Growing pains

Last weekend I indulged my inner child by running the color me rad race (where you become completely covered in colored corn starch and paint as you run a 5k), buying a hula hoop for my work's talent show, jump roping, and playing airplane with friends (ya know where you fly on people's feet). I guess eventually you have to grow up a little bit from the Toys R'us kid mentality and tell the lovely cashier that you probably shouldn't get a rewards card for the store. (even though I was tempted to because there are a lot of cool toys there!)

    Unfortunately sometimes growing can be a bit challenging. Not being in school has been a really hard adjustment for me. I really do miss studying because I miss learning. I miss the structure of school, the atmosphere, and all of my friends. My heart yearns to be back on campus and I am always excited when I can find an excuse to go back. Which is becoming less and less as I find out the city versions of everything I use to find there. I have learned a lot though from this change and there have been some fun changes. Or at least they seem fun because they are new to me. I got my first completely my own credit card that I have to be in charge of now. I pay for my own vaccinations, get my car registered, oh and I have a job.

THE OFFICIAL RN LICENSE

   Yes somehow I landed a job at Provo Care Center. It is a home for people with developmental disabilities.  A lot of them are older too so it is somewhat like a nursing home. The crazy thing is I am the Health Services Director, which I didn't even know I was going to be that when they hired me. Sadly the fancy title just means a lot of paperwork, administrative work, and people passing the buck to you for everything that goes wrong. I love the people I work with and the residents are great. I am the most happy when I get to be on the floor working with them.What is interesting about it is the fact that it is an active treatment facility. Meaning we have to run all these programs to help them maintain and learn new skills. This principle helped open my eyes in nursing because it is so stressed that we need to teach our patients how to care for themselves but sometimes we rarely actually do that. I think as a student too I was always extremely eager to do things on my own and for the patient. Effective teaching really means having the person do it themselves even if it may be slow or not as perfect as we would like it to be either. The whole teach a man how to fish and he will eat everyday sort of principle, something I am still trying to master for sure.

This is where I work.

The fancy plaque outside of my office. I'm official :)

The most exciting news I have though is that I will be leaving in ...oh my goodness 18 days till I leave on USNS mercy navy ship with the  Latter Day-Saint Charities group!!!!! Basically I will be going as a nurse on this giant hospital/navy ship to Southeast Asian countries(Indonesia and the Philippines) where they bring people on to the ship for surgeries, exams, etc. or we go out and set up clinics in the country or go into their homes to visit them. The church is just one of the NGOs that will be helping the navy with this special project. 

      Yes after years of wanting to go I am actually going on this project. It is hard to believe and I feel so privileged to be going. It was interesting how it all happened because I had kind of written it off as a possibility and I wasn't sure if I would be around in provo still for me to go. In my one of my desperate moments during unemployment I emailed the lady in charge of setting of the group to go to see if they needed anyone. She said no, but would let me know if anything changed.  Just a little bit later when I got a couple job offers she also asked if I could come in for an interview for the ship. When I met with her I just knew I was suppose to go and she told me that even though the Navy and herself were in charge of picking who goes on the ship that ultimately it was the Lord's team. I am so glad she was in tune with the spirit to be willing to interview more people she thought needed to go. I ended up being able to take my current job and still go on the ship!!! (well that is if my boss hasn't forgotten about our little deal yet) Don't worry my vaccinations, malaria pills, mosquito repellant, and flight itinerary are all set for me to get on the ship! I am really getting excited and a little stressed too. I hope that I will be able to really help the people in these countries and to learn from them as well. I hope because of my lack of skills as a nurse that I will actually be helpful and not a hinderance. I know it will be a huge learning curve but I am very eager to take on that challenge. I will be posting and updating on the trip as much as I can. 

    Even though some of these experiences are great opportunities they have definitely challenged me, but I keep on reminding myself of a few things to get me through.

 One is 

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea I will help thee; yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Isaiah 41:10 I know He has been with me and supported me even during the times I may have ignored Him. Somehow He still blesses me so much and I know I need to live up to and be more deserving of those blessings.

The other one is something a friend told me once to repeat when I was feeling weak,

"I am strong, how strong? TOO STRONG!" 

DARCY MY ROOMIE HAD ACL SURGERY AND HAS BEEN SUCH A TROOPER, TOO STRONG! 

APRIL AND PJ CAME TO SLC TO VISIT! STILL NOT TOO GROWN UP TO BE SILLY WITH HER AND WEAR CHEETAH ROBES AT THEIR HOTEL

ALWAYS HAVE TIME TO PULL SOME FRIENDLY PRANKS ON ROOMIES

MY BOUNTIFUL BASKET, BEST THING EVER. CHECK IT OUT I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!

https://contributions10.bountifulbaskets.org/index.php

NEVER TOO OLD TO BE CREATIVE AT COLOR ME MINE

What Yurts and Faith have in common

This Leap day the one day acceptable for a girl to ask out a boy nine girls from my nursing class set out on the adventure of their lives. One that would test their strength, stamina, friendship, and their faith!

 We set out Wednesday morning to Vernal, UT to snowshoe to a Yurt (a mongolian home, pics bellow) and the desert scenery which surrounded us had us doubting if there would be any snow...ha little did we know! 

Jocilyn our fearless and knowledgeable leader. Future wife to Bear Gryllis

The fun car sporting our new hard core bandanas. 

Vernal , UT

Lots of desert

The Temple in Vernal

What our trail ended up looking like! Soooooo much snow!

When we got there we set out with our packs and snowshoes to tackle the fresh powder. Yes it had just snowed there and the snow was up to my waist at some points! It was really hard to pave the path and we had to trade often. I usually think of myself as being physically fit and active but there were times when I had to stop because my heart was beating so fast I thought it was going to burst. I felt like a human trying to be a horse and it just wasn't working for me. Definitely the longest five hour cardiac work out I have ever had! At one point our group got split up in to three groups. I was at the front with Britt and Kim leading the way. It started to get dark and for a while our only headlamp was not working and we could no longer see the blue diamonds very well. The coming of the evening darkness was when I really started to feel discouraged, but the faint glow of the moon above gave me a lot of hope! Eventually the lamp started working and we were able to find the yurt and it was such a joyous feeling because even though I saw the signs to the Yurt (with no mile markers to tell you how far you are!) I began to doubt if it even existed! I really though I was going to have to sleep out in the cold and would die there on that mountain! Thankfully that was not the case! Unfortunately when we got there we could not get the lock undone, another obstacle. When we did get I have never felt so grateful for that mongolian type tepee!  

Inside the Yurt

The warm inviting fire

Survived the night in the yurt

Jocilyn and Ashley shoveling some snow so we could get find our snowshoes, which had been buried from the snowstorm that night.

The view

Our snow covered path

The little outhouse

The yurt

Kim and Bethanie

Beth and I infront of the Yurt

The donner party and that dang sled., which was rescued by Krystal and I just in time ;)

The donner party and that dang sled., which was rescued by Krystal and I just in time ;) I didn't want to go back at first, but after we all said a prayer for them I knew I needed to go help them. I knew how discouraged they must be feeling because I had just been there and I didn't want them to have to feel that way any longer. It was so easy carrying their pack and it didn't seem hard at all because we were able to help in some small way and give them hope that they were almost there.

Now for the analogies, which there were so many to me. This trip really helped solidify and strengthen my faith. As we were walking we had to follow the path a head of us and also pave the path to make it easier for those pulling the sled behind us. This reminded me of following good examples that will lead us to our destination and not make the path any harder for us than it already is! I also thought of service and how it is hard to help other people at times but it is a joy to know that you have made their burden lighter. Christ does both of these things for us. He has shown us the way we need to go and he continually strives to make our burdens lighter if we let Him. There were a couple times when people would fall down in the deep snow and would need others to help them get back up on their feet. We can't do it alone, we need each other and its ok to ask for help when we do. As we were walking and my faith about the yurt even exiting was diminishing with each painful step I thought about how we need to rely upon those bits of hope from God and not doubt them. Even though I saw the yurt signs I still doubted. Often times in my life even though I have the scriptures, prayer, the testimonies of others and my own, my patriachal blessing, all leading and guiding me I doubt them. I often forget the goal in mind and just want to give up because, yes it is really hard at times and you want to quit! We may not know how long or far our journeys will take us, but the yurt does exist and it provides safety, and warmth. God and Jesus Christ do exist, love us, know us, and are there for us every difficult step of the way! We just have to really trust in Him

 "Look unto me in every thought, doubt not, fear not" D&C 6:32

When we finally had all of us together, the fire going, and had eaten, seriously the best, hot spaghetti I have ever had, we all shared our feelings about the challenges we had just overcome. My friend Kim shared this scripture, which touched and calmed all of our hearts: 

19 And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have ^atrusted.

 20 My God hath been my ^asupport; he hath led me through mine^bafflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.

 21 He hath filled me with his ^alove, even unto the ^bconsuming of my flesh.

 22 He hath confounded mine ^aenemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me.

 23 Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me^aknowledge by ^bvisions in the night-time.

 24 And by day have I waxed bold in mighty ^aprayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high; and angels came down and ministered unto me.

2 Nephi 4:19-24

Six of us left the next day to make it back to provo for interviews and it only took us two hours to get down! It was definitely a bonding experience and I am excited to see what adventure we will have next together. But I think I am good with not snowshoeing for a long time, definitely got my fill!

Adventure is out there!

Although I really do want to be kicked out of the unemployment club. I have been able to have lots of fun adventures since I have the time.  I have been able to hit up a couple of states, enjoy all kinds of weather, and the activities they had to offer me.  So Aaron had interviews for Dental schools in Mesa and Vegas, on a spontaneous whim I packed my bags and we set out on our second road trip together. We were able to stay with the Rowley's and a friend of Aaron's, who also had a baby while we were staying with them! Needless to say we had a blast and lots of adventures. Unfortunately we only came back with good memories and as friends. 

It's strange how things work out and the timing of everything.  But "Our future is as bright as our faith." (Pres. Monson) I am learning to "Trust in the Lord...Delight thyself in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Ps 37:3-4.

Only problem is I am not sure what I really want yet, where I should be going, and what changes I need to make to become the person I want to be. I know I need to confidently go forward with faith, "Be strong and of a good courage, be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." Joshua 1:9

Aaron and I at the Sunny Mesa Temple. I think I definitely want to move somewhere warm. The sunshine just makes me so much more happy.

Yup I got to be Brother Rowley's copilot. 

We were able to fly over the superstitious Mountains.

After Arizona we were off to Paris...well sort of the Vegas version. 

Happy new year! Year of the Dragon, WoOt, wOoT!

Leaving Vegas

Oh Hello St. George

Star Valley, Wyoming! According to President Monson there is good fishing here, but I discovered it was a great place for snowmobiling! 

My good friends Hollie and Jason, who invited me on this amazing trip!

The 80's snowmobiling catalog!

Love this girl and the falling snow!

Two of the happiest people I know!

Efy, ferris wheel, and now wyoming friends forever.

Spoon me up with Katherine!

Besties for six years now!

The view from the top of the back mountain at Sundance. I was able to go skiing for free this past weekend too! 

Another view

My accountant friend Brad who got us the sweet hook up!

I am really getting into skiing, but I am not sure how many more sweet deals I can snag. I also was able to go ice skating for free with our stake that night, only in Provo could those things happen. I love all the adventures I get to have here, but wonder if this is where I should be. I do have an interview in SLC on Monday with a nursing home though!!! Not the most glamorous job, but I am really excited nonetheless!  It is something while I continue to wait and apply to any place I can. 

Stay tuned for my next adventure in a YURT.

A new title- RN

         On February Second  (a day I am glad I do not have to relive over again like in the movie Ground Hog's day) I went to Draper to take the NCLEX. This test was like taking boards for nursing to become licensed. I have been studying for this test by doing tons of practice questions everyday, studying with friends,  reviewing lab values, EKG strips, infection control precautions, etc.! The night before the test I was feeling anything but confident despite all of my preparations for the past several months! I was freaking out to say the least. Thankfully I have very supportive friends and family members and a loving Heavenly Father who always calms my troubled spirit. When I prayed the night before about it, I just got this very excited feeling about it and I was eager to take it and find out my results! This helped me feel at ease and walk into the testing center with confidence!
        It was the strangest nursing test I have ever taken! It asked the most random questions and I had so many select all that apply, which I never did well on when I was practicing! The minimum of questions you can get is 75, I was trying to prep myself for getting more than that and being in the testing center for hours, but right after I hit submit to question 75 it turned to a beautiful blue screen and I was done in two hours with the most important test of my life! Three years of hard work in nursing school somehow came down to two hours and 75 questions! Most people always feel like they failed after they took the test, I felt pretty indifferent about and just thought ok well what do I do now that I am done? I didn't feel like I did fantastic, but I guess because I had that reassuring feeling from my prayer from the night before I wasn't feeling to anxious. Some of my other nursing friends all had theirs shut off around 75 too and had passed (even though they say it isn't judged on that) and also found out in about 48 hours on the DOPL website.
       So last night I anxiously was checking it fairly frequently, but at 11:30 I received a text from one of my friends telling me to check out the site again since they had updated it and this is what I saw

Details for WHITNEY M BOOTH

License Information

Name:	WHITNEY M BOOTH
City, State, Zip:	PROVO, UT 84606
Profession:	NURSE
License Type:	REGISTERED NURSE
	UNDER INTERSTATE COMPACT
License Number:	8184855-3102
Obtained By:	APPLICATION
License Status:	ACTIVE
Original Issue Date:	02/03/2012
Expiration Date:	01/31/2013
Disciplinary Action:	NONE
Docket Number:	N/A

Education:

School Name	Major	Graduation Date	Degree
BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY		2011-12-01	BACHELOR OF SCIENCE

That's right I am officially a fully licensed, registered NURSE!!! It feels so good to be able to say that and I almost feel different in a way. As if I really have something new about me with this title!
I feel that I can go and change the world now... ya know one nursing home at a time! I can move forward at least with applying to jobs now. I still feel uncertain about where to go from here in my life, but for the past six months or more I just keep going back to the scripture in Proverbs 3:5-6

 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all they ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy path."

   That is what I am striving and I am going to do. Trust in Him and keep moving along. He brought me on this path and I know He will continue to guide me along.


I was able to meet up with two of  my favorite past roomies Alexis and Shalisa, along with their new families.

Life is good and I can officially change my blog signature from Student Nurse- SN BYU to RN!!! Will be updating on things I learn now as a new nurse.