Just me, Myra: It is going to be a busy time

So, Olivia _____ is coming soon. I don't know her middle name yet, I am voting for Grace, but I am just grateful to get Olivia! It could be Rhea, and I like that, still......Grace seems like it flows....
She is due any day actual due date is May 4. Trouble with that is I will be gone to Chicago beginning on Sunday and will be back late on May 5th. Working the 6th.....so I am hopeful she arrives in the next couple of days because I want to be there! I was there for October's debut and I was there for Bubba's debut. I would love to be there for Olivia's!

Sunday I leave for a conference put on by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. I am excited to be going! I am going with five others from the hospital. I hope they are as excited as I am! I have been once, a long time ago when I worked at Baptist. It was quite an experience! And while I was gone to the conference, Rick got saved in his garden. I was the last he told, I had been home a week, knew I came home to a much different man, he told the neighbors and my family! My mom said, "I am so glad Rick got saved" and I said to myself, that is it! That is what happened! Wonder what surprise will be waiting when I get home this time??

And my co-workers nominated me for nurse of the year. I am surprised and excited by that. There are a lot of great nurses who were nominated. I voted on Tuesday. No, I did not vote for myself! I did vote for an excellent nurse who I admire a lot! I wonder who will win. I do not expect it to be me, there are so many good nurses to chose from! I am honored though that they nominated me and I "made it" to the final cut. I have been doing this since 1978. I was 19 years old, an LPN and scared to death. I quickly decided I needed to go back to school and started that journey. I took classes at WKU one or two at a time to get used to college, I had no clue how to go about it. I took all the classes required for the first semester of nursing at that time and challenged out of it. I started in the second semester and finished in "2" more. To do that meant I had to go to summer school and get as many classes out of the way as I could. And I did and I graduated with an associate of science in nursing in December 1981. I passed boards in February 1982, and it was 6 or 8 weeks before I knew for sure I passed! The test was pencil and paper, and lasted 2 full days. You couldn't go to the bathroom without an escort! These days, they have an idea when they finish, if it cuts off at 75 questions they most likely pass. If they take the whole test, they have to wait 2 or 3 days to know.....(2 or 3 days for results anyway, but WOW! remember it took our class 6 -8 weeks). Similar circumstances with certifications, CCRN anyway, when I took it (it is a certification in critical care nursing) it was a four hour test and same 6 to 8 week wait. Today it is computerized and results are instant. So much has changed in the technology in taking care of our patients too. Wow! Memories! More on that later!

It is a beautiful day, the sun is shining, nice gentle breezes.....then a few hours south is such devastation. Please remember the folks affected by the deadly tornadoes in your prayers!

I would like to be so humble as to be able to count my blessings daily and thank the One above who provides them! Without His guidance, I would not be able to make it!