Boards.

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Just a week to go. Yikes! Its a pretty scary thought. I have been preparing for a month now and the one week to go mark is finally upon me. At this point I have answered 2600 practice questions and still have a great deal more that I can use. We are heading to the country for the weekend, and I plan on sitting down and digging in! I've heard the good, the bad, and the ugly from friends about the test. I'm going to keep a positive attitude for the next week and take a very good break next Thursday. I read that you should take the day before the test and do something fun. I just have to decide what. I was thinking about getting my hair done after my test on Friday, but maybe I'll do it Thursday instead. Although, I want to go to a place out by my mom's house and I have to take Achilles out b/c we are leaving for Las Vegas on Sunday. We will have to see. 

I'm really hoping that I just don't hit this point! Lol!!!

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Well here's to one more week of studying before the big test. 

Going to rock it!

Until Next Time!

Lots of Love!!

~A

72 Days

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Today I officially registered my team for the GO! St. Louis  Relay Marathon. I find that there is no motivation quite like the fear of putting down money for a race to get you training hard! The marathon relay is exactly what it sounds like. A relay marathon. I don't know how many people ran track in high school/grades  school/ever, but relays were always my personal favorite. The relay marathon is a bit longer than any relay that I've ever run. The marathon itself is the full 26.2 miles divided among four people. (although not equally) The first runner runs 6 miles. The second runner runs 7.5 miles. The third runs 7 miles and the fourth runs 6 miles. Now, I don't know if anyone noticed, that adds up to more than 26.2 miles and yes, I'm still trying to figure it out myself. I'm thinking that maybe one of those runners actually only runs slightly less or maybe its easier to block off 0.5 mile increments. Who knows?! Anyway, continuing on. Garrett did this run two years ago right before we got married and had a blast! I'm trying hard to get into shape before we move and big kid life really starts for us out in Las Vegas, so this is a stop on my fitness path for the year. I have 72 days to prepare for anywhere from 6-7.5 miles. I'm thinking I will hopefully get one of the 6 mile legs! I'm thinking that my SIL and I should get the 6 mile runs while her hubby and whoever our fourth actually ends up being should take the 7 and 7.5 mile legs...just a thought.

I have a training plan, so I'm on the right track. I think that after boards, I'm going to up my work outs and do a work out when I get home from work as well as in the morning. And the other reason for the madness is that I'm a bit scared of the dress for Lara's wedding. It's one of those things where when we tried it on, it was like a size 2 and that covered my left boob, so I don't truly have any idea how it will actually look like on me and that's why I'm nervous. The wedding is 127 days. So many things are going on and I want to look awesome, so bring on the sweat!

Until Next Time!

Lots of Love!!

~A

No Motivation Monday

Today is one of those days. Absolutely no motivation to do anything. The alarm went off at its absurdly early 4:00 AM today, and neither Garrett nor I moved a muscle. Today was supposed to be a rest day, but after doing nothing yesterday, last night we decided to go to the gym today anyway to make up for missing yesterday. Yeah, it didn't happen. I felt too tired this morning to consider getting out of bed at 4 AM so I waited and got up at 5 AM instead. I am much happier.

Events of the last weekend included an oil change, Geek squad appointment, studying for the NCLEX, Grandpa's 80th Birthday party, bowling, random hotel night, and more studying for the NCLEX. Basically, new car=free first 2 oil changes. TV had discolored strip that's really annoying and we are still under warranty so they are coming again next week to fix the screen. Some of my nursing school buddies came over for an afternoon of RNentertainment (Board game to prep for boards).  My grandpa turned 80 and we had a little party in celebration.  Then Saturday night we went bowling with Ryan/Rachael and Ted/Sarah and Dad gave us a free night at a hotel b/c he had to purchase one to get to the megabonus or whatever, so random hotel party! They gave us the hotel cards and Garrett flat out asked my mother if this was their way of saying 'we want grandkids'. We had a good time! Then Sunday it was nose to the grindstone again. 

So far in my quest for boards I have done over 800 practice questions! Here's to getting that many more times the next three weeks and then rocking the test!!! Game on!

Until Next Time!

Lots Of Love!!

~A

2012 Year In Review

I know we have been in 2013 for a week now, but I am just now getting time to do this post, so bare with me. I would say we had a very interesting year! The first few months of the year, we were pretty calm and then life just seems to have gotten crazy! Many big things happened for us as well, but those were at the end of the year.  Lol! See here's my year in review.

January: This month was full of trying to be good. New year, new opportunities, new tie? Yes. I got Garrett a sweet Mizzou tie and he wore it during basketball season.

February: Valentine's Day and Garrett sent me flowers at work! Everyone was quite jealous!

March: Here is where things seemed to pick up a bit. We spent some lazy days at the cabin and enjoyed being outdoors after being cramped inside during the winter.

April: We had fun with our niece and nephews for Easter. Isn't she just too cute in this bonnet?
I also had some fun with rice crispies for Easter! Shaped like eggs and dipped in colored chocolate.
I also had some fun with Pinterest. I made the chalkboard below with dates of the Mizzou football games on them. Currently, the chalkboard has basketball games on it for a month at a time.

 May: I finished up my 3rd semester of nursing school with a really entertaining study session with my friends. Complete with wall art. For Memorial Day weekend, Garrett had to work, he was finishing up his surgery rotation, so I went with some friends to the baseball game and boy was it an eye opener! Officially checking 'see a streaker streak' off the list.

June: Garrett turned 26 and we celebrated with friends and my Dad, Lara, and Brian at the Urban Chestnut. We also celebrated Cindy escaping teen pregnancy at the end of the month. Happy 20th! 

July: We went to Marco Island with the family. Okay, well I did, Garrett had school. We had so, so much fun! I'm sure someday soon we will return there!

August: This month was a big one for us. It was so full of things. First off, we celebrated our one year wedding anniversary and Achilles and Clio got to join in the celebration with little pieces of cake. Then Lara and Brian got engaged and set the date for June 1st, 2013. Then at the end of the month, Garrett packed up and headed off for his away rotations with the Air Force.

September:  Began the long two months of Garrett being gone! :( Good thing I did a lot to compensate for him being gone. My friend since 2nd grade, Julianna, got married on the 7th of September. There was a huge downpour not ten minutes before the wedding started. My hair was a disaster. The same day was my Mom's 50th birthday and we celebrated with some good old fashioned fun complete with Red Solo cup on a wine stem.
In the middle of the month, I went to visit Garrett in Omaha. This was to be Garrett's big sell on Omaha. He wanted to rank it first, and I wasn't so sure. We had a lot of fun! We went to the zoo, and the bridge, of course had some Omaha steak. In the end, I enjoyed Omaha.

 October: Claire came to stay with me for a month while she was on a rotation in StL! We had a ton of fun including prepping for Halloween and a bad life decision that seemed like a good one at the time, Hair Coloring.  We also had Oktoberfest! This year Lara and Brian joined the festivities! And Claire made it down for a few drinks but not so many that she was unable to drive us home. Yay!! 
Just in time for Halloween, Garrett came home! I am so happy to have him home!
Halloween was a great time! 

November: My freshman roommate, Nichole, got married and we had to have the bacherlorette party! We made a stop at the Magic Tree and then continued on for a night of fun! Garrett spent pretty much the entire month hunting and we have the deer meat to prove it. I'm glad that he got so much as I'm not sure when he will get another opportunity with residency and us moving out of state.

December: Another big month for us! I graduated nursing school! Finally. After years of not knowing what I wanted to do then finally figuring it out and then being on a waiting list for two more years, I finally finished. Now I just have to take my boards here in February or so.
A few days after I graduated, we got the news  on where we are moving! Garrett matched to Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada! This means in five shorts months, Garrett and I are moving across the country!
After all that, we followed it up with Christmas and New Years with family and friends! 

2012 was pretty busy towards the end there and there seems to be no end in sight. 

Big things that we are looking forward to in the first half of 2013.

1. NCLEX=RN Boards for me sometime in February.

2. Visiting Las Vegas in February/March to find a home.

3. Garrett graduating medical school in May

4. Lara and Brian's showers and bachelor/bachelorette parties throughout.

5. Lara and Brian's wedding on June 1st.

6. Moving to Las Vegas in May/June

There are big things ahead of us!!! Here's to an exciting and fun-filled 2013!!!!

Until Next Time!

Lots of Love!!

~A