So are the days of our lives.....

move over Paula Dean

2011-03-12T08:53:00.000-08:00

So a few weeks ago we showed Sloan how to make scrambled eggs, pancakes and sausage on the griddle. She made her own dinner a few days in a row using her new found cooking skills and its amazing how she will eat dinner WITHOUT complaining when she makes it! So we've been encouraging her to make her own meals or cook for us with supervision. Seems to be working out nicely!

With that being said, you know that feeling you get while you're asleep and you feel as though someone is watching you, you wake up to find a 7 year old with a freshly prepared breakfast for you in hand standing 3 inches from your face "wondering if you're awake or not".? Well, sweet Sloan took it upon herself to make Kevin and I breakfast in bed. She had gotten up (had to of been around 7am) cracked, beat and scrambled eggs, made pancakes from a box, and cooked sausage and bacon on the griddle, put her creation on plates and served us breakfast in bed.

Today she made a Huffine favorite "the hobo" which is scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon (and or sausage, we just didn't have any sausage) and cheese all mixed together. Quite yummy! Last week she made a chocolate cream pie with me, although I really didn't do too much other than get the sugar out of the cabinet for her. I have such fond memories of "helping" my mom and dad in the kitchen, baking and licking the bowl. With any luck she will too!

my crazy is about to fall out....

2011-01-06T14:43:00.000-08:00

So in T minus 4 days I will be a full time student again, nurse, mommy, and wife. YIKES. I do love a busy week and I'm bound to get what I ask for. I saw my sister today and she said something that I'm going to have to repeat to myself over and over...one day at a time. Maybe that will be my mantra. Kevin is very supportive and Sloan is probably more excited than I am. She found out I was taking Pre-calculus and decided she will be my tutor because math "is my favorite subject and I'm really good in it". Which is really true, she is good in math but her math only has consisted of addition and subtraction of double numbers, counting by 1's, 2's, 5's and 10's and some fractions. So, maybe I'll find a supplemental tutor elsewhere? Kevin is hoping that in my *free time* I'll have time to find a cute little sorority and "pledge". hmmmm...probably not, actually all his friends are really hoping this happens due to their perpetual singleness. So ironically I am not taking a Spanish class this semester for many reasons, first....it wasn't available (apparently I enrolled late-shocker), and secondly the first 2 cl assess I need to take that are considered "basics" are M-F for an hour, which does NOT work with my work schedule or Kevin's for that matter. To make a long story short....hopefully summer 1 and summer 2 will be when I'll get to take these....which will then open up the magical portal into my degree plan. My ultimate goal by the way is to be bilingual.

So the classes I am enrolled in for this semester (which are required for my degree plan) are Classical Mythology, pre-calculus, American literature, and earth science. I also have to take the mandatory chapel class. So all in all a total of 12 hours plus chapel. I have gotten my books. I am very excited about the mythology and American literature. The required reading books piqued my interest, so I have that going for me. I cringed when I opened the math book, well, honestly, my eyes filled with tears. Kaleb is already on my speed dial and a system has been initiated for questions and a calculator is on its way (hopefully). Kaleb seems a bit nervous for me and offered a prayer for me when I said this " calculus doesn't involve graphs does it". Apparently, it does. My calculator I got as a freebie is unworthy anymore, I need more buttons.

So books, check...all school supplies bought. I went on a "dry" run today on Baylor's campus to kind of see where my classess are in respect to the next and the next, you know to see how far / close everything will be. I have only found 2 of my class buildings, some poor stranger is going to be bothered come Monday. Also, I saw that a cold front is expected with rain on Monday-perfect. Why not. I'm obviously very nervous! I told Kevin my biggest fear is that I'm going to be the one in class no one wants to be partners with due to the constant disheveled look/I just worked 36 hours in a row look/ I may or may not be in the right room look. I'll let you know how my first week goes hopefully before the semester is finished!

one small step....

2010-12-01T16:11:00.000-08:00

So....yes I am alive. NO exuse whatsoever on the whole blogging situation but here I go again, or at least a good solid attempt.

I wanted to share some news.....

I am now enrolled at Baylor University. YEAH! I decided I wanted to go back to school a while ago and with the support of Kevin I FINALLY got all my paperwork in. (nothing like procrastinating) It is very humbling this whole application process. I hate failing, at anything...scrabble, games, being a good mom/wife/nurse/friend, etc.... so the thought of putting myself out there at the risk of failing again was a challenge. So, anyways, my goal is to get a bachelor of arts degree in Spanish. Since working as a nurse I see a HUGE need in this department. At any given time I know and expect to be taking care of someone who speaks limited english and how am I supposed to effectively communicate with my patient if I can't even ask them basic questions such as "where does it hurt", "tell me more"....(for the record I have mastered some very important questions in spanish)

So my goal is to learn and to be fluent in spanish so that I can be the best nurse I can be, have more opprotunities ahead of me, and hopefully take this home to Kevin and Sloan. Also, noone will see this little white girl who is fluent in spanish coming at them....I'll take em all by surprise.

Sic 'em bears!

On to the next one....

2010-06-30T17:17:00.000-07:00

So, betcha thought I was in a ditch somewhere since I haven't blogged in such a long time. :) Well, here I am and ready to share some recent activities and future ones as well. First of all, this summer has been (so far) very relaxing and fun! Sloan has spent 10 days with my parents while Kevin was in California. He was a part of his friends wedding in Visalia, then off to San Fran to see one of his college buddies and got to go see Alcatraz, go to a San Diego baseball game, eat at some fresh sea food joints, visit Amoeba records, and lots more!

Sloan and I are migrating north to Colorado next week for a week to see family and my cousin J'Lyn Chapman http://chinatown.usa.blogspot.com get hitched! I am very excited to go to Colorado for the following reasons:

1. see family
2. get the hell out of this Texas heat
3. whitewater rafting
4. the smells of Colorado, the sights...everything just about

Kevin will not be joining us, however I'll be sure to keep him updated on how much cooler it is up there, if not at least less humid. While Kevin was in Cali, he was telling me he was wearing his fleece during the day and how chilly it was near the bay, all the while I'm dying in Texas where its 100+ with 80% humidity- and no rain. payback baby.

One of my new goals is to participate in a race each month. So far I've done the Xterra race which was a 5k trail run, came 3rd in my age group and 11th overall for women and did my personal best at that time with at 12:36 min/mile. In June I did a 10k in a small town approximately 1.5 hours away Dublin, Texas where my PR stands at 10:21min/mile. I think it took me around 1 hour and 4 min to complete the 6 miles.

So whats next you ask?? Well, the day after my sister Kenda's wedding markandkenda.com is the TriWaco. If you're wondering if I've ever done one - the answer is emphatically NO. Kenda and her fiance Mark challenged and encouraged me to participate and so before I knew it, I signed up online and I'm not going to let $75 go down the drain. So I've been "training" for this triathlon for the past 2 months. I've really enjoyed 66% of the training, the running and biking...the swimming is not coming so easy. Unfortunately, this is the first event in the triathlon...so if you're coming to the race (and I would be honored if you did) NO, I am not having a seizure, this is just what I look like when I swim. If I make it out of the water, please cheer because I'm gonna need it! ALSO some others that are racing with me are my brothers Keegan and Kaleb and my most favorite cousin Heather! The best part of the race is the fact that lots of family will be present to cheer us on!

I'll be sure to let you know how it goes. My only goal for this race is to make it across the finish line outside of an ambulance. My standards are high.

Feelin' the love

2010-05-10T08:43:00.000-07:00

Not that I don't feel loved the other 364 days of the year, but I was overwhelmed yesterday on Mothers Day. I am so lucky to be Sloan's mom! She is caring, compassionate, funny, creative, onery, independent, passionate, loving, and cute as hell! She made me a book, here are some questions that were asked and her answers:

1. what are mothers for-"to take care of me"
2. how do you help your mother?- "clean the car and help her do the dishes" (this is true she does love to load that dishwasher)
3. if you had $100 what would you buy your mother? -"cake and earrings" (i do have an abnormal love for cake)

then she wrote me a letter, the waterworks were on full force

"Dear Mom,
You are the best in the whole wide world. Thank you for taking care of me, for helping me with homework, for cooking me dinner, for buying clothes for me, for taking me to school, for giving me hugs and kisses. You are the greatest mom ever.
Love, Sloan"

Little does she know that 90% of that list is required by the state of Texas, but of course I am not going to tell her that!

The last page is a "diploma" for being the best mom ever. Its so funny to me that she feels this way because I am constantly thinking in my head, "kristen you've got to get yourself together", or "is this what other moms are doing", or "please let this just be a phase", "just keep swimming, just keep swimming", "its gotta get better". But for just a brief second in time all these thoughts went on pause and a sigh of relief went through my body. She has no clue that I'm thinking this, chalk one up for me!

All in all, I had the best mothers day ever! Breakfast in bed, dinner made, all my wants and needs met! So thank you to Kevin and Sloan for making Mothers Day wonderful and so very special!

To be better

2010-03-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been thinking of ways to do better for myself, Sloan, Kevin, etc...
Its easy to get so wrapped in the day to day living, ignoring that little voice or neglecting your inner self. I am a huge believer in that if you take care of yourself, the changes and good things will trickle down to other aspects of your life and in turn make those things, the important things in your life (Sloan, Kevin, Family, work) better! However, I've really never applied it to my life. Why? oh who knows.... I've noticed that I have a hard time doing for myself without this weight of guilt or asking myself "do I deserve this"? I am working hard to retrain my mind, my inner self to just say "YES, you do"! Not to excess of course, but to the little things that don't even cost money, more like time. For example, I went to yoga this morning then for a wonderful run in the sun, nice cool breeze. To many, this might seem like a no-brainer but for me, it's an exercise for the soul. Not only to better me physically but mentally, emotionally.

So, how am I challenging myself to do better? I have a little helper, she is meeting with me (so far) once a month, but with weekly "check ins" and helping me come up with a work out plan, how to incorporate creative workout sessions with my work / life schedule and motivates me to meet my goals. Small steps of course. Its not all about the physical workouts, but also (for example) dressing outside my "box". For those who know me well, and see me on a regular basis, you are familiar with my wardrobe. Grey! I love it, its cozy, and very practical. It matches everything! In very small steps I am trying to add perhaps jewelry, embellishments....I got a very cute top at Kohl's this weekend that I wore out on a date with Kevin. It was grey, HOWEVER it did have some embellishments. Picture somewhere on here. I wore it with some dark jeans and some Vera Wang ballet flats. I even wore some makeup....look out world, here I come. I must admit, I did feel very pretty and we had fun just spending time with each other.

I will continue to share some of my journey...some parts are harder than others, but I am willing and able to take on the challenge to change, after all, it is for the better!

new favorite things

2010-03-03T16:25:00.000-08:00

I love reading about what others favorite things are, it's like a sneak peak into their diary but with permission! Here are some of my recent favorites. All is well here in Waco, today was such a gorgeous day outside, windows were rolled down and coffee was enjoyed on a porch swing!

So here we go, in no random order!

1. TK100 North Face Fleece-1/2 zip pullover, I take it everywhere I go. Its great for chilly restaurants, theaters or just to lounge in at the house. Its 55$, one of the best investments I've made. With each wash, it gets softer and softer. Made in Philippines-for J'lyn

2. Bag Balm- I read about this product in a fashion magazine and Jessica Alba just couldn't live without it, and if she can't....neither can I. It can be found at your local drug emporium for roughly 6$. A little goes a LONG WAY. I use it on my lips, cuticles, feet and elbows. The smell is ok, but the moisturizing that occurs definitely outweighs the medicinal odor. Made in New Hampshire

3. Smart wool socks- talk about cozy, you'll never go back to cotton again. These socks not only give your dogs a nice gentle but firm hug all day long, but are super cute as well. They range from 14$-28$ depending on style. I know that sounds pricey but, well worth it! I'm pretty sure they are made down under

4. Camellia flower- never heard of this flower before reading a MUST READ,

The Elegance of the Hedgehog. It plays a small role in the book and I googled what this flower looked like and fell in love with its beauty. I might have to go to Lowes and see if they carry them, or at least the seeds.

5. Apron skirt from Old Navy in the color of "flax". There are an assortment of colors, but this one is most natural and pretty much matches everything! I wore it today actually with a baby blue shirt from American Apparel and a beige cardigan from The Gap with sanuks. I felt very comfortable and cute! Retails for $24.50 but will probably go on sale soon!

6. etsy.com- a great place to shop for unique, one of a kind hand made items. Lots of items from jewelry, photography, hair accessories (my favorite place to go), and more! Take a few minutes to explore and support the little guys!

7. The Elegance of the Hedgehog- I mentioned it above, one of the best books I have read in a long time. Its a fast read and guaranteed an assortment of emotions. It costs 14$ at Target or your local bookstore. I promise you'll love it!

8. Americano- On the mornings that I go to Starbucks before work for a special treat I always get the Americano. A venti Americano to be exact. For those who don't know what this is, its only espresso and water, that is it. Simple, raw, and delicious. No cream, no sugar just pure bliss. This drink takes control of so many senses...from the feel of the warm liquid hitting my mouth and my hands around the warm cup, to the taste of smooth, rich coffee and the smell of heaven. I dare you to try one!

for the love of nursing

2010-02-15T15:09:00.000-08:00

I survived another 36 hour shift, it wasn't pretty but here I am alive to tell you a story. Parts are sad, parts are not. The best part about working 3 - 12 hour shifts in a row is continuity of care for the patients. On Friday I was assigned 6 patients, some were discharged only to be replaced with someone else but for the most part throughout the weekend I had a "core" 4 that I took care of for 3 days. One is a spanish speaking woman who has been in the hospital for almost 3 weeks with congestive heart failure. One thing that amazes me about the human body is how each organ is dependant on another to work, they all have symbiotic relationships with others. Not one can stand alone without another and the heart is no exception. The heart and lungs and kidneys are all best friends. If one is out of wack, the rest follow suite. Her husband is very attentive to all her needs, bathes her, cleans her after using the bathroom, combs her hair and reads to her. She doesn't have the strength to do these things herself anymore and his love for her extends beyond traditional roles you and I would think of. I commented to him that I admired his devotion to his wife and he teared up, this was the love of his life I was speaking of, how else was he to act? Their relationship definitely moved me and "refilled" my kenosis tank so to speak.

One of my other patients was a young man, came to me from the ICU after ingesting some pills in an attempt to take his life. He also acted out in other ways that I am not able to talk about. When I met him he was very confused as to what landed him in the hospital and scared. I was nervous about telling him what happened, but as a patient in the hospital, he has rights. He had a right to know what happened and the plan of care for the remainder of his stay. He was dumbfounded as to why he would do such a thing. (I admit I was too) One of the protocols that my hospital has as do others is that when a patients comes in after trying to commit suicide an "emergency detention order" is obtained so that the patient cannot leave on his own accord, if he/she so chooses to try the police are brought in. This is for the safety of the patient (they still may or may not be in their right mind-considering they just tried to kill themselves, this is likely) and for the safety of anyone that may be involved in the patients life (girlfriend/boyfriend, family,etc....) Anyways, another part of obtaining an EDO is that a room at a psych facility needs to be available for when the pt is medically cleared to be transferred. This is where we ran into a snag over the weekend. I could not get an EDO for my patient due to the fact that no beds were available within a 100mile radius. My patient is asking to leave, insisting on leaving and I am throwing all my tactics to stall at him I can, "the doctor needs to evaluate you before you go", "you don't have a ride", "you don't have clothes", " whats your plan after you leave"....all the while I am getting assistance from a nurse at the local psych. center on how I can legally keep this guy here. I am scared he will hurt himself again, he has said things to warrant this. So she tells me the phone number of the judge that can I can possibly get to write a warrant to keep him at the hospital...its a long shot, but of course I am going to try. I called him, and explained the situation, telling him that between me and another nurse we've called over 20 facilities in Texas to see about availability. He said he cannot legally sign the warrant but was willing to help me out and make phone calls to people in higher places....and guess what? At 6:30pm I spoke to a Hospital that was willing to take my patient and approval was being made as I was leaving. My physician was on board and as a team this kid is going to get the help he needs ( I HOPE!). As exhausted as I am today, I am just so thankful that we could find a place and people were willing to help this kid. He probably doesn't care that all these efforts were being made, he was more concerned that he was missing his girlfriend but I will sleep easy
knowing I did all I could, we did all we could.

Nursing is so much more than handing out pills, doing dressing changes, starting IV's and preforming wound care. It's the leg work, its going the extra mile to be the change, the catalyst for something better, something more. I am so honored to be a part of it all.

valentines day

2010-02-10T09:42:00.001-08:00

The picture doesn't do these valentines day cards justice but these are the valentines that sloan will be handing out Friday. She choose 4 different prints of scrap booking paper that were love/valentines day related. She traced them and I cut them with pinking sheers. The white label in the center is also cut with pinking sheers and says:

"you make my heart glow"

taped to the back across the heart is a glow stick (thank you heather for letting me know you get them at target). Then we hot glued glitter hearts to the ends. I found this idea when I googled "creative valentines day cards". So many to choose from but Sloan decided that this one was "way cool". Yay, I am cool, at least for one more day. Hope everyone feels the love this valentines day, I know I do.

Hospice

2010-02-05T08:35:00.000-08:00

The word "hospice" comes from the Latin "hospitium" meaning guesthouse. It was originally described a place of shelter for weary and sick travelers returning from religious pilgrimages.

I wanted to write something about hospice, it's such an important part of what I do and what I care about and want to be a part of during my nursing career. Hospice is not only comfort care and providing dignity to the patient it's serving, but to the family as well. Its a support system, a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, and so much more. (not to mention its non for profit)

Recently, I was privileged to take care of a patient who was "healthy" for his standards. He had significant heart disease but was living at the highest quality he had. He came down with pneumonia and just succumbed the battle. After careful thought, the family decided to put him on hospice. I am always careful to show my enthusiasm for the choice of hospice, I know the benefits and all that hospice has to offer but for many families and patients even they only think "I'm dying, and soon.". The prerequisite for hospice care is less than 6 months to live after being diagnosed with an incurable disease. I have seen many people on hospice for more than 6 months though.

This gentleman lived for 4 days on hospice. He was comfortable, was provided quality care ( at least by me) and was given dignity, even after his last breath. At the time of his passing, his breathing changed from agonal to almost peaceful. His face, relaxed and content. His family was present and I truely believe that he knew they were all there. There is empirical evidence that states that hearing is the last sense to go before death. Often the patient will not acknowledge that they hear due to not having the ability but they hear the memories shared by the family, the "i love you's", the "i'm sorry's", the "its okay to go's". Sometimes that is all the patient needs to hear, permission to go.

The hardest part, that I wasn't expecting was calling the death. You auscultate for breath sounds, feel for a pulse in strategic locations and then note the time. You let the family grieve and they will, give them time to absorb what happened. As I left the room with tears in my eyes I realized what an amazing job I have. Its not the most glamorous part of the job, not my most favorite part of the job but it is amazing. Amazing in the sense that I am a part of someones last breath, last heart beat, last goodbye. Honored.

I know I will not remember each death, although I really do try to take in all the emotions and feelings that I have, to honor the death.

Kenosis

2010-01-18T05:21:00.000-08:00

Having worked in some sort of a medical setting for the last 4 years has let me experience moments of hopefulness and heartache. I've been privileged to be with families as their loved ones passed on, and I've been involved with codes that have ended up with the patient going home a few days later. You just never know what you're going to get when you start your shift. That is the beauty of being a nurse. Although I've just started this journey, I feel that I have been so blessed to have a few of these experiences under my belt to grow from. In the spirit of "kenosis"-to empty oneself, I thought I should share some of my goals as a nurse. I want to be able to give everything I have in order to "be there" for those in need. This is many layers deep, you can give your time (12 hour shift), you can give your knowledge (nursing school), you can give your voice (advocacy). This is just a start. But giving more means 2 things, you get more in return ( joy, feelings of satisfaction, even frustration) and being prepared to be hurt. People die, some people just don't want your help, and even more amazing, some people are not thankful. But this must not discourage you, and that is the hardest part. I have cried at work more than probably anyone in the history of employment at Providence. The nurses know, most of the physicians know about my "heart on the sleeve" life I live. Its almost a running joke, but that is okay, if you don't laugh about it, you'll cry! I hope I never get to a point in my career where I am not affected by a death or a "lost soul" on some level.

Hopefully, I'll have more time to update this blog and let you all in on how my journey through kenosis is going. I am scared, I am nervous but am ready to see where it goes.

bad blogger

2009-10-19T17:01:00.000-07:00

Dear all those who read this,

I have fallen off this wagon so many times, thank you for being patient with me! Life is busy, busy, busy. Sloan is loving and doing super in 1st grade! She is coming home with homework that I am having to email the teacher about (cv/vc--what the hell is that?) Kevin set a Baylor attendance record at the Texas A&M volleyball match with over 3,000 people! We are ready for basketball season for sure! I just took my LAST test (with exception to my final and state boards) today and will start my preceptorship on Friday. This is where for 120 hours I follow a nurse, this serves as a transition into practicum as a RN. I will be in the ICU (super excited about this) and ready to learn! The weather is heavenly, couldn't ask for anything better! I have been working lots in the ER and seeing so many crazy things....the human body is amazing! Here is the CUTEST picture of Sloan, my brother Keegan took it this weekend and so thankful for that. ( I am HORRIBLE at getting pictures taken, or even remembering the camera) Have a great week!

summer summary

2009-08-22T16:33:00.000-07:00

Quick update about this summer.....

Kristen-summer off from school, worked and experienced some wonderful/educational experiences at the hospital. Keeping up with my running, even broke down and bought new running shoes!

Kevin-football is underway, very excited about Baylor and their anticipated success. Going to Austin City Limits and is on the countdown. Has a blog updated each tuesday : kevinsmusicandmisery.blogspot.com.

Sloan- toothless, lost top 2 and bottom 2 without any permanent teeth yet....looks funny, hopefully pictures to come. found out she likes to fish, caught a small catfish with my parents. LOVES to swim, is a daredevil jumping off the diving board at the pool doing cannonballs, belly flops and anything else that can possibly make a splash. very excited about starting school. last week she told me, "mom, I am totally freakin' out about school".

Most favorite moments this summer is taking the dogs (chloe and canaan) to the lake, sloan throwing the ball for canaan to catch only to have chloe fight canaan for it...
Even though this was one of the most memorable summer, I am eager to start back to school. Only 4 months left for me then I graduate!!!!!!!!!!!!

the best of both worlds

2009-07-15T17:26:00.000-07:00

Sloan put on a concert tonight, a Hanna Montana concert that is. She sang 2 numbers, "fly on the wall", and "best of both worlds". If I can get my head wrapped around where I downloaded the videos I will post them, they are one word....hysterical! great black mail material later on down the road. She dressed up in her best concert atire and put her best face on.

Last week she beegggggged me for some play make up and I allowed her to choose 2 items: lipstick and eyeshadow. Needless to say she choose a "hooker" purple lipstick and a "i am a tramp" purple eyeshadow...I had to reinforce the rule of not leaving the house under any circumstance wearing this make up.

Tonight she has been quite the entertainer, not only did she put on a concert, but autographs were given after the show. Also, the going ticket price was 5cents, best deal in town.

chloe lynn

2009-07-03T17:26:00.000-07:00

we have a new addition to our little family these days, chloe lynn. she is a 2 year old doxen that my parents adopted and we are dog sitting while they are in ireland. chloe's favorite things to do in no particular order:
1. cuddle
2. lick your face
3. roll on her back and get scratched
4. chase birds

she is such as sweet dog and sloan and her are best buds. when kevin tickles her and sloan starts laughing real hard, chloe runs up to her, jumps on the couch and barks/growl es at kevin to protect sloan. too funny. they pretty much are inseparable these days. she also loves to run around outside and chases all the birds. the funniest thing is when chloe leaves our yard, all we hear is sloan yelling at the top of her lungs, "CHLOE LYNN get over here" in the most hick southern accent you can imagine.

we took chloe to the lake with kenda and her dog canaan along with some other dogs. all the other dogs are out in the lake fetching balls and all we see it chloe run and jump into the lake doing a belly flop. i am still laughing about this. at the lake we refer to her as "coach chloe" because she is constantly barking at the other dogs "telling" them out to swim, when to get out of the lake and so on....quite the personality for such a little thing. we have enjoyed having her around and will be sad to give her back to mom and dad.

cute quip

2009-06-21T16:27:00.000-07:00

Kevin calls me at work Saturday and tells me this funny story, but let me preface it first. We told Sloan that on the weekends she is allowed to watch morning cartoons in her room if she happens to get up before 8am. (we showed her what that looks like on a clock). So this Saturday, she did just that. Kevin found her in her room, on her bed watching television and drawing pictures. Here is the following conversation:

Dad: hey sloan whatcha watching?
Sloan: just television, but its the longest.comericial.ever.
Dad: well, Sloan, its because you are watching an infomercial...lol
Sloan: that vacuum is only 4lbs and you can carry it with one hand!

I laughed all day.

mom, waterworks, and a little graduate

2009-06-03T18:54:00.000-07:00

Today Sloan graduated Kindergarten, sniff...sniff. I knew I was going to be emotional, but nothing can really prepare oneself for your only child walking across a stage in a red gown and mortar to the "graduation anthem". I just saw Sloan's life flash before my eyes and thinking about looking back to this moment when she graduates high school, goes to prom, goes to college, etc....I decided that I will be needing a lifetime supply of Prozac just to get through these sentinel events. She just happened to be the cutest graduate on stage (in my humble opinion) and after I greeted her in her Kindergarten room one last time only to break down in tears once again. Kenda, the best sister ever and who had a grasp of the situation at hand came prepared with kleenex. Kevin of course held me as I wept, sniffed snot, then wept some more. He knows I wear my heart on my sleeve and knew that today would be quite the emotional one for me. He definitely was my shoulder to cry on, literally and figuratively. As I left the school I called my mom who couldn't be there, as usual she comforted me like she always has since I was an infant. I hope I can be half of the mother to Sloan that my mom has been to me and still continues to be even after I have inched into adulthood. I rely on my mom for so many things. She reassures me on parenting skills, gives the BEST advice ever and knows exactly when I need a pick me up phone call or a beautiful bouquet of flowers to make me feel better. So Sloan is off to Oklahoma today with Ibbie and Phil until Sunday. I am SUPPOSED to be studying.....but right now I am going to enjoy the quiet evening with Kevin!

Sloan, the not so secret shopper

2009-05-12T17:16:00.000-07:00

My mom came into town today for a job interview (keep your fingers crossed, will keep you updated) and after the interview we went out for a margarita and talk. After 1 margarita we took off to the mall with Sloan and Kenda as well. We make a B-line to Victoria's Secret (store credit card in hand) and this is where Sloan excels as a personal shopper. Here are a few one liners that we and other shoppers heard:

"no, you're not a medium, I think you're a large....ma'am."
"can I help you find something ma'am?"
"these are hot"
"the lady at the counter can check you out when you're done"
"here are all the mediums "(as she pulls out EVERY drawer that holds mediums)

This isn't just at VS, its at Target, HEB, Walmart...she is such a good personal shopper always wanting to attend to my needs. We were at Target once, momma needed to get out of the house so I went to my home away from home. Sloan was having a difficult time at home with good behaviors and I was up to here (3 feet above forehead). As we are walking around, she is asking me "ma'am, what can I help you find today?" so I creatively said " I am looking for good behaviors, we ran out at home and I really could use some for my little girl." WITHOUT missing a beat she replies, "we are all out, maybe next time they will be in stock."....all I could do was give her a hug and laugh.

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

with a big sigh of relief, this semester is officially over! on my last test I made a 90 which in nursing world is like making a 150 on a test, then yesterday I took my final exam and again scored a 90. I have this summer and the fall, then I am done with nursing school. I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks to everyone who is in my corner, who provided their time babysitting, prayers, or encouraging emails, THANK YOU!

copy cat

2009-04-27T18:21:00.000-07:00

So in my sister's footstep, I am going to post a top 10 list of my favorite things. She has an excellent blogg to follow too....insearchofcanaan.blogspot.com check it out!

Kristen's Top 10 List (randomly placed, of course)

1. Grande 2 shot Americano from Starbucks

2. Grey t-shirt from the GAP

3. Cuddling up on the couch to watch mindless TV

4. Crossword puzzles and word jumbles

5. Full tank of gas

6. Smell of Gain Fabric Soap

7. NOT getting the last of the cereal (all those loose crumbs---blech)

8. Target shopping

9. Watching funniest home videos with Sloan and Kevin

10. Listening to NPR

you're going to need staples....

2009-04-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

FYI, not very therapeutic to a 6 year old who just fell off of the monkey bars at school, hit her head on a rock, and is covered in blood, and scared to death. Needless to say, it took 4 adults (me, kevin, the nurse practitioner and another nurse) to hold Sloan down in order to clean the back of her head and put a staple to keep it from bleeding and promote healing. Poor baby. She is home now, sitting up in bed (she refused to lay down) and watching television.

We call her...grass stain

2009-04-14T06:41:00.000-07:00

Play ball....T-ball season is officially under way, the mighty Chili Peppers played their first game last night and number 5 was our little MVP of the game. Sloan came home from school and was ready to get dressed to for her 6:40pm game. Kevin bought her the real deal white socks with the red stripe of up the side, and she had white pants from last season, she looks like a little Jennie Finch (one of the best softball players in the world). Her goal last night wasn't to hit one out of the ball park, or make amazing plays, but to see how many grass stains she could get on her pants. If a ball made it from the "T" then she went after it, by sliding. Sometimes she was feet away from the ball, yet we still slid. When we were up to bat, we slid to 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and yes...home as well. We can hold our head high and say, "goal accomplished". See pictures below!

Family

2009-04-08T19:01:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to share how special my family is to me. This week started off with a test over the cardiovascular system and oh so many diseases/disorders and so on....I have dedicated much time and effort into studying for this test. Unfortunately, I did not preform as well as I had wanted. I came home Monday night in tears and shut myself up in my room until the next morning only to still be in my "funk", very emotional.

As I am sitting on the couch sobbing, Kevin tells me he has never seen me like this. I told him I was tired, emotionally tired, physically tired, just plain tired. I was tired of having to pick myself up and get back on the horse only to be knocked down again. I was tired of not being able to spend time with my family, go to t-ball practices, Texas Ranger games, having hobo breakfasts on the weekend with Sloan and Kevin. He encouraged me, reinforcing that he and Sloan (and everyone else) is behind me 100% and believe in my dream.

My mom calls and I am too emotional to even talk to her, I am just so disappointed in myself, all my efforts seem for nothing. I have never felt like this before, I even emailed my advisor telling her I am not sure I am going to be able to feel motivated to go on, my drive is gone. This is where my mom initiates "no herring left behind". I can just see her sending out a APB text to the family "kristen is down, she needs encouraging" and so the calls and text messages begin. I am doing a clinical in the ER and my phone is blowing up with encouraging messages, prayers, and even Kaleb is telling me about this girl in his class who Shusshed him and called him an asshole...poor guy.

Needless to say, I met with my advisor, I am back on the horse (with drive) and ready to conquer High risk OB/pediatric congenital heart defects/ hematology and more. Thanks to my wonderful family, who I would be so lost without. I appreciate your encouraging words and absolutely needed them, I know I can accomplish my goal and its so nice to know you think so too!

2009-03-19T07:19:00.000-07:00

Sloan, Emma, and Lilly celebrating St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-19T07:06:00.000-07:00

So its been a while, lots going on these days. I had a test over neurological functions, brain injuries, strokes, and anything to do with spinal injuries. Lots of stuff. I did pass, whew. Kevin has been busy with our very successful men's basketball team...yeah Baylor. They won last night to send them to the next round in the NIT tournament. I know it sounds like I know what I am talking about, but really I am just remembering our conversation about how all this works. LOL. Sloan had a birthday on Tuesday, she looked so cute in her obligatory birthday crown, green and white faux braids and green shirt. I just can't believe my baby is so big. This Saturday I am off work (thank the lord) and hosting a party for Sloan at the local bowling alley. I am so excited for her, but nervous all in the same breath. For those who have heard my soap box schpeel about birthday parties know that this is a big deal for me. We are having lots of family come into town, my brother Kaleb from Oregon and his girlfriend Lindsey, my grandparents from Hereford, and my cousin, her husband and 3 kiddos from near Austin! We are so fortunate to have family nearby!!!! Here are some pictures from her day at school, the 2 other little cuties are Emma, who is in Sloan's class, and her little sister Lily. How cute are they???

Junie B. Jones

2009-03-02T18:47:00.001-08:00

If you've never had the pleasure of reading the Junie B. Jones series, you are missing out. These books are aimed toward K-3rd graders, but I look forward to reading them each night to Sloan. The book we just finished was about bringing a pet to school for pet day, and that Junie B. Jones wanted to bring a fish on a leash (the fish was dead), then tried to catch a racoon, and ultimately brought a fish stick. These are must reads that all ages can enjoy!

star wars gal

2009-02-22T18:32:00.000-08:00

So for valentines day I got Star Wars episodes IV, V, and VI. I am so excited that Sloan is wanting to watch these movies with me! Growing up, these movies were my favorite of all time and still are! There are so many good memories of watching these movies at home with my mom and dad. I always thought I could be like Princess Leia, she is so strong and independant yet feminine. I think she is a great role model for little girls, be strong, stand up for what you believe in!

I also had the biggest crush on Luke Skywalker, who didn't? Watching them now, I am like, "what was I thinking?" but Sloan said he was cute...the tradition lives on.

I am watching the Oscars becuase there is NOTHING else on, and I could care less about the awards. I can't even go to the movies without falling asleep before the climax of the movie. We subscribe to Nexflix which is nice, we get all the new releases and without late charges, get to keep them for as long as we need. I can get through about 15 minutes of a movie before falling asleep on the couch or bed. After 4-5 days, Kevin just gives up on me finishing it and returns the movie. I just get the update on what happened from him. My goal is to finish a whole movie before I turn 30. LOL.

Valentines day

2009-02-13T19:12:00.001-08:00

Today was so much fun spending time as a family...Kevin and I took Sloan out to dinner at Johnny Carino's, okay so we went there for us. If we went where Sloan wanted to go, we'd still be at Chucky Cheese. We exchanged gifts before we left and I was so excited to give Sloan her gift. We've been through a rough patch here lately with me being at school A LOT and work A LOT so my mom suggested a necklace that she can hold on to when she has a "moment".

I found the I love you charm at James Avery that is in sign language. Growing up my mom and dad always did the I love you sign to us, and we still use it now with Sloan. Of course when I went to J.A. to buy the charm I cried, it was just so overwhelming and sentimental to me to pass this on to Sloan. Kevin got her 2 shirts and the Hannah Montana movie in 3-D (yeah! with lots of sarcasam)...lol.

So Happy Valentines Day to all...I hope your day was as wonderful as ours was!

Left Handedness

2009-02-03T16:55:00.000-08:00

I have no idea why I thought about how much I enjoy being left handed, but here I am....I wasn't always happy to be left handed though. It started in 2nd grade when my teacher told me I was stupid and she MADE me write with my right hand, then criticize how bad my handwriting was. Well, it doesn't matter what hand I write with, its still bad! :)

I googled some info on being left handed and found out only 13% of the WHOLE world is left handed, but only 4% of that 13% are women. We left handed women are rare and special! Left handed (back in the day) was looked on as "broken" or associated with evil. Come to find out, nowadays left handed people are highly sought after in the sports world. Since almost 90% of the people are right handed, they aren't ready to deal with us lefties when we come up to bat, or throw a pitch, we are at an advantage! Left handed people have infiltrated the arts as well.

Also, even though we are the minority, we are survivors. Since we do have to adapt to a righty world, this has lead us to be more resilient and adaptive to change. Some famous lefties are Leonardo di Vinci, Michelangelo, Joan of Arc, Jimi Hendrix, 7 US presidents, H.G. Wells, Kurt Kobain and Hellen Keller.

Now, hold your head high, Lefties! We have much to be proud of...apparently anyone can be a righty, not everyone can be left handed.

In true Herring fashion

2009-01-26T17:54:00.000-08:00

I started this blog as a way for family to keep up with "the huffine's", and in true herring fashion, I have not been diligent in posting. Hopefully, that will change today! We have been busy little bees here lately and enjoying almost every minute of it.

Sloan is in a basketball league, she is so enthusiastic about playing and learning new skills. It is so amazing to see her develop this way. We think sports is so important in teaching sportsmanship, playing fair, following direction from the coach (who is a god send), and in eliminating the infinite amount of energy this child has! It was a little intimidating on the first day of practice when the coach says, "alright, lets start with layups", GULP, my child doesn't even have dribbling down pat! In the end, the layup still needs a little work, but Sloan is dribbling like a regular Harlem globtrotter.

Kevin is very excited that baseball season is approaching, he lives, eats, and breathes baseball. Its fun to watch him get all excited about these games. He and Coach Smith have a special relationship, all I can say is boys will be boys. Of course he (we) were let down when Oklahoma didn't win the national championship, but we still have the new york mets!

School for me is in full swing, the opprotunities that I am exposed to daily at work and school are just amazing. I spend a lot of time studying, although it never seems that I've done it enough. A friend of mine, Angie, has a great blog and has inspired me to keep this up. Also, my cousin Heather is constantly keeping me laughing with stories and pictures of her day to day life as a mom of 3. I figure if they have time, I can make time!

Full time job

2008-10-08T19:23:00.000-07:00

So, although Sloan is ONLY in kindergarten the work load is crazy! The amount of papers/projects she comes home with is unreal. I think we have personally killed part of the rain forest. I love that she gets all excited about her projects and assignments, its me that is dragging feet. I am exhausted, Kevin is exhausted and here comes Sloan with UNLIMITED energy raring to go! Bless her heart.

When school started, Kevin and I were so excited about the amount of money we would be saving not having Sloan in daycare--think car payment. We are caught off guard with the amount of fundraisers/donations/artwork magnets,etc/picture day. I think that we were better off at daycare.

2008-08-28T08:47:00.000-07:00

2008-08-28T08:46:00.000-07:00

2008-08-28T08:45:00.000-07:00

2008-08-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

2008-08-28T08:43:00.000-07:00

2008-08-28T08:41:00.000-07:00

our little thundercub

2008-08-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

Sloan started her first day of school on Tuesday. For the weeks leading up to this monumental day, I have been on an emotional roller coaster. The school supply shopping, picking out a lunch box, choosing the perfect backpack....oh, so important. After all that, we got to meet her teacher. Miss Kubala, she seems very sweet and quite organized!

On the first day, it was so awesome! There was a red carpet rolled out for the K students to the K wing and the teachers and staff were the "paparazzi" with cameras and clapping, cheering. As she strutted her stuff down the red carpet (we were watching at the end) she turns to us and says, " bye mom and dad!" I had to run up to her and explain that we wanted to walk her in....like all the other parents were doing! We got to her room and the moms and dads are situating the kids in the desks and saying their good-byes and she stops at the door and said she can go in by herself. So reluctantly, we said goodbye at the door. And I cried all the way to the car. We are so proud of her independence and confidence but it just makes it harder as well.

Sloan is sent home with a daily folder with homework or information for the parents to sign and return. I never felt so much like an adult as I did yesterday when I had to sign her behavior chart. Sloan is quite proud to have 2 days in a row with a green smiley face. (that is good) The smiley faces range in color from green (good), blue (for exceptionally good decisions that day), yellow, orange, and red. Needless, to say Sloan is so determined to stay with green or of course blue. She told me someone already got a red sad face and had to see the principle....we should pray for Miss Kubala. :)

I will post first day of school pictures too and keep updating as much as possible!

2008-08-11T12:23:00.000-07:00

Our little family!

Keeping up with the Huffines

2008-08-11T12:05:00.000-07:00

I thought I would try my hand at "blogging"...we shall see how this goes. I think I will try to use this as a way to update friends and family on what is going on in our lives. I do not want to replace phone calls or those sparse letters that occasionally do get sent out with this, however, it is nice for those that we do not talk to on a regular basis to know what is going on! Here is the quickie up date. Sloan is 5 and will be starting kindergarden in T minus 15 days. YIKES! We always knew this day would come, but never believed it would get here so fast! She is very excited and ready for her new adventures. Kevin and I are just trying to hold back the tears. Kevin is working at Baylor and is ready for football season to start--go sooners! He is very attentive to our family's needs and enjoys home "projects" to do around the house. I am starting my second (out of four) semester of nursing school. Everyday is a juggling act at our house but we like it that way....gives us something to talk about later that night. Hopefully, I will be diligent and keep up on this!