I bid thee farewell...

this blog is shutting down and instead tune to lifeasthemurrays.blogspot.com

Once again...

I have been quite remiss in my posting...I have a ton of pictures that need posted and news that needs to be shared. I assume that most of you who read this blog are my buddies on Facebook as well, so that's why I've been a slackjob. Nevermind the fact that since July 31, I have: gotten married, gotten settled in our new house, became a stepmom, sent my baby to Kindergarten, and found out that we are HAVING A BABY next May! :) Definitely an exciting time! This kid has whipped me unlike it's older sister who was a peach from moment one; now she just talks your ear off! We are all excited and cannot wait to welcome the 6th and FINAL member of the Murray family! And May is the month of Murray birthdays...my husband, stepdaughter, sister-in-law, and someone else, but I forget. So, Baby Murray is due May 19, and we will see how that goes...baby looks good and healthy on the ultrasounds, and we've had 4 ultrasounds already as I was hospitalized almost 2 weeks ago with pneumonia and was being treated for H1N1 as well. We've all been sick, my 2 oldest had H1N1, my baby just had a nasty cold, and my husband had pneumonia after me...good times!!! :)

Anyway, I KNOW I have more to share, but just can't remember it all right now...when I get a chance I will post some pictures from everything, too!

10 days...then 19 days...

In 10 days, we close on our house...I had no idea wha a stressful process this is, and quite honestly it's been pretty smooth. We drove by the house yesterday and the people are moved out! We are hoping that they give us the keys at closing date instead of the 3 days after that. Here's hoping!

In 19 days, it's a done deal...we are pretty much done with everything. And we are going to Miami for our honeymoon...I cannot wait to sit on the beach.

Hope all is well!

I'm not even going to make an excuse...

for not blogging. When girlfriend and I lived with my parents, they had internet and it was easily accessible. Now, not so much...but seeing as I'm saving lives tonight (to the tune of ~$70/hr), and thank goodness it's quiet for the moment, I've got some thoughts running through my head...pardon me if this is a bit personal.

*I'm happy. My life hasn't gone the way I had planned it, but I'm coming to accept that that is okay.
*In 27 days, Dave is making an honest woman out of me...as he says. He also keeps saying that we are going to have alot of fun...I'm a little afraid. :)
*I am completely in love with him. I always thought that someday I'd get married again, but I put that so far into the future and was complacent to be girlfriend and myself even though I'd get lonely at times.
*He makes me feel really good about me...and I've come a long way with this. My self-esteem took a huge hit for about 10 years and Dave has been there to help me rebuild it.
*I really shouldn't have eaten Wendy's for dinner here at work...it made me sick. BUT, I had a leftover chicken sandwich in fridge at work to eat for dinner tonight, but when I got here it was GONE! So, live and learn...should have eaten at home.
*I have made alot of really great new friends this year. I've made alot of great friends since coming to work at OSU in March.
*I love saying to other people at work, "Good enough for government work." They always laugh...probably because I'm crazy for saying it, but hey! It's true!
*I've got the best daughter I could have ever asked for...this kid loves me more than I am worthy of at times. She has no idea how much I love her and have since the moment I found out I was having her...no idea.
*In 3 weeks, 6 days, I'll be privileged to be a step-mother to 2 awesome kids. They, too, seem to love me more than I am worthy of at times. They are good kids, and I truly never thought I'd be in a situation where I'd be a step-mother...never in a million years, but for these kids, I would do anything in this world. Truly.
*I need to get a facial, and need to get it soon.
*I need make-up...I'm low on alot of my things.
* I'm fortunate that I'm able to keep in touch with alot of my friends from my past. They make me think about childhood times.
*I'm so very sad for the loss of the Hewitt kids...I went to middle and high school with their mom and dad...the kids were killed in a car wreck this past Monday and mama is at UGA Medical Center...craighewittphotography.blogspot.com
*I have good co-workers who help and ask for help when they need it.
*In 3 weeks, I will be moving into my first and only home I've ever purchased...you people think I'm being funny when I say they will drag my old bones out of this house. I am not moving, ever, again.
*I think I found our "readings" for the wedding that our friend-turned-reverend has been harping on us to get...hey, tell me when we have the time?!?
*I'm thankful for many of the choices that I have been allowed to make.
*I have the best niece in the world...I absolutely adore this kid!!! And I think there's no one else in this world like her father, either. Always have and always will think that of him.
*I'm glad my patients are sleeping.
*I'm happy that glitter's mama is picking up glitter's daddy from his tour of duty in Iraq...words can't say thank you enough...glittersmama.blogspot.com
*I love that I have great parents.
*I love that Dave's parents have been kinder to girlfriend and I than anyone ever has...they treat us just like we've been around forever.
*Dave and I have dated for over a year...this is huge for me, I get bored quickly.
*I absolutely love him.
*But I will say that while I'm so incredibly grateful to be getting rid of my current last name, the task of changing everything to a new last name seems daunting. Ah well.

I probably should go check on my peeps. Thanks for letting me get that out.

Update

So, again I have been remiss in my blogging...alot has been going on lately!

In the middle of March, I started in the Progressive Care Unit and THE Ohio State University Medical Center. I love it there. I am out of orientation (and thanks to all of you who listened to my whining about being in orientation) and back on nights where I belong.

Girlfriend is done with preschool and registered for Kindergarten. She cannot wait and is so looking forward to riding the bus. I, on the other hand, have mixed emotions. I know it'll be good for her, I do. She is enjoying 3 months off before school starts.

PD and I are getting married July 31 of this year. Yep, we've been together about a year and we'd talked about it several times, and then just decided to just do it. We are getting married on a Friday night at a park in Columbus with just immediate family and a few friends (25 ppl total including the 5 of us) and our friend who's a nurse with PD in the SICU just got his official license (last night at work, thank you) to marry us. How cool is that?!? We are both excited and the kiddos are all excited as well.

We are looking for a house and who knew how stressful that was going to be...I hate that I get so attached to these houses!!! Ah well, we will find our perfect house.

Anyway, that's what is going on with us! Hope you all are well!

And a shoutout to my birthday and stuff

Thanks to all those who hung with us...we have good friends! I love that all of our friends can hang together!

Shout out to the baby girl!

Here are some long overdue pictures of the baby girl! Some are from her birthday and some are from her blessing day last Sunday.

Shout out

Thanks to all of those who made my birthday awesome...I'll post pictures soon. Holla!!

I'm old...

yep, I just turned 30 years old 1 hour and 22 minutes ago...I'm at work saving lives tonight (ha!). PD called to wish me Happy Birthday and all of that stuff ;) right at midnight and I've gotten plenty of birthday wishes. Let the fun begin!!

I have been remiss...

in my blogging and my brother does not hesitate to tell me so. I apologize, time got away from me and I haven't jumped into the 21st century and gotten internet at home yet.

Anyway, let's see...in November I bought the car I have ALWAYS wanted...a Yukon Denali. It seats 7 (so it holds my posse comfortably...no one is touching anyone else), has a DVD player, leather, yada, yada...not bragging at all, I have just always wanted this car and thanks to dad's negotiation skills, I got a fantastic deal. We also had Thanksgiving and I spent it with PD, the kids and his family while girlfriend was with her dad's family.

In December, I took the girls to see "The Nutcracker" performed by Columbus BalletMet. I loved it and in spite of it being a little long, the girls enjoyed it as well. Christmas was good...the kids all loved what Santa brought and just couldn't believe he knew what they wanted! ;) We spent New Year's Eve with some friends and their kids at our friends' and it was a good time.

Now, we're over halfway through January and my first little niece is due any day now and if she doesn't come before Thursday morning at 9 am, her mama is going to be induced. Girlfriend is beyond excited! I can't wait...I've never had my "own" niece or nephew.

I would appreciate if any of you who regularly (or not so regularly because of my poor blogging skills) visit would leave your blog address as I have deleted many of them.

Hope you all are well!!

Actual Birthday

Taken at 9:01 pm...the exact moment she was born (although that was on Cali time). And her father and his wife were there to celebrate that moment, so that was nice. She and I celebrating her birthday again Tuesday night.

Girlfriend's birthday was on a Tuesday this year and that was the day of the week she was born...brought back alot of memories. I just love this kid. Girlfriend wanted a buttload (that's for you Unc) of stuff but REALLY wanted a Sleeping Beauty Talking Head Styling Vanity which I found days before her birthday...talk about luck. I did take on of she and I...I told her that it was about 5 years ago that time when we had our first picture taken together...I'll spare you the pictures (5 years ago and now). I think I look more worn out but definitely happier now! ;)

Not too many strikes!!!

We had girlfriend's 5th birthday party at Rainbow Lanes Bowling a couple Saturdays ago, and it was a blast...some people said they hadn't bowled in 30-40 years...too much fun.

Girlfriend and her "salty dog, best buddy" Dying to get those princesses in her hands and off the cake!

With one of my best friends (Sarah- nurse of the year) and her husband.

With my freakout friend from nursing school. :)

Amazing what a little flat-ironing and Aveda products can do for a girl! And yes, I let her use my Bobbi Brown skin care stuff, too...the girls at the Bobbi Brown counter LOVE this kid and everytime girlfriend, Sarah and I go they put blush, lip gloss and eyeshadow on her...doesn't hurt to have fun! :)

It was a fun time and she was EXHAUSTED by the time it was over!!! Thanks to everyone for coming and having a good time!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GIRLFRIEND!!

Today is my baby girl's 5th birthday! I'll post the pictures from her birthday party this past Saturday at the bowling alley soon. Everyone had such a good time. It is hard to believe that my baby is 5 years old. My life has been so much better because of this little person who loves me more than I think she should at times. I love you, girlfriend.

Homecoming

We went to Homecoming at OU down in Athens this past weekend. The kids loved the parade and all of the free stuff they were able to score! The game was good and the weather cooperated nicely. It was a good time! Odd to think I graduated (the first time thank you) from college 7 years ago! ;) And yes, we were total dorks with the boys wearing grey OU shirts and the girls wearing green OU shirts. We looked quite nice, and okay, MAYBE a little dorky but so did everyone else cause they were all dressed like us!

I want to play goalie...

Girlfriend is playing soccer again; she played in spring and was able to stick with the same team this fall which has been a good thing. She really enjoys it and has learned alot. I love watching her play, or watching her when she is zoning out (which happens alot with 3-5 year olds), or when she is helping the other kids who get hurt...she is a compassionate child. I love this kid. :)

Preschool...for real

Girlfriend has essentially been going to preschool/daycare for the last 2 years, but this is the "official" year for it. After FOUR MONTHS of summer break, it started again this past Monday. I went out after work to take her and mom told girlfriend to stand "pretty" so that I could take her picture.

I'm going to be a mess next year when she starts Kindergarten. Although, I was the only parent who was like, "See ya, bye." and didn't linger. Nor, did girlfriend cling to me, so we should be fine.

In case you didn't know...

if you live in Ohio, the rule is that you have to wear OSU gear every Saturday that they play. We went to the Clippers game 2 weeks ago (after OSU hammered Youngstown) and were all decked out in our OSU gear. And, yes that was me being a bad mother and letting girlfriend get her cotton candy all over her face. So, anyway that's what we'll be wearing each Saturday until the end of November! :)

Holla!

So, we'll refer to this man as PD (you give me guesses as to what it stands for), his homeboy is 11 years old and his homegirl is 6 years old. That makes PD, Yourmom, Homeboy, Homegirl and Girlfriend...makes for interesting times!

So, I've been a slacker

and enjoying the summer WAY too much to update this thing. Plus, I decided not to get a computer just yet b/c I'm too cheap to pay for phone, internet and cable. Why add that on when I only use my cell phone?

Anyway, we've been to Kings Island for our annual go-to-Kings-Island trip at the beginning of the summer, getting out apartment squared away, zoo-ing and swimming like no one's business. Girlfriend has a kickboard which she calls, "my surfboard" and I think it's so hilarious that I cannot correct her! ;) The apartment is just about done, except that I need to get my glider cushions recovered and I am striking out with all of my options, any suggestions?

I've got tons of pictures to post, but still haven't taken the time to figure out the problem. It's been too much fun enjoying our apartment and the summer!

Have a fun summer!