Okay, so I have been approached by several people who said "so you gave up on the blogging thing, huh?" No, I have not, I have just not participating lately. No good reason, no reason at all, in fact. I just haven't done it. So here I am, with sincere apologies for the multitudes who are interested in my humble little life.
I am now 30. I celebrated that milestone a little over a month ago, so I guess you could say I am already 30.1 now. It weirded me out a little. I just keep thinking how old 30 was when I was 20. Is THAT what I seem like? And, my child is now 14. That's way too close to 15, the age I was when he was conceived. Yipes! He has the advantage of knowing where he came from, as well as an understanding of why that is the best road to travel down. He is being "raised in the church," which may or may not help the cause, but I pray everyday that he strives to do what is right and follow Christ. It is particularly difficult for him right now, after we uprooted him in the middle of Junior High. Derek is at camp right now with his old youth group and his new youth group. Apparently, neither group is embracing him. I don't know how to feel about that. He's a great kid, but sometimes leans toward the toolshed, if you know what I mean. I'm afraid that he has alienated himself from both groups with his attitude, but I don't know how to help him. I am not a great parent, but I try, and I pray ALOT. It helps that my husband has a college degree in adolescence.
Speaking of college degrees, we have collectively decided that 4 is not enough for us, so we will be adding 2 more (one for each of us.) Jeremy is currently applying to graduate school to work on a PhD. That is trippy. As a teenager, he was told that he just wasn't cut out for college. (And in all honesty, at the time, he wasn't!) Now he wants to be called Dr. Kenney. Very weird, but I am incredibly proud of him for making this step. He has wanted to do this for awhile, but things were always in the way. I think it will be difficult, but well worth it in the end. On my end, I am looking into graduate work in the field of nursing. I want to be an advanced practice nurse, and the most widely utilized advanced practice nurse is a Family Nurse Practitioner. I have already been accepted to OUHSC, but for nursing education, which I have discovered is NOT what I want to do. The NP program only admits students once a year, and the deadline was earlier this Spring. I may not be able to begin work until next Fall, and that is assuming I am accepted. The program is VERY competitive. I suppose this is one of those times that God will open the appropriate doors, but it still kind of freaks me out. If I am intended to do this, God will make it happen, but that does not mean He will make it easy! Prayers are appreciated always; thank you.
And finally, I need to mention Noah. He is a great kid. He has grown up fast, having a brother 7 years older. We went to a cookout this evening with several families with young children. To set the scene, picture Noah, 6, playing with a couple of 7 year-olds and several younger kids. Noah witnesses an older child hitting a younger child:
Noah: Dude, how old ARE you?
Kid: 7.
Noah: (to other child) And how old are you?
Other Kid: 3.
Noah: Exactly! What were you thinking?
Kid: Okay, sorry!
(And they resume playing)
He has a great career ahead of him, possibly as a school principal, a counselor, or a conflict mediator! The best part was the "dude," a common term heard at the Kenney's.
OK, I have now officially returned to the blogging world. Welcome me with open arms, or I may leave again...
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
My turn, but I don't think it'll be any good...
Here I am sitting at work. I am working OB triage, formally called Women's Urgent Care Center (Urgi for short.) I am currently PL (nursing lingo for patient-less. I know, stupid) And there are 13 in the waiting room (nursing lingo for no one but don't say it out loud or it will jinx it and the Urgi bus will roll in.)
I have been inspired.
Since I have now spilled the beans about the 13 in the waiting room, it is only a matter of time before the Urgi bus actually rolls in, so here are several interesting things about me. We'll see how far I get.
1. I am married to Vern
2. If you read his blog, you already knew that.
3. He didn't tell you where he got that name.
4. Go rent Stand By Me.
5. We have 2 boys.
6. And a girl.
7. Dog.
8. She thinks she's a cat.
9. I am allergic to cats.
10. I was not allergic to them until I moved to Oklahoma.
11. Which I did when I was 18.
12. We moved to OK for college.
13. We lived in a 1 bedroom apartment on campus.
14. Derek got the bedroom.
15. We slept on a hide-a-bed in the living room.
16. Don't sleep on those anymore.
17. I never lived in the dorms.
18. No co-ed dorms.
19. Because I was married.
20. I got married between my sophomore and junior years of high school.
21. I was knocked up.
22. We named him Derek.
23. Jeremy wanted to call him "Bubba Zeus."
24. I said no.
25. I wanted to name him Emmalyn.
26. Jeremy said no.
27. We started dating in April of 1993.
28. I was 14.
29. I am now almost 30.
30. I have been with my husband for more that half my life.
31. That makes me feel even older than being almost 30.
32. My birthday is May 27.
33. I like presents.
34. My anniversary is May 28.
35. I was married the day after I turned 16.
36. Derek was born on June 22.
37. I didn't have a honeymoon until 2005.
38. We went on a cruise to celebrate my graduation from nursing school.
39. Now I'm in school again.
40. I guess I just want another cruise.
41. I think it would be fun to be a cruise ship performer.
42. I would probably weight 450 pounds if I worked on a cruise ship.
43. Jeremy wants me to run in a marathon with him.
44. I'm not so sure.
45. Pam is supposed to do it too.
46. She's not so sure either.
47. I don't mind running.
48. I don't so much like bouncing.
49. I do love Jazzercise.
50. I love to dance.
51. My old Jazzercise was awesome.
52. The new one is okay.
53. But there are mirrors.
54. Not pretty!
55. I was on the dance team in high school.
56. We were called the Hi-Steppers.
57. We wore funky silver shoes.
58. We called them "Silver Bullets."
59. I had them until after Noah was born.
60. Don't know why.
61. They were REALLY ugly.
62. I am a pack rat.
63. I don't like to throw stuff away.
64. Moving was hard.
65. I wanted to keep everything!
66. But I had a garage sale.
67. The Urgi bus is rolling in.
68. To be continued...
I have been inspired.
Since I have now spilled the beans about the 13 in the waiting room, it is only a matter of time before the Urgi bus actually rolls in, so here are several interesting things about me. We'll see how far I get.
1. I am married to Vern
2. If you read his blog, you already knew that.
3. He didn't tell you where he got that name.
4. Go rent Stand By Me.
5. We have 2 boys.
6. And a girl.
7. Dog.
8. She thinks she's a cat.
9. I am allergic to cats.
10. I was not allergic to them until I moved to Oklahoma.
11. Which I did when I was 18.
12. We moved to OK for college.
13. We lived in a 1 bedroom apartment on campus.
14. Derek got the bedroom.
15. We slept on a hide-a-bed in the living room.
16. Don't sleep on those anymore.
17. I never lived in the dorms.
18. No co-ed dorms.
19. Because I was married.
20. I got married between my sophomore and junior years of high school.
21. I was knocked up.
22. We named him Derek.
23. Jeremy wanted to call him "Bubba Zeus."
24. I said no.
25. I wanted to name him Emmalyn.
26. Jeremy said no.
27. We started dating in April of 1993.
28. I was 14.
29. I am now almost 30.
30. I have been with my husband for more that half my life.
31. That makes me feel even older than being almost 30.
32. My birthday is May 27.
33. I like presents.
34. My anniversary is May 28.
35. I was married the day after I turned 16.
36. Derek was born on June 22.
37. I didn't have a honeymoon until 2005.
38. We went on a cruise to celebrate my graduation from nursing school.
39. Now I'm in school again.
40. I guess I just want another cruise.
41. I think it would be fun to be a cruise ship performer.
42. I would probably weight 450 pounds if I worked on a cruise ship.
43. Jeremy wants me to run in a marathon with him.
44. I'm not so sure.
45. Pam is supposed to do it too.
46. She's not so sure either.
47. I don't mind running.
48. I don't so much like bouncing.
49. I do love Jazzercise.
50. I love to dance.
51. My old Jazzercise was awesome.
52. The new one is okay.
53. But there are mirrors.
54. Not pretty!
55. I was on the dance team in high school.
56. We were called the Hi-Steppers.
57. We wore funky silver shoes.
58. We called them "Silver Bullets."
59. I had them until after Noah was born.
60. Don't know why.
61. They were REALLY ugly.
62. I am a pack rat.
63. I don't like to throw stuff away.
64. Moving was hard.
65. I wanted to keep everything!
66. But I had a garage sale.
67. The Urgi bus is rolling in.
68. To be continued...
Thankful...
I just want to thank God for all I have.
My husband tried to spin into oncoming highway traffic yesterday. He didn't mean to, but it's hard to steer with only 3 tires. He called me just after it happened, and I could hear the fear and tension in his voice. If you know Jeremy, you know that you very rarely hear fear in his voice. It scared me. A lot. He told me what had happened, and then informed me that he had prayed a quick prayer in those seconds that God might forgive him of all he had done. I could have lost him so easily, but God watched over him and kept him safe.
I take so much for granted, and it makes me sad to realize how complacent I have gotten. I don't thank God enough because I don't pay attention to all that He does to bless me. I pray that I will take more time to dwell on the blessings He has given me and my family. There is a simple little song that I have sung about 3 million times, but I never really mean it like I should. You know the words, sing with me!
"Thank you Lord for loving me, and thank you Lord for blessing me. Thank you Lord, for making me whole and saving my soul! Please reveal Your will to me so I can serve You for eternity. Use my life in every way, take hold of it today!"
My husband tried to spin into oncoming highway traffic yesterday. He didn't mean to, but it's hard to steer with only 3 tires. He called me just after it happened, and I could hear the fear and tension in his voice. If you know Jeremy, you know that you very rarely hear fear in his voice. It scared me. A lot. He told me what had happened, and then informed me that he had prayed a quick prayer in those seconds that God might forgive him of all he had done. I could have lost him so easily, but God watched over him and kept him safe.
I take so much for granted, and it makes me sad to realize how complacent I have gotten. I don't thank God enough because I don't pay attention to all that He does to bless me. I pray that I will take more time to dwell on the blessings He has given me and my family. There is a simple little song that I have sung about 3 million times, but I never really mean it like I should. You know the words, sing with me!
"Thank you Lord for loving me, and thank you Lord for blessing me. Thank you Lord, for making me whole and saving my soul! Please reveal Your will to me so I can serve You for eternity. Use my life in every way, take hold of it today!"
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
I did it!!!
Okay, many of you already know about my plot. I just wanted to let you all know that it was a complete success! You want details, do ya? Okay...
I have been attempting, unsuccessfully, for many years to surprise my husband. He prides himself on his ability to figure things out. You can't watch any kind of suspense movie with him, because he will figure out the twist before it happens and ruin it for everyone else. Well, I have not had any success with surprises... until today! Let me enlighten you.
Back in November, we were watching TV and saw an ad for the Bon Jovi/Daughtry concert on April 15. (His b-day is 4/21.) With Jeremy between jobs at the time, he never guessed that I would take his comment "That would be a great birthday present" seriously. Little did he know that I made arrangements to purchase tickets that very next day! You see, Jeremy has a bit of a man crush on Jon Bon Jovi. I knew I couldn't let the opportunity pass.
I didn't tell anyone at all for a couple of months for fear of letting the secret slip, but I started getting excited and blabbed a bit. By today, most of the people I know knew about my surprise. Except Jeremy! There were a couple of close calls in the last week or so, when I was sure he would figure things out. He even asked me point blank last week if I got tickets for him, and I lied! It was one of the hardest things I have ever done! (I'm pretty sure I am forgiven now.) What saved me is the fact that I am such a bad gift giver and liar. He could tell something was up, but I have always been so pitiful with my gifts that he assumed I was planning some "stupid surprise party." Again. But not this time! Darin and Amy watched the boys for us, and Amy tried to discuss plans covertly on Sunday, and Jeremy caught on that she was being secretive. He thought that she was going to talk about some problem that Noah was having at school. He got all concerned about it until he slept on it, then realized that a plot was brewing. But once again, he thought it was some "stupid surprise party," and didn't figure out the truth.
Now we get to today. Jeremy broke one of our TV's when we moved, so he knew we were getting a new one. I then "surprised" him by buying the biggest TV in the store. (What was I thinking!?) So he thought that was his birthday gift. We were unloading it at 5pm when I told him that we needed to hurry and get dressed for the concert. He got the biggest grin I have ever seen on his face, and I knew that he hadn't known. I was so proud of myself!
Anyway, we went to the concert, which was incredible! (Except for the spilled beer on my purse and shoe.) He told me that this was the best birthday gift anyone has ever given him. :) I did, however, make sure to inform him that I could never top it, and I was retiring from the surprise business. It was so fun!
By the way, Jon Bon Jovi has aged very well. Richie Sambora has not.
I have been attempting, unsuccessfully, for many years to surprise my husband. He prides himself on his ability to figure things out. You can't watch any kind of suspense movie with him, because he will figure out the twist before it happens and ruin it for everyone else. Well, I have not had any success with surprises... until today! Let me enlighten you.
Back in November, we were watching TV and saw an ad for the Bon Jovi/Daughtry concert on April 15. (His b-day is 4/21.) With Jeremy between jobs at the time, he never guessed that I would take his comment "That would be a great birthday present" seriously. Little did he know that I made arrangements to purchase tickets that very next day! You see, Jeremy has a bit of a man crush on Jon Bon Jovi. I knew I couldn't let the opportunity pass.
I didn't tell anyone at all for a couple of months for fear of letting the secret slip, but I started getting excited and blabbed a bit. By today, most of the people I know knew about my surprise. Except Jeremy! There were a couple of close calls in the last week or so, when I was sure he would figure things out. He even asked me point blank last week if I got tickets for him, and I lied! It was one of the hardest things I have ever done! (I'm pretty sure I am forgiven now.) What saved me is the fact that I am such a bad gift giver and liar. He could tell something was up, but I have always been so pitiful with my gifts that he assumed I was planning some "stupid surprise party." Again. But not this time! Darin and Amy watched the boys for us, and Amy tried to discuss plans covertly on Sunday, and Jeremy caught on that she was being secretive. He thought that she was going to talk about some problem that Noah was having at school. He got all concerned about it until he slept on it, then realized that a plot was brewing. But once again, he thought it was some "stupid surprise party," and didn't figure out the truth.
Now we get to today. Jeremy broke one of our TV's when we moved, so he knew we were getting a new one. I then "surprised" him by buying the biggest TV in the store. (What was I thinking!?) So he thought that was his birthday gift. We were unloading it at 5pm when I told him that we needed to hurry and get dressed for the concert. He got the biggest grin I have ever seen on his face, and I knew that he hadn't known. I was so proud of myself!
Anyway, we went to the concert, which was incredible! (Except for the spilled beer on my purse and shoe.) He told me that this was the best birthday gift anyone has ever given him. :) I did, however, make sure to inform him that I could never top it, and I was retiring from the surprise business. It was so fun!
By the way, Jon Bon Jovi has aged very well. Richie Sambora has not.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Time to join the fun!
Okay, so my husband has found a new hobby through his new job. Apparently the "in" thing to do is talk about yourself and let people read it. The last thing I want to do is be out of the loop, so here I am! I make no promises about the frequency of my postings, as I can assure you that this will cause me to procrastinate on just about everything that I need to be doing. But I must be responsible, so I will try to be moderate with my time here.
Here is some general information about me.
I am joyfully married to my high school sweetheart, Jeremy, who I will probably call Vern sometimes out of habit. (Ask him about it; he's dying to tell the story!) We will soon celebrate our 14th anniversary. It amazes me that we have made it this far, and we are more in love now than ever! God has truly blessed us! We have 2 boys. Derek is 13. I am SO glad that I'm no longer 13. I wonder if there is some way to fast forward through several years of parenting, because I have discovered that I don't relate well to teenage boys. Thank goodness my husband still is one, or we would be in trouble! Derek is a great kid, who loves to be loved. It's not his fault that he's 13. Noah is 6, going on 16. He is convinced that he is older, wiser and more mature than his brother. Occasionally, I agree with him.
I work as a labor nurse. Currently, I work nights, but I am looking into other options. Pulling an all-nighter occasionally is fun, but several days a weeks for years can slowly drive you insane. I love my work. It took me awhile to find God's plan for me, but I did! My latest adventure in acadaemia is working toward a Masters degree in Nursing Education. Ultimately, I will become a midwife, but that is a plan for the very far future. If all falls into place, I will be fininshed with my degree next August.
Our family recently embarked on a great adventure. After living in one town for the past 12 years, we picked up and moved 2 weeks ago. We are all adjusting at our own speeds. Noah is done adjusting. This is his home now, and that's that. It helps that his 2 newest "best friends" live close enough to spit on. Derek, on the other hand, reminds us frequently how we have ruined his life. He is fitting in well at church, but he really misses his friends from Edmond. School, however, is not great. In Edmond, he was surrounded not only by people he had know for years, but also by a truckload of christian friends. At his new school, he knows 2 other kids from his youth group. And the environment rougher than he was accustomed to. He is starting up with sports, so hopefully that will help him find his place. Once again, I am SO glad to not be 13! Jeremy and I are kind of in the middle. We are incredibly relieved to finally be here, and not to be in limbo driving back and forth. We miss many of the people from our old church, but I don't think we miss the church itself much. Alameda is an awesome place to worship, and I think I speak for both of us when I say that we could be happy here for a very long time. The transition has not been entirely smooth for Jeremy, but things are moving forward, and the youth group has HUGE potential! The staff is incredible, too. We have both developed some great relationships in the past couple of months, and I know that as we get to know more people, it will start to feel more like home.
Well, there you have a (not so) brief overview of me. For all of my new friends, I look forward to getting to know you better. This talking stuff is fun! I hope I can convince myself to do homework tomorrow...
Here is some general information about me.
I am joyfully married to my high school sweetheart, Jeremy, who I will probably call Vern sometimes out of habit. (Ask him about it; he's dying to tell the story!) We will soon celebrate our 14th anniversary. It amazes me that we have made it this far, and we are more in love now than ever! God has truly blessed us! We have 2 boys. Derek is 13. I am SO glad that I'm no longer 13. I wonder if there is some way to fast forward through several years of parenting, because I have discovered that I don't relate well to teenage boys. Thank goodness my husband still is one, or we would be in trouble! Derek is a great kid, who loves to be loved. It's not his fault that he's 13. Noah is 6, going on 16. He is convinced that he is older, wiser and more mature than his brother. Occasionally, I agree with him.
I work as a labor nurse. Currently, I work nights, but I am looking into other options. Pulling an all-nighter occasionally is fun, but several days a weeks for years can slowly drive you insane. I love my work. It took me awhile to find God's plan for me, but I did! My latest adventure in acadaemia is working toward a Masters degree in Nursing Education. Ultimately, I will become a midwife, but that is a plan for the very far future. If all falls into place, I will be fininshed with my degree next August.
Our family recently embarked on a great adventure. After living in one town for the past 12 years, we picked up and moved 2 weeks ago. We are all adjusting at our own speeds. Noah is done adjusting. This is his home now, and that's that. It helps that his 2 newest "best friends" live close enough to spit on. Derek, on the other hand, reminds us frequently how we have ruined his life. He is fitting in well at church, but he really misses his friends from Edmond. School, however, is not great. In Edmond, he was surrounded not only by people he had know for years, but also by a truckload of christian friends. At his new school, he knows 2 other kids from his youth group. And the environment rougher than he was accustomed to. He is starting up with sports, so hopefully that will help him find his place. Once again, I am SO glad to not be 13! Jeremy and I are kind of in the middle. We are incredibly relieved to finally be here, and not to be in limbo driving back and forth. We miss many of the people from our old church, but I don't think we miss the church itself much. Alameda is an awesome place to worship, and I think I speak for both of us when I say that we could be happy here for a very long time. The transition has not been entirely smooth for Jeremy, but things are moving forward, and the youth group has HUGE potential! The staff is incredible, too. We have both developed some great relationships in the past couple of months, and I know that as we get to know more people, it will start to feel more like home.
Well, there you have a (not so) brief overview of me. For all of my new friends, I look forward to getting to know you better. This talking stuff is fun! I hope I can convince myself to do homework tomorrow...
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