The 3:00am Date

Tonight I begin my round of graveyard shifts at work. For me that means four nights in a row of zero sleep. From 10:00pm to 6:30am I will be required to be awake, alert, and able to take full care of my many patients. This is only my second set of NOCs ever, and its safe to say i'm a little nervous. Switching routine alertness from daytime to nighttime is a rough thing, and the body sometimes doesn't handle the transition very smoothly. My mom has worked night shifts as an RN for over 20 years, honestly I just don't know how she does it. My last time, the first night was the hardest because I didn't know how to prepare as far as getting adequate sleep ahead of time. The following nights I was good to go: awake at night, sleep during the day, repeat x 4. This time I just really needed to try something new to prepare for the first night, but I wasn't quite sure what to do.

Here's where Matt comes in. Earlier this week he devised a plan to jump start me into my night shifts: And so begins the story of the 3am date. 

I woke up naturally at 2:40, checked my phone, and decided I was too excited to go back to sleep for the last 20 minutes. It was almost time for our date!

It all started out at Smith's for some goodie shopping. But not before Matty took a little ride at in the Smith's parking lot. Hahaha I just can't get over how happy he looks. Believe it or not, we weren't the only ones there. We were accompanied by many stockers and even a few other customers! Crazy college kids with their crazy hours.

And then off we went to Y Mountain. Whats a little bit of hiking in the dark (wondering when the boogie (boogey?... I mean the scary one, not the one made out of snot) monster or sasquatch is going to come flying around the corner at you) and selfie taking at 4:00am? NBD! 

We enjoyed looking out over the sleeping valley and eating hi-chews for a little while before heading back on down. We also discovered that the body is tired at that time of morning! And sometimes the giggles take over as a result. Well, at least most of the giggling came from me :)

Afterward we hit up Walmart and found me this wonderfully cushy little sleeping eye cover for my daytime naps over the course of the next several days. Should be interesting seeing how this works out!

Meanwhile Matt found this, which ended up being unexpectedly hilarious. Again, there's a slight chance the giggles might have been a result of the fatigue. But come on, that is freaky right? 

This is the part where little Jannette got tired. Too tired. Nothing a little car dance party couldn't fix. Cue: All About That Bass. Thank you Maghan Trainor for such a dance worthy song to re-fire me up and get me groovin' (yes, I did just say groovin').

Finally, it was sunrise time. We found ourselves a good view of the mountains, parked the car, and relaxed on the hood while we watched the clouds change colors and morning light gradually spread over the valley. It was beautiful, and fun watching the new day begin as we chatted and cuddled.

We did it. We made it to sunrise. Aaaaand now we're done.

We rounded out our morning with a delicious breakfast from Einstein bagels and the season 5 finale of Boy Meets World. 

What a winner of a date this was. With such a winner of a guy. I'm still nervous about my shifts tonight, but a lot less so because of what this cute kid did for me today. I don't think I could have kept myself awake for so long by myself this morning, and he was such a champ at keeping us busy and moving and occupied so that i'd tire myself out and be able to sleep later. He certainly was under no obligation to sacrifice his own sleep to wake up at such a crazy hour of the morning with me, but he did it. And shoot dang did we have fun!
I'll tell ya what folks, it was the best 3am date I have ever been on :)

Educated and Employed

The first week of September has come and gone, and for the first time in 17 years, I didn't go back to school.

• I haven't dropped hundreds of dollars on books. 
• I'm not stressed beyond belief.
• I don't have papers to write, chapters to read or homework to do. 
• I'm not feverishly organizing my planner for an entire semester to make sure I don't miss any little test or assignment. 

I did my time with all of these things. I know what it is like. Not doing it this year is nice, but...

• I also no longer spend several days a week walking around the Lord's beautiful university.
• I don't get to run into and embrace old friends on campus as we pass between the Eyring Science Center and the SWKT.
• I don't get to reunite with my nursing girlfriends as we gather back in 270 SWKT or 2111 JKB. No more catching up on who's newly engaged, married, or pregnant. I miss them, a lot.
• Gone are the days of sitting down in a classroom filled with college coeds present to learn from an able professor who is eager to instill knowledge in young and ready minds.

I will miss all of those things. College is such a cool time of life. A time to be independent, have fun, and study something so specific, something that you get to choose for yourself, something that you can use for the rest of your life! Hopefully its also something that brings you joy and satisfaction. In some ways it feels like yesterday that I arrived at BYU so full of excitement and anticipation! I loved school. I loved learning how to be a nurse. I loved the environment of a university in general. I'll admit, there have been times over the last four years that I have felt so loaded down and overrun that I just couldn't wait until my college days were over and I could be done with school forever. Now, college is over, and I really am done with school forever. 

I am very happy to share with those of you who do not already know that I am employed! A little over two months ago I accepted a job as an RN at Aspen Ridge West Transitional Rehab. It is an Advance Health Care five-star facility with locations throughout Utah, Kansas, Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. I work at the location in Murray, Utah. Usually the majority of our patients have recently had major orthopedic surgery and need further care that doesn't necessarily require a longer hospital stay, but is more than can be handled at home. We also take medical patients (example: pneumonia, cancer, generalized weakness) who need the kind of cares that our facility can provide. This is not really considered a long-term care facility, but rather a place to participate in lots of therapy and regain strength enough to return home. Essentially my position is that of a med/surg nurse. I administer medications, injections, monitor insulin levels, inspect and change dressings, pull labs, and more. Basically anything that any of my patients need in any given moment, I help provide. Our facility holds up to 38 patients. On a day to day basis, I am responsible for 18-20 patients by myself, with CNAs as my helpers (thank goodness for them, or else I would die!!). At this particular facility, every nurse takes turns working every shift. That means that I work mornings, evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays. Flexibility is definitely a must. Thankfully, I get my schedule a month in advance and can plan accordingly around it. Though I started out part-time, I have already by granted a full-time position. I love the people I work with, I highly respect my bosses, and my work environment can't be beat. After a mere month of training, I was set loose to work on my own. But there is never a time when I can't find someone to answer questions or take a minute to help me out. I cannot imagine a better atmosphere for learning and gaining experience as a new nurse. 

I feel like I need to tell y'all how I got this job now. At the very end of April right before graduation, I made the decision not to move to Texas. Staying in Utah meant having to find last minute housing, and starting the job search somewhere between Provo and Salt Lake. Thankfully, my angel friend Kristin invited me to share her apartment for the Summer while her husband was away doing sales. That gave me the time to save up some money and also look for a new place to live once fall rolled around. Finding a job in Utah as a nurse is... not the most fun thing i've ever attempted. I didn't enjoy my Capstone semester very much, and that is usually the #1 source for getting a job as a new grad. Everyone else wants at least one year of experience before they hire you... well how is any new grad supposed to get their one year of experience if no one will hire them to get that one year of experience?! I probably applied for over 50 nursing positions within the time period of a few weeks, and immediately HR rejected my application just because I didn't have the box checked indication that I had experience. Ugggg, so frustrating! I'll tell ya what my friends, without a doubt its all about who you know and what connections you have. Well... one day I accepted Matt's invitation to attend an institute class at UVU with with him, and that evening the instructor had us stand up and walk around to meet new people. And that's when we met Jack. Jack found out that I had just graduated from nursing school, that I was studying to take my boards, and that I still didn't have a job lined up. He pulled a business card out of his wallet (the only one he had), handed it to me and said, "I work as a CNA at this place. My mom is the Director of Nursing. She will be needing to hire some nurses soon and loves to hire new grads. You should give her a call." Cue the jaw drop, the tingling feeling in my head and stomach, and the surging hope I suddenly felt because I had just made a connection. Fast forward through one long phone call with the Aspen Ridge west DON, passing my boards, another few phone calls and a great interview, and now here I am, an employed woman.

Every day I get to put on a name take that says Jannette, RN. I get to work with amazing people who make me feel good about myself and my abilities. I constantly get to learn new things, and my skills only solidify more and more as I gain more experience and get more practice. I love my big girl job! Right now, this is my dream job. However, it is not my end-all be-all. I've decided I want to be one of those nurses who dabbles in lots of different specialties. Med-surg a little here, labor and delivery a little there, maybe a little endoscopy or OR on the side somewhere? Some time in a doctor's office maybe? A few years in ICU? Home health? Hospice? Sure! Honestly, I don't know that I ever want to fully settle down within my profession, and that is truly a beauty of nursing. I can jump around and try new things. I can use my abilities in many different areas. And you know what else? I can always be learning. My formal schooling may be complete, but my education will never be done, and I will never stop learning. 

I know that my Heavenly Father is aware of me. It is absolutely undeniable. No way that all of my blessings have been mere coincidences. He helped me get into BYU, my dream school. He helped me make it into the nursing program. He helped me pass each class even when it seemed impossible (can someone say Pharmacology?). He helped me decide to stay in Utah, and then he blessed me for doing so. He helped me find a place to live. He helped me go to Institute one night, and he helped me talk to a new friend named Jack (who now jokingly calls me boss and helps me with my patients). He helped me pass my boards and follow through with getting an interview. Now, he helps me every time I dress in my scrubs, drive to work, and work with the patients who need me. I am never alone, and I am forever grateful for His love. 

Castles

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend my first ever temple open house at the recently remodeled Ogden, UT temple. A temple open house is a time for the public to tour the inside of a temple before it becomes a dedicated house of the Lord, a place for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to participate in sacred worship and making covenants with God.

I can't even begin to express the beauty of that building. It was overwhelming, really. So quiet and so clean. Everything from the light switch details to the imprints in the carpet to the massive chandeliers help to contribute to the stunning perfection of the place.

I was excited for the chance to go into rooms of the temple i've never seen before and get my first tiny little glimpse at what my future holds. As much as I was grateful for this experience, I couldn't help but feel a little bit at a loss as I briefly walked through each room, because I knew it would be my last time there for a while. In order to enjoy the full blessings of the temple, I still have some important steps to take, some important covenants to make.

When I was 12 years old, I met with my bishop and qualified to receive a limited-use temple recommend, which allows me to participate in baptisms and confirmations for the dead. Until I was 17, I drove the 20 minutes with my youth group twice a year to the Seattle temple to do the baptisms, and it was always an activity I looked forward to. When I started college in Provo, there was a temple within walking distance from my apartment. Over the course of the last four+ years, I have tried to make temple attendance a priority in my life. Getting there once a week has been a goal that at times I have diligently followed through with and I have felt incredibly blessed for doing so. During times of personal turmoil, stress, or worry, I flee to the temple, a refuge from my storms. When I make the temple a central focus and make my visits there a weekly priority, I feel closer to God. While inside, I feel calm, at peace, and protected from the noise of the outside world. Even after I leave, I am left with an increased sense of power and strength in almost everything that I do. I just feel so happy.

There is still much progress left for me to make as I attend the temple and prepare for the future. Someday I will received my temple endowment, a gift from God that will allow me to make additional covenants and learn more about His eternal plan for me and my family. Someday I will be sealed to the man I love for time and all eternity, and our family will be together forever. For the rest of my life, I will attend the temple regularly to remember the promises I have made, to remember my purpose on earth, and to remember what this eternal life is really all about.

I have been pondering more and more lately about what I want for my life, and what I can do to be better. The temple is something that just won't leave my mind. I am constantly striving to prepare myself to enter further into the temple to make additional covenants. My tour through the Ogden temple only strengthened these feelings. It almost hurt my insides to see everything so briefly, and to not be able to dwell there. I yearn to go inside and stay for a while inside a dedicated building where I can feel my Heavenly Father and Savior's love, and where I can receive personal revelation. I want to get there. I will get there.

My friends, there are 143 operating temples on the earth today. Fifteen more are currently under construction, and 12 more have been announced. I know that each and every once of these temples is a literal house of the Lord. It is the most sacred place on earth that anyone could ever possibly be. I myself have been inside temples in: Seattle, WA, Salt Lake City, Draper, Provo, Oquirrh Mountain (all Utah), and Nuku'alofa, Tonga, and I have seen countless more from the outside.

My parents were sealed in the temple almost 34 years ago, and as a result our family is bound together for this life and in the eternity to come. I cannot explain to you what a blessing that has been in my life. I am so comforted to know that families are forever, even after death. I know that this is true. In the past few years I have watched many of my closest friends emerge from the temple doors newly married to their love forever and ever. I'd say the smiles on their faces adequately explain that there is no greater blessing. I can't wait to have this experience for myself. I mean come on, isn't love and family what life is really all about?! Of course!

I love to see the temple, i'll go inside someday.

And now a HUGE thanks to the Barnes fam for including me on their trip to their city's temple open house!

*If you have ANY questions about anything that i've written about temples in this blog today, or anything about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and it's members in general, please do not hesitate to ask me questions, or to visit mormon.org or lds.org. You can also view more of what I believe here on my mormon.org profile: http://www.mormon.org/me/DM32. Feel free to share this blog post through facebook, email, or any other social media. This is a message for everyone! :)

That's Been Summer

Soooo in case you hadn't noticed... this whole blogging deal of mine kinda fell apart over the course of the Summer. I was just so busy out playing and adventuring! Oh yeah, and sleeping. Whatever y'all, it was a fantastic summer whether I was Netflix marathoning or real marathoning. What a party. And now, as to follow my typical pattern, I shall overwhelm you will way too many collages of way too many pictures to give you just a quick glimpse at the last four wonderful months.

NCLEX: defeated. The biggest test of my life (which would determine my future) loomed over me for the first half of the Summer until finally June 10th came. Seventy-five questions later I was done... and I had only known the answer to FOUR of them. FOUR. After two agonizing days of waiting for the results I learned that I had passed. And then I added the letters RN to the end of my name. Victory!

Before I ceased exercising completely (its really about time to hit the gym again), I ran some races with some of my favorite people! Feels good to have another full and another half under my belt.

Rock n' Roll Seattle Marathon with Mallory:

Handcart Half with Matty:

Hiking with friends from the nursing program. Exciting that we are all still in Utah and able to continue to do things together!

Spent some serious quality time with my boo thang. Don't worry, I don't really call him that... more than once a day. 

Matt found new love in my niece Amelia on our road trip to Seattle. And with good reason. She's irresistible!

But lets not forget my other favorite kiddos that I was lucky enough to spend time with this Summer!

Aaaand also while at home, Ty nabbed my phone a few times. He'll now learn his lesson for doing so:

Speaking of Seattle, IT WAS SO GOOD TO BE HOME! I just love my family too much.

Okay okay, lets get to the marriages already. 

Lindsey and Tanis got married in Lubbock, Texas and it was a party for everyone:

Annie and Conner forevaaaa:

Karls and Bradley! So devastated I wasn't able to make it to Vegas for this hot couple's special day:

Another one that I tragically missed back in May: the Kaxwell wedding! Rooming with Kara senior year of college was pretty bomb. Also I was there when she picked out her absolutely stunning wedding dress... i'm just sad that I ended up being too far far away to see it again on their wedding day!

Last trip of the Summer was a family reunion with Matt's mom's side of the family. BEAR LAKE!!! I was there several years ago for a Perry family reunion and it was so great to get back to that beautiful place!

Most famous vs. world's least famous raspberry shakes were right next door to each other at Bear Lake. Too great an opportunity to pass up. In this case... ding ding ding, I vote for the world's least famous!

Last thing: Feelin' 22 y'all! Matt's family completely spoiled me. Talk about embarrassing center of attention. Under all that pressure I might have mentioned something about "every color of the alphabet"... Thats the brain of an edumacated girl I tell ya. But it was awesome!  Karen and Emily made me a delicious chocolate cake surrounded and topped with candy, and both Matt's parents and grandparents shocked me with way too many gifts. I am so excited for a new year full of new adventures!

Welp.
That's been Summer.