Saturday thoughts

YES!  We have got the windows opened up and fresh air blowing through the house.  I can feel Fall approaching and I'm LOVING it.  It is my all time favorite time of the year.  The weather is cool and crisp and the leaves start falling and it's just perfect.  If it could be October or November all year long, I'd be thrilled!

Last night, this little town was a hoppin'.  The rodeo started and there was a softball tournament and football games going on across the street in the school complex.  We had one girl at a friends house and then added two more girls to our house when a couple of the softball players stayed at our house for the night.  I've always wanted to be the house that all the kids friends like to hang out at and since moving here, it seems that is the case.  The girls have flourished so much since moving and I just love this community!

School days

These are my girls on Friday, which was the first day of school.  This year is a big step for our family...all three girls are in middle school...no more elementary school for us.  Meghan, in the middle, is in 6th grade now, and Gabi, on the left, and Abby, on the right, are in 7th grade.

Life is about to get super busy.  The twins are playing softball and Abby is cheering for the 7th grade football team...in addition, all three girls are playing in the band, so I'm sure there will be band events to go to...I know the fall fundraisers are about to start up...yay....NOT.

School for me is no more...I've withdrawn from my BSN program...it was just too much with everything else going on.  I couldn't focus on the work and deadlines and not be stressed out.  Maybe I'll take it back up somewhere down the road.

I'm looking forward to the high school football games...love cheering for our team.....

Settling in

It's been since April 7th since I've last posted on Blogger.  I can't even begin to tell you how busy and hectic life has been.  Well, I'm failing one of my nursing courses for the first time due to lack of time to do the assignments...I know I'm on facebook, etc, but these are assignments that entail hours and hours of focus and frankly I just don't have focus the last month or so.  I've got to find it again, or I'm not going to be able to complete  my program in time.

We are officially moved to our new home now and settling in little by little.  Boxes are being unpacked, pictures and what nots are being hung on the walls, and it is starting to feel like home.  Still, there are so many more boxes to get unpacked and things to go through...the city wide yard sale is August 6th so I think I'm going to try and purge a lot of stuff then.

The girls have had so much fun at camp with church this year.  I have to say that the church we have been going to is amazing and so involved in the lives of the children.  It feels so good to know that the girls are enjoying their new home and new friends. 

So, I think I'm going to try and blog a lot more often and take a lot more pictures.  I don't think I'll ever get caught up with the 365 project, so I'll just post random pics that I take instead.  I really want to start playing more with my camera and trying out new things.  I love taking pictures and feel like I've lost that love over the last few months, but want to find it again and start capturing more of those moments in our life.

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Another of Abby's self portraits

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A close of view of one of the baby bulls in the backyard..."T-bone"

Back to Blogger land!

Wow, it's been since January 28th that I posted a blog...that's insane.  I've had so much going on that I've slacked on pictures, on blogs, on everything.  I'm going to try to post some pics I've taken the last few months and maybe get a little caught up...sorry for being such a slacker.

In the middle of February, my husband took a new job as a police officer in Prague, Oklahoma.  That meant a relocation for our family and packing up a house and all that it entails.  It was completely stressful and hard, but it was a good move.  I found a dream job in a hospital in Shawnee Oklahoma working in the Women's Center in Labor and Delivery!  It was the position I longed for the entire time I was in nursing school...it's been two years since finishing nursing school with my RN, but I've now landed that dream job and plan on staying here as long as I can.

The kids have done really well with switching schools and making new friends.  All three girls are playing softball and the twins are in the school band and Abby even made middle school cheerleader for next year.  It looks like they are going to be happy where we are.  We are staying with my parents right now, while we await a rental house in town.  It's been great to spend time with my family, but it will be nice to get settled in our own home soon too.

So, I'll be posting some pics from the last few months...maybe I'll be up to date soon....

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"Oklahoma Sky"

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"Homemade biscuits"

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One of my textbooks from my current course-

"Spiritual Care of the Client"

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I'm behind!!!! Ack!!!

My 12 year old daughter and her new Digger purple cast

(We live in Wilburton OK and the school name is the Wilburton Diggers

purple is their school color)

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The Path

Taken at Robber's Cave State Park, Wilburton OK Fall 2008

Sorry I'm playing catch up and posting some of my favorite photos...then I'll get back into the picture a day like I should be.

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The Chair

Taken in July 2009 at Garden City Beach, SC

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Sparks

This photo was actually taken back in the Fall during a bonfire with the high school football team. 

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My Abby

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Sunday, Sunday

I haven't blogged in a few days and have just felt kind of "blah" lately.  I have a few pics in the camera that I'm going to upload for the 365 project in a bit...they aren't the greatest or super artistic, but day to day shots.  I haven't had the gumption to get out and *look* for some neat shots..the bitter cold we've been experiencing here in Oklahoma (cold for us) has kept us all in the house and on each other's nerves.

I finished my latest class in my BSN program...it was Theoretical Nursing and boy was it hard to get through...not in the least bit interesting.  The next course in the cohort starts tomorrow and it is "Spiritual Care of the Client" and I'm really looking forward to this course.  We have to keep a journal on our own personal spiritual journey and look into the differences between spirituality and religion, as well as the various religions and the different health beliefs that patients might have.  Only one more year left in this program and I'll have my bachelor's and can look toward beginning a nurse practitioner program...

For the first time in a long time I actually went grocery shopping for more than just that night...I got groceries for the next two weeks with plans for different dinners...no coming home after work wondering what I'll have to go pickup for dinner....its not the perfect plan, but it's a start.  I'd like to start thinking ahead and making menus and living more *frugally*....baby steps, Sonya, baby steps.

I also need to start making plans to declutter and deep clean my house...it's gotten *way* out of control and needs some major attention.  I need to stop looking at it and thinking I can't do it perfectly so I'm not even going to begin, and just start doing a little at a time and making *some* progress...before they call "Hoarders" and a tv crew shows up at my house!

Ok, off to get the camera and look at the pics and see what's on there...

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Ok, this picture was taken with my camera phone..sorry, but it was so cute and I didn't have my Rebel with me.

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Sorry, but this was *not* taken today...I've had another migraine and so I'm pulling it from my files...it was taken the day after Christmas in my parents' backyard...

Fences

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Seconds to Go

(We were the Guests)

01.05.2010....morning, ugh.

I will happily admit that I am *not* a morning person...never have been and suspect that I never will be.  I hate getting out of a warm, comfortable bed when I'm sleeping well and dreaming.  There's something about that blaring alarm that just makes for a horrible start to the day.  It also doesn't help that my weekday mornings begin by waking up three pre teen girls that are not morning people either....the bus comes way too early and it's hard to motivate another person to get ready this early, when you don't even want to be up yourself...know what I mean?

Today's agenda at work entails a big cup of coffee and a lingering wake up time....then two patients to see in the morning and four in the afternoon.  Two of my daughters have basketball games in the neighboring town and I'll be in that town after seeing patients, so I may swing by and see their games at the end of the day.

Well, it's time to get the cattle prod out..I think I hear the bus coming down the street....

01.04.2010

I have managed to crawl out of the depths of a gripping migraine, sick stomach and a dark room thanks to the help of my friend Excedrin Migraine and a short nap.  Not much to blog about tonight as I'm still feeling dizzy and just not thinking well enough to express anything worth reading.  Got my 365 Project photo posted...:)

Tomorrow is another day!

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Today's Best Friend

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To Protect and Serve

01-03-10...

Sunday, sunday.....it was an excellent day!  We got up and went to Sunday school and church and then out to lunch as a yummy Mexican restaurant in town with my inlaws and a couple from church.  It was so good and filled me up all day....cheese enchilada and tamale and beans and rice...

After lunch, we came home and I took a good long Sunday afternoon nap, then up and back to evening service.  I was sure that lightening was going to strike the church building when I showed up for a second time in one day!

So I didn't put a lot of thought into my 365 project photo today..I looked around the house for something to catch my eye and captured something that means a lot to me....it's a photo of my husbands uniform with his badge...I'll post it in a bit!

Back to work tomorrow...kids up at 6am to catch the bus at 7am and then me to work at 8!  We have a new branch supervisor coming in to the office tomorrow and then I have at least four patients to see tomorrow afternoon.  Ken has a second job interview with a Police Department about 2 hours from here and it sounds very promising...which means moving and job hunting for me and the girls starting at a new school.  Big changes for our family could be on the horizon...

Until tomorrow!

01-02-2010 - Forwards and backwards...a great day

So today was a lazy Saturday...we watched "The Proposal" with Sandra Bullock and it was a really funny movie.  I love Sandra Bullock movies...I think we're going to watch "Yes Man" next.  We bought the movie when we went on vacation to South Carolina in July, and the kids watched it while we were on the road, but Ken and I have never gotten a chance to watch it.  It's that, or continue to watch an NCIS marathon-I think it's my husband's "soap opera".  :)

I went out to try and get some pictures to pick from for the 365 Project this evening.  I had already taken the one of my coffee this morning just in case, but thought I might be able to get a good shot of my puppy outside.  He is super rambunctious, and although I did get a couple of good shots out of the tons I took, I still chose the coffee shot.  It's what gets me going in the morning...and I loved that I captured the swirls in the cup.

Tomorrow is church.  Although I am a believer and a very spiritual person, we haven't been going to church regularly in a long time.  We've talked about getting back into church, but keep coming up with excuses for why we don't go.  One of the girls goes to our church with my in laws, but we really need to start going again..so tomorrow we go.  Hopefully the first of many days back in church.  It will be good for us and good for the kids.

Dinner tonight...probably sausage gravy and biscuits...after the movie that is....gotta run.

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Coffee swirls

Visit the 365 Project

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Faded Rose

Visit the  365 Project

Happy New Year 2010

Wow...first day of a new decade...so much to look forward to, so much to strive for.  I know we can't change all of our eating habits in one day, but the fact that I actually *cooked* dinner tonight is a good start...a homemade supper is always a good thing.  The girls even helped with folding some laundry that was needing attention, and I got my kitchen a little cleaner than it usually is.  Boy, sounds like I don't do anything around the house, but it's more of a letting things go and feeling overwhelmed than anything.  Working full time outside the home and doing my schoolwork at night and still trying to keep up with the kids activities keeps me busy and tired.

Things I'd like to see happen this year:  eating better, exercising more, reading more of my Bible, going to church more often, being more available for my kids, keeping up with the house chores, having a beautiful yard once the winter is over...and so much more that I can't list them all right now.

I'm also looking forward to participating in the 365 project and taking a picture a day for the whole year.  I know I take the equivalent of more than a picture a day throughout the year, but a picture a day to stretch my imagination and get me to using my camera on a regular basis is inviting.  I've got this awesome camera and I know I don't use it to the best of its capability.  So, today I start trying new techniques and looking for interesting subjects.

All right...off to walk the first 30 minutes on the treadmill of the new year!!