Beauty & Ashes & Sleep Deprivation

Night before last I got about 3 1/2 hours of sleep thanks to spending hours in the bathroom. I had to be on the floor of the hospital at 0615. When I came home I showered and crashed for a good hour. Having finished most of my paperwork at the hospital I decided to take the rest of the night off from school. My housemate and I watched the sunset outside on our huge porch and then created and amazing salad mixture for dinner.

Night came along with "family night" and friends over for a movie. As the day closed I sat on my floor letting a friend sob and weep in my arms as I prayed over her. Life is so full and busy that I told Andrea I feel like I'm living multiple lives. School and the hospital are one and life at the house is another. And I know we haven't even tapped into all we can do in the community as we've been focusing on building relationships at the house first and getting remodeling done.

But when I sit back I find myself amazed at this time of life and I really do feel at rest and at peace, though my body reminds me it wants a nap. Yesterday amid my other patients I got a post-op GYN case and missed midwifery all the more. Walking out of the hospital into warm sunshine I watched a new mom climbing into her car while a proud father gazed at his baby and gently kissed him before passing him on. someday....I really hope I can get back to births.

Undeserving

After living in a tiny efficiency by myself its been so nice to be in a big house with some great friends. I really don't deserve it all. As I sit in a pile of books and paperwork for clinicals (frustrated beyond belief.) they just know what I need....A BIG HUG. Ok, I can do this...I can get through this week.

Ode to the Toilet

So...still waiting on a toilet. I was up studying last night and couldn't help but put a little poem together. (note: the "Manor" is referencing part of our "official" house name by the church that bought it. )

Ode to the Toilet

by M. L. Richards

O little peach toilet,

so short and so stout

We must live without you

and yet we don’t pout

A cursed porcelain bowl

of this there’s no doubt

You’ve defied many a man

tools down, they walk out

But we shall overcome!

And then all shall see

The great bond between

the Manor girls, three

As they no longer hike

to go take a pee

Looking More Like Home

Our living room....It feels huge and we have 2 more to remodel! (still sans toilet)
The sweet bedroom I share with Andrea. We think the loft beds from Ikea give it a really roomy feel. I babysat the hammock chair last year and now we're sharing!

Pictures to Come

This weekend has been busy. I've been getting up before dawn to study and do what I need before school or the activity at the house picks up. The house is really coming together. I can't believe how big it is! I've enjoyed the camaraderie and cooking. Saturday we had brunch together then went for a walk around the neighborhood. Slowly but surely...

Pictures to come

The First Supper

We moved in! (the girls). The community apartment is being remodeled and the boy's apartment is still occupied. So for now the three girls are in and the guys are in an RV. I had to laugh this morning as I tried to go about a normal routine. All of the doors are off the hinges and we need to go get new ones. Sooooo...the bathroom has no door but that is ok because we don't have a toilet yet. =0)) Since the shower curtain is opque the rule is just if you hear water don't come in. =0)) We are in the process of moving in random bits of furniture, so the first supper was just on the floor.
Andrea and I laughed this reminded us of TMI trips as we put on our shoes before bed to hike to the apartment across the hall (the one under construction) to use the toilet there. (All rooms sans doors) Its an adventure for sure but I have to say I'm EXCITED. This morning before school I baked some pumpkin bread and it really does feel like home.

Welcome to Surgery

This semester we have been on some critical care floors and I spent the last couple of weeks at a day surgery center. Say what you will about birth, but I believe that cataract surgery or bone drills in orthoscopic surgery are so much grosser. Each day we had to be ready to go at 5:45am and in my first surgeries of the day I'd often feel a little woozie. I pulled it together and enjoyed seeing a new side of nursing. (and how crazy people act when coming out of anesthesia)

Poor Little Blog

Wow, my blog has been neglected! Life has been going full speed. We have quite a few responsibilities in the student nurse association right now. In addition I've been "homeless" since the first of the month. Remodeling on teh house into which I was to move has been delayed and thus most of us have been living in limbo I spent some time on a classmates couch...some tiem in an extended stay, and then back onto a classmates couch.

The other week we went over to the house to pray over it. They had pulled up the carpet so we wrote Scriptures on the walls as we went and prayed that God would make this a place of peace and ministry.

One a Wednesday night, the church who is buying the house for us brought church to us and commissioned us as missionaries in the neighborhood. Exciting times for sure. Here are some pics of the prayer night we had buy ourselves and some of our cleaning efforts. We girls hope to move in tonight (and slowly over the weekend) The guys apartment is on hold until after the end of the month.

Before...
Looking cleaner....(with a new floor)