Random Thoughts/ Questions

1. Why, when people are talking about doing cool stuff with Emily, are
they never talking about me? People at work today were talking about
there cool plans with Emily, but they weren't talking about me. Maybe
I'm just not that cool. Like that new movie I haven't seen because I'm
a loser, "He's just not that in to you".

2. Did you know you can make your upper lip look like you got collagin
injections? I have a very stuffy nose and have been blowing my nose
for two days straight and am halfway through my second box of Puffs.
The "snot channel" under my nose is so red and swollen that my upper
lip looks like I got collagin injections. Crazy! Why pay for bigger
lips when you can get sick with the same results.

On Top Of The World

This week has been an AWESOME week for me.
- Will and I went to Kentucky to visit my mom and we had a great time and got home safely.
- I spent lots of time with my wonderful husband.
- I graduated from nursing school. I even got my diploma in the mail today which said I graduated with honors! Go Me.
- I now officially own my car. I made the last car payment on February 5th.
- I filled out my new hire paperwork at North Kansas City Hospital today. I start work Monday.
- I got to spend most of the day with my family by accident. I was leaving the hospital and saw my cousin Kelly. My Aunt Carol had knee replacement surgery today, so I sat with my family for several hours and chatted. I got to see my Aunt Carol after her surgery and she looked great.
- I got to have a vaginal ultrasound on the 5th and was able to see my new baby. He/she looks great and is very healthy the doctor said. HOORAY!

I must say, I am a very blessed individual and am happy to be me. I have been so wrapped up in school that I have forgotten to enjoy things, and I am enjoying things now and am super greatful for all my life has to offer.

Our Adventure To Kentucky

William and I boarded a plane for Kentucky to visit my mom on Wednesday at about 8:30am. We knew there was bad weather in Louisville, where Mom lives, and our flight from Chicago to Louisville was cancelled, but we went anyway. It was such a big ordeal to get Will up and to the airport and through the security check point that we decided to get to Chicago and hopefully catch a later flight to Louisville. Will and I sat at the back of the plane and he was WONDERFUL. He only cried once when I wouldn't take off his seat belt. I brought the portable DVD player so we could watch a movie only to turn it on and find out it didn't work anymore. It doesn't recognize the disk and so it won't spin the disk. Oh well. Will handled dissapointment well and we got to Chicago fine. We stood in a long line with other people trying to get to Louisville, including people who had spent the night in a hotel because they couldn't get to Louisville the day before. Will and I were on standby for a flight that left at 7:10pm. It was 11am. We got lunch and then I decided to try to fly into a different airport, like Indianapolis, Cincinati, or even Nashville. Everyone else was trying to do the same thing, so I got us booked on a flight to Louisville leaving the next morning at 7am and went to look for a rental car. I decided that I would drive if I could, rather than sit at the airport all day with a 2 year old. I got the 7am flight as a backup.

I got to the car rental area and found that Hertz was all out of one way vehicles. I went to National or something like it and asked for a car to Louisville. The people standing at the counter that were almost finished with the rental process offered to let Will and I ride with them. I pondered the offer for a few moments and felt good about the decision, and agreed to ride with them. They live in Louisville and were trying to get home to their three children. Will and I had a lovely trip and they were wonderful to us. We bought them a tank of gas when we arrived in Louisville, and that was all the payment they would take. It was a great blessing to have found them and to have been able to ride with them. The Lord watched out for us since I didn't make the best choice while still in Kansas City. I should have stayed at home and flown to Louisville the next day, but I didn't.

Will and I have had a wonderful visit but are excited to get back home to see Matt. I don't think I will ever go on vacation again without my spouse. It was a great trip, but I missed him very much.

Almost There

I'm sure everyone is tired of hearing me talk about how i'm almost done with school, but I am almost done. I finish up my practicum, which is an internship, today. I have to finish my paper, do an evaluation or two, and get my portfolio updated. I get to turn all that stuff in Monday January 26th right before the luncheon for the accelerated nursing students (me). The actual graduation date is January 30th, but on the 26th I will be DONE!! I will be in Kentucky on the actual graduation day.

I think that all the necessary paperwork has been submitted to the state board of nursing, or will be submitted shortly. A court document was needed, but I got that taken care of last week. After graduation, the school will send my transcripts to the state board of nursing. Once they get all the paperwork, they will send me a notice that I can schedule my state board's test (NCLEX). Once I get the ok to test I get to schedule the NCLEX at my leisure and take the boards. HOORAY! I actually get to start working as an RN February 9th. If I don't pass boards (which I will) I don't get to work as an RN anymore until I can pass. That won't happen though, because I will pass and it will be GREAT!

I am doing my practicum on the floor that I will work on when I graduate. I really like the people on the floor and and am having a good time learning. I am excited to start working so I can get a paycheck. It's going to be awesome to get paid for nursing rather than paying out the nose to go to school. I think graduate school is on the horizon, but not next decade. Maybe in 10 years or so.

I've Got Plenty of Nothing

I have not much interesting to say. As I'm sure everyone knows by now, Matt and I are having another baby. We are due September 3rd. Maybe the baby will come early and be born in August. That would be cool! September is good too. Lot's of great people were born in September, like me. When I told my mom that I was pregnant she groaned. She was totally not excited about me having another baby until I reminded her that me having another baby meant she gets another grandchild. Then she got excited. I think my mom thinks we are too busy to have another kid, but i'm not getting any younger here. If we want more than two we need to have another one soon. I don't want to be 40 and having babies.

I am halfway through my Senior Clinical Practicum, which is an internship for nursing. I worked Thursday - Sunday last week. I was not ready for four 12 hour shifts in a row. My legs were swollen and nasty. However, this means I am truly almost done with nursing school! It's very exciting. I am doing my practicum on the floor that I will be working on, so I am getting to know people and finding my way around. It's like orientation before orientation starts. It's cool. The un-cool part about the practicum is the paper I am writing. I didn't realize until Friday that my rough draft was due yesterday. I threw something together at the last minute and am glad that we are not getting a grade for the rough draft because mine was super rough. Oh well, at least I have most of my paper written now.

Sometimes A Book Can Surprise You

I don't normally blog about books I have read, but the one I just
finished inspired me to blog. It's called The Last Templar and is by
Raymond Khoury. I have seen this book several times and thought it
sounded interesting. It is in the same vein as The Davinci Code by Dan
Brown. I finally bought it in Dallas at Half Price Books. As a side
note, I highly recommend Half Price Books. I LOVE it!

Anyway, I started this book and it was really good. About half way
through it made me mad. The book centers around searching for a lost
Templar treasure that may prove Jesus Christ was not divine. That
stuff doesn't bother me. I know He was divine and I can suspend
reality like you wouldn't believe when I want to. What really made me
mad was that one of the main characters is a devout Catholic and he
starts to doubt his faith. At one point I almost didn't finish the
book I was so disgusted. However, I love to read and couldn't help
myself. I had to finish the book. As a matter of fact, the ending made
me think I would like to read more of this guys books. If you enjoyed
Dan Brown, I recommend The Last Templar. It was never boring and the
ending was surprising and good.

Inappropriate and A Bit Creepy

So, Matt and I went to Dallas for a few days. We left on the 27th and got home on the 1st of January. As we were driving home, Matt got tired and I had to go to the bathroom. He pulled over at an Exxon in a Podunk town in Oklahoma. I went in, went to the bathroom, and got a Coke and some pretzels (which William ate). I stood in line behind an old, fat lady that shopped there all the time because she was chatting with the not very cute, kind of short and chubby male cashier. He was probably my age, and commented on me being cold. I was kind of shivering. He made fun of me and as the old lady in front of me left, he started laughing. Then he said "I can tell you are cold because your nipples are showing". OH MY GOSH! First of all, why the crap was he looking at my nipples? Nasty. Second of all, why would you say something like that? Did he think he was funny and was going to get my phone number? Yuck. I kind of chuckled and covered myself with my arms. I should have sent Matt in to tell him off. Matt may not be mean, but he is tall and is probably menacing looking to a short, chubby, ugly guy.