SNOW

It is snowing just a bit here this morning. I can't believe it's only about 10 days until Thanksgiving. I must get better about updating the blog!!

The girls are doing well. Malia is a sophomore. They just finished marching band where she performed with the color guard. Concert band has started and they have a concert in December. Their big undertaking of the year is fund raising for a trip to Houston in April. She is anxiously awaiting the start of girls' swimming (not until March) but has been dong strength and conditioning as a class at school. She's definitely building some muscle. She already has her sights set on the state qualifying time for the 100 yd butterfly. Her other big event coming up is Hollyball, a formal dance, in December. She already has her dress. We still have to find jewelry and shoes and the hair appointment is made for that day.

Jessica is in 5th grade this year. She just finished outdoor soccer and basketball has started. She's not very tall but she's very tenacious when she's trying to protect that basketball. She is taking piano again this year as well.

Our new hospital is doing well!!! We have had over 60 deliveries since we opened July 7. The rest of the hospital continues to be busy as well. It is a very nice facility and the doctors who own it demand excellent staff. However we are rewarded with a very positive atmosphere to work in and the newest technology and equipment to work with.

A couple here in Great Bend won the Powerball lottery last week. Their take home was over $33 million dollars. They are a very deserving family. It is nice to see that things like that really do happen to "normal" people.

I have a new laptop so as soon as I figure out how to get pictures on here, I'll post some.

Hope everyone has a great week!!!

Love,
Jacquie

Happy 4th of July

It is hot, as usual, in central Kansas on this holiday week end. There are showers and storms to the north but not sure if they'll make it here or not. I think tomorrow is suppose to be a little cooler, only around 90 so that will be nice. We'll be having our usual block party tomorrow evening and a community (our block) fireworks display. The city is not doing a fireworks show here this year so we'll hang out here and watch the kids (both big and little) shoot their night works. It will be a good time with lots of good food and great friends.

We've been busy around here. We had Grandma's 90th birthday celebration on June 12. It was a great time!! She had two of her nieces and their husbands come for the party. Lee and Louella came from Sierra Vista, Arizona and Jim and Anna Mae came from Fullerton, CA. She was very surprised that they came.

The birthday girl



Lee, Louella, Grandma, Anna Mae and Jim


We had people here from Arizona and California, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado and Kansas. She received almost 70 cards and twice as many well wishes from the people here in town. I believe the youngest well wisher was 1 year old and the oldest was close to Grandma's age. People she has known for well over 50 years came to see her as well.




Pat Detwiler and Grandma

DJ, Doug, David, Dave and Suresh

I had 25 people at my house on Saturday night for dinner and 30 on Sunday night. It was great!! Grandma was there for all of it but by Sunday night, we could sure see her getting tired. She said she was stiff all week after her busy week end but she enjoyed every minute of it.

I went back to Denver with Karla and Suresh on Monday after the party. Karla and I went to Las Vegas on Tuesday for 3 days. It was great! We saw Bette Midler and Blue Man Group, ate at some really good buffets, had In N Out burgers, shopped, stayed up late and slept in. I got home on that Sunday and on Monday morning, bright and early at 8:00 am, I went here:

Yes, that's the front of my new place of employment: Great Bend Regional Hospital. We've spent 2 weeks finishing up, stocking supplies and writing policies. If you want to see more pictures, leave me a comment or e mail me and I'll send you the info. Or, if you're on FAcebook, add me as a friend and you can see the photo album there. We had a community open house yesterday. It was very emotional as this is a dream come true for these physicians that started almost 15 years ago. We open officially at 8:00 am on Tuesday but we are doing a c section on Monday so we'll have our first baby then! It has been exhausting work but it is sooooo nice!!!

Oh yeah, and in the middle of all this? Harvest got done. I didn't even see a combine at the farm this year. Jessica lived over there for the week and Doug went each night after he got off work. I know Grandma appreciated Jessica's jello and cookie making skills!! Malia didn't get to go over either. She's been helping with swim lessons twice a day and doing her usual job at the pool. She sure likes those paychecks!!!

I know this has been long but I hope you've enjoyed the pictures. I'll try to do a little better about updating the blog. It's just been a busy couple of weeks! I Hope this finds you all doing well and enjoying your summer and time with family and friends!!

Love,

Jacquie

Update

I know, I know. It's been forever since I posted. I don't know where the days, weeks and months go. You would think since I am a lady of leisure, I should have everything done and just sit around in my pink fuzzy slippers and eat bon bons - NOT!!!!

Let's start with kids. For the last 6 or 8 weeks, I have done nothing but follow this:

Yes, that's Malia, doing the butterfly for the high school swim team. She had a pretty good year for a freshman. They just finished their season on Tuesday. She didn't qualify for state but definitely improved throughout the year. I was able to go to all but 2 of her meets. I guess God did know what he was doing when I got laid off. If I had been working full time, I would have never gotten to go to all those meets. Suresh and Karla even came for one of her home meets. She is going to be working at the pool this summer. Since she's not 16 yet, she will work in the concession stand. She will be able to lifeguard next year. I think she is also going to help with swim lessons.

Then there's Jessica.

This picture is from her piano recital on April 16. This was her first real year of piano and she did very well. Sheis getting excited for school to be out. We are going to Denver just after Memorial Day. She gets to stay with Aunt Karla and Uncle Suresh for two weeks. She will come home when they come for Grandma's birthday party. One of the weeks she is there, she gets to go to a camp. As soon as she gets back from Colorado, she starts 2 weeks of swim lessons. I can't believe she's almost done with 4th grade!!!!

I am anxiously awaiting the new hospital to open. They are putting the finishing touches on it and I believe it is suppose to be turned over for occupancy on June 8. Our first day of operation is suppose to be July 6. I can't wait!!! The new hospital is Great Bend Regional Hospital. I have enjoyed being off but boy, will we be happy to be back to full paychecks for Mom!!! I will be working OB again plus wherever they want me to. I have been working some at the Surgery Center, traveling with Dr. Slater and working night shift at Ellinwood District Hospital. Some weeks are much busier than others but so far, we seem to be making it OK.

We are busy planning a special something for this special person:

No, not Jessica!! Grandma will be 90 years old on June 18. We are planning a big celebration for her on June 14. Invitations have gone out. If you didn't receive one, let me know and I'll e mail you the info. It will be cake and punch on the 14th at our church, Trinity United Methodist Church (Broadway & Patton) in Great Bend from 2-4 pm. If you can't come, please send a card to my address and we'll make sure she gets it on her party day. We hope to get 90 cards to give her!!

Doug is fine. Started the street work for the summer. I think he's looking forward to going to Colorado for a few days. I think he's also going to a couple of car shows this summer as well.

I think that's all for now. I'll try to be better about posting!!

Love,

Jacquie

Prayer request

I have a very good friend who I worked with at the hospital who recently had a baby. Logan was a miracle baby from the beginning and he was loved long before he was born. Mom had done everything right and looked forward to a healthy baby. Unfortunately, she began having problems just before Christmas when she was only 4 months pregnant. She ended up on bedrest for 9 weeks before giving birth to Logan last week at just over 6 months pregnant. The baby was actually 13 weeks early. He is doing as well as can be expected with his age and prematurity. They have set up a website and would love to hear from people and rally with all that support. You can visit his website at www.caringbridge.org. Choose to visit loganwagner.

Please put Logan and his parents on your prayer list. Thank you all so much!!!

Love,
Jacquie

Sick and Tired

OK, so the title says it all. Not that I am sick and tired of anything specific. Literally, I'm sick and that leads to being tired. It sucks. I can't breathe through my nose, ran a fever last night. I'm the last one of the house to get sick. Everyone else is pretty much better. Jessica actually had strep throat complete with antibiotics. She missed 2 days of school last week. I really wanted to get some stuff done this week but this cold is not allowing me to do that. Oh well, it will get better.

It has been kind of a hard week otherwise. I follow a blog of a 10 month old who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a type of cancer, on January 24 and she died on Sunday. I don't even know these people personally but when I look at the beautiful pictures of her and her family, it is so sad.

Not much else happening around here. Enjoying the nice weather we've been having. It was just a year ago that we were in the hospital in Hutch with Daddy and had finally gotten the official diagnosis of lung cancer. I went back and read the caring bridge journal entries the other day. I can't say that it was really upsetting but I don't remember a lot of those days as they all seemed to run together.

I am working just once in awhile at the surgery center. I ws suppose to work 3 days this week but being sick, I haven't. I will work on Friday if I feel OK. I am working at the office this afternoon and travel with Doc tomorrow. At least I'm bringing in a little money here and there.

I have to admit it's been kind of nice to just be the mom for awhile. Jessica was only a year old when I started nursing school so she has never had me around to poick her up every day at school, be home for supper, help with homework, all that stuff. If I don't go back to work full time until July, I will have been off for 6 months from full time work. That's hard to imagine!!

Hope you have a great day!!

Just enjoying Saturday

It seems like forever since I updated!! I've been having fun!!

I went to San Antonio last Friday to see my cousin and her family. My 2nd cousin, Sarah, has a new baby (who is now almost 5 months old) who I wanted to see along with the rest of the family. The weather was WONDERFUL!!! When I left Kansas City on Friday, it was 13 degrees. The next day in San Antonio it was 75!! It was great. The wind blew but nothing like we have here. We had fun going to Hailee's basketball game. Watching 8 year old girls play basketball for the first time is a good way to relieve stress. I flew back to Kansas City on Wednesday and drove back to GB on Thursday. I already miss the weather as it's a whopping 20 degrees here today. The problem with San Antonio is being there in the summer. I just can't stand the humidity that goes along with the heat.

The girls are fine. Malia had a swim meet in Wichita today.Girls' swimming hasn't started yet but she's enjoying managing the boys' team. I guess I should say until yesterday. The guys have a tendency to throw the managers in the pool about every other week. She had asked them not to yesterday and they did anyway. Problem was that her cell phone was in her pocket. She and Doug tried to get it dried out to no avail. They went down to the Alltel store and got her another one. Jessica had her last basketball game today. I will sign her up for indoor soccer on Monday but I don't think they start until the middle or end of February.

Grandma has had some problems with dizzyness and "swimmy head". I finally took her to the Emergency Room on Thursday afternoon. They gave her some medicine and it got much better. We are getting geared up for her 90th birthday in June. We are planning on a celebration on June 14 so mark your calendars.

I am not working at this point. I will start working at the Surgery Center probably next week but only as needed. I have severance pay until the middle of March. It's that time between the middle of March and the first of July when the new hospital opens that makes me nervous not having a full time job. I'm hoping they need me more by that point. I interviewed at Wesley in Wichita yesterday for their Birthrooms. It would be lots of fun. I would hate to drive that all the time but I could do it on a short term basis. Otherwise, I'm enjoying my time off but need to get a schedule figured out so I can get some of my chores done here that I never have time to do.

Our good friend Glenna is dealing with her father's health failing. They put him in Hospice last week and he's deteriorating quickly. Please keep them in your prayers.

I guess that's all for now. Malia just called and is almost home so I guess someone better go pick her up.

Take care and we'll talk to you soon!!!!

Jacquie

Making plans

So here I sit on a Monday morning. I have to admit it's kind of nice to not have to get up and go anywhere but I miss my patients, the babies and the people I worked with. The kids have gone to school and Doug is at work. It's just me and two cats. The weather is not suppose to be nice today. In fact, I think we are going to be renamed the new windy city since we will have yet another wind advisory for the day and the temperatures are suppose to start falling this afternoon. No snow in the forecast, though, so I guess that's a good thing.

The weeke end was fun. Mnm had a formal dance Saturday night so we spent all day getting ready for that from hair to makeup to being gone at 4:15 pm and not returning til 3:15 the next morning. It was a long day/short night. I started a Parenting Teenagers class at church last night. I think it will be really good.

My exciting plans for this week include: cleaning the bathrooms (yuck), working in the basement at least 30 minutes each day and walking for at least 20 minutes 3 times this week. I figure if I'm not at work making plans and taking care of patients, I better have a plan for here at home.

Thanks for spending time with me! Enjoy your Monday!

When Life Hands You Lemons

I feel like I have lots of lemons right now. As of this morning, I no longer work at the hospital here in town where I had worked for 8 years. Due to financial problems, they are laying off some of their employees and I just happen to be one of them.

To say I am shocked would be very accurate. I have had some time to get use to the idea so it is a little better now. But I am hurt more than anything. Hurt that someone like me, a loyal employee who could work anywhere in the hospital and would come in at a moment's notice, would be let go, has been so painful.

I know that everything happens for a reason. I have decided to just hang loose for now. Enjoy being a mom and figure out what my options are. I'm not sure what will happen. We will have a new hospital opening here in town in about six months.

I'll let you know what happens. Until then, know that we will all be OK with this.

Love,
Jacquie

Good morning!!

I am enjoying peace and quiet!! The girls have headed back to school this morning after what seemed like lllllooooooonnnnnggggg Christmas break. Actually, they were great during that break and we enjoyed lots of time together. But it's time to get back to the regular schedule. Jessica has a basketball game tonight. Malia has had swim practice most of the days during the break and that will continue today.

We are also gearing up for the winter formal at the high school here. Malia will go with her friend Colby. She gets to wear one of her dresses she wore for a friend's quincenera last summer so that has been nice not to have to spend that money. It's a big deal around here.

Not much else happening. We've had cold, but dry weather for a while now. I can't believe Doug hasn't had any snow storms to deal with yet.

I'm off to do laundry, work in the basement. Have to go check on Doug's mom at some point. We admitted her to the hospital last night. Pretty sure it's just bronchitis but they are running some other tests to make sure since she literally did not stop coughing yesterday for 3 hours straight that I was with her much less the rest of the day. I hope it's better this morning.

New Year

I can't believe it's 2009!! I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Christmas and spent time with those close to you.

We have been busy since the last post. Karla, Suresh, Doug and I went on a cruise 12/15-12/19 and spent a couple of days in Miami. The day we left, the weather was pretty nice here in Kansas. By the next day, in Kansas, it was about 15 degrees!! We were enjoying 70's in Miami! We felt so bad(not)!!!! The cruise was wonderful and we so enjoyed getting away. The girls stayed with Doc and Lori and Doug's parents. I think we will get to cruise again as soon as we can save up some money! Doug thinks he wants to go to Alaska on a cruise. I'm sure that would be beautiful but we have to find a time where it's not so cold.

We came home and I worked a couple of days. We left on Christmas Day and went to Denver to have Christmas with Karla and Suresh. Karla was on call for 5 days straight so she couldn't get away. We shopped the day after Christmas sales and went and saw "Seussical, the Musical".

I worked part of New Year's Eve day and then went to the Surgery Center where my cousin, Mike, had surgery. While I was there, I learned of some interesting news regarding work. As soon as I can share more with you, I will.

I did not get Christmas cards out. I'm thinking I may try to send Valentine's cards!! I guess you can tell where my priorities were between going on a cruise and getting cards out!!

Malia is busy being the boys' swim team manager. It definitely keeps her busy. Jessica has spent most of the Christmas break at the farm. I think she may come home tomorrow.They start back to school on Tuesday.

I hope you had a good holiday. Talk to you soon.

Jacquie