sometimes i get overwhelmed

by silly things.

like making a Christmas card from the pictures we self-timer-ed.
or cutting tablecloths out of bolts of material.
or working with someone to cut out tablecloths from bolts of material.

or looking at my calendar.

even though I've been living one day at a time for about 27.5 years, I'm still trying to master that very concept.

2013

2013: A Year in Review

1.) Where did you ring in 2013?
In Arkansas? Or Louisiana? I actually can't remember :/

2.) What was your status by Valentine's Day?
Married.

3.) Were you in school (anytime this year)?
yes--January thru August!

4.) How did you earn your keep?
I worked as a Teaching Assistant while in school--and now I'm paying back my keep by working as a dietitian for the state! 

5.) Did you ever have to go to the hospital?
Yes. Every day of the summer. :) 

6.) Did you ever encounter the police?
Yes. I think I acccccidentally ran a stop sign (Who would do that on purpose?) A cop was sitting there waiting for someone to run it. It was NOT very visible. I'm still bitter. He was mean.

7.) Where did you go on vacation?
We vacationed in Arkansas and Louisiana in January. In March, I spent Spring Break with Susan (to meet baby Asher!). In August, Charlie and I "vacationed" to South Dakota for about 48 hours :) We also took a trip up to Duluth. 

8.) What did you purchase that was over $500?
An education..?

9.) Did you know anybody who got married?
I went to my first wedding of the year a few weekends ago--Elizabeth and Jonathan. Don't worry. 2014 will make up for 2013's lack of weddings. 

10.) Did you know anybody who passed away?
A nurse at work passed away last week :(

11.) Have you ran into anybody you graduated high school with?
"ran into"... no. Unless social media counts. I suppose that's what happens when we live HOURS from your high school town.

12.) Did you move anywhere?
from Wheeler Street nort to da sout.

13.) What sporting events did you go to?
A St. Paul Saints' Baseball game! co-owned by Bill Murray! We went with some JBU friends who also moved to Minnesota. It was the Star Wars themed game. It was amazing. I can't even remember if they won or not. It's not really the point of those games.

14.) What concerts did you go to?
We're so not cool like that. 

15.) Are you registered to vote?
yes

16.) If so, did you do your patriotic duty on Nov. 7?
I wasn't home...?

17.) Where do you live now?
In da big house

18.) Describe your birthday.
Apparently I hate birthdays? But I was with my family this year. And celebrated Caleb's, too. I really like sharing my birthday with Caleb and my Charlie. 

19.) What's the one thing you thought you would never do but did in 2013?
At one point, I never thought I'd ACTUALLY go to graduate school and/or become a dietitian. But this year, I accomplished both! I also never thought charlie would move out of state--but he did, and he did it so well.

20.) What is one thing you regretted this year?
No comment.

21.) What's something you learned about yourself?
I'm an emotional person. Maybe that didn't surprise you as much as it surprised me. But I've been reading old blogs (where I found this grand idea), and apparently I surprise myself about every 6 months--I don't remember that I'm emotional. Weird. Maybe I'll remember this time?

22.) Any new additions to your family?
baby Asher! 

23.) What was your best month?
I really enjoyed my Minnesota summer and the transition back to Louisiana. Can I count all the summer months?

24.) What from pop culture will you remember 2013 by?
The HARLEM SHAKE! 

Daddy

We have a famous patient at work. She's not famous to the world, but in our little ole facility, EVERYONE knows her. EVERYONE. She uses a walker, and carries around a boombox radio and a purse. While steering her walker. Radio and walker in one hand. Purse and walker in the other. I met her the first time I went onto the unit at work. And she's been my friend ever since.

I've since learned that she never really had a family--youngest of many children. Dropped off at a facility before she turned 5. And she's lived with the state ever since. For about 50 years now (although she only thinks she's 7).

Recently, her boombox radio died. Broke. It was a tragic, tragic day. She told EVERYONE about how it broke. And we all felt for her. What do you do when you lose the thing most precious to you?

Well, today when I got to work she had very exciting news. Her "daddy bought her a new radio"! A teeny-tiny little purple radio. Perfect for carrying around everywhere. That's one exciting part to that story. But the second part is that... one of our social workers' dads has "adopted" this lady who has essentially never had a family. She calls him daddy and speaks with him on the telephone almost every day--she knows what's going on with him and he'll mail her cards. It's her daddy.

Aren't we like that? Doesn't God scoop us up and give us the most perfect teeny-tiny radio in place of our old bulky, broken one? Doesn't he place the lonely in families? Doesn't he allow us to call him daddy when we don't even deserve to do so? I was just so touched by that today. Watching the glow in her eyes as she told me about her new radio from daddy.

And Happy Birthday to my daddy! Thank you for being a faithful constant in my life. I love you!