I LIVE WITH MARLEY...

AFTER WATCHING MARLEY AND ME I HAVE DECIDED THAT MARLEY AND BENTLEY HAVE MANY THINGS IN COMMON. BOTH BENTLEY AND MARLEY LOVE TO; EAT SHOES, RUN FOR MILES AND MILES AND MILES WHILE YOU CHASE THEM, EAT ORNAMENTS OFF THE CHRISTMAS TREE, RIP APART ANYTHING THAT MIGHT HAVE FEATHERS, AND HOWL RELENTLESSLY DURING THUNDERSTORMS. HOWEVER, AS THE STORY GOES WE ALL LOVE OUR PETS, EVEN WHEN THEY ARE DESTROYING DOWN THE HOUSE AT 2AM. HERE IS A QUOTE THAT I LOVE FROM MARLEY AND ME;

"What I really wanted to say was how this animal had touched our souls and taught us some of the most important lessons of our lives. 'A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours,' I wrote. "Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things- a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight. And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about optimism in the face of adversity. Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty'" (Grogan 279).

GOD BLESS OUR PETS

NOPE, NOT ME...

OKAY....HERE IT GOES...I AM POSTING "NOT ME MONDAY" ON TUESDAY, WHICH IS VERY REFLECTIVE OF MY PAST WEEK....

I DID NOT, I REPEAT, DID NOT GO SHOPPING IN LOWES WHILE LEAVING MY CAR RUNNING FOR A HALF HOUR...

I CERTAINLY DID NOT FALL DOWN OUR STEPS ON CHRISTMAS DAY BRUISING BOTH MY ARMS AND MY LEGS AND BREAKING ALL OF THE HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES I HAD MADE FOR OUR FAMILIES CHRISTMAS

I ABSOLUTELYDID NOT HAVE A DOCTOR AT WORK CALL ME "MAM" FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE, HE WAS CORRECTED VERY QUICKLY

I DID NOT WAIT TILL CHRISTMAS EVE TO DO ALL OF MY CHRISTMAS SHOPPING IN MURFREESBORO WHILE IT WAS RAINING BUCKETS

AND LASTLY, I DID NOT CHASE BENTLEY RELENTLESSLY AROUND THE HOUSE FOR 30 MINUTES TRYING TO RETRIEVE A CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT SHE HAD SNATCHED OF THE TREE...I DID NOT

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

FOR "WORDLESS WEDNESDAY" I DECIDED TO POST JUST A FEW OF MY FAVORITE PICTURES FROM 2008..ENJOY!

BLESSINGS

When I laid down to bed last night I began to think what a terrible day at work I had and how I felt like someone had beat my body with a baseball bat...then I began to think about how blessed I was to have a warm bed to lay my aching body in...............

A few minutes later I began to wish D.J. would scoot to his side of the bed and share some of his warm covers.....Then I began to think how blessed I am to have such an amazing man to share my bed with, so I just scooted a little closer.........

This morning I woke up and was bummed when I discovered that I had no milk for my frosted flakes....Then I began to think how blessed I was to have food in my fridge and chili warming in my crock pot, so homemade chili for breakfast it was........

Then I began to think how I needed to hurry up and begin cleaning my house for guest tonight, and how I dreaded having to mop my floors....As I pulled out my mop I began to realize how blessed I was to have a warm home to clean, and most importantly I realized that my guest were not coming over to see my house, but they were coming over to see me...People first, then things...So I put my mop back in the closet...

Then my focused shifted to Christmas shopping..which I have not done at all.....I began to think kick myself for procrastinating and wished I had been smart enough to have started my shopping sooner....Then I began to think of the people I had to shop for..and how much I love each of them...and how there is no mall busy enough to turn me into a scrooge this Christmas season..How blessed I am for my family and friends....

I post this because I realize how easy it is to get carried away this time of year....between work, Christmas parties, plays, and walmart, it is easy to forget the blessings that have been placed upon each of us. I thank God for everything he has done for me and my family and vow to cherish this season with the ones that I love. I wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

"Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else." ~Judy Garland

WHAT'S NEW WITH THE GANNONS???

IT IS TIME FOR A UPDATE ON THE EXCITING LIVES OF TIFFANY AND D.J. (JUST KIDDING)

TIFFANY: THIS PAST TUESDAY I FINISHED UP MY FIRST SEMESTER OF NURSE PRACTITIONER SCHOOL. I REALLY CAN NOT BELIEVE THE FIRST SEMESTER IS ALREADY OVER..?..ALTHOUGH IT HAS BEEN TOUGH AT TIMES TO BALANCE BETWEEN SCHOOL, WORK, AND FAMILY, I FINALLY FEEL LIKE I AM IN A GROOVE. AS MOST OF YOU KNOW DUE TO THE WORKLOAD OF SCHOOL THROUGH THE WEEK I HAVE RECENTLY SWITCHED TO THE WEEKEND SHIFT AT WORK, IT ISN'T MY IDEAL WORK SCHEDULE, BUT IT WILL HAVE TO SUFFICE FOR NOW. SO WITH ONE SEMESTER DOWN I HAVE 4 TO GO. ON DECK FOR NEXT SEMESTER IS: ADVANCED PHARMACOLOGY, ADVANCED RESEARCH, AND EDUCATION I. ALSO NEW TO ME IS MY RECENT INVOLVEMENT IN JUNIOR AUXILLARY OF MCMINNVILLE. THIS OCTOBER I JOINED THIS FANTASTIC GROUP OF WOMEN TO UNITE IN THE EFFORTS OF MAKING MCMINNVILLE A BETTER PLACE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. I RECENTLY PARTICIPATED IN ONE OF OUR MAIN EVENTS FOR WARREN COUNTY, CHRISTMAS IN THE PARK (BUURRRR). ALTHOUGH IT WAS A LITTLE NIPPY OUT I FEEL SO BLESSED TO HAVE BEEN APART OF THAT NIGHT WHILE IN THE COMPANY OF SOME AMAZING WOMEN WHO I TRULY LOOK UP TO AS ROLE MODELS.

D.J.: AS FOR D.J. HE IS STILL LOVING HIS NEW JOB. I HONESTLY CAN NOT DESCRIBE HOW SCARY IT WAS FOR THE BOTH OF US WHEN HE DECIDED TO TAKE THE BUY OUT FROM NISSAN. HOWEVER WE GAVE THE DECISION TO GOD AND HE HAS TRULY BLESSED US IN RETURN. D.J. IS LOVING HIS "DAYTIME" JOB INSTEAD OF NIGHTS AND IS NOW SURROUNDED BY GOD FEARING MEN WHO HE TRULY ENJOYS WORKING WITH. HOWEVER, D.J. TOLD ME LAST NIGHT HE IS GETTING A LITTLE BIT BORED WITH ME NOT BEING AROUND ON THE WEEKENDS (I TOLD HIM THAT I CAN GIVE HIM PLENTY TO DO). BESIDES WORKING D.J. IS ENJOYING DEER SEASON, AND OF COURSE, MAKING AMISH BREAD.

O' LETS NOT FORGET ABOUT BENTLEY...

BENTLEY: BENTLEY IS CURRENTLY ENJOYING HER DOGGY MANSION THAT D.J. AND I PURCHASED FOR HER IN LATE SEPTEMBER. ON ANY GIVEN DAY YOU CAN USUALLY CATCH BENTLEY CHEWING UP ONE OF MY CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS FROM THE CHRISTMAS TREE, STEALING SOCKS FROM ME WHILE I AM TRYING TO FOLD THE LAUNDRY, DRINKING FROM THE TOILET, OPENING CABINET DOORS SO SHE CAN GET INTO THE GARBAGE, AND OF COURSE OUR PERSONAL FAVORITE, TREEING OUR NEIGHBORS CATS AT 3A.M. AND BARKING RELENTLESSLY UNTIL WE GO AND GET HER.

OKAY, WELL THAT'S ABOUT IT FOR NOW...HOPE EVERYONE IS GEARING UP FOR A FABULOUS CHRISTMAS

IT IS SOMEONES BIRTHDAY........

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR LACEY,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOOOOUUUU"

VERY SPECIAL HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES TO MY SWEET SISTER-IN-LAW, HOPE YOUR DAY IS FABULOUS

IS IT CHRISTMAS TIME ALREADY....

WELL..I HAVE BEEN TAGGED SEVERAL TIMES FOR THE CHRISTMAS SURVEY SO HERE IT GOES...

Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping Paper..Come on it's Christmas Folks..

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial Pre-Light..Never Going Back

3. When do you put up your tree? About 2 weeks before Thanksgiving..I Love Christmas..

4. When do you take the tree down? About a week after the New Year

5. Do you like eggnog? I like eggnog, boiled custard, hot chocolote, and hot apple cider for the holidays

6. Favorite gift received as a child? blackhills gold ring from my aunt

7. Hardest person to buy for? handsdown...FIL

8. Easiest person to buy for? My mom

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes..but I am not sure where it is at??? Need to find it!!

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I use the traditional postal service..email is to unpersonal.

11. Worst Christmas gift you received as a child? ..ummm...not so sure

12. Favorite Christmas movie? The Polar Express..Love It..

13. When do you start your Christmas shopping? Christmas Eve..I know...I am terrible

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas gift? Sure..And I love the term "recycled" Makes it sound like you are also helping the environment

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? My Granny Doe's cheese grits...yummy

16. Colored lights or clear on tree? Clear..but I think colored is making a comeback

17. Favorite Christmas song? "Christmas Time is Coming" by the Nashville Bluegrass Band

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel to my Granny Doe's...In Manchester

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? I think.?.Well can I..? umm..No, I can't

20. Angel or star on top of tree? I actually have a bow

21. Open presents Christmas Eve or Christmas? Christmas Day

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Nothing..I love it..Reminds me of how blessed I am.

23. Favorite ornament? One of D.J. and I (thanks Tabetha)

24. What do you want for Christmas this year? Just happy to have a break from school

25. Favorite holiday treat(cake,cookie,dessert)? Toss up between fudge and white chocolote pretzels

Honest Abe

"It is hard to believe that a man is telling the truth when you know that you would lie if you were in his place." ~Henry Louis Mencken, A Little Book in C Major, 1916

I could not help but to tell this sweet little story about our "maturing" little Jackson. Last Friday Jackson and I had a play date (which of course involved the polar express). After some ranting and a raving Jackson's mischievous side began to take him over and he found himself in the kitchen faced with a plate of fudge. Jackson's big blue eyes could not have gotten any bigger, desperately he wanted a piece of that fudge (which is pure sugar). The conversation went like this...

Jackson: "Aunt Tiff, pleeeaassseee"

Me: "Does your Mom and Dad let you have fudge at home?"

Jackson: (pausing for a minute, with a very serious look on his face) "No"

I could not believe it....He told me the truth..how hard that must of been for him...God love his sweet little soul..So, In the name of honesty, I gave him a piece.

"If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice." ~Meister Eckhart

Just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving..D.J. and I will be headed out at 1pm today to celebrate the holiday with family and friends. This year I am super excited that two of my greatest friends, West and Kara, have both made their way home for some Turkey and Dressing. So tonight D.J. and I will be hosting to our bestest with left over turkey, cheap wine, and catch phrase.. Blessings and Thanksgivings to you all!

BITTEN

THIS EVENING AFTER A LONG NIGHT OF STUDYING I FOLLOWED MY NOSE INTO THE KITCHEN AND FOUND D.J. IN THE MIDDLE OF 2CUPS OF FLOUR AND 1CUP OF SUGAR. IT IS NOW OFFICIAL THAT D.J. HAS BEEN BITTEN BY THE AMISH BREAD BUG! BY MORNING WE WILL HAVE 2 LOAFS OF AMISH BREAD, 1 AMISH CAKE AND 12 AMISH MUFFINS. AT THIS RATE D.J. WILL BE IN THE RUNNING FOR A AMISH BREAD BOOTH RIGHT BESIDE THE BOYD CHRISTIAN LACE CLUB AT THE CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIR. SHHEEESSHH.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

"The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age." ~Lucille Ball

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM..HERE'S TO BEING SMART, FUNNY, GOOD LOOKING AND FABULOUS!!!

PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." Barack Obama

AS WE CELEBRATE THE HISTORIC VICTORY OF BARACK OBAMA, I CAN NOT HELP BUT TO THINK HOW PROUD I AM TO BE AN AMERICAN. AS D.J. AND I WATCHED THE POLLS LAST NIGHT I BEGAN TO FEEL VERY EMOTIONAL ABOUT OUR NATION AND WERE WE ARE HEADED. FOR SOME TIME NOW OUR COUNTRY HAS BEEN FACED WITH THE OVERWHELMING ISSUES OF THE WAR, ECONOMY, AND ENVIRONMENT. FOR ME I OFTEN FELT LIKE I WAS WATCHING A HUGE SHIP SINK INTO THE OCEAN WITH NO WAY TO HELP. I OFTEN FEELING THAT, "I AM JUST ONE PERSON, AND THAT MY HELP WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH." I KNOW THAT IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME BEFORE AMERICA IS HEADED INTO THE RIGHT DIRECTION AGAIN, BUT I TRULY FEEL LIKE AMERICA HAS CHOSEN THE RIGHT CANDIDATE TO DO SO. BARACK OBAMA INSTILLS HOPE AND THE ABILITY TO FACILITATE CHANGE IN SO MANY AMERICANS, INCLUDING ME. WHAT AN AMAZING MAN, LEADER, AND ROLE MODEL OBAMA IS FOR OUR COUNTRY. I KNOW SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE VOTED IN CONTRAST TO ME OR SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE EVEN VOTED THE SAME AS ME BUT FOR DIFFERENT REASONS, BUT IN THE END WE ARE STILL ONE NATION UNDER GOD. NOW IS THE TIME, SPECIFICALLY YOUR TIME, TO UNITE WITH ONE ANOTHER TO MAKE AMERICA THE COUNTRY THAT WE ALL KNOW IT SHOULD BE. GOD BLESS AMERICA, AND GOD BLESS YOU!

ROAD TRIP

"For travel to be delightful, one must have a good place to leave and return to." -- THIS WEEKEND D.J. AND I HEADED OUT WITH THE FAMILY TO GATLINBURGH FOR SOME MUCH NEEDED REST AND RELAXATION. HERE ARE SOME PICS FROM OUR WEEKEND.

*FOR SALE*

KNOW ANYONE WHO WANTS TO BUY THIS COOL TABLE?? THE JACK DANIELS BARREL IS ONE OF THE ORIGINALS FROM THE DISTILLERY...AND THE WAGON WHEEL IS ANTIQUE...D.J. MADE THIS TABLE HIMSELF...I HONESTLY CAN'T BELIEVE HE IS READY TO PART WITH IT..

Employee of the Month

"God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into its nest." ~J.G. Holland

Congrats to my good friend Donna B. for being named employee of the month in the pharmacy at MTMC. Without a doubt Ms. Donna is worth of this very special title. I know that all of the MTMC family is very proud of her.

Congrats to Mr.and Mrs. Justin Hobbs

Last night D.J. and I attended the wedding of Justin Hobbs and Tisha Brooks. We are super excited for this amazing couple, not only because they have rounded up the marriages for all of the grandchildren on D.J.s side of the family, but also because they are both a true testimony as to what love, devotion, and commitment stand for. Above are a few pics from the wedding.

An anniversary is a time to celebrate the joys of today, the memories of yesterday, and the hopes of tomorrow. ~Author Unknown

It is so hard to believe but today D.J. and I have been married for one year. I could not have hand picked a better partner to spend each day with. Happy Anniversary D.J.

Be still and know that I am God.

Psalm 46:10

Well I am starting to feel the crunch of balancing work, school, and family. Honestly this semester has not been so bad, but on Tuesday I received some not so welcoming news. Starting in January I will have to go to school three days a week, instead of just my one day a week:( You can imaging the look on my face when I was told this..and the thoughts that were running through my head. I finally decided that there just isn't enough days in the week.."If we only had eight days instead of seven I could possible go to school three days a week, work three days, and still find the time to crunch in 150 clinical hours by the end of the semester???" Unfortunately my reality is seven twenty-four hour days. Due to this unfortunate conflict between work and school, starting in November I will switching to the weekend shift. This does not make me happy to any extent, however sometimes in life you just have to do what you have to do to be who you want to be. The contract for weekend shift that I will be signing is for six months, so in May I will be able to reassess my situation to If there is still a need for me to stay working the weekends (and i am sure there will be). I keep telling myself that this is just short term, and in the end it will all pay off, however it is hard to visualize the payoff when it is so far away. In the now, all I can think of is all the fun cookouts I will be missing, family dinners, girls nights out, and Saturday night date night with my husband. With that said, I have made a commitment to myself to do whatever it takes to finish the masters program. So if that means busting hump twenty four hours a day, seven days a week then that is what I will do. In the words of D.J., "I would rather be a eagle flying high than a chicken pecking the ground."

O'yeah.. the 150 hours that I mentioned, that is my practicum for one of my education classes. Another shocker..I will be teaching a class next semester at TSU. It will either be in the AD or BSN program. I tried really hard to get a freebie class such as fundamentals of nursing or nursing orientation, but my dean, Dr. Norman (an amazing educator and nurse) would not even here of that. So she basically pushed me to push myself into teaching one of the core nursing classes. I will keep you updated on this project. In the mean time please keep me in your prayers because this is going to be a whole new world for me.

CARING REALLY IS CURING

YOUR PATIENTS DO NOT CARE HOW MUCH YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY KNOW HOW MUCH YOU CARE

The quote above was stated in class today by my teacher. She wanted each of us to go around the room and explain what we thought about the quote and wanted to know if we thought there was any truth to the age old question, is caring really curing? I feel so strongly about this topic that I just had to share some of my thoughts...

A little over a year ago (when I was very green in nursing) I explained to a good friend of mine (who is a very intelligent heathcare provider) that I really did believe that "caring was curing" and that I always wanted to be able to express to my patients how much I really care about my job and what I am doing. My seasoned friend then laughed at me and said, "I don't care what you think, that cuddly feeling that you have will soon wear off, and before you know it you will just be going through the motions. You will have no time to give a crap about your patients." I welcomed his seasoned thoughts, and really, really hoped that what he was telling me would not be true, Maybe I would be different, maybe I would still love my job and my patients for years to come??

Today when my teacher asked this question I just sat there and smiled. It is true!! "CARING IS CURING" and any nurse who does not have time to hold their patients hand while their hurting or say a prayer with them before they go to surgery or needs to find a new job!! I love my patients, I love what I do, and I love being a "caring" individual!

IT'S A EXCITING DAY

What a happy and holy fashion it is that those who love one another should rest on the same pillow. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

IT IS A VERY EXCITING DAY IN THE GANNON HOUSEHOLD. D.J. STARTED HIS NEW JOB TODAY, WHICH AS SOME OF YOU KNOW, IS ALLOWING HIM TO BE ON DAY SHIFT! FOR THE FIRST WHOLE YEAR OF OUR MARRIAGE D.J. HAS WORKED NIGHTS, AND OF COURSE I WORK 12 HOUR DAYS IN M'BORO. DUE TO A MISMATCH IN SCHEDULES IT LEFT LITTLE TIME FOR D.J. AND I TO ENJOY THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE, AS COUPLES OFTEN DO. I THINK SOMETIMES WE TAKE FOR GRANTED THE TIME THAT WE GET TO SPEND WITH OUR LOVED ONES AND OFTEN DO NOT EVEN REALIZED HOW TRULY BLESSED WE ARE TO HAVE THEM IN OUR PRESENCE ON A DAILY BASIS. SO FOR NOW D.J. AND I ARE PLANNING OUT DINNERS, EVENING WALKS, AND TIMING OUR FAVORITE TV SHOWS TOGETHER :) SUCH A LITTLE THING TO MOST, BUT SUCH AND AMAZING THING FOR ME AND D.J.

WITH THAT SAID I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY CONGRATS TO MY SWEET HUSBAND FOR STEPPING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX AND TAKING THAT COURAGEOUS STEP TO DO SOMETHING THAT HE TRULY LOVES TO DO.

D.J. YOU ARE SUCH A INSPIRTION TO ME. THANK YOU FOR SHOWING ME THAT NO MATTER HOW OLD I AM THAT I AM STILL YOUNG ENOUGH TO BE WHO I WANT TO BE AND DO WHAT I WANT TO DO. YOU HAVE TAUGHT ME THAT I SHOULD BE ABLE TO WAKE UP EVERY MORINING AND BE TICKLED TO DEATH ABOUT WHERE I AM GOING, FOR THAT, I THANK YOU AND LOVE YOU.

OUR LITTLE PIONEER

"The difference between the old football player and the new football player is the jersey. The old football player cared about the name on the front. The new football cares about the name on the back. ~Steve Garvey

This past weekend D.J. and I traveled to Sparta to watch our favorite Pioneer, Chase. The game was an absolute HOOT!! Chase and all of his little Pioneer teamates played their little hearts out. There is nothing better than watching 4 and 5 year old's run as fast as they can, in the wrong direction, only to be tickled to death that they made it the designated "touchdown" area. Here are some pictures of the future WCHS Pioneer Football team.

Smile Award

My sweet little friend Ashley picked me as one of her recipient's for the smile award!! Ashley thank you so much for choosing me. You are such a amazingly talented young lady who is heading in all the right directions!! May your spirit always be filled with blessings from above!

So with that being said, I will now list the rules of passing this award to the next recipient:
1. The recipient must link back to the awards creator.
2. You must post these rules if you receive the award.
3. You must choose 5 people to receive the award after receiving it yourself.
4. You must fit the characteristics of the recipient of the award.
5. You must post the characteristics of a recipient.
6. You must create a post sharing your win with others.
7. You must thank your giver!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------**CHARACTERISTICS FOR THE SMILE AWARD**
*Must display a cheerful attitude( not necessarily at all times-we are all human)
*Must love one another
*Must make mistakes
*Must learn from others
*Must be a positive contributor to the blog world
*Must love life*Must love kids
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOW MY RECIPENTS FOR THE SMILE AWARD ARE...

Ms. Krista Kelley

Mrs. Lacey Jones

Mrs. Lindsey Matheney

Mrs. Jessica Higgins

Mrs. Toree Craven

SEMESTER # UNO

Well, Its week number 2 of graduate school and I still have a smile on my face. Although the first week was complete chaos, I am now feeling the calm after the storm and am starting to get into the groove of things. I am already noticing the subtle differences between a baccalaureate program and a masters program. When I was working on my BSN it was very intense, and very structured. There was no veering off the nursing track, and no entertaining of new ideas or though processes. So far my classes, although very time consuming, are pretty laid back with lots of discussions, papers, and presentations. Opinions about particular subjects are welcomed by all and are discussed by many. Each teacher encourages each individual student to think out of the box and use their own critical thinking skills to formulate new nursing theories while incorporating them into their practice. This semester I am taking Advanced Pathophysiology, Advanced Role Development, and Advanced Educational Process for Nurses. Although each of these classes encompass their own challenges the Advanced Education class has been pretty challenging for me. Never have I, ever have I, taken any sort of educational class. I have always known that along with my Nurse Practitioner degree that I also wanted the freedom to be able to teach upper division nursing. So along with my FNP degree I will also be working on obtaining my certification to teach. Along with that certification comes many classes on basically, how to be a teacher. My first assignment for this class is to quote, unquote:

"come up with an imaginary college, then come up with a nursing class that you would like to teach. Once nursing class is decided upon make syllabus for that class including, class overview, class goal, class objectives, outline of class, week by week schedule and so on. Next make a power point presentation (because you will be teaching this class to you peers), along with conducting a 100 question test that will be formulated by you (me)."

WOW, I could not believe she was serious!! I can talk to about the role of cell membranes and nuclear receptors in determining the response to hormones all day long, but coming up with a syllabus?? Sheesh!! If anyone has in words of advice please send them my way.

ITS FOOTBALL TIME IN TENNESSEE, AND LIKE MOST OF YOU D.J. AND I ARE EXCITED ABOUT ANOTHER EXCITING SEASON. HOPE EVERYONE ENJOYS TONIGHT'S BIG GAME~ GO VOLS!!!

HAPPY, HAPPY, BIRTHDAY

"The older the fiddler, the sweeter the tune." English Proverb

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TWO OF MY FAVORITE PEOPLE!! I LOVE YOU BOTH VERY MUCH!

WAY TO GO JESSICA

"All successful people men and women are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose." Brian Tracy

Congrats to my dear friend Jessica who will be graduating with her nursing degree this Friday!!! Way to go sister!! We are all so proud of you!!

*PRAYER*

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. "Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

THIS BIBLE VERSE HAS BEEN ON MY MIND THIS WEEK. AS MANY OF YOU KNOW I AM STARTING SCHOOL, YES AGAIN, ON AUGUST 25TH. I WILL BE WORKING TOWARD A MASTERS DEGREE AS A FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER WITH A MINOR IN EDUCATION. ALTHOUGH I AM VERY EXCITED, I AM ALSO VERY NERVOUS. IT IS EASY TO DOUBT YOURSELF AND YOUR CAPABILITIES AS A NURSE AND AS A STUDENT. I OFTEN ASK MYSELF IF I WILL BE STRONG ENOUGH MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY TO JUGGLE THIS CHALLENGING ROLE AS A FULL TIME STUDENT IN A MASTERS PROGRAM, WHILE ALSO BEING A FULL TIME NURSE AND A FULL TIME WIFE. AT THE SAME TIME THAT I AM STEPPING OUT AND MAKING A CAREER MOVE, IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT D.J. IS MAKING SOME CAREER MOVES HIMSELF. THE BAD PART ABOUT MAKING ANY KIND OF DECISION IN YOUR LIFE IS THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THE OPTION OF LOOKING 10 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD TO SEE IF IT IS GOING TO BE THE RIGHT DECISION FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. SO I ASK YOU TO PLEASE KEEP D.J. AND I IN YOUR PRAYERS, AS WE BOTH TAKE LEAPS OF FAITH INTO WHAT WILL HOPEFULLY BE A BLESSING IN OUR FUTURE.

WEEKEND RECAP

My goodness, what a busy weekend it has been! D.J. and I have managed to pack 3 fun filled days into a 4 day weekend, with today being our day to relax. Starting off on Friday evening we headed out to the Viola Homecoming with my Mom, Dad, and Jackson for a cheeseburger and good company. A cheeseburger was enough for me but D.J. ended the night with a funnel cake a piece of watermelon, and a stomach ache. Then bright and early on Saturday morning D.J. and I headed out for the "Longest Yard Sale in the World" (literally). The yard sale starts in Ohio and ends in Gasden, Alabama. D.J. and I decided to yard sale the lower half, so we started in Chattanooga and made our way through Georgia, crossed back through Alabama, and ended our day in Gasden. Never in my life have I saw so many people trying to "wheel and deal" at the same time. However one mans junk is another mans treasure so by the end of the day D.J. and I ended up with many little treasures of our own. My personal little treasure that I am very proud of is a 1930's vintage costume dress that is just spectacular. We also decided to theme our basement in vintage/antique sports equipment. So we picked up some really unique equipment to display throughout the room. Although exhausted from a day on the road we woke up Sunday morning and headed down to the cabin for a day on the river. The sun was shining, the water was beautiful and it was a great day to be alive!! Here are some pictures from the Viola Valley Homecoming.

THE COUNTRY CROCODILE MILE

"Inside every older person is a younger person - wondering what the hell happened." - Cora Harvey Armstrong

AS MANY OF YOU ALREADY KNOW TUESDAY IS MY 25TH BIRTHDAY..YES I AM GETTING OLDER AND OLDER. IN LIGHT OF THIS VERY TOUGH BIRTHDAY YEAR D.J. AND I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY FOR A LITTLE SLIP-N-SLIDE FUN. THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW MY HUSBAND KNOW THAT HE ALWAYS TAKES THINGS TO THE EXTREME. SO BY 1PM ON SATURDAY I HAD A 5 FEET WIDE, 50 FEET LONG SLIP-N-SLIDE COVERED WITH WATER AND SOAP READY TO PROVIDE ALL KINDS OF SLIP-N-SLIDE FUN TO ME AND OUR GUEST. IT PROVED TO BE A GOOD IDEA BECAUSE WE HAD AN ABSOLUTE BLAST.THERE WAS NOT A SOUL IN SIGHT WITHOUT GRASS MIXED WITH SOAPY DETERGENT COVERED FROM HEAD TO TOE. IT MADE FOR A PERFECT BIRTHDAY MEMORY. I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO ATTENDED AND RECONNECTED WITH YOUR CHILDHOOD YEARS. I HAVE POSTED SOME PICTURES OF OUR FUN FILLED DAY ALONG WITH A PICTURE OF MY BIRTHDAY CAKE (THANKS LADIES).