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! =)