....where do I even begin

Oh my goodness, I've been such a bad blogger - I feel as though I have lots of backtracking to do. I guess I should probably start with finals week....here it goes (hope this doesn't get too boring)-

Finals Week - definitely a crazy week! I completely sequestered myself in the library - all week long. Everyday it was me, my iPod and my books for hours upon hours. Happily, all that studying paid off - which meant that I was all set to graduate!! Woo hoo!! In addition to finals I also had a presentation on Aquapheresis that week....have I mentioned it was a long week, lol! Here's a picture of awesome Aquapheresis poster
And, here's a picture of me and one of my wonderful friend's from nursing school - it was taken the day after we found out we passed, we were soooo incredibly happy!!
Graduation - The thing about graduation is that I wasn't even really planning on going. Since I have already done the graduation thing once, complete with a party, I didn't feel I should really make a big deal about this one. When some of my friends found out, they were determined to get me to attend my graduation. I walked out of my baccalaureate mass to find my best friend (who has a newborn and lives 8 hours away) waiting for me.....Um yeah, there were most definitely tears - lots of them! Lol ;) She spent the whole weekend with us, it was great! My Aunt also came up for the weekend....with my Aunt, best friend and my husband (who was actually not on TDY and in town - YAY!) I was in Heaven. I truly wish I could relive that weekend over and over. Here are some pictures from that weekend -

Me right after graduation, that smile means "stop taking pictures!!" Lol! :)

All of us at brunch - yum!!!

And, of course, my Aunt and I found time to cook ;)

My trip home - The day after graduation my Aunt and I jumped in the car and made our way down to Oklahoma. It's about an 8 hour drive so I was soooo excited to have a driving companion - not to mention that my Aunt and I are super close and I always enjoy spending time with her! :) While down in OKC, I stayed with my amazing friend, Heidi. She is such a wonderful person and I feel so incredibly blessed with her friendship. I love sightseeing in my hometown!! Here are lots of random pictures of my trip to good ole Oklahoma -

Memorial Day Weekend - Saturday Kevin and I spent aaalllll day just hanging out. Since Kevin is away ALOT it was really great to be able to spend a relaxing Saturday with my husband. Late Saturday afternoon, we headed out to my friend Laurie's wedding. Laurie is one of my friend's from nursing school and I was just so excited I could be there for her big day - she looked absolutely gorgeous!!

On Sunday, we woke up early, went to the early service and then headed off for a day of hiking at Indian Cave State Park. Despite a few sprinkles we had a great time!

Monday morning we woke up early again (....kinda odd, I know but since Kevin and I don't get a ton of couple time, when he's home we like to make the most out of the time we have.....yeah, not really sure why I felt the need to justify why we got up early), strapped on our running shoes and headed off to the park for a jog. Afterwards, we were able to meet up with our buddies, the DeHart's, who just returned from their honeymoon in Europe. We met them for lunch and they brought lots of fun pictures of all their fun European adventures - and since they flew "Space A" (space available) I would definitely say it was quite the adventure!! After lunch we all headed off to see The Terminator - woo hoo!!

This week - my agenda included an NCLEX (the nursing board exam) review, it was at my school so I definitely felt as though I was back at school - "just when I thought I was out...they pull me back." Sometimes you just gotta throw in a Godfather quote for good measure. ;)

Well, I think that just about catches me up. Now, I'm going to have to catch up on all of your blogs - woo hoo! I *heart* reading all of your blogs!!! :)

What was I thinking???

After a few days of being in a "funk" I'm so happy to report that I'm a wonderful day!! Last night, my BFF and I had a 2 hour conversation and did some much needed catching up and then today's weather has been just perfect!

So today my friend Tessa and I decided to go out to lunch at one of our favorite places, Jimi D's. We love this place because not only is it super close to campus but, the food is yummy and they have a cute little outdoor patio....which happens to be where we sat since today's weather is so nice! Yay! I ordered ordered their famous P.L.T sandwich (which stands for Pancetta, Lettuce and Tomato - um yeah, it's delish!). Since I was really hungry I gobbled it up at lightening speed. Around, 1:15 I looked down at my watch and realized I would need to leave asap to make it to my 1:30 class on time....my next class which was Power Yoga....oh yeah. I was seriously struggled all the way through class today!! I seriously thought I was going to loose my P.L.T. sandwich if you know what I mean..... The best was when the instructor looked my way and asked if I was going to make it - so embarrassing.

What was I thinking?!?! Lol!!! The moral of my story - don't have a huge meal right before yoga. :)

Happy Wednesday Ladies!!!

Going Away Party

Yesterday was our friends Lindsay and Jeremy's going away party. Thankfully, they aren't leaving just yet (which is good because I'm not ready to say goodbye to Lindsay) but, they are heading to Europe for a month long honeymoon - how cool!! Even though we are sooo sad they are leaving we are also very excited for them because...they are moving to the gorgeous Monterey, California!! Yay!! We can't wait to visit them there! The Air Force is sending Jeremy there to go to graduate school and Lindsay says she is going to become a "beach bum" - lol! ;) I am so happy for them that God has blessed them with amazing opportunity.

Here's us with our buddies Lindsay & Jeremy( Sorry about the horrible red-eye)

How cute do these boys look in their flight suits?!?!? ;)

....Other than this little outing I've been a pretty busy girl. This weekend I spent the majority of the time typing papers - blah. But, I am very happy to report that I have almost all of my end-of-the-year projects done! Woo Hoo!! I can't even tell you what a relief it is to be able to say/type that!!

Here's my little to-do list:

ICU Reflection Journal - Done
Theology Prayer Paper - Done
Personal Nursing Research Project - Done
Group Nursing Research Project - Done
Theology Final Project - 1 & 1/2 pages left to write - seriously having writers block
Theology Take Home Test - Not yet posted - so frustrating

Hope everyone else's weekend was fun & productive! :)


P.S. I'm sorry I haven't been a very good commenter lately - I love receiving comments and usually try to be good about leaving them but lately with school things have just been so crazy....I know, excuses, excuses.... :)

My Day at the Oncology Clinic

Today I had the privilege of shadowing an oncology nurse. Even though I can’t quite articulate what they were, I know I must have had some preconceived ideas of what an oncology clinic would look like, none of which were very aesthetically pleasing. Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Despite the cloudy Omaha weather, the clinic was so bright and cheery. Three of the clinics four walls were windows, which aided in the brightness and enhanced the openness of the room. Thankfully, the morning began slowly giving me time to get a “feel” for how the clinic functioned. Although I was involved with quite a few patients there was one in particular that stood out.

Around 10:00 am a group of about five people breezed their way into the clinic; they must have involved in an absolutely hilarious conversation because they were all laughing – it was the kind of infectious laugh that made you wonder what they were talking about. About this time, my nurse was busy charting but pointed their way, announced that “she” was our next client and with a chuckle mentioned that I would really like her. Well…I automatically assumed that the “she” my nurse was referring too was the elderly lady in the group. But no, she wasn’t pointing at her. She was pointing to the absolutely drop dead gorgeous young twenty-something year old girl.

I was just shocked. I was just sure I had heard wrong or maybe my nurse had pointed in the wrong directions; I mean she was charting. So when we approached their group I was surprised to see the young girl stand up, hug my nurse and tell her that they had so much to catch up on – it was as if they were old friends getting together for a cup of coffee not nurse and client meeting for another round of chemotherapy. After starting the infusion, my nurse and I went back to the nurse’s station, handed me the client’s chart and said that I should “definitely” read it.
Talk about an emotional experience! For obvious reasons (privacy) I’m not going to go into details. I will say that in comparison, I am so incredible ashamed that I had the audacity to complain about having a respiratory infection for three weeks. Seriously, ashamed. I’m pretty disgusted with myself that I complain so much about my petty complexion “problems.” I just could not believe the spirit of life flowing through this young woman, to say that I was inspired would be such an understatement. I was just in awe of her positive spirit. I was able to spend a while talking to her and her family; I feel so blessed and very fortunate that I was able to help care for them today.

One of the aspects I enjoy most about nursing is the opportunity we have to interact with our clients. I was so pleased that I had lots of time to talk to each of the clients, I really feel as though I was able to get to know a little about each of them. At the beginning of the shift, one of the first things my nurse said to me was – “You should know that we really think of ourselves and the patients as one big family.” She was definitely right; they really are each other’s extended family.

Shadowing

Today I have the opportunity to shadow an oncology nurse....and to be honest I have no idea what to expect. Well...ok, I have obviously researched the position and we have covered lots of cancer related illnesses but as far as actually working with a cancer patient....haven't done it yet. So, I'm both nervous and excited (mostly excited) about this opportunity. Anyways, I hope everyone has a great Thursday! Who's excited that it's almost the weekend?!?! ***raising my hand and screaming "I am, I am, I am!!!***

Quick Recap for the 1st Weekend of my Spring Break

It's officially my Spring Break!!! Yay!!!

Sadly, the first weekend of my break was pretty uneventful though. BUT, my husband came home so that's always exciting for me! Plus, we leave tomorrow for our little vacation - yippee!!
With the exception of an awesome Saturday night/Sunday morning in the ER, my weekend was pretty boring.


Friday Night - I spent the majority of Friday afternoon leisurely preparing dinner, and catching up with friends and family.....and of course a large amount of that was spent talking to my BFF who just had her adorable son!! Yay!! Since Saturday was my first night in the ER I knew I would need to prepare myself for a night shift ahead of time....so, after dinner, I did my very best to stay up as late as possible. I really, really tried! I rented some movies and was doing really well until 3am and wow, did I hit a wall! I don't think I lasted much past 3:30am.


Saturday - I didn't do much Saturday (I'm so boring - lol!). I mainly drifted in and out of sleep, alternating between watching a movie and napping. My plan was to sleep as much as possible. When Saturday night finally rolled around I was so ready! I absolutely LOVED my time in the ER!! I can't tell you how nervous I was (not really sure about what though) but, it was hands down one of the best first days!!! I had a great time and can't wait to go back! In fact....if it goes this well every time I may have to apply there after graduation! Which is just so nuts, I never thought of myself as an ER nurse - lol! I'm soooo glad I've been blessed with the opportunity to try out lots of different areas in the hospital. :)

Sunday - Well....I think the most exciting thing that happened today is that Kevin came home!!! Yay!!! I did manage to get in a brief nap though. :) Kevin and I didn't do anything too spectacular - just your basic hanging out stuff and going to church. We did happen to see Desperate Housewives this evening though....of course.

Kinda boring, huh? Sometimes it's nice to have a weekend that not a whole lot is going on though and this weekend was definitely that type of weekend for me.

What I should be doing vs What I want to do

I have lots to do today, like: study, do homework, start my papers, & attend our first Financial Peace University class (we are trying to be proactive about our finances and I really pretty excited about this one actually). But, no matter what, I find my mind drifting to other topics making studying, trying to write my papers or just concentrating impossible - so frustrating. I think maybe I'm having a late onset of ADD...I'm not sure if that's even possible though - lol! Here's what I'm thinking about:

Having a Spa Day

Playing with my Lab Puppy...yes, that would be the Lab we don't have yet

Relaxing on the beach with a good book & cool drink


Exploring the streets of Italy

Sipping coffee with Kevin at this adorable cafe - in what looks like warm weather

Napping outside in this comfy hammock/daybed

Just hanging out with my husband

What about you? Any problems staying on task? Any suggestions on how to keep my concentration on one thing???

D-O-N-E with my Cardiac Rotation

In case you hadn't guessed it from the title, I'm really excited to be done with this rotation. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I've had this experience and I've absolutely loved my patients but, I'm ready to move on. Moving on means - Spring Break is just around the corner, Not having this clinical opens up A LOT more time for studying & most importantly it means that I'm one step closer to graduation!!

I go to the ER next and I'm kinda nervous....maybe not nervous, I guess I just don't know what to expect. For me, the hardest part of each rotation is always the first day, you never know what to expect, you don't know where anything is, you don't know people's personalities, etc....alot like the first day of a new job. But, I'm excited to move on.

On a non-nursing school note, Kevin & I are going out with some friends tonight...friends I haven't seen in a while so I'm pretty pumped!! Yay!!

Hope Everyone had a GREAT Friday!!

I NEED more time!!

Lately I've been feeling really, really overwhelmed. School is so busy and I really feel as though I don't have time for else. Even when I am in the middle of a project, or studying, I can't stop thinking about all the other things I need to do. It's just frustrating. I really think that things will really start to slow down once I'm done with clinical rotation...or, at least that's what I'm telling myself. Yesterday I had a *mild* OCD fit and wrote down everything I have due in the upcoming weeks and then, broke it all down into day-to-day to do lists....I hope it helps. I'm still wondering how it's all going to get done. Anyone with time budgeting tips?

In other news...It's suppose to snow tomorrow and I'm soooo hoping/praying for a blizzard - lol!

Curtains!

This post might just be the most pointless post I've ever written and, I'm totally sure that no one but me really cares about my living room curtains but....I feel that it really is the little victories in life that makes life so great. Tonight we hung (and rehung) our drapes. Since it's already kinda late (and dark) the picture didn't turn out so great but, the general idea is that the red drapes are behind the gold ones and the red valance is on top of both layers. Kevin and I are pretty happy with the way it turned out and, I think that they have made our living room even more cozy and inviting.

Ok, that's enough blogging about nothing for me (for today anyway - lol). I'm off to pour myself (and my husband) a glass of red wine and then going to study for my respiratory quiz tomorrow. Speaking of my quiz....wish me luck, I may need it. ;)

Are you going to wear red tomorrow???

Especially since I'm currently working on a cardiac floor, I feel the need to mention how devastating heart disease can be and what a silent killer it is for women. In honor of bringing attention to heart disease as a women's issue, I encourage everyone to wear red tomorrow. Click here to find out more!

I've been tagged!

The The Preppy Polka Dot tagged me in a fun book game. Her blog is pretty new and, if you guys have been over to her blog, I highly recommend you check it out! It's super adorable and she makes some really cute monogrammed things!

So....here are the rules:
1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open to page 56.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 2 to 5 sentences, along with these rules.
5. Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual book. Pick the CLOSEST!
6. Tag five other people to do the same!

And...here are my answers:


The book closest to me is The Queen's Fool By Philippa Gregory. I can honestly say that I've never been in historical fiction books but...back home (in OKC) a few of my close friends started are reading Philippa Gregory's books and they decided that I should start reading them too - lol! I love my besties!! So, when I packed up and headed back to Omaha they sent some a few of these books with me and this book happens to be the first one I grabbed.

I glanced over to where the Sabbath candle burned under the upended pitcher, its light hidden but it's flame burning for our God. "But we're not the same," I said simply. John Dee and I read together every morning like devoted scholars. Mostly he commanded me to read the Bible in Greek and then the same passage in Latin so that he might compare the translations.

Sadly, instead of reading more of this book, I should probably read some of my nursing textbooks. I'm going to make myself a steaming cup of hot tea (I'm desperately trying to combat with the subzero temps outside) and read for a few hours before I head off to my next class.

Hopefully your weather is a bit warmer than ours but - either way bundle up and have a cozy evening!!

***I totally forgot to tag people!! Woops!****

I would like to tag the following ladies:

A Hokie and a Wahoo

Vineyard Vogue

Jennifer

Fabulously Frugalicious

~ and ~

Caroline in Texas

Back to School

Monday I start my last semester of nursing school - woo hoo!! Yay!! I can't believe I'm almost done. Sometimes I feel as though I just started the program and now I'm super close to the finish line!! I am 110% excited! I'm just so ready to jump into this semester, finish, GRADUATE and start working!! I feel like at the end of a very L O N G race! I absolutely love nursing and helping people so I cannot wait to start working! So, I plan on making the most out of this weekend - which might just have to include a trip to my fav sushi place!

I hope everyone has an aw some weekend!!

Finally, done with Finals!

Huge *sigh*

First, I want to thank everyone who has been praying for me and thinking about me. I want to especially thank my friend Jennifer. She is such an awesome friend and her constant support is so encouraging! I just love her to death!! :)

It's been a super long couple of weeks! I feel as though I've been trapped under a mountain of books....oh, wait - I totally have! And, oh wow, do I have a TON of laundry to do. Lol!! :)

Since I've been spending 90% of my time on campus recently I completely lost track of what day it is and last night when I ventured out to the grocery store (by kitchen is a sad site right now) I asked the cashier what day it is and when she said, "It's the 18th." I seriously almost had a massive heart attack! I did not realize that there was only 7 days until Christmas!! We do have a tree up (it only took a week to decorate it...very sad, I know) and other decorations BUT I haven't started Christmas shopping - at all. Usually, I am SO on top of Christmas shopping. I've never been able to understand people who can wait until the last minute....drives me nuts. I guess this year I will be one of those people.

So, for me....Christmas shopping has officially begun! Yay!

My GREAT idea for a study break

That title could not be more sarcastic. :)

After studying all morning, I decided I'd try to set up a twitter account. Yeah, not a good idea. I thought it would take about 30 minutes max. But, since I'm such a perfectionist I didn't want to stop until it was exactly how I wanted it....well, after 45 minutes of trying to upload a picture, find a cute background (which never happened) and "find" friends (also didn't happen) I chose to quit trying. So frustrating...

I really like the twitter idea but, I think I'm going to have a wait until after finals. I think that my little brain is just so full of nursing information that it can't possibly hold anything else! Maybe a nap would be a better study break ;)

Tis' the season....

....To study for finals. Sad, I know. I've been studying for the better part of today and I'm just so overwhelmed with information. I *feel* pretty ok with where I am in my studying. My first final is next Tuesday. Even though it's a week out, I'm already pretty stressed. It's just that it covers A LOT of information - it's over OB and Pediatric content. It's the test I'm most concerned about. I have really enjoyed learning about these two areas and really want that enjoyment to be reflected in my final. If there happens to be any nurses (or fellow nursing students) reading this post, please feel free to leave tips. :)

Ok, I'm done venting. :) Blogging is so therapeutic!! Lol!!

I hope everyone's Christmas Holiday season is going absolutely wonderful.

To keep my Christmas Holiday spirits up, I found a fun picture of our cute little downtown all decorated with lots of sparkling lights. Hope you enjoy it too. :)