Home sweet home

So, the last few weeks have been terribly exciting. Okay, not so much, but one can always hope.

Since I last wrote, I moved again, making it the fourth time I have moved in the last eight months. You would think I have a hard time settling down or something. Anyways, I moved directly down town Salt Lake, just across the street from temple square to be more precise. The location is awesome and the price isn't too bad. I have two roommates (one of which is moving out at the end of this month--yay for more change). Overall, it's not too shabby of a deal. I have enjoyed living there so far (well, for the most part that is).

Moving on.

So while I have this amazing new place to live, I am rarely there when all is said and done. The only days I really stay in Salt Lake are the days I have to work. When I have to work, I am obviously not at the apartment, and as such, I really cannot call the place home. As of late, I have been spending a lot of time in Cache Valley, mostly because I have easy access to the internet, which I do not have in Salt Lake (and seeing that my classes are online, the internet is just kind of crucial). I look forward to this summer when I can hang out in Salt Lake all the time, and not have to worry about where I am going to get internet access to complete my next assignment.

Other excitement in my life.

Over Spring break, I had the amazing opportunity to work 91 hours in 8 days (okay, so maybe amazing isn't the best term). After I got done with working that craziness, I had the even more pleasurable opportunity to paint my bedroom and my bathroom (which were both a most hideous shade of blue). I was planning on doing most of the work myself, however, mom and dad, out of the goodness of their hearts, came and rescued me. After a full day of painting, staying up until 3 AM, and a few hours the next day, we finally had it all finished up. I don't remember painting ever being so exhausting or time consuming. The whole experience was quite a reminder.

Looking ahead.

So, pretty much the only thing that keeps me going these days is the thought of summer. Lately, I have been getting really burned out with working full time, and taking a full credit load on top of that. Some days I just have to tell myself over and over, "You are alright. You are not going to lose your mind. You can make it to tomorrow. It's okay. Keeping going. Just a few more weeks . . ." As of right now, I am planning on taking full adavantage of my summer break, cramming in as much excitement as possible (granted, all that excitement will be over by the beginning of June, but hey, it will be fun while it lasts). So, here is what is on the agenda:

-At the end of April, I am taking off for Ohio. I'll be spending a few days there with the fam, and then I will be stealing Ricky and Carissa's Camry and driving back to Utah (okay, so I am buying their car and not stealing it--well, at least that is what I have told them). Mom has consented to join me on this crazy expedition.

-In the middle of May, me and a few of my friends are heading out on a road trip for California. So far, I have no idea what we will be doing while we are there, but right now, I really don't care. As long as there is sun, and no school or work, I am going to be completely content. I'm thinking we will do a few theme parks, and just hang out on the beach, but I am trying to not get too involved (a plan which is failing dismally). It looks as if I will be planning this trip too (as I did our Vegas trip last year), but I guess I'm willing to do whatever if it means I can get away for a week.

-At the end of May, I am headed back out to Ohio for the Gardner Family Reunion--something which I am super excited for. I don't even remember the last time we were all together as a family. Pretty much, it is going to be absolutely and completely amazing.

Well, so long for now. I am hoping to post soon with some pictures of my highly exciting place of residence (that way you can see my totally awesome paint job). No promises though, seeing that I have so much free time in my life right now. Ah, one day . . . Maybe in my next life.

Tah Dah!

For my next magical act, a new post! Tah Dah! Okay, so I am sure you guys thought you would never here from me again, but oh, you were wrong. Granted, nothing I could write here would give you really any clue as to what I have been up to for the last few months, but at least it is something.

So just as a quick rundown, I did end up passing the NCLEX (thankfully), and as such, I am now a full fledged registered nurse. I have been working at Primary's for the last few months and have absolutely loved it. I have also moved three times, and am actually contemplating a fourth (okay, so I don't like staying in one place for too long--who like constancy anyways?). I am also just finishing up my first semester in my Bachelors program, which moves the count down to two semesters (or one year) left. So, other than just living life, nothing really big or dramatic has happened (no wonder I don't update this thing regularly--I would probably just end up putting you all to sleep).

Well, now that you have a brief overview of the highly exciting ventures in my life, I must warn you. No matter how much I would love to keep this updated regularly, I can't make any promises (as of right now, I do not have an internet connection at home. That will hopefully change in the near future, but for right now, I am kind of cut off from the world). I do hope that I can write a little more often, especially with the holidays coming up, so I will do my best.

Well, until tomorrow (or perhaps next year), good luck and good life to you all.

The Beastly NCLEX

So, for all of those who are wondering how my hideous test went, good news: I am still alive! Okay, so I wish I could write this post saying that I had passed, and that my life is going to be all hunky dory from here on out, BUT, I can't. I have absolutely no clue how I did, or whether or not I even passed the beast. I keep telling myself that it will all turn out all peachy king, yet I cannot say that I actually feel that it went well. I ended up being in the test room for 2 hours exactly. I am not sure how many questions I had to answer, but I do know it was somewhere between 85 and 100 (when the test didn't shut off after 75, I just figured I was in for the entire 265--thus, I just stopped paying attention to which question I was actually on). Overall, I just feel pretty indifferent about the whole situation. I look forward to finding out how thing will actually turn up (I should find out by Monday whether I passed or not). I think the waiting period is ending up to be worse than the actual test! Oh, well (sigh). Kudos to me, at least I am done with the first (and hopefully last).

Also, thank you all so much for your prayers. If I do end up passing this thing, I know it was only with the help of the Lord. Thank you for all acting as my advocates to Him. You are all amazing.

Catchin' up

So, I have not put anything on here FOREVER and I apologize. Anyways, so, here is a brief rundown on everything that has been happening in my life over the last few months (oh, that is awful):

School: I finally graduated from the nursing program in May (yay!). Some of my teachers were definitely doubting that I would make it to the end, but I ended up proving them wrong (they weren't very pleased with my meandering trip half way across the world--MWAH HA HA HA). Next up, I am planning on starting the Bachelors program through Weber in the fall. I will be commuting to Ogden every other week, so I should definitely be keeping busy--joy of all joys.

Moving: I actually have made the move away from my sheltered little home in Cache Vally, and have transferred to Salt Lake. I've been staying with my brother and his wife for the past while, but I will soon be moving into my own place (so excited!). When I say my "own place," I mean I will be paying rent, cooking, etc. I will actually be in a house with five other girls (yikes!), so I actually won't be all alone (I do have my own room though--phew). All I can say is that I just hope there won't be too much drama (dream on, right?).

Work: So, I finally got away from Avalon (well, kind of--I'm still on their call list). Just over a month ago, I got a job at Primary's on the Children's medical unit, and, can I just say, I absolutely love it. I can seriously deal with getting paid to hold and play with kids. It has truly been an amazing opportunity thus far, and I look forward to working there for at least the next year and a half. It has definitely kept me really busy, but I love it, so I am getting through. Things should definitely slow down once I'm done with the whole orientation process (which lasts into October, sigh).

Family: I have had the great opportunity to spend some time with family in the last few months, but not nearly as much as I would like. I have had the chance to go to Kuna to visit Katy and Mike and their family. I was also able to see Rick and Carissa and their kids for a few days when they stopped by Logan. I definitely wish I was able to see everyone more often, but I guess that is how life goes. I am planning a trip to Kuna in the next couple of weeks, where I will be able to spend time with both Rick's and Katy's families, so it is going to be quite the party--I am really excited.

Next up: So, my main focus right now (on top of work) is the nursing licensure test (commonly known as the beastly NCLEX). I am scheduled to take it Wednesday morning (just 1 day away--AAAAHHHH). A lot hinges on this, so I am pretty stressed (please pray for me). I am trying to handle it as best I can (lets just say that I haven't had a complete breakdown yet). After the test, I am planning on taking some time to hang out (pretty much party) with my mom. We arranged for a hotel in Salt Lake, and we are just going to catch up, and, most of all, RELAX. Other things coming up: I am finally planning on getting a cell phone in the next few weeks. I'll let you all know my number after I get it. The only other big plan I have coming up this summer is a trip I am planning to Vegas. Me and three of my high school friends (Cami, Ali, and Michelle) are taking a road trip down south. While there we are going to do some major gambling, and, with some luck, all get married in one of the amazing "Love Chapels" on the strip. Okay, so not really (it would make for a good story, though). We are planning, however, to go see Phantom, as well as do some intense shopping at the outlets down there--it is going to be all sorts of fun.

Well, I think that covers just about everything for now. I promise that I am going to try and keep this more updated in the future. Hope life treats you all well.
Later.

Aussie Pics

Finally--Australia!

Okay all, I am really sorry that I haven't kept up very well on this. Well, as most of you know, I went to Australia for three weeks during March. As you can imagine, it was absolutely amazing! The weather was perfect. It was so nice to be able to wear shorts every day! It was also so great to be able to see Miriam, Judd, and the kids--I can't even tell you how much fun it was to spend so much time with family.

So, as it is almost impossible to give you a complete rundown of everything that happened, here are some highlights:

- Camping on Fraser Island--we were only there two days, but it was amazing. I had the opportunity to drive on the beach, which was a totally awesome experience. We did a little bit of hiking, and spent most of our time just enjoying the scenery. The whole inner area of the island is rainforest, with amazing lakes and sand dunes mixed in throughout. It was stunningly beautiful and an overall excellent time.

- Visiting the beaches--Miriam and Judd live about a three minute walk from the beach. As such, all of the surrounding areas also have lots of surf and sand. We had the opportunity to visit quite a few. Looking back, one of my favorite things was the names of the different places: Mudjimba (which is where Miriam and the fam lives), Mooloolaba, Coollum, Maroochydore, and Noosa. Overall, the sand was amazing and the water was perfect. It was so much fun hanging out in the sun.

- Hanging out with fam--it had almost been a year since we had seen Judd, Miriam, Jayden, Josh, Zoey, and Elle. While Miriam and Judd had not changed too much, the kids had grown a ton. For the first two weeks, the twins wanted nothing to do with us (they would usually grunt, cry, and shake their fists if we got too near). Jayden and Josh responded much better, as they could actually remember who we were. By the end of the three weeks, we were all getting along so well, which made it that much harder when it was time to leave. It really was great, being able to hang out and see the changes that have occurred over the last year.

- Learning to surf--three days before I was supposed to return home, Judd took the time to take me out in the waves to let me try my hand at surfing. First off, it looks a lot easier than it really is. Second off, it is absolutely exhausting. Trying to get out to where the waves break was really a challenge for me (trying to stand up on the board was no cake walk either). Anyways, when all is said and done, I absolutely loved it. Overall, I was in the water for just over two hours (over a two day period). On the last run before it was time to head in, I actually did manage to stand up for a split second--it was amazing! I can't wait to try again next time I head down under.

Well, there is a quick run down. Other things that I really enjoyed were feeding the kangaroos and seeing koalas, early morning walks on the beach, getting the best tan of my life (which has now totally faded), going to Brisbane (especially seeing South Bank), and just getting away from life for awhile (it was so nice to miss that much school). It was truly a great experience--I would go back in a heart beat. I definitely had the time of my life.

*Pictures to come the next time I am in Cache Valley!

Good Gravy!

Holy Cow! Sorry it has been so long since I have written anything--things have been a little crazy. Anyways, so we just barely got back from Australia this past week. I am having a pretty hard time adjusting. It just snowed another 3 inches here in Utah, so I wish I was back in Australia, on the beach, getting a tan. I'll write an Aussie Trip update a little bit later this week. I just wanted to let you all know that I am still alive and on the face of the planet.

On a less happy note, I am having an horrible day today. I think my computer crashed and (ding, ding, ding) all of my assignments were on there. So, pretty much, life sucks and I have felt like puking for most of the morning. Sorry to be so negative, but today just isn't my day. I am thinking that I should have just stayed in bed this morning. There was something, however, that did act as a pick-me-up. When I got on my Facebook account today, I had the following quote from President Hinckley on my profile:

"It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don't worry. I say that to myself every morning. It all works out in the end. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers."

Funny, but that is just what I needed to hear today. I guess we are being watched over after all. Thank goodness for answered prayers.