Happy Mother's Day 2013!

Last week at work, we celebrated Nurses' Week.  I had the opportunity to assist with the carnival that the hospital had put together for the nurses to enjoy.  It was very fun...

  

and I got to meet some super heroes, too!  I'm in blue scrubs beside Ironman. 

The weather has been spectacular, and we've all been spending as much time as possible outdoors.  While going for a run around the local park, I saw this sweet sculpture and snapped a picture for Megan. 

It's been 11 months since I started Grad School.  I have hit the halfway mark with just about a year to finish up, depending on how long it takes me to feel confident/competent in the clinical setting.  In the state of Florida, I have to become Board Certified (by an exam by either the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners or by the American Nurses Credentialing Center - depending on which test I want to take) before I can apply to the Board of Nursing for my state license as a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner (or any NP for that matter), and so, under the advice of a wonderful friend who recently completed this crazy nurse practitioner school journey,  I ordered an audio review course to add to my arsenal of study aids for Board Certification. I'm loving these CDs! Joshua rode with me to Costco yesterday and asked if we could listen to my "school CDs", because he likes to listen to the test taking tips! 

Last week also found us at a local ice cream walk-up place for a Pop Warner Cheering party.  The girls got to meet up with some of the rest of their team. 

It was a beautiful warm night and it was nice to see many familiar faces. 

Daniel pointed out to me this sign this week....because it has good manners.  

I was scheduled to work all of Mother's Day weekend.  So Friday evening, we went to get some yummy dinner together.  

Keith and Megan searched high and low in Lowes for the perfect plant for Grandma Holloway. 

Saturday morning, I woke up very early to volunteer for the first annual milk run.  It was a 5K race to raise money for the Central Florida Breast Milk Bank.  Now, nobody bats an eyelash when the Big Red Bus drives by asking folks for blood donations, but once someone starts talking about human milk donation, people get creeped out by it.  The run was to raise money to help get the milk bank up and running, to decrease the cost of shipping in milk from other states' milk banks.  Human milk saves human babies' lives, especially all the little miracle premature babies.  

I was given the job of watching over the post-run snacks and then handing out food after the run.  I may have eaten a Krispy Kreme donut. 

The kiddos each made me something spectacular for Mother's Day. 

Daniel - a sweet magnet 

Joshua - an origami Yoda with a nice handwritten note inside 

Megan - a teapot card with a teabag for some green tea

The we played a little Ticket to Ride before bed. 

The following day, Keith got a package from something he ordered from the Phillipines.  The kids needed some extra help finding that on the map. 

A late night study session with sweet Lilly. 

Hey, look, it's the Google Maps mobile filming streets for accurate pictures for the website.  

Megan has been working on learning multiplication facts.  She sits on the couch with me in the evening, and she studies her flash cards, while I study mine. 

Evidently, the American Girl dolls were helping her to get her homework done. 

Having finished her Nancy Drew book, she moved onto a mystery from the American Girl author.  

And this is what happens when I take Joshua with me to Costco. 

My sweet Daniel and his fresh smoothie. 

Daniel's artwork from the Art Show.  I guess if I had looked closer, I would have known it was his...notice the ninjas! 

The oven has been working on and off for the past month.  It stopped working, then started working fine the next day, then stopped again a few days later.  So, Keith is working on it, and it now resides in the middle of the kitchen floor.  

The boys went for quick Sports Physicals today and both are cleared for football. They loved that Spiderman (the movie) was playing on the TV in the waiting room. 

Looking forward to another great week!!