I Love NY!

Of hair and braids....

2008-01-19T18:06:00.000-08:00

This is my hair before Punta Cana.

This is my hair while in Punta Cana. (So nice!!)

This is my hair back in NY after 1.5 hrs of braid removal.

Now my hair is back to this!

Would definitely recommend braids....so nice not worrying about hair...hurt the first night but was fine after that. Occasional itching was the main side effect. Did feel good to wash it though!! :)

New Year

2008-01-19T17:58:00.000-08:00

Wow! It's been a while since I've posted! The holidays flew by in the usually holiday fashion. Once again, we missed my sister Trina who is still in Thailand.

Chris & I just got back from Dominican Republic (Punta Cana specifically) where we celebrated our 5th anniversary. It was really nice! Lots of time for relaxation under the warm sun! Now its back to the grindstone!

This is the corridor between buildings at our hotel.

Some beautiful flowers.....

Chris with "Lionel" on his head.

"Lionel" and I.

"Norris" and I.

Brrrr!!!

2007-11-18T20:07:00.000-08:00

We drove over to my brother Dana's place for lunch to celebrate Vincent's 3rd birthday and Thanksgiving. We hit snow a few miles into PA and it continued until we were a few miles away from NY. Made for some intense driving! Not excited for this part of winter!!!

Vincent "chattering" on Uncle Jer's phone.

Vincent blowing out his candles!!!

Poor Colson! He's tired and hungry and doesn't feel good!!

Vincent "coloring".

Dana posing! Nice shot bro! :)

Nights....

2007-11-18T06:25:00.000-08:00

Well, the orientation period on the day shift has ended and nights have begun! Wow! Where am I? What time is it? Wait...I thought I was suppose to be awake now..... Talk about major confusion!!! Hopefully this phase won't last too long!!!

The Walk....

2007-10-07T15:22:00.000-07:00

Well folks, the walk is done!! I started out my day yesterday by getting up at 3 am. I met up at my friend Laura's house and her friend Billie took us to Tarrytown. There we met up with another walker, Kathy, and her sister drove us down to Pier 84 in NYC. The walk started around 7 am and was a little slow getting started. Our group decided to stay on the fringe of the crowd so we wouldn't get stuck on the pier. It turned out to be a great idea! We crossed the Manhattan Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge and George Washington Bridge. Got to see lots of cool sights and fun people. The cheering stations were the best!! They definitely helped pick up your spirits!! I finished the 26.2 miles around 5pm (had multiple breaks and lunch in between). Thankfully there were "tent angels" at the Wellness Village that set up our tents for us. I could barely move. I was able to get in line for the showers rather quickly, eat some dinner and hit the sack. I was in my sleeping bag by 6:30 pm but couldn't get to sleep because of all the noise and the pain of the hard ground against my aching body. I had earplugs in, but could hear everything like it was in my own tent!!! I think lights out was around 10 pm, then I got to toss and turn....now I remember why I don't go camping!!! Ouch!!! Then around 5:30 this morning, people thought it was time to get up and make noise! When I finally drug myself out of my tent around 7:30 I could barely move and some of my team mates had already left. My friend Laura offered to come pick me up in Jersey (she had went home for the night....has a bad back and knew she couldn't stand the camping out part). I couldn't get a hold of Chris so I took her up on it. It felt so good to get home and take a shower in a "real" shower and take a nap in my comfy bed!!! Some of my team mates went on to complete the additional 13.1 mile today and to them I say congrats and make sure to take your Advil tonight!! I can't wait for my massage tomorrow...and hopefully my blisters heal quickly! At least it was all for a good cause! Next time I'm doing a smaller walk....thinking maybe the Susan G. Komen 5k walk....can definitely handle that!!

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer NYC 2007

2007-10-07T15:05:00.000-07:00

Westchester Walkers

L-R: Marla, Laura, Liz, Kathy, Karen, Jenn, Nancy

Here we are on Pier 84 ready to get this walk started!!!

Ready to cross the Manhattan Bridge

We crossed three bridges....this was the first...

The Brooklyn Bridge

This was the second bridge we crossed....it was pretty cool!!

Crossing the George Washington Bridge

This was the last bridge we crossed. It was really cool to look at the views!!

Here's a look at the tents set up.

Some of us stayed at the Wellness Village and slept in these 2 man tents. Wow!!! The ground seemed extra hard with all those aching muscles and blisters!!

My new cousin

2007-09-28T14:12:00.000-07:00

Jacob James Kropf. What a little cutie pie!!
Looking all grown up!!! :)
With Papa at work.
With Mommy after his bath.
Chillin with "auntie" Marla!!!

Laura's Baby Shower

2007-09-28T14:09:00.000-07:00

My friend Laura and I at her baby shower.
Gift time!!!
The yummy cake!!

Breast Cancer Walk

2007-09-08T17:33:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are interested.....I've been training hard for my walk in October. I'm doing the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in NYC October 6th & 7th. It's 26.2 miles the first day and 13.1 miles the second day. Here is the link for my webpage.
http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR/Walk2007/NewYork?px=3622153&pg=personal&fr_id=1285&et=W4WjzSQSmM7jsWOQrZNHoA..&s_tafId=154271
My poor feet are aching from standing most of the 12 hours a day at work plus all the added hours of walking. But, it's all for a good cause!! Yay!

Great fishing!!

2007-09-08T17:31:00.000-07:00

Last week Chris went to the OBX for some billfishing. The first day he caught a 300 lb white marlin and a 500 lb blue marlin. The second day he caught 2 white marlin that were around 45 lbs. Check out this link....http://www.pointrunner.com/forum/showthread.php?t=229

Breast Cancer Walk

2007-08-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Family,
As you probably already know I have decided to participate in Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. This is such an important cause to me because this year, an estimated 40,000 women will die from the disease. Breast cancer takes another life every 14 minutes. Another woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every 3 minutes. An estimated three million women are living with breast cancer. One million of them don't yet know it. As part of the event, I pledged to raise money. People can make donations on my behalf, so that I can reach my fundraising goal. With the donations raised, the Avon Foundation will provide support and resources for women affected by this terrible disease. This will help so many people in our own community and throughout the country. Any amount you can give is great; I just appreciate your support. It is faster and easier than ever to support this great cause - you can make a donation online by simply clicking on the link at the bottom of this message. Whatever you can give will help! I truly appreciate your support and will keep you posted on my progress.Thank you for supporting me always, but especially in this challenge; you really do make a difference.
Click here to visit my personal page.If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR?px=3622153&pg=personal&fr_id=1285&s_tafId=154272

Big scare

2007-08-01T18:17:00.000-07:00

Well, quite a few of you know about my recent scary experience. I was going down the stairs to our basement and my foot slipped and I tumbled down the stairs and CRASHED into the cement wall. I almost blacked out. Chris took me to the ER - 4.5 hrs, an X-ray and CT scan later they determined that I just had a concussion and cervical neck strain. Thank God! Since I work on a Trauma ICU my mind was immediately thinking the worst....subdural hematoma, etc. So glad it wasn't. I'm still a bit sore, but was able to work yesterday and today.

OBX Fishing Trips

2007-07-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

This trip to the Outer Banks I decided I wanted to go fishing too!! The guys let me catch the first fish (the biggest one in the pic below). Chris was second and caught the "baby" below! (He ended up with the biggest yellowfin, weighing in at 67 lbs, just 3 lbs shy of a citation). Here we are (Angelo, myself, Chris & Dad) with our yellowfin catch!!! What a day!!!
Here are Chris, Angelo & Dad with their July 4th catch.

NCLEX aka Nursing Boards

2007-06-20T12:05:00.000-07:00

Yay!!! Unofficially I have passed the NCLEX!!! I say unofficially because Pearson Vue (the company that administers the tests) lets you know if you passed if you pay $8. The official letter will arrive in the mail with my license!!! SO EXCITED!!! Thank God!!! Now I can add RN to the end of my name!!!

More Pics From Dushore Weekend

2007-06-18T15:50:00.000-07:00

Here are the results of our family picture taking efforts. Not too shabby!! The first one is of my husband and I, done in black n white.Here is my brother and his family.
Here is our whole family.
I was actually trying to get Chris to pose a certain way, but this turned out cute too!
My parents with their grandsons.

Family Time

2007-06-10T17:53:00.001-07:00

Time once again for the Martin family weekend gathering at a cabin. This year we went to a really nice log cabin in Dushore, PA. Trina is on furlough from Thailand right now so our whole family was there! It was great to hang out with everyone again. My nephews are growing like weeds and into everything!!

Here is Vincent playing air hockey. He had to stand on a chair but he didn't care....he LOVED it!!! Here is Colson, the birthday boy!
Here I am playing air hockey.
Playing Legos with the boys.
Trina with Vincent.

Fishing!!!

2007-05-30T10:04:00.001-07:00

We went to NC for some fishing and relaxation. Here is Chris and our friend Angelo with Chris' 50 pound Mahi-Mahi. He'll end up with a citation from NC govenor and fishing board. It's one of the hardest fish to get a citation for in NC. Here we are getting ready to take a walk on the beach at sunset. It was so nice and relaxing. We had fun looking for cool shells and rocks too.
Here are the guys with their catch. Chris' dad and his dad's friend Leo went too. They caught over 50 Mahi-Mahi.
Here is the beautiful sunset we saw while walking on the beach. So peaceful!!
Here is the capt and Chris trying to weigh the Mahi-Mahi. It was a challenging task!!

Graduation

2007-05-17T19:38:00.001-07:00

Chris & I Some of the RN Class
Dad Chris & Betty with me
With my parents and bro
With my good friend Mona

Today was my graduation!!! So exciting!!!

Pinning

2007-05-17T19:29:00.000-07:00

Chris & I My class
With my clinical excellence award & my professors!!
With Dad & Betty
With my parents & bro

My pinning was May 16th! So glad to have it done!!! :) I was surprised and excited to be awarded the Clinical Excellence Award for the RN class!!! Such an honor!!

End of a chapter....

2007-05-08T19:19:00.000-07:00

I am now officially a graduate nurse!!! I passed my last nursing final with an 81% and a B for the semester!!! I am SO happy!!! Now just gotta pass the boards....(took a predictor test that said I have a 98% chance of passing them!!) I have another interview on Friday....hopefully I get that job!!

Springtime!!

2007-04-22T13:27:00.000-07:00

Yay! I think Spring has finally decided to come!!! This weekend has been absolutely beautiful!!! How awesome to see the sunshine again!!!! My daffodils, crocuses, and hyacinths are blooming!!! I love this time of the year!!! Oh, and only 15 more days until the final!!!! :)

Easter Pics

2007-04-16T07:07:00.000-07:00

Easter Sunday Chris and I went to our church's Sonrise Service at 7:30 am. We grabbed a quick breakfast in the gym and then headed over to Pennsylvania. We made good time and I was able to help mom get food around. After lunch, I hid eggs for the boys to find. Mom had put change in them. Vincent had a lot of fun finding them and Colson enjoyed putting them in his mouth! :) Then some of us watched the Veggie Tales Easter DVD. I say some of us, because several of the others were napping! Matt & Miriam (my cousin) came over with their family in the early evening for supper. It was good to see everyone again!

Vincent in his Easter basket!

Colson in his Easter basket!

Colson is almost walking and loved to

push this toy around. Of course Vincent

wanted it too when he saw how much

attention Colson was getting!!!

Vincent peeking through the stair railing.

Here are the boys going through

their eggs to get the change G'ma

put in them.

Dieting

2007-03-30T14:44:00.000-07:00

What are the odds? I had a trip to the ER today. I had the brilliant idea to try NutriSystem to help me lose weight. I figured it was a fool proof plan....the meals were all there, I just had to pick which one I wanted for that specific meal. No thinking of healthy foods to eat, just focusing on my school work. (Only 38 days until the final, by the way!!!!) Today was my second day eating their stuff. I ate their chicken salad on melba toast today for lunch. Approximately 1/2 hr later I noticed my scalp was extremely itchy. Then I happened to look down at my arms and saw big welts forming. Then I looked in my rearview mirror and saw my neck was covered in hives and my face was starting to itch and turn red as well. I quickly stopped by Stop & Shop and picked up some Benedryl (the kind you put on your tongue to dissolve....I figured the quicker it gets in my system the better). I quickly called my doctor/boss and he told me to take 2 and call him if it wasn't better in 10 minutes. I continued to drive home and by then my tongue was starting to swell and my chest was feeling tight. The itching was getting progressively worse and my face was all red & puffy. So, I took a detour to Putnam Community Hospital ER. After 2 1/2 hrs in the ER, 500 mL of saline, 50 mg of Zantac, 125 mg of Solumedrol and a nebulizer treatment of Albuterol & Atrovent I was released. Thank God for the TV in the room - it helped pass the time! The whole episode was definitely scary! (Side note: my dad has been rushed to the ER on several occasions for anaphlyaxic reactions and I don't want that to be handed down to me via his wonderful genes!) As soon as I got home I called NutriSystem and cancelled my account and got the okay for a refund (after I send it all back). I'm sure the shipping isn't gonna be cheap....imagine....a huge box filled with 5 weeks worth of food! Oh well....at least I'm not trached and on a vent somewhere!! :) Oh....and I'm STARVING!!!! Thankfully I have lots of fruits and veggies to eat!!

More Pics

2007-03-19T14:43:00.000-07:00

More Thailand Pics! :)

pics from thailand

2007-03-19T14:26:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from my trip to Thailand. Enjoy!

FALLING

2007-03-15T06:27:00.000-07:00

i almost died today!! well, actually i was very safe but felt like i was going to die!!! trina asked me if i wanted to bungee jump with her (no one else was crazy enough to) so i said ok. we went today and it was the scariest thing EVER!!!!!!! she was laughing as we're falling and i was screaming! we jumped in tandem and i had a death grip on her! needless to say, i will not do that again! after that we went off roading in some dune buggy thing. that was fun, a little scary, but fun! i think i may have lost some of my sense of adventure......is it because i'm getting older?
we had a nice time on trina's 24 hours off. we left yesterday afternoon, checked in at the resort and then went to for mexican food (not very authentic, but mexican none the less). afterwards we went to night bazaar and then got massages again! :) it was SO nice not to have kids screaming around you all the time and actually sleeping until 9:30 am, not 6 am!
yesterday morning we took the kids to the elephant camp and monkey school. it was pretty cool. the elephants did a show for us and then we went for a ride. took some fun pics!
well, i better sign off for now. can't believe my time here in thailand is almost done! wow, it went fast!!! i'll post more pics later.

Thailand

2007-03-12T23:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm finally adjusted to the time (I think). Last night Trina and I went to Night Bazaar and got a 2 hour massage for $18. Was wonderful!!! :) We definitely slept very well last night! :) This morning we took the kids to the pool. On the way we stopped at the open air market and got some sticky rice and pork kabobs for lunch. They were yummy! I saw some fried bugs they were selling. Disgusting!!! The pool was a little cold, but we soon got use to it. Unfortunately the sun hasn't appeared yet! Trina said they're burning fields so it is very hazy! Definitely nice and warm though! We're sleeping with the air con at night! When the kids get up we're going to the mall. It'll be interesting to see a Thai mall! :) In the morning we're planning to go to the elephant camp. Hopefully I can ride one! :) Tomorrow afternoon starts Trina's 24 hours off. We're going to a resort for the nite. Should be fun! I think we'll check out the Night Bazaar again and actually do some shopping this time! :) Okay...I'll post more another day! Enjoy winter! :) LOL!

thailand

2007-03-11T08:16:00.000-07:00

made it safely thank God!!! i sit here typing one handed with a sleeping preemie who has cleft lip & palate. he also seems to have some reflux issues, poor little guy! he's only 2.8 kg & can't have the lip repaired until he's at least 5 kg & his palate after 1 yr. it sounds like the "gang's" dutch blitz is winding to a close.....means i can hit the sack soon! :) ttyl!

Midterm

2007-03-04T15:44:00.000-08:00

I HAD to take a break from studying!!! My poor hand was cramping and my neck and shoulders hurt so much from the intensity of studying for my midterm. There is light at the end of the tunnel....only 73 days until graduation, 64 days until finals and 5 days until I leave for Thailand to see my sis & her kids!!! I can't wait! :) Thank God for spring break!!! :)
Back to the studying.......

More Pics of Aussie

2007-01-14T21:37:00.000-08:00

Here are some misc pics from our Australia trip.....enjoy! :)

Australian Botanical Garden

2007-01-14T21:21:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics from the Botanical Gardens in Cairns, Australia.

Australia

2007-01-14T21:08:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful time in Australia! We arrived home on the 13th. I'll try to post some pics, not sure how many though.

Australian Sunshine & Back Pain

2007-01-02T16:09:00.000-08:00

Hi all!
This trip is DEFINITELY NOT going to plans for poor Chris. He is still in so much pain with his back. He's been to a several different chiropractors and massage therapists to no avail. He finally went to the 24 hour urgent care center and the doc gave him Australian equivalent of Ultram. Unfortunately that doesn't cut the pain either. He was able to fish yesterday though. (I went along in case he hurt himself worse). He caught 4 wahoo & a mahi mahi. I caught a wahoo, but spent most of my time feeling sea sick on the "couch."
Our first full day here I found out the hard way that the Australian sun is VICIOUS!!! I had my tanning/suncreen stuff I sprayed on a few times. I was out in the sun for about 2 hours and got such a BAD sunburn. The next morning my right eye was almost completely swollen shut!! I'm finally starting to peel, so now I look like a different monster....not just all swollen & RED, but peeling and red! I've been putting aloe on diligently....hopefully I'll be better before the trip to the US. I can't stand to sit in one place that long in this condition!
All in all, Australia is beautiful & the people are really friendly. (They think WE have the accent! he he he!!) Right now we are in Brisbane and it is raining. Chris is out on the boat. I stayed at the hotel and will go to the mall soon. Tomorrow I want to go to this Koala Zoo while Chris is on the boat. Looks pretty cool.
Hope everyone is having a great New Year!!!
Later....

Australia At Last!!

2006-12-29T15:25:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a trip!!! It started off on the wrong foot with Chris throwing his back out minutes before we had to leave for the airport. After madly scrambling through the phone book to find a chiropractor (ours was out of town) we finally found one and got him in. Thankfully we made it to the airport in time. We had a 7 hour layover in San Francisco so did some sightseeing. Then began our 14 hour flight to Sydney. Boy, were our legs swollen & sore. Gotta remember to walk around more on the flight home!!! We made it to Sydney without problems & then after a little confusion got on our flight to Cairns! But, unfortunately, they lost my suitcase with all of my clothes!!! So, got to buy a new outfit! :) We're comfortably settled in our hotel now. Chris is getting a massage & will go to the chiropractor today. Hopefully it'll all be better by then!!

Martin Christmas

2006-12-25T09:30:00.000-08:00

Saturday we had our Martin Christmas get together. It was a fun time! Definitely missed Trina, but we all got to talk to her on the phone. Here are some pics from the day....

Three Days Before Christmas

2006-12-22T16:58:00.000-08:00

Three Days Before Christmas.....

Chris' stupid customer "forgets" to get money out of the bank so he can pay his guys

I have to run down to North Salem with the last of our savings so Chris can pay his guys

It's raining...

A stupid idiot in a BMW neglects to yield at a Yield Sign

The lady in front of my steps on her brakes and then slams on her brakes....

I slow down and then slam on my brakes too....too late....my poor, poor Audi!

So sad!! Now we head to PA for Christmas with the Martins!

Christmas with Jeaden!

2006-12-21T19:48:00.000-08:00

Sunday I went down to the Bronx to see my godson & give him his Christmas gifts. He is quite the little talker now! He's only 14 months old and when he opened his first gift he turned to me & said "Thank you!" My friend Sharnett & I were surprised! It was awesome...he had no prompting! It was also great to catch up with Sharnett.

My "Date" with Brandon

2006-12-21T19:43:00.000-08:00

Wednesday I took my friends' son Brandon out for a "date" to celebrate being almost completely potty trained. We had a great time! First we went to Ruby Tuesdays for hamburgers & fries. While we were there he said "Aunt Marla, I like you & Aunt Momo!" (Isn't that sweet!?!?) Then we went to Build A Bear & he chose a bear to stuff. It was a lot of fun! We got a Yankee's uniform for the bear too! :) When the clerk asked what he wanted to name the bear, he said "Baby Jesus"! I said this is the only baby Jesus you'll see decked out in a Yankees uniform! LOL!!! We were gonna go to the park too, but some

body fell asleep in the back seat! :)

Jule's Shower

2006-12-21T19:38:00.000-08:00

My friend Julie is due in March, but her family was in town so they had her baby shower early. The nursery theme is Snoopy. Her mother-in-law made the cake - it looked amazing! Here are Julie, Jessica & I!

Finals

2006-12-19T22:01:00.000-08:00

Yay! Finals are done for another semester! Wow! What a tough semester to boot! I'm so relieved to be done for this year! Now I get almost a month off! Looking forward to relaxing and getting some stuff done around the house. So glad I only have one more semester left & then I graduate!! Happy Holidays everyone!!

Almost Done!!

2006-12-13T18:50:00.000-08:00

Well, I passed my finals today! Yay! Now I have two more on Monday! Pray that I pass!
Also, Chris gave me an early Christmas present! I get to go see my sis in Thailand over Spring Break '07!!! Isn't he a sweetie!!! :) I'm so excited! Now, I have to go concentrate on studying for these last two finals!

Vincent & Colson Christmas Pics

2006-12-08T16:55:00.000-08:00

Here are my most adorable nephews!!!

Nicholas' Baptism

2006-11-26T18:46:00.000-08:00

Today we went to the baptism of one of our friend's baby. It was good to see old friends and meet some new folks too!

Thanksgiving/Vincent's Birthday Celebration

2006-11-25T19:19:00.000-08:00

The Birthday boy!

Blowing out the candles!

Today we went over to my brother Dana's place to celebrate Thanksgiving and Vincent's 2nd birthday. My mom's sister & husband were visiting from Mexico so they came also. My cousin Miriam and her family also came. It was a nice time! :) Definitely missed my sis as well as my cousin Esther & her family.

Family Photo Update

2006-11-16T09:46:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to post the latest pic of my sis & her kids as well as my brothers with my dad. Why do they think beards are cool?!?! ugh!

Cookie Baking '06

2006-11-16T09:31:00.000-08:00

I drove over to Pennsylvania to bake cookies with my mom & sister-in-law. This was our 2nd annual cookie baking day. It was fun! We definitely missed my sister, Trina, who is in Thailand. My little nephew, Vincent, wasn't feeling very good that day! :( And, my other nephew, Colson, slept most of the day! (I was a little jealous!!!) We ended up with over 800 cookies...didn't quite make the 1,000 mark like we did last year. Bubba - we need u here!! Needless to say, it was a LONG day!! And on the way over I was almost in a head on collision with this old man who decided it was ok to drive the wrong way on an exit ramp into oncoming traffic on a highway!!! Definitely don't like those kinds of adreneline rushes!!! Enjoy the pics!

Relaxing weekend

2006-10-22T14:22:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a wonderful, relaxing weekend with friends. My friends Laura & Karen and I went up to Binghamton to visit my friend Mona. We hung out with a couple of her friends, Michelle & Nikki on Saturday. What a great time...good memories....lots of laughs!! :)

Girls Nite Out

2006-09-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

Today is my friend Laura's birthday!! To celebrate, a bunch of us went out last night and then had a sleepover!! So much fun!! :) Made lots of memories!

Jeaden's 1st Birthday Party

2006-09-03T18:14:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated my godson's birthday party. Jeaden wasn't too sure of what was going on, but he seemed to have a good time! :)

Blood, Sweat & Poison Ivy

2006-08-28T19:39:00.000-07:00

Some things I hate:
1. Sweating like you just worked out for hours when in reality you just started pulling weeds.
2. Pulling weeds at dusk with bugs biting you wherever there is skin. It is NOT cool to have bug bites on your forehead!!!
3. Chopping through wild rose brambles and other various wild stuff with prickers. My poor arms look like I was in a cat fight.
4. Applying lotion that is suppose to "repel" poison ivy oils prior to pulling weeds. Immediately after weeding, disrobing, jumping in the shower and scrubbing with a wash that is suppose to remove all poison ivy oils. Only to have the "lovely" poison ivy rash appear on my arms, etc.
5. Now that I have the poison ivy rash going....taking the "wonderful" Prednisone to help shorten the life span. Now poor Chris gets to put up with my mood swings & increased hunger....both dreaded side effects of Predinsone.
6. Working your butt off pulling so many black trash bags full of weeds to only make a dent in the jungle of vines, dandelions and a multitude of weeds I don't know names for. I've literally pulled at least 14 big, black trash bags full so far. I still have at least 6 more to go. Oh YAY!!
7. A week left of "freedom" and it has to be filled with pulling weeds, reading my two big textbooks for nursing as well as making medication cards, and memorizing the serum lab values for about 10 different lab tests. Where did the summer go!?!?!

Oh....I really do LOVE gardening!!!! Maybe someone can remind me why as I sit with heating packs on my back and shoulders/neck! :)

Cabin 2006

2006-08-20T19:07:00.000-07:00

My family rented a "cabin" in Wellsboro, PA for the weekend. We missed my sister, Trina, tremendously! It was fun hanging out and playing with my nephews. Actually only really played with my nephew Vincent 'cause Colson only wanted to sleep & eat. Imagine that!! :)

Jeaden

2006-08-12T20:14:00.000-07:00

I was so excited that I was able to go see my godson, Jeaden & his mom, Sharnett. We had a great time! He's growing like a weed. Hard to believe that he's almost a year old!!!

End of Externship

2006-07-28T23:32:00.000-07:00

Wow! Ten weeks sure flew by!!! My nursing externship at Danbury Hospital ended tonight. (Actually last night as I'm posting at 2:30 in the morning!!) I thoroughly enjoyed my time as an extern & learned A LOT from all of my preceptors! I can't wait until it's official & I'm actually working as a nurse! From the first night of my externship on, I knew I was doing what I really was meant to do! I LOVED it! Made some good connections & it looks good for a possible hire in the spring! YAY! My summer class also just finished. Now I can relax & enjoy August!!! Hopefully I'll get some good beach days in!! (I also need to do some reading for nursing next semester! Gotta love those fluids & electrolytes!!!)

Family Get Together

2006-07-28T23:19:00.000-07:00

My mom's brother James & his wife Bette from OR came to PA & stopped in at my parents' place for a visit. Great time for a family get together! Jaren, Jarrell & Shaila enjoyed having Jeremy read to them. The little yellow chair was consistently being fought over by the younger three (Janae, Anisha & Vincent). Colson was content to lay on the couch and observe ! And Vincent (along with the rest of the kids) enjoyed going up and down the stairs! Wish I had their energy!!!!! :)

Gemma's Wedding

2006-07-04T18:21:00.000-07:00

My friend Gemma got married July 4th at Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. It was a beautiful setting and a lovely wedding! What a fun night! :)

Father's Day/Pop's 50th Birthday Celebration

2006-06-25T18:06:00.000-07:00

We went over to pennsylvania to celebrate Father's Day and my dad's 50th birthday. We surprised him with a scrapbook of memories for his birthday. He loved it! It was also great to see my nephews Vincent & Colson!!

God is good!!!

2006-06-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

Just a praise report!! I received a letter from WCC (the college I attend) stating that I got a scholarship for my last year of nursing. It will cover the majority of the tuition expenses! We were trying not to worry about the finances for this upcoming year. We knew God would take care of us & this is a great reminder! This is such a "God-incidence"!!! We feel very blessed indeed!

New Nephew

2006-06-05T21:38:00.000-07:00

My new nephew, Colson Tyler Martin, has arrived. He was born 6/5/06 at 8:58 am, weighed 6 lbs 13 oz and was 18" long. He's such a precious bundle of joy! I drove 6 hours round trip to go see him in the hospital (about 1 1/2 visiting time). I'm exhausted now, but it was SO worth it!!!

Good fun!

2006-05-30T21:50:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun watching our friends' kids...Brandon & Jack. Their mom went to get her hair done, so it was just me & the boys! Jack pretty much chilled the entire time. Brandon & I had fun playing t ball, basketball, big wheels, Thomas the Tank Engine, etc. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but was tuckered out by the time I left! :)

Grades!!

2006-05-15T11:28:00.000-07:00

I'm SO relieved!! I got an "A" in Comp & Lit II and "B+" in both Nursing & Microbiology!! To those who know me well, I'm "growing" and can now accept "B+" sometimes!! :)

Finals

2006-05-10T19:23:00.000-07:00

Well, half way through nursing school!!! I am SO EXCITED!!! I finished my last final this afternoon!!! Now I have to wait patiently for my grades to be posted!!! I have a couple weeks break before I start my externship at Danbury Hospital. I'm also doing an online course over the summer. Should be an easy "A"!!! Definitely won't have any opportunity to be bored!! Tomorrow I'm tackling the weeds that have flourished during this semester! :)

Easter Sunday

2006-04-24T04:48:00.000-07:00

My sis, Trina, got commissioned to go to Thailand. She left April 18th. She is going to be away for around 2 years. She'll be a nanny for orphaned kids.

2006-04-24T04:19:00.000-07:00

Easter Sunday my sister Trina got commissioned for Thailand. She is on a 2 year assignment as a nanny over there. After church we all had dinner at pop & moms. Vincent was enjoying all the attention!!

YAY SPRING IS HERE!!!

2006-04-12T19:19:00.000-07:00

Spring is finally here!! As you can tell from the photos I need to clean up my flower beds....but don't want to waste precious study time. It'll have to wait a few more weeks until the semester is over.

Exciting News!

2006-04-11T17:02:00.000-07:00

I found out today that I got accepted to 2 nurse extern/intern programs for the summer. I chose the one that is closest to me and pays the best. I can't wait!! :)

My Family

2006-04-11T16:58:00.000-07:00

My husband Chris & I with our babies...I'm holding Izzy & Chris is holding Fuzzer.

2006-04-11T16:53:00.000-07:00

My cutie pie....my nephew....Vincent! He was enjoying some cake at my dad's surprise party.

My adorable godson

2006-04-11T16:31:00.000-07:00

My adorable godson Jeaden! I can't believe that he is already 7 months old! I had a great time hanging out with him and his mommy (my friend Sharnett).