It has been a while, but here are some of Nancy's musings of late

Nursing job: working on average 30 hours a week because we are so short and picking up on business. Good for money but not for time and energy.

Counseling: started at Snowden at Fredericksburg through Mary Washington Healthcare. working there on Thursdays and Fridays from 9am til ? Usually hanging out there for at least 20 hours/week, but still need more face to face. Will I ever graduate is the question and then what to do after that. Still have 4 clients from the Center for Family Counseling.

Work: total, I work 50-60 hours/week.

Books: Just read "I remember Nothing" by Nora Ephron on my Kindle (first book read electronically without flipping pages!). She is a funny author and has done several books that have been made into movies such as Sleepless in Seattle and Hanging Up. This book is about getting older and reminiscing a bit. She does mention that it would be nice to be able to believe in God-making death easier but she did not. How sad. She did mention that divorce is so hard on children-she was divorced twice but has been married the third time for 30 years.

I also read Tim Keller's newest book on Justice. Interesting message on what to do with the poor verses rich dilemma. I also read parts of Leviticus and am not convinced that either Republicans or Democrats or Capitalists are right. Please Jesus come and lets go back to a Theocracy!

Scrabble on the Kindle-I will beat that computer yet!

David II: it is looking like he is really planning on going to University of Minnesota where he has been accepted. We are waiting for an answer from Penn. State at the end of the month then will probably decide in February. Dave is busy working on taxes and the FAFSA for the financial end of this endeavor. I need to get busy looking for scholarships (even the remotest). I am so cold here that I do not know how I am going to visit him if he goes there! Dave, David and I are visiting the last weekend in January, so I need to brace myself. I do get to try cross country skiing which is cool-only $3 on the campus. They can have the downhill skiing.

Exercise: I am forced to wake up at the ungodly hour of 6 am and go to the club because I hate the cold and have no other time to work out with all this work! I managed to go 3x this past week.

Headaches: still bad. Thinking of trying another neuro doc who specializes in headaches. So discouraging.

Birthday: Went to Maggiano's on Saturday with friends and went to Tysons Corner mall for shopping. That is a great mall but so tempting to spend money. That is why I can only go once/year.

Holidays: Went to the Biltmore in NC-amazing and then to Ohio with Dave's family, fun. Now if I can just stop EATING!

School: NO MORE CLASSES! Just the internship/hours.

Sleep: lacking! (JK, just when I have headaches it is bad).

Housework: falling apart a bit-good thing for cleaning people and Dave. I made a menu of over 30 meals, some kids can make. All need to do their chores!

after watching some PBS, work and waiting for the warden to feed the prisoners, I thought I would catch people up on the college tour.

First stop was Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University). Beautiful campus. A couple hour tour of the architecture school. I didn't realize that they had wood shop and metal shop. Saturday football games would be fun.

Next stop was UNC-Charlotte. Nice school in the city of Charlotte. Reminded me of George Mason. Jonny liked it because it was near the Carolina Panthers. Architecture school tour was quick and not as detailed as Va Tech. I think that is where Arianna got her black eye playing basketball with the family.

We breezed in through NC State in Raleigh. We were really there to visit friends.

Final stop was Penn State. Another beautiful campus in a small college town. The architecture school was great. Out of state tuition is expensive. David liked the chance to spend a semester overseas in Rome.

We still want to check out University of Virginia but so far it seems to be a tie between Virginia Tech and Penn State.

November

The mouse: it is getting a bit chilly (30's at night) so other creatures besides me are cold. I go to recycle some paper in my green box recycling bin and I see 2 tiny legs and a tail burrowing under the papers. AAAAHHH! I yell, Dave says, "What?!" "Mouse in the recycle bin! I just can't deal with that!" "I'll get it", says my brave man and out he goes into the garage to haul the bin outside in hopes the mouse will go out into the night. Instead, the mouse leaps onto his foot and races to the other end of the garage. I hear a yell and see my 6 foot 4 inch husband topple over onto the garage floor. I thought it was a snake they way he carried on. "Where are the traps?"

He set a spring trap with peanut butter and surprise, dead mouse in it by morning. I hope there is not a family still in our garage somewhere.

School: I am in a marriage class and am enjoying it. We have to counsel a couple. It is very interesting. I think I am going to like marriage counseling which is good, b/c that is what I am going into.

NYC: I get to go to NYC twice-this weekend by myself and in December just Dave and I. I am excited and looking forward to seeing my brother and his new apartment (which is still in renovation stage but still).

Sleep studies: Jonny and I are getting sleep studies in the next 2 weeks. I hope they can figure out some helps for our inattention, hyperactivity and lack of sleeping ability.

Couches: I briefly thought about buying new couches a few months ago and praised God I did not b/c one kid spilled soda all over the couch and my kids got chocolate on it. The couch and love seat in my family room are from when I was a teenager (you do the math).

Exercise: I went back to weight lifting at least 2x/week-soreness! Was doing well with running but this week was too much working and headaches!

Kids: They need to slow down! Marching band is over but soccer is still going this week-it is dragging worse than the World Series!

-Nancy

The Crisp Fall

I'm cold already. That is NOT good. Our friends invited us to a last pool party. needless to say I did not go in the water. But Dave and the kids did and I was nice and warm after being freezing all morning. I came home after church and donned my jeans and long sleeved shirt. One thing about menopause I am looking forward to-hot flashes! I really hope I get a bit warmer!

School: The kids have completed 2 weeks of school and I have finished half of my course. We are chugging along.

Book: Do Hard Things by the Harris brothers. It is about helping teens rebel against low standards and the myth of adolescence. Excellent.

Crape Myrtles: The Crape Myrtles in Virginia are in full bloom right now in Virginia. They should be the state flower. They are so hardy here and so beautiful. They are in white, pink, lavender and bright pink. They stay in bloom for about 2 months.

Arianna lost her 8th tooth and the tooth fairy missed the first night. She cried. The tooth fairy made up for it by giving her $2 and apologizing.

Jonny made percussion in school and has been banging on his drums (and would do so all day if we would let him). We bought him drum stick, drum pad, and rented bells from the school. He is always keeping a beat.

David will turn 16 in 5 days and his Varsity jacket will come in about 2 more weeks. He is busy with band, school and studying.

Elizabeth actually has to study this year and has started spanish. We are trying to figure out if she should apply for governor's school or the international baccalureate program.

Uncle Jonny is home from sea safely.

I worked on Saturday but got time and a half! That was worth it.

We are trying to get some fall yard work done. Some plants are so hardy and pretty (see crape myrtles above) and some are so high maintenance (I guess people are similar).

I am reading through and thinking about Ezekiel. The main theme: So that all will know that I am the LORD (YHWH-breath of life, God of covenant, very life itself). I am going to count how many times God says that. It is amazing how much we forget that and yet with each breath we take we should remember it.

Time to right another paper for my adolescent class. I am really enjoying this one. I had to watch the movie, Big with Tom Hanks from 1988 and then watched Juno from 2008 about a 16 yr old teenager who was pregnant and gave her child up for adoption. Then I have 3 papers on these interesting case studies and a research paper on an adolescent issue. It has been great especially since I have my own adolescents and work with them in church.

-Nancy

Summer's End

Summer is quickly drawing to a close and the crazy fall is about to begin. I haven't written for over a month (I've been kind of down) so I'll try not to be lengthy but catch you up:

Races: I just ran one 5k at the end of July for the Christian Health Center in Fredericksburg. Did a lot better than last year but it is in the evening and so hot. I dislike evening races for that reason. I haven't run a race since (or really even done much running since).

Biking: My friend and I biked 40 miles on July 27th! We were impressed with ourselves. We went on the Washington and Old Dominion Trail. My son, David and her son went with us. I have been biking since.

School: I have completed 36 credits and have started a new class on adolescence (perhaps it will help me with my own 2 almost 3 if you count Jonny).

David and driving: Since he is partially color blind, driving at night is a bit more difficult! We still need almost 14 more hours of night driving. He should get his license in January if we can get all these hours in. Then I can get help schlepping everyone around!!!!!!

Schlepping around: I am as usual, a bit overwhelmed with that. Jonny and Elizabeth are on 2 different soccer teams. Arianna is taking piano on Thursdays and dance on Mondays and David is in Marching band daily (although I think he can take the activity bus after school so that is a help). Friends help me with band during the summer and when there is not bus and I seem to have help with Elizabeth and soccer so I hope it works.

Dave and work: he may work in Fredericksburg 2-3 days/week-that would be a blessing and help with the above.

Me and work: still has its ups and downs. I hope I can stick it out. It has been stressful helping start up a new hospital with new people. I am glad I am part-time.

Letting go: God is really teaching me to continue to let as much as I can go and rest in Him. This is very hard for me.

I Kissed Dating Goodbye Seminar: Dave and I were able to give that seminar yesterday to the youth and parents at church based on Joshua Harris' book. It went well. I enjoyed doing it and think it provided a good foundation for our youth in the area of relationships.

Books: I am reading the Twilight series to see what all the hubbub is about with the youth. I can't stand the romance part of it (see above) but do enjoy the vampire/werewolf part. I have been on the edge of my seat a couple of times. The books could be about half of their lengths but they are easy reads and a nice change from the heavy duty books I usually read.

God uses all: When reading Ruth for probably the millionth time, I just noticed that Tamar who snagged Judah by prostitution was in the line of Boaz and therefore David and more importantly Jesus. I am so glad God does not discount us when we are weak, disgusting and sinful. That is how I have felt lately. It just brings Him much more glory so that is very good.

My boy, David, got a 4 on his World History AP test!!!! (3 is passing, most colleges accept 4's and 5's). I am so proud of him! Now he is already working on AP English and American History!

Now for SAT prep and visiting colleges! Yikes, we better get moving!
-Nancy

News for summer

I, Nancy, thought I would catch you all up.

Running: David, Jonny and I ran the Fredericksburg Heritage 5 miler and enjoyed it. I beat my time for last year and ran it in 44 minutes, 47 seconds. I was happy.

Good Book: Hind's Feet in High Places. Amazing book about surrendering all to the Lord and not being so anxious. (Main character is Much Afraid in this allegory which really hits home for me).

David: starts driving school Monday. Has 8 sessions that he can't miss and takes a test at the end that if he passes, he won't have to take at the DMV.

VBS this week for our church. David and Elizabeth working.

Arianna: off to Lynchburg today for music camp with her friend. Then when she comes home, she immediately goes to kids' camp with Jonny and Elizabeth and our church. She'll be worn out.

Music: Arianna has had 3 piano lessons now. We managed to get a new keyboard, full size, with pedal and weighted touch sensitive keys. I hope she sticks with it. David has been brushing up on the mellaphone with some lessons this summer-marching band, here he comes. Jonny is getting some decent sounding notes out on the saxophone with David's help.

We had our first party on the new patio. It is really nice. People enjoyed it.

We all had some great Lebanese food tonight thanks to Moses Abdallah's mom and aunt.

Hospital: needs to get busier! Today we had an open house. I am actually working at my old hospital this week. It will be fun to see everyone that I worked with for years.

School: I am done with 33 credits. I am in the middle of another class. This one is on assessment. I took an online IQ test. Scored high on verbal. Surprised?