Birthday, Turkey & Madness

Well, the 23rd marked my 33rd birthday. Just saying, "yes, I'm 33 years old" just doesn't sound natural, but whether or not its natural, its true. Hitting 30 never even affected me, but something about creeping on 35 is just a tad bit unsettling. Wes worked & Lee is spending this Thanksgiving with his dad, so it was just me & the girls. It was a typical day in the Hall household. That evening Wes gets in from his day at work & he had the devestating news that his business had been broken into during the night. Computers were stolen & they just really tore up the place. They tossed a concrete block through the window, the alarm system did notify the police but in the matter of 7 minutes they were able to remove 3 computers & a fax machine. Just mind blowing...thank GOODNESS for insurance, but the heartbreak & stress is just so much worse than the actual crime. I just wish people realized who they are stealing from. We're just an average everyday American family, making it day by day. Our employees make more in their paychecks than we get to bring home for ourselves, we live without our husband, dad on holidays & even weekends at times. So, in otherwords your not stealing from a millionaire, thats on vacation in the carribean..we're just like you, making it day by day. Wes was so upset he wanted to set-up a cot and post up for the night with a rifle & see if they were going to return during the holiday break. After a very intense conversation about is it ethical to take someone's life over thievery...he realized that the wound didn't just hurt his wallet, but also his pride. These people invaded his space that he has worked so hard on for the past two years...how dare they do this.

So, that was the 23rd.."happy birthday to me" {sarcastic grin} & then the 24th was Thanksgiving & it was a great day. We headed to my sister-in-law's home for our Thanksgiving feast..and it was great. Piper did fantastic & even snuggled up with Nana for a 2hr. nap. There is just something about her Nana that just puts that baby girl in a coma & she'll sleep ... well, like a baby. Its just amazing. We stuffed ourselves on turkey, sweet potatoe pie, stuffing, green beans, sausage & desserts that just make my mouth drool now as I type it...it was a day of yumminess and thankfulness.

So, after Peyton got her fill of running wild with her cousins, we loaded up & headed home. Piper is slowly accepting her relationship with her carseat. I love it when Wes drives cause I can sit back with her & it just makes for a much better ride. Now, when I'm driving alone with the kids..there are two songs that hypnotize Piper. "Happy Birthday" & "You are my Sunshine" .. she just absolutely loves these two songs. Now, of course I add my own spin to them, but its enough to keep her occupied. I really want to get a mirror to be able to see her face. I've never had one with the others kids, but with Piper shes a very visual baby & extremely attached to this mama, so I think this will be good for both of us:)

We finally get home, get bathed & have put Piper down .. when I get a text from one of my girl friends who is heading out for black friday sales & wanted to know where I was heading. Well, I wasn't planning to go out simply because I was pooped. I was all snuggled up in my flannel pj's and was looking forward to vegging out in front of the t.v, but she got me stirred up so I headed out. Now, I've avoided Walmart for the past year and a half {personal decision}, but on Black Friday they really do have amazing deals. As I drove up to the parking lot my jaw just dropped...holy cow there was at least 300 cars in the parking lot. It was mind blowing. I finally found a spot and headed in. It was a mass feeding frezy of insanity in there. People had there babies, and small children..and cursing like sailors at one another..it really was disturbing. I just kind of walked around in a state of aww. I picked up two items. The Magic Globe by crayola and a Fur Real Pet {cat}. I was outta there. Then I headed to Kohl's {secret addiction}. Now, I got in the parking lot about 11:30 and there was at least 200 people in line waiting for the doors to open at midnight. So, I got my crazy tail out of my warm van and stool in line. It moved quickly once the doors open, so it wasn't terrible. Now, at Kohls I did a little more shopping. Got Lee & the girls some clothes, Peyton a sewing machine, digital camera, barbie and horse, some playskool toys for Piper. I ended up saving $225. and paid $164.. It wasn't a bad night at all. The only things I really need are a flat screen TV for Lee's room, of course he wants gift cards {hes a teenager & I no longer pick out "cool" things}. I still need stocking stuffers, but for the most part I really took a big chunk out of my Christmas shopping, so I'm pretty excited about that.

Okay, now that I've completely rambled on I'm going to sign off for now. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving & I would love to hear your experiences with Black Friday sales. Did y'all find any amazing deals out there??

Do you wish "away" your days?

Four years ago I graduated from nursing school and began my first job at hospital in Lawton, Oklahoma. Wes was still active duty Army at that time & this hospital was located very close to our home on post. I LOVED THIS JOB!
As a new L.V.N it was a rare occurrence for a new graduate to get accepted onto a surgical short stay unit..needless to say I was blessed. But,from all that I learned and saw on that floor the one single most memorable moment never involved a patient. Nancy {an R.N that trained me}was an amazing person. She was the image of a nurse that we all would {or should} strive to become. She was knowledgeable, compassionate and believed we were making a difference. One day in particular we had a full surgical schedule, by 7am I had started approx. 22 I.Vs, recovered 10 patients from surgery & admitted 7 to the floor for overnight stays. It was a crazy morning. And on my "drive by" of the nurses station I whispered, "I just can't wait for this day to be over". She smiled a half cracked smile & we crossed paths and went on with our insanity. At lunch we sat down to shovel down some popcorn and a soda and she said, "Shannon, why is it that we wish away our days", "we're blessed to be here for this craziness, and this day will come to an end", "so, enjoy it for all that it has to offer".

This stuck with me...never have forgotten it. Its something that has burrowed its way deep in my heart & mind. Even on my worst days..moments..I truly try to avoid wishing away my days.

So, during this month of "thankfulness" I just want to thank, Nancy. You opened a door that can never be locked. You truly showed me a random act of kindness. It didn't call for you to purchase a coffee for me or allow me to check-out before you in a grocery store. It was way,way more than that. It was giving me the truth. Giving someone "truth" is beyond any material gift.

Thank you, "Ms.Nancy"..you will hold a very special spot in my heart & will be a apart of the stories I will use to teach my own children.