For those who have been following my journey through nursing school, I am officially finished. I received word yesterday that I passed my NCLEX (licensing boards) and am now waiting for the Board of Nursing (BON) to agree with the results, post it on their website, and send me a hard copy.
It has been an incredible journey. For those that cheered me on, Thank you. Your support meant everything to me. For the haters (yes, I had a few lol) Thank you too, for giving me an example of what I didn't want to be ;).
My biggest thanks however goes to my husband & children. Without them I would not have had the impetus to begin, much less finish. You provided me an office, sanity, and laughter. All things I didn't realize I needed to get through this journey.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Bucket list possibilities
This morning I was perusing fellow Blogger Charlie Grosso's page Spy Travelogue that details her 10,000 mile journey across Europe & Asia for the Mongol Rally and it hit me. I should let Kyle know about this. This sounds like a lot of fun.
For the origins and a run down of what it entails you can read the wiki on it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongol_Rally. Now that the info part is over (yes, I expect you to be curious about what it entails), I'll tell you why this sounds like fun.
I've mentioned before that both of us tend to be gearheads. Cars are our thing. Case in point, the Miata. Yes the car was bought for me to drive back & forth to school, but it was Kyle who found a Miata club (http://musiccitymiataclub.com/) for us to really enjoy the car. We've been all over the place with this club and seen many awesome things including the Biltmore, the Decatur, AL hot air balloonfest, Dallas, TX 20 yr Miata Anniversary party, and Sewanee College of the South to name a few. For a while there we had a custody agreement over the car. I drove it during the week to school & he drove it on the weekends for club events...it's worked out well.
So when I told him about the Mongol Rally, you could see the wheels turning in his head. "We should do that, as sort of a bucket list thing". What better way to really & truly experience a country (or countries as the case may be) than to drive through them?
Granted, this will be a few years down the road when I can make enough money for the entry fees & travel, and the kids more than likely will be out of the house. But, it sounds like a blast. International travel, cars, and charity. Can't wait to get to that point in our lives.
So with all that being said here are a few more of our bucket list items:
1. Kyle really really wants to drive on the Ice Roads.
2. I want to live & work in Europe for at least a year.
3. We want to build a Monster Miata
What are some of your bucket list possibilities?
Monday, June 18, 2012
Time to catch up!
Oh my... where to start.
It has been 2+ very busy months since last posted on here. I have officially graduated and am now waiting to take my boards at the end of this month. For those of you who have set yourselves a goal and pursued it to the exclusion or should I say in spite of everything else, you know the wonderful feeling of triumph and pride I experienced walking across the stage on May 5th. I also got to see my little sister which was great since I hadn't seen her in several years. My mom was up here as well in addition to Kyle's uncle and the rest of the crew that is normally here. The Miata club was also there cheering me on as I crossed the stage and then at dinner later that night. Needless to say I was very happy and very exhausted by the time I went to bed that night!
*****
Both girls have their drivers permits now (please pay attention over there on the sidewalk...their lane control is not a pretty thing yet lol). They are growing up quickly. They've been working on the farm with Kyle setting tobacco. It's hot dirty work and they usually come home covered in dust and sweat. Good thing I keep plenty of towels clean, because it's usually a fight for the shower when they all get home!
They spent the spoils of their labor this weekend on electronics. One got herself an Ipad & the other bought herself her own laptop. They are rightfully proud of themselves and so are we. Physical labor is nothing to sneeze at, especially when it's really hot & humid outside. They have stuck with it through bug bites & sunburns.
*****
Father's day yesterday was a blast. We finally got Kyle. For those not in the know, there is a tradition in this family relating to presents. More specifically, how they're wrapped. Tanith decided to buy Kyle his own Ipad. Harlee & I split the cost with her, and Mysti was our buying agent. Mysti & Tanith wrapped it but good. False bottom in the box covered in Hello Kitty duct tape, wrapped in pink saran wrap, tissue paper, and regular paper. Needless to say he had a huge grin on his face for the rest of the day.
*****
Last but not least Regatta & Detroit are coming up & I will have pictures soon =)
Mrs. Martin
It has been 2+ very busy months since last posted on here. I have officially graduated and am now waiting to take my boards at the end of this month. For those of you who have set yourselves a goal and pursued it to the exclusion or should I say in spite of everything else, you know the wonderful feeling of triumph and pride I experienced walking across the stage on May 5th. I also got to see my little sister which was great since I hadn't seen her in several years. My mom was up here as well in addition to Kyle's uncle and the rest of the crew that is normally here. The Miata club was also there cheering me on as I crossed the stage and then at dinner later that night. Needless to say I was very happy and very exhausted by the time I went to bed that night!
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| Mom & I after the pinning ceremony Friday night |
 |
| Mom, Mandy, Pat & I on Saturday morning before graduation at IHOP |
 |
| In the Line of March going to our seats |
 |
| Receiving my diploma from University President Mcfee |
*****
Both girls have their drivers permits now (please pay attention over there on the sidewalk...their lane control is not a pretty thing yet lol). They are growing up quickly. They've been working on the farm with Kyle setting tobacco. It's hot dirty work and they usually come home covered in dust and sweat. Good thing I keep plenty of towels clean, because it's usually a fight for the shower when they all get home!
They spent the spoils of their labor this weekend on electronics. One got herself an Ipad & the other bought herself her own laptop. They are rightfully proud of themselves and so are we. Physical labor is nothing to sneeze at, especially when it's really hot & humid outside. They have stuck with it through bug bites & sunburns.
*****
Father's day yesterday was a blast. We finally got Kyle. For those not in the know, there is a tradition in this family relating to presents. More specifically, how they're wrapped. Tanith decided to buy Kyle his own Ipad. Harlee & I split the cost with her, and Mysti was our buying agent. Mysti & Tanith wrapped it but good. False bottom in the box covered in Hello Kitty duct tape, wrapped in pink saran wrap, tissue paper, and regular paper. Needless to say he had a huge grin on his face for the rest of the day.
*****
Last but not least Regatta & Detroit are coming up & I will have pictures soon =)
Mrs. Martin
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
It never gets easier
Today I went with my daughters to attend the funeral of one of their classmates. They attended, I stayed in the car (per request of the eldest) to wait for them.
As a parent it breaks my heart to see them lose yet another class mate (this makes 3 in 5 yrs). I try to balance my need to protect my children from the brunt of life's harsher realities with the realization that they have to experience them in order to cope with them. I won't know for a long time if I've succeeded, if ever really. I just know that when my children hurt. I hurt because I can't fix it for them. Kisses on skinned hearts don't make everything better. I can be there for them, but they have to find the strength inside themselves to square their shoulders and push through the pain and loss to the life lessons that lay on the other side of it.
Also, I grieve for the parents who have lost a child. Regardless of the circumstances, losing a child is heartbreaking. I live with the fear that someday that will be my child. I cannot put myself in their shoes, I cannot fathom the hole that is left. Just trying to imagine it takes my breath away.
My heart aches today.
As a parent it breaks my heart to see them lose yet another class mate (this makes 3 in 5 yrs). I try to balance my need to protect my children from the brunt of life's harsher realities with the realization that they have to experience them in order to cope with them. I won't know for a long time if I've succeeded, if ever really. I just know that when my children hurt. I hurt because I can't fix it for them. Kisses on skinned hearts don't make everything better. I can be there for them, but they have to find the strength inside themselves to square their shoulders and push through the pain and loss to the life lessons that lay on the other side of it.
Also, I grieve for the parents who have lost a child. Regardless of the circumstances, losing a child is heartbreaking. I live with the fear that someday that will be my child. I cannot put myself in their shoes, I cannot fathom the hole that is left. Just trying to imagine it takes my breath away.
My heart aches today.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Amarillo by morning...
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| Amarillo sunrise 03/7/12 in overlooking Wolflin Village |
I know it's been a while since I've been on here. School has been insane and with Tanith turning 17 in January, I've been trying to cram those moments in as much as possible. I had to take a break though and make a delivery. By hand. In Amarillo.
I flew in yesterday and turned up on Mom's doorstep to deliver my graduation announcement in person. Now keep in mind I hadn't seen her in 4 years, and haven't been home in 10.
Today we are spending the day together and I will get a closer look at all the changes time has wrought on my hometown. There are some that I have already noticed: there are now Starbucks in Amarillo...15 yrs ago when I left there were none, the grocery store by Mom's house is now a thrift store, and Western Plaza...well it's been demolished & rebuilt w/ a Burlington Coat factory.
I'll post more as I notice, but for now I'm off to take a pretty lady out for breakfast =)
Sunday, December 18, 2011
A Precious Gift
As some of you know, I am an avid reader. Words fascinate me. They are the threads that weave stories. Whether it be fiction or non fiction, books hold a special place in my heart.
For 30 some odd years my grandparents David & Harriet Brown owned a bookstore by the name of Brown's House of Books in Amarillo, Tx. When they retired in 1979 (alas I was only 3 and no where near old enough to appreciate it), my grandmother went to work for the Amarillo Public Library system. On school breaks I would go to the library with my grandmother and lose myself in the shelf mazes until she was able to leave. As the only child in a house full of adults, books became my play fellows. Some of my favorite authors are those of the classics: Francis Hodgson Burnett, Charles Dickens, Jack London, & Louisa May Alcott. I had a very active imagination and had no problem occupying myself inside the pages of a book.
I will say that I was very fortunate to have my parents, grandparents, and extended family place a high value on literacy. My parents & grandparents read to me incessantly before I could do it myself at the tender age of 5 (honestly I don't remember not being able to read). My extended family fostered my love of reading by introducing me to different authors & genres. I will never forget the Christmas that I received Madeleine L'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time" series from my Aunt Brenda. I think I was probably around 10 at the time, however it opened my eyes to the sci-fi genre.
Another thing that had a high value placed on it during my childhood was critical thinking. I remember watching the Presidential debates with my grandfather and then having discussions with him about the pros and cons of each candidate. I was always encouraged to look words and concepts up if I was unfamiliar with them. Of course this was in the 80's before the internet became ubiquitous. So I would have to wait till I could go to the library to look all these wonderful ideas and concepts up in the card catalog or Encyclopedia. I don't ever remember being shut down for asking questions. If it was something I could learn by looking up myself, it was strongly encouraged. If it was something that took a more personal touch, Memaw, Pa, or my mother would explain it to me.
So today I want to take time to thank all of those who fostered my love of reading. It has been a wonderful and lasting gift that has served me well. A most precious gift indeed.
Mrs. Martin
For 30 some odd years my grandparents David & Harriet Brown owned a bookstore by the name of Brown's House of Books in Amarillo, Tx. When they retired in 1979 (alas I was only 3 and no where near old enough to appreciate it), my grandmother went to work for the Amarillo Public Library system. On school breaks I would go to the library with my grandmother and lose myself in the shelf mazes until she was able to leave. As the only child in a house full of adults, books became my play fellows. Some of my favorite authors are those of the classics: Francis Hodgson Burnett, Charles Dickens, Jack London, & Louisa May Alcott. I had a very active imagination and had no problem occupying myself inside the pages of a book.
 |
| Brown's House of Books, Downtown Amarillo, Tx |
I will say that I was very fortunate to have my parents, grandparents, and extended family place a high value on literacy. My parents & grandparents read to me incessantly before I could do it myself at the tender age of 5 (honestly I don't remember not being able to read). My extended family fostered my love of reading by introducing me to different authors & genres. I will never forget the Christmas that I received Madeleine L'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time" series from my Aunt Brenda. I think I was probably around 10 at the time, however it opened my eyes to the sci-fi genre.
Another thing that had a high value placed on it during my childhood was critical thinking. I remember watching the Presidential debates with my grandfather and then having discussions with him about the pros and cons of each candidate. I was always encouraged to look words and concepts up if I was unfamiliar with them. Of course this was in the 80's before the internet became ubiquitous. So I would have to wait till I could go to the library to look all these wonderful ideas and concepts up in the card catalog or Encyclopedia. I don't ever remember being shut down for asking questions. If it was something I could learn by looking up myself, it was strongly encouraged. If it was something that took a more personal touch, Memaw, Pa, or my mother would explain it to me.
So today I want to take time to thank all of those who fostered my love of reading. It has been a wonderful and lasting gift that has served me well. A most precious gift indeed.
Mrs. Martin
Thursday, November 10, 2011
What a month!
Well it's been over a month since I posted on here. School has been crazy busy, lots of new material, and several projects. I'm enjoying it, though I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that I have less than 6 months until I graduate. It just boggles the mind. I've been in school for so long that I don't know what I'm going to do with myself when I don't have to study.
I worked my first graveyard shifts for peds last month, which was an interesting experience. One night isn't hard, it's when you have multiple days in a row that kick your tail. It was very educational to say the least. I learned that peds might actually be a viable place for me. I know I certainly enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Of course, getting to be precepted at Vanderbilt Monroe Carroll's Children's Hospital didn't hurt my feelings either!
They have some wonderful nurses up there and it was an honor to be there with them. And the patients! Lot's of sweet kids up there.
This month is Critical care in Lebanon. 6 nights (all 12's ) between now and Thanksgiving. I'm really looking forward to the experience, however I will be a very tired student when it's all said & done. Thank goodness break is just around the corner!
175 days left....I don't know whether to be excited or terrified. Success is a scary thing, it means that all those pipe dreams I've had over the years now have a very real chance of becoming reality. Guess it's time to be careful what I wish for!
I worked my first graveyard shifts for peds last month, which was an interesting experience. One night isn't hard, it's when you have multiple days in a row that kick your tail. It was very educational to say the least. I learned that peds might actually be a viable place for me. I know I certainly enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Of course, getting to be precepted at Vanderbilt Monroe Carroll's Children's Hospital didn't hurt my feelings either!
They have some wonderful nurses up there and it was an honor to be there with them. And the patients! Lot's of sweet kids up there.
This month is Critical care in Lebanon. 6 nights (all 12's ) between now and Thanksgiving. I'm really looking forward to the experience, however I will be a very tired student when it's all said & done. Thank goodness break is just around the corner!
175 days left....I don't know whether to be excited or terrified. Success is a scary thing, it means that all those pipe dreams I've had over the years now have a very real chance of becoming reality. Guess it's time to be careful what I wish for!
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