A Little Game

In the last couple of weeks, I have been tagged by several people in the 11 questions game. Since I am a major slacker, I am just now getting around to answering some questions. Shocking, I know. The ones below are from Cassie. 

1) If you could find out the exact day and time you were going to die, would you do it?

- Definitely not. That would scare me more than comfort me, especially if I found out that I died young. I'll leave that knowledge up to the Lord!

2) Your first childhood memory?

- I remember eating breakfast with my brother and sister and dumping a bowl of cereal on my head to get my mom's attention. Let's just say I'll never live that story down. 

3) If failure wasn't possible, what would you accomplish?

- Realistically, I don't think I would do anything differently. I have gone after my dreams and goals. Thinking in big terms, though, I'd cure every disease in the world (because I hate sickness) and win American Idol. Talent + brains. 

4) One song you could listen to for the rest of your life?

- After this last month, it would definitely be "I Will Carry You" by Selah.

5) You have a life altering disease. You'll either lose your hearing or your sight. Choose one. Why?

- Obviously I'd rather lose neither. I guess I'd say sight if I had to choose. I can't imagine not being able to hear my husband's/family's/friend's voices ever again. 

6) You've just hit the lotto. How do you spend it?

- I'd use some for us to buy land and build a house in the country. I'd give money to my mom for her to open up the animal shelter that she's always wanted to have...it makes her sick that animals have to be put to sleep because of lack of space. Family and friends would get their share. I would play "Secret Santa" with the rest of the winnings...paying for people's bills/groceries/etc randomly. I think anonymous gifting is a great way to use our blessings to glorify the Lord!

7) Would you break the law to protect/save someone you loved?

- It would definitely depend on the situation. I wouldn't lie about an alibi if someone I loved had committed a crime. I'm pretty much a goody two shoes, by the books kind of girl. If their life was truly in danger, then I'd consider it. : )

8) You can only bring 5 items to a deserted island. What are they?

- Bible, chapstick, husband, lighter, cell phone.

9) Summer or winter?

- Totally winter. Granted, our winters are mild compared to what most of y'all go through, but I love the cold weather. Louisiana summers are difficult to deal with.

10) Top three pet peeves?

- Slow drivers, people who don't do their job, dishonesty.

11) Why can you never find a pen and a piece of paper when you desperately need them?

- I always have a pen on me and I've learned to write on basically anything that's available. I think it's the nurse in me...gotta write things down to chart later!

Now it's y'alls turn. 

Answer these questions on your own...or just leave a few answers in a comment! 

When Life is Hard

I'll be honest, the last few days have been pretty rough. 

I'm still dealing with our miscarriage, and then on top of that several friends of mine have suffered tragedies lately. A friend found out that her baby has a condition where he likely won't live past two years of age and a friend from college had a miscarriage. Then a coworker of mine found out that she has brain cancer that has already metastasized to multiple places in her body. They are saying she only has months to live...she's in her early 40s with five kids under the age of 18. 

Everything coupled together just seemed to overwhelm me and my heart felt so heavy. I had one of those moments where I just thought...Why God? I didn't doubt Him or that He still reigns on His throne, but my heart was aching and I needed the comfort that only He can provide. I know that the world is sinful and the devil is active and bad things have to happen, but I definitely still don't really understand why. And I was struggling with that the last few days. 

I've spent a lot of time in prayer and am really starting to feel a peace in my heart again, but that doesn't make any of the above situations any less painful. I don't know why this world has to be so hard and devastating at times, but I do know that God wants us to be with Him in Heaven eternally...and there is NO pain and NO hurt there, NO tears and NO devastation there. 

And I guess today I'm just feeling really grateful that there is a Heaven waiting for me. I honestly don't know how people get through life without the Lord and His love and promise of an eternal life.

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She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not

I'm joining in Michaela's link up today, sharing a few things that I'm loving right now...andddd a few things that I'm not loving. Hop on over to her blog and play along!

LOVING:

- Morning snuggles with the hubs.

- A scary good Lifetime movie.

- Finding new clothes to wear. 

Recent trip to Marshalls.

- Double stuffed oreos. (Maybe this should be on the not loving list actually!)

- Draw Something. Yes, I'm addicted now.

- Colored skinny jeans.

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- TV obsessions: Dance Moms, The Voice, Grey's Anatomy.

- Being able to wear flip flops.

- When I cook and it actually tastes good.

Meatball subs we had last week. Yum.

- This song for what I'm going through right now.

NOT LOVING:

- That it will soon be summer and HOT. Louisiana summers are not fun.

- Mosquitoes. They're baaaaaaack.

- Having to go to bed early. I'm such a night owl.

- That all the good food is fattening. So unfair.

- That I haven't seen my BFF Michaela since our visit in September!

Anything in particular on your love/not love list?

Sometimes and Always #17

Sometimes: I am super duper emotional. I cried with Courtney when she cried last night. Eeks. 

Always: I chalk it up to being a woman. Right?

Sometimes: I think Sonic should pay me for all the free advertisement. 

Always: I would be up for a "free drinks forever" reward.

Sometimes: I get tired of Pinterest. Ahhhh, I said it. 

Always: I still think it's really useful for some things.

Sometimes: I cook dinner and it's actually tasty.

Always: When that happens, I expect balloons and streamers to fall from the ceiling.

Shrimp Alfredo. Recipe here. Super easy, super delicious.

Sometimes: I am embarrassed at the tv shows that come from Louisiana. 

Always: They make me laugh...and feel glad to be normal.

Sometimes: I say that I'm not going to make dessert.

Always: I end up caving...we love having a little late night snack!

Chocolate chip muffins.

Sometimes: I am super flattered when people ask me to guest post for them.

Always: I usually wait until the last minute to write them. Oops. 

Grab the button on my sidebar and link up! 

The Keyword Crazies

We are all guilty of running to Google for answers frequently...let's face it, it's a lifesaver. I like to think that my Google searches are somewhat normal and sane. I cannot, however, say the same about the people who do keyword searches that lead to my blog. It's part hilarious, part unreal. 

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Let's review the top 10 keyword searches for my blog, shall we?

1) "Pee in pants fails" - why yes, I did share a story once about peeing in my pants and failing at trying to cover it up. I was in first grade. That makes it okay.

2) "Impurity and lust" - really? I try to avoid this...really, I do.

3) "What does a Stepford wife look like" - certainly not me, since I rarely cook or shave my legs. : )

4) "Go to bed" - is that an order? And why would you Google that?

5) "Wife yelling at husband" - hey now, I don't yell. I go silent and pout. I'm mature. 

6) "Ate until I couldn't move" - oh yes, I have been there. Usually daily. Email me, friend.

7) "Cute men eating pizza" - let's leave my husband out of this, okay? I know he's cute.

8) "I have wrinkly hands" - I do. I'm not ashamed. It's called nursing and way too much handwashing.

9) "Google random things and see what comes up" - this blog is random, that's for sure. Maybe you should find something more productive to do with your time. Just sayin'. 

and the best one ever.........

10) "Learn how to work a pole" - hear ye, hear ye...in my defense, my husband is a fireman and one time (just once!) I posted about sliding down the pole at his station. Geeze Louise. Nothing gets forgotten on the internet.

With my blog bestie Michaela!

Have y'all looked at your keyword searches yet? If not, I highly recommend it. They are pretty hilarious! And actually pretty scary, thinking that those people function in the world. Yikes. 

Springing Forward aka Rain

This weekend has been a lazy one for us, mostly because it has been raining constantly. We actually climbed into bed at 9 last night...and it was pretty nice. Who knew that getting more than 6 hours of sleep makes you feel like a brand new person? 

Dreary weather.

Mom, we're bored.

One side bedhead, one side straightened.

Hello, shoes.

A little Sonic. (bracelet from Fetch)

Going casual to church.

A little Easter happiness.

And now our Sunday consists of rain, Lifetime and chocolate chip cookies. It's a good day.

Little Letters

Dear puppies: sometimes I wish that y'all were still this little, except then y'all would be peeing all over and chewing the furniture again, so maybe I like y'all grown up. Dear patients in the ER: please be good to me today. Lifetime kept me up late last night. Dear Lifetime: no more late nights on a work day, please. Dear husband: thank you for cleaning the house top to bottom. You are so good to me. I owe you, but don't get any big ideas. Dear Girl Scout cookies: y'all are evil. Please stop. Dear Lysol wipes: thank y'all for existing and allowing me to wipe down every single thing I can think of. Y'all give me peace of mind. Dear chipped nails: I really appreciate y'all chipping within one day of me taking the time to paint y'all. Now y'all get to stay chipped all weekend. Take. That.

Linking up with the lovely Ashley.

Date Night

The hubs and I had a romantic little date night a couple of nights ago. I mean, yes we were in shorts and t-shirts and went to a rowdy Mexican restaurant, but that can be romantic, right? : )

Even though we ate three five rounds of chips and salsa, date night didn't end there! We went for ice cream, shared some kisses (and maybe more...ha!) and gave the pups a little treat. 

Date night: complete. 

One Month

One month ago today, we found out that we lost our beloved baby. 

To say that it has been a rough month would be an understatement. There has been so much heartbreak and tears, and yet somehow in the midst of all that God has brought us comfort and restoration. We are blessed to know that our baby resides in heaven with the Lord. I fully believe that the devil works hard to sway us, but we refuse to believe his lies. We know that God works all things for our good and we choose to trust in Him, even when it isn't easy. Our goal is to glorify Him, through the good and the bad. 

I cannot even begin to thank y'all enough for all the love and support that y'all have thrown our way. From the comments to the emails to the care packages, y'all have blessed us time and time again. We are so forever grateful and encouraged because of y'all. 

We love and miss you, baby. 

Sometimes and Always #16

Sometimes: I am a bad driver...I tail people and speed. 

Always: I get freaked out when someone honks at me and I think they are going to shoot me.

Sometimes: I think I'm like a little girl still in love with pink.

Always: Pink makes me happy. 

My desk at work.

Sometimes: I watch Golden Girls. 

Always: I've seen every episode, but I still laugh at them. 

Sometimes: I don't understand why people are so scared of marriage.

Always: I'm so thankful that I'm in a happy marriage. 

Sometimes: I get tired of reading about dieting, working out and eating healthy on blogs.

Always: I feel like a bad person for the above statement. Haha. 

Sometimes: I mean to call my friends more often.

Always: I end up texting them instead. 

Share your Sometimes/Always thoughts, grab the button on my sidebar and link up with us!

Weekend Snippets

Weather in the 70s + best friend in town + hubs and I both off + brand new highlighted hair + eating until we can't breathe = a pretty perfect weekend, if I do say so myself. 

Here's a few other things that happened:

- Highlights. I can be seen in public again since my roots have been banished.

- Cherry limeade. Let's be honest, this happens every day, not just on the weekends.

- Spring clothes shopping. It was a massive failure.

- Friskiness. The pups were loving the nice weather.

- Pattern mixing. I busted out the Christmas pajamas...just because. 

After a weekend like this, I feel ready to face the week and those evil early mornings. 

Linking up with Jenni today. 

From the Mouths of Patients

 In case you are new here, I am a nurse in the Emergency Department and the craziness never ends. A few days ago, a coworker and I started talking about the weirdest/funniest things that patients have ever said to us. I decided that some of these needed to be shared...with the blog, of course. 

Please enjoy.  : )

Patient: "I've been having diarrhea for a few days and I think I have stomach cancer. I caught some of the diarrhea in a cup and brought it for y'all to test. (tries to hand nurse cup) Here." 

Patient: "I've been having nausea and I think I'm pregnant."

Nurse: "Okay, when was your last menstrual cycle?"

Patient: "I think about 5 months ago. See, I'm pregnant right now."

Nurse: "So you know that you are pregnant?"

Patient: "Yeah, they said I was 5 months pregnant, but I think I got pregnant again because I'm so nauseated. Can y'all check and see if there are two babies now?"

Patient: "I had a seizure because I couldn't afford to get my medicine filled."

Doctor: "How do you afford your cigarettes?"

Patient: "Well I had to make a choice and I didn't want to have nicotine withdrawals."

Patient: "My butt is hurting."

Nurse: "When did that start?"

Patient: "After I tripped down the stairs."

Nurse: "Okay, are you having any other symptoms?"

Patient: "Well, I think when I fell I landed on a shot glass and now it's stuck in my butt."

And I think that's probably enough for today. 

Y'all are welcome.  

Friday's Letters

Dear husband, I'm really glad that you watched American Idol with me last night, even though you made fun of every single person and talked really loud to where I had to crank the volume up. Dear computer, you have been running really slow lately and I'm worried. Are you feeling okay? Do you have a virus? Dear baked ravioli, thank you for being so utterly delicious last night. We nearly devoured the whole pan. Dear hot pink nail polish, something about you just makes me really really happy. And I love it. Those other colors just don't have the same oomph. Dear brownies in cookie shape, I've never tried you before, but I'm looking forward to debuting you this weekend. Please be delicious. My best friend is coming in and you know how we like to eat. Dear strawberry fanta, can you please stop being so yummy? I don't like drinking my calories. Dear diet coke, we are done. You just don't taste the same anymore. I'm sorry. Thanks for all the good years together. 

Anyone else thinking that chick looks a little creepy? Just me? Okay, cool.

My best friend is coming in town this weekend and we are headed on a double date tonight. I'm super excited because I've been trying to get her to move here since, oh I don't know, the moment I moved here. : )

What are y'all up to this weekend? 

I'm linking this post up with the pretty Ashley for Friday's Letters. 

Letter to Husband

I opened up a blank page because my heart felt heavy and I knew that there were words that I needed to write. Within minutes these words were tumbling out...and it felt good let them flow. Sometimes it's good to hold the emotions in and feel them. Sometimes it's good to release them. So that's today. A release. 

To my husband:

via Brandon O'Neal Photography

via Brandi Smyth Photography

I can still remember the day that we exchanged vows. It seems as though it was yesterday and a lifetime ago all at once, and yet the happiness that I felt then, I still feel now. I look at you and know that this is meant to be...this is that true God intended love. On that day, we promised to love each other throughout our entire lives, the sick and healthy, the good and bad. We had no idea what life would throw our way, but we knew that we wanted to face it together. I met you and I knew that I had found my God-given other half.

I can still remember those words...they echo around my head at random moments throughout the day. "No heartbeat." "Baby didn't make it." They are like vines that twist around my neck, trying to slowly strangle the breath from me. But then I remember you...and the way that the floor went out from beneath me when we found out that our baby was gone, but somehow I was still standing because of your support. With your hand in mine and another on my back, we faced our worst fear. Sometimes those moments in the doctor's office are crystal clear...and sometimes I can't remember any of them. But I always know that you were my strength during those moments. You held me and comforted me and I don't think I could have walked a step without you. I feel like I would have suffocated from the sorrow and the pain, but you breathed for me when I couldn't, with a touch, a tear, a hug and a prayer. You picked me up at my lowest.

And you are still my comfort and my strength, taking care of me and putting my needs first. You understand when I need to randomly burst into tears and when I want to lay in bed and bask in my sorrows. And you lay with me...and you whisper everything and nothing...and somehow it all seems better when I realize that I am going through this with you. And knowing that your strength comes from the Lord, makes it all even more perfect...to know that together we give our hearts to the only one who sustains us. 

And I think it's good sometimes, that we can't see the punches that are coming our way. Because I think that maybe if I saw what was coming, I wouldn't be able to face it. I'd try to turn and run. But instead, we live and we fight through the storm as it comes, trusting that God will never leave us. I'm so glad that I get to ride this "lifeboat" with you, under the lead of our Captain, as He guides us and revives us, wave after wave. 

I love you. So much. 

Moments of Pause

I got something in the mail yesterday and it was exactly what I needed at the moment. 

Sent by my dear friend Leisha. Etsy shop here. Thank you so much!

I love this verse for its simplicity. 

Be still. That is something that we can all do and something that I have been trying to do lately. In those moments at work, at the grocery store or at home when I don't think I can breathe for one more second...I pause and remember this verse. 

I can hear Him in my head..."I am God. I love you. I am here. Let me help."

Have you paused to listen to Him lately?

Sometimes and Always #15

Sometimes: I wish that I could sing. 

Always: I remember that I have ZERO singing ability. More like negative ability.

Sometimes: I think my other two pups get a little jealous of Diesel. 

Always: I love them just as much...promise. ; )

Radar

Cashmere

Sometimes: My husband refuses to watch my favorite shows.

Always: He will watch Sweet Home Alabama...he's a good ole country boy!

Sometimes: Work gets a little bit crazy.

Always: We get fun/hyper/delirious in the crazy times.

Doing "the claw." Liar Liar, anyone?

Sometimes: I pick the split ends off my hair.

Always: It freaks people out. Get over it, people!

Sometimes: I'm the obnoxious wife who slaps her husband's butt. 

Always: He enjoys it. And I do, too. : )

Country cutie. 

And guess what y'all? There's a new button for the link up this week! Thanks, Meg! Feel free to grab the code from my sidebar and link up!

Lessons from a Pit Bull

Diesel is my sweet pit bull puppy. He is a momma's boy and pretty much holds the key to my heart. 

I figured he could teach us all a few life lessons today...plus he's just too stinking cute not to show off!

- Sometimes lookin' good takes a lot of work.

- You may start out as the little guy...

- ...but with hard work (and eating a lot of dog food) you become the big dog.

- Don't be embarrassed to lean on your family for support. 

- Go out of your way to say hello to the neighbors. 

- Working (aka chewing toys) is pretty tough work.

- Sometimes life deals you a rough hand. 

- Everyone needs a little sunlight. 

- Sometimes you gotta let your parents clean up your mess. 

- Don't be afraid to do things a little different than everyone else.

- Sometimes you gotta make a scene to get noticed.

Isn't my sweet little boy so cute?! 

He always manages to make me laugh and put a smile on my face. I think that's why God made pets...because they really do bring so much joy into life. Granted, they shed and make a huge mess sometimes, but they are always there when you need them.