Catch Up #3 - Nursing School

I finished nursing school!!!!!! Yay!! It was two years worth of cramming, empathy, irritation, tears, smiles, laughs, realization and gratitude. Graduation was a bittersweet day. I have met four women who have become like sisters. I know that we will be in touch and continue a lifelong friendship.

The week before graduation, I got a phone call to put in an application for a position at the facility that I have longed to work at for years. A few days later, I got called for an interview!!! That evening, I received another call with the offer of a job!!!!!!! Cannot believe that I am so blessed. My first day is going to be June 23. So very excited to be a nurse at the birthing center that I have held in awe.

Catch Up #2 - 30 by 30 Progress

It's been a while since I updated on my list of 30 things to complete before I turn 30. That birthday is now less than a year away, so I'd better hop skip to it!!! Here's my last post on the progress. And below is the update.....

1. Run a half marathon - I completed the Nike Women's Half Marathon on 10/17/10. I hope to run the same half marathon this year. 
                                                      UPDATE!! I did run it again....in 2011 AND 2013!!!!!

2. Begin (and hopefully finish) nursing school - I've been moving up the wait list for our local Junior College program FAST. It's looking like I may be able to start the 2 year program this January. If not January, then for sure August of 2012. This means that pending I don't drop out, I will finish before my 30th birthday : ) 

                                                              I graduated nursing school on May 20, 2014.

3. Visit New Orleans again - putting this on my list may have been a little ambitious. I'm hopeful that this trip might take place the summer after I graduate from nursing school, meaning that I will still be 29.

This is still looking ambitious. We just did a trip to Vegas, and have a vacation planned to Mexico in August.
4. Go backpacking at Five Lakes Basin - maybe next summer.

5. Grow a garden - see #4. Do you think a topsy turvey tomato plant counts????

6. Become a wake boarder - to do this, I must wakeboard. Updates to come.

7. Hike Bishops Peak - hoping to cross this off the next time we go to SLO.

8. Bake something from scratch - I seriously can't believe I haven't done this yet. 

9. Organize all of my photos and place into albums - I'm hoping to do this when we unpack all of our belongings that are currently in storage due to the house remodel.

10. De-clutter and simplify my home - I consider this in progress because we had to clear out 90% of our homes contents. Whilst doing so, I got rid of a lot of stuff. When we move back in, I plan to do another round of clean out and declutter.

This is complete as much as it's ever going to be. I have realized that no matter what, there will always be "stuff". I don't have it in excess, but it's there. I'm human.

11. Take a California road trip - I should probably decide WHERE in California I want to go, as this would be something good to cross off next Spring or Summer : )

12. Learn yoga and meditation - In progress. I've learned some meditation, and I love it. Still trying to get my butt to a yoga class!

Several yoga classes have been attended. And you know what? I don't really love it. It's okay, but if I'm hauling my butt to the gym, I like a little more action!!! Meditation has helped me settle down in the evenings. I am by no means an expert, but the little I do know works for me!!

13. Go wine tasting - finally went last January to Amador County with my girls and LOVED it!!

14. See a Broadway show

Saw and LOVED Rock of Ages!!!!! I WANNA ROCK!!!!!
15. Compile a cookbook of all of my favorite recipes - I took the easy way out with this one a started a recipe blog. Soooo, I guess it will never really be complete since I'm always adding stuff. However, I met my goal of compiling all the recipes I enjoy, so there.

16. Learn to drive and launch our boat

17. Have one day of shopping where I buy whatever I want - I'm hoping I can do this once I'm a nurse.

18. Visit Las Vegas - this ALMOST happened last May, but then we decided to save the money to put toward the house project. Someday....

Done May 1-4 2014. Matt and I went and did the strip sight seeing and also attended supercross motorcycle racing finals. It was a blast!

19. Treat my Mom to a spa day - again, once I'm a nurse. Maybe this will happen on the same day as the shopping : )

20. Play a round of golf with my husband  - I've done this a few times now. It's fun to be out in the sunshine doing something different and active with Matt!

21. Eat rattlesnake

22. Learn to barbecue - I now do the majority of the grilling. I've mastered, veggies (mushrooms, peppers, asparagus, squash), fish, tri tip and chicken. One last thing is pork!

23. Open a retirement fund

24. Get reacquainted with the piano

25. Landscape our backyard - I've thought about this A LOT since starting the house project. Once that's done, I'm sure this will be the next thing we tackle.

26. Go to an amusement park with my husband - honestly? I was at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk with him at the beginning of May. I feel like this kind of counts, but at the same time it doesn't because we didn't go on any rides and that's the whole reason that I want to go to an amusement park with him.

For my birthday in 2013, we went to six flags. It was a blast!
27. Learn to make my own green cleaning solutions - in progress. I have the recipes, now I just need to take the final plunge and actually make and use them. Would help if I had a house to clean.

I made the recipes.........annnnnnnd, they didn't work for crap!!! May consider doing some more experimentation in the future, but for now, I'm okay with using the chemicals!
28. Ride a trail on my bike - completed in Tahoe last summer.

29. Find a skin care regimen - love me some Mary Kay because I'm hip like that!

30. Reinvent my wardrobe - in progress. One factor of this is funds. I do feel like I'm dressing more like a 26 year old and less like a 19 year old. That is a good thing.


Well, 14 down, 16 to go!!!!! Guess I'll be busy these next 10 months!!!!

Catch Up #1 - Our House!

Since the last 'real' post I did, I haven't updated with pictures of our home. To make this guy short and sweet, you can see progress posts here, here,here, here, here, here, and here. Whew!!! That's a lot of links, but ya know? It was a long ass project!!! Sooooo, anyway, here's what the joint looks like now. We're pretty happy with it. Now onto the yard!

The kitchen. All we really did in here and the laundry room was paint and replace flooring.

Upstairs bathroom. It is two separate areas, one with the sinks and another with the toilet and tub/shower.

Here's the additional tub/shower and toilet area.

The entry/hall to the stairs and master

Living room - don't mind my FIL and sweet hubby!! Where the two french doors are is where the fireplace (on the left) and sliding glass door (on the right) used to be.

Dining area.

Transition area from living to dining.

Where the new fireplace is. In this picture, it isn't completely finished. We covered it with cedar and it has a really nice beachy look. To top it off, we installed a concrete hearth with a ton of colored broken glass in it.

Powder room off of the entry hall. Some more concrete on the floors and counter.

Master bedroom. Love our french doors.

Different angle of master.

My, I mean our, amazing closet!

Master bathroom.

It's Been a Long, Long Time...

.....too long, infact, to catch up on everything that's happened in the last nine months. In short, our house is 99% complete, I had eight months off of everything - work, school, every day life, I started nursing school in August 2012.

Essentially, I had a wonderful eight month vacation. To be a "stay at home wife" for that period of time, and just have a break was such a gift. No big blabber happenings to tell, just a lot of time in my new home, being with family and friends, and enjoying life. Loved it.

Then, on August 13th, I started my first semester of nursing school. Boy, I was ready, but I wasn't. It is seriously such a committment to undertake this program. And that was just the first semester (I'm now in my second week of the second semester, but that's an entirely different post!). The start of nursing school was slow, but steady. I learned a ton, and made some lifelong friends. I interacted with patients in ways that I've dreamed of, and in ways that were nightmares. But, one thing held true the entire time. I loved it. I loved the labs, the lectures, the studying, giving meds, helping people. I loved the looks on patient's faces when I walked into their room and I could tell they were glad to see me because I was there to help or I had an answer to a question, or I was there to bring them something they needed.

Now, in second semester, I am dealing with that and more. Classmates that do or don't mesh. Family issues of my peers that are causing them to second guess whether they can do the program. Every day circumstances that affect how we all study, deal, live.

Nursing school is my life right now, or so it seems. Really, my life is my husband, my family, my friends. This is a two year snippet of my life that will be challenging, will have many successes and heartbreaks, will bring new friends and trivialities. No matter what it is though, I want to have record. To remember it. So, that's why I'm back. Before, I thought I no longer had the time for this blog. Now, I realize that this blog, in years to come, may help to pass the time.

House Update

Our house has definitley come a long way these last couple of months. I think the pictures really say it all!

This is the master bedroom. With our master tub in the middle of the room. It's not like this anymore, but I don't have an updated picture right now. I love the color of this room and all of the natural light.

 This is the kitchen (duh). First, the flooring is awesome. I'm so glad that we decided to go with a lighter color flooring than we had before. Also, the accent red color under the cabinets give the room a little punch and I feel like it makes the cabinets and counter top look richer.

The living room....we had cabinets made and installed for either side of the fireplace. LOVE. The storage is killer and it completely sets off our living room. We still need to get the stone put onto the fireplace and purchase a television to hang above it.

The rest of the living room. I think the wall color in here is exceptional. All of the light is great too. I'm so glad that I was able to talk my husband into two French doors instead of one.

The dining area. Our house in really open. You can get a pretty good idea from the picture above how things lay out. Our kitchen is to the right in the picture. Any way, back to the dining area. I love love love our new dining set. I'd been eyeing it since last April and finally purchased it in December. I think it looks great with everything else! And the light fixture in here is also a favorite.

Master bathroom. This area actually consists of two separate rooms. The first is the one you see here, with a double vanity and large soaking tub.

And here's our master shower, which is in the second room. I love the way all of the tile turned out. Also note the super cool shower floor!

The huge window in our stairway. Really opens this area up and makes it light and bright.

So there you have it! I'm so glad to have flooring and toilets and showers and such. I'll do another update soon with pictures of how things look now. There have been a few more changes and things seem more put together!

Playing Catch Up...

Where, oh where to begin? I guess I'll just start with an in general "what's been going on the last two months".....

• We moved back into our home on January 7th. And it is sooooooo nice to be home again. While we're ever grateful to those that let us barge in our their lives and homes for eight months, it definitely took it's toll. The house isn't finished, but it's at least livable. A post on the house coming soon!
• On January 4th, I worked my last day at Roudybush. After being employed there for 8+ years, it was bittersweet. I've adjusted to not having a job for the first time since age 16 quite nicely!!
• I am still on the wait list for nursing school and will start the program this August. In the meantime, I'm taking two classes this semester to stay in the groove of school and take up a little spare time since I'm not working.
• We had a nice holiday season. Family, friends and food pretty much sum it up!
• Matt's stepsister, Alex, is getting married May 19th and I'm a bridesmaid. I'm looking forward to her shower, bachelorette party, and of course, the wedding!
• I'm back on the Weight Watcher's train. Over the course of living out of boxes, I gained about 8 pounds. I'd like to get that back off, plus about 10 or so more.

That's the scoop!!!

Well Hello There!

It's been two months and two days since my last post. Not that anyone cares, but ya know, that's kind of a long time. So, why the absence? I really don't know. Basically, it comes down to the fact that we scrambled the last week of December and into January to make our house livable. An update on the old house coming soon. Also, my last day at work was January fourth, and as awful as it sounds that's where I did a lot of blogging because I was in front of a computer all day long. I'll try to be better as I adjust to my new life that does not involve 8 hours at a desk daily. Have a great day and stay tuned for some much more interesting posts : )