B’s blog

Avery and Braden-Brotherly Love, one of my all time favorites

Thankful for Aunt Autumn

Grandma Kim and Grandpa Steve

Braden digs in the turkey

Ben (Steve’s youngest)and Avery play cards before our Thanksgiving feast

Riley(Steve’s grand-daughter with Aunt Kaela (Steve’s 3rd daughter)

Braden waiting to open presents

From this summer, Steve’s 2nd daughter, Amanda

Around the table on Turkey day, Christine, Steve’s oldest and Riley’s mom is at the very end. She’s due with Baby 2 in February

Braden with his tools from Grandma and Grandpa

Roos’s at the ocean in Galveston

Mom and Dad at the Rainforest Café

Avery calls Grandma and Grandpa, “Grandma and Grandpa Crockett” and has since he could talk. What an appropriate sign.

Autumn feeding the seagulls on the ferry

Just the girls on the beach

At the Johnson Space Center, Nasa

More at Nasa

Ok, so I’m WAY sad that this past week that I looked forward to for the last 4 months, had to come and go so quickly. I had the best time with my parents and sister. I can’t explain how much I needed that time with them. Everyone looks so good and it was so nice to be able to show them where we live, where we work, where we goto church, and all the other stuff. I will post photos when I get home I promise. I’m at work today and wanted to briefly write something as I have the best friends in the entire world who read this everyday and say such nice things in the comments. All of you know who you are and know that I’m thankful for each one of you! You all are the best! Ok, anyways, my thoughts are all over the place today so bear with me.

When my parents got off the plane we were there with our sign that said in bold colorful print “Texas welcomes Grandpa, Grandma, and Autumn!” Everyone that came down the escalator read it and instantly got a smile on their faces. The kids colored the sign and it was so nice. I saw my dad from across the hall and about dropped Braden as I ran up to him and hugged him. I instantly started to cry, tears of joy. Then I hugged mom and Autumn. The tears just swelled up in my eyes because I was so happy. Erik was able to take a late lunch and welcomed them in with me but then had to go back to work. I took them all around and then we had supper at the house. Wednesday night Mom, Autumn and I went Christmas shopping for the kids. We hit Target and got it all done. We decided that avoiding the Friday after Thanksgiving crowd was worth it!

With my mom’s recipes and guidance and my mother in laws help I pulled off feeding 14 people for Thanksgiving at my house! My first turkey turned out awesome which I’m sure it did because of our traditional turkey dance we do just prior to stuffing it!

We talked Erik and Dad into letting the kids open presents on Thursday night so they could have lots of time to play with them while Grandma and Grandpa were in town. Braden figured out fast how to open the gifts. His favorite seemed to be his sisters new doll though! He got one of those Little People Car Garages with the ramp/slide for the little cars to go down. Well Braden found a way to slide down it too. He also got some toy power tools complete with googles. Avery got Lego Star Wars for the Play station2, a watch, some Star Wars figurines, and some other magnetic guys. Jaelyn got a doll and stroller, a pink Fairytopia Barbie, tons of Polly Pockets, and a My Scene Barbie with a moped. Braden also got a Potato/Carrot/Corn shaped mini potato heads and a Simon Says Sit and Spin. All in all, they did good! We ended up getting new pillows for our bed, a coffee pot, and a new comforter set for our bedroom.

Friday while Erik was at work I took everyone to Galveston. We hit the Pier, saw a movie about the Great Storm of 1900 that killed 6000 people in Galveston and wiped out the town. The kids thought the hurricane movie was cool but I think it spooked them a little having just went through it with Rita. Then we went on the ferry and saw the dolphins and fed the seaguls and walked the beach. The kids talked Grandpa into buying them Volcanos, a brownie sundae dessert, at The Rainforest Cafe before we headed back home.

Saturday it rained so we spent the day inside at the Johnson Space Camp (Nasa). We’ve been there before but had just as much fun the 2nd time. Then we played cards that evening after supper at Pappasitos, a Tex-Mex restaurant.

Sunday morning was here before we knew it and we dropped them off at the airport at 9:45am. We couldn’t park and go in with them so we dropped them off at the front of the airport, said quick goodbyes, and cried all the way to church. Jaelyn was the worst. She said, “Mommy I think my heart is breaking.” Bless her heart! Mine was breaking too but I didn’t have the heart to let her see me weak too.

After church we all took naps and tried to recoop from the busy but fun weekend. I heard it was COLD in Marshall and foggy on the way home. I’m glad my family got to enjoy weather in the 70-80’s while they were here so they could see just how nice the weather can be. I think it helped alot too that they got to see where we were and how we lived. Just made it all better for them.

Now I’m already looking forward to March when we can fly back to the midwest! I can’t wait to see everyone again. Unfortunately we aren’t going home for Christmas this year, maybe next year.

PS. I almost forgot, Avery finally lost that eye tooth that I thought was starting to get infected. Erik accidently flicked it and then Avery begged me to pull it out the rest of the way. The tooth fairy found him in Texas and even left $1.25 for him in quarters. No state income tax must really pay off!

Today’s the big day that my parents and sister come!! I was up at 6am and at Walmart getting some last minute groceries and a Christmas tree by 6:15. Erik says I have “nervous butt”. Thats where your butt tingles when you are so anxious about something. He’s a goof! I have the entire house clean now thanks to Erik working extra hard this past weekend and me working on it this morning. It’s 10am now and I still have to make some desserts, fold the laundry, make the beds, shower, get the kids hair cuts and get to the radio station by 1pm to get Erik so he can lead me to the airport and welcome my family in! I’m so excited I can scream! It’s gonna be 80’s today and tomorrow for sure, a big change from the 10 degrees F they’ve been having in Minnesota this past week. You won’t hear from me for a few days so I’m wishing ya’ll a happy Thanksgiving now. Tell someone why you are thankful for them tomorrow and don’t forget to get in you 7000 calories!

PS. Charge nursing on Tuesday went ok, got crazy at the end but overall it’s something I’m ok in helping with for a while. It still really irks me off though that the primary nurse can’t call her own labs and page and talk to the doctors. When I’m doing patient care I like to do all the grunt work and make all my own calls. Guess that’s one of the many differences in the Iowa nurse and the Texas nurse.

Praises for a couple in my Life Group who tried to have a baby for 8 years and gave up. Decided for adoption, had a mini mid-life breakdown and then found out they are expecting the end of June! The coolest thing about this story is that the husband had just asked the wife when the last time she heard of a miracle and she said she hadn’t in a long time. Within the week they were pregnant! God is SO good and continually answers prayers!

I have been in my current job only since August 1. So about 3 1/2 months now. Well, tomorrow my boss wants me to be the charge nurse. Now that sounds all high and exciting but it’s scary when you don’t know all the doctors, their specialities, any of the other hospitals in the state of Texas, yet alone Houston. I asked for at least a day of orientation and it was one of the hardest days I’ve had in a long time. I was charge nurse at Methodist on the weekends and even took a full patient load but things were not as hectic as they seem here.

Here’s a typical day for the charge nurse here vs at Methodist: At Methodist the charge was responsible for making sure the next shift assignments were made, talking to the staffing office to verify staffing numbers, assigning admits, handling any conflicts that may come up during the shift and taking care of 5-6 patients of their own. Here, the charpmge nurse gets report in the morning verbally from the night charge nurse on all 28 patients. She then goes around and introduces herself to all the patients and finds out what their needs are going to be for the day. She then sits with the case manager and figures out what doctors she needs to call to start the discharge procedure which takes most of the day since the doctors mostly round between 4-7pm. Getting them to call back is a nightmare. Then she is responsible for reviewing each and every lab value that comes through the printer and calls all the abnormals for the nurses. She checks all the orders entered by the unit clerk and notes each order on the kardex at the desk and in the computer. This goes on all day non-stop. She calls all the consults and here all the docs like to pad each other’s pockets so they are consulting each other up the wa-zoo. Then the doctors arrive and 7 out of 10 will usually try to yell at you for one thing or another or ask you 100 questions about each and every patient on the floor. When all that is done and the day is over, you have to report off to the night nurse and usually that takes until 8pm or later. Did I mention that the day starts for the charge nurse at 6:15-6:30? Now we don’t have our own patient load or else I’d about die, for real!

So wish me luck and say some prayers that I’ll make it through the shift and never have to do it again for a long long time!

WOW! I read my comments today and I have to say I’m certainly honored that my posts on here are touching the lives of others. I’m hearing from friends I haven’t’ heard from in years and it’s been such a blessing for me, more than I could ever tell them. Lately I’ve had what I thought was a strong friendhship, end. I’m finding out who is really going to stick it out with me and try at this long distance friendship. I’m realizing that I maybe viewed the friendship totally different than what this other party did. I’m sad to say goodbye but I’m at the point in my life that I have to let go of the destructive and hurtful things and people and surround myself with positives. The good news is that I’m reconnecting in ways I don’t even realize with old friends thanks to this blog, and on a deeper level than ever before. I guess there are more people out there than just me who go through the everyday struggles that I do and this has been a way for them to know they aren’t alone. Anyone who knows me knows I’m not one to keep my thoughts to myself! So this has not only been a great place for me to work out my thoughts but also a way to help others. Thanks to all my faithful readers! I love reading your thoughts about my posts so please continue to comment! (And remember, they are all private, for my eyes only!)