...oh, hey!

Well hello there Blog World (all 2 of you that might read this)!!
Just dropping in to update anyone that may have missed it...

... I'M A NURSE!!

Ok, so technically I'm a graduate nurse...
...but I don't care!!
I take my boards in January.
Wish me luck!!

Oh, and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
I hope you all have a wonderful Holiday with your families.
Me? I'll be working the next 7 out of 8 days.

xoxo

change is good.

I should have put more thought into my blog name.

At the time I guess I felt like I was going to be a student f-o-r-e-v-e-r.

Yes, I'm a drama queen.

Yes, forever is a long time.

But it really did feel like forever.

Well, ladies & gents, it's NOT forever.

This is the countdown I have going on my phone.

I check it daily. Yes, daily.

Sometimes twice.

Because maybe (just maybe) another day will have gone by.

(okay, so then I have another year of school for my RN...

...but I'm taking this one step at a time.

I will NOT be a nursingschoolgirl forever!!)

*Insert happy dance here*

nothin' cuter

seriously.

is there anything cuter?

chubby legs. 

chubby arms. 

(why can't my chubby legs be that cute?)

he's so proud.

sitting up all by himself.

so big. tear. sniff.

nothing sweeter.

(is sweeter even a word? oh well, I'm using it anyways.)

this little man is pure deliciousness.

and he comes from a great family.

they're all pretty great.

I'm so blessed to have his mama as a best friend <3

be better.

run faster.
eat better.
sleep longer.
try harder.
aim higher.
love more.
day by day, get happier.

Why is it so easy to believe in others...but not yourself? We constantly remind others of how wonderful they are. We point out their strengths and accomplishments. We help them to be better people.

I've realized it's time to make me better. It's time to believe in myself. It's time to remind myself that I am wonderful. I have strengths and accomplishments. I'm better than I think. And I'm responsible to change the things that aren't so great. I can. I will. Starting now.

It only takes one person to point out something great. Something that I didn't see. All it takes is one person to believe in you. Why compare yourself to everyone? If everyone was great at everything...we wouldn't have strengths.

(This has a point, I swear. Friends of the blogging world...you can stop reading here. I'm about to get excited about my [lack of] photography skills. For you few others who don't take amazing photos daily...read on!)

Why ask something of others that I'm capable of doing myself?

This is my sister, Katie, and her fiance, Mike. Man do I love them. How could you not? Just look at 'em! They're getting married in February...can you feel the love? I can. Anyways, I was trying to set up some engagement pictures for my sister as a gift...no luck. Boo. Then my sister says, "Jackie, you take great pictures...won't you just do them?" Me? Engagement pictures? Umm...a little out of my league. But, you see, I can't say no to my baby sister...so I grab my camera. We went out and just played around. I captured them. Professional? Not me. Perfect? Not even close. Real? Absolutely! No PhotoShop, no crazy shots, nothing fancy...just them. Perfect.

So my sister puts these unedited-nothing-fancy shots up on Facebook. Good ol' Facebook. She's proud. She loves them. That's the important thing. And then something happens...other people like them. Other people want me to capture them with their families. Other people think they're good. Wow. I was just going for "good enough." It's silly, but it makes me stop and think. I realize that I don't have to be as good as the people I look up to. I don't have to compare myself to them. I'm good enough. And I can only get better. And if even just one person believes in me and thinks I'm worthy...then I am. It's a great feeling. Self-actualization.



...and so it begins

 
It's Monday. Ugh, Monday. How did Monday get such a bad rap anyways? Just because it follows the weekend? What if you work the weekend? Monday could be just the thing you need...

...but I didn't work this weekend...and I did NOT need Monday to come. Not this one.

Today was the first day of my last semester of nursing school (for now). The first day of school is always a little rough. It sneaks up on you. Today was no different. This weekend I was enjoying my summer and BAM! ... school starts.

What makes the first day even better? How about a 9am math test? Yes, those are fun. Especially when you haven't used your brain for 3 months. And if you don't pass said math test with 80%, you can't go to clinicals. (Don't worry, I passed...just barely...and yes, I might be caring for you someday...please don't be scared).

I blame my "case of the Mondays" on the fact that I left my coffee in the car this morning. Delicious iced coffee. Sitting in my car. Getting warm in the sun. I could have went back for it. I had time. But I'm lazy. And because of it I almost failed my math test.

Tomorrow is Tuesday. Tuesdays are good, right? I think as long as I remember my lunch and my coffee I'll be okay. I hope.

A Good Week :]

I've been complaining this week. Not just a little...but quite a bit. So what if I work 80 hours in 9 days without a day off? So what if things haven't quite gone the way I had hoped they would? So what?! I'm healthy. I have a job. I have money to pay my bills. I'm on US soil and not sailing around the world to fight for our country (thanks, Dusty!). I don't have a beautiful baby girl that had open heart surgery at 3 days of age (please pray for this family). I have GREAT friends and a LOVING family. Quit complaining, Jackie!

So, I'm taking 5 minutes today to remind myself that everything is just fine.

No, it's better than fine. Life. Is. Good. And here's why:

My sister and Mike got TWO new babies!! They had to put baby Evo to sleep after finding out he had kidney failure. Sad. Anyways, this is baby girl Hope on the left and baby boy Chance on the right. So precious!

-------

I made some DELICIOUS iced coffee this week.

It's a little bit of work...but VERY worth it. You should try it!!

-------

Summer finally decided to cooperate...YAH!! Yes, I love the sun and the warmth it brings...but the humidity lately has been down right nasty. I'm loving this current summer weather. Ahhh <3

Sunshine, less than 80 degrees and no humidity? HEAVEN!

-------

I made a little trip to the good ol' Dakota County Fair with a friend last night. It. Was. Great! Besides the fact that I love this friend and do NOT get to see her enough lately...the fair is always a good time. We walked through the barns. Visited a few cows. Checked out the goats. Ate our way up and down the strip. Got heckled by the "carnies" on the midway. Ate some more. Watched a lumberjack show...mmm lumberjacks... What was I saying? Ah, yes...the lumberja---er, I mean fair. Played a little bingo...didn't win...ugh. All in all it was a good evening with a great friend!

-------

I saw this tree pumping gas.

I think it looks like a heart.

Love is all around us, people.

-------

Oh. And I'd just like to mention that I'm now a Warrior. Yes, I said Warrior.

Bruised. Sore. Sunburnt. But, a warrior none the less. I'm pretty dang proud of myself. My first 5K. And not my last. But I better get in shape first. That was a tough one for me.

Okay, so maybe that was a little more than 5 minutes...but oh well.

Hopefully I've inspired you to take 5 minutes to remember why your life is great as well...even through the hard times.

HAPPY FRIDAY!!



how to be happy

-----> How to be happy in just a five easy steps :

Step #1: Get together the following items:

Fresh basil. Fresh tomato. Delicious mozzarella.

Also, grab some pesto from the fridge and a piece of soft, warm ciabatta bread.

Step #2: Assemble said items in the order of your liking. I spread pesto on the top AND bottom of my sandwich...then layer mozzarella, basil and tomato.

Step #3: Go to the cupboard and grab the following essentials:

 

Step #4: Combine coffee with ice cold milk in reusable tumbler.

Add ice cubes to your desire.

Step #5: ENJOY*

*you may want to call a friend to enjoy such happiness with...but make sure you have enough ingredients first so you don't have to share!

Sundays...the way they should be

This is my bff, Missy.

She's an amazing mom to 3 amazing children .

(Call me biased...but they're amazingly cute too!)

 We all got together this weekend for a little Sunday Funday...no...not the kind where you spend all day drinking and being stupid...the kind where you: grill out. eat outside. play with sidewalk chalk. get ran over by a remote control car. have good conversation. give a piggyback ride to the park. snuggle a baby. chase a three year old. let a three year old chase you (and catch you). climb a tree. play at the park. dump woodchips out of your shoes. ride a bike. soak up the sun. play two games of softball (and win). enjoy time with an amazing family and some pretty great friends, too!!

(click on picture to make it bigger. then check out the chalk drawing by Libby)

Yep, this is how Sundays should be spent!

...oh hey!

Helloooo blogworld! Miss me?! Who?! It's me...Jackie. I know, I know...I've been gone a long time.

School, work, study, clinicals, repeat.

This is my life.

Correction...that was my life!

It's summer vacation, baby!

I have only one plan for the summer: ENJOY MYSELF!

How am I going to do that you wonder?

Well...let me tell you:

1. Playing softball twice a week with my best friends :]

2. Picking up extra shifts at work
(ok, so maybe this isn't "enjoyable" but my bank account thinks it's pretty groovy)
3. Playing with my love (see photo)
4. Reading books for fun (again, see photo)
5. Learning how to use my camera
6. Driving with the sunroof open and the music up loud
7. Organizing my craft stuff/school stuff/clothes/life
(again, maybe not "fun" but it NEEDS to be done!)
8. Getting together with my nursing peeps regularly
(I'll go crazy without them for a whole summer...well...most of them)
9. BON FIRES!
10. Lying around...in the sun...doing whatever I want*!

Laying around...with my love...reading a book for fun!

 

Ahh...I have a feeling this is going to be a GREAT summer!

*When I'm not working...which is what I'm doing now...16 hours...looks good on paper...doesn't feel good after a night of softball with friends....2 hours left...I can do this!