Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam...

How many times can I possibly say that I adore my Sunbeam class? This was one of those weeks when I was kind of bracing myself for church today. I haven't been feeling well (that sinus/allergy stuff that makes your head feel like a balloon and no amount of blowing can solve....) and so the idea of going to church and dealing with 10 kids who only want to roll around and tell me stories about bad guys, fires, swords, things blowing up (seriously...these kids are kind of morbid)....it just didn't seem like something I was particularly interested in today. But I went in and the minute you see these kids with their smiling faces your heart literally melts. Our sharing time was a video that Gordon B. Hinckley was in and it was a special one for primary kids about the north star being like the church and Cathy Gorge was asking them questions about what President Hinckley said and my kids knew all the answers! I was so proud! Usually they try to finagle the answer out of me so I will whisper it to them so they can answer but this time they did it all by themselves! And as usual our class was filled with funny moments....here are a few of my favorite Sunbeams quotes...

Layton: "No snacks! Snacks are for babies!" (he was very adament about this...)

Caroline: "Did you know that I am 12?"
Kaia(to Simon): "Don't listen to her Simon she does not know what she is talking about"

Jacob came up to show me the card he made for the bishop and Kaia pats him on the head and said "Great job Jacob!"

Katie: "One time I was blowing out birthday candles and the fire went all the way up my hair and to my forehead" (this is a favorite story of hers...I hear it at least 3 times a month)

Kaia: "I have a scripture about Harry Potter"

These kids are awesome. We learned about how we all need to use teamwork at church and they really got it. I just love them! So thanks to the awesome parents who by teaching them at home make it a little easier for me each week when I teach them. They really are special spirits!

Not my Gumdrop Buttons!

If you haven't seen the movie Shrek- first of all...you should. Second of all- that is a line in the movie made famous by Gingy, the sarcastic but good intentioned gingerbread man.

Well this year while shopping at Target I got caught up in the holiday spirit and impulsively bought a gingerbread cottage kit. It was only $9.99 and I thought of all the happy memories I could make with my little brother. Us chatting and bonding while putting together an architectural masterpiece. I brought it home and promised him we could make it on Thanksgiving. Silly me forgetting that when you tell a 5 year old they can do something fun it is ALL they talk about for at least the next 32 hours! Well the day finally arrived and we broke out the gingerbread house. It was fairly easy- even though the picture on the package always looks better than your actual finished product. We recruited Kenz to help us out and we started building. As far as the bonding went- Kian was much more interested in eating the candy. But he would randomly shout out words of encouragement "Good job guys this looks great!" or "We can do it however we want!" but mostly "Can I eat that?"
It was fun though and I think our house is the talk and envy of the entire gingerbread community. I'm pretty sure Gingy would be proud.

Turkey, Potatoes, Pie, and the Nortons

We combined all the things you need for a successful Thanksgiving this year and there was only 1 incident of crying (but when there are siblings involved you can pretty much expect that...).
Usually we being the outcasts from our family in Utah (sure love ya guys!) we spend Thanksgiving....alone. Which is ok but ya see these people everyday. So what sets it apart from any other meal we eat together (besides the feeling of warmth and love Thanksgiving gives you...and home made pie.). But this year we scored the Thanksgiving lottery and were invited to join the Norton family for Thanksgiving.
So the day started off with me getting up an hour and a half before my alarm (which did not make me happy but I gritted my teeth and thought of all the things I'm thankful for...like the fact I'm not a turkey today.)
I watched some of the Thanksgiving parade...snore...(parades are not my thing) and did some laundry. We got ready and had a model worthy photo shoot before leaving the house.
I
I know...professionally good looking right?

Then it was off to the Nortons.

We made all the final preparations...I made my magically delicious mashed potatoes (they really are fabulous). After some forlorn and starving looks from certain members of the family (I mean she does resemble an Ethiopian child doesn't she?)

We ate....and ate...and ate.

I am fully convinced that turkey really does make you tired because I just about passed out right there on the table after eating. We took a little break to watch YouTube videos making fun of the likes of Hilary Clinton and Barrack Obama (democrats in general)

...did a little cleaning...watched a little football (sorry Lions but c'mon we all saw it coming) and then broke out the PIE! We had a plethora of combos to choose from:
Chocolate Cream, Pumpkin (canned and real pumpkin), Apple/Cranberry, and my dad's world (kind of) famous Banana Cream Pie...
So de-lish!

My fave would have to be the Apple/Cranberry that Traci made. I don't even like apple pie but it was pretty much the bomb...and she home made her crust (I was un aware we were having dinner with Martha Stuart!)
A highlight would be when Coley decided to sample a piece of EVERY pie. That would be 5 different slices for those of you keeping track at home. I bet her that she couldn't eat it all...she took my bet and that tiny thing actually accomplished the mission. I am curious as to how that worked out for her later on this evening though...
After a day filled with food, laughter, friendship...and pie, we bundled up and drove home. We changed into our comfies and snuggled on the couch to watch Kung Fu Panda. I was asleep within the first 10 minutes but everyone else enjoyed it!
So all in all this year's Thanksgiving was a total success! Hope yours was great too! I am so thankful for so much- family, friends, my faith in the gospel, freedom. The list could go on and on.
Even through the tough times there is so much to be grateful for...and if you're having trouble coming up with one...like I said- Just be thankful you aren't a turkey today. You got off easy compared to the poor soul on your plate!
Happy Thanksgiving!

Currently Loving...

I am currently in love with a few things I would like to share with you...

1. Taylor Swift's new album "Fearless"
It is FABULOUS! Every song on there is great! I highly recommend it for girls of all ages!




2. Twilight
I was worried about this movie but I loved it! Thanks to Emma who put up with my craziness after I had worked 20 hours and slept for 3 and then went to go see this at 10:15...I was slurring my words and talking crazy and she endured it like a trooper. You Rock Em!


And it doesn't hurt that Edward is a total B-A-B-E!



3. Diet Mt. Dew
I was never a fan of diet mountain dew but I started drinking it on a whim while working at the hospital and now I can't stop! I swear it has some sort of drug in it....I have to drink it every day and it gets me through those long night shifts..
.

4. The Tiffany Holiday catalog
Too bad I don't make more money but I might just treat myself to something this year....


5. Sephora
I LOVE Sephora make up and they have all these fun looks for the holidays...I'm thinking about trying this one out for our work Christmas party at the salon...what do you think?


That's all- I am at a loss about what to blog about because it seems as though my life only consists of working. All the time. BORRING! But at least I'm makin some sweet moolah.
Hey shout out to my boyfriend Matt who threw over 400 yds in his game on Sunday for the SECOND week in a row! He is the only Patriots QB to do that EVER in history and only the 5th to do it in the history of the NFL! Say it with me....Tom Brady who?

Aww...isn't he so cute?

In the Spirit

I have never felt so in the spirit and mood for Christmas before since I was a kid. What is it about cold weather that I love so much? Snow flurries? Coats? I'm not sure but I am feeling the love for mankind! I want to shout "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night" to everyone I see and...
it's not even thanksgiving yet!!!
do not tell my dad but I am putting up christmas music now. my dad (and mom) hate christmas music before thanksgiving. that was the rule....they were not to hear it coming anywhere from the house before thanksgiving.
well too bad for you.
this is my blog and i do what i want!
and i want chestnuts roasting on an open fire and jack frost nipping at my nose dang it!
unfortunately for my paycheck the cold weather also brings a formidable urge for me to shop.
i just can't help it...and really...santa can't do everything ya know!

Peace at Last

So it finally happened. I experienced my first "death of a patient". For a long time we have had a patient who was very sick and came from a hospice situation basically to die. She was a sweet old woman. I cared for her last week when she first came in and I cared for her this morning at 2:24 am when she passed away. We learned about this in our class and we all knew eventually there may come a day when a patient we cared for died....but I wasn't really expecting it to happen to me. I work with mostly joint patients and unless there is a huge unforeseeable event...my patients are usually just fine. But for some reason yesterday when I went to bed after my shift I had a dream that this patient died while I was there and I could visualize caring for her and cleaning her after she died (how morbid is that???). Around midnight or so I was telling the nurses and the other tech about my dream and we were talking about how strange it was. I had decided it was anxiety but 2 hours later it actually happened. Very eerie. After it happened I went in and cleaned her and it was a strange but spiritual experience....preparing a body for a soul who has already passed. I didn't personally know her but I cared about her all the same and when the funeral home came to take her body I found myself tearing up. It was more because I was wondering if that is how my grandma left this world. If the funeral home came and got her. Who was with her? How was she feeling? I miss my Mam more than words could ever explain. I think about her all the time while working at the hospital. Hoping that the way I care for these people is the way someone cared for my Mam when I couldn't be there. Anyway...it's been an eventful week. Seeing how fragile life really is. One minute here...the next gone. I found a quote that I really liked.

"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity"
-Gilda Radner

That is how I want to live my life. Making the best of each moment.
What a week.
Birth of a baby who I already love and the death of someone who could have been my own loved one.
For everything there is a season,
And a time for every matter under heaven.
A time to be born, and a time to die.
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted.


I couldn't have said it better myself.

Yay!

Almost immediately after posting I got the text message...
Logan Nicolas Chaput
8 lbs. 21 in. born at 4:40 this afternoon!
Congratualtions Jen and Nic! I can't wait to meet him!

P.S. I totally straight up stole this picture from Jen's blog but I know my mom would love to see this little bundle of love.

And note to Jen and Nic...nice work. He's adorable.

Baby Logan...we're waiting!

So I feel like since I started work at the hospital I have been completely useless. All I do is work and sleep. The only semi-exciting thing going on in my life right now is that my bestest friend Jen is currently in the process of bringing her baby boy into this world! I got the text message last night that she was going in to start the process and I haven't heard anything today but Jen....just so you know I am so excited and I'm praying for you! I can not wait to meet baby Logan!

From the Mouth of Kian

Here are a couple of my current favorite Kian quotes...

Dad: "Kian there is no shape that has 7 sides..."
Kian: "Yes there is...it's a PRESTAGON!"

Kian: "Did someone text message you?"
Me: "Nope..."
Kian: "Why not?"
Me: "I don't know because I have no friends and I might be a loser..."
Kian: "Umm...I think...a winner."

I love my brother

Burning the Midnight Oil

Wow...where to start. I feel like ever since I started working night shift I am literally dead to the world. I go to work at 11 and work all night until 7 am, come home fall into my bed by 8 get up at 2:30 and get ready for work at the salon and at 11 I rinse and repeat the whole process...so to say. It's been crazy, I frequently forget what day it is and sometimes I will realize it has been 24 hours since I have eaten anything... but it has been so great too. There have been some hard nights...2 nights ago we had a patient crash and go into kidney failure (keep in mind this was Saturday night...when I then I had to get up and go to church the next morning, teach sharing time, teach my Sunbeams, and all this without the help of my dear sister...). BUT there have been some great nights too. Last night I had a patient who took a great liking to me and was calling me into her room literally every 20 minutes AND she would call me by name and she was telling all the nurses "oh Vanessa knows how to do it, she knows the way I like it, no one does it like Vanessa"...it was cracking me up. This job above all else has taught me the value of service. I am there for people in their weakest state when their families can't and they trust me to attend to their needs and take care of them. What an awesome responsibility. I love love love it.
And can I just admit to the world right now what a huge dork I am? I actually had my family tape the football game for me last night because I couldn't watch it...when did I turn into such a guy? But the Colts won! Yeah!
In closing I would like to publicly apologize for being so anti social. But it probably won't change anytime soon because no one does it like me! :)
Also here is a picture of the delicious cake my darling mother made for me...rainbow chip of course! Thanks Mom...it's nice to know that even after 22 years you let me have the cake of a 10 year old and don't think twice about it (at least out loud...)
*Please make special note of the most fabulous birthday gift ever bestowed upon someone in the background...that is right ladies and gentlemen...it is a one of a kind...(sort of...), magically versatile...the one, the only, the...Magic Bullet! I have been lusting after this little beauty for about 3 years now and my friends got it for me! They are the best and I've already make some delicious concoctions in this baby.