I have to talk about blessings

Lately I have had ear aches and ear itches. This morning I actually woke myself up because I was itching my ear in my sleep. I was putting off going to the doctor because of finals and yesterday I hosted my work Christmas party. So this morning I went to the walk-in clinic at Walmart. Here are all the ways I pre-judged it.
~It's going to be full of dirty, sick people.
~The people who work there are going to be rude from having to deal with the sick people.
~It's going to be dirty.
~The doctor really isn't going to care about me.

This is how the visit went. First I got online to look up what these clinics were all about. And apparently Wuestoff Hospital (our county's main hospital chain) is putting them in all the walmart storefronts as a way for people (even with insurace) to be able to get a quick doctor's appointment even on weekends and evenings. It's not a state-run health clinic. It's a doctors office in walmart. And it was brand new!

When I got there I filled out the patient forms and handed them in and was followed by a woman who was there to get sea-sick patches for a cruise she was taking. We chatted while the very nice desk lady checked us both in, and within 15 minutes I went back and met the nurse practitioner. She looked in my ears, nose and mouth and felt my glands and asked me lots of questions. (I have a sinus infection)Then when she realized I didn't have insurance she gave me coupons for my nasal spray and ammoxacilin because it's free to fill! All for $49. (I called an E.N.T. and they said just for a first-visit consultation it would be $306)

I always thought having no insurance would be a major burden. That I would be unhappy with my clinic visits and go un-cared for by busy, underpaid care-givers. But these people were really helpful and caring. And it was so affordable. Other than the fact that in an emergency we would be screwed over by a high ER bill, having no insurance has not turned out to be a burden at all. In fact, I pay less for birth control than I ever did before. It's free, too!

All this to say, God is truly blessing us and today I felt very thankful for all the ways that He shows me He is watching out for me. He wants me to be healed and he wants Kyle not to be stressed about doctor bills. I will always be "the sickly wife" to Kyle, but with this cute little clinic, I won't cost much!

Instead of working on my finals, I'm doing this!

Here are my Christmas decorations. I came home tonight with every intention of doing some homework seeing as how classes end next week.

Nope. Santa can't wait that long.

Here are the Christmas village places that mom bought me. We have matching sets. From the left there is the Toy Shoppe, The (Southern Baptist) Church, The Court House, and a Blue House that belongs to the Judge/Pastor/ToyMaker of the town. His name is Santa.


Here are the twinkle lights around our massive window



Here is Thornton Santa. Mom bought him for us on Black Friday and said that he would be the santa that our kids will be excited about getting out each year. He's awesome. I don't think the kids will be as excited for Thornton Santa as we were for Sprite Santa.

And here's Sprite Santa in case you didn't know...


Here are our advent stockings. Kyle demands individually-wrapped twizzlers in his stockings so the search is on. *sigh*


Here is Marsh Santa. We had one like this when we were little and it disappeared so Grandma CC gave me hers. I love him the best.



Here is our nativity scene--Peanuts window pasties. I love how Woodstock is baby Jesus. So sweet.


Here are our stockings hung by the front door with care. With hopes that the tacks holding them up with do their job by keeping them there. (the stockings are filled with cotton)