..11 days..

In 11 days ...

I, Brittany Gohring, will be an alumnus of UMHB!!!
Praise The Lord!!!

After countless hours of studying and projects, my time in the CON is coming to an end! I could not be MORE excited! I am, however, a bit sad at the thought of never seeing some of my classmates again; but I guess those that are important will hang around! ;)

****************************************************
There has been a lot going on since the last time that I posted. I'll get you all up-to-date!

Life in the Gohring house is going pretty smoothly! We are getting ready to begin the process of purchasing our first home. We are SO excited! After renting for so long, Stephen has decided it's time to OWN our own place. I've only lived on my own for a short while so any place on my own is exciting - ha! I can't wait to get a place that we can make our own! We are OBSESSED with HGTV ... So many fun design ideas as well as remodeling ideas! :) He loves that kinda stuff!

As far as jobs ... he's still trucking along at good ol' BBY. I don't have a definite job lined up yet ... but I do know that I will be staying at Hillcrest. Since I have worked there for 6 months as a NT I automatically get a job in the hospital after graduation. I would LOVE to go into L&D so that I can go back to school in a few years ... BUT everyone is trying to get into those areas .. so we'll just have to be patient and see where God places me! :) I've been offered a position in the Emergency Department but I haven't formally accepted yet ... I guess I'm kinda waiting to see what happens in the Women's and Children's department! The NR told me there could POSSIBLY be a few openings in the next month! **Fingers Crossed**

The family is doing well. My mom and dad are enjoying life with an empty nest. HAHA! :) Both of us girls have moved out so they are enjoying life and spending time together. Momma G and Papa Steve are doing well also! We are continuing to pray for Momma G. Some more of the tumors showed back up! That cancer is a vicious monster! We are praying the third time is a charm! SO if you would please keep Momma G in your thoughts prayers AND Papa Steve's nerves (since he is her biggest supporter!)! :) They have been an amazing new addition into my family. I could not have asked for better in-laws! Also, please check this out and leave some kind words of support! ;)

As many of you know, our sweet Makenzie lost her battle with cancer last month.



It was extremely hard on her those last few weeks. We went to see her on the Thursday before she passed and it was absolutely heartbreaking. It's so hard to grasp but we all know that this sweet baby is now dancing with the Angels and has the most beautiful long hair. She's running, picking flowers, making music, and most of all, CANCER AND PAIN-FREE! We sure do miss that sweet girl but we all know that we will see her again someday. :)

I just wanted to share a little motto with you that my Aunt Wendy has adopted since the Make-A-Wish foundation sent Makenzie to Disneyworld.

"Celebrate Today"

You may not always have tomorrow. Celebrate what you have today, right now, right in front of you. Makenzie knew she didn't have many tomorrows so she welcomed each day with a smile and an appreciation many of us never show. My outlook on life and death have completely changed all because of this sweet Angel that God sent to us for a short time. Thanks for all of those who prayed for the family and for my friends who supported me and gave me a shoulder to cry on. It was so hard to just accept that it was happening and I couldn't have made it through without my friends. So please, carry this motto with you everyday and live by it ... life is so much sweeter when you appreciate what you have in front of you! :)

xoxo!

Fall Favorites!

While I'm sitting on the couch feeling the effects of this weather change ... I'm going to list some of my fall faves! :)

-Pumpkins - not necessarily eating them .. but I love all of the pumpkin decor
-leaves crunching under my feet
-the colors of fall - reds/rusts, browns, yellows/golds, oranges ... love it!!!
-roast, carrots, potatoes, rolls ... I know it can be eaten year 'round but there's something about a roast in the Fall that makes it super yummy!
-sweaters ... so warm and comfy ... && boots! I want to get a new pair of UGGs
-Halloween - there's something about kids in super cute costumes begging for cavities. haha
-fires in the fireplace/firepit
-football :) food, friends/family, fun times
-apple cider - yummo!
-apple PIE!!! (I LOVE LOVE LOVE apples!!)
-caramel apples
-the heart o' texas fair and rodeo! :)
-outdoor concerts where you aren't sweating your body weight off
-Thanksgiving and thanking the Lord for all of the many blessings in my life

So, what are your fall faves?

Sick Day Survey ...

Since I'm home sick .. I figured I would do a little survey! :)

What do you really want to be doing right now?
Hanging out on a beach somewhere ...

How many colleges did you attend?
So far 2 : MCC and UMHB

When is the last time you had to REALLY dress up?
Ha my wedding? :)

Do you miss being a child?
Yeah - bills and responsibilities are NO fun

Get up early or sleep in?
I HAVE to get up early - but prefer to sleep in!

Beach or lake?
Beach!

What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
Umm .. let's see ... Taylor Swift - I think we'd be best friends! LOL!

Ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose?
No - thank goodness!!

Ring tone?
Some generic iPhone ringtone ... I lost all of my ringtones in the restore.

Favorite band?
Hmm tough question ... I love a lot of bands at the moment.

Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth?
Church? haha for my wedding

Do you go to church?
When I can -CABC

Are you where you want to be in life?
No .. I want to be DONE with school and working and bringing in that money!!

Growing up, what were your favorite cartoons?
Scooby Doo ... Ahh why am I drawing a blank?!?!!

Looking back at high school, were they the best years of your life?
Heck no! I hated high school ... too much drama and I made some pretty dumb choices! lol

Were you the type of kid you would want your children to hang out with?
Definitely :)

How do you like your steak?
Medium-Well

What is your favorite TV show?
GREYS!!! :) :)

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
In the country here in Texas!

What is your favorite cuisine?
Mexican ... I could eat it every meal of the day! Chips and Salsa are staples in my food pyramid! haha

What foods do you dislike?
brussel sprouts, cabbage, fish, seafood.

Favorite Place to Eat?
Lake Brazos Steakhouse, Baris, Trujillos

Favorite dressing?
Ranch or Caesar or Baris' house dressing

What kind of vehicle do you drive?
Pontiac Grand Prix for now

What are your favorite clothes?
SCRUBS!

Where would you visit if you had the chance?
Europe with my husband

Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
full :)

Where would you want to retire?
in the country ... still! haha

Favorite time of day?
Right before the sun sets :)

Where were you born?
Waco TX

What is your favorite sport to watch?
Football, Baseball

What did you want to be when you were little?
A veterinarian ... astronaut! haha

What is your best childhood memory?
San Antonio trips, family meals at holidays :)

Are you a cat or dog person?
both but only have dogs because I'm allergic to cats!

Any pet peeves?
People who only talk about themselves, skinny girls who think they are fat, 18 wheelers in general .. lol

Favorite Pizza Toppings?
pepperoni and black olive

Favorite Flower?
Daisies of any kind!

Favorite ice cream?
The Great Divide

Favorite fast food restaurant?
Chik-Fil-A

Like your job?
Havent worked in a while but yes

What was your favorite vacation?
Umm Jamaica for our Honeymoon .. Hands down :)

What are you listening to right now?
Cooking for Real on Food Network

Coffee Drinker?
Not usually but I will have the occasional white chocolate mocha from Starbucks! :)

98 days and counting..

Well, I am now done with my first two weeks of my last semester (as an undergrad!)!!! It's been extremely stressful but I am so excited about some of the experiences that I will gain these last three months. I will be doing most of my clinical rotations here in Waco which is a HUGE blessing. I am so worn out from the commute - and I won't miss it at ALL! I will miss a few things, though. I have built some amazing friendships with some people in my class and I hate to think that in 3 months all of that will just disappear. It's almost like high school graduation. You swear you will keep in touch .. and for a while you do ... then life happens and you lose track of people you were once incapable of being separated from! I know one or two of those people will be lifelong friends. I hope we get to plan a reunion of some sort. These people are my second family. It felt like I was missing a huge part of my life this summer when they weren't around.. haha.

In other news, Stephen and I are doing wonderful - still making that transition into married life and sharing EVERYTHING!!!!!!! LOL! :) He is such a trooper... I know I can be quite the pain in the butt! ;) Bailey and Izzy are big as ever! Nearly 85 pounds each - eeeek! LOL! We will be looking into whether it's going to be a good time for us to purchase a home in the next few months and we are so excited! I can't wait to get a home of our own so we can do things we love to do. Stephen is quite the handyman and I'm hoping we can find a little fixer-upper so he can do things here and there! Anyway, I'll keep you all updated on details of that nature! Hope all is well with y'all! :)

PS: 98 days is my countdown to GRADUATION!! WOOHOO!!

Married Life

I know some of you are so curious as to what I'm up to now that I'm married...

Well, I am spending most of my time making this house as homely as possible! :) I know we will only be here until February BUT I need to make it look like a family lives here and not a single bachelor! HA! I have also been spending some of my time at the hospital as a nurse tech. I am still unsure if I am going to be working during the semester but I definitely need to keep that option open! I love following a RN around and doing my assessments and helping her out with EVERYTHING except meds! It's been a great learning experience for me and I really feel like I will be a better nurse because of it! I am also studying for the HESI exit exam I have the week back to school. Yes, the evilness that is UMHB is giving us a TEST on the first week we return ... so much for a relaxing summer! ;)

Other than those things I am spending my time with my wonderful husband! It's been a lot of fun learning how to do wifey things and how to combine everything we own! ha! :) I will post pictures of the house as it comes together! Stay tuned for more adventures in our newlywed life!

10 days...

This is getting to be so surreal! I cannot believe that in 10 days I will be marrying the love of my life!! :) We are SO ready at this point. We got the marriage license and have the plane tickets! I can't wait to get to Jamaica and have my toes in the sand! We haven't been to a beach together before .. you can't exactly count Galveston as a beach- lol! :)

Yes, there are a few nerves .. but none that could change plans! ;) haha. I can't wait to see his face as I walk down that aisle ... I can't wait to spend the morning with my girls just hanging out and having fun ... and I can't wait to get to the reception and hang out with family and friends we haven't seen in a while. :) AHHHH!! I will definitely update again before it gets here and then update when we get back from the honeymoon with lots of pictures! :) xoxo Brittany

25 days ....

I had a friend ask me to update my blog with information on the wedding! I will share as much in detail as possible and some with pictures! :) Enjoy!

First things first ... the attire ... :)

I obviously can't show my dress until after the wedding ... because of obvious reasons! :) But know it's gorgeous and so very "ME"! :)

The bridesmaids are wearing this:


The Guys are wearing this ... obviously black tuxes with these vests:
Stephen:
White vest and tie.

(hard to see on the comforter, I know!)

Groomsmen and Ushers:
it's a champagne color to match the girls.


Dads:
it's a latte color! :)


Flowers:
My bouquet is full of daisies and white roses ... it's custom made so obviously NO pics yet! :)

Here's the bridesmaids bouquets all in pink (light& dark):


The guys will have a single white rose boutonniere!

The CAKES!!!
My cake: take this cake & make it 4 tiers with brown ribbon and pearls at the base of each layer! :) Vanilla with vanilla buttercream icing! YUM! Oh, and no flowers! :)


Stephen's cake:
Chocolate with chocolate icing ... with this scroll work and our monogram on top! :)


The church:

this is the aisle I will be walking down with my dad ... in 25 days!!!!!! :)

The reception hall:

Minus these people ... add my crazy friends and family and some pretty decorations and there's our reception! :)

The food:
George's is catering a variety of snack foods! We are going to be here around 3 so snacking only makes sense!

The music: We are taking requests and hooking up our iPod ... my amazing uncle will be running the music for us! :)

Our get-a-way hotel room:

Yes, this is where we are staying that night ... there WILL be a 'do not disturb' sign and NO you're not invited! ;)

Where we are honeymooning:
Ocho Grande Rios, Jamaica
on the 2nd-4th floors somewhere! :)



Once we return, we'll live in the UN-BACHELORIZED duplex Stephen has been in for some time now! :) I can't wait to start my new life with him and I can't wait to share all of the fun pictures with you all!! If I forgot something - just let me know and I'll be happy to add anything I didn't cover ... :)

xoxo! Brittany

33 days....

So we are almost at the 1 month countdown...(2 days away) :) YAY!

I only have a few little things to take care of and I couldn't be more relieved. Bridals are DONE and they are FABULOUS! I am very pleased with how they turned out. I can't wait to show everyone ... but you have to wait until after the honeymoon! BTW, the honeymoon to Jamaica is 100% ON! :) I can't wait to get away and put my toes in the sand! I will definitely miss my babies but they will be in good hands and more importantly TOGETHER.

This past Saturday wrapped up the last of the wedding showers and we have so much fun stuff! We hardly have room for it all! I have really been enjoying cooking with my new gadgets! Stephen loves it, too! :) I'll be keeping everyone updated as we progress closer to the wedding! :) xoxo- Brittany

53 days ...

SO We are just under the two month mark 'til the wedding! :) I am so very excited! Tomorrow is my trial run for my hairstyle .. I'll be getting Bridals taken on MONDAY afternoon! Chris Anderson and his wife Crystal are good friends of my Mom & Dad; they will be doing my bridals as well as wedding/reception pictures! :) This is the hairstyle I have picked out! I love how natural it looks... I'm all about looking naturally beautiful on my wedding day. I have never been one for the big prom updos for weddings. So I think this will be PERFECT for me! :) Tell me what you think...




The bridesmaids all have their dresses ordered and a few have already come in!! I absolutely LOVE them!! :) These girls are the most amazing friends I could ever ask for ... They are all so supportive and wanting to help me as much as possible! I'm so lucky!

We have already had a couples shower hosted by our closest friends. It was so much fun and we finally got the families together! I have another bridal shower this Saturday and then another one in two weeks! This is what's making it so surreal! I love turning Stephen's bachelor pad into our home! :) I have so many fun ideas ... only problem is we are renting until next February! So some of my ideas are put on hold. Hopefully by then we can get our own house with a huge backyard for the dogs. :) I am so excited for what the future holds for us. I can't believe I am marrying my best friend in 53 days!! **EEK**

I passed all of my finals only by the Grace of God (haha) and will be GRADUATING December 12!!! WOOHOO!!! :) You better believe there's gonna be a HUGE parrrrrty!! Anyway, I'll be updating more as I get closer and start doing more for the wedding! :) xoxo.

71 days and couting...

As you all know I am getting married in June! I wanted to take this opportunity to support a friend and her awesome talent! Brittney made our 'couples shower' invitations and they are CUTE!!!!!! :) She even took the engagement pictures for us and has offered to take more before the wedding! Her work is absolutely amazing and I would definitely recommend it to anyone needing invitations and such! :)

Here is the proof from our shower invitation!
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23221835










Go there and look at what other fun things she has to sell!











In other news, wedding plans are going smoothly! :) We have all of the major details done and are now just working on the little stuff! Invitations are going out in the mail no later than MONDAY!! I am so excited! School is almost done and it cannot come soon enough! I am WORN OUT with this semester and all of the stress that has come with it! I can't wait to just get outta there! Please keep me in your thoughts as I finish out the semester! It's been really rough. I hope all of you in school are having a great semester and that it ends well! You will all be in my prayers as you take finals! :) xoxo - Brittany

Pray for Makenzie!

(Copied from my Facebook notes)

Hey guys, I know I have mentioned to many of you numerous times about my cousin Makenzie. She has a rare cancer known as neuroblastoma. She had surgery today to remove the tumor and have a hysterectomy. She's almost two years old (in July). This has been extremely rough on my Aunt Wendy. She is a single mother and the medical bills are up in the hundreds of thousands. I can't imagine how tough this is on both of them. I would love for you all to keep them in your prayers. They really need it right now. I love you all and appreciate all of the prayers already given!

Here is an update from my Aunt Wendy from the surgery:
"Well I'm afraid that this evil thing called Neuroblastoma was more extensive than we thought. The surgery lasted longer and was more extensive than we thought. it started about 1:30 this afternoon and finally ended about 7:30pm. Dr. Custer had to take the tumor, the uterus, both ovaries, the cervix, the rectum, and the sigmond colon. We were afraid that she would have to have a colostomy bag, but Dr. Custer sewed the rest of the small intestine to the anal cavity...it seems to be working. The cancer was further up in the abdomen than we thought, he had to take part of the aorta...the main artery from the heart to various organs. Another punch in the stomach...we planned to be here 5 days at the latest....with all of this extensive surgery they are now predicting 2 weeks, and a week of chemo after that. She doesn't appear to be in a lot of pain....they have an epidural in her spine. It's just sooooo hard to see her like this. It's breaking my heart. Many prayers are needed...thanks to everyone's help with prayers, love, and donations to help me keep my family and household going. God Bless!"

This news is completely devestating. It was not thought to be that extensive. They are hosting a benefit for this sweet baby on April 26th at Hog Creek Icehouse starting at noon. Donations will be taken at the door and every hamburger plate sold will give $1 to her benefit. I would really love to see you guys there if you could make it! I know things are tough right now with the economy but if you have a little bit of change to spare this one family that could really use it right now! God Bless you all!!!

Love, Brittany

PS: Since some have asked where they can send a little donation to ...

DONATIONS CAN BE MAILED TO....

BRAZOS FAMILY MEDICINE... Read More
C/O MAKENZIE BUTLER FUND
318 RICHLAND WEST CIRCLE
SUITE A
WACO, TEXAS 76712

OR if you are in the Waco Area you can go to the National Bank next to Hollywood Theater in Woodway... It's the new bank built right on the corner of Texas Central and the access road of 84 ... You can just put it into the Makenzie Butler Fund there. They should know what you are talking about. Thanks so much for all of the love, prayers and support. She was overjoyed to hear that so many of you are praying for them! I really do have the most amazing friends! :) Love you all!!

116 days!

I can't believe that I am 4 months away from marrying my best friend! :) Time is flying by so fast! There's still so much that I would like to do ... I guess we will just have to see if time allows for it! We are having the reception at Baylor's Alumni Center. It's absolutely beautiful. So for now everything is done! I need to get the tuxes picked out and then just some last minute touches for the ceremony site and reception! :) I am relieved that most of it is done!

School is pretty rough these days. I'm not really happy with how it's progressing but I guess there isn't much I can do but study hard and make it through these next 2 months! I can't wait until I look back on this and laugh about how stressed out I was over school. :)

There's really nothing else new going on! I put in a job application and I'm really hoping to hear back from them! Keep those fingers crossed for me!
xoxo, Brittany

ICU Day One.

My first day on the ICU was NOT what I expected! I was supposed to be on Progressive/Stepdown but instead was put on the Medical ICU! Thank goodness for stroke certification! :) I had a wonderful day and I learned so much! AND I got to see Amy! She's such an inspiration to me and is a wonderful encourager! :) My patient was pretty critical and since we just discussed MIs it was a great way to apply my knowledge! :) I got to see a ventilator, and also calculate CVP and PA pressure .. which I know is a foreign language to most of you ... but I got to apply more knowledge and it was GREAT!! :) I have to say that I am loving Hillcrest and my experience there so far has greatly swayed my vote of where I want to work! :) I am also very grateful for not having to wake up at 4 AM! WooHoo!! I got to sleep in a little bit! :) I can't wait to see what else the semester has in store for me! :)

25 Randoms about ME

I have been tagged by a FEW people so I'm gonna go for it! :)

1. I love love love fashion. If I wasn't in nursing I would definitely be a designer or stylist. :)
2. I am addicted to FOOD NETWORK (esp in HD!). It's EVIL because it makes me eat lots of food while I'm watching it! ha
3. I want to have a Labrador in each color and I will someday!
4. I am marrying the man of my dreams on June 27, 2009! He's absolutely perfect for me and he's my best friend. What could be better than that?! :)
5. I am totally fascinated with Pearl Harbor and the Titanic. If any documentary comes on the tv, I HAVE to watch it. Nerdy, I know.
   
6. I am addicted to Mystery Diagnosis on the Discovery Channel. I love learning about medical diagnoses that I have never heard of before.
   
7. Death scares me. I cannot go in the room of a patient when they have passed away. It freaks me out. I blame that on my first clinical experience of nursing school. I got TRICKED into bathing a patient who passed away.
8. I HATE driving on the interstate. It scares me and people do not know how to drive. Too bad I have to drive it every day!
   
9. I love daisies. I would take daisies over roses any day! Maybe that's why my bouquet is full of Gerberas! :)
   
10. I think nursing school is the equivalent of BOOT CAMP! I mean who in their right mind would put themselves through such agony?! Only a nurse ... haha.
11. My iPhone should be surgically attached to my hand. ha.
    
12. I do not have a relationship my biological father and I could really care less if we never see each other again. He has in NO WAY made me the woman that I am. I can that my ONE AND ONLY DAD for that! :) He's been there through everything and has encouraged me more than anyone I know. He wants me to be the best I can possibly and won't stop until I get there! :) Best.Dad.Ever!
13. I am an emotional TIME BOMB lately! Between school and life I am overwhelmed. Maybe it's that lack of sleep kicking in?
14. I can't wait to have a baby. Okay, I CAN wait ... just excited! Last semester on the Maternity floor was a BAD idea! Stephen can't wait either. So we are planning to start trying later this year! :) (Moms don't FREAK OUT!! hahahah!)
15. I am terrified of AIRPLANES!! I keep having nightmares every night about being on a plane. There is never a bad outcome but I'm just scared. Any suggestions on how to overcome this?
16. I have way too many shoes (as you can tell by the last post) AND I just ordered another pair! Ha!
    
17. I love cooking for Stephen! It's so rewarding to make him happy! :)
    
18. I am so house-wifey ... even though I'm not there yet I love being home cleaning, cooking, baking. :)
19. I left the country for the first time last May! It was an awesome experience except for the plane ride. It was my first time ever in a plane and I definitely panicked! NOT COOL
20. I cannot go one day without checking facebook. Now if I could only get in the habit of reading ahead every night ... yeah right!
    
21. I change my hair color often! I love change and having a different hair color makes me feel like I'm starting over! :)
    
22. I could very easily buy out Target in one trip. Such an evil store! haha!
    
23. I have 2 tattoos and plan on getting at least one more. I can't wait! :)
24. I get really excited when people ask me about my wedding plans! I love to talk about weddings and I am really considering being a wedding planner on the side! :)
25. Lastly, I CANNOT WAIT TO GRADUATE! It can't come soon enough. There is a little glimmer at the end of the tunnel. I hope this hard work pays off! :)

I'm tagging:
-Lindsey
-Krista
-Lauren

xoxo. Brittany

Ice Ice Baby...

SO clinicals today were canceled due to the ice on the roads. YES! :) I got to sleep in and take a day to relax and do some much needed shopping. It was so nice and I got some super-fab shoes!! :)












TOMORROW starts my first rotation on the ICU and I'm still scared. haha. I hope it's not as bad as I am anticipating! I'll update on my REAL first day tomorrow! :)

BrRrR!!!

It is sooooo cold outside! This Texas weather is just crazy! It's 80* one day and then 28* the next! No wonder I'm so sick!

Tomorrow I start my S1 clinical rotations ... I'm totally completely terrified!
I have 2 days in the Progressive/Stepdown Unit with TWO patients! OMG!
Then I'm on Surgical ICU for 2 days next week; and following that I will be in the Ambulatory Care (starting IVs!!!) and then back to Surgical ICU. THEN I will be heading on to my Mental Health Nursing rotation and I'm MORE SCARED of that! haha! We were taught how to block kicks, punches, and even how to get out of a chokehold. YIKES! Then I do it all over again!
I really hope this semester flies. I'm so stressed and overwhelmed by it all that I can't really enjoy it! I did really well on my first test today so hopefully that means I'm going to be fine! The first and last tests usually get me!

In wedding news: We are going to be deciding on centerpieces for the table this week and then hopefully all we have to do next is get the food ordered, get the invites ordered, and book the honeymoon! :) I'm sure there's a few more minor details left but not anything stressful! :) I got a photographer for my bridals and the wedding/reception and I couldn't be more excited! He's really good and is married to one of my mom's really good friends! :)

I hope all of you are staying warm out there! I might even bring out the hot cocoa again! :) Oh, and BE VERY CAREFUL - The roads are super slick! I'll update tomorrow on my first day in ICU! Pray for me and my patients! haha! Goodnight! -Brittany

Honeeeeeeymoon! :)

I think we've finally got the honeymoon spot chosen! It's absolutely beautiful!

http://www.sandals.com/main/negril/ne-home.cfm

I'm so excited that everything is coming together!
We finally have the pastor confirmed for the ceremony!!!!! My dress is DUNZO! Now still trying to get the bridesmaids dresses, dinner, and decorations figured out.

woohoo! now i'm off to spend my weekend studying for critical care. yay for EKG strips and heart attacks! lol! -B

158 days!!!!!!

I just looked at my countdown and noticed I have 158 days until I marry the man of my dreams! :) YAY! :) Soooo Excited! I love you, Stephen!

Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me

I love this song by the Fray ... and even more I love how it describes a tough time in life ... a total let down and heartache. Not that I am suffering a heartache or anything - but definitely a tough time.

I'm so very ready to be done with school. The stress that accompanies nursing school is sometimes unbearable. Am I always going to question if I am truly meant to be a nurse? I hate feeling like I'm in over my head (no, that's not another Fray song reference-ha!)... I don't like feeling like I am learning absolutely NOTHING! I pay way too much money for my education to feel like a moron. I know my S1 friends can totally relate with me right now. There IS a light at the end of the tunnel - it may very well be a big black train ... or it could be the outside of the tunnel - the REAL world!! I just need to pray for the strength to make it through this very last semester of tedious learning and frontloading; and then lastly NURSING BOARDS EXAM! I know I can do this ... I'm fighting with everything I have to kick this program in the butt and get that diploma I have poured so many tears into for the last year and a half!

This semester is especially rough. I am not very fond of Mental Health Nursing and it's definitely kicking my butt already. I cannot get interested in it ... the disorders I will probably love learning .. but not the history of psychiatry! BORING! Critical Care freaks me out!!! I don't know if it's because I'm still this very timid nursing student and a life and death situation scares me ... or if it's because I'm terrified of killing my critical patient!!! AGGHHH! I don't like EKGs because they are too complex. LOL! Please pray for me as I move through this semester and kick butt so I can walk that stage in DECEMBER!!!! I can't believe it's so close!!! :) I file for graduation and such around march/april so I'm very excited and that's when it will feel REAL! :)

In wedding news:
We booked the reception site. Hughes-Dillard Alumni Center at Baylor and it's beautiful. We ordered both cakes and they are everything I had wanted them to be! :) The flowers are ordered and are absolutely beautiful(thats the bridesmaids bouquet in the picture!)! I finally have my dress back in my possesion after getting it altered! It's GORGEOUS and I can't wait for Stephen to see it! :) We have a few other details to work out but I'll be updating those as we go! As far as the honeymoon - we are looking at Sandals in Jamaica!! WooHOO! :) I'm excited! I think thats about all thats going on in my neck of the woods!! Hope all is well out with all of you!!
xoxo!