Exhausted!

Wow I am really emotionally burned out tonight, which is highly unusual for me! I'm not an emotional person and I NEEEEEVVVVEERRR ever cry. Ever. But here is why tonight was different...

I am the Activity Days leader for the girls in my ward. For any of my non-LDS friends, Activity Days is where the girls ages 8-11 get together on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month to do something fun or service-oriented. Tonight I had planned for us to go to a nursing home and go caroling. What I didn't realize was that it was actually an Alzheimer's center. I remember calling them a week or so ago and the public relations lady was ECSTATIC that we would be interested in caroling. In fact, she was so excited that just hearing the tone in her voice made me sad because I realized that no one ever does voluntary service for the residents there. We got there and had a rather small turnout but it was ok because in my opinion, it made the experience more spiritual.




For me, this is what I saw...

We walked through a door that had to be buzzed from a remote in order to open (like a prison cell). To my left and right are elderly patients, slouching in their wheelchairs, many are fast asleep. Some are wearing beanies that aren't quite placed correctly on their heads, others are looking at me with a hostile gaze. Some are confused and some are smiling. I walked through and I waved, but as I passed them and walked into the hallway where there were no residents, I began to tear up. It was a scene I can't describe- it can't be read on paper or even seen on a movie; it can only be felt.

We proceeded to follow the lady in charge towards the back of the facility where they held the residents with the worst cases of Alzheimer's. The lady to my right was in a chair with her head hanging down, hooked up to a machine that I didn't recognize. It looked like it was pumping water into her veins or something. We entered a den where some were watching TV. One man was fast asleep on the couch with blanket over him. The entire room reeked of urine, but the bright faces were priceless. An elderly lady and an elderly man made sure to sing along with us. Most were happy, others were dazed. When we went around and said "Merry Christmas", we shook hands with many of the people. A mom of one of my Activity Day girls went to shake hands with a particular resident but the woman got scared and pulled her hand away. It makes me sad that many people with Alzehimer's are so skittish and afraid; they trust no one.

We returned back to the front of the building to sing to the residents I originally passed in the hallway when first entering. They lit up when we sang "Feliz Navidad". I was able to use my Spanish with some of the residents. One lady began to tell me her story and how she's from Madrid and doesn't particularly like El Paso. I told her I'm with her on that one. Then she kept repeating her address. Over and over. Saying she had a big house and this and that. She was holding my hand with one of her hands and rubbing my arm with the other. She was so happy to have a listening ear. It's like she practiced that conversation a thousand times, just hoping someone would come along and listen to it. So many of them would love to just have someone to talk to and share old memories with. And honestly, I'd love to be their listening ear!



The saddest part of all was one lady in the back. I went over and told her "Feliz Navidad". She spoke to me in Spanish and told me how she has nothing and would love nothing more than to pass away. She wanted to go to the sky because she had nothing. She kept telling me, "No tengo nada, senorita. No tengo NADA. Nada..." and she just started sobbing! Could you imagine how this would break your heart!? Eeho. I gave her a hug and she would NOT let go of my hand. I felt so sad for her. The nursing home lady game and held her hand, kissed her on the forehead and told her it was ok because she was with her. I realized how amazing of a person she was and how great you have to be in order to even work at a place like that every day. The sadness I would feel is overcoming. She looked me in the eye and said, I want your name and address because we want to send you a thank you letter and we want you to come back. She kissed me on the forehead and said, "I love you"! Wow, I'm not sure I'd do that to a complete stranger but I was ok with it. I think I'll take my family next week on Family Home Evening and do it again. Please come with us if you live here in El Paso! I promise you won't forget it...

The Moment You've Been Waiting For!

No, I'm not pregnant.

Derek was sworn in to the Army and was given his assignment! He reports to Basic Training on June 27th. Basic is 8 weeks, and then he moves on to Officer Candidate School for another 12. Basic Training will be in Fort Jackson, South Carolina and Officer Candidate School is in Fort Benning, Georgia (where Derek was born!). Six weeks into his training, he'll know if he has qualified to be an Aviator, and if he does we will be moving to Fort Rucker, Alabama. (Hello fried chicken.)

I am very proud of Derek and the amazing work he has accomplished in his lifetime thus far. He is a top-notch guy with sky-high potential and I am always proud to say I'm his wife.

People keep asking how I feel about entering into the military life and honestly, I sit on the fence sometimes! Being apart from the person I love most is something I brace myself for every day. You know the feeling of being strapped in to a roller coaster and being so nervous but you can't back out because they've already checked your buckle and the guy is about to push the "blast off" button? That's about how I feel about Derek leaving. I'm bracing myself for the ridiculously scary beginning, but I'm sure the ride will be an experience to remember. As we got ready for church this morning, we were talking about how strange it is that some of our best friends could be in some far away place but we haven't met them yet. Those are the experiences I'll be excited to have! Trying new restaurants, experiencing new cultures...and knowing that it is completely temporary if we choose to make it that way!

So I am officially a military wife. Should I get a tattoo? Maybe knock one of my teeth out? Get some hair extensions that are a different color than my natural hair? Ooh, or some butt implants. Geez, guys- I just want to fit in! ; )

I told Derek that being military allows you to be ghetto- no matter the skin color. I let him know he is now allowed to wear Ecko and South Pole. Love you, Derek!

*The above picture is Derek getting sworn in by Mike Fisher, a guy he works with in his calling at church. He was so lucky his good friend could do this for him!

I wanna be an airborne ranger...

Hey everyone! Derek was officially accepted into Officers Candidate School for the Army! Over 1,000 people applied and went through the same process as he did, but less than 100 were accepted. Tomorrow he finds out when he leaves and where he's going. Pray for him and wish him luck!

Ever Had A Bad Day???

This is how I feel today.

Really, I shouldn't complain here because to be honest- I never have bad days! I guess that's why today stinks. Everything has piled up!

Technically, it started last night. I started getting a sore throat and could not for the life of me beat Bowser's Castle on Mario Brothers 3 (the old school one). Finally got too frustrated and turned it off!

This morning, I woke up feeling like total poop. Achy, sore throat, mucous drainage, headache, the whole shabang. Yesterday, I switched my shift at work so that I could work the afternoon instead of the morning. I did that because I had an appointment with my OB/ GYN for a dysfunctional IUD and too many CC's of fluid in my left ovary, along with a simple cyst. (Nice.)

Derek, being a sweet husband, wakes up and feeds the baby and lets me sleep. I overslept. I had only a little while until my doctor's appointment and still had a bunch of things to do. Sweet Derek ironed my scrubs and helped me get ready. I leave a little late. I am circling the doctor's building and could not find a place to park. It's located down town where there are parking garages and paid entries and too much traffic. Blah. Tried calling the doctor's office and kept getting the automated system. Sometimes you just want to talk to a REAL PERSON... Finally found the parking garage and went to press the button for a ticket. Couldn't reach it. Had to put my car in park, unbuckle, open the door and get my ticket. I'm holding up cars behind me. When I shut the door, I somehow managed to shut my hair in the door. I find a parking space and get to the stairs. I go up. And up. And up. Only to find dead ends and about 10 floors more above me. So I go down. And down again. I see another 5 floors or so below me. So I go back up. Only to open the door of the stairs and see my car right in front of me. Square one. Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (This is the general area where bad words floated around in my head.)

Exasperated, I asked a lady in the parking garage where the devil the elevators are. She pointed me in the right direction. I hit the "up" button and waited forever!!!! Hello!!! Of 4 elevators you would think at least ONE was going UP! Finally made it up and got to the doctor's office. I signed in and the girl cannot find my name anywhere on the schedule. I'm thinking, "Oh please. Do not let this day get worse..." I told her that my boss is a doctor and referred me to this physician. She tells me she'll work it out and call me in a second. I told her I spoke with a girl named Katherine.

Katherine calls me up. Says, "I'm sorry, but you made the appointment with another doctor here, not the one you say you did." I was confused. I told her that I had specifically asked if this doctor was accepting new patients and she had told me yes. I let her know that I had a pending appointment with a different physician and if I had known all of this, I'd have kept my other appointment. *Sigh* She proceeded to go over our conversation again, except there was just one problem. I had never had that conversation with her! She must have confused me with another patient she spoke with yesterday so I told her never mind and that I'd just go. Tears in my eyes and frustrated as heck, I made the trek back down the elevator, through the parking garage and to my car. The worst part? I was there for 5 minutes and still had to pay for parking!!!!!

I get home to find the door locked. I use my key and the other deadbolt is locked. I knock. No answer. I knock louder. No answer. I freaking beat the door down and Derek comes to it, wet and naked. Haha. He was in the shower and couldn't hear me knock until I pounded the heck out of it! For a while, I thought I was going to get stuck outside until he finished his shower and could hear me knock.

So now I'm in bed, feelin poopy and hope that tomorrow is a better day! I'm glad I've got my sweet boys to take care of me, though. Maybe all I need is a little TLC and I'll feel awesome tomorrow.

Family Time!

My friend made an awesome post about the members of her family so I'm copying that! (Thanks Emme!)

THE SIKORAS:

Dad


Dad and I are a lot alike, and though I probably never would have wanted to admit that in the past- it's true! We never got along until I was out of the house. We both have a strong personality at times and don't show emotion particularly well. My dad is extremely smart, almost like a walking encyclopedia. Ask him anything about anything and if he doesn't know the answer, he could probably find out really quickly! He has always been such a hard worker for our family- making sacrifices that I'm not sure other husbands and fathers would make for their families. He is very sweet and genuine- never afraid of how someone might judge him. If he doesn't think something is funny, he won't laugh. (Haha). He has loosened up tremendously over the past few years and he is just so funny. I remember one day we were shopping at the mall as a family and I heard him singing "My Humps". I could not believe it. He is so proud of his grandbaby and is the best dad ever. He gives wonderful advice and comfort in time of need. I love him and I'm so glad he's my dad!

Mom


Mom and I are also alike in a lot of ways, except she is a much better person than I am! She is very loving and kind. I am amazed every single time I go out with her somewhere because people flock to her like pigeons to a piece of food. She gets all kinds of strangers laughing and talking to her and being so bubbly and friendly. If I tried to make conversation with someone, I'd be afraid they wouldn't respond well. She is never afraid of that. She just goes on being nice to everyone. She has always been a huge source of comfort for me, giving compliments and treating us well as kids and adults. I've never wondered if my mom loves me. I know she does! She loves to play the devil's advocate, though! : ) She loves Titan and Derek and Garrett like they are all her own kids. (And I guess, in a way they are!) She is not a nosy mom (or mother-in-law to Derek) and is very good about letting everyone solve life's problems on their own unless they really need some advice. I can sit and chit chat (and eat) with her all day. I love her! She is great and I'm so happy to be her daughter!

Jord


Jordan is truly awesome. I've never met a guy so willing to admit his faults and humble himself on a whim. He has always been such a great older brother to me and a wonderful example. When I was about to enter middle school, he made a map of the school for me and told me where the bullies hang out and that if I ever need him, to let him know. I looked at him like he was crazy, but realized that he loves and cares about me and I've never doubted it! One day, a boy in high school tried to pick a fight with me (I know, right?). He slammed me up against the lockers and I went and told Jordan. Jordan and his posse laid the smack down. However, I do recall a time in high school where Jordan tried to throw pieces of his sliced cheese down a girl's pants because her butt crack was showing so bad. He is just so funny. His laugh is contagious, his smile is infectious and it cracks me up how petite he is. He has a great singing voice and he can sell a car like nobody's business. I love him and I'm so glad he's my brother!

Sher & Garrett


I have no idea why this is the only normal picture of you guys I have. Haha. Sorry!

Sheridan is great. We used to lay in each other's beds and trade off giving each other back tickles or back scratches for 2 minutes at a time. I remember one time I was sad I got dumped, so I asked if she'd come onto my top bunk and lay by me and I chatted with her about my sadness. Afterwards, I told her I think I had bad breath and she said, "Yeah. You do." Haha. She listened to me for forever and never said a word about it! She would always let me borrow her clothes, but when she asked if she could borrow mine, I would either say no or tell her that she better not get a stain on it. I makes me feel so bad to think about how I'd say that, because ironically enough- she'd return my clothes in perfect condition and I'd get a stain on hers. : ( She has always been more than a sister to me- she's been a best friend. Another great thing about Sheridan is that she really doesn't live life with regrets. I asked her about it once and she said she just doesn't regret stuff. I thought that was interesting and I realized that she learns from her mistakes and moves on, instead of sits around sulking in sadness. She has thick skin and that's what makes her such a strong person. I have a lot to learn from her! I love her and I'm so glad she's my sister!

Garrett is fun- he likes to pick on people every now and then, but he definitely keeps us laughing. He has a very sweet spirit, but thick skin also like Sheridan and is a very strong person. He is doing the most honorable thing right now and that is being a mechanic in the military- making money for his family and serving his country at the same time. It is very fun having a sister who is married to my husband's brother. Makes life fun and easy! I love Garrett and am so glad he's my brother-in-law!

Colin


Colin is such a great little brother. He was always the strongest spirited of all of his friends and has always done the funniest things. In almost every picture you see of him when he was about 5, he is holding up a peace sign for some reason. He used to love to wear my mom's high heels when he was a little toddler tooting around the house. He was always the roundest one of the 4 of us and was often picked on for it. Finally, when Jordan came home from his mission, he came home to 6 ft. 2 inch Colin and no more chub! I love that. I feel like Heavenly Father made him sprout to make all of us learn our lesson about making him feel bad all those years! He has had his struggles, but I'm so grateful to have him as my brother and hope that he knows how much we love him and are glad he is a Sikora : ) I love him and I'm so glad he's my brother!

THE HARGROVES:

Art



This is Art and his mother, Barbara. Art is the best father-in-law a girl could ask for. He and my dad have very similar qualities. And they are both geniuses! When Titan sees Art, his face lights up and he gets so happy to see him. Art is very patient and kind, always willing to give people the benefit of the doubt. When I first went down to Snowflake to visit Derek, Art was a little standoffish and scared me a bit (it was probably his goal to do this- haha). And now that I know him, I know he was an awesome father to his kids and is an awesome grandfather. I love Art and I'm so glad he's my father-in-law!

Karen


Karen is such a wonderful mother-in-law. She is always cooking up good meals when we go over, holding Titan and having good chats with us before we all head to bed. She isn't your typical mother-in-law, which I am so grateful for! She is tough! She coaches Volleyball at the high school in Snowflake and is a P.E. teacher. She is never intrusive, but always there for us when we need her! She'll do anything for anybody and is very genuine. She loves her family very much, and I am so impressed that she still spends so much time with her sisters and brother and their families. Her family reminds me a lot of my mom's family and they always make you feel so warm and welcome. I love that! I love Karen and I'm so glad she's my mother-in-law!

Jeremy & Rikki, Mylee & Kynlee



Jeremy is so fun. He always has a new remote control toy or something crazy every time we see him. He is very smart, like the rest of the Hargroves, and loves to hang out with the family. I know Derek gets so excited to see Jeremy and it would be his dream come true if our families were ever neighbors. Derek did say that Jeremy ruined his life as a child, which resulted in Derek attempting to suffocate Jeremy with a plastic bag over his head before Karen came in and took it from him. (Whew!) Jeremy is a hard worker and has a great sense of humor. We really enjoy going over to Jeremy and Rikki's house.

Rikki is the best. She is a very classy person who will tell it like it is and I love that. She is such a calm mother (I hope I can be that someday!) and is very good to her family. She can bake the most incredible cakes, too. Like- worthy of being on The Cake Boss type cakes! She rarely charges anyone for them since they are usually either friends or family. (She is a saint.) She can whip out a quilt in a matter of hours...the type of quilt that would take any other person a month to make! And she can do all of this without taking a class or anything. The girl has skills. And she's very fun to sit around and chat with.

Mylee and Kynlee... I met Kynlee when she was a week old or so, so I don't know her well yet, but she sure is a sweet baby! Mylee is a crack up, I love that girl. She is almost 3, going on 15. She and Jeremy recently came to visit us in El Paso and when I came out into the living room, she was sitting next to Jeremy on the couch. I said, "Hi, Mylee!" and she said, "Hi." then patted Jeremy's leg and said, "This my dad. Jerr-mee". She is a witty little girl. I love them and I'm so glad they're my in-laws/nieces!

Trent


Trent keeps us laughing all the time. I am always so proud to say that I have a 12 year old brother-in-law. Most people in their mid-twenties can't say that! He, like Mylee, is very witty- always saying the funniest things. He does awesome on his spelling tests and loves all the same subjects in school as I did. (He also hates all of the same subjects in school that I did. That a boy.) He can down 3 plates of anything before you take your first bite. He loves to ride his four-wheeler and go to the Swap Meet on Saturdays. He likes to send instant messages on Facebook whenever you log on- so it's nice to know what he's up to and chat for a while! He can kick your butt at Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader on the Wii and loves El Cupido's, which is the restaurant his uncle Mark started many years back. He is a bunch of fun- I love him and I'm so glad he's my brother-in-law!


I love my family!

It's already November?

It almost seems like I have teleported myself here. I cannot believe it's been almost a year since we had Titan. Time has flown by! Just last week we had our 2 year anniversary. Derek and I have known each other for 5 1/2 years already! And I am still loving every minute. This past weekend, we were able to go to an Eastern Arizona College Student Council Reunion. Councils from the last 25 years were invited, it was amazing! There was one guy there who was the President in 1987! Here's a little preview of the last couple of events we've had...

Colin and Derek were carving some pretty sweet pumpkins for Halloween...


But Lilly's was the best!



Derek and I had an amazing anniversary. I had to work a half day, but when I came home, he dropped Titan off with grandma and took me to get sushi at our favorite place. Then we had Little Caesar's by candlelight and finished the night with some Ben & Jerry's of course.


Last Thursday, we wrapped little Titan up and toted him to the big High School Homecoming football game: Coronado vs. Franklin. It was crazy!


I got to see my buddy and former roommate, Jenny, while we were at our EAC reunion! It was a blast- I'm so glad she went! She and I were President and Vice President for the year 2006-2007.


And this is her adorable little baby, Brightyn. Isn't she so cute? And well behaved, I might add!


Jenny snapped a picture of us in front of the famous clock tower.


We stopped by the house of some of our favorite people!!! The Wakefields. They have 6 girls (one was asleep while we took the picture) and they are all so awesome!


Brightyn was the star of the show at the football game. She does this hilarious face where she squints her eyes really tight when you ask her to make her squinter face. She had everybody cracking up. (This obviously isn't the squinter face, but she looks so cute here!)


The picture is a little blurry, but there is a girl in the front on the left with long hair and I am sitting right behind her!


Derek is such an awesome sport. He was a die-hard EAC fan with me.



When our trip was all over and we were headed out of town, we got a picture in front of the new (gorgeous) Gila Valley Temple.






We had the best time together. We always do. We have Mom, Dad and Sheridan to thank for watching Titan overnight while we had a little getaway. Titan loves those guys!

And I have Derek to thank for this wonderful life I live. Ever since I met him for the very first time, my life would never be the same. He is my best friend and...my everything, really. If I was stranded on an island for the rest of my life... as long as we had each other we would enjoy ourselves every single day until we died. And even after we died we'd have fun! : ) I'm so blessed to have such awesome friends and family. So if you're one of them (which you obviously are if you're reading this!), then thank you! Thank you for being so important to me.

Love,

Lauren

Happy Halloween!

This year we went as The Flintstones! So here we are: Fred, Wilma and Dino. Hope your Halloween was as fun as ours!

I AM A DAD

Now Derek isn't actually the one blogging here, it's me. But I wanted to share some funny experiences I've had since Derek is now our "Stay at Home Dad".

Everyday I come home from work to a spotless house. One particular day I said, "Wow! The house is so clean. Thanks for cleaning!" And Derek replies, "Yeah. I'm going to stop cleaning it! Every time I clean it, it just gets dirty again!" (Hmm...somehow I can relate to this...)

One day while thanking him for doing the dishes, he says, "Ugh! That dishwasher! It's such a piece of junk. And you know...I'd rather just wash the dishes when it's 3/4 full because otherwise I just keep looking for a certain dish and it's dirty. No matter what I do, there are always dishes in the sink!" (Another story I somehow relate to...)

Yesterday I got home from doing my visiting teaching and he mentions he'd like to get out of the house. (Cabin fever?) Later I asked him if maybe it would help him to get out during the day. He says, "There's no where to go! And the only thing there is to do is shop!" (I guess this is why women are always coming home with a new pair of shoes!)

And here is the kicker. Derek hates cleaning. He likes to tidy up the house, but not the nitty gritty stuff like organizing or cleaning the toilets. I, however, love to clean! So it's a win-win for us. BUT, the other day, he comes into the kitchen and asks, "Is it okay if I spend some time just cleaning out my side of the closet and organizing stuff?" (???????? Really???????) This here is a true sign you have become

A STAY AT HOME DAD.

I sure do love this guy...he is my hero.

I AM A MOM.

I guess I have officially grown into my motherly body and mind. Today I began thinking about life and how one day we will live in a house and have more children and run them back and forth from soccer practice to church activities and back home. We will probably have a dog and hopefully a yard that our kids can run around in. They'll come home from school and plop their Dora the Explorer and Transformers backpacks in the entry way and have pieces of artwork from school pinned up on the fridge. I had this overwhelming feeling of sadness. (Not what you would expect!) I never realized until today, just how hard it will be when my kids grow up. One day they won't need me anymore...or so they'll think. : ) One day, they'll think I know nothing and they will push me away. They'll think I never knew what it was like to be their age and have their problems. But one day they'll marry and have their own kids and the circle of joy will continue all over again. So before I go on thinking that life with a baby can be tough, I'll remember how lucky I am to have a baby this age. Because I love it! And sometimes I wish I could freeze him in time and keep him 10 months forever.

Wal-Mart, anyone?

Don't you guys just LOVE Wal-Mart? Honestly! I can get all of my shopping done at one place. No need to run to Albertson's and get my groceries and then to Costco to grab some diapers. It's a one-stop-shop. I can even bring the competitor's ads to Wal-Mart and if the competitor's price beats theirs, I still get it at the competitor's price.

Now stop.

Picture YOUR Wal-Mart. I don't know about yours, but ours is FILTHY, full of people in a mad rush to get everything they need for what seems like the entire month! Their baskets are overflowing with items as if they had just loaded up at Sam's Club and ironically...they are in the 20 items or less line. I was told by a Wal-Mart worker herself that they aren't always allowed to turn them away just because they have over 20 items, so they were are- all in a humongous traffic jam.

I go to get Titan some baby food and I approach a shelf 5 feet by 3 feet wide that SHOULD be stocked with multiple flavors and brands, yet when I get there- it's so picked over that I'm left to choose from about 5 different foods and only about 2 of each kind. Amazing! It's so picked over that I'm not sure if they ever even stock the place! This is pretty much what the shelves at our Wally World look like:


A coworker of mine was a previous Wal-Mart associate. She said people would get to the check-out counter and realize their food stamps wouldn't cover everything or that they didn't have enough money to buy that milk, or that cheese or whatever it was. Either way, many times they were refrigerated items. The cashiers didn't have the time to re-stock it themselves due to the long lines, and Wal-Mart doesn't have enough people on shift at one time to be able to constantly do this job. Soooo, these refrigerated items sit out for hours at a time before they are RE-STOCKED. Not thrown away...RE-STOCKED. Yummm. Next time you have diarrhea, it was probably your Great Value brand Milk.

Derek and I watched a documentary about Wal-Mart just the other day. It's called "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price". I strongly recommend it! Here's what the cover looks like:

In this documentary, TONS of previous Wal-Mart workers came forward about how they were treated. One African-American man was called a "nigger" by his manager. He reported the manager...and nothing ever came of it. One African-American woman was told that there is no place for "people like her" in management. She asked, "People like me? Because I'm a woman or because I'm BLACK?" Her manager replied, "Well, two out of two ain't bad!"



Wal-Mart cost us tax-payers 1.5 billion dollars a year to put their employees on government assistance. WOW! When people would get hired at Wal-Mart, their managers often refer them to the Medicaid offices so that they can apply- because everyone knows that no one can afford the insurance there, and that it sucks anyways! How pathetic! A kajillion dollar company can't afford to treat its employees right or even help them with their health benefits? Hmmm...

Wal-Mart does SO MUCH damage to small towns, it's amazing! They put all the surrounding businesses out of business! These people have put sweat, blood, money and a whole lot of hard work into building their companies, only to have a Wal-Mart come in to town twenty years later and completely shut them down. Wal-Mart is a giant that should be considered a monopoly. Although Target is the most comparable company, it's not the same.

You may think that these complaints come from a couple of disgruntled workers, but let me tell you. 31 of the 50 states are suing Wal-Mart for multiple cases all across the country.

Have you noticed that Wal-Mart has some 30 registers in their stores and yet only 8 or 9 are even open? One manager stated that they keep 6 inch STACKS of applications in the back, yet Wally World is too CHEAP to hire more employees. Speaking of being too cheap, employees are NEVER allowed to work overtime...no matter what. By the way- Wal-Mart considers full-time to be 28 hours a week. One employee spoke out and told us that managers would approach them while they were trying to ring up a long line of customers. They would say that there are some 48 carts full of take-back (or re-stock) items that needed to be taken care of by the end of the night, whether your shift be over in 30 minutes or an hour. So basically, that meant that you worked off the clock or be fired. And since no one was allowed overtime, and that meant NO ONE, managers were taught to go in the back entrance and change their employees time clocks to be within the full time range of hours.




So next time you shop at wonderful Wal-Mart, where you can get everything you need at one low price, remember this!

The Office Part 2

I'm minding my own business, eating my S'mores Pop Tart (healthy, I know)-

Old Mexican Lady: Senorita...que estas comiendo? (What are you eating?)

Me: Uh...a Pop Tart? S'mores?

Old Mexican Lady: Que? (What?)

Me: Pop? Tart? (I was unsure of how to explain this in Spanish)

Old Mexican Lady: Como un pastry?

Me: Si, mas o menos (Yeah, more or less)

Old Mexican Lady: Oh. (And there she remained. Ogling over my breakfast like a sad & hungry puppy.)

So I give her a piece.

She examines it, making sure to flip it over and check it well before finally saying, "Gracias!" and took off.

It was super funny.




Again, minding my own business filling up a cup of water before eating lunch.

Cesar: Comes up to me and puts his hand on my shoulder and squeezes it.

Me: What's up Cesar?

Cesar: Oof. You're so skinny. You don't look good.

Me: Thanks, Cesar. But my grandpa is 6'7" and super lanky. It just runs in my blood line. Plus, I'm nursing. It's not my fault.

Cesar: You need to eat!

Me: I do eat!

Cesar: Stanna, do you see how skinny she is? She doesn't look good.



I walk to the back to go to the bathroom...

Sonya: Hey! We were just talking about you and your crazy memory!

Lauren: I know. I have my VIN number memorized.

Sonya: Yeah! Remember when that one patient came in and you told her you memorized her social?

Lauren: I never did that. Maybe I told YOU I remembered her social, but I'd never tell a patient. That is psychotic.

Sonya: Yes, you did!



Patient on phone to Ida with strong Indian accent: Yes Ma'am, I need a study done STAT or I'll be going to the hospital

Ida: Excuse me? What study do you need done? Sir?

Patient: I really need this study done there or I'll have to go to the hospital

Ida: Sir! I cannot understand you!

Click. Ida hangs up phone.


Oh, the joy of punching out at the end of the day must be a better feeling for some than others. Ha.

Found It!

This smart guy has found out quite a few things, lately.

I haven't gotten a picture of it, but he now stands up in his crib- which is simultaneously hilarious and of utter annoyance. If we don't put him down when he is absolutely tired, he will just perk up and grab onto the sides so that only the top half of his face shows. It's so cute and you just want to take him out and play, but no can do.

Secondly, he has discovered that he is a boy! This also is a double edged sword. Ha. He squeezes that thing until it's about to pop and I have to slather it with Desitin to make sure it doesn't stay red and rashy! This picture was taken at the most perfect moment of discovery. It cracks me up- yet illustrates his feelings at the time so well!



He discovered that perching atop dad's little belly is also pretty fun.



And that splatting your hand in your million-degree-fresh-out-of-the-microwave baby food is something that should NEVER be done. It's hard to see, but he now has a blister that takes up the entire middle portion of his finger, and another red gash-looking would on his ring finger. It was heartbreaking, but he has yet to attempt it a second time!



Grandma helped him discover his love for paper bags! Man, if only you really could buy kids this cute from Sun Harvest...



He found his favorite hang-out place that he continues to go to time and time again at Grandma's house. The lower shelf with the ceramic pot full of chalk. I love when he gets in there, it cracks me up.



He also found that sharing his Puff treats is impossible. I asked him for one the other day while he had it in his hand and he extended it towards me as if to put it in my mouth, then psyched me out and quick shoved it into his mouth. Thanks for sharing.



And I have found that no matter how often I cut or file this baby's nails, they are still like needles and he LOVES to scratch! Ever since he was tiny he would find something to scratch. His covers, our skin (see picture!), boxes, toys... It's funny but it sure leaves a mark!



And last but not least, I thought this was such a cute picture. My dad was holding Titan and all he wanted to do was look over Chef Dad's shoulder and check out his cooking skills. My dad suggested we take a picture and I'm so glad we got one because these two are two peas in a pod. I love my Hargrove boys!