Tips??

I really want to start blogging more, but I'm not really good at it. I'm not sure what to write about and stuff. HELP!

I need tips and ideas please!

Lot of happenings.

On Monday, I finished my 1st semester of NP school! I am soo relieved to have that over with. I am 1/3 of the way closer to my degree. Now, I'm trying to enjoy my time off. But I'm staying pretty busy, but at least it isn't writing a paper or studying.

This morning I was woke up by a message from my best friend saying she had a positive home pregnancy test & she was going to the doctor at 8 to confirm it. At almost 9 am she sent me one saying she was definitely pregnant! I am so excited for her and her husband.

But on the other hand, it kinda gets me down. I am still single & no prospects of a boyfriend, and I want to get married & start a family so bad! I guess in a way you could say I'm envious of her & her life, but I really don't. I mean in so many ways I'm so extremely blessed. I have wonderful parents and great sisters, and the world's most awesome nephews & niece. But there's still something missing. I feel pathethic & desperate because I feel this way.

In my head I know that God has everything in control, but it's just hard because I can't see His plans, & I have no patience. I just don't know what to do.

I seem to have a problem "crushing" on every guy I meet just about...which is beyond pathetic. But I dunno...I obsess over things like that & I really wish I didn't.

While I was in clinical, a single guy came in & the girls that work at the clinic made the comment that we'd make a good couple and one of the girls was like I'll hook you up and stuff, well I finally told her she could play matchmaker. I went back the next week & she was like I never called him, but I will and got my number to give him. Well I am done with clinicals now and I still don't know if she ever tried to play matchmaker & instead of forgetting about it, I can't help but think about it...it's driving me crazy...I just wish I could forget that she ever said anything about playing matchmaker and then if he called it'd be a surprise & if he didn't it wouldn't bother me because I wouldn't even miss it. I mean, in this case, it wasn't like I like the guy, I don't really even know him...I mean he was cute enough, but really don't know him, it'd just be nice to get to know him...if that makes any sense. I know no one else will read this more than likely, but it's just nice to get it out there.

Back home!

After the most amazing week of my life, I made it back to Mississippi around 3pm on Saturday, Sept. 11. I can't even begin to explain how awesome Nicaragua was & the opportunities we had to serve & share Christ. I absolutley loved it & can't wait to go again. This was a medical, dental trip with the organization BMDMI, or Baptist Medical & Dental Missions International. They are truly a great organization. So I'll kinda tell you about my trip...

We left Mississippi around 12 on Saturday, flew to Houston, TX where we had about a 4 hour lay-over & then we boarded for Managua, Nicaragua. We got to the mission home in Managua around 9:30 their time (which they are an hour behind us) & we ate supper & went to bed. Sunday we got up early and headed out to the village of San Francisco. The drive took us about 5 1/2 hours, which included a couple of stops. Our transportation for the week was a school bus, which was very common in Nicaragua. Anyway, San Francisco is a small village up in the mountains of Nicaragua. The people are poor and have little or no access to healthcare. We set up in their school. The school was made up of 3 cinderblock buildings with barbed wire fence around it. Here at this village there was no running water, no indoor plumbing, no electricity. We had generators set up to give us electricity during the day. We had a men's sleeping quarters, women's sleeping quarters, Dental Clinic, OB-GYN clinic, and the medical clinic & pharmacy. We also had a veternarian team going out to treat animals. We spent the rest of the night Sunday setting up & preparing for Monday.

Each day we were at the village (Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday) 4 worship services were held. 7am, 10am, 1pm, and 7pm. For the people to be able to come to the clinic they had to go through one of the first 3 worship services. Monday when the first patients came through, I was terrified, I had been thrown completely out of my comfort zone. But as the day progressed, I began to feel more comfortable in my skin. That day we saw a total of 660 patients & gave out 2,500 prescriptions. Tuesday, was much like day 1, except not quite as many patients. We only saw 521, and gave out 2,300 prescriptions. Day 3 was a doozy...we worked from 8 am until 7:30 that night. We saw 767 patients and gave out 3.900 prescriptions. Thursday, we packed up and headed back to the mission house. On the way back we stopped to eat lunch at Selva Negra, aka Black Forest. The food was awesome & the scenery was beautiful!!!

Friday was our shopping day. The market was very interesting...you could barter. I'm definitely not a barter-er so that didn't prove real fruitful for me. But it was definitely cool. After we got finished shopping we ate lunch at a restaurant called Pollos Narcy's....a chicken place. It was very good! Then we went for a boat ride on Lake Nicaragua...we went to Monkey Island & got to see some spider monkeys, they were precious! Then we went to the Emmanuel Children's Home. It's a home for girls who mostly were abused at home. A lot of these girls were 12-16 and most had babies due to sexual abuse. They are absolutely beautiful girls & that place is such an amazing safe haven for them. I fell in love with that place the second I saw it!!!

We went back to the mission house & ate our supper & watched the amazing video the missionaries had made for our team. Saturday was a super early morning & long day! We were up at 3 am and at the airport by 4:30, and in the air headed back to the states at 6:40. After safely arriving in Houston & eating lunch we were back in the air around 2 and landed in sweet home Mississippi at 3:15 pm. I was greeted at the airport by my sister, mom & dad, and neice & youngest nephew. It was great!!

Nicaragua Bound

Tomorrow is the big day! It kind of overwhelms me when I start thinking about all the firsts I will experience tomorrow. My first trip out of the country. My first mission trip. First experience in a place with no electricity, running water, or all the comforts I'm used to. I'm so pumped though all those nerves are kinda taking a back seat. I've been poring over my suitcase making sure that I've put EVERYTHING I could need in it without overpacking. If I forget something, I won't be able to just run to WalMart to get it.

Also, I have my first TWO tests of nurse practitioner school the Monday after I get back. That kind of make me a little nervous! I guess I will have plenty of time to study on the planes!

Anyway, appreciate all prayers y'all want to send up for us! I'm sure I will have a ton of updates with AWESOME stuff that God did while I was gone!

And reality hits

This morning I went to turn my badge in & get my severence package. I thought I had had my time to deal with it & that this morning wouldn't affect me. Boy was I wrong. I was ok as I walked into my manager's door, got a little teary when she hugged me. Then I was ok for a little bit. Then I nearly lost it as I walked to my unit, first when I saw the "Unit Closed: Do not enter" sign, and then when I saw just how abandoned the place looked already. It broke my heart. I made it to my car before the tears started flooding out. Losing your job is hard...never in my life did I think I'd experience it. A place I'd thought of as "home" with people I think of as "family". All suddenly gone. One thing I know is that even though we no longer have a home, we are still family...I love those girls & my heart breaks for them, but I know that God is their provider, just like he is mine & He is still there with them & they know that.

On a much happier note, I leave for Nicaragua in THREE days!!! I am so pumped & excited! I will be gone for 8 days sharing medical care & the Love of Christ! Its things like this that make me realize that I am still a nurse, even though I don't have a job anymore, that doesn't take away my identity as a nurse! God is with me & He knows what He is doing even when I don't!

A Whole New World...

Two weeks ago, I started Nurse Practitioner school fulltime. I can't believe I'm actually doing it...it terrifies & excites me all at the same time. To think that this time next year I'll be a Nurse Practitioner...it's crazy. So my life has been pretty hectic, working full time, going to school full time, and preparing to leave for Nicaragua in FOUR days...and then the bomb dropped yesterday...

I was laid off from my job...my job as a nurse! Who would've ever thought that nurses would get laid off? The hospital I worked for laid off over 200 employees, from administration to nurses, PCAs, & unit clerks. They closed 2 units...one of them being mine, which was the only pediatric unit in the hospital. Not only am I out of a job, but ALL of my coworkers are also out of jobs. When the big news was dropped I was 2 hours away in a classroom, while one by one each of my coworkers were called into the Nurse Manager's office and told to turn in their badges & given their severence packages. My heart broke for each of them & now that I am back home from school for the week, I face my own walk of doom. Tomorrow morning, I have to meet with my Manager & turn my badge in. I believe it will hit me full force then.

I think I have decided that I am not going to look for a new job. I am just going to focus on school & I have faith that God will provide financially. I have a peace about this decision that I know can ONLY come from God!

back to school

It's hard to believe that I've been out of school for 2 years already! Kinda even harder to believe is the fact that I go back tomorrow. I start advanced Pathophysiology in the morning. Wow! I'm excited, nervous, scared & strangely confient all at the same time. The confidence is ALL God...no way I'd be able to do it alone! I better get to bed now. Oh, by the way, healing nicely from the surgery...if only I'd hurry up & be completly healed...that's just taking too long!! :)

Survived Surgery

Well today, I had my gallbladder out. I had been having problems with it for a while & finally decided to do something about it. It was my first surgery...and I have to say, I didn't come off the anesthesia too well. I woke up whining...BIG time! Plus I was hurting like crazy in the recovery room. It took me forever to go to the bathroom so i could go home. I finally got home around 2:30 & I had been at the hospital since 5:45. But I actually left the hospital at 1, I had to go get my pain meds filled. I haven't taken any so far. I've been sleeping most of the day & felt so groggy, I didn't want any. I'm so sore, ready to heal, but it's really not that bad. Bout to go get me some more sleep. I'm sleeping on the couch tonight because in my bed I tend to sleep on my stomach & that just ain't gonna work for a while.

This ain't gossip girl, it's real life.

I spent today babysitting 2 of the 3 loves of my life! They come in the form of an almost 5 year old lil boy & a 9 year old girl. We shopped a little bit until they got tired & ill. Then came home & ate ice cream! They always light up my life when they're around. My neice ended up spending the night with me, she's snoozing away in the guest room as I type this. She's a mess. She was telling me about when she "broke up" with her boyfriend. She said he asked out another girl, so she told him "this ain't gossip girl, it's real life" & then she said "it's over", complete with snapping her fingers & shaking her head. Then she went on to say the next day she asked out another boy in her class. She keeps me entertained to say the least.

Introduction

I guess I should introduce myself, so here's 20 random facts about me.

1. I am a pediatric nurse & I love it with ALL my heart. I start back to school very soon for my nurse practitioner degree.
2. I am a Christian, a follower of Christ, daughter of the King. Striving to draw nearer to Him daily.
3. I love the beach & the mountains equally. I could never choose one over the other.
4. I have a chihuahua-dachshund mix named Rebel. He's so smart, but so very bad!
5. I have 2 nephews & 1 niece that I absolutely adore. They are my world.
6. I love going to concerts & being as close as possible to the stage, even though I don't like being packed in crowds.
7. I'm going on my first mission trip in September! I'm stoked! I'll be headed to Nicaragua to provide medical care for villiagers there, & more importantly sharing the Word of God!
8. I've never been artistic, but my new hobby is painting canvases for people for baby showers & stuff like that.
9. I love movies, mostly romantic comedies & disney movies.
10. I am single. I've never had a boyfriend. That is something that I'm learning to embrace instead of be ashamed of.
11. Spring is my favorite season. The temperature is just right, flowers are blooming, the sun's shining, the only down side is POLLEN!
12. I love to read. Jodi Picoult is one of my all time favorite authors, but I also love classic books especially Wuthering Heights.
13. Even though Spring is my favorite season, Christmas is my favorite time of year. period. There's nothing like buying gifts for those you love & watching their face as they open them. Decorating, songs, celebrating the birth of our Savior, what's not to love!
14. I have 2 "little sisters" who aren't biologically related to me, but I claim them all the same.
15. I absolutely love football! I have several favorite players. Yes, I'm one of those that follows players, not necessarily teams. I love Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, & Eli Manning...and super excited about seeing Tim Tebow in the NFL.
16. I hate wearing shoes. If I had it my way, I'd either be barefoot or in flip flops ALL the time!
17. I love kids...ALL kids.
18. I am 5'2". Short, I know, & i love it!
19. I want to visit all 50 states during my lifetime. Not off to a great start so far though. I think I've been to a total of 9!
20. My favorite tv show at the moment would probably be Vampire Diaries...although I have tons of shows that are a must see every week.