The day after....

The day after Thanksgiving in a hospital is pretty dead....

 

YIKES!!! I shouldn't say that.

 

Ummm....

it is pretty....quiet....

 

that's better.

 

Most of the departments are closed for the holidays. So, therefore, there arent many people needing anything. I LOVE working in a hospital (most days). I mean there is always gonna be some bad with every good. Ya know? Like, for example, today. It is only 9am and I have already almost been punched in the face by an elderly man. My day was almost ruined but then a nurse asked me if I had been working out with my momma and told me I looked good!

So nice of her to say that!

 

Yesterday, during my run I felt so at peace and content. Maybe it was the mellow weather...

 

 

 

 

Of course I couldnt leave my running buddy at home.

 

 

Believe it or not, even though she has short and skinny little legs she sure can book it! She is always right at my heels.

 

I bruise EXTREMELY easily. Im never 100% sure how I got these but I think I hit my leg either on the counter in the lab or on a patients bed or something.

 

 

Oh and sorry its a dark picture..it was about 7am and everyone in my house was still asleep.

 

Since today is such a slow day, I plan on reading these....

 

 

looking through Pinterest...

 

searching for fun blogs to follow...

OH by the way, ive already been successful in that endeavor!!!

I actually found this blog on Pinterest.....

Honey We're Healthy

 

She is THE cutest thing ever and has really great tips for staying healthy!

 

You can also check her out at

 

Honey We're Home

 

She has SO many ideas for making your house a home!

I have a feeling I will be stopping by her blog a lot when I get ready to decorate my new apartment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Overwhelmed with gratitude and love, Lori, and a SHOUT OUT!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

I LOVE FALL for many reasons....

The colors of the leaves...

The fact that EVERYTHING comes in Pumpkin Flavor...

The cool, crisp air which means I get to wear comfy sweaters and outfits like this more often...

The fact that oatmeal is so much better on a cool, fall morning than any other time...

oh and don't forget to add fruit and nuts...YUM!  

Everyone starts making cinnamon rolls....

I did this for charity...it was a tough sacrifice but anything for charity, right!? =) 

I had already eaten half of it before I thought to take a picture. And yes, I did eat the entire thing...it took me like an hour because I kept having to go take care of patients. 

Oh,

    and the HOLIDAYS!!!

 Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are my favorites! I've never really been the kind of person to go all out for a holiday but I feel like that person lives within me and is waiting to be unleashed. 

I LOVE seeing sweet little kids dressed up as puppies, princesses, cowboys, monsters, fairies, etc. Im not a huge fan of the idea of them going from house to house begging strangers for candy but...whatevs. I love Thanksgiving for the traditional reasons like time with my family and reflecting on our blessings. I try to live my life in a way that I realize and reflect on my blessings on a daily basis. But lets be real...that can sometimes be hard...especially when you are a broke college student working full time trying to make ends meet. Even in all of the chaos and stress of life, I have been blessed more than I could ever imagine. So, having a day set aside to think only of the positive things in life and the blessings that I have received already is exactly what I need. 

One of those blessings actually took place on Thanksgiving day, two years ago. On that day, I was in Mexico and was being prepared for my gastric bypass procedure. I remember feeling so at peace with my decision. I was treated by the most amazing nurses and doctors who cared for me like I was one of their own (even though I couldn't understand a word they were saying about 90% of the time). I had family and friends back in the U.S. who were supported and loved me. I was being given the opportunity to have a second chance at life. To be healthy and strong. 

To run....

To prepare myself to be a healthy mother...

(NOT my baby..this is my friend Beth's baby girl.)

To laugh, cry, dream, take Sunday naps, go on road trips, and eat Chipotle with this girl...

To have slumber parties with the best roommates/friends/sisters you could ask for...

To have to clean out my closet several times over the next 2 years because my clothes fall off of me...

To climb mountains (both literal and metaphorically)...

I am in awe when I think of the person I used to be and the person I am now. I know I am still the same person but I have such a strong passion for life and all of the adventures that it entails. I have been able to accomplish goals that I never in a million years would have thought I could. I was only a dreamer before and now I am some one who makes those dreams reality. 

My mom and I were just looking at a few pictures and I found some before and after's to share....

My mom and I. I was 16 and we had just gotten all of my things moved into my first college apartment..

 

My mom and I a week ago....

Summer 2010. My roommate and BFF, Jen and I went to the David Archuletta/David Osmond concert on campus...

Moving into my apartment in Provo the last week of July 2012...

My pup Cricket and I before I left for college...I was 16 here too...

Saying goodbye to Chaco... July 2012....

This morning I woke up at 6 o'clock (First of all, that is a miracle in itself!). At first, I was like "UHHH, I am not about to get up before the sun on my day off. " But then I just had this desire to go run. I just HAD to get out of the house, enjoy the sunrise and remind myself of how strong I am. It was a little chilly but other than that it was perfect for running! I only had to use my inhaler twice today! (I usually have to take quite a few hits...) 

I took some pictures but  because we live in the middle of nowhere I cant upload them from my phone right now. I'll do that later though for sure! 

It is just so incredibly humbling to look back on my life thus far and be able to see those times when Heavenly Father really showed me how much He loves me. He put amazing people in my life at the exact moment that I needed them. Some of those people I am not able to see anymore but they have made the greatest impact in my life. The people we meet help us become the people we are meant to be. 

This is my friend Lori...

I met her last Spring. She lived in the same apartment complex as me. One day my roommate, Emily came home and was all, "Have you guys met Lori, yet? She is awesome! She is outside making a spoon out of a piece of wood. I think i'm gonna ask her to live with us if that's ok with everyone else." 

Lori, LOVES the outdoors! In the picture above, she was teaching me how to start a fire without using matches! She worked with a program that would take teens, who were rough around the edges and had been in A LOT of trouble, out into the wilderness as a kind of last resort to help them. They would teach them new ways to cope with things and allow them to discover themselves and let go of their pain and hardships. 

If you know Lori, you know that she is THE PERFECT PERSON for that job! She has a spirit about her that is so peaceful and inviting.

She would run a lot and invited me to join her. I wasn't thrilled about the time but I said I would go with her on Tuesdays because I didn't have class that day (aka I could go back home and go back to bed...).

The times I went running with Lori are some of my most favorite memories. I had just started running and I was still having issues with the Neuropathy in my legs. She could have ran so much harder and faster but she ran at my pace and stopped when I needed to stop. She would coach me along and cheer me on! Sometimes when I run, I can here her say, "Where are we going to now, sister?" I don't think she will ever completely know how much that meant to me. I am so much stronger now because of her motivation. 

Lori,

love you sister! Hope you are doing well! I miss you! Give Chaco kisses for me! 

And THIS is Chaco!!! LOVE! 

Today, I am completely overwhelmed with love and hope. The future is so exciting! I am starting a CNA (Certified Nurses Assistant) program next week. I will need to have that certification completed before I can start nursing school. It is incredible how everything is falling into place for me. I moved to Iowa during a really hard time but so many good things are happening for me. 

I was able to find a job working as a phlebotomist at a local hospital. Because of my employment and my mother's connections (she is a nurse practitioner and runs a clinic for the hospital that I work at) I have been able to experience SO much! 

The other night I was so lucky to be able to stand in during a delivery of a sweet baby boy. The entire experience was exciting and confirmed for me that I 100% want to be a nurse and I want to work in women's health. 

The CNA class I am gonna start hasnt been held in our town for SO long but this year they got enough people to sign up. I will be done in time to start school at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa. I'll finish up my nursing prerequisites while I am working as a CNA before starting nursing school. 

I am SO excited to be a nurse! 

Well, I guess this post is long enough. Sorry for the blog overload! 

Oh, one last thing...

My sister told me that her friend, Caitlin reads my blog and I thought id give her a shout out! HEY GIRL! Congrats on the new job! Thanks for reading my blog! If you have any good blog suggestions send them my way! =)

Chipotle, Cupcake Heaven and BOOKS!

Last night, mom and I decided to drive into Omaha for the evening. We originally wanted to go see a movie but then when we got there we decided to hit up Barnes and Noble instead. But first we stopped by Chipotle!!! (Yes, that sentence did need three exclamation marks.) My best friend and I LOVE Chipotle and since I miss her SO much I thought it would ease my heart ache to eat dinner there last night. My momma had never been but I do think she is a believer now! 

I usually always get a burrito bowl and Aly (best friend mentioned above) gets a chicken burrito. Well, last night I decided I would try a chicken burrito in honor of Aly! Except I drowned mine in Jalapeno sauce. SO GOOOOODDDD!!! Oh and you have to drink lemonade with it! Perfect combination. 

Do any of you watch Cupcake Wars on Foodnetwork? I LOVE that show. I secretly want to be on that show but I dont think I have the skills for it. Anyway, after dinner we needed something sweet. So, we headed over to Jones Bro's Cupcakes. Seriously, this place was HUGE and the bakery took 3/4 of the building and the catering section had a little spot in the corner! So funny! There were SO many options. I felt extremely overwhelmed. But in the end I chose, red velvet (of course) and sweet and salty, which was a chocolate cupcake with chocolate butter cream frosting and sea salt sprinkled on top! YUM!!! My mom chose Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Spice and an Elvis cupcake, which was a banana cupcake with chocolate frosting and peanut butter and a banana slice on top. I didnt get to try that one. It was gone in approximately 2.5 secs. But I am assuming it was really good! =) 

I have had an urge to find a good book lately. I usually always gravitate to the Self-Improvement section or the Fitness/Health section. I LOVE book stores! My favorite part is the area by the check out stands. They always have tons of "random" stuff. There were yummy smelling candles and lotions, book marks, book lights, etc. I may or may not have ended up spending $50 on books last night. Hint: I DID. 

I am starting a CNA program on the 26th of this month. It is required by the nursing program that I am going to. So, I am really excited to get that. It's just one step closer to where I want to be.

Girls night in Omaha

   Since I started my new job at the hospital, I have had to get up at 4:30 am. Well, now my body is adjusted to getting up at the crack of dawn. So, today (Saturday) I swore I was going to sleep in late. My idea of sleeping in is not getting up until 11 am or later. Well, today I woke up at 6 am. Just like the day before which was also my day off. I was determined to sleep longer so I stayed in bed and ended up giving in at 7:30 and started my day then. My best friend and I were talking about how we are growing up. Seriously, since when do I get up at 6 am on my off day and cook breakfast and clean the house???? Who am I??? I actually love getting up before the sun! I think we are meant to rise with the sun. 

I woke Momma up and we headed out for a nice walk around the neighborhood. It was SUPER windy. So, we only walked about 2.5 miles. 

At about 11 am,  Momma and I set out for Omaha. I LOVE Omaha. I'm not really sure why. Maybe it is because there is a Whole Foods. Or maybe it is because I also get stuff when we come to Omaha. Hmmm....

First stop:

Petco. 

I am looking into moving to the Omaha area and want to get a dog to a.) keep me company and b.) protect me. So, we stopped by to see if they had any dogs. Well, no dogs but they did have a cat the size of a panther....NO THANKS! Not a cat person. 

So, on to the animal shelter we went.

And there she was....

She had been brought to the shelter 3 days before and was so calm. She is already house broken and is good around other dogs and children. I LOVE HER!!! She is beautiful! But we didn't adopt her today. Hopefully, she will be there when we go back. I would love to adopt an older dog instead of getting a puppy and having to potty train it and everything. 

We ALWAYS eat at Olive Garden when we come to Omaha.  

The past two times we have eaten there I got the Spicy Shrimp Fritta. It is SO SO SO good. Its an appetizer but I get it as my entree. Momma and I also split some sort of eggplant meal but...I just wasn't feeling the eggplant. I really didn't like the batter it had on it. 

                After we stuffed our faces with yummy salad, bread sticks and spicy shrimp, we went over to Dress Barn to find Momma some dress clothes. We were quite successful! We then moved on to Maurices, where we found some Christmas presents for my sister! (Ash, I know you're reading this! Holla!)

We ALWAYS go to Target. My mom and I are very much alike. One thing that we always agree on is that Target is like Heaven on earth. Today, is a day that will go down in history in our family. We went to Target and bought NOTHING. I repeat NOTHING. Miracles do happen. 

After leaving Target empty handed, we headed over to Orange Leaf for some frozen yogurt. 

I chose Pumpkin Pie, Snickerdoodle, and Wedding Cake yogurt flavors and fruity pebbles, cinnamon crunch, raspberries, kiwi, blueberries, caramel sauce, hot fudge, brownie bites, bits of waffle cone and gummy bears. 

(Yes, Ashley..I was able to walk out of there....)

My Momma chose Brownie Batter and something else...I cant remember what all she had on there. When it comes to Frozen Yogurt you have to stay focused when fixing your bowl. I was focused on my share! But i do remember her grabbing brownie bites which led me to do the same. She is such a good example! =)

Needless to say, she enjoyed Orange Leaf. She had never been to a place like that before! 

After. I did some damage but I couldn't finish it. Story of my life. 

After FroYo, we headed to my safe haven. My happy place. My heaven on earth. 

Whole Foods. Oh, how I love you! 

Of course, I walked straight over to the bakery...

Notice the Turkey made of chocolate....ooh, i love this place! 

Ever since I was a little girl, I would always run over to the fresh flowers at any store and beg my momma to buy me some! I LOVE LOVE LOVE fresh flowers. 

I was looking at the lotions and things and I hear, "Hey, Emily, Look at this!" I turn to see my Momma playing with a puppet. I cant take her anywhere. She always gets into something.She may or may not have made it blow kisses at passers by. Hint: She did. Gotta love her! 

There was a lady doing Complexion Analysis'. Of course I jumped at the opportunity and was in the chair before she explained exactly what it all entailed. My eagerness sometimes gets me into trouble. These are a few pics from my Momma's analysis. 

After that, it was time to head out. We were beyond ready to get to our hotel and relax. I love it when the housekeepers make little animals out of the towels. It takes very little to excite me! 

Sorry for the blurry picture. Im not sure why it turned out that way. 

She stuck her nails in my back to make me make a funny face and this is what happened. 

Looking over my loot from Whole Foods. A hoodie, Aloe Vera juice, fruit, and face wash. 

I am so excited to check out the singles ward here tomorrow. I plan on getting up and jumping on the treadmill for a run in the morning before heading down stairs for breakfast, which i'm really excited about! We always eat a big bowl of oatmeal with fresh fruit, nuts and brown sugar!! MMMMM, it is divine!