It's been a while....

Well, it's been busy. I am so ready for Spring Break, only 11 days! Today is my Teaching Learning day from clinicals, I don't actually have to do anything today because we do our project at a later date, I just get my time back on today. Tomorrow I am going with a Hospice nurse. I think I will really enjoy it, I think I can see myself being a Hospice nurse someday. I have gotten myself into a bad habit of procrastinating and it is starting to catch up with me, which makes me stress. It's not bothering me too much because I am stressing less than I did last semester.

Jack got a haircut on Thursday, I cut William's hair on Saturday and I went and got a haricut yesterday. BIG MISTAKE! I usually go to a place in Centerton that only charges $9, it is called True Colors Salon. I really like it there, but they don't have any stylist in on Sunday, so since it was really the only day I had time to get my haircut I sucked it up and went to Smart Style at Wal-Mart. I asked for a 1 inch trim and I ended up with a bob kinda cut. I will post before and after pictures, it is growing on me, all I had to do was blowdry my hair and it looked great today, though I will be straightening it for sure!

This weekend we are leaving for a quick trip back home to Mississippi. A very close friend of the family passed away on Saturday and the funeral isn't until this Saturday so we will be there for that, plus William has a 10 year reunion meeting. The reunion isn't until July, this is the 2nd meeting already, much more organized than I thought. Then on Sunday morning we will turn right around and come back to Northwest Arkansas in time for will to teach group. I have clinicals on Monday & Tuesday in the OR a test on Wednesday and then we are leaving again on Thursday night to head back to Mississippi to celebrate our niece's 1st birthday. It shold be a fun and eventful 2 weeks!

My cat, I am either going to kill her or give her away, neither of which I really want to do but she is really making me mad. She peed on the carpet AGAIN! Not in the same spot as before, but just beside it so now I think I just going to take all the carpet up in the corner where her litter box is and Kilz that whole corner.




The above are the before pictures that were taken after my last haircut on January 31, the below is my haircut that I got yesterday, so my hair actually was a little longer than in the picture. So you can see why I am a little frazzled over my haircut!

Happy 28th William!

So, What a BIG weekend! Friday night we went to Cold Stone to get William's free birthday ice cream. Saturday I spent the day with my sweet Valentine. We ate dinner at Chick-fila in Bentonville. They had a candle light dinner and provided free ice cream cones. Sunday after church we went to Red Robin because William got a free burger for his birthday. Then at group on Sunday night I suprised William with a chocolate cake from Rick's bakery. Thanks Katie for helping me out! William's grandmother used to make him a chocolate cake every year for his birthday, I usually make him a heart shaped one but since we are trying to lose weight he told me earlier this year he didn't want me to make a cake, so I didn't. So when he saw he cake he was shocked that I did that, and actually suprised him. He is very hard to suprise with anything!

Today I validated trach care, suctioning and wound dressings.

I am including a few pictures from the past few weeks.



William's birthday cake from Rick's

My sweet birthday boy, I can't believe he's 28, he was only 19 when I met him!

Me and my sweet Valentine before our HOT DATE to Chick-fila!

Our niece Lilly

Blood on the first try....

YEAH! I validated IV insertion today and got blood on the first try. I feel so honored because my instructor said that there wasn't a thing that she could tell me to do differently, she said it was perfect! How awesome is that as my first time! :) We also validated inserting a Nasogastric tube on a manikin. I passed both of these.

I do need to prayer, we have our first test on Wednesday and over half of the test is on Fluids and Electrolytes and I am just now starting to study, but I am just now on surgery. Pray for my sanity and that I do well on my test. A 78 is passing!

Lots going on...

I have been so busy since the icr storm, dang storm threw our school schedule way out of wack! The Friday before last we had a Girl's Night Out at Johnny Carino's and went to see "New in Town" at the movies. By the way, it was a GREAT movie!



Girl's night out at Carino's

On Wednesday I attended a scholarship luncheon at school. I got to meet the donors of my scholarship. They were definitly some very nice people!


The Percell's, Lainie & I at the scholarship luncheon
On Thursday we had 2 tests, count it....2! I have never done that before. I didn't think I would do very well. I made a 100 on the calculation assessment and a 88 on the Pharmacology Evaluation. WOW! What a suprise to me!

Yesterday William left to go home for the weekend to visit. His 10 year high school reunion is coming up soon and he attended a planning meeting to get some more info about everything. I finally got to get my crown put on, since it iced last week I couldn't go get it put on, I just pray that my gums feel better soon!

On Monday I have to validate inserting a IV and an NG tube. Not together. I have to start an IV on my partner and she has to do the same too me, we do the NG on a manikin.

I also just found out yesterday that I will be running for Vice President for our local Student Nurse Association at our school. We will be nominated on the meeting this coming Wednesday and will be voted in at the March meeting. I will let you all know how it goes, plus I am going to need to prayer for this!

Ice storm...

No school today, YIPEE!!! We got out of class at 1 yesterday instead of 4 due to the weather already starting. I am glad to have a day off but need to be studying for my pharm eval that we will take on our next day back at school. I have been out and taken quiet a few pictures. So far we still have power but some of my friends that don't live too far are without power or have been without power. The weather is suppose to continue through the day and I think some more in the morning. Who knows, I just hope it doesn't get TOO bad.


This is from the first week of school, William asked me to wash the clothes and he would do the rest, so I did as he asked and this is what it looked like, I can't believe we have so much laundry between the 2 of us for 1 week!

William's desk for the snow/ice day.

The frozen grass in the front yard on Tuesday morning.

Our frozen shrubs, I am glad that i trimmed them down before school started or I would have a mess on my hands.

Our driveway on Tuesday morning.

Happy New Year....

WOW the changes a year can bring!

In January - I got saved and baptized, we started FPU February - William turned 27, March - our first niece was born, April - our sweet little dog Jack turned 1, May - William finished Joshua's Men, we finished FPU, June - I got into Nursing School, July - I turned 23, August - We have been married 4 years and I started nursing school, September - I'm sure something happened I just can't think of it:), October - I got inducted into Gamma Beta Phi, I got a scholarship for school, November - Our crazy cat Rylee turned 2, December - I finished my first nursing course, we started leading our own homegroup, William gets a trophy for winning one of his fantasy leagues(this it a BIG deal).

What a big year! Lots to be Thankful for! I am excited to see all the new things that God presents us with in the next year!

Christmas...

We left a week before Christmas to go back to West Memphis and Mississippi to visit our families. It was very busy! Saturday night we went to the Dunn(my extended family)family Christmas party, Wednesday we spent the day with the Meister(dad's side of the family)family, Wednesday night we opened gifts with the Young(mom's side of the family)family, Thursday morning my mom cooked us a big breakfast, Thursday afternoon we ate lunch with William's family and Thursday evening we spent with the Mangrum family. They are our adopted family! We got up at 5am on Friday morning to go to Wal-Mart so I could get some new LED Christmas lights for our house. Well wal-mart opened at 5 instead of 6, when we got there we realized we could have slept in, there was no one hardly even there, much different from here. Two years ago when I got the lights that we had I got there at 3:30 and was already the 5th person in line and had to run to get my lights. CRAZY! Before we left for this trip we decided that we were going to be staying at our house next year for Christmas, I don't think anyone liked the idea, but we have been married 4 years and haven't spent a Christmas at our own house. We had a GREAT trip, and I am so glad to be back in my own house!

Us at Dunn Christmas Party

My mom, brother, and I at Dunn Christmas Party

My aunt Hope and Kali at Dunn Christmas Party

My daddy and me

My mom and me

My brother and me

My granny and papow on Christmas eve

My mom, brother and me on Christmas eve

The young cousins(2 are missing)

William, Jack and me on Christmas morning

Toddler Toes, Final Grade, HFG Christmas Party...

Lots of stuff to post about.

On Friday, I joined a group of ladies from my church and all of their kiddos to go to a local Nursing home and sing Christmas carols. Here's a picture of the group:

Notice I am the only one that doesn't have a kiddo!

I also took my ATI Assessment on Friday which finished up the semester. I made a 90 in the class. Which in any other grading system would be an A, but in Nursing School it is a B. I am happy with it but a little bit burned at the same time!

On Sunday night our new Home Fellowship Group had their Christmas Party, here is a picture of all of us:

School & A trip to Branson...

I had my 5th test this week and I made a B. So right now I have 2-A's, 2-B's and 1-C. We have out final on Thursday and then our Assessment for the class on Friday. After Friday I will be done for a month and then I start the Spring semester. I need to read my new book for the Spring. We will see how that goes, I am beyond burnt out on school right now.

Yesterday we went to Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO for the first time. We have been to Branson quiet a few times but never really had an interest in going to SDC. I am a Christmas fanatic and we had heard so many good things about the lights at SDC at Christmas so we decided we would go. I love the lights! I can't say I was thrilled with the rides. I thought there would be more rides, that's ok though. We will give it another try once it's warmer outside.


Us at SDC



The Entrance to the park


Before the lighting

After the lighting

SNOW!!!

Today we got our first snow of the season! I am so excited. It wasn't cold enough to stick but none the less it was pretty.

I have my last offical class day on Wednesday of this week for a review day for our final. We have test 5 on Friday and then our final exam on the following Thursday and Friday. I can't believe I am almost done with my first class. I do love school, it just really makes this time of year tough, with me not working. It just seems like every year it's something new to make it even harder. I am just a little bored, William sits in the office and watches football or plays on the computer and starting tomorrow I feel like I am not dedicated to my school work if I am not studying for my tests. There's not a whole lot to do, no money, house is clean, no family close. Just alot of things all coming together or falling apart all at once.


William in the snow.

The horses playing in the snow.

Icicles on the Christmas lights.

Not much snow, but enough!

Thanksgiving...

My mom, brother and his girlfriend arrived from West Memphis on Wednesday night for Thanksgiving. Thursday morning William started the Turkey and I cooked all the other dishes. Sometime during the morning while we were cooking lunch someone drove by ans threw a bottle of baby food through my moms passenger window on her car. Thursday afternoon we all headed out to Bella Vista to go for a hike at Tanyard Creek. After, the hike we went down to Fayetteville to see Lights of the Ozarks. Friday we went and got the window fixed on my moms car, got a really good deal on a Christmas present for William and colored my hair RED.

Us at Tanyard Creek



Me at Lights of the Ozarks.

My new RED hair.

Clincials are over!

Yesterday was our last day in the hospital for clincials this semester. Today we finished up by each of us giving our clincials presentation. Nothing big, 10-15 min. in length about on of the patients we had this semester. I did mine on Small Bowel Obstruction. I am including a picture of my clincial group at the end of this. I have thoroughly enjoyed this semester, it has been a huge learning experience and alot of fun! At times, not so good but I can look back now and see how much fun it was!

On Wednesday I started getting what I thought was the flu, I was very achy. Thursday I woke up with a runny now and felt just as bad. Since it was the last day of lecture for this semester, I went ahead and went to class. I took my box of kleenex & the bottle of TheraFlu so I could survive. Well, on Thursday night when I was home I started getting chilled with a fever. I ended having a 99.9 temp. I took some medicine and headed to bed. I woke up Friday morning a little better but really getting worse overall. I woke up with a horrible sore throat, coughing & more snot than I cared to ever have!!! I have been through 2 full boxes of 60 kleenex per box and I am working on my next one! Saturday morning I woke up for clincials and had no voice! I took my medicine and headed off to clincials since it was the last day I really couldn't miss unless I had had a fever in the past 24 hours. Saturday afternoon, I took a nap and just seemed that no matter what it wasn't getting any better no matter what I did so I got William to take me to Well Quest at 6:30. Well, the Dr. told me I have a horrible sinus infection, he gave me a antibiotic-ZPac, a decongestant-Ala-Hist D, a steroid nose spray-Flonase, & a steroid shop IN MY REAR! Boy did that hurt! Well I slept wonderfully! I even came home today from our clincial presentation and cleaned my entire kitchen and living room. All I have left are the3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. I still have a little cough and a runny nose, but I can't complain too much. I'm gonna take some Nyquil before bed tonight to make sure I do sleep good so I can finish cleaning before my mom and brother gets here on Wednesday. Anyways, enough rambling about how sick I have been!

I found out today that I made a 94 or 97 on my Pharmacology Evaluation from Thursday, either way they are both A's. Our instructor also told us that everyone in our clincials groups passed clincials, YEAH!



Back row from Left to Right, Mrs. Verwey(our instructor), Sally Albright(my 2nd mother), Amy Warren(my bestest Christian friend in class), Sky Shabatura; Front row from Left to Right, Sherine Raines, Me, Audrey Shenkyl. They have become my little family away from home!

School!

I don't even know where to begin....This has been a very weird week for me. Lots of feelings or confusion and discouragement in my self about school, not really sure why or what even caused me to start thinking about it. Oh well, another valley worked through in the big journey of going through school! This past Thursday in class our teacher had us do this class activity on self-concept. She gave us a piece of yellow card stock and each person taped it to there back and was supposed to have atleast 10 of our classmates write something positive about us on this paper. I am attaching mine at the bottom. Somethings that is very hard to realize, one day I will have as much confidence in myself as others think I have in myself(if that makes any since)! We just finished our 5th week of clinicals, only 1 more week to go, our last day of class is on this Thursday and we are in the hospital on Saturday and that is our last day for this semester. Sunday we get to have breakfast at our teachers house and do a little teaching session to some of our clinical classmates about one of our patients. I am doing mine on small bowel obstruction, how exciting!:) On Friday I decided to put up our Christmas lights on the house, instead of studying for my Pharmacology Evaluation. This time I didn't have to climb on the roof or call the fire department, HOW EXCITING!:) After Christmas last year William bought me this poll extender to help with the lights on the front part of the house and it helped tremendously. I didn't even have to climb on the ladder to get them up. We took our family Christmas pictures yesterday, I haven't gotten them back yet but as soon as I do I will post some of them on here, I think they are going to be beautiful!

a door closes as another opens...

I just finished my 4th weekend of clinicals and I am really enjoying all of the people I am getting to meet and the experience that I am getting to have, it is alot of fun, alot of work too! We have several big assignments during this clinical rotation, and I am excited because I have completed 2 of the 4! I only have one thing left to do on one of the others and they last one I have to prepare a small seminar about one of my patients to present to my clinical group on the last day of clinicals. We have 4 days of class left, 4 days of clincials, 1 test review day, test 5, a final exam & our standardized test that covers the entire class. I know that seems like alot but it really isn't that much!

A week or so ago William & I were presented with a opportunity to step-up and lead a home fellowship group/connection group. We accepted and yesterday was a last week with our group that we have been with for 3 1/2 years. It is sad! I am excited about the new opportunity though! We are going to be a part of what was the Cole/Weddle HFG, now it will be the Lewallen/Weddle HFG. It will definitly be an adjustment, one of the ladies that is in this group taught at the high school I went to my senior year, so that tells ya how diverse this group it, this will also be the first time that I am not the baby of the group. Just keep us in yours prayers as we start our new journey beginning next Sunday. I am excited about growing my relationship with God as well as leading others & guiding them towards our heavenly father as well. Since last night was our last time at our old group the leaders got us this lovely cookie cake that said "We will miss you William & Casey". God has differnt plans for us! We will definitly miss being a part of the Knoble/Daspit HFG. Here's a picture of the cookie cake they got us, it was the first time I had had one and it was delicious!

What a week!

It's been a big week! We only had one day of class last week and it was an all day class, then after that I had to go to the Hammons Center in Rogers for the Arkanas Student Nurse Association Annual Convention. I was a alternate delegate for our school. I had a blast, I didn't get to vote on any by-law changes or any of the new officers but the experience will last a liftime. On Thursday & Friday we were at Convention all day again. Saturday & Sunday I was in my 2nd weekend of clinicals, only 4 more weekends for this semester. I really enjoyed this weekend. I felt like I did so much, my patients family was very appreciate of the care that I provided and it made me feel very successful. Now if I can just be successful in my test on Thursday I will feel just that much better! We are suppose to be getting our average for our previous test after this one, so I can see where I am at. On Saturday night we went to the Ole Miss vs. Arkansas game. What a blast! We walked 2 miles to the stadium and 2 miles back, and I have blister on both of my pinky toes, but none the less it was a BLAST! Here are a few pictures from the game. A guy William used to work with gave us his tickets and the were in the East Outdoor Club level, and it was AWESOME! There was an elevator, seats that had backs to them, it was covered and we got to go in the indoor club level and have some great bbq during the half time.





Here's a picture of a bunch of us from convention: