a few photos

Christmas Eve lunch at Texas Roadhouse

My sister, Kate, whom Isaac adores

Our tree, Christmas Eve night

Sophie helping

The snowman ornament Isaac made for us in kindergarten

Stompeez...he had been asking for these for months

Playing at the park in Storm Lake on Christmas Day

Some ice on the lake, but no snow

Sophie

Isaac's Power Wheels 4-wheeler we got the day after Christmas

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas...

 

I have graduated!!

It's true! I did it! I graduated!

Graduation was last Thursday night at the Boone campus. My mom, sister, husband, son and friend Joyce were all there to see me!
After the graduation reception, we went back for the pinning ceremony. Isaac and Mark got to come up on stage with me for that.

I still am in shock that I DID IT!

The last three days I've been in Ankeny doing "Live Review" for the NCLEX. It was a great resource and I'm glad to have done it. Hopeful to help uphold DMACC's 100% first time pass rate when it comes time to take boards.

Preceptor finished!

I am done with my preceptor!!!!!!
Finished up on Wednesday, the 7th.

What a fantastic experience.

My next to last day I got to watch a PICC (peripherally inserted centrall catheter) be placed. That was pretty cool to see and well worth staying late at the hospital for.

I spent yesterday and today finishing up my journal and got it submitted about 715 tonight. Glad it's done and complete!

I did a stint in the Boone schools this past Monday. Pretty interesting, but school nursing is not for me.

What's next...final test on Monday. Graduation on Thursday night!

It's hard to believe that I wore my royal blue DMACC scrubs for the last time this week, I won't miss the color at all! I sat in my last class lecture last night.

What an incredible journey.

(I poked my finger really bad on a couch spring-think i hit a nerve so it hurts to type and i am sorry if my splling is bad)

30 days of Thankfulness...

During the month of November on Facebook, people posting a daily "I'm thankful for..." post sprang up. I didn't technically commit to it, but tried to post every day. Here was my list...


2..Thankful we don't have a lot of carpet in our house. Sophie came in with mud covering her ginormous paws.
3. Thankful that my "injury" this morning from the cat/dog fight in my bed missed my eyes-only have 3) nice scratches across the bridge of my nose. Wow, did it bleed.
4. Thankful for warm, hooded sweatshirts with a kangaroo pocket. Perfect for these chilly Iowa days!
5. Thankful for a puppy that loves to play outside and loves Isaac too. 
6. Today I'm thankful for 54* at 840 AM! Beautiful weather for early November!
7. Today I am thankful for a boy that slept all night....in his own bed.
8. Today, I'm so thankful for my DMACC classmates. We've laughed, we've cried, we've worked hard to get this far together.....Congratulations to all of us for making it this far. In another month, we'll be RN's!
9. I am thankful for a God that loves me unconditionally and will see me through. "If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it." So very true as I head into my final test today.
10. Today I am thankful to have passed what I view as the most difficult nursing class I've taken. It was difficult, stressful, tiring...but I did it.
11. Thankful for our veterans today. 
12. Today I'm thankful for a happy and healthy 5 year old. 
13.  Thankful to be moving into my preceptor this week. This is one of the last pieces of schoolwork before graduation... 
14. Thankful for my heritage today. Although after seeing them run rabbits on an obstacle course on Amazing Race last night, it makes me wonder about the Danish side of the family....
15. Thankful to know that Graduation is a month away. A MONTH AWAY!
16.  This sounds silly, but I am thankful for a comfortable bed/pillow! I was very tired and sore after yesterday and I feel good today! 
17. Thankful for all my friends today-near, dear and far away.
18. Thankful for these royal blue scrubs today. They tell you stories about my journey to becoming an RN. These scrubs are getting me to the finish line.
19. Today I am thankful for Starbucks, my sister and ISU Football.
20. Today I am thankful for my crockpot!
21.  Thankful for the opportunity to practice nursing on the unit that has become my favorite (of all our rotations!). The people and nursing staff on the oncology unit are fantastic! (Yes, oncology=cancer).
22.  Thankful for my sister who helped us out last night by watching Isaac. He had a lot of fun and got to see his beloved Kate.
23. Thankful for a day to spend at home baking and getting ready to head north
24. Thankful for many things today. A God who loves me. A healthy family. Friends and family to love and to love me back and the freedom to celebrate this day. Happy Thanksgiving!
25.  Thankful for a boy who slept in today! (7 AM!)

Thanksgiving

Can't believe that Thanksgiving has came and went!

I made a pumpkin pie and a chocolate desert to take to my parent's yesterday. I also tried a recipe for Texas Roadhouse butter that I found on Pinterest (yum!)
My sister, Isaac and I headed to my parent's yesterday morning. Her husband had to work and Mark had a lot of homework to do so it was just the three of us. My brother and his family had to cancel, so it was a small group. My uncle joined us, as usual.

my mom broasted the turkey and then finished it off in the oven. It was delicious! We had the usual mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls, jello, green bean casserole, candied carrots, scalloped corn, stuffing.

After lunch, my mom, sister, Isaac and I headed to the park. We stayed there about an hour and then headed to another park, where we spent another hour! We could not have asked for better weather! It was fabulous! About 65* and sunny!! YAY!

We got home about 6 last night. Isaac was pretty tired and went to bed without a fuss and then proceeded to sleep until 7 this morning. That hasn't happened for a while!

I spent last night after he was in bed working on some homework. Knocked out my philosophy paper and blog post for class for the week. I am plugging away at my preceptor journal.

This morning, Isaac and I went to Boone to hit up Wal-Mart. It was about as busy as it is on a Saturday. We got a few things and Isaac used his money to buy himself a new toy. I've been buying here and there today online for gifts. There are some good deals out there!

Tonight, Mark has to work at the hospital so I'm toying with the idea of taking Isaac to see the Festival of Trees down in Des Moines. I think we both would enjoy it a lot!

1/2 way through already!

How is it that I am already 1/2 way through my preceptor hours? I guess 3) 12+ hour days will do that!
I have enjoyed every minute I've been back on the oncology floor. I'm learning a lot and getting to do a lot of things!
I've hung a lot of IV meds (Piggyback), done IV pushes, done sterile dressing changes, watched a few IV starts (my turn is coming!), and participated in overall cares for my patients.
 I feel so very lucky to be where I am-I truly feel like oncology is where I am supposed to spend my nursing career!


It's easy for people to see a patient with cancer and feel sorry for them, treat them with pity, etc. On the oncology floor at MGMC, we don't see the person as their diagnosis. They are still a person and are most appreciative of the care you give to them. The families are great as well. They understand we have to ask questions, do lots of assessments, etc and are just overall fantastic.


I do 17 more hours next week, leaving me only 2 more days after that. I'm hoping to be able to board and then find a job at MGMC on the oncology floor!