family

wooo-oooo (the title is meant to be sung to the tune of the “Duck Tales” theme. Remember that show? My favorite part was when the uncle (what was his name) swam through his money-filled room.)

Warning: This post is going to have to been broken into parts, because it’s a) crazy and b) long.

Yall, three shifts in a row is C-R-A-Z-Y. Anyone who tells you otherwise is LYING. Just to clarify three shifts in a row means working 12 hours, 12 hours off, working 12 hours, and so on, not 36-hours of working straight. That is even CRAZIER! Pulling three in a row is the norm for nurses working nights, so maybe I’ll get used to it, but by the afternoon of my third day I was completely useless. The good news is it’s over! And my preceptor is AMAZING! I was a little worried because she came across as a bit hard-to-please when I was in clinical, but she is a delight! God is so good to me.
Be careful when you write “shifts” that you do not forget the “f”, I’ve had to edit the word every time I’ve typed it, eek!

Part 1
In other news, last weekend we went to the Lake (pictures to come). There were 14 of us there in all, which makes my heart swell with happiness. I love being around my family! One of my cousin’s husbands came for ONE night and brought the love of my life, little Ethan (stay tuned for naked baby pictures!). We had a HUGE steak dinner Saturday night, with every starch you could think of; rolls, baked potatoes and corn on the cob, yum!
As I drove down, I was envisioning all of us gathering in a circle to play spoons and laugh at the yunguns and such. Yeah, now that my cousins are grown, they like to “go out”, as in bars and such. Which are totally my style, as you know. So Friday we go to this place that has a pool. Unfortunately the pool water looked no more appealing than the lake water (sorry lake, I LOVE YOU but not your e.coli infestations). But it wasn’t crowded, so I overcame my obsessive need for sanitation and rolled with it. Later than night we ended up at the same place, only the bar side. Never one to lightly dismiss classiness, this place was having a “foam party”. For the record, I thought (and HOPED) that foam parties had died in 2000. Not so, or at least, not so at the Lake. We sneaked a peak at the foam party and spy two, maybe three girls dancing in the foam descending from the heavens, er, top of the tent. These girls were MAYBE, MAYBE 18. And wearing their bikinis and cowboy hats. Not to be outdone by the amount of absurd cliches ALREADY present, there were middle-aged men staring at the party, making no attempt to disguise their leering. I’m sure they were fascinated with the foam-making process.

to be continued….

LOVE!

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Yes, this is your favorite working girl FINALLY writing some updatage. I just finished my week’o'orientation, well, let me clarify, just finished my FIRST week of orientation. This was the fun week where we sat in front of computers and listened to “guest speakers” all day every day. Thankfully I had two amazing educators who made most things fun. I still have 12 weeks of on-floor orientation, where I learn how to be a nurse, woo!
After I got my NCLEX results I fled to the Lake for a glorious 5 days. It’s hard to describe what it felt like to have a truly responsibiliy/worry-free vacation for the first time in over a year. It was one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. I plan on repeating it next week when I have a WHOLE 6 consecutive days off and my dear cousins are in town. I can feel the jealousy as I read this, so I will move on.
Yes, it’s nice to join the working world, with all its paychecks and schedules and interaction with others. I am happy.

LOVE!

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Hey yall.
I thought I’d update you on my life lately. Give you the 411. Ya know. I was supposed to start work on Monday, and did indeed go to orientation bright and early Monday morning. After several HUGE signs that something was NOT right, I went down to HR where they told me they’d messed up big time and I’d start orientation on July 5 instead. Apparently you’re supposed to fill out paperwork before you come into work…that’s how you get paid, and such. It was a huge relief to me though, because the NCLEX is tomorrow and my timeframe for studying was shrinking by the minute!
So yes, NCLEX tomorrow at 8AM. I try to not really think about all that it entails because it drives me crazy and makes me pee my pants. I find out Saturday morning if I’ve passed. This is how you’ll know: if I announce it here with big, bold letters, then I’ve passed! If I don’t say anything, I didn’t pass. So here’s to hoping there are some big, bold letters in my very near future.
Monday night went on a sort of set-up group-ish date. Exciting to “get out there” but I’m not sure it was a good match. Still fun. Yes, dad, I went on a sorta date Monday night and yes, I know you are the last to know everything. But honestly I didn’t think you’d let me out of the house wearing less than a burka. Sorry.
Today I’m relaxing, brushing up on a few things and daydreaming about NOT STUDYING at all next week, hopefully!
Thank you for your support and prayers!!

LOVE!

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This morning on our way to church, a favorite memory came to mind. Stop me if I’ve told you this story before, okay? I was probably 12 years old, and our family had gone into Kansas City to have dinner with my grandparents and/or extended family. We usually ate at the country club my grandparents belonged to, and I only tell you that because the women’s lounge/bathroom is AMAZING! First of all, it is close to being as large as our entire house, with couches and table and a little door you can open and order drinks from the kitchen from while playing bridge. CLEARLY, the lounge was one of my favorite hang-outs. I seem to have a weird obsession with bathrooms. For some reason, the country club always made me feel good. I got to pretend I was rich and belonged in a luxurious bathroom that had its own tv. I surely would bump into the beautiful son of a local millionaire and/or celebrity, who would wisk me off into the sunset and we’d live happily ever after in Mission Hills. Anyway. This night was perfect. The air was cool, we were all dressed up and we had the oldies station on the radio. We needed to stop at Home Depot for something and there we wandered for over an hour. Our family rarely ever shopped together, all four of us, but we had so much fun that night. At Home Depot. I just remember riding in the minivan, the windows down, great music on and KNOWING that I was content.
And this is what summer offers. Anything is possible in the summer, all bets are off. Going to the Lake on the weekends and usually traveing during the summer if anything, only further propogate my lust for summer. I ALWAYS, ALWAYS believe I will fall in love during the summer. I remember in high school believing I’d fall in love at the Lake. Which is really quite laughable. For those of you who know the Lake, know there is no opportunity to meet someone, at least not the way we do the Lake (i.e. NO trips to the Party Cove. Not that the PC breeds love at all. Mostly it involves lust and probably every known STD). I digress. again. I’m just saying that THIS is what summer does to me! Apparently it makes me believe the unbelievable.
I love all seasons, but summer is different. It is, dare I say, magical. But, oh, those summer nights. (HA!) Seriously, if someone could bottle up summer nights, the cool air, bright stars, lulling insect sounds, I’d TOTES buy it.
Here is a lyric from a Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers song that describes it perfectly:
“In the summer we believe, all our dreams will be achieved.”
LOVE!

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Hey yall!
Just your favorite graduate nurse here. Not quite RN yet, gotta get my license first. Which is why I’m blogging, I’m avoiding studying for the NCLEX. Or taking a break, yeah, it’s more of a break. Well I’ve graduated. Again. It’s still surreal at this point, don’t know when it’ll hit me. Maybe when I can STOP STUDYING.
It’s a little odd to be thinking that I’ll be a typical grown-up within the month. Going to work, making money (PRAISE THE LORD!), catching up with friends when I can, etc. I mean, I’ve never really done the “typical” thing or taken the “typical” road. I mean, even just looking back to my undergrad years. Went to school out of state at a college where I voluntarily signed a covenant that I would not drink or have premarital sex (among other things). Then I upped and moved to DC to live with strangers and help raise their children. Also, got a job at Starbucks to pay for a trip to Australia. Then back home to voluntarily give up my sanity for a year. And now, here I am, on the brink of “typical adult land”. And you know what? I COULD NOT BE MORE EXCITED! I mean, I knew the Lord had good things planned, when does He not? But this past weekend, talking with Cecilia, I just got so excited because there are really so many opportunities. This job and life will give me countless chances to love people, whether during my shifts, or mission trips I can afford to go on now or spoiling my family and friends in a small effort to repay them for what they’ve done for me the past year (and past 26 years).
He is so good!

Thank you Lord for carrying me through this past year. Honestly, I know I couldn’t have done it without the hope I have in You.

Mom and dad, thank you for the financial support, safe place to live, sleep and study, for the endless prayers you prayed over me and, most importantly, the food you fed me. No really, most importantly, thank you for your unconditional love, which I know I tested the limits of this past year. You’ve shown me what it is to be the hands and feet of Christ!

Alex and Kaitlyn, thank you for the stethoscope, countless dinners out and amazing support you offered. I know that I was grumpy and demanding, but you always met that with love! You always seemed to know when and what I needed, whether it be a loving text on a Monday morning or a movie with popcorn, peanut butter m&ms and a Snapple.
I had to put this picture up because it is just so “us”. Alex looks goofy and I look slightly confused, but in a happy way!

Cecilia, I hope I never know what it is like to live without you for a year, but you dealt with this past year swimmingly (YES, swimmingly!). You never complained when I didn’t have time to talk or couldn’t come see you, but instead continually offered support, even when you were going through your own pain. I hope that someday I can show you what a marvelous friend you are.

Kelly, you were an amazing example of Jesus’ love for his people through service. You’ve definitely shown me love through acts of service and I am so very grateful. Again, I’ll never be able to repay you, but I know you wouldn’t want me to anyway. And somehow I don’t have a picture with you We’ll have to reenact the party or the pinning or something!

Julie, you pulled me through this with you! If it wasn’t for your constant encouragement, jokes and musical references, I’d have been A LOT more inclined to quit throughout the program. I saw sooo many instances where God used you because you were willing to be a vessel for Him. Thank you for your love for Him and for me. And don’t you dare think you are rid of me now! And I need a picture of you and me too!
I love you all!

LOVE!

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I TOTES forgot to tell yall about my recent run-in with SHINGLES. I wake up one morning with this odd bump on my shoulder, thinking, “that’s odd, I must have been bit by a spider.” I go to clinical, get a TB skin test and go back in two days. While I’m getting it read, I mention to the employee health nurse that I have an odd bump. She decides it’s shingles and I must leave the hospital promptly. I come home, see a nurse practitioner, who agrees and prescribes a ridiculously expensive anti-viral for me to take. The thing is, it wasn’t painful!
My dad’s reaction? Starts singing “all the single ladies”, only with as “all the shingle ladies”. Thanks for your support dad.
And now, I’m the “girl with shingles” on my floor, which happens to be where I’ll be working for the next two years.
going into the book. seriously.

LOVE!

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Okay, I promised photos and you shall have photos!
Spring Break was wonderful! I got to see all my loved ones and felt truly refreshed and relaxed when we left. Sometimes I just wish the world would shrink a bit so I could be close to everyone that I love at the same time. I’d love if everyone was less than 4 hours away! I think I was meant to be a sort-of rancher (minus all the hard work stuff) because it seems like the whole family lives on the same plot of land. But then would we drive each other crazy? And I really like living near big cities. I guess you can’t have it all!

Traditional St. Patrick’s Day dinner at Aunt Carla and Jenn’s house. Aunt Carla is one of THE BEST COOKS/BAKERS I’ve ever known. I’m blessed to have gifted cooks and bakers in my family!
Left to right (Jenn, me, mom and Aunt Carla)

Oma and mom. I don’t have any pictures of Oma and me, but Oma does, so I will have to scan those!

The most precious Reeck family and me! I’m sad that I’m missing watching these boys grow up because they are too cute!
left to right (me, Paul, Noah, Carrie, Wesley aka C’s boo)

And finally, a word from Dylan and Wesley, with a cameo by Noah.

LOVE!

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Okay everybody, don’t be all shocked when you reread all of this in a chapter of the book I write with Cecilia.
Saturday night mom, dad and I are hanging out, watching tv and whatnot. I was feeling pretty accomplished because I had successfully installed a digital thermostat. I was contemplating all the energy and money we’d save because I have SKILLZ, yo! Dad comes up from the basement and says, “Do you guys smell gas?” As soon as he finished the sentence both of us were hit with a wave of a unlit-gas-burner smell, so we KNEW this wasn’t the beginning of a joke about flatulence, this was SERIOUS. Mom says, “I think we should call 911.” So I call and they tell us to close all the doors and windows and get out of the house. We oblige. Let me paint you a lil picture. I am outside in work-out paints tucked into wellies, with my Georgetown (go Hoyas!) sweatshirt on, my winter coat (thanks Alex and Kaitlyn!) and Dad’s new rain jacket on top with a knit hat on. I looked like a hobo. I was shaking, either from the adrenaline or the cold, or both. Two cop cars pull up, a fireman arrives in his truck (not firetruck, just truck). The fireman knows my dad, so they shoot the breeze until mom says, “Our house smells like gas, could you guys please chat later?” They go inside and find that we have twice the normal amount of carbon monoxide in our house. I, by now, have a wicked headache. The real firetruck arrives and a firefighter asks us what happened and if I want to be checked out. I agree to let them take vitals, they call the paramedics. My blood pressure is 138/80 (usually is 110/70) and my pupils are sluggish in response to light (normally your pupils respond “briskly”). The paramedics have a handy-dandy C.O. monitor and check me out, I have no CO poisening, yay! I’m assuming the headache was from the cold and high blood pressure. All of us check out okay with no signs of poisening. We waited for them to let us back in the house, after the CO levels were back to “normal”. We were told the CO came from the furnace and to leave it off all night and leave our windows cracked. Yes, we do have a CO detector but had it unplugged. Yes, we are THOSE people who you see on 20/20, who are found unconscious because they unplugged their detectors! Which reminds me, GET CO DETECTORS! There should be one on every level of your house and you need to replace the batteries in your smoke alarms too (apparently that’s a daylight savings’ deal)!! My favorte thing was afterwards, when talking to a dear friend, her mom asks in the background, “were any of the firefighters cute?” This is my life. And I’m REALLY thankful for it.
You know, carbon monoxide usually doesn’t smell. Now isn’t THAT interesting?
The next morning I woke up, packed (we are visiting Oma this week) ate a banana and took my multivitamin and promptly got sick. I think that the banana + multivitamin combo is not so much fun for the stomach because, believe it or not, this has happened before. I was fine afterwards and we proceeded on vacation. Just add it to the list of crazy things that happen to our family.

LOVE!

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Yall,
I’ve lost almost 20 pounds! I can hardly believe it, can you? We are headed to Colorado Springs next week and hopefully we’ll be taking lots of photos with family and friends. I’ll post a couple pictures and I will give you guys license to judge them and tell me if you see a difference. If you say that I look heavier than before I will find you and force you to eat Oreos until you are heavier than I am. Consider this a fair warning.
I am officially on Spring Break. Or will be tomorrow afternoon after orientation for the 2011 BSN-AT class is over. It’s been A YEAR since I experienced the most terrifying day of my life, a day that struck fear in my heart and robbed me of a good night’s sleep for at least a week. Ah, what over-anxious ignorance! Yes, it’s been hard, but not hard enough to lose sleep over. Or at least lose sleep 7 nights in a ROW!
I’m really excited about our trip to Colorado, it’ll be SO nice to get out of town for a while and I’m hoping to do some hiking or outdoorsy things. Which reminds me, did I ever tell you about the time I tried running in Colorado Springs. I couldn’t breathe for 2 hours afterwards. I’m not a runner, I don’t live in the Springs, WHY WOULD I DO THAT? It’s like a million miles above sea level. Oh, such breathless, gasping ignorance.
Okay so I’m hoping to post from the good ole CO next week, so stay tuned.

LOVE!

PS Saw Avatar in 3D last night. Changed my life. I’ve decided my calling is to study the NA’VI people and their language. HA! I will say that I was told I look like a “hott librarian” in 3D glasses.

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So my BFF Cecilia is here so this will be brief.

Yesterday was my first day of critical care clinical and I. LOVED. IT! I was actual sad when it was time to leave, which makes the next 4 weeks very exciting for me. And to think, I was so afraid and intimidated by critical care!

CECILIA IS HERE! Did I menion that? We’re having a blast just being us and hanging out and hatin’ on Valentine’s Day. Though I can’t truly hate it because I get chocolate and have my perpetual valentine (C!) here! We got to hang with Kellykins today! Tomorrow we plan on watching love-stories-gone-awry, such at Bridget Jones, Legally Blonde (the beginning) and maybe some musicals, if I’m lucky!

sidenote: Weren’t those whales at the Olympic Opening Ceremony AMAZING?!?! I need that set-up in my room!!! I wouldn’t mind the giant polar bear either!

LOVE!

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