Yule Tide

Hope everyone had a great Christmas!! I got 5 days off in a row for the holidays and I spent every minute of it with my family. My grandparents and Patrick & Erin got here the Sunday before Christmas and were here through this past Monday. Tuesday night Patrick and Erin came over to stay the night and we decided to re-arrange my living room!!! And I LOVE it!! But, I do miss having them here with me to enjoy it and to talk about all the possibilities in my place. It's so fun to dream with someone else and have something to look forward to. I miss them a lot already. So I took a couple of pictures to give you a good look. I plan to paint the room a blue color that will go with the pillows on the couch.

Here's my dad with baby Ethan on Christmas night. He really liked this picture and I like it too. Ethan was the star of the day he was so sweet and went to EVERYONE in the house.



Christmas Eve I had everyone over to my house for dinner. My aunt Debi also got here that day and I was so excited for everyone to see my place and eat at my table. I made Chicken tortilla soup and a baked brie for an appetizer. It was all very yummy!! It's so cool to have my family in my home eating and talking around the dinner table together. It was my first family meal in my home and I won't forget it. After dinner I had showed all of my Guatemala pictures to my family and told them all about the trip. They were troopers through the body part/organs pictures from the operating room! Christmas day was my favorite thus far. We had 18 people at my parents house. It was an awesome day! That weekend we all hung out and stayed indoors with each other. I am so bummed that everyone has left and I had to go back to the ol' routine. 5 days was NOT enough!

And....

This is my tree. So sad. It was given to me a couple of years ago and is so beautiful, but during the move it got all messed up. I didn't leave it crooked though, I just had to straigten it up! So it was its last Christmas. So sad.

Day of Thanks 2009

So I was on call this past Thanksgiving which did not allow me to be with my family. So I was bummed. BUT my other family, the Mills, welcomed me to their Thanksgiving. This was my favorite Thankgiving thus far. We all helped out with cooking, as you can see the feast below...

Then we all sat together and ate...WONDERFUL food. And we had a few grammar revelations. You know how people say "That's a whole nother story..." well have you ever realized that "nother" is not a word. Yeh, I didn't either I had never thought about it!!?? We also played musical glasses!!

The happy family (above)

After a long nap we headed over to the Garcia's for desert and games! We had a great time and loved playing Mad Gab with these people. You can see me, Kelly and Brittany in tears over in the corner! Even though I was not able to be with my real family this year, it made me much more thankful for the church family that I do have. I have known the Mills for 15 years now and every year I feel more attatched and more thankful for their presence in my life. They welcome anyone and everyone in to their homes. God has blessed me so much this year. I really can't wait to start 2010!!!

OH....in case you were wondering, I did NOT get called in at all on Thanksgiving day. YES.

Craft Corner with Jennie

Hello friends!

I have been working on a fun Christmas craft project this week. What does everyone think?? It cost me about $7.00!!

Finished Product...

I am getting in the spirit pretty early this year! However...I am on call Thanksgiving day and the whole weekend after. So Thursday 7:30 am til Monday 7:30 am. I am SO SO bummed. My family all goes to Greensboro to be together, but I have to be at the hospital within 20 minutes of getting called and I would be about 40 minutes away! I don't know what I'm going to do or who I will be with. It's my first holiday not being with family. I'm sure I will be at work though and I better be if I can't go just 4o minutes away to eat a great meal and be with family!!! UGH...so frustrating!!

25th Birthday

My 25th Birthday was October 19th and my friends from work wanted to take me out so we went to Ishi for sushi!! Man I love that place and I love sushi. They sung me happy birthday twice. Once it was my friends and the second time were the waiters. They dimmed the lights and one of the guys had a tamborine as they sang me Happy BUTHday. Oh it was so funny and I got a plate of orange slices! My face is red from laughing so hard and having everyone in this tiny restaurant looking at me! But I had a blast and I have some really great friends from work, some couldn't make it, but we had a blast and I felt really special!

This is my great great friend Amanda! Good picture of us too!!

And this picture is of all my gifts. I've never taken a picture of gifts but I felt compelled. My mom got me a Belgium waffle maker that I have talked about ever since I went to Lipscomb, along with waffle mix and syrup! And the chocolate chip waffles I made the other night were wonderful!! Love you Mom! When I walked in to my house after work on the day of my birthday I had a boquet of roses on my table from my dad, he has a key to my house and snuck 'em in while I was at work which was so sweet of him!! Love you Dad! There is also a box from the Donut Friar and a coffee mug from Patrick and Erin. My family went to Gatlinburg the day before my birthday and I couldn't go this year so they brought me our favorite donuts!! And a pretty painting that Katie gave me as well! Overall it was a great birthday! I think this is supposed to be the time of my life and I reckon I am having a fun time. God has always blessed me.

Nathan Patrick Kornrumpf

Congratulations Katie and Brian!!!

Yay!! Everyone is so excited that he is here!! He's a handsome and healthy little man!!

Much Needed Update!

Well...here we are only a few hours before October (my FAVORITE month by the way!) !!! I am trying to get started packing and doing a few odds and ends before leaving for Guatemala on Saturday. I was on call last night and it set me pretty far back not to mention left me with just 2 hours of sleep! I think the "black cloud" was passed on to me!

This month I have had a house guest, Katie Beth. She is a 4th year Medical Student from Texas Tech who needed a palce to stay for an "away-rotation" at WFU. It's been fun showing her around Winston and having someone at home to hang out with. She will be leaving this weekend, but I think we made a pretty good impression on her and maybe her and her husband will come to live here! It's been a pleasure Katie Beth! Thanks for your friendship and laughs this past month!!

She also really likes to kill spiders...with hairspray!

This past weekend I had the honor of watching my neice and nephews all by myself. We got some quality time together!! Ava and Jackson are both being great big sister and brother! I think I got a little smile from Ethan who I think looks just like my brother when he was a baby! We put on a little show for Ethan, he rocked out with us in his jumper chair!

Now I must mention how excited I am about my best friend Katie being pregnant! She is due the day before my birthday, the 18th, it has been so fun to see her grow in size and excitement! She and BK will be amazing parents! Now...that baby boy just better wait til I get back from Guatemala to make his debut!! I took some maternity pictures for her, well more for my peace of mind than hers. But I think she was really happy how they turned out and BK was a trooper!! Here are a few of my favorites from our photo shoot! Sarah...check out the picture of them at the water pump. BK had to get a picture at the water pump, so we payed homage to you and Byron! Make sure you show that to him!! Miss you love!

NOW...off to pack and finish up some laundry! Please be in prayer for me and our whole group going to Guatemala this coming week. See you all when I get back!!

Blah...

I really like this song at the moment. Mostly because it says things that I want to be able to say or feel. I'm going through a slump right now. Feeling lonely, feeling a little left behind, feeling a little lost in this world I'm in. Keep in your prayers.

HOSANNA (sung by Zoe group and Selah)

I see the king of glory
Coming on the clouds with fire
The whole earth shakes
The whole earth shakes

I see his love and mercy
Washing over all our sin
The people sing
The people sing

[Chorus]
Hosanna Hosanna Hosanna in the highest

I see a generation
Rising up to take their place
With selfless faith
With selfless faith

I see a near revival
Stirring as we pray and seek
We're on our knees
We're on our knees

[Chorus]

Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me

Break my heart from what breaks yours
Everything I am for your kingdoms cause
As I go from nothing to Eternity

If Walls Could Talk...

If my walls could talk they would say THANK YOU!!!

My great, great friend Brittany painted this for me at my request. I have an obsession with damask at the moment and I think she painted it beautifully. It's hanging in my foyer. I love you Brittany!

And this one is a gift from my sister-in-law, Erin. She painted a familiar scene from Fort Fisher, where we vacation every year. It is hanging above my bed and I love the colors and the thoughtfulness behind it! Thank You Erin (and Patrick.) love you both! You can check out her website http://www.erinrickelton.com/ and buy her awesome paintings!!

And another awesome gift is from Joni, from church, who I have known for oh, 14 years??? She is so thoughful and crafty I just love it!! She cross-stiched this for me and wrote a note along with it and its meaning. I can't tell you how much I love sentimental gifts and the story really related to me. It is sitting on a shelf in my living room and I see it everyday. Thank you so much Joni for your thoughtfulness and for you wonderful example of someone who will "be there." I love you!

Now....
I went to the Dollar store today and found some goodies! I found these white frames that have ribbon on the back to hang them on the wall and as I was walking down the kitchen aisle I saw these placemats!!! I think I might cut the fabric and put them inside of the frames!! It will look nice against my soon to be green walls in the kitchen! And then I got those 3 plaques that are TERRIBLY cheesy looking but I think I will sand, paint and take that silly decal off and do something fun with them!! And for a dollar?! C'mon!!!

I had a weekend project putting together this console table all by myself.

The final product as of today. I have to think hard about accessorizing it because I don't like it at the moment!

I have more projects under my belt, so be sure to check back! Hope all is well...

Ethan Hays Rickelton 7-30-09

The last 2 days have been GREAT! Lots of time with family! Patrick and Erin got in from Nashville yesterday afternoon, they didn't get to be here for Ava or Jacksons births, so this was so special for them to be a part of it all! We went to Deep River for church with Dave, Angie and the kiddos then to CiCi's pizza, where we all stuffed our faces. I think Angie had a couple of plates of just cinnamon rolls! We really enjoyed each others company and all shared in the excitement!

And this morning we woke up the kids very early to get to the waiting room in time to see the baby! We didn't have to wait too long to get to see him for the first time! We had to stare at him through a glass wall for 3 or 4 hours...it was killing me!! But, at about 2 pm we all got our chance to hold Ethan! OH he is so precious! He didn't get his eyes quite open this afternoon, but maybe I will get to see them tomorrow!

Patrick, Erin, and I all went back to the house, rested/quiet time, and fixed dinner and had a some-what pleasant dinner...Jackson loves to talk about poopie things...

But I will say my favorite moment of the day, besides getting to finally hold Ethan, was seeing Jackson "hold" him...and the look on his face and his smile as he said " this is my baby brother" ...he had a lightbulb moment that was so sweet and loving. I am so so so blessed to have 3 beautiful, healthy, and happy neice/nephews, and not just that but a great family to share all the laughter and new memories with! Okay...so go and enjoy the pictures...

Waking the kiddos up

Me and Erin excitedly waiting!

Our first glimpse of at that moment BOY Rickelton, later to be Ethan...