On Break

WOW....I can hardly believe that I am going to be starting my 4th and final semester of nursing school in just 3 days. Time is flying by and next time I blink, I will be an RN!

So this week is dedicated to relaxation. I have spent a lot of time with friends, sitting in front of the TV and walking/running while enjoying the occasional sunshine! I have gone through many emotions including excitement of almost being done, to fear of almost being done, boredom, appreciation, love, sleepiness, energized and back to simple relaxation.

Today I get to attend the TMCC May graduate pinning ceremony and I am so proud of my future RN's who will be joining the workforce in few weeks! It brings tears to my eyes knowing all they have been through and how much they have learned in a few short months.

On another note, my sister graduated from UNR this week and I am so proud of her. She also got a job offer and is the newest employee of Clausen & Clausen CPA firm. We are growing up so fast and I am so excited to see how accomplished we both are becoming. Good Job Little Sis! You have made me PROUD!!! Keep up the hard work...good things are to come in life! LOVE YOU!

Already feeling it...

It has only been one week in my second semester of nursing school and I am already exhausted! I am at least 150 pages behind in my reading and have read at least 200 pages. I have spent 12 hours on objectives on top of all of my reading, and it just keeps piling up! I hate when I sit in class and feel like I honestly know nothing.

But then encouraging words slip in. I talk to the 4th semester students and they promise me that it gets better, that I know more than I think I do, and that the teachers are really caring and understanding and flexible. So this week, the second week of the semester, I am putting a positive outlook on things and being confident in what I have learned and that I will be able to conquer another semester.

On another positive note, I start clinical rotations next week, which will be great. I am going to be at Renown Southmeadows doing my Med-Surg and OB rotations with 7 of my classmates. I finally get to put some of my knowledge to use. I am so excited and can't wait to test myself, reach past my boundaries, and feel like I one day really am gonna make it through school and get into the real world!

So wish me luck on another semester...Pathophysiology and Nursing Care II...you are going down!!!

One Semester Down...

So...It has been a while since I last posted a blog but here is a little catchup of the last few semesters. I have been really busy with the last few months of nursing school. It has been really great, a learning experience (with school and life). I have spent 32 hours in the classroom and 20+ hours outside of the classroom. I have found confidence in the knowledge that I have, the ability I have to be a great student, and the confidence that I will one day be a wonderful nurse. It has been a struggle to maintain my motivation through the months but I did it...and passed the first of 4 months.

Other then nursing school, I have gone to a wedding, camped with my family on my annual camping trips, spent amazing time with the love of my life, and gained new friendships, along with growing further away from my friends who I thought would be around for a long time.

This last weekend, I moved my boy out to a new place in Sparks. This has been an internal fight for me. I have been struggling with the idea of him moving farther away and how it is going to work. I have no fear in the fact that we will make it work, but I don't want to have to reduce the amount of time I am able to spend with him because of this move. I love spending as much time as I am able to squeeze in...and want to keep it this way. We spent the first night there last night and it was interesting. I couldn't help but think that I was in a hotel or house sitting for someone because of all the unknown sounds, smells and surroundings. I am growing to accept this move and know that it will be fine, and that all of these unknowns will become normal soon.

This weekend is a little get-away with Pat...NAPA VALLEY here we come! I am so excited to spend some solo time with my love. Vacation is just what I need on my week off before next semester begins. Details are to come...we are planning on Six Flags, golfing and wine tasting. Should be a good time!

The Avenue of The Giants

This last weekend, my family and I drove to Redcrest, CA (The Redwood Forest) to run a marathon/half marathon. My sister decided 4 months ago that she was going to run another marathon and of course, the whole family had to go watch, so we all decided to run the half marathon while we were down there! FUN right!? After training for the last 4 months, a long run every weekend, injuries of the hips, knees, shins and ankles, along with sore muscles constantly, we were ready to take on the challenge.

Saturday morning, we were up at 5am to start the 7 hour journey into California. Little did we know that we picked the longest, most curvey, rainy way possible, and that it would take us 10 hours instead of the planned 7. Needless to say, the drive up there was commical, with a little yelling here and there, but was beautiful! We made it to the starting line to pick up our race packets with an hour left to spare and it was back in the car to then find the hotel and some food.

We pulled up to the hotel, which was a Motel 8...yeah we travel classy! The most amazing part about this motel was that right next door was the Eel Brewery! YAY food and tasty cold beverages! Their beer was amazing and my dad was a happy camper again...thank goodness! After dinner it was back to the room for sleepy time because it was already 8pm and we had to be up at 5am again to get ready for the race...or so my dad told us...he made noise all morning...yet he didn't do any race prep til about 6:30...when we had to leave...so of course Christine went into marathon stress mode!

Finially we were on the road again to the race...all of the nerves were up because I don't think any of us really felt ready for this race ahead. 10 minutes down the road, my dad felt the rumble of the stomach and knew he was gonna need a bathroom break sooner rather then later...and asked my mom where the TP was. Of course it was back at the room...oh man did this cause a ruckus! "DON'T TOUCH MY TP! THAT IS FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY!" my dad yelled! TP is a big deal i guess....little did I know!

Finally made it to the race and Christine took off for her 26.2 mile race at 8am. The parents and I sat around after and waited til 9am when our race began (13.1 miles). Running through the forest, you would think that it would be beautiful and life changing to be in there...which it was beautiful...but running that far, sometimes you forget to stop and look around, because all you are thinking about is finishing that darn race!

Finally the finish line was in front of me...i finished under what I had hoped for but was pleased...the parents did their goal time which was awesome and Christine came a little short of her goal time as well...but given her injuries heading into the race, she did really well!

We spent the remainder of the time in California relaxing, eating and doing a little site seeing on the drive home, which we got right, and made it back in a little less then 8 hours because of ALL the bathroom break stops we had to make!

All in all....a very accomplishing weekend and good time spent with the family that I love so dear!

NURSING SCHOOL, HERE I COME!

For the last 4 months, I have been waiting at the mailbox, for the letter of acceptance into a nursing program. For almost everyone I know, that has been applying, nursing school is hard to get into, and a very competitive field, given that there are way to many nursing positions but not enough nurses or nursing programs to fill these spots. About a week ago, I got a letter of rejection in the mail from the University of Arizona, in Tuscon. As much as I didn't want to go to AZ, I wanted to become a nurse and that was one of my options. I was really having a hard time with the rejection. I still had hope because I also had applied to Truckee Meadows Community College. The department had told me that they were hoping to get their letters out by the end of March so I was always at the mailbox, waiting for this letter.

Yesterday morning, I went to the mailbox hoping that the letter of acceptance was going to be there, however this was another unsuccessful attempt. Later in the afternoon, I went back to the mailbox being that I went to early, and that the Saturday mail had not arrived yet and to my surprise, there was a letter from TMCC. It was a small envelope and looked much like a rejection letter so I was a little scared, but had it opened and read before I even made it back to the front door of my house. The first sentence had a congrats in it instead of the regret to inform you sentence, and immediately I began to scream. I was accepted into TMCC's fast track nursing program, set to start May 26th!

I am so happy to finally have a direction and an end to my path. I finally know where I am going to go and that I will make it there. And one of the greatest parts about it is that I don't have to leave my family, friends or love of my life to do it. It is a win all situation and I can't be happier at this moment! In 18 months I will be a registered nurse! YAY!!!

Arizona...

This weekend was one of many thoughts and contemplation of where I want my life to be a year or so from now...

I went to Arizona this weekend for the interview for their amazing nursing program. Boy was this a trip. I flew into Phoenix, where I met up with my best friend, Janessa, and my interview partner Kim. We went to lunch in down town, near the ASU campus. I feel so small in that city. Phoenix is so much larger when being so use to the feel of Reno...the Biggest Little City in the World. After about a 2 hour catch up session, Kim and I hopped into the car and drove the 2 hour drive to Tuscon. We made it to our hospital tour just in time.

The tour was great. We had representatives from all three sponsoring hospitals, who were there to discuss their hospitals and help us make our decision on the hospitals that we will be working at, a bit easier. We did get some discouraging news at this time, however. There were 130 people there, who received the opportunity for this interview. When we had received our invitations, we were notified that there was 96 positions open for the nursing program this year, which gave us about a 65% chance of getting in. When we arrived, we found out that one of the hospitals had dropped the program due to economic issues and not being able to fund their portion, dropping the available spots in the program down to 48, which reduced our chances to about 30%. This was a little hard to hear, and defiantly added to the already present stress.

The next day, we had our interviews and they went well...there were three interviewers and three interviewees in each room so that was a bit intimidating and different but actually ended up being a lot nicer then I assumed it would be. Now, I am playing the waiting game, anticipating being accepted to both TMCC and U of A so that I will have the upper hand and be able to make the decision instead of being forced to do something and have no say. I should know in about a month.

After all of this, Kim and I headed back to Phoenix and met back up with Janessa. We went to some bars on Saturday night which was a good time but left both me and Janessa not feeling so hot the next day. On Sunday, Janessa and I went to Taco Bell to try and equalize our stomachs with grease, and then off to David's Bridal. We tried on many wedding dresses and Janessa looks amazing in them all...she will look beautiful no matter which one she ends up picking and tears came to my eyes, seeing another one of my closest childhood friends getting ready to walk down the aisle with her prince charming.

An amazing weekend with amazing friends and great opportunities for life and my future.

One year...and Many More to Follow...

This weekend, Pat and I spent the whole weekend celebrating the most amazing year of my life. First, we went to dinner with my parents on Friday night, and went bowling with them and my sister...many many laughs and Pat has a lot to teach me about bowling. Then, on Saturday, we ran to the mall and met up with Pat's dad, Ryan and Ashleigh at the car show, where I was called Pat's wife several times...haha! Not yet! We went back to my place and took a bit of a nap and then got all dressed up...for a "Big Night Out" at the Melting Pot. It was amazing...fondue and champagne with the love of my life with a little toast..."to many more to come." A lazy night to follow and a lazy Sunday to perfect the weekend. I couldn't ask for a better weekend.

On Tuesday, I have been with the most amazing man I could ever hope for, for a year. I am so thankful to have him in my life and everything that he brings to me each day that passes.

I have gained a whole new family, a new best friend who is always by my side, a soon to come niece or nephew (Bryce and Chels baby), laughs, dates, cooking, and love.

To the man that makes me smile each and everyday that I wake up, to the man that completes me and perfects me, to my best friend and the love of my life, Happy One Year my love. I could never dream of a better boyfriend. You have no idea how much you give me and add to my life!