As a nurse (and also as a human) I know that there are people we connect with more than others. I've had many experiences at work when I've received report from a nurse that a certain patient was difficult, or needy, or apathetic, or rude, or a thousand other non-attractive personality traits! Immediately I make a judgement about the patient and it either places a black cloud over my relationship with her and the whole shift is tainted, or I get in to see her and I have a connection with her that is absolutely opposite of what I'd planned on experiencing. I know I've given report that I had a hard time with someone and found out the next shift that the nurse I gave her to had a wonderful experience. Sometimes the opposite happens...where one nurse enjoys a patient and thinks she rocks then the next nurse who gets her thinks she's hard to deal with --it totally goes both ways!!
Anyway, back to my original idea...sometimes I have such unique and amazing connections with families that completely make my night! I had just such a connection with Paul, Brookelle and Kole, this amazing new little family who started their journey with pain issues, sleep deprivation and an uphill battle with breastfeeding!!! Happens all the time :) I spent a good portion of two shifts in their room trying to make the transition from "couple" to "parents" run smoothly. They were so sweet and grateful for my help and they endeared themselves to me by being so incredibly patient. So after I loved them and left them, I found this note in my box....and their words made my day! Believe me, there are many frustrating shifts where I'm sure I'm the worst nurse in the universe or that I don't feel I helped anyone at all! But one small "thank you" speaks louder than a thousand inadequacies on my part. It is for this reason that

I LOVE MY JOB.

10 Random Things I'm Thankful For...

Felt the need to blog, but can't quite say what's in my heart just now..... so I decided to throw out some things I'm grateful for......not a complete list, mind you, just a few...

FRIENDS....those who stand by us every day as well as those who've left us--they have ALL touched our lives...

WATER...cold and crisp for drinking as well as hot and cleansing for showering, washing stuff and generally making life cleaner :)

SLEEP....good old fashioned shut-eye, whether power nap or a full 8 hours, it's much needed and I LOVE it!

FIREFIGHTERS.....they save lives, plain and simple.

SNUGGLES.....from teeny tinies, mamas, aunts, friends, lovers, dogs, blankies or daddies, doesn't matter--we all need 'em, any time, any where.

MITTENS.....and caps, scarves, coats etc. When it's cold out, I'm grateful for whatever warms me....I guess I could add hot cocoa to this category as well...

PILLOWS....and the little eyes that peek out from them! After a long day, the best thing in the world is a soft pillow to welcome me to my bed....and my nieces and nephews make me smile equally as much :)

JESUS CHRIST.....we celebrate Him as the greatest gift at Christmas and the Savior of the world at Easter....and every day He blesses my life.

MY MOTHER.....for being the kind of mother who has the guts to purchase this sweatshirt for her grown daughter....should I take the hint that she thinks I have attitude??!! Plus, she taught me how to love.

ALL THESE PEOPLE.....they're why I am who I am (so blame them if you don't like me) and they love me unconditionally, even when they're cold and wiggly.

Just some, not all, of the things I'm grateful for. Not by a long shot.

The last night of the decade, 2009...

I had to work New Year's Eve this year. It's ALWAYS busy on December 31st (everyone is trying to get their "little tax deductions" in by the end of the year :). We knew there was no chance of getting cut that night, so we decided to party like it was 1999 (wishing that it was...who wouldn't like a "do-over" decade??!!). Here's proof that we ended the decade in true-nursery style!

Rhianne and I had been at Walmart several nights before and saw these awesome headbands (and the glasses) and HAD to have them! We wore these for probably about 10 hours that night! I told parents that they were birthday hats in celebration of their baby's birthday :)

The matching set...

Pucker up, baby!!!

Britt brought fancy crowns to add to our party getup so we could ALL look fabulous! Liz, Britt, me, Rhianne, and Sarah

Annalee busted her sparkly antennae out too!

Do a little dance...

...make a little love...

...get down tonight!!!

Drinking a celebratory toast of Voltage from med cups...that's how nurses do it!

Rhi, Sarah, me, Vendla and Britt rockin' the night away :)

Oops we must have done it again! (I don't remember what, though....I wonder if Britt spiked my Voltage.....???)

You know exactly what was going through our collective minds at this precise moment...."Heeyyyyy!"

Blowing a kiss to 2009 and ready for all the love, loss, laughter, learning and life 2010 has to offer!

Since I had to spend the night working, I couldn't have picked greater peeps to enjoy it with!!!

Happy 2010!!!

Sisters! Sisters! There were never such devoted sisters...

For a reason I cannot yet comprehend, I "assisted" my Mom in choosing Christmas Day 2009 as the day we'd take our Wilson Family photos....bad idea. For oh so many reasons. These pictures are exhibit A in proving that the whole group family pictures were a disaster. But, as on that day, this day, too, I won't dwell on my poor choices! It was bitter cold and these pics show that only the toughest of the Wilson clan can still smile while freezing their backsides off! Notice the absence of men...except, of course, our faithful photographer, Dave, who had my camera. Kyrsten had Jenn's. Bless their souls!

Me, Amy, Jenn and Amber...I didn't get the memo that we weren't posing "sassy"...

The impromptu photo shoot started because I wasn't willing to leave this beautiful bridge without at least a few pictures taken there! Amy, Jenn and I started it, then noticed that Steve and Amber's car was still in the parking lot a hundred yards away, so we waved her over as well! That's just called taking advantage of a gorgeous setting!

A little sass, just cause we can!

We had fun, laughing the whole time--I don't think they believed we were really going to TOUCH the frozen bridge metal...but I was seriously focused on doing just that!

...and here we are, bravely snuggling with the frigid metal!

...then we had to snuggle with each other to warm up!

Oh yeah, we went ahead and climbed on up...then straddled it for good measure! Totally worth it, I think, cause it's such a fun pose!

And it was hysterically funny trying to hold each other up there!

I wish all my sisters had been there to play with us! I'm SO grateful for each of my sisters, who build me up and love me just the way I am!

Do we call the Connectikittens "Kansas-cats" or "Chihuahuas"?

For Sadie's birthday, my Mom and I wanted to surprise her for a visit to their new home in Kansas (although the kids insist they don't LIVE there, they're just RENTING :) We flew in late Thursday night and Steve and Amber picked us up from the airport, assuring us that the kids knew nothing of our visit...just as we had hoped :) They gave us their master bedroom, and informed us that Wyatt might be dropping by, his habit lately is to crawl into their bed several times a night....Steve said he'd already done it twice before 11pm that night. Sure enough, about 1:30, he shows up on my side of the bed. I say, "hi, Wy. It's Mellie." He climbs up and snuggles in between Grandma and I. He sleeps like Sid the sloth, so we didn't get much sleep, with all of his wiggling. My Mom told me the next morning she hadn't heard him come in and thought I was the restless sleeper! His face was priceless when he woke up and saw Aunt Mellie and Grandma where his parents were supposed to be...he just kept looking back and forth and rubbing his eyes! Just about then, I heard Steve and Amber talking to Sadie in the hall...asking if she got everything she wanted for her birthday. She said, "Yeah. But Mellie's present didn't come and she said it would be here on Thursday!" He replied that she better check out his room and they opened the door to me and Grandma doing, "SURPRISE!!!" Another priceless expression as she jumped up and down and ran to hug us. And of course, Christian was totally cool and easy-going about the whole thing. "Oh, Mellie and Grandma in the bed? Ok. Whatevs." (I'm sure that's what he was thinking :)
So, here are some random pics from the weekend--we mostly spent our time just hanging out, wrestling (Wyatt kept begging for more!), snuggling, playing games, and a little shopping and site seeing:)

Grandpa Mel sent balloons for the kids--they absolutely loved them. It broke my heart, though, when Christian couldn't blow one up! He would huff and puff and shake with the effort, then, with a defeated look on his face, he'd bring the totally soggy balloon to me and say "Blow it, please". Killed me!

Grandma brought a Siamese cat for Christian and a horse for Wyatt (cause he's addicted to horses), but Wyatt fell in love with the kitten, and it never left his clutches all weekend. He kept calling it a Chihuahua. Hmmm.

Sadie loved her new makeup, which she immediately put on, using her Caboodle mirror (she's turned into such a girl!) while Ruby climbed over everything and everybody to get to the stretchy spiders!

Where she immediately tested the strength of said stretchy spiders!

Chihuahua, Horse and Hippo. Wyatt is most happy when surrounded by his animals, as evidenced by his cheesy grin!

All clean! I love those two tiny teeth!

Telling bedtime stories to Sadie and Wyatt...yes, I did climb up her ladder to her super high bed, where I couldn't even sit up straight on! And yes, that's the ceiling fan above her head. She's rocks that bunk!

Grandma Rosemary and the bed-jumpers.

Getting ready to go to a marble factory and to Liberty Jail in Missouri.

I absolutely LOVE this shot of Christian giving loves to Grandma. He's just so stinking sweet!

Chrisch and Sadie jammy-snuggling watching Curious George's Christmas...a gift from Grandma that Chrisch went nuts over!

Sadie had to spread the joy of makeup with Grandma...giving her a makeover, complete with painted nails, sparkly eyeshadow and lip gloss :) Like I said, total girl!

This kiddo likes to sit next to-slash-on top of his movie buddies...and don't we love it!

See what I mean?! This was the night I must have been made of Velcro, cause neither Chrisch nor Wyatt could stop from jumping on me. Don't think I didn't love it, cause I most certainly did!

Sadie Mae helping her Grandma do dishes. She's such a sweetheart!

During my princess makeover on the bunk!

Playing Candy Land!

I've seen this look before on Ruby's big sister...isn't she precious?? This dress was made by a friend of mine from work, and it was fun to see it on her (Sadie has a twin one in the next pic)

Miss Weasel-pants, my best friend!