Weekending: Bella's birthday

After I got home from my 12 hour shift Friday night, we hopped in the car and drove the hour drive to my in-laws. They live on 500 acres of land that my father-in-law farms. There is something about pulling up to the Davis farm that makes me instantly relaxed. The smell of tobacco being dried in the barns, of horses in the fields, of fresh country air. My mother-in-law always has the house filled with homemade everything when we go home, it's amazing.

Saturday morning we sat on the porch and ate homemade blueberry muffins and drank our coffee. Then we went on a long walk through the fields to get some energy out of the dogs. P.s. it was Bella girl's birthday so we let her do all of her favorite things! She had a blast running through the tobacco fields and chasing birds. Then she got to play in the sprinkler all afternoon… another one of her favorite activities.

Saturday night we had Bella's "birthday party", complete with birthday hats, treats for the dogs, and champagne for the adults. My mother-in-law cooked steak, crab legs, stuffed potatoes, broccoli with homemade cashew sauce, and homemade blueberry cobbler + ice cream for dessert. I was in a serious food coma after dinner.

We watched a movie and headed to bed early. Sunday was spent prepping for the week ahead. Grocery store, gym, errands, cleaning, and cooking. It felt so great to relax and spend time with family this weekend. Thursday we are headed to the beach for a long Labor Day weekend and I could NOT be more excited!! Our last beach weekend of the year… definitely bittersweet. Enjoy the photo dump below!

 Who can spot Bella??

How was your weekend? I'd love to hear about it!

Linking up with my girls Meghan and Biana

FoF: gallery walls and babies

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I finished my 2nd week in the emergency room and for the most part it has been great. I have learned SO much and gotten to do so many cool things. I've sewn up a finger, a leg, and the palm of a guy's hand. I've gotten to do so many procedures all by myself that I had only read about and studied before.

The worst case I've seen is a lady with a gangrenous foot. She came in with "weakness and fatigue". Then we saw a huge pressure ulcer on her bottom and her uncontrolled diabetes had led to no blood flow in her foot, leading to gangrene. It's basically a dead foot with black skin that looks like a skeleton. I'm not kidding it was the worst thing I've ever seen. And the smell…. I can't even. It is just unimaginable how people let themselves get this way.

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I'm almost finished with the gallery wall in our bedroom and I'm loving the way it is turning out. Most all of the pieces are from thrift stores or small stores in my hometown. I still want to add a few pieces but I love the touch it adds to our bedroom.

[gold urchin- Target] [gold mirror- Pier 1]

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One of my PA school friends had her baby this week. I took them dinner and got to meet their precious babe, she is the sweetest! #babyfever

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We got sushi one night this week and it was heaven. 16 rolls gone in 5 minutes. Am I the only one that could eat sushi for every meal?!

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Check out my bff's blog… featuring me! We have been best friends since we were 2 years old, got married 5 months apart, were bridesmaids in each others weddings, and both married Davis'. Head over to her fashion blog and show her some love!

Linking up with Amanda and April

Fall wreath

For the past couple of weeks I have been thinking about everything Fall. I am dying to start filling my house with pumpkin flavored candles and bring out my boots and sweaters from the back of my closet. I've been wanting a new Fall wreath for our front door  for a while however I haven't seen a single one that I like. So I scoured Pinterest for some ideas... now I just have to find one I can purchase! Let's be honest, I don't have time for a DIY right now. Any time that isn't spent working or studying is spent sleeping or spending time with my husband/family. DIY's may be an option in the future, but for right now I just want to purchase a wreath. Here are some that I'm loving:

I'm not big into the fake leaves and pumpkins, etc. I'm just wanting something semi-plain and neutral. So tell me ladies, where can I get a cute Fall wreath?! 

Linking up with Jenn and Jessi

Weekend in the ER

This weekend was filled with heart attacks, diabetic ketoacidosis, lacerations, and strokes. I worked in the emergency room Saturday AND Sunday. Not ideal to spend the weekend working [for no pay] but I made the most of it. I'm not going to lie, it was draining. Emotionally and physically.

Yesterday an older lady came in because she fell and hit her face on a dresser, resulting in a broken nose. We popped that sucker back into place then joked about her getting a "free" nose job in the ER. She gave me marriage advice and I just adored her. Then we ordered a head CT to make sure she had no broken bones. We got the report back from the radiologist who stated that a mass was seen at the top of her lung, which just happened to be seen in the head CT. Unsure of why she would have a lung mass, we ordered an abdominal CT. The results were heartbreaking. She has pancreatic cancer with metastasis to her lungs.

I immediately teared up, which "I'm not supposed to do". The ER doctor told me "you can't think and act clearly when you get attached to your patients". Well I'm sorry sir, but I wouldn't have it any other way. We broke the news to her and her response: "I can't be sad! God has given me a long and happy life and for that I am thankful!".

In a matter of minutes, we had changed her life and given her 6 months to live. How are you supposed to forget something like that? You aren't. You are supposed to learn and grow from it. These patients are the ones you remember 10 years down the road. They make your job incredibly sad but also remind me of why I went into medicine... To be a provider that cares. I believe that God is placing me in medicine to touch people's lives. I may not be the smartest PA there ever was, but there will be no shortage of compassion and love shown to my patients.

My #ootd... Stylish, I know

My early morning commute isn't so bad when I can watch the sunrise

Missed my 2 loves this weekend. Hardly got to see them at all! Love them so much

Sorry for getting all serious on this bloggy today, but it's where my heart was! Happy Monday pretty ladies! 

Linking up with Meghan and Biana

FoF: emergency room and desserts

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I finished my first week in the emergency department and I LOVED it. I was seriously not expecting to enjoy it so much. I have an hour commute each way which sucks when you are getting off at 11pm and can barely keep your eyes open. But the perk of that is that I'm in a small ED which means I get to do all of the procedures and I'm not working under residents. There's one doctor and 3 nurses so if there is anything "cool" to be done, they let me do it. I've done lots of suturing, IV's, ABG's, NG tubes, and more this week. They trust me so much which is slightly terrifying but super rewarding. A lady almost cut her finger completely off with a pocket knife and I sutured that sucker back on like a champ! This rotation has also given me a newfound respect for people that work 12 hour shifts. It.is.hard. My feet ache and we barely have time to eat anything all day.

One patient really broke my heart this week. He came in after fainting and feeling dizzy. We did a head and chest CT and discovered that he had metastatic lung cancer that had spread to his brain, making him feel dizzy. He was the sweetest man and obviously was not expecting to receive life-changing news that day. I will have a hard time forgetting about him.

We also get our fair share of people who come in looking for pain meds or come in because their ear hurts (yep). That's a post for another day…

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Y'all, you have got to make this dessert ASAP. My mom made them all the time when I was growing up now I make them all the time to take them to people, take to work, etc. We call them "lemon squares" but there is no lemon. So they are more like a Neiman Marcus type bar. And the best part is they are SO easy! Directions:

-Combine 1 package Duncan Hines butter cake mix, 1 stick of butter (melted), 2 eggs, and 1 tsp vanilla. Beat and mix with heavy spoon. Mixture will be stiff. Press dough in 9x13 greased pan

-Combine 8 oz cream cheese (room temp), 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 lb box of powdered sugar. Beat topping with mixer thoroughly. Pour on top of dough mixture. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.

-Cut into squares and serve at room temperature

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I saw this elephant picture frame at a store at the beach and HAD to have it. Our living room is filled with pops of gold and I just love the way this frame looks on one of our side tables. Btw, I am a frame hoarder. We don't even have space for all the frames we have yet I continue to buy them.

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I never had a chance to recap my weekend in Charlotte last weekend. It was so great! I got to spend time with my friend and her new baby, my husband's family, and my best friend of 10+ years who lives in Charlotte. We ate good food and had lots of champs… my idea of a perfect weekend!

 Of course I had to stop by the new Kendra Scott store in Southpark mall. I was SO impressed with how gorgeous that store is. I wanted every single thing.

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The winner of the Sift with Style necklace giveaway is Kate Collins! Thanks to everyone for entering! Look for more giveaways in the future ;)

Linking up with Amanda and April