Okay, so I'm a slacker

Well....apparently blogging isn't my forte. I have lots of other things I'm consistent with, but apparently blogging isn't one of them!

For the few people in this world who read this blog, here's a small recap of what's been happening over the past few weeks...

Graduation!!! Woohoo! Being completely done with nursing school is an incredible feeling! When I graduated with my psychology degree 7 years ago, I knew I had to start a graduate program. With a nursing degree, I actually have marketable job skills. You know, the kind people PAY you to have! I'll be 29 this year and have never had a "real" job (although, I've been home taking care of my babies...I know that qualifies for the "real" job category!)

We went to Disney World with the family and my brother-in-law and his wife (Logan and Staci). We had a WONDERFUL time! I got to know my children so much better. Mandy, who used to be cautious and careful, was carefree and up to try everything. She had a smile on her face the whole time and would get off a ride (even the one she was too short for, but after stuffing her shoes with socks, she magically grew!) and exclaim, "I want to do it again!" Nothing scared her, nothing made her hesitate, and her smile was so wide and genuine that my heart would melt.

Kayla, on the other hand, had a wonderful time....playing in the dirt, looking at the birds, and watching the people. She liked some of the rides, but she was very concerned about whether or not it would be scary. As a side note, my favorite Kayla story is when she walked into the bathroom with her Aunt Staci and asked, "What ride is this?" Precious! I spent part of my trip staying back with Kayla while the others went on a ride. Did I want to go on the ride rather than stay behind? Of course! But you know what? I had such wonderful conversations with Kayla about so many things that I have created a lifetime of memories. There isn't a single ride at Disney that's better than those memories. Of course, going and getting ice cream and she and I trying to eat it before everyone came back was a lot of fun, too!

While in Disney, I got an unexpected call from the hospital about a position I interviewed for in January. It is in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). I had to do a phone interview with HR while on vacation, and a few days later, I was offered the job! What an incredible blessing to land my DREAM JOB so unexpectedly. In the economic times we have, it is truly remarkable that I would get this opportunity. I know that God has something in store for me to learn through this job and I am excited to start that learning!

We got back from vacation and I ran the Riverbank Run. There are various lengths in this race, including a 5K, a 19K, and a 25K. I chose the 25K (15.5 miles). It was torture. I did terrible, time-wise. BUT, I finished, I wasn't last, and I ran the whole time. While I was running, I made a decision to NEVER DO IT AGAIN! The next day, I was already planning my training for the rest of the summer, with thoughts to maybe try a marathon in the fall. I wonder if racing is like labor--eventually amnesia kicks in? (As a side note, despite the fact I have two kids, I've never had a contraction, so the whole labor analogy is purely hypothetical!)

So, what am I up to now? I'm savoring the time with my family. My house loves me, too, as it is getting some much-needed attention. I'm enjoying simply being, instead of doing.

And, maybe (just maybe!), I'll start blogging some more!

Still around

I haven't forgotten about my blog...I promise!

I'm graduating from nursing school in 24 days! And, that means I'm 24 days away from being unemployed.

That is how you know the economy is bad--a NURSE can't find a job! I'm praying that the Lord opens the right doors. I have some good leads and potentials, and I'm just trusting and praying that I trust the Lord through this all.

There are many fun things coming up, though! Luke and I leave for Disney World the day after graduation, and we are going to meet up with Luke's brother, Logan, and his wife, Staci! We'll spend a few blissful days together in the warm sun (it better be warm, but not too warm!)

Then, on June 8, I'm flying out with the girls, my parents, and my sister to Spokane, WA. We're going to visit my in-laws and my family, and take a side trip to Seattle. My parents and sister will fly home on Saturday, June 13, and Luke will fly out the following Tuesday. We'll have time together before we celebrate Luke's brother, Jared's, wedding day.

So...lots going on!

Almost time for vacation!

Woohoo! Three semesters of nursing school down, two to go! I can hardly believe it! I am so grateful for this opporunity to go back to school, and I am so thankful that the Lord has provided amazing sitters for my girls so that I don't feel that guilty for leaving them (Thank you, Anna and Ericka!) After a bumpy start, I ended the semester strong, and I am now DONE!

But, "done" as a mom is entirely different than "done" to the rest of the world, especially when you're planning your high school reunion and leaving for a 2000 mile (each way!) road trip--all in the same weekend. I've been trying to clean the house (you know, the kind where you're on your hands and knees washing baseboards), get the packing done for the trip, deal with drama from planning a high school reunion (seriously, people--we are DONE with high school, let's not keep acting like it!), and still be a fun mom! Thankfully the girls have VBS every morning this week, so I am getting some desperately needed "me-time." Today I even was able to take a nap :-) Yes, that means life is VERY good!!

So, if I'm quiet over the next few weeks, rest assured that we are on vacation, having a good time (I hope!) and celebrating the marriage of my brother-in-law, Logan, to Staci. I am SO EXCITED to have a sister-in-law who is an adult (although, I love the other ones a lot, too!), and I am so grateful that the Lord brought her to Logan. Staci and I talk on the phone all the time and are building a great relationship.

Have a great rest of the summer! I FINALLY feel that I'm on summer vacation--amazing what NOT being in school can do for ya!

Back to reality!

Phew! What an eventful few weeks it has been! The cruise I went on was a lot of fun (although, I have to admit I wasn't overly impressed with Carnival cruise lines). Seeing my mom celebrate her huge accomplishment of losing so much weight was fantastic! I was able to speak a LOT of Spanish (haven't forgotten as much as I thought I had), see a lot of amazing sites, and have a really good time relaxing. I missed my husband and kids like CRAZY, so it was really good to see them when I got back.

I'm back to reality with classes now. I have 6 hours of class, 6 hours of lab, and 16 hours of clinical EVERY WEEK. Oh yeah--homework on top of that. Add to the mix my training for some runs (I'm donig a 10K on Saturday), teaching piano, and spending time with my family, and you have a pretty exhausted person! I'm just going to get through it, a day at a time. I won't worry about tomorrow as tomorrow has enough worries of its own :-) I tell ya, I honestly think Jesus was thinking of ME as He said those words!

My clinical rotation seems to be amazing this time. My instructor is great, the nurses with whom I work actually enjoy students, and the patient population is, um, DIVERSE! I'll leave it at that! Lots of interesting and disgusting things to report :-)

And on that note, I'll end the blog!