Blog Drought

These past few weeks I've been the unofficial worst blogger ever. I actually wrote a blog last week, but part of it could have been offensive to some, so I'm editing. It'll come later when I think of a way to say what I was feeling at the time without offending others...now you're curious aren't you?

Here lately I haven't had too much going on. Just ordinary work stuff during the day, and kickboxing at night. That's a stretch actually, I've only been to kickboxing twice. I'm working on it though because I'm magnificently out of shape and feeling down right old...bye bye awesome metabolism that is currently non-existent!

If you've never been to kickboxing before you should know there's nothing easy about it. Every single muscle in your body that you never knew you had will be sore the following day. Including your sphincter muscles as one of the hardest parts is keeping yourself from passing gas. Yes, I said that. My mom hates the word fart, but that's exactly the response that kickboxing elicits. There were times I had to squeeze everything I had to avoid letting one slip, which caused me to totally lose focus on the exercises we were actually doing. Perhaps that gets easier with time?

After dragging myself to the first class, I spent the first few minutes giving it all I had. We were running in place and, for the first time ever, my belly was moving. Side to side. Jiggly wiggly. MOVING GUT. Not cool. Hannah needs to workout constantly. I digress. So we're running and I'm keeping up and I'm thinking we should be about halfway through, so I was proud of my jiggly self. SIX MINUTES. That was it, all we had done. I had 54 grueling minutes of workout left.

Luckily I was still ok until we were about halfway through and the room promptly started to spin. Here's something you should know about me: I hate to be embarassed. And for me, quitting before all of the older people in the room (or anyone else in the room for that matter) was embarassing. So I kept going until I really thought I was about to hit the floor, when I less-than-gracefully bowed out for a water break. A longer than necessary water break, might I add. Kickboxing is brutal for the out of shape individual. BRUTAL.

I made it through though, and for the second class I was totally prepared for the overall brutality and managed to pace myself. I'm easily in the bottom half of my class, but I'm not the worst so I'll keep going. I'm pretty awful, but not so awful that I've shamed myself or my husband, so I guess I'll be happy enough with that. And I'll keep the updates coming...as long as I keep going to class and sweating profusely. I straight up stink afterwards, but that oddly makes me feel accomplished.

In other news, I've been having some strange intestinal/digestive issues which led me to the doctor last week. First: I'm seeing a new doctor, who is actually a PA. And I LOVE her. I may never go to anyone else again because she was spectacular. She also called me an "ideal patient" which made me feel good because I'm a child. But I'm also an ideal patient! Unfortunately she did not have any candy or stickers for me though.

At present, we don't know what's going on in the ole stomach, but we're pretty sure it is actually my stomach that's the problem. Perfect. And I got to take my first-ever stool sample which was really special. Tyler wouldn't allow me to take pictures to post here (I do have more sense than to do that anyway) and I will spare you most details other than to say it was an interesting experience and I will never view saran wrap in the same way ever again. Also, poop is kind of neat if you can forget that you're actually playing with your own. Perhaps I was just relieved for further proof that I can handle the icky side of nursing school? Probably. I took a shower immediately afterward if you're curious.

All blood tests and stool tests came back normal! I was glad to hear that even if my stomach still hurts. I'll keep you updated on my super fun digestive journey and spare you all most gruesome details!

I think I've said enough, but I promise to be a better blogger this week at least. Also, congrats to my cousin Cody and his new wife Mrs. Christa Penson! I'll post pictures from their wedding & her bachelorette party later as well.

XOXO,
Hannah

An Enhanced Quality of Life

Well, today I got a pedicure. And my nails painted. Which was supposed to be a manicure but the precious lady who did it missed the mark. Let me set the scene for you: I'm sitting in the sweet massage chair with my legs awkwardly hanging over the foot spa tub with freshly painted toe nails when she yanks my hands down in order to paint them simultaneously. Thank God I've danced my whole life and I'm flexible! Otherwise she might've either thrown my back out or pulled both of my hamstrings. So I'm dangling there all hunched over with my armpits cupping my knee caps (but seriously, that's how it went down) while she says something I can't understand and grins. Yay mani/pedi! She gave new meaning to the phrase "mani/pedi." Because those are supposed to be two separate pampering sessions and she definitely combined them.

In honor of my good day and new pink nails, I've created a brief list for you entitled "Reasons You Should Always Get a Manicure, Pedicure, or Mani/Pedi with Hannah":

Reasons You Should Always Get a Manicure, Pedicure, or Mani/Pedia with Hannah
1. I will always get the person in the room who is least fluent in English, so you wont have to worry about that intense language barrier.
2. Regardless of whether I can understand said person or not, I will never say no. Anything goes.
3. I will laugh hysterically while having my feet tickled or attacked by a cheese grater for feet.
4. The whole process makes me nervous + I have hyperhydrosis so I will sweat a lot and joke about it (this keeps me from crying about it)
5. I will always end up with some sort of surprise design on my toe and/or finger nails. Always. (See #2)
6. I will peer pressure you into getting a similar suprise design on your feet, which will never actually end up looking like my design surprise.
7. I won't judge you when you don't tip (ahem, Jami Lyn)

I thought I could make an even 10 but 7 is supposed to be a lucky number anyway! So, while sitting in the chair today my pedicurist (not sure that's a real word) says, "asdjfhasufh?" To which I respond, "Excuse me?" "asdjfhasufh?" I sideways glance at Jami Lyn and give a really bold, "ok." And I ended up with this...

SURPRISE DESIGN!!! White & silver glittery weeds!! Toe nails aren't so bad, but what's the deal with my weedy ring fingers?? *Awkward* Not the worst design surprise I've ever had though, I once found myself with an entire beach scene on my giant big toe nails, so I'd say weeds are pretty tame in comparison. Though the beach scene was rad as it had birds, a sun, water, and a palm tree....all on one nail. Pretty intense.

Regardless of the less-than-gorgeous-and-slightly-awkward nail designs, I had a great time. As Tyler would say, my girlfriends "greatly enhance the quality of my life." And I love them for that. Here's to more girls time (please!), more pampering ourselves, and always saying yes...or at least "ok!"

XOXO,
Hannah

Days Away

Hello blog friends!

I'm having a sort-of drought in my blog brain and feel like I have very little to write. It may or may not be due to having SO MUCH to do right here at the end of the quarter...it'll get finished though. All of the nonsense and writing papers/making powerpoints that I was capable of making in 4th grade. That could be a stretch but making a biographical powerpoint on Mark Twain is slightly offensive to a college sophomore for the second time. I can easily say that I've learned absoutely nothing this quarter and I'm incredibly glad its almost over.

I'm still praying about my decision for a future career and more specifically nursing school, but I'm about 95% sure I'm going to do it. It has the potential to combine all of my favorite things and is truly the only thing I've ever dreamt of doing. In fact, my senior year of high school I was always angry when somebody else was going to nursing school. Why? Because I was sure they didn't want it as bad as I did. It's a good thing I'm not so immature and ridiculous anymore, but I'm trying to go back to being that ambitious and so sure of that dream. A scholarship would surely help!Your prayers help also, so please keep them coming! And a big thank you for all of the comments on my "dream job" blog. You are all so encouraging and I truly appreciate your input. I'm thankful for you all.

Another thing that's been weighing on my mind is the fact that we are mere days (4 to be precise) from our first anniversary! WOW! Where has the time gone? I cannot believe a year ago today I was so stressed about our wedding and the tiny details that no one really noticed. More than that, I can't believe how much we've been through and accomplished since June 12, 2010. What a blessing my husband has been to me! I'll blog more on being married later, probably another list about things I've learned from my first year of marriage. I do love my husband. And I do love calling him my husband. He leaves me feeling like the luckiest girl in the world on a regular basis! Enough of that! Saving it for a future blog!

I am happy to say that this June we get to do the wedding thing one more time. My sweet "baby" cousin Cody is getting his own ball & chain on the 25th. He's actually almost 23, but being the sass I was when we were kids I thought I was his mom, so he'll always be a baby to me. I even gave the kid spankings. Good parenting at age 2! Now baby Cody is at least two times my size, but I still run the show & he knows it! Looking forward to 2 weekends in Chatsvegas for that one--one bachelorette party (there WILL be cake at this one!) and one wedding weekend! Congrats again to Cody & his bride-to-be Christa Faye...I can't wait!

Well, for someone who doesn't have much to say I'm getting long-winded. Typical. Keep prayin' folks and I'll keep you updated on all things in Lipsey Land.

XOXO,
Hannah

My Potential Dream Job...s

Hi friends! I'm still reading Quitter and still forcing you to read about me reading Quitter, but this may be the last day because no one seems especially interested. Which is fine. There are other things going on in my life aside from the book I'm ready/enjoying, so I can go back to that. But first you must muddle through a blog about the chapter that I'm sure will be my favorite of the whole book--Chapter 2, which is about figuring out what your dream is. YES! Thank you Jon Acuff! This is what I needed help with!

He starts right out of the gate saying "We don't know what we want, but this isn't it." Story of my life. I don't know what I want to do or what I was meant to do, but I know being a receptionist is surely not it. I did not accumulate 13K in student loans just so I could sit behind a desk and answer a phone all day. Additionally, I am not meant for a sedenary job/lifestyle. Though I will quickly admit that I'm lazy, time passes faster when you're busy. And I prefer to be busy moving around, rather than sitting in one spot doing the same things over and over and over. You with me?

So I got my highlight button ready on my kindle and absorbed the entire 2nd chapter. And, thankfully, I believe I have narrowed down my dream job to three, which may or may not be subject to change and may even be able to be combined. We'll see. In the book, Acuff states that he thinks your dream job is not something new that you are shocked to find that you love, but something that you have loved before. He calls it "a process of recovery." [Can I just insert here that I feel like he's talking directly to me as I read the book? I realize that's the point, but he's saying things that I think I should've thought of but haven't, and certainly things I should consider.]

I obviously can't tell you all that he says in this chapter or in this book. For one there are copyright laws and for two I think you should read it yourself. I will tell you the questions he has caused me to ask myself and the answers I have come to thus far...please note that I am still reading (this is just chapter 2 after all), still praying, and still working very hard to remember past moments that I have loved.

In trying to help his readers figure out their dreams, he gives us a few questions to ask ourselves. The one that stood out most to me was the first one, "What do I love enough to do for free?" I answered this question 3 different ways.

The first brought me to blogging and more specifically writing. I blog regularly (usually...this is the 4th day in a row!) and I love doing it. I get started and just go. Rarely do I even have to wonder what I will write about because it just starts flowing. I love writing. I have loved it as long as I can remember. As a child I wrote plays, some really terrible poetry and at least 2938472938 different versions of "A Day in the Life of Hannah Henderson." Thanks to my parents for always suggesting that I write the very same story over and over again. Could I make this a career? Maybe. Though my creativity for story-telling is quite limited. I am actually still writing "A Day in the Life of Hannah (Henderson) Lipsey." But practice makes perfect, so maybe someday.

The next thing I thought of was volunteering/"interning" at the hospital when I was in high school. Unfortunately those days were spent just watching things happen...and cuddling babies, who doesn't love cuddling newborns? But if somebody would've asked if I wanted to clean up/suction a baby straight out of the birth canal I definitely would've said yes. I've already mentioned I'm obsessed with pregnancy/child birth. We wore scrubs (and I've already expressed how much I love those), watched circumcisions, gave babies their first ever sponge baths, and watched deliveries. Do I think my love of watching a cesarean section makes nursing my dream job? I don't know. But maybe!  Could somebody guarantee me a position in L&D?? That might just make up my mind.

The last thing I thought of was volunteering/mission work. You know: loving on kids, feeding hungry people, cleaning up messes, giving support...that kind of volunteering. Non-profit volunteering. Taking care of other people who need me warms my heart and makes me feel like I'm living with a purpose. I love loving. It's what I was made for. Know of any non-profit jobs that pay enough for me to afford having my own children? Yea, me neither.

The good news is that I think all of the above could be combined. What is nursing if not taking care of and loving on other people? And plenty of nurses write too--I know because I've read a ton of books on nursing that I found on Amazon.

Either way, I feel like I'm making progress and that's all I can ask for. Want to figure out your dreams? Buy the book! Or, for a fun weekend in Nashville with yours truly, sign up for the Quitter Conference July 30th! See my last post for more info. Keep praying with me please!
XOXO,
Hannah

Quitter Conference!

So the book I'm reading, Quitter, is being turned into a conference. And I want to go. And I really want someone to go with me. It's in Nashville, $102, and July 30th. Any takers? For more info (cause you probably want to know more) click here: http://www.jonacuff.com/blog/events/ Let's change our lives together! Let's Quit! But seriously, let me know if you're interested...I want to go!! I'd ask hubby, but he LOVES his job so he doesn't want to be a quitter like me.

XOXO,
Hannah

PS: Look for Quitter chapter 2 blog tonight!

Quitter:Chapter 1 and Some Background

TWO DAYS IN A ROW!! Aren't you proud? I told you I'd be a better blogger.

Today, I'm reporting live from the workplace...at least for the first part of this blog, but I'll probably finish at home because it's almost lunchtime. That's one perk of my job, I get a lunch break. Though that doesn't really compare to the summer break that my teacher hubby gets. Yes, I'm bitter. I get one week of UNPAID vacation this year, he gets two months paid. Of course he'll also have to deal with our kids for 2 months straight eventually, so maybe it'll end up being fair. But that's another story for another day.

Today, I started Jon Acuff's new book, Quitter. It's about "bridging the gap between your day job and your dream job." Sounds simple, right? I bought the book on kindle for a few reasons (get ready for a list):

1. I had giftcards (yay in-laws!)
2. Jon Acuff mentioned me on Twitter which makes me feel cool and automatically makes me a fan
3. I would really like a dream job, please.

So I thought it couldn't hurt. When I started reading I expected to immediately want to turn in my 2 weeks notice, so you can imagine my disappointment when the title of chapter one showed up as "Don't Quit Your Day Job" Seriously, Acuff?! Rude! I needed you to give me a little take-this-job-and-shove-it pep talk! I guess that explains why I'm now blogging live from my desk...

Let me start the Quitter journey with a little background as to why I'm interested in being a quitter myself. For one, my mom never let me quit anything as a child, so now that I'm grown I feel powerful that I'm able to quit things. Irrelevant, but true. Aside from the "power" of quitting, I also would like a job I enjoy.

Where to begin? I started my "career journey," if you can even call it such, as a home economics teacher. Thrilling. I never wanted to be a teacher, certainly not the cooking, baby-raising, interior-decorating kind because I enjoy drive-thru dinners, not being a parent and a messy house. It was a poor fit. I blame someone else for this poor major decision, but I'm working on taking some responsibility too(this is another story for another day). At present I'm a college-educated phone answering superstar. I sometimes file, and on rare occasions fill out forms to help jack child support from dead-beat parents. That's my favorite part. Why? Because it serves a purpose. I need a purpose. I'm at my best when I'm doing something else for somebody else. I often spend time poring over these verification forms and imagining myself as somewhat of a hero because I'm helping these kids get food, clothes, and the ever-important health insurance. I really play a microscopic role in the process, but I'm ok with that, its a purpose nonetheless.

So I'm now soul-searching (for approximately the 1863468 time) because I don't know what this "dream job" I should be seeking is. I literally have no idea. When I was in 5th grade, someone came in our social studies class and asked everybody what they wanted to be when they grew up. I said I wanted to be a perfectionist. The adults laughed=positive reinforcement. This continued to be my career goal for longer than necessary because I really like thinking I'm funny. In high school I switched to nursing, but I'm not really sure why/I just really want to wear scrubs. They are comfy and people respect people when they're wearing scrubs. I also got to watch a c-section thanks to my health occupations teacher and her "internship" program (and no thanks to the excruciating process of mitering the corners of bed sheets), which I think is why I'm so completely obsessed with pregnancy and childbirth. I probably would've been a nurse by now if I wouldn't have been a complete moron and chosen a college with no nursing program. Now that's good planning!**Aside: I'm still glad I went to UGA though, otherwise I wouldn't have met my incredible/goodlooking/superpatient/perfect hubs!**

All of this to say I remain undecided on what my dream job might be. I've got all kinds of hobbies, but I'm just not sure where I'll end up in the long run. I've done A LOT of praying, but I've found that I sometimes seek "signs" from God that point me to whatever career I like best that day, and even sometimes hear Him saying exactly what I want to hear. Now I'm just praying He'll open doors and dead-bolt others...this is hard, I'm a control freak and often would like His plans to align directly with mine. Pray with me? Hopefully an answer will come as I continue reading "Quitter," or I'll at least get some better ideas of how to get there when I do figure out the dream job. I'll keep you updated while I follow the first chapter's advice and keep my day job!

XOXO while the phone rings,
Hannah

PS: I apologize if this isn't exactly coherent. Because I'm working it was written in segments throughout the day!