Hey Guess What...

I GRADUATED!

I am so incredibly thankful to the friends and family who have got me through the past 4 years

(Poppa came for the pinning ceremony!)

Although the NCLEX is rather daunting, I am VERY excited about my future career as a nurse

(Future Oncology Nurses!)

Oh, and I also went to Ethiopia in my spare time...

(More on that [and these precious children] a little later)

Happy Friday!

I'm absolutely in love with this weather. There's not much that makes me happier than springtime and all of the wonderful things it brings: tulips, daffodils, leaves on trees, sunny days, end of clinicals, happy times with friends, the return of watermelon, and driving with the windows down. It all makes me SO happy.

Here's some happy, springy, friday music. 

[beats Rebecca Black if you ask me]

Download the song for free here

25 is the Magic Number Part II

6. My mom is awesome. I don’t know what I would do without her. She’s always there for me even when I do stupid things or act/think irrationally. She’s the best.

(Mom, it's kind of pathetic that this was the only picture of the two of us on my computer. I think we need more pictures together)

7. I wasn’t allowed to trick-or-treat until the 10th grade, which I’m told is when you’re supposed to stop trick-or-treating.

(Fortunately, I was able to partake in some age appropriate Halloween/Fall activities this year with some pretty awesome people)

8. I love camping, canoeing, and hiking. The experiences you have when you simplify your life are eye-opening. Being able to live in the middle of nowhere, relying solely on those around you and the few things you are able to carry is incredibly empowering. 

9. I didn’t really sleep in 7th grade, so I memorized infomercials. 

(Yes George Foreman, I'm looking at you)

10. I like when information in one class overlaps with another. For instance, the only reason I can understand a word of my nutrition professor is because of my anatomy professor. And it gets even better when you can apply it to things around you. Even if it’s just an episode of House or ER. <------ I wrote this a while back, but it still holds true today. I feel that now i'm in nursing school (and will be graduating in May [Hallelujah]) this is even more true. Except now I'm learning and actually putting it directly into practice. Foley catheter anyone?

(Some unlucky fellow had a 14 gauge placed in clinical yesterday. Sorry 'bout it! Really actually I am. I can't imagine having one. They seem terribly uncomfortable.)

I'm Baaaaaaaack!

It has been quite some time since I've last posted... The last few months have felt like a whirlwind of events, but in the same sense some parts feel like forever ago. . .

So, here it goes, RECAP:

1. SUMMER: spent at Bil-O-Wood! (where else?) I had my most favorite girls in the whole world again, many of which received their Voyageurette Hat. 

(I'm so proud!)

 I met some new (and old) aussies

Had some fun times in the great Canadian wilderness

(L! is for the way you look, at meeee!)

And had an all-around awesome time with friends, family, and the people I love.

2. SCHOOL: ugh. Stress to the MAX. But I still love it for some reason...

So far this semester I've seen a baby come into this world, 3 babies being pulled out of their mother's womb and into this world (aka C-section aka kinda icky), I've hung out with some schizophrenic and bipolar kids, and survived the first round of test-mania (for some reason all of are exams are within hours of each other this entire semester).

3. SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN: I feel like I've been exploring a lot the past few months, and will continue to do so in the coming ones. New churches, new faces, public radio, a trip to England, and an Etsy Shop are just a few of the things that have been on my mind lately...

POOLPALOOZA

Get this:

My AWESOME nursing friends and I are getting together and doing NON-nursie things. 

You know why?

BECAUSE IT'S SUMMER!!!!

woooooo!happy!!much rejoicing!!!

That's right, no more studying for 12hrs on end (that is not an exaggeration, ask my family)

Why we chose to do something that involved bathing suits? Especially after we've all been inside. studying. FOREVER. I'm not really sure . . .

Hopefully my new best fraaands will help me get over the bathing suit fear a great majority of us experience come may/june

(best friend #1)

(best friend #2 - Dreya Weber - she's basically my hero)

Now to work on that pastiness . . . .

HAPPY

There is a lot of happiness going on in my life right now, so I thought I'd share. . .

1) I saved sim man

He's this cool guy who can talk and have abnormal heart rhythms, lung sounds, his chest rises when he breathes, you can monitor is O2 saturation, temperature, heart rate, and he has peripheral pulses, the list goes on and on. 

Anyways, he was having some trouble. So I saved him and am now COMPLETELY finished with clinical.

That's right DONEZO.

2) I received an AWESOME letter from this guy

I love letters. I'm bad at writing them but I LOVE getting them. Especially from people who are doing fun and exciting things, like hiking the southern half of the Appalachian Trail 

(I'm so jealous)

3) SPRING

I know I posted about it before, but I just love it so much! Seriously, I don't remember everything smelling so good and being so vivid. 

(View from my kitchen table where I spend appx 80% of my life studying, writing papers, doing homework, reading, and of course eating. duh)

Spring spring spring, I love spring, springy spring spring

It just makes me HAPPY.