I am pooped people!

Pooped as in seriously tired- hope I didn't get anyone's hopes up for a good poop story. :)
Nope- just a very tired, crammed full brain here. I am giving myself a small break to absorb some of this information before hitting it again til I fall asleep from exhaustion. Mom has been her normal wonderful helpful self by watching Anna for two days straight so that I could study. My test is Tuesday btw. Guess it would be helpful to tell you what I am even talking about right! I am really nervous - there is just so much info! My brain is to the full up level and I still have 2 more chapters to cram in there in 2.5 days. yikes.

Correction

I don't get all that many comments.... eh hmm.... hint hint... esp from my brother so when I get one I really have to pay attention! Anyway, this one deserves a mention since he told the story of Adam shooting up the ground so much better than I did. Also, since one of my great joys in life is being able to make fun of Adam, this story bears repeating the correct way. So here is his comment on my last blog just in case you didn't catch it. (:

"We don't eat bullheads - those are the evil fish that grandpa always just killed. He kept the channel cats (never did understand what the difference was...)...."
***note- apparently I didn't actually learn anything Grandpa tried so hard to teach me. But I appreciate the teaching anyway. )***

...."Also, I was there for the "Adam panicking and screaming like a girl over a snake" incident. We were actually hunting squirrels, but Grandpa just went to help us find them (he was good like that) so he didn't have a gun. Adam and I were walking a little ahead of him when we came upon the snake - Adam almost stepped on it. Anyway, like the story says he did manage to unload 15 shots all AROUND the snake's head (and our feet) before Grandpa caught up and calmly took the gun away from Adam and killed it...from then on, Adam carried a shotgun instead of a .22 - fewer shots, but he liked the blast pattern better than a tiny bullet :-). "

My Grandpa Hubert

It is important to me to put in writing how I feel about people. I guess it is a good outlet for me to actually have to sit down and think about why this person is special, what specifically they have meant to me in my life. I have blogged before about several people close to my heart but I haven't done that for a while. I thought it would be easiest to do this when their birthdays roll around so I am starting this year with my Grandpa Hubert. I actually have several birthdays in February but I have already written about mom! So onto Grandpa.

Grandpa Hubert is my mom's dad. Some of my most favorite memories of him from my growing up years are of him fishing and making homemade ice cream. (Not making ice cream from the fish! Regular, delicious vanilla ice cream.) We went fishing so many times with Grandpa growing up that it is one of those ingrained memories. Another ingrained memory of being with Grandpa is a train whistle. A train station and tracks run right next to my grandparents house and that sound literally is a part of my childhood. I never hear a train without thinking of being at Grandma and Grandpa's.
Grandpa was always so strong when I was growing up. He walked miles to get to farm ponds and fished for hours. I will always remember seeing him coming in from fishing, in some sort of plaid shirt (the one that sticks in my head most was red), with blue jeans on, and a hat. He would take the hat off and there would be a tan line around the top of his bald head! He got so crazy dark in the summers from being outdoors so much. He always carried around this big canteen for his water. If we were all going then we took a bigger container. I can still see in my mind, the fishing equipment- the string for the fish he caught (or the wire basket), poles, the canteen, the chairs, the hats. He used to keep a little book detailing all his fish that he had caught over the years and where he caught them. I hope he still has that book somewhere. I would love to see the numbers. Heck, I'd love to have the book to keep. He baited our hooks for us and taught us about the fish we caught. He showed us turtles and birds and told us what crops were growing in the fields we passed on the way to the ponds. I thought he must know everything. I remember that he used worms and something he called "stink bait" on his hooks. And let me tell you- I have no idea what the heck was in that stuff but it certainly did stink! Grandpa loved to catch bass but he also caught a lot of bluegills and catfish. Or I guess they were actually something else but I can't remember the name - oh bullheads. After the fish were caught, he carried them home and cleaned them on this wooden platform in the yard. For some reason, I stood out there almost everytime to watch him clean the fish. I guess even then I had an interest in science and seeing the insides of fish after fish! I never could stay for the bunnies or squirrels though. He loved to tease my dad about the snakes out at the ponds. Grandpa just flung them out of his way or chopped their heads right off like it was no big deal to have a massive snake right next to you. My dad did not share this feeling. He mostly wanted them far far away. One of my grandpa's favorite stories to tell on me is how we were all out fishing one day and he knew he had a turtle on the line. So he handed the fishing pole to me to reel in. (He always let us reel in the fish for him when we were little.) Once I landed that turtle and realized what is was- I threw the pole and climbed up my dad's back and clung to his neck! I don't remember this but apparently it was very funny. (:
One of the other things I remember about Grandpa was how very glad he always was to see us. It is something special to know that you are one of the people that brings light and happiness to someone just by seeing you. He is still that way- I know the minute I walk through the door, that the visit will be the highlight of his week, just because we came. I think I was always a little bit of a "favorite" of Grandpa's. I was the first girl grandchild. I think he even kept me as a favorite after I squirted him in the face with a garden hose while he was reading. (yes I did it on purpose!) We all stayed a week all by ourselves with my grandparents in the summers growing up. They made the week very special- we ate out (which was a big deal), went fishing, and made homemade ice cream. Somehow, in my mind, although my Grandma mixed all the ingredients together, Grandpa got the credit because he was the one that put it in the old mixer with the dry ice and brought it in for us. (sorry Grandma!) That ice cream is one of the best things in the world. If you have never had homemade ice cream - go make some. Right now- go.
Another one of my favorite stories about Grandpa is actually of a time that Adam went fishing with him. Adam loved to go fishing with my Grandpa and my brother. They had a gun with them and apparently Adam got it in his head to shoot at a snake or a frog or something. He apparently about unloaded this gun from several feet above the ground and missed every single shot. He said Grandpa grabbed the gun away with a digusted look, put the muzzle right on top of the thing's head and pulled the trigger. I always appreciated how welcome he made Adam feel- he included him right from the start- even when he couldn't even shoot something a foot in front of him! (:
Grandpa was always very kind to us, very hard working, always seemed to be liked and respected around town. Such a family man. He takes enormous pleasure out of family reunions- absolutely loves to show off Anna to his brothers and sisters. He does not like cats! We always squabbled about that. Grandpa fought in Korea. He never talked about it when I was growing up, but in the last few years, he has really started to open up about things he experienced. He has started writing down some of his memories and I treasure those so much. If there was a way to record the entire contents of someone's memories I would do that with everyone in my family. I love his stories- I need to find a way to record some of my favorites. Like the one about him sitting on his bait bucket.
I have always said that I had the best childhood anyone could ask for, the best parents, and the best grandparents. Grandpa is and always will be a very special part of my life. I am so glad that Anna has been able to spend some much time with him.

Cheerios

We live in a house full of cheerios. I randomly crunch cheerios beneath my feet when I walk through the house, cheerios fall out of Anna's clothes sometimes when I take them off of her, I find them under the furniture when I move it to vacuum, they are in my car, in my purse, in the closets, sometimes I find a bowl of them together with raisins that she has carried off and hidden away, and they are sometimes even in my bed. It's little reminders like these tiny cheerios that catch at my heart sometimes and make me wonder how sad will I be when there are no more cheerios popping up out of the blue? Anna is growing up so fast, soon she will be too big to leave cheerios around the house, soon she will pick up after herself (we hope right?), way too soon she will be a kindergartener, a 6th grader, a teenager!, a college student. And I will have no more cheerios to serve as small reminders throughout the day of what a wonderful blessing God has placed in my life, what a wonderful little baby girl I have been given to take care of for such a short time. Oh I know that as she gets older, there will be other reminders- clothes thrown on the floor, make-up on the counter, friends coming and going, but they will be reminders of a more grown-up Anna. So, when I am much older, and Anna is much older, if you see me dropping cheerios in my floor- just know that it's because I want to pretend that she is little again, leaving her trail of cheerios through my house and through my heart.

oh Yeah

I forgot to mention that I also had to argue with the teacher (again) over a quiz question. It was only 2 points and I still had an A but I was right dang it! I just pulled my book out and showed it to her right in the middle of class. I am such an old old nerd.

Ironic

Ok this is a tad ironic after the last post about how I am not THAT old.... cause you would never know it by how upset I got in class tonight and the reason for the said upsetedness. (you know how much I like to make up words!)

So, we are just going along taking notes as fast as we can write tonight when for some reason, the guy in the back row brings up cloning. No, I did not get upset about cloning. Personally, I don't see the big problem... but that is not what I want to discuss. Anywayyyy... the teacher (the vet) goes off on the 30 min long (at least) side discussion about cloning and horses and armadillos that carry leprosy. So after the first 10 mins or so I start to get a little peeved. I starting thinking things like "ok this is fun but I actually need to know the information in this class" and things like "I am paying you to teach me A and P- not talk to me about horses". And then as the talk got longer and longer and it was completely apparent that the children in the class were very glad to have her off subject and off schedule, I had this thought- "OK, I am not some kid just taking this class to fill in a general ed requirement- I actually need this information for my career. I take this seriously and would appreciate the rest of you all taking this seriously. I like to have fun as much as the next guy but there is a time to work and a time to play and this is a time to work" !!!! So, now, did I sound like an older parent there or what!!!!

What do you mean the earth isn't flat!?!

Tonight driving home from class, innocently complaining to my sister about how much information is in my A and P class and how I don't remember it being this much info when I took biomedical science the first time I was in college, she said to me .... are you ready for this?.... "yes and things have really changed a lot since you were in school. They have probably discovered a lot more since then." What! Gasp! Did you! Gasp! just say! Gasp! Apparently my sister thinks this is me....

....when I was in school! You know - back when we thought the earth was flat, and evil humors controlled health and we were afraid we would fall off the face of the earth if we went to far! Geez o pete- I mean I know I am old but really? A "things have changed a lot since YOU were in school" comment? Ugh..stabbed right in the heart! By my own sister. (:

Playing tag

Good morning all- I woke up this morning and after all my "have-to's" were done (few pathetic minutes on treadmill, feeding the kiddo, showering, etc) I pulled up my computer to check my favorite blogs. Just so you know - you that blog- it makes me morning to have a blog to read! (ok that's sounds a little pathetic- let's change it to it adds some fun to my morning).

Anywayyyyy.... My friend Kara tagged me! So here I am- playing along- yea! ok. so. The tag was to :

1. open the 4th folder that I keep my photos in

2. post the 4th photo in that folder

3. explain the picture (no editing, cheating, etc)

4. tag four more people

so here goes!

This is a picture of Anna and Adam - as Anna just said when she saw the picture- "hey that's me and Daddy- we're beautiful!" We took this picture at my grandma and grandpa's- Anna's Gma and Gpa Bert at a family reunion of sorts. Anna was somewhere between 14 and 16 mos old.

Ok I am tagging Stacey, Brooke, Julie V, and Sarah. Julie B- you already got tagged by Kara so I expect to see something on your blog right now! (:

Long winded tonight

Ok last blog for the night- I promise.

I am taking a and p notes like a crazy person... or maybe just like a soon to be nursing school... person. Sorry wasn't sure how to end that statement. Oh I guess student would have been appropriate there. I haven't even had any coffee lately! This is just how my brain works people. Scary insights here huh? I promise I am not this airheaded at work- I will be a good nurse I swear!

Anyway, I am taking notes like crazy trying to keep ahead of the ball in this class. It is a LOT of information. I mean a L-O-T. I am maybe a little scared of how much info it is. I have a stack of notecards for just the terms alone that is ...well crap- I can't show you. Take my word for it- it's a high stack. So... scared am I. But..... I also am loving this information. I love science. Always have. Sometimes when Julie V (see Julie- I used the right initial- and after only 6 mos!) tells me what she is doing in her MBA classes I want to just stab myself in the eye thinking about how boring that is to me. (I do however, greatly admire her for pursuing her dream. See prior post entitled "The beautiful difference".) This information, while probably extremely boring and complex and "who really cares anyway?" to most people is fascinating to me. I actually thought that about a section I read just now. (hence this blog). Did you have any idea how much goes into a white blood cell simply arriving at the site of an infection? I didn't. Now I do. Very very interesting. I won't bore you with the details. Unless you want to know- then I will share with you my newfound knowledge.

So, if next time you see me, I have a stack of notecards a mile high and am mumbling strange Latin terms that might or might not sound dirty- well I am just studying my A and P and loving it! (:

Anna funnies

Yesterday my daughter told me that I stink. I promise that I did not stink. I have no idea why she said that!

At a play area the other day she just attached herself to this very nice lady. She talked and talked and talked to her. When I finally asked her to come here (politely trying to get her to leave the poor woman alone) she very politely raised her hand right back at me and said "I am talking."

When I asked her where she learned how to play chess (apparently she plays chess somewhere) she told me "at Goofy's house."

I got my first "I don't have to" response today. That was fun.

In Anna's world, hoses, fireman and dalmations are not in firetrucks. Toys, however, are.

The poor child gets bit a lot too. Apparently, an imaginary alligator, her plastic wolf, several of her little people zoo animals, and a few stuffed animals need to be taught not to bite. Goofy mostly just hits her on the head.

Everytime I get the play-doh out for her, she asks for blue play-doh and then calls it her "Krun". (spelling is guessed at since I have no idea what or who Krun is or how he came to inhabit our play-doh)

The beautiful difference-edited to make more sense

So sometimes I feel like I waited til my 30's to learn some very important lessons that most people probably learn in a more timely fashion. One of the things I have been marveling at lately is how beautiful all the differences in people really are. I used to be more of a "blend in", "don't rock the boat", "don't break the rules", and "always do what pleases people even if it makes you unhappy" kinda girl. Adam can once again testify to this. (and to the many fights it led to since he is.... well... the exact opposite of that.) I was deathly afraid to do anything that might be considered nerdy or dumb or not cool. I know right? It's like I went to high school til last year. But the truth is that I did think that way. I am a people pleaser, I like having people like me and I thought the easiest way to achieve that was to just blend right in. I think right about the time when I quit caring what people thought of me (for various reasons- that's another blog) I started to appreciate and enjoy seeing what makes other people tick. Allowing myself to really be myself let me begin to see that the differences in everyone- even the differences that might make you nerdy (: - are what also makes you beautiful. It is fun to look around at all my different friends and family and be able to see the fun or the craziness or the thoughts or the kindness or the sarcasm or the brains or the faith that makes them wonderful. It is interesting to me to see their passion lived out in their daily lives. What makes them happy, what they enjoy spending their free time on, what they like to learn or read or do. I have learned to respect and appreciate all the different passions that people have instead of thinking that everyone should be the same and that people outside that sameness are weird or wrong. Again- I realize this is not a lesson normally learned at my age. Or maybe it is. Perhaps I should say it is not a lesson most people would own up to learning at this stage in life. But I have pretty much blabbed out all my secrets in this ole blog anyway so what's another one? Anyway - that's two introspective blogs right in a row so I promise to make the next one more fun! (:

Redeeming Love

"Redeeming love has been my theme and shall be til I die."

"I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God." Psalm 40:1-2

I started another book by my beloved author, Beth Moore last night. It's called "Get out of that Pit". Maybe it's just me but I sometimes feel like life just picks me up and flings me down (usually very suddenly) into a deep deep pit and it is so hard to claw my way out. My poor husband has no idea what the heck is going on with me half the time.

The first chapter already gave me so much encouragement. A beautiful verse in Psalms and a reminder that redeeming love is not a "this one time" but a continuing process every single time you lose your way or lose your hope and need yet another hand reaching down and pulling you out of a pit that you found yourself in.

oh GREAT!

I thought you all might like to know that it appears that everything I spent the ENTIRE last semester learning has just been summarized for me in one handy dandy little chapter in my A and P book. That is just a tad disconcerting.

Where have I been?

I think I am turning into one of those bloggers that only blogs twice a month. (Not that there's anything wrong with that... Seinfeld anyone?) It's just that I have been in a mood. 'Nuff said.

I start my Anatomy and Physiology class this Tuesday. From now on that will be simply A and P. Cause I am busy and I don't have time to spell it out for you all the time. Geez, keep up. I imagine I will have plenty of fun stuff to blog about after I start back to school. Only the one class this semester but it's a whole lot o' info crammed into 4 and a half hours on Tues and 2 hrs on Thurs. And yes, I am already taking notes. And yes, I am happy to be back in class. Strangely enough, my sister's vet (for her dogs, not for her..snicker...) is my professor. Not sure if that will help or hurt me. Maybe I shouldn't claim her? (:

I am addicted to Starbucks nonfat White chocolate mochas- with or without whipped cream. In fact I just downed a grande. Which might account for the randomness of this blog. And for the fact that my left eyelid is twitching and I feel like I could leap a tall building.

Here's something funny that happened at my mom's church today. A little boy sitting next to us waited til the sanctuary was nice and quiet and then asked his dad (who had just gotten up) in a very loud toddler voice if he was going outside to smoke! Then later during prayer, his little tiny sweet baby sister apparently (I was in Sunday school with Anna) had such a loud blowout that it was heard by several rows in front, behind, and on all sides of them. If you don't know what a blowout is, well... I won't explain it. It's what it sounds like, all the mother's reading this blog will laugh at that and all the men will probably think "oh gross- does she mean what I think she means?" and then they'll gag a little. (Brad- don't run upstairs and throw up!)

Anna was spinning around and around tonight til she almost fell down. Then she told Adam that the house was falling down. Hehe. Funny girl.

I found a new thing to be obsessed with on Facebook- really I don't know how I lived before I started using it. Wow, I should really not phrase it that way. Oh well, you know what I meant. No, its not more flair- although that obsession is still going strong. In fact, here's my current favorite. And another one. Just for fun.

My new current obsession is pathwords. Thank you Brooke- I no longer can get any work done around the house. I think I have Brooke beat currently but that probably will change by tonight. Dang it.

I guess that's about it. I should really go try and get through some of this chapter.

Oh yeah - LOST is coming back soon and I am way too excited about it. I love LOST. Maybe I'll go find some flair about that.

Butterflies

My parents took Anna and I to a this local butterfly place today. The butterflies were beautiful. They were mostly a white and black butterfly- I guess due to the season. Anna wanted to touch them so bad! Of course, my camera was not recharged from Christmas so it died after about 3 pictures. I had my video camera so was able to take another 3 pictures with it before IT died too. Sigh! Here are some more pictures just in case you haven't had enough pictures of our family in the last bunch of posts.

Who does she look like?

From the day Anna was born we have been trying to figure out who she looks most like- me or Adam. It was really funny at first because it was so evenly divided down family lines- Adam's family thought she looked like him and my family thought she looked like me. I think you just naturally see the characteristics that you have looked at your whole life in the next generation. As she got older, almost everyone agreed that she looked more like Adam. Now I am starting to hear again that she looks like me. Mom and Dad got out my old (old, old) pictures of me and it was fun to see the pictures side by side.

I scanned in several old pictures to share. Here are two of Adam - I don't know for sure how old he is.

I don't think Anna looks much like Adam in those pictures. But I do in this one.

Here is picture of me with my Papa. I think baby Anna looked a lot like me when I was a tiny baby.

Here are a few more pictures of me just for fun.