Last week I experienced something wonderful...

As I was doing my routine medication administration, my patient called out for her husband.  As I was about to give her the shot, her husband, who is 90+ years old, slowly made his way over to the bedside and grabbed her hand (he has been living at the hospital with her and spends every waking moment at her side). She looked up at him and said, "I think I need about 5 kisses right now."  He smiled and leaned over the bed rail and kissed her several times...

"I gave you 10."

At that moment I promised myself that I would find that- I would find a man who will love me with a love that is unbreakable and grows everyday, even when we are 90 years old.  I have seen it, and I know I will find it.  And I will never settle for anything less.

And when I need 5 kisses, I know without a doubt that he will give me 10.

The past few weeks...

I saw a delivery for the first time

I saw a C-section

I held sick babies and cried

I decided that I am going to be a labor and delivery nurse

I experienced the love parents have for their newborns 
I started my first IV!!!

I went to a Jack's mannequin concert with my beautiful cousin and my new friends

I saw old and dear friends in Utah

I spent time with people who mean a lot to me

I spent Valentine's Day in a hotel room...all alone

I fell in love all over again

I realized that I am more grown up than I thought I was

But more importantly...

I decided that I'm ready to grow up

Hot Tub Talk over Pillow Talk ANYDAY!

There is nothing better than getting into the hot tub late at night.....

with my mom!  haha!

We stay in sometimes for hours on end (like seriously our skin is gross when we get out!) 

But I learn a lot out there in my hot tub in the forest behind my house. 

Recently I was freaking out (have done quite a bit lately) about what I'm going to do after I'm done with nursing.  Did I pick the right school? Am I where I'm suppose to be right now?  On the right path?  What if I'm missing out not being somewhere else? I look at my friend's facebook pictures and feel that I'm missing out on 3 am parties and road trips and meeting lots of new people.

Am I meeting the people I need to know right now? Should I be investing more in certain relationships? 


Mom's advice: "Relax and trust in the path you are on. You are so blessed!"

 She told me to just make sure I'm doing 3 little things:

Feeding My Spirit

Strengthening My Body

Loving and serving in some small way everyday

I'm gonna try to follow her advice.  I know I'm blessed!  I'm going to trust that the Lord will lead me down a great path.  There isn't just one path for me to follow.  There are many paths that I can choose.  I'm just on one now....and it looks like the future is bright!

“I see my path, but I don't know where it leads.

Not knowing where I'm going is what inspires me
to travel it.”  

Tender Moment

Today at my clinicals in the nursing home

a very small, tiny miracle occured.

For the first time in 6 weeks of clinicals, there were lots of smiling, happy people!

i'm learning an awful lot from these old people~

number one: simple things can bring so much joy.

It had been a long morning(typical!) with my patients and, being that I really didn't want to give another bed bath, I decided to take them down to the cafeteria where this guy had come in and was putting on a music show. Kathryn, one of my favorite patients began singing

“Let Me Call You Sweetheart”

along with this man at the top of her lungs haha!

And then they all started to join in.

These people, who can hardly remember their own name, could hardly speak anymore, could hardly function, were all SINGING! The familiar tunes came back to them and it was so touching to see how excited they got when they would recognize a song and have the words come back to them.

It was so nice because for a moment we ALL forgot the stinky, dirty nursing home.

Old memories were remembered, past times have not faded. Even Les, who is paralyzed on his left side due to a stoke, bent the right side of his mouth into a smile, something that I had never seen him do. I am so blessed to know them. I want to soak in all the lessons they have to teach me. Some of them are quite funny lessons(like not getting married five times! haha!)

And in return for their kindness i can

rub legs and arms with baby oil,

hold their hands,

give them a shower and wash their bodies trying to keep their dignity intact,

and most of all, LISTEN...they have stories to tell.

It made me wonder....

What will they play for me when I'm 90 years old that will always bring a smile to my face? hmmm...