Clinicals

Today was my last day of clinicals for this semester! I spent the 5 previous Mondays on different floors at Intermountain Medical Center and enjoyed each day. I had great nurses, learned a lot, and experienced so many new things! Today I got to spend the day in the O.R. and loved it! Again, I learned a lot and I finally got to do a catheter and actually did 2. I know it doesn't sound like something most people would be excited about, but I was so excited! I had only done it on a dummy and it's not the same! I watched 4 surgeries today: a total knee replacement, a pubic symphysis fusion, a hip replacement revision, and most of a hemi-colectomy. After our group got together to study for our test tomorrow. I think we were all so relieved to have our clinicals behind us that we couldn't concentrate. Or maybe it was a case of the "tired sillies" because we didn't get a lot of studying done. Oh, well, it felt good to just hang out and laugh. I love my group! We have gotten really close this semester and it has made school and our clinicals so much better. Our instructor told us today that we were all doing great and that she was impressed with how we all helped each other out. She advised us to keep it up and we will continue to do great. It was so nice having an instructor who was encouraging and not intimidating. Too bad we aren't' going to be so lucky this next semester. At least we have each other! I love my girls! Now we just have to make it through a test tomorrow and 2 finals next week. Then we get a much needed month long break!

Just a few of the good times the last 14 years!

Galveston, TX

San Francisco, (at a Ween concert)

Our home, one Christmas

Memphis, TN with the Mississippi River in the background

14 Years

Today is our 14th anniversary! WOW!!! I cannot believe it has been that long. Some days it does seem that long, but often it seems like just yesterday or last week that we started our life together. As with any marriage, ours is far from perfect, but with that being said I would not trade it or Mike for anything - at least most the time ;-). We have laughed together, cried together, become parents together, traveled together, struggled together, played together, and worried together. I would not being "surviving" right now without Mike. Our life right now is not exactly what we want or where we pictured ourselves at this point in our life, but we both know it is where we are suppose to be right now. We know that with each other we can make it through anything!

2

I have not been to a movie in months and saw 2 this weekend (New Moon & Blindside) and LOVED them both!

I only have 2 more care plans this semester. YEAH!!

I have 2 tests on Tuesday this week. Ahhhh!!

I have 2 boys who are begging for a sleepover this week.

I have 2 girls who need haircuts.

I was lucky enough to see my 2 month old nephew 2 times in the last week.

I am in charge of bringing 2 items to Thanksgiving dinner (rolls and my favorite cranberry jello salad).

It started snowing about 2 hours ago and I am wondering how much we will end up with? 2 inches, 22 inches?

Lighter...

is how I am feeling after today. I wish it was because I had lost weight but I am slowly working on that. Today I made another kind of change.

I went from this:


And this:

To this:





I decided awhile back that I would cut my hair and donate it to Locks of Love, but wasn't sure how long I wanted to grow it or exactly how short I would go. Lately I have been feeling....blah (stressed, stuck, in need of change, etc). So I decided to cut my hair now, it was long enough to donate, and I was hoping it would make me feel a little less blah. It worked! 15 inches of hair later and I feel lighter. Not just my head but my heart as well. I don't know how something as simple as a haircut can make me feel inspired. Inspired to try harder, inspired to make some much needed changes, inspired to smile more, to want to smile more.
Now, I just hope Mike likes it too! He is out of town working for a few days and I have not told him about lightening my load...can't wait to see his reaction!

The New Cast

Jenna got her new cast last week and it's so much nicer! She chose bright orange, perfect just for Halloween! Now she can get it wet and play soccer again. I am so glad it is healing like the Dr wanted.

My Kiddos

I am a proud mom! My kids always make me proud but it has been fun lately watching them learn and try new things.

Cole got his guitar for Christmas almost 2 years ago and we finally found a teacher for him, my dad! He LOVES playing and he is pretty good. He enjoys the time with my dad and he even enjoys practicing, I don't even have to remind him. He is learning to play a bit of everything from primary songs to Neil Young and now he is working on some Beatles songs. (You could probably guess who his teacher is without me telling, you just from the song choices).

Rylee is taking band this year and learning to play the clarinet. She seems to enjoy it and we get a kick out of listening to her practice. The best is when she is playing a song and doesn't quite blow enough or maybe too much and it squeaks like a barking seal. ;-) Mike tried playing the other day and could not get even the tiniest sound out. Go RY!

The other night we had the privilege of attending an art openhouse for Noah's class at the SLC library downtown. They had an art teacher come to their class and they made these neat paintings and now they are on display for a month. Noah's work is titled
"The Everlasting Ocean."