marie's testy thingy

Apparently this is who i am.... enjoy!

You Are An INFP
The Idealist You are creative with a great imagination, living in your own inner world.Open minded and accepting, you strive for harmony in your important relationships.It takes a long time for people to get to know you. You are hesitant to let people get close.But once you care for someone, you do everything you can to help them grow and develop.In love, you tend to have high (and often unrealistic) standards.You are very sensitive. You tend to have intense feelings.At work, you need to do something that expresses your personal values.You would make an excellent writer, psychologist, or artist.How you see yourself: Unselfish, empathetic, and spiritual When other people don't get you, they see you as: Unrealistic, naive, and weak

Jeremy Lucas: The Memorial 13 Aug 2007

There should not be a "babyland" in a cemetery... this is going to be more of a photo tribute to Luke.... Because it is important. What a comfort to know that families CAN be together forever.
Julie (the mom) saying goodbye... from experience i can vouge for the difficulty of letting go of these little ones we had such dreams for... and never got to meet... there isn't a sorrow like it that i have experienced before or since, nor would i want to. Can you believe how small the casket is?
Jeremy (who is deaf, and also the father of Luke) was so great with Julie... here she is signing "help"... I'd like to believe that it is help from our Father that they know is available.
For Jeremy, and this is only my guesstimation, i imagine that the whole experience has been that much "darker" because of his deafness. When i arrived at the hospital on the 8th, Julie was delivering and there wasn't an interpreter for him... i can't imagine the lost feeling that must be. Here is your wife going through something so huge, and you losing a child... i just can't imagine it from his view.... But he's been really great with her. It is amazing how different all of these boys from the same family are.
What a comfort.... to have one another...



This is not all of the family. Julie is from a family of 13 children (all living) and Jeremy is the 2nd of 10 (all living)... there is a lot of support, what a blessing. Anyway- there was a "balloon ceremony" for Luke- where balloons were released into the sky for him as a way to say goodbye, and also, as Julie said, "to give him something to play with!
Just again, an idea of how tiny he was...

Those I'm lucky enough to have. My mother and father in law were very concerned about my feelings- and i appreciated that. It was much like picking at a scab.... if that makes sense... my losses became quite fresh once again.... but i know i will have them back, more children to raise in the hereafter! Busy, Busy!

Sunglasses were counted as a blessing... the smile... well, because what else do you do?


Heavenly father needed you back sooner than we were ready... but we will trust in him... and love you just the same... (the balloon ceremony referred to above)

Jeremy Lucas Gibbens, still born 8-8-07

Memorial 8-13-2007 at Hillcrest Cemetary, Caldwell, Idaho

New Job-ola, to make some cash-ola

Yep... you heard right!!! I started a new job- I'll be a nurse at a dialysis clinic in Nampa, ID (right across from my beloved Mercy Medical Center... gag) But first I have to learn the PCT (tech) portion.

I don't have time for a lot of detail because it is my bed time (yes i have one again). Work starts for me at 4:30... like i have to BE THERE then... so that is up at like 3am..... yikes.... but i thought I'd post a pic or two...
This is my boss, who wouldn't' pose, well she did, but i can't post it (lol) so i caught her unawares......I'm loving it so far (who knew you could love nursing again?), and my boss seems to like me... big change- I'm diggin' it... ?

Dana is the educator, also a tech- I love her laugh!!!! She's usually not looking as serious as this!

Here is my nazi trainer (just kidding) Jason's dutifully charting... what a good example!!!

I had the patients permission to take this photo, but still, I blurred him out. This is Malain getting his dialysis started ( I did it in B&W so that you squeamish blood folks didn't' freak out!!! There are very large needles and lots of blood involved) But this is what we do here. If you don't know what dialysis is, basically it is an artificial kidney and the machine cleans the blood that the body cannot.

This is Malain... she's an awesome tech who doesn't give herself enough credit- it also gives you an idea of what the treatment room looks

In the meantime, I have a lot of studying to do, here i am in the break room, headphones on, reading the curriculum.... like I'm back in school... so much to learn!!! The gal with the short hair is our dietitian who is awesome and came and visited me in my lonely study world!!! (If you want to see how the studying was going that day feel free to click on): http://www.verizonwireless.com/getitnow/getpix

When I'm finished, I can be a nurse like Amy!!! Look at her go!!!

And now I lay me down to sleep- more later... boy have i got some good stuff coming! keep checking and i love you all!

what 6 year olds do to 30-somethings... it's not good

6 year old birthday swim party...
Happy Birthday Jocilyn!
Tired much? I think he had an allergic reaction to all of the tiny females here at the birthday party- what a good daddy for helping out though, really- i love him!
Here's Matthew and I the night of Jocilyn's birthday party- most self respecting 30 somethings would not put this pic on their blogs... but if you love me, you love me, if you don't- okay~ I don't know what's wrong with my face- oh yeah- i'm old, tired and without make up... unflattering combo... oh well...

Hope it wasn't "freeze tag!" because i've been moving!

Oh, for the love of Pete!!! I got "tagged" on the 26th of July, clearly i've not been watching my fellow bloggers closely enough. Here goes the tag bag- watch out, you may be tagged at the end!

4 JOBS I'VE HAD...
~Rent a flick- clerk, that was fun- free movies- good times
~CNA at Hearthstone of Mesa nursing home- I have a lot of respect for these hard working folks, i just had to keep telling myself, "how would you like your parents to be treated if they were being taken care of?"
~Registered Nurse on the mother/baby unit at BDMC, Mesa, AZ
~Registered Nurse Liberty Dialysis Nampa, ID

Fun places to go for a girls weekend get-a-way
~Vegas is SOOOOO fun- several times with my Jess- she still holds the "ill-gotten gains" we play with when we go! ... hopefully that happens.....
~Tuscon, not really that fun of a place- but with girlfriends, it's more about who you're with and how hard you laugh!
~Great memories of "girls weekend" in Provo, the carriage house with Lynn-a-gin

Movies I can watch over and over again
~ Meet Joe Black
~ Any classic with: Doris Day/Carrie Grant/Rock Hudson/Debbie Reynolds/Tony Randall
~ How to Lose a guy in just 10 days
~ Only You
~ Parent Trap (original)- it's just cute and funny- attatched to good memories with family and cousins the first time i saw it at Aunt Debbies

My Guilty Pleasures
~ Diet Soda (almost any kind... as long as its got good fizz....)
~ Taking down time when my kids do- i could get so much more accomplished if i didn't!
~ Shopping- doesn't even have to be fancy, a dollar store can make me pretty happy

Places I've Lived
~ Birth to age 3: Colorado (Red Mesa and CO Springs)
~ 3- 17 years old: Gallup New Mexico, "Heart of the Indian Nation"... yummmy...
~ 17-31 years old: Phoenix Metro area: Gilbert, Mesa
~ 31- present: Star, ID... wish we had a store... a real one...

Shows I enjoy
~ 24... Jack Bauer is my hero!... I need a t shirt that says that!
~Friends... dvd or reruns- love, love, love friends....
~My Soap..... "Like Sands through the hourglass" this is a waste of our lives! alas... i am a faithful viewer... so sad...
~BURN NOTICE!! new, and we love it...

First thoughts when i saw my someday significant other
~ Who are we kidding? He was so full of himself! What a cocky son of a gun...
~ What a yummy hunk of Italian... looks like he could spell trouble... but mmmmm' handsome-
~ What a tease- who does he think i am? Who does he think he is?
~ Why does he hang out with Haskel? (if you never knew "Hack"... well, the name should tell you enough)
~ After we spent time actually talking- i realized he was very nice to look at... I'm still enjoying the view 9 years later!!!!

Vacation: Places I've been
~ Orlando- loved that- and the kids did too
~ Hawaii
~ All over the US growing up, Washington DC is one of my favorite places to go- someday with Matthew- he'd love all of the history
~ Mexico

Favorite Foods
~ For over a week I've had a mad craving for oriental food- I love orange chicken
~ Mexican- ahhhh, a good chicken chimi..... mmm'mmm' good-
~ I love a good pasta!
~ Han Sach Rene' - it's German- and it's Nazi awesome (I just made that up... lol... nazi awesome... )

If in a "jam" with your spouse, what tactics do you use to get out of the dog house?

~The sure fire one... just kidding... kind of...
~ There really aren't many jams to speak of, and if there were, i'm sure Jack Bauer could fix it, he is my hero you know...

Websites I visit Daily
~I'm spuratic... lately I don't even go online daily... usually yahoomail
~ Blogspot (when i'm having a day with enough down time)

Best 1st Kiss Landmark
~ Sadly, I dont have one... Matthew and my "1st kiss" was at the Luvruski's house in Gilbert, AZ - good memory, but not what i'd call a "landmark" kind of location

Where I'd rather be right now
~maybe on a cruise with my honey- far away from real life, or real worries
~ A tropical paradise?
~ High on a mountain top in a nice hammock reading a book... with my honey
~ In a clean house instead of this one that i have a million things to do in and i've been working on this blog every 2 minutes i've been home during a very "in and out... here and there" day... I hate days like this- they get really mucked up and feel very unproductive..... I'd rather be a lot of places

Tag Others to do this on their blogs!!!

(I haven't checked to see who all has done this.... so if i duplicate tag you, i guess you get an "out"- but if this is your first "tagging" do it... or else!!!!)
Amanda Turley
Dianne Owens
Tricia Wirig (except with your new "s" name that i can't remember!)
Brittany Slade

Fell asleep bleaching!!!! (hair, not teeth!)

oopie!? What do you think of it?

Have you ever been letting the bleach/frost/lightener sit for the prescribed time and fallen asleep? Yep- I have... last night! Lucky i have a hubby that woke me up an hour later, luckier still- my hair didnt' fall out!!! ... or at least it hasn't yet.... hmmmmm.....

So, I've been dark brown for a while now, it was time for a change. Matthew said, "just go have it professionally done...." I was shocked, aghast... what do you say to that? Colorists who know what they are doing are only real in movies! I've paid hundreds (litterally) at a time for color- lots of color- color that has taken hours from me that i will never get back..... why pay for that? "Professionals," as my husband kindly refers to them as, have turned me: green, purple, pink, orange, and more green (lots of shades of green.... just not a good color on me). It is worrisome when the entire salon staff is in on a decision of how we might go about "fixing" this.... the only thing they didn't do in front of me is call the color manufacturer for their advise... and then at the end of this 10 hour day (the one that sticks in my mind- and this was a nice salon, highly recommended by friends...) they had the man parts to ask for money!!!!!!! Well sure!!! I'm thinking, that was fun, why wouldn't i pay for it? In fact, I think i have paid for it with my time and will continue to pay for it until your "fix" works itself out..... yeah, um, no.

That said.... Yes, we ended up just winging it here at home. I know the photo looks brassy, but its more sass than brass- no, it's not really that bad- and it does have to settle out a little bit...

I also am getting an antique headboard and dresser ready for my kids new room. Here is a before and after of the headboard i did today- feedback welcome~BEFORE AFTER

I needed to do so much today- but mostly i've blogged my daughters 6th birthday stuff. I decided that was just as important (if not more) than laundry.... or toys on the floor. The blogging went less than smoothly- which you will see if you check their blog out at www.friendorfoefables.blogspot.com That's all for today friends! Be good! More later- lots happening in our lives: new jobs, mental breakdowns, the new Harry Potter.... I could go on and on... but you'll get it all in due time my friends... in due time.

amethystic ionic negativity & pain

I shall write in purple to pay tribute to the amethyst. I have a neighbor who is a massage therapist. This is a good thing- I intend to utilize her. Anyway, at a BBQ on Saturday (thank you Wheelocks and Roberts, you're better people than me) so this neighbor massage therapist gal starts talking to Marie and I about her new "bio-mat." She thought it might be good for my mom. So then Marie volunteers my lil' ol' pain issues and the diagnostic label I've been handed (don't take that wrong Marie, I was not/am not upset with you) so, Rose (ha! the masseuse has a name!- and would she still be the same if she had a different name?) says, "I'm having people come to the shop right now just to try it out. I've had such great response after they have a session. Each person has a positive experience and feels better physically and mentally afterward. (to quote McKenna- and blah, blah, blah) I want you to come try it. I'll meet you at the shop at 09:30 am on Monday." Okay...I agree. I am a skeptic, albeit a hopeful one. I'm very open to others (my mom) trying alternative approaches to medicine/health, in fact I encourage it... but when it comes to me I'm never convinced the pain will improve (oh, wishing for drugs right now!). (no worries- only Tyl/IBU 4 me)

So... what is a bio-mat? I went this morning and tried it out. (here is where you discover the reason for this blog title and the purple font color) The mat is comprised of crushed amethyst, which apparently has negative ions that act on the cellular level of our organ tissues. So, as the ions did their little dance, I lay there wearing headphones and listening to a woman with a very nice voice guide me into "deep relaxation." (she did not however guide me out- so I'm in a coma as i type- it's a miracle, truly).

Did it work? Well, I still have menthol patches on my left shoulder, which hurt insanely when i arose this morning at 03:30 a.m. with a febrile, emotional almost 6 year old. While i was there she did a mini massage and found a lovely knot on the right shoulder and now it hurts too (I'm being melodramatic) Honestly? It was very relaxing, but that could've been the heated crushed stones i was laying on in a very calming environment. Hard to say. I think there is more intrinsic value in alternate modalities of healing than our society gives. As for the bio-mat, i think it would take a whole lotta sessions in combo with intense massage therapy to be useful... and I'm so cheap that when it's not a free trial, i likely will not participate as needed to achieve the ever elusive pain free status i so desire.... babble, babble... is anyone still reading? Bless your heart...