Done...

So, I wasn't as great as I had hoped to be about this blog stuff this semester but in my defense I was so busy studying that the last thing I wanted to do was type. Sorry guys. But, just wanted to let you all know that I am done with my summer semester and believe it or not I have only one more to go. Can you believe that they are actually going to let me go out into the real world and take care of people? In all honesty it scares me to death. Well, I am here...probably at Nicholas' so give me a call, write me on Facebook, or leave me a note here. Love you guys.

Happy Father's Day!

Since I am procrastinating I wanted to go ahead and say Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there. To my dad I want to say thank you for being the best dad in the world. I love you very much. I admire you for what you do and for your love for the LORD. Your determination and commitment to your work is what makes me continuing on when things seem impossible. I don't say it enough but thank you so much for being the dad that you have been. I am the luckiest daughter in the world.

I am alive...

Just wanted to put a note up to let those of you who are staying in touch with me that I am alive and well. I am staying busy with school, trying to eat right, and getting some exercise in. I have had more success with my eating plan and I am so excited. Last week I lost another pound as well as 3% body fat. I feel great and have a lot more confidence which is great because this is an area that I have always struggled with. Hopefully by graduation in December I will be where I want to be weight-wise.

The past few days have been hard family-wise. I have really been missing my mom and dad and brother. Having them spread out all over the place is not easy. Right now my brother is in NY and my mom and dad are in Senegal (soon to be moving to Ivory Coast). My parents 34th wedding anniversary was on June 1. I am so proud of them. They are the best parents in the world and they have an amazing relationship. When I think back to all of the things my family has been through I am truly thankful that they were the ones who helped me through everything. The next month is going to be hard as well because both my dad and my brother have birthdays in July. So, I guess what I am getting at, is please pray for me.

Clinicals are going great. At the nursing home I am enjoying getting to EB. She doesn't really remember that I am only there once a week but while I am there we have fun. She is so independent that I find myself going around and trying to find things to do. She loves to sit and quilt in her room. She has already made 2 pillows since I have been visiting her. Today was a lot of fun because we had the activity outside. We did exercises with the stretchy armbands. They actually had a lot of fun. Some of the residents who I thought were completely helpless came alive outside and those who I thought could not speak were talking. They are truly amazing. They choose who and when they do things and speak. Wish I could do that sometimes.

Last week I got the pleasure of having my Thursday clinical in the Johnson City Medical Center ER. For those of you who truly know me then you know that I was excited beyond belief. That is my dream...to be an ER nurse. Actually my dream is to become a flight nurse but that takes several years of ER experience and training. In time...! Needless to say I had a blast. I loved not knowing what was going to come in the door. We had several traumas come in and the helicopter (WINGS) came in twice. I started an IV on the 1st try on one of the trauma patients. I hated leaving but it was also a great confidence booster and just reconfirmed that I was in the right place and was on the right track.

Just wanted to let you all know that I am still here. Please know that just because you don't hear from me doesn't mean that you are not in my thoughts. It is my friends and family who have been helping me through this particular journey of my life. Thank you. I love you guys!

Success

I know that it is not much but Nicholas weighed me today and I have lost 2 pounds. I was so excited. I have been trying very hard to stick to my counting calories plan and it looks like I am having some success. Hopefully my hard work will continue to pay off. Thanks for all of you who have been an encouragement.

Hanging out with friends...

Yesterday, May 20, a friend of mine, Meryl, decided to have some of us over for a cookout at her apartment. It was a really nice evening and it was so nice to kick back and relax. There were several of us there. We sat around and just talked, ate, and relaxed. Here are some pictures. Some of you have heard names but have no face to put with the names...so...here you go.

This was my revenge for Carrie taking my picture!

Meryl, The Fabulous Hostess (she loves to road bike...just like Nicholas)

Clara Beth, always having fun!

Tiana and Andrew (Andrew, Clara Beth, and I have been study partners from the very beginning...they are the reason I did not give up in the 1st semester)

Meryl and Carrie (2 great and beautiful women)

Laurel Fork Falls Hike

Today a friend of mine (Carrie) and I decided to go for a hike after our clinicals today. It was such a beautiful day we couldn't stand to waste any more of it by being inside. I have always wanted to go see this waterfall that is about 45 minutes from campus and I knew that Carrie had been there before so she was all for it. It is actually a fairly simple hike. It is about 2 miles and it follows a short section of the AT. Right before you get to the falls there is a very steep rocky section that is basically steps. Not too bad going down but on the way back up it was not very easy at all. It was so nice to get out and to do something like that. It definetly was refreshing. My legs may be about to fall off tomorrow since I am at the hospital for clinicals from 6:30am-5:00pm...yeah...! Wish you could have been here to go with us. The picture is not mine. It is from this website: http://www.cmpros.com/hiking/Laurel.

Tuna, Chicken, and lots of Salad!

So, those of you who know me well know that I am not very happy with my weight and have been trying for a while to lose some weight. Well, thanks to my wonderful boyfriend who has been an incredible motivator we (yes, I said we) have started to count calories. I have never done this before and have always said that I would never do it. Why do it then? Well, I have been eating healthy for the past 2 months and have been trying to get exercise in when my busy school life will allow it and have jumped back and forth with losing and gaining any where from 2-3 pounds. Frustrating...since I am eating the right stuff we have decided to see what counting calories are going to do. So, if you are around me and I am cranky and not very happy about what you are eating then you know why. What am I going to miss the most? French Fries. We have decided that for a treat every now and then I can have ice cream (Bruster's and Marble Slab are our favorite). Anyways. So, there it is.

Here is tonight's dinner: Tilapia with Brown Rice and Salad