Jamestown and Yorktown

We went to Jamestown and Yorktown yesterday.  I was amazed at the amount of history that has taken place in these two towns and Virginia itself.  We visited  Jamestown, which was the first permanent settlement of the Colonies.  The site is beautiful, it is almost surrounded by water and the land is full of trees and meadows.  So much of our nations history has taken place in this area.  I felt privileged to see where our country fought and eventually gained its freedom from the English.  Jamestown was the beginning of the Colonies and Yorktown was were it ended for the British.  Virginia's original capitol was Jamestown and it was later moved to Williamsburg.  At Williamsburg, in 1776, representatives from around the colony of Virginia came to determine a new constitution and Bill of rights for the colony of Virginia.  The document that Virginia adopted is very similar to the documents that became the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.  We went to the national park at Yorktown, were we saw the Battle Field where the British were defeated.  The original trenches that the British dug, still remain and are now covered in grass and natural fauna.  From the battlefields you can see the York River, which was pivotal to the American forces and the British desired to control.  If the British had managed to gain control of Yorktown and the York River, our history could have been very different.  Both sites were amazing.  At Jamestown National Park we were able to see an original glass house and how they "blow" glass.  There was a demonstration and all who work there are in period costumes.  We ended the day on one of the beaches of the James River, where Jaclyn wrote her name in the sand and the boys tried to throw pine cones into the water.  I was able to take several amazing pictures of the sunset on the water.  I was also able to take several fun family photos.  After all of the days excitement and coldddd weather we went home for hot cocoa and rest.  I had two very tired boys and one very tired momma.  No arguments regarding bedtime.  So far we have not had any snow or icy weather, but it has been cold.  Well another busy day is coming to an end and I am definitely ready for some rest.  It all starts again bright and early in the morning:)   

Williamsburg, Virginia

Wow!  We finally made it to our destination.  The scenery has been beautiful on the drive.  We arrived Sunday afternoon and unloaded our stuff at the resort and then went to pick our oldest son, Kevin Jr., up from a nearby cafe.  We are staying at the Wyndham Kngsgate Resort.  It is beautiful.  The weather has been cold, but no snow or ice to cause any problems.  We will spend Christmas here and head back to Grandma's the day after.  We are going to see some of the historical sites and locations this week.  Today we grocery shopped and are going to a local Christmas store.  We haven't planned tomorrow yet.  There is so much to see and do!  The boys want snow and keep asking us to take them to the snow......  So far it doesn't look like there will be any while we are here, but who knows.

On the Road Again

We have been traveling for the last two days.  We started out at 5am Friday and made it to Grandma's by 8pm.  The boys started with "are we there yet" about 30 minutes into the drive.  They kept asking "what state are we in" about every 10 minutes for the first 8 hours of the drive to Grandma's.  Finally they either fell asleep or decided to watch a movie.  Finally we made to Grandma's and both the boys and the rest of us were happy.  My aunt and uncle where there to greet us as well, so we had a chance to visit with them as well.  My brother, sister-in-law, nieces and nephews, along with my aunt and uncle, came for breakfast today.  We visited for most of the morning and let the kids play with each other.  We had a nice time of fellowship and exchanged cards.  We left my mom's about noon, grandma is with us, and headed to Williamsburg, Virgina.  We decided we would make the drive in two days instead of one, so we have stopped in Charlotte, North Carolina for the night.  I counted, on this trip we will travel through 8 states.  We were all counting in the van how many many states we have been in over the course of our lives.  So far I have visited 18 of our 50 awesome states.  We decided to drive "Big Red" for this vacation, she seats 8 comfortably and with Kevin Jr meeting us in Williamsburg, we will have 7 people.  "Big Red" is a 10 yr old Astro Chevy and I just love her.  She drives great and gets better gas mileage than our caravan.  She is an awesome vehicle and the best of course is she is paid for.  So far "Big Red" has made it through 3 teenage drivers and will have another teen driving her soon.  She has made numerous "vacation" drives and helped several of our children move their belongings.  This vacation she will rack up 8 states and about 3500 miles:)  Our family is looking forward to this time off and visiting such a historical and interesting place.  My grandmother and step-aunt are going to meet with us for a short visit as well.  My grandmother is about 93 or 94, and she gets around great.  We haven't seen her for about 3 years, so we are looking forward to seeing her.  Well, it is getting late.  Off to bed for an early morning.

Off for some fun

This past week and this week have flown by.  We are going to be visiting with family and friends starting tomorrow so I probably won't have too much time to blog.  I did complete some projects on my list and feel pretty good.  I was able to clean out most rooms and had a garage sale.  Did pretty well.  Everything that didn't sell was donated to Goodwill.  I took some of my baby items to the Battered Womens' Shelter this week as well.  I finished lining the kitchen drawers.  I still have some organizing and lining of the cabinets, but the drawers are complete.  I was able to cover the bar stools, protect them from the boys and I baked plenty of banana, zucchini, and cinnamon bread.  I feel like I have accomplished a lot.  Right now I am trying to tie up all the loose ends before the visiting starts.  Laundry and making bed and cleaning bathrooms are the priority now.   I figure what does get completed is okay.  We will have a good time anyway and all the other "things" can be completed when  possible.  Gotta go, laundry is calling.

Organizing

    Wow, this week has flown by.  Finished up with my final class Monday and went straight into organization mode.  At work this week we have been organizing the supply rooms and taking inventory.  Doing this motivated me to continue to organize the house.  Every evening this week, Kevin, myself and the children have worked on cleaning, organizing, and finishing projects around the house.  Christian and several of his friends (Matt and Brad), have been helping us as well.  They helped Kevin hang some of the house lights.  Christian has been helping with the yard and pool as well this week.  We should have the pool ready to cover for winter, by this weekend:)
      I am having a garage sale this Friday and Saturday.  We have been going through closets, cabinets and storage boxes.  I am going to try and sell whatever we have not been using for the last six months to a year.  What doesn't sell will be donated.  I have several items I want to donate to the battered women's shelter and childrens' homes.  Unfortunately both shelters have seen about 100% increase in need for services.  Through research and talking with the organizers, when the economy is down, there is more violence in the homes.  Financial stressors are one of the biggest reasons for divorce, unfortunately it makes sense that there would be an increase in stress in the home and increase in violence.  My prayers are with these individuals and their families. 
     Kevin and I are going to start on the baking tonight.  Christmas cookies, fudge, breads, and other sweet treats.  I plan to bake, but not indulge.  So far I have lost 24lbs and kept it off.  I cut my calories back to about 1500 a day and have pretty much cut out sugar.  My doctor had a talk with me in September and informed me my Hgb A1-C was too high.  That means my blood sugars are high and my pancreas is having to work to hard.  I am not an insulin diabetic, by I am bordering on non-insulin diabetes.  I had not been motivated to change prior to this and this was a wake up call.  I feel so much better with the change in diet and the weight loss.  Kevin has lost about 40lbs and has been running several days a week.  He ran in the Rock-n-Roll Marathon here in San Antonio in November.  He ran it in 5 hours and 11 minutes.  He only walked for about 1/2 mile.  I am really proud of him.  He has lost so much weight that his wedding rings falls off (gonna get it fitted:))
      Finished my Christmas shopping and have most of it wrapped.  What a relief, I really don't enjoy wrapping.  This Christmas season has been so much more enjoyable than last years.  I felt totally stressed last year, this year it has been smooth.  I have been playing my Christmas music as much as possible, I love all the Christmas hymns.  Silent Night and Joy to the World are my favorites.  I have been practicing both on the piano, maybe I will be ready by Christmas;). 
    

I'm Finished!!!!!

      Yeah, I am finished for the semester!!!!  I completed my last final today.  I do not start school again until the week of January 10th.  I have a whole month off and I plan to enjoy every minute of it.  I feel like a weight has been lifted.  When I am in school, I feel like I live from one assignment deadline to another.  It feels really good when you don't have anything due.  Tonight I want to finish decorating the tree.  The boys have been putting ornaments on and taking them off, so tonight we will put out a few more ornaments and then hide the rest.  Tomorrow, Christian is going to come over and help his dad with some of the outside lights.  Christian has been helping us around the house with different things and we in return either feed him or let him wash his laundry here.  He is a good kid and I really appreciate his help. 
      I feel kind of weird without anything looming over my head.  During semesters I feel guilty if I am not on the computer doing something.  I wonder what I will do when I am finally finished with my advance practice nurse degree?  I really don't want to be in school the rest of my life.  I have a friend who finished this past May and she is doing well.  She seems to be enjoying her job and role as an advance practice nurse.  I did not get the impression she was missing school:)
      Well, Jaclyn and I have been working on cleaning up and down sizing.  So far we have gone through the boys rooms, the formal living room, her room and some of the kitchen.  We are going to have a garage sale this weekend, so we have to finish the kitchen and game room.  Anything that doesn't sell is going to be donated to Goodwill.  Jaclyn and I are tired of cleaning all of the stuff.  If we aren't cleaning stuff, we are picking up behind the boys.  We had to throw out several games, due to the little gremlins.  At our house, someone, no one, or I didn't, are the ones who break, misplace, or lose stuff.  I have never been able to find out who these people are and how they get into my house, but the boys swear they exist:) 
      Looking forward to a New Year.  This year has been good, and I have been so blessed. 

Gossip

      Gossip.  This has been on my mind for several months now.  It has come to a boil for me now and I am going to vent.  I am and have been guilty of gossiping, probably most people are.  I have been trying to make a conscience effort to not gossip and to choose my words carefully.  I don't always succeed, but I do try.  For many of us, work is a hot bed of gossip and where I have worked and currently work is no different.  My previous job, the gossip was pretty vicious and hurtful, it seemed like we all stabbed each other in the back.  Over the years, I became more aware of what I was doing and started to watch myself.  I did and still do fail.  Since I have started my new job, I have heard all types of rumors and gossip; I am not surprised, just aggravated that people take conversations out of context.  I really like my job; I enjoy working with the students.  When I graduate I will have a minor in teaching, as well as my advanced practice nurse in family mental health.  I did this for two reasons, I love working in mental health and I want to make a difference in the nursing profession as an instructor.  Once I finish school, I haven't really decided what I want to do.  I know I want to work in mental health and I want to teach.  When I am asked what I am going to do, I answer with "I haven't decided yet", which is the truth.  This week someone went to a co-worker and alluded that I was going to leave as soon as I graduate.  They went on to say that I was talking about doctors I wanted to work with and so on.  Well, I have talked about doctors I want to work with.  I will have to work as a nurse practitioner to maintain my certification and license as an advanced practice nurse.  There are some doctors that I respect and really want to work with and in the course of conversations I have said that.  But!!! that did not mean I was planning on quiting or anything else.  Just conversation and a desire to work with who I consider the best.  So often we repeat only part of the conversation and that is the part that becomes distorted and repeated.  So frustrating!!!!!!  Well enough about that.  I hope I set the record straight.  I guess I will have to have scripts to read when talking to others, so that I don't say anything that can be misconstrued. 
      This week flew by.  I'm not sure where the time went.  I have one test left on Monday and the semester is finished for me.  So much to do, I am going to enjoy myself and if some things don't get completed, life will go on.  We have steadily been working on Christmas decorating.  The lights are beautiful as well as the tree and garland.  Things look like Christmas, but the weather feels like spring.  I want it to cool down some more.  I guess that is one of the draw backs of living in south Texas.  I am okay with out snow, but I do enjoy the crisp temperatures (not enough in south Texas).  Going to do a little studying then off to bed.  Good night. 
 

End of the Semester is in sight

      Yeah!!!!  I finished one class and only have one to go.  Yesterday was my last Assessment of the Population class.  We had our final class presentations and course evaluations.  Our instructors were so kind, they brought snacks for the whole class.  Now, I just have pharmacology to finish.  Tomorrow is our last class and we have our final on Monday.  Then I am free for several weeks.  I can't wait because that means I can start baking.  I have most of the presents wrapped and only need to do a few things to get ready for Christmas. 
     Kevin and I were talking about Christmas and exchanging gifts.  I told him about how I over heard a little girl, about 7 or 8, telling her teacher about how on her birthdays she asks her guests not to bring her presents but to bring things for other needy children.  I asked Kevin about doing that with our children and their birthdays and he thought is was a good idea too.  We both decided for Christmas that, if our family or friends want to exchange gifts that we ask them to consider doing this instead.  We both feel that we have what we need and there are others who aren't as fortunate.  I am excited about this!!
      With the end of the semester, I can read again.  During school, I feel like I should only be reading my school books so I tend to neglect my leisure reading.  Not now, I can pull out my books and get started.  I have a couple of mysteries that I can't wait to tackle.  I found a book on Abraham Lincoln and his presidential Cabinet that I want to get started on as well.  I think it is called a "Team of Rivals".  So much to do and so little time.  It seems like the weeks I have off between semesters is over in 48 hours.  I look forward to my graduation date, so I can relax and not have to worry about semesters and deadlines. 
      Off to do a little studying and then dust off those books:)