Year in Review

Happy New Year and new decade ahead of us too! 2011
In 2010 I had the opportunity to learn many new things, make many new friends, and set out on many new travel adventures! Here is a little review of the blessed events of 2010.

Most Challenging semester- Medical/Surgical.

Fun times with roommates: They come and then boys take them away, but they will forever be a part of me.

The amazing chef and nurse tutor Elizabeth(All qualities in the making of a GREAT mom!)

Round two with Katie Wilk!

#14 BDA(Broken Down Apts/ Beautiful Daughters of the Almighty)

Reunion still crazy as always (Melissa and Katie)

Trying on Wedding dresses with Annie

Mr. and Mrs. Brewer! Old roomies at Annie's wedding

Future roomies of Wellington 6: Sarah and Darcy

Before the adventures began :)

Visits from old roomies; Shalisa and Alexis(who is expecting!)

New summer Roomies whom we had many rockband and other fun times with: Lauren and Desire

Our first time being "roomies" sleeping on top of the roof of Banbridge

Wellington 6 roomies: Sarah and Darcy

Picture time any time

We support each other's sometimes silly endeavors

Most eye opening and Coolest College experience: NSNA convention:

The Crew at the Orlando Ariport

Receiving BYU SNA's award at the convention

Oh yeah we had fun in the Disney parks too!

Most unusual birthday surprises:

Learned God hears our prayers but also has a sense of humor when answering them. I asked that is wouldn't rain on my birthday (which is in MAY!) and I got snow instead.

I also had the privilege of meeting an apostle of the Lord, Elder L.Tom Perry, at my favorite restaurant. (Provo's rockstars) 

Explorations of Utah:

Robbers roost where I got a little carried away with my climbing abilities and sprained my ankle! 

Our summers hike ended in a winter wonderland at Silver Lake

On top of Squaw peak with Jessie and Justin. Yes just a few short days after I had sprained my ankle.

Getting some Courage: Best summer job ever second round of working efy(especially for youth camp)

With one of my girls!

D&C 18:10 Worth of Souls group

Cease to be 

Of course the counselors get away on the weekends to events like Medieval Times!

With Stephanie

Trips to DC. With Katie 

Rise with us group

The best people you will ever meet and friends anyone could ask for

efy counselors a special breed 

More fun times in DC

Of course my favorite part of the week bustin' a move and the service activity! What better combination could you have!

Also did a week in Massachusetts with some awesome Tangible as WOman!

Most Spontaneous trip and cutest kids: Number one reason to always have your passport with you because you just never know when you will leave the country and go visit family in England!

My nephew Master Joshua

Princess Amberley(She has her own castle!)

They wore me out a bit though

Painting with the kiddos

Sisters!

Luckiest secretary:

The SNA board which I am secretary of

Our float for the homecoming parade. I came up with the theme.

Most thrilling concert: We saw Owl city and John Mayer in concert: Maizy, Art, Katherine

VA Meets UT:

The efy fun never stops! We just can't get enough.

Creative costumes! My roommates and I dressed up for Halloween as Rapunzel (now starring in Tangled!) Tinkerbell, and a Duwop 50s girl!

Most exotic trip South of the border: Went to Mexico with my Roommates and Sarah's family. Had the most relaxing and fun Thanksgiving ever!

 Nursing in a festive place: Just finished my pediatric at Primary Children's and obstetrics at UofU clinical rotations. Had fun working with all the Kids and being a witness to the most amazing miracles, birth.

A White Christmas come true:

My parents

My friend April and her husband came to visit!

Snow Pup

Ready, set, MOVE! My sister and her husband moved from NC to NY! Exciting for them but they will be missed in NC.

 We'll always be together: Celebrating New years with high school Friends Anne and Taylor

Most Bodacious: That would be Wellington 6 wishing you a very Happy New Year!

Goodbye 2010 you were a fabulous year! Heres to another one in 2011

I have an excellent Father.

I was trying to find an old document and ran across this one I wrote last semester about leadership. Since my last post was about my Mother I think my Father also is deserving of one as well. I also love this song by Taylor Swift (I know I am cliche and such a typical girl, but what can I say I do!) that expresses how she feels about her Father too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq4W68_h6rw

In passing by the BYU service office I saw a sign that read “Leadership- Love in action.” This poignant sign clearly defined what a leadership role should encompass overall. In my life I have been affected by this kind of leadership in numerous ways but one leader has had a particularly profound affect on me, my father.

            My dad has always been an example of strong leadership as he has directed our family but it has not been until the past few years that I have been able to see his leadership in action for others outside of our family. He has had the opportunity to serve as a Bishop and now the Stake president. It has been in these callings that I have seen his leadership skills being defined as one that leads through teaching, delegation, and service. My Dad has a way with words and is a very powerful speaker; it is at the pulpit that he is able to most efficiently teach people. However he also teaches by example in his conduct. My Dad is a businessman who has had to travel for work and attended many meetings where temptations could have arisen to make him compromise his standards. My Dad has a strong conviction of honor to his commitments and would never falter from what he knows to be true. He has been an example to me by his dedication and has taught me to devote my best self to all that I do. This is where I have learned and developed my own style of leadership; I try to lead by quiet example in what I do.

My Dad is also able to be an effective leader by allowing others to lead as well. He knows that he could probably do the task in a more timely manner, but he allows others the opportunity to do so. He is effective at delegation because he follows up on the assignments he gives to make sure that they have been accomplished. My dad may sometimes get caught up in the statistics of what is occurring in the stake but he also remembers that he his serving people. He takes time to care for the one and has the best means for people serving at heart. He has had to learn patience and that fixing a problem requires working in conjunction with people, which can be a slow process.

I admire my Dad for his leadership and how he has been able to grow as a leader through his experiences. He knows as a leader what needs to be done and how to make it happen. Whenever he makes a decision he weighs it out carefully and does his research to make sure it is the best decision for all. He is devoted to his called positions of leadership but also he also exhibits discipline to his personal commitments and roles. My dad is an example of love in action through his leadership in my life. 

My dad and me at Thomas Jefferson's home. Another great leader.

I believe in Miracles!

This post is dedicated to my Mother! Thanks for your all your courage and life! <3

Only picture I have of me as a baby that I thought I would include just for kicks! Yes I am the very caucasian looking one! Who also looks a bit like a boy too!

Today I had the honor of witnessing, assisting and celebrating in a newborn's birthday. Yes I was able to help at the bedside and count through contractions with a new mom today. I was in awe at how calm and serene she was about the whole thing and how she courageously pushed through each contraction. It was an incredibly thing to be able to see this little baby start to crown as he descended further with each contraction. I could hardly believe it when his little head started to come out! I was overcome by such joy and overwhelming love for this little guy! It was so amazing that his head was fully out but part of him was still in here and that he was even coming out at all was just incredible! Then his whole self was welcomed into the world as he let out a big healthy cry! I was able to see the umbilical cord and the placenta, it was so cool! He is the cutest little baby ever and a tiny guy too! I was able to put the newborn drops in his eyes and give him his first shot of vitamin K! The parents were so proud and happy, blessed day! I truly did witness a miracle today and will never forget the feeling of knowing yes, God exists!

For my class we also had to write about our birth story. It is not quite as happy unfortunately for my mother as the one I witnessed today, but I found it interesting and thought I would share it!

Tears were streaming down here face, she felt terror, and abandoned as she lie on the hospital bed alone in the stark white, framed hallway.  She felt completely alone though she knew of the persistent rhythm of her heart beating in time with another. Both of their hearts were racing to keep up with an allegro agitato tempo as if mandated by a composed piano concerto describing the moment. She felt anxious as her crying stifled her ability to breathe deeply into her already compressed lungs. She was gasping for air fighting through the pain and the fear. A nurse merely passing by stops to ask her why she was crying, “after all you’ve done this three times already!” She managed to rebuttal this statement with a loud sob, “that is why I am crying!”  She felt the fear of the moment and anticipated what was to come.  The surgery had been scheduled but for some reason had been delayed to later that afternoon, with a change in staff but no change in care. She had felt strong contractions that day and had felt the beginning pains of labor along with the anxiety of her upcoming surgery. It had been neglected to give her anything to calm her nerves and the desired epidural came just prior to surgery.

            She lay there in the hallway forcing each distressed breathe into her cramped lungs causing her to hyperventilate, and only worsening her anxious state.  There was no comforting hand or a calming word of encouragement. Where was the angel she sought, in the white nurse’s cap surrounded by the halo of the beaming overhead fluorescent lights? Still weeping through her panicked, emotional state she was brought into the operating room with finally a glimmer of hope from a familiar face. He tried to calm her nerves but was put to the task of helping her breathe by suctioning out her air passage ways. Together they struggled through the fear, anxiety, frustration, and nausea. The surgeons in a desire to teach someone in the room the meaning of having a “strong stomach” did so by adequately describing all of her visible organs from her horizontal incision just above her symphysis pubis. He held her hand through it all and fought the desire to leave the room to grab hold of a porcelain god instead.  

            At last a brief glancing look at the reason for the pain, a baby girl, and then her eyes rested on the now single tracing heart monitor. As she looked up at the monitor through her teary eyes she wondered morbidly, “If I die somebody will notice me then.”  She did not have much time to consider the idea as her eyes slowly closed in response to the medication streaming through her veins preparing her for what would come next. Never again would she have to obtain the courage necessary to go through this procedure as the surgeons performed the final cut of her tubal ligation.

            On May 24^th, 1988, my Mother heroically went through a cesarean section and gave breath to my life (the same day as her mother's birth). It was a traumatic birth experience for my Mother and she received horrible care. She felt the nurses were very impersonal and unfocused on her care. She was in extreme need of a nurse’s positive feedback and understanding but rather she received court remarks. She also felt that she was uninformed concerning what to expect postoperatively from her tubal ligation and was unfortunately rushed out of the hospital before she was ready, due to new insurance policies.

I was surprised to learn that this was my birth story and also found it as a slightly ironic teaching guide of what not to do. I was in disbelief that my birth was such a terrible experience and in a very dramatic way. Thankfully this was not an indicative event as to what my life would be or to that of my relationship with my Mother.  My Mother’s nursing care that she received is the exact opposite of what I am striving to be as a future nurse.  My mother does not remember any of the nurses that day from my birth but does from another sibling’s birth because of their kindness. I fear as well that any joy from giving birth was also overshadowed by this painful experience of hers. My birth even now seems to portray the impersonal nature and care of the nurses present. I feel slightly detached from the event of my birth, something I do not wish for my patients. I want them to feel comforted and supported in this sometimes fearful, but what should be a joyful event for them. I hope to be that presence of optimism and encouragement as I enter in as an honored guest of a child’s birth this week, and to help them remember their birth’s as one of pure elation.

             

Mysterious month of May

Twenty and two has started and has already brought with it plenty of surprises with it! I started my day off with a beautiful array of a fresh blanket of snow all over Provo. I had to pause and think as I rubbed my tired eyes wondering if some how a birthday wish had landed me in another time in place like in the movie "Big" or "13 going on 30". Yes indeed it was still May 24th 2010 and my prayers had been answered in an unexpected way. For I have never had it rain on my birthday and had prayed that it would not rain as forecasted. I can still say that it has yet to rain on my birthday and can say that I know what it is like to have a winter and spring birthday all in the same day!

The Day eventually warmed up and the correct season came forth. After working with some of my favorite people at Jamba Juice, it was off to celebrate at Mimi's cafe! My favorite restaurant when I am in the mood for some comfort food that is reminiscent of my mother's cooking. I am not only the one who thinks it is a wonderful place for a celebration meal for there was another special guest there that night. Elder L. Tom Perry was also there dining with his family! I was unsure if it would be rude to interrupt and talk to him. Fortunately my brave friend Darcy made the decision for me and we were off to his table to meet him. She asked if he L.Tom Perry to which he replied, "usually" we then proceeded to talk to him and take a picture with him! 

 I talked to his wife a bit and she also went to BYU's nursing program! He was very gracious and tall! It didn't really hit me until I had sat down to eat that I had just met an apostle of the Lord and that he served in the quorum of the twelve! I had used his most recent talk on Mothers for my Relief Society lesson! What an honor and unexpected birthday surprise! (Needless to say I was really glad I had read my scriptures that morning!) We had a fabulous dinner at Mimi's and just had to keep counting my blessings one by one of each girl surrounding that table! I have many wonderful friends and here are just a few of them that I was happy to share my birthday with, 

We of course continued celebrating by having more cupcakes, friends and such at my apartment! Hard to believe that I am 22 though! It was a great birthday and I hope the rest of the year follows suit!

Other adventures of late included two camping/rock climbing trips to robber's roost and Zion's, sleeping on top of roofs, bike rides, tie dying, water kickball, and etc! I love BYU and all the people that make it fun to be here! I am off this friday though to NC to the blessed humidity( no I really do love it!) fireflies, green everywhere, southern hospitality, and FAMILY!