Following Doctor's Orders!

Since my last post just a couple of days ago, my hand got bluer for longer periods of time. To make a long story short, the past 2 days have been filled with doctor visits, multiple phone calls, and tests.....which all show that I'm a healthy person and there's no major reason for my blue hand. So, here I sit with a hand that looks dead, but feels normal. Creepy, but grateful. No major problems, so my doctor's orders were to "keep living your life like normal and try not to let the blue hand get in the way of life". So, peeps, that's what I'm doing. In a weird, creepy way, I kinda like to show it off, so if you ever see me, feel free to check it out :).

So, following dr's orders, here's a glimpse in a few pictures (testing out the new camera!) of "life" in apt 185 tonight:

1) 3 quick games of ticket to ride (Julie was talented and managed to get the new all time low score and high score in back to back games (10 and 160)

2) Caleb watching the Cowboys/Packers game:

3) You can't really tell by this pic, but the right hand is the blue one.

We're black and blue

We tried to take pictures of our current ailments, but they just didn't do justice. Caleb has been sporting a black eye for about a week now. He has tried to come up with a great reason, but always ends up telling the truth--" I got beat up by his 3 year old nephew". We had a great time with Caleb's family over Thanksgiving, but Caleb got Hayden a little too wound up wrestling, and he head butted him right below his eye. It's slowly fading, but he continues to get questions daily.

As far as my "ailment"....I have this weird blue hand thing going on. My right hand randomly turns blue. It's actually blue as I'm typing this now. I went to the dr today and did some blood work, but he doesn't think it's anything to worry about. It's just freaky looking...but, I guess it's all good and I'll just have a blue hand at random times throughout the day. Too bad I can't induce it, or it could be my special talent. Still working on finding that special talent Caleb!

I pick up our digital camera tomorrow so get ready, blogworld, for photos galore of our daily life. Probably boring, but I will capture it as it is now.....I mean, hopefully these are our last few months living "the good life" in Uptown. Then we'll really be getting old with a house, and babies...woa, I'm getting WAY too ahead of myself. I just want to capture our life now. Hence, the reason for the blog. And for your personal enjoyment, whoever you are reading this.

10K this weekend with Chels! My winter league ultimate also starts, but we'll see if I play. I mean, I know I'm pure athlete, but I don't know how much endurance I'll have after a 6.2 mile run :). Caleb is playing in a tournament in Denton with his club team, so it will be a weekend 'o ultimate for us.

Hudson has still not arrived :(. I can't wait to meet that little guy! We had a false alarm last night...I went over and kept the boys while Emily went to the hospital. Her contractions stopped and they sent her home. Definitely by this time next week he will be here, as they'll induce next Tuesday. As long as he's after Nov. 30, Caleb is the winner of the pool. Speaking of winners, I must admit he's beating me 13-10 in Ticket to Ride. Dang. It's still early in the game.

School is out and I'm loving it :). Now just on to the job search....

November 20th

I have been looking forward to "November 20th" for months now. Today marks the day that I am done. Done with classes. Done with my internship. Done with the Praxis (hopefully!). Done with my master's degree. Although I thought I would run out of my internship today filled with excitement, freedom, and relief, I was actually sentimentally sad. Saying goodbye to my supervisor, we both teared up a little. Writing Julie Wood, BS, Grad Student on my last progress note. Next time, it will be Julie Wood, MS. Great feeling, but at the same time, I really enjoyed my time in graduate school and am kinda sad for it to end. Today was also my day for Hudson to arrive in the family pool---nope, doctor says he needs to "cook" a little longer. Oh well, I understand even more how critical that wombtime (that's not a word!) is, so I'm glad for his health :).

Looking forward to Thanksgiving with Caleb's fam and being a baker and a cook for the next couple of days. Will update with pictures :).

Oh, babies!

And, no, this is not my way of announcing a pregnancy! Now, that would be dorky :).

My weekend consisted of:

Saturday: helping to host a baby shower for sweet Jocelyn, due with baby boy Wilson (announcing the name Thanksgiving!) in January

Saturday pm: dinner with our friends Brent, Erin, and their almost one year old (Thanksgiving day!) precious little Katie. Here is a picture of them when she was born.

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Sunday am: working in 15-19 mos old class at church (sorry, no picture...but mentally picture crying kids staring up at Caleb as he attempts to juggle 3 huge balls)

Sunday pm: attending my sweet sister-in-law, Emily's, baby shower--our newest nephew, Hudson, will be here any day now! Here are Hayden, Harrison, and our niece Sophia playing in the bathtub a couple of months ago. These cousins will have fun all being the same age....and babysitting our kids :). Hudson will be baby brother to Hayden (right) and Harrison (middle).

More and more of our "hang outs" recently have included babies! Crazy! Don't get me wrong...I am so happy for everyone else and love to love on other's babies, but we are so not ready for babies quite yet :). I'm still doing the job search thing and will hopefully work a couple of years before I am infected with the baby bug. Caleb is nowhere near ready either :). However, after our new nightly tradition of playing "ticket to ride", Caleb said tonight "this is why I want a big family, so we can play games". WHAT?! We shall see about that. There's a lot more to a big family than game nights, right? And....I'll keep you updated, but right now, I'm up 4-2. Caleb hates it :).

Caleb's mom also started a baby pool this week. Emily is due to have Hudson on Dec. 7th. Winner who picks closest gets $50. November 20th is my date :). Caleb, being the lawyer he is, waited until everyone else picked a date and took the "price is right" approach. We'll see what works.

Okay, boring post. Praxis (licensing) exam this Saturday and then I'm done with school FOREVER! I can't wait until Sunday, when I will never have to study again!

Thankful

It normally takes until the week of Thanksgiving before I reflect back on all the blessings in my life. Then I become selfish as we get into theChristmas season and somehow those blessings aren't "enough"--I want more and make my wish lists to hand out. Even though I have a few updates left from October (which I will get to!), the Lord has been showing me this week through my internship and Bible study how blessed I am. Being at the hospital gives such perspective. This week alone my caseload includes two 19 month old babies with malignant brain tumors, one 17 yo girl in coma who a couple of weeks ago was dancing on the football field as captain of the drill team, another 16 yo girl who was head cheerleader and now is trached and can't eat or talk, one 8 mos old baby boy who has never left the hospital, and multiple kids that have such severe behavioral and sensory feeding disorders that they are getting permanent tubes. One patient died yesterday. And that's just this week. Wow, so when I'm complaining about being stressed because I have the Praxis next week and baby shower stuff to do and laundry to fold....the Lord totally overwhelms me and gives me perspective. All this to say, I am so blessed. I am thankful that I am healthy, Caleb is healthy, and our family is healthy. I know that a time is coming when someone will get sick, and I pray that I can say "blessed be the name of the Lord", He gives and takes away. I'm at a period right now where He is giving and giving and my sin stares me in the face when I think it's not enough.

On a lighter note....

Oct 26 Caleb had his "golden birthday". The big 26! Yes, of course I got him a gift again that I returned the next week. Tradition continues. We went to a haunted house---after that experience we both decided I will never go to one again. Picture this: Caleb wearing a black jacket, draped over my head, with my head in his armpit refusing to open my eyes. Miserable. I really did try to have a good attitude, those things really just freak me out though. His bday continued through the weekend.....3 hours of disc golf on Saturday, watching the UT/Nebraska game, and then back to reality on Sunday.

Oct 31: Best Halloween party EVER! We went to our our friends Heather and Read's house for their annual "Halloween in the Hood" party. The rule to come was to bring a bag of candy---they had over 2000 trick or treaters! I didn't put in an extra zero--seriously TWO THOUSAND! CRAZY! So, we took turns handing out candy and hanging out with friends on the porch with great food and drinks! Here's our picture: Caleb was a UT football player (yes, since so many have been to jail in the past few months) and I was lame...I came from work, so I was a "nurse"