Merry Christmas

It's nine o'clock on Christmas night and I'm sitting in bed exhausted, but content. Today was a day for family. We spent the morning opening gifts before traveling to my husband's family's for dinner and then over to my family's for a birthday. I absolutely LOVE Christmas, it's definitely my favorite holiday, but I always have a little sense of disappointment when it's all over. There's so much time and effort put into planning and preparation and then just like that, it's over. It was also sad to not have my oldest sister and her family here with us. I've been checking their photo site often for pictures and updates, but it's just not the same. I was really glad to see a couple of videos of the kids, it brings them a little closer to home. We all miss them terribly and hope Christmas was as happy in Africa as it was here. On the bright side we have something superfun to look forward too....the BEACH!!! Only about seven more months until we're sunning ourselves on the Outer Banks sand and only 364 more days until next Christmas!!

Country Christmas

Some members of my family and I just returned from a little trip to Nashville TN. We had a great time!!! The weather was drizzly but warm enough to go without a coat. Although we were just there for the weekend,we tried to pack in as much fun as we possibly could. One of my favorite places we visited was the Opryland Hotel! It was sooo incredibly beautiful. They had it completely decorated for the holidays and the lights were awesome. Nashville is such a cool city to visit even if you're not a "country" music fan. There's so much music history in that town you'd need a year to see it all. Here's a picture of some of the lights at the hotel.

This Is Too Funny Not To Join In

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1124028539

ps check out my mom and sisters too!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

When You Remember Why

I've recently had some very emotional cases at work. Supporting patients and their families in desperate situations faced with major life-changing decisions...one of the hardest parts of being a nurse. I'd like to think that most people become nurses because they are filled with compassion and genuine concern for their fellow man. I know, however that's not always the case. I definitely can get wrapped up in the routine of things, but every so often you meet someone or witness something that brings it all home again. This is yet another time I see God working in me and through me. For instance, over the weekend I had a patient who became critically ill. This patient is one I've known my entire nursing career and who I have developed somewhat of a relationship with. She's as single mother of two, the older of whom has moved away from home. The younger was a sixteen-year-old boy who spends most of his days caring for his chronically ill mother. This young man has the weight of the world on his shoulders, but I've never heard him complain. He misses a lot of school because he has to help his mom to doctors appts, dialysis, cook, clean, etc. They have no family in the area only friends they can call on to lend support if they can. He spends his nights with her in the hospital, sleeps on the couch and takes care of her every need. On Sunday she became seriously ill and it looked as though things were grim. I took one look at her son's face and flashed back to my own past. I too had been in a similar situation at that age. I knew he was scared. His whole world was turning upside down, it looked like his mother was going to die and nothing would ever be the same. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged as tight as I could. He was so brave and shed only one tear. Fortunately they are believers and have a great church family who were very supportive. The waiting room was filled with praying friends and I'm happy to say, when I returned to work today I met good news. She had survived and looked like she would be Ok for the time being. I know God answered our prayers. He put me there for her and for her son so I could support them. I remembered then why I became nurse.

Good Friends

A few days ago, one of my girlfriends came to visit. I've known Jessica since high school and we have been great friends ever since. This summer she had a beautiful baby boy and a few days ago she and her husband Marcus brought him over to our house so we could meet him for the first time. Sam is adorable, but what I think was even better was the happiness he brings both his mother and father. Jessica is a gorgeous gal, but she never looked prettier than when she was holding her son. I am so glad we get to share motherhood together. My other girlfriend Chrissy was here too. We have been friends since elementary school. How lucky am I to have such great friends.

My Baby's Not A Baby Anymore

Two years ago today, our lives changed forever. God blessed us with the most precious gift anyone could ever ask for. Our little princess fills us with the most wonderful love you could ever imagine. Over the last two years we have watched her grow and she constantly amazes us. When I married my husband I never thought I could love anyone as much as I love him. But, when Layla came, I saw love in a whole new light. My mom always told me that the love and bond you have with your children is so incredible that even if they were murderers, it would never change how you felt about them. She was never more right about anything in her life. My heart swells with the love I have for my family and today every time I look at my little angel, I just want to squeeze her with all my might. Thank you God for this gift we celebrate today, my we be the parents You designed us to be. We love you baby happy, happy, happy birthday!!!!

Trick or Treat

Well as I promised, here are the pictures from tonight's Halloween fun. We had such an awesome time!!! My sisters payed tribute to me by dressing as nurses and we accentuated their hair with some colorful spray. Little Gabby was a beautiful princess with the fastest time up and down each driveway. Trent, the farmer hung out in the stroller while his big sisters gathered his goods. Aysha was the cutest little devil you've ever seen while Layla made punks proud. The weather was perfect and we had a great time. The men stayed behind to hand out candy and discuss men things. All in all it was huge fun and I can't wait to do it all again next year.

Carving Pumpkins

My husband was home with our daughter this weekend while I was stuck at work. He's an awesome Dad and took on the challenge of the pumpkin patch. Last night we carved our pumpkins and Layla was tooooo eager to help. It was so cute to watch her try so seriously to scoop out the seeds. I finally had to stand back and let her go at it. Here she is hard at work. ps we're both going to be 80's punk rockers for halloween. I promise to post more pictures after tomorrow night's fun....

Oh Canada....eh

So my husband and I just came back from a trip to the beautiful city of Toronto. He was there for a business conference and I was there to tag along, sleep in a king-sized bed, eat really great food, shop, etc,etc,etc....We had a great time. Visiting the any city is usually a cool experience. You are surrounded by culture almost everywhere you turn and everything is within walking distance. We went to a comedy club, a hockey game, the CN Tower and ate at some of the finest restaurants. This trip was also the first time we've ever been away from our little girl. While it was nice to have some adult time, I don't think we could have driven any faster to get home to her. She stayed with Poppa and Grandma Kate and bossed around her teen-aged aunts and uncles. It was easy to relax and have a good time when you know your child is safe and loved.

We stopped at Niagra Falls on the way home, here are a couple of pics. The force of the water is incredible, definitely a cool thing to check out. The hotel we stayed in was called the Fairmont Royal York.....la tee daaa. Here's a pic of the lobby. Some pretty important people have stayed there, Bill Clinton, Queen Elizabeth, Tony Bennett.....and it's been open since 1929. Pretty cool. Anyway the drive was long and we're home now. I guess it's back to real life. I mean you can only take so much room service anyway...................eh.

Express Yourself

So I have to say that my daughter is truly my guts. Recently she has started saying "aaaahhhh cccuuuutttteeee" when I pick out her clothes for the day. I love it!! She is so enthusiastic and reminds me of myself sooo much. I guess I'm gonna be in trouble though when she gets to be a little older and starts to care a little more about fashion. I was cleaning the other day and came across one of her old hats, and of course she wanted to play with it. The end result was this. Can you guess who dressed her for bed.........

OK OK OK

Ok, so I've been catching some heat about the length of time between my posts. The truth is, is that I love posting pictures with my blog and I only just recently took some new ones. So I promise there is more to come and soon.

My husband and I are about to leave on a romantic getaway to the awesome city of Toronto. Ok, so it's not a romantic getaway, it really a business trip for him, but hey, I'm going. This conference is being held in a super ritzy hotel and my awesome parents are keeping Layla for us. So maybe it is a little romantic. Who knows maybe we'll come back with more than souvenirs....

ps still trying out new blogs so be patient.....kimberly heheheheheh

Can't Make Up My Mind

Ok, so for the last couple of times you've visited my blog you've probably noticed some changes. I have found that I get bored with the templates and have been testing some new ones out. I've tried out several of the templates blogspot offers, but I just can't seem to settle. I'm not really too excited about any of the templates anyway. If anyone's got any ideas for how I can get creative let me know

Pee Pee on the Potty

Now that Layla's about to turn 2, we have decided that it's time to start daunting task of potty training. She's definitely interested in going potty and has gotten into the habit of grabbing her little butt and saying poot (not poop poot). Yesterday she got up from her nap, sweat-soaked hair plastered to her head, and I asked her if she wanted to go potty. She answered with an enthusiastic YES and the result is this picture. I can't wait to embarrass her when she brings home a boyfriend......

"Are Your Kidney's OK?"

Being a nurse is great. After 51/2 years of working in the hospital, I've picked up a thing or two. As I've posted before, I work on a Renal unit taking care of people with kidney failure. We see a lot of other patients, like those with heart failure, sepsis, pneumonia etc, but my real strength is the kidney stuff. Our unit hosted the first ever "World Kidney Day" at my hospital in March and recently some other staff and I had the opportunity to share our wealth of renal knowledge with some of our affiliates. I love teaching so this opportunity was perfect for me. Here's a picture of us getting ready to talk it up.

Sports Widow

Every year about this time a change comes over the man of my house. My husband is transformed into a football-crazed sports maniac who lives for Sunday afternoons, Monday nights, and now (thank you NFL), Thursday nights. Ok maybe "crazed" is exaggerating a little, but he's definitely more than just the average fan. He's an AWESOME father and husband, but at 1:00 on Sunday afternoons the jersey goes on and he enters "ESPN zone" and I don't mean the restaurant. He's not the only one. He has a large group of friends that are just as wild about football as he is. They get together often to watch a game or call each other to talk smack about the other guys team. It's really funny to watch. For example, let's say the almighty Chargers are playing and the quarterback makes a mistake or someone fumbles the ball; the phone rings and Jeff calls to pour a little salt in the wound. You can be sure that when the Falcons are playing, Josh will be sure to call out their screw-ups. Their so cute they even have a fantasy league where they give away this trophy and a pot of money. Josh was the winner last year so now I get to look at this lovely thing until a new winner is crowned. My man swears he's the best though and this friggin' thing will be in our house for yet another year. I know the perfect place for it......the garage. hahahah. Just kidding were only a few more weeks away from finishing the man-lair in the basement. My husband is soo excited to have a place to recline back and watch his team on the big screen. Did I mention that big screen is already purchased and has replaced our computer on the desk in the den. I have to say it is pretty nice, flat screen HD. We watched a movie the other night and I swear you could count the pores on the actors face. Ah well, it will all be over in January and I'll have him all to myself. For now, I'll bring the beer and the snacks , sit beside him on the couch and shout with him at the TV. I love that man of mine.

Mothers & Daughters

My awesome parents do foster care. That's how they acquired me and that's how they have acquired the two newest editions to our family. If you read my mom's blog, then you know the younger of the two sweeties has a few handicaps. Little guy is adorable and his big sis is so dear. We recently tried an outing together with everyone. If you read Poppa's blog then you will know it was a total disaster. If my almost two-year-old wasn't flippin' out then little guy was. At one point we were all strolling through the mall with little dude hanging upside down flailing and my daughter arching her back and kicking. You could feel the judgements being cast down on us by onlookers. However, we remained totally cool. After watching my mom with kids for years, I've learned a thing or two. She is totally calm and patient, loving, and warm. Even if she's ready to tear her hair out on the inside, she rarely shows it. Thank you Kate for teaching me what is truly important when it comes to children. Now that Layla is approaching the "terrible twos" I'll need all the help I can get.

Stuck in London

Ok, so I said I would write a little more about my journey to France. Well, as you know Layla and I left on my wedding anniversary. The moment at the airport before Josh and I went our separate ways was bittersweet. I was excited about our adventure, sad about leaving him behind, and anxious about a trans-atlantic flight with a toddler. I guess I should tell you also, that to save a little dough, Layla boarded the plane as "infant-in-lap." Ok, you travel across the sea with a 28lb toddler in your lap. How excited was I when there was an empty seat next to me!!!! The song is true... Jesus does Love Me. My baby got to stretch out and sleep somewhat comfortably. However, that was not before our 3 hr delay on the plane before take off. Now I am not afraid to fly in the least bit. But, I have to say with the way the world is today, my attention was peaked when the captain came on to announce "ah, sorry folks, a warning light has just come on and we need to investigate." WHAT!! I'll say investigate it. Anyway to make it short, after a few broken promises of "it should just be 10-15 more minutes and we'll be on our way," we were. However, it suddenly occurred to me that my layover in London was only about 90 minutes. DANG! I was going to miss my connecting flight to Lyon. Ok, no biggie. I get off the plane in London only to find myself in a long line of people in my situation. I have to say though the Brits were great!! Traveling as a woman with a cuttie little girl also helps. I know my face must have been pitiful, because I was bumped to the front of the line YAHOOO! I knew I would just be on my merry way now. NO. The really polite British Airways guy said "alright, the what I can do is put you up in a hotel for the day and guarantee you a spot on the 8:30pm flight to Lyon. WHAT?????!!!!! There was no way. I begged and pleaded and put on my poutiest face and was given the other option to go on standby for a flight at 4pm. It was approx 9am London time, 3am our time and I was exhausted. Pull it together Lane. He handed me my itinerary and threw in some vouchers for food, and we started walking aimlessly through Heathrow. I prayed. I knew my family was going to be waiting for me in Lyon and I was in desperate need of a hug, so I called them. The moment my sister answered the phone, the flood gates opened. I did not want to be stuck in an airport for 6 hrs. The consolation came pouring through the phone. My mommy always knows just what to say to make it all better. After I hung up, I realized. Hey doofus, you are in London. London England!!! Snap out of it and make the most of it. So we did. Layla and I wandered through the many shops, had a bite to eat, and caught a nap curled up together on a bench. When 4p rolled around, we made it on standby and left worry behind us. We made it into Lyon, and even though the car seat was missing, I didn't care. My sister greeted me with the biggest smile and the warmest hug and everything else melted away. Even though the travel was rough, it was still so worth it. I will be taking Josh with me though from now on. Here's a couple of pics at the airport

More of France

The view from a ski lift to the top of a mountain
More of Annecy
my sister Grace
Taking a rest in Lyon
The view from high above Lyon

Don't have much to say right now, but I promised to share more pics of France. Here they are....

C'est bon etre `a la maison

Well it is good to be home. My daughter and I returned from France about a week ago. We had a great time. France is a beautiful country with lots and lots to see. My favorite place was a town called Annecy. Nestled at the base of the Alps on a glacial lake, this town is the epitome of European charisma. Tiny crooked streets wound through beautiful, centuries-old buildings. I am an absolute romantic and love European history and culture, so this was a real treat for me. If you're ever in France, make sure you check it out.
While the scenery was definitely great, spending time with my sister and her family was the best part of the trip. She found us these beautiful gites (sort of condo-like) located in the magnificent Alps. I savored every moment I had to hug, squeeze, talk, and make memories. They leave for Africa in October and it will probably be about 2 1/2 years before I get the chance to love on them again. I love you Kirsten and Steve and all my little dumplings. I miss you desperately.
I'll write more about our adventure later, but for now here is a picture of my dream town, and a few of my little sweeties.

Come Fly With Me

So on Friday my daughter and I are leaving. We're headed over to France to visit my sister, husband, and kids. I am sooooo excited. My entire family is going over, I'm picturing something like National Lampoons European Vacation. Remember that movie?? Funny right? I can hardly wait. There is only one thing missing...my husband. Unfortunately he couldn't get away from work and to make matters worse, I leave on our 5th wedding anniversary. I can't believe it's been 5 years. Sometimes it feels like we're still in high school. I hate being away from him, my heart aches when we are apart. I guess I'll just have to carry his love with me across the sea. I love you Josh! Thank you for giving me the best 5 years of my life.

Good Friends, Good Times

Last night we were invited over to our friend Jamie and Brooks' house for some outdoor fun. My girlfriend Chrissy and her husband and son were also there. I have known these girls since elementary school and have kept close with both of them. Last night the girls and I were sitting out on the patio when Chrissy said something like "It feels surreal, we used to talk about growing up and living close to eachother and having kids together. Now here we are." I knew exactly what she was talking about. Sitting there I remembered the three of us playing together as kids and then I look over. Our kids were playing together now. How blessed we are to be able to share our lives together. Who knows maybe my little princess will marry one of these two princes. I love you girls.

ps maybe when we're old (if we're alone) we'll turn into the Golden Girls. We'll move to Miami live and live together in a house I'll be Dorothy, Jamie's Blanche, and Chrissy's Sophia hahahahah

Good-bye Val

Well I've worked as a nurse for about 5 years now and I have to say it's quite an experience. The patient population I care for is both complex and challenging. To care for these people you need a group of nurses who have the ability to critically think, anticipate needs, and work together as a team. There is no better group in my hospital than the ladies of renal. Each one of them is intelligent, compassionate, sensitive, and let's just say wonderful!! I enjoy working with each and every one of them. Unfortunately though, life takes us in different directions and we move on. One of the very BEST nurses I have ever met is leaving us to be closer to her family. Valerie was there when I started working on the unit and has been a wealth of knowledge and a wonderful spirit for all of us. We will miss her more that she'll ever know. We love you Val, remember your home is always with us on 2C.

Sun & Fun & Sandy Feet

Every year our family makes the 6 hr trek to the glorious Outer Banks. We have sooooo much fun with the large group that we take each year. We rent a couple of houses and settle in for a week of enjoying each other's company. I absolutely love this time of year!!! This year was youngest cousin Scarlett's first time to the beach (out of her mother's womb). There's nothing cuter than this little sweetie in her watermelon bikini. Layla loved hangin' out with her little sidekick. There was only one thing missing...the Mckenzie clan. My sister Kirsten and her family are over in France and spent their last year at the beach with us in 06. We missed them very much!! Ah well, we still had a great time anyway. Only 357 more days until Nags Head 08!!!!

Hind Sight Is 20/20

It's a cliche I know, but it really is. When I'm worried about life and the challenges it brings, I look back at where I've been. Then one thing that brings me the most comfort is knowing God is in control. Now, I know that He is in control and things work out according to His will but, I sometimes like to think I can have some input. However, ultimately He knows what is best even though we may not always agree. Like for example, when I was pregnant with our daughter, I said "Ok Lord, I don't care if it's a boy or a girl, just let it have dark hair and blue eyes." Well, He was listening! That's exactly what I got, a beautiful, healthy, dark-haired, blue-eyed baby girl. Awesome!! It doesn't always happen that way though. Next example, I'm in high school. I'm president of a marketing club, taking business classes, and preparing to be a huge ad exec in NY. Does that happen....no. I go in the total opposite direction and earn a nursing degree and devote my life to taking care of others. At times, I'm frustrated, confused, angry, scared and so much more but, then I look back. I see His hand moving in all of it. He carries me, guides me, loves me, comforts me and shows me where I need to be. When I finished nursing school, I had job offers for 3 different floors in my hospital. I was fully prepared to stay on GI and take care of all of the ulcers, GI Bleeds, pancreatitis', etc. I had been there for a year and a half. Did I stay there no. I went to work on a renal unit and started taking care of people with kidney failure. Little did I know He was preparing me to serve my sister. My little, beautiful, wonderful, innocent baby sister. Recently, she was diagnosed with kidney failure and will soon start dialysis. God has prepared my heart to love her even more. I don't know why she has to go through this, but I know He has never let me down and like my sister Kara says, he has plans for her. I know someday I will look back and again see His hand moving in this and again hind sight will be 20/20. For now I will "trust in Him with all my heart" and take every opportunity to squeeze my Grace. Grace......what a perfect name for her.........

Get Down and Get Funky

Ok I must admit that I love "Dancing With the Stars." I can't help it, I just turn it on and I am instantly in a good mood. I love ballroom dancing, and only wish I could cha cha or rumba with the best of them. So I sit and watch and secretly visualize myself on TV. Well tonight, my husband and daughter were at the gym when I got home. I had the TV all to myself and was all into the action when they walked in the door. It was Apollo's turn and it was the freestyle. Well, Layla decided to do a little freestylin' of her own. I almost peed myself as I watched her try and imitate the head spin on the carpet. She was really into the music and breakin' it waaaayyyy down. I only wish I'd had a video camera on hand. Watch out America...

ps kara, brett dennen is awesome.

Girlfriends

So I just came home from my first trip away without my husband or baby. Two of my oldest girlfriends and I drove to a town just outside of Pittsburg for a baby shower. It was about a 3 hr drive so we had ample time for "great" conversation. We laughed our butts off through the whole trip. It was sooooooo great spending time with the "girls." I have missed that so much. When you get busy with life weeks, months, or even years slip by without you even noticing. My girlfriend Jessica moved to PA and married her dream guy. We both just sort of got wrapped up in work, and husbands and such. When I saw her gorgeous pregnant self I was just overwhelmed. I can't wait to share mommiehood with her. I am looking forward to the next road trip to meet their little bundle of joy. I love you girls!!!!

Headed for trouble

Well, it's already happened. Yesterday, I was emptying out the stack of crap that had collected on the front seat of the truck when I noticed something. My husband has been dropping our daughter off and picking her up from daycare on days when I work. Usually when he picks her up there is a note from the daycare telling us what Layla did that day. You know, when she ate, when she slept, when she pooped etc. They also throw in cute little things like, "Layla really enjoyed playing outside", (code for she threw a fit when she had to come in). However tucked in with "Layla really enjoys playing in the sandbox" was "Layla needs reminded not to hit or push" Gasp......! Ok so my little darling is now the bruiser on the playground. I immediately start picturing in my head, Layla pushing some cute little pony-tailed girl in a frilly dress off one of the ride-on toys and standing over her victoriously. I see her sitting at the table, smacking the little boy next to her, then jerking the box of crayons away. Who knew my quiet perfect little angel had it in her. I blame the Irish, it's in our blood.

I'm a little embarrased.....

Ok, I really love to read. There is something about a good book that is just undeniably satisfying. Over the years I've read some pretty good ones. For awhile I was pretty into Oprah's Book Club selections, but college kept me pretty glued to textbooks. When I graduated, I was free to read again (whatever I wanted). A new kind of craze hit the nation, a children's book sparked a huge following and then the movies came. I have to admit, at first I made fun of my adult friends, who I found reading them passionately. Then I was challenged. Ok I did it, I read the first one and was a little captivated so I read the second, the third, the fourth, the fifth, and finally last night the sixth. Yes, this 28 year old wife and mother was reading the sixth book of the ........Harry Potter series. I've said it, I am a Potterholic. I was on the last two chapters last night when at 12am my husband finally said please, please turn out the light. How could I. I was way to cozy to get out of bed and Harry was being attacked in a cave by a group of dead bodies. So like a 8 year old, I busted out the flashlight and carried on. Yes, it's sad I know and even though I gave it my best effort, my friggin' arms were too sore to hold the book and the flashlight any longer. I gave up, but I finished while my daughter napped today. At last, now if I can just hold out until July when the 7th and final book comes out. Did I mention I'm on the reserved list hehehe.

Working Out

Well I just came home from the gym. I must say that initially after working out you feel pretty good. The endorphins are circulating in your brain, and there is a sense of satisfaction in not being a couch potato. Yes, I would say that right now I feel pretty good. Now, tomorrow is a different story. I am sure I will have soreness in places I didn't even know existed but, hey that's the way it's supposed to be. I just hope I can keep up the momentum. And one and two.........

Following the Leader

So, here I am. My mommy says this blog site is friendlier to picture posting so here I go. My old site was on blogsource and uploading pics was a beast and since I can't resist sharing my adorable bambino with the world I moved.
We recently returned from a trip to San Diego; Layla's first trip to the zoo. We had a great time. She was pretty impressed with all there was to see. Monkeys, tigers, elephants, hippos, zebras, oh my. We got there just after it opened so we had a little room to spread out. Here she is struttin' her stuff past the gazelles. Swimmin' pools, movie stars......

Here are some other cool pics... This is not a headless monkey, it's actually a mother grooming her baby. awhhhhhh