whew... it's cold out there!!!

I love winter. The snow is so pretty and all the little kids are so excited. They are all bundled up with their little noses poking out and red...everyone is so happy and cheerful. We celebrate our Savior's birth... I don't know if I told you but we have decided to not celebrate Christmas in the usual fashion this year. Our wole family from both sides is going to the Great Wolf Lodge for a family reunion. There will not be a present exchange, So my husband and I decided not to put up a christmas tree, and after discussing it with everyone, we voted presents out at home as well. but last night in the middle of the night, my 9 year old daughter went into the attic and got out all the decorations and she and her friend Jane set up a christmas tree in her bedroom and hung lights allover her room. When I went up there this morning boy was I surprised. Do you think we had a mis-communication?? To add to the merriment, My family and I went to North Bend and rode the Santa Train =) We sail each summer with our friend, Tim who was a doctor in South Africa, The Netherlands, England, Newfoundland, Nebraska and Washington. He is retired and we have a lot of fun together, sailing and hiking and going to the beach and museums. Well, he lives on lake Union, next to an author who invites us to ride the Santa Train each December. When we get together we sing Christmas carols, and drink cocoa and talk to santa and snack on cookies and catch up on all the news since we saw each other last. What a day, it is so nice to spend time with friends and family. After we got home, my husband and I decided that next weekend we will put up a tree in the front room so Gracie doesn't have to do it alone in her bedroom...

apology

okay so I admit I may have come across a bit gruff and I want to appologize and ask for forgiveness. In my last blog I began to rant and now I feel guilty for being so nasty. I am really stressed out, I would usually keep my ugly comments to myself. please read my blog attached to Mila's last post

how has this blogging helped me??

hmmm, well to be quite honest, I really do not like blogging. I think it is just something I have to do to pass a class, much like anything else---like reading a book or listening to a lecture but I don't get much out of blogging. Mostly because we have to blog on specific things and I am not much of a deep thinker so a lot of the time I am just kinda saying "WHAT...?...?.....? and I am without a single word on the subject. Then there comes the times where we have to blog on what someone else has to say. If I don't have time to blog in the first place or email like I like to, how do I have time to read somone elses blog?? REALLY, NOW. Have I mentioned that this last summer when I was saying my good byes to all my family and friends that I apologized early?? I told them I would be busy and may not be able to visit with them but just know it's only temporary and I do love them, I am just focusing on school...I am pretty busy with just studying and being a mom and wife. I guess what I have gotten out of this is patience in doing things I don't really like. I can tolerate it and will do it because it is assigned to me.

technology

Working in the hospital and attending NU helped me to realize just how important technology is. I have also experienced the frustration of having it. Like when you go to clinicals and you cannot chart because the computers are down, or when you want to renew your license and they aren't able because of a glich in the computer that says you are not old enough, or when you hear yet another sad story about how somebody has had their identity stolen. I do know the importance of it all and how far we have come, too. Technology has greatly influenced healthcare--- medications can be managed between the pharmacy and the nurse through the medication administration record (MAR), and a doctor can look at a patients chart via his computer from his beach house 300 miles away... what about all the machines they use for screening and performing procedures? It takes lots of education and training to operate them. Speaking of education and devices, I don't know how I ever lived without my laptop and cell phone. I don't and have not ever lived close to my family and because of computers and cell phones, I can talk with my mom every morning over a cup of tea, and I email my sister and nieces and cousins, and we send pictures and prayers.... Technology is a wonderful thing even though it's a pain in our neck once in awhile.

why are we doing this??

Today's discussion in Social issues fired me up. I just cannot fathom being in the medical field for anything more than to fill a deep desire to help others. Working in a free clinic, helping those who cannot afford health care, who do not have the resources to obtain medication, supplies, treatments, assistive devices---this is my heart's desire. I just want to help people who cannot help themselves. I understand where they are and I know there is help out there, you just have to know where to turn and who to ask. I would be proud to work in a public clinic. I want to be that resource person. I don't have the words to explain how passionately I feel about this issue. I was surprised to hear people are ashamed to go to a clinic, that their pride holds them back---and even shocked to hear that they recieve substandard care when they go to one of those type of facilities. Having a heart for nursing is a God-given talent and we should deliver care to all as if we were doing it for Jesus. Everyone of us is someone He loves and who He died for...I couldn't have said it better when I said I live under a rock. In my small world, I see things much differently than most and it saddens me.

a heart for nursing

I wanted to share this with you. I had a pt the other day who is an owner of a retirement home. Her brother told me a lot about her. Apparently she was the kind of person who spent her whole life caring for others. She looked into the hearts of people and looked for caring individuals to work at the center she own. She often hired people who were new to our country, she would pay their husbands to work as maintenance men or land scapers, painters, drivers ... And the women, she hired to work as Aides and then she would go on to help them with school to persue a career in nursing. She would buy their kids school clothes, supplies and shoes and help them any way she could until they got on their feet. Some of those people stayed and worked for her 20 or 30 years. Now she is sick and needing care and has so many people there for her, supporting her through her illness. She looks at a person's heart and spirit and hires them according to the feeling she gets from them--are they doing this because they just need a job, or do they really care about people and want to help them. Her story reminded me how we can be missionaries wherever we are,, everyday of our lives. She really impressed me. she also said she has worked with NU for many years and is quite impressed with the nurses from BSON !!

"What's that mean???"

I decided to get a tattoo on my wrist so when I hold out my hand to someone, they will see it and ask me "What's that mean?"....... I thought When I heard those words, I could say...
"N O T W" and then I would go on to tell them how it represents my religion. Well, today, while I was at the hospital---it happened. "What is that diddy on your wrist??" he asked....
I said, "what?? Oh, it means not of the world" and I walked out before he could say anything else. So I prayed and asked God what happened, I had rehearsed this so many times and I just missed my chance. I was bummed and wished I had what it takes to be bold, I got this stinkin tattoo and I don't even use it. Well, I had to go back in the room a few minutes later and the guy said to me "it's a shame, we can't talk about that" and he pointed to my wrist. I was stunned! Okay, Lord, THANK YOU, I thought... and then I said.... we can talk about it. It is from the bible when Jesus says we should be in the world but not of the world. And then we talked about Christianity and what it means to be a believer in Jesus. A very cool moment for me, I thought I would share with ya all how I lived out my faith while nursing today :)