Eat Less Chikn

Move over Chick-Fil-A cows... I'm here to spread a different message! I am officially in the middle of my rotation at Tyson Chicken plant in Springdale, AR and let me tell you, it is the most interesting clinical experience I have ever had. My day consists of the following:

- Sitting around, a lot. A whole lot.
- Reading for Critical Care, which is actually a very good use of my time, totally unrelated to the clinical but time management nonetheless
- First Aid. I do quite a bit of first aid, but these are not your average injuries. Allow me to paint you a picture... stab wounds in the chin of a grown and bearded man. Why? Because when his beard hair net fell instead of pulling it back into place with his FINGERS, he POKES it back into place with his KNIFE. As in the knife that he has been dismembering raw chicken with... Stab wound on the arm of a woman because the person she was working next to pointed at something WITH HER KNIFE and accidentally cut her. This is not a joke. The MOST ridiculous wounds! I spent about 10 minutes one day cleaning CHICKEN BILE out of a woman's eye, yes, chicken bile.
- Gagging at the smell. This is a live kill plant, as in kill, defeather, debone, package... the whole shebang. It stinks BIG TIME. The parking lot is teeming with feathers, not kidding.
- I took a tour yesterday. I was having a dilemma, should I keep my eyes faced ahead so that I don't run into anything? Or maybe cast them downward in order to dodge the chicken fat strewn all over the ground? Should I breathe through my nose in order to avoid getting chicken blood or unidentified liquid from dripping in my mouth? Or should I breathe through my mouth to hopefully not vomit from the smell? I sort of had a little panic attack with my hair net and Tyson embroidered smock on, ear plugs in.

So people, relish in the light and beauty of your normal jobs as I trudge through feathers and chicken parts while caring for the non-english speaking population of Springdale, Arkansas. In the wise words of my Gammy today on the phone, "Have fun and don't kill any Mexicans!" Sure thing, Gam, sure thing.

lump boulder in my throat

I sent Karl off to Iraq today and it wasn't fun. I just wanted some documentation of the day, on the day so here are a few very noteworthy things...

- I don't know why I am ever surprised by the love that my Pi Phi sisters show me. It is showered upon me, time and time again, in good times and in bad, unconditionally. I know it sounds silly, cheesy, stereotypical, and difficult to understand. I wish everyone could experience it. My phone died the day before Karl deployed but since my mom and aunt were with me, I knew I could last until we got to Raleigh the afternoon of Karl's deployment where I could get a charger and turn it back on. I just turned it on and it blew up with texts and emails from the past 24 hours. Who were they from? Pi Phis. Pi Phi best friends and friends that I only see once a week. Pi Phi actives and alum. I am overwhelmed with gratitude and overflowing with appreciation, love, and emotion at the unexplainable bond we have. Silly? Maybe. Real, continuous, by and through the grace of God? Absolutely. Thank you sisters for your incessant encouragement.

- The same love shown to me by Pi Phis, also poured out by my mom and dad's small group friends, church members, nursing school friends whom I've gone thru the academic good/bad/ugly with now tromping thru personal life hell, and old high school acquaintances. Nothing really warms my heart quite like an outstretched hand and an offered prayer. Praise The Lord for warming and softening the hearts of those who are willing to offer their time and grace to pray for those in need. I am in need, Karl is in need, and God is placing SO MANY in our lives to meet our needs.

-The bond of military spouses, children, and the military community in general. I wish I could explain this in greater depth... what is a fiancee new to deployment processes and norms to do when her one and only link to the military world is now out of reach? This is where other spouses come into play. Sweet women who offer up their contact information to people like me who just don't have a clue, men in uniform lucky enough to be staying behind and talkative enough to offer words that bring peace as my loved one boards a plane for a place so unfamiliar to me, kids playing together that have never met as their moms trade stories of their husbands deployments. It's obnoxious, it's stereotypical, it's utterly necessary and vital.

I wish each of you could've been with me, seen the impact that your specific words had on me. Felt what Karl & I felt as you prayed for our peace. I'm praising God for each of you.

-Tonight I talked to Karl once he landed in Ireland. I held it together. I wanted to just let it go, which actually happened once my phone was turned on and my inbox was flooded as I got ready for bed in London's bathroom. My chest is sunburned from standing out in the sun all day. A literally painful reminder of the crappy day. I didn't want to wash my face, to brush my teeth, to change clothes, to move on and sleep, to move into another day. But I'll go to sleep, because when I wake up I'll be one day closer to marrying Karl, to seeing him day in and day out. When I wake up I'll be more thankful and have a better attitude, closer to the one that I should have now... I'm thankful for his safe job. Thankful that he has a job at all, actually. Thankful that there are dozens, DOZENS of people praying for him.

Progress

I know this is going to sound ridiculous, but I struggle with the idea of working; there, I said it. Lazy, in my opinion, is the last word that could be used to describe my personality so I know that has nothing to do with my desire to be a non-working, yet completely productive member of society. My desire is to be a super involved, stay-at-home mom but that is for a much, much, much later chapter in my life. For the more immediate future, I am making progress. I realize that I need to probably use my $60,000+ education that I have shed blood, sweat, and tears over for the past 4 years. So today, as I have said, today I have made progress. Probably at least once a day someone asks me what I want to do with my nursing degree. My response, I either leave the questioner speechless with a blunt, "well, ideally not work a day in my life," or I lie, "I'm not sure yet, just nothing in a hospital." Part of the lie is true, I have yet to experience work in a hospital that isn't miserable or vomit inducing. So, back to the progress I made... for the first time since starting school, today I'm glad I'll be a full-fledged nurse come May 8th. Why? Haiti. I usually have a really hard time grasping the reality and gravity of natural disasters or acts of terrorism and if you were to talk to my roommate, Charis, about this she would tell you that I have a bad habit of cracking horribly insensitive jokes about these two tragic things. I have been watching the news and reading the blog of a missionary family that serves in Port Au Prince and my heart is aching for this country and it's people. Someday soon, it will be completely within my control to be apart of relief efforts, God forbid something like this happens again during my working career. That is neat. I feel a little inspired, I know the picture is super dramatic... and maybe it is a Navy Lieutenant Doctor in the limelight but I see that guy in the T-shirt holding that bag of IV fluids, THAT COULD BE ME... Also, I haven't mentioned this idea to Karl. Surely he'll go for it, he's strong and can dig people out while I save them. Maybe I'll use this degree after all...

Sneak Preview

With Karl in town came a whirlwind of wedding planning! While he was here we registered, signed the venue contract and deposited on it, picked a save-the-date & invitation, chose a jeweler for wedding bands, and worked on our cake stand and another craft project. Right before he came into town I conquered a few more wedding to-do's... my dress is officially being altered, our table linens and setting have been chosen, and bridesmaid dresses were purchased, ordered, and delivered! Karl's been up to his own task list as well, honeymoon: booked. Perfect.

I really wanted Karl to be a part of the whole planning process so that he didn't just show up at the alter surprised by choices and decoration. It has been so fun and such a blessing that he has been willing to give his input throughout the process, I haven't had to make any major decisions without him by my side. It has been wonderful! Also wonderful, his impeccable shabby chic taste, which happens to be similar to mine. Yes please.

As wonderful as planning our special day is, it's really not. Let's be honest, I wish the wedding were tomorrow for more reasons than one. Planning is officially stressful and the only things left to be conquered, aren't that fun. Case in point: catering. Finding a caterer isn't fun. Caterers are expensive, don't offer what I want, aren't able to see my vision for the wedding, and impose their opinion and vision on me... bad idea. Every appointment with a caterer or discussion about catering usually ends in me saying, "I don't want to talk about the wedding for like at least a week!!!!!" I just can't wait to enjoy the wonderful day that my mom and I are so strategically planning. More importantly, I can't wait to be married to Karl, to live in the same state city house as Karl, and enjoy life with him after what will be over 3 years of long distance dating!

Speaking of Karl, please pray for us (him in particular), as he deploys to Iraq on Tuesday. I leave for South Carolina on Saturday as my precious mom & aunt and I will see him off, I just can't believe that this time is here already. Such a crazy year this will be as we experience so many "firsts" and I continue to see what military life is like!

BTW (by the way), enjoy the sneak preview of the wedding venue, see above picture

Christmas!

I have so much catching up to do! I finally finished exams the second week of December, successfully I might add, and raced home to prepare for Karl's arrival! I worked every day prior to him coming, finished up Christmas shopping, and enjoyed much needed time with family. Sidenote, can I just say I swear I will finish my shopping at least a week before Christmas for the rest of my life! Never again will I be shopping the day before. Horrible. Arlington was completely overrun with psychotic shoppers from suburban North Texas which I don't understand because The Parks Mall is disgusting. Is there not an Agaci at your local mall? Needless to say, I finally finished it all in the nick of time.

After much anticipation on Christmas Eve morning Karl came in! I hadn't seen him since the middle of October and with his deployment less than 3 weeks away, this was a much needed visit. It was so great- we played wedding planning, relaxed, saw a lot of friends and family, and enjoyed Christmas and our first New Years we have ever gotten to spend together!

There is just so much I could share about Karl's visit but pictures are so much better than words so here are a few from his time in Texas!


I always love the Christmas Eve worship service! Here's the whole family. I might as well take this awkward opportunity to introduce Jeremy to my loyal readers. Jeremy is Callie's boyfriend and is a fabulous addition to our family pictures! If you see him out, he likes to be called J Man Bear Cat, just so you know and get it right.


So glad to have him home and to get to worship next to him on Christmas Eve!



Gifts at Gammy's on Christmas morning! I'll spare you the earlier pictures of 7 am gifts at my house. Gammy tricked Karl and Jeremy and gave them cuban cigars as gifts... turns out it was yummy smelling cologne, very funny!


After gifts we had lunch at The Worthington... delicious food, delightful mimosas, wonderful company!



No Christmas is complete without a short photoshoot


Saturday was Christmas with my Nana and my dad's brother and it was, as expected, wonderful! Also a great way to relax after the hustle and bustle of Christmas Eve and Day run around.

I'm going crazy, there is just so much more to tell! I can't even get it all out! Some more things that sum up my wonderful 24 hours of Christmas eve and Christmas Day... orange push-pops, Karl, sweat shirts, Sephora trips, shopping, dates, fires, gifts, food, sleep and rest, movies, pictures, wedding planning, Guesstures and games, decorating, birthdays, grandparents, white christmas, church & worship, long conversations, coffee twice a day just because I love the taste... winter break rules.

I loved how The Lord allowed me to really soak Christmas up this year. I love that I was appalled at the insanity of shopping and blessed by the presence of family, friends, and fiance! Christmas this years was fantastic, a wonderful reminder of God's love for us and the unfathomable miracle of Jesus' birth!