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!

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I made some DELICIOUS iced coffee this week.

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

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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!

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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!

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I saw this tree pumping gas.

I think it looks like a heart.

Love is all around us, people.

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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!

Happy New Year :]

New Year's Eve 2010.

New Year's Eve is a good time to reflect on the year.
The good, the bad...the ugly? Well...let's reflect, shall we? :
I've had a pretty awesome headcold for the last week that won't go away.
I'm on my 5th shift of work in a row (with little sleep in between).
I still have 3 shifts/2 days to go until a day off.

See you later, 2010! Don't let the door hit you on the way out!!

All and all, 2010 was pretty productive for me.
   -- I survived my first real semester of nursing school and managed to only get one C (plus) out of 6 classes. I'd say that's pretty good ("C's get degrees, Jackie").
   -- I worked hard. I managed to keep up with 2 jobs (80+ hours/2 weeks), school (16 credits) and even squeezed in a little (although not enough) social time with friends.
   -- Speaking of friends...2010 was a good year to catch up. There were babies born and weddings/engagements (but not mine) and sweatpant Fridays. I'm looking forward to much more of the same in 2011. (Man, I love my friends!)
   -- The most recent (and most exciting) thing of 2010 is my NEW CAR :] When I was told the Malibu would need to go and I would need to buy a new car...I cried. Yep, actually cried. Not that I'd miss my old car so much as I didn't want to deal with work, school and worry about a car payment. But, I sucked it up and went to Ford in search of a new (and realiable) car. From the minute I sat in that soft, warm, leather seat of my new Focus I was in love. Forget the stress of the car payment...it feels a lot better knowing I won't have to stress about not having a realiable vehicle. And the heated seats, sunroof and pretty paint job aren't so bad either ;)

Looking back on 2010...it's kind of a blur. I realize now more than ever...I can't wait to be done with school and be able to start enjoying a little more of my time. It's sad to see that my list of memorable things of 2010 is so short...but when I try to think of exciting times...nothing comes to mind.

Here's to hoping 2011 is full of fun. And productivity. And passing grades in all of my classes. And laughter. And friends. And lots of sweatpant Fridays :]

Wishing you ALL a safe and HAPPY New Years!!

Shhhhh...Don't Tell

It's November 9th. Yes, November. I had to double check the date today.

I'm sitting in our picture window (studying, of course) basking in the warm sun. I get distracted by a strange sound outsite. A sound we don't normally hear in November. It's our neighbor mowing his yard.

It can't be November?!

Our grass is still green. Our trees hold tight to the remaining leaves of their branches.

All evidence of October is nearly gone.

Pumpkins -- tossed into the compost pile.
Halloween candy -- picked over and just about gone.
Chilly, windy weather -- replaced with this beautiful sunshine.

Our furnace -- OFF.

November?! Doesn't Mother Nature know this is Minnesnowta?

Oh well. I'm not going to remind her. I like this November just the way it is.

FYI: It is 66 degrees and sunny today.
On this day last year, it was only a high of 31.

November?!

November? Already? Really?!

I would say, "Time flies when you're having fun," but let's face it...my life isn't much "fun" right now. I'm busting my ass in school and working myself silly. Lucky for me, my co-workers are fun and my classmates are great! They help me keep it together.

I want a me day. I need a me day.

Only six more weeks of class for this semester! I've made it through 10 weeks of nursing school. And, I'm passing all of my classes...WOHOO!!

Life isn't perfect right now, but I'm surviving...and that's all that matters.

(You may notice this post is anything but entertaining. I realized I hadn't posted in two weeks. I decided to dust off the blog, even if there is no point to it.)