kevin has picked up the pace and has been walking and working for at least 2 hours a day! He's not sure why his legs are a little achy... hmmm.... Good job honey!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

No Sitting While Blogging

I write this post to you from our new/used treadmill... Actually, I'm totally lying because Kevin is on there. We spent last evening outfitting the new computer workstation. It's amazing what a little velcro, some plywood and some ingenuity can do. Our creative juices and my sewing machine were humming. We've got the lap top strapped to the panel so it's even more of a contraption. No more facebook, no more Scrabble, no more blogging without exercise! I took down my Christmas greenery off the mantle yesterday. I really am quite sad that I've left it up so long!
I was thinking of taking a "before" photo, but am so used to the up and down and failure of my ideas about getting shape, that I quickly dismissed the idea. I have several really bad non-postable photos from Mexico that can suffice if necessary.




I am totally fake typing!

Monday, February 9, 2009

25 Random things

There's a post going around the facebook world that is posting 25 random things about yourself. I have really enjoyed reading other people's and keep thinking I need to go back and change mine because it's so boring in comparison, but thought I'd post it on here anyways. Tag you're it.

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you.

1. I love Christmas and everything about it, but I love taking down the mess too.
2. I like making and completing lists
3. My favorite job in the world is being a Mom
4. I always thought I would do something big and important and change someone's life, but just hope I can do that for my own family
5. I am still wondering what I'm going to be when I grow up
6. I love playing in my garden and watching things grow. I love the simpler things in life and good old fashioned values
7. My heart is full when I sing praise to my God. He is #1 in my life
8. I am still in love with my husband after 14 3/4 years
9. I have lots of ideas and goals but sometimes am just to lazy to accomplish them
10. I knit and I purl and I like it
11. I am a total idealist and am sometimes disappointed when things don't happen the way I think they should in my head
12. My family is my biggest joy and accomplishment
13. I have always wanted to grow up on a ranch and still would love to live on one and own lots of horses and know what I'm doing with them
14. Rick Mercer makes me howl ( I stole that from Marcia's list but it's so true)-- passive aggressive Canadians!
15. I love to travel and wish I could see it all!
16. I cry at World Vision sponsored TV. I want to go back to Africa someday.
17. I don't like being told what to do, unless I ask
18. The thing I get mad at the most is my dog when he escapes or destroys something
19. I always thought by the time I was 40, I'd have it all figured out. Better get on that, time is running out
20. Family becomes more important to me the older I get
21. I actually enjoy speaking to groups of people when it's about something I'm passionate about
22. I can be totally out going or totally introverted, I am right on the line on the Myer Briggs test of introvert/extrovert and I don't always know which I'm going to be in a certain situation
23. I would love to be in really good shape- see #9- and run a 1/2 marathon
24. I know how much I need Jesus
25. I love to laugh and wish I were better at making people laugh

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Shape

So we bought a new treadmill... well a used treadmill, that wasn't used much by the original owner and we hope to not become a similar statistic. The guy is bringing it by tomorrow in his truck, since we sold ours on Wednesday, of course that happens, you need it as soon as it's gone. It's a 1985!! KD is planning to hook up his computer lap top to it somehow, so that for an hour or so a day he can walk and work. Smart fellow isn't he? And maybe he'll actually run on it too, but kind of hard to click and run. We've been talking about it for some time, we're kind of like that, it takes us a long time to make decisions. But an acquaintance of ours who does a lot of driving/sitting for his job ended up in the hospital with some blood clots to his lungs, that likely originated in his legs from all that sitting. It sort of pushed us over the edge. For the health of my desk job hubby... and my butt will be on it too :) I may now have to blog from the treadmill :) Kevin says so....

Friday, February 6, 2009

This Week in the Garden

I know it's been months since a posting of 'this week in the garden', so I figured it was long overdue. But it won't be my garden, it'll be God's garden that I was enjoying 2 weeks ago. My camera has now died because I dropped it in the sand when I fell over a rock walking backwards. I am quite sick about it, and I don't want to talk about it. It was from my husband and I haven't even had it a year!! The sky looks so white in many of them.

Oh bougainvellia how I love thee..... how I wish you grew here!



This is a ficus!!!! My living room ficus is about 2 feet tall!!! I didn't know they became trees like this!!






A Little Drew Fun

I know I have been slack on the blogging this week, so I'll catch you up on some of our activities.
We are a bit of a different family. Kind of unique, sort of an odd sense of humor at times. There have been some shenanigans as of late that I WILL NOT be posting video of, but the photos should make you laugh enough. While in Mexico we saw all kinds of luchador masks, it really is a thing down there. Now if you haven't seen "Nacho Libre" you may not have a clue what I'm talking about, but they are Mexican wrestler masks. We weren't sure if the Mexicans would have seen, liked or thought they were being mocked by the film. Well on seeing one in this guy's little shop and having quite a spirited discussion about Nacho, Spanish and other things, we felt the need to bring the mask home for Jacob who is a big fan, and another one for Kevin's brother Cam, who is even more eccentric in his humor, and of course needs one since he works with youth. Who doesn't need a mask like this? I am already picturing next Halloween. It's not just about the gift, it's about the presentation and introduction of the gift:


Just laugh and pretend you know what's going on...

In other Drew news... the boys went skiing... J's first full day ever on the hill, I think a new obsession has started.



"it's Big and White and skiied all over" as the ad says (the hill is called Big White)

The girls had a girls' day and some shorts are still in the sewing stages. I always say you can never be ready for summer early enough!! We had ginger beef at Joey's too mmmmm.....

We had another huge dump of snow!!! I guess God was listening to the kids not ME. But the good thing is that snow always provides a lot of entertainment. There has been some serious snow fort building going on!! It's becoming a bit more like a snow village because I think now there are actually 5 snow structures on the front lawn. They are actually borrowing, OK taking, snow from the neighbors lawn in buckets to make it bigger!


Keep scrolling there is another post...

A Happy Friday Memory

I finally uploaded to You Tube a video of ABBA from my friend's 40th birthday. They've all been waiting, it's grainy and the filming is bad because I was distracted and then my battery died, but we got a good memory! Thought you'd enjoy! The best is her reaction in the crowd! I can't believe the outfits those girls wore! Start sewing, I expect some for my 40th!

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

New Job

I don't think I've had a job interview for 15 years at LEAST. So that was a new thing this week. It went fine, the lady was very relaxed and low key, so put me at ease right away, but she did throw out some scenarios at me, like what would you do if.... Yikes!! I'm think I made something maybe slightly intelligible up. So, she hired me on the spot. It's nice to be wanted. It's not like there were a bunch of other competitors for the position, but still it's so nice to feel like they want you, not just any ol' body too. So I start my orientation on Feb. 17th. I'll be doing home visits as well as ambulatory care clinics. I have yet to know whether or not I'll like this kind of thing. I like the high intensity of acute care, so this is much more a focus on relationship... which will be very good for me.

I'll keep you posted.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Unmotivated!

First, here's a photo of the day.... nice one hey? Kevin's again....

Second, I am so unmotivated I can't stop! Well actually I think the problem is I can't start anything. I know it's the weather and the fact that I don't want to go outside. But all I feel like doing is sitting around and watching TV. Help me! My butt is not getting any smaller! I am not a Superbowl fan or whatever cup it is that's on today. OK, yes, Sunday is a day of rest, at least we try to spend family time together. Maybe I could just curl up and take a nap til tomorrow. But then I know the kids would just play on the computer til then and I have a problem with that. Erin is making chocolate e'clairs, so I know that will involve some assistance at some point in time. They're not a fool proof recipe, like say a brownie.

Anyways, I was motivated at church this morning to persist, to carry on, to not allow the shades of grey and monotony to seep in slowly. But I really need a fire lit under me... Lord help me. Fire would at least be warm... :)

Don't worry about me --- I am saying this all with a grain of salt, we just all have these days. I know I have NOTHING to complain about. I am so thankful and maybe I need to make a list and get me out of my glum. It's not like I just found out I'm pregnant with #5 and am worrying it's twins. Now that would be weighing heavily on my mind and it is :) Or that I'm worried my husband might lose his job and I live in a townhouse that's already way too small for 5 of us and my baby is teething and no one is sleeping properly at night. Or that my mother-in-law just found out her cancer in inoperable. Or that my body isn't working the way I would like it too. Lord, send your blessing on these dear souls. Fill their hearts with Your joy and strength, and Your sense of unending peace and purpose in each circumstance. And for the ones who don't yet know that You are the One in control, that somehow they would find you in it all. And Lord, I am so thankful for the patient of mine that could have left the hospital 5 minutes earlier and found herself in real trouble, but that she was kept safe in our care, heal her Lord.