Happy 25th Birthday, Brian

Today is Brian's 25th Birthday!! We went for a little hike in the hills of Orange/Anaheim
and then after church there was a surprise party for him. A couple of his friends wanted to throw one for him, so I helped make an evite and get him there. It was rather hard getting him there because he is so clever, but he was surprised, so that's good. The theme was "boy bands", so I made a shirt for my costume
and the whole night there were NSync, Backstreet boys, LFO and other boy band songs playing. We had a good time that night - thank you to all those who were able to celebrate with us! :)

Christmas Pics

Just a couple pictures from Christmas that I thought I would share:

Me with my mom and sister

Sisterly Love

...and Brian & Me

6 Months to go!!!

Six months from today, Brian and I will be getting married!! It is soooo exciting, but I can really feel the stress building up. Since I put a lot of wedding planning on hold until the semester and holidays were over, I am starting to get serious with it now, but have very little time before school starts back up again. So, every day of break right now is a busy one - trying to check things off the long list (not all wedding planning stuff though). I can't believe we only have 6 more months to go - it is going to FLY BY!!!

Flu Shots

So as I have mentioned before, I am a volunteer for the OC Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). I signed up to help give flu shots at the OC Health Care Agency on Monday and I really enjoyed it. I was one of 6 volunteer vaccinators for the seasonal flu, and there were 4 vaccinators for the H1N1 that were hired to work from an agency. Most of the people that came in were there for the H1N1, so we were pretty slow. I think I gave about 50 shots all day and then 7 flumists (in the nose)...and I was there for 9 hours (1 hr lunch)! Oh, and I was the youngest vaccinator there. We must have given about 300+ seasonal flu shots and there must have been almost 1000 there for H1N1. There was almost always a line of 15+ people for H1N1.

Whenever I did not have a patient, which was quite often, I would prepare/draw up more shots, label vaccination cards to give patients, or chat with the nurse sitting at the table in front of me. Her name was Pam and she is an oncology nurse (pretty neat since I have been working in Oncology). She also grew up on the East Coast, so we talked a little about that too. I felt really comfortable asking her questions and I really enjoyed talking to her (but I also had fun with some of the other nurses too - especially the ones who stayed till the very end with me because Pam and 1 other vaccinator left after lunch). I feel like Pam and I talked about so many different things, which was great and she was so sweet - having her there made me more comfortable and my experience more rewarding.

Many patients would make comments about us being bored, but even though it was a little boring at times, I thoroughly enjoyed it! I loved the conversations with people, even if they were pretty brief. I was happy to be able to volunteer my time to help do that and it was a really good experience. I definitely feel great at IM shots, but the screening part is where I get confused. About a month ago, I also volunteered to give flu shots at a school, through the MRC, but when I got there they had me help a nurse screen the patients beforehand and later I helped draw up medications (I think we vaccinated over 1500 people that day!). The screening is so confusing because we have to ask if they have received any vaccines lately and/or in the past, if they have any allergies/asthma (especially if allergic to eggs), if pregnant, any medical conditions, etc. Then, people between the ages of 2-49 can get the flumist if they want it, pregnant women have to have a special vaccine, over age 65 may not need H1N1, children have to come back for a second dose (depending on age), etc. You can probably see how this can get overwhelming! I have definitely learned a lot from it all and, like I said, it has been a great experience. I enjoyed it so much that I might sign up for another shift next week. :)

For my nursing friends out there - if you live in OC, you should join the MRC too!! Maybe we can sign up for events like this together! :D http://www.ochealthinfo.com/mrc/

The Purpose of Christmas

This month I have been reading The Purpose of Christmas by Rick Warren. It is the perfect way to prepare for the birth of Jesus. It's a really easy, short read and the "chapters" are really short - a perfect book to read right before bedtime.

There were a few good quotes that I wanted to share with you - just little reminders. :)

I don't know what difficulty you feel you're drowning in right now or where the heat is on in your life, but I do know that whatever it is, God knows about it, cares about it, understands it, and is going through it with you. You're not alone.

God is waiting to save you. He wants to save you from sin and self, save you for his purpose, and save you by his grace, through faith. But you've got to relax, quit trying to save yourself, let go, and trust your savior to do it for you.

It is astounding that so many people have celebrated Christmas every year of their lives without ever having opened their greatest and most expensive Christmas gift. Jesus Christ is God's Christmas gift to you.

Have a very Merry Christmas, remembering the true meaning of this blessed holiday!

Re: Manuscript Submitted!

Well, I found out last night that Women's Health Issues Journal will not even review my manuscript. Dr. Rutledge said that she has never heard or experienced this. She has had manuscripts need revisions in order to be accepted, but apparently they wouldn't even review our, perhaps due to the type of study we did. So, now we are looking at other journals to submit to and then revise the manuscript as needed. I will keep you updated!

Manuscript Submitted!

I just got home from meeting with my teacher, Dr. Rutledge. Today we submitted my/our manuscript to Women's Health Issues Journal and so now we wait to see whether it is approved or not or if it needs revising. I am guessing it will be a few months, especially with the holidays, but I will be keeping you posted. It's so very exciting to have this done!

So, the question is: Do I want my current name or my soon-to-be married name on the article? It would be nice to have something under the Kengen name, but it would also be nice to have Traska in case I publish in the future (then everything will be under the same name). Any suggestions? :)

Oh by the way, in case you don't know what my manuscript is on - I worked with some faculty at CSUF on a qualitative descriptive study on Fibromyalgia symptom management. We conducted an interview with 8 women with FM and they shared the various ways that they cope with their condition. It was very interesting and I learned a lot!!

Fun Fact - My Future Pet

My dream dog is a Greyhound and I cannot wait to have my little (haha) companion to walk.

Purina Friend Fetcher - a cute website to help you find the perfect pet. :) http://www.petcentric.com/fun-games/friend-fetcher.aspx?DCMP=EMC-PETC-PETC-MarthaNov09_1&HQS=copy

Graduation Countdown

Now that we know when graduation day is, I had to add another countdown because this is definitely a huge event. Brian will be graduating on May 9 (Mother's Day) with his Master's in Theology and I graduate on May 23. SOOOO Exciting! :)


MySpace-Countdowns

Fun Fact - About Me!

In case you didn't know, I love puzzles! Ever since I was a kid I have enjoyed doing jigsaw puzzles and I still try to do one whenever I get some time off from school. I also love doing word searches, word scrambles, and more recently, crossword puzzles (I used to think these were impossible to finish...even though I still have to look up answers in the back - haha). My grandma gave me a crossword puzzle book on thanksgiving and it was fun working on a couple with the family (it definitely helps having other brains involved!). And I have found myself puzzling instead of turning on the TV lately, so that's a good thing I guess, but I need to probably put the book down until I finish this semester. When we went to Europe in 2006, my dad bought me a puzzle magazine at the airport in Newark, NJ and it kept me busy the entire time, especially on the long flights! Fun stuff. Anyway, I just wanted to share a little bit about me that you may not have known. :)

In case you also like puzzles, I created a little word scramble about me! Post your answers in the comments section and I will let you know how you did. :)

lcthicoa
ninugsr
neaeggd
hlatyeh etare
gtwniri epspar
sbytartebi

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for so many things, but most importantly I am thankful for my faith in God because He gets me through everything. Although I thank God daily for these things, I want to specifically thank Him in writing on this special day. So, thank you, God, for my family, friends, health, food and shelter, education, and every blessing you have bestowed upon me (the list could go on forever!). I give thanks for Brian because he stands by my side every step of the way. I am also very thankful that I got my RN license this year and to be almost done with school, since my nursing journey has been long and arduous, but also full of blessings and wonderful memories. In addition, I want to say a special prayer today for those who are alone, hungry, sick, cold, and/or suffering in any way.

Even though today is Thanksgiving, we should be thankful for all the blessings in our lives throughout the entire year. It can sometimes be a struggle to give thanks, especially for the littlest things or during times of stress or anger, but when you do, I feel it really helps brighten your spirits and makes you realize that you have SO much to be thankful for. I am definitely going to try to be more thankful for simple things that can often go unnoticed.

I hope each of you has a wonderful Thanksgiving, surrounded by the love of family and friends.

Christmas Already?!

So, I was driving down my street tonight and almost our entire street has their Christmas lights up already! I couldn't even believe it! It is November 21...not even thanksgiving yet! (Our house is one of the few without them). If you have never driven by East Lake during Christmastime, you should definitely stop by this December. It is beautiful to see all the lights - in both the front and back of houses. Its a mile around the lake, so bring a loved one and take a nice walk around the lake and enjoy the spirit of Christmas and wonderful chilly weather. :)

Halloween '09

We went to our friends' 2nd annual halloween pumpkin carving party and we won again (although this year there was not much competition). Here is last years pumpkin:
It was a ghost with the words "Boo" - hand carved/freehand...no stencil or outlining (I looked a picture though). And this was this year's pumpkin:
This one is a moon with a bat in front. This one was a lot easier and I think it turned out better than last years. Brian usually takes care of the carving the top and cleaning out the pumpkin and I carve...I love to carve pumpkins!

On Saturday night we went to another friend's housewarming halloween party. Since I was kind of babysitting that weekend (two teenagers, like family to me), I wasn't sure how much time I was going to have at the party - they were at a friends house going trick or treating - so, I didn't want to work too hard on a costume. So, the cheapest and easiest thing for us was to go as ourselves...in 5 years...a nurse and a college professor:
We hope you had a fun Halloween!!

Update

Wow! I cannot even believe it is November already! Where has the time gone? I am sorry it has been so long since my last post, but here is an update for you:

• School is good - things have calmed down a little, but it is still keeping me busy. I registered yesterday for my last semester!! I can't even believe I only have one more to go! Sooooo exciting! I am really glad that I stayed full time in our program - out of the 65 students who started with me in August of 2007, only about 15 are due to graduate in May!! Crazy! A lot of people started working in January and some are still taking classes part time. I just know it is going to be one heck of a celebration when this is all over in May (hoping I pass all my classes, of course). :) Oh, and my externship is going great! I really love my nurse, Kelly, and I am learning so much! I feel this is such a great transition for me and it is really helping to prepare me for when I get my first official RN job. I am getting used to the nights as much as possible, although some weeks I get very little sleep (mostly from all the assignments and other things going on) - that plus the constant stress do seem to be taking a toll on my body sometimes.
  
• Brian is also due to graduate with his master's from LMU in May and right now he is working on his applications for PhD programs. As many of you probably know, he is looking at schools in Chicago, Boston, New York, ...and other East Coast schools. So, we are preparing ourselves to move around August of next year, but we won't really know until probably March or so. He is applying to very competitive schools, so we will see where he gets accepted and who has the best offers. I am getting excited about moving - some days I wish I was moving now!! I need a break from OC I think...
  
• As for wedding planning, we have most of the big stuff done. We decided on a caterer at the end of September and we are excited about who we went with. We also finally met with our florist and are still deciding on bridesmaid dresses. We feel really good about everything and where we are at now. :) Oh, and the honeymoon is pretty much booked - flights, hotels, etc. We are flying into Barcelona, then going to Lourdes, France, and then to Italy! We are SO excited!!
• As for my family, everyone is doing really well. October events:
  --We celebrated my mom's birthday by having a picnic at Irvine park. We had sandwiches, played games, went to the zoo, and had a potato sack race. It was a lot of fun - brought back some childhood memories!
  --My sister and her family moved into a condo right around the corner from her old apartment and it is really cute. By the time I went to check it out (about 2 weeks later), it looked as though they had been living there for months...or even years! They (Luis) had painted the entire house (many different colors) and everything was in place. I was impressed!! Here is a pic of me and my sis:
  --My dad's birthday is on Halloween, but we celebrated a week early at my sister's new place. We had dinner (Luis' yummy enchiladas) and played some Wii together, which was fun!!
• Over summer, I signed up for a little side job - it was mostly in case my externship didn't work out, but I decided to try and do it even with my current school load (of 16 grad units!). I am doing obesity assessments in kids. I work with registered dieticians and we go to preschools, elementary, middle and high schools to assess kids for obesity. We measure height, weight, blood pressure, waist circumference, and sometimes there is a doctor there to do physical assessments. The doctor may decide they need a referral to their primary care physician or they will be referred if they are overweight or have a high BMI. I wasn't scheduled much for September and October, but I really enjoyed the experience doing it! I never went to a high school - I think the oldest class I did was 6th grade - most of the kids I assessed were preschoolers. This program is through St. Joseph's and during Nov-Dec, the RDs go and teach the kids about healthy foods and habits and then we go back in Jan-Feb to assess the kids again. Then the next couple months I think they do kickboxing or some fun activity and then in May-June we go and do our final assessments. I just got my first paycheck yesterday, which was so exciting. Although it wasn't much (especially since taxes weren't taken out and they don't pay for gas), I still am happy to have a little job...something I can add to my resume!
• Since I am not busy enough (haha!!!), I am a volunteer for the Orange County Medical Reserve Corps and I have been signing up to give flu shots/nasal sprays (seasonal and H1N1) at schools and clinics...but I haven't done any yet, since the shipments haven't come in. But this Saturday I will be giving them. More experience!
• In addition, I have been taking any other side jobs that I can. I have had the opportunity to watch an elderly woman and help prepare her meals. She is so sweet! It is nice because I am able to get some schoolwork done when I am there too. I am still babysitting whenever I can and of course housesitting as much as possible. These little jobs help me pay my tuition (which went up a lot recently) :( , so I am thankful to still be able to do these!

I know this was a long update...and long overdue, but I am glad that I finally had time to post something. I hope you are all doing well!

Fun Video

Sorry this link hasn't been working. I will have to try it again. It was such a fun video!

Just had to make this! :) Click the link below...
MorphYourself

Shared via AddThis

6 Wonderful Years!!

Today is my 6 year dating anniversary with Brian! :D To celebrate, we had our first food and cake tasting for a potential wedding caterer. The food was absolutely amazing and the people were soooo nice. It was fun to have a fancy dinner for free and we left stuffed!
Although this picture was not taken today, it is a recent picture of us. This was taken on my birthday when we went for a day out on my dad's boat. I used my new camera that Brian and my nursing school friends got me - I love it!! :) Thank you to all those who contributed - it truly meant a lot to me!!

Re: 1st Night Shift

Well, I think I have finally recovered from my 1st night shift, but it did take a few days. I wanted to let you know that it went very well and I had a great experience - this whole externship will be a wonderful experience! I really like my preceptor, Kelly; she is really nice and always willing to teach. I told her at the beginning of my shift that I wanted to just observe to just get the feel for things again, but before I knew it, I was giving meds, charting, taking vital signs, etc. So, I think my instinct just took over and I jumped right in, which was good and I am glad I did! Being there and doing so much really helped regain my confidence in myself. I actually like the night shift a lot since it is so calm (without a lot of family, doctors, therapists, etc constantly in the room), but I just need to work on figuring out my sleeping schedule a little more. Anyway, it was a good night and I am looking forward to the next shift on Tuesday. :)

1st Night Shift

Sorry it has been so long since my last post! Since then, I finished summer session and started my fall semester and I turned 26 (and got a new camera!). Other than that, not much is new. I am doing an internship (we call it an externship) this semester at St. Jude in the oncology unit. Tonight is my first night shift ever and I am looking forward to it (although my body is a little thrown off). It is a class that we get credit for and it is an unpaid position (I will be working with a nurse), but I am just excited to get back in the hospital since I haven't had clinical since early December! I will let you all know how tonight goes!! :)

Marriage Prep

We "graduated" from our "Marriage in the Lord" workshops that we have been attending every Tuesday night during July. Brian and I LOVED these classes and are sad that they are over already. We are looking forward to attending retreats or workshops like these in the future. They really spark up a whole new/deeper level of communication and really brought the two of us even closer together. We had the largest small group and had a lot of similarities among each other. One girl is in nursing school (a LVN to RN program) and her and another girl both have Dutch fathers, just like me! :) And our moderator couple goes to San Antonio too. All in all, it was really neat hearing from/about other Catholic couples; for instance, I enjoyed hearing about what traditions their families have had and what they would like to keep/start with their new family. These classes were very beneficial and I think all couples preparing for marriage should go through something like this!!

Help Fight Hunger #2

I love going to thehungersite.com and taking about 10 seconds to help others just by clicking each of the "click here to give" under each tab (hunger, breast cancer, child health, literacy, rainforest, and animal rescue). I encourage you to try to click daily - it only takes a few seconds out of your day.

Another great site is http://bhookh.com/, which will donate a cup of staple food to a chronically hungry Indian.

Gordie Brown

I received the pictures from Kimi's camera, which had most of the pictures from our Vegas trip, so I thought I would post this one from when we went to the Gordie Brown show.
He is really talented (comedian, musician, artist) and we had a blast, especially since Kimi was the highlight of his show! We were able to go backstage and meet him, which was so cool, but we did feel a little weird about it too. Anyway, this was the picture we took with him.

Where did July go!?

Wow, I can't believe today is July 22! I noticed that I haven't posted much in a while, so I thought I would write a short update.

• School is school and it is crazy busy as usual. I cannot even wait for this semester to end, but after registering for the fall semester, I am not looking forward to starting that. I am looking forward to my externship in the fall though, which will be at St. Jude's. :)
  
• I went to Vegas over the weekend with a few girlfriends which was loads of fun. (Kimi turned 21 earlier this month). It was soooo nice to get away for the weekend and relax and have a good time. I'm not a big gambler, but I played some slots and won a whopping $7! :) Hey, it's better than losing, right?
  
• I'm currently housesitting 2 puppies in Anaheim Hills (till tomorrow). The family has only had them for about 2 weeks, so I have found myself spending much of my time training and cleaning up after them. It is not fun to come home to some nice "puppy presents" everytime I leave and I sware the 2 of them team up on me on purpose. Anyway, they are really cute dogs and I have enjoyed having my own place for the week. :) I will try to attach a picture soon.
  
• My dad was in the hospital for a few days for a bowel obstruction, but he went home this afternoon. I visited him a couple times and realized how much I would probably hate to have him as a patient! He actually told the student nurse that she could not take out his NG tube and that he had seen a little too much of her! Poor girl! I probably would have cried. :P Glad he is home though.
  
• Lastly, my grandfather was diagnosed with stage 1 prostate cancer. He is turning 81 on Sunday and as of right now, he will not be getting any surgery or treatments because of his age. Please keep him and my grandmother in your prayers.

I think that is really all that's new. Also, please keep my friend Tiffany in your prayers - she lost her husband today.

Reception Site

Today Brian and I booked our reception site. It was very exciting for us and we are very happy about it. After much searching, we are glad we found the perfect place that represents both of us (although, this was the first place we looked at). I can't wait to celebrate our big day at the Fullerton Arboretum.

Help Fight Hunger

About a year ago, a friend of mine from school told me about this site. It's a fun way to help fight hunger around the world!! Check it out...and have fun! (Warning - it can easily become addicting) :)

Housesitting in Ladera Ranch

I just realized that I haven't really posted anything for a month! Sorry about that, although there really isn't much to update you on.

I'm in week 4 of summer school and it is keeping me busy, as usual. We are starting our "thesis project" this semester and I will be doing mine on Fibromyalgia symptom management. I am looking forward to it, but I know it is going to be a lot of work. However, it will all pay off in the end right? Less than a year until I graduate...and almost a year until our wedding!

Speaking of wedding...we are in the process of finding our reception site. It has already been fun checking out a few places with Brian, but we have several more to go. Other than that, not much else is going on. We start our marriage classes in July (every Tues night for 4 weeks). We are looking forward to going.

Right now I am housesitting for my sister in Ladera Ranch. Lily, my sister's dog, is one of Sade's puppies from her 2nd litter and she is very close to me. She is so cute and such a sweetheart (minus the 3 am wake up barking and potty trip this morning). Also living in my sister's apartment is her cat Shadow, hamster Lionel, and fish. Brian has been hanging out with me here and it has been sort of a little vacation for us (obviously not really since we are working on school stuff constantly). We watched "Taken" Monday night and last night watched "Doubt" - both were great movies. Oh, today and yesterday I took care of my other Ladera pet buddies. I walked from my sister's to the house where Max and Rose are and hung out, walked, and fed them. It is so nice being able to walk somewhere! I also walked to the grocery store and probably will run to the gym sometime soon too. Everything is pretty close by. I will be here until Sunday morning and I am looking forward to having my "own place" for a few more days.

Traska Wedding #1

Last Saturday, June 20, was Brian's older brother Paul's wedding (I've known Paul since 9th grade, when we started Confirmation classes). It was a beautiful wedding and we are so happy for Paul and Jenny! Brian was the best man and he gave an excellent speech. My camera wasn't being very nice during the ceremony, but I got a few nice pictures (below). You can also see more at http://picasaweb.google.com/tkengen/TraskaWedding2009?feat=directlink

The start of the wedding ceremony

The wedding party

The parents of the groom (or should I say my future in-laws :))

Brian and me with Matt and Emily

Paul and Jenny visiting our table

Wedding Gown

Well, Brian and I haven't really done much wedding planning yet due to the busy-ness of school, but now that it is summer, we are hoping to move more quickly on things. To start this summer off, I went and bought/ordered my wedding gown on Friday. That is of course very exciting and I can't wait for you all to see it! I LOVE it! :)

Another Semester DONE!

Well, I took my last final last night...it was pretty hard, but I am glad it is over. I am just so glad that I survived my first semester of grad school - it was looking a little scary at the beginning. It feels soooo nice to have a few days off!! Summer school doesn't look like it will be any easier though. :( I start summer session the week of June 1, so I am planning on catching up with friends and relaxing a lot over the next week and a half. :) I think I will try to work on a cross-stitch and catch up on my magazine reading. haha. :)

A huge thank you to all those people that helped me get through the semester - for proof reading, offering words of encouragement, and being there when I needed to vent. :)

Health Promotion

I came across this website and just had to share it because I thought it was really cool. Since we have been studying, performing, and teaching breast exams this semester, I thought it was very fitting to mention it here as well. So, make sure you are feeling your boobies!!!

I can't believe it!

I went to visit my mom for Mother's day and I couldn't believe how much my brother has grown in the past couple weeks/months! I mean it hasn't been that long since I last saw him, but he just shot up!
He is now as tall as me...at age 13! He will be 14 in about 6 weeks and he is starting high school soon - he has already started wrestling (and his shoes are a size 12!). Absolutely crazy! So the question is, will he be taller than Brian? :)

My 1st RN "job"

Friday morning I received a call from Dee Dee who was going to be the Confirmation 2 Retreat nurse, but she was feeling ill and ended up needing to be home with her kids for the weekend. So, she asked me if I wanted to do it. I did not think that it was just a coincidence that I had no assignments due over the weekend and I was feeling very called to do it. After thinking about it all day, I decided to go. Dee Dee was preparing me on what to do and expect, but she started freaking me out with all her stories, but I remained prayerful. While I was babysitting, but once all 4 kids went to bed, I looked up some med information for the teens' prescriptions and then left at 10:30 pm, picked up Brian and we headed up to Running Springs (arriving at 1 am).

It was a lot of fun being on the retreat this weekend, but at the same time, so strange being there in a different role (and also only knowing a couple dozen familiar faces). It was a wonderful experience and I am very thankful that nothing bad happened. Nothing occurred that a little advil, benadryl, pepto-bismal, or a band-aid couldn't handle. :) I was really scared to be there working as an independent nurse for the first time, but I knew God was there with me (and also Brian). I definitely think this experience has increased my nursing self-confidence and I look forward to using my skills to help like this in the future.

I included a couple fun pictures from today, hanging out with Jon and Megan. We missed our photographer, Dick, though...

Max vs. Rose

Well, I am not housesitting anymore, but I said I would post a picture of the mastiff and lab together so that you can compare sizes. So...here is Max and Rose. Both of them are soooo sweet!

Relaxin'

Well, it's spring break for me right now and I am thoroughly enjoying the extra time! I am still housesitting in Ladera, so I have been making good use of their Wii while I am still here. :) I love that thing and am actually thankful I don't own one because I would spend WAY too much time on it. :P I am in love with Wii Fit and this Endless Ocean game. (It's a diving game and is basically so realistic that I never need to go diving...I actually get scared in this game (so silly, I know), especially when there are sharks in front of me or nothing but black deep waters - lol). Anyway, I can't believe spring break is half over now, but it has been so nice catching up on some zzzzz's and lounging around watching TV and movies (like The Little Mermaid or Must Love Dogs). Well, that's all for now...better go do some more relaxin'. 

Meet Max

This is my housesitting buddy, Max. He's a mastiff...and he is extremely large! I don't think it even shows up that great in these pictures, but it was just to give you an idea. 

These pics were taken around Christmas time. The family also has a yellow lab, so I will try to add a pic of the mastiff and the lab together, because that helps compare the sizes. 

I feel like a celebrity or something when I walk this dog - every car slows down to see him, people stop to say hi, pet him, etc. It's pretty crazy. He is such a sweetheart though...I can see why they are known as "Gentle Giants." I am looking forward to hanging out with Max and Rose (the lab) for a few weeks! 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Well, I noticed that it has been a month since my last post, so I thought I should write something. I really don't have much to say except that school is still crazy! Schoolwork is really all that I have been doing these days. We are at the half way point in the semester!!! Very exciting...and I am really looking forward to our Spring Break in a couple weeks!

Since it is St. Patrick's Day, I thought I would add an excerpt from St. Patrick's "breastplate" prayer:

I bind unto myself today
The power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, His might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need.
The wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, his shield to ward,
The word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard.

I love what this prayer says and should probably read it everyday! I hope you enjoyed reading it too. :)

Hanging in there

Well, as much as I hate school right now, it is definitely nice not knowing I'm alone. I got an email from a classmate today saying "I hate school right now, and I'm kinda wishing I was working instead!" Another classmate has her gmail message as "Hating School!" I think all of us in this right now hate it and are totally overwhelmed, but I have to say that I am so thankful for all the support of my friends. I seriously couldn't do it with out them/you! :) I think grad school is one of the hardest, most challenging things that I have done so far. I just can't wait to see how it all works out and what God has planned for me. For now, I will continue hanging in there!

Engagement Pictures

Well, I am housesitting today in Ladera Ranch - the mastiff and lab. It's nice having a quiet place to work on schoolwork. Anyway, I am on my laptop and realized that I finally can post a couple pics from our engagement photo shoot. :) So, here's a glimpse...

I don't want to show you too many, so just these 2 to "chew" on. :) By the way, these were taken at Oak Canyon Nature Center in Anaheim Hills, a place where Brian and I often hike/walk to. And we took these on February 1 - Super Bowl Sunday.

Our Engagement Party

Friday, February 6 was our Engagement party at Pam's house.
It was so much fun and a very memorable evening.
We really enjoyed having all our family and church friends join us to celebrate our engagement.

Some of my bridal party

Best Man & Maid of Honor

Finally a Registered Nurse

This morning I woke up to dogs barking at around 7 am. As I was about to go back to sleep, I was praying that I would find out today if I passed the NCLEX. So, I picked up my phone to call Brian to say good morning and I had a text from Meagan telling me to check because our transcripts were finally filed. So I did and there it was - my name with a RN license number! SO EXCITING! I couldn't believe my eyes...I was shaking...and I called Brian right away and he screamed! Haha!! I just can't even believe this day has finally come. Thank you, God.