Snow day number 2!

On Saturday following our snow day, I went with my brother, my nephew, and his friend back to the sledding hill by their house. Someone had created a small jump which turned out to be quite the ride. Here are some pictures. Enjoy!

Good Friends



He loved the challenge of this jump. My nephew on the other hand was not about to go on it by himself.


Sean convinced me to go down on the saucer. Not only did it spin but it went faster. After this picture I ended up flipping over my back and kinking my neck. I think I need a chiropractor now.


More crazy shots!

Oh my hiney!!!

Going down without the sled. He liked to try to avoid the jump by going on his belly.

Me and the boys!!!

Take a look at the boys face. Classic!!
Ohh that was a rough landing. I think our backsides are going to feel that one.
But no fear we are tough!!!!

Snow day!

The weekend before my finals in December we received snow. At around 10am the snow started to fall and it went all day. By the time it was finished we had received 8+ inches of snow. My nephew called and asked if I would take him sledding so my roommate and I bundled up and brought Faith along. We walked over to their house and were able to let Faith run. Faith enjoyed being tied to the sled and pulling the kids like a sled dog. The kids thought it was the best thing ever. Unfortunately the few pictures we tried of that did not come out.

My niece went out for a short time but explained to me that she does not like snow because it is too cold. My nephew on the other hand had a blast sledding down the hill by their house.

Audrey and I then walked Faith back home, dropped her off and trekked out to the diner about a mile away. When we sat down to eat, I couldn't believe how much food I was able to pack away. We had been outside walking for more than 4 hours through lots of snow.

This weekend we are expecting snow as well. Oh how I love the snow. Though, I have learned that where I live...snow and sleep don't go well together. My bedroom window butts up to the driveway for the local sweeping company. And when it is snowy or icy out, they are in and out of that driveway all night with there tractor to reload the trucks with salt. Between the flashing lights, the beeping of the trucks (in reverse), and the scraping of the tractor shoveling up salt, there is not much room for sleep.

Faith and Audrey (my roommate) ready to go to the park!

Making snow angels

Faith being a good dog! She was like a crazy woman in the snow.

update

Monday is my final test for this semester and it is worth 40% of my grade. It is a cumulative test for the whole semester. I am hitting a bit of a mental wall but have managed to get 2-5 hours of studying in a day so hopefully that will help. Tomorrow I only have the AM to study because of work and then I will have all day Sat and Sunday.

For all of you on the West coast who have been having crazy weather...well you sent it our way. As of now they are predicting 6-10 inches of snow tomorrow starting in the afternoon and accumulating at about an inch per hour. This could be fun considering I go to work at 3 and don't get off till 11:30pm. And being a hospital...weather doesn't stop the sickies so I must go into work. I have been looking forward to snow and it looks as if I might finally get my wish. I wish I wasn't stuck at work though. The only thing I don't want is snow to happen on Sunday into Monday which there has been some talk about. I am ready for this final to be over with so postponing it does not sound like a great option to me. Good thing that is a few days a way...a lot can happen between then and now.

Good night!

One test down and 2 to go!!!

Today I had my skills appraisal test. You go into the school for a half an hour and draw two cards. On these cards is a skill that we have learned during the semester in lab and whatever skill you received you get to perform. Well, I drew IV lines and a wet to dry dressing. My skills went well and I passed with flying colors. Even so it is a bit nerve racking to try to perform your skill exactly by the book with your instructor watching your every move. This is a test you must pass in order to go on in nursing school and 2 people did not pass. However, they will go back next week and try it again as we are given 3 chances.

This Monday is my 6th exam for the class and it is a huge test for me. I did not do well on the last exam and I am at a do or die point of the program. I have been studying 4-8 hours a day trying to prepare for this exam. The next exam is next Monday the 22nd which is our 200pt final. Between these two tests I have 50% of my grade to be determined which is a blessing but also a lot of pressure.

My big brother came up with the idea of a tutor and told me that for my birthday a few weeks ago that he would pay for me to have a couple sessions with a tutor. The problem is that most tutors are just general tutors and it is tough to find someone who has been through nursing school and tutors. We have a tutor at our school but she is an English teacher not a nurse and all she can do is give us strategies for general test taking. She can't help us understand the rationals behind the test questions and how to approach them. Nursing school is not like other schooling and the tests are very different. Straight A students come into it and find themselves with 70's. Well, I found a retired nurse who was also a nursing educator and now does tutoring on the side. She will go over nursing test questions with me on the subject that I will be tested on and then I will give my answer and my rational. We will then evaluate my answer and rational and help me understand, if I got it wrong, how I should have approached the question.

So now we are praying for good scores and for it to just click. It is not an issue of time or understanding as much as it is the fact that the tests have become a speed bump. Once I understand them then the sky is the limit.

Thanks for the many of you sending me notes of encouragement. I don't think I could have made it to this point without it. I am not a quitter or a failure but this program can make you feel like both sometimes. It is tough to keep your head above water let alone swim for the goal. My only solace in it all is that God is my strength and that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!" This is the door He opened for me and there is no looking down or back just straight ahead. When I finish this program the opportunities ahead of me are endless and many of my life long dreams will then be able to be fulfilled.

Such a sad morning!!!

I went to bed with snow coming down and the cars covered and when I woke up this morning nothing more had happened all evening. I was really looking forward to a beautiful snow covered morning.

I am such a kid when it comes to snow. Many people get annoyed by it but for me it is such a joy and I love it. I love to be surprised and wake up to a full covering of snow. Ahh the simple pleasures of life. I guess I will have to wait till next time.

Christmas time is here!!!!

Today my roommate and I went out and got some ornaments, went to her families house and got some christmas stuff, and picked up our tree! We spent the evening decorating the tree and my roommate calls it my "designer tree" The colors this year are royal blue and silver which is new for me but I love.

We took Faith with us out to her parents house where she loves to play with her dad! There is a farm out there that she use to work at that we got our tree from. It was a little more spendy than here by us but it was good for her to go back and see them.

Now as I write this message it is currently snowing outside and we are possibly going to have 2 inches of snow in the morning when we awake. I love the snow and feel like a kid even at 30 when it comes.

Last 2 weeks in a nutshell

Well, I turned a whopping 30years old, but for some reason people think I look in my early 20's! I chopped my hair 8 inches (will have to post some pictures soon so those who are asking can see), worked at the hospital for thanksgiving, and my nephew and brother made me an awesome chocolate cake for my birthday. Oh and can't forget that my Oregon Ducks took Oregon State Beavers down hard in the civil war Game. Go Ducks!!! Last but not least Greg Oden and my Portland Trail Blazers took down the NY Knicks!!!! Sweet wish I would have been there to see it!

That was the good part of the last 2 weeks. Beyond that Nursing School has kicked my butt, but even in the very difficult challenge, I have come away with two good friends and allies in my program. We have decided to stick together and find a way through nursing school together. I have been given lots of advice this past week about succeeding in nursing school much of which I would not repeat on this blog.

Well, there is my past few weeks in a nutshell. I hope that in 2 1/2 weeks I will have some good news for you on the school front. Either I find a way to stop the bleeding and pass my test on the 15th and the 22nd and continue onto the next semester or I have to find a new plan of action for my future. Either way I appreciate your prayers and look forward to some good/positive updates!

Very discouraging!!!!

Well, test 1 of 4 happened yesterday. Many of us opened up the test and went "uh oh". The test was a bit off the wall and stuff we had no idea about was on the test. The last test had an average of a 69. Well, today when we walked in she informed us that she could not give us the scores of our test because they were so off from our normal scores. She hoped that she could reevaluate them and maybe it was the scan tron machine. I don't know what happened but I do know that when I received my test score...all I could do was cry. I studied and studied and even gave up my birthday and thanksgiving to study for this test and my ever plunging scores continue. I have not heard what the overall average was but based on the delay in the test scores my guess is that the average was even lower than the last score of 69.

This test officially puts me into crisis mode as I am no longer passing. I stand a very real chance of failing if I don't figure out how to fix the problem. I ask the teacher for advice and all I am given is "if you are in class and listening to the lecture and doing the reading you should be fine." Well I am doing that and move and I still am failing. I think that 2 tests with class averages in the failing range should be reevaluated but they have shown no signs of doing so.

Well, back to the studying and trying to stop the bleed. 2 more tests left to get my grades back up and my skills test. All this in only 3 weeks. I took time off work and hopefully will be able to do so until finals are over but we will see.

What is this world coming too!

Ok, so I must admit that I am not a shopper. I do not like the crowds, and the hunt. I am just not your typical girl who likes to go shopping. Some people get depressed and go out and spend money. I get depressed and go out and run! So that being said I am a little biased. Today is called black friday and maybe it is appropriately named. It is the biggest shopping day of the year. People give up there thanksgivings to go stand in line for days just to get some great "deal". Now was it really worth it. My friend Robyn went shopping today and did get a good deal but she was not one of the crazy ones out in line for hours. I am amazed she even made it out of bed to make it shopping that early. She normally thinks 8am is too early.

I was reading an article about the shopping today and it made me even more annoyed by the black friday shopping. 3 people died in shopping related incidents. One was here on Long Island. It was a 32 year old man who when the crowd of more than 2000 were annoyed at waiting, pushed through the door, crumpled the door frame and stomped the guy to death. People even saw him and just climbed over him. When the store staff told people they had to close down for a few hours due to a death people got mad and kept shopping. Now this is ridiculus. Was it really worth the "deal"

Alright so my venting is over and as you can proboly figure I did not go shopping today!

I am THANKFUL

I am thankful for a lot of things and in this season of thanksgiving I started jotting them down! Sometimes remembering so many things we are thankful for and that we forget about in our busy daily lives helps to change our perspective on all the big and little things. !

I am thankful for:
- Family, Family and Family
- Friends
- The move I made across the country and the experience
- God and His ever present Grace that despite us and all our mistakes, He loves us as we are!
- My church I have here and my church back home.
- Nursing school.
- Challenges.
- Running- my greatest time of reflection.
- The heart God has given me to care for people where they are at!
- Music which can cut to the sole.
- The seasons (even though right now it is hard to remember that I love winter, when it is 20 degrees outside).
- Books.
- Movies.
- Days off.
- Work.
- My Dog! Dogs teach us to love and be patient! My dog has softened me around the edges.
- Heat
- Phones and email: ways to keep in touch with friends and family.
- Experiences that shape our lives and make us who we are.
- Another breath.
- Another second.
- Gas prices dropping.

I pray this time of Thanksgiving brings you much joy and peace.

4 more weeks!!!!

I am 4 weeks out from finishing my first semester of nursing school! Hallalujah! Next week we have only 2 days and then the last week we have no school because the Final is so intense they give us the week to study. From Dec 1st through to Dec 22nd I will have 4 test in those 21 days. It is going to be the most intense part of the semester for me. Luckily we only have one more week of clinicals so that will be a lot of work that will be lifted...since we spend 2 days just doing paperwork for that till 12 or 1am.

This week my clinical experience was very good! I had a great learning experience with my patient. I did lots of dressing changes including very complex ones as well as worked with a feeding tube, gave medicines and lots of other great stuff. I felt like a real nurse. The nurses were ever grateful for my work with the gentleman because they have 5-7 patients and this guys care takes a huge chunk of your time. He is contracted, in pain, physically very poor and came to the hospital with very, very, very severe bed sores. the one on his back is 14 1/2 cm x 8cm and all the way to the bone if that gives you any idea. It really makes me sad how some facilities can be in the bussiness and allow there patients to get so bad. The person walked into the doctors office in Sept and by the end of October he is contracted, emaciated, and has severe bed sores. Granted I know that he is is sick but this is inconceivable to me. Makes you scared to send a loved one to some of these places.

For those of you have been praying for me, THANK YOU! And please continue as this next four weeks is really going to be difficult for me.

This semester I have been holding onto the verse from the Bible that says:
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!"

I know that God has opened this door and that He will help me through. That gets me through every week when I feel like giving up. The interesting thing is it is the clinicals I love but the school I battle. For me I learn soooo much in clinicals and I feel it is the greatest learning environment for me. Ever since I was a little girl I dreaded school. It has never been easy for me. I worked my tail off to barely get by. But interesting enough I keep going back. I even have thought of going to get my masters after this but we will see!

The down hill slide continues!

Well our hardest test of the semseter is now over and I did not face the challenge too well. With 4 weeks to prepare for this test they gave us the bulk of the difficult material less than a week before the test! This did not bode well for many of us. The class average was a 69 for this test and mine was not much different. This was difficult material but what can you say! I am still passing but I feel for those who have been not passing and are trying to bring there grades up.

We have straight A students who are doing just as bad as I am on the tests. She did finally say that she realized that the way the material was laid out, timing and the amount of material was too much and that she would need to change it for the next class! Wow, thanks, glad she could figure that out after us. Oh well, no time to grovel. We have a mere 5 weeks left in this semester and have 2 tests and a comprehensive final to boot! I hit my wall this past week and decided that tonight, I was not going to pick up the books but was going to take a night to recover. You spend 30 hours a week in class and then another 30 or more hours studying and your mind just hits overload. At some point if I don't figure out how to manage the stress I will weigh absolutely nothing. Nursing school for me is like being on a diet. I'm still eating but 10 lbs lighter and another 2 1/2 semesters to go.

Thanks for all of your encouragement. On the lighter side. Last week in clinicals I got to give medications and give shots. My clinical instructor has been wonderful as have the nurses and they jump on any chance to teach us a new skill. There is still a lot we are not allowed to do, because the rule is if we haven't learned it in class then we can't do it in clinical. However, every week that list gets smaller, and I feel like a nurse more every day.

My challenge for the week was having a client who spoke only arabic and was mentally confused. This combination does not bode well for the typical ways we try to communicate with them. When I first came in I was not looking forward to it but by the end of the week she really grew on me and we began to figure each other out. It was funny, they have this thing called the stera phone. It is a phone that has two headsets on it and I would call a number and ask for an arabic translator. I would say something in english and the translator would communicate it in Arabic. Then she would respond back to the translator in arabic and they would translate it for me. Well, with your average person this would work well. However, in this case there were times when the process made sense and then there were times she would just stare at the phone with a look of what is this.

Test 3!!!!

Well, At last we have our midterm test! This is the 3rd of 6 test. However the rest are very close togethor. One is 3 weeks away (with thanksgiving in between) and the next is 2 weeks away. Then we will have one week to prepare for our comprehensive final! The next few weeks are going to fly.

This test material is tough! Even more so I have hit a wall on studying. I feel as though my brain has no more room! I know it is not true but some how I have to find a way through this fog to prepare for this test that is monday! I could use all the prayers I can get for this test and the upcoming weeks as it is going to be tough.

Today in clinicals I got to give meds to my patient for the first time. This included 2 shots. Also, I find that the nurses and my clinical instructor are coming to me to do a lot of stuff. It is kind of nice. My patient this week spoke only arabic and was confused so trying to speak even through the translator phone was not always easy. However, by today we found a way through it and she really grew on me. I have really come to enjoy my clinical time and am looking forward to next semester when it is 3 days a week.

Well, enough of the procrastination and back to work. Thanks for all of your encouragement!

Overwhelmed!

I will admit, it is not often I feel overwhelmed however I do feel it now! Since nursing school started it has been challenging. I am currently 9 weeks into the first semester and preparing to take the 3rd of 6 tests. Next monday we have a huge test that is over very difficult stuff. I have been studying and yet feel so far from where I need to be for this test. I really want to do well because I feel I could use a bit of a buffer. After this test we will have a test 3 weeks later (following our thanksgiving break), then 2 weeks later and finally a week after that will be our cumulative final.

On top of tests our clinicals are getting much more demanding and taking up a lot of prep time. I am currently exhausted and needing a break but that is not going to happen. I see why they say not to work while in nursing school. I lose 2 days every week of study time because of work and another 1 1/2 days to clinical prep time.

I know I will make it, it is just difficult to see right now. I guess it is just one step at a time and lots of prayers for strength, memory, focus and the ability to stay standing and not collapse before this term is over.

Thanks for all of your encouragement. It will be worth it in the end. It is just hard to see the next step in front of me right now.

FREEZING!!!

This weekend the temps dropped over night to around 40 on Saturday night and 32 on Sunday night. When I woke up in my apartment on Sunday morning the temperature was only 50 degrees. I went to church and never warmed up. Then when I returned I simply bundled up and got under my down comforter to keep warm. Our landlord had not turned on the heat yet, because here in NJ they control the heat, and they turn it off for the summer and early fall. This was our second cold spell but we had a warm spell in the middle so he didn't come over yet. Thank goodness my friend came over Friday and took out my air conditioner in my room, because my room stayed a little warmer than the rest of the house.

Well today our heat is finally working and we are at a comfortable 69 or so. I am telling you either in my getting older, or something I seem to not be able to manage the cold as well. I don't remember being this way before. People here make fun of me because I am already using my winter jacket and gloves. However, I think 40 here is colder than 40 back in Portland. In Portland there is humidity in the air, where here it is very dry, so it seems like it just cuts through you. Maybe I am wrong but all I know is I seem to be cold more often than not and we haven't even hit winter yet. I guess I need to go out and find a better winter jacket!

I was reading the farmers almanac for this year and it was saying that our area is expecting colder than normal and above average snow fall. NJ hasn't had a harsh winter in quite a while so I guess maybe I arrived just in time. The only good thing about it is I love snow. So as long as when it is really cold I get to see lots of snow, I will get through.

Pride comes before a fall!!!!

Well, I guess my lesson to learn today was that pride comes before a fall! I went into this test fairly relaxed, feeling as though I had studied my heart out, and was well prepared. Those of you who know me well at all, know that I am a major stressor (is that a word :-) when it comes to tests, so this is not usual. However, I met with a study group, and studied, studied, studied! Today I got my score and I dropped 10 points from my last score to a 70. How frustrating. I studied harder, and felt more prepared for this test and yet I did worse. Ahhhhhhhh!!!

I felt as though the test didn't really test our knowledge of what we went over in class! I don't know yet because I haven't seen the test yet but my guess is that it wasn't a knowledge based issue but simply making dumb mistakes! I guess I will see!

I am still not feeling well, so I decided that today was going to be a day to just get things done that I haven't had time to do because of school. I spent the day doing errands and tonight I am going to bed early!!! In fact it sounds really good right now. Last night after the test I had to work so I didn't get home till midnight. So as much as I am sure you are loving reading this note :-) I think that bed sounds to inviting! Good night my friends!

Test number 2

The stress level is much lower for test number 2 tomorrow! If you remember I pretty much made myself sick over the last test. This week I have been sick but I think it is unrelated. I feel pretty prepared for this test...or at least as prepared as I can be. I began studying for this test as soon as test 1 was complete. The past 3 days I have been meeting with my friend Leo. We spent more than 15 hours studying over the past 3 days. Today him, our friend Lillian and I all studied for about 7 hours. If I am not prepared now then I don't know what more I could have done.

So tomorrow is test number 2 out of 6. It is amazing how quickly time has gone. We are already into week 7, nearly 1/2 way done with this semester. Last week was our last week at the nursing home and this week we will begin at the hospital. We will remain at the hospital for the rest of the year. My group is going to be on the Medical/surgical orthopedic floor for the rest of this semester. After that we will rotate floors based on what we are studying.

Well, I am off to bed for a good night sleep and hopefully I am well prepared for our second test. If I can maintain my 80% I will be happy but I would really like to increase that.

Dogs and Bee's who ever knew?

Did you know that dogs could be allergic to bee stings? Well I didn't ever think about it till today. Today I had Faith at the park and was throwing the frisbee for her. Mind you it is in the 50's and low 60's but the bee's are still out. Well on her way back with the fris she pulled up and was freaking out. When I got to her I could see that there was a bee on her back hind leg. The bee must have kept stinging her or had the stinger stuck in her. I hit it off of Faith and she seemed fine other than kept looking at the area and licking it.

Well now 4 hours later she is in a state of constant itching especially where she got stung. I guess bee's can effect dogs like they do people. Now you have another useless fact for your brains to hold.

Have a good night and a great weekend.

Fall colors are finally coming!

Well it is October and the leaves are changing. So is the weather might I add. It is not the indian summer I am used to back in Oregon. It is a bit chilly already. Today as I was driving to school I noticed that the leaves are just beginning to change. This is one of my favorite times of year and the East coast is a great place to experience it.

I was reading the farmers almanac and they are saying that this winter for us will be colder and snowier than average. Considering they have had less than average winters the past few years I am sure this is not far from the truth. The weather already is in the 50's and low 60's. A friend yesterday explained to me that I am in for my first real winter. Considering I am already freezing this should be interesting. I love snow though, so as long as we get lots of that I won't mind.

Tomorrow is the end of another week in nursing school. It is flying. I just finished an exam last week and already I am a week out from the 2nd of 6. This one is going to be much tougher than my last one. The information is much more indepth. This year is going to fly by and all I can do is eat, drink, and sleep nursing school. Next semester when we get into the disease processes, it will be even more intense. Overall, I am enjoying it. So far we still have the same students we started with but statistically a good chunk will drop out by the end of the semester. Our goal is to have the largest graduating class this year. If we get through this semester intact we should make it.

Well that was my short study break...now back to work! I miss all of you and love hearing your words of encouragement and what is going on in your life. I might be busy but I love your emails and blogs...so keep me updated.

Rain rain go away!

Ugh, a Nor Easter hit this weekend and is drenching us with rain and more rain. It is suppose to be a beautiful fall here and instead, it feels like winter! Driving to Clinical today I saw that people still want to drive like it is dry and sunny out. I came across 4 accidents at least on my way today which caused me to be 30min late for clinical, normally I am there 20min early. On the way home I saw at least 2 or 3. An 80 mile round trip commute is bad enough without having to deal with this kind of traffic. Generally I am going the opposite direction of traffic so it doesn't take that long.

Today was the conclusion of our second week of clinical. I have had the same patient for both weeks and I am really enjoy him. It is a dementia unit so many can not talk like my guy...ok he can talk some but usually it is totally inappropriate. When I am saying inappropriate...I mean inappropriate and words I would not repeat her on this blog.

When I arrive I take his Blood pressure, temp, pulse and respiration's. Then I get him bathed, dressed and up in his wheel chair. We stay through lunch and feed them which for many is worse than feeding a 1 year old.

When I got to clinical today, my patient was not responsive, clammy, and sweating. I immediately got my clinical director and we evaluated him. In the long run it came down to being "nothing" as far as the staff were concerned. His blood sugar was not the cause, his temp was not high, and his blood pressure was low but they didn't seem concerned. So we left it at that but both agreed that something was probably coming on. I will be interested to see next week if anything comes of this.

There are a couple lady's who love to sing and sing they do...even if completely off key! So all day I was serenaded. I enjoy working with these people but look forward to moving on. It is hard when you can't talk to some or others are talking nonsense. Though I will say one nice thing is, when you ask them to do something, or take something and they say no...all you have to do is turn around and say "Hello so and so I am glad to see you, would you..." Inevitably they forgot that 2 seconds ago you asked them the same thing and they said no and this time they say yes.

Our next rotation will be in the hospital and with Ortho patients (hip fractures ect). This will be a demanding floor but I am looking forward to moving beyond the basics which is where we are at now. For many it is intimidating doing what we are doing now but for me I have been doing this and more in the hospital already so it is just a matter of fine tuning it to the way they want it done.

Test number 1

I spent all last week and this past weekend studying for a test on Monday. It was our first of six exams for the semester! On Sunday night I went to bed early to get some good rest and I woke up at 5am. I decided to go for a run in order to try and burn off the stress. Instead I ended up throwing up! Doh!

Our exam was at 9am so it was a very long morning. However, once we got the test things went pretty well. For the first time in my life I was going to be exstatic just to get a C. After the exam though as people were talking I realized that I probobly did pretty well.

Well drum roll everyone! :-)

The average score in the class was a 72%. THe highest score was an 84% and I got a whopping 80%. I can't believe it...I am never one of the high scores. Well, that gives me some confidence going into this year...Thank you God!

Today we reviewed the tests. They make everyone put everything away including pens and pencils. You are given 30min to review the test and then you won't ever see it again! Strict huh? I have always used my tests as study guides for the final but we can't even go into the teacher after today to look at it. However, as soon as that time was up I wrote everything I could remember that I made mistakes on.

The good thing was that my errors were not knowledge based errors. So obviously my studying is good. My errors were symantic errors...that I can work on.

Well on to the next test in just 2 weeks or so. Our teachers were nice enough to explain they only get harder from here on out. Darn it!

Exhausted!

I think I have hit a wall! I am only 3 weeks into school and I have already hit a wall. How sad is that? I have been going to school 5 days a week and working 2 days a week. When I am home I am reading or studying much of the time. When I lay down to go to bed my mind is racing so fast that I can't even fall asleep.

Yesterday, I came home and was mentally fried. I tried to look at the books and my notes and I realized it was futile...I needed a break. Today I came home and am feeling kind of sick....headache, nauseous, and exhausted. I tried to take a nap but this brain of mine is on overload and I drifted for a measly 10 min and then I was laying there wide awake. Now I must try to pull myself togethor and study. I have a test Monday so I have a lot to do before then.

On Monday I got the results of a math test that we had to take. You had to pass the test with an 80% and no matter what you got 80 or above you just receive a pass. So I passed by the hair on my chinny chin chin. phew! This is one of those test that could fail me from the program. They give you 2 or 3X to pass and I know that a few did not pass...but thank God I was not one of them.

Class is going well. Finally this week we began our clinical times in the nursing home so I only had to spend 3 days sitting at a desk listening to someone talk at me. Today I started at the nursing home where I will spend the next 4 weeks. We go there on Thursdays and Fridays each week. Today was a basic orientation to the facility and then we were given our patient that we will be working one on one with. The floor I am on is an alzteimers unit. Beginning tomorrow I will actually be working with my patient.

If you would like to contribute to the....

SaraJane nursing school fund you can go to any local bank...Ok I am just kidding. However, I do have a praise. It is a huge praise. My Car is Paid off!!!!! Yes can you believe it! That is a lot of money each month that has now been freed up. This was a blessing from God through some great people. I can't tell you how great it is to see God provide. Every time I wonder if I made the right decision He makes it clear that I did through things like this.

Now when I look at the daunting task of paying for school and living expenses I can only look at things like this and see how true the Bible is when it says that He will meet our every need. It probably isn't going to happen that $25 or $30000 is dropped in my lap but it is in the small things. A hundred dollars here, no more car payment there etc!

Waiting on Tropical storm Hannah

We are expecting to get hit with tropical storm Hannah on the coast. However, they are predicting that we will expect plenty of rain and wind as well as flooding. I don't think it is suppose to reach us till Saturday night or Sunday morning but tomorrow is to be rainy all day. It is also going to be very humid...as much as 100% humidity tomorrow morning. by mid afternoon it will drop to around 70% humidity which is still very high. Sounds like a good weekend to stay inside, study and enjoy the AC. When it is humid out it does not matter what you do it seeps inside. If the AC goes off for an hour then it becomes very muggy inside. So I don't expect our AC will be off much tomorrow.

And they say Oregon is rainy. I have had more rain this summer! At least generally Oregon is Sunny and dry during the summers :-)

Week One is complete...

And they haven't kicked me out, nor have I failed a test. I am doing pretty good so far. Mind you I haven't had a test to take so I guess there really wasn't a test to fail.

I had 3 days of class this week. We won't start clinicals for 2 weeks so in the mean time it is just class and lab. I enjoy my teacher. She is very good and seems very excited to help each one of us be successful. I heard her say today to a lady in the office that she was very excited for this group of students and that it was a good bunch. That was nice to hear.

So all my fears are not gone but at least they are easing us in. Ask me in a few weeks how crazy busy it is. In the mean time I am enjoying some time to get a routine down. My teacher made a comment today that she was very impressed with those of us who read and that it was obvious in our discussion and questions. I can honestly say I read everything. I was a little to intense in the beginning. It took me forever to read 5 pages and I had 2x as many notes written for those 5 pages. Since I have scaled back my notes and focused on noting the bold stuff, defenitions, and the extra boxes. By the end my reading was much faster.

This weekend I have a ton of reading to do and I have my first test next Friday (math for pharmacology), and on the 22nd I will have my big lecture exam. Next week I will begin work again. I am working 10 8 hour shifts a month which is part time and maintains my health insurance. It also minimizes the loans I have to take out. I am going to try it for a month and see how it goes. As long as I can handle it I will continue.

My class is made up of 30 students and maybe 5 of them are guys. The ages vary but maybe only 2 of them are in their 40's. The rest are in their 20's and a few are in their 30's by my best guess. It seems to be a good group of students.

Now the countdown begins till Aug 14th which is my last day of class! So far and yet it will come flying up I am sure. Thanks for all of your encouragement.

My last weekend of freedom!

So this past weekend was my last weekend to do whatever I wanted, guilt free, and no homework hanging over my head. On Saturday i went to Six Flags Great Adventure with my brother and his family. When we got there it was a bit humid but the crowds were great. For it being a holiday weekend and a Saturday we could not believe how quiet it was. Our longest wait in line for a ride was maybe 20min. That is unheard of but was great.

After a little time in the kids section, my sister n law and I decided to go over and do the inner tube ride. It is a giant innertube that has seats for 12 people. Sean was not so convinced however, and kept saying, it seems like we are going to get really wet. We explained over and over that we did this ride before and didn't get very wet (famous last words). As we got on the ride Sean decided to put his old rafting skills in place and proceeded to guide the thing down the rapids. At every spot where the water would splash up he had us 3 girls in a prime spot to get soaked and soaked we got. Sean finished the ride dry while us girls were soaked. Doh!!!!

After that, I manged to convince Sean to go on the roller coaster Nitro with me. Check out this Roller Coaster....



Nitro climbs up to 230 feet and then plummets 215 feet in a 66 degree angle gaining a speed of 80 miles per hour, wow! Talk about fun. I usually am a chicken when it comes to rides like this but my roommate Audrey talked me into it early in the summer and now I am hooked.

After that we went on the wooden roller coaster called El Torro. Sean convinced me on that. I decided after the last time I was there and had gone on one of the wooden roller coasters that I didn't like them. They are bumpier, jerkier, and make you feel like you are going to fly off the tracks. They just don't seem fun to me. This wooden roller coaster was higher and faster than the one Audrey and I went on which seemed even less fun.



When I was thinking how to describe this roller coaster I thought I would look on line and see how others describe this...well here it goes "El Toro focuses on height, speed, and the holy grail for coaster lovers: airtime. The ride delivers nine moments of weightless nirvana. The ride begins with four huge, successive drops. It finishes with some highly banked moments and some devilish, twisting elements that look wild." Ok if that doesn't freak you out. The thing goes around 70 or 80 mph and the first drop is extremely high. When we were going down the drops I was freaked out because not only was it really fast but it gave you the impression that you were going to have your head decapitated by the wooden beams above. I even tried to duck at one point though the g-forces were so strong it only seemed to give me a kink in my neck. In all reality I was not even close to being the tallest person on the ride and I was at the back so if no one else had there head cracked by the beams was it all that realistic for me to be afraid of that...no...however, you don't have time to be logical. Sean and I decided to wait for the back row. It would be less intense. However, the guys in front of us as we were climbing the first 188 ft hill were asking us if this was our first time. I said yes but we did just do Nitro so it should be fine. They proceeded to explain to us that this was way worse than Nitro, way faster and way scarier. They also said that being in the back we'll be lucky to stay in...so the back wasn't the way to go I guess. By this time Sean explained to them they had successfully freaked us out. Then came our first drop.

When we were finished my sister n law tried to convince us to go on the ride called King da Ka which is a very short but intense roller coaster. You climb 456 ft and go a maximum speed of 128mph as it drops you straight down. No thank you! However, I said I would go on it just to see the look on Sean's face. I proceeded to inform my sister n law that I said yes because I knew Sean would say no. Thank God I don't have too mocho of a brother because otherwise I might have found my way on that ride.

The night ended with a fun "Glow in the Dark" parade. The kids loved this and it was very creative as you will see the pictures.

Not bad for a big hurrah weekend. I ended the weekend by going over to help Sean weed out his front yard and mow on labor day weekend. He said he didn't mind doing it by himself and would feel guilty that I was spending my labor day weeding...but I took it as a great opportunity to spend a little one on one time with my big Brother. We ended the night with dinner at the Franklin Steak house for a little Labor Day grub. I love having big brothers!

Here are some pics from our Great adventure day!

Nursing school update

So I went into the school on Tuesday to take a Pharmacology for Math challenge test. They require this class for admittance into the nursing program. I spent my vacation studying math. When I arrived I felt pretty good except for the IV infusion problems. When I sat down for the test I just prayed "Lord please don't let there be many on the test and if there is please help me to remember." Well, after the test I sat and waited for it to be graded. I was sooooooo nervous, I couldn't stop shaking. Tests freak me out anyway but I knew that if I was going to have a chance to be in the program that I needed to pass this test. A half hour later the dean walks in and says you passed but you need to work on the infusion problems. Thank you Lord was all I could say. I will have to know those but at least I have some time in order to get better acquainted with them.

At this point I have passed the test but still don't know if there is a seat in the program. Mind you the program starts less than 24 hours later. As I was sitting there they were discussing another students who they were waiting on to let them know if she was going to be in the program or not. Then they realized that she hadn't taken the math challenge and they weren't going to wait on her anymore. Sweet I thought and then they said ok you are in. I could not contain my excitement.

I promptly texted my brother to let him know and he proceeded to tell me to triple check before I told the world. I figure that since I have now sat in on orientation, bought my books, bought my uniform, began studying, and saw my horrendous bill that this constitutes a safe time to inform you all that I am officially in. Yippee!

Wednesday was the first of a 2 day orientation where they proceeded to scare the living daylights out of each one of us. I am now wondering what they were thinking when they accepted me and what I was thinking when I applied. I will spend 28 hours in class or clinical time and then will have a boat load of studying. Throughout the semesters I will have must pass tests on top of my other tests that if I do not pass I will be dropped from the program. My grade will be based on test scores and my license will be dependent on a major test. Have I told you lately that tests freak me out. I am a B average student in college because they had papers and other assignments to help our grade. I have major test anxiety and even if I know all of the material inside and out I have managed to fail tests. I had a teacher help me with this problem and it has been better but it doesn't take away the anxiety I feel.

I also know that I need to work in order to make it financially through this year and that is going to be tough. I have yet to find someone in my program who is doing so. Ahhhh! I really hope that I can do a lot of one-to-one babysitting jobs at the hospital which will allow for lots of studying but that is still a ways out of possibilities.

Though as I have panicked this past week, God has brought me comfort. First and foremost in the fact that He has directed every step of the way and that has been evident. Just in the process as things have been back and forth I have had a peace that God was in control and that I could trust that. In the end He showed Himself as He moved mountains to get me into the program less than 24 hours from the start.

Also on Wednesday I went to Church and the pastor taught on Isaiah 40. I won't put it here but I highly encourage you to read through it all. It was amazing as he started in saying "Comfort oh comfort my people." Then He goes on to talk about the Glory of the Lord and preparing a way for Him referring to the coming of Jesus. "The grass dies and flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord will live forever." The word of God and Jesus will live forever as we pass, and this earth fades. Then Isaiah talks about the supremacy of God "Who has measured the oceans in the palm of His hand? Who used His hand to measure the sky?.....Can you compare God to anything?...God sits on his throne above the circle of the earth..." This leaves you thinking of How great God is and how could he care about the little things in our lives like nursing school or a test. Yet He doesn't leave it there. He goes on to say that "The Lord is the God who lives forever, who created all the world. He does not become tired or need to rest...He gives strength to those who are tired and more power to those who are weak...The people who trust the Lord will become strong again. They will rise up as an eagle in the sky; they will run and not need rest; they will walk and not become tired."

Though God is great and mighty He does care about his people and He will lift them up. As nervous as I am about this year I can take comfort in the fact that He guides our very steps. He opened the door for nursing school and he will guide me through.

Thanks for all of your prayers this summer and I look forward to them as I continue into the next phase. Next September I will cross that stage with my diploma in hand.

Photos from my trip to Oregon

Tryon Creek State Park in the heart of Portland, Oregon. This is a beautifully wooded park with lots of trails and fun stuff to see.




My friends kids from our hike at Tryon creek park.




My friends from the running group I headed up at Portland Running Co. I had a chance to go run with them again and then 6 of us went out to dinner afterwards.




Portland at night. Oh I do miss the beauty of this place and having the mountains all around. I miss being just an hour away from the beach and an hour away from the mountains.








My friends Larry and Nancy. We went to dinner in downtown Portland and then walked the waterfront. There was the Louis Palau Evangelistic event going on at the water front. On the other side of the waterfront we got to see the Hood to Coast relay runners make there way from Mt. Hood to the Coast. It is a 30 some hour event. You have 10 runners and each runs 3 legs. They run through the night and end on the beach for a big party. I'll run a marathon before doing that. It isn't the distance it is the 3 different legs and sitting in a van in between as well as the lack of sleep.








This guy was carrying a boa constrictor through the crowd of 50-100000 people before the police kicked him out. Is he crazy? The thing hasn't eaten in 5 months, I don't want to find out when it becomes hungry again.

7 hours turns into 30 hours

I arrived at the Portland Airport on Sunday at 4:30am PST. My flight left at 6:05am. I had to fly standby and they told me it didn't look good. In the mean time I prayed and prayed, and then wondered, is it OK that I pray that someone sleeps in or misses their flight. Well at 6am I got the go ahead to go on the flight...a few people had missed their flight. Then I flew to Phoenix. That flight was no problem getting on and my third and final leg was looking good with plenty of open seats.

That is when the weather hit. Tornado's in Colorado, flooding elsewhere, and thunderstorms across the middle of the country. When I arrived in Baltimore I found out that my flight was hopeless. With weather delays and cancellations my flight was now overbooked and I had to sleep overnight in the Baltimore airport.

The nice lady at Southwest airlines gave me a blanket and pillow which made the night bearable, but it was still not my favorite night of sleep. Some guy was moving chairs all over the place up on the upper level food court, people were vacuuming and in general the floor and the chairs were not very comfortable. After enduring that night I got onto the morning flight with no problems. Once I arrived in NY, I spent the rest of the time on buses and trains until I finally made it home. Home never looked so good. Needless to say Faith was just a little excited to see me. She couldn't contain herself. She just kept running in circles, laying on her back for a belly rub, and then jumping up trying to lick me.

Vacation back to Oregon

The past week and a half I spent in California and Oregon. First I spent 3 days with my aunt and uncle in the bay area. They had their twin grand daughters there which made for a lively week. The girls quickly decided I was the hairstylest and their questions were never ending. "What are you doing, why are you doing that, How does that work...." Even the simplest thing of brushing my teeth got questions. They were a lot of fun. The weather was 103 or so most days. Compared to the East coast humidity this was wonderful. I spent a few days in the outdoor pool working out which was refreshing.

Then I was off to Portland, Oregon where I drove all over Oregon seeing friends. I got to spend 2 days with my best friend Robyn and her family. Robyn and I went out without the kids, Rob watched them. As we were out, Robyn couldn't think of what to do with her kids free hours. We ended up eating at Red Robyn, our favorite place, shopping and sitting in the car as we read our new books. Such exciting girls we are.

The rest of the week I spent bumping around between friends, trying to see everyone. It was great to see old friends and relax. It also affirmed that my life is here in NJ now. How crazy is that. I don't like the place as much as I like Oregon, and I miss my friends, but my life in NJ is where it is supppose to be. I am growing in my relationship with God, I have a great church, Work is good and life is peaceful.

God is good and provides each step of the way even on my trip I saw it.

Sunday in Portland

My first full day in Portland. I got up early for Portlanders but for me it was sleeping in. Since I have been on the west coast I have been waking up at around 3:30-4;30am. Early by West coast standards but sleeping in by my standards of waking up at 5am (2am PST). I got up and went to my old church. It was so nice being back somewhere familiar and seeing old friends. As always the message from the Pastor was exactly what I needed to hear at that time.

After church I went with my friend and running partner, Julie, and her family to Panera Bread and hiking. Panera bread is this great bread place. If you like bread you will love Panera Bread. Following that we took her dog Lucy, 2 and 5 year old son and daughter as well as her husband hiking at Tryon creek State Park. This is a beautiful tree enclosed park with tons of trails, streams and places to explore right inside the city limits.

Vacation

After working over 5 weeks worth of overtime in the past 4 1/2 months and the prospect of a grueling future year with nursing school ahead, I chose to take a short break. I flew to Oakland on Tuesday and spent a few days with my aunt and Uncle. I then flew to Portland where I will spend 7 days visiting my mom and some good friends.

My roommate gets the priveledge of watching Faith (my dog) while I am gone. However, Audrey was gone for 4 days so my brothers took on the task.



Sean texted me over the couple days telling me that he had her out chasing cars, had her tied to a telephone pole for the day, another picture was sent to me showing an empty telephone pole. All this and I am confidant that she was never neglected.

Jimmy even jumped on board, allowing her to stay at his apartment with him. He even let her up on the couch with him. So though my brothers tried to make me think she was lonely, neglected and lost, I know that she was well taken care of and even spoiled.

Work work Work

A few weekends ago had been a rough one at work. We were short handed and I had 14 patients. 4 of them were dying, 4 incntinent patients who needed to be changed every 30min. I spent the days running nonstop and was exhausted by the end. 2 of my patients died, 1 went to hospice (where they will be kept comfortable till they die), and another went to ICU. This was my hardest weekend since I began. As tired as I was I walked away knowing I was in the right place and that God had given me the gift and desire to do this job. A great thing in light of the fact Nursing school is possibly on the horizon. I feel as though I have found my calling. I have always been a caregiver but to care for people at their lowest point is where I thrive.

This past week, I worked 72 hours in 6 days. The hospital census has been low so we have been having staff pulled. Our floor has been only 1 patient below the point where they pull so losing a staff member has been tough. It was an exhausting week but then I got to go on vacation so I can't complain.

I have decided that if Nursing school works out then I will try to work 20 hours a week. I will try it for a month and if it is too much then I will drop work. Doing this will maintain my benefits and help with expenses.

Six Flags Great Adventure

Audrey and I spent yesterday (Saturday) at Six Flags Great adventure. It began with a 3 hour drive (the return ride was only an hour and ten minutes. We didn't think about the fact that we are in a heat wave and everyone was heading to the shore. When we finally arrived we decided to start things off right. We went on the roller coaster ride Superman. This was one where you sit in a seat and they strap you in and they position the seat so you are in the flying position, looking down at the ground the whole time.

I also went on maybe my first Ferris wheel ride. I don't ever remember riding on one before. It was cool because you could see out for miles. The view was great. I won't admit that the height thing got to me :-). Our very last ride was one called Nitro. It begins with a steady climb straight up into the sky and then proceeds to drop you straight down. The rest of the ride goes up, down, around at 80 miles an hour. At first as we were climbing I told Audrey, "What am I getting myself into, I don't think I like you anymore." By about half way down the first drop I was yelling, "I love this"

This weekend has been very hot. Starting Friday we had 96 degrees and humid. Saturday was no cooler but the humidity was much better. Today was 97 by 11am when we were leaving church and was very muggy out. Now we are awaiting the thunderstorms and rain that can break this weather.

A bump in the road...

So I called this week to follow up on nursing school. When I talked to the registrar she said "oh your not in the program, you'll be on the waiting list!" I explained to her that my letter said I was accepted into the program and she seemed surprised. After going around in circles we ended the conversation that she was going to do some searching and call me before she left town for vacation. When I didn't here from her, I called Friday morning and got the message saying she was already on vacation. Urhhh! Now I have no idea. I will have to call again this week and see if there is anyone else who can straighten this out.

Very discouraging but, I know it is just a bump in the road. God is good and knows right where I need to be. Please keep praying and thank you for all of you who do so.

NJ state fare at the Meadowlands

Audrey (my roommate) and I went to the NJ state fare with my brother, sister-n-law, and the kids. It was a hot day but a good one. We just went for a few hours. Audrey and I went on a ride that we wondered, while we were on it, if we might not just fly off of it.


Oops we all had accidents...or at least it looked like it. It was so hot that we decided to go on this ride where you were in motorized inner-tubes. The effect of the cooling off was countered by the fact that the engine, which was directly in front of our face and the thing that allowed us to steer, was shooting exhaust at us. When we got out of the inner tube, the boys and I looked like we wet our pants. It was a fun and comfortable rest of the evening.

We no longer have to fear being hot...

Audrey and I bought two AC's to cool our apartment. The first was a 11,600 BTU AC and the other was an 8000 BTU AC. The big one was going in our kitchen and I proceeded to ruin it when I plugged a fan into the same outlet. One of the pastor's at our church is an electrician and promised to come and look at it for us. The unfortunate news was that it was done, caput, no more. A few days later at the church bible study we were told that the church bought us a new one. They found a used one for us and brought it over on Thursday. This one is an 18000 BTU one that will keep us nice and cool.

How cool is that. Well, now NJ bring on the heat and humidity. We are ready for it.

Fourth of July weekend

This weekend I had a 3 day weekend. This was a much needed time off. I have been working 50-70 hours a week since my training finished. Even this week with a 3 day weekend I worked 50 hours.

I spent the past couple days taking care of my brothers 2 big labs. We spent the day throwing the ball and being slobbered on. Friday Audrey (my roommate) and I had a little bbq and then went to the town Firework show. The show went off with a bang and ended with boo's. They had technical difficulties that cut the fireworks short. Tonight though we got a second showing from a near by town. NJ has a law against fireworks so many of the towns put on their own shows.

I have had two days off already and still another ahead. I don't know what to do with myself. I think I have officially faced the fact that I am a workaholic.

I finished the last of my training!

So this past week I finally finished my 50 blood draws with another staff member. Now I can finally do it on my own. I also had my EKG class and have been on my own doing that for a week. My job is busier but so much easier now that I can do these things on my own.

A drive to my new school!

Well I went and dropped off my paperwork and deposit for Muhlenberg school of nursing. So now I am officially a student there. I also found out that I will be going to school 5 days a week. 2 days a week I will be in school all day. The other 3 days I will be at a hospital doing my clinicals. Each term our rotation will change so that we get a bit of variety.

The scary part of the whole thing is that everyone I have spoken to including the staff at the school all have told me that I would be ridiculus to even consider working. Ahhh, I have never not worked. Besides school is expensive enough but now I have to cover my cost of living also. I take heart in the fact that God has opened the door for me to finally get into school so I trust that the money will come some way or another.

I did find out about a program that if I go to a hospital that is in critical shortage they have a substantial loan forgiveness program. They have lots of hospitals all across the country so I could go anywhere. The only requirement is that I work for 2 years at the hospital. What a blessing this will be.

I am taking an educational leave from my job so that I can keep my foot in the door. If I find I can still work then I will be able to.

FINALLY!!!!!

I received my letter on Friday stating that I was finally accepted to Muhlenberg hospitals school of nursing program. It is an accelerated program that begins at the end of August and will finish next August. I am so relieved and now nervous. It will be a tough road ahead of me but I am looking forward to it.

The typical nursing program (RN) is a two year program. An accelerated program condenses that down into one year. Some programs won't allow you to work. Muhlenberg says they highly recommend you do not work. God has provided for me to get into school now I have to wait and see how He will provide for me to pay for it plus living expenses. My plan is to take a leave of absence for about a month and a half in order to get into the swing of things and evaluate if I will be able to work or not.

Blake goes home!

Blake got to go home this week. They were able to stabilize his infection and make it possible for him to go home to finish his recovery. Wow, what a past few weeks. He went from having open heart surgery, to a 5% chance of survival and then on to a successful surgery and recovery. Thank you God for such miracles!

Blake update!

Today the fever had subsided. However, the white blood cells are still high, indicating an infection. They are running tests on him to try to locate the source of the infection.

On the positive note, he got to have a visit from his four legged friend, Stacy, their dog.

Keep praying for Blake

Blake was doing so well that they were hoping to send him home today. However, beginning yesterday his white count began to rise and he began a temperature. They are concerned about this and are keeping him till they can figure this out. Please pray that the infection can be quickly controlled.

Also please pray for the family as it has been a lot of long hours at the hospital and little sleep.

I will keep you posted as I know more.

Letter of thanks!

Update From Nancy McCracken

We experienced a miracle of God's Grace and Power yesterday. Blake our grandson was in surgery for 14 hrs. - during that time the surgeon encountered a critical area and crucial timing after which he was able to recover and accomplish the intended procedures –then at the end bleeding which took 4 hours to stop took place. The tired but smiling surgeon then came out at 10:30 p.m. to tell us they had stabilized him and would be watchful and cautious through the night. Blake had a good night with no further complications. They took him off the ventilator this morning and Blake is breathing on his own and responsive. The doctors are truly amazed at how well Blake is doing after such long and extremely difficult surgery.

Our entire family has been blessed, prayed for and loved by all of you - thank you so much for your prayers – please continue to keep Blake in your prayers for an uncomplicated recovery. Thanks again.

Major storm!

NJHometown: "Nutley was hit expecially hard by last night's hurricane force winds and heavy rains by a series of violent thunderstorms passing over town, snapping trees, disrupting power and telephone service and bringing to an end four days of 100-degree temperatures."

Last night (Wednesday) we had a major storm roll through Northern NJ. It was thunder like you have never heard before and was very close. The winds were flying through at 60mph. Following the storm there were trees and powerlines down everywhere. Just for me to get home took 1hr rather than the usual 25min. I kept coming up to road blockades. At one point I came up to one so I turned and hit another. Then I turned around and hit another. By that point I went to turn back to where I had come from and there was one that way that was just put up. Now I was stuck in the blockade. It wasn't but a second when flashing lights came at me and the officer yelled at me because he thought I was trying to run the blockade. Once I explained to him what happened he took off the other direction in a hurry with his lights going.

There were cop cars running all over Nutley trying to put up road blocks for all the trees and downed lines. My brothers house had a tree come down in the yard. Houses and cars were smashed. 90% of our town was without power and they said it would last through Friday. Praise God though I came home tonight after midnight and the power had just come back on.

The biggest problem of not having power is all the food in the fridge that you face loosing. Today Sarah and I went and got lots of ice. I then took all my parishables and put them in the freezer with ice packing it. I think I managed to save every bit of it.

The best thing out of all of this though is the fact that our upper 90's and 100 degree weather plus humidity is behind us for the time being. Now we are in the upper 80's. 80's feels refreshing after this past week. I am a little nervous come August though. They say you get used to it but I just can't imagine that happening.

Update ...God is Good!

I apologize for the delay in the update however, we have been without power. I will explain that more in the next blog.

God is good!!!! Blake went into surgery Wed at 9am. They were unable to get through all the scar tissue and simply open him up until 2:30pm. That is a long time to work just to get into the heart. Then when I spoke with Nancy at 9pm PST Blake was still in surgery and they were having a very difficult time stopping the bleeding. I found out today that he was in surgery till 10:30pm and it was only one doctor who opened, performed the surgery and closed. Amazing.

The first update I received this morning was that the bleeding did not continue into the night which was a praise and that Blake was still on the Respirator. He was still unable to breath on his own.

The final update I received this evening was that Blake was able to not only be off the respirator but also sit up in a chair for a few minutes.

What an amazing story. Blake was diagnosed with this heart condition as an infant and was thought to have a life expectancy of 20 or 21. He is now 24. Then just 2 nights ago the doctors gave the family the grim prognosis of a mere 5% chance of survival. Now today he is sitting up in a chair. I work on a cardiac floor and for a major surgery to have them up that quick is absolutely amazing. Blake is an amazing kid that I which each of you could meet. He loves to make people smile and loves Jesus. Nancy was telling me how he was teasing the nurses before surgery. I don't know about you but if I had such a grim prognosis ahead of me, it would be difficult to joke or be light hearted.

Keep praying for Blake and the family and there is still a long recovery ahead. I will keep updating with any info I get.

Blessings and remember, God is good all the time and when there is pain or hurt He is always present.