BIG STEPS!

I just had an interview this morning!  The interview was for the clinical nurse educator for our ONS unit.  I have always loved teaching and I'm so excited for this role!  I had to make a 10 minute presentation for the interview!  My presentation went well :)  I think I rocked my presentation on "Attitude is Everything". LOVED IT! I think my director and assistant directors enjoyed it anyway!

I'm just keeping my fingers crossed but I won't know for like a week and a half... Thanks for all of your support!

Overwhelmed

Yep, I will admit it... I AM SO OVERWHELMED!!! I feel like I am drowning lately... wow. It feels good just to get that off my chest.

Matt and I got our house - as all of you know from Facebook! We are still putting everything away... We are so grateful to the wonderful people who helped with the move! A special thanks to my mom and my fave aunt Jeannie for coming across the state to help out!

I have been working extra shifts to make some extra money to build back up our savings and to buy some new stuff to fix up our home! I also am on my own now with the scheduler position at work. Wow. The schedule work is very difficult, not going to say it is not. I am trying my hardest to do my best and I hope people at work will see that.

I have a new orientee at work.

I'm planning a baby shower with Jamie for our good friend, Sam! I am actually super excited for this! I love getting together with the crew from work. So fun!

Overall, just living life. It is crazy busy lately but I must say, I am so happy to have a home with my love!

Big steps!

My life is changing fast! For one, I was lucky enough to get the position as scheduler for LPNs/RNs. I know most people would not want the job, but I think it will be a good experience and it is a way to help out my unit. I'm just hoping the ONS staff will give me a little break as I try to figure all of this out!

Second- Matt and I put an offer in on a house! Yep, we are trying to buy a house! I can't believe it either! I'm so sick of the apartment living and I look forward to having our first home :)

We have been debating about if we should stay in Rapid City or if we should move to Sioux Falls. As you can all tell, we have decided to stay in Rapid. What can we say, we do love it out here! Isn't the house super cute! I love it and I can't wait to make it our own! For example, I am wanting to paint the kitchen red :) I can't wait to decorate with my coffee stuff! I am trying not to get too excited because we don't know if we will actually get the house or not... Oh man, I can say I am stressed out about it though! I'm just praying everything will work out!

Bring it on 2012!

2011 has come and gone... As I look back and reflect, I have to admit that it was a pretty good year! Here are some of my favorite memories (not listed in any particular order):

1- Holler Days 2011 - fun with my aunts and cousins!
2- Matt's first visit to AZ with me
3- Best Christmas ever with my family
4- Halloween in Deadwood with some amazing friends
5- Matt's parents moving out to Rapid to join us out in the Hills
6- Continuing to make more close friends here in Rapid
7- Camping with Matt, Jaralei, Sean, and Ben
8- Being nominated for Rising Star employee at RCRH
9- Becoming a preceptor to nursing students and a trainer to new nurses at RCRH
10- Cheering my friends on who ran the Spearfish Canyon 1/2 marathon
11- Many game nights/suppers with great friends
12- Celebrating an amazing 8 years together with my husband (2 years being married)

2011 has been great and I can only imagine how wonderful 2012 is going to be. Things I hope to accomplish in 2012:

1- Matt and I buying our first home together :)
2- Making a trip to visit Amy in AZ
3- Taking both TNCC and ACLS
4- Becoming a charge nurse
5- Camping in the hills
6- Having a killer good time at Emily's wedding
7- Taking a road trip with friends to Denver

That is just some of the goals I would like to accomplish... I'm gonna rock 2012!!

Merry Christmas to all!

Merry Christmas to all of my family and friends! I had the pleasure of celebrating Christmas with my family the weekend prior to Christmas. We had such an amazing time together! We have had some rough times in the past, but we were able to put that all aside and truly appreciate the time we spent together. I am so blessed to have such wonderful parents, great older brothers, and amazing sisters-in-law! I absolutely love spending time with them and miss them dearly... I cried twice the day we had to leave Sioux Falls to come back to Rapid City. Matt and I had yet another serious talk about moving to Sioux Falls or not... I just really love and miss my family.

Then we got back to Rapid City and I was reminded of why I love this town and the friends/family I have here! Plus, I truly enjoy my RCRH family too! I had to work Christmas Eve night shift and I was supposed to work tonight but they decided to move around my schedule so I didn't have to! It is hard to work any holiday, but the people you work with can really make the difference. Thank you to such a great crew that I had the opportunity to work with the last shifts. I also want to send thoughts and prayers to all the patients who have to be in the hospital over the holidays... It is hard to be away from family for the holidays, so I try to spread the Christmas joy while I work.

I was grateful for the opportunity to be able to go to Christmas mass this morning too! It was so nice to be able to really join in on the celebration! It was so great, but I ended up in tears during the mass. I kept looking around and seeing everyone so happy to be with their family that I ended up having crocodile tears running down my cheeks... I think it had a lot to do with being so tired from having worked the night shift prior to going to church. It is hard to know that my extended family is having a joyous celebration and I am missing out on it... I love you all and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas together!

Please remember the real reason we celebrate Christmas:
Luke 2:9-11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. (10) And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. (11) For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Merry Christmas! Peace and love to you all!

15 lbs gone!

Yep, I hit the 15 lb mark! Super excited! This weekend is going to be a "free weekend" for me because I am going to Deadwood with some friends and we plan on having a killer good time! So I am not sure if I still will be down 15 lbs next week but I hope so!

Thanks to everyone for you amazing support! It sure helps!

moving on down...

Down 13.4 lbs as of yesterday! Yay me! It might be a little less after eating Texas Roadhouse last night ;) Yum!