Ethan-

my friend in the marines is almost done with boot camp. today his family asked for prayer because he will be going into the gas chambers. its part of his training. he has to go in for a certain amount of time and come out and be able to answer some questions correctly or else go back in til he gets it right.

pray that he would get it right the first time! thank you!

Happy Birthday

So my blog birthday was wayyyyy back in November and never got around to celebrating it! So... if you would help me do so by dropping me a comment and letting me know who you are and what your favorite post has been so far this last year... I'd be so happy!

(that goes for all you lurkers too)

Live Animal Christmas Play 2009

DISCLAIMERS:

These are not actual pictures of the play but a compilation of some practices. Thus... some people are not in 'time period correct' cloths.

No humans where hurt during the makings of this play.

A belated birthday post

So my besty turned 23 yesterday
I think she's lookin AMAZING!

Love you Nic! Counting down the days til you fly back over the big pond! ;)

Live Animal Christmas Play 2009

So top on the priority list this month has been the Christmas play our church does every year. It's a pretty major play, probably the largest in this part of Iowa...hmm... in the Midwest may i dare say. (correct me if I'm wrong.) There are 5 showings starting Friday night the 11th through Sunday. We already have over 700 seats reserved.

The first tear I was cast in it was 2006. I was in the opening scene, playing my fiddle on the front porch of a log cabin in the smoky mountains. Then i was in the '08 play and just did filler scenes.

This year I have lots of different rolls throughout the play lots of filler scenes and such. BUT... I'm really excited about my speaking part. I am a fictional character that was in the palace the night Herod gave the order to kill baby Jesus. I come back 33 years later to tell my experience. All in all, my part is very dramatic. Lots of crying and begging for my life, being drug up the center isle, being told my head was going to come off... YEAH! :)

Speaking of which... that's where I'm headed now! Stay tuned for more pictures and even video clippage to come! :)

tootles

a thought...

~He is jealous for ME~

Today i got my baby fix... :)

"Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes"
Anne of green gables-

stillness

do you ever feel like just laying down in the battle? do you ever feel like just rolling over and dieing because you're tired of fighting?

"You shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you."

as i read these verses the other afternoon i was once again reminded that sometimes i try WAY to hard! God's saying... hey! hold up! stand still and watch what I can do! sounds so easy doesn't it?!?! the truth is... IT IS! we as humans just make life so difficult and in the end IT IS so hard.

the last month i thought i knew. doors that where so open and inviting and screaming my name telling me to come walk through. but then (it seemed) at the most inopportune time the door goes slamming shut in my face.

i struggle with thoughts such as why did God open a door just to close it? why does it seem that everything i've ever dreamed of isn't what God wants for me? what He wants for me is something that's going to be totally opposite of what i ever dreamed of?

even though i struggle with such thoughts, deep down i know He's the author of my story and in His own time it will all be so clear and BEAUTIFUL!

until then...

I'm waiting

I'm waiting on you Lord

And i am hopeful

I'm waiting on you Lord

Though it is painful

But patiently I will wait

I will move ahead bold and confident

Taking every step in obedience

While I'm waiting

I will serve you

While I'm waiting

I will worship

While I'm waiting

I will not faint

I'll be running the race

Even while I wait

I'm waiting

I'm waiting on you Lord

And I am peaceful

I'm waiting on you Lord

Though it's not easy

But faithfully i will wait.

There strength is to sit still! Is. 30:7

Caught On Camera

"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise: and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty."

1 Corinthians 1:27

Iowa Hawkeye's

Ok... so some of you my not know this about me but... I'm a HUGE football fan! More specifically college football! And even most specifically Iowa Hawkeye football!

If you would allow me to just brag for a minute... thank you! :) The Hawks are 8-0 this season. If I understood the 'talk heads' correctly this is a first in big ten history! Some people may say it's sheer luck, others say they're just that good. I think I'll let them prove to you all what they are! :)

Last Saturday us kids went to Gamps and Grams house to watch the game. It was very intense to say the least... and it all came down to a score of 13-9 Michigan -- with 2 seconds to play -- Iowa's ball. Ricky Stanzi threw the old pig skin in for a touchdown winning 16-13! Lets just say our grandparents neighbors heard the shouts. eh... screams! :)

victory photo

game faces

Gods love for you...

a very wise friend told me something that was so appropriate, couldn't have come at a better time, and something i won't soon forget... i wanted to share it just in case it could help you...

"Why not cry? He's not afraid of your tears. He finds them valuable enough to keep them. His romance and his love for you is like non other. He let people spit in his face and call Him names and beat Him and destroy His body, so that you would know how much he loves you!"

God loves you! don't forget it... i'm more in love with Him today then yesterday! i hope you can say as much!

double the fun!

here are my adorable cousins chaz and lucas... leave me a comment and let me know what you think... these little guys have got my heart! and they're about to get yours!

Part 4-- you know you're a CNA when...

• you carry RCP cards with you EVERYWHERE
• starting clincals at 7 am sounds great cause you get to sleep in
• you'd like to meet the inventor of the call light some night in a dark alley
• you wash your hands before you use the restroom
• you can only tell time on a 24 hour clock
• you become addicted to the alcohol smell of anti-bacterial gel
• you believe chocolate is a food group
• you think caffeine should be available in portable IV form
• discussing bodily fluids over a gourmet meal seems perfectly normal to you
• you told a confused patient that your name was that of a co-worker and to holler if they need help
• you fall asleep on the way to and from clinicals
• you're eating dinner with friends and one of them gets food on there face, you reach over to wipe it off with their napkin
• your alarm goes off and you wonder who's going to answer that patience call light

these are all sad but... true!

Part 3-- class time

wow! there was never a dull moment during class. Here a look into just a few things we learned:

not to use slang terms with residents at the nursing home- 'dude' is a term for an elephants rump

memorizing 50 RCP's (resident care procedures) is equivalent to memorizing Matthew chapters 5, 6, 7, and half of 8

good body mechanics are vital when moving residents

actually we didn't learn what this was until AFTER we ate it. pureed something or other

you learn to just 'not think about it'

plugging your nose is a myth.

thank God that you in fact are NOT elderly and DON'T need pureed food

some class mates don't know that they're eating pureed turkey garlic gunk, asparagus, and cookies. (don't be fooled it's ALL gross!)

There's so much more to transferring a resident from point 'a' to point 'b'!

resident: "something doesn't feel right... i think you forgot something."

cna: i did what? i forgot your... CATHETER BAG!" :)

(thankfully that never happened)

laughter truly is the best medicine. i think we overdosed sometimes! lol

when making a bed there's WAY more then meets the eye

WAY!

wondering if all that is necessary

learned how to shave a face

yes... he survived without a nick!

Part 2-- the many faces

Carolina

Suzy and Tori

our faithful 'water boy'

talkin with family

sweet tea lady

cna 'wanna be's'

Lois

The group

Autumn

my favorite CanadianMrs. Norcross

Bethsada and Kristina

Rebeca

Hosanna, Zandra, becca C.

me and lil bit

me and zandra