Hal and Haley's Happenings

Hard week(s)

2011-10-27T09:16:00.002-04:00

I feel like that I have been working and sleeping nonstop for the last couple of weeks. I am desperate for some time off, and that will be coming up very soon!

The hospital has been overflowing with very sick people recently, and it has gotten me down. Our surgeons haven't been able to do heart surgeries because the hospital is so full, there aren't any rooms for the surgeries. Our unit, usually for the heart surgeries, is having to take other very sick patients that come in from through the ER, as overflow. Just to give you an idea of how sick people are, we have 50 critical care beds in our hospital and all of them are full. That isn't the unusual part. What is so unusual is that 38 out of 50 critical care patients are on ventilators. One respiratory therapist told me this week that our hospital was actually running very low on vents, and may have to start borrowing from other hospitals. (We don't actually have that few vents, but they are necessary for all of our surgeries, critical care beds, ER, etc. When there are more vents in critical care, less to go around for other things.)

As I have told you before, most of our patients are easily rehabilitated and are in and out of our unit in a couple of days. We don't have many longtermers. Until now. I had a 52 year old man have a normal heart surgery, unable to be weaned from the vent, now he has a tracheostomy. I worked my tail off trying to keep that man from going to get the trach, but in the end there was nothing I could do. That was hard. I know it was completely out of my control, but I felt like such a failure.

One particular patient has been weighing on my mind this week, and has made work extra emotional for me. This lady came to our unit on Sunday night right at shift change when my coworkers and I were arriving for the night. She should have been in Neuro ICU, but because the hospital is so full, she had to come to the only open bed in the hospital, in CVRU. She had a car accident the day before and was brought to the emergency room. She spent 19 hours in the ER having multiple tests run and waiting on a bed to open up.

This lady went into cardiac arrest while driving to pick up dinner for her family. She ran into the side of a building unconscious. Then she was brought to our hospital. An EEG (a test for brain function) was done, and it found that there is little to no brain activity. She is 49 years old. Yes, 49. That is 2 years younger than my momma. She has a husband who comes and holds her hand every night and prays with her. She has two of the most beautiful teenage daughters. She is a special-ed teacher. She has visitors flowing in and out, praying over her, loving on her, and talking to her. Her family is having a difficult time making any kind of decision about what to do for her next, and absolutely for good reason.

Y'all, life is short! You hear that every single day, but I see it every single day! Not everyone gets a chance to say goodbye or I love you, one last time. I keep thinking of that family, and how sad they must be. They are soon going to lose their matriarch, and then what? They never knew that when she walked out the door to buy them dinner, that she wouldn't ever walk back in.

Just last night in our ER there was a 25 year old thrown from her car and died 2 hours after she arrived to the hospital. Only a couple of hours before that an ambulance was bringing in a 12 year old who was accidentally run over (with a car) by his own mother. I am telling you that your next hour may be your first hour in heaven! Are you prepared for that?

I have learned so much as a new nurse. There is no other lesson more important than to live without regrets. I know it sounds so cliche, but I wouldn't be saying this if I didn't believe it. Everyone faces problems and trials. Everyone has bad days, bad weeks, and heck, even bad years. It is so important not to let those things get in the way of life. Our God is greater than any problem that we face, and those trials "too shall pass."

When you leave home today, hug your family a little tighter, say "I love you" one more time, take the time to call your loved ones, do not go to bed angry. I am trying very hard to fit as much living into my life, not to worry and dwell so much, to stress less, and to LOVE more. Love more. That is something none of us will ever regret.

Getting to know me

2011-10-13T08:51:00.002-04:00

I love music, all types really. I listen to almost every genre. Most of the time, when I'm at home alone, I've got my computer on and the music up as loud as it will go. More often than not, music is playing and the television is off. I currently have 331 songs downloaded to my Mac that I have accrued over the last 3 years since my computer was brand new. (There are about 300 more on my old computer.)

If I hit the play button to shuffle my music iTunes, here are the first 15 songs that I hear:

1. Beautiful Soul - Jesse McCartney

2. East to West - Casting Crowns

3. Big Green Tractor, acoustic - Jason Aldean

4. Black and Yellow - Wiz Khalifa

5. The Brilliant Dance, unplugged - Dashboard Confessional

6. Rain King: Live at Dock Street Theater - Blue Dogs

7. Learning to Fly, iTunes Session - Lady Antebellum

8. One Headlight - The Wallflowers

9. Do You Remember - Jay Sean, Sean Paul, Lil John

10. Never Know - Jack Johnson

11. Let Me Be Your Man - Hootie and the Blowfish

12. Heartache That Don't Stop Hurting - Jason Aldean

13. Way Down Here - Kenny Chesney

14. Whisky and You - Darius Rucker

15. Innocent - Taylor Swift

Its funny how you learn a lot about yourself just listening to the music that you have downloaded over the last few years. What would yours look like?

Currently

2011-10-02T20:25:00.003-04:00

Listening - to pregame of MNF, waiting for kickoff

Eating - nothing at the moment, just had a Whole Foods salad. My favorite.

Drinking- bottle of water

Wearing - jeans and a plaid western-style button down

Feeling - better now, went to bed and started out my day with a stomach bug

Weather - today has been sunny and cool, an absolutely beautiful Fall day

Wanting - new Tory Burch flats since its time to start wearing jeans

Needing - to get up in the morning and go to the gym!

Thinking - that I am glad I am off for one more day!

Enjoying- spending the evening with my hubby, we've had a great weekend together

I am loving this time of year because we don't have to run the air or the heat. I just wish we had windows that would open! Another thing I am loving are my huge mums I got from Costco recently. The have bloomed out more now and they are so beautiful!

Haley's Day Off

2011-09-27T11:00:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was a kind of day that I haven't had in a while. Usually I only get a couple of days off at a time, so I am usually tired and trying to recuperate from night shift. I am right in the middle of a six-night stent of being off. I got to spend my Monday doing some things that I enjoy! Hal was too busy at work to have lunch with me, so I enjoyed two of my favorite things for lunch.

A Whole Foods salad, Raspberry Sweet Leaf Tea

Of course, I did a little shopping. Here are a few of my purchases. :)

At Ulta they had OPI nail polish buy 2, get a top or base coat free! I got 'Manicurist of Seville' (the wine color), 'Samoan Sand' (neutral), and then my top coat. Nail polish has become a new fetish!

At World Market our favorite wine was on sale for $5.49 a bottle. I usually get it at Whole Foods for $9.99, so of course I bought 2!

Today I am visiting 2 very special boys, and I get to deliver these 2 gifts to them and their mommy! I am so excited! I spent most of my afternoon shopping for these gifts and I can't wait until they open them!

I had such a great day! I get to enjoy one more full day off, then its back to work tomorrow night.

Carolina vs. Vanderbilt

2011-09-26T11:33:00.007-04:00

Hal and I were on our way home from Fayetteville, NC on Saturday night when we decided at the VERY LAST minute to go to the Carolina game. We were getting on I-26 at 6:26 pm when Hal looked at me and said, "Lets just go to the game." The game started at 7:00. I said okay, he went east instead of west, we hit up an ATM, boogied over to the fair grounds, parked the car, power walked to the stadium, bought 2 tickets at face value, and hurried as fast as we could to our seats.

The team ran out on the field when we were one level away from our seats, so we stopped to watch.

Hal made it to watch kick-off, I had to pee. Carolina had already partially driven down the field when I got in my seat.

TOUCHDOWN Carolina!

Happy (and tired) Gamecocks after the game!

Cellphone picture of sandstorm just cannot possibly capture that atmosphere!

"Carolina forever to thee"

We won 21-3! This was our first home game of the season, and both of us were so excited to be there. The spontaneous decision to go was so worth it! Go Gamecocks!

Currently...

2011-09-19T08:08:00.000-04:00

Listening - to the TV and the sound of my fan, as I wind down after work, just before I go to sleep

Eating - a walnut brownie, snack before bed.

Drinking- a glass of milk

Wearing - one of Hal's college baseball shirts, so worn in and comfortable

Feeling - tired after a 12 hour night shift; content, snuggled in my bed with Layla

Weather - overcast and cool - the perfect weather for a day sleeper!

Wanting - to spend my overtime pay on new fall clothes.

Needing - to put that overtime money in savings.

Thinking - about upcoming travel plans; about getting another 4 legged baby

Enjoying- watching 'Reba' before I go to bed. Its part of my morning routine!

I'm gonna try to make this a weekly post, just to stay up to date!

Gettin' Crafty

2011-09-13T13:00:00.000-04:00

Here are 2 of my creations:

Fall wreath

Block C that is on the door now

Emotional Day

2011-09-12T14:08:00.009-04:00

Yesterday was the 10 year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2011. Yesterday was a tough day, watching all of the footage from that awful day 10 years ago. I am glad they showed the footage, and I am glad I chose to watch. A day like that should never be forgotten, and the emotions that we all felt on that day should never go away. I felt yesterday, exactly like I felt 10 years ago. My heart was so heavy, and it loomed in the back of my mind all day long.

My emotions were all over the place. We watched the beginning of the Carolina/Arizona football game yesterday. During the national anthem, they spread an American Flag out over the entire field. Along with military personnel, the football players were helping to hold the flag. While Jordan Sparks was singing the national anthem the camera was scanning the players and the military men and women. I completely lost it when I saw these big rough and tough football players with tears streaming down their cheeks at the sound of The Star Spangled Banner. I watched a Budweiser commercial this morning and cried again. I am just so thankful for the life that I have been blessed with, and I am fortunate not to be missing anyone lost in that awful tragedy, or after.

On September 11, 2001 I was 17, sitting in my first period class at Byrnes High School - Spanish. Every morning we would watch Despierta America, the Latin American version of Good Morning America. That morning was no different, we were watching as usual. A little before 9 am the show's female anchor began frantically speaking about something in Spanish, and no one in our class understood. Ms. Senn's face wrinkled up and she quickly turned around toward the television in disbelief. She translated to us what they were saying, and it was bad news. One of the World Trade Center towers had been hit. From there Ms. Senn quickly flipped the TV to CNN. Our class was buzzing about how tragic it was that this plane went off course, and what a big mistake that must have been. Only two or three minutes went by while we were watching the footage, glued to the television, when into the screen comes another plane. I don't remember if we were silent or screaming, but I remember we were horrified, because we watched live as the second plane struck the second tower.

The rest of the day we did nothing but watch the footage in school. I am so grateful for our teachers, who allowed us to forfeit a day of learning from our textbooks so that we could watch what was going on just a few hundred miles north of us. I was so emotional that week, for many reasons, but I was 17 and I understood that there were many children, husbands, wives, mothers, and fathers who lost someone that day. What a tragedy.

Last night, my parents, Hal and I went to Gibbs Stadium at Wofford College to a memorial ceremony remembering 9/11/01. We went specifically to see the Marine Corps Silent Drill Team, but the rest of the ceremony was truly a blessing and very emotional.

Here are some pictures:

White doves were released at the beginning. I loved the flag flying on the ladder trucks.

Pipe band, representatives from all military branches, and the state flags to open the ceremony.

Helicopter fly over (they are flying away). I love this one of the flag.

Marine Corps Silent Drill Team entering the field.

The silent drill was AMAZING!

Rifle inspection, the BEST part of the drill. Seriously AMAZING!

21 gun salute

Pipe Band played Amazing Grace as the benediction. Love Amazing Grace on the Bag Pipes!

I really enjoyed gathering with our community to remember this event. The Marine Corps Silent Drill team was awesome! I had never seen them in person before, and I just cannot say enough about how great they were! If you haven't seen them, youtube them, or find out when they will be near you and GO SEE THEM!

I want to leave you with this uplifting video from 10 years ago. I love it!

Layla

2011-09-08T07:40:00.000-04:00

So many of the blogs I follow are blogs of mommies with sweet babies. I sure do love looking at those sweet babies, but Hal and I don't have a human baby of our own. We have made the choice not to, and that is fine with us. Layla, our Pointer-mix, is our baby and we do spoil her rotten. Since you haven't seen her in a couple of years, here are just a few recent pics of her.

Last fall when our trees were cut down.

Looking at herself in the mirror.

Sweet pea.

This is her "spot" during the day, whether we are home or not. Our bed is HER bed when its daylight. :)

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2011-09-07T07:40:00.002-04:00

I thought this week that I would participate in my own What I'm Loving Wednesday. I am not linking up with anyone, because I am actually writing this on Tuesday. :) Here are a few things I am loving lately.

Products:

Swiffer Duster. I just bought one last week and I freaking love it. This thing is amazing and cuts my dusting time in half!

Sally Hansen Commander in Chic nail polish. Its on my toes right now, and one of my favorite colors I've had in a long time!

Sweat Leaf Teas - Raspberry is my favorite.

My Diane von Furstenburg espadrille flats. I got them on sale during the summer and I have finally started wearing them since the weather has been a little cooler.

Music:

"Baggage Claim" Miranda Lambert

"Someone Like You" Adele

Food:

Salad Bar at Whole Foods - We've had it 3 times in the last week!

GBOH happy hour sushi

What are YOU loving right now?

Carolina vs. ECU

2011-09-06T10:35:00.009-04:00

Hal and I made the decision on Wednesday of last week that we would go to the Carolina game this past weekend in Charlotte. Neither one of us had ever been to the first game of the season, home or away, so we thought it would be fun. Saturday morning, after I got a couple hours of sleep (I had to work Friday night), we headed to Charlotte for the game.

Truck is ready!

Stadium from where we parked. The building behind the stadium would light up during the game in the colors of the team that had the ball. Pretty cool.

BOA Stadium

My friend, Ashley, and me tailgating before the game. Go Alshon!

Hal and I once we made it into the stadium. It was about 1000 degrees and we looked it!

Inside of BOA stadium and the Charlotte skyline.

Gamecocks running on the field.

Game over! Happy Gamecocks!

The Gamecocks didn't play as well as we hoped they would in the first quarter, we were down 17-0 at one point. They finally started to rally back, but we were still losing 24-14 at halftime. No one knows what was said in that locker room at the half, but it really worked! In 5:31 into the 3rd quarter, Carolina had scored 3 touchdowns. We took the lead for good. The final score was 56-37, GO GAMECOCKS!

Fashion

2011-09-06T10:14:00.000-04:00

Since I am actually getting a paycheck now, my love for fashion and beautiful things has been sparked once again. I know that I have to refrain myself from splurging on all of these beautiful things, but here are a few things I have my eye on for the fall.

Blue coral necklace by shopdesignspark.com

precious top by anthro, would love to wear with item below.

navy corduroy blazer, jcrew

jcrew boots

obsessed with this jcrew sweater

I do have other items on my wish list but I have to save SOMETHING for Christmas, right? I am so excited for the change of wardrobe coming soon! I usually get this way this time of year because I feel like I have worn out all of my summer clothes. I just can't wait to get out my Wallabees, skinny jeans, colorful flats, scarves and sweaters for the fall. I am sure it will be 100 degrees here in November, so I'm not getting my hopes up that my wardrobe will change anytime really soon. Ha!

A day in the life

2011-09-02T07:56:00.000-04:00

I haven't told you all that much about my job since I started blogging again. My job is a big part of my life, and when I am not at work I am often thinking of work and my patients. So, in that case, I feel compelled to tell you about what I do.

When I started nursing school, I went with the intentions of one day getting a job in CVRU. Being in CVRU during my dad's open heart surgery was one of the catapulting reasons I went back to school to be a nurse. When I was offered a job in this unit immediately out of nursing school, many prayers were answered, and one of my dreams had been fulfilled.

I absolutely love my job. I could not imagine working anywhere else. I just never knew what kind of a toll it would take on me, emotionally.

Our patients come to us directly from the operating room. They do not go to a designated recovery; we are the recovery room essentially - cardiovascular recovery unit (CVRU). When the heart patients come back they are always on a ventilator and are always unconscious from sedation. They are immediately hooked up to about a thousand wires and tubes, and we are monitoring them second by second. We have a tool that even allows us to read measurements directly from their heart, because there is an actual monitoring device IN the heart. It is a very complex system, but obviously its for the best of our patients.

The families are often scared to death when they come in for the first time and take a look at their loved one covered in what I call the "spaghetti" of the tubes and wires, as well as the one large tube going down the throat to assist their breathing. I won't lie, when I saw my dad for the first time, I burst out crying. Yes, its pretty horrifying to someone who might not know what is going on.

Luckily our patients often only stay this way for about 12 hours, then are up in the chair and walking. That, to me, is such a reward. We work very hard to keep them stable throughout the night, and our reward at the end of the day is to get them up to the chair and let them walk first thing in the morning. This, of course, is after they have been off the ventilator for a while.

What I wanted to tell you about most, is how emotional it is. Not every patient in our unit successfully makes it through the open heart surgery process. We have a very low mortality rate, but we do have some who perish. In the months I have been there I have assisted with many "codes" where a patient expires and we do everything possible to bring them back to life. Unfortunately, none of the codes I have seen have been alive when all was said and done. Until last week, I had not had a patient of mine to die.

My patient had been in the hospital for a while and had just failed to thrive after OHS (open heart surgery). She was on and off the ventilator 2 times, before we had to put her back on it the last time for good. We knew she wasn't doing well. I had taken care of her many times, and I had become close to her and her family. I think they really did appreciate me and the work I was doing to help her.

I went into work one night last week, and when I got report on my patient, I knew that she wouldn't make it long, if she even made it through the night. I had a long, dreaded talk with her family, urging them not leave her, trying to explain that I didn't have a good feeling. Understandably, they had more hope than I had, and decided to go home for the night. At about 4 am the next morning, I had to make the dreaded phone call telling them they needed to come, their mother was not going to be alive much longer. My voice cracked at the end of the call, and I know her daughter heard the hurt in my voice. That was my very first phone call like that, and it was one of the hardest things I have ever done.

I didn't have time to cry, I just hoped I had it in me to keep their mother alive long enough for them to get there and love on her before she went on to heaven. Luckily, her family got there around 5 am and she lived until around 11 am, after I had ended my shift.

Since I have been in CVRU, this has been the hardest thing for me to deal with. It is not easy to see people struggling for their life on a daily/weekly basis. So many people have asked me, does it get easier to deal with. I have only been working in CVRU for 8 months, but no, it has never gotten easier. My answer to that question, though, is that I hope it never gets easier. Death is not something I ever want to be sensitized to, nor do I ever want to take it lightly.

I love my job, I love the people I work with, I love the patients I work with, and I love the opportunity I have been given. I know that God has placed me in this place for a reason, and I will continue to seek His will in those hard times, in all times. I hope that if nothing else, God can use me to be a Christian influence to those families that are going through the difficult times, which are almost all the patients we see.

Pray for me as I continue to follow this plan for my life that has been laid before me. I am so blessed to be chosen for this opportunity.

How do I know...

2011-09-01T15:00:00.009-04:00

...that Fall is just around the corner?

I took this picture with my cell phone, it was about 1:00 pm. This milder weather is a welcome change!

The red berries have started to show up on our Dogwood tree.

Hal is back to playing softball with guys from his work.

This little beauty recently found its way into my closet courtesy of Anthropologie!

And of course, the true tell tale sign...

The only reason I have ever LOVED fall is because of football, but this year the weather change and the fact that I am NOT in school makes me very excited about the upcoming season.

22 more days until FALL!

Cleaning OUT

2011-08-30T11:42:00.015-04:00

I have been trying to get around to cleaning out my pantry for a good while now. It was a much bigger task than I really anticipated, but I finally got it clean and organized again.

Our pantry is a space that the previous owner built in from an outdoor porch. Now, if it were me doing the space, I can promise that I would do it completely differently, but I have to work with what I've got, I guess.

Pantry before: I had already started moving some stuff out when I took this picture.

Pantry empty and clean. Where did I put all the stuff?

All over my kitchen - YIKES!

This one is a little embarrassing. Ha!

Sorted through everything and put what I needed, back into the space. Still not perfect, but looks much better!

Used an old green tea box to organize all my spices. Organization = happy!

Little office space - always been there, slightly more organized. (The jug is our spare change)

5 bags of trash to take out! GOODBYE!

Order has finally been restored!

You can see my counters again!

My pantry is organized and I have one less thing bugging me! What else can I clean out on my day off? :)

Confessions

2011-08-29T07:45:00.000-04:00

As I told you before, we opened up our new church last Sunday. We were so excited and the new building is absolutely stunning. It was so much more than we ever expected, and I am so proud to say that it is my church! I hope that last statement doesn't sound vain or materialistic because it isn't meant that way. If you know our church, you know we started in a small suite next to a popular drugstore in town. Once we outgrew that building, which didn't take long, we moved to a building that before renovations, was an athletic club. We come from humble beginnings, so to have such a beautiful new building is just wonderful, and a blessing from God.

I have really been feeling the conviction of the Lord lately. Since I graduated, Hal and I haven't been the best about going to church like we should. Although I often have to work on Saturday or Sunday nights, I still don't feel like that is a valid excuse for not going to church. We are lucky because our church offers an early service that we go to usually. Here recently we would just sleep in instead of going to church, or get up too late to make it to the early service. Our second service, in the old building, was always so crowded, so we would use that as our excuse not to go at all. Now that we have a new, much larger building, we really have no excuses anymore.

Last Sunday during the invitation at church, our pastor asked if any of us just felt like we were straying away from God and felt uncomfortable by this. Everyone's eyes were closed so I don't know if anyone else answered, but I raised my hand to answer yes, I felt as though I had let myself stray away from the Lord.

Jesus has always remained first in my life. I just know that recently I haven't been the Christian that I should be. I went through a period where I stopped growing in Christ. I didn't pray as much as I should have, and I feel like I took things for granted. When I think about how much God has done for me, I am ashamed to think that I haven't been trying hard enough for him.

We talked about John 3:16 in church last Sunday, and how God is such a giving God. Just hearing the sermon on this verse that we all know so well, reminded me of how I need to receive the blessings from God and return those blessings back to Him. I need to do a better job of not only giving my tithes and offerings, but also giving my whole self. I want to use my talents as He has instructed to glorify Him, and I want to use my opportunity as a nurse to share Christ with others. I need improvement in all of these areas. I know that I will never be perfect and that I will always fall short. As humans, this is something we will all struggle with, but I am committed to living my life for Jesus and for following his will for my life.

Hal and I are so blessed, more so than we will ever deserve. If it weren't for our faith in Jesus, we wouldn't have made it through the sacrifice of getting through nursing school. I am ashamed that I allowed myself to stop growing, especially after the blessings that God has bestowed on us since we have been married.

Thankfully, the Lord has already forgiven me. It is my hearts desire to serve the Lord to my fullest potential, and to never stop growing in him. It is also my desire that people see the Lord in me, in my attitude, in the way I treat my patients, and in the way I lead my life in general.

I hope that through this blog, I can document my growth and look back one day at how far I have come.

Favorite Pins

2011-08-25T14:14:00.010-04:00

I told you before that I recently joined Pinterest. I love the whole idea and I have quickly become obsessed. Here are a few of my current favorite pins.

I love this one. I so need to hear this on a daily basis!

kitchen inspiration

haha!

Wish I had $3000 to spare on this coat!

So true.

Green is my favorite color, I LOVE these!

Such a cute idea! I would love to turn my rockers into swings!

Stay Tuned!

2011-08-25T12:13:00.003-04:00

So as not to go 20 days without blogging again, I have written 4 blogs and stored them! I promise more blogs to come really soon!

See below for yesterday's most recent post/update. :)

Quick Update

2011-08-24T14:48:00.003-04:00

It has been almost 20 days since I last blogged, so I am not doing as well as I had originally hoped at getting back into this blogging thing. Every time I sit down to write nothing really seems important enough to share. We are just so normal now. Ha! We have been kind of busy, but I guess that is no excuse for not blogging. Sometimes it feels as though all I do is sleep and work, so on my days off I have so much other stuff to catch up on.

I recently joined Twitter for the first time and I quickly fell in love. I never really got the whole idea of Twitter until I finally gave in and joined. Twitter is perfect for someone like me. I don't like reading lots and lots of details; just a few words that get straight to the point is exactly what I need/love. I am currently following about 30 people, most of them athletes from my favorite teams, sports websites, and then a few friends. You can follow me too - @H2Chafey. (I haven't tweeted just yet, though.)

I also just joined Pinterest this week. OBSESSED! I cannot. get. enough. Check it out if you haven't already.

A couple of weeks ago Hal and I learned our friend and Hal's classmate, David Hortman, died in a helicopter crash at Ft. Benning, GA. It was such a tragedy to hear of his death and Hal and I were both devastated. We attended the funeral this past weekend and I am so glad we did. I was pretty emotional and knew that the funeral would be so sad. The last military funeral I went to, I sobbed through the entire funeral, and I didn't even know the guy (graduated with Hal from the Citadel). David's funeral was so sweet. Everyone spoke so highly of him, just as we expected. What I didn't expect was that there would be more laughter than tears, but it was true. All of the speakers shared wonderful, funny memories of David and there were many moments of laughter during the service. It was exactly what David wanted, though - a celebration of his life. Hal and I were very lucky to call him a friend, and will continue to honor his memory.

We ran our second 5K this weekend. We did the annual Edouard Michelin 5K in Greenville, two years in a row. I was not nearly as prepared for this one as I was the last, and I added 2 minutes to my time from last year. I haven't been nearly as dedicated to running because I am simply too tired from working night shift. It was a fun race, Hal did really well, and even though I didn't do quite as well as last year, I still ran the whole race. It really does feel like such an accomplishment when you cross that finish line!

Hal and I before the race. This pic was taken about 7 am, so neither one of us look stunning.

Right now we are in the process of planning our 5 year anniversary adventure! I cannot believe that in 7 months we will be married 5 years! We have been doing a lot of research and we have made a decision as to where to go, but all the details aren't quite nailed down. I can't wait to share our adventure with you once we have everything set.

One last thing that we are super excited about right now is that our church opened up a new building this past Sunday, August, 21st. It is such a beautiful building and we are so excited about the opportunities for growth!

I know this post was all over the place, but I am trying to keep you caught up on what has been going on in our lives over the last couple of weeks. I am going to try to get better about my blogging. See you soon! :)

So what's really going on around here?

2011-08-05T08:40:00.002-04:00

Since I last blogged in October of 2008, our lives have dramatically changed. Yes, there is the obvious thing that I am no longer a full time student, but its so much more than that. If you want to know how our lives have changed, keep reading. :)

Hal is no longer swinging shifts like he used to! Before he was working a night and day shift rotation. If you kept up with my blog before, you know how hard that was on me. I never got used to it, and it seemed to only become harder with time. Well, there are two parts of good news to this story. First, Hal moved to Michelin's North American headquarters in Greenville (so he's no longer working in a plant) AND he is now working 8-5! This was such a welcome and wonderful change for him, and he's been at Michelin HNA for about 18 months. His job now is as an Account Coordinator for Sam's, Costco, and BJs. He loves it. There are a lot of opportunities for him to move up in this position so we are very happy the Lord blessed him with this new job! There is the chance that we may have to move out of state in the future, but I am totally supportive of wherever this job takes us.

The timing of the new job came perfectly, just after I started nursing school. He was home more and we were able to spend a lot more time together.

As for me, school was finished at the end of November 2010. I officially became a registered nurse at the end of January this year, and was offered a job the same day I found out I passed my boards. What a blessing! I had been working at the hospital for about 8 months as a PCT (patient care technician aka nurses aid) so the transition into RN wasn't all that difficult. I was so lucky and blessed to be offered a job in the unit that I had been hoping and praying for, CVRU. CVRU is the Cardiovascular Recovery Unit, where patients come directly after open heart surgery. I started my training there in February, then switched to night shift back in May. Night shift has been a challenge for many reasons, but ultimately I love it.

The one thing that I have really regretted is the fact that Hal and I are back on opposite shifts again. Thankfully, I only work 3 nights a week, so its really not that bad. The very first night that I left for night shift, I cried the whole way to work because I just felt so bad for leaving him! I have gotten more used to it now, and it works out okay. Although my seniority will likely allow me to obtain a day shift position in about a year, I may continue to work nights.

I do have aspirations of going back to school, but that is something that I am praying about right now. I want to make the right choice for my career and for Hal and myself. My current plans tentatively are to be putting my application in for graduate school by the time I turn 30, which will be in 3 years.

We are still living in the same house, and probably will be for a long time. We have talked about, prayed about, and decided not to have children, so our house seems perfect for the two of us right now.

Layla is still as sweet as ever, and more than spoiled rotten. She usually sleeps all night with Hal and all day with me. We call her our "lousy" dog because all she seems to do is sleep!

I hope that I can get back into blogging on more of a regular schedule. I want to be able to look back in the coming years and read what is going on in our lives now. I can't wait to see what our future holds!

Back and better than ever!

2011-07-22T07:56:00.013-04:00

Well hello!

It seems that lately I have had a little more time on my hands, and thoughts have often crossed my mind about how I would like to start blogging again. After recently reading every one of my old posts, I decided that I would jump back in. I loved going back and reliving the memories of when Hal and I first got married, then when I decided to go back to school. I also missed the relationships that I had formed with my blogging friends! So, here I am, starting again, almost 3 years later!

A lot has changed in 3 years, but I won't bore you with all of the finite details just yet.

What have we been up to? Thank goodness I took some pictures!

Just weeks after I officially started the nursing program, we celebrated our sweet niece's 1st birthday. We took a trip to Beaufort to party with her! (Jan. 2009)

For the next 6 months I hit the books pretty hard. We didn't get to do a lot because I was so busy with school. Finally summer came and we got to go to the beach with my parents. The VERY FIRST day we were there, Hal broke my mom's leg. Yep, he BROKE HER LEG. He crashed into her while he was body boarding in the ocean. She was such a good sport. (July 09)

I hit the books hard again in the fall without much of a social life. We celebrated 1 year of nursing school being over by taking a road trip to Philadelphia/New Jersey to visit Hal's grandparents for Christmas. When we arrived there was 2 feet of snow on the ground. It was the most snow I had ever experienced! (Dec. 2009)

Not much to report for Spring 2010 because that was my hardest semester of nursing school. We did have a busy summer, though. We celebrated Hal's 30th birthday in Hilton Head. We LOVE the Salty Dog! (May 10)

That same month, after what seemed like a lifetime engagement, our great friends John Thomas and Keri got married. I was so excited to be a part of their wedding. (May 10)

After a trip to Myrtle Beach and Charleston, summer was over. The positive thing about summer being over is FOOTBALL SEASON is just beginning. In fall of 2010 we went to 2 Carolina games. This was the Carolina/Tennessee game at Williams Brice. (Oct. 2010)

That same month our family friends invited us to the Appalachian State/Citadel football game. It was my first time in Boone at the end of October and it was just beautiful. App State beat the Citadel, but we had such a fun time! (Oct. 2010)

My last semester of nursing school was the best, and my favorite. I got to experience a lot of new and great things. I was offered the opportunity to fly with Regional One, the medical helicopter for our hospital. This pic is me, mid-flight, about to scream with excitement. This was actually a dream come true for me! (Nov. 2010)

We always celebrate Christmas with Hal's family at Windy Gap in Weaverville, NC. This past year we got a snow storm that was one of the greatest, most fun experiences of my life. While at WG, we watched 12 inches of snow fall in 24 hours, on top of the 6-8 inches that was already there. It is definitely one of my most memorable Christmas'. (Dec. 2010)

Earlier in December, I GRADUATED!! I officially have my BSN, and just a few short weeks later I became a registered nurse! This was such an exciting time for me! (Dec. 2010)

2011 has been such an amazing year so far! I passed the NCLEX (state boards) and officially became and licensed registered nurse and on the same day I was offered a job! Of course, its our style to celebrate, so we went big! In April we celebrated the culmination of the nursing school sacrifice by going back to the Dominican Republic (we went there on our honeymoon). We had an awesome week and it was the perfect way to celebrate. (April 2011).

In March we also celebrated 4 years of marriage. It doesn't seem like we have been married that long! That puts us being together for over 8 years now. We have really come a long way, but we have surely been blessed by the Lord throughout the years.

I am so excited to be back to blogging, and I can't wait to share more of life with you in the future!

Hello again...and goodbye

2008-10-13T21:21:00.002-04:00

I think it has been just over a month since I last posted, and that doesn't bother me at all. I am writing this post only to tell you goodbye.

This blog has been a great outlet for me to share my innermost thoughts, stories, funnies, and pictures. I have truly enjoyed being a blogger. Although I have enjoyed my time on blogger, recent events in my life are keeping me from committing to this journal any longer.

My time is precious these days, and I really don't feel that what little free time I do have should be spent on the internet. For me, life is about to change drastically, and I could not be more excited. With this major change comes less free time.

In January I will officially start the pursuit of my BSN. I received the letter last week telling me that I was accepted to the nursing program and I cannot wait! For now, I am finishing up my nursing class I am in, working a lot, and spending all the time I can with my hubby. I am ending my blogging now so that I don't have to put off the inevitable any longer.

Thank you all for reading, keeping up with me, and for your encouraging comments. I have enjoyed reconnecting with so many of you, and I am thankful for your friendships. Please continue to keep in touch with me by email if you can. (Haley1192 at hotmail dot com)

I do want to add one more thing before I go. Hal and I saw Fireproof over the weekend and it was fantastic. I encourage everyone to see it!!

Love you all.

Long time no blog

2008-09-09T12:59:00.002-04:00

I am assuming by now that most of you have taken me off your blog roll since I have taken such a long hiatus. This post however, does not promise more to come. Everytime I do that I fail to come through, so this time I won't make any promises.

What have we been up to for the last, oh lets see, month or so?

- I started school 3 weeks ago today. I have a pretty easy schedule. I am home by 12:30 everyday. I start my clinical on Monday. Lets just say that being a nurses aid is not the most rewarding job in the world. Ha.

- Hal and I have been consumed with football for the last 2 weeks. Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays you can usually find us in front of the TV watching a game. We love football season in this house.

- We took advantage of the labor day sales and got a new mattress. We got a Sealy Posturpedic pillow top and we are loving it. It is quite big, though. We only got a queen size, but king sheets are the only thing that will fit it. We also got a new comforter set too! Merry Christmas to us!

- Layla went to the vet for the first time since we got her, and she did great. The vet told us that she was very healthy, and tested negative for heart worms. She weighed 71lbs!

- We got lots of good rain from T.S. Faye but we are still under mandatory water restrictions. It stinks.

- I am on the search for a job...again. My hours were cut a the restaurant I was working at, so I am on the hunt again. I have put in my application at a few places, now I am just waiting on call backs.

- Hal has been carpooling to work, and it has saved us a ton of money. I can't believe how much that really helps!

- I've started going to the gym again. I canceled my membership when I quit my full time job to save money. Hal gets a membership at his job for $8 a month for both of us. I am trying hard to stay motivated and hoping I will see some results.

- I have really been enjoying my time at home. For the last year I felt like life was in warp speed. Now, things are starting to slow down, and I am getting to enjoy more time at home. Lately Hal and I have been able to spend a lot of time together and I am just so thankful that life is finally getting back to normal for us.

- I am getting fall fever. I got all of my fall decorations down from the attic this past weekend. I am waiting a little while to put them out, but I can't wait. Big Lots has some great fall decorations right now for really cheap!

Thats about all I can think of for now. I hope everyone is doing as well as I am. Thanks for sticking with me while I've been absent!

Something I had to share

2008-08-28T12:11:00.001-04:00

I don't really like forward emails I must admit. My mom sent me this one yesterday and I just absolutely couldn't let it go without sharing.

A good way to explain death:

A sick man turned to his doctor as he was preparing to Leave the examination room and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side." Very quietly, the doctor said, "I don't know." "You don't know? You, a Christian man, Do not know what is on the other side?" The doctor was holding the handle of the door; On the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, And as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room And leaped on him with an eager show of gladness. Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, And when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, But I do know one thing.. I know my Master is there and that is enough."

Awesome.

Hello Again

2008-08-27T20:34:00.002-04:00

Its been a while again, and for that I apologize.

I started school last week, so I've just been schoolin' and workin' it, and absolutely nothing else.

School is going well so far. I have encountered some pretty gross things already, so I will have to post about that later. I think the real stories will come when I start my clinical in a couple of weeks.

I just wanted to say how excited I am that football season officially starts tomorrow. We're pretty excited in this house!

Hope everyone is doing well. I'll try to do a better update later!

Go COCKS!

Last free weekend

2008-08-18T21:16:00.010-04:00

This weekend Hal and I took advantage of my last free weekend and went down to Beaufort to visit Hal's sister and her sweet little girl Avah. Unfortunately we didn't get to visit with Anna's hubby because he's in training in preparation for his upcoming tour in Iraq. We had a fabulous weekend, though.

We arrived Friday morning about 2:00am. After we woke up Friday we got to play with sweet Avah all day while Anna was at work. When Anna came home, we put Avah to bed and headed out to Blufton to Jim 'N Nick's. It was so yummy!

Saturday morning we all woke up early and headed south to Savannah. It was only a 40 minute drive from Beaufort, so we didn't go too far. We went because we so wanted to go to Lady and Sons. We arrived right before lunch time to find a sign on the door saying they were CLOSED for a power outage! The night before there was an under-ground transformer explosion and the power was out across most of the city. After learning that Lady and Sons was closed, we headed out to Tybee Island to Uncle Bubba's Oyster House. This is Paula's restaurant with her brother, so it was a nice substitute for Lady and Sons. It was really good and I am glad to say that I've been. After lunch we headed back north and drove out to Parris Island. Parris Island is the east coast training station for future Marines. Hal was so excited to see the recruits in action.

After we watched the recruits we went to the base exchanged and scored some sweet, tax free deals. I got a Vera Bradley bag that normally retails for $46 for $35! It was great!

Saturday night we ordered pizza and hit the rack early. Sunday morning we woke up, gave lots of kisses to our sweet niece, and headed back up the road.

Here are some pics of our cute niece:

click to enlarge this one, you can see those 2 teeth!
look at that curly hair!

yummy carrots and bananas

just after bath time

and I saved the best for last!

Isn't she adorable? I am such a proud aunt!

Sorry I'm late!

2008-08-18T13:02:00.001-04:00

Jackie is the recipient of my scrapbooking stuff!

Jackie, if its okay with you, I will just give it to Stephanie the next time I see her! :)

I hope you enjoy it!

Calling all scrappers!

2008-08-13T15:52:00.009-04:00

I have a ton of scrapbooking material that I am not using. I just do not have the time to do any crafting right now, so I want to give my materials away to someone who will make good use of them. All of the following stuff was either used for my wedding scrapbook or for my homemade Christmas cards. If you want them, please just leave me a comment. If I have more than one comment I will draw a name. Its absolutely FREE! I have included a few pictures of some of the material. Please let me know if you want it. I will draw a name on Sunday.

Thanks!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

2008-08-06T22:23:00.005-04:00

Just something funny:

This is the VERY FIRST pic Hal and I ever took together. I was 18, he was 22.

After 5 years together. Changed much?

A Sad Anniversary

2008-08-05T21:29:00.003-04:00

I have been waiting for this day to tell you this story. Four years ago yesterday was a day that Hal and I won't soon forget. On August 4, 2004 Hal had Tommy John surgery.

Hal was a phenomenal left-handed pitcher with a fast ball in the mid 90's. He, to this day, holds the state record for most strike outs in a high school baseball game. There are 21 outs, he struck out 20 batters. Yep, he was that good.

He went to college on a baseball scholarship and began being scouted his sophomore year. He passed on the opportunity his sophomore year in hopes of being drafted the next year. In 2002, his junior year in college, he was drafted in the major league baseball draft by the St. Louis Cardinals.

Hal started his 3rd season as a professional player the summer of 2004. We had been dating for just over a year and I already knew that I would someday marry him. I was prepared for a life as a baseball wife, supporting Hal every step of the way. He was playing just outside of Cincinnati in Northern Kentucky. His team had a week long home stretch in late June, so I flew up and stayed the week to watch him play.

The day I was supposed to go home was the day that he was supposed to start (the game). I was supposed to fly out before the game, but I desperately wanted to stay to see him. Something inside me told me that I needed to stay. I called my airline, paid an extra $100, and stayed through the game. I was a nervous wreck.

He pitched a great game, but I knew something was wrong. In the 4th inning he loaded the bases, and I could see the tension in his face. By God's grace he struck the next three batters out and walked off the field. That would be the last inning he would ever pitch.

He went down to the bull pen and called me from his cell phone. He told me that something was really wrong and that he was in a lot of pain. He said he was going to see the trainer and then he would drive me to the airport. My heart sunk with fear and hurt. I could hear the hurt in his voice.

About 10:30 he finished with the trainer and we headed to the airport. The next day he was scheduled to have an MRI. As we drove up to the airport my heart was breaking. I think I somehow knew inside that this was it. I kept myself together and told him everything would be fine, we said our goodbyes, and he drove away. The minute the car was out of site I lost it. Standing right there on the sidewalk in the Cincinnati airport, I was sobbing.

The next day he called me to tell me that he was on his way home. The MRI had shown that he had a torn UCL and would need surgery. His season was over, definately.

On August 4th he had the surgery. It was a lot harder than he thought it would be, and his arm never really got better. After rehabing for 8 months he still wasn't ready when the next season came along, so he was released.

It hurt me so bad to see how bad he was hurting. He had lived his whole life pursuing the dream of a baseball career. In one shot it was over. To this day, I wish I could have taken his place, but all I could do was be there for him and love him with all my heart. I am grateful that I was able to share this experience with him, although it wasn't a good one, because it brought us much closer. I know there is a reason for everything, but many days I wonder what might have been.

Hal and I a couple nights before he "blew out" his arm.

Just a few days after his surgery, across the river from Cincinnati.

Maybe one day I'll talk him back into baseball. Coach Chafey has a nice ring to it I think. Until then, he's doing great and thanking God for His many blessings.

Weekly update

2008-07-29T11:12:00.002-04:00

I know, I know, I am slack.

Hal and I both worked like dogs last week, so I didn't have much time to update.

Last night we went to see The Dark Knight. OMG is all I can say. I was absolutely speechless when it ended. It was fantastic!

Thursday night we are going to see Hootie and the Blowfish. I am crazy excited!

I have SIX more days left at my full-time job!! YAHOO!

We are going to Beaufort 3 weeks from Thursday to visit with our sweet niece! We haven't seen her since Memorial Day, so we are definately excited to get to spend 4 days with her and her mom! While there, we are going to make the short trip to Savannah to eat at The Lady and Sons.

I can't really think of much else going on right now. Hope y'all are having a great week so far!

Making good on my promise

2008-07-21T20:32:00.010-04:00

I promised that after summer school was over I would get better at blogging. Well, I know I haven't been great, but at least I'm trying. This time I will actually add some pictures too. I should get extra points for that!

Honestly nothing blogworthy has happened around here. If I wrote about what was really going on in my life, you would just get bored. I am working at my regular job during the day and going to my new job in the evenings. I am happy to say that I only have 12 more working days left at my full-time job. That is exciting and scares the heck out of me all at the same time.

Last weekend, not this past one but the one before that, Hal and I spent our Saturday doing some minor things around the house. I am finally getting around to posting the pictures. This past weekend Hal and I spent most of the weekend doing absolutely nothing!

Onto the pictures:

We rearranged our living room. I couldn't find the before picture, but I will tell you that the couch used to be in front of the window and the chair was to the left of the couch. I think this fills up the room nicely. (We have recently put up blinds, so this shot isn't exactly accurate)

No, we didn't get a new door. We added this adhesive thing that makes the glass look etched. You can't tell its just a sticker. My friend came over this weekend and thought we got a whole new door!

I added these pretty little candle holders to my empty dining room table. They were a great find from Old Tyme Pottery at the beach!
I have had this for a while, but I just had to show you my beautiful antique lamp that my stepdad got for me. Its one of my most prized pieces.

This was also a gift from my parents. A man at the beach made them, and I thought it would be a cute addition to our outdoor building. It adds some color, and breaks the monotony.

Well, I have to get back to my laundry. I will try to be a little better this week!

Did you see...

2008-07-15T10:19:00.003-04:00

the PHENOMENAL performance by Josh Hamilton in the Home Run Derby last night?

Holy cow.

28 home runs in the first round, all averaging 445 feet. He hit over 2 miles of homeruns!

Read this for a better recap.

And to top it all off, in his interview with ESPN after he hit his 28 bombs, he gave all the glory to God!

Read more about Josh Hamilton here.

Thank you Lord!

2008-07-11T08:57:00.003-04:00

Last night it RAINED here! It wasn't just a passing thunderstorm, either. It was a good, steady rain for about 2 hours! I think we ended up with about an inch!

This was a welcomed rain shower as our water company just sent out post cards yesterday asking everyone to only water their lawns on Wednesday and Saturday.

Thank you Lord for the rain!

Nervous

2008-07-10T12:04:00.003-04:00

My nerves have been getting the best of me for the past few days. Coming home from the beach was the realization that soon I will be starting nursing school.

Its not the school part I'm nervous about. Okay, maybe a little bit, but not whats got my stomach in knots lately. I am quitting my job, and that scares the devil out of me. I gave my boss my notice on Tuesday, and my last official day is going to be Thursday, August 7th. Its only about 4 weeks away, and only 2 more paychecks.

I do have a part-time job lined up that I start next week. I am excited about it, but for a while, I will only be working 3 days a week.

The toughest part for me is going from two salaries to one. We have been doing well with saving and budgeting, but we haven't had to live with just one salary yet. We've always had a crutch if we needed it, and now that option is gone.

I know we are going to be fine. I really do. I am still nervous, though. I have put my faith in God that He will take care of us. I may not always have what I want, but I trust I will always have what I need.

Say a prayer for Hal and I as we embark on this journey!

What I've been wanting to tell you

2008-07-08T21:58:00.004-04:00

Hal and I absolutely love our neighborhood. Its quiet, clean, and we have great neighbors...for the most part.

The very first day we started moving in our house, a cat from across the street walked over and adopted us right then. Now I am no cat lover, but man I loved this cat with all my heart. I am, afterall, an animal lover in general so I just couldn't help love him. He was the friendliest, coolest, funniest cat that I had ever seen. The minute I met him I feel in love with him. He belonged to the very old couple that lived across the street, and they just couldn't take care of him the way he should have been. One of them was alergic to cats so they put him outside and fed him and cared for him that way. (I don't think there is anything wrong with having an outdoor cat, though.)

Thats why he adopted me and Hal, I think. He wanted more love. From the beginning I named him Spook because I didn't know what his real name was. He would come over almost everyday and I would feed him, let him inside for a while, and give him lots of love. When he was ready to go he would let me know. I had fallen in love with Spook.

Apparently Spook was a roamer, like all outdoor cats are. Well one nosey lady up the street decided that the neighborhood cats were getting on her nerves, so she called animal control. Animal control came by one day unannounced and picked up Spook and 2 of our neighbors' cats. All 3 of them were someone's pets, and in one swoop they were gone. Just like that. No written warning, no citation, just gone.

When our neighbor called animal control to get their cats back they wouldn't tell them anything. They would give them no other information than telling them to check at the humane society. Two days after the cats were picked up my neighbor went to get their cats at the humane society and they weren't there. They went back 2 days later and they still weren't there. All 3 cats had been euthanized. Not one of them was EVER put up for adoption.

Trust me, I believe in pet population control, but we are talking about someone's pets here. The little 5 year old girl across the street who lost her cat still doesn't understand why her cat is gone. I still don't understand why they are gone and why they were euthanized so quickly. They weren't even given the standard time frame of 5 days for adoption.

I broke down into tears when I found out. I couldn't stand the thought of those animals being killed like that. They cannot even defend themselves. I wanted to go scream in the nosey old ladies' face that called animal control in the first place to mind her own business. This was just plain cruel and I felt so completely helpless.

I am so hurt by this and I want to do something to change it, but I don't know what I can do. I am just so frustrated that people can be so heartless.

this is Spook

I just have to brag

2008-07-08T14:41:00.002-04:00

I really really really hate unpacking from trips. I will let it go for as long as I can before I actually unpack a suitcase.

Yesterday when I got home from work my sweet precious husband had unpacked all of our bags and even had all of the laundry done! The best part...I didn't even ask him to do it!

Is he great or what?

Back to normal now

2008-07-07T13:40:00.003-04:00

We are back from our mini vacation, and you are going to hate me because I didn't take one single picture. Oops.

We left last Wednesday after I took my final exam and headed straight down the interstate to Myrtle Beach. My family has gone to Myrtle every single year since I was born during the week of the 4th. I really hated that Hal and I couldn't go for the whole week, but at least we got to go for a few days.

We stayed in Ocean Lakes in the same place that we have stayed all of my life. I love it! We ate at River City Cafe in Surfside on Thursday night. They serve the best burgers in the world! After we ate we walked out on the pier and saw 3 huge tiger (or what looked like) sharks swimming under the pier. All 3 of them were at least 6 feet long.

We had a really great time and ate lots of great food. Honestly I didn't want to come home!

Now that we are home, life is finally starting to slow down and get back to normal. All I have to do now is worry about getting everything together and finished so that I can completely focus on my nursing classes this fall.

Here is what I have to do to get ready:
- take healthcare providers CPR certification
- take an online orientation
- get a two-step TB test
- buy my scrubs and stethoscope (this is the one I am most excited about!)

Now that I have a little more time on my hands I am hoping to pick back up on my blogging too!

I hope you all had a great 4th!

Manic Monday

2008-06-30T10:36:00.002-04:00

At this very minute I have what seems like a thousand things pulling me in every direction. This week through Wednesday is going to be crazy! I did have a great weekend, though, so that makes it easy to get through a crazy day like today.

I know I haven't been the greatest about blogging lately, but there is a lot I can attribute that to. Once again I am just going to give you a brief list of things that have been going on.

- Monday night I got to see and spend time with Perrin, the cutest little boy ever, and his sweet parents Stephanie and Jonathan. I just can't tell Stephanie enough how much I love her and am thankful for her friendship!

- Saturday Hal and I (with the help of a good friend) pressure washed our whole house. I had NO IDEA what a job that would be. We have white siding on our house and I was just embarrassed at how dirty it was! Its definitely clean now!

- Saturday night we ate at Smoke on the Water in downtown Gville. We had never been and we were pleasantly surprised at how good it was. My opinion, the best restaurant in downtown. While we were there we heard a great band called the Professors of Soul. They were absolutely amazing. Google them, they are seriously great!

- We are obsessed with getting a Vespa. Seriously. We even went to look at them yesterday but the dealership was closed. We may not get one anytime soon, but one day I hope this is my primary means of transportation...and I am not kidding! : )

- Last night Hal and I were driving home and I looked over at one of the corner gas stations. Sitting there at their pumps were not one, but THREE General Lees. I yelled "Look!" and about the time I did, Hal slammed on breaks and swerved into the gas station. He just had to have his picture taken beside one of them. Hal is a HUGE Dukes fan and when the guy blew the Dixie horn, I thought Hal was going to have a heart attack. The owners of the cars had been to the Duke Fest at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.

- Wednesday is my last day of Chemistry if it doesn't kill me before then. I have a paper due today, a reading assignment due today, a lab test tomorrow, final exam help session tomorrow, a homework assignment due Wednesday, and my final exam Wednesday. My professor thinks we are robots.

- We are leaving for the beach on Wednesday. I can't wait!

I also have 2 prayer requests:

- I have a friend who is dealing with a very hard time in her life right now. I don't want to mention names, but she has had to seek professional help for a problem that she has dealt with for a very long time. Its not drugs or anything like that, but just a personal problem that has caused her health to seriously decline. She has sought treatment and is doing well, but I just want everyone to remember her as she has just started her treatment and has a long way to go before she is well again.

- Vicki Kelly is the mother of an old friend of mine and Hal's, and Hal's preschool teacher. She is a very young lady, and last week she had a stroke, heart attack, and an aneurysm. She had brain surgery in Charleston and it went well, but she took a turn for the worse. I haven't heard an update on her condition since Saturday. Many of my readers would know this family, so please keep them in your prayers.

I have one more post that I will try to get to before Wednesday. I hope you all are having a great week!

My sweet niece

2008-06-24T22:22:00.002-04:00

I haven't posted many pictures of our precious niece lately since she doesn't live in town anymore. I never get to see her, therefore I never get any pictures. I saw these on her other aunt's page and had to steal them and share. Isn't she so cute? She was 5 months Sunday. :)

Some things

2008-06-17T10:28:00.002-04:00

I really don't have much time to post, but I wanted to just give an update with some things that have been going on lately.

- I had the most wonderful supper last night. My mom made tomato pie and with it we had pinto beans and homemade chow chow. It was so yummy and a perfect summer meal.

- My stepdad went to the doctor a couple weeks ago and he's doing GREAT after his surgery. He gets to go back to work full time July 9th!

- We are offically and finally members at His Vineyard. We are so glad to have found a church that we love.

- Hal and I went here this past Saturday. We had been anxiously awaiting the opening. We are hoping that one day we will be able to build a sustainable house of our own. It was the neatest thing and very informative. We got lots of information that we are hoping to use when we build our own house.

- I only have 8 more days of chemistry class! I am finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel!

- Our grass is DEAD. About 6 weeks ago we busted our tails and our bank account to put down new grass seed and it is dead as a doornail now. Since we haven't had a good rain in forever and its been hotter than I don't know what, it didn't really have a chance to live.

- Speaking of rain, our county is now desperately asking people to conserve water as much as possible. We are still in drought from last year and are already behind in rain for this year too. If people in our county don't start conserving, they are going to start rationing.

I don't really know of much else going on. I hope you have a great day!

13 Things I love about SUMMER

2008-06-12T20:43:00.003-04:00

1. Hot weather. I am not a fan of the cold.

2. Going swimming.

3. Fresh tomatoes. On a hot day, I can't think of anything better than a fresh "mater" sandwich.

4. Shorts and tank tops. I hate wearing jeans and clothes I feel bound up in.

5. Going barefoot.

6. Sittin' on my front porch.

7. Grilling hamburgers.

8. Walking up the street to my neighbors house for a visit.

9. Going to the beach the week of the 4th. Its a family tradition.

10. It doesn't get dark until 9:00.

11. Getting a tan.

12. Sundresses.

13. It means that football season is just around the corner! ; )

Fun Stuff

2008-06-05T10:26:00.002-04:00

As soon as I thought I would get back into blogging more often, my chemistry class started and thought is now just a memory.

Here are a few things I have been wanting to tell you all about:

- Hal and I went to see Sex and The City on Monday night. It was so good. If you love SATC you will love the movie. I want to see it a dozen more times! Hal actually even liked it!

- I went to the local farmers market on Saturday morning and got some great stuff! I got 1 pound of okra, 2 ears of white corn, 2 vadalia onions, 1 large cantaloupe, 3 zucchinis, and a 2 pound sweet potato! All were really fresh, and I haven't prepared anything yet, but I plan to this weekend! Oh and all of that was only 8 bucks!

- We dissolved and remade copper in chemistry lab yesterday. It was really cool. We started out dissolving the copper into gas, then added lots of things and ended up with solid copper at the end of the experiment!

- My brain is on chemistry overload. I have class 6 hours a day, 4 days a week.

- I chowed down on Mellow Mushroom with my family last night. I always love good pizza!

- Today I have hit my mid-twenties. Its my 24th birthday. I really like this age. Maybe I will be 24 and holding for the rest of my life! :)

I think thats pretty much it. I am overwhelmed with hydrogen bonding and chemical reactions right now, so I can't really think of much else.

I hope everyone has a happy Thursday!

My 2 Cents

2008-06-01T22:00:00.003-04:00

I believe there is a time and place for everything. I believe that there are times when certain actions and behaviors are just not appropriate. I grew up in a household here in the south that holds our very southern values close to our heart. I believe in saying yes ma'am and no sir, in respecting your elders and authority, and showing hospitality to everyone. Maybe saying "southern values" is not the most politically correct thing to say, but I don't care. Y'all know what I mean, and this post is about my 2 cents!

Now I must enter a disclaimer. The following post may not rub you the right way, but you have the choice not to read it. I try not to be so "political" or outspoken on my blog, because there are better things to write about, but today I've just about had enough. I hope someone agrees with me.

I am ashamed and embarrassed with part of the large community that I live in right now. As many people know who live near me, the President of the United States was in town yesterday to celebrate the graduation of a certain well acclaimed university in the area. He was invited here by the university and the governor of our state, to speak to the graduates. What an honor, right? Well, not exactly. Some of the professors at the university decided to protest against the president coming, and threatened to make protests that could potentially ruin the graduation. For the last 4 or 5 weeks, the media has swarmed over this story, because these professors were just causing such a ruckus over the President. So much so that the students began protesting against their professors in fear that the professors would selfishly ruin the graduation that these students have all worked so hard for.

It is usually required that the professors attend graduation but some of them were granted absences. 31 of the professors didn't show up. To them, I say thank you. Thank you for the respect that they showed the graduates and the President.

Now I am back to my "time and place for everything." Some of the protesting professors decided that they would not stay at home, that they would come and protest anyway. During the President's speech, some professors took off their robes and stood up wearing tee shirts that said (W)e Object. Now I understand that this was a silent protest and could have been a lot worse. I still think that it was far from appropriate and completely disrespectful to the graduates of this great university. Many of the professors that protested, did so on the grounds that their beliefs didn't align with those of the President's. They said that they didn't agree with his energy policy, with his war policy, or one of the many other issues. One lady even almost got herself arrested because of her behavior.

Is that really necessary at a time like this; at a college graduation honoring students who have worked so hard to get to this place? My opinion, absolutely not. I think it was an extremely selfish act on the part of the professors, and I am very ashamed and embarressed for those students who had to endure all of that in their last weeks in college. The President's speech was not one about policies, the war, or anything political. He challenged those young adults to be good stewards and to give back to the community. So why, then, protest? He was just another man standing up there giving a speech to those deserving young people.

No, we may not agree with everything that the President says or does, but it is still an honor to be in his presence. I think it would be such a great story to tell my children that the President of the U.S., whoever that might be, came and spoke at my college graduation. I think its a sad thing to overshadow such a great day, with your own personal agendas. That is why I am so embarrassed for this university and for those students.

With all that said, I do feel like the President was welcomed here with good ole southern hospitality, and for that I am so proud. There was a large crowd when Air Force One landed at the local airport. People lined the streets from the airport to the university with American Flags and banners saying "Welcome Bush!"

My parents and I went over to the airport to see AF1 and to watch him leave. I cannot tell you what a chilling experience it was. The roads around the airport were like parking lots, lined with people trying to get a glimpse of the President. We parked and watched for a while along with about 300 other people. As his motorcade came in and the plane took off, people were cheering and showing support for Pres. Bush. It was great.

I am saying all of this mainly to say that I absolutely do not agree with everything that President Bush has done in his eight years. But I still support him 100%. Thats just how I am, its just how I was raised. He is our President and I will support him until he is out of office. And guess what? I will support the next one just as fervently as I have supported Mr. Bush, because that is what I am supposed to do, no matter if I voted for them or not. I am AMERICAN by the grace of God. I will support my country, my President, and the troops until the day I die.

The right to free speech is something that I am thankful for, but I still think there is a time and place for everything. At the risk of sounding corny, God Bless America and the President.

I love 4 day weekends!!

2008-05-26T22:19:00.008-04:00

I could really do the 4 day weekend thing more often. I love having that many days off in a row. Hal and I went to the beach for the weekend with his sisters and their families. We had a really great time, and of course, I didn't take near enough pictures. Here are a few that I took.

My cute hubby on the beach with the mohawk I styled.

We rode bikes a lot, so sweet Avah got to go on her first bike ride!

This pic doesn't do justice to the real beauty of Kiawah.

The gator we found in the swamp. :)

We had a really great time. We relaxed the entire weekend. When we parked our car Thursday night, we didn't move it again until we left last night. We didn't go anywhere, we didn't do anything, and it was just wonderful.

When we got home I got a beautiful surprise:

These were FINALLY blooming in my yard. I had no idea what they were, but I was just letting them grow until I could find out. Aren't they beautiful? I wish they would last all summer!

I also got another surprise tonight. When I got home from having supper with my parents I got a message from my summer school professor telling me that my class started TODAY. The school schedule online says that it starts NEXT Monday, but it actually started today. I had NO IDEA!! I am so thankful that my professor was kind enough to call me. I haven't even paid my tuition! So, I have class tomorrow and every day the rest of this week and until July 1st. YUCK.

I hope everyone had a safe and happy Memorial Day!

Happy Summer!

2008-05-22T14:47:00.004-04:00

So this weekend officially marks the beginning of summer and Hal and I are headed off to the beach!

I just wanted to wish everyone a fun and safe Memorial Day!

I am going to try to be better about blogging next week.

Ode to Sally

2008-05-19T13:52:00.005-04:00

I traded in my car last week for something that suited my needs a little better. I have written something fun to remember my car by.

Ode to Sally

I was driving an old chevy

I needed something new

Something more reliable

More girly and cute.

With my birthday fast approaching

It seemed like the perfect time

To trade in that old chevy

And make a new car mine.

I saw her in the paper

I knew she was just right

I called up my dad

And we traded in that night.

She was just like I wanted

all black and shiny

I drove off the lot

In my new convertible pony

I called all my friends

and took them for a ride

they loved my new fun car

and the horses on the side

For six years I loved her

through good times and bad

but she only had two doors

and wasn't great on gas

It was time to let her go

For someone else to enjoy

She would be a good car

For any girl or boy

I drove away in my gas saver

and my fun car would remain

But I won't forget the good times had

In my pretty little Mustang

(I tried to separate the lines but blogger won't let me)

Summer Slump

2008-05-19T13:19:00.002-04:00

Like many of you other bloggers, I am going through a summer slump right now. Not much of anything is going on with us right now, or at least nothing blogworthy.

The Celtics pulled out a win in game 7 of their series with Cleveland. I normally don't follow the NBA, but with 2 South Carolina boys on the Boston roster, I can't help but cheer for them.

Summer school starts 2 weeks from today. I get sick to my stomach just thinking about it.

I still don't have a cell phone. Now that I have been without one for a few weeks, I really don't miss it that much.

My sister-in-law, Anna, her husband, Todd, and their sweet baby girl, Avah, moved to Beaufort for good this past weekend. I was so sad when I saw that Avah's room was empty. I am going to miss them, a lot!

We are going to the beach this weekend, and I am pretty excited. I am ready for another vacation!

I am working on another post, until then, this will have to do.

Good Stuff

2008-05-11T21:34:00.002-04:00

I haven't posted since Wednesday but a lot has happened that I wanted to blog about. I don't really have much time to go into a lot of detail, so here are some good things that have happened since Wednesday.

* I was able to get Hal a grill for his birthday. He was so excited! My parents got him a Carolina grill cover, so I'm really not sure which one he loved more.
* We went to dinner at Saskatoon for his birthday. It was so YUM! Hal had the Ostrich steak, and it was so tasty and flavorful.
* Tickets went on sale Friday for the Hootie and the Blowfish concert coming here in July. Because I am a fan club member I got to order them a day early. I got us floor seats on the 5th row. I am counting down the days; its gonna be a blast!
* Friday night and today we had RAIN!!
* Our grass is finally starting to come up after lots of hard work to sow it last weekend!
* I got to spend some quality time on Saturday with my BFF Stephanie, her hubby Jonathan, her mom Jackie, and her sweet little boy Perrin. I love them so much and I miss getting to see them often. I so enjoyed getting to spend time with them!
* Saturday night I went to a graduation/house warming gathering in my neighborhood. I got to see a lot of my old high school friends. It was great to see everyone and get to catch up.
* Today I took my parents to lunch for Mother's Day, then I got to take a 3 hour nap.

I hope everyone had a great weekend like me!

Happy Birthday Hubby!

2008-05-07T11:03:00.005-04:00

I just wanted to shout out a birthday wish to my sweet husband. God blessed me so much when He brought him into my life.

I am so happy to be his wife and be able to celebrate all of these special days with him. Even though he has to work, I hope he has a wonderful day.

Happy 28th Birthday, Hal. I love you!

OVER-RATE-ED

2008-05-06T21:54:00.002-04:00

(imagine the chant you hear at sporting events)

I left work early today to go have my physical done for my nursing classes. I was all worked up about getting the Tetanus shot; I had heard it was going to be awful. Hal kept telling me that the needle was HUGE, and it hurt really bad.

When my name was called, they took me back and took my blood pressure. It was 144/86!! I had worked myself into such a tizzy that my BP was extremely high. Normal BP for me is about 110/60. I was pretty nervous to say the least.

After what seemed like 3 hours waiting and lots of anticipation, the nurse finally brought in my needles. She said she would give me Tetanus first in my right arm. Oh my gosh, it was the tiniest little needle, and I barely even felt a prick. All of that anxiety for NOTHING. It was so over rated. I must say that my shoulder is quite sore now, but nothing like I expected.

What really hurt was the TB skin test. OUCH! She stuck me with that needle right under my skin in my under-forearm. It really did hurt. What stinks even more is that I have to have that every year for the rest of my career. :(

Overall it wasn't a bad experience afterall. I can't believe I had myself so worked up. I shouldn't have listened to my husband, who is a total weenie when it comes to shots.

I can't help it...

2008-05-05T15:22:00.002-04:00

Here is the new single to be released by the New Kids On The Block.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20197878,00.html

Its actually pretty catchy, and I am sure I will like it when it hits the radio.

Pretty funny that their back after so many years. I still remember sitting on my mom's shoulders at Furman screaming my head off for those boys. So nostalgic.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2008-05-05T10:26:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to dedicate a space on my blog to wish my mom a Happy Birthday!

I hope she knows just how much I love her and appreciate her!

I hope you had a great birthday, Momma! I love you!

Busy Weekend

2008-05-05T09:59:00.004-04:00

Hal and I have had a crazy busy weekend. I don't feel like I really rested at all. Although I didn't get much rest, we did get A LOT done!

Here's what we got accomplished:

* Friday night trip to Lowes. Spent way too much money.
* Saturday woke up early, too early.
* Made a run to the county landfill.
* Planted bushes, lantana, and grass seed.
* Hal aerated the grass so we could sow the grass seed, fertilizer, and lime.
* put down new pine straw
* Went out for my mom's birthday on Saturday night. Her birthday was actually Sunday.
* Ate lunch with my parents Sunday and had 2 birthday cakes!
* Went to Gramling Farms for some FRESH strawberries!
* Took a short nap Sunday afternoon.
* Went to eat with Hal's family to celebrate his and his mom's upcoming birthdays this week.
* Went to bed as soon as we walked in the door last night.

I am sorry I have no pictures. When I pulled my camera out last night the batteries were dead.

Tonight I have plans to clean my house. Hal is going to be at work so I will be home alone and will be able to get a lot more done!

I am still trying to plan a birthday surprise for my sweet hubby. His 28th is Wednesday and I want to surprise him with something great. He's not expecting anything since we are on a tight budget at the moment. I have other plans. : )

I have one month of summer and then I start summer school. Chemistry...yikes. I am not looking forward to that AT ALL.

I have my physical tomorrow with my family doctor and I have to get all of my shots updated. I have to have it all done by the time I start my first nursing clinical in September. I have to have the Tetanus shot, another thing I am NOT looking forward to.

Oh and I almost forgot, I just downloaded Darius Rucker's new song from iTunes. Its called "Don't Think I Don't Think About It." I love it, but if you know me, you know I LOVE Darius Rucker. You should check it out.

Thats pretty much all thats been going on with us lately. Hal is working the worst shift this week and will be gone from home at night all week. It stinks.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

And the winner is....

2008-05-02T21:16:00.002-04:00

Hal just drew out of his hat and he drew:

ALISON!!!!!

Congrats! Email me at Haley1192@hotmail.com with your address and I will send you your prize!!

I will post a picture of it tomorrow! :)

**Sorry it took me so long to post this, I have been running around today and I just got home.

Reminder:

2008-05-01T13:11:00.002-04:00

Don't forget about my little GIVEAWAY. Post your comment on the post below. I have something really great to giveaway, but I wanted it to be a surprise to the winner. I actually like it so much, I thought about keeping it for myself and getting something else for the winner. :)

I will draw the winner tomorrow around 3:00.

13 Things I'm Wanting Right Now:

2008-05-01T11:45:00.002-04:00

1. A new purse, I already have one picked out, and I am planning to get it with my birthday money :)
2. A new digital camera, I really love the ones with the large screen on the back!
3. A new bathing suit for summer
4. A tan to go with that new bathing suit, although I have sworn off tanning beds.
5. 2 South Carolina prints to go in my dining room.
6. A car that runs on hydrogen :)
7. Some of the new mixing bowls from Williams Sonoma
8. To get our hardwood floors redone.
9. A MacBook Pro.
10. A new cell phone, since I broke my other one in half.
11. A new pair of Ray Ban sunglasses
12. To get all of our yardwork done this weekend!
13. A break from school. I take my psychology exam today and I am done for a month! YES!

Funny all the things you want when you're on a tight budget, huh?

What's your song?

2008-04-29T14:59:00.004-04:00

I was listening to the radio this morning, and the DJs were talking about couples' songs. One DJ was saying that he and his wife didn't have a song, and he was hoping to find one. He was telling some songs of star couples, and then they all got to sharing what song was their song.

Well, I actually thought all of the different songs that they were talking about were unique. Usually the song you choose says a lot about the couple and the relationship. After thinking of what mine and Hal's song(s) were, I got curious as to what others might say.

Here's a challenge: Tell me what your song is with your significant other, or what song has inspired your relationship. If you don't have a significant other, tell me what song best represents your life. Or, do both.

If you answer I will enter you into my very first blog GIVEAWAY!! (I knew if I didn't give something away, no one would answer) I will choose a winner on Friday around 3:00. Hopefully some of my lurkers will identify themselves here!

Here's my answer: Our song, the one we danced to at our wedding, is "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain. A couple of other special songs to us are "Here Without You" by Three Doors Down and "I Melt" by Rascall Flatts. Another one that really takes us back to our dating days is "Remember to Breathe" by Dashboard Confessional.

(I had to remove the video)

Week In Review

2008-04-28T14:34:00.002-04:00

Hal and I had an exceptionally busy week last week. I don't feel the need to go in detail, so here's a quick rundown of what's been going on with us.

* Monday my stepdad came home from the hospital so we spent the evening with my parents at home.
* Tuesday, a friend of my mom's brought in a great Chicken Pie for supper, so we had dinner with my parents. I also had my last online Anatomy test, and I am proud to say I made an A!
* Wednesday Hal and I went up to my parents house to cut their grass and do some yardwork for them since my stepdad can't do it. I forgot how fun it was to ride on a lawnmower.
* Wednesday night I quickly packed up our things, then at 11:00pm we decided we needed to make a Wal-Mart run. We finally got in bed by midnight.
* We woke up at 5:00am on Thursday morning to catch our 7:00am flight to Memphis. From Memphis we flew (on the roughest flight of my life) to Philly.
* We arrived in Philly about 12:00 and got to Hal's grandparents' house in New Jersey by 2:00. Grandmother cooked us a wonderful hot meal, and we layed around the rest of the day. We watched the Phil. Flyers game, which they lost but it was pretty exciting.
* Friday we got up early, went to breakfast then headed over to Atlantic City. We piddled around the Showboat Casino for a couple of hours then headed back home.
* Saturday we actually got to sleep in until about 9:00! We went to breakfast at a great little diner and went for a drive around South Jersey.
* We ended up going to a 200 year old jail that has been turned into a museaum. It turned out to be quite interesting. Afterwards Hal and I crashed for a 3 hour nap. We played Pinochle until about 11:00pm and watched the Flyers beat the Canadians!
* Yesterday we got up at 5:00am again to catch our flight home.
* Our plane was grounded because it had gotten struck by lightning the night before. We had to change carriers, and ended up flying to Atlanta, then home.
* Our flights were all pretty rough and I have decided that I am not flying again for a very long time.
* Hal and I were in bed asleep by 9:00 last night and neither of us woke up until the clock went off at 6:20 this morning!

We have another busy week this week, but Hal is off again this weekend! We have lots of yardwork to get done, and I am so excited to get my hands in that dirt! I can't wait to finally spend a weekend with my hubby with no prior obligations.

I promise I will be better about blogging this week!

Really Quick

2008-04-21T16:11:00.003-04:00

I have been busy busy at work and haven't had much time to update, and for that I am sorry.

I am happy to say that my stepdad, Frankie, came home TODAY! He is doing so much better than we expected, and we know we are going to have to tie him down for the next six weeks to keep him down.

He is back to his normal self and is actually in very little pain. We are so thankful that God has blessed him with such an easy time so far.

Hal had to work all weekend so we didn't do anything eventful. Our sweet nephew, Hunter, got baptised at his church yesterday and we were so excited to be there to share in the joy. It was also his birthday, so we spent some quality time with him and Hal's family.

My week is going to be busy, so I doubt I will have a lot of time to post. We leave for New Jersey on Thursday morning, so you might not hear from me again until Sunday.

I hope everyone has a great week! Thank you again for lifting my family up in your prayers!

One more update

2008-04-17T13:38:00.002-04:00

I got to go in and see Frankie this morning and he is doing okay.

He came off the ventilator about 6:00 this morning! He is up and breathing on his own now!

When we went back to see him about 9:00, he was nauseous and really groggy. The medicine they were giving him for nausea was making him extremely tired. He could hardly keep his eyes open long enough to talk to us, which was totally okay.

He did get sick once while we were back there but they said that was perfectly normal because of all of the medication he has in his body. He was sitting up in a chair at 11:00 this morning when my mom went in, and they told her they were getting ready to take him on a walk. He was still drowsy then, too.

I am hoping when I get back to the hospital at 4:45, he will be up and feeling some better.

I just cannot sing enough praises of the S. Regional Heart Center. They are amazing and are taking great care of him. The nursing staff is absolutely wonderful, and we could never express our gratitude in words.

Thanks again for all of your prayers!

Update

2008-04-16T22:12:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to, first, thank you all for praying for my family.

We made it through today just fine.

My stepdad is doing well, as well as can be expected. His surgery didn't start until after 1:00 today, so he didn't come out until about 5:45. We finally got to go back and see him around 7:15, and he was still under anesthesia so he wasn't awake.

When we got to see him, he was still on the respirator, and the respirator was doing most of the breathing for him. That is perfectly normal. They were hoping to have him off the respirator by 11:00 tonight, but if not definately first thing in the morning.

I am going back in the morning before I go to work, and I am hoping he will be awake and responsive. They also told us that he would be up and walking by tomorrow morning, and out of CCU as early as tomorrow evening!

We are just so thankful that God got us through this, and although we are not in the clear just yet, we are headed in that direction.

God also allowed us one more blessing today that we are so thankful for. An old friend of mine that I graduated high school and college with is his nurse tonight, all night. She is assigned only to him because he is in CCU, and I know she will take great care of him. She even told my mom that she would let her come back as soon as he wakes up, even though she's not supposed to. We are just so thankful that God let her be our nurse!

Thank you again for all of your prayers! I will give another update in the morning as soon as I get to work!

Love.

Info

2008-04-15T16:12:00.002-04:00

I haven't been blogging because there hasn't been much going on. Hal worked nights this weekend, so last night was our first night together in about 7 days!

Tonight I have my very last anatomy test and I am DONE. DONE. WITH. ANATOMY. FOREVER!

Hal and I put $52 worth of low grade fuel into our 4-cylinder Honda Accord last night. I almost choked.

Things are going great at work, finally. A new lady just started yesterday and she has relieved so much of my stress. She has been such a God-send, and I am grateful that I have her help!

Tomorrow is my stepdad's surgery. They are supposed to start around 12:45, so we probably won't get to see him until tomorrow night, around 8 or 9. I am nervous. If we can just make it through tomorrow, we will be okay. Your prayers are greatly appreciated.

I know you will be praying for us, so thank you in advance.

Thats all folks. I'll keep you posted on my stepdad's condition.

Love.

A funny dog and some pretty flowers

2008-04-11T09:13:00.010-04:00

Thank you all for your prayers and kind words during this tough time. I know that we will feel them Wednesday when we need them most!

I just had a few pics I wanted to share, since I don't upload pics that often.

Layla loves to dig, I mean seriously loves it. We put her outside after a rain shower the other day, just for about an hour, and when we opened the door to let her back in, this is what we found. Her nose is normally pink, but on this day, it was caked over with mud. It was just too cute not to take a picture. (notice the little mudhole in the top right corner, thats where her nose had been)

She was posing so good wasn't she? Take a look at her feet in this one. You can blow this one up and see how dirty she was!

Last night, Hal and I came home, and I walked through the house to let her in. I noticed something all over the porch, and when I opened the door this is what I saw.

I had a big 5 gallon planter out on our back porch waiting for something to be planted in it. It already had all of the potting soil in it and everything. She decided that she wanted to play with it, so she dumped 5 gallons of potting soil out all over the back porch then ran off with the planter. We found the planter laying down in the middle of the field beside our house. I thought it was hilarious, and really wish I had a video of her in the process of doing this!

Here are just a few pics of the spring flowers I have planted so far:

This is my BEAUTIFUL variegated lantana that I bought in Charleston. I haven't found it around here anywhere.

This is one of my new favorites. I don't know what its called, but its the prettiest little white flower and it looks great planted anywhere.

This is my planter that my mother-in-law gave me. I love yellows and purples, and I added my favorite little white flower to it.

I can't wait to get the rest of my bushes and flowers planted! Unfortunately, we have so much going on, I really don't know when I will get around to it.

I hope everyone has a great weekend, and I will keep you updated on my stepdad as I know more information! Thanks again for all your words of encouragement!

The Verdict Is In...

2008-04-10T13:34:00.003-04:00

My stepdad is having open-heart surgery next Wednesday April 16th.

He went in for his heart cath and what they found wasn't good.

We have 3 main coronary arteries running around our heart. In his heart, one of them is 100% blocked, one of them is 90% blocked, and the third one is 50% blocked. The doctor said the bottom part of his heart is not getting enough blood, and heart surgery is the only option. He has had 3 stents, and he said it would only be a waste of time to do another. The 90% blockage was around a previous stent. Luckily the doctor said that his heart is very strong and in very good shape, so this will only prolong his life.

Although we were somewhat expecting to hear this news, it was very hard to hear. I am worried sick, and very emotional. Thank goodness I have a powerful, loving God that will bring my stepdad through this.

My blogging friends, I ask that you keep my family, especially my stepdad, in your prayers this week and next as we tackle this major obstacle together.

Thank you!

Things are looking up!

2008-04-09T13:16:00.002-04:00

My week has had somewhat of a turn for the better.

I just realized that I only have 2 more weeks of class left and my semester is over!

Please just say a prayer for my stepdad in the morning around 9:00 when he goes in for his heart cath. It would be greatly appreciated!

Happy Hump Day!

Not a great week

2008-04-08T16:02:00.002-04:00

Its only Tuesday and I already know this has not been and will not be one of my better weeks.

Hal was on night shift all last week. I only got to spend a little bit of time with him on Sunday, and a total of about 5 hours through the week and that's all. His work schedule changed and he's on the SAME shifts this week as he was last week, so we aren't going to see each other anymore this week than last. I stayed up until midnight last night just waiting for him to come in. I just wanted to hug him and kiss him, and I didn't want to leave him to go to work this morning. I won't see him again until he comes in at midnight, and that will be when he kisses me to wake me up to let me know he's home. I cried all the way to work this morning because it just SUCKS not to see him. I can't imagine being in a long distance relationship again, because I would just be miserable. I just have to make it through the next 5 days, and he will be on day shift for the next 3 weeks.

This coming Thursday, my stepdad has to have a heart catheterization. Normally I wouldn't be worried about this, because this is a very easy procedure. This time, though, I am very worried. This is his 4th heart cath, and this time it could result in open-heart surgery. We already know that one of his arteries has a 100% blockage, but the doctor said that it was okay during the last cath. This time it might not be. He went for a stress test last Wednesday and the doctor said that he found some very abnormal results and that a heart cath was a must. I am just praying that everything goes okay, and it is just another normal procedure. I just don't have a great feeling about it right now.

I am extremely emotional about everything lately; I guess I am just worried more than anything. I have been praying relentlessly about peace, and I have found it. I know that God is in control and he is the master physician, but I still can't help but worry.

On a good note, I just looked out the window and the sun finally came out! YES!

Something Fun

2008-04-07T10:56:00.003-04:00

Thanks Annie. Here's something fun to start off the week!

I LIVE: in an 84 year old house that I love!

I WORK: with fake arms and legs.

I THINK: I need a day off.

I SMELL: the remnants of my vanilla latte from Starbucks.

I LISTEN: selectively. I hear what I want to hear...or so I'm told.

I HIDE: a scar on my back by letting my hair down.

I WALK: to exercise.

I WRITE: down everything I need to remember.

I SEE: myself retiring early and moving to the beach.

I SING: the words to every song I know on the radio, as loud as I can.

I CAN: bake really well, and I enjoy doing it.

I WATCH: the Hills. Its my favorite show. I can't help it.

I DAYDREAM: about being in Charleston.

I WANT: to make all of the upgrades that we want to do on our house NOW!

I CRIED: when I found out my stepdad has to have a heart cath this week.

I READ: when I find time, and thats usually not often.

I LOVE: being married.

I RODE: my bike through town for the first time the other night. I really enjoyed it.

I SOMETIMES: wish that I didn't have to work, but then I would wish that I did.

I FEAR: the hereditary diseases that run in my family.

I HOPE: that Hal and I can afford to move to Charleston one day.

I EAT: at the new Japanese restaurant by my work at least 2 times a week.

I DRINK: way too much sweet tea.

I PLAY: games online when I get bored at work.

I MISS: my MaMa and PaPa every single day.

I FORGIVE: because I am forgiven.

I DRIVE: wrecklessly sometimes.

I DREAM: of having another wedding one day...to the same man of course!

I KISS: Hal goodbye 4 or 5 times before I actually leave.

I HUG: almost everyone I meet.

I HAVE: to sleep with a fan on at night, or I can't sleep at all.

I REMEMBER: the first chapter book I ever read was one of the Sweet Valley High books.

I DONT: like email forwards. I rarely ever read them.

I BELIEVE: that Jesus died on the cross to save me.

I OWE: 2 more payments on our appliances and they will be PAID OFF!

I KNOW: that we need rain, but I really want more sunshine!

I HATE: when Hal has to work night shift.

Help me understand

2008-04-04T09:09:00.003-04:00

I received an email yesterday regarding the new Oprah "church," or better known as her online class on the book A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. I have been skeptical of this book the entire time that I have been hearing about it, and just had a strange sense that it couldn't be good.

Included in the email was a video from YouTube that showed different clips from the classes that she has held online. After watching the video I was just in shock. I sat here in disbelief as I listened to Oprah and Eckhart Tolle talk to the millions of people watching. Thats what is so scary, there were millions of people watching.

One girl called in with a question about how A New Earth does not align with Christianity. She asked Oprah how she justifies the beliefs in this book against her Christianity beliefs. (We all know and have seen where Oprah openly denies that Jesus is not the way to the cross...if you haven't I will be glad to post the video.) Oprah tells that she grew up in a Baptist church and she said that one day her pastor was talking about how God was omnicient and omnipresent and then the pastor says that God is a jealous God. Oprah says these words "Why is an omnipresent God jealous of ME?"

Does Oprah really really believe that God is jealous of HER? Is that what she really thinks?? Our marvelous God IS omnicient and omnipresent, AND yes, He is jealous. God is not jealous of me or you or any other person in this world, He is jealous of the things that we put before Him. God plainly stated in his 10 commandments that there should be no other gods before Him. That means that we should put NOTHING before Him. How could Oprah think that an all-powerful God would be jealous of HER? She said that when the pastor said this, that is when she began looking for other doctrines to believe in, because this just didn't "settle" well with her.

Also in the video it talks about how as a person, you are holy and you are your own salvation. She also goes on to say that "God is a feeling experience, not a believing experience. And if your religion is a believing experience, if God for you is still about about a belief, then its not truly God." Those are her exact words.

Can someone help me understand who this Eckhart Tolle is, and where is he getting his information? Is it some theory that he has dreamed up? Why are so many people giving this man so much credibility? What has he ever done to deserve all of the credibility that he is being given? Why is everyone so sure that Eckhart Tolle's way is the right way? Why is everyone now throwing out God, for this "stream of consiousness" idea?

I really don't know much about this book except for what I have read online. As a Christian, a devout lover of Jesus, this raised many emotions with me, and honestly broke my heart. Oprah is sharing this lie with millions of people, and people are listening. I can't stand it; I don't know what to do. I feel so helpless.

I really want to hear how other people feel about this book and its teachings. I want to know if I am the only one that feels this way. Please don't be shy about your comments, help me better understand this. Come one, come all.

**If you don't want to post a comment I will give you my email address so you can email me.

Just Passing the Time

2008-04-02T14:13:00.002-04:00

Its a gorgeous day outside, I would rather not be working. Unfortunately I still have another hour and a half before I get off, so I am just going to kill some of the time by blogging. Nothing much has been going on with us in the last couple of days. I have actually only seen Hal for a total of about 3 hours in the last 3 days because he has been working nights. Here are some things that have been running through my mind lately.

* I have got to unpack from our trip, I just keep putting it off. Our suitcase is still exactly how it was when we brought it in the door on Sunday. I really really hate UNpacking.

* I don't like the idea of this whole Real ID that Congress has mandated. I think its just one more way for the government to control the lives of law-abiding citizens. I do not and will not ever believe in bigger government. I am becoming quite frustrated with government period.

* I am really sick and tired of the LIBERAL media making a certain LIBERAL candidate for president seem like God! All of the "change" he speaks of is nothing more than smoke blowing. How is he planning on accomplishing all of this "change" in 4 years? And what changes is he really planning on bringing anyway?

* Energy efficiency is on my mind a lot lately. I want to do the best I can do to conserve as much energy as possible. I even bought a pair of organic cotton underwear at Victoria's Secret a couple of weeks ago. Hal and I have already decided when we can afford another car, it will definitely be a hybrid.

* I am really ready to get out in my yard and get it looking like I want it. We are putting sod down in about a month, but I am ready to plant my flowers and bushes now! I got the most beautiful variegated yellow lantana while we were in Charleston. I am hoping I will get it planted this weekend!

* I just saw on a commercial where Oprah and People Magazine have teamed up for a special that will air tomorrow on Oprah. Its about the man who got pregnant because his wife couldn't. Here's the website: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20187678,00.html I am pretty weirded out by this.

* Did anyone watch American Idol last night? I only caught Michael John's performance, and I am really sad I missed the others. I LOVE Dolly Parton! Wasn't Michael John's phenomenal?

Thats about it. Happy Hump Day!

We're Back!

2008-03-31T10:10:00.009-04:00

I cannot even put into words what a wonderful long weekend Hal and I had. It was just the break we both needed. We stayed in a beautiful hotel with a marvelous view, and soaked up the beautiful weather all weekend.

We got to Charleston about 2:00 on Thursday, after stopping in Columbia at our favorite burger spot, Salty Nut, for lunch. When we arrived, we couldn't check into our hotel yet, so we drove out to Sullivan's Island for a walk on the beach. It was a beautiful 75 degrees outside, so we really enjoyed our walk. We finally got to check in around 4:00, and were delighted with our room, and the beautiful view.

Check out the view from our room:

It was the beautiful (and busy) Charleston Harbor

This is our room, with a wrap around balcony. One side faced the ocean, the other faced the harbor. The balcony is where we spent most of our time.

Thursday night, Hal and I decided to get all dressed up and go downtown to celebrate our anniversary the right way. We had 8:45 reservations at Hank's. It was a wonderful seafood restaurant downtown near the market. The food and wine were fabulous, and it made for a romantic celebration of one great year together!

Here we had just left Hank's and we propped the camera on the top of the car. I wanted to get at least one pic of the 2 of us together. The way Hal has his hand, it looks like he's rubbing my pregnant belly, but I'm not pregnant. I think I was just that full...haha.

On Friday morning we got up and went to breakfast at a great little diner in Shem Creek called Alex's. After breakfast we made the hike around the harbor over to Folly Beach and to the Morris Island light house. The weather hit 81 degrees on Friday, so it was a perfect day to spend outside!

I was delighted to find out that they were finishing up the first phase of the restoration project on the light. (I have the lighthouse license plate, so I was glad to see my money was actually going to help it). The Army Corps of Engineers built some kind of dam around it so that it doesn't take a lot of beatings from the water. They also put lots of rocks under the light so that the rocks would absorb most of the shock from the waves and high current waters. Did you know that when the lighthouse was built in the 1800's that it was built 1200 feet from the shore? Because of erosion, it now stands 1800 feet out into the water.

Here's Morris Island Light, and you can see its replacement, the Sullivan's Island Light, in the background.

This one shows the crane and the boat that were doing the work.

On Friday night after a short nap, we went out to Vickery's on Shem Creek for supper. The weather was so beautiful, so we wanted to eat somewhere that had an outdoor patio. After dinner we went to Starbucks for a coffee and back to sit on our balcony. The balcony was so worth the extra money because we got to watch all of the ships come in and out. That might not sound too fascinating to you, but Hal and I really enjoyed it.

Saturday morning we woke up and it was so so beautiful outside. The wind was calm and it was already about 70 degrees at 9:00am. We put on our shorts and headed out to an early lunch. While we were eating lunch the weather turned a little sour. The wind picked up, clouds started rolling in, and it got cool outside. After a little bit of shopping, we decided it was too cool for shorts, so we headed back to the hotel to change. Lucky for us, our hotel was having an oyster roast, so we put on our jeans, and headed downstairs for some fun.

At the oyster roast they were selling buckets of oysters for $7. A whole bucket for only $7!!! Hal and I got a bucket and some "shuckers" and went to town on our oysters. They were SO good, I wanted to go back for a second bucket, but we had to save room for dinner. Between the 2 of us though, I think we probably ate 50 or 60 oysters! After we ate our oysters, we went back up on our balcony and enjoyed the band they had playing. They were called Mystic Vibrations and they were a reggae band. For about 3 hours we just sat on our balcony and enjoyed the day, even though it was a little cold.

Here is a pic of the harbor on Saturday morning when we woke up. The winds were so calm that the sailboats were hardly moving.

During the oyster roast the Coast Guard helicopter was doing drills out on a small island in the harbor. We got to watch them and it was pretty neat. I took a pic just as the helicopter was about to take off.

On Saturday evening Hal and I went to our favorite Japanese restaurant, Yamato. Again, it was great and we ate way too much. We were finished with dinner about 9:00 and didn't really feel up to doing much else, so we headed back to the hotel. I started packing, and we were in the bed by 10:00.

Sunday morning we woke up sad and mad that we had to leave. We laid in our bed until the last minute and walked out the door right at check-out time. After breakfast at IHOP, we headed back up I-26 West towards home.

We had an absolute blast, and neither one of us wanted to leave when we did. This trip only solidified in our minds and hearts how much we want to live in the lowcountry one day.

One more quick note: We ate a slice from the top of our wedding cake on Wednesday night, and to our surprise it was WONDERFUL!! I have to admit, I was pretty skeptical, but it really was great. You would have never known the cake wasn't fresh baked! Seriously, it was just as good as it was on our wedding day!

One year down, many many more to go!

Old Married Couple

2008-03-26T10:24:00.001-04:00

We celebrated our anniversary last night like an old married couple would.

We really couldn't decide where to eat for dinner, because we are really celebrating at a nice restaurant in Charleston this weekend. We ended up going to Outback. After our early dinner we headed back home for the evening.

I forgot to take our wedding cake out of the frig, so we didn't get to have wedding cake last night. We are going to give it a try tonight.

We got home from dinner around 6:45 and both of us were exhausted. We laid down in our bed to rest for a few minutes before we got up to get some things done. The next thing I knew, I woke up and it was 8:00pm. Hal woke up about the same time, and we turned on the TV to watch American Idol. Neither one of us ever got up out of our bed. As soon as American Idol was over, we turned the TV off and went right back to sleep.

How eventful, right? Hee hee.

Its okay, the real celebration begins tomorrow in Chuck Town!

I hope everyone has a great weekend, and I will be back to blogging on Monday! Happy Hump Day!

Oh Happy Day!

2008-03-25T09:21:00.002-04:00

I can't believe its already been one year!

I love Spring Break!

2008-03-24T14:19:00.002-04:00

Although I am working for three days this week, I am technically on Spring Break! I don't have class this week, and we are leaving for Charleston on Thursday, so I am feeling pretty great about it being Monday. Its just the start of a fantastic week!

Hal and I had a GREAT Easter weekend! I was off Friday so I got to spend some quality time with my sweet hubby. We went shopping, and just bummed around most of the day. It was absolutely wonderful to have a day off work without having to worry about WORK.

Saturday Hal and I slept really late. After we finally got up, Hal cleaned our cars and I stayed in and baked our pies for Sunday lunch. Once the pies were done, Hal and I got out and enjoyed the beautiful weather we had on Saturday. We went for a run, did some conditioning exercises, then took Layla for a walk. We sat on the porch until sundown because it was just too beautiful to waste the daylight.

Yesterday Hal and I woke up early, very excited that our Lenten fast was finished. We ate a couple of Girl Scout cookies for breakfast, then I made biscuits and apple butter to fill us up. We headed off to church where we took the last couple of seats on the back row. We were 15 minutes early. After the service started there was standing room only in the church. It is so wonderful to see how our church continues to grow!

While I am on the subject of church, I have 2 praise reports to share. First, we had 11 people get baptised Sunday morning! It was such an emotional time for our church family, and it was great to be there to share in the joy of the Lord. Second, our pastor was telling us that our church was going to be helping a new Women's Shelter that's opening in a couple of months. He said that he called the director and asked for their most pressing need. She told him that she needed two industrial size washers and driers. After hearing the need, he went and bought them, with the hope that the church would raise the money to pay for them. He needed $2,000 to pay for them. During the service yesterday he asked for a love offering to go towards paying for the washers and dryers. At the end of the service it was reported that in that one service our church members donated $2,130 towards the purchase of those machines. Isn't that awesome?

After church yesterday we went to my mom's to eat. She prepared a wonderful meal, and it was SO good! I made Kentucky Pie for dessert which was a big hit! Even though we were still pretty full, we went to Hal's parents for supper. They had another big meal prepared, and it was just more than I could handle. Needless to say, I was still full when I woke up this morning.

I did get to have a few sweet things yesterday since my Lent fast was over. I had a couple of girl scout cookies, a piece of Kentucky Pie and vanilla ice cream, 3 Starburst jelly beans, A LOT of sweet tea, and a piece of pineapple cake. I am sure all of that had something to do with the fact that I was full ALL day!

It was a great Easter weekend, and I am just squirming with excitement about this coming weekend!

First Day of Spring

2008-03-20T09:18:00.006-04:00

Most of you know by now that Tuesday is our first wedding anniversary. We are pretty excited because we are going to be celebrating all next week! I have loved every minute of being married, and this past year has been the greatest year of my life so far. Here are 13 reasons I love being married:

After 4 years of staying up late so we could be together, its nice to be able to go to bed early and know that he's there, and will be there when I wake up. Thats probably my favorite thing.
I love that Hal loves to take care of me and provide for me.
We can jump in the car and go, anytime, anywhere, and we don't have to ask anyone first.
I love having our own home. Whether it was in our apartment or in our house, I love knowing that we have made a home together.
I get to spend all of my time with my best friend in the whole world.
I have always been very independent, but now, I love the fact that I have a partner for life. I know that I can depend on him and trust him with my life.
Hal and I are constantly learning and experiencing new things together. I love sharing all of my experiences with him.
I can be candid with all of my thoughts, and thats okay with Hal. Even if I'm saying something he doesn't want to hear, he still understands, and loves me anyway. I don't have to be fake or worry about what he's going to think. The same goes with him.
I am so comfortable with Hal. I don't have to be anything but myself, and he loves me still. Its such a relief to know that.
Hal has brought such a light into my life, a void that could have only been filled by him. Even our worst fights are better than the days before he came into my life.
We don't take life too seriously, so we laugh and laugh all the time. He knows me like the back of his hand, can finish my sentences, and even tell me what I'm thinking. I couldn't find that anywhere else.
I love that even after 5 years, 4 years of dating and 1 year of marriage, I still get butterflies for him.
I love that he's MINE forever.

Good week!

2008-03-19T14:38:00.003-04:00

So far my week has been pretty fantastic! After having a littly pity party on Friday, I am really feeling much better. Things are already starting to look up at my job, and I had a talk with my boss, which also made me feel much better.

Today is really Thursday for me because I get Good Friday off. I am so excited that I only have one more work day in this week, AND tomorrow is the FIRST DAY OF SPRING!!

I have been LOVING my new iPod! I even listen to it when I am driving down the road. I know that sounds silly, but I just love it that much. I also love that I have a constant connection to the internet.

I had a test last night in Anatomy. I went to class pretty unprepared because I just haven't had time to study. I am happy to say, after 45 minutes of cramming, I made a 98 on my test. I think that was just the uplift I needed!

Hal and I have started talking about what we are going to do for each other for Christmas. I know, its 9 months away, but we always do this because we like to have a good idea by June or July. We have already decided what we are going to do, and I am so excited about it. I won't say just yet, but its something wonderful to look forward to!

I have been so proud of myself lately because I have cooked every meal at home, except for 2, in the last 9 days! Hal really likes it when I cook, and it saves us a ton of money when we don't eat out all the time. Tonight we are having breakfast for supper!

Lent ends on Sunday and I am pretty excited about having sweet tea for Easter lunch. This has been such an eye-opening experience for me, and I have learned a lot from my fast. I am hoping that my spiritual relationship with God will continue to grow after this experience.

I think that's all for now. Happy Hump Day!

Excitement!

2008-03-17T14:28:00.004-04:00

I wasn't having the greatest day Friday at work. Everything seemed to be getting to me and I just couldn't wait to get home. Of course, my sweet, precious husband came through for me!

Hal left work around 4:00 and told me he had an errand to run, then he would soon be home. He got home, and he gave me my anniversary present!! Our anniversary isn't for 8 more days, but Hal can NEVER keep secrets. He just had to give it to me right then!!

I was so excited to see what it was! I am now the proud owner of:

the new iPod Touch!!

Okay, so I know most of you are probably gasping that it wasn't jewelry or something sentimental. Lucky for me, I am not into that kind of thing at all. This was the perfect gift for me, and my sweet hubby knew it. My new little contraption is not only an MP3 player, but also doubles as something like a palm pilot. I can access the internet, check my stocks, the weather, and even write blogs from it!

Oh, I am just SO excited about my new toy!

Happy Anniversary!

2008-03-17T10:11:00.003-04:00

(this is the best pic I had saved on my computer)

I just wanted to wish Stephanie and Jonathan a VERY HAPPY 1st ANNIVERSARY!!

Can I be honest?

2008-03-14T10:32:00.003-04:00

I need a pick-me-up, and I don't know what its going to take to pick me up! I am really struggling lately with a lack of motivation, and honestly, I feel like I am in a funk.

My job is really getting to me. I work in a small medical office and my title is "Office Manager." Well, that really doesn't make me feel good about myself, because I am the ONLY employee, other than my boss. Basically all of the daily ins and outs of the office are my responsibility. I bill insurance companies, schedule patients, answer the phone, order supplies, and so on. Its pretty much a secretary job, and I hate it. It pays the bills, though, so I don't complain most days.

Here's the thing, since I am the only one working in the office, anything that happens is always my fault, or at least thats how my boss sees it. I have to take the rap for everything. When I started this job, I was only hired as an "assistant" to the previous office manager. At the time, I had no previous experience in this field. Five months after I started, the previous office manager was fired, and I was left hanging, to learn the trade on my own. My boss has NO IDEA how to do my job, and if I were to die today, he would probably have to close his doors because money would no longer be coming in.

Because I bill the insurance companies, I carry all of the monetary responsibility for this company on my back. If I don't do something right, the money doesn't come in, the bills don't get paid, I don't get a paycheck, and I don't have a job. I HATE that kind of responsibility, and it really stresses me out. I never asked for that when I was hired, and if I had known this was going to happen, I probably would have never taken the job in the first place. The worst part is that I am alone pretty much all day, everyday. If I have a problem, I have to figure out a way to solve it on my own. I have no one here to help me, and no one I can call if I need help. About a year ago, when the other office manager left, I was pretty much thrown to the wolves, and left to survive.

I am really struggling because I just do not have any motivation to continue working. If Hal and I didn't need to save money, I would have quit a year ago. I am not a quitter, but I am way to inexperienced to have such responsiblity. Every single morning that I get out of bed, I try to think of some excuse not to go to work that day. This is so unlike me, because I am a hard worker. I am going to be quitting for good in August since I will be back in school full time. I am not sure I can make it 6 more months, though. Honestly, I just don't want to make it.

I have been praying about this situation, and patiently awaiting God's answer. I will continue to follow God's lead, but I am really struggling with the waiting right now.

On a good note, Hal and I went to small group last night and I really felt a connection with the scripture. It was something that I had been needing to hear for a long time, and it really opened my eyes. We got to play the Newlywed game with some other couples, and got to spend some quality time with our new church friends. I am so thankful for God bringing these people in my life.

Thankfully its Friday! I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Weekly Menu

2008-03-10T10:34:00.002-04:00

I wanted to do this to see how well I stick to it! Annie just did this, and I thought that I would try. I usually have a weekly menu set, and then end up eating out or eating sandwiches and not eating what's on my menu. Here's what we will be having in our house this week:

Monday - Chicken enchiladas. We have a busy night so I needed something quick and easy to fix. They are also really delicious!

Tuesday - I have class until around 8:00, so Hal will meet me after work and we will likely go to Lieu's before I head to class. I never cook on Tuesdays.

Wednesday - Tuna Casserole. I got a new recipe from allrecipes.com that calls for tuna casserole with egg noodles. I am a real sucker for egg noodles.

Thursday - Turkey Reubens with potato wedges. This is one of my favorite meals to make. Its so simple, but so good!

Friday - Lemon Dill Tilapia with a side of veggies. I got this recipe out of Southern Living and we LOVE it. It is SUPER easy, and tastes WONDERFUL!

Saturday - Its a toss up - either crock pot pulled pork BBQ or dinner out. We usually fly by the seat of our pants on Saturdays, so we will see.

I hope I can stick to this, I have to get groceries tonight to be able to do so.

Cute

2008-03-08T17:49:00.002-05:00

The other night Hal and I were watching something on the Animal Planet channel. Layla was laying beside the couch watching with us, as she always does. Whatever we were watching had bears, cats, and foxes in it. Everytime the cat would cross the screen Layla would jump up and run up to the TV and then chase the cat as it ran off the screen. It even got so bad, that she started looking for the cat behind the TV and around the other side of the wall that the TV sits on. It was so hilarious and amusing to us, but quite frustrating for Layla. I just had to capture a picture of it, and I wanted to share it.

Happy Saturday!

Great Weekend Ahead!

2008-03-07T13:37:00.002-05:00

Its been pouring rain most of the morning. Praise God for the rain. Gosh do we ever need it!

I am getting off work in a few minutes. My plans are to go home and crawl in my bed for a long nap before Hal gets home.

Hal and I have no plans and thats the greatest feeling. We will just be "cruising" through the weekend.

Hope y'all have a good one!

Just one prayer request:

2008-03-06T13:08:00.005-05:00

Here in the Upstate of SC we had some pretty rough storms on Tuesday night, and in Greer one of the storms did a lot of damage. There was a microburst in one of the local subdivisions where one of my best friends lives as well as one of my previous high school teachers. The microburst did damage similar to what a tornado would do.

My mom told me that earlier today, a parent that lives in this neighborhood came into her office and was talking about all of the damage that was done to her home. My mom said she was quite pitiful because the damage was so severe.

This is one home in that neighborhood. It actually was condemned yesterday and the residents had until 7:00 pm last night to vacate the property. On this particular house, all of the front windows were shattered, and the roof actually lifted up off the house, and then sat back down.

Here is another house in the same neighborhood with lots of trees down in their yard.

Another pic from the same neighborhood. The car was turned over on its side and then you see all of the trees that fell on it. This same house, their out-building was turned completely upside down and all of its contents was strewn across the yard.

The people in this neighborhood have felt devastating effects of this storm and greatly need our prayer, especially the family who is now "homeless."

**pictures from goupstate.com

Thursday 13

2008-03-06T08:30:00.003-05:00

I have really learned a lot from my Lent fast this year. I have never done it before and never realized how hard it would be. I have done my best to stick with it, and have prayed everyday for the Lord to help me through. I have to admit, though, that I am looking forward to a few things when Lent is officially over. Here are 13 things I can't wait to have on or after Easter:

SWEET TEA!

Girl Scout Cookies - we have 5 boxes in the freezer right now

my last couple of pieces of Godiva Chocolate

a Starbucks venti Mocha Frappuccino

the top of our wedding cake - our anniversary is 2 days after Easter!!

Marble Slab Creamery

Easter candy- especially the Reese's Cup eggs!

Starburst Sour Jelly Beans

Chocolate milk

Paula Deen's Kentucky Pie - I'm making one for Easter lunch.

Oreos and milk

Cherry Coke

Key Lime Pie - Hal and I are going to Hank's in Charleston, and I hear they have a great pie!

I really love desserts, and 40 days without anything sweet seems like a long time. Of course I will not have all of these in one day, and probably not in one week, but they are things I am looking forward to incorporating back into my diet slowly.

I love the outdoors!

2008-03-05T14:16:00.003-05:00

Hal and I had plans to go to the gym tonight once we got home from work. I called him earlier and told him that I didn't want to go to the gym, I wanted to get out and walk at home. The weather is so beautiful here in the Upstate today.

I am thrilled that Spring is just around the corner. As I drive down the road, I see the tips of all the tree branches are pink with buds, and I get all excited inside. Spring is my favorite time of year.

I can't wait to get my Spring flowers planted, get our sod put down, and be able to enjoy this beautiful weather that God so graciously gives us.

I hope y'all are having a great hump day!

Wii Had A Blast!

2008-03-03T20:11:00.005-05:00

Hal and I got back last night from our trip to Gatlingburg with our friends Loren and Chad. We really did have a great time, and as I hoped, got a lot of rest!

Friday night we got up there about 8:30. We had to drive up those curvy mountain roads in the pouring down rain so that slowed us down a lot. When we got there I cooked tacos really quick and we finally ate dinner about 9:00. After dinner we set up the Wii and I learned exactly what everyone has been raving about. Hal and I are thinking of making an investment in one very soon. After about an hour on the Wii, we decided to jump in the hot tub. It was so nice and warm but the wind was whipping outside, so we had to go back inside after about 15 minutes. The hot tub really made us tired, so we all hit the rack pretty soon after that.

Saturday morning we got up, and Loren and I made a big breakfast feast. We had french toast, grits, eggs, and bacon. It was so yummy. After breakfast and some more playtime on the Wii, we all set out for some Pigeon Forge fun. We only ended up going up the the Bass Pro Shops and out to lunch, and then we headed back in for the evening. As soon as we got back I got in the hot tub again and everyone else eventually joined me. After an hour in the hot tub, and 4 wrinkled bodies, we decided it was time for dinner. Since Loren and I had made such a big breakfast, we thought it was best that the boys do the cooking this time. They made us steaks, baked potatoes, and salads. They did a great job and it all tasted great. We ended up staying up until about 1:00 playing cards and Wii, before we decided to turn in for the night.

Sunday morning we got up really early, packed the car, and headed out for breakfast. We ate at IHOP, which I have been craving for a month now. After breakfast we headed over into Gatlinburg to ride the tram up to Ober Gatlinburg where we would ice skate. Hal had never skated before and he picked it up SO fast. He was a natural at it! He only fell once, and he only fell because he was trying to be fancy and do a spin. After a couple hours of ice skating we decided it was time to head back down the mountain to SC.

Our trip was really great, and the greatest thing was that we spent a lot of our time resting and relaxing at the cabin. I felt rejuvenated when I got home, so much so that I actually unpacked our bags as soon as we got home. If you know me, you know I NEVER do that. It was really nice to get away for the weekend, with no plans tying us down.

Here are a few pictures:

We learned how to box on the Wii, it was super fun and a great workout!

Hal learned to ice skate for the first time, and he was great at it!

Me and Hubby on the ice.

We had to take a "tram" up to Ober Gatlinburg...basically its a suspended cable car. Hal was terrified. Here's a view from the tram.

I didn't take many pictures actually, so this is all you get.

Frustration

2008-03-03T10:37:00.002-05:00

I became quite frustrated on Thursday evening and I wanted to share with you why.

Hal and I had been preparing for about 5 days for our weekend away. We had lots of little errands and things to do before Friday to make sure that all of the loose ends were tied up before we left. We had been planning on boarding Layla (our dog) at the Petsmart Petshotel in Greenville since we started planning the trip. We wanted her to have a fun place to go where she wouldn't be stuck in a kennel all day.

On Monday I called Petsmart to make her reservation and ask them what I needed to board her. They told me to send over her shot record. Well I actually forgot about it until Wednesday, and finally remembered to fax it over. As soon as I faxed it over a lady from Petsmart called and said they had a question about one of her shots. They asked which round of Parvo Layla had last. They said that she would have to have 3 rounds to be able to board. Well since I am no veterinarian, I had no idea about "rounds" of anything.

When I got that call I immediately called the Spartanburg Humane Society where we adopted Layla. They do not have a direct line into their phones, they just have an answering machine that takes all calls and says that someone will call back as soon as possible. After I left 2 messages and the lady at Petsmart left 2, and never received a return call by Thursday afternoon, I was pretty furious. We were supposed to be boarding our dog in 24 hours and NO ONE ever called us!

From there, Hal and I got in the car and drove down to the Humane Society to get some answers. Here is what they told us: Layla had ONE Parvo round the day we adopted her, and they were SUPPOSED to tell us to bring her back in 3 weeks to get the 2nd, but guess what, they didn't tell us anything. And guess what else? NO ONE would board her for the weekend! The Humane Society didn't even admit that they had made a BIG mistake, and did not do anything to compensate us in any way.

Had this never come up, we would have never known that Layla was missing TWO Parvo shots, and we would have never gotten them. She could have died because of this, and we would have never known. The Humane Society didn't tell us ANYTHING when we adopted her, they just sent us on our merry way, without any further instruction.

We expect a place like the humane society, where animals are their business, to be professional and informing. They failed majorly. Petsmart and our vet's office, Dr. Patch, were both extremely accomodating, but when they found out about her shots there was really nothing they could do. Thankfully, Hal's parents were in town and took care of her.

I am still extremely frustrated with the humane society, and will probably not adopt another dog from there again. The quality of service is quite poor, and unfortunately the animals are the ones that suffer.

We did have a great weekend away, though! I will post more about that and some pictures later tonight or tomorrow.

Its Thursday!

2008-02-28T11:08:00.002-05:00

I have a crazy evening ahead of me, I have a lot to do before the weekend. Here are 13 things I have to do before tomorrow at 3:00.

Go home and cook supper
go to small group
go to the grocery store
call and check on my grandma who has been in the hospital
straighten up my house
pack for our trip to Gatlinburg
do some laundry
write a discussion for my online Psych class
pack a cooler for food
come to work tomorrow to check the messages and close everything up
make a few last minute phone calls and tie up loose ends
take Layla to Petsmart Petshotel, where she will spend the weekend
pack up the car...and off to Gatlinburg we GO!

I am really ready for a weekend of R & R. I hope you all have a great Thursday evening and a fantastic weekend. I'll catch you on Monday!

Blah Blah Blog

2008-02-25T13:03:00.004-05:00

As you can obviously tell by my lack of posting, not too much has been going on around our house lately. I am fully recovered from the nasty flu, and Hal has finally gone back to work today. Here are just a few things that have been going on.

* Thursday night I went to my very first small group meeting at church. A few young ladies had the great idea to start a young couples small group, and we start our first Bible study this Thursday. We are going to be using the study devotional Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti. I am pretty excited about this.

* The beautiful Spring-like weather we had on Saturday had me itching to raise the windows, plant some flowers, and spend the day outside. I really am ready for Spring to get here!

* Today, Hal and I have been married for 11 months! It has been the fastest year of my life! We leave for our anniversary trip 4 weeks from Thursday!!

* Speaking of trips, Hal and I are going to the mountains with some of our good friends this weekend. We are staying in a nice cabin near Gatlinburg, and are planning lots of R & R and playtime on the Wii. I can't wait until Friday!

* I had to clean my house AGAIN this weekend because Layla is losing her winter coat. There was dog hair everywhere!

* Hal and I watched the skins (golf) game, played in Hawaii, yesterday. We are big fans of Jay Haas. It was pretty great to see four golf legends, Fuzzy, Gary, Jack, and Arnold, playing together again. And Maui, wow, it looked so beautiful!

* We went to see Fool's Gold on Friday night, it was really great. I love both Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey, and they were great together in this movie. It has a very interesting and intelligent plot too. Hal and I both loved it, and would definately recommend it!

Thats pretty much it. See, I told you not much has been going on. Hopefully I will have something more profound to post this week. Happy Monday!

Have you heard?

2008-02-19T13:20:00.003-05:00

George Strait's new song called "I Saw God Today"

You have to hear it, its a really great message, one that everyone will appreciate. Hal and I heard it in the car last night, and it brought tears to my eyes.

I think all of the mommies and daddies will especially appreciate it.

Here is a "video." Its actually just a slideshow of George Strait pics, but the song plays, and I want you to hear the song.

Back and Better

2008-02-19T12:17:00.004-05:00

After a very long week, all is finally well in the Chafey household. My cold has pretty much cleared up, and Hal is almost back to 100 percent again. We are both feeling much better with much thanks to a nice, restful weekend. Hal gets this week off from work, and he has to go back Monday. Other than that, things are pretty normal in our lives.

Like many of you, Hal and I decided to participate in Lent this year. Our church as a whole did not participate, but as individuals we decided to. Hal and I have found much spiritual growth since we have been married, and by fasting for Lent, we felt it would only encourage our growth. Tomorrow will be the 14th day, and its been the hardest 14 days of my life.

Hal wanted to fast sweets for Lent, and I wanted to fast every beverage except for water and milk. We came to an agreement that we would each do both, so it wouldn't be hard on either one of us. So that means that I am fasting all things sweet, AND all sweet tea and soda. Holy cow, has it been hard. I am ADDICTED, seriously addicted to sweet tea, and I crave it everyday. Last night when Hal and I went to Publix to get groceries, we were strategically planning our Easter meal. Right now, we are thinking that I will eat a whole Key Lime Pie and he will eat Chocolate Brownies with Peanut Butter icing. I am telling you, this is HARD!

Yes, I have thought about just taking a drink or a bite, but everytime I just couldn't. I couldn't do it. This Lent has really opened my eyes to the sacrifice that Jesus made for me, and I want to prove to myself and Him that I can make a small sacrifice for Him. My minor meal adjustments don't even compare to the catastrophic sacrifice that He made, so I know I can make it 33 more days until Easter!

And thanks to Lent I have lost 7 pounds!

I don't know if I will participate next year, I guess I will see when it comes around again, but I know I am thankful for Jesus making such a sacrifice, one that mortal men would never be able to make.

Its been a LONG week!

2008-02-15T10:52:00.002-05:00

This week I really do have a good reason for my lack of blogging.

As you know, Monday Hal had surgery. He's doing great today, and actually goes back to the doctor for his check-up at 2:30. Monday he was having a pretty hard time getting around so he asked me to stay home from work on Tuesday. About an hour after we got home Monday, I began running a pretty high fever and feeling awful. My throat was hurting so bad that I couldn't even swallow.

I called my boss Monday night and told him that I wouldn't be back to work just yet, and today I have finally come back. After 4 straight days of feeling like crap, I am well enough to work. I actually never went to the doctor because I don't have a doctor, so I just rested at home until I was better. I just know that the sick bug that's been going around bit me, and it was bad.

Now let me tell you that I love my husband with all of my heart. He is the most wonderful man in the world in my eyes, and I would do anything in the world for him. Honestly, though, this has been the longest week of my life. It has been so hard to take care of him when I have been so sick myself. The first two days out of surgery were the worst, and those were the days that I was the sickest myself. If I heard my name once I heard it four thousand times in the last 4 days. You know when you are sick, all you want to do is lay down and close your eyes. I swear everytime I would get my eyes shut, I would hear "Haley, can you..." or "Haley, help me..." Yes, I admit there were a few times that I just wanted to scream. Hal was cranky because he was hurting and I was cranky because I didn't feel good so we were both on each others nerves pretty badly. Ultimately, he helped take great care of me, and I think I did a pretty good job, myself.

I am so thankful for all of the help this week from my parents and Hal's parents. They brought in food everyday and we are so grateful, because neither of us was up to the task of cooking.

After a long 4 days, we were able to relax with a nice dinner and movie last night. Both of us were feeling better so we decided to eat sushi for our Valentine's dinner. It was so yummy. We went on our first date 5 years ago on Valentine's day, so its always special to us. We never really go big on Valentine's day, but its always a day we want to remember.

Now that I am back to work and feeling better, I am sure that we will have a great weekend relaxing and catching up.

Update

2008-02-11T15:17:00.001-05:00

We just got home from the hospital about 45 minutes ago. Hal is doing well, or as well as can be expected.

When his doctor went in to repair the hernia, he actually found another one on the other side. So, both of the hernias are repaired now, and Hal is coping okay.

He says he's in a lot of pain, but the doctor prescribed Percocet, so he should be fine and dandy in about an hour.

Thank you all for your prayers, we really felt them, and greatly appreciate them.

Really quick...

2008-02-10T22:03:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to quickly ask for your prayers tomorrow. Hal is having his hernia surgery tomorrow morning at 10:45am. Its going to be a very simple surgery, but its surgery none the less. I will try to post an update when we get home tomorrow.

Thanks in advance!

A couple of things...

2008-02-05T15:00:00.001-05:00

Last night, Hal and I spent about 3 hours at the Spartanburg Regional Urgent Care because Hal had found a lump on his lower belly that started giving him some trouble. He found out last night that he has an inguinal hernia, what we suspected it was. YUCK. He went back to the Occupational Health doctor this morning and they told him that he has to have surgery to repair it because it won't repair itself. Basically, his intestines are poking out the wall of his abdomen and causing some major discomfort. We are sure he did it at work, since his job is so physically demanding. The surgery is really minor, and its not something we are worried about, but it still stinks having to deal with this.

Here is some really cool news...do you remember the band Rumor Jenkins? I know most of you Byrnes ladies do. Well, they have sort of gotten back together, and its pretty exciting. Our friend Charlie Barnett, an original Rumor Jenkins band member, passed along this information to me, and I wanted to pass it along to you. Charlie, Jarrad Lister, and Josh Thompson have gotten together again, with a new lead singer Colt Davis, and have created a new band called Colt Davis. Right now they are recording their first album, and have not yet begun to play publicly. I have heard some of their music and they are actually quite good. They are very Rumor Jenkins/Albert Hill esque. Their sound is very mellow and unique, and I am excited to share their music with you today:

http://www.myspace.com/coltdavismusic

I hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think...I will pass it along to Charlie, I am sure they would love to hear from you.

Hope you're having a great Tuesday!

A Fantastic Friday

2008-02-04T21:45:00.000-05:00

I don't ever remember a more spiritually fulfilling day in my life than this past Friday. It was a great day for me and I want to share about it.

Friday afternoon after I got off work, I met Hal and my mom at my house and we headed to Byrnes where we got the pleasure and honor of hearing Bobby Bowden speak. Yes, THE Bobby Bowden, the winningest coach in college football.

Bobby Bowden is one of the greatest role models that I know of and I was so excited to be able to hear him speak. He came and delivered his message to the Byrnes FCA and luckily we have friends in high places who were able to get us in as well. As he hobbled across the gymnasium floor, the whole crowd the the tomahawk chop. After a standing ovation, he began his message. He gave his personal testimony of how he came into a relationship with Jesus Christ, and encouraged those kids to enter into a relationship with Jesus too. He told us that football wasn't and never had been his top priority, that God always had number one. He spoke to the kids about having their priorities in order, and that athletics weren't everything. I was so impressed with the way he spoke on their level. He didn't use any big words or fancy phrases to get their attention; he spoke directly to them, and all about Jesus.

I felt so honored to be apart of that crowd, and I left there with a precious memory. Bobby Bowden is the epitome of what every role model in a child's life should be. I thanked the Lord then and there for allowing Mr. Bowden to come to our small town and witness to our athletes. I am sure he made more than a lasting impression.

Later that evening, Hal and I went to our church for revival. Wow, what a revival. I felt such a spiritual revival when I went to bed on Friday night, something that I hadn't felt in a long time. When revival started the New Jerusalem Baptist Church Choir from Greer came and sang the praise music. They are an African-American choir, and let me tell you, I have never, EVER been more moved by music in all of my life. They were AWESOME and did a great job preparing us for worship. At one point, I really did feel the urge to just get up and shout to the Lord. Most of the time they were singing, I had tears running down my face. The Holy Spirit was there that night, and I felt Him as if He were physically sitting right beside me.

After the singing, Pastor Len Turner came and delivered the message from 2 Corinthians 12:7-11. I almost jumped for joy when I turned over to this in my bible, because this is my very favorite passage in the bible. The passage talks about when God gives Paul a thorn in the flesh and he pleads with God to take it away. Instead of taking it away, God tells Paul that His grace is sufficient, and that in Paul's weakness God's strength is made perfect.

Glory Hallelujah! What an awesome God we have, who knows what we need, and doesn't always do what we ask! God's grace is ALWAYS sufficient, no matter what, and when we are weak, God's grace makes us strong. If God were to take away all of our thorns, we wouldn't ever have to lean on Him. Because we are all weak, God's marvelous grace is our strength. What a triumph! At our weakest God is at His strongest, and always, in His time, comes through!

I find such fulfillment in knowing how all mighty our God is.

Friday was a kind of day I want to strive to have everyday!

The Man and The Grass Stain

2008-02-04T11:18:00.000-05:00

I might be a real girly girl at times, but I can never deny that I love football. I really, really do.

Last night was thrilling as I got to watch the Giants beat the Patriots to win the Super Bowl. I am a huge Giants fan so I was absolutely delighted that they pulled of that great win.

All year I have listened to the analysts, columnists, and commentators speak of how inadequate the Giants' team was. They won the wildcard spot into the NFC Championship, yet they still weren't capable of making it past game 1. After Eli Manning played one of his greatest games against Tampa Bay in round 1 of the playoffs, he was given some credit, but the sports writers knew that he could never beat Dallas, Green Bay, or the Pats. The Giants were just "over confident" they would say.

The Giants and the Pats met in the regular season end, in week 17. The Giants had nothing to play for. They had already won their wildcard spot, but the Patriots had a perfect season to play for. The Giants played their best game of the regular season that night, and only fell to the Pats by 3 points. I knew that night, if the Giants could make it, they would beat the Pats the next time around.

The Giants team is full of guys who play because they love football, and play their hardest, even when all odds are against them. That is why they are the world champions.

All week leading up to the Super Bowl, the buzz everywhere was that the Pats had it won, and the Giants shouldn't even show up. It was going to be a "blow out" I heard one man say. Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, and Jimmy Johnson all predicted the Pats to win by 2 touchdowns. No one even let it cross their minds that the Giants might actually win. Everyone had already forgotten that 6 weeks ago, the Giants almost pulled off a win against them.

The Pats came onto the field last night knowing that they would win. I truly believe that they had no doubts that they would win. I even saw Tom Brady say the words "This is f***ing crazy" right before half time, when the Giants offense had spent 20 minutes of the 30 minute half on the field. Even Tom Brady couldn't believe that his perfect team wasn't so perfect.

You know how when the referee tosses the coin, he will say "May the best team win?" Well last night, I really feel that happened. Maybe the Giants weren't the best team on paper, I mean the Pats are stacked with talent, but the Giants had the most heart. Sometimes, thats what really matters.

I am thrilled that Eli "The Man"ning has finally gotten himself a ring and validation for being a great quarterback. What I am even more thrilled about is that the Giants kept Tom "The Grass Stain" Brady flat on his back MORE than he was on his feet.

Do you really know me?

2008-01-31T13:58:00.001-05:00

Many of you that read my blog know me, but you don't really "know" me. Here are 13 things that you might not know about me.

1. I love to watch soap operas. I know they are silly and dramatic, but I can't help it, I love them.

2. My favorite color is green.

3. I am severly claustrophobic.

4. I love Elvis Presley. I had a poster of him in my dorm room my freshman year of college.

5. I am really good at snow skiing.

6. I don't really like talking on the phone.

7. I have a fetish for mixing bowls and wine glasses.

8. Usually, my purse is more full of junk than the things I need.

9. I am scared of spiders; pretty much everything else I am okay with.

10. I am constantly worrying about my health. I really want to be healthy throughout my life.

11. I don't trust people very easily.

12. I would pick something sour over something sweet everytime.

13. I don't wear eyeliner because I have no idea how to use it. I've tried to learn but it never works.

Thank goodness its almost FRIDAY!!

The Newest Addition

2008-01-28T20:49:00.000-05:00

I have been so excited all day to share our great news! After much debate and discussion, Hal and I finally decided that we were ready to expand our little family. Saturday we went to the Spartanburg Humane Society and adopted the sweetest girl. We got to bring her home today and we just love her so much. Here is our girl:

This is Layla, a 44 pound Great Dane mix. She is about the size of a boxer, but much thinner. The pound tells us she is 9 months old.

She has been exploring all night long, and has already had her first potty accident on the carpet. We are thrilled to get to know her and provide her with a good, loving home.

10 months ago today...

2008-01-25T10:33:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that in 9 weeks we will have been married for 1 year! Time really does fly when you're having fun!