August Is Here!

I've started about 10 blog posts this summer and they're all sitting behind the scenes, waiting for their big debut but they need to have pix added or grammar corrected or make sure I haven't said anything I'll regret later (not that I have that problem. ehemmm) and the moment is gone and the words are old news. So this week I chose some pretty recent pix to upload then write something to explain each one. If you're reading this, you know how this idea turned out.

Here's a little bit of what we've been doing. Some of it will be exciting.

The church Bible Study meets at our house every Wednesday. We have a group of 10 to 12 people most weeks. We have been studying the book of Luke. Scott leads the night starting with prayer requests and then we go on to the study. We've had some wonderful answers to our prayer requests. Wonderful in the way you know it was the Lord at work because of how things fell into place. And the study has been excellent also. I wasn't here last week for the study but had feedback from a couple people that it was great night. He does not usually put his foot up on the table to lead.

I wasn't at study last week because it was the last week before school started. I packed up 4 of my kids and went to visit my mom. These girls were full of energy and wore their dress up clothes most of the week--especially the high heels which they weren't wearing as I snapped this pic because they 

were getting ready to take a flying leap!

OK, before you look at the next picture I have to 'splain a little. School started this week and I decided to use my rice cooker to make steel cut oats because of this blog post. Love steel cut oats, love a protein breakfast for my gang, love "hands off." You with me? The above said blog post does not give any specific instructions, indeed her rice cooker has a "porridge" setting. I debated exactly the ratios and if I should or shouldn't try it in my simple one button (on/off) rice cooker. The clock was ticking as I debated in my mind so I gave up and threw it in. 2 cups oats, 8 cups water (the box proportions), "ON".  I came back 15 minutes later to a wonderful smell wafting out of the kitchen and the kids shouting, "MOM, something's happening with your stuff!" Great gobs of bubbling over indeed was happening.

I pulled the plug, popped the lid and looked at a liquidy mess. Sigh, threw the lid closed again in case it would finish any cooking still needed and be salvageable. 

Don't miss that big pile of paper towels on the floor where the bubbling goo landed too. Needless to say I needed to mop my floor that day (Wednesday, second day of school was when all this took place) and I did get my kitchen beautifully swept and the rug washed up but the mopping never did get done. Apparently oatmeal goo is not all that sticky.

When the lunches were packed and it was time to revisit breakfast I peeked in the rice cooker, gave it a stir and realized nothing was burned, gave a tiny taste and forged ahead. I added cream and maple syrup and served it up. They all shouted, "hurrah!" and the birds started singing. It was normal and delish, tasted the same as when I make it on the stove top. I loved that I could walk away from it and not have to stir and would definitely recommend this minus the bubbling over part. Now my dilemma is how to tweak it to make it not boil over. I had enough for a second day's worth of breakfast so I think I'll just halve the quantity and give it a go again.

Walmart is here. There are also two smaller, more local stores I've come to appreciate and frequent, Berkots for groceries, and Big R for your mini-Cabelas/get your western fair wear (I LOVE Big R and wish I needed cowboy boots and giant blingy belt buckles, not that either would be flattering on me.) But occasionally I find only the Wmart will have what a wanna-be cowgirl really needs (I don't remember what that was) but the other night I came out and almost spilled the milk (I don't really think it was milk because its on sale at Berkots.) The sky was gorgeous! I get a lot of awesome sky out here. It seems so big and lower to the ground than any place I remember being before. Anyhow, my camera phone does NOT do these big beautiful skies any justice, but here it is anyhow. Peter was with me.

I'm a little embarrassed with the last pix. It's a selfie. I was recently reading an article on …"if you're gonna do 'em… here's how." So, whatever, I found myself testing some of the techniques the other night and I have an update that can go along with it because it involves me. So, sorry for the vanity pix at the end here, but just pray for her anyhow! 

Scott and I have been pondering me going back to work as a nurse. I haven't worked in 6 years but our youngest is in Kindergarten now and we could use the financial relief, and we also realize it will be a good way to get to know people here in our new town. Back in June I sent an email to the human resources dept. of the hospital here in town expressing my interest in an OR position that was Monday through Friday with some call but that I was still awaiting my IL nursing license. No response. Okay.

I would occasionally see nursing jobs posted that included frequent weekends and nights and things of that nature. Well, as things moved along, Scott got a job at the bank and July was full as he started that. I began teaching children's church and helping sing some of the songs for worship on Sunday morning. I thought my nursing license had come but it was a notice requiring fingerprinting for it. I did that and sent it off again. July was packed, football started, we've had a steady stream of (much beloved) friends visit on weekends. As we discussed my working, we both felt I should not pursue a position that would require weekends, nights, etc. It just would not fit. We just prayed and decided to wait and make more decisions about it all when my license came. 

About 3 weeks ago I got an email from the gal I had sent the note to in human resources. She was notifying me of an opening in surgery and outpatient and was I interested? The one in outpatient with no call was full time. I spoke with her later that week and she encouraged me to fill out the online application and schedule an interview even though I didn't have my license yet. My license came the next day. 

My interview was yesterday (Wednesday). They would like someone in outpatient and it requires no call and she is fine with this being a part time position. It's Monday through Friday with hours that vary but as she showed me the current gal's recent hours she was able to leave before 3pm on several days and a couple days she didn't even clock in until 9am. Of course, some days require a 6 or 7 am start and some evenings require a person to stay until 5pm. 

Scott and I feel like this is an excellent option for us. We believe God has given us a vision for how this can work and then opened doors to show us this is where He's taking us. It will mean adjustments and tweaking but then that is nothing new for us. 

I must go empty my cruddy old rusting, tine missing, non rolling trays dishwasher because my awesome sauce mom is visiting and bought us a shiny new DW and it will be here in 5 minutes and the guy will probably kill himself trying to climb over the pile of garage sale stuff in the garage. So you see, I gotta go. Here's that last pic, you were warned!

xo L