Christmas #3: Mooresville, Indiana

My hometown! I am very excited to be here and celebrate!

It snowed almost 4" just for us. And there was lunch at Grays...and shopping...and Wii...and hot tubbing....and presents...and family. :)

Christmas #2: Nashville

Christmas Eve and Christmas morning were spent at the Wilkerson's house in Nashville. We had a good Christmas Eve service at church, visited with both grandparents, and opened gifts on Christmas morning with his immediate family. Did I mention we ate generous amounts of amazing food?!

Oh yeah, and did I mention that after driving back to Memphis, found out I didn't have to go into work?! --best Christmas present, ever!

Next stop: Indiana in the AM. We get to visit my dad and stepmom in my hometown of Mooresville. :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Hope you all have a joyous holiday that is filled with family, friends, food, fun, and the love of Christ!

We are spending today in Nashville with Michael's family, then driving back to Memphis so I can work overnight, then driving to Indy to visit my Dad and Stepmom immediately after I get off of work. Busy times for us, but blessings nonetheless.

From our little family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas!

A Good Sunday

Today was WONDERFUL. A recipe for a good day =

Sleeping in after a Mexican dinner work party:




Lunch downtown Memphis at Kooky Canuck's: (home of the kookamonga burger- 4 lbs. of beef with fixins. If you eat it all under 60 min, it's free and they'll add your picture to the wall of fame)







Two tickets to see the Nutcracker ballet at the Orpheum:






Watching the Peabody ducks walk the red carpet: (The Peabody hotel has ducks that swim in the fountain from 11am-5pm every day. When they are finished, the duckmaster rolls out their red carpet to the elevator, where they ride up to the top floor to sleep for the night in the "duckingham palace")









And, finally, a Christmas movie:

Julie and Julia

I am currently (as I type) watching Julie and Julia...if you have seen this movie, then you will understand why I got the sudden urge to blog. This movie is about a young girl, living in NYC, who blogs daily about her adventure of cooking through every single recipe in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking cookbook. It is a true story about this young woman who is stuck in a "rut" in her life. She is happily married, yet stuggles with finding her purpose. I love cooking/recipes and love blogging, so I am a fan of this movie so far. I also am one to struggle to find my purpose.

I am happily married, yet being alone a lot-in a city I do not like, nonetheless- surrounded by no family, causes me to reach for something in life that I do not have. I'm not sure what it is that I'm so desperately seeking, but the girl in this movie inspires me to latch onto something I love.

My husband calls me a dreamer. I am always looking for something new. Big plans I have. Big places to go. Big dreams to follow. Every month or so I come up with my next big idea. I've been told that it's a bad thing...that I need to be more realistic. But what can be more realistic than my dreams? Afterall, the movie just quoted "Nothing is impossible." Whether it be de-boning a duck (as Julie is doing) or creating a masterpiece.

At the moment, my wildest dreams are so attainable, I can almost taste them. I dream of breathing in some Pacific ocean air while basking on the shores of Hawaii. I dream of spreading the love of Christ in a foreign country. I dream of living in a place where I wake up and smile daily because I am there. I dream of receiving a phone call for a girls' night out dinner at our "usual" spot. I dream of taking a walk in the park in the Fall. And pouring a glass of wine at the dinner table over something more appealing than a microwable meal. And a grand bookcase to hold all of my books in the same place. And a rack to display our wedding china. In my dreams, a trip to Italy will be made while I eat pasta al dente and listen to the Italian opera sing. I will laugh every day. I will pray more often. I would know my true purpose in life--become a mother, then work at a job that won't even feel like work because I will wake up excited each morning. The must-dos, such as bill paying, will be greeted with joy because, in my dreams nothing can be frowned upon. I would take a photography class so I could capture the beautiful moments in life perfectly. And take a baking class so I could make pastries lovely--let's face it, a sweet treat tastes luxurious if decorated so beautifully. I would have dinner parties at my home for friends and family so that I would see them more often. I would worry less about money and focus more on the abundance I am surrounded by. Every year, I would visit one place I have never been--and have my picture taken in front of it. I would volunteer somewhere with people with special needs on a regular basis. I would be a more authentistic version of myself - more honest, kind, and selfless. Not to mention, I would keep a decluttered, clean home. (yeah, right! haha If you really knew me, you would laugh at the thought of me being "tidy")

Yes, I have a long list of dreams. But Julie's came true. She learned to cook, overcame criticism from her role model (Julia), and became a published author. And now, a movie is made after her story. She had to work in a government cubicle for a while, but achieved her goals in the end. Who's to say that that can't be me? I can do anything. And so can you.

--Now to quote an entirely different movie,What About Bob-- "Baby steps. Baby steps."

Merry Thanksgiving!

(mix of Thanksgiving and Christmas wishes) :)

To celebrate Thanksgiving I took a trip to Raleigh, NC to see my fam. I am working Christmas night in Memphis, so we celebrated our Christmas in NC at the same time! I had been waiting for this trip for so long, so it was a refreshing break.

We had planned on Thanksgiving dinner with Fred's family, our own "Christmas morning" completed with homemade donuts, a visit to Fearrington Village and the town of Pittsboro, Disney's new Jim Carrey movie The Christmas Carol, and plenty of Christmas movies. As usual, I cried when I left the Cooley house because I miss my family so much while living here in Memphis.

Unfortunately, due to my messed up night-shifter sleep schedule, I fell asleep most days by 6pm and woke up during the night a couple times.

Here are a few pics of the long weekend in NC.















After our SHORT visit to Raleigh, I rode along with Michael to a residency interview that was scheduled in Wilmington, NC. Wilmington is a small coastal town that is only 20 minutes to the beach. Taking advantage of that, we visited the beach, walked along downtown and visited shops, took a pic or two of the USS North Carolina Battleship, and even shopped at a ukulele shop!

Before I knew it, it was time to come home...back to work. back to the grind. I relish in my traveling moments, which seem to become less and less as I get older. :(

Anyways, here's some Wilmington pics:

T is for Thankful

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so I decided to take time out of this weekend to post a little list of what I'm thankful for this week:

Time with friends- This weekend I got the opportunity to try a "trendy" mexican restaurant called Salsa with some friends that I haven't seen in almost a year. See if you can keep this straight: It my husband's best friend's high school friend's friend's fiancee's birthday yesterday, so we went to eat and out to celebrate at her favorite pub Brookhaven. Oddly enough, although our connections are confusing, I knew all of the people there pretty well and had a great time! We all pick up where we left off. And for that, I am thankful.

A good movie- I recommend the Blind Side to anyone and everyone. Truly a great story! The real family that the movie is about lives in Memphis and the school Michael Oher went to was Briarcrest Christian...which isn't too far away from where I live. This might explain why the movie was nearly sold out at noon on a Friday.

Family- I'm CRAVING family time. Can't wait to see Michael, Mom, Stepdad, stepsiblings, and Terry for a big Thanksgiving feast next Thursday!!

God's comfort- The comfort He provides to families who have lost their children this week and the comfort He has provided me in dealing with my emotions concerning those children.

Christmas music- 24/7. enough said.

Bowl Appetit meals- only cooking for 1 person = microwave, and what better microwavable meals than bowl appetit?! I ate the fettucini alfredo kind for breakfast this morning, if that tells you anything.

Life is Good

This month I have been challenging myself to come up with AT LEAST one thing I am thankful for each day. It turns out that I am thankful for a lot, so it comes rather naturally. Yesterday, my reason for gratitude was my job...."stressful at times? yes. But overall BLESSED beyond belief to care for the patients and families that I care for."

For those that do not know, I am a pediatric oncology nurse at St. Jude. I care for the sickest of sick children who have solid tumor cancers. This means brain tumors, bone tumors, eye tumors, abdominal tumors...basically every tumor that isn't in the blood (leukemia). And by the time the kids are on the unit that I work on, they more than likely have been told that the cancer has spread everywhere.

Some mornings I leave tired, cranky, annoyed with politics, or annoyed from an overdose of estrogen at the workplace. But I am overall THANKFUL b/c I know why I am there. I didn't really know why before, but I sure do now....

You see, unfortunately many of my patients will not make it for very long.

I started having a quiet time each day before work where I would go to God in prayer to give me strength for my shift. Then the prayer changed. I now pray daily that God may use me as His hands for the patients...That I may care for those sick children who I am meant to care for and that I may bring joy and comfort amidst their storm.

Shortly after my first "give me who I am meant to take care of" prayer (literally, hours after) I started caring for a sweet girl who had only hours to live. Comforting the family--even if only an offered cup of coffee--gave me purpose. Although I say it gave ME purpose, I realize it's not all about me. And that's the best part. It's all about the patient's life, the patient's wishes, the closure of a family, and peaceful goodbyes. It's all about everything EXCEPT for me.

And more patients come with only hours to live...and it seems I am the one taking care of them each shift that I am there. I said goodbye to another great person this week. I watched him slip away into Heaven. And I had to be the bearer of news for his crying mother. What an honor. I am honored. I am honored to be a part of such a special transition and I am honored to have known such special individuals.

It leaves me repeatedly saying how much cancer sucks. How cancer destroys. How cancer is evil. And although I can not understand why cancer happens, I can understand why I am there.

People often say, "Oh, you work at St Jude? It takes a special person to do that!" No, I'm not "special," I'm just really, really lucky.

I will always remember each child whose battle has ended.

Even if you aren't a country fan, take a moment to listen to Rascal Flatts' song "Skin"



SKIN- Rascal Flatts

Sarabeth is scared to death
To hear what the doctor will say
She hasn't been well
Since the day that she fell
And the bruise, it just won't go away
So she sits and she waits with her mother and dad
Flips through an old magazine
Till the nurse with a smile
Stands at the door
And says will you please come with me

Sarabeth is scared to death
Cause the doctor just told her the news
Between the red cells and white
Something's not right
But we're gonna take care of you

Six chances in ten it won't come back again
With the therapy were gonna try
It's just been approved
It's the strongest there is
I think we caught it in time

Sarabeth closes her eyes
And she dreams she's dancing
Around and around without any cares
And her very first love is holding her close
And the soft wind is blowing her hair

Sarabeth is scared to death
As she sits holding her mom
Cause it would be a mistake
For someone to take
A girl with no hair to the prom

For, just this morning right there on her pillow
Was the cruelest of any surprise
And she cried when she gathered it all in her hands
The proof that she couldn't deny

Sarabeth closes her eyes
And she dreams she's dancing
Around and around without any cares
And her very first love was holding her close
And the soft wind is blowing her hair

Its quarter to seven
That boys at the door
And her daddy ushers him in
And when he takes off his cap
They all start to cry
Cause this mornin where his hair had been
Softly she touches just skin

And they go dancin
Around and around without any cares
And her very first true love is holding her close
And for a moment she isn't scared.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I put up our Christmas decor. Yes, before Thanksgiving...but I needed a pick-me-up and knew this would do the trick. Michael is gone on a giant roadtrip of residency interviews, so he missed out on the fun. (Hopefully he will find a place we will LOVE to live next year!!)

Our tree is only about 2 1/2 ft. tall, but it still serves it's purpose! My (and now our) favorite thing is to collect ornaments from various travels. I have ornaments from Hawaii, Holland, France, Italy, England, Savannah, and last, but not least, Memphis (Elvis). We also just added our ornament from our anniversary trip- a black bear from the Smokeys. We hope to gather a lot more through our lifetime.

I also found some pre-lit garland for the stairs at Target last year at their post-Christmas 75% off sale--it took 2 boxes to wrap the stairs for a grand total cost of $5.00.

The stocking with my name on it was handcrafted by my husband for me a few years ago! The green one is Michael's stocking and the other red one is Lily's.

The Christmas music is playing and now I think I should clean...something I've procrastinated for WAY too long.

Oh yeah, and there's also a pic of Lily tonight as I decorated. Posting so many pics of my cat doesn't make me a cat lady, does it?!

Celebrate Good Times, Come On!

If I could describe my life in one word this weekend it would be "Fortunate." I am so fortunate to have the life partner that I do and fortunate to have time off of work to travel and get away. I'm the most excited to say I'm fortunate for a husband who did all of the driving and all of the gas pumping. ;)

Starting in Jackson, we headed out at 430am for Gatlinburg and Knoxville, TN. We had a great time that included some shopping, an old time photo, Italian food, a movie, and a great UT game.

We had an awesome time and look forward to returning during football season next year. Scary thought of the day: This time next year we will be leaving for our anniversary vacation from another city!! Who knows where we will be....

I actually enjoyed the game. UT dominated over Memphis and they had a great half-time show, where the original Osborne brothers banjo-ed the tune of "Rocky Top" :) And I got a Tennessee pink shirt!

Once the top tier of the cake was eaten (not too bad for freezer burnt cake over 365 days old...) we made the journey back home to Memphis. Here are some of my fave pics.

We're Goin' to Jackson...Go Comb Your Hair

(Sang only in the finest Johnny Cash voice, of course)

Jackson, Tennessee. Home of our dear friends Ben and Ashley :) And possibly our future home in May. We spent Sunday in Jackson preparing for Michael's residency interview (= free meal from the UT program) and also spent time with our friends.

Ben and Ashley had heard of a place where plants, pumpkins, flowers, and old recycled products were made into art for the Fall season, so we decided to check it out.

One Year Ago...

I married my best friend. I am soooo lucky to have a thoughtful, funny, and loyal man for a husband.

Just one week of work and we can embark on our anniversary trip to "God's Country" aka Knoxville, home of the Tennessee Vols.

Here we are one year ago...I am dancing with my prince to Michael Buble's "Everything"



One year ago, we were also honeymooning in St. Lucia. :)



Let's see...

We have celebrated our first Christmas morning together as Mr. and Mrs.




And New Year's:




Fourth of July:



Valentine's, Birthdays, Exams, and new jobs




Moved to Memphis and visited Graceland



Really, this year has been jam-packed.

This is what I woke up to yesterday (and yes, that is a creme colored rose next to my breakfast!) He knows the way to my heart: food. :) I am so in love with him. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

A Thought

I was tired of hearing about swine flu...so very tired. This nation likes to take something, freak out, wait a few months, then find something else to freak out about. So, naturally, I ignore most "scares." Until yesterday.

Let me start off but explaining that I do not go to the doctor nor am I one to run to the doctor for anything. It's partially because I'm frugal and hate paying a co-pay...and partially related to my views on medicine. I believe in medicine...when it's necessary. It's great when it's necessary to save your life, lower your blood pressure, shrink your tumor, etc. However, I rarely think of myself as sick enough to require medicine. A common cold will dissolve eventually - I like to reserve the physicians' time for the patients who really need the medical attention. I also feel nervous about being altered by medications- I think that's part of a control thing. So whenever possible, I like to take the natural approach.

I also do not like vaccines. Usually, I just figure I'm fine and never get anything...then in 2007 I got my first flu shot because it was a requirement at work. 2007 is the year I got the flu. Which means I still don't like vaccines.

I got my seasonal flu shot and h1n1 vaccinations this year. I didn't want to, but I did. I work with immunosuppressed children who are neutropenic, so for me, it was only to protect them.

Regardless of the vaccination debate, H1N1 hit home and for once I wasn't tired of hearing about it anymore. It became real.



A 27 year old Mooresville graduate went to college, married her high school sweetheart, moved to Nashville, gave birth to a baby 9 months ago, and tragically died yesterday from H1N1. She was in Florida on a family vacation when she started having respiratory problems and soreness as a result of H1N1. 4 days later, her kidneys, liver, and lungs shut down and her heart stopped beating. What KILLS me is that she was heavily sedated (on a vent) from night #1, which means she never woke up enough before she died to say goodbye to her loved ones. I can't imagine leaving Michael or a 9 month old baby.

So...it's real.

It doesn't mean that I will run the streets of Memphis screaming bloody murder about the reality of swine flu. It also doesn't mean that I am going to jump on the band wagon for the next US fright-such as trans fat (come on, trans fat makes everything taste better). It just means that I will wash my hands a little longer and not throw my snot-filled kleenex at my husband. In all seriousness, I am thinking of the families who have loved and lost. They are in my prayers during this difficult time.

October 24-25

I think wedding season is just about over...with 3 down, we had 1 to go: the new Mr. and Mrs. Duncan. The bride is a co-worker of mine and the bride's brother is my husband's best friend, so it was so fun to know a lot of people at the event. As always, the bride looked stunningly stunning. Three cheers to the newlyweds (who I talked into booking their honeymoon at Sandals St. Lucia) :)

Today we went to a civil war re-enactment. The Battle of Collierville to be exact in Collierville, TN. I love those sort of things!! And I have a great husband who agreed to go with me. Don't get me wrong, he wasn't THRILLED to be going...but he did so anyways without complaining. I love seeing the old outfits, tents, and props. We arrived in time for the actual battle, which took place in a spacious field and was commentated play by play on what happened during the real Battle of Collierville. The canons were loud, flags were waving, and the confederates were rejoicing in their fake victory. A good time was had, if you ask me.

Michael is heading out and I'm heading back to a week of work. The end of the weekend always makes me sad...

Happy (almost) Halloween!

Michael came home this weekend from Jackson and we decided to lounge, watch football, and do Fall things. Like carve a pumpkin. We picked out the pumpkin of perfection at a local patch/stand and went to pay for it...what, sir? Did you say $19 for a baby pumpkin and our large pumpkin?? Halloween is now robbery. Sorry kids, you don't get candy this year b/c the pumpkin patch in front of Schnucks used up all my Halloween fund.

Anyways, we did a "beach" theme or something like that...a flamingo....scary! :)

I also made "Mummy Dogs" aka pigs in a blanket. They were a halloween email recipe from Pillsbury. Michael made his own: a hotdog with a tux on. HAHA! He always makes me laugh, even when I don't feel like laughing. I'm so glad he is home for a couple of days! (See picture of "Tux Dog" below)

Michael is watching UT lose at the moment to Alabama. Isn't it crazy the volume of things that get yelled at the TV during game day? If you sit on the couch next to him (as I am), it will nearly blow out your ear drum... Take it baby, YEAH! Break it, break it, ahhhh (he just jumped on the couch)

Now off to another wedding :)

How I usually feel...

And we all know I don't have a cleaning lady or in-home chef...so you can only imagine how our townhouse looks right now...

Nashville Weekend.

My heart lies in Nashville. :) Here are a few snapshots of my weekend (with my mom!) in Music City.

We:
Shopped at Opry Mills
Ate, ate, ate - Rainforest, Satco, Gigi's, Noshville, Amerigos...
Visited Lipscomb
Drove through the country to Arrington Vineyards
Watched movies at the hotel
Explored the Factory at Franklin
Oh yeah, did I mention we ATE?!

Jealous?

Mr. and Mrs. Schultz

Yes, folks, I believe it is wedding season! I love weddings...and am definately not envious of the brides' stress levels (I remember my own stress level almost a year ago...not pretty)

It's nice to go to weddings and not have to plan anything or worry about everything going perfectly. Last night, we watched Autumn and Jim become Mr. and Mrs. The ceremony was sweet - and the reception was even sweeter. The reception was at Germantown country club and had a fun dance floor, delicious cake...and wine. Too much wine.

Anyways, that is/was our big weekend in the Wilkerson household. I only have 2 days off and yesterday was spent sleeping/wedding and today is football/nap day. I'm excited, though, because I only have 2 more nights of work before I leave for a mini-vacay to Nashville. I will see a few friends and my mom for some great girl time.

Please say a prayer for Michael, as he will be leaving a week from today to do a rotation in Jackson. After a month-long rotation, he will begin his big road-trip of residency interviews through SC, NC, then back to TN. He has been studying the majority of his existence lately for the Step 2 exam...He is the hardest worker I know! Please also say a prayer for the lonely wife who has to be without him for a while.

While we are on the topic of prayer- please spare a moment to pray for families that have lost their child to cancer. It's so sad to watch, but atleast there is no more suffering.

Anyway- Congrats to the new Mr. and Mrs. Schultz!

It's Fall!

I am so happy that the weather is getting cooler and that good things are on their way. I can feel it. I pray about it. It is something I now know for certain. I am 100% sure that each day of my life will keep getting better and better...and not credited to me, myself, or I, but credited to God, the weather, my husband, and my family.

I have been worried, anxious, scared, and downright miserable anticipating our future move in May. I know it's a long way away, but I'm a planner and a hardcore scheduler, so it almost kills me to think of the "unknown." Thanks be to God this week that with His help I am becoming less scared of the unknown and more excited of the unknown.

As I said, the Fall weather helps, too. I had today off and ran a bazillion errands to 8 different places that I knew needed to be done. I procrastinate when it comes to Germantown Pkwy b/c of the total of 6 lanes, crazy Memphian drivers, and my own horrible driving abilities. I'm not going to lie, it makes me nervous to merge lanes, generally speaking. I mustered up my courage to put on regular clothes and face my chore list. As soon as my butt hit the car seat, I rolled down the windows and felt the Fall air on my face. Instantly, I began to enjoy the day. (As I type this, the Tyra Banks show comes on...seriously? I can't stand Tyra. Must turn channel before good day turns sour...)

Anyways, it is one of those beautiful days when I just want to open up the back door, which reminded me to take a pic of my sunflowers that grew. I didn't expect them to grow...nothing I ever attempt to do crafty or outdoorsy works. But all 4 seeds have grown, including the big flower head that recently bloomed. I give all the credit to Michael, because he is the one that waters them 99% of the time!

Fall weather also helps to heal the loneliness caused by being far from family/friends. Memphis is so stinkin' hot in the summer that I'd rather be cooped up inside with the A/C blasted...I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm a Fall girl.

Oh yeah, and there's also a pic of Michael and Lily...they love to hate eachother.

Mr. and Mrs. Wolfe

This weekend we had the pleasure of returning to one of the greatest places on Earth (Nashville). Our objectives included visiting his family and attending the wedding of our dear friends.

The wedding was beautiful and thankfully, the rain held up long enough for the big day. We witnessed the couple become Mr. and Mrs. Wolfe on a small farm in Centerville, TN. The wedding was simple, yet elegant...exactly what the bride dreamed of. Dinner was delicious and conversation was abundant (it was the first time I saw a lot of Lipscomb friends since graduation in 2007).

Immediately following dinner, there was a post gathering at Grinder's Switch Winery (Grinder's Switch is the home of Minnie Pearl...hooowwww-dyyy!)Wine, grapes, cheese, and friends - awesome ending to the great day. Congrats to the newlyweds!!

As we left today I asked if Michael would drive me around Lipscomb so that I could see the new changes/buildings. It got me very emotional because I remember my Lipscomb times as some of the best memories I've ever had. During the drive down "memory lane", the weather just happened to be perfect. Kind of breezy, the sun shining, and the windows down. (I started crying at this point) It's no secret how much I miss living in Nashville!

After our usual SATCO stop to fill up on queso dip, I knew I had to come back to Memphis. I have to remember that it's only temporary. <---this has been a struggle.

Here are a few pics from this weekend.