change is in the wind

I am so enjoying that I have to wear a coat to go outside and Christmas music is playing. It makes me so happy. This is my first holiday I can remember that I am not in school. It's so great to go ahead and start celebrating now, instead of feeling like I have to wait till finals are over. 

I have not heard from UTA yet, which is worrisome to me, but I'll continue to be patient. I really would like to start classes in the spring. 

I have started to simplify my material things and get ready for a easy move next summer, by cleaning out things i dont need. I have some purses you girls might like to have. 

Brian Jr. has been wonderful recently. I just love his company so much. My new apartment I found in Round Rock has a 60 lb. weight limit for all combined animals in the apartment. I have been tempted the past days to want to get another puppy!!

I got to visit Ashley yesterday. it was so nice. She is showing so much, due in February. I am going to take over her shower planning because her mom has some health issues right now. 

Im excited about Courtney and the baby!! I was looking back at pictures of Baby Brent and got so excited. 

Im free Thursday, I cant wait to see mom and dad. I actually have missed them so much. 

Reading Eclipse! Finally got through New Moon - Ill keep you updated when I actually finish the series. :)

Love you all

my hair is getting long and other news....

I feel like I have not updated you all in awhile so here it goes. 

My MRI results did come back and I have herniated discs along my spine. The doctor said that I could do steroid shot treatments or that surgery might help. He wrote me a referral letter for my insurance coverage so looks like Ill be having the surgery next year!! YEAH! Im so excited. 

Work is going well. I sleeping better recently, which is such a blessing and my headaches went away! Another praise. 

Im down in Cedar Park with Matt this week and next week. I just made Chicken Parmigana with capallenni pomodora and brownies. It was fabulous. I was so proud of myself. 

I really want to have a sister's night soon. Everyone look at their calendars and let me know. I thought the 21st would be good, but now I dont think it will work for me. Just let me know. 

So I voted for Barack Obama. I know, I know. I did my research and felt I made an informed decision about his stance on the issues that are important to me. No candidate will ever be the perfect candidate or agree with every view that you have, but there are people that you can put your hope in to make right decisions and I feel that he is something our country needs. I know in alot of ways, its almost "un-Christian" to vote democratic according to our upbringing, but I have found this to be false and that it is important to choose a candidate based on the issues and not just because they are republican or democratic. That said, Im very happy with the results of election day. It truly is a historic moment in the history of America and a true testament to how much our country has grown. 

I found a loft that I just love in Round Rock. Cement floors, exposed air ducts...Its PERFECT!!! Im pretty positive that I am going to be moving down here next summer after the baby is born. It will be hard to live away from yall but I PROMISE I will come down often and visit and come to all of your important events. Plus, yall can have a little home away from home if you ever need to get away for the weekend. :) :) 

Im excited about Thanksgiving and the holidays. Im going to go ahead & start listening to Christmas music.

Oh and I bought my TV!!! It's top of the line technology, flat screen, 1080 LCD and 120 Htz. hahah. I did my research. 

LOVE YOU ALLL!!!! SO MUCH!!! AND MISS YOU!!!

always something

So I have had a good week so far. I worked all weekend and had a pretty good night at work. On Sunday we only had 8 patients. We can hold up to 24! It was a weird feeling working around so many empty beds. I fell asleep charting, while sitting up and writing. Mom had to talk me home so I could make it in one piece. I dont know what it is recently but I cant sleep. I go to bed at around 9 in the morning and wake up at 12:00 or 1:00 wide awake and lay in bed for hours trying to get some rest. I think three days of that caught up with me because I have been having sevre migrains since Monday. Iv'e never had them this bad and this frequent and the only reason I can think that i have them is my circadian rythm is off or something. Maybe just sleep deprived.
But if you think about it, please pray and can start getting some sleep and my migrains will go away.
I had a MRI on Monday to rule out back problems so insurance would approve my surgery. It was very loud. I thought I could take a nice nap, but that didnt work out so well.
I went and visited James (matts dad) on tuesday for dinner. I try and eat dinner with matts parents and catch up about every 2 weeks. The whole empty nest thing has been very hard on them both and they enjoy brian and my company.
matt and i are embarking on a three week stent of not seeing eachother. It is so hard. I miss him so much. It makes me sad.
I then went and saw mom and dad and had a nice relaxing visit with them and the dogs and jason on the patio. It was such a nice night for coffee and catch up with the parents. Dad has got to get a new doctor who is willing to operate on his knee. Mom is still doing tests to figure out what is wrong with her stomach and Papa might need a pacemaker.
I looked on my calendar and the next Friday night I have off besides this Friday, is November 21st. I would like to do a cooking class that night at central market but if its the only night we can meet, i can either meet later or cancel. You guys free for a sister night that night? let me know.
See you all friday, dress warmly!!! I want to bring brian but probably shouldnt because that we can go out to eat after.

P.S. I found cooking classes through central market. I signed up for a pizza making class where you learn to make pizza dough - tossing and all and margherita, quattro formaggio, white pizza, and pizza with arugula and prosciutto and insalata mista and cannoli!!! and a tamale workshop where you learn: homemade guac, salsa, shredded pork and chicken tamales, spanish rice and beans and mexican flan with caramel sauce. YEAH!!!!

baby its cold outside

Im here at work and having a good night. I didnt get any sleep today for some reason. I woke up at 1:00 and couldnt fall back to sleep. Im sure I'll be struggling to get back home tonight. I had a dream that I would get to work and Brad Pitt would be my patient. I arrived to not have Brad Pitt, sadly, but a precious 92 year old woman who kissed me with her gummy lips after I gave her a bath. I think that might actually be better than having Brad Pitt as my patient. :)
I have decided to nickname Brian "pig pig" because he's furry and fat and he makes this grunting sound whenever you squeeze him or move him when he's trying to sleep. So I have my own little piglet afterall. I can't put in words how happy he makes me. He truly reaches to the deepest part of my heart. Kels got to see what Matt got me for our aniversary and I cant wait to show yall.
I compelted all my grad school paperwork on Friday and am officially on my way to become a Nurse Practitioner - Family. I realized that this is the best path for me. I know it will take 4-5 years to complete the program part time, but it will be worth it. Plus, it will benefit our family as well. :)
I think I finallized the tattoo. I just need to convert it to a computer graphic so it will be precise. I still have not decided where I will put it. Some people at work are going on a cruise and it reminded me how I want to take a sister and mom cruise together some day. Promise me we will do that girls!!
Miss you all!!

Fatty fat fat

So kels and I went to the state fair today ALONE without the rest of our lovely family, j/k, i know you were all busy and we tried to make the best of it by EATING THE ENTIRE TIME we were there. hahaha. Im officially blaming it on the fact that we were in withdraws from not having the whole family together like we planned. Here's a heads up on what we consumed:

fletcher corny dogs with kethcup and mustard, one each

1/4th of the basket of fried onion strings - all me

shared the bread pudding, left one small bite

kels had her desert of choice, the fried banana split and i sampled some myself

i had half a diet coke

I had my desert of choice, the fire and ice (fried pineapple chunks with banana flavored whip cream and frozen strawberries)

we preceded to share a 1/2 basket of tornado tatters

and seeing as though we had some coupons we had left and were t0o full to ride rides we...

shared a fried prailene

hahaha. can you believe it!!!

so yes, we ate enough for all of you. i am sick though and have been drinking peptobismol since i got home.

i bought a ticket to ingrid michealson tonight at the house of blues but feel horrible and dont want to go alone so...trying to decide if i should waste the $3o bucks and stay home or tuff it out and go. I thought it would be nice and artistic to go alone at first, but now i find it a little sad.

hope you all had 1/2 the day we had. hahaha. cause it was great minus the stomach ache. 

(see pics on facebook)

love you all and glad i get to see you next weekend!!

events

So I have had such a wonderful week! I haven't worked since Monday night which has been super nice, but considering I'm a tid bit of a work-aholic, having 4 days off has been long too. Im ready to go back tonight actually. I work tonight and tomorrow and then I'm off again until Friday. Crazy, huh? Matt came in town on Thursday night and celebrated our anniversary and went out to a nice dinner. It was so good to see my baby puppy again as well. Cant wait for yall to see what he got me!! We lingered over a nice meal and had some wonderful talks about the present and the future. 

Saturday was a lazy day filled with sleeping in, barnes and nobels and making a delicious lunch together. I bought a book about the history of the US because I feel so uneducated. We then got dolled up and went to the stars game. We had a suite with his work, the President of the Texas Stars bought it for us and I got to meet all the big wigs. I met the president of the Dallas Stars and the man who originally bought the team from Minnesota and brought them to Dallas. It was a great time and we felt fancy all night. It was sad we lost but at least got one point cause we went into overtime. 

This week Im going to Austin and am helping with the Cedar Park Texas stars' grand opening. They are having a little party for the community and Im going to help serve drinks for the event. Other than that I'll most likely be studying for the GRE while Im down there. I dont remember anything from geometry and algebra. This is really hard for me. And then it's back in town for the state fair on Thursday. I hope it all works out where we can all go still. I cant wait. And I cant believe its here so soon. 

I love you all and hope you are enjoying your saturday and weekend. Ill bee thinking about you all.

Love, Whitt

on my mind

So, I am at work right now and am so excited to have a good assignment. The last couple of weeks I have been so overwhelmed with my patient load. I can actually breath tonight. I am so thankful for this. I definitley needed it.
Have been thinking about starting my master's in the spring. Leaning toward family Nurse practitioner at this moment. Figured I might as well just take one class at UTA, since its so close. Im just really anxious to figure out what my next step is. I worked so hard to get here, to be working in the hospital and now I just am cringing with anxiety about what I am supposed to do next.
Matt and I went to see Henry Rollins last night and he spoke about traveling and we both got all excited about wanting to see thw world. I would like to know that I could use nursing as a way to travel the world and do something for others at the same time. I found multiple opportunities for medical mission trips and hope to pursue this in the near future, maybe next year.
Looks like I'l lbe working Thanksgving, but will have Christmas day off. Kinda bummed but I think I can manage to eat lunch with the family and nap during the day, so it might just work out.
Just thinking alot about next year and goals. What do yall want to acocmplish or change next year?
I think we should start a sister bookclub and manadate a time once a month that we see eachother, especially since our schedules will only get crazier. We can have each sister host it and take turns.
Im going to work on finalizing our sister tattoo. Ill let yal know what I come up with.

Love you all.
Whitt

the beginning

This is for you: Courtney, Kelsey and Amberly.

Getting ready to head off to another Sunday night shift.

I was so sad I couldn't eat lunch with the family today. Really, I was. I am beginning to not like this weekend nightshift so much.

I miss you all.

Hope all of you have a relaxing Sunday to start of another week.

State Fair in 11 days!! I am thinking I will have to try the fire and ice. Ill keep you updated though. :)

P.S> we should carve pumpkins the day we go to the state fair!!!!