The latest homework distraction...

I love these videos...so funny. Hey honey you want me to play with you...thats all I got.

Fear??

Oh my gosh I was so excited to go on this ward trip and conquer the ropes courses. Fear never entered me as I thought about all the exciting obstacles I would face. In the morning we did one course where you climbed a net then walked across several planks then down a zip line. My team decided to time each other to see who could do it the fastest. I did not come close but I had fun. In the afternoon we did another course where you climbed a pole then walked across a cable with a few ropes hanging down to hold on to then down a zip line. I raced up the pole and had no problem with the transition of footing. However once I was standing on the wire I lost it I was scared to death but I made it. How fun.

I booked it up this pole. I see a future in telephone wire repair.

Once i finally relaxed and put a smile on my face.
I made it!
Thank goodness for friends I might have been stuck in that harness. (My hips don't lie)

My awesome team geared up to attack the course!
Challenge exercises. Climbing the Berlin wall!

What a fun weekend. What a fun ward. I am going to miss them.

Everyday an adventure

I love this crazy life I live. Whenever I say that it means I have learned a lesson or faced another challenge. I can confirm I have done both but I will not bore you with the details because it has been multiple challenges and many lessons learned.

But I will update you with where I am at this time in my life.

School... 6 months left...They just might become the longest 6 months of my life but I am up for the challenge. Good news is I am passed the half way mark. In my upcoming classes I will learn about community nursing, epidemiology, American government, nurse leadership and more. I am most excited about my capstone project. As part of that project I am seeking a certification in Orthopaedic nursing. It is going to require nearly 70 hours of pure studying. I am excited though because it is in a field I love working in. This requirement will be of most use to the field of nursing I currently work in.

Work... Two months ago I accepted a position as a Patient Care Coordinator for a Joint Replacement Surgeon. Many have heard the story of me nearly sabotaging my interview. Here is a summary... I knew I was a shoe in for this position I was confident up until the moment I met with the doctor... in that interview I told him I did not want the position, I really liked my current job but appreciated the chance to consider it. He just looked at me and laughed and said "I think you are scared" then asked me to reconsider. Well I am so glad I did because I almost passed up and opportunity of a life time. I now work with a talented team consisting of a doctor, physician assistant , fellow, residents and medical assistants. I am learning everyday. This doctor is going to push me to become the nurse I never knew I could be. The patients provide me with endless entertainment as well. They are such wonderful people.

Home... Three years into a life in Utah and I still consider Arizona home... even if my parents live in a different home than I remember. However, the home I live in here in Utah is just as swell. I got one great roommate that is such a support to me. I love that girl. Together we have decided to mix it up a little and move. We are not going far but we hope for new opportunities for growth. We found a nice apartment and will be moving in a month. Should be fun.

Church... the one reason I do not want to move... I am giving up by far my favorite calling. For the last year and a half I have had the opportunity to serve as the 2nd Counselor in the Relief Society. I serve with an amazing Presidency. Our role is easy because of the amazing girls we get to serve. I am so sad I have to leave this calling. I have learned so much about myself and have enjoyed the friendships I have made. Thank goodness I will not be far because I could no make it without these girls in my life. They have been such a support to me. Sad to go but excited for the next adventure.

That is my life right now. Trying to learn as I stumble along.

Just let me have this moment

How come in life you can feel so blessed, so enriched and know you are doing the right thing, working in the right job... You can be surrounded by so many wonderful people... Yet you can feel so alone at the same time.

Luckily, I know where to turn...I know how to get on my knees...I know the Lord will comfort me and remind me I am not alone.

You Are My Sunshine!!

You are my Sunshine
My only sunshine
You make me happy
When the skies are grey
I hope you know Bill
How much I love you
So please don’t take
My sunshine
Away

I love you Grandpa!

I hope you have always known how much we love you!

Thanks for loving us!
Thanks for loving me!

I got a new job!!!

Yup I do! A new job. I have been wanting to make a change for awhile now but I had no sense of direction for myself. I thought about critical care because I would love to have that knowledge in my bag of skills. However, I know myself and I do not think I would enjoy that stressful enviroment. If I am going to learn something I am going to put the proper time into it. I could not see myself happy while I learn in an enviroment I find stressful. I already have one of those...school... I can handle that for ten more months.

So I decided to stay where I am at till I am done with school. I even found ways to make my job more enjoyable and less stressful at times. I went to work and focused on my attitude and work was better. (Amazing, huh) Well of course once we figure stuff like that out...Life changes. I was at work and one of the nurses said did you hear about this doctors new nursing position. She told me all about it and I though if I was not in school that would be the job for me. Then someone said don't let school hold you back if you think you are the one for the job go for it. So that day I submitted my application.

Blah Blah Blah

I interviewed and turned down the job. The doctor asked me to reconsider...he thought I was just scared.

Blah Blah Blah

I reconsidered and got the job!!!!

So what is the job you ask. I will be working for one of the Orthopaedic Surgeons. I will meet his patients in clinic and start educating them about their surgery and put a face with the voice that will be calling them in the coming weeks. Prior to their surgery I will help them prep. Once they have surgery I will visit them in the hospital help make sure they are getting the care they need, round with the doctors, make sure homehealth is arranged according to their needs. Then I will make follow up calls a week after surgery. It is a lot of new stuff, but I think it is the patient interaction that I love. It will be a great learning opportunity and an awesome piece to a future resume.
I am excited and nervous.

I feel the Lord has guided my career thus far so I can go forward with faith that this is the right move for me!

Big thank you to everyone that has had a hand in my life thus far. You each made a difference!
Thank You!

Girls Cruise 2010

We ported in Cozumel Mexico and took the ferry to the mainland. From there our tour guide took us to Tulum to see the Miyan Ruins. They were beautiful they sat right on the ocean. Our tour guide gave us some great history. It was the Church tour guide we ran into later that really made the history come alive. After spending time in Tulum we played at the beach. Then we got back on the ferry that turns stomachs.

Unfortunatly, we only took water cameras with us to shore in Belize so I do not have many pictures to share. In Belize we went cave tubing. The limestone caves were beautiful and the experience was truly memorable. Esecially the race back to the boat. We feared we were going to be left behind. As promised our guides got us back in time.

Isla Roatan was our relaxing day. We had a taxi driver give us a tour of the Island. We shopped the viewed thea rainforest. From one point on the island we could see the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean. Pretty cool. We also kicked back and enjoyed the beach.

Our last port was Grand Cayman. I was most excited about this stop because I was going to go snorkling. Before we went snorkling we visited sting ray city. We hoped on a catamaran and went out to a sandbar in the beautiful clear ocean and played with the rays. This was a time full of I was going to say smiles and laughter but lets be honest they were squeals of delight. The sting rays new we had food and they were searching for it. You could be standing really close to the person next to you and the rays would still squeeze between you. It was so much fun. We got to feed them hold them and kiss them, then they gave us back rubs. It was great. Kissing a sting ray brings you 7 years of good luck. French kissing brings you a lifetime of good luck. Naturally, I frenched the sting ray. After this we went to the reef and snorkled. I have no pictures unfortunatly. But let me tell you it was beautiful.

Our snorkling was cut short by an experience I hope I do not have to become accustomed to on all my vacations. One of our fellow snorklers had what we think was a heart attack. After he was pulled out of the water Monica and I along with another nurse performed CPR for 15 minutes in a speeding boat. This was my first CPR experience. It was almost an out of body experience. The man passed away, the reason I share the experience is because it was almost beautiful in a sense. This man loved Grand Cayman, he had come once with his late wife. With her he was never able to visit sting ray city. H ecould not wait to be able to return and swim with the sting rays. On this day he got to do that with his daughters and grandchildren. Then he passed away in his favorite place. As I was doing CPR on this man I felt such peace (this was all before I knew his love for the island) I knew we were not going to get him back but it was okay. I believe the Lords will was done that day. Not that I want to find myself doing CPR often it was kinda cool to be side by side with my sister.

On formal night we could not resist putting on our life jackets in our gowns. We felt like the movie Overboard. People just laughed as they walked by us. We then told them not to panic all was okay.

I love all ten of the girls I got to take this trip with. I still catch myself laughing at the many jokes we shared. Good times.

Out of the ten girls... I am not going to lie... I love this one the most.

This page has a mind of its own and will not space how I want it to. Sorry for the clutter.