THE GANNONS

2009-05-28T06:05:00.000-07:00

FINALLY we have met our match! After much kicking, screaming, and even some nasty name calling in regard to our outdated laptop computer, D.J. and I finally decided it was time for an upgrade. The final result of this 2 year long battle was the purchase of a new iMac desktop. We could not be more thrilled. No more 3 minute wait to access the Internet or silly little pop-ups telling me that I am fixing to lose the 22 pages that I just typed because there has been an error on script 52. Gone are the days of viruses, spy ware, and worms.

"REJOICE, REJOICE, AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE: THE GANNONS HAVE FINALLY MET THEIR MATCH"

2009-05-08T05:23:00.000-07:00

"My mom is a never ending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune." ~Graycie Harmon

Over the years the relationship that I formulated with my mom has been one of the most rewarding blessings that has been placed upon my life. The blessings I have received from being raised by a woman of unconditional love go far beyond any word I could ever imagine. My mother has played multiple roles in my life; cook in the kitchen, maker of the bed, cleaner of the house, driver to the movies, chaperon of the sleepover, benefactor to my entire undergraduate degree just to name a few. However, my most fondest memories of my mom have always been based upon love. As a child she comforted me when frightful dreams fled me from my bed, As a teenager she made chicken salad "to-go" sandwiches for me and my friends as we headed out to listen to our favorite band in concert, and just the other day she sent me such a thoughtful card in the mail telling me what a wonderful nurse she thought I was. See that's the thing about my mom, always loving, and always thinking of me.

"Mom I want to thank you for your unconditional love and always leading by example. I feel so lucky to have a mom who has always pushed me to "keep on, keeping on" in this crazy life. It is no doubt that any success that I have in my life have a direct correlation to you. I hope you have a wonderful Mothers Day."

2009-05-04T08:17:00.000-07:00

"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides." ~W.E. Johns, The Passing Show

With all of the recent rain our vegtable and fruit garden is starting to reveal the "fruits of our labor". With fingers crossed we will be blessed with; corn, lettuce, tomatoes, jalepeno and bell peppers, squash, watermelon, ocra, beans, cucumber, and in the early fall pumpkins.

2009-05-04T07:46:00.000-07:00

"Rain, rain, go away
Come again some other day
We want to go outside and play
Come again some other day"

Check out these pictures that D.J. and I took yesterday while in Rock Island. The water is absolutely raging! It was a pretty impressive display of what "mother nature" can produce.

Attitude

2009-04-29T04:21:00.000-07:00

You know, I really, really, really, like this quote.

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, gift, or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes. "~ Charles Swindoll

Heart Over Head

2009-04-17T07:13:00.000-07:00

After a extremely tough few days at work this poem has seemed to put a smile on my face. As for me, and I think for so many other nurses, It becomes a constant battle to stay grounded and maintain sanity when you see so much sickness and heartbreak everyday. As a nurse you are constantly trying to be everything for everyone. Throughout the day I often find myself tangled up in obstacles that are almost irrelevant to my job, but are mandatory to my heart. Last night, after two years of nursing, I found myself once again venerable to a situation that I SHOULD KNOW was out of my control. However, my heart often takes over my head and I am left with with a flood of unknown questions for myself; "What could I have done differently? What signs did I miss? Did I really do everything I could to save a life?" The point is, you questions yourself and your abilities daily. You become your worst critic and sometimes your toughest battle. Just like the poem says I have a tear this morning, a tear for bottled-up emotions, for patients I've tried in vain to save,
and for commitment to the hope that I will make a difference in a person's chance to survive.

When the Lord made Nurses He was into his sixth day of overtime.

An angel appeared and said, "You're doing a lot of fiddling around on this one."

And the Lord said, "Have you read the specs on this order?

A nurse has to be able to help an injured person, breathe life into a dying person,

and give comfort to a family that has lost their only child and not wrinkle their uniform.

They have to be able to lift 3 times their own weight,

work 12 to 16 hours straight without missing a detail,

console a grieving mother as they are doing CPR on a baby

they know will never breathe again.

They have to be in top mental condition at all times,

running on too-little sleep, black coffee and half-eaten meals.

And they have to have six pairs of hands.

The angel shook her head slowly and said, "Six pairs of hands...no way!"

"It's not the hands that are causing me problems," said the Lord,

"It's the two pairs of eyes a nurse has to have."

"That's on the standard model?" asked the angel.

The Lord nodded. "One pair that does quick glances while making

note of any physical changes, And another pair of eyes that can look

reassuringly at a bleeding patient and say,

"You'll be all right ma'am" when they know it isn't so."

"Lord," said the angel, touching his sleeve, "rest and work on this tomorrow."

"I can't," said the Lord, "I already have a model

that can talk to a 250 pound grieving family member whose child has been

hit by a drunk driver...who, by the way, is laying in the next room uninjured,

and feed a family of five on a nurse's paycheck."

The angel circled the model of the nurse very slowly,

"Can it think?" she asked.

"You bet," said the Lord. "It can tell you the symptoms of 100 illnesses;

recite drug calculations in it's sleep; intubate, defibrillate, medicate,

and continue CPR nonstop until help arrives...and still it keep it's sense of humor.

This nurse also has phenomenal personal control. They can deal with a

multi-victim trauma, coax a frightened elderly person to unlock their

door,comfort a murder victim's family, and then read in the daily paper

how nurses are insensitive and uncaring and are only doing a job."

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the nurse.

"There's a leak," she pronounced.

"I told you that you were trying to put too much into this model."

"That's not a leak," said the Lord, "It's a tear."

"What's the tear for?" asked the angel.

"It's for bottled-up emotions, for patients they've tried in vain to save,

for commitment to the hope that they will make a difference

in a person's chance to survive, for life."

"You're a genius," said the angel.

The Lord looked somber. "I didn't put it there," He said.

A Little Birdie Told Me

2009-04-15T12:07:00.001-07:00

Did you know that if you get caught speeding in Metro as long as you are going less than 15 miles over the speed limit they do not report you to the state or file the ticket with your insurance company?? That's what a little birdie who happens to work at the Tennessee Bureau of Traffic Violations told me. I promised her that her secret would be safe with me so "SHHHHHHHH, lets just keep it between you and I.

2009-04-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

Yes, It is true, I recieved ANOTHER speeding ticket today. I take all the blame. I have no excuse or catchy cover story, it was just me breaking the law. It has been over two years since my last ticket and for sometime now I have been feeling extremly proud of myself. However, today while running late for school I let my "too fast, to furious" monster come out and it got me, ONCE AGAIN, with another flipping ticket! Recieving the ticket was not even the worst part..I honestly believe that telling D.J. was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. D.J. the man who is never in a hurry, never had a ticket, and never even had a "finder binder" finds it almost completly impossible to understand why I have such a problem with breaking the speed limit! Truthfully I am not sure that I fully understand my repetative behavior either, but "it is what it is". One more ticket on my already tarnished driving record.

2009-03-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

“Good luck happens when preparedness meets opportunity”

Wishing my husband lots of luck as he heads out to take his state boards tommorrow!

21 Rules For Life

2009-03-19T17:45:00.000-07:00

"1. Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.
2. Work at something you enjoy and that's worthy of your time and talent.
3. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
4. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
5. Be forgiving of yourself and others.
6. Be generous.
7. Have a grateful heart.
8. Persistence, persistence, persistence.
9. Discipline yourself to save money on even the most modest salary.
10. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.
11. Commit yourself to constant improvement.
12. Commit yourself to quality.
13. Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationship with people you love and respect.
14. Be loyal.
15. Be honest.
16. Be a self-starter.
17. Be decisive even it it means you'll sometimes be wrong.
18. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.
19. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did.
20. Take good care of those you love.
21. Don't do anything that wouldn't make your Mom proud."

H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Beans and Rice-Rice and Beans

2009-03-18T17:39:00.000-07:00

Who knew graduate school would be so EXPENSIVE..SHEESH! I am now starting to feel the effects of being a full time student. Yesterday I was informed of just how much it was actually going to cost me to attend school this summer. Besides from selling the family farm I am fresh out of ideas on how to make extra money without having to pick up extra shifts at work. Lets review what has been on my mind for the past 2 days, starting with......

Tuition
NP Student Liability Insurance
Coaxial Opthalmoscope/Otoscope
Rosenbaum Card
6" Ruler and 60" Tape Measure
Stethoscope (you know the good kind)
Sphygmomanometer
Reflex Hammer
Tuning Fork (256 Hz)
Pen Light
3x5 cards
Tongue Depressors
Professional Lab Coat
Professional Attire
Dress Shoes (heals only no tennis shoes)
Palm Pilot (at the advice of my peers)

Okay so I should really STOP complaining because I do realize how blessed I am to be given this incredible opportunity to expand my career, but in the words of John Stossel, "GIVE ME A BREAK"! What happened to the days where "patient care" was the central focus for medical students? When did palm pilots and jimmy choo's become the marker of a competent Doctor and Nurses. Don't get me wrong, I am not knocking the system for producing technical savy Doctors and Nurses who only where Prada. I am just saying that when I am at the center of a medical emergency somebody better be getting me someone who knows what they are doing, weather it be the doctor who is still using his textbook from 1980's to look up diagnosis or the one who only wears jeans with his dress shirt. Makes no difference to me, as long as they know how to treat me as a patient.

Okay, Okay, Okay....I have gotten off the subject a bit. Back to what this post is really about, Graduate School being so dang expensive!!!!!! Please feel free to leave any advice about trying to make a dollar out of 15 cents!! I promise...I will listen!

Sincerly,
"Broke as a Joke"

The Scale is a Moving...

2009-03-11T16:21:00.000-07:00

Thats right, I am on week nine and have lost a total of 11 pounds!! I must say that I am super proud of myself, but it has definatly not been easy. It seems that me and my weight have a "love-hate" relationship. Some weeks I see the pounds drop and other times the scale does not move at all! Either way I am still super motivated and plan to rejoin weight watchers again when this eleven week session is completed. For now I am 3 lbs away from losing 10% of my starting weight and 6 lbs away from my personal weight loss goal!

PROCRASTINATION

2009-03-09T07:52:00.000-07:00

WELL I HAVE BEEN TAGGED AGAIN, AND SINCE I AM ON DAY #2 OF COMPLETE PROCRASTINATION IN REFERENCE TO MY GRADUATE THESIS I WILL INDULDGE IN THIS SURVEY.

4 jobs I've had:
1. Stewarts Pharmacy
2. Maurices
3. Sun Loan and Tax Service
4. Middle Tennessee Medical Center

4 movies watched over and over:
1. Days of Thunder
2. Wizard of Oz
3. The Notebook
4. Splash

4 places I've lived:
1. Bybee Branch Road
2. Viola
3. McKennon Blvd
4. Dokota Way

4 shows I watch:
1. Greys Anatomy
2. Keeping up the Kardashians
3. Dr. G Medical Examiner
4. Mystery Diagnosis

4 places I've been:
1. Bahamas
2. Alaska
3. New York City
4. Multiple Beaches in Florida

4 people who e-mail me regularly:
1. Lacey
2. My Research Teacher
3. People from class
4. Clinical Placement advisor

4 favorite things/places to eat:
1. Mexican
2. Chicken Chef
3. Demos'
4. Olive Garden

4 places I'd rather be:
1. Laying on the beach drinking a margarita
2. In Alaska hiking through the mountains
3. In New York City sipping coffee in Central Park
4. Begining an adventure anywhere that I have not been before

4 things I look forward to this year:
1. Fitting into my "skinny girl jeans"
2. Summer nights at the cabin
3. Starting my first vegtable and flower garden
4. Sleeping in on Saturdays with my husband

I Tag... Anyone who reads this and wants to be tagged.

2009-03-06T06:14:00.000-08:00

My Advanced Pharmacology teacher passed this out last week after our first test. Thought I would share.

The rules of life for graduates.

Some have said this was from Bill Gates talk to high school graduates
but probably he did not say this unless he quoted Sykes.

RULE 1.

Life is not fair; get used to it.

RULE 2.
The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you
to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

RULE 3.

You will NOT make 40 thousand dollars a year right out of high school OR
college. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone, until you earn
both.

RULE 4.If you think your teacher is tough, wait until you get a boss. He
doesn't have tenure.

RULE 5.Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a
different word for burger flipping; they called it opportunity.

RULE 6.
If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your
mistakes, learn from them.

RULE 7.
Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now.
They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and
listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the
rain forest from the parasites of your parents' generation, try
"delousing" the closet in your own room.

RULE 8.

Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has
not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades; they'll give
you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear
the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

RULE 9.

Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very
few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on
your own time.

RULE 10.

Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave
the coffee shop and go to jobs.

RULE 11.
Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

2009-02-23T06:21:00.000-08:00

Tara tagged me on this one...So here it goes!

The Game of Tag about your MAN:

1. Who is your man? Donald James Gannon (D.J.)
2. How long have you been together? married for a little over a year
3. How long did you date? 6 years
4. How old is your man? 28 years young
5. Who eats more? He does
6. Who said "I love you" first? He did
7. Who is taller? D.J.
8. Who sings better? Most defiantly me because D.J. does not sing
9. Who is smarter? I have the "book" smarts and D.J. has the "life" smarts (I am jealous)
10. Whose temper is worse? Me, D.J. is normally cool as a cucumber
11. Who does the laundry? It is a equal distribution. Whoever is home and has the time.
12. Who takes out the garbage? Both, same as the laundry
13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? D.J.
14. Who pays the bills? D.J., he is a financial warrior!
15. Who is better with the computer? D.J. (man I am making myself sound bad)
16. Who mows the lawn? D.J., I would love to do it but his lawn mower is to high tech for me
17. Who cooks dinner? Equal distribution. Whoever is home and has the time!
18. Who drives when you are together? Me
19. Who pays when you go out? Equal distribution. Whoever has their wallet out first.
20. Who is most stubborn? D.J.
21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? D.J. (I am working on that)
22. Whose parents do you see the most? Well with my schedule I never see my parents or D.J.'s parents, but he sees his dad a couple times a week.
23. Who kissed who first? HE KISSED ME, I am a lady!
24. Who asked who out? He asked me, about a million times! I finally said YES!
25. Who proposed? HIM OF COURSE!
26. Who is more sensitive? ME, I am such a cry baby!
27. Who has more friends? I guess we both have about the same amount of friends
28. Who has more siblings? We both have one brother
29. Who wears the pants in the family? I will where them one day, then D.J. might were them the next! It is a complete DEMOCRACY!

OKAY I TAG: LACEY JONES, SARAH WEBB, AND JESSICA HIGGINS

On The Other Side of the Fence

2009-02-12T06:41:00.001-08:00

Okay...Not much time to blog but I really had to share this...

As most of you know when D.J. took the buy-out from Nissan he was given the opportunity to go back to school. After weeks of soul searching and investigating my little hubby decided that he would really love to try his hand at becoming a Home Inspector. Anyone who knows D.J. knows that this is absolutly right up his alley. The job really could not be anymore perfect for anyone but him! I often tell people that I am married to a "milleneum man", which means he is bascially the best at everything he does. D.J. can fix the car, patch-up the roof, paint two bedrooms (trim included) and still have a load of laudry done and dinner on the table by 6. I am the first to admit, that I am one lucky lady. However, D.J. has met his match,

SCHOOL WORK

Initually D.J. anticipated a 3 day weekend in Nashville and a state board examine for certification, (which was a little intense for my sweet little poodle) but as of last night he found out that within the next 3 weeks he will have to read 7 books and complete several audiovisual lectures from the internet! As disbelif feel upon my sweeties face I could not help but to have a grin on mine! Finally I am not the only one in the house that is completly overwhelmed with work, school, housework, family, friends, voluneteer work, and mainly just the everyday aspect of life. In the end, I know D.J. will be just as successful at this as he is in every other aspect of his life. If I had to give D.J. any advice it would be..

"D.J., don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful. There will ALWAYS be someone telling you no, or telling you that you can't, NEVER listen. Always surround yourself with successful people and eventually you too will become successful in your own merit. I will always be your biggest fan and your loudest cheerleader. One thing is for sure, If you ever fall I will be the hand that is reaching out to pick you up. Good Luck D.J."

2009-02-05T06:40:00.000-08:00

"Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up."
-- Dean Karnazes
Runner and author of Ultramarathon Man

Back On Track

2009-02-04T11:43:00.000-08:00

Yippee...After a disappointing lose of ZERO pounds last week, I am now back on track with a weight loss of 3.2 lbs for week number three! I have now lost a much needed 7.2 lbs and have successfully met my first set goal of 5% of my weight. Next set goal is of course 10% of my starting weight, which you guessed it, is another 7 lbs!!

However, it can't always be blue skies and sunny days! With the good there must always be bad. Has anyone ever had a week where they just want to scream as loud as they can? Kinda of like this..

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAA"

Well, that is exactly how I have been feeling this week in regards to school. After much thought and even much preparation my research teacher decided that the research problem that I had proposed to him, 3 weeks earlier, was not going to be acceptable. My reaction to this..

"Uuuummmmm..excuse me? Did you not tell me 3 weeks earlier that It was just perfect? Weren't you the one who helped me use correct wording? Do you not realize that I have spent the past three weeks working on this project that you signed off on? Are you a complete *** or what?"

In response to this thorn in my side I have spent the last few days re-working my research proposal in hopes that it will be in compliance to his wishes. FRUSTRATION!

As a fellow colleague of mine stated: "Welcome to Grad School"

P.S. DEAR RESEARCH TEACHER, IF YOU ARE READING THIS PLEASE DISREGARD EVERYTHING FROM ABOVE...I PROMISE I DID NOT MEAN ANY OF IT..ESPECIALLY THAT SILLY NAME I CALLED YOU...I KNOW YOU ARE THE EXPERT AND I AM JUST THE LITTLE PEON THAT WORKS RELENTLESSLY INTO THE MID HOURS OF THE NIGHT NEGLECTING ALL FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF YOUR MOST INTERESTING AS WELL AS INSIGHTFUL CLASS.

THE REST OF THE STORY

2009-01-28T15:59:00.000-08:00

AND THIS IS WHY I LOVE PAUL HARVEY..ENJOY!

Paul Harvey says:

I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December.

I don't agree with Darwin , but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his Theory of Evolution.

Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game. So what's the big deal? It's not like somebody is up there reading the entire Book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game.

But it's a Christian prayer, some will argue.

Yes, and this is the United States of America and Canada , countries founded on Christian principles. According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others better than 200-to-1.

So what would you expect -- somebody chanting Hare Krishna?

If I went to a football game in Jerusalem , I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer.

If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad , I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer.

If I went to a ping pong match in China , I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha.

And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit. When in Rome .

But what about the atheists? Is another argument.

What about them? Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We're not going to pass the collection plate. Just humor us for 30 seconds. If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand.

Call your lawyer!

Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do. I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world's foundations.

Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights. Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying.

God, help us. And if that last sentence offends you, well, just sue me.

The silent majority has been silent too long. It's time we tell that one or two who scream loud enough to be heard that the vast ma jority doesn't care what they want. It is time that the majority rules! It's time we tell them, You don't have to pray; you don't have to say the Pledge of Allegiance; you don't have to believe in God or attend services that honor Him. That is your right, and we will honor your right; but by golly, you are no longer going to take our rights away.

We are fighting back, and we WILL WIN!

God bless us one and all .. especially those who denounce Him, God bless America and Canada despite all our faults. We are two great nations. God bless our service men who are fighting to protect our right to pray and worship God.

Let's make 2009 the year the silent majority is heard and we put God back as the foundation of our families and institutions... and our military forces come home from all the wars.

Keep looking up.

'AND THAT'S THE REST OF THE STORY'

Snow Day

2009-01-28T07:44:00.000-08:00

Well today is an official snow day, without the snow....Either way I am happy for a day off. Today I plan on catching up on some homework and maybe even getting ahead of the game.

On a more disappointing note, last night was weigh-in at Weight Watchers. To my disbelief I did not lose even one pound. That's right, I stayed the exact same weight as the week before. I was kinda surprised?? I mean I actually did not do anything differently from the week before? So I stayed after to meet with the leader. After reviewing my food options for the week he actually told me that he did not think I was eating enough!! He told me that my goal for every day is to eat all of my points! This goal is fine with me, but sometimes things get so busy that I forget to eat, which in turn slows down my metabolism. Then when I decided to eat I am so hungry that I make bad food choices. So what have I learned..

SLOW METABOLISM + BAD FOOD CHOICES = NO WEIGHT LOSS

Easy concept right? Sure sounds easy but in reality I know that it is going to be extremely hard for me to eat every 2-3 hours as he recommended, expecially when I am at work. However, it is time for a change. It is time for me to put me and my needs first. Work, school, and the demands of life will just have to wait until I am done with my banana!

Goals for week two:
Eat every 2-3 hours
Drink a glass of milk before bedtime
Eat more fruits and vegetables
And keep drinking more water

O' I almost forgot...The soy milk is going great..I really do like it..Pretty tasty and very filling!

OPEN BOOK

2009-01-22T06:27:00.000-08:00

Just a quick announcement..Since my first weigh in on weight watchers I have lost a total of 4 lbs for the first week. My goal is always 2 lbs a week, but anything over that is always welcomed! I am hoping that this Tuesday night I will reach my first weight loss goal of losing 5% of my starting weight. I also recruited a good friend of mine and my sister-in-law (a post weight watchers success story) into starting this eleven week journey with me. I will try to keep all of you up-to-date on my weight loss success, and as told be the weigh watchers leader, my weight loss struggles. As our leader discussed in our first meeting, "you can not be a closet weight watcher, if you are going to do it, do it good and do it honest." So here I am an open book, ready to share with you my successes, struggles, and goals for my health.

My "mini" goal for week one was to drink more water, which was a success. This goal did not prove to be that painful for me. However my "mini" goal for week two is, of course drink more water, and start converting to soy milk along with other soy based products??? I had my first cup of soy milk yesterday (vanilla flavor), it definitely was not as bad as I suspected. However the soy milk in my cereal was far from what I am used to. I am defiantly going to stick with the soy milk for at least a week and cross my fingers that I will somehow acquire a soy milk taste bud.

O'yeah....Also school started back this week and I have been feeling like a CRAZY women. This semester my classes will meet on Tuesday and Wednesday, but for the next month they will meet on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday! The schedule is somewhat unfortunate for me, being that I am a full time employee. So you guessed it..yours truly will be working on Friday, Saturday, and Sundays throughout the semester. Again, I know it is temporary and I will eventually reap the benefits of the hard work.

"FIRST REQUIREMENT OF MY FIRST JOB AS A NURSE PRACTITIONER...NO WEEKENDS!!!!!"

2009-01-19T14:26:00.000-08:00

Heading back to school tommorrow for semester #2 of Nurse Practitioner School!

2009-01-13T08:51:00.000-08:00

WELL I AM HEADED TO MY VERY FIRST WEIGHT WATCHERS MEETING TONIGHT. AS MANY OF YOU KNOW I FOLLOWED THE WEIGHT WATCHERS DIET LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME AND LOST ABOUT 15LBS FOR THE SUMMER MONTHS. I WAS PRETTY EXCITED WITH MYSELF, BUT AS FAST AS THE WINTER MONTHS CAME BACK AROUND SO DID MY WEIGHT. LAST YEAR INSTEAD OF ATTENDING THE MEETINGS MY SISTER-IN-LAW DIRECTED MY WEIGHT LOSS AND GAVE ME THE TOOLS TO SUCCEED. ALTHOUGH I WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL, I SLOWLY BECAME RELAXED WITH THE DIET AND BEGAN FLIRTING WITH OLD HABITS, WHICH EVENTUALLY LEAD TO MY COMPLETE UNCOMPLIANCE WITH THE PROGRAM. I AM HOPING THAT THE MEETINGS WILL GIVE ME EXACTLY WHAT I NEED TO LOSE THE WEIGHT AND KEEP IT OFF. IF ANYONE IS INTRESTED IN ATTENDING THE MEETINGS I WOULD BE THRILLED..HAVING A PARTNER SOMETIMES EASES THE RIGIDITY OF THE NEW LIFESTYLE CHANGES.

WHERE: COVENANT FELLOWSHIP CHURCH
WHAT TIME: 6PM EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT
HOW LONG: 11 WEEKS
COST: $110

2009-01-09T07:01:00.000-08:00

"While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about."
~Angela Schwindt

Although it is hard to believe, our little Jackson is 2 today. The little baby boy that was wrapped so softly in his blankets and cuddled by all as a newborn is now; running, jumping, talking, laughing, kissing, hugging, and asking everyone "what is that" to everything in sight. I speak for myself, as well as D.J., that it has been nothing but an absolute joy to watch Jackson grow into the most amazing little man. I tell everyone that I see, that he is the sweetest, most lovable little boy in the world,and I truly mean it. My Jackson is the only one I know that darts off in a mad dash with arms wide open screaming my name with a silly grin on his face every time I see him. What a sweet little boy he is. Jackson is also the only one I know that can make my heart melt with those big blue eyes when he is telling me sorry for something he did, how precious is that.

"Jackson, your Uncle D.J. and I love you to the moon and back. You will always have the most special place in our hearts. We will never be able to explain to you how much your sweet face means to us. May the wind always be at your back, and the sun always upon your face, and may the wings of destiny carry you aloft to dance with the stars."
Happy Birthday Jackson

I LIVE WITH MARLEY...

2008-12-31T08:06:00.000-08:00

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...

2008-12-30T06:36:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-24T07:48:00.000-08:00

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

BLESSINGS

2008-12-23T06:48:00.000-08:00

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.

2008-12-19T08:59:00.000-08:00

"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???

2008-12-08T09:50:00.000-08:00

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........

2008-12-05T05:55:00.000-08:00

"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....

2008-12-04T10:26:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-01T06:30:00.000-08:00

"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.

2008-11-27T06:13:00.000-08:00

"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

2008-11-17T18:04:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-15T10:46:00.000-08:00

"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

2008-11-05T06:08:00.000-08:00

"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

2008-11-02T08:17:00.000-08:00

"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

2008-10-30T09:58:00.001-07:00

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

2008-10-28T16:52:00.000-07:00

"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

2008-10-19T09:16:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-10-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-10-11T08:01:00.000-07:00

Be still and know that I am God.

Psalm 46:10

2008-10-10T06:34:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-15T06:12:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-10T18:54:00.000-07:00

"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

2008-09-09T16:58:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-02T17:53:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-09-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-28T19:34:00.000-07:00

"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

2008-08-21T18:16:00.000-07:00

"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

2008-08-13T12:13:00.000-07:00

"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

2008-08-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

"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).

NOW THAT IS SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF.

2008-07-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." ~Thomas Edison

I AM HAPPY TO NOW SAY THAT WE HAVE NOW FINALLY FINISHED THE REMODELING STAGES OF OUR SWEET LITTLE HOME. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE TIMES WHEN THIS MISSION SEEMED IMPOSSIBLE, WE HAVE FINALLY PUT THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON OUR HOME (BOTH INSIDE AND OUT). AS MOST OF YOU KNOW WHEN D.J. AND I PURCHASED THE HOME 3 YEARS AGO IT WAS IN NEED OF A TOTAL MAKEOVER INSIDE AND OUT, TOP TO BOTTOM. THE KITCHEN WAS A FUNKY LIME GREEN COLOR AND THE BATHROOMS HAD 4 LAYERS OF WALLPAPER SOME OF WHICH WAS STILL HANGING FROM THE 70'S. WITH EAGER HEARTS AND OPEN MINDS MY HUSBAND AND I JUMPED RIGHT IN (OKAY MY HUSBAND MORE THAT ME) AND COMPLETELY GUTTED THE HOUSE. WE EVEN TOOK OUT ALL OF THE ELECTRICAL AND PLUMBING WORK AND STARTED WITH A CLEAN SLATE. THIS WEEK WE FINALLY FINISHED OUT OUR DOWNSTAIRS AREA, WHICH WILL BE OUR "GAME ROOM/REC-ROOM". ALTHOUGH IT HAS TAKEN US 3 YEARS TO COMPLETE THIS PROJECT ,WE ARE SUPER EXCITED THAT IT IS FINALLY DONE, AND THAT 95% OF THE WORK WAS DONE WITH OUR OWN HARDWORKING HANDS. WHENEVER POSSIBLE WE OPTED TO NOT HIRE OUT THE WORK AND TO DO IT OURSELVES. I AM SO PROUD OF MY HUSBAND FOR ALL OF HIS HARD WORK AND DEDICATION THAT HE HAS PUT INTO MAKING OUR HOME SOMETHING THAT WE CAN BE PROUD OF.

"D.J. YOU TRULY ARE AN AMAZING SPIRIT AND PERSON. YOUR WORK ETHIC IS ABOVE AND BEYOND ANYTHING I COULD EVER OF DREAMED OF. I ADMIRE YOU DAILY FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK AND YOUR DEDICATION THAT YOU BRING INTO OUR LIFESTYLE. YOU ARE TRULY AND EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF. HERE IS TO YOU AND ALL OF YOU ACCOMPLISHMENTS. I LOVE YOU."

OUR GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD

2008-07-08T09:45:00.000-07:00

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."-- William Arthur Ward, author and teacher

JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HAS KEPT MY DAD AND MY FAMILY IN THEIR THOUGHTS AND IN THEIR PRAYERS. I AM HAPPY TO SAY THAT DAD HAS FINALLY MADE HIS WAY HOME. AS A FAMILY WE HAVE FELT SO BLESSED TO HAVE HAD SUCH AN AMAZING SUPPORT GROUP THROUGH IT ALL. THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL OF YOUR CALLS, TEXT, AND EMAILS. THE PICTURE ABOVE IS FROM MY COLLEGE GRADUATION..SUCH A HANDSOME YOUNG MAN..

BENTLEY HAS BEEN FLAGGED..

2008-07-03T11:27:00.000-07:00

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." ~Roger Caras

OKAY SO TODAY I VENTURED OFF TO THE VET WITH MY LITTLE "BENTLEY BOO." IT WAS THE TIME OF THE YEAR THAT BOTH D.J. AND I BOTH DREAD....THE YEARLY EXAM. FOR BENTLEY THIS MEANS SHOTS, SHOTS, AND MORE SHOTS, AND FOR ME IT MEANS LITERALLY DRAGGING A LITTLE BEAGLE DOG INTO THE VETS OFFICE WHILE SHE SITS SHAKING LIKE A LEAF WAITING TO SEE THE DOCTOR. AS BENTLEY AND SAT WAITING PATIENTLY ON THE DOCTOR (BENTLEY SHAKING, ME COMFORTING) I COULD NOT HELP BUT TO THINK THERE HAS GOT TO BE A BETTER WAY TO DO THIS. RIGHT ABOUT THAT TIME DR. YOUNG COMES IN SAYS HELLO AND TAKES BENTLEY TO ANOTHER ROOM????? "WHAT" I THOUGHT?? "HE NEVER TAKES MY LITTLE BENTLEY TO ANOTHER ROOM TO GIVE HER, HER SHOTS?? WE JUST ALWAYS STAY IN HERE." ABOUT THAT TIME I HEAR A CRYING YELP..WHICH I KNOW IS MY LITTLE BENTLEY BOOS DISTINCTIVE CRY. A EMPLOYEE WALKS IN AND I QUESTION WHY THEY TOOK MY DOG TO ANOTHER ROOM?? I STATE, "YOU HAVE NEVER TAKEN HER TO ANOTHER ROOM BEFORE?? WHY NOW?" AT THIS POINT THE SWEET LITTLE EMPLOYEE PICKED UP BENTLEY'S CHART AND SAID, "MS. YOUR DOG HAS BEEN FLAGGED," "FLAGGED." I SAID?? "BY WHO?" VERY REASSURINGLY HE TELLS ME THAT SOME DOGS ARE MORE AGGRESSIVE THAN OTHER AND THE ONES WHO ARE MORE AGGRESSIVE HAVE TO BE TAKEN INTO A SEPARATE ROOM TO RECEIVE THERE SHOTS. GREAT I THOUGHT, NOW MY DOG CAN ADD "FLAGGED CHART" TO HER LONG LIST OF ALREADY A ROTTEN HISTORY... POOR BENTLEY BOO-BOO....

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER.

2008-07-03T11:09:00.000-07:00

"A great trademark is appropriate, dynamic, distinctive, memorable and unique." Primo Angeli

OKAY AFTER BEING TAGGED MANY TIMES I DECIDED IT WAS TIME FOR ME TO SHARE A FEW UNIQUE/WEIRD THINGS ABOUT MYSELF. HOWEVER WHEN I WAS DONE POSTING, I DISCOVERED THAT THESE THINGS WERE NOT REALLY WEIRD??? (WELL NOT IN MY OPINION, HA) THEY WERE MORE OF JUST "QUALITIES" OR "TRAITS", THAT I OWN UP TO. EITHER WAY HOPE YOU ENJOY READING A FEW OF MY UNIQUE QUALITIES THAT MAKE ME, ME..

1. In the words of Ricky Bobby, "I like to go fast"! I AM A SPEED DEMON! I'm not sure why I drive so fast, but I do!! Its one habit that I am trying to break! I'm really not even sure how I still have a Tennessee state licence, but I do, so watch out motorist!!

2. I have self diagnosed OCD. Not really compulsions, but I am probably one of the most organized neat freaks you will ever met!! I believe that everything has a place and when it finds its place it needs to be organized! From the pots and pans in my cabinets to the clothes in my closet. I do however understand that this may sound a little weird, but I get it honest, my mom and dad are the same way!! Most of the people in my life embrace this quality about me and that's usually why I am the one that is put in charge of organizing events and planning functions.

3. I absolutely love to entertain! I tell people all the time that they are more than welcomed at my home, and I truly mean it!! My husband and I don't have much but when you come to my house I want you to feel like you are at the freakin Hilton!

4. I love to antique shop. There is nothing better than finding that special piece that you know is so unique and different from everything else that you have. Its like finding the golden egg on Easter!

6. I am scared to death of staying home alone, especially at night. This makes for an interesting arrangement that my husband and I have being that he works nights and I work days. When I first moved in everyone would tell me that with time I would get used to it and come to love it, but 9 months later I still feel my heart jump a beat every time I hear any funny little noise. However, I have invested in a pellet gun and plan to use it on anyone who attempts to enter my home anytime past 8 o'clock on Monday-Thursday!!

7. I believe in the good! I feel that even the people with the worst souls have some good somewhere inside of them. Even though this is one of my best qualities, it is also one of my worst. Anyone that knows me knows that I would give someone in need my last 20 bucks, while I go broke for the rest of the week! The thing is, it doesn't really matter what they spend it on, the point is that you gave. I believe that the only thing worse than not giving, is having the means to give and not giving.

8. Believe it or not some of my closet friends live the furthest away from me! When I moved back to my home town 5 months ago I moved from a place that I had made a home for the past 6 years. I have Krista, Sarah, Donna, and Jenna in M'boro, My sweet West in Ashville, NC, and My wildflower Kara in Denver, Colorodo. Although I regret not being able to spend as much time with all of them as I wish I could they are all still very close to my heart. They say in life if you get the chance to met at least one of your soul mates you are considered lucky. I must be very one lucky girl, because I have met 6 of mine!!

9. And lastly...I have and addiction to coats. Yes, I said coats. I'm not sure how it started really or why I even have this addiction, but I do. Maybe its because you can really only wear them for about 4 months out of the year?? Either way, the key to my heart is a cozy Northface jacket. I am now up to 4 Northface jackets and one pull over. Sheesssh...it sounds crazy even writing this!!! Now, I am doing things to correct this addiction. This year was the first year that I didn't go out and buy a new one!! However, now I think my husband might have a Northface jacket addiction!!!!!!

2008-06-21T12:38:00.000-07:00

“There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million.” -Walt Streightiff

NOW THAT OUR LITTLE JACKSON IS GETTING A BIT OLDER HE IS ALSO GETTING A LITTLE BIT MORE ADVENTUROUS. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT HE IS ALL BOY. AT THE RIVER THE OTHER DAY I TOOK ADVANTAGE OF HIS LITTLE "NO FEAR" HEART AND SNAPPED A FEW PHOTO'S. AS I GLANCED THROUGH THE PHOTO'S I THOUGHT TO MYSELF.."WHAT MUST OUR LITTLE JACKSON BE THINKING ABOUT IN THESE PICTURES? HE BEING SO SMALL AND THAT RIVER BEING SO BIG? HOW AMAZING IT MUST BE THE SEE WHAT HE SEES THROUGH HIS EYES...TO THINK WHAT HE IS THINKING..AND TO FEEL WHAT HE IS FEELING IN THAT LITTLE HEART OF HIS.

"HAPPY THOUGHTS MY LITTLE JACKSON"

2008-06-12T10:10:00.000-07:00

The greatest gift I ever had Came from God; I call him Dad! ~Author Unknown

WITH FATHERS DAY COMING UP I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WITH OTHERS WHAT AN AMAZING FATHER THAT I HAVE. IN LIFE SOME ARE BLESSED WITH MANY GREAT THINGS; GREAT CHARISMA, GREAT CHARACTER, AND EVEN GREAT VIRTUE. I HOWEVER, WAS BLESSED WITH A DAD WHO HOLDS TRUE TO ALL OF THESE CHARACTERISTICS. AS A CHILD, AND EVEN AN ADULT, MY DAD HAS PLAYED A VERY HANDS ON ROLE IN BOTH MINE AND MY BROTHERS LIVES. WEATHER IT WAS WASHING CARS AT MY CHEERLEADING FUND RAISER OR MAKING THE BEST HALLOWEEN PUMPKINS EVER, MY DAD HAS ALWAYS MAINTAINED A VERY CLEAR ROLE IN MY LIFE. I COULD NEVER REPAY GOD FOR THIS ALL TO OFTEN TAKEN FOR GRANTED BLESSING THAT HE HAS PLACED UPON ME AND MY FAMILY. THIS FATHERS DAY I ENCOURAGE YOU TO REACH OUT TO THE MAN IN YOUR LIFE THAT HAS ALWAYS LEAD YOU BY AN EXAMPLE. THE GREATEST THING ABOUT A "DAD" IS THAT A "DAD" ENTAILS MANY DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS. A "DAD" DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A BIOLOGICAL PARENT. A "DAD" CAN BE ANYONE WHO HAS TRULY BEEN A BLESSING TO YOU THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE. TAKE TIME RECOGNIZE THESE SPECIAL PEOPLE THIS FATHERS DAY. LAUGH ALOT, MAKE MEMORIES, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY LOVE WITH ALL YOUR HEART.

HOME SWEET HOME

2008-06-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

D.J. AND I JUST GOT BACK FROM OUR ALASKAN VACATION. IT WAS ABSOLUTLY GORGEOUS. WE STARTED ARE TRIP IN SEATTLE WASHINGTON AND CRUISED OUR WAY THROUGH 4 VERY DIFFERENT CITIES IN ALASKA. THEN WE CROSSED THE UNITED STATES BOARDER AND ROUNDED UP THE TRIP IN VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA. I FEEL SO BLESSED TO HAVE ENJOYED THIS AMAZING EXPERIENCE WITH MY BEST FRIEND, MY SWEET HUSBAND. HERE ARE A FEW PICS FROM OUR VACATION.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY..

2008-05-22T18:58:00.001-07:00

"A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be."

I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MINUTE TO WISH TWO VERY SPECIAL PEOPLE IN MY LIFE A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY. SARAH AND DONNA ARE BOTH VERY SPECIAL TO ME FOR MANY DIFFERENT REASONS. DONNA, WHO IS VERY STRONG AND INDEPENDENT, HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE FRIEND WHO SETS A HIGH STANDARD FOR ALL OF US LADIES. DONNA IS ALWAYS CHALLENGING US TO NEVER SETTLE FOR LESS AND IS ALWAYS LEADING BY EXAMPLE ON HOW TO GET WHAT YOU WANT OUT OF LIFE. ON THE OTHER SIDE IS MISS. SARAH. SARAH IS A NATURAL BORN SWEETHEART. ALWAYS WEARING HER HEART ON HER SLEEVE AND CONTINUES TO HAVE AN OPEN HEART TO ANYONE WHO IS APART OF HER LIFE. ALTHOUGH BOTH SARAH AND DONNA HAVE MANY DIFFERENT TRAITS, THEY ARE VERY SIMILAR IN ALOT OF THERE CORE VALUES AND BELIEFS, WHICH IS WHY THEY ARE SUCH GREAT FRIENDS THEMSELVES. SARAH AND DONNA ARE TRULY AMAZING WOMEN BUT MOST OF ALL THEY ARE AMAZING FRIENDS.

"DONNA AND SARAH I WISH YOU THE MOST HAPPY BIRTHDAY YET..I CAN'T WAIT TO CELEBRATE MANY MORE WITH YOU..YOU BOTH ARE TRULY AMAZING WOMEN..EVEN IF YOU ARE GETTING OLDER..HA."

I LOVE YOU,

TIFF. G.

West and Walt's Wedding..

2008-05-19T19:06:00.000-07:00

Well we are back and the wedding was everything I hoped it would be. The food was amazing, the drinks were spectacular, and the bride was absolutely gorgeous. There wasn't a dry eye in the house when West and Walt recited their own wedding vows to one another (including my husband..bless him). Here is a few pics I took at the throughout the day.

ROAD TRIP..

2008-05-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

TODAY ME, D.J., DONNA, AND BRAD ARE HEADING OUT FOR THE WEDDING OF MY DEAR FRIEND WEST. AS I EVEN WRITE THAT SENTENCE A TEAR COMES TO MY EYE. NO DOUBT I AM GOING TO BE A MESS AT THE WEDDING. WEST IS ONE OF MY OLDEST CHILDHOOD FRIENDS AND I COULD NOT HAVE IMAGINED A BETTER HUMAN BEING TO GROW UP WITH. FROM BARBIE DOLLS TO BOYS WEST WAS ALWAYS MY PARTNER IN CRIME. NOW HERE WE ARE, BOTH MARRIED WOMEN AND ALTHOUGH STATES APART STILL THE CLOSEST OF FRIENDS... SNIFF, SNIFF. WEST I WISH YOU NOTHING BUT THE MOST HAPPINESS YOU COULD EVER DREAM OF. YOU AND WALT ARE SUCH THE PERFECT PAIR. IF THERE EVER WAS A MATCH FOR YOU ITS WALT. I LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING WITH YOU THIS WEEKEND AND CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU WALKING DOWN THE AILSE..WHAT GREAT MEMORIES WE WILL BE MAKING.

PEACE AND LOVE,

TIFF G.

A HAPPY BLOGGER :)

2008-05-15T18:57:00.000-07:00

SEEMS LIKE EVERYONE HAS GOT A BLOG, SO WHY NOT ME...I'VE ENJOYED READING EVERYONES POST SO MUCH THAT I DECIDED THAT IT WAS TIME FOR ME TO DO A LITTLE POSTING MYSELF. ALTHOUGH I LONG FOR THE DAYS OF 3 HOUR LUNCHES AND PHONE CALLS THAT LAST INTO THE EARLY MORNING WITH MY NEAREST AND DEAREST I MUST CONFORM TO THIS NEW WAY OF LIFE THAT WE LIKE TO CALL "KEEPING UP WITH ONE ANOTHER." HOPE THAT YOU ENJOY READING MY BLOG JUST AS MUCH AS I ENJOY READING YOURS.

PEACE AND LOVE,
TIFF G.