Over the Weekend.

I have an unexpected day off today (thanks to minimal overtime these days) so I figured I would catch up on some things around the house, including blogging.

This past weekend, I somehow coaxed Brad into driving me to Marshall late Friday night for one of my high school friend's weddings. Why the coaxing? Because we missed a home Aggie football game to go! SHOCKING, I know! I don't think I've missed a game for the past three seasons. Oh well, all in the name of friendship.

Here we are:

Here are the three musketeers from high school: (me, Skye and Kasey)

We got up Sunday morning and made the drive back to Houston. I was a little sad because the weather was sooo much nicer in Marshall than it has been here. They've suffered with rain everyday for the last two weeks, but if that's what it takes to get cooler weather, bring it on!

Yesterday officially started our half-marathon training. I might die in the process of making it to 13 miles, but I'm going to finish, darn it! I think the worst part about the whole thing is knowing that no matter what, I will have to come home after a 12-hour shift and run anywhere from 3-5.5 miles. Nevertheless, I'll be a better runner after all is said and done.

Today, I've worked on some things for work, as well as created my first diaper cake. I have to admit that it came out better than I thought. See?

Other than work and school for Brad, not much is new around here! Just living the married life in hot, humid Houston...waiting oh, so impatiently for winter to visit!

Menu Mondays

Menu Mondays is back! This week is one of my favorite casseroles. I love casseroles for the mere fact that you basically throw everything into one bowl, mix it up and layer some stuff in a baking dish to be done with it! My mom got this recipe from one of her very best friends when I was in junior high and I've been making it ever since!



White Enchilada Casserole
(FYI: For just the two of us, I half the recipe and we still have left-overs)



2 c sour cream
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 small can diced green chiles
1-2 small cans of white meat chicken, drained OR
1 c cooked chicken, diced
1 small onion, chopped (optional)
approximately 5 cups of crushed tortillas chips
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I actually buy the Mexican blend)


1. Preheat oven to 350*
2. Combine all ingredients except chips and cheese together in large bowl.
3. Sprinkle crushed tortillas chips on bottom of 9x13 baking dish. Layer with chicken mixture, then cheese. Repeat with chips, chicken mixture and cheese again.
4. Bake 30 minutes.
5. Voila! Enjoy with chips and salsa and/or guacamole and black beans!

September Is...

September is a lot of things. It's the beginning of school for many, many kids. It brings on college football, the Fall season and cooler weather for everyone except Texans. It's National Chicken Month (which some of my coworkers know I appreciate), Update Your Resume Month and even today is International Chocolate Day! (side note: I will now be getting chocolate frozen yogurt after my dinner just because of this!) But more importantly, it's Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month.



Most of you know that I am an advocate for an organization developed in memory of one of my former patients (briefly mentioned in this post). The organization was started by her parents in order to raise money for families in similar situations, as well as fund research to find a cure specifically for brain cancer in kids. They've held several small fundraisers since its inception almost two years ago and now they've pulled out the big guns. They're holding the inaugural 5K Fun Run/Walk on November 8 in the Humble/Atascocita area. There are so many great family-friendly events planned that you won't want to miss, regardless of your fitness level. If you're interested in registering, visit the above website and sign up! If you just want to donate, you may do so here.



This really means a lot to me as well as Addi's family, as you can only imagine how losing a child at such a young age to such a devastating disease would be.

Post 1 of 2 for today!

I haven't posted in a while so I figured I would do two at once. I've been extra busy at work lately because of so many classes and meetings and just plain working, so the "daily-themed blog" has taken a back seat to life. Oops! To catch you up on life in general:

Brad is back in school taking Calulus II and English. Can I tell you how much I do not envy him at all? I loved my Calculus teacher in high school, but not so much Calculus itself. To quote my dad, "I can't even spell the word, much less do the work!" So true, so true!

College football season is HERE and the Aggies won their first game! I am completely embarassed and ashamed that I don't have ANY pictures from the game. That is not like me at all (I even had my camera with me), so rest assured I'll make up for it during the rest of the season.

This past weekend, we saw my brother-in-law's band, Air Review, play here in Houston and they ROCKED the show! They really are good and I'm not just saying that because he's my brother-in-law. They're actually in a contest for a chance to play at Austin City Limits and it's completely voter-driven. So if you have a few minutes, head on over here and register to vote. You can vote once every 24 hours and trust me, they keep tally of the hours since your last vote! You can listen to them there or go to iTunes and download their album. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!

Did I mention that during their entire set, there were two hula hoopers (one who was extrememly pregnant and very talented)? I'd never seen artistic hula-hooping before, but regardless of the distraction factor, she did a really great job. See?



We also spent a lot of quality "downtime" together with no real agenda, which is rare for us during this Fall season! It was fun...and relaxing...and just great. We just returned from as Astros game with a coworker of mine and although they lost, we had fun. Again, no pictures. Oops. I think I need to invest in a good camera and then y'all would see nothing BUT pictures on this blog!

Come back in an hour or two (after I have time to grocery shop) and I'll have my second post up for today. It's something everyone should know and it's for a good cause, too!

Survival Mode Parent (and Nurse)

If you know me (and all 3 of you do), you know that I work in a place that isn't always full of joy and excitement. There are many days where sadness and overwhelming grief get the best of parents, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, cousins and friends. Throughout a PICU patient's stay in the unit, said parent goes through countless ups and downs as treatment plans change, physicians come on and off service, nurses are rotating in and out, things don't go as planned or hoped, infections loom, pumps beep, monitors alarm, blood has to be drawn...the list is literally endless. Parents deal with yucky "stuff" at the hospital, all while often having yucky "stuff" going on at home as well. Other kids miss mommy or daddy, dirty laundry sits for days, dust collects where it never has before, parent number two (if there is one) is stretched and stressed, McDonald's and Burger King become dinner night after night...you get the drift.

As a PICU nurse, I wake up at 5:15 AM, drive 20 minutes to work, stand on my feet for 12 hours, get home at 8:00 PM, eat a quick bite, spend a few minutes with my new husband, get a little shut-eye and then start the same cycle over again the next day. It's called survival mode AND I LOVE IT! I am honored and blessed and privileged to take care of sick kids in a place that most parents dread. When I'm asked about my job and I tell people that I work in the ICU for kids, I get a gasp! and surprise look and then the question comes: "How can you work there?" My answer? "How can I not?" The best part of being a pediatric nurse is taking care of sweet kids and their poor parents. I am a resource during one of their most vulnerable moments, a smiling face when their world is turned over, a reassuring touch when the worst rolls in, a silent praying soul when the end is near. Not a day goes by that I don't thank God for allowing me to be that person in their life.

I tell you all of this because Mandy (the wife of a one of Brad's B-Co buddies) has just launched a new cause. And. It's. Brilliant. The need for something like it is large and she's taken it upon herself to help meet that need. Survival Mode Parent is a saving grace for parents who are stretched to the max with children in the PICU or NICU. It's a way to give back to those that are at their wit's end about making ends meet. She does a great job of explaining things, so I'll leave the rest to her. But if you have a free minute, head on over and get the nitty gritty. Trust me, you'll be touched just as much as the people you help. I love it when that happens, don't you?