GiViNg ThAnKs.......

I made it home last night for the thanksgiving holiday. Since I have to work on Christmas, I was completely and totally blessed that I am off until next Monday and got to come home for THanksgiving! This really is my favorite holiday because I just love the traditions my family has. We always get up and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and then get ready and go to Tazewell, where both of my grandmothers are. WE spend the day there, having lunch and dinner with my amazing aunts, uncles and cousins. At my mom's mother's, the ORIGINAL Lenore ;), everyone goes around and write what they are thankful for on this big poster board and we refelect on the events of each person in the fam for that year. I love doing this b/c we pull out the ones from the years past and see how much we have changed or grown up.
So, in preparation for tomorrow, this is what I AM THANKFUL FOR...........

• THe amazing love of Christ Jesus
• My wonderful parents, Ryan and Jenny and my amazing grandmothers
• The close group of friends I walked away from college with.. I couldn't live w/o these girls
• My Jonathan
• The educational opporunities I have been afforded
• My job, which I am starting to love
• Getting to come HoMe SwEeT HoMe
• Drinking coffee and watching the today show
• Long afternoon walks and dinner dates with my roomates
• Watching the Hills and getting take out with Hay and Meg... LOVE IT!
• Grey's nights with the girls
• Starbucks at Christmas time and Weigel's cappucino

SOme are more lighthearted than others, but I have so very much to be thankful for..... Remember to count your blessings tomorrow and don't forget to eat ALOT!... :) Happy Thanksgiving 2007

Cooking time with Lindsay

Tonight I hosted a thanksgiving dinner at my apartment for my RN supper club. These are girls that I graduated from nursing school with these girls and each month we get together for dinner. I love my time spent with them because we get to talk about the joys and difficulties of nursing. These girls are dear to my heart.
Preparing everything for dinner was most enjoyable to me! I felt like my mom, who cooks like no one else can. I see more and more everyday how she impacts the way I do things. For example, I went to get some gerbera daises for the dinner, just because she makes sure to have fresh flowers when having guests. While I don't think I will ever be able to do things as good as she does, I certainly will try to... I sure do have a long way to go! As my roomate taught me tonight, don't make a dish without the recipe!

the Calm AFTER the Storm....

This weekend, I experienced the calming power of Jesus. In light of Jonathan's wreck on Thursday, I was made all too aware of the fragility of life. I barely slept a wink Thursday night and I was on edge seeing how anxious Jonathan was when we were in the car on Friday. I watched him like a hawk all weekend while we were with his family in Huntsville. I went to a shower and went shopping with his mom and sister all day; all the while, I kept thinking, what if he has a sever headache, blurred vision, etc... My nursing mind was playing against me.
In church today, the pastor discussed God's Amazing Grace. My eyes were opened to what I had failed to do: Rely on God. I prayed a prayer and in that instant, felt a calming sense of peace. The Lord had his hand on Jon and on me last Thursday. We are never guaranteed tomorrow, but we are guaranteed God's presence and with that, we can surely make it through anything. Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound!

Puting things into Perspective....

Have you ever had your life flash in front of you? Have you ever thought of going through life without the love of your life?
Today, I had to think about both of these questions because Jonathan was a pretty serious wreck. He was hit head on and when he got out of the car, he fell to the ground. He called 911, then me. All I head was, "I'm on the hill, Bleeding, HURRY!"When I got to him, he was laying on the pavement with a puddle of blood around his head. Immediately all my nursing sense left me and I was speechless. Looking at him soaked in blood is an image I will never forget. I have never felt as scared as I did at that moment. I knew I had to stay strong for him. I applied pressure to his head until the paramedics got there. I was fine until they put him in a neck brace and onto a stretcher. He told me he loved me and would see me at the ER. As I watched them put him in the ambulance, I lost it and started crying.
Luckily someone drove me to the hospital and when I got to him, he was much more calm than when I'd left him. I had to give everyone his insurance info and all that. The nurse was asking him all kinds of questions and then asked for his emergency contact. When he said me and gave them my number, I started to tear up. This made me realize just how important we are to eachother. He is my best friend, the love of my life and someone I can't imagine going through life without.
After stiches, a CT scan and 4 hours in the ER, we left and went to Jon's last Football game. Yes, it was senior night and he was unable to play. I think that was hard for him, but certainly miniscule compared to the events of the day.
When I lay my head to bed tonight, I am going to say a special prayer of thanksgiving for the Lord's hand over Jon today. I realized your life can change at any moment, so don't ever forget to tell those closest to you how much you love them. You never know what tomorrow brings......

The Beginning.....

So, I just got home from working a 12-hour shift in the SICU and instead of hopping into bed, I am sitting beside my roomate, Hayden, and we have just decided to join in the world of blogging. I am hoping this will keep me in close touch with my amazing family back in Knoxville, TN and my friends for whom I cannot see everyday.
My life is a worldwind right now, passing by right in front of my eyes. I work as a full-time RN at Princeton Hospital and am in school full-time for Family Nurse Practitioner. I am living with two of my favorite people: Hayden and Megan. They are not only my sorority sisters, but have become two of the best friends I will ever have. I love living in Birmingham, but would never have thought I would live here for an extended period of time. While I do miss Knoxville and my AMAZING parents, I know this is where the Lord wants me right now. I am learning so much about myself and what I want for my life. Being independent is both scary and exciting, but I am loving every minute of it....
I work my last 12-hour shift of the week tomorrow and then I'm looking forward to a few days off......