National Nurses Week, Sloppy Joe Recipe, & An Outdoor Photo Shoot

I have three fun things to share with everyone today...and I'll try to be as short and sweet as possible...but you know me!

First of all, I just found out via MckMama's blog that it is National Nurses Week and I couldn't let it go by without saying some words of thanks. I am so thankful for nurses in more ways than one. When I was 5, I was diagnosed with asthma. Back then, asthma treatments weren't as good as they are today and I remember numerous visits to the ER for a breathing treatment. My mom is a nurse and was always my advocate for better care. I am so thankful for her medical knowledge and for how she taught me to care for my asthma on my own. Then, at age 12, I was diagnosed with coarctation of the aorta, a heart defect that caused my blood pressure to sky rocket and my energy level to plummet. Amazingly, it hadn't caused problems until then and, even more amazingly, my doctor caught it during a routine physical. A year later I had heart surgery to repair it and spent 5 days at Children's Hospital. I had so many wonderful nurses during my stay. One nurse washed and braided my hair for me; another nurse brought videos other than little kid videos from another floor for me to watch. (And I'll never forget how hard I laughed while watching Ferris Bueller's Day Off!)

Less than a year ago, our Sweet Pea spent 10 days in the NICU of the Children's Hospital following an infection that caused seizures. I will never forget the love the nurses showed our daughter. They worked 12 hour shifts and were assigned to the same baby on consecutive work days. This meant the nurses really got to know her case and we got to see familiar faces. The nurses went far beyond there job description too, because they showed through their actions that they genuinely cared for our daughter. They were also a huge support to me as I recovered from labor and delivery.

So, to ALL the nurses out there...I don't think the words thank you can say enough how much I appreciate you...but for lack of anything else to say to express my gratitude...THANK YOU!

***

Secondly, I wanted to share a fun recipe I tried this week. I found it while watching Fox 11's Living with Amy and it is DELICIOUS! (Note: As usual, I will put my modifications in italics...but for starters the original was a huge batch and I only made 1/4 of it.)

Homemade Sloppy Joes

1 pound ground beef
(we use extra lean beef from my inlaw's cattle, but you can also use ground turkey for a healthier option)

1/2 tsp garlic salt
(or a pinch of sea salt and a pinch of garlic powder)

1/4 tsp black pepper

8 oz ketchup

(this can vary based on your taste preferences)

1/4 large onion, diced

1/2 stalk celery, diced

(optional, I didn't have any so I went without)

5/8 cups water

1/4 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

1/16 cup brown sugar

(I just added about 1 Tbsp or so of brown sugar)

1/2 Tbsp cider vinegar

(I only had red wine vinegar, which is just as good)

1/4 Tbsp mustard
(or just guess like I do a lot ;)

Brown the ground beef and season with salt/pepper. Cook until no longer pink and drain well. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently, until liquid absorbs. If mixture gets too dry, add more water. You can keep warm in a slow cooker. Serve on buns. Enjoy.

Makes about 6 sandwiches.

***

The last two days were BEAUTIFUL sunny days, so I let Valerie have her first fun crawling in the grass and playing in her little inflatable pool. She wasn't too sure about either adventure at first, but I was able to capture some cute pictures of our Sweet Pea. Enjoy!