Did ya miss me?

Whew! April flew by, and now May is pulling the same trick. I am going to add pics and captions to catch yall up on the last few weeks! (And these are in no particular order...and yes, it is driving me crazy!)

Mother's Day

Lindsey graduating from Law School..You Go Girl! And look at her new bling!Surprise Baby Shower for Katie (& Baby Thea) Friedman at our house!

BUNCO at my house!!

Bandit dogsitting his cousin, Ella.

Small Group Cookout at our house:

Bandit playing with his new buddy, Sam!

Me and Lynne from work!

All the girls!

Audra's baby shower!See her blog for more pictures! So cute! Nursing school friends

Julianne & Nathan' s Church Shower...Stefanie is awesome w ith cakes!

Julianne & Molly's Bachelorette Party/Lingerie Shower

The Twins 1st Birthday!!

I wish I had more pics! I have none from my mom on Mother's Day, none from Trace's housewarming, and many more fun times! Other than that, we have been working and sleeping! Our garden is looking mighty spiffy, and we might even have some veggies to share in a few weeks. I get to go on one shift of days for the month of June, and then two for the month of July! I am so excited to have a normal schedule!! We are going to Flo rida in June also, so I am sure that month is going to fly by like these first 5 months of the year. Slow down! "May your eyes continue to see beautiful things & your soul dance to good music."

Happy Friday Yall!

Heather,This is for you!! "There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it." ~Chinese Proverb

News Alert

No, it is not about politics...

Facebook now has IM! My two favorite things-instant messenger and facebook-all in one happy family. It's like 8th grade all over again. Now I can not only stalk my friends, but chat away when we should all be doing something more productive!

The Internet is just a world passing around notes in a classroom. ~Jon Stewart

Bandit is 2!!

My little dog - a heartbeat at my feet. ~Edith Wharton (just like all teenage boys, he is so embarrassed I put baby pics on the internet!)

Or 14, depending on if you ask him in people years or dog years! He has already sung himself Happy Birthday (the ONLY song he will sing along too!), and planned himself a trip to Three Dog Bakery this weekend. Also, he invited his cousin, Ella, and his Uncle Jake to spend the weekend with him. What fun! Love you, Buddy! A dog can express more with his tail in seconds than his owner can express with his tongue in hours. ~Author Unknown

We're gonna party like it's your birthday!

All I asked for for my bday was crawfish and my pictures printed from shutterfly! Boy, did Luke really outdo himself on this one! He got up early on my bday morning (the 5th), and got 133 lbs of mudbugs! Mmm Mmm! I was at home enjoying breakfast compliments of Auren and Sara, and he got the partay rolling!! We had about 40 people over throughout the day, and the crawfish were delicious! Luke lived among some coonasses for a year and a half, and his cooking skills went up (along with his cholesterol :) Anyway, it was a perfect day relaxing outside, with friends and family, and wonderful food to eat! Thanks Luke!! When I woke up Sunday morning, I was greeted with, "Well, Good Morning Angelina!" My lips were swollen shut from eating so much crawfish!! Oops!
On the 4th, we celebrated Hallie's bday at Molly Fontaine Lounge in the Blue Room. If you have never eaten there, you def need to try it! It is in an historic house downtown, and is decorated very retro....crazy furniture, votives on the stairs and mantels...just a neat place to eat. You order several different dishes, and they come out on little plates...a great way to sample a little bit of everything...my kind of eating! Hallie and I were born one day apart 25 years ago at Baptist East. Our grandparents had slips next to each other at Pickwick when my mom and her dad were growing up, and then our dads lived together in the frat house at Memphis. When her mom called my mom to tell her she was in labor, my mom thought she was kidding because she thought she was in labor with me! We slept next to each other in the nursery, and have been friends ever since! It was fun to celebrate another birthday together!
Luke and I met up with Saunders at the Memphis-State baseball game last week at Redbirds Stadium. We had delicious Rendezvous bbq and cheese plate! Yum yum! We had to leave a little early so I could get to work, and we saw the building above!

Although Memphis lost in the finals of the NCAA tourney, it has been so refreshing to see how the city has supported them! Memphis is not a college town by any stretch of the imagination, so I LOVE to see some school spirit where I can get it! Go Tigers Go!


I also can't close without discussing my newest love, Rock Band. Luke got this about two weeks ago, and we haven't let it rest since! I am the drummer, and he plays guitar (and we make whatever poor soul is over here sing)! I really think the Center Stripe Armadillos could make it on MTV....especially with my sweet ink and facepaint!

Thanks to everyone who called, texted, sent cards, etc! My 25th was absolutely wonderful! (The sunflowers were from sweet Elizabeth, and the other bouquet was from Saunders and Jo!! Love yall!)

How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were? ~Satchel Paige

Duck, Duck, Goose!

I was tagged Heathewr and Trace to play a “who are you?” game. So here goes--the rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people, posts their names, and then leaves a comment on their blogs, letting them know they've been tagged.

-What was i doing 5 years ago? I was in my sophomore year at State, living in the sorority dorm (McKee) with my BFF Katelyn, had just broken up with my HS boyfriend, Luke had just started asking me out, life was Good!

-Five things on my to-do list today ( or things I did today): 1. Sleep 2. Clean house 3. Take a nap 4. Be at work at 6:45 pm 5. Love on babies all night! (And I have a friend coming in today to get induced, so double yea!)

-Five snacks i love: 1. Cheese dip 2. Ice cream 3. Cookie dough 4. Cheese and crackers 5. Popcorn

-Five things i would do if i were a billionaire: 1. Pay off our debt (we are almost there!) 2. Buy a house 3. Work prn 4. Give it away 5. Travel the world for a few years

-Five bad habits I have: 1. Sleeping alot 2. Procrastination 3. Being impatient 4. Not doing my quiet time everyday 5. Not answering the phone

-Five places i have lived: 1. Memphis, TN (In 2 different locations) 2. Starkville, MS (in 4 different locations) 3. Tyler, TX 4. Collierville, TN 5. Shelby County, TN (In 2 different locations)

-Five jobs i've had: 1. Day camp counselor/ Bday party organizer at Happy Times Farm 2. Secretary at Crass Pallet Service 3. Day care worker at First Baptist Starkville 4. Pooper scooper at Sunny Meadows-Safe Haven for Pets 5. RN in the WBN at Methodist Germantown and the list goes on and on and on...

-Five people I want to know more about (a nice way of saying TAG!): 1. Audra 2. Tricia 3. Laurette 4. Kristin 5. Becky

"People often say that this or that person has not yet found himself. But the self is not something one finds, it is something one creates." ~Thomas Szasz

April Fools!!

Luke and I were reminiscing today about past April Fool's Jokes we have played on each other and other people as well...I thought I would share my top two favorites: 1. On my 21st birthday, Luke was supposed to be hiking on the Appalachian Trail. He left on March 7, 2004, and was due to return 5 months later (thankfully, it only took my hot husband 4 MONTHS and 4 DAYS!) He called me on April 1 and said, "I am in the parking lot of the KD House...come downstairs!" I said, "Really?" He replied, "No, APRIL FOOLS!!" I was so disappointed! He then had to convince me to come downstairs, because he was really there!! Everyone that had been sitting in the 4-man with me at the time of the phone call ran out onto the balcony, and I sprinted down the stairs...and there he was! What a wonderful surprise!! 2. When Luke and I were first dating, we were both YoungLife leaders at Starkville Academy. As a YL leader, you were not supposed to date other leaders. Well, most everyone had figured out we were dating because we rode together every week, and well, he couldn't stop staring at me during leader meetings. We arrived at a meeting together, and walked in solemnly. We kept this up the entire meeting (and if you know us know this is not our personalities at all!!) At the end, the girl in charge asked if anything was wrong. Luke went into an incredible dialogue about how we had gotten engaged (and I had a fake ring on), and that we really had thought about it and this is what we should do because I WAS PREGNANT! Everyone freaked out, just as planned, and Bubba, bless his heart, got up to give us a hug. Luke and I busted out laughing, not being able to hold the joke any longer. We got em good with that one!

April 1. This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three hundred and sixty-four. ~Mark Twain, Pudd'nhead Wilson, 1894

Although I didn't live in Texas long, I made some really sweet friends. Becky is one of those sweet people whom I still keep in touch with. She went to our church, and I met her in a book study of For Her Eyes Only (wonderful, wonderful book), and she took me under her wing and to the zoo several times! She has twin boys, and now another on the way. Thank goodness , has started a blog. She is so sweet & funny, and I miss her!

Spring has Sprung...and then disappeared!

Miss Amy (Luke's mom) came and stayed with us the weekend of the 21-22. Because it was Good Friday, she was able to come in on Thursday night and stay through Saturday afternoon. We had a wonderful visit, and we put her to work! I had to work Friday night, so while I took a nap, they dug up a garden! It is so big, they also worked on it all day Saturday! We are planning on growing tomatoes, corn, okra, peas, squash, and Luke is letting me through in some zinnias and sunflowers. I am so excited and can't wait to plant! Her birthday was the week before (while we were in CO), so we were able to celebrate that as well. I could kick myself for not taking more pictures!! I am so lucky to have such a wonderful MIL that is so willing to help us. She is one of the most patient and kind women I have ever met. We love you, Miss Amy!!For Easter, Blake came in town for 24 hours! I fell asleep while they were dying eggs, but they did wake me up to get a few cute ones done. Blake (bless his heart) is one of the smartest boys I know...minus common sense. He pulled 12 raw eggs from the fridge and he and Jake dyed those. The only good side is that it left Meg, Luke, and I 24 BOILED eggs to dye by ourself!! Blake was not blessed with common sense :)

On Sunday, we went to my Nannie and Pawpaw's new house for lunch. I made turnip greens (Luke's fav), banana pudding, and bird's nest (like haystacks but I added jellybeans! Yum!) We had fun playing with the twins and hanging out with our family that we don't see nearly enough!!My Mom's birthday was March 27, we and all went and ate at Osaka! It was delicious, as always! I made symphony brownies, and as you can tell, Mom was very excited! She is so much fun and makes me look forward to being a Mom myself! Yea for Moms and their Bdays! It is always so much fun to celebrate people that are so fabulous!
Last but not least, my birthday is next Saturday. Miss Amy, Katie, & Michael came in town tonight to take me to dinner for my birthday (and to pick up Miss Amy's computer that Luke fixed :) We went to Firebirds...My Favorite!! Their BLT Salad is fabulous, and the creme brulee cheesecake is to die for! We had a wonderful time visiting, and we didn't even put them to work!

As you might notice, we have an addition to our dog family. Jake bought a papillon-rat terrier mix named Ella Poppitt Bousson. He had saved the end of his Christmas $$ to buy something special, and she is definitely that! She is adorable (as if you couldn't tell!). The second picture is from last night. We had a birthday party/girl's night for Eden and Rachel! We went and saw Ms. Pedigrew lives for a day and then had cake and ice cream. The movie was so cute! I LOVE Amy Adams, and she was adorable once again (if you haven't seen her in Enchanted, go rent it Today!) The last picture is our pitiful dog watching the rain today. We fogged our house and were trying to air it out, and he just couldn't stand it!

Now I am just waiting on this "Spring" weather to remain springy!

P.S. In my previous Spring Break post I forgot one MAJOR detail...my sweet sister and parents took care of our precious dog. Thank you so much for giving him the attention he needs and the treats too. Bandit loves yall dearly (and I loved the nightly pics texted to my phone :)

Home...Where the flowers grow a little taller, the moon shines a bit brighter, the love feels great big, and grandma's eyes are blue...

All in a Day's Work

I love my job. The people I work with, what I do during a shift, I love it all. This is one of my patients from last Friday night. Isn't she adorable? http://kiralisa.wordpress.com/2008/03/22/a-precious-baby-is-born/ Just a little glimpse into my working world...

When you're a nurse you know that every day you will touch a life or a life will touch yours.

Spring Break '08

We just returned from a week of bliss in Winter Park, CO. Our adventure started last Saturday morning. We had just received around 6 inches of snow (maybe more, maybe less) in Memphis!

We never, ever get snow, so this was a real treat. Except that we were leaving to drive to Colorado to spend a week in the snow. The Andersons piled up in our car, and the Butts and the Skaggs met us from Starkville. Our caravan left our house at 100:00 am Saturday morning! Our trek from Memphis to Little Rock took a little longer than expected. We sat in stand still traffic for 2.5 hours.

We finally arrived in Denver Sunday morning around 7:00. We had time to kill before we met the Fullers at the airport at 11:00, so we enjoyed a healthy breakfast at Waffle House and bought some bungee cords at Walmart. We rednecked it up in our car with luggage on top, and on the back. Real Nice Clark!

After our forever long drive, we arrived at our gorgeous condo!!!

It was snowing, and the hot tub was on, so the boys jumped in the hottub while the girls hit up the grocery store. We woke up early the next morning to hit the slopes, and tore it up! Luke and I went up the first time and found the Butts family scattered across the side of a mountain. Thank goodness we found them or I think Tricia would have given up for good. She was an excellent student (didnt yell or cry once), and skiied a BLUE the last day! I was so proud of her and Caleb! Luke and I had fun skiing with everyone the rest of the week, and were not ready to come home! The 3rd morning, Luke and I put on our big girl panties (and boxers) and skiied Outhouse. It is the longest black mogul run in CO (supposedly), and we Conquered it with flying colors (sort of...I have video footage of my hot husband conquering it....I merely made it down :)

At the top

At the bottom!

Anyway, we had a fantastic vacation, and the best part was I got to hang out with Luke and my best friends for a whole week in snowy paradise!!

P.S. You can look at the rest of our pics on Shutterfly! (password:nurse)

There's no waiting for friends on a powder day. ~Author Unknown

5 things about myself....

I have been tagged by my cute, pregnant friend Audra, and I don't want to disappoint. I know I have written lists of random facts about myself before, but what's a blog for anyway. So here goes... 1. I could sleep 24 hours if I had no where to be. I have always thought I had chronic fatigue syndrome, but working nights has really knocked me over the edge. I can sleep all day, and then sleep all night. I can sleep anywhere, anytime, anyplace. I can sleep through action movies, and in rooms full of people. I am like a cat. 2. I dont remember if I posted this in my list of 100 random things, but every number I look at, I have to determine whether or not it is divisible by 3. It was very annoying an a recent 19 hour car ride I went on (next post!) 3. I love all holidays. I decorate (as much as Luke will let me) for all holidays. I would like to say Christmas is my favorite, but I think I love them all equally. 4. I love Easter candy the most (as compared to other holiday candy). I think that everything Cadbury makes is divine. 5. I love to garden. I always did my parents flower beds, and loved every minute of it! There is nothing more rewarding than getting your hands dirty and having beautiful results a few weeks later! We will see how much I put into our rental house garden! Sorry this has taken my over 2 weeks to post!! Audra, thanks for tagging me!! I will tag, Heather, Tracy (both), Tricia, Laurette, & Katie!

The Man of the House...besides Bandit, of course

How fun! A whole post devoted to someone I love to talk about! 1. Who is your man? Luke Preston Cantrell 2. How long have you been together? Starting "talking" in the Spring of 2003, started dating on October 17, 2003, and got married December 9, 2006. 3. How long did you date? Dated 2 years, engaged 13 months. Like my friend, Heather, we were long distance all but 10 months of this enitre time period. 4. How old is your man? 26! We have each others half birthdays (His : oct 5!) 5. Who eats more? About equal. I eat large portions in one sitting, and he's a grazer. 6. Who is taller? Luke. 7. Who sings better? Definitely him! 8. Who is smarter? He says we are equal...but he is just a tad bit smarter. And because he doesnt read this, it's ok! 9. Whose temper is worse? We both have our moments! 10. Who does the laundry? Me. 11. Who takes out the garbage? I take it to the outside trashcan and he takes it to the road. 12. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Luke and me. If we are sleeping together, it is him, but otherwise we both sleep on the same side! 13. Who pays the bills? Usually Luke, but we sometimes do it together after our paycheck family Dave meeting. 14. Who is better with the computer? Definitely Luke! He built one for his mom! 15. Who mows the lawn? Luke. That was one of my chores growing up, and I do love it...on the Riding Lawnmower! With one acre and a pushmower...it is all him! 16. Who cooks dinner? Half and Half. Depends on if I am going to work at 7 or not. 17. Who drives when you are together? Equal. 18. Who pays when you go out? Depends on who remembered to grab the restaurant envelope! 19. Who is most stubborn? Equal. 20. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Me....or him...depends on who's wrong :) 21. Whose parents do you see the most? Mine. They do live 4.5 miles away. But Nov-Jan, it was definitely his. 22. Who kissed who first? He kissed me first 23. Who asked who out? He begged me to go out with him (again, he doesnt read this so I can say stuff like that :) 24. Who proposed? Luke! After driving 16 hours to meet my plane at the Orlando airport. 25. Who is more sensitive? About equal. 26. Who has more friends? He has a few best friends, and I have alot of good friends. I think those are both good options.

If...

1. You occasionally park in the space with the "physician's only" sign...and knock it over. 2. You believe some patients are alive only because it is illegal to kill them. 3. You recongnize that you can't cure stupid. 4. You own at least 3 pens with the names of prescription meds on them. 5. You believe there's a special place in hell for the inventor of the call light. 6. You believe that saying, "It cant get any worse" causes it to get worse to show you it can. 7. You wash your hands BEFORE you go to the bathroom. 8. You believe that any job where you can go to work in your pjs is a cool one. 9. You consider a tongue depressor an eating utensil. 10. Eating microwave popcorn out of an unsused bedpan is perfectly natural. 11. You've been exposed to so many xrays you consider it a form of birth control. 12. You've ever heard a pt with a nose ring, a brow ring, and twelve earrings say, "I'm afraid of shots." (Same goes for women who have just given birth in reference to the tape on their arm getting removed. I mean, seriously? You've just given birth and tape removal causes you to scream?) 13. You've ever told a confused pt that your name is that of a coworker and to call if they need help. 14. Your bladder can expand to the size of a winnebago's water tank. 15. You have seen more penises than any prostitute could dream of. (And in my case, more boobs than any man could dream of!) 16. You believe that not all patients are annoying...some are unconcious. 17. Your family and friends refuse to watch medical sitcoms with you b/c you spend the whole time correcting everyone and pointing out upside down xrays (I mean, I cant help it that Izzie has her stethescope in her ears backwards everytime she uses it!) 18. You don't get excited about blood...unless it's your own. 19. You've sworn to have "Do Not Resuscitate" on your chest. Soon. 20. Discussing dismemberment over a gourmet meal is prefectly normal to you. 21. Your idea of fine dining is anywhere you can sit down to eat. 22. Your idea of a good time is a cardiac arrest at shift change. 23. You believe in the aerial spraying of Prozac. 24. You believe that Shallow Gene Pool should be a recognized diagnosis. 25. You believe that the government should require permits to reproduce. 26. You've ever had to leave a pt's room before you began to laugh uncontrollably,

YOU MIGHT BE A NURSE!!

Add on...27. If you are posting on your blog at 0309, then you might be a nurse. :)

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Just wanted to write a quick note wishing everyone a Happy Valentine's Day!! I made pink cinnamon rolls for breakfast and brought Luke some Samoas...in Mississippi these are known as Caramel Delights, right Ms. Amy? :) Several years ago, Luke and I got into a discussion about Girl Scout cookies and I was adamant the coconut lovelies were called Samoas. I informed Luke I was the Top Seller in my Brownie Troop, so I definitely knew what they were called. We called his mom, who informed me they were called Caramel Delights. We were at my mom's house, and she informed Luke they were called Samoas. In fact, we still had a box with the logo on the side in our attic. Short story long, when cookie time came around that year, my mom sent Luke a box of Samoas from TN, and his mom sent him a box of Caramel Delites from MS. What are they called where you are from??

Things that make you go HMM??

This is your life....

I just found this gem of a blog off of my friend, Audra. It is my life. She is right when she says pregnancy doesnt discrimminate, and sometimes I ask myself, HOW? If you would ever like to see what a day in the life of an OB nurse is like, please read. And dont repeat any of these patients mistakes!

On another funny note, Luke and I made it to Jake's bball game last Saturday. My mom pointed out the kid who had been mean to Jake, making fun of him, the usual bully things. I started laughing because he is so little, and Jake is big for his age.("Johnny" is the one in the maroon jersey on the left) My mom then tells this story:

Jake: Well, I know why Johnny is mad at me.

Mama: Really, hunny? What happened?

Jake: Well, the first time I met him, I said "Arent you so cute!" And then I picked him up.

That is the funniest thing I have heard since a patient told me her husband tried to nurse, to verify the baby wasnt getting anything!

Happy Mardi Gras!

Well, let me back up! We watched the Super Bowl at Mike's house, a guy in our small group, and what a game. (Well, the last quarter anyway.) I had no loyalty to either team, so I usually base my cheering on which quarter back was cutest. In this case, I had 2 Bad Choices! Yes, Tom Brady is quite a looker...but look at what a dud of a dad he has turned out to be. And Eli is a cutie...but he hails from that other school in Mississippi! I guess in the end, I am glad the good guy took home the bacon! Here are some pics from the party...Unfortunately, I didnt think to take on of myself, and I wore a really cute red, white, and blue headband (for the winner...whichever it turned out to be !)

Now, on to the next party! Happy Fat Tuesday to everyone (and yes, I know it is Thursday!!) Luke and I celebrated a little early with a King Cake! Yummy! Luke brought one home the day they came out in the stores, and I got to find the baby! I am going to attempt to make one tonight, so we'll see how that goes! Yesterday, we were glued to the tv watching all of the tornadoes around us. I was planning on making some sort of Cajun shrimp something, but that'll have to wait until this weekend. Work was CRAZY last night!! Imagine 20 + postpartum women in the hallway and all the babies in the nursery!! And of course with the weather, every preggo woman within 50 miles went into labor!! Glad I am in the nursery and not the ER :) Love you Audra!!

Hope everyone is having a great week!