Operation 5510

Effective Immediately

Mission: Eliminate Ants

Location: Kitchen

Means: Use whatever force necessary

This morning I woke surprisingly well rested. I was in bed and asleep by 10:00, and I have no obligations for the first time in a long time, so I slept until 8:00 this morning.

I lounged in bed for a little while, and after 20 minutes or so, I decided to get up, get a bowl of cereal, and come back to bed and work on homework. I walked into the kitchen, looked at my clean countertops (I cleaned the kitchen and bedroom last night- thoroughly), and much to my dismay, they were black! Not solid black, but little black speckles covered my counters, stove, and sink. I was horrified!

I immediately grabbed my kitchen safe ant killer and went to work. This is the aftermath of Battle One.

I thought I had won.

I cleaned up this nasty mess, disinfected my countertops, and once again tried to get a bowl of cereal. When I opened the cabinets; however, I found that they ants were in there too!! Never before have they moved to the cabinets where I store dishes- until this spring that is.

So, I unloaded EVERYTHING from my cabinets, sprayed them down, and then washed a bowl for cereal. By this time, my stomach was letting me know that it required food. I opened the bag of cereal, poured a bowl... milk and all... and guess what came floating to the top? You got it- and ant. Those little jerks had found their way into a ZIPLOCKED plastic bag. I was not happy.

So, I dumped the bowl. Rinsed the sugary goodness from the sink, bowl, and spoon... and gave up on breakfast. I threw the rest of the cereal out and took the trash out.

I then loaded all of my CLEAN dishes into the dishwasher so I could put them back in the cabinets after I wash them out later today. After this task was complete (halfway, at least- my table is still full of dishes needing to be washed), I went outside to get my heavy duty ant killer. I was spraying along the baseboards of the kitchen when I felt something crawl across my hand. Something big. I knew it wasn't an ant. I flicked it off of my hand, looked down, screamed, sprayed... killed.

Yes. This spider, who is fighting for his life, came off of the ant killer. It was so tough that the ant killer was not effective. I had to personally kill... with a ton of paper towels... this monster of a spider.

I have had my share of insects (I don't care about proper terminology) for the month. And, it's only the 5th of May.

So, after class today, I will make the trek to Wal-Mart to invest in some handy dandy ant traps. The war has been waged. I will be victorious.

*** UPDATE ***

Thanks to a couple of sources, I have found my answer: http://www.terro.com/index.php

Reminded

"A hundred years from now, it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much money I had in the bank...but the world may be a better place because I made a difference in the life of a child."   - Forest Witchcraft

I often get discouraged in my major. The classes are difficult, the teachers can be demeaning, and I'm tired all of the time from constantly running around. I know that I often complain about the bad things in this major... and rightfully so. However, I live for moments like today.

Moments when I'm reminded.

Moments when I'm encouraged.

Moments when all of my hard work and dedication pay off.

Moments when I'm told that I have made a difference.

I have worked with a young boy this semester. We have worked to increase his intelligibilty... and to simply extend his length of utterances. He came to the clinic using maybe two word sentences. Though we have a long way to go with him, he made incredible progress.

Today, at the parent conference, his mom started telling me, with tears rolling down her face, how much my efforts have meant to her and her family. She explained that I have helped to completely changed their lifestyle. She thanked me again and again for making their family stronger... better... closer.

I cannot say that it is all me. It's not. This little boy is extremely intelligent. And, he's had a lot of prayers said for him this semester by his clinician. : ) I have taken special interest in this family, and it meant the world to me to hear that what I have tried to do has not gone unnoticed.

Once again; however, this family has changed my life in ways that I never could have imagined. They thank me for all of my efforts, but they deserve the thanks. To watch a family love each other, fight for each other, and believe in each other was an incredible thing for me to witness.

They are truly wonderful.

And, once again, God has reminded me exactly why I am in this career path. Once again, I have been reminded to not focus on the difficult aspects... the discouraging moments... but to relish the gems that are handed out every once in a while. Most often they come at the perfect time.

One Track Mind

I am easily distractible. I mean, if I can find anything... I mean anything... to keep me from focusing on school, I will do it. Unfortunately (if you can even say that here), I got my wedding dress fitted on Saturday. Why, you might ask, is that an unfortunate event? Well, let me explain...

... Ever since Saturday, I've mainly only thought about one thing. My dress.

Any quiet moment I have, I think about my dress. Any time I'm bored in class, I think about my dress. Any time I sit down to do homework, I think about my dress. As I'm getting ready in the mornings, I think about my dress. As I'm eating, I think about my dress.

I adore my dress. I adore wedding dresses in general, but my dress is simply perfect. It was made with me in mind, and I cannot wait to wear it in 33 days (who's counting?!).

I have been enamored with my dress since I found it 2.5 years ago, but I was no prepared for the day when I could actually see it fit my body perfectly. Although the alterations haven't been made, it was absolutely stunning with the pins in place, pulling it precisely where the dress needed to lay.

It's gorgeous. It's perfect. It's consuming my thoughts.

33 days.

I cannot wait.

Just Do It

... That is the motto of the day.

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, Andrew and I are working towards living a healthier lifestyle. I have received several comments about this such as, "You are already so skinny!"... "You already look great!"... and so on. So, as a disclaimer, I am not doing this to "lose" weight, but I am doing this to feel better. To feel healthy. To have energy. To feel good about myself. Luckily, Andrew is wanting to lose a little bit of weight, and his willingness to participate in this new campaign makes it easier for me.

Our new plan... eat less, eat healthier, and incorporate exercise into our weekly routines. This weekend, along with eating the super yummy, very healthy meals, we also made it a point to exercise in some way every day. On Friday, we walked for an hour around the park and campus. On Saturday, we went to the student REC center, and Andrew lifted weights while I walked on the treadmill. Finally, today, we walked over two miles around the hilly campus. Today's walk was much different than the previous two days though... We had new excercise gear!

Andrew and I purchased new tennis shoes! My old shoes were a half size too small, five years old, and simply not good for my feet. When I purchased my last Nike's, they were a steal. Although too small, I didn't wear them enough for them to hurt my feet. However, my friend and I have been walking several times a week, and now Andrew and I plan to work out more... so new shoes were a must.

Andrew's shoes were also in need of replacement. They were old and not very supportive anymore. He had gotten a lot of use out of them, and it was time for those shoes to retire. They served him well.

So- we went on a quest to find the perfect pairs. We ended up at Shoe Carnival where they have a buy one, get one half off sale. We hit the jackpot!! I found the above white and bright pink tennis shoes. Andrew found a similar pair that are white and red. He didn't want his picture taken. Silly boy.

These shoes are ultra comfortable... my toes don't jam against the front... and they feel so good on my feet. In fact, my toes were doing a happy dance as soon as I put these shoes on because I had so much added room!

On top of our jackpot in regards to tennis shoes, I also found two packs of socks... also buy one, get one half off. These socks are extremely vibrant, thin, and provide adequate breathing abilities. These socks compliment the bright pink Nike "swoosh" on my shoe perfectly. I love them- and I was in need of socks to go with tennis shoes. I have a ton of socks- but I have come to learn that they are all Christmas socks. Needless to say, I've been slowly getting rid of socks for over a year.

So, back on track, Andrew and I, of course, had to try out our new shoes right away. As I mentioned before, we walked for over two miles all over campus... up hills... down hills... on blacktop... and never once did our feet scream for a break. We would recommend these shoes to anyone. We enjoyed our time together- we enjoyed our exercise- and we are so excited about our new lifestyle!

Finally, I am going to leave you with another picture.

My Christmas cactus must think that it's Christmas as a result of the new shoes. This silly plant is only supposed to bloom at Thanksgiving/Christmas; however, here it is in full bloom, with more buds, at the beginning of May. Crazy cactus!! It was a nice treat to walk outside to find this pretty surprise!!

In fact, I kind of wish that it would bloom all year...

Maybe, just maybe, this won't be the only sweet surprise I receive from this exciting plant.

Mmmm... Sweet Summertime!

I love spring, don't get me wrong. I love the flowers, the cool breeze, and just the overall feeling of life being renewed. However, I have begun to crave certain aspects of summer... the food and yardwork. I love the fresh vegetables, lemonade, and barbeque. I also love the smell of freshly cut grass, watching my summer flowers grow, and anticipating the growth of my elephant ears Andrew and I planted last spring. This weekend, I thought it would be nice to pull in some of those summertime foods and enjoy. Andrew and I are doing our best to eat healthy instead of just grabbing whatever is easiest. We're doing well so far!!

First, I created a very yummy veggie salad. I cubed a yellow squash, cucumber, green pepper, red pepper, cauliflower, vidalia onion, asparagus, and grape tomatos. After I combined all of the veggies, I covered them with vinegar and sprinkled a little sugar, salt, pepper, and parsely to taste. We let the veggies sit for an hour or so while we enjoyed a nice afternoon walk. We then drained most of the vinegar from them so they didn't soften any more, and enjoyed a healthy feast of brown sugar tilapia and fresh veggies.

Today's menu consisted of:

Tortilla pizzas! To create these delicacies, I sautéed chicken, asparagus, onion, and minced garlic in Sherry cooking wine. I also added salt, pepper, and parsely to taste. While these were cooking to perfection, I spread tomato paste (which is verrrry healthy for you!) on tortillas (which were sadly not whole wheat). When the toppings were done cooking, Andrew helped me prepare the pizzas which we finished by sprinkling with shredded parmesan cheese... the good kind, not the nasty powder. These baked at 400 degrees for about 7 minutes. Needless to say, they were gobbled up too quickly to photograph! ; )

Tomorrow's menu consists of barbeque chicken and burgers, asparagus, and more of the veggie salad! Mmm! I can't wait!

In fact, this is asparagus we grilled a few weekends ago. I chopped the ends off of these yummy treats, sprinkled lightly with lemon, salt, and pepper...placed a few dallops of olive oil butter, and garnished with parmesan cheese. We wrapped them in aluminum foil and grilled to perfect. Yum! My mouth is watering already for tomorrow's lunch!!!

Now... to move on from food. I am going to post a few pictures of our yard after the first mow of the season. These were taken a few weeks ago, but I just got Andrew's camera, and this weekend's weather wasn't conducive to picture taking.

A view of the gorgeous landscaping and beautiful lawn!

Mr. Grumpy Frog who greets me as I come home. I love this fat guy!

The beautiful grass surrounding my lightpost. I love it! Andrew borrowed it for our yard last year from an empty lot. So pretty!!

Healthy, tasty food and a beautiful yard... Life is good.

Mission Accomplished

Tonight I crossed 14 items off of my 45 item to-do list.

It was worth blogging about.

I fully intend to cross at least 3-5 more items off before calling it a night.

Some of the items crossed off were:

- Ceremony music. I am pretty excited about this one.

- Semester SOAP Notes for each client.

- Sending out tux information to the guys in the wedding.

- Completing attendance sheets and clock hours for clinic.

- Paying bills.

Please notice that I alternated between school and wedding... it's the only way to keep me sane. I have to mix fun planning in with school or else I would not be a happy camper. It worked- I'm still not crabby.

One last thought- I don't like writing a check for $2,158. I am paying to have a migraine every day. What is wrong with me?!

And the best part of today?!

I enjoyed a beautiful, sunny morning walk with my friend! What a great way to start the day, and it gave me enough energy to make it through the day without crashing!! I LOVE gorgeous days like today! There is something about having the windows open and feeling the cool breeze that encourages me to be productive!!

Ok- off to my next task:

Putting away laundry. Where, oh where, is that sun now?!

Week in a Blog

Ok, ok, ok! I know, I know. I have been a terrible blogger lately. The end of the semester is coming to a screeching halt- and my teachers feel the need to pile TONS of work on at the last minute. So, my blog has become the redheaded step-child of my family: neglected.

So, here goes. I will try to post pictures of what has been taking place in the past week and a half around my cute little home!

Theodore is napping. Yes... he is using the back of the couch as a pillow. Adorable, right? I thought so, so of course, I had to take pictures... more than one...

He obviously got fed up with the flash and had to cover his eyes! Which is even MORE adorable than before! Aww! He is such a good little gato!

This picture is truly pathetic. Andrew was only able to visit for a short time a week ago. When he left, Theodore sat at the door... and sat.... and sat... for hours. Well, he sat until I finally put him into his bachelor pad for the night. He was waiting for Andrew to come home : (

Mmm!! It's dinner night at my house!

What dinner is complete without dessert? Super yummy, moist, gooey brownies. Yes, I shared them with my buddies at school the next day. Like my teacher says, I'm a "feeder."

Anyways, I made chicken and teriyaki rice and stirfry for dinner and movie night with my friend, Jen! We had a lot of fun and enjoyed a homecooked meal!

My pansies are doing well! In fact, this picture was taken AFTER they were at their prettiest... and they're still gorgeous! I love my friendly greeting as I walk out my door!

This picture doesn't show it, but I love rainy weekends here and there. This Saturday, I didn't even get out of my pajamas! I enjoyed cuddling with Andrew and pretending like I didn't have a care in the world!

It rained and rained and rained. It made for the perfect day to watch our marriage videos our pastor assigned us. Fun, fun. Jealous?

It rained so much that the landscape started to flood! Boy, oh boy, my yard is beautiful because of this rain! Everything is so green! I love it!

Finally, tonight was the Spring Banquet for my department. Pictured is me with my friend Jen. Purple was the color of choice for tonight's attire. Love it!

Pictured here is the majority of my class! We're overall a good group who gets along, loves to laugh, and can make the best of any assignment! Watch out, world! These are your future SLPs!

Fun thought...

My superlative award for tonight was:

"Class Greeter" and "Frugal Fonda"

I was awarded these titles because of my inability to focus in class, therefore I gaze around the room and smile at whoever make eye contact. I was also recognized by yet another person for my love of frugality! Such an accomplishment. I hope my mom is proud when she reads this!

Bucket List: To Master a Craft

I have always wanted to be artsy. My mom is the most talented person I know in so many ways, and it has been hard to follow in her footsteps. I have always wanted to have the ability to brainstorm an idea- and follow through with it successfully. Most often, my brain knows what it wants to do, but my hands are unable to complete the task at hand.

Two year ago I decided that I would attempt wreath making. I wanted a sunflower wreath, and the stores just did not have any that I was happy with- and they were all very pricey. I wanted a beautiful wreath at a reasonable price. So, I ventured out to Hobby Lobby and made my purchases. Since then, it's become an addiction. I have made over twenty wreaths to date, but the ones displayed on my blog today are the ones that I currently have in my possession. Although, some will be sold in my next garage sale.

Enjoy!

My first wreath! I love the sunflowers. I may attempt a newer one this summer. We'll see : )

My 4th of July wreath! This one, too, may be put in the yard sale. I love it, but I may attempt a new one!

This is my late summer wreath. August and September are awkward months for wreaths. This one is just simple and fun.

My fall wreath. I looooooove this one! The shape- the flowers- the arrangement. It is by far my favorite out of all of the ones I've made!

My living room wreath! My door is boring, white, and windowless. So, I made this wreath to hang on the backside to create a better atmosphere.

Last year's spring wreath. I made a new one this year, so obviously, this one will be put up for grabs at the yard sale.

My new spring wreath- as featured before. Sorry, the colors don't pop against the background like the others, but I don't have a very nice spot for picture taking!

Anyways- that's just a small glimpse into the many wreaths I've made over time. I would loooove to start selling them, but I am not sure there would be enough demand for them, and I am sure I would only be able to deliver them locally. I'm afraid they would get damaged in transit.

Regardless, it's a passion- stress reliever- and now I want to go and buy more supplies to make a new one! I WILL refrain... this time!!

Bucket List: Places I'd Love to Live

I had the strangest, coolest dream last night. I completed graduate school, passed all of my final licensing exams and requirements, and it was time for me (and Andrew- though he never made an appearance in my dream- it was just implied) to decide where to live. Where to raise a family. Where to grow old together. At no point in time was the decision made, but my dream consisted of images playing through my head of beautiful landscapes, adorable cottages, and friendly smiles. I woke up this morning with a warm and fuzzy feeling, and my dream left me wondering: where would I like to live someday? So, I remained in my cozy bed and started a bucket list- which I am now putting it into blog form, complete with pictures.

Places I Would Love to Live:

Alaska.

I can just picture it now: a cozy cabin nestled in the woods with a beautiful mountain view. An occasional moose or bear in the landscape, and a beautifully starlit nighttime sky.

That is, unless the aurora borealis is lighting up the nighttime sky. I would love to see this phenomenon sometime in my life. And, I think I would truly love to live in Alaska. Yes, I know that there are 6 months of daylight and 6 months of darkness... give or take a few months, but think of all the experiences and adventures to be had here! Oh, the possibilities!

Colorado.

Yes, it is another mountain state. Yet again, I can picture myself curled up on the couch on a cold winter day with a fire in the fireplace, warm cocoa in my mug, and a book in my hand. When children start to come along, I can picture myself bundling them up, making warm cocoa on the stove like my momma did for me, camera in my hand, and a warmness in my heart.

Another quaint state and another place that I would absolutely love to call home someday. Again, there are so many possibilities to be had, and there are so many opportunities for raising a family and employment in Colorado.

Wyoming.

Yet another mountain state, BUT, I can absolutely see myself raising a family on a Wyoming ranch. Wide open spaces, lots of room to run and explore, and the possibility of running a ranch that could possibly help children with special needs. This is my ultimate dream.

Children with special needs can thrive off of a ranch setting... The calm nature of the setting, the rhythm of the horse, and the ability to participate in functional activities. My husband could keep the ranch nice and running, my sister, Zoe, could administer horse therapy, my sister, Miranda, could give music therapy, and I could provide speech-language therapy for these individuals. The rest of our families could pitch in their special skills... My momma could photograph each special moment, my future mother-in-law could provide her nursing expertise, my sister-in-law could teach them how to cook and plan a party, and our dads could provide a strong work ethic and keep our bills under control.

A far-fetched dream? Possibly. But, it is a dream. I always wanted to open a home for children with special needs, but a ranch they could visit and learn from would be absolutely acceptable.

Maybe, just maybe, this dream can come true.

The Ozarks.

The Ozark Mountains are also a breathtaking possibility. I love the rolling hills, the lush vegetation, and the overall breathtaking view.

This location is not high on my list of places that I would want to live, but it is a place that I would consider, and I think I would learn to love it over time.

Southeast Missouri.

I could picture myself living on a farm in southeast Missouri. Afterall, the landscape is beautiful, the people are friendly, and quite frankly, it's the closest to where I was raised. It is the most comfortable of the options, and it is also the most logical. But, is it what is best? I don't know.

The pull to keep me in southeast Missouri is the fact that it is closer to our families. However, I believe that my heart will always be yearning to live elsewhere. Another pull to keep me in this area is Cape County Cowboy Church. Andrew and I have developed a deep love for this church, and God is working through the people of this church in an incredible way. It would be hard to leave this church and trust that we will find another one that we love so much. But, I know that God will provide and care for us no matter where we go.

In the long run, no matter where I live, no matter where I end up, I know that five things are for sure...

1. I will take God's love with me. He will always be the rock I stand on and the one that I place my trust in. With Him, all things are possible.

2. I will have my husband by my side. I will have his love and support, and we can truly make any place a home.

3. I will eventually have a family of my own that will help make the most uncertain places feel like they are right where I need to be.

4. I will have the love of two families surrounding us. No matter where we are, I know that they will visit and fill our home with laughter.

5. I can find my dream job anywhere. If I look hard enough, I know I will be able to find a place I'm passionate about it.

So, in the long run, does it matter where I end up? Yes and no. I would love to adventure out, and I do not want to end up in our hometowns, but I also know that I can make any place a home with the help of the five items listed above. In the end, it all comes down to three things.

God.

Family.

Willingness.

Life

Today, I was looking through quotations in hopes of finding one for the top of my blog. I was successful; however, I came across a major problem. There are far too many amazing quotes. I literally hit the jackpot, and as a result, I have spent the last hour reflecting on my life. Let me share with you some of the quotes that made me stop and think.

"The purpose of life is a life of purpose." -Robert Byrne

"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all." -Oscar Wilde

"It's faith in something and enthusiasm for something that makes a life worth living." -Oliver Holmes

"Happiness is not so much in having as sharing. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." -Norman Macewan

"Where there is love there is life." -Gandhi

"Life is God's novel. Let him write it." -Isaac Singer

"Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love, to work, to play, and to look up at the stars." -Henry Van Dyke

"Security is when everything is settled. When nothing can happen to you. Security is the denial of life." -Germaine Greer

"Life is relationships; the rest is just details." -Gary Smalley

"The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt." -Frederick Buechner

"Love the moment. Flowers grow out of dark moments. Therefore, each moment is vital. It affects the whole. Life is a succession of such moments and to live each, is to succeed." -Corita Kent

"I love my past. I love my present." -Colette

"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change." -Buddha

"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." -Annie Dillard

"The personal life deeply lived always expands into truths beyond itself." -Anais Nin

"Life is just a chance to grow a soul." -Powell Davies

"Nobody gets to live life backward. Look ahead, that is where your future lies." -Ann Landers

"It is not length of life, but depth of life." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Go and live... and remember that God is good and present in every moment.