DesignedToMove.org

As a soon-to-be pediatric nurse and future mother, I can't help but be passionate about the Designed to Move campaign.  For the first time in history, this generation is expected to die five years younger than their parents. Chronic disease is on the rise, obesity is out of control and kids spend more time playing video games than they do being active. It's about time that we make a change.

Parent and caregivers have the responsibility to model and encourage active lifestyles. Watch the video below and click HERE to learn more about the campaign and what you can do to help brake the cycle of inactivity, obesity and chronic disease.

designedtomove.org

bittersweet

I'm not one for bittersweet chocolates... I'm more of a milk chocolate girl. I find myself viewing life with that same perspective. I really like the sweet stuff but I could leave the bitterness.

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Today Ross and I mourn, along with many others, for a beautiful, innocent life that was peacefully taken into eternity with our Heavenly Father. While we are so at peace knowing Natalie is free of pain, our hearts ache for her family as they mourn the loss of such a young life.

Just yesterday, Ross and I attended a prayer gathering for Natalie. We laid hands upon her, kneeled at the cross and shed more than a few tears. How grateful we are for those few precious moments we shared with her and our LORD. We were honored and blessed to have known Natalie and we anxiously await the day when she will greet us at heaven's gates.

Today as the news of her passing sank into our hearts, we dreamt of what it will be like to see Natalie in heaven. Our guess is that she will be in charge of heaven's zoo, looking after all of the animals. She loved animals and she enjoyed pretending to be a baby tiger or puppy. Until that day when we meet Natalie again, Ross and I vow to be even more grateful for each day and to never let the memory of Natalie fade from our hearts.

To learn more about Natalie and her story, you can read her family's blog HERE.

In their post today, Natalie's parents referenced Psalm 16 verses 9-11. I too, find them to be fitting in this time. The book of Psalms has brought much comfort to the family during Natalie's illness.


⁹                          Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; 

my body also will rest secure, 

because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, 

nor will you let your faithful one see decay. 

You make known to me the path of life; 

you will fill me with joy in your presence, 

with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

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An Almost Nurse - Part 2

I began this series back in September and haven't touched it since. As the school year began, I was overwhelmed with the realization that in less than a year I would (hopefully) be a licensed nurse. Now, as I look ahead to next October, I see even more changes to come. If all things go as planned, Ross and I could be married, living in Chicago, both working full time. Talk about growing up.

I like the way that Jess Lively talked about growing up in her post HERE. Below is an excerpt that struck a chord with me...

"While I waited (very) impatiently for this move and the general life transitions I’ve had lately, I now find myself in a completely new life. I thought that I would feel resplendent. Triumphant. Confident. I had designed my life with such great intention that I was able to take the steps needed to craft the life I always imagined. But though the fairy tale came true, the reality is that I am now in uncharted waters... Though I dreamed of this moment in time for the past three months incessantly, I look around myself and say “how did I get here?” I have a lot of growing to do."

I am anxiously awaiting the transitions to adulthood, married life, motherhood, etc. As Jess says, though, these transitions bring us into uncharted waters. We dream, wish and hope for so many years. Then one day we are actually living it and wondering, "How the heck did I get here?" and "What in the world am I supposed to do now?"

As many of my married friends would attest, it's something you muddle through. No number of self-help books or hours spent planning can prepare us for the changes that are to come.

Life is the ultimate example of on-the-job-training.
That's supposed to be the fun part right?

Daily Dose of Inspiration

Ross and I have been dialoging a lot lately about our future goals, ambitions and priorities. We are hoping to realign our perspectives with where God is calling us both as individuals and as a couple. The following images really spoke to me as we continue to discern God's mission for our lives.

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Skype, Smiles and Success

Ross and I had a Skype date this morning. Look how happy we are to see each other!

Smiles & Coffee

We were feeling very grown up because this was a pre-planned Skype date to discuss future-y stuff like goals, finances, academics, etc. We talked for about TWO hours and didn't quite get to everything our discussion list. We plan to finish the convo tonight. We made some HUGE progress and had some majorly effective communication. Growing up is scary/tough stuff but having a partner to go through it all with makes it way more fun.

Happy Wednesday to you all! I'm off to the office and so is Ross.
Wow, we really are adults.

25 Before 25

Inspired by Anne at Anne the Adventurer, and her plan 25 before 25, I've decided to make my own list of 25 things to do before I'm 25 years old. The major difference between Anne's plan and mine is that I have about 3 1/2 years to complete my list. Therefore, I have a few big picture goals on the list with a few more easily attainable tasks sprinkled in. Take a look....

Rules of the project:

• #23, 24, and 25 are left blank intentionally to allow for creativity and spontaneity later on.
• All items on the list must be crossed off ON or BEFORE May 22nd, 2016.
• For each item that is completed, I will write a blog post to document the activity.
• Overall progress posts will be completed every 6-12 months. 
• I reserve the right to edit, add to or adjust the list as I see fit.
• Failure to complete the list gives you all permission to mock me for the rest of my life.

What do you guys think about the idea of a bucket list for a 20-something-year-old? What would you put on your list? Do you have any suggestions or advice for my list? 

Around Town

I want to share a few of the internet hmm's, haha's, ooh's and aah's I've found lately.

• Tips on how to be successful at the flea market HERE
• Antelope Canyon
• Banana Slicer... scroll down and read the comments HERE
• Cleaning tips for the OCD HERE.
• Ghost in the bathroom stall.... *warning: not for those who cannot appreciate potty humor*

Slowing Down

The speed of life has seemed to slow down just a bit. If only slightly and if only for a moment. I am trying to cherish this time, knowing that it won't last forever.

It seems I've missed many documentation opportunities on the blog because I've been enjoying living and enjoying rather than being glued to a computer screen. I have managed to snap a few pictures along the way that I would like to share with you.

He's going to be a great poppa...

Lately, I've spent a lot of time babysitting this cute little girl! When her momma asked if Ross and I could help out so she could have a date night with her hubby, we were beyond excited.

9.19.12

Speaking of Ross... We recently celebrated 3.5 years together :) This beautiful bouquet was a lovely surprise delivered to the office on our anniversary. We have grown a lot over the past few years. I can't wait to see where God leads us next.

Speaking of Mom... My family came to visit a week or so ago. We had a great day at the Huskie vs. Kansas football game. This past weekend I went home to spend some more time with the family. 

Mom and I at the football game.

Proud Huskie Love!

Homemade fondu time with my sister.

Since the world has slowed down a bit, I've had a bit more time to indulge. Starbucks, shopping, and scripture to name a few. These are the things that help me to feel renewed and refreshed as the Fall season begins to settle in...

Salted Caramel Mocha... Yum.

Parker Palmer, inspirational speaker.
Julia Spears, inspirational boss.
Scarves and sweaters <3

Target : $7 shoes and dollar bin scores

Farmers Market Produce

Resale shop success: $5 LBD & jeans that fit just right.

Along with retail therapy, coffee and motivational people, I've made time to spend in the Word of God. Scripture always has a way of speaking to my heart. Alexa and I recently started a new bible study together. I was so anxious to get started, I did the first day before watching the introductory video. The next day, my oldest and dearest friend Leah called. We had some catching up to do. I sent her the following scripture later that night...

Jeremiah 29:11

Do you wish time would slow down? Are you counting the days until you can catch a break? Have you been running on fumes? What have you done for yourself lately? Whatever it is you enjoy, I encourage you to indulge this week. You deserve it. 

Good & Bad

As a self proclaimed 'almost'-nurse, I try to keep an eye on the job market. I am very fortunate to have connections at a few IL hospitals, but the daunting task of finding employment post graduation is still slightly incredibly terrifying. For all those other future nurses out there, here are two articles that may be of interest to you:

The bad news: Why Nursing Grads Have Trouble Finding Jobs

The good news: 5 Million Health Care Jobs Created by 2020 

My Weekend

Phew!


What a weekend!


Alexa and I went downtown to work at our respective hospitals. It was Alexa's time on night shift and I was just getting over a 24-hour stomach virus. Needless to say, it was an adventure. Thanks to my family for taking care of us and letting us crash at the house for the weekend. It was VERY nice to come home to you all. I love you <3

Since the night shift was new to Alexa, it was neat to hear her feedback. Her favorite part was being able to see the morning sunrise over Lake Michigan :)

REMINDER: Alexa and I travel to Chicago together to work because we work RIGHT NEXT DOOR to each other. Literally. We park in the same parking deck and even grab lunch on our breaks together!

Lurie Children's & Prentice Women's Hospital

Read HERE & HERE & HERE for more about working in Chicago!

New Collection

I stumbled upon something today and I think I may have found a new item to collect!

                           Cherry Ames Nurse Stories

"The Cherry Ames Nurse Stories were published by Grosset and Dunlap from 1943 to 1968.  The original author of the Cherry Ames series was Helen Wells, who later decided to quit writing the Cherry Ames and Vicki Barr series in order to pursue other projects.  Julie Campbell Tatham, the original author of the Trixie Belden series, took over writing the Cherry Ames series beginning with volume 9, Cruise Nurse.  The dust jacket had already been designed for Cruise Nursewhen Helen Wells backed out, so Wells is credited as the author rather than Tatham.  Later, Julie Tatham gave the writing of both Cherry Ames and Vicki Barr back to Helen Wells. Volumes 1 through 22 were originally issued in dust jackets and later as picture cover editions." [via]

I originally came across the books on Wanelo.com 

One of the oldest editions (in a plain dust cover) was on sale for $3.00. 

The words nurse, book and $3... you've got my interested sparked!

I later came across TONS of them on ebay.com. See HERE.

Seeing them all on ebay, though, seems to take away the fun of the hunt!

When I find an antique item I like, I prefer to personally shop in stores to find it.

It just seems so much more rewarding and exciting :)

Titles in the Cherry Ames Series:

1. Student Nurse, 1943  2. Senior Nurse, 1944  3. Army Nurse, 1944  4. Chief Nurse, 1944  5. Flight Nurse, 1945  6. Veterans' Nurse, 1946  7. Private Duty Nurse, 1946  8. Visiting Nurse, 1947  9. Cruise Nurse, 194810. At Spencer, 194911. Night Supervisor, 195012. Mountaineer Nurse, 195113. Clinic Nurse, 195214. Dude Ranch Nurse, 195315. Rest Home Nurse, 195416. Country Doctor's Nurse, 195517. Boarding School Nurse, 195518. Department Store Nurse, 195619. Camp Nurse, 195720. At Hilton Hospital, 195921. Island Nurse, 196022. Rural Nurse, 196123. Staff Nurse, 196224. Companion Nurse, 196425. Jungle Nurse, 196526. Mystery in the Doctor's Office, 1966 27. Ski Nurse Mystery, 1968

Woah. 27 books?! I have a lot of thrifting to do!

September

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Almost two weeks into September and it's really starting to feel like Fall.

What's on your to-do list for Fall? I'm excited for to the apple orchard, Huskie football & hot coffee.

"I Was Here"

Strong.

Competent.

Beautiful.

Courageous.

Talented.

The kind of woman I would want my future daughters to be.

Will the world know that I was here? What will I be remembered for? How many lives will I touch?

I wanna leave my footprints on the sands of timeKnow there was something that, and something that I left behindWhen I leave this world, I'll leave no regretsLeave something to remember, so they won't forget

I was hereI lived, I lovedI was hereI did, I've done, everything that I wantedAnd it was more than I thought it would beI will leave my mark so everyone will knowI was here

I want to say I lived each day, until I dieAnd know that I meant something in, somebody's lifeThe hearts I have touched, will be the proof that I leaveThat I made a difference, and this world will see

I was hereI lived, I lovedI was hereI did, I've done, everything that I wantedAnd it was more than I thought it would beI will leave my mark so everyone will know

I was hereI lived, I lovedI was hereI did, I've done, everything that I wantedAnd it was more than I thought it would beI will leave my mark so everyone will knowI was here

I just want them to knowThat I gave my all, did my bestBrought someone to hapinessLeft this world a little better just because

I was here

I was hereI lived, I lovedI was hereI did, I've done, everything that I wantedAnd it was more than I thought it would beI will leave my mark so everyone will knowI was here

Copied from MetroLyrics.com 

Back To School

Yep.

It's that time of year.

It's been crazy since coming back to school TWO WEEKS ago. My planner is already jam packed and midterms will be here before we know it.

New decorations on campus!

If I haven't told you before, I'm telling you now: I am a list person. Just as my boyfriend or my mom. I have to write it down or I forget it. As I was moving into my new apartment, I found a list I made at the end of last year. I had forgotten about it and was grateful to find it because I couldn't think straight for the first few days of school. Here is what the list said:

Senior Year

- Cook yummy recipes!

-Work out regularly

-Ride horses again?

-Prep for NCLEX

-Volunteer @ Church

-Drink Sangria!

-Grow Herbs

Favorite spot on Campus.
Photo taken during my 2nd run of the year!

This list is totally random but captures the thoughts I was having at the end of last year. So far I've started a running routine (with help from the RunKeeper iPhone app), took two riding lessons with my sister, and am doing 1,000 practice NCLEX questions for a class. This weekend I hope to menu plan & go grocery shopping so that I can start cooking next week. I'm on the lookout for herb plants, trying to decide how/when to volunteer at church and sangria is officially on the grocery shopping list! 

I cannot believe this is my last year of college. It is quite possible that I'll never again be a tuition paying student at a university. Luckily, in both life & nursing, I will be an eternal student learning new things every single day. 

These are a MUST have.

My friends also know and appreciate what a list person I am. In the spring we made a "Senior Year Bucket List".  Here's what it looks like....

One down... only about 20 more to go!

We kicked off the bucket list with a spontaneous trip to the women's volleyball game. Our intentions were not totally pure... What we really wanted was a free t-shirt. Much to our dismay, they were all out of free t-shirts when we arrived.

Sad as we were about the t-shirts,
the game was actually pretty fun!

Leave a comment and let us know which things YOU think are missing from our bucket list. We'll be sure to document our progress throughout the year.

Gotta love nurses :)

Stay tuned for: The Apartment Tour! & Where I'll Be One Year From Now

Celebrating the blue moon on Aug. 31st

Day Trip to Chicago

Right before school started back up again, my aunt and my cousins came up to Chicago to visit. My aunt was only 14 years old when I was born and we spent a ton of time together during my first couple of years. I couldn't say her name so to this day I call her my "Baba."  She and I have a really great relationship. I wish I could see her more often and that I could be for her girls, the person she was to me.

Baba and I

On our day in Chicago, we rode the ferris wheel at Navy Pier and make the trek up to the top of the Willis Tower. For a pretty penny of $17.50/adult and $11.00/child, we took an elevator going 18MPH up to the sky deck on the 103rd floor. I've been up to the sky deck before, but the I had yet to experience the newest edition.... four glass ledges that extend four feet over the city below. Here's our view, looking down, from 103 stories above street level:

The first step out was pretty scary!

The little girls seemed to enjoy our adventure as well. I'm not sure if it's totally worth the price of admission, but it is absolutely a unique experience. As with all tourist stops, the gift shops were EVERYWHERE at Willis Tower. We perused the shops and laughed our butts off.

We had too much fun :)

At the end of the day, we were all pooped and STARVING. It was time to head back home to the burbs. We mastered public transportation and avoided rush hour on the drive home. I'd call that a success!!

THE END

My Favorite Things

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittnes

Brown paper packages tied up with strings

These are a few of my favorite things

Pinterest, s'mores, farmers market baskets

Cream colored ponies and crisp Apple strudels

Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles

Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings

These are a few of my favorite things

Pediatric scrubs, owls, Instagram

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes

Snowflakes that stay on my noes and eyelashes

Silver white winters that turn into springs

These are a few of my favorite things

Wheat, scrabble, elopements

When the dog bites

When the bee stings

When I'm feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things

And then I don't feel so bad

A few more of my favorite things....

• Health Care Economics - How much does your CEO make?
• Humans of New York - The ultimate people watching!
• My Parents Were (Are) Awesome
• Getting Healthy Apps - Infographic
• Advice for new graduate nurses - This stuff is GOLD
• 35 Things in 35 Years