Guess I should post something too...

So yesterday Monica asks me to go to Blockbuster and get us a movie to watch..."Something I dont have to think about" she says. I said OK and went to town. I was perusing the vast selection of new titles out and am still surprised at how much junk Hollywood turns out on a regular basis. As y'all know we are movie lovers and sometimes go against mainstream tastes in our movie selections, but this was not one of those times. We needed something simple. So I picked out Tommy Lee Jones's newest offering, In The Electric Mist. The movie was OK, nothing to write about on here for sure, but I wanted to point out one key element about the film that takes place in Louisiana. We absolutely LOVED hearing people speaking in Cajun accents! The smallest thing really helps ease the tension of being away from home. By the time I leave California I will have been here 11 mths with 2 trips back home, each not more than 7 days long. Now for people who are in love with where they are from, this is simply unacceptable! I can not express in words how ready I am to go home and be back in the South again! I ask Monica to make Sweet Tea as often as I possibly can and we fix as many true Southern dishes as possible. Thankfully Monica knows how. My new departure date from this wonderful place is 6/29, a full month after Monica leaves for Grad school. If anyone would like to add to our movie watching efforts, please feel free to post/comment about Southern films that y'all have seen. Take care everyone and remember...ER nurses and MD's are always happy to assist in your time of need, just make sure that you actually need to be there in the first place :-)

I Won!

So many great things to tell today!!
First of all, I won my very first giveaway today!!!! I was selected by Amy at Park City Girl as part of her Quilt Festival as a winner. I am sooo excited. I have never won anything online before and what a great prize : $10 gift certificate to Wish Upon a Quilt. I have been shopping a little and have been eyeing the Neptune line from Moda for some time. Wish Upon a Quilt has a wonderful selection of the line. I just have to decide which print I want. I am so excited. The Quilt Festival was such a great way to see all of the gorgeous and creative quilts out there. So many talented quilters all over the country.
I hope all of you are liking the new layout, background, and fonts you see all around you. I can not take any credit. Amanda of Kevin & Amanda is such a lifesaver and creator of the cutest fonts. Her website is full of tutorials with the easiest directions of how to adjust your blog. I am definitely not computer savvy in the program writing/html coding way in the least. I know absolutely nothing about any of it. Amanda was so quick to email me with the answers to all of my questions and was able to show me how to make changes to my layout. If you are looking for a new font, go check her out. All of her fonts are FREE! She is right there to help you get it going too. Thanks Amanda!!
Today is Trae's first day off coming off a long 4 day stretch. His weekend was so crazy in the ER. There are weekends that are ok and easy to deal with. This was not one of them though. 4 straight days of busy, crazy work in the ER. I am glad to have him back and he is so glad to not be working today!! We are having dinner with our wonderful friends the Courtneys. We miss them and always have a great time at their house.
I'm still so excited I won!

Money is Good...

I received word from my mom yesterday that my financial aid packet from school came in! YAY! Cutting it pretty close though I say. My first day is only a month away. I think I have about a week to decide which loans to accept for the entire next school year. Not very much time if you ask me. I am happy to report that all of my school for the next year is covered with loans. Not grants, I know. I was kinda bummed about that but then quickly cheered up at the fact that I do not have to come out of pocket at all for any portion of school. I have been getting really excited about getting to go to school over the past couple of weeks. Unfortunately, we did find out that Trae will have to stay in California for a few more weeks, (at least 8) while I head off to school. We knew that he would not be near me for a while, but we were both excited about getting out of California for a while. He has been here for almost a year. Its a lovely place, but just not home. So around May 12 I will drive back to Mississippi to start my school and Trae will stay here to continue working until something closer to me opens up.

New Look and Name!

You are not in the wrong place! I have been working on coming up with a name for a long time. I have been trying to figure out a title that is me, but not corny. So this is my attempt. I am not sure I will keep it. I definitely want to change the layout of the title, and the font of course. I do like the thought behind my title, but we will see if it really fits me. I am really liking my layout and background too. Soo, let me know what you think!

Our Movies

Trae and I are big movie buffs. We appreciate all movies and love many. We enjoy the obscure and unknown and celebrate the ones that do well. I am proud of our movie tastes and like the fact that we really like movies that some may not have even heard of. So here is our Top 20 Movie list and why we love them. So in no particular order...
Top Gun- Trae can quote this movie with such accuracy, you would have thought he wrote the script. I love this movie also for a few reasons: 1) When I first met Trae, he looked just like Tom Cruise, 2) All the flying is so exciting and I really enjoy action and adventure movies, 3) The beach volleyball scene is just fun to watch.
The Godfather series- This is just a classic. It also gives many useful rules to live by. What is there not to love about these films.
Casino Royale (the new one)- With this film introducing Daniel Craig as 007, it is my favorite because I love him as 007. He makes 007 a rule breaker, unlike some of the more recent pretty boy womanizers that have been portrayed. This being the first book in Ian Flemming's series, it explains why 007 is unattached to many of the people, especially women, he meets. It is a great film with good depth in the characters.
Man on Fire- Not only is it filmed with great action sequences, but it has a great redemptive story.
Orange County- Hilarious movie with not much thinking that goes with it. Great one-liners.
Out Cold- Another funny movie with little thought needed to follow it. It revolves around snow boarders trying to save their mountain.
Batman Begins- Another great movie about the beginning of a legend. Christian Bale is my favorite Batman so far.
Taken- Liam Neeson is wonderful as a father fighting to find his daughter.
Transformers- What little boy didn't like Transformers. This movie was a home run in bringing the toys to life and making every guy want the aliens to land in their backyard.
Love Actually- A Christmas tradition in our house. We love British humor and this has nothing but material from the UK. My favorite storyline in this film is one that follows the Prime Minister and a secretary, played by Hugh Grant and Martine McCutcheon.
Tombstone- Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday makes this movie awesome. Kurt Russell is a wonderful Wyatt Earp and Sam Elliot and Bill Paxton do great also. However, Doc delivers great lines.
Super Troopers- Great comedy classic. The plot is pretty good, but the pranks the troopers pull on each other are wonderful.
Pirates of the Caribbean- Who doesn't want to be a pirate? And Johnny Depp, I think he is the epitome of what a pirate should be.
Star Wars- Classics. Period. Even if you don't like science fiction. You have to appreciate all of the special effects, especially in the first 3. You also have to appreciate that Lucas did not use popular music in the soundtrack! (Which was very uncommon during this period).
Indiana Jones series- Harrison Ford as a archaeological adventurer is great.
An Unfinished Life- The relationship between Robert Redford and Morgan Freeman is so unique and real. They give each other a hard time like only old friends can.
Dumb and Dumber- Jeff Daniels' comedic genius on display and Jim Carrey doing what he does best. This is a great movie even if you do not like stupid movies, everyone laughs at this one.
Anchor Man- Will Ferrell at his best also. All of the crazy one-liners are priceless.
Robin Hood- The great story is done right in this movie with Kevin Costner at the helm. Who would have thought he would have been a great outlaw with a bow and arrow!
Sweet Home Alabama- Funny, romantic, southern what else could you want in a great movie.
This is most definitely not a comprehensive list. In fact, on another day, we might come up with 20 different movies for our top 20 list. Some that didn't make the cut but deserve mentioning: The Passion, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Bourne series, King Arthur, Lars and the Real Girl, and so many more. Maybe we will revisit the topic and come up with 21-40.

Quilt Festival

I have not posted about my quilt in a while. I have been working on it. Slowly and steadily it is coming along. I decided to quilt it by hand, hence the reason it is taking me so long to complete it. I was reminded of this today when I was reading Aunt Spicy's blog today about a quilt festival over at Park City Girl. There are so many wonderful prizes at the quilt festival. The rules are that you post about your favorite quilt on your own blog and then post a link at Park City Girl to be registered for prizes.
My favorite quilt is the one I am currently working on for several reasons. I have already blogged about it here, here, and here. The quilt is my favorite because it is the first one I have ever made that I plan on keeping. (I make it sound like I have been making quilts for years for everyone I know.) Well I can count all the quilts I have made on 1 hand, but that is not the point. I love the fabric colors. They are so bright and cheery. Every time I look at them, I smile. There is a lot of yellows, blues, pinks, and greens. So spring-time cheery. The more I think about it, I am not sure any decorating I will do in our house will match it, but that's ok too. This quilt has been a gift to myself since its beginning. So that might have something to do with why it is my favorite also. I took a class and knew all along that this would be in my home someday. It just makes me happy. Trae and I are always searching to surround ourselves with the things that make us happy. And this makes me happy, and the fact that I am happy makes Trae happy. It is a wonderful cycle! So I hope all of you enjoy my unfinished quilt as much as I do as I continue working on it.

Baby Fever... Almost

During our recent visit to Georgia, we got to play tirelessly with our new 10 month old niece and 7 month old nephew. Our niece, "Princess" and our nephew, "Jellyfish" are so precious. They were so much fun. Princess is incredibly inquisitive and better be in direct line of sight of her mom at all times or she is not happy. She loves food of all kind. Bottled, jarred, on a plate, or even in someone else's mouth. She wants it all. Jellyfish on the other had could not be any different. He has no desire for food at all. It is apparent he does not enjoy food, it is only out of necessity that he eats. His most productive eating time is during sleep. Strange, I know. Princess is a very happy baby, in general, if mom is nearby. Jellyfish is just happy to be with people. He is very happy, easy, and had the most adorable smile. Why do I refer to him as Jellyfish you ask?! Well, while most babies wiggle, jiggle, move spastically, he does not. He moves his arms in a very fluid rolling motion much like a jellyfish's tentacles would. It is so cute. Princess is crawling with speed and efficiency and walking with minimal assistance while Jellyfish is just starting to crawl a few motions at a time. They play fairly well together, stealing toys and accidentally swatting each other in the face. When one begins to cry in another part of the room the other lets out a sympathy whimper as if to say, "Hey, leave him/her alone!". Trae and I actually got to keep the Jellyfish for a few night while his mom had to go to work towards the end of our stay. He went easy on me. He only woke up twice each night we had him. It didn't take much for me to be up and bottle in hand ready to feed when he began to whimper. By the end of the 3rd day of not being with him momma, he was tired of me and Trae and we could no longer console him. Shortly before his mom arrived to pick him up, I was trying my best to comfort him. I am still not sure what was wrong, he wasn't hungry or sleepy. No sooner had I gotten him calmed down and focused on something else would he look up at me and realize that I was not his mom and he would begin to cry again. Not just cry but wail as if his life was ending. By this time, he needed/wanted/required his mom and no one else would suffice. Princess would cry like this as a response to waking up in an unfamiliar place, not seeing her mom, being hungry, or any other reasons. Princess' temperament was either perfectly happy, pensive, or crying hysterically like death was coming. It was almost funny. Princess' mom has an amazing trick that we refer to as the Jedi sleeper. When Princess starts to cry, and mom knows that it is because she is sleepy, mom puts her hand over Princess' face and like the powers of the force she immediately closes her eye, stops crying, and is on her way to being asleep. It was amazing the first time I witnessed the feat.The kids were precious, playful, loud at times, and we are so glad we got to spend so much time with them. However, I am glad they did not come back to California with us. We are sooo excited about having kids, but we are not busting at the seams to have them just yet. Once my school is done, I'm sure kids will be a more pressing topic.

I'm Back, Time to Move

Back in California. I'm very glad to be back with Trae. I am very tired of eating restaurant food. We ate out for ever meal for about a week while we were back in Atlanta. I made breakfast this morning. The typical breakfast for Trae and I when he doesn't have to work, bacon, eggs, and biscuits. As easy and little time as it takes me to make, I (we) get so much enjoyment out of this breakfast. It was really nice to make a meal and eat it with my lovely husband. Now we are back in California, we have to start getting ready to leave California by car to return to the South. We will be driving back to Mississippi the first week of May. We miss the South. We realized this while we were in Atlanta, the big city that stole our heart a couple of years ago. Today we have learned that there is a 99% possibility that Trae will be working several states away from me for his next assignment. This does not make me happy at all. We have had to live apart before and we do not like it. However, for the time being, it something that we have to do in order take care of each other the best we can with the responsibilities we have also. Right now, we are still in the VERY early stages of the next assignments, the choices include Maine and New Mexico. Needless to say, we are leaning towards Maine. We will be learning and deciding more in the coming weeks. So I'm off to make another delicious meal for me and my honey!

Crazy Week

Trae's mom is back at home today. It has been forever since I have posted anything. Sorry about that. I was able to go to our home church yesterday for the Easter service. We love our church. It truly feels like home when we are there. The pastors are like second parents to both Trae and myself. Our pastor cried while officiating our wedding ceremony. They are precious people and we really miss them during our travels. I go back to my reality on Tuesday morning. Trae flew back to California on Thursday. While we were here Trae and I got to play and keep our new niece and nephew. That was fun. We almost got baby fever, enough to keep us excited about kids but not enough to convince us to have them right now.

Back in Atlanta

Thursday, Trae and I flew back to Atlanta to be with his mom while she is in intensive care. She has some unknown heart issues right now. Medicine levels are being tested and adjusted and cardiologist have been referred. There is discussion of the placement of a pacemaker. Her stability is not consistent right now. She can be coherent and stable the next and within 5 minutes have an abnormal heart rhythm and fluctuated blood pressure. The hardest part is not knowing which way she could go. It could get a lot better easily but, it would not take much for her condition to go wrong in very little time. Please continue to pray. Trae is flying out on Thursday so he can return to work on Friday. I am not sure when or if I will be flying back to California. His contract ends on May 2 so we will be coming back to the South anyway. Please pray for us also, that we might have the wisdom to figure out all of the logistics of this travel/moving/hospital situation.
On a positive note, we are so happy being back in the South. On my flight into Atlanta, it had been raining that day so it was cloudy. The clouds started to part as we were landing. As the lights of the city began to appear, I couldn't help but think, "I love this city." We lived in Atlanta for about 7 months last year. I absolutely love Atlanta. It is a perfect mix of friendly people with all of the great things about a city like restaurants, events, and great neighborhoods and not too many of the negatives. Atlanta does have crazy hectic traffic, but that is the worst part about living in Atlanta. It is a great city if you love Southern culture but need a city lifestyle. We feel rejuvenated having spent a few days here. Almost like we have been plugged up to our energy source, charged up. I must get on to bed.
I would like to give a shout out to my 2 newest readers... you know who you are!! A post to come about that later.

Trae's Mom

Well, I wrote the earlier post about Trae's mom, however shortly after that post was completely, we got word that she has taken a turn for the worse. She is being transferred to bigger hospital. We don't know very much, being 2000 miles away does not do well for being informed. Please continue to lift her up in prayers.

Please Be Happy!

Thanks to all of you who have been keeping our family in your prayers. My mother-in-law is in a regular room now at the regional hospital in their town. She is responding to the high powered medicine to take care of her infection. She has shown some improvement but is not out of the woods yet. Unfortunately it is a situation in which we must just wait to let the medicine work and pray. God is the Great Healer and Comforter who is always at our side.
So yesterday, I had to go get a TB skin test and another round of my Hep B vaccine for grad school requirements. Being in a medical field family, I know that being a healthcare provider is not always easy. For instance, Trae works in the ER. Tough place to work. (I will request that Trae post his views of ER patrons later.) Anyway, one of the patients in the ER died last night. How many people go to work with the possibility of facing death every single day? This would be a legitimate reason to be sad or not excited to be at work. So in my getting tested and vaccinated, I had to visit the public health center for my shots. I was told to go there because it may have been cheaper than visiting the in town occupational health center. Well, the first building I enter does not have any signs on the outside, just a directory in the lobby. There is an open window in the lobby with an older woman inside. So what else would I think other than that this woman is here for general questions for those who just enter the building! Right? Well I walk to the window, it sounds as though she is giving instruction with regards to a piece of paper she is pointing at in front of her. I stand at the window for a minute or two before she acknowledges me, which is no big deal, because I am not in a hurry. When she does raise her head to assist me, she does not smile, but yet she is not rude, and she says, "Yes..." She asks as if I have wrongly interrupted her very important conversation to tell me that I am in the wrong building. Now I am not complaining because she was helpful, and her conversation at least was not just simple gossip/needless conversation with the others in her office. But with the tone she used, she might as well have told me to go ask someone else because she was otherwise too busy to answer my silly question. So I finally make it to my correct building, and walk to the only counter with a person behind it and the lady informs me she will be right with me and that I should have a seat. Five minutes later, she calls me up and helps me. She is not rude but not friendly either. The lady who administered my TB test was very friendly and chatty. A nice change! The next room I had to go to was just down the hall to get my vaccine. I went to the counter and the lady informed me that I had to take a number and fill out a form on the wall. Take a number??? Are you kidding, there is no one else in line and there are only 2 other people in the entire waiting room? SO I take a number and fill out my form. Go to give the lady my form and she tells me she will call me when she is ready. About 10 minutes go by. In this time, one person from the waiting room leaves with the person who was being seen. The next family leaves with their 2 rowdy, uncontrolled kids who speak no English from what I can tell. I am just sitting in the room alone with my completed form and my number waiting for her "get ready". She finally calls my number and I take my information and we talk about what I am having done and she asks how I am going to pay. I am not sure what role the number system plays in her day, but I am sure it comes in handy when the room gets busy, but on a day like that, take a number? Am I at the DMV? Anyway, all in all, the public health secretarial staff were not the nicest but they did their job and I am guess that is all that is asked of them. I just think that if you are going to a job every single day, try to make the best of it. Even if it is not your dream job and all it does for you is pay the bills, try to be happy. Put a smile on, a little happiness in your tone of voice. You have to be there so might as well try to enjoy it. But I guess that is the difference with us and other people. We try to have a great day, whether it is all going our way or not, at least we try! Who know, you might even smile or be happy on accident!