Working girl

Well I am now officially a working girl and I love my job, although I am still trying to adjust to working again and finding that routine. But I know it will come. I got my first paycheck this week and that was really nice I must say although almost $200 of taxes came out of it. Sheesh i wasn't thrilled about that. Nonetheless, it is very nice having another paycheck.

My sister comes tomorrow for Thanksgiving break and I am able to get some time off to spend with her :)

God is so good!

I got my first nursing job today! What a blessing that the month I am to begin paying back my loans is the month that I get my first job with a pretty nice salary I must say. I start on monday and couldn't be more excited, although the nerves are beginning to set in. I have just been overwhelmed with the support, the love and all the prayers. Thank you to all who take part in that!

Happy Tuesday :)

"There's no place like home"

Just a few halloween pictures from a fun night of pumpkin carving, scavenger hunts, fortune tellers, great costumes, lots of food and babies :)

The fortune teller

My Courageous lion

A cat and the Cat in the Hat

Carving pumpkins

Group picture #1

Group picture #2

Holding Jasmine's litttle Yoda

A pair of Dice


My ruby red slippers :)

Praying for a phone call

Running out of options for work, I applied at a nursing home a couple of weeks ago, and of course after all this time and all the applications handed out, the one place to call me back is that nursing home. Figures. I didn't answer but called them back soon after just to find out how sketchy it was. They would not tell me what my job description was or what was expected of me and acted like I was already hired. They wanted me to come in for a drug test and to put me on the schedule. This freaked me out because I knew absolutely nothing about this job and as a relative told me when it comes to nursing homes "Please be careful and protect your license". Well during that conversation with the nursing home people, I was honest with them and told them that I can't commit until I know at least a little bit of what's expected of me. And she told me, "then we will be considering other applicants" and I told her alright, thanks for letting me know :) I didn't feel right about it and so I went with my instinct, very glad I did because within about 2 hours I talked to a Doctor's office who wanted me to come in for an INTERVIEW!!!! My first Interview!! It's funny how the Lord works.

When I went in, it was full of young nurses who were fun and energetic and so nice. I was there for almost an hour: I met almost all the doctors and nurses, got a tour of the place, was told what I would be doing and who would train me, and she was going to check with the scheduling lady and the other nursing supervisor to make sure they would have room for me. She said she would call me as soon as she knew something, then I could go take my drug test and that she really hoped it would work out. She also said that "we are like a family here so were really picky about who we bring in. But your really sweet and I think you'd be a great fit" :) So exciting!! So I haven't let my phone leave my side since that day. I'm praying it all works out!

A 50's Sock-Hop

Yes, I attended a 50's sock-hop/Dance on saturday night. But it wasn't just any Dance, it was a dance with people in wheelchairs and people with pace makers and I was the youngest person there by far. Let me just explain this a little:

My parents have a neighbor/friend that lives behind them who was putting on a dance (sock-hop) for all her close friends and neighbors. Now this neighbor has lived near my parents for a long time and about a year ago, she lost her husband and her father on the same day, within a couple hours of eachother. Ever since then, my family has tried to support her any way we could. My dad goes over and fixes her swamp cooler/air conditioner (a swamp cooler is something we use in Colorado because of all the dry air). My mom has been a wonderful friend and there have been times where my husband has gone over to help fix her boiler. This lady is by far, the sweetest lady you will ever come meet. And she wanted to put on a 50's dance party. Knowing that she needed a little encouragement, my mom and dad and I put on the closest thing we had to 50's attire and decided to go. Going there, my dad said we were only going to stay for a little bit. He must have changed his mind when we got there because we stayed for almost 3 hours. This lady went all out; she gave away old records, had trivia and prizes, a DJ with only 50's music, taught us how to do dances from the 50's, tons of food and the decorations looked awesome.

This must be what a unemployed new graduate does with her mom and dad on a saturday night :) but it was really fun nonetheless. Some of you may be wondering where my husband was, because yes he was invited and had he not been hunting, he would have been there with me. But apparently he was getting himself lost in the woods (that's a story for another time, but yes he is safe and back home). Here are just a few pictures from our 50's dance party:

This is me and a cardboard cut out of James Dean :)

Some way overdue Honeymoon pictures

I am finally posting some of our honeymoon photos becasue I figure its been almost 5 months :) and I now have the time:

We ate a lot of yummy seafood...

This was the view from the balcony



...and we ate a lot of ice cream on this trip :)

Spent a fun day at the beach

Got in our first car accident (rear-ended, not our fault)

Got to spend a day with my new brother and sister in law

We had such a fun trip and were so thankful that Jeremiah could get a week off paid vacation!!!!

Job hunting

The job hunt continues and still nothing yet. I think that St. Marys hospital here in town is getting so sick of seeing my name and my application come through their office. Maybe they'll just hire me so that I'll leave them alone :) No luck with that theory though; instead they just put really big in bold print up at the top of the job posting "No New Grads Please". haha i know that was for me. My mom tried to talk me into applying at one of the nursing homes in town but I just can't bring myself to do that yet. That is the one thing that I never wanted to do when I joined nursing, so I'm scoping out ALL of my other options before that.

We almost got a puppy the other day, but after we sat and talked about it, we decided that now probably wouldn't be the best time just in case I got a job and the puppy would have to be locked inside all day. So we decided to wait till this spring or summer and I pouted for a while. Man I'm turning into an adult and it's no fun. Speaking of being an adult, I start paying off my school loans next month. So a job would probably be a great idea right about now. But God will provide and I have so many people praying for me and trying to get me a job out there that I know it will come soon enough. After all it's only been about two weeks of job hunting.

My Dad's birthday was last Saturday and so we went up to the mesa to look at all the fall colors and have a BBQ. Here are a just a few pictures:

I'm an RN!

I have finally passed the NCLEX and have that huge mountain behind me. Of course I have not officially gotten my letter in the mail yet saying that I am an RN with the exact license number, but I guess it only has been a little over a week. I could not have done it without the huge support group that I had praying for me and continuing to encourage me. I can now read a book that I enjoy rather than an NCLEX prep course book, I can relax without feeling that I have to study, my house is clean and the laundry is done. What a wonderful feeling!

So I have begun the job search and let me tell you it is a frustrating process in an economy that doesn't want to hire any new grad nurses. Just an example, I applied for a Recovery position at the local hospital here in town, thinking that this may be a good job for me and something that I might have a chance at getting (considering only 3 months experience was required rather than 2 years like all the others). I applied friday after noon and by friday evening I got an email saying "we regret to inform you that we are considering other candidates at this time blah blah blah". I think it had been at the most 2-3 hours of considering me and my application. TWO HOURS!! That is ridiculous. I think I deserve a little more consideration than that. Anyways, So I moved on and have applied several other places including this large doctor's office in town. They are looking for a Triage nurse.....don't really know what that would entitle me to do, but I'm applying anyways. Will let you know how that turns out :)

Update

Well I know that is has been a long time since my last post, but a lot has happened between the middle of april and now. I did graduate, got married, went on our honeymoon to Florida, went to a NCLEX class for a week in denver, helped for a week at church camp, went camping/4-wheeling for 4th of July weekend, studying my tail off and took my NCLEX. It has been a very exciting, at times stressful but overall a very fun past 4 months.

In the meantime I have been working at the "fruit stand" a couple days a week where I get to eat all the fresh fruits and veggies that I want which makes it totally worth it. It's a lot of work, but it will do me fine until I am placed with a nursing job where God calls me to be. I struggle at times with the thought of why I live in the one place in the United States with no nursing jobs because of a bad economy. BUT....all things work out for the good and I know God is preparing for me something greater then I can imagine right now.

I am enjoying being around all my family and friends that I grew up with and being married to the most positive, encouraging and kind-hearted man that I know. I don't even want to think about when my sister has to go back to school in August because I'll miss her too much. It is going to be very strange when she leaves and I stay here. For 5 years, I have left home about mid-august to join my friends and family in Oklahoma and this year I will be saying goodbye to Tracey. I'm sure a flood of emotions will hit about that time.

But for now, here are some WAY overdue pictures of our house after a lot of work and a TON of help.