Nocturnal and more

Not only does the word nocturnal apply to me as a night shift nurse - it also applies to the raccoon living around our yard and the neighbor's yard! I don't know how long ago it was when we first saw the raccoon, but Brett was about 8 feet away from it just staring at it and she was not moving. We have occasionally spied her around during the day as well, just waddling like she owns the place. Then last Friday when we were outside doing some yard work, Brett walked into the garage to get the ladder down and there she was, on the top shelf in the front of the garage in some wire fence parts - stuck. Eventually when we walked away she found a way down and walked back to her home - under the neighbor's shed - visible from our driveway.
Today while I was downstairs folding some laundry Brett was upstairs on the couch reading. All of a sudden he yells at me to come upstairs and says, "You don't see this everyday." In our front yard was the mom raccoon and three tiny little baby raccoons. The mom was trying to herd/carry them to their new home. Anytime she would get a little far away from them, they would screech. I ran into the house to grab the camera - and here are a few of the results!
In another news story: today I was riding my bike uptown to run some errands and as I get a few blocks away from our house (to the south) there are some trucks on the road and I notice some chain link fences being put up on the east side. Turns out, for about a 3 block by maybe 2 block area they are demolishing everything, houses, trees, and are going to put up a 300 bed town house, complete with pool and parking spaces. For those of you who have been here before - the houses that are coming down are those that are really quite junky and usually have trash and beer cans and bottles on the lawn. It is kind of spooky in a way to go past there now. The houses are marked with these green stickers, windows and doors are missing, everything is vacant. Apparently it is going to be completed in 2 years. So, for the next 2 years there is going to be construction down the street. Thank goodness we don't live right across from it or I would never sleep during the day! Hopefully in the end it is an improvement to the neighborhood - because lets face it - those of you who have visited have all commented on how nice it is that we live where we do, and not 2 more blocks to the south :)
Tonight was a beautiful night out, so we made a little fire in our fire pit and enjoyed it. No pictures of that - it was too dark. Sunday we got out our bean bag toss game and played that and then grilled out with Sarah and Josh. I am loving the nicer weather! Brett is taking a few days off from school before he hits the research hard and starts his summer class. Today he golfed with a friend from school, also named Josh. Tomorrow, he has plans to work hard on putting up more dry wall in the frame around where the basement door used to be, and around the shower! Maybe when Dan and Kiki come in a few weeks, it will be complete! According to my weather bar on my web browser here it is supposed to get to a high of 89 tomorrow. I have my eye on this hammock that is sold at Menards. It is one that is on its own stand since we don't have 2 trees to put it between. You can't find it online - but it is in the store! And it is green!
Time for bed here, but what blog post would be complete without pictures of Marshy and Parker? :)

Before & After

It has been raining around here lately. A LOT. Just thought I would throw that out there.

We have lived in our house for almost 10 months now. When we moved in, the backyard was kind of disgusting. It really was. I wanted to share the before and after pictures, because we (and when I saw we, I mean mostly Brett) have put in a lot of work on this yard.

The yard was hard dirt, rocks, full of sticks, lumpy, and hardly any grass. You can see in the picture where that cage is. The previous owners took that with them and left in its spot just dirt and holes from their dogs. After a lot of work, some of which I have posted about before - we have this:
These pictures are taken just about a year apart too. I took the first one when we came and made an offer on the house last April. I just took the 2nd one today (hence the rain). The spot right in the middle that you see is where we had a fire pit this past fall. We left some bricks there and so some grass got killed. A few weeks ago, we over seeded everything and rented this flatter outer thing. HAHA. I am sure there is a proper name for it, but basically it is this big drum with water in it that you push and it flattens out dirt lumps.
We are so ready for some sunshine and warm weather around here!

April Fools

So I've been thinking of something interesting I could blog about for April Fools day, but I really don't have anything to trick anyone about. This afternoon when Brett got home from school and I was still in bed since I worked last night and we were talking, and I said: I have something to tell you....I'm pregnant. And he just kind of looks at me and goes, "what?? how did that happen?" And I just burst out laughing :) And my April Fools joke lasted 2 seconds..... no people, I am not pregnant.
Lately at work I have been having a hard time dealing with people. Not just people in general, but people who walk around with chips on their shoulders, come into work in the morning and definitely woke up on the WRONG side of the bed, people who question everything you do, people you treat others like dirt. Not just coworkers, but patients and families as well. I've struggled with how to deal with this. Being super nice and catering to their "needs" truly is exhausting. I've tried just brushing it off and not caring, which isn't working either. I can't not care. Trying to discuss the issue with the person backfired on me too. I got called "unprofessional". I've been talking to Brett about how to deal with this and just bouncing ideas off him, and praying about it. I've come up with a couple conclusions. It is not my job to please everybody - and truly no matter how hard I try, I will fail at it. Patients, family members, co workers. It will be impossible.
I cannot do this without God on my side. Trying to do something on your own without Him - does not work. Last Sunday at church we were reading from Jonah and one of the points that came up was why trials or storms in our life happen (like why God caused the storm to come up while Jonah was on the boat). He had a reason. Just like he has a reason for putting this "trial" in my life. It isn't to make me miserable or hate my situation. It is so I turn to Him and realize that I CANNOT get through this in my own way. Why did I become a nurse? What is it about my job that I love?
“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” - Dr. Seuss. While this saying is true, and I like it, it reminds me that God is the only One who matters. My life doesn't revolve around pleasing others, although that may be part of my job and what God has called me to do, it is not the end result.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30:21. This was our verse for our wedding almost 4 years ago. We are still walking and listening for His voice in guiding our everyday lives, including being at work.

Enough deep thoughts for one day!

Progress

My mom is here visiting in Illinois and while she is here we are conquering some projects I have been wanting to get finished, but needed help! One of those is my quilt that I started a couple years ago. We have made some great progress on it so far. We first had to go pick out the fabric that would be the boarders and inside strips. It is amazing how we found the perfect fabric at a totally different store than I bought the fabric for the squares.


This is the front of the quilt without any of the outside borders on yet. Next there will be a 3 inch greenish border, and then a 4 inch brown with blue border. and then the back and binding. I'll take more close up pictures later. It is looking really good!!

Also, Brett had a research symposium for graduate students at the college that mom and I went to see. He put together a poster of the research he has been working on this year so far. His poster was one of the best ones there!


When Brett tries to study or do homework, he usually has a little help from a certain someone..... who really isn't that much help at all, but is really cute!

Spring!!

Here I am sitting out on our deck with my laptop, kindle, and cell phone. All I need is my i pod and I would be electronically set. :) I was thinking about this the other day while at work, ya know, when I have time to think about things other than my patients (rarely). How spoiled I am with all the devices and "things" I have. Not only do I have the aforementioned things, we have a Wii, 2 vehicles, a PS2, a portable hardrive, USB drives, a digital camera, 2 televisions, a dvd player, Netflix, and more. We also have 2 beds, couches, tables, chairs, dishes, silverware, clothes (WAY MORE than we need), shoes, a bathroom, a shower. A HOME, running water, HEALTH. My point in saying this is in no way to brag about our "things". It is more for me - realizing that I have so much and need so little. I truly am thankful for what I do have, thankful that I have a JOB that I love (most of the time) which gives me the money to be able to buy the stuff we do have, and allows us to have health insurance to receive the medical care we need. I am thankful for my husband who has a wonderful position at the college, 4 blocks from our house and is able to get a great education while enjoying it most of the time as well.

I am thankful for my marriage of almost 4 years. CRAZY. I am thankful for my family, even though we don't see them often enough (hint hint for those of you who read this and need to come visit) :)

My mother is coming to visit next week! Whoo hoo! We will hopefully get some sewing projects done, and finish up my quilt which has been over 2 years in the making. It will also be nice to have some time off work as well.

Oh yes, and the title of this post - SPRING!! I can feel it. It has arrived. My windows are open, the fresh air has floated into the house, my bike has been out on the trails today. It is lovely.

On the homefront: We painted our guest bedroom and it is ready for guests! We did buy some "white" paint to do the baseboards and trim and doors. They are pretty beat up and gross and different shades of white/yellow/nastiness. So, that has yet to be finished. When we moved in, we took out the door to the basement because it was really just in the way. We (and by we I mean Brett) is getting around to finishing up the old door frame now by putting drywall over the holes and doing everything that is required when you put up drywall. Then, when that is done, we will paint over it yellow and over the red that is on the walls leading to the basement. Trust me, it is ugly and needs to be done. The yellow will also be done in the kitchen at some point too when we redo that. Eventually, someday, far into the future :) Read: need to save more money first. At some point we will finish up the upstairs bathroom....and then do the downstairs one as well, getting rid of the ugly green color in there and painting it a lovely purple.

We are seeing our green grass now too!!! The yard will look good once the leaves get raked (waiting for it to dry up!), and I plant some flowers and plants. Oh spring how I love you.

Time for a short nap for me before work tonight. On a funny, or not so funny note, however you want to take it - I had a patient at work this week ask me if I was expecting a baby - nope, sorry just fat. (note to self, workout more, eat less) and another patient that same night tell me that I looked so sad like my husband just left me, nope he's still here. (note to self, learn to smile more at 2 in the morning when you have been up for 20 hours). Oh the joys of being a nurse.


Adios!!

ho hum its March

Time for a rant here. I am tired of the rain and clouds! It is quite depressing. I am ready to have the windows open, the sun shining, and some green grass to mow. Although it would be Brett mowing, not me. hehe. I am ready to have bright flowers to plant, to have a dry deck to lie on and read and get some sun. Ready to ride my bike to the library and not be soaked from rain. If you haven't caught my drift - this girl needs some sun!

I've had several days off work now, and tonight will be my first night back in a bit.


See, even the kitties are needing some sun! We've got sun on the brain around here.

Pictures, Pictures and more Pictures!

I finally downloaded pictures from my camera onto the computer, and decided to share them! In December Brett turned 26 and we had a party. Okay, so it really wasn't a party. It was just the two of us, some food and some cheesecake.


Brett and Natalie at my parents house over Christmas. She is just a doll.


2 more adorable nieces! Aria and Sophie are full of smiles. :)


A blog post wouldn't be complete without a picture of Marshy. He literally will lie and sleep like this. It is hilarious.
Have I mentioned before how much I hate snow and cold? I am SO looking forward to summer and warmer weather.