Spring?

Perhaps the ground hog was right! It seems like spring is just around the corner. There are no days in my 10 day forecast with snow, nor weather much below the 50s! This makes me really want to start planting things again but I should probably wait at least a few weeks longer, just in case there's still some snow lurking around.
This weekend I'm super-excited to see all of my former roomies plus Amanda for my friend Natalie's wedding! It's been awhile since I've seen some of you and I can't wait for all of us to be together! Next week I have spring break. No big plans for that this year. Hopefully I can just get caught up on a lot of school stuff and wish for at least one day in the 70s!

Wednesdays

Wednesdays are nuts. I don't like them. They start at 7:15 when I take Justin to work. Then I pick up people in carpool. Class, 8:30-1. Drive back to Christiansburg. Eat lunch. Go to the hospital from 3-10:30. Yesterday was my first full day of all of that for the semester and  let's just say there was not enough diet coke in the world for me!

Trust Part II

So before I started this semester, I was really excited- excited that it's my last semester and I will have no more school soon. But then I go to class yesterday and the nursing director for my school really puts a damper on my spirits. Now, she usually does every semester because she talks about how hard the semester will be and how nobody's going to make it. Meanwhile I chew off all my nails and am in pain for a couple days...a nice reminder of whatever she told us. Yesterday, she talked about the NCLEX and getting jobs. Both bad news. Apparently no one will pass the NCLEX and this is the worst nursing job market in all her years. Awesome! The thing I was most excited about (getting a job) is now the thing I'm most worried about! I'm thinking, should I apply other places than this area and commute back on my days off, will I have to drive like an hour to work, will I have to work at Target??? Then I have to think back to last year, when I had days and weeks where I wasn't sure if I would make it through the semester. During that time, all I knew was that I was in the place that I thought God wanted me to be, and if He wanted me to be a nurse, He would make a way for me to get through the semester. And I did. At the end of that semester, I knew I was supposed to be a nurse. Now I just have to trust that God will enable me to pass the NCLEX and find a job. Thanks for all your prayers and support through this journey I've been on and continue to keep me in your prayers.

Groundhog Day!

Today is Groundhog day and usually the ground hog sees his shadow meaning 6 more weeks of winter but not this year! Phil, the groundhog did not see his shadow meaning an early spring! Yay!

Cruise!

I went on my first cruise with two friends from Tech in March of 2008 and I was hooked. For our honeymoon, Justin and I went on my second cruise November 2008. Then there was a break because I went back to school and vacations sort of take a backseat when you're watching your money. But then I broke down this fall and was like we need to go on another cruise and January seemed like the best time for us to go with my school.

We left Saturday the 8th out of Baltimore (we drove up the day before and stayed the night with my aunts in NOVA). We had 4 days of cruising on the ship mixed with 4 days of visiting ports (9 nights). Our first port was Cocoa Beach, FL. We just visited some shops there and sat on the beach for awhile. It was coolish and windier that day (I think like 72). The next stop was Key West, also a cooler and windier day but it was fun to walk around and visit the shops. After Key West was Nassau. We went to the beach here, it was warm when the sun wasn't covered by clouds, and still a pretty nice day. The last port was Coco Cay, which a private island owned by Royal Caribbean. When I was there for my first cruise, it was one of my favorites cause you can just lounge around and relax. They have a barbecue lunch and the water's really warm. But again it was windy and cloudy so not the best beach day. Other than the ports, we had a really good time relaxing on the ship, eating lots of great food, and enjoying the performances every night. I don't think we will go on another cruise in January again, but it was great all the same!

New Year, New Resolution

I wasn't really going to do a resolution this year since a I couldn't really come up with one, but after talking with some friends last night, I decided that a great one would be for me to read my Bible more. I did a terrible job in 2010 so it looks like I need to try a lot harder in 2011. I have a bible study that goes through the new testament and psalms so I think I will start with that. It seems pretty manageable; I just need to be diligent to sticking with it (like flossing)! Good luck with all of your resolutions!

Why Do I Blog?

A year ago I began blogging. My first post was a summary of the year 2009. This year I don't think I really need to do that summary because I posted 37 times in 2010! My goal was 2 times a month and some months that's really all I had to talk about and other months I had more to say. 2011 will bring lots of changes with finishing up school and looking for a new job so I hope that I will be able to blog more than last years goal! I don't really feel that I can publicly blog about many of my experiences at the hospital, but if you just ask me in person, I have plenty of funny/gross/interesting stories with lots more to come!

As the year has begun to come to a close, I've asked myself, why do I blog and why should I continue to blog. I don't have a huge following and writing is really not my thing. I think the answer to that is because it's a like a picture I get to look back over and over to remember my experiences, where they took me,  and see how far I've come. To be able to look back at a time when I was having a hard time and see how God led me through it. To look back over all the wonderful times I had and see all the many blessing in my life, no matter how small. In summary, I blog to give myself hope. Hope that better days are ahead or hope that my life is already filled with blessings. I look forward to 2011 and may God bless your coming year!