LG

Last night we had our life group over for game night. It is a real rarity when the 8 of us can coordinate our schedules and get to spend time together. (usually due to Philip's or mine schedule:/). on the menu for the night was hanky panks (a Wilhoite staple), BLT dip (thank you Sarah!), veggie pizza, Meg's baked cheese dip, Jordan's pigs in a blanket, and Valentines Day cookies and brownies:) yummy.

Our LG at Philip's baptism (minus Nick B).

After we stuffed our faces, we played Partini. It is such a fun game. especially for big groups of people. megan even liked it, and that is tough to get her to like a game!!! we played boys against girls (we always split up that way). and it is debatable who won, but I am pretty sure it was us:) Maybe if Philip could have hummed as well as Brian & the Nicks, they could have won. maybe next time guys.

I can not tell you how much this group of people mean to me. These girls have been there for me through so much in my life over the years. We started a bible study years ago and the 4 of us have seen each other through so much heartache, celebrations, struggles and achievements. And last year we all got married so we evolved our bible study into a life group that included our husbands :) Soon the 4 of us are going to start back up our girls Bible Study. we all decided we needed that support and accountability that we used to have and have gotten away from lately. Personally I can not wait to get back into it with them.
It is so comforting knowing I have a group of people that I can turn to in any situation. that I can call or email with any problem or praise, and they are grieving or celebrating right along with me.

" For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them" Matthew 18:20
"A Friend loves at all times" Proverbs 17:17

Lights Out

This morning when I went to leave for work, I went to the garage and the green light wasn't on on the garage door opener. I thought 'that's weird' and I pushed the button. well it did nothing. so i flipped the garage light on, and nothing. so I think 'great, my car is stuck in my garage and I can't get to work'. I called Philip, but he was busy already at work. So I then call my parents. at 620. but they are those kind of parents you can call at any time. Mom talked me through how to pull this string that unlocked the door and then I could manually pull it up. I pulled my car out, then  manually put it down. ugh. home-owning is such a pain sometimes.
My Dad, being the amazing hero that he is to me, headed up to my house to check things out. in the blizzard snow. down Golden Oak which is the worst street in Lexington, I'm convinced. He got here, and tested out the front porch lights. they didn't work. then the back porch lights. they didn't work either. so he knew that the breaker for the outside electricity was messed up. well then he went to the dog house ( I would have never thought to look there). and he checked out the heater we had installed for Jackson so that he wouldn't freeze in the cold weathers. * he used to have a warm bed in the house, that was nailed to the floor. but somehow jax managed to pull it out and shred it all over the yard.

The doghouse Philip built Jax. 

Well, sure enough, the wires were chewed through. Jackson must've chewed the wires and caused the outside electricity to go out. But he must have chewed them before today, and then when I plugged in the heater before I left, it caused the circuit to break. But all day I was a nervous wreck. I was so afraid Jax had been shocked. and I kept thinking about that Grey's Anatomy episode where the girl had been burned, and the resident didn't check her throat, and she died. and I got nervous jackson might be burned in his airway. Dad stayed and played with him for awhile, and that made me feel better. and I am so grateful he came up, or else the heater would have been plugged in all day. My nice neighbor came over and checked on him for me around 4 this afternoon. But Philip is at work until noon tomorrow and he is wanting so bad to be home with us tonight.

the chewed up wires

"sorry Mom"

I came home and he was fine and worn out from playing outside all day. In fact he is already passed out next to me on the couch. All is well in the Overall household. Thank you Dad!!!

breathe.

I am breaking my rule of not blogging on a "work night". but I feel as if I needed to have some sort of venue to vent. sorry if this post is disconnected and random; that about fits my day.
without going into specifics, it has been a more-than-average stressful last few days at work. and to top it off, I work my third 12 hour shift in a row tomorrow. the idea of working 3 days in a row might seem ideal when you are making your schedule; because you think then you will have more days off in a row. and when you work night shift, yes you want your nights all together. but in reality, it is so not worth it. you get burnt out. you need a breather. because being a nurse is a stressful job. and being an ER nurse is at the higher end of the stress spectrum. but I'm not complaining. well, I'm not trying to. I do love my job. and I love helping people. and i love the people I work with. but some days when 7:30pm comes around and I walk to my car, I just want to sit there and lay my head on the steering wheel. and just breathe. de-stress.
well today was one of those days. but as I pulled out of the parking lot, my tire was low. way low. and it seems to be a pattern that on my worst days, I have car trouble. So the tears that had been at the surface all day, came out. I mean, the flood gates opened. and Philip is at work. *add more tears. so i call my parents. because all my life my parents can always make things better. long story short, I had to go to 3 different gas stations before I found an air tank that worked and I could fill my tire up.
I came home to two very happy-to-see-me pets. and I got into the bathtub and started rehashing my day. and I realized how absorbed in the world I can let myself get. how easily I can let my whole attitude be changed and affected by circumstances. so easily I let myself get caught up in it all. when what I need to be doing is focusing on what really matters. the only thing that really matters.

"My thoughts are completely different from yours." says the Lord.
"And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than you thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

catch-up

As I told you before, January had promised to be a rough month for our little family. But it hasn't turned out to be as terrible as I feared. I was able to switch my schedule around and be off on days Philip was off, so that helped. But this month has just drained him, I can tell. He works 30+ hours every 3rd day. Today he got home at 1230 after being at the hospital for 32 hours straight, with no sleep. He is sleeping right now, and will get up about 6, eat dinner (homemade pizza~), and go back to bed around 9 to be back at the hospital at 6am. It's a tough schedule. and I feel bad for him, because I know how much I love and need my sleep. and he does way better than I would do on that kind of schedule. I guess that is why God called HIM to be a doctor, not me :)

this was taken before Philip's first shift at UK as a resident:)

 One aspect that is really hard on each of us, is the time we get to spend with our friends. Most of our friends are married and like to do things as couples, which we both love. but when time is so limited, we miss out on a lot. and it's hard to always be "that couple" that misses out on things. and I find myself getting frustrated at his job for taking up so much time. but I know that's not fair. and he can tell when I go into that thought process. because he tries really hard to fit in friend time when he can- but let's be honest. he is just exhausted the majority of the time. and so a lot of our quality time this month has involved eating in and renting movies. and I am grateful for even that. but I still get sad when our friends are hanging out or going out and we don't get to go.
Wednesday night Philip and i were both off work and got to join our life group at a class at SCC called 'after the alter'. this past week was on money. which as most of you who know me, you know how I am with money. I thought the lesson was alright- mostly geared towards how to teach your children about being stewards of their money. a nice lesson to tuck away in a file for the future. but it did reiterate for me that there are so many people in this world that do without. people that live without so many luxuries that I have grown accustomed to. the mission trips I have been blessed to go on, have shown me a different world where people don't have things. where people wear the same clothes every day because that's all they have. and where you could wear the same thing every day and not be judged for it. and it humbles me and makes me realize what a spoiled american that I am. anyway- money is an entirely different blog that I could go on and on about, but I won't. because I am trying to catch you up on our life.

Maya and Jackson have kept me company on days/nights when Philip is gone. despite what I sometimes say, I am really glad we have them. for example philip worked all night last night and I woke up in the middle of the night and jackson was sprawled out squished up next to me on the left (i let him sleep in the bed when philip's gone) and Maya was sprawled out squished up against me on the right. and I didn't feel so alone. times like this make me feel bad for telling them they are ruining our carpet, furniture, house, etc.
We made an appointment for Jackson to get snip-snipped. We had an appointment in December, but philip got nervous that having Jax neutered would change his personality. and so he cancelled it until he got to talk to our favorite vet, Dr McCord about it. so now the big day is Feb 14. Happy Valentine's Day Jax:).

I hope everyone has had a happy snow-day today and stayed warm:)

Chicken Spaghetti

One of my NY resolutions was to cook more when Philip is home. I've done pretty good so far! Megan gives me new recipes and my family gave me a cookbook of family recipes as a wedding present, so I am still trying out a lot of those too.
One of my friends at work gave me a recipe for chicken spaghetti, and it is one of our favorite meals!!! it is so easy. this recipe makes a LOT, so sometimes I do the full amount to have leftovers, sometimes I cut it in half.
This recipe is easy to modify- you can use less Velveeta, less of either soups, more or less Rotel, etc depending on what you like.
to make it:
cook 1lb chicken breast in boiling water (add spices you like while cooking; salt,pepper,oregano), drain and shred chicken.
cook spaghetti noodles ( can use same water with added spices as cooked chicken)
combine 1lb Velveeta cheese, chicken and noodles. mix well over heat.
add 1 can cream mushroom soup,1 can cream of chicken soup, and 1 can of Rotel.
add vegetables. i use frozen peas and chopped onions.

I hope you try it and love it as much as we do!!!

Workin on my Fitness

Last week I went with my friend Donielle to her gym. and when I left, i decided I had to join a gym, somewhere, to get me motivated. her gym was pretty cheap, but I need a gym that has classes. I like having the option to go to a class where someone tells me what to do and makes me do it for an hour. So I joined LAC. And I am proud to say I have worked out every day I have been off work since i joined! My friend Kelly and I did Zumba on Saturday morning. the class was packed! even a few guys were in there. and I really didn't know what to expect. but it was a full hour of jumping around, shaking your booty, throwing your arms around and basically  just trying to keep up with the instructor. at the beginning of the class she said " dont worry, noone is watching you" and I thought 'yeah right'. but the moves were so fast and changed so often, that she was right, you had no time to watch yourself let alone anyone else. It was a lot of fun, and a really good work out. I can't wait to go again.

Last night I did spinning (stationary bikes) with my friends Jordan and Alison. they are both in really good shape, I don't know what I was thinking trying to keep up with them. the room is lined with rows of bikes, but in a very small space. and one not-so-efficient fan. The instructor, who yelled so much it started to scare me, had us do these reps where you went as hard and fast as you could for 20 seconds, rest for ten. 8 times in one set. and I pushed myself a little too hard. I thought I was going to overheat! but I took it down a notch and survived. next time I will get a bike directly in front of that fan. and those seats hurt your butt. Needless to say today at the gym, i didn't do any exercises that caused me to have to sit:)
I like working out with friends. a- it makes you go, even when you don't want to. b- it is so much more fun. c- you get to catch up AND burn calories. and after my work out, during my "cool down" phase, I plug my calories burned into MyFitnessPal ! that way I know how hard I need to work out to be able to eat what I want:) that's the real reason I work out anyway :)
I get guest passes to the gym for anyone who wants to join me!!!

Baby Brayden

Yesterday I helped throw a shower for my friend Erin. Conveniently the shower was at my neighbor's house:) It made transporting food (and parking) much easier on everyone:)

Erin is having a baby boy. She is due in February, but he will come before his due date, we are all pretty sure about it. He will be named Brayden Harrison Stearley. i love that name. and he is going to going love his Aunt Amanda. despite what Erin's husband Seth says. (he likes to pick on me)
I am so excited for Erin and Seth to become parents. They are going to be great at it. Erin is a natural nurturing person and Brayden is going to be one lucky baby to have a momma like that. Seth on the other hand...:) just kidding. He is going to be a great dad who Brayden is going to adore. I can't wait!!!!!
Here are some fun pictures from yesterday.

we played the smelly diaper game (melted candy bars, NOT poo)

My friend Megan made my present for Erin. It was a diaper cake. which confused some people, they thought I was making a real cake (which I thought too when I first heard of diaper cakes). It turned out SO good. you can find more of Megan's crafty stuff HERE

After the shower I got to hang out with Erin, Jessie and Hunter and just talk. And that was my favorite part of the whole day. I love them all very much. and its fun for me to hear about being pregnant. and what it does to you mentally, emotionally and physically. well, "fun" might not be the right word. But I like hearing about it. and I am glad Erin talks to me about it.
We can't wait to meet you Brayden!!!

50 things about me, from 2008

Today is a call day for me. Meaning that from 7am-7pm I am "on call" and if work needs me to come in, I have 30 minutes to get there. I hate being on call because it never fails if you make plans, you get called in. If you stay at home and are ready to go in, they don't call you. But it forces me to stay home and get stuff done. Like cleaning, laundry, etc. or be lazy. :)
and it also gives me time to piddle. today I was going through old emails from Philip and I found an email in October of 2008. I made of list of '50 random things about me' and then he did the same in return. I wont share his because he might not appreciate it, but I am going to share mine. because i like reading back on things I said about myself. and what things are still true and what have changed. and I love random things about people that some people don't know. so feel free to share your randomness with me:)

50 things about me

I am a natural blonde.
I have had a blanket for 24 years and I have a habit of smelling it.
I make snap judgments, but they are usually right.
I am not good at taking advice but love to give it.
I laugh easily and loud and love every second of it.
I appreciate wittiness and love a good battle of wits.
I love chicken pad thai and treat myself to it when I feel I deserve it.
Christmas is my favorite holiday for many reasons.
I have loved and been loved, but not as often as I should have.
Certain things almost cripple me with compassion.
My family means more to me than anything on this earth.
You have to learn how to be happy with yourself before you can make someone else
happy.
I am a very loyal friend and expect the same in return.
I desire to love recklessly, but can't seem to get there.
If I could go back, I would do things differently.
Holding grudges doesn't do anyone any good.
I firmly believe the answer to life is love.
I dont have a good sense of direction but am trying to get better.
I have 4 holes in my left ear and 2 in my right.
I have had the perfect tangible example of unconditional love.
The thought of heaven mystifies and overwhelms me at the same time.
Money stresses me out. I wish we had a system where we didn't need it.
I have learned that some wounds never fully heal.
There is definitely something to be said about a good romance novel.
I don't like to shop.
I appreciate someone who can explain things to me without getting frustrated.
Being late is my biggest pet peeve.
I have a serious internal debate every time I see a hitchhiker.
I make math problems out of time.
My heart wins over my head, hands down.
I am the biggest Daddy's girl you will ever meet.
I understand that sometimes you just need to be alone.
I would like to go to Paris one day.
Getting to know me is harder than it should be.
I am working on putting others before me.
Some would say I am stubborn.
I don't take many risks in life, but wish I did.
I have learned to love a nice cold beer.
People will remember the way you made them feel.
Camo shorts do it for me. Seriously.
I don't know what I would do without my agenda.
Confidence in yourself is a necessity to survival.
I would do anything for someone I love.
There is a mole that hides itself in my left eyebrow.
I live by myself and enjoy it.
Seeing someone in a mask physically paralyses me on the inside.
The creator of sweatpants could be the smartest person ever.
Killing a living person is never the right answer.
Worrying seems to be one of my favorite past times.
Watching a baby being born could be one of the most moving things I've seen.
I am trying to become the woman God made me to be.

This is a picture of us from October 2008 at Hall's on the River with friends:)

Mom is RETIRED!!!

Last night we celebrated my Mom's retirement. December was her last month teaching. and she never really had a "last day" because the days leading up Christmas break were all snow days. what a way to end! But it was probably better she didn't have to say bye to everyone. she wouldn't have done well with that.
So last night a bunch of her friends and my aunts threw her a party! It was so nice. The food was delicious. Teachers always seem to know how to cook. and so many people came. Anna Jo had prepared a slide show, and it was a huge hit.
Mom worked for Scott County Schools for 27 years! 4 at Georgetown Middle, 16 at Eastern Elementary (her home) and then 7 as a diagnostician.
Eastern's colors are royal blue and yellow. So when a teacher retires from Eastern, she becomes a 'sapphire'. Tradition is that that teacher gets a sapphire in some form as a gift. Mom did not expect to get one. Since technically she didn't retire from Eastern. But everyone knows that is her true home. and so her friends got her a BEAUTIFUL sapphire necklace (which just so happens to be my birthstone...). They also got her a very pretty ceramic plate that had things about Scott county on it. Mom was so touched. Of course she hated being in front of everyone and having everyone looking at her, but thats just her.

So many people came up to me last night to tell me how much they have enjoyed working with mom. and how her positive attitude was such a joy. and that her encouragement helped them so much. and several people told me they were still 'pretending' mom still works there because they can't handle the fact that she isn't. And these are just people she works with. Parents and kids tell me all the time how much mom changed them. and how much they loved her. and I am so proud of her. for 27 years Mom has used her profession to love people; big and little people:) and last night it showed how much that love affected people.

MyFitnessPal

Last year when I wanted to lose weight for the wedding, one of my friends at work told me about an app called 'My Fitness Pal'. I downloaded it (for free of course). and LOVE IT. I used it every day for my wedding diet and lost at least ten pounds. The beginning of my decline was the all inclusive honeymoon. I mean, how can you not eat constantly when A) its free and B) its sooo good. So that started my 'i'm-married-I-don't-care-about-dieting" mentality. Now, 8 months later, I am back on the wagon. I am back to using My Fitness Pal every day. You input your weight, how much you want to lose per week, and how active you are every day. It gives you your allotted number of calories per day. and if you work out, you get more calories. its so easy. Everything that goes in my mouth gets recorded in my daily diary. And once I put one item in, it saves it so I can add it again the next morning ( like coffee with creamer, oatmeal, things I eat every day).

The best part is that you can type in something like 'Panera soup' and all soups come up. You pick the one you ate, and it adds those calories into your daily diary. it has all restaurants nutritional info, so it is so easy to calculate anything.
I introduced my mom to this. She downloaded it and we discovered we can 'be friends' through it. So every day, it tells me if mom went over or under on her calories. it creates a mini-feed of our activity, calories, and weight. So it forces me to be accountable. Aunt Ellen downloaded it today too:)
You should try it out, even if you don't want to lose weight, its a great way to make you aware of everything you eat and how healthy it is for you :)

Happy New Year!!!

2010 is going to be a tough year to top. We had such a wonderful and blessed year, that I can only dream of having a better one in 2011. on this day two years ago about this same time, Philip told me he loved me for the first time:) THAT was a good start to 2009 ! Last year, I worked New Years Day. Taking care of drunk people sobering up and wondering where their clothes are, is NOT a good start to a new year:) This year we went to dinner with good friends and then just hung out till the ball dropped (but we never saw the ball drop!). It was low key which I loved. Good start to 2011:)
Usually my Grandma W has us 'celebrate' New Year's sometime around the 1st at her house. She gets lime sherbert and sprite and lets us use them to fill her nice drinking glasses. She pulls out a banner from her 1950 dot-matrix printer that says 'Happy New Year' with the numbers changed each year. And she makes each of us say our resolution. We didn't do that this year (I'm sure all the boys were so upset). But I havent gotten to really state what my resolutions are. so here goes:
 
First of all, I want  my whole year to focus on this scripture. Sort of my mantra for 2011.
John 3:30 " He must become greater, I must become less".
I want to contemplate, pray and live this. every day. no exceptions or cheating on this one. The others I am sure will be bent and forgiven on special occasions. But I hope to never break this resolution. and to make it at the forefront of each thought and action.
 Now:
--Lose weight. I am officially back on my wedding diet. no sweets. count calories. exercise. I got to get in a bathing suit in March and let me just tell you that it's true you gain weight when you get married:)
--Immerse myself in God's Word. The girls in my life group used to do a bible study every 2 weeks. and I miss that. I miss having the accountability to answer hard questions and to read your Bible. So I am in search of a good study. suggestions welcome:)
-- Cook when Philip is home.
-- Cut out gossiping. I am so bad at this. and whats worse is I don't even realize it. Noone enjoys being around someone who talks about everyone. Because lets be honest, you know they end up talking about you.

I could make more, but the more I make the harder it is for me to keep them. So those are the ones I committed to.
Please keep Philip and I in your prayers this month. It's going to be rough (he's on his trauma rotation). For me especially because I require quality time. and I go through a lot of emotions during months like this and sometimes make things not as easy as maybe they should be.
Hope 2011 is a year of happiness love and blessings for each one of you:)